Calm Down! Chillax

By Dr Linda Hancock

‘God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay...’

NO one knows who wrote these lyrics, but it is believed that they originated in the sixteenth century, when bands traveled around London singing in taverns.

The first publication was in 1833 and since then, people in different countries have adopted this carol as part of their traditional celebrations at Christmastime.  

Is time for you to 'Chillax'?

The word “dismay” is not one that we usually use in everyday conversation. It means, “distress”. There are more contemporary ways of stating, “Let nothing you dismay”.

One day, for example, when I was in a bit of a panic at work trying to get everything done, my son said “Chillax”.

At first I was puzzled, as I had never heard this word before. Once I thought about it though and realized that it is a combination of the words “chill” and “relax”, I laughed.

People need to “chillax” more often. Those who focus on the past and worry about all the things that they cannot change, set themselves up for depression.

On the other hand, individuals who are concerned about the future and waste both time and effort trying to predict what hasn’t even happened yet are vulnerable for an anxiety disorder.

The best way to stay peaceful and calm is to practice living in the moment. Each day focus on doing things that will promote self-care and well-being.

Take action and do things rather than staring at the wall while chaos piles up around you. Ensure that your environment is clean, organized and positive.

Bring out all the special items that you have been saving for company and enjoy them! Chillax!

If you have issues and feel “stuck”, find someone who has a record of successfully resolving similar problems.

Do some research so that you will gain understanding and know the options that are available for you to consider.

The first line of this carol gives us a good hint about how to handle life better. It suggests that gentlemen (and gentlewomen of course) should rest.

The ability to think clearly and enjoy a good mood is improved when we get enough sleep. I was going to suggest that you turn off the television and head to bed a little earlier.

But then I thought about the fact that there weren’t televisions in the sixteen hundreds.

Funny to think that the tavern singers were trying to encourage those who were drinking and ‘dismaying’ to go home and get some sleep!

It really doesn’t matter in which century a human is born. There always have been and always will be temptations that can interfere with healthy living.

But getting enough rest and not allowing distress to rule our lives will bring us the rewards offered in the final line of this carol: Tidings of comfort and joy!

Chillax!

And now I would like to invite you to claim your Free Instant Access to a complimentary list of 10 Steps to Making Your Life an Adventure when you visit http://lindahancock.com

From Dr. Linda Hancock, Registered Psychologist and Registered Social Worker

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9591492

How to Be Happy: 5 Steps to Living a Life You Love – with Brian Tracy

Posted by John Lee of YourBestYouEver.net

GIVEN the turmoil being stirred up around the world by various political and social events, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the above idea is becoming increasingly difficult.

In fact, you may well have read the title of this post with a wry smile on your face and a heavy dose of cynicism in your heart. 

Brian Tracy reveals his 5 steps to a Life you Love

Yet whatever’s happening to our world – on a local or global scale – the one element we all have under our control is our personal happiness.

Of course, whether or not we choose to do anything about that is up to us as individuals. But the video you can access below certainly offers some excellent pointers.

If you’re already familiar with Brian Tracy, you’ll know he’s one of the very best specialists in personal and professional development. If not the best.

And the short recording is typical of his simple and down-to-earth, yet very powerful work.

In the video, Brian examines concepts such as:

* The vital ingredients for happiness

* The need to listen to the, ‘Still, small voice within’

* Why you must first understand that you deserve to be happy

* Why happiness must be the, ‘Organising principle of your life’

* The importance of being prepared to, ‘Pay the price’

It’s characteristically insightful and thought-provoking. And it’s much more encouraging than any TV or internet news channel you might be watching right now!

Take a look. Click on the link below to be taken to the original recording:

Article source: http://tiny.cc/23rxgy

Five Steps To Move Toward Your Dreams

By Dee Scott

A FEW years ago, I watched the movie ‘Castaway’, starring Tom Hanks.

The movie was about a man named Chuck Noland, a FedEx systems engineer, whose ruled-by-the-clock existence abruptly ended when a harrowing plane crash left him isolated on a remote island, struggling to survive.

It took Chuck four years to realize no one was coming to rescue him. One day he decided to build a boat and take a risk to get off the Island.  

Are you 'cast away ' on an island of unfulfilled dreams?

It was ‘do or die’ time for him. He realized if he remained on that Island he would eventually die. He also knew if he tried to leave, he could risk dying at sea.

He took a chance. He decided to risk his life before he remained stranded.

Many of us have been cast away to an island that we do not want to remain on. Yet, we are too afraid to leave because we do not know if we will succeed.

Maybe that Island is a dead end job, a toxic relationship, friendship or habit.

For me, it was becoming an author. For years I wrote books, poems, and short stories; then I would let them collect dust.

It was only after I recovered from an illness that I decided, like Chuck Noland, it was time to get off my island.

Maybe you have a dream you want to fulfill but everyone is telling you that you’re not qualified.

Maybe you want to submit a manuscript to a publisher, go back to school, or start a business, but fear of failure, rejection, and criticism are impeding you.

Whatever it may be, you can do it!

Here are five steps to get started.

1. First, realize that no one is coming to rescue you. If you want to achieve anything, YOU, will have to put in the hard work.

The daydream that something or someone will save you from the hard work, or rescue you from your current situation, is just that – a dream. No one can get you off of your island, but you.

2. Sketch out your boat. Write down your dreams. Outline what you need to do to achieve your goals. The purpose of this is to have a vision of what it is you want to do and achieve.

3. Gather your supplies and start building your boat. Place your goals in short and long-term categories.

Doing so will help you not to become overwhelmed, and not take on things that may be unrealistic for now. Remember, rarely do things happen overnight.

Sometimes, it’s the thousands of tiny baby steps that will get you to the bigger goal. It is good to start small and conquer the short term goals.

Short-term goals are the things you can do now to begin pursuing your dream. If you feel clueless, do some research and get the facts.

Do whatever you have to do in order to learn. Maybe you can read a book on something you are interested in. Maybe there is a class you can take.

Maybe you can walk a half mile. Maybe you can write a chapter of a manuscript. Whatever, you decide – start small.

4. Continue to work on and perfect your boat. If you do not reach goals, don’t give up and don’t quit. Continue to revise your goals and move toward them.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, lose the naysayers and find mentors and people who support you.

5. Use others’ success as motivation and inspiration, but never copy someone else.

Copying someone else’s brand is like taking a medicine that wasn’t prescribe for you and expecting it to cure you.

You have to follow your own authentic path and be who you are. You need to find your own voice. Being who you are is what brands you and makes you different.

Remember, the only failure is not trying at all. So what are you waiting on? Start building your boat today.

A boat is your plans, goals, and steps you will take to get there. You have everything within you to get off of your Island and succeed!

Join in on the conversation. Please leave your thoughts, whatever they may be on our social media pages. Check back to see the next five steps that will be updated soon.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9530478

How to Develop Positive Self-Talk

By Terri Cole

WOULD you ever speak to your favorite child or your beloved using the same language and tone of voice that you sometimes speak to yourself? I bet the answer is, ‘No’.

Many people endure constant negative commentary from an inner sh*t-talker or mafia mind that they rarely question.  

Do you have 'Positive Self-Talk'?

Take a moment right now to identify any habitual negative things you might say to yourself. Do you call yourself demeaning names?

Do you put yourself down and harp on your flaws? Are you straight up mean to yourself in a way that you would never be to someone else?

When asked this question to clients, most will reply, “Oh my gosh, No!” or “Of course not!”

I think we can all agree that we deserve the same consideration we give others.

So much of the time, the negative voice was internalized long ago from a critical parent or authority figure and is not even our own.

This brings me to today’s Hello Freedom podcast featuring a conversation with Amy E. Smith, who’s an empowerment coach and creator of The Joy Junkie.

I discovered Amy’s work when I stumbled upon her ebook titled, ‘How to Stand Up for Yourself without Being a Dick – 9 Proven Challenges to Radically Improve Your Self-Confidence and Self-Love’, which I immediately downloaded and loved!

As I delved deeper into her blog, I became intrigued by her tips and strategies to shut up your inner critic.

And I’m not talking about your intuition – I’m talking about the repetitive negative commentary that you may have rolling through your mind.

So many powerful, successful women who seek my help have a brutal inner mean chick who is still torturing them daily.

Why don’t we work to find out where that negative self-talk comes from instead of believing it, so we can change it? What is there to gain from this kind of self-talk?

As a therapist, I am positive that you have the power to identify and shut down the mean girl inside of you.

I was impressed with Amy’s suggestions and her no nonsense, step by step guide to achieving that result.

Amy inspires people to move beyond their limiting beliefs and sabotaging mindsets to a place of radical personal empowerment and self-love.

Her main focus is helping clients find their authentic voice. I totally clicked with her and loved what she had to say, and I think you will too.

Try this ‘Self-Talk Inventory’ exercise, from Amy’s ebook, to identify the content of your negative self-talk.

Step 1: Identify your inner critic’s language with a self-talk inventory by paying particular attention to how you speak to yourself.

Answer these questions: What do you say to yourself when you make a mistake? Drop something/spill something?

What do you say about your parenting or your relationships or your intelligence? Do you get triggered by specific issues like weight, appearance, work, or health?

Step 2: Look out for these sh*t-talker lines: “I’m so _____” or “I’m a _____.”

Also watch out for the “what ifs” and “shoulds.”

Typically, these are all disempowering statements that seek out perfectionism and encourage your inner bully.

Step 3: Take note of all the ways you speak to yourself today on a piece of paper and write “Today, I noticed my inner critic saying” at the top.

This exercise will help you identify the sh*t-talking you are doing with yourself (you can’t fix a problem if you don’t recognize it first), so that you can begin to interrupt the flow of negative self-talk.

Check out the podcast now for even more ways to shut down (and shut up!) your inner self-critic and unleash your inner Badass!

You can’t fix a problem if you don’t recognize it first. @terri_cole (Click to Tweet!)

Click HERE to listen now to my interview with Amy E. Smith!

This post previously appeared on www.positivelypositive.com.

Article source: http://tiny.cc/qpqkfy

Six Fail-Safe Tips to Make You More Persuasive

By Kurt A Tasche

HOW can some individuals be so persuasive while others cannot appear to encourage anyone to do anything?

Persuasion is part art and part science. Some people are born with the charisma that most people lack. But anyone can become more persuasive with the right approach.  

Have you got the power of persuasion? (By freedigitalphotos.net)

 Anyone that can read or write can influence others successfully.

What would it mean to your professional and personal life if you could reliably influence others? Very few abilities are as extensive in their advantages.

Persuade others to align with your mindset:

1. Produce a connection with those you wish to influence. Whether you’re aiming to influence a single person or a thousand, it is essential to produce relationships.

The level of trust and connection you can develop will directly influence your capability to affect others. This is an essential first step. There are lots of ways to establish a connection:

* Show what you share in common.

* Mirror and match the other person’s body movements and gestures.

* Be sincere and real.

* Show others that you can be trusted.

2. Be convincing. You might feel very small and insecure. However, holding yourself in that manner won’t encourage anybody that they should follow you.

There are a number of ways we show an absence of conviction, such as body language, using qualifiers like, ‘I think, probably, maybe and possibly’, and absence of eye contact.

Stand tall, look them in the eye, and present your viewpoint like it’s an apparent truth. Your self-confidence is key.

3. Use reciprocity to your advantage. Research studies reveal that you’re far more likely to return a favor after someone does something for you.

That’s why the people who knock on your door and aim to offer you vinyl siding offer you a pen or a magnet. They understand that you’ll be more likely to buy from them.

Do something for the individual you’re trying to persuade. You might buy them lunch, drive them to the airport, or let them borrow a cup of sugar.

Do something for them prior to you trying to persuade and influence them. Your odds of success will increase drastically.

4. Consider their interests. Even the most honorable of people question what’s in it for them. Make it clear exactly what they’ll be receiving out of the deal.

Your neighbor might not want to accept your idea of building a fence between your properties.

Nevertheless, he may change his mind if you can show him the advantages he’ll be enjoying.

You might explain that your dog will stop leaving ‘gifts’ on his lawn.

It may help the resale value of his house.

It may minimize the amount of weeds on your lawn spreading to his.

It will increase his level of privacy.

5. Be an excellent listener. The other party matters a lot. We tend to only consider ourselves when we’re aiming to be influential, however this is a serious error.

Open your ears and close your mouth. When you comprehend the needs of the other individual, you’ll understand how to influence them.

6. Develop yourself as an authority. If you hung around with the Dalai Lama and wrote three books on meditation, your viewpoints on the subject are much more likely to be valued and appreciated.

Wearing a suit would convey authority in the right setting.

Persuasion is a highly researched topic. There are countless resources if you wish to learn more.

The capability to influence others is useful both in and outside of work. Invest some time in practicing this important skill. You’ll be glad you did!

Kurt Tasche is a martial artist, internet entrepreneur and motivational coach, who writes articles and produces videos on the subjects of marketing and personal development.

You can connect with him on his Facebook Page here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9507988

Remaining Sane in an Insane World – The Case for Forgiveness

By Rosalind Henderson

RESEARCH tells us that fear, constant anger, and bitterness can flood your mind and block your ability to access critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

It can even warp your ability to view situations realistically, and undergird limited beliefs.

 Moreover, it kills creativity.

Emotional stress can be likened to a toxicity which suppresses the full function of the body, heart and mind.

It is impossible to function well with this constant pressure nipping at your heels.

Then it makes sense to clear repressed anger from your spirit, so you are living more in alignment to how you were created – as an unlimited being.

Sadly, bitterness has been a companion for some of you – for months, years and even decades. Some of you are even defined by your bitterness.

So expect the process of letting go of ought and bitterness to be an unpredictable journey, taking longer than you anticipated. But you are worth the work.

My process has been decades long. My proclivity has been to personalize and internalize perceived and actual abuses that punctuated my childhood.

Others, however, externalize their anger. You might find such people lashing out at others – verbally or physically.

For me, you had only to listen to my cruel self-talk to realize that I was on a mission to beat myself up for the ways in which I was unable to provide the answers to my parents’ tough problems as a young child.

“You are not enough! If you were smarter, prettier or more behaved you’d make people happy!” It made me miserable.

Ruminating on the past and its accompanying bitterness, only stoked my spiritual ailment until I hit rock bottom in my early twenties.

Riddled with secondary issues, anxiety, nameless terrors, depression and deep self-loathing, I was rendered helpless.

Navigating the maze to forgiveness has gifted me with certain epiphanies:

1. Release the emotional pressure valve by finding a warm, mature person with whom you can share your feelings.

Being vulnerable with another allows you to drink in understanding, tenderness and empathy which rewires the brain. Grief shared is half the burden.

2. Understand that you’ll activate the grieving process through confession.

Particularly if you’ve been violated years and even decades ago, you will realize that there are tears you should have cried when you were eight, but were not able to.

Perhaps the reality of a particular violation was too weighty and you repressed the horror of it.

But the reality of the negative event is within you and it’s been seeping out in disastrous ways for most of your life. So, let it find its proper expression.

As you process the offense, the surfacing shock may stomp you as you accurately name the REALITY, and the sorrow about what you’ve lost by being violated (for instance your innocence if it were sexually abused) can feel very heavy.

The anger, the confusion, but the eventual acceptance and resolution are perfectly normal stages which result in healing.

So be patient with yourself, and make sure you have the emotional supports – the therapist, the friends or coach – to lean on.

3. Understand that forgiveness is for you. Releasing bitterness and accompanying negative emotions is so you can free up positive energy to live the LIFE YOU DESERVE.

4. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean you have to expose yourself to the offender again. It is your right to dissolve an unhealthy relationship, or to restructure it so you’re not exposed to their brand of brokeness.

Yes, the process for me has been arduous but also surprising, invigorating and hopeful. I am reclaiming my emotional health, my critical thinking skills, and creativity.

Resilience and increasing esteem and self-respect has also been a beautiful by-product of this journey.

Remain sane in an insane world by draining toxic bitterness from your life.

Rosalind Henderson is a certified John Maxwell leadership trainer. Learn how to lead yourself and better influence others.

Join my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadtotransform/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9466466

The Curse Of The Ledge

By Sarah Krivel

HOW many of us get trapped in the same pattern of behavior because it’s known and comfortable?

We stay in the same dead-end job or the same unfulfilling relationship or at the same less-than-ideal weight for days that turn into months and months that turn into years. 

Do you feel like you're 'Peering over the ledge'?

 The fact of the matter is that when we stand on the ledge looking down into the abyss, we freak out.

We can look behind us at the safety of the land and we know what we’re gonna get – the controlling boss or the absentee partner.

We know it’s not ideal and we know we need to do something about it, but we stay right where we’re at because well, the alternative is a crapshoot.

At the bottom of the fall may be a beautiful, sunlit grassy meadow or it may be a pit of snakes. We don’t know.

And not knowing keeps us trapped in patterns and habits we know we should break, but we just can’t bring ourselves to do it.

The idea of living life without regrets, or by being a ‘Yes’ person is certainly admirable.

Sometimes I wish I was the sort of person who always leapt before I looked, figuring it out as I went, but alas, I’m not. I’m an ‘over-thinker’.

No matter the situation, I think, ponder, analyze, over-analyze, rethink, re-ponder... well, you get the idea.

And this pattern is what keeps me on the ledge. No matter the situation, I can rationalize my way into and out of it a thousand times. And I’m stuck.

In the book “What Alice Forgot”, Alice wakes up from a concussion thinking she’s 10 years younger than she is.

That it’s 10 years before it actually is. And she realizes that her life is nothing like she had envisioned.

Now I’m not foolish enough to believe that all childhood dreams come true. That everyone can be an astronaut or a famous actress.

The realities of life sometimes stand in our way. But we are also not a victim to our circumstances.

We always have a choice.

We can always fight, or say ‘No’, or run, or quit. But that means leaping off the ledge. And often times, there’s nothing in the world scarier than that prospect.

And yet sometimes, there comes a moment of clarity. A lens sharpens either as a result of a life event or a universal shift, giving us just the nudge we need to do it.

Whatever it is. To leave the ledge.

Because at some point, we have to stop thinking and analyzing. We have to realize that no matter what happens, we have to act.

We cannot see our lives in ten years and be standing on the exact same ledge looking into the exact same abyss. We are meant to change.

To grow. To act. To react.

It won’t always be the beautiful meadow we hoped for. But sometimes, perhaps, it will be. The unknown will never be less scary than the known.

But it will be necessary.

Continue to receive articles like this to your inbox by subscribing to The Simpler Blog at http://simplersurroundings.com/blog/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9470800

Love Yourself To Truly Love Others

By Cassie Parks

WE, as humans, can debate just what it really means to love others, and just what that takes from us as individuals.

First, we need to at least loosely agree on what love is. Second, it’s important to understand that to love others you must love yourself.  

Do you love yourself enough for you to love others?

One good definition – and the most correct – is that love is a choice. It’s not something we fall into or out of, nor is it a divine inspiration.

Love, plain and simple, is a choice an individual makes.

Of course there are hormones, the emotional states of the people involved and societal pressures, which figure in and point us in one direction or another.

That’s the spark. It’s up to the people involved to bring the fire or smother it before there is a chance for real love to flare.

Understanding the choice

Once it’s understood what love is, the next step is to figure out that to be able to love others you must love yourself.

That doesn’t mean swoon over your image in a mirror or be spellbound by your own musings, just be comfortable in your own skin and your place in the world.

No deity will do that for you, nor will you find the key in another person. It’s something which has to radiate out of you.

Also, the ability to truly do it has to be earned. You have to be a person deserving your own love.

How do we get there?

One of the more maddening aspects of any piece describing a way to live better or with more understanding is that the goal falls into the old cliché of being easier said than done.

A great deal of self-introspection is needed to reach the point where the level of awareness is high enough to allow real self-love to blossom into an experience which is at once liberating and a heavy new responsibility.

To finally gain the veritable upper hand in the world of love by understanding yourself enough to appreciate your individuality and what you can bring to others.

You cannot love another person and yourself without loving humanity at a basic level.

You cannot be apart from the greater human experience. That doesn’t mean the same thing for everyone.

One person may bring that appreciation into full expression in an entirely different way than another.

The key is to be at peace with who you are and your part in the greater whole.

After that, the discovery of love at all levels is more fulfilling.

To find a partner and choose to fall in love will bring more enjoyment than you might have thought possible before your own awakening.

If you are already in a relationship and want to see it rise to new heights, seek self-awareness of love and build that back into your current status.

First, fall in love with who you are in order to love others.

It sounds like a simple formula, and in truth it is. The hardest part is taking the first step.

Look at yourself like you never have before, and ask what you can do to earn your own love. Once there, extrapolate that into all of your relationships.

Are you a woman and you want to learn how to gain confidence and love yourself more? You don’t have to be alone on this journey.

Our online courses will teach you how to increase your self confidence as you learn from women who are experts at different aspects of living a successful life joyously.

Come to our community where you can learn about how to love yourself.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7189662

‘Surround Yourself with People that Inspire You’ – Dr John Demartini

Posted by John Lee of YourBestYouEver.net

‘You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.’

THAT’S the widely-accepted observation, famously made by the late entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker, Jim Rohn.

And few would argue that our beliefs, actions and behaviors go uninfluenced by those around us on a habitual basis.  

Dr John Demartini

 That’s all well and good if those people are positive, upbeat, high achievers who always encourage us to aim higher and higher, too.

Generally speaking, of course, they’re pretty much the same as we are, which is why we tend to be around one another in the first place.

So what if you want to, ‘Move things up another level’?

Well, best selling author, international educator, public speaker and star of, ‘The Secret’ Dr John Demartini has some great advice in the video below.

He tells of the people who influenced and inspired him personally; one of whom was a two times Nobel Prize Winner.

He explains why people who really want to achieve surround themselves with the finest, greatest and most magnificent creations on earth.

And he reveals how you, too, can expand your vision and opportunity, and, ‘Give yourself permission to play in a bigger field’.

Take a look. Click on the link below to be taken to the original recording:

http://tiny.cc/m2l3by

How To Have Courage (Even When You’re Afraid)

By Patrick Bet-David and http://inspiyr.com/

WHAT is courage, exactly?

Well, according to the dictionary, it’s “the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty”.  

Do you have the courage that you need?

 In other words, you have to have it if you want to do something special in your life. It’s a common thread among all the greats.

The Courageous Greats

Throughout history, everyone who achieved the impossible has been courageous. Martin Luther King had it to stand up for equal rights in the 1960s.

Billy Graham had it to take God’s message into totalitarian dictatorships like Communist Russia, Eastern Europe and North Korea.

Ronald Reagan needed it to call the Soviet Union an “Evil Empire” and demand that Gorbachev “tear down this wall.”

Alexander the Great could not have conquered two million square miles of the planet without it.

And let’s face it: we look up to those people who have the guts to venture into the unknown and persevere.

We admire leaders and visionaries – people who have the audacity to do what most people don’t even think is possible.

It’s the feeling that we have when we watch movies like Braveheart, Lean on Me, 300, Men of Honor and Rocky. Human beings admire those who are brave.

But How Do I Get It?

Do some people have more courage than others? The answer is ‘Yes’. But they aren’t just born with it. They develop it.

Just like we strengthen the muscles in our body by putting them to use, you can strengthen your “courage muscle” by putting yourself into situations that require endurance.

The more you use those guts you are born with, the more you develop your “muscle”.

And you’re probably using your muscle more than you think. Here are some things that take guts in everyday life:

* Talking to that guy/girl who you really liked when you were afraid he/she might reject you

* Asking the love of your life to marry you

* Deciding to have kids

* Leaving your job to start something new

* Moving your family to a new state or even a new country

* Sharing your faith with someone

* Sharing your opinion about politics with a group

* Starting your own business

* Deciding to write a book

The enemy of bravery is fear, and despite what you may believe, everyone feels fear sometimes.

The days when you question your capacity to finish what you started, and the days when you don’t know what to do next, that’s fear talking.

The secret to being more courageous than fearful is to anticipate the fear. Know that fear will show its ugly head and consume you with doubt, worry, and negative thoughts.

However, remember that most fear is irrational, and if you stare down the fear right in the face, you will always persevere.

There are two types of people in the world – those who wait and those who do. Those who wait are usually held back by fear, and those who do are brave enough to overcome fear.

If you’re always putting things off and making excuses, you’re always going to be consumed by fear. 

If you’re out there taking chances and putting it on the line despite what others think, you’ll always make it.

The Takeaway

People have come up to me and said, “But Patrick, I don’t have courage like you do”. That’s where they’re wrong. The list above should show you that you have more than you think.

In order for you to take it to the next level, you need to put yourself in situations that take you out of your comfort zone.

We are all born with it.  It is there inside for us to access, but we have to actively reach for it. It is simply is a must for those who want to do the impossible.

Patrick Bet-David is an entrepreneur, author and self-made success who emigrated from war-torn Iran to the U.S. and has made financial literacy his personal crusade.

He is the founder and CEO of People Helping People (PHP), as well as author of Doing The Impossible: The 25 Laws for Doing The Impossible.

This feature was previously published on http://inspiyr.com/

Article source: http://tiny.cc/j0bqby

How To Think Into A Result

By Bob Proctor, Proctor Gallagher Institute

THIS is not a secret…

If you want to change something in your life, you must start with the end in mind.  

Do you think into results? (By freedigitalphotos.net)

 In other words, don’t think about your current circumstances. Instead put your imagination into high gear, and think your way into the conditions you want.

I’m not saying that you ignore your current results. That’s impossible to do.

Look at your present results, but don’t get emotionally involved with them. If you let the current facts control your thoughts, things CANNOT improve.

So take your attention off what’s currently going on, and use your will to focus on what you want.

And then…

Let nature take its course

Andrew Carnegie said…

“Any idea that is held in the mind, that is emphasized, that is either feared or revered, will begin at once to clothe itself in the most convenient and appropriate form available.”

That’s because thinking starts a creative process:

1. Thinking creates an image.

2. The image stirs emotions.

3. Emotions cause action.

4. Action sets up a reaction.

So when you’re thinking about what you want, rather than your current results, the reaction (see Step 4) creates new and improved results.

Then, you can start the process all over again by looking at the new result, adapting to the changes that have occurred, and thinking about what you want next.

That way, your life just keeps getting better and better.

“I’ve tried that already!”

I know…

You’ve tried this before and failed, right?

We all have. Probably many, many times.

However, if you pay close attention to what I’m about to share with you, you’ll know what it will take to finally break through.

Take a look at this…

Here’s the bottom line…

To break out of old patterns and realize a goal that has been eluding you, you must raise your level of awareness. And there are seven levels of awareness or consciousness.

Every person on the planet primarily functions at one of the levels. However, according to where we are in our lives at any given time, we may bounce back and forth between levels.

The goal is to move out of the lower, shallower levels of consciousness to mastery. That’s when you are in control of your life, and you respond to what’s going on rather than reacting to it.

Let’s take a look at the role each level might play in your ability to realize your goals. As I go through each one, see if you can identify which level you function in most of the time.

Level 1: Animalistic

At this level, you are in “fight or flight” mode. You allow your current circumstances, not goals or desires, to dictate your life. You react to whatever is going on around you.

Level 2: Mass

At this level, you follow the crowd rather than doing your own thinking or setting goals. You want to conform rather than be creative.

You don’t consciously choose the things you want. Your paradigm rules at this level.

Level 3: Aspiration

You might follow the crowd for years, but at some point, something in you wants something better – something greater than what you have. You know you are capable of more.

Many people become stuck at this level because their new desires are just wishes until they back them with action.

Level 4: Individual

At this level, you want to express your uniqueness as a human being. You begin to dream. You realize that there is no one like you, and you have unique gifts.

However, every time you start to move forward, the paradigm pulls you back to Level 2.

The desire remains, though, so you keep coming back to it. You get locked into a tug of war with your paradigm, which continues to pull you back.

Level 5: Discipline

Here you realize that the only way to move toward your goal is to give yourself a command and then follow it – regardless of what’s going on around you.

However, as soon as you start to do it, the paradigm starts fighting back. Before long, your resolve starts to dissipate and your discipline turns into a wish. And you’re STUCK again!

You’ve got to train yourself to follow a command to overpower the paradigm. Otherwise, you’ll be destined to keep doing what you’ve been doing and getting what you’ve been getting.

So when your discipline starts to dissipate, you must exclaim, “No way! I’m going to do this and I’m going to do it NOW!”

And then step out and do it. And you keep doing it until the paradigm dies from lack of nourishment.

However, it will work only if the goal is something you really want.

Level 6: Experience

When you apply steadfast discipline and you see the desired results manifest, the experience gained reinforces your awareness of your amazing abilities. And you do more of the same.

Experiential learning is real learning. It becomes unnecessary to gather outside information. At this level, you know that all of the answers that you are looking for can be found within.

Level 7: Mastery

At this level, you respond rather than react. You know how to think properly, and you take the actions that produce your desired results.

You’re no longer controlled by habits that don’t serve you. 

You have learned the laws of the universe, and you understand how the science works. You’ve used your experience to fine-tune your manifestation techniques so you achieve one goal after the other.

Only a small percentage of the population reaches this point; however, we all have the mental faculties and capacity to do so.

The only thing stopping you from being the captain of your ship is…

You.

Keep studying, writing out your goals, and focusing on what you want, and your awareness will increase

At each new level of awareness, the conditions, circumstances and environment will change. As you adapt to the changes, you’ll then be able to see the next step.

You can’t see how to get to the goal from where you are right now. And you don’t need to.

However, every time you take a step ahead, you’ll get new results and then you can see where to go or what to do next.

Right now, a higher side of you is urging you to create. And your paradigm is nagging at you, wanting you to stay the same.

It’s your choice…

In life, we either create or we disintegrate.

Choose well.

To your success,

Bob Proctor

Article source: http://tiny.cc/05lkby

How to Deal with Difficult People – by Brian Tracy

Posted by John Lee of YourBestYouEver.net

IN the world of personal and professional development, few can boast a pedigree or body of work as impressive as Brian Tracy.  

Author, speaker and personal development specialist, Brian Tracy

 With books, seminars, audio and video courses on subjects as diverse as sales training, leadership, public speaking and time management, he’s rightly recognised as one of the world’s finest.

Yet the Canadian-born ‘guru’ – for want of a less sensationalist title – also offers plenty of great insights into much more mundane issues, as this brief video shows.

As the title illustrates, it’s about handling difficult people – the sort of people who raise your blood pressure and make you feel inadequate. The sort of people you may even want to punch!

And in his characteristically simple and down-to-earth fashion, Brian lays out two very easy steps for taking the heat out of the situation and reaching a solution.

Well worth a look. Just click on the link below to go to the original recording:

http://tiny.cc/al1ray

Do You Experience Life As A Burden Or As A Sacred Privilege?

By Margaret Paul, PhD

PETER experiences life as a burden – a sentence to get through that is filled with suffering. Peter trudges through his life, experiencing little joy.

He works hard, makes enough money to feel financially secure enough to take care of his family, and spends little time in connection with others.  

Is YOUR life a burden or a privilege? (Pic by freedigitalphotos.net)

 To Peter, life has no real purpose other than to make money and do the best he can to feel safe.

Peter has no connection with anything greater than himself. He does not believe in God, Spirit or a Higher Power. He believes that when he dies, he disappears forever.

He has no perspective of anything beyond this life. Life, therefore, has little meaning to Peter.

To Todd, life is a sacred privilege.

Todd experiences life as a great journey of the soul. Todd knows that his soul is immortal and is on a never-ending journey to evolve in love.

Todd believes that he chose to come here to this challenging planet to grow in his ability to love in the face of adversity.

To Todd, the purpose of life is to heal any barriers in the way of being loving to himself and with others, and to fully manifest his gifts.

Todd experiences much joy on this journey. He experiences joy in taking care of his body, the house of his soul.

He experiences joy in discovering and loving his soul and in expressing the gifts of his soul. He experiences joy in sharing his love with others and helping others in many different ways.

He experiences deep joy in sharing love with his family.

Todd has the same challenges as Peter. He needs to earn a living and take care of his family. He has the same challenges regarding disappointments and losses.

But, because Todd experiences a greater purpose in his life, he embraces adversity as part of his soul’s journey.

We each have the choice in any given moment to see life as a burden or a sacred privilege. Without a greater spiritual perspective, life is just a burden.

Practicing Inner Bonding on a daily basis, even if you don’t have a strong spiritual connection to begin with, will eventually give you a first-hand experience of the Presence of Spirit.

You don’t have to “believe” to practice Inner Bonding. In fact, I don’t believe in belief!

What each of us needs is personal experience in the Presence of Spirit so that we don't have to rely on belief – we know.

When you know Spirit rather than believe in Spirit, then you know that your soul is immortal and that you are on a soul’s journey.

The wounded self will always try to discredit your direct experiences of Spirit, telling you that you are just making it all up.

The wounded part of all of us is the part that is disconnected from Spirit, even if this part believes in God in the religious sense.

Believing in God and having a direct experience of God are two very different things.

Because the wounded self is always devoted to control rather than to surrender to Spirit, it cannot experience a direct connection with Spirit.

A direct connection occurs only when there is a true intent to learn about loving oneself and others.

You will experience life as a sacred privilege rather than as a burden when you choose to place your loving adult in charge rather than indulge the wounded self with its devotion to control.

With your spiritually-connected loving adult in charge, it’s easier to remember that you are not alone, that you are being guided each moment in your highest good.

And that it is a great privilege to be here on ‘schoolhouse’ Earth and have the opportunity to evolve your soul in love.

Next time you face a challenge, notice how you perceive it and how you feel as a result of your perception.

Notice that if you perceive the difficulty as a victim – “Why is this happening to me?” – you will likely feel angry, depressed or anxious.

If you perceive the difficulty as an opportunity to learn more about loving yourself and others, you will feel grateful and empowered.

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including “Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?” and “Healing Your Aloneness”.

She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding® healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now!

Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or email her at margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8943068

Three simple ways to find happiness..... now!

Posted by John Lee of YourBestYouEver.net

YOU want happiness. And you want it right now. Which is perfectly understandable in today’s faster-than-fast, no-waiting world of immediate results.

We’ve come to expect that everything we desire will manifest almost instantaneously, from a cup of coffee to the man or woman of our dreams.  

Author, speaker and transformational coach, Anil Gupta

 Ironically enough, the one phenomenon we don’t seem able to control or produce on demand is human emotion... and ‘happiness’ in particular.

Just when everything seems to be going swimmingly and we’re feeling pretty damn good, something invariably comes along to upset the apple cart.

Of course, more often than not, that’s because of how we react to the event as we perceive it, rather than any external cause.

So is it is possible to find happiness whenever we want it... right NOW?

According to internationally-renowned author, speaker and transformational coach, Anil Gupta, it most certainly is.

And he explains exactly how in this fascinating video interview conducted by Mind Movies’ Natalie Ledwell.

Among the areas covered by Anil – who has website devoted to the subject at www.immediatehappiness.com – are:

* The importance of awareness

* The need to find the right focus

* What women look for in a relationship, and how men differ

* Three quick, yet very powerful, ways to achieve happiness

The video itself is just 15 minutes long and is well worth a look. Simply click on the link below to be taken to the original recording.

http://goo.gl/K8YTPI

Rules for Getting Organized & Decluttered

With Leo Babauta & zenhabits.net/

WHAT would it take to get your life decluttered and organized?

That might be a tall order for many of us, but the truth is, we could do it in bursts and spurts, using a handful of easy-to-follow rules.

The other day I wrote about the idea of setting rules instead of goals … today I want to share a few ideas for rules to help you get decluttered and organized.  

Time for a spot of declutting?

I know in my life, going from being overwhelmed with clutter to minimalism was a slow but rewarding journey.

And now I feel happy every time I look around and see the lovely space around me.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, I’m here to testify that it’s not impossible, and it just takes some small steps that add up over time.

Here are the rules I suggest – though I don’t suggest adopting them all, and especially not all at once. Try a few out, see how they work for you, then try a few others.

1. Get yourself organized at the start and end of a day. As you start your work day, write down your three Most Important Tasks (MITs).

Write down a handful of other things you’d like to do today as well. Clear your desk, get things in order.

At the end of each day, tidy things up, check off your list, maybe even get things ready for tomorrow.

2. When you get up from your desk, put one thing away. Whenever you get up for a glass of water, to go to the bathroom, to take a break … pick up something off your desk and put it away.

If your desk is clear, look for something nearby.

3. When you’re done eating, wash your bowl. This is self-explanatory. Mindfully wash your dishes instead of leaving them in the sink. If there are other dishes in the sink, wash a few of them too.

4. Wipe down the sink when you use it. Whenever you wash your hands or brush your teeth in the bathroom, wipe down the sink so it’s clean. Do the same in the kitchen sink.

Clear away a few things around the sink too if you can.

5. When you walk through a room, find one thing to put away. If you’re going from your bedroom to the living room, find one thing during that trip to put away.

You don’t have to get stuck in putting everything away, just one thing.

6. When you take off a piece of clothing, put it away. When you shower or change clothes, instead of leaving them on the floor or on a piece of furniture, put the clothes away or in a hamper.

Look for a few other clothes to put away too if there are more lying around.

7. Keep flat surfaces clear. Your tables, counters, desks, floors … keep them clear. If there’s a ton of clutter there now, see the rule below about decluttering on Saturdays.

But if it’s doable, just start clearing whatever is on the floor (except furniture and the like). When you walk by the kitchen counter, look for things other than oft-used appliances to put away.

8. At the end of the work day, file stuff. If you still use papers, file them at the end of the day. If you are all digital, clear your computer desktop and put files where they belong.

9. Deal with an email instead of putting it off. When you open an email, give it the space to deal with it immediately. Read it, reply, take action, or archive it.

Or put it on your to-do list for later if it’s a big task. Don’t just constantly open emails without handling them.

10. Work to only having 3 emails in your inbox. Slowly clear away the hundreds or thousands of emails in your inbox.

Archive or delete them, put a handful in a to-do folder, file others into informational folders, unsubscribe from newsletters.

11. Put non-essential items you want to buy on a 30-day list. Create a 30-day list, and whenever you want to buy something that’s not absolutely essential (other than groceries, cleaning supplies, toiletries), put it on the list with the date you added it.

Then don’t allow yourself to buy anything until it’s been on the list for 30 days. At the end of the 30 days, see if you still want it before buying.

12. Put your clothes in a different closet or box, and only take out what you need. Move all your clothes to a closet in an unused room if you have one, or put them in a box or two.

Only remove the clothes you really need to wear. After a month of doing this, you’ll see what clothes you can consider donating.

13. Declutter on Saturdays. Every Saturday morning, spend an hour or two (or half a day) decluttering one area.

14. One in, two out. When you bring something new in your life (buy something online, get a gift), get rid of two other similar things. For example, if you buy a pair of shoes, donate two other pairs.

In this way, you’ll 1) think more about each thing you buy, and 2) slowly have fewer and fewer possessions.

Eventually you’ll want to switch to a “one in, one out” rule when you think your possessions are at a good level.

15. Limit how many things you have. Consider limiting yourself to 30 pieces of clothing, or 30 books, or something like that.

Get rid of everything else, don’t allow yourself to go beyond the limit. The individual limit you set is up to you, whatever feels slightly uncomfortable is good.

16. At the end of each month, clear out computer clutter. Self-explanatory. Back things up!

17. Every three months, purge. Also self-explanatory. Spend a weekend purging all your unneeded belongings.

Of course, these are just suggested rules … you should modify them to suit your life.

How to Implement the Rules

Now, those are a lot of rules, but I don’t think you should implement them all at once. In fact, I suggest trying one per week. Really focus all week on making that rule happen.

If it goes well, keep it. If not, toss it out. The next week, try another.

Set a reminder on a certain day each week (let’s say Monday) to review how your rule went, and to pick a new rule to try out.

Have a physical, paper note somewhere visible so you’ll remember to do the rule throughout the week.

One at a time, you’ll find the rules that work for you. And one step at a time, your life will slowly become less cluttered, more organized.

And you’ll be set up to make great things happen in the rest of your life.

Articles source: http://tiny.cc/hleh8x