Give Yourself Permission to be Successful

Do you lack self-belief? Does it stop you from achieving what you want to have and do and your want in life? Well you are not alone! But how can you start to break the chains and really live again?

Enter self-belief into Google and it seems inevitable that the major search results will involve someones story of how they changed their life from one of under-achieving and procrastination due to a lack of self-belief. Big deal I say! Who cares!? You only care about you. You may have tried to break the chains of having low self-esteem which also pretty much inevitably goes hand in hand with a lack of self-belief.

Having a lack of self-belief and of self-esteem is simply crippling to th562e personal growth, self actualisation and self-fulfilment of anyone. We humans experience change all the time in life, its situations, challenges and constant changes within ourselves too. We are literally living in a different world from one day to the next in a body and mind and emotional and psychic state that is constantly changing. Often its difficult to keep up!

With the rush of modern living, we lose touch with ourselves to the degree that we do not have a clue who we really are. We end up attaching so many externally based labels to ourselves of what we are, what we do, our definition of ourselves, and most of all, our definition of what we can and cant do!

Most of us know about those childhood experiences that have so shaped the way we are today. We can do our own psychoanalysis thanks very much. We know ourselves better than anyone, right? We may count ourselves lucky or unlucky depending on how our childhood experiences shaped us and our present life. But we probably do not know ourselves at all!

So how much of how we see ourselves is from the past based on our perceptions of what happened to us, how it affected us and how we feel about it all? But our perceptions are fallible and our ability to process scenes, events, emotions can be changeable, to say the least. Even the way we map faces in our brains can be decei5A8ved by our perception of reality. Even green plants are not green but thats what our brain tells us! (Thats the colour wavelength reflected off the plant but is not the plant colour itself!)

The brain is limited by the way it works. Not only this, but everyone is wired-up differently so to speak. Ask a policeman what opinion he has of the publics ability to describe details of an incident. It will not be that high probably with vast discrepancies between different peoples accounts. There are still areas of our brains and aspects of our minds about which we know as little about as the deep unexplored oceans and the outer reaches of space, and these are constantly throwing scientific dogma into turmoil.

We usually do not even remember an event 24 hours ago, or 2 hours ago, or even a minute ago. So how can we really trust and believe our self-belief about ourselves, which may be based on memories from times before our brains have even been fully formed? Thats just plain crazy!

Our reference points are simply not accurate. If we add all our fears into the equation, then realise that most of our fears come from the fear of something happening but probably never has and never will. Not only this, but if we were growing and stretching as human beings according to our natural ability to do so, dealing with these fears if they did happen would be so much less of a trauma 5B4as our capability to deal with them would be so much greater!

I meet so many people every day and this relates to the majority of people I meet, who I would term as emotionally and psychologically closed down often to great degrees, even though operating as average people you would meet on the street. They may have jobs and families and busy lives, but they are in effect sleep walking through life. Mostly these people know in intricate detail what they do and what they have, but how many of them truly know who they are, what they truly want in life, and the honest reasons why? Virtually none of them!

Most people are living in the past every day of their lives and therefore are not living in reality moment by moment. Having created a false world view of reality based on opinions, false impressions, misinterpretations, lies they have been told or incorrect information they have been fed. It is like we all live in a dream of our own making, good or bad. Our minds do not represent a true map of our external reality at all and can be easily fooled.

That is why it such a shame that so many of us live our lives according to our false limiting beliefs we have created. We are all growing, but unless we realise it and explore it regular, how can we exploit these changes and assimilate them into our new belief systems and act out a new internal reality accordingly?

Sure, emotional scars can really ru5B4n so deep they are not 'cured' by methods we presently know. But many can be healed by numerous means and our own bodies and minds especially are the greatest healers of them all! So you may suffer from a lack of confidence in situations where past feelings of pain, fear or inadequacy raise your heart beat. But each time you watch television or read a book, you may wander how it is you can zone out and ignore completely what is going on around you. Thats the power of your mind. It can work for you to protect you as it should or against you because it is still protecting you in situations that are no longer a genuine threat to you.

These mind traps sabotage your life every moment you are not aware of them happening, where your mind is now working against you.

Now I am no expert on self confidence and how to achieve it, but I can tell you I was rejected at birth and adopted as a one year old by a family in which I did not live and perform up to their expectations. However, I am not living my life, like so many sleep walkers do, trying to achieve in life exactly what my parents expectations of me were.

So many people live their lives trying to get love where it will not come from truly unconditionally. Many people never acknowledge their true selves their whole lives, not allowing themselves the personal integrity to be true to their own dreams which rarely are the same as their parents anyway. Sur5B4e mind traps are like walls that have to be dismantled brick by brick. But it helps to get a big breakthrough once in a while by challenging your own beliefs and taking risks in new situations in life. Once a big false self-belief starts crumbling it can effect many others like dominoes falling.

I think most people live their lives rather like you might try to bend a spoon like the infamous Uri Geller. The vast majority of people will focus all their energy on the spoon, trying to change it with all their might, their egos getting more and more frustrated the longer the spoon stays the same.

But is very interesting to note that many children are able to bend spoons like Uri Geller. We have no scientific explanation for this phenomenon at present. But the funny thing is that children appear to bend spoons with ease. Perhaps the key is not trying to change anything at all, but being in a relaxed and unattached state where we are truly in touch with ourselves. At a place where any negative self-beliefs and conditioning are not present as a barrier to natural processes we have yet to discover scientifically.

As our quantum physicists admit there is far more space between matter than previously thought possible. This sure is shaking their beliefs about the true nature of reality and of all the physical matter in it. If you let go of past set paradigms of thought and realise how shaky they are how many laws o5B4f science have had to be re-written in even the last 50 years, how much of our accepted beliefs of reality will be different in another 100? Im certain we will be shocked beyond belief. Like many big changes to our belief system, there will be shock.

As someone of limited self-belief and of very changeable self-esteem, I can say this. I do get very sensitised by various experiences which feel risky. They may make me feel extremely vulnerable. Some give me a feeling of great strength afterwards. Some leave my nerves jangled. It seems crucial not to over-stretch when exploring and developing yourself on purpose. Taking baby steps is the key.

Ive tried big risks and big steps, and they can leave you on highs that take you out of practical everyday reality and can undermine your confidence very detrimentally if you take risks you are not ready to handle when they do not work out as you had hoped. As Zig Ziglar said Youve got to be before you can have.

Life is full of fears, pain and trauma that is completely illusory. When you meet new people, their impressions of you are not true. Their opinions of you are often based on the tiniest of scraps of information. It is not personal because they do not truly know you. I think it is such a waste and shame that people often just judge people on first appearances. This is completely insane.

How many of you have felt that peer pressure of havi142ng to fit in by buying that outfit, car, house, or even getting that husband, or girlfriend. That is not living. It is living second hand to appease and fulfil the clouded desires of others. Why live your life for other people when your true happiness comes from the love of doing what you need to grow for yourself.5B4 Sure this may mean serving other people in many different ways but you will feel the freedom and feeling of positive energy as you burst through one false inner shell after another.

Helping others is self-growth in action. And positive action is the key. Princess Dianna ways painfully shy and yet she was able to face strangers, massive crowds of admirers and even manipulate the media. Her solution was simple. When with people, focus on them instead of on yourself!

The big lesson for me about my past is that life is not about finding my past or my roots, hoping to find there the thing to ease the pain of my past. I do not think you find yourself in the way many think. I think you make yourself and in doing so you discover and remember your true self along the way. The past is gone and can never happen again quite the same way. The truth is, we give ourselves the permission we need to have the things we need and want, and sometimes we can give those things to ourselves and the most important of them all is unconditional self-love. Whether you believe in love as an eternal spiritual power is irrelevant. We all die inside without it...

Even if you are made to look stupid in front of millions on a television 'reality show', who cares? If you do it for personal growth and it strengthens you and makes you more secure in yourself you will secretly be envied for doing it. Anyone can laugh at someone but could they walk in that519 person's shoes ?

Failure or defeat is subjective, so whatever happens in our lives has the potential to help us grow. Feedback is painful, but it does not have to stop you. As Bruce Lee said: Defeat is not defeat until accepted as defeat in your own mind. (And even a rubber band has to stretch before bouncing back...)

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By Tim Richardson.

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Avoiding Pity City

"Oh, the holiness of always being the injured party. The historically oppressed can find not only sanctity but safety in the state of victimization. When access to a 5B4better life has been denied often enough, and successfully enough, one can use the rejection as an excuse to cease all efforts." Maya Angelou, American author, Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas

A thirty-eight year old man was at his parent's home for Sunday dinner. He mournfully turned the discussion to his many problems, "I've just left my third failed marriage, I can't hold onto a job, I'm in debt up to my ears and will have to declare personal bankruptcy," he whimpered. "Where did you go wrong?"

Blaming others for our difficulties is the easy way out. That's why it's so popular. A job applicant put this statement on his resume, "The company made me a scapegoat, just like my three previous employers." In How to Save Your Own Life, author Erica Jong writes, "No one to blame!... That was why most people led lives they hated, with people they hated... How wonderful to have someone to blame! How wonderful to live with one's nemesis! You may be miserable, but you feel forever in the right. You may be fragmented, but you feel absolved of all the blame for it. Take your life in your own hands, and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame." Rolling Stone journalist, P. J. O'Rourke, adds, "One of the annoying things about believing in free will and individual responsibility is the difficulty of finding somebody to blame your problems on. And when you do find somebody, it's remarkable how often his pic5B4ture turns up on your driver's license."

Turn on any daytime talk show and you'll find endless examples of people blaming everybody and everything for the way their lives have turned out. A little channel surfing could lead to the conclusion that we're living on the Planet of the Aches. As long as these sad souls are playing the blame game and embracing their victim role, they are stuck in that rut. It can too easily become a rut that's really a grave with the ends knocked out. Regular viewers of these misery-series soon end up feeling as helpless and hopeless as the continual parade of victims.

As key players in the whine industry, these shows reflect and help to spread the deadliest disease in society today the Victimitis Virus. The Victimitis Virus is the poor-little-me-syndrome. It's a state of hopelessness and powerlessness to do anything about my problems. It's running from personal responsibilities with excuses like "it's not my job," "I was just following orders," "I am too old to change," or "the dog ate my homework" (that's also the title of a great book on personal responsibility by Vincent Barry). It's the most contagious and destructive infection ever seen on this earth. The Victimitis Virus is usually found along with the Pessimism Plague. Both kill, mutilate, and destroy millions of lives every year. They are also the only lethal diseases that can be transmitted with no physical contact at all. The5B4y are often spread through one-on-one, group, or mass communications.

Symptoms of the Victimitis Virus include bouts of doubt and discouragement diarrhea, constant vomiting of cynicism and snide remarks, pains in the neck (or lower regions) from suspicion and distrust, hopelessness headaches, waves of nausea from pessimism and put downs, and frequent cramps from its-beyond-my-(or our) control language. This "victim-speak" often includes statements like "he/she makes me so mad I can't control myself," "that's just the way I am," "there's nothing we can do," "they won't allow that," "I have to," "I am no good at," "the system won't let us," and so on. We can all add to the list from our personal favorites.

It's very easy for entire groups to become infected with the Victimitis Virus and the Pessimism Plague. Many meetings or family gatherings then turn into "primal scream therapy" or "blame storming" sessions around why a deadline was missed, results are down, or a family member behaved so poorly. The entire group can end up moving into Pity City throwing many Pity Parties with whiny Pity Puppies scampering about barking blame in all directions.

Growing the Distance excerpt bio lines:

Excerpted from Jim's international best-seller, Growing the Distance: Timeless Principles for Personal, Career, and Family Suc3EDcess. Jim Clemmer is a bestselling author and internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, workshop/retreat leader, and management team developer on practical leadership. His extensive and resource rich web site (with over 300 free articles) is http://www.clemmer.net/articles

Reach The Success You Truly Desire

Ever have those days where no matter what you try life seems to be a series of one step forward and two steps back?

Well today is the very best day to take charge of your life and develop strategies to achieve personal success. You will need to work hard and make a commitment to your personal success plan, but once you break the inertia you will find that small achievements will help you gain momentum, and each step forward will attract more success.

1. Take a look at the one and only person responsible for your success- YOU. To be successful you must take complete responsibility for your actions. You can't pin your success or your shortcomings on anyone else.

2. Develop and nurture a successful self- Start by smiling more, look to the positive side in everything. Don't list all the reasons why something is hard and you can't do it, find the reasons even if it is only one to start with of why you can do something. You must develop a successful persona to become a successful person.

3. Make the decision today- Decide today that you will be successful. Praise yourself for past accomplishments, take stock of your strong qualities and work to nurture and improve those that are underdeveloped. You have a purpose and a mission you must sweep aside the negative clutter and defi5B4ne this purpose and begin today to fulfill yourself.

4. Always begin with the positive- every morning you wake up, every time you speak with other people. Always stick with the positive. Associate with positive people. People who have also made the commitment to success. Avoid negative people at all costs. They will not only drag you down. Their negative actions and thoughts, their pessimism, whining, and complaining is a toxin and you need to steer clear of it.

5. Visualize and write down how you desire to live successfully- think of the things that are meaningful to you. Things that give you pleasure, comfort, and fulfillment. Then being as specific as possible write down how you want to live. Don't listen to any of the negative, just concentrate. Write down every detail, where you live, what your house is like down to the decor. What you and your friends are passionate about, what kinds of community projects do you donate your time and money to. After writing everything down copy the most vivid and important things into a new journal. One you have chosen just for this. Make the journal come to life with drawings, photographs, magazine clippings, articles, and poetry. Images and words that will help your vision of a successful life crystallize in your mind. Look through this journal several times a week. Every day visualizing living that life. Make all of your actions in accordance with that successful life.

6. Defin4Fe what success means to you- Concentrate on what you are best at and what bring588s you satisfaction and fulfillment. Using your vision of how you want to live, write down and then read out loud what success means to you. Otherwise you won t know when you have achieved it.

7. Study and make the commitment- Read books and magazines about people who are successful in your eyes, and ways to become more successful. Develop a daily methodical systematic approach to reaching your goals and take one step towards your success.

Keep your mind in the moment don't let it wonder to negative discourse. Focus your attention on your vision of success. With a resolute attitude you are well on your way.

About The Author

BZ Riger-Hull. www.in-spiros.com For valuable free articles, assessments, & practical success tools mailto:A1@smartautoresponder.com Certified as a Success Coach, Four Agreements Facilitator, & Tele-Course leader We help you communicate powerfully, reduce stress, Strategically Attract success, & increase your financial well-being.

bz@in-spiros.com

Self Esteem - How To Be Totally Unfair To Yourself

Most of us demonstrate a hard-hearted refusal to forgive ourselves, even for relatively minor mistakes. In fact, we often spend years criticizing ourselves for things we did way back in childhood. Our self esteem can potentially carry wounds dating all the way back to the cradle.

Of course, it's important to forgive ourselves for errors we commit. We know this at the conscious level... but...

When was the last time you caught yourself going back over old mistakes and berating yourself all over again? Maybe you said something like "Okay, that's over now. It's in the past so I release it. It's completely gone."

Well, maybe you did. But it's more likely you did just the opposite.

If you treated your spouse or your child with the same lack of forgiveness you give yourself, how long would you keep your family? It's not so hard to forgive your child when she makes a mistake, but what about the child you were when you made the same kind of error?

It's high time that child within you got the same consideration and forgiveness, too, isn't it?

It is often said that love must begin at home. How much closer to home can you get than forgiving yourself? How would your self esteem change under such forgiveness?

A generosity of spirit toward yourself is the beginning of a comfortable peace within your own life. Now, I don't mean you should dismiss every mistake as "cute" or ignore your own obvious need to grow and learn. That kind of cavalier behavior is not self-love. That's what you'd do if you wanted to turn yourself into a spoiled brat.

It may take a bit of thinking and re5A8flection to become really clear on the difference between generosity of spirit and self-indulgence.

And while we hold ourselves too inflexibly to some harsh standards, in other areas we let ourselves off far too easily.

Overslept and got to work late? That's okay, I'll just tell them it was a traffic jam. Broke a promise to your family? That's okay, they'll accept a good story if I make it sort of plausible.

So on the one hand, we fiercely torment ourselves over some mistakes, while on the other, we let ourselves slide by with endless streams of excuses (otherwise known as lies).

In neither case are we being fair and balanced to the one person we spend all of our time with. There is a more comfortable way to live, however, and it involves changing how we judge the various parts of our self. This in turn frees up our self esteem to blossom and flourish in healthy, balanced ways.

For more information on how to shape your future, download the free PDF report "It's All Good Luck - Five No-Fail Tips for Turning Bad Luck into Good... Every Time" at http://www.more-luck.com/luckyreport/

Self Improvement Advice Freely Given

If only self improvement advice was freely given and available everywhere, there would be no problem regarding life, happiness and success. But this is life and it doesn't seem to work that way.

What would you do if you were trapped in an environment that you did not want to be in? What if you are sick and tired of your job?

Is there anything we can do to solve this problem?

It is possible to take inspired and motivated action to survive your present situation and live the life you always dreamed of.

It is not that easy though. You would have to come out of your comfort zone to discover potential opportunities waiting for you. You have to conquer your fear and take calculated risks. You have to stay focused and persevere despite the difficulties you would encounter.

Success does not come easy. It takes heart, passion and time. Experience is also a factor. The learning you gain from everybody around becomes your foundation. These are the things we do not need to pay for.

You have to work harder, dig deeper, and sacrifice more to attain your ambitions. But no, you do not have to hate the world and feel bad when you encounter difficult situations. Just remember the Law of Attraction.C07 If you hate the world, the world will hate you back.

What can you do? Below is some free advice to help you in difficult situations. This may also serve as your guide to improve yourself.

1. Learn to love your current situation.

See all the positive sides of life. Be enthusiastic. Love your boss, your co-workers, your family, your friends, and even strangers that you meet on the streets. It may not be easy, but nothing is impossible with a strong willpower. Just do not get darried away so much that you totally forget about your dreams. Love, but try to hold on to reality.

2. Balance is the key.

Don't just dream but take some positive action to move you toward your goals. Take it one step at a time. While you are slowly starting on the long journey to success, be patient and be as enthusiastic as possible. Do not hurry up too much that you totally forget how to enjoy life. Appreciate the beautiful things you would encounter on the journey.

One day, when you have finally attained what you have always longed for, do not look down on those who angered or belittled you. Forgive and forget.

3. Stay humble.

Do not criticize others when you see that you are becoming more successful than they are. Try to help them. Inject your positive aura into their personalities. When you give, you receive equal or greater rewards.

4. Are you ready to begin the journey?

Start it with the courage and a strong desire to improve your life. Survive and go through it with persistence, enthusiasm, and positive thinking. Finish it with a resounding bang of accomplishment and with the desire to help others succeed as well.

There is much self improvement advice that you will get as you go on with your daily life. Take note that you are not alone. There are others in much more difficult situations. That is why there is no shortage of self improvement advice freely given by other people who are only too happy to help.

Peter Fisher is an expert Author and Publisher. Find tons of information to help you Improve Your Life or Your Attitude

Self-Improvement - Be a Good House Guest

Most of us know what it is like to have had a house guest stay just a little bit too long for our pleasure. Here are some tips on making the experience enjoyable for your hosts, and you will always be welcome again..

When you prepare for your stay, try to avoid packing more clothing and items than you will need. Multiple and bulky suitcases can be a minor nuisance to your host. But please remember to bring one item in particular: a host or hostess gift. Select either a classy gift or one that characterizes your own home city or country, for instance: a loaf of San Francisco sourdough bread, Swiss chocolate, or lavender soap from France.

Stow your luggage and items as out of the way as possible when in their home, preferably out of sight in a closet, and keep your guest area neat at all times. Make your bed in the morning.

Be especially neat in the bathroom. Do not leave your toiletries there if there is limited counter space. Always rehang your towels neatly and leave the sink clean. Do not leave puddles of water on the floor. Try to leave it as neat as you find it.

Spend some hours away from your hosts and their house each day. This will be better for both of you for it will freshen your time together. Plan sight seeing or visiting other friends ahead of time, if you can, and let your hosts know when you will be gone and will come back, and if you can, leave for them a way to contact you.

Visiting family has special considerations. Even though they are family, try to be a good guest. Resist criticizing your relatives or their home while staying with them. Do not give advice there if not asked for it, even if they are your children. Let them feel like they run their own home.

Offer help when you are visiting, particularly when you see need or opportunity. You might also be able to lend your own expertise. For instance, you may notice they have a leaky faucet, and you are experienced and fixing them, but unless they are family, ask before beginning.

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Where Does Our Self-Esteem Come From?

Our self-esteem develops and evolves throughout our lives as we build an image of ourselves through our experiences with different people and activities. Experiences during our childhood play a particularly large role in the shaping of our basic self-esteem.

When we were growing up, our successes (and failures) and how we were treated by the members of our immediate family, by our teachers, coaches, religious authorities, and by our peers, all contributed to the creation of our basic self-esteem.

An adult who has healthy self-esteem was given this gift in childhood. This could have been done in many ways. Probably one of the most important is being praised for accomplishments. Children who are talked to respectfully and listened to also contributed to healthy self-esteem in adulthood. These children were hugged often and given attention and experienced some type of success in school or sporting activities.

On the other side of the spectrum, we have to identify the childhood for those adults who have poor self-esteem. These children were often criticized harshly, were yelled at or beaten, and were given little attention by those they were closest to. They were ridiculed and even teased as they experienced failures in their young lives. They were made to feel they had to be perfect in order to be valued and associated failure in situations as a failure of their whole selves.

It's sad, isn't it? To think of a child treated that way. What's even sadder is the effect that treatment has on their 5B4lives as adults. We are shaped and molded by our experiences. Do you recognize yourself?

How we feel about ourselves can influence how we live our lives.

People who feel that they are likable and lovable (in other words people with good self-esteem) have better relationships. They are more likely to ask for help and support from friends and family when they need it. People who believe they can accomplish goals and solve problems are more likely to do well in school. Having good self-esteem allows you to accept yourself and live life to the fullest.

Self-esteem plays a role in almost everything we do.

People with high self-esteem do better in school and find it easier to make friends. They tend to have better relationships with peers and adults, feel happier, find it easier to deal with mistakes, disappointments, and failures, and are more likely to stick with something until they succeed.

It takes some work, but it's a skill you'll have for life!

You can overcome issues with low self-esteem. It's not as difficult as you might think. In fact, all you have to do is recognize, understand, and use the techniques.

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Fear Personal Development

Why do some people fear personal development? When this way of life will empower you and help you see that you can be do have anything you desire. The personal development industry is thriving and becoming bigger and bigger every year. However there are still people who fear personal development and tend not to believe some of the principles it teaches.

You must understand that there are people browsing the self help books area in book stores. People are becoming more dissatisfied with B63their lot in lives; and looking for some way to improve it. You can become a part of the pro-active crowd as we.

There is no reason to fear personal development; the principles are here to stay. If the principles were not delivering peoples goals and dreams; then it would be dwindling in size and becoming more and more popular. However the people who utilize these principles on a daily basis are beginning to live the lives of their dreams and are able to able to live in contentment.

Okay so if it works for some people; why does it not work for others? Have you watched the movie "The Secret?" It will explain in complete detail why this system works for some and why it does not work for others. You attract to you what you put a majority of your focus on. If you constantly fear personal development techniques will not work for you, then guess what you are attracting. You have to be semi selfish when you begin pursuing your goals. Most people always work hard for others because they enjoy helping other people. This is great I am not saying not to help others. However you must feel the same way about yourself, you must be willing to do anything to help yourself to what you desire.

You can turn on the internet and type in the word "personal development" in the google search box; and thousands of links will appear that will take you to things they claim will help you achieve anything you desire. Yes there are all kinds of useful products that will assist people to reach their goals; however are you truly ready to use them? What I mean is yes sometimes we set goals for ourselves; however deep down inside we do not truly believe that we can achieve these goals. You must be totally honest with yourself when you set a goal; do you have the desire to work towards that goal also do an honest insight into your own thoughts and beliefs about the goal.

Can you see yourself with what it is you desire? If not why? Do you feel like you do not deserve that goal? You must figure out what is holding you back from achieving that goal. There is no reason to fear personal development; if you can figure out what beliefs are holding you back then you will be able to utilize the principles to help you achieve whatever it is you desire.

Begin figuring out what you truly believe about your goals.

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Common Thinking Errors

There are certain mindsets or points of view that can be counter-productive to good communication. These errors in thinking, and if taken to the extreme, can inhibit both personal growth and growth in relationships. Here is the list:

1. All or nothing thinking: You see th514ings in extremes, everything is black or white. This can be obvious or subtle for example saying 'He is always late, but I never get angry over it'. This mindset can be that of the perfectionist also.

2. Minimizing or catastrophizing: You exaggerate the importance of small things. 'The entire meal was ruined because the desert was not served promptly.' Is this a catastrophe? An example of minimizing is taking a significant issue or event and reducing its importance so it appears inconsequential. People often do this so as not to have to deal with uncomfortable emotions or consequences.

3. Overgeneralization: You take a single event and draw general conclusions that it is universally true. If your date is late you say 'All men/women are always late'.

4. Minimizing or qualifying the positive: If someone says you did a good job, you respond by saying 'I could have done better'.

5. Jumping to conclusions: This one is pretty self explanatory. You make a negative interpretation even though there are no definite facts that really support your conclusion. 'My boss didn't say Hi this morning, I'm in big trouble.' 'My girlfriend isn't home, she's cheating on me.'

6. Mind reading: Couples are often guilty of this, if he/she loved me they would know what I want.5B4 You arbitrarily conclude that someone is reacting in a negative way to you and don't bother to check it out. 'I know what you're thinking.'

7. Should and must statements: These are shame generators. "Musts" and "oughts" are also offenders. This can be the product of inflexible and rigid thinking. 'I must not let them see me cry.' 'I should have been there'. The emotional consequence of failure to adhere to the rule is shame and guilt. When you direct should statements toward others, you are setting up unrealistic expectations and if they don't behave they way they 'should' anger and resentment result.

9. Emotional Reasoning: While your feelings are valid, and they are your own, they do not necessarily reflect fact. Being frustrated at not being able to accomplish a task does not mean your are dumb. Feeling hopelessness does not mean you are hopeless.

10. Personalization: You see yourself as the cause of some negative event for which, in fact, you were not really responsible. Your loan application is not approved; it does not mean the loan officer had it in for you. Your daughter does not get asked to the prom does not mean you are a poor mother.

While all of us may be guilty of some of these mindsets, the danger is when they become a persistent view of your self, others and the world around you.

Tell4A7 your story! Pick up tips and tricks to help in addiction recovery and enhance your life free of addictions. Join our growing community. The author, Bill Urell MA.CAAP-II, is an addictions therapist at a leading drug treatment center. He teaches healthy life styles and life skills. Visit: http://AddictionRecoveryBasics.com

Continuing To Learn

I'm sure that you have heard the statement "If you are not learning then you are not growing". This is more than true, it is a fundamental that all successful people have that the average person does not. Successful people know the value of continued education and seek to find other like minded people, conferences, courses and various other meansFAE to support or enhance their knowledge.

Have you ever heard people say that the successful ones who are selling CD's are making money. Most people who are not willing to do what it takes will find fault with information put on an audio or CD format. Cost is one fault most complain about. They think that it is only to make money and not to share information. The wealth of knowledge and experience at your fingertips is crucial to your growth and development. The fact that you can listen to it while in your car is invaluable since most of us spend a tremendous amount of our time drive from on destination to another. You can also re-listen to an audio program and take notes as if you were at the seminar or course in person. Imagine if you had spent the actual money to attend that event!

Although a large amount of people don't seem to have much time to breath, books can be another valuable success builder. They provide a reference point that you can back to at any given time. Highlighting in a book gives you quick reference when you are looking for something specific that caught your attention during the first reading. Most successful people have a well stocked and used library for future reference. The act of spending just fifteen minutes per day reading either early in the morning or later in the evening you can acquire a wealth of knowledge in the long run and added to your points of reference while building your success in whatever you choose.

Courses and seminars are a large benefit for the person who is building financial freedom and success. Courses are available online in the form of e-courses as well as in physical locations. Seminars are also available in teleseminar and webinar form for those who choose to learn from their homes, on their computers or telephones. The biggest advantage to courses and seminars away from home is that you have the benefit of actually being in the presence to the presenter or teacher. It is true that birds of a feather flock together. Like minded people benefit from being together especially from the energy that is present. By making a commitment to attend an event you are making a commitment to yourself to improve and grow for the future. These people do what it takes to get the job done efficiently and effectively.

All types of continued education are tools to use to increase your success and the amount of time in which it takes for you to succeed. The question is "Are you willing and ready to take yourself to the next level"? There are a variety of opportunities to acquire these tools. Finding a mentor, someone who has been where you want to go and has tools available to teach you is important to developing your future success.

For further information on some tools available to assist you in your success journey visit http://www.setyourmillionairemind.com

Many people are in sales of some kind. You can find very valuable information and tools to enhance your skills and effectiveness can be found at http://www.foryoursuccessfulmindset.com

Secrets of Teaching Yoga

What you are about to read applies to teaching, in general. In fact, we are all teachers, to some degree. You teach your friends, co-workers, strangers and family members on a daily basis.

The example you set teaches someone in some way. Whether you are a positive role model, or not, people, and the world, react to you. Sorry to say, you have more responsibility than you thought possible.

Do you realize that when you hurt one person, it will set a chain of events into motion? Even worse is that, most violent acts were stimulated by smaller, seemingly unimportant events.

When you talk to your students, always show mutual respect. Dont take advantage of your position as a Yoga teacher to temporarily feed your ego.

The first thing a Yoga teacher should instill, in his or her students, is self-motivation. The serious Yoga student must be a self starter. This is a person who practices Yoga at home, as well as in class. They dont depend on their friends to come to class, and they show up like clockwork.

How can you make your Yoga students become self motivators?

You must show up to class early, enthused, and energized. Encourage all of your students and sincerely praise their achievements. The truth is, Yoga is like music, you can teach a student the basics, but to be a master teacher, you want to stir the creativity from within.

When your students become creators, you can help them refine their Yoga practice and watch them become self motivators.

A truly great teacher will produce teachers, who surpass him or her; and isnt passing the torch what its all about?

My first taste of Yoga was over 40 years ago, at the age of 7, in a martial arts school setting. I have continued to study martial arts until this day and I have four teaching certificates in four different martial arts. Now I teach both Martial Arts and Yoga. I began to seriously practice Yoga (under Laura Foster) over twenty years ago due to martial arts competition related injuries. Laura was a skilled & knowledgeable teacher of Restorative Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Laya Yoga. After training with her for 3 years, she certified me as a teacher in 1987. I became certified as a Master Teacher (Guru) on September 15, 1995, after teaching over 5,000 hours under her wing. Shortly afterward, Laura retired at age 90.

Since that time, I started organizing Yoga Teacher Training camps. As time went on, we began getting requests from everywhere in the U.S. and Canada for a comprehensive Yoga Teacher Training correspondence course. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org

Predictions for Yoga in 2008

As we begin the New Year, it's time once again to follow in Nostradamus's footsteps and play the game we've been playing for centuries: predicting what the future will hold. This year I'm taking a stab at yoga predictions-forecasting what's going to happen in this field for 2008 and beyond.

My predictions don't come from staring into a crystal ball or reading organic tea leaves. I came to these conclusions after reading and researching industry data, interviewing industry experts-including Ila Sarley, president of Kripalu Center, and John Kepner, executive director of the International Association of Yoga Therapists-and observing from my viewpoint as both a yoga teacher and a consultant in the wellness industry.

As you read my forecasts, see if they ring true for you. If yes, consider if and how you are positioning your business in response to what the future may bring.

1. Yoga's cup will overflow as growth continues. More teachers becoming certified and more venues offering yoga equals more competition between teachers and studios. In response to yoga's increasing availability and the wide variety of yoga options, consolidation and specialization will occur, with big players getting bigger and solo practitioners cultivating specialized niches.

2. You'll need to stand out to stay in. The yoga professionals who differentiate themselves with an approach or style that stands out will have a distinct advantage. While ten years ago people asked, "What is yoga?," the question now is "How is this yoga different from all other yogas?"

3. Yoga will be on the move. Yoga will continue to migrate into new territory beyond the standard studio or gym. Think yoga at your desk, for specific populations, or at out-of-the-box locations.

4. Yoga will step out of the waiting room and into the doctor's office. Yoga will continue to make headway in the health-care establishment as it becomes more and more widely accepted as a complementary alternative medicine. As this migration occurs, more structure will be needed, including peer-reviewed research studies to measure the efficiency for standardized protocols of yoga care.

5. Yoga will take up permanent residence on Madison Avenue. Companies looking to associate their products or services with a wellness lifestyle-even if it has nothing to do with wellness-will turn to yoga imagery. A sexy yogini sipping a glass of wine while sitting in lotus position on the hood of a car is not out of the question.

6. Asia will be the next growth market for yoga. More teachers will answer the call to bring yoga to Hong Kong, and you'll see more Asians attending yoga conferences and teacher trai5B4ning programs in the United States.

7. You'll want to think lifestyle, not just asana. Yoga's growth is part of a bigger wellness trend. Those who want to capitalize on this broader trend will add more ancillary services-such as nutritional programs, exercise routines, spa services, and wellness consultations-to their yoga offerings.

8. You'll see more yoga in cyberspace. Convenience is always an advantage in our busy lives. That's why yoga is moving out of the studio (see prediction number three) and that's why you'll see more options in the coming year for virtual yoga classes online.

9. Next-level training services for yoga and wellness professionals will be on the rise. With the overall growth of the wellness industry, new training programs to support practitioners will be in demand, including advanced professional development and business training.

10. Yoga will continue to touch and transform your life and the lives of your students in 2008. Happy New Year!

For more information about Yoga's Evolution in America's Wellness Revolution, go to http://www.mindfulmarketing.net/evolution.htm

Megan McDonough helps you get clear so you can get positive results. Along with teaching yoga, she's the award-winning author of Infin2AEity in a Box, a marketing consultant for mind/body organizations including Kripalu Center, and a corporate trainer to companies such as the American Cancer Society.

Asking For Help

Asking for help is not something we do naturally. We often find it painfully difficult to do because it makes us feel vulnerable, weak or ashamed; and so our fears of rejection and embarrassment get in the way.

In reality, the only real weakness is NOT asking for help. The smartest people I know understand that they do not know everything, and seek to fill those gaps in their knowledge or ability with people who do.

Life is about learning and growth and in the process, we all need help from time to time along the tricky patches. Beyond each challenge awaits an opportunity for growth; and by asking for help when we need it, we discover solutions, gain new insights, and ultimately empower ourselves.

Why It Is Smart To Ask For Help

If you reach out and ask, you will find that help does arrive and your needs are met, often exceeding your highest hopes! Just take a look at some of the reasons why it is smart to ask for help when you feel stuck:

The help you need is more likely to B68arrive if you ask for it! Keeping your problems under wraps does nothing to resolve them, so why not do something positive about it?

Asking for help lets you manage your energy more effectively. Life balance is all about managing your energy. When you ask for help with a difficulty, it frees up more energy for other areas of your life.

It opens opportunities to connect to others in new ways. Asking for help makes others aware of how they can support us and strengthens interpersonal ties.

When we ask for help, we open the door to learning. By opening up to input from others, we expand our own growth and awareness.

By breaking through fear and facing the challenge of asking, we reclaim our power! Our greatest gifts lie just beyond the things we fear the most so ask for help even when you fear the repercussions and you will reclaim your power!

How To Ask For Help

Another important aspect of finding help lies in knowing how to ask for it. Here are a few tips to keep in mind the next time you need help:

Ask for help as soon as you realize you need it. Ignored problems often escalate and become huge issues that drain energy and resources.

Recognize that everyone (including you!) deserves a helping hand, for it is in supporting one another that we all benefit and grow.

Accept that you have nothing to lose except your fear. If the person you approach can help, youll learn from the experience. If they turn you down, you can approach another.

Go to someone you trust. If they dont have the answer, theyll likely know someone who does.

Be clear on what you need. The proven words are, I need your help. Simple and to the point!

Give the person as much detail as possible. Even if you dont understand what the exact problem is, document what you know about the circumstances as well as what you need.

Get a commitment. Ask if they are able to support you and in what capacity. Getting a commitment will set your mind at ease and alleviate a lot of stress. Even if they cannot help you themselves, they may offer valuable suggestions or refer you to someone who can help. Either way, youll benefit!

When you find the solution to your problem, document it for future reference. You might run into that problem again someday when no-one is around to help, or you might pass along the information to someone else in need.

Next time you feel exhausted and overwhelmed, ask for the help you need and deserve. Ask despite your fears and with a focus on the rewards. Doing so can provide you with much more than just the help you needed.

Copyright 2006 Ada Porat

Ada Porat facilitates personal development through the integrati3D6on of body, mind and spirit. She enjoys international recognition as an inspirational speaker, teacher, author and practitioner at the leading edge of personal growth and well-being. To sign up for Ada's inspirational monthly newsletter, visit http://www.AdaPorat.com

Building Muscle Without Weights

You can build muscle without weights, equipment, or a gym membership. Have you ever heard the statement, "Where there's a will, there's a way?" There is a way to build your body with your own body weight and with things around your house, garage, or yard.

Let me first tell you a little about myself when I was 15 years old. Without going into boring details, let me just say that my family was pretty poor. But I became very interested in getting in shape. I was a scrawny, short kid growing up who got picked on quite a bit. I remember seeing ads in magazines about Charles Atlas. He was one of the first men who became well known as a muscle man. I was inspired by this man for he too was picked on before building his body. I asked my mom and dad for a weightlifting set but they would tell me that they couldn't afford it. Frustrated, I began looking around the house for ways I could build my scrawny muscles. I saw an ad in a magazine advertising a bullworker. This was a device that had high tension cables going through the ends of a pole-like device, about three feet long. You could use the cables or the ends of the device to perform various exercises. Since I didn't have money to order one I took an old bicycle tire pump and a bicycle inner tube to make my own homemade bullworker. I doubled up the inner tube and stretched it around the tire pump. I did all the exercises I could have done with an actual bullworker.

Another thing I would do is use some old swing set poles, which were in my back yard. Some of you are old enough to remember the old style swing sets with the thick, round poles. I would do presses, curls, and bench presses with these. I found some old hard cover books in the house. I would take a heavy book in each hand and do flyes with these. We never read them anyway. I would also take a full box of these books and press them a bunch of times. My point is; I would find any way I could think of to build my muscles. I used my imagination.

Let's not forget that there are several non-weight exercises you can do to workout. How about good old-fashioned pushups? You can do wide-grip pushups for your outer chest, close-grip pushups for your inner chest and triceps. One of my favorites is close-grip pushups with your feet elevated. You can put your feet on a chair, bench, bed, etc. Talk about a hardcore triceps workout! I still do these sometimes. A pushup is basically an upside down bench press. Be sure though to do pushups to failure, that is, until you can no longer perform another rep.

How about pullups? If you have a doorway which will allow you to hang from the doorway you can do pullups (chin ups) or you can place two chairs about four feet apart. Place a pole, broom, mop, or thick stick and rest each end on a chair. Lay on the floor, grip your hands on the pole or whatever you are using a little wider than shoulder width and lift yourself up as many times as you can. This will build your back and biceps. Let's not forget about crunches, lunges, chair step ups, etc.

Another way you can workout is to use paint buckets or other buckets, preferably full for more weight. Using the han5AAdles to grip, you can do presses, curls, lateral raises (for wide shoulders), wrist curls, tricep presses, bent-over rows, etc. Use your imagination; just be sure to keep safety in mind.

Yes, you can work every body part without weights. I have done it and you can too. I still do non-weight workouts from time to time at motels when traveling, visiting people out of town, and even when my car was broke down once. Where there's a will, there's a way.

I highly recommend that you eat good quality, muscle building foods on a daily basis to ensure you are "fueling" your muscles for the fastest results. My new e-book, What In The World Are You Eating? will give you the easy to understand information you need. This information comes from over thirty years of experience learning from professional bodybuilders. You will not be disappointed!

Stress Busters

Are you stressed out to the max? Do you need help managing your stress? According to a survey conducted by the American Institute of Stress, 54% of Americans are concerned about the level of stress in their everyday lives. Are you among these?

The best way to bust stress before it gets out of control is to manage it properly. Here are the top ten ways you can manage stress, starting now:

1. Breathe One of the easiest and best ways to manage your stress is to take control of your breathing. When your anxiety levels rise, you may notice 1C3Cyour breathing increasing. You might start taking fast, shallow breaths. Close your eyes, inhale deeply, and then exhale slowly while counting to ten.

2. Exercise Any form of exercise is conducive to stress management. Creating a regularly scheduled exercise routine can not only help you work tension out of your body, but can help to eliminate unnecessary stress as well.

3. Guided imagery and meditation Guided meditation is often perceived as weird. However, it is one of the easiest ways you can relax. These CDs contain a person who assists you in meditating by providing you with guided imagery. (It is usually about a 10-20 minute track.)

4. Laugh It has been said that laughter is the best medicineand its true! Research proves that laughter is especially good for the heart. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine say that laughter contributes to an increase of blood flow to. See a funny movie, buy a book of jokesLAUGH.

5. Take a break When was the last time you went on vacation? Everybody needs a break every now and then. Plan a nice getaway with your spouse or family. Leave work at work. Get out and have some fun, relax and reduce your stress levels.

6. Manage your time wisely One of the biggest causes of stress is poor time management. Do you often feel as though there arent enough hours in the day to do everything you need to do? Do you run from one appointment to another, sometimes even arriving late? Planning and managing your time in a more wisely manner can greatly reduce a lot of stress.

7. Loosen up Are you uptight? Do you take little time off for fun? While your time should be managed, stress can be caused by living a life that is too strictly controlled. If you find it difficult to have fun anymore, try loosening up the reigns just a bit. Take a day off; go for a stroll in the park; buy a flower and give it to a stranger.

8. Journal Journaling is nothing new, but not many people take advantage of the positive benefits journaling can have. Journaling is a good way to get things off your chest without exploding at those at you love. It helps you to put things in their proper perspective and discover things you didnt recognize about yourself before.

9. Take a daily vitamin If you dont already take a vitamin, start today. Purchase a bottle of multi-vitamins and begin the habit of taking good care of your body today. Doctors often suggest that both men and women benefit most from a pre-natal vitamin because these are power-packed with all the nutrients your body needs.

10. Start a hobby Do you have a hobby? All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy. Try something that youve always wanted to but never made the time forgolfing, knitting, swimming, reading.

If you're sick of being stressed out and feeling overwhelmed, eliminate your stress today. http://www.eliminatestress.nurturedsoul.com/

Attracting Your Fitter Body

Have you wondered whether you could use the power of your thoughts to help you lose weight and get fit? Of course you can! There are a few things you need to do to make sure you succeed.

First of all, you need to realize all the negativity being thrown at you about weight. You get told all the time that if you eat a particular food, you will get fat. Or, you get told that because others in your family are overweight, you are destined to be fat. Perhaps your mother told you that it was much harder to lose weight after 40, so now you simply do not try as you get older. These are common things we all hear and accept as truth. What you believe to be true becomes the reality. You have made your efforts much more difficult, even impossible, by taking these thoughts and attributing authority to them.

Examine the ideas and beliefs you have about exercise, fitness and diet. If you believe that sitting at a desk all day without ever getting any exercise will cause you to gain weight, then that is what will happen. What we expect to happen determines what actually happens. If you want to change the outcome, you have to work on how you think first. Starting now to change how you think and what you do will bring very real results in changes to your body. The good news is that you have complete control over every outcome.

A lot of us confuse self-image with our bodies. Your true self is what makes you YOU, your skills and abilities and what is in your heart. The type of body you have is not your true self. How you see your body however can and does affect how you feel about yourself. Changing your thoughts will change everything. When you look at yourself in the mirror every morning, do you make a disgusted face at the image? How much negative energy did you just spoon-feed yourself (pun intended)? When you are feeling negative, you attract more of the same.

In order to start attracting better things for yourself and realize the fitter body that you used to have or have always wanted, stop judging yourself. You only have this one body and it needs your care. You can change it so that you can live a healthier, happier life. Starting right now, look in the mirror and love yourself, as clichd as that sounds. Just try it and you will be amazed at how much better you feel. If you feel better, your thoughts will be more positive. In turn, you will become better motivated to start attracting the things into your life that will bring that fitter body to you.

Robin Skeen
http://www.robinskeen.com

Robin lives i419n the lovely state of Ohio, USA. She is a freelance writer and her website contains her reflections on inspired personal growth - transforming body, mind and spirit so you can live your best life NOW! To find out more, visit today at http://www.robinskeen.com and check back on a regular basis for free reports and eBooks.

Arm Exercises For Beginning Bodybuilders

Most people new to bodybuilding pay a lot of attention to building big arms, sometimes to the point of overtraining. Don't forget, the arm muscles are brought into play during most exercises aimed at other body parts so care must be taken not to overdo things.

Having said that, the arms are complex body parts in their own right and deserve a properly focused exercise program. In basic terms the arm consists of three main muscle groups:

1. Biceps brachii - two muscles at the front upper arm that run from the elbow to the shoulders.

2. Triceps brachii - three muscles at the rear upper arm that run from the elbow to the shoulder.

3. Forearm - several smaller muscles that run from the elbow to the wrist.

There are seven classic exercises that will allow beginners to get off to a good muscle building start without overstraining their bodies. For all of the exercises that follow, use a weight that is light enough to allow between 10-15 reps.

Three biceps building exercises are recommended for beginners:

1. Standing barbell curl - 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

2. Alternative standing dumbbell curls - 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

3. Preacher bench curls - 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

Three triceps building exercises are recommended for beginners:

1. Dips - 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

2. Close grip bench press - 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

3. EZ bar lying extensions - 10-15 reps.

One forearm building exercise is recommended for beginners:

1. EZ bar reverse curls - 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

As with all exercises you need to take care in scheduling specific body parts. To begin with you should incorporate your arm exercises into a program similar to the one suggested below:

Day 1: Biceps, Back, Abs

Day 2: Hamstrings, Shoulders, Abs

Day 3: Quads, Forearms, Calves

Day 4: Triceps, Chest, Abs

For the first couple of weeks complete one set but then add one set each week to a maximum of three. At the end of three months you will be ready to move on to more intensive intermediate level exercises.

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.

10 Steps To Achieving Maximum Performance Through Recognition

As a conscientious leader, you can:

Build a high performance team

Value your team members

Bring out the best in each of the members of the team

Employees will actually become a part of the team. This will happen when they feel included in plans for the future and when they feel rewarded for achieving goals. Everyone wants to be part of the team, part of the company, part of the big picture.

Being included doesnt mean being consulted or being asked for approval. It does mean taking those employees into consideration and keeping them informed of the plan and the progress.

Being rewarded for achieving goals doesnt have to include money or awards but in fact could be just high 5s and back patting as steps are achieved along the way. Show them that you understand that they actually helped achieve that goal. I read that at MDI, every time a major contract was signed, a giant gong in the entrance room was gonged loudly enough so everybody in the building heard it and knew of that success. Timing is important

The word rewarded, conjures up thoughts of money or gifts that are considered expenses or costs. Rewards can of course range anywhere from a thanks, you did a good job to Cash bonuses and everywhere in between. Promotional products fit almost every catagory except cash.

Rewards can be the success of the company and the continuance of operation or even expansion which could lead to promotions and long term employment.

Actual rewards should be considered as investments.

PLAN REWARDS

Set criteria for awards program, Present lasting, personalized awards

Standard, classy timeless awards stand the test of time

A personalized award will be kept and treasured

A functional gift will be used and discarded.

Trendy and gimmicky gifts are fun for a while

When your company name is on an award, you are in fact advertising your company while rewarding or acknowledging someone. Everyone will see the image you project.

Set clear objectives for your company

PHILOSOPHIES

Management & Shareholder needs

Company Vision and Mission Statements

PRODUCTS

Main or Key products

Ancilliary products

Possible new products

TIMELINE

Short term goal, 1 year goal, 5 year goals, beyond Year end

Expansion/merger/takeover plans

SET CLEAR GOALS FOR MONTH, YEAR AND FUTURE (in measurable terms)

Product Volume

Dollar Value

Dates

Measureability

Progress tracking

WHO IS ON YOUR TEAM???
Yourself
Employees
Staff
Suppliers
Customers
Community

10 STEPS TO ACHIEVING MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE THROUGH RECOGNITION.

1. Timing, Timing, Timing. (Not Location, Location, Location)

2. Quality (not cheap, does the trick)

3. Appropriateness (choose the award to match the event)

4. First Impression, Last Impression (there is a 'right' time to make it the best)

5. Corporate Image ( everyone sees what you project. Be good and be constant )

6. Achievability of contests or programs ( make sure you get winners)

7. Image building. Communicate/advertise the program, the winners (You want your image to travel.)

8. Reciprocation creates obligation payoff repayment (be cognizant and make it your advantage.)

9. Consistency exudes reliability ( you see this in all the major players )

10. Focus on all, one at a time
-Business
-Product
-Customers
-Suppliers
-Employees
- Families
- Community

Is it all about Recognition, Promotional Products, Awards Program and Incentives? NO!! It's about business. It's about you. It's about them.

You've heard it said 'Business is Business' but I believe more and more that 'Business is Family'. Sure there are times when bad things happen but you get over it, solve the problems and get back to business. Get the 'family' working again.

My name is Rod Winning I own and operate Winning FairWays Inc. Promotional Products for Success I can be contacted at rod-fairways@hotmail.com www.winningfairways.com

Rod Winning is President of Winning FairWays Inc. Promotional Products for Success. http://www.winningfairways.com contact him at info@winningfairways.com or at rod-fairways@hotmail.com

Self Development And Growth

When starting out the the area of self development and growth, one of the most important anAA8d basic skills to learn is the skill to deal with issues in your life.

Many sources often overlook the process of how to change. The process is long and hard, and often you will lose motivation and forget your goals for self improvement. While you may yearn for instant gratification and instant change, the reality is that it just wont happen overnight. Habits take a long time to form and break; deeper psychological issues that a long time to resolve.

Often when people deal with their issues, they're dealing with it in a LOGICAL manner. This doesn't motivate you because motivation is EMOTIONAL. When you feel emotionally affected towards the issue, you will have the drive to resolve the emotions. This is the basis for my model of dealing with issues.

Without further ado, here it is: Dealing with issues, the 4 steps.

1. Figure out what the issue is.

This first point is ridiculously obvious, but incredibly important and oftentimes looked over. In many instances, we believe that we're dealing with one problem when in reality we're actually facing problems with a deeper inner issue.

For example, in the world of dating and relationships, the actual act of meeting members of the opposite sex can be quite daunting. The possibility of rejection, the fear that they will dislike you is present. No one likes to think that they are incompetent with the opposite sex, and this is the issue that may arise and challenge them if they approach and get rejected. So they sit at the back of the bar with their friends talking about how they're 'pimps' and 'could pick up anyone in this bar' but 'they don't want to' because 'no one here is worth it'.

What is happening here is an avoidance of the real issue: they depend on other's approval and reactions to feel good about themselves. An issue of low self esteem and low self confidence.

This issue would not be realised without some serious hard thinking and the ability to see things for what they really are. Your mind and ego will throw up a million different cognitions to throw you off the real issue because the truth hurts your sense of self.

This first point is ridiculously simple yet hard to realize.

2. Experience the issue.

This is different. I swear by this technique 100%.

When you figure out what the issue is, it's going to try and hide. It's going to throw up excuses as to why you have those cognitions. You're going to want to avoid the issue. Yeah that's right, you know what I'm talking about. This is the nerd realising that they suck with women but rationalising it as due to their studies or the fact that they "don't have time", then using that as a constanB07t excuse not to GO OUT and MEET women. Or the woman who has emotional issues that affect her relationships but blames her relationship problems on her looks.

By experience the issue I mean to feel it fully. You KNOW it's there, you aren't going to avoid it. You just broke up with your partner? It feels crap. Don't avoid having the feelings. You're scared of chatting up that cutie? Don't avoid the issue. Immerse yourself in the experience of feeling like that.

Only then do you have a solid base for your motivation to get the problem fixed.

3. Act on resolving the issue

After experiencing the feelings that you don't want to feel, make a decision to ACT upon the issues. After all, just pointlessly making yourself feel bad is... pointless. So what did you do? Make a commitment to take steps forward in solve the issue. If you're afraid that people will 'reject' you then approach people until you emotionally realise that 'rejection' by a stranger means nothing more than the fact that you approached them in the wrong way. If you're avoiding exercise because of an underlying issue of laziness, get out there and exercise! Do you actually WANT to be unhealthy? How does being unhealthy feel?

Experiencing the issue should give you the MOTIVATION to ACT on the issue. If you don't act, you'll just stay the same. Do you really want to feel the way you felt when you were experiencing the issue? I doubt it.

4. Figure out your other issues

In self improvement, it is critical to remember that your problems will NEVER end and you will ALWAYS have issues to deal with. Reality is harsh.

If you're serious about improving yourself, keeping this in mind will help you a lot. You will always have something to fix. Take a break once in a while, moderate how much you work on yourself, but never forget that you always have something to improve. Read "The way of the superior man" by David Deida. It gives a good description of this point.

I'd dare say your not as good with women as you wish you were, your looking for something that can take you above and beyond 99% of men for free, it's here, you just have to reach out and grab it.

Have fun,

-- Solace

Effective Goal Setting Requires Planning

You'll never accomplish anything in life without paying a cost for it. To build a business will require you to work longer hours in the beginning. You may have to get up early or stay up later. You may have to banish your TV for the next year. If you want to save more money, you may have to quit going out to eat so often. You may have to cut out some of your shopping budget.

If you plan to study and learn new subjects for your personal growth, you may have to turn off the radio station and listen to training CDs on the way to work. Anything you do will cost a price. It may be not as high of a price as you would think, but it will cost you something.

For example, anyone can become an expert in virtually any subject in just onA78e hour a day study over a year to two year period. That is a lot easier than most people would think, but it is still an hour which has to be invested everyday.

Count the cost for your goals or eliminating pain in your life. Make a plan. You should never start a new business without a plan, and you'll never reach your goals without a plan either.

You may want to weigh 30 pounds less than you do right now, but how do you plan to accomplish this? When will you schedule to exercise and what kind of exercise will you do? How will you change your eating habits to cut your daily calories? How can you get your friends or family to help you on this goal?

You can pick up dozens of books at any bookstore on the subject of losing weight. The hidden little secret is that the majority of them work, because you simply need to exercise more and cut the number and type of calories you eat. So you don't have to starve yourself or go on any crazy fad diet. Just make a plan that includes both exercise and healthy eating.

Make your plan by breaking down the goal into elements or steps. What kinds of steps will you have to take to reach your goal? The number of steps you use will be based on how complicated of a goal you have.

If you're starting a new business, you may have dozens of steps to prepare. You need to study the marketplace, visit competitors, do customer research, etc. Then you need to apply for licenses, setup a legal business form such as corporation, and possibly apply for business loans based on a business plan you've written.

If your long-term plan is to build your current business to $1,000,000 a year in net profits, then you may have one year goal and plan for $100,000 increase. For that plan, you may make a list of asking customers why they buy from you, writing new ads, testing your ads, and checking around to find joint venture partners who may be able to offer more items to your current customers.

You can break down these plans into many more steps than what I've listed here. The planning stage should be broken down into easy to accomplish daily and weekly goals. When I said write a new ad above, that could be broken down into individual steps as well.

You may design 3 ads to test, so you first decide on the "offer" for each one...what will make it unique and exciting to your customers. Then you decide on headlines. Then you write the rough draft of one ad. Then you edit it. Then you test it. Then you see if you can improve on it or test out one of the other possible offers you come up with.

The other important element that comes in while making plans is to make deadlines that 5A8are practical. You may want to lose 30 pounds, but doing that in 30 days is not practical. You will not reach that goal and do it in a healthy fashion.

The healthiest way to lose weight is 1 to 2 pounds per week. You hate the extra 30 pounds you're carrying and want to eliminate it in the next 6 months. You can break that down further and say you would like to lose 5 pounds this month. You didn't gain 30 pounds in a month, and you won't be losing it in one month either. So make shorter term goals such as losing 5 pounds per month.

If the most you've ever made in your life is $30,000 per year, then having a goal of making one million this year is not a realistic goal.

Making one million a year 5 years from now isn't that difficult, but you'd be better off setting a goal of $100,000 or so for your business the first year. You then would need to come up with all the steps required for you to reach this.

If it's a brand new business you're starting, there will be a lot of steps involved. Pick up several books that talk about starting new businesses to help you write down all the steps you'll need to take. Then get busy and start taking one step at a time.

One of the key principles here is you want your goals to be something you can really have faith in. You are only limited by what you can believe, but you won't be able to believe with your heart that you're worth the one million dollar income if yo5B3u've only been making $30,000. You're going to have to grow into it. You'll have to build up to the point where you truly believe you're worth that much money.

Most people set their one year goals too high and their 5 year goals too low. You can experience multiplied growth every year of your life, so your goals for 5 years out should be a whole lot bigger than your goals for this year alone. You can build the life you dream about, but you have to be willing to put in both the time and energy required to get there. You have a lot of learning and growing to do.

Look at potential roadblocks which may come up in the pursuit of your goal. What kind of obstacles are likely to come against you? This is part of counting the cost. You may have friends who won't want to be around you anymore. People who are set in their ways and satisfied with mediocre life don't usually accept those who want to strive for excellence. If you want to soar with the eagles, you might not be close friends with the turkeys anymore. You may have opposition from your family.

Terry Dean invites business owners to Earn More, Work Less, and Enjoy Life. Receive his Special report, "10 Key Strategies for Any Business Owner to Earn More, Work Less, and Enjoy Life" along with having access to his blog where he posts articles 2 to 3 times per week at: 2E8http://www.terrydean.org

The Motivation Myth

"It is the ultimate management conceit that we can motivate people." Peter Scholtes, team effectiveness consultant and author

After six years at Universal Pictures, Harry Cohn formed Columbia Pictures in 1924. During the following decades he ran the company with an iron fist. His image as a tyrant was reinforced by the riding whip he kept near his desk to crack for emphasis. Cohn form of "motivation" led to the greatest creative turnover of any major studio. At his funeral in 1958, one observer suggested that the thirteen hundred attendees "had not come to bid farewell, but to make sure he was actually dead."

Some parents want their kids to be independent as long as they do everything they're told to. Some team leaders want their teams to be empowered as long as they follow directions. What some "leaders", call "motivation" is getting others to carry out their orders. Some seem to live by the philosophy that if I want any of your bright ideas I'll give them to you. Just do what you're told...and look like you're enjoying it. These forms of "motivation" are based on fear and force. If the punishment is strong enough and the policing rigid enough, they will lead to compliance. People will follow the rules and marching orders. But that's all. Energy, creativity, and extra effort will be minimal. So will ownership and commitment. The only passion tyrants and autocrats create are fear, loathing, and the desire for revenge.

The key problems of the Motivation Myth are clearly illustrated by a Farcus cartoon; a team leader is at the head of a conference table addressing her team with these words, "we need to improve morale, any of you boneheads have a good idea." The main cause of the problem seems pretty obvious. She just needs to look in the mirror. But obviously the obvious isn't always so obvious. Root causes and symptoms are continuously confused. The Farcus team leader is treating low morale as a problem to be solved rather than an indicator of much deeper issues. Clearly a key source of a deeper problem is her contempt for her team and her forcefulness. Her approach is like an auto mechanic reporting, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."

Many of the symptoms and root causes of motivation and morale can be clarified by understanding the doing versus being aspects of mobilizing and energizing. We need to get beyond "do to" programs and techniques. The big sticks of fear, punishments, and discipline or the carrots of incentives and rewards may work in the short term. But to keep them working, we need to continually increase the beatings or sweeten and vary the incentives. Eventually the beatings will burn people out and they will quit. Some will leave and find other jobs. Many will silently resign and continue to report for work everyday.

People should be fairly rewarded for their contributions. The absence of money can be demotivating, but its presence doesn't provide healthy, long-term motivation. Using money or types of incentives to get increased performance turns people into selfish, 5ABself-centered mercenaries who are increasingly tuned into WIFM (what's-in-it-for-me). Pride, teamwork, concern for customers, shared values, growing and developing, passion, meaningful work, and the like fade. These become hollow words that raise "the snicker factor" whenever they are heard.

Effective mobilizing and energizing goes well beyond "doing" programs to the "being" or culture of a team, organization, or any group including a family. That culture is a set of shared attitudes and accumulated habits around "the way we do things here." The culture provides the context or backdrop that either energizes or exhausts people.

Excerpted from Jim's fourth bestseller, Growing the Distance: Timeless Principles for Personal, Career, and Family Success. View the book's unique format and content, Introduction and Chapter One, and feedback showing why nearly 100,000 copies are now in print at http://www.growingthedistance.com Jim's new companion book to Growing the Distance is The Leader's Digest: Timeless Principles for Team and Organization Success. Jim Clemmer is an internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, workshop/retreat leader, and management team developer on leadership, change, customer focus, culture, teams, and personal growth. His web site is 2FAhttp://www.clemmer.net/articles

Reach Your Goals with Goal Pooling

Goal-pool with friends or acquaintances

Get together with a group of friends or co-workers and host a logistical brainstorming party where all the invitees lay out the goals theyd li5B4ke help with and make plans to meet them, with the help of the rest of the group. The result might look something like this:

Every Monday the whole crew gets together for a half-hour after work to help Barbara make fund-raising calls for her charity (and in exchange, everyone gets invited to the hoity-toity, networking-heaven Christmas party held to thank the donors and volunteers).

On Wednesdays, Bob hosts a scrap-booking dinner where he provides the food in exchange for mooching supplies, equipment and techniques from his more scrap-savvy cohorts.

On Sundays, June hosts a brunch where everybody eats high on the hog in exchange for honest feedback on her catering recipes and presentation/marketing ideas.

Continue goal-pooling until everyone involved has met their goals unless everyone decides to keep going and move on to the next batch of goals!

(c) Soni Pitts

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Soni Pitts is the Chief Visionary Butt-Kicker of SoniPitts.Com. She specializes in helping others reclaim "soul proprietorship" in their lives and to begin living the life their Creator always intended for them.

She is the author of the free e-book "50 Ways To Reach Your Goals" and ove33Er 100 self-help and inspirational articles, as well as other products and resources designed to facilitate this process of personal growth and spiritual development.

Is Life Keeping You From Getting Anywhere

Are you too busy with what you are doing to change or get ahead?

Are you so distracted with life that you have time to pay attention to what you want in life?

Can you even remember what you want any more?

The routine tasks of daily life can so easily use up all of your time that they become the main part of life.

When was the last time you spent time thinking or contemplating what you want in your life? For most it has been far too long.

Are you aware that your daily activities are your predominate habits? A habit is an automatic thought, routine or behavior. They become so ingrained in you life that you build interpretations, thinking, behavior, and defens5B4es around them, protecting the status quo.

Have you noticed how protective you can be about what you do and think, even if you are not really sure why. How you will defend anything even if it is really not in your best interest. You will actually personalize and protect your habits no matter how negative, debilitating and restrictive they become.

Sometimes, what habits prevent you from doing is far more damaging than the habit itself. Many habitual routines cause you no harm other than sapping your time and energy that could be utilized for your personal growth and development.

We have all heard of how effective use of our time leads to results. Well, there are always results in your life; everything you do has a result. Even when you think you are doing nothing, you are getting the results of the doing 'nothing'. And part of the result is, what you are not doing while doing the 'nothing'.

If you sit and watch TV instead of washing the dishes, the result is - the dishes are not washed, and of course you accomplished TV watching.

This goes on all day, with you getting appropriate results for all of your actions and apparent inaction.

The question becomes, how long are you going to continue to let what you do all day long prevent you from the life you desire? You can't continue to do everything you do now and expect different results. You must make some adjustments.

Change what you are doi5B4ng and what you are doing will change. Your results will change and so will your life. It takes effort on your part. Who said the life you want is easy? I'm not saying it is hard either, not any harder than what you are doing now.

The challenging part is in getting yourself to alter what you are now doing to allow for what you want. You have gradually built your life to what it is today, whether you did so intentionally or not.

You then need to make any adjustments that are needed to support what you want. It will take effort at first, as your ego mind will want to fight to preserve the status quo. It will take determination and self-discipline on your part at first to override the existing habits.

This can only take place when your inner drive is sufficient to back your efforts. Only when you become fed up with what you no longer want and you become deeply desirous of what you do want will you have the needed mental and emotional drive.

You will need to insert into your day, some things that support what you want. You need to be moving in the direction of your dreams, not just once in a while, but each day.

Take a look at what you want in your life - what activities would lead to them becoming reality for you? Put these into your daily schedule and help them become your habits. Even if small, they will begin to have an effect.

If you were in baseball and wanted to be batting over 300, don't yo5B4u think you should be doing a lot of batting practice? Of course, that's obvious right! Then why don't you do any practice for what you want?

You have allowed yourself to be consumed by your habits, you must change that in order to get what you want. And what you have in your life is directly related to how much time and attention you have given it. Give an appropriate percentage of your time with what you do want.

Spending all of your time doing things that are not part of what you want your life to be and then complaining about it changes nothing. All you are doing is accentuating your unhappiness.

Another key part of this is to know what you want unfiltered by the ego. There is a lot deep in your mind that is covered by the activity of the day. Schedule time in your day for contemplation of some sort, as well as the specific activities.

Meditation is good or any quiet undistracted dedicated thinking 20 to 30 minutes at least once a day. Contemplative thinking is something most of us do not do enough of, as we are so busy running around just doing what we are in the habit of doing.

It is so easy to allow ourselves to get in the rut of just wishing of something rather than taking steps towards making it happen.

And very important, you must stick with it, just doing something for a short term or once in a while will not effect change. What job, business or college degree can you be successfu496l in if you only do it once in a while?

If you want it to be a part of your life - make it a part of your life!

Change your efforts and your results will change.

John Halderman writes and speaks with intent on helping you get effective results with your personal growth. For self-improvement tools, tips and resources for living a satisfying life get the "Effective Personal Development Newsletter" and a bonus report http://www.activepersonaldevelopment.com

Why Intelligence Increasing Techniques Work

The 21st century has seen the advent of many so-called "intelligence increasing" techniques. These techniques have been purported to lead to intelligence gains of as little as 5-10 points, but all the way up to 30-40 IQ points gains for major techniques.

The most popular techniques in use today are image streaming, wave streaming, brain harmonics and pseudo telekinesis, though there are many others which are just as effective and can suit your lifestyle. Each technique has its distinct advantages, where some lead to increases in concentration and focus, others are more favorable towards intuition, creativity and inspiration generation.

The reason why these techniques work are several fold. First, the intelligence increase arises from the subconscious mind which lies within us. The genius of today is merely a result of increased connections to this subconscious foundation to let the genius come to us. The subconscious itself is the area of our minds which is always at work to give us what we plant into it. It also contains the solutions to any problem that we have, so is excellent for problem solving and creativity increase.

The second reason why intelligence techniques work, is because it natural for us to be the best that we can be, because we already have the best things within us in the unconscious. Therefore it is impossible for us not to achieve the best, when we allow it to flow through to us. We can therefore increase our intelligence into the stratosphere, and become a Universal Genius who achieves all their dreams with flying colors.

So in essence, the secret to genius lies on the fact that we have a subconscious and unconscious mind within us. We merely need to link with these and allow their secrets to pass through to us and fulfill our dreams on our behalf.

The author has increased his IQ to over 180, using the techniques he has created and perfected throughout his life. Visit http://www.geniusintelligence.com for more information on how to increase your intelligence and achieve the genius of your dreams.

The Power of Concentration Meditation Technique

Meditation is an invaluable and proven science to optimize health and elevate the quality of one's life. It not only promotes physical health, but also markedly improves emotional balance and psychological wellbeing. There are many types of meditation and in this article we will explore the popular and powerful Concentration Meditation Technique.

Concentration Meditation Techniques:

These are probably the most common and well know of all the meditations and often meditation is defined by these kinds of meditations exclusively. They are closely related to the Insight Meditation Techniques, with the difference being that Insight Meditation Techniques utilize the active application of intelligence and discernment, while the Concentration Meditation techniques use the power of focused attention to a greater degree. To some extent these meditations lay the groundwork for the Insight Meditations which need a high degree of concentration as a prerequisite to being effective.

1. Breath Meditation Technique (Zazen):

The heart of Zen Meditation is Zazen, the meditation of the Buddha. In this meditation, awareness and concentration are brought to the breathing process to help build mastery over the mind and free the system from dualistic thinking.

To practice Zazen one takes a seated posture and then begins to 5B4count the flow of one's breath. Counting each inhalation and exhalation starting from one to ten. So, an inhalation is one, the next exhalation is two, and so forth. When one reaches the count of ten, one returns to one and starts counting again. This helps focus the mind and prevents it from drifting endlessly from one thought to another.

As one develops one's ability to count undistracted from one to ten, one starts to count each breath cycle, instead of the inhalation and exhalation separately. So now one counts an inhalation and exhalation as one, the next complete breath as two and so forth till one reaches ten. After reaching ten, one returns to one and repeats the meditation.

In the advanced form of Zazen, one simply becomes the breath. In this form counting is dropped altogether and only keen awareness of the breath is maintained. One should not progress to this level until one has mastered the previous two.

Zazen breath meditation helps develop the power of focused concentration and creates a serene, peaceful mind capable of penetrating the veil of dualistic thinking.

2. Another breath based meditation is Vipassana:

In Vipassana one extends one's awareness from one's breath, to the body and the sensations that rise and fall within it. The objective being to have insight into the workings of the mind through self-observation. This form of meditation is also called Insight Meditation as it helps one 5B4develop insight into the true nature of things.

3. Object Concentration Meditation Technique:

There are many meditations that utilize an external object as a focus point for the mind. Zazen and Vipassana belong in this sections as well, but due to their widespread use I mentioned them separately. The objects of focus can be anything from a point on the ceiling, to a flower, to external sounds in the environment. These meditations all develop focus, concentration, self knowledge, calmness and the witnessing consciousness. Their ultimate objective, though, is to have the meditator finally drop the object of concentration and encounter the non-dual nature of Reality directly.

Some examples of these meditations are Sound Awareness Meditation Technique and candle flame gazing (Trataka). Both these meditation utilize the sense modalities to accomplish the goals of concentration meditation.

Summary:

So you see from above that there are many types of concentration meditation techniques. This allows one to choose a type that is most suitable for their personality and disposition. The best way to discover the enormous benefits of meditation is to jump in and participate. What are you waiting for?

Anmol Mehta is a Yoga & Zen Expert. His site, Free Guided M4ECeditation & Chakra Kundalini Yoga Exercises, offers Free Third Eye (Ajna) Chakra Yoga Meditation Technique. Also, find great discussions on the Free Guided Meditation Practice, Kundalini Yoga Poses & Zen Meditation Blog.

This article is available for reprint on your website and/or newsletter, provided it is not changed and you include the author's signature.

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