Mompreneurs Going It Alone: Three Ways To Keep A Positive Frame Of Mind For Business Success

I've always been a bit of a loner. This statement may surprise some people who know me, as I am generally seen to be the life and soul of the party, always surrounded by people and always up to something new. But yet, I'm also a total control freak and I have to work very hard to overcome my desire to control every situation and allow people to make their own decisions and mistakes. Can anyone relate or am I out here on my own?

Often it feels like I'm steering this ship alone.

Although I have great people who work for and with me, I haven't yet found someone who truly shares my values enough to hop on board and steer this entrepreneurial vessel through rough waters. Sometimes I just would love someone to sit down with and bounce ideas off. Someone who gets what I am about and cares as passionately as I do. Not a business partner as such, but someone who is treading a path similar to mine and can relate to my struggles.

But years of experience has taught me that the bad feelings pass and my motivation returns. Now when I'm feeling alone and unmotivated, I use these three steps:

Step 1: Recognise that one of the hardest things about starting your own business is the loneliness that ensues when you are doing all of the hard work to get it off the ground.

We women are naturally herders. We congregate en masse to share and relate. We feel safe and happy when we have someone to listen to our ideas and understand. When you're still sitting at your desk at 11.30pm, the house is quiet and even your husband has gone to bed, it can be easy to give in to your tired body feeling and question if it's all worth it.

Step 2: Know that you're never alone.

Live Like You Were Dying to Experience Life at Its Best

Life is all about being able to handle the stress of achieving something. People set goals everyday; some achieve it while some don't. But it's often observed that people who have a short time to do something often end up achieving a lot more than those who have all the time in the world. Why does this happen? And what is the reason for the success that these people achieve? Using a simple psychological logic, it means that these people live like they were dying. When you live like you were dying your subconscious automatically responds to it and treats every situation like you had nothing to lose.

This behavior is often exhibited by people who are stuck in crunch situations. The brain responds to a stimulus called fight or flight. This is what makes some people perform under pressure whereas it's exactly the same thing that makes others crumble under pressure. You might have experienced this at some point in your life. When you live like you were dying your subconscious automatically wants to fight rather than flight. This is something phenomenal and only people who live like they have nothing to lose would experience it. There are a whole lot of benefits of living life in this way.

One of the famous personalities that advocated the live like you were dying ideology was Steve Jobs. This man introduced several technologies in the world of computing with the help of the Mac. But most of his life achievements only began after he realized that he was about to die from pancreatic cancer. He knew he was losing a battle to cancer but that didn't stop him. Instead he changed the world by focusing all his attention on what's important and gave the world some of the best computing products. Though he is no more his ideas still survive in the products he designed.

The live like you were dying ideology has also been advocated in popular media such as movies and novels. This is probably one of the oldest reverse psychology fundamentals that have become popular again. Some individuals double their efforts to live life once they know that they are about to die. Making a bucket list is one way to enjoy the time that you have left. You can do all the things that you wished to do in life but couldn't due to some unavoidable reasons.

A few bucket list ideas include skydiving over Mt. Everest, bungee jumping or something that has scared you to death. Living like you had nothing to lose can be a blessing in disguise because it will help you achieve a lot more in a short span of time. Life is a privilege and it must be lived in order to understand what it's all about. If you've been losing interest in life lately, open up and adopt the 'live like you were about to die' attitude. Life could be better if we learn to live like we are about to die.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7196658

Three Things We Need As We Get Older

As we get older we notice we need to take care of three things: the body, the mind, and our finances. The body and the mind both function better with exercise. While exercise for the body may be walking, or a trip to the gym, exercise for the brain is to engage in something challenging or something new. While staying physically and mentally healthy, we also need a healthy income. A small business or part time job may be just the thing to generate an income, exercise the brain, and leave time to go for a walk or to the gym for physical exercise.

When a woman I worked with developed a little bursitis in her arm, she stopped using it because it hurt when she moved it. By the end of the year, she had lost total use of the arm. That's the way our bodies are and that's why we need regular exercise. For the body to keep functioning as well as possible, we need to find something that we can do on a regular basis. If you like tennis, play tennis. If you enjoy a nice walk, then walk every day you possibly can. Do something to keep the body moving because the old saying, "Use or lose it," is true.

Have you ever re-met someone you knew a long time ago and discovered, after they have sat on a couch watching television for a decade or two, they no longer have a vibrant rapport, to put it nicely. On the other hand, someone who has been engaged in community service and held a job for the past decade or so, still has the ability to discuss many topics intelligently, plan, and provide solutions to problems. Keeping the brain actively engaged may keep the brain functioning well. Becoming a "couch potato" will lead to a stagnant brain.

If you no longer have a job because you've been laid off, or given "early retirement", do not give up on finding something to do. Working on a crossword puzzle or sudoku may be a bit of a mental challenge but it won't help fill any financial gaps you may have, so, find something mentally challenging to do that also offers a payment. Check out businesses on line, available part time jobs or anything new that will stimulate the brain cells. Like the body, the brain must also be exercised.

Now, delivering pizza could possibly give you at least some exercise, financial gain, and some brain work in finding various locations. If delivering pizza is just not for you, there are alternatives. Never give up. Take care of your body by finding something you like to do, at least a little, so you'll keep doing it. Find a job or other new endeavor that will stimulate both your mind and your pocket book. Take care of the three things and contentment is yours for many more years to come.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7181022

Find Out The Truth About The World and How to Escape The Global Craziness

You may believe that your world is 'somehow balanced', even though you know that some people are suffering, there is no justice on Earth, poverty is unbearable and it kills the biggest part of the world population, and there are many wars, crimes, and numerous horrors where you are.

You are misled by so many misconceptions and lies that I cannot show you in only a few words how absurd your world really is. You have only a vague idea about the world absurdity based on what you read on newspapers and watch on TV. The truth is totally different from what you may imagine, even if you are very intelligent and you know many things. The knowledge of your historical time is very far from the truth.

Besides this fact, nobody cares about finding out the truth on Earth. Everybody likes to believe in illusions. Everybody cares about making money and living well, while trying to ignore the absurd contradictions that mark our existence.

Only because we try to ignore all the horrors of our world and live well in parallel with terror, we are absurd. How can we ignore what is killing us?

You follow the absurdity of your historical time without any criticism, while believing that you are a normal person. However, nobody is 'normal' in our world.

For example, in order to be a balanced person, you must suffer whenever you see a child suffering, and do everything you can to save this child, the same way you do everything you can for your own child. This is the behavior you should have if you want to be a mentally healthy individual.

You believe that your indifference to the human pain is a neutral attitude. You don't understand that nothing is neutral.

If you are cold and insensitive, this means that you are absurd and cruel. If you were sensitive and sensible, you would care about the human suffering and do everything you could so that everyone around you would have the chance to be happy. Your indifference to what is happening in the world is not a 'normal' reaction.

You probably agree with the fact that 'we need' an army, the police, and prisons. However, an army represents the dictatorship of terrorism on Earth. Wars are violent and cruel explosions that come from our anti-conscience. The anti-conscience is our wild conscience, which didn't evolve like our human conscience. Only demons can be so cruel and kill innocent people, besides killing soldiers, who are human beings the same way.

Our wars prove that we are very violent creatures. The army of each country proves that we are barbarous monsters because this army is ready to kill human beings without compassion.

The police should be totally different. Those who are controlled by their anti-conscience and commit crimes should follow a psychological treatment in good conditions instead of going to prison. Prisons prove that our world is a living hell, along with poverty, immorality, terror, and violence.

However, everybody simply tries to forget what is bad and live happily 'besides' all horrors, paying attention only to their personal lives.

If you want to escape the global craziness, you must learn how to translate the meaning of your dreams according to the scientific method of dream interpretation, so that you may be enlightened by the divine wisdom.

This way, your personality will be transformed, and you'll be different. You won't follow the behavioral patterns of violence like everyone else, while believing that you are a 'pacifist'. You'll abandon the hypocrisy of the cruel world. You'll learn how to find balance based on real goodness, sincerity, humbleness, generosity, forgiveness, and compassion.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7198043

How Will You Know When You Are Successful?

We all want to be successful.

We want to be successful in our relationships.

We want to be successful in our careers.

We want to be successful in our lives... period!

The problem is... what does "success" actually mean to you?

To just you?

If you don't know what "success" means to you then how do you expect to know when you've become successful?

Crazy question, isn't it?

Have you ever thought about it?

People who have clear definitions about what success means to them usually always end up succeeding.

People who simply "want to succeed", but have no definitions about what success means to them... well, they always seemed trapped in the "trying to be successful" phase of everything.

Aren't you tired of trying to so hard, and still not being successful?

Here's what you need to do:

Take out a piece of paper.

Make columns and list the areas of your life that are important to you. Career, relationships with specific people, personal, spiritual... whatever categories are important to you. Be as specific as you want to be. Break your life down into as many columns as you can think of that are important to you.

Now sit and think a moment on each column. Define what success will look like in each of these areas when you attain it.

For example, in 'Career', perhaps you write down, "Become a manager by the time I'm 30".

Or in 'Relationship With Significant Other' you might write down, "Communicate well, show affection for one another, date night once a week."

Just sit there for a bit and think about what success will look like for you when you achieve it.

Maybe in 'Personal' you write down, "Own a 4 bedroom house. Own a black Mercedes. Go on a yearly vacation."

I don't know what you need to write down. You need to think about each thing and you need to decide what success will look like.

Remember you can't really become successful until you have defined what success actually is for you.

So take the time to actually do this exercise. You might be surprised to find out that things you thought you were far from being successful with you are actually already successful with it.

Or you might discover that the things you "thought" you wanted success in you don't actually care much about.

Whichever way it goes, spend some time with yourself and be honest. Remember too that this list can change over time. Things tend to happen in life that makes you need to update this list every so often. Don't be afraid to change the game plan.

Don't be afraid to succeed!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7191336

Helping Teenagers Discover Their Passion for Life

Do you have teenaged children who seem uninspired? When you try to chat them up, do you feel they possess a passion for life or a sense of detachment? Do they enjoy school and life in general or does it strike you that they are still struggling to find out what they want?

The teenage years can be quite challenging and some young people feel at a loss when it comes to finding their niche, setting goals, establishing their identities and choosing whom to trust. If you think your own kids could stand to use some much needed guidance, here are ways you can help get them on the right track.

1. Encourage them to read a wide variety of books. Start stocking up your home library or eBook readers with a plethora of books, with a focus on biographical, inspirational, motivational and similar self-help books. The biographies should be of people who made a difference (stay away from the sensational stuff) or made their mark in their respective niches borne out of a passion for life and their true calling. Reading about different people and significant events can help your youngster in discovering his own calling and setting goals that will lead to his carving his own niche.

2. Show them valuable resources online. The Internet can be a bane or boon to modern life. Teenagers are known to waste hours online playing games, "socializing" with both real life friends and strangers, indulging in gossip and other activities that don't help with their personal growth. You can't stop your kids from using the Internet, but you certainly can point them in the right direction. Look up helpful websites that give great tips and ideas about hobbies, potential careers, exploring one's hidden talents, discovering a passion for life, and the sort. Bookmark those sites and then share them with your kids. They could very well find their "lightbulb" moments when they peruse the pages of their sites and before you know it, they'll be setting goals and sharing with you their new dreams and ambitions.

3. Encourage them to spend less time online and to mingle with more people in real life. It's hard to discover one's passion for life if personal interaction is so limited. A great number of kids tend to spend so much time on the Internet that they lose out on the benefits of real life relationships - one of them being able to get ideas and support from people who can help you with determining your true calling and setting goals. So get your kids to log out every now and then and have them invite friends over for real interaction. Take them to visit relatives and meet other people to boost their social skills and open up to opportunities they might miss if they stayed indoors.

4. Have them take up a new hobby. They might be bored with their old hobby that they don't even bother anymore to do it. Young people's interests change over time, and every now and then they're setting goals only to dump them for new ones. If your teenager appears to be disinterested in her usual activities, get her to start a new hobby that can help her reignite a passion for life. For example, if she used to sew her own clothes as a hobby, maybe she can switch to learning how to apply makeup professionally or make her own natural, organic skincare products.

5. Travel with them. Don't stay put! There's so much potential in travel - you learn about new places and new cultures that may very well spark your passion for life and help you discover something new about yourself. For example, going to exotic places that have a lot of ancient digs may help you realize a new love for history, archeology, and even paleontology. Visiting a foreign country may make you want to become an expert in that country's language and inspire you to take lessons when you get back home. Expose your teenager to all sorts of new and inspirational things. And don't worry about busting the budget; there are so many travel sites offering great tours at very affordable prices. You just need to know where to look.

Look at your teenagers as not just your children but also as soon-to-be-adults who will eventually come to their own. It can be tempting to succumb to the "helicopter mode" of parenting but you need to respect their own need for space and their own tastes. Let them find their comfort zones and passion for life at their own pace, with you cheering and supporting them on in the background. Let them remember you as a great parent and not a control freak, and the more they will thank you for it!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7198995

Avoid for Disappointment

At some point in time or another we have all experienced disappointment. I am sure we are all well aware of some of the feelings that go along with disappointment: anger, fear, sadness, grief or even apathy. Sometimes, these feelings can be overwhelming. What can we do to make a disappointing situation a little easier to deal with?

Recently I have been the victim of disappointment myself. Although it didn't put me in a tailspin, it did make me question what kind of steps should be involved with recovering from a disappointing situation. Here is what I came up with.

Realize that you are disappointed and acknowledge your feelings. You wanted one thing, got another and now you feel the disappointment. Did it make you feel angry, fearful, sad, grievous, or are you feeling nothing at all? Do you want to scream, plot your revenge or give up? Scream out loud or in a pillow. Play it out in your mind. Write it down on paper (if you are plotting revenge, make sure you don't actually follow through with your plans). Ask yourself why you are feeling the way you are, why you are listening to this part of you (anger, fear, sadness, etc.), and how you can be with your pain for the moment, then how you can begin to move away from that pain. What steps will it take? Just make sure you are able to explore how it made you feel.

Talk it out. Once you have expressed your disappointment to yourself, it's time to talk it over with someone you trust. Sometimes it is just helpful to talk out all the emotions you are feeling to someone who will not judge you or tell you you are crazy.

Get perspective. Perhaps you have misinterpreted the situation altogether. Or maybe you have missed the lesson. A neutral person could help you to determine just what may have happened and point you in a more appropriate direction.

Discover the good. Discovering what good things came from your situation can be quite empowering and lead you to better outcomes in the future. If you are having trouble coming up with good things that could come from your experience, then start a gratitude list. List all the things you are grateful for in your life and read them everyday until you can add the good things that have come from the experience. Not only will you have found the good, your whole frame of mind will have changed with this valuable exercise.

Move past dwelling on the disappointment. It's time to take action by moving ahead. Take those lessons and all that gratitude and put them into the next experience you have. Having trouble with this? Then just start by writing the next steps you will take. You can also get out and do some fun things that will help you let go. Get together with friends who will help you get out of yourself and have fun. When the time comes to try that experience again you will have a great frame of mind and a whole list of possible avenues to take. "Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on."--Eckhart Tolle

In the end, it is important to remember that life is about living to the fullest. If you spend your time drowning in disappointment, then you are not living. Try the steps above to move beyond the disappointment and begin living the incredible life that is waiting for you.

Jennifer M. Clark is the owner of Nurturing Wellbeing and creator of YOUR Body Reset. She is a certified Health Coach and is certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners as a Holistic Health Practitioner.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7193682

Are You Abandoning Yourself?

When we think about abandonment, we generally think about being left by someone. But abandonment is about leaving someone we are responsible for - a child or an old or sick person who cannot take care of themselves and whom we have agreed to take care of.

As a healthy adult, another adult can leave you, but they cannot abandon you, since they likely have not agreed to be responsible for you.

It might seem strange to you, but, as a healthy adult, when you feel abandoned by someone, it is not actually about them. It is about having abandoned yourself.

Most people don't think about how they abandon themselves because they don't recognize that they are responsible for themselves - physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, relationally and organizationally.

Sometimes we abandon ourselves in one area and take responsibility for ourselves in another area. For example, you might work hard to make a good living and have learned how to manage your money, which means that you are taking financial responsibility. But you might be abandoning yourself physically by eating poorly, not getting exercise and not getting enough sleep. When this is the case, you are physically abandoning yourself. Or perhaps you take organizational responsibility by being on time and keeping your environment neat and clean, but you abandon yourself relationally by giving yourself up and/or not speaking up for yourself.

One of the most common ways that many people abandon themselves is emotionally. Most people don't realize that they are responsible for learning to lovingly manage their feelings. Few of us had good role models for managing our painful feelings in ways that support our highest good. Instead, we learned many dysfunctional ways of avoiding our feelings.

Emotional Self-Abandonment

I've discovered four ways that many people emotionally abandon themselves:

1. Self-judgment

How often are you aware of judging yourself? Do you tell yourself that you are not good enough, that you are a failure, that you are stupid, or ugly or bad? I don't think I've ever counseled a person who didn't judge their self in some ways.

2. Staying in your head rather than being present in your body

Do you spend most of your awake time thinking, being unaware of your feelings? Is thinking a way you've learned to avoid feeling your feelings?

3. Turning to various addictions

Have you learned to turn to various addictions to avoid feeling your feelings? Do you indulge in substances, activities or various forms of controlling behavior to avoid your feelings?

4. Making another or others responsible for your feelings

Do you look to others for the attention and approval that you are not giving to yourself? Do you then try to control them with anger, judgment, compliance, withdrawal or resistance, in order to get them to give you want you want?

Feelings-Your inner Guidance System

The problem with emotionally abandoning yourself in any of these ways is that you are bypassing your entire inner guidance system. For example, do you know how you feel when you abandon yourself? Most people feel anxious, depressed, empty, alone, guilty, shamed and/or angry when they abandon themselves, but they rarely connect these feelings with their self-abandonment. Instead, they believe they feel this way due to something external.

If you start to tune into how you feel when you judge yourself, or when you are in your head thinking rather than being present in your body, or you are acting out addictively or making others responsible for you, you will discover how awful you are making yourself feel. You will discover that your feelings of anxiety, depression, emptiness, aloneness, guilt, shame, abandonment or anger are letting you know that you are abandoning yourself.

Do you want to know this? If you do, make a decision to start learning from your feelings, rather than avoiding them. You will discover that when you learn to take emotional responsibility, it becomes far easier to take personal responsibility in all other areas of your life. You will discover that when you start to learn from your feelings, rather than continue to avoid them, your entire life will change for the better

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7195481

When Fears Melt Away

When we are prepared to meet our problems and concerns from another line of thought, fears that appeared as solids and liquids morph into gases of an invisible form, and they dissipate into the ether.

And though such fears are destined to re-emerge we have the key to resolving our problems when we take not just a step back, but a step sideways as well.

But first of all we must take counsel from the truth about The Truth.

The truth is always our best advocate if we will trust God enough to seek it.

Fear keeps us from the truth and, only then, we lay exposed. If we get over our fear of aligning with the truth we stand to be blessed - to stand in the Court of Awareness.

THE COURT OF AWARENESS

Courts are where truth is presented, besides allusions to justice gone wrong. When we bring our problems (presented at the feeling level as fears) before the court of our awareness we face those fears and find the fearful component of the problem falls away, because we have met the fear fearlessly in the truth.

When our truth is allowed to stand on its feet, without innuendo opposing it, the truth shines as an unopposed beacon creating awareness.

This is fundamental for our courage as we need some reason, some vote, for faith.

When we stand up from the witness dock, with all innuendo annulled, we stand with the humble confidence to face the problem without all its noisy, unhelpful bells and whistles. These present as our anxiety in the midst of our problems.

This is a court like we have never experienced before.

The judge is the Holy Spirit and the Judge will discern and not allow falsity against us. But we must see things as a third, impartial person would see them. There is no defence and no prosecution - only the truth enters this court.

In an experience of court like this we have agreed to walk with the truth, probably because we have a full faith that the truth is safe in this environment.

The Court of Awareness is a safe place where we are at one with reality in our minds. In this state we neither get too far ahead of ourselves nor do we get caught up in our pasts. We are safely present. Awareness and the truth go hand in hand. Each is necessary for the other. Each of awareness and truth provide for each other.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7196745

Top 3 Ways to Organize Your Mind

Studies show that 6 out of 10 people are suffering from some form of mental disability. Now, this is not so shocking and you should stop looking for that psychiatrist's phone number. There are various personality disorders and people often live their lives not even realizing that they're suffering from a mental condition. What really complicates the situation is the fact that often even specialists can't tell the difference between a personality trait and a trait that went somewhat rouge as in international espionage - only this time the conflict is inside the sufferers head. So, where is the thin line between sanity and insanity? The difference here is just one syllable but like I said, even people who have dedicated years of their lives studying the human mind can't tell for sure.

So, what would you do if you're going through some sort of mid-life crisis? What would you do when you realize that you're losing your grip on your own life and giving into intrusive thoughts? Destructive behaviours can be triggered from scratch - a simple fixation becomes an anxiety disorder, a repressed memory can be unlocked and who knows what will come out! And all this can affect your life in a very bad way. "A healthy mind resides in a healthy body." is a popular saying but it actually holds the answer we are searching for. The state of your mind can affect your body but this can be reversed. By changing your behaviour and the way you treat your body you can set your mind in the right track.

Here are the top 3 ways to organize your mind that work unconditionally. But which method is the most effective? Well, these methods are just frame devices - you are the picture!

Organize everything

If your mind is a mess, I won't be surprised if everything around you is also a mess. Maybe your home doesn't look neglected because you're using cleaning services but your personal belongings to which only you have access are universally scattered. The real clutter can be seen in your personal computer for sure. Of course, the simple explanation is that you don't really enjoy the housework and maybe you're a chaotic persona in general. But if you notice that these signs are getting worse and worse, then they're not signs but rather symptoms. The clutter in your brain is spreading and affecting your domestic environment. Lucky for you, this process is easily reversible. All you need to do is start organizing... everything! Organize your desk, your computer files, your clothes, your music, your books - organize every aspect of your home. But your home is not a cage, go ahead and organize your workplace and every other property of yours. Eventually, your mind will organize itself. By dealing with the surrounding clutter you'll affect the inner "clutter". A lot of people achieve inner peace with this organizing/cleaning therapy.

Exercising

Scientists have noticed that people who actively practice some form of sport rarely have intrusive thoughts while other individuals who lead a stuck way of life are more likely to develop mental disorders. "A healthy mind resides in a healthy body." can truly serve as a paragon on how to stay sane and focused when leading a life full of stress. By participating in sports and training you stay in shape and you're healthier. It is less likely you'll suffer from heart conditions, diabetes, no way you're getting overweight when you're burning so much calories. On top of that, movement and exercising cause the release of endorphins (also known as the hormone of happiness) in your bloodstream. But the cherry on top of this sundae ice-cream is that you look fabulous! Your body is more appealing to other people, therefore you're more socially acceptable. If you feel that your mind is like scrambled eggs then getting more exercise is what you need. In fact, scientists have proven that just a few minutes of exercise burns away all the hormones that are causing stress.

Hobbies

There are various ways for one to organize his mind and having a productive hobby is a good example. Everyone has an activity in his life that makes him happier. If you feel that your mind is harbouring too much stress maybe you should take some time off work and do what makes you happier. If you're reading this, I sincerely doubt that your work is your hobby. Look at this as a way of survival. The body has needs but so does the mind. Taking some time off your daily agenda and indulging yourself by doing what makes you happy is a great therapy. No wonder that women find comfort in reckless shopping. It is actually great if your hobby involves a lot of movement, this way you can satisfy the needs of your body and your mind. If you love to travel don't think twice and start packing your luggage. Let go of your worries and do something that will bring you joy. Once you get that feeling back you will handle the stress in your life much easier. Once you've refreshed and organized your thoughts and feelings you will feel much more comfortable.

In conclusion, it all comes down to this - the balance between stress and happiness. Even the most methodical mind can fall into the abyss of depression but it is important to remember that we are in control of what is going on in our lives

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7195611

How You Can Use Procrastination to Your Advantage

Watch the movie Gone with the Wind and you'll see one of Scarlett O'Hara's favorite phrases is, "I'll think about that tomorrow." While she may look fancy saying it, good ol' Scarlett is really just procrastinating!

Of course, Scarlett accomplished a whole lot during that movie, so procrastination might have worked out OK for her. But what about you? Can you ever benefit from procrastinating?

After all, the general consensus is procrastinating makes you lazy. It proves you have no sense of direction. It means you're not organized.

But hang on a minute.

Let's take a look at some well-known phrases - like "haste makes waste", "think before you speak", and "when in doubt, do nothing". Aren't these just really clever ways of procrastinating? Yet, they're all considered words of wisdom.

So, what's the deal?

Putting things off can be a good thing, when you do it the right way. For example, some people put off making a decision or taking action until they can gather more information. That way, when they do make a decision, they're confident it's the right one.

Sounds pretty smart, right?

That's why "sleeping on it" is considered to be so wise. You're taking the time you need to make a smart decision. If you don't "sleep on it", you may act irrationally or impulsively and make a big mistake!

Now, let's take it one step further. Let's say you put off making a decision so you can get more information. As a result, you wind up with a tighter deadline. In order to meet it, you have to be even more organized and disciplined than the guy who didn't take all of that extra time gathering information.

When you look at it that way, procrastinating can be a great way to learn how to work under pressure!

The key, though, is to procrastinate temporarily. If you simply use this reasoning as a way to never make a decision or accomplish anything, you're not benefitting from procrastination. Instead, you're being held back by it.

The best procrastinators are the ones who call a "time out" to assess everything. Then, once they have all the facts, they get to work - and they work hard. They eliminate the negatives and the distractions and work towards their goal.

Like anything else, procrastination can be a valuable tool, as long as you know how to use it to your advantage. So, the next time someone tells you that your procrastination is a bad thing, remind them that it can actually be a good thing. After all, Gone with the Wind ends with Scarlett exclaiming, "Tomorrow is another day!"

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7192290

Five Interesting Answers to Life's Most Common Questions

Life is all about questions and experiences - nothing more. So don't obsess too much on collecting any other possessions because they will not remain relevant for long. What you need to do is orient yourself to answers that will add more sense to your life and lead you to more important queries. Only then can you really assure yourself of a happy and satisfying life. To get you started on this quest, here are a few questions and answers that will make your life more meaningful.

1. Can love last a lifetime? It may seem like a silly question that warrants a fairy tale answer, but there have actually been studies made to test the sustainability of such an emotion. The answer is, without proper maintenance, no. Romantic love is associated with chemical changes in the brain and its effects often only last for 12 to 18 months. After that, people are left to cope with their own devices. Unless they are able to re-stimulate the same chemical reaction, they are bound to suffer a fall out.

2. When do you know what you are supposed to do with your life? This used to just be solely an angst-ridden adolescent's question. But now, even people way past their adulthood are seeking resolutions. The answer is any moment. There is no exact calling that a person must adhere to for the rest of his or her life because he or she changes as the years go by. New preferences arise. New passions develop. Old ones may die out. So there's nothing to be ashamed about having changed your career option 10 times within the span of 20 to 30 years. Besides, a job is just something you do. It doesn't define your whole existence. So it makes sense that you are always questioning where you go and how you go about life at every turn.

3. Can a half-empty individual transform his or her self into someone half-full? Meaning, can a pessimistic person be optimistic? The answer all depends on training. Since it is a behavioural and cognitive based trait, there is a chance that transformation can occur as far as point of view and reaction is concerned. But that is only possible if the person subjects him or herself intently to a program. We are learning species. And as much as a dog can be reprogrammed to stop doing unhealthy habits, so can humans.

4. Can money buy happiness? The answer is obvious - NO - and it's all because happiness isn't for sale. It is an experience that is neither influenced by nor instigated directly by cash. Money may be able to buy things that could bring you comfort, security, and excitement. But they don't add up to happiness. To further support this claim, just think about the moments that bring you genuine peace and satisfaction from a place of darkness. They don't involve money now, do they?

5. When is it okay to tell a secret? If it's yours to tell, then it's fine. If it isn't, they you are going to break basic social etiquette.

If you'd like to read more answers to common questions, you could visit websites that cater specifically these information.

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Brain Exercises To Strengthen Your Mind and Body

Brain exercises are very effective to keep your mind sharp even as you age. It creates a reservoir of intelligence. So, whenever you need it, you can use it. There are lots of methods and steps that you can follow so you could keep your mind intellectually fit. Just like our body that needs exercise so that you can make your muscles strong and healthy, our mind also works that way. We need to do various exercises to make sure that it is in its perfect state. It can also be compared to a knife. The latter does not cut anything if it has not been sharpened. It needs to be sharp in order for it to be used properly. The idea of the brain function works that way too.

The very first basic thing that is necessary to our everyday living is food. There are certain foods that can enhance the brain. And when the brain is exercised it provides proper disposition of our mind and body. The food does not only provide power boost to our mind but as well as gives energy and support to our health. You can also read anything that would interest your senses. If you are fond of reading, then it is a very good thing. You have got the advantage because your brain has been consistently being used. It is working as you read through the paragraphs in a book. You learn new words, which are added to your vocabulary.

Free your mind. If you have been stressed out the whole day because of what happened in school, at work or with your personal relationships, then control your mind not to entertain any negative thoughts. Meditating and controlling your mental capability is one way of exercising your brain. If you are into games, you could select games that will give you a chance to think or to analyze. It should be a game that will not only entertain you but will motivate your brain to process. Try solving mathematical problems. Analyzing the problem will make your mind process the answer. Start a conversation. Talking to someone can also exercise your brain as you would allow your system to process receiving and sending certain information to the person you are talking to.

Go out and take a refreshing early morning walk through your nearby park. In this way, you can be connected with nature thus giving your brain a time to relax from all different types of stresses and pressures. Eat breakfast as it provides the energy that you need to start the day. Create new designs or redesign. Multitasking is one effective method that can be employed for your brain to be optimized. When you are watching a television during the commercial break, you may solve a crossword puzzle or draw something.

Listen to classical music. It has been discovered by the experts in the field of brain power that classical music is the best music to be used as a tool to enhance the power of the brain. Play various games online that will make your mind work like word games and chess. These are just few of the brain exercises that you can try.

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Learning About Acts of Courage

Various Acts of Courage have been seen done by various people and all these acts are often recognized by the firms that look into these matters.

What are the courageous acts?

People sometimes get stuck in various problems and they seek the help of other people to bring them out of the problem. In such cases there are people who voluntarily help others. There are cases like meeting with an accident or something. The acts that bring out the courage include the ones in which the helping person risks his life to help others.

There have been instances when people need help while they are in a stream of water where they cannot swim. In such cases the helper may also sink but still the person gives his or her best to help the needed one. Other Acts of Courage may be saving someone from being kidnapped or from thieves, risking their own life in the process. All these acts are recognized by various firms and also by the government on a yearly basis. These cases are also an example to the society where the atmosphere is changing with a high pace and people are getting busier as the days progress. These acts bring out the best in the nature of the helper. People often do not help for the fear of risking their own life but, this is not the case. A person must help the other selflessly because, ultimately all the deeds are rewarded somewhere or the other.

Courageous acts lead to Achievements:

The achievements that a person makes in the society are termed as Social Achievements and all these achievements are something that one must boast about. All these achievements are achieved by hard work and also working selflessly. A person may be rewarded for this in some or the other form. The acts mentioned above are also part of achievements by individuals.

There are various government organizations that look into all these matters and on the annual basis there are various rewards that are given. It is a moment to feel proud of for the person who is being rewarded. There are various things that one must always keep in mind while doing such acts and the basic is that the person must not do anything for the purpose of being rewarded, instead he or she must do it for the purpose of being a helping hand to the needy ones. The best part about these Social Achievements is that they are rewarded on a platform that is cheered by many and not just a small platform so as to promote the good thinking in the mind of everyone.

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What Confidence Is and Is Not

Maybe you, like many, confuse confidence with competence. And that's understandable because you're advised to enhance your skills, knowledge, and expertise, and presto: The confident you will emerge and flourish. Well, in a way. You would feel confident about what you know and can do, but would you absolutely feel overall confidence as an individual? Not necessarily. Competence does not guarantee confidence. Confidence based on competence alone can be shaken the moment something goes off-kilter or you enter unfamiliar "territory".

When confidence is low, we don't feel and really aren't fully present in whatever moment we find ourselves in. When confidence is low, our thoughts are wrapped up in anxiety, usually with garbage from the past and fears about the future vying for equal time. And amid that thought chaos, we're busy thinking or worrying about what we'll say or do rather than listening to what's being said or observing what's going on, and responding appropriately for us and according to what's happening right then.

If you're someone who feels you lack confidence or could use more, or know someone who feels this way, notice that when doing something interesting, engaging, or relaxing, confidence isn't a concern. So when is it an issue? Any time there's concern about what others will think about you.

Augusten Burroughs wrote: "Unscripted, unedited, and wholly authentic people are almost universally admired, especially if they have flaws, are not afraid to make live, red-blooded mistakes, and rather than trying are busy simply being." Isn't it interesting that people with these traits are admired and seen as confident when these traits are the very ones we're discouraged from or even punished for demonstrating? Burroughs also said that when you desire more confidence, what you really desire is to control what others think about you. Let's look at one reason low confidence may be an issue for so many.

Low confidence may have its origin from one "technique" parents and other authority figures use with children to get them to behave a particular way: They use shame instead of validation or guidance. Validation or guidance may take time and energy, or be a totally unfamiliar process for them, having been shamed themselves as children. Shame is a high-speed road to confidence issues. Even if the words "You should be ashamed" weren't used, that message was implicit in whatever criticism was (or is) given. And, those shamed as children grow into adults who mimic this technique, as well.

Shame becomes like a garment worn into adulthood, one that covers or shrouds the authentic self who, as Burroughs stated, makes mistakes and keeps going, unimpeded by the opinions of others. Self-esteem or confidence issues stem from feeling some level of shame about being you, seeded by someone else's disappointment or disapproval expressed to you. More often than not, their disappointment or disapproval was way more about them and their issues than about you. "What will people think about ME if you do that (don't do that, look like that, etc.)?!" is often, but not solely, motivation for shaming rather than guiding. Ingrained feelings of shame lead people and their lives, but not in the direction they desire.

Shame causes you to believe you can't do certain things or shouldn't attempt them because "somebody" (other than you) may or will disapprove or be disappointed, especially if your attempt doesn't have "perfect" results. Perfectionism blocks your ability to be creative and authentic. It denies your right to be uniquely you, to make mistakes and grow from them, to feel more fearless about discovery and exploration of who you are and what you can make of your life.

Are you beginning to connect how fear of being you, possibly or probably seeded by being taught shame, could affect your confidence and self-esteem? If you don't trust your self, what can you trust? Confidence isn't about always knowing the answer or doing the exact right thing, it's about knowing you'll seek and find an answer and are willing to learn and live who you are and came here to be.

Low confidence-confidence being that deep, true connection with your authentic self-is why many procedures and processes like plastic surgery, weight loss, and makeovers don't always create the lasting feeling inside that the person hoped for. In fact, a study showed that the people who do feel good about themselves and continue to do so after such changes felt good about themselves before the change. They were also a very small percentage of those who underwent such changes.

It seems then that many of the externals we change or seek to are attempts to arrive at one thing: To feel good about being ourselves. We mistakenly think part of what will create that feeling for us is to do whatever it takes to make others approve of us. We chase our own tails with this one. If we feel good about ourselves, there will be people who enjoy or appreciate us for who we are. Maybe not everyone will feel that way about us, but getting everyone's approval is a waste of energy and is unrealistic. It also puts us last instead of first, where we need to be if we're to live our best life.

It's time to acknowledge there is and ever will be only one of you. Stephen Greliet wrote something that may be familiar to you: "I shall not pass this way again... " Whether you believe in reincarnation or you don't, who you are in this lifetime will never happen again. It may take time to take root, but remind yourself of this unique-you fact each day and as often as needed.

Confidence isn't a show, despite that we've believed it is. It isn't about being competent, though competence can lead to satisfaction within us. Confidence is about being at home with yourself and your right to your place in the world. It's about being present with your self, being in the moment, and doing what's appropriate and fulfilling for you and your process of self-discovery, rather than focused predominantly or only on the opinions of others. Ask yourself what feels right and true for you. Apply this question to topics, areas, and moments of your life, and do this at a steady, gradual pace. Discover and embrace how much there is to appreciate about you and life. It's a good practice.

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5 Things You Should Consider When Choosing The Right Words Expressing Yourself

A perfectionist could spend countless hours or even days coming up with the right words to express himself. Some of us do not have such time. Here are some tips you would find helpful while trying to pick the right words to express yourself.

1. Audience: This is the first to consider when expressing your ideas. who are the people listening? Are they very conversant with the topic? These are the questions you should have the answers to. If you know your audience and the kind of people you are dealing with, it will assist you in choosing the right words

2. Self Representation: You have to consider what you are saying, is it representing yourself or some dictionary, or an article speech writing software. Remember that you are expressing your ideas, so you have to present yourself in your own words. It is not a bad idea to consult your dictionary, but try to keep it simple and understandable

3. Insight: To express fully an idea in the right words, you have to understand the topic you are writing or talking about. Assuming I want to write or express an idea about Chelsea F.C, I will have to know their players, coach and a brief history of successful and unsuccessful games and other relevant information. Without having the basic or deep knowledge of a particular topic, it will be difficult to pick the right words to express your ideas.

4. Research: This may not seem very important to you, but it is of great important when trying to pick the right words to express your ideas. You have to make further research about the topic and not just rely on your existing knowledge which could be either outdated or not totally reliable. Assume after expressing your idea an your audience asks you to elaborate on a particular point. If you don't have insight of the topic, you will end up referring them elsewhere or even dogging the questions. Avoiding questions can be a total turn off to your audience.

5. Confidence: Your inner thoughts will some worth appear in your expression either written or oral. Work on your confidence and make sure you believe in yourself before writing a speech or expressing your ideas. Try to clear all doubts in your mind, if you feel nervous, reassure yourself and focus on your points and the goals you need to achieve.

Practise makes perfect. Constantly expressing of your ideas will continue to improve your skills in verbal and written communication. Its Most time preferrable to learn the language you want to express your ideas in perfectly. It aids easy ideal expression, it also makes choosing the right words easier.

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Love Yourself To Truly Love Others

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.

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 simply, is a choice an individual makes.

Of course there are hormones, 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 cliche of being easier said than done.

A great deal of self-introspection is needed to bring yourself to 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.

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Why Commit Suicide?

There is something innate in us that seems to rise us up to the plate when needed. There are times when we have to dig deep inside of us even though we feel that we can't make it, but we tend to carry on. This is the time you have to tell yourself "I have to grin and bear it", and you don't know where the courage comes from, but in the end you come out on top.

I sometimes wonder why people in the world commit suicide. There are so many windows to open, releasing new vistas to conquer, new heights to surmount. Yet we are so shallow, so myopic in our reasoning, so selfish in our attitudes that we refuse to see our real purpose here on planet Earth, so we then take our lives.

Our sole existence is to help others whenever and wherever we can in a positive manner, but we always go to the website WIIFM.com [what's in it for me]. O, So short-sighted. If I had it my power I would CLOSE that Website down, but herein lies one root of our selfish relationship.

At any stage in life someone is watching, and following you like on Twitter or Pinterest and taping you. Any time you deviate from your chosen path your followers tend to go over the deep end. Even though you are crippled and you believe that you can't do any thing there is always something you can do.

There is someone who has NO ARMS and NO REAL FEET, the video concerning him was sent to me by someone I do not know. This gentleman has a flipper for one foot, about 2 1/2 feet tall and he travels the world giving motivating presentations to young school students.

There was a young lady attending University of the Southern Caribbean at the same time with us who was blind, and another who graduated this year.

There was still another who had to write her assignments with her toes holding whatever writing instrument. She has since graduated with a law degree a couple years ago from the University of the West Indies. She stunned the country when she passed her CE Exam. a few years before, and made it through secondary school and university.

And still another who paints with her mouth in Kenya.

I have a friend who lives in the USA, he is disabled but he paints good stuff, no excellent work.

Regardless of your circumstances you have NO RIGHT to take your life, you did not produce it.

There is a lady right now who can't see, and could hardly walk, but is not giving up on life.

I am not talking off the top of my head. I have a disability and could hardly walk but I am not lying down. I will die with my boots on.

This generation of wired people, the iPod, iPad, and iPhone belong to the same instant coffee, instant tea, and instant milk age.

So they think everything should be instant.

Why don't the scientists produce instant education, so we don't have to "beat books". They can open our brain and just pour in our instant education.

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Stay Calm To Save Your Life

Real people talk about the pain of losing their homes and loved ones in the country's worst calamities because they know how it is to be a victim of such calamities and how difficult it is to survive and to start all over again. You need not freak out every time you heard about any forth coming calamities because it won't help, in fact it would only make you more nervous and panicky. There's only one more good thing to do than to compose yourself and prepared all the much needed preparing for disasters survival so as to help you in whatever situation you're in.

Almost every year during the rainy seasons, homes and entire localities are ravaged by floods and landslides. Just last year, typhoon took dozens of lives and left the place in a blackout. Typhoon can comes successively from one to another and released its fury to a place they may hit. The battering could last for minutes and it could even take hours.

After the typhoon, the surroundings can be compared to a war zone. Trees ripped apart, crushed houses and buildings, electric posts and power lines cut down like a play sticks - the whole scene was unbelievable. Many families lost their homes, there were more than a thousands death because of the mudslides. And that would make you think how important preparing for disasters is because it could save not just your life but as well as your loved ones.

Calamity excuses no one and this could be an eye opener to everyone else, in whatever walks of life that we should be prepare always and always should always mean now! A typhoon is a natural calamity and no man could ever stop or prevent it. It will strike to its target and leaving it in a disastrous condition, even taking lives and properties and worst of all most of the population were left homeless and nowhere to turn to.

Natural calamities can be dangerous and it excuses no one and you need to know and apply some if not most of the things you know and equip yourself with knowledge on whatever possible things that may happen on such difficult situation. Many people gain advantage of using basic survival training skills not only for personal uses but for the sake of helping others. You need to make sure you have the skills to handle an emergency situation.

Daniel Garvin is an Environmental protection inspector that monitors the condition of the environment and look for ways of improving it. His main work activities are - monitoring the state and development of the environment in a given location - arranging for, and organizing, the protection of the environment - ensuring regulations for the protection of the environment and natural resources are adhered to - carrying out field inspections as well. He did some basic survival training during weekends.

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Modern Treatments Can Make Your Life Better

It's being said a million times already but we are so lucky that we are living in the modern age. You see, everything these days is quite different as compared to even ten years ago. A lot of things have changed, a lot of breakthroughs have been discovered and a lot of progress has been taken in almost every area of our lives. Let's take a look at the field of medicine. We are used to thinking this term refers to healing of the sick. But not these days mind you. It's because a lot of people are using the field of medicine for beautification. It seems like fashion and vanity have crossed the line and went to the world of surgery.

We all know that plastic surgery was entirely for reconstruction and repair. However, with the kinds of technology we now have and the modern surgical techniques that have been developed, a person can become more attractive in just one session. There are persons who don't want to get old and so it makes them anxious if they see wrinkles popping up everywhere. Aging is presumably the enemy of most people who are obsessed with their youthfulness. When a person ages, the hormones stop their functions thus causing some major changes in the body.

We lose the tightness of our skin, even the texture of our outer layer have some changes too. This is a burden to some people. Now that everything's modern, these problems are easily being solved. There's what we call 3DEEP or EndyMed technology. It's a modern technological breakthrough which helps in the tightening of the skin. In simpler terms, this will bring back your youthful appearance. The good thing is that it's a non-invasive therapy.

What this technology does is that it stimulates new collagen production which creates visible lifting and tightening effects on your face, neck and body. A lot of patients trust this kind of therapy because it's different from other methods. It has a lot of proven scientific evidence that proves its effects. While other products have promise results but they don't actually deliver. By fusing the finest attributes of different radio frequency technologies 3DEEP is safe and accurate and will provide long lasting results. EndytMed technology is found in the middle of the effects of laser and RF technologies. If you enter into this kind therapy, your surgeon can manipulate its full function without any problem.

Modernity holds one thing the past doesn't have, experience. Mistakes that have been done before cannot be done anymore that's the reason why a new, more sophisticated, safer and effective technology is being produced. We don't what's waiting in the future but with the things that we see these days, we can consider it a promising one.

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Heart Faith Vs Head Faith

I love travelling. There is something about flying that has amazed me from the time I was a child. I can remember my first flight as clearly as if it happened yesterday. It was a flight from Los Angeles to Sacramento to visit my elder brother Charles when I was about 10 years old. Back then, the airlines assigned a flight attendant to sit with minor children on flights when they flew alone. What I remember most about the flight was the pain in my ears from the change in altitude. At the time, I had no idea what the cause of the pain was, I just remember it being excruciating. I remember talking with the flight attendant in the seat next to me, I remember hearing the other passengers around me talking and I remember the sound of the jet engines on the plane.

Then as we began our decent into Sacramento, something weird happened. When we reached a certain altitude my ears "popped". At least that's what the flight attendant called it. Then all of a sudden I could hear a lot clearer. The strange thing about this experience is that I wasn't aware of the fact that my hearing was distorted until my ears popped and I was able to hear clearer.

I thought that my hearing was fine, but in actuality my hearing wasn't as sharp as it should have been due to the change in cabin pressure on the plane.

I compare this ear popping to what happens to us as God's Word moves from our minds into our hearts. Anyone can hear a verse of scripture, read a verse of scripture or quote a verse of scripture. In our studies, we may be hearing and same verse or dealing with the same biblical principle that we've been hearing for quite some time, but one day it becomes more real in our hearts than ever before. One day the Word finally sinks down into your spirit, and when that happens, you no longer know of the verse or the principle... you know it. It's hard to explain, but when this happens, you become more convinced than ever before that the verse, Word, or scripture is real on a different level than before it sank down into your heart.

The only way to get God's Word from your mind down into your heart is to meditate on it. God tells Joshua in Chapter 1 verse 8 that if he meditated in the Word day and night the results would be that he would make his way prosperous and that he would have good success (Joshua 1:8). Psalm 1:3 tells us that this same type of meditation in God's Word would cause whatever we do to prosper. The bible is filled with scripture telling us the positive results that can be obtained by meditating... getting the Word of God from our minds down into our hearts.

If you've never experienced the renewed strength that comes from meditating in God's Word, I encourage you to find several scriptures and write them down. Find scriptures that deal with challenges you may be facing in your life right now and spend some quiet time alone with God. When your mind begins to wonder bring it back to the scriptures you're meditating on. Do this long enough for those verses to sink down into your heart, and you will find that once God's Word becomes engrained on your heart you will feel a sense of power and strength that is world over coming!

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How to Overcome Life's Challenges

We live in a world full of dualities. This duality exists in the world that surrounds us and within ourselves. At times, when everything seems to go well, we feel happy and content. Yet, at other times, we face obstacles that some may seem easy to overcome with patience, wisdom or hard work, but also others very tough to handle, which make us lose our temper or patience and maybe complaining about our misfortune in life, forgetting that we are responsible of our thoughts, emotions and behaviors and therefore, we create our present in our own hands. In other words, our present is the result of our past actions and our future will be the result of our present actions.

Some of our existence circumstances are beyond our will: our birth and death for instance. If we are to think why God has put us in this particular environment or that particular country, we understand that God or the providence has a particular plan for each one of us.

Conversely, we control our mind and thoughts which have no barrier whatsoever. We can fly to the moon with our mind, even prisoners found in a 2 meters square room, can live freedom in their mind and feel it a reality. They didn't surrender to their somehow bitter reality but tried to overcome it through their mind. So, it doesn't matter what kind of circumstances we stumble upon, what matters is how we react to them: either we overcome them or we are defeated by them. A cup filled in half of water can either be seen half empty or half filled. It pays to look at things from a rational perspective, as if they are happening to another person. That is easier said than applied though. Oftentimes, we let our ego take over our mind and emotions making us take decisions that may not be for our benefit. We might think that this is the best course of action to take, but in reality we are likely to be only fooling ourselves.

Freedom is a sacred right given to every human being. In result, every person is free to live his or her life as they wish, provided that this freedom does not harm anyone else. At times, it pays to simply letting go, rather than seeking revenge; because revenge, negative thoughts and stress all consume from the wellness of our inner self and our physical health too. Exercising and doing a regular physical activity is a great way to help us feel better about ourselves through the flow of natural endorphins it lets circulate in our brain and whole body. Taking care of our physical body by eating healthy food rich in vegetables and fruits also help.

And last but not least, since we are a unity of physical body, emotions, mind and soul, it pays to nurture our mind by reading or learning new skills and our soul by practicing our religion's teaching in our daily life.

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What Causes Negative Thinking?

What we usually notice about negative thinking first is the Effect, not the Cause, of it. In fact, we may not even be aware that we're thinking negatively, we're just aware of how we feel in response to it. Some of those feelings may include tiredness or exhaustion, frustration or depression, discontent or anger, anxiety or fear. And, we sometimes (or often) mistakenly attempt to fix or adjust only the Effect, or the process, rather than the Cause. Process and Effect follow the leader: Cause.

What is this Cause, and where is its On-Off switch? I believe it's what Ernest Holmes calls a cross current of thought. That is opposite thoughts colliding in your subconscious or subjective (programmed, trained or habituated) mind. This reminds me of the original Ghostbusters movie when they used their equipment for the first time. They turned on their machines, and a current of energy streamed from each machine. One of the guys yelled that they were to avoid crossing the streams. When asked what would happen if the streams crossed, he stated, "It would be bad." We get an undesirable result when we cross currents of thought and experience one or more of the feelings listed above or others. Actually, it's like the riddle: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The feeling or the thought? The origination is interesting but it doesn't matter, ultimately, the result does.

Look at some examples of cross-current thoughts and see if you can identify negative feelings that might result (use the list above or whatever descriptors come up for you):

I want income BUT I hate my job (or am bored with it).

I want a joyful, loving relationship BUT I have a low opinion of men/women and/or myself.

I want abundance and prosperity BUT I don't deserve this because (fill in the blank).

I want to be successful BUT I don't know what success means to ME, and only me.

There are numerous variations of these and other statements, but you can see that what comes after the BUT is what holds the greater emotional charge. And the emotional charge, your energy stream, is the vibration you transmit to the Law of Attraction match-up field of manifestation. Even those who think Law of Attraction is a lot of hooey or too much effort still meet up with the effects of cross-current thinking.

We have to face the fact that we will have feelings; we are meant to. But we can face the fact that we are not tied to our feelings except by choice or habit. We also can face the fact that what is in our hearts (the feeling aspect of our subconscious, subjective mind) is directly connected to our thoughts. We think according to what we believe (feel), and what we believe is more often about the stories we tell ourselves rather than about the Truth of who we REALLY are and what we are really capable of.

The idea and practice of having negative thought patterns kicked into gear for you quite early in your development. Maybe as a child, you not only heard people express negative opinions about anything or everything and others, but perhaps about you as well. Whether they really meant what they said or not doesn't matter. The fact is we learn behaviors and thought patterns so early in life that, as a rule, we don't have a conscious awareness of them... until we begin to notice their Effects and begin to seek their Cause. It's almost like, or maybe it's even exactly like, a form of voodoo. And like voodoo, the spell or curse only works if or while you believe it.

So here you are years later, wanting to be a more joyful, fulfilled version of you, wanting your life to be more joyful and fulfilling, but you operate with cross-current thoughts. What can you do about this? It will help to make up your own BUT statements about areas of your life you struggle with or want to improve, to see what's revealed. Like learned behaviors, we are so used to practicing the BUT side of our statements, we don't even see this for what it is when we do it; we may even call it being practical.

Remember that what comes after the BUT acts like a voodoo spell (or curse) over you. Realize you are not tied to believing it. Realize that Law of Attraction doesn't do anything to you; it works THROUGH you. You can change BUT statements to AND statements:

I want income AND I can get it by doing something I enjoy, love, and find fulfilling.

I want a joyful, loving relationship AND I'm willing to find out what that means for me, and my partner, and do what is appropriate.

I want abundance and prosperity AND I'm open to appreciating what I already have and receiving even more.

And so it goes.

If we contemplate the Good (make this a regular or consistent inner experience), we'll experience the good we contemplate. We don't contemplate the Good by thinking about its opposites. Holmes wrote, "Ignorance of the law [of attraction] excuses no one from its effects; but knowledge [of it] clothes us in the seamless robe... " (In ancient days only those who were aligned with prosperity as their reality could afford a seamless robe.). You can "fail" to not use Law of Attraction, but you cannot fail if you use it as it's meant to be used: with direct line of thought rather than cross-current thoughts.

Use the BUT/AND statements to help you find those switches so you can flip them. Lift the negative "spells" off of you and your life, and practice more supportive statements and stories about yourself, your life, life in general, and the bigger picture. Find what leads you to or allows you to align with BELIEVABLE statements and stories about you and life, ones aligned with the larger, universal Truth about you and what the Creative Consciousness has available for you. Kick the BUTS from your thoughts. It's a good practice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7178477

7 Steps For Living Life On Your Own Terms

I work with a lot of people and I get a chance to see what makes a lot of them tick. 99% of them are living on someone else terms building someone else dreams. 9 times out of 10 they are miserable, but they continue to live this life because it's comfortable. Daring to believe that the life that they really desire can be the one that they live everyday. Too lazy to put in the work that it will take to live life on their terms not truly understanding that when you are doing what you love, you won't mind the work. They don't want to put in the time that it will take to change their mindset, because living life on your own terms means that you have to change the way you think about things. Fear of the unknown keeps them paralyzed even though they know that they can take the leap if they had enough Faith. But even their Faith is shook. So how does one go about living life on their own terms you may ask. Well I am happy to share with you some of the steps that I've adopted to do just that.

1. First you have to make a decision that you want to live a life that you truly love.

2. You have to pay attention to what your purpose is. Notice that I said pay attention. The reason being is because your purpose is already in you, but you haven't paid it any attention because it comes so naturally to you that you just do it without thinking about it.

3. You have to stop chasing money. As long as you chase money it will continue to run from you.

4. Don't try to please everyone, because you can't. Be true to yourself and know your worth.

5. Take some time to find out who you are. Until you do this and be completely honest with yourself you will always live on someone else terms.

6. Don't let envy or jealousy into your life. Don't compare yourself to others. No one is better than anyone else. You can have exactly what you want when you make a decision that you want it. When you make the commitment that you will do what you have to create the life that you want. When you remove envy and jealousy from your life.

7. Don't forget to pray and ask for guidance. This is the most important thing especially when you are struggling try to make sense of your life knowing that you want something different but just don't know where to start or what to do.

Life is short. Stop living on someone else terms and start living on your own terms!

Until Next Time

Make It A Great Day!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7174329

The 9 Secrets For Your Joyful Life

1. Self-Compassion Rather Than Self-Judgment

In the 44 years I've been counseling clients, I've never had a client who was not judging themselves-and not realizing the profound negative effects of self-judgment. Most are afraid to let go of self-judgment, believing that without judging themselves, they will sit and do nothing. When they finally take the risk of self-compassion, they realize that, far from doing nothing, they are now motivated to be far more productive and creative. If they were previously doing well, it was in spite of their self-judgment, not because of it. If they were not doing well, it was because the self-judgment was immobilizing them.

Moving into compassion for ourselves-for our painful feelings, for our mistakes and failures, for being human-is magical! Self-compassion opens us to learning, healing and new choices that can bring us much joy.

2. Make it Okay to be Rejected

How much energy do you spend trying to be perfect, saying or doing the 'right' thing, giving yourself up, avoiding being yourself, and not being spontaneous? The big false belief here is that we can have control over how others feel about us and treat us. What if you accepted that you don't have this control over others, just as they don't have this control over you? What if you accepted rejection as a fact of life, and instead of attaching your worth to what others think, you define your own worth?

3. Define Your Intrinsic Worth

There are two ways to define your worth - extrinsically and intrinsically. When you define your worth extrinsically, you are defining yourself by your looks, achievements and performance-and by what others think of your looks, achievements and performance. This is a very hard way to live, as you constantly have to strive to feel like you are okay-and failure is not okay.

When you define your worth intrinsically, you define yourself by your inborn eternal qualities-the qualities that don't fade with age. While looks and performance fade with age, intrinsic qualities such as kindness, caring, compassion, goodness, creativity, passion, aliveness, joy, curiosity, courage and integrity can deepen with age. When you define yourself by your intrinsic worth, you are valuing who are, and then what you do becomes an expression of who you are, rather than a definition of your worth as a person.

4. Make it Okay to Fail

When you know you are inherently worthy, then it becomes okay to fail. Rather than failure defining your lack of worth, failure becomes a learning experience, letting us know what else we need to learn. Making it okay to fail and not seeing failure as defining you in any way opens the door to trying new things that can bring you much joy.

5. Don't Take Others' Behavior Personally

Once you define your intrinsic worth, it becomes much easier to not take others' behavior personally. When you know and value who you are intrinsically, then you accept that others' unloving behavior is about them rather than about you.

6. Stay Present in Your Body

When you live in your head rather than in your body, you are thinking rather than experiencing. You are missing the moment, which is where joy is. Staying in your head, thinking about the past or future, is a form of control that most of us learned as we were growing up to protect against pain. But pain and joy live in the same place in the heart, so when we avoid the pain of life, we also avoid the joy of life. Rather than avoiding pain through staying in your head and through various addictions, why not learn how to manage the pain of life through developing your spiritual connection? Then you can stay present in your body, experiencing the beauty, joy and wonder of the present moment.

7. Intent to Learn/Love Rather than Intent to Protect/Control

Our intent is what governs how we feel and behave. When our intent is to protect against pain with some form of controlling behavior-trying to control our feelings, others and outcomes-we end up abandoning ourselves and may feel anxious, depressed, empty, alone, guilty and/or shamed. When our intent is to learn about loving ourselves and sharing our love with others, our heart opens and we receive the joy that is an aspect of Spirit.

8. Higher-Self Dominion

When we give dominion to our mind to govern our thoughts and actions, we will likely feel badly rather than joyful. The mind has been programmed with many false beliefs that can cause us much pain. When we open to learning with our spiritual guidance and give our higher-self dominion over our thoughts, choices and actions, we operate from truth. The truth truly does set us free!

9. Gratitude

Finally, when we focus on what we do have rather than complaining about what we don't have, and when we choose gratitude throughout the day for all the small and beautiful things about life, our heart opens to the experience of joy.

While this might seem daunting, just start with practicing number one-self-compassion rather than self-judgment. As you get better and better at this, you will find the other choices much easier to do.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7180922