By Rich Dixon
The secret of contentment is the realization that life is a gift, not a right.
One of my favorite presentations is titled ACHIEVING YOUR DREAMS. It's a wonderful context in which to talk about realistic optimism, hope, and the possibilities of a new beginning.
Whenever I speak about dreams I invite audience members to write their "big dreams" on a feedback form. I've encountered an amazing variety of aspirations, but it's interesting that no listener has ever listed "being wealthy" as their central desire. In fact, the dreams rarely involve money directly.
Browsing the responses always prompts me to ponder my own dreams and how they're related to my attitudes toward finances. I'm not certain that my beliefs and behaviors are clearly defined and consistent.
I think it's okay to seek more-up to a certain point. But I don't want the pursuit of more to become an all-consuming quest for most. There needs to be some sense of where more becomes enough.
I want to be clear about my own definition of, and approach to, sufficiency.
Have I personally defined enough or am I always blindly seeking more?
Do I consistently act from a perspective of abundance, or do I sometimes imagine that my success only happens at the expense of others?
Have I developed a clear distinction between needs and wants?
Am I behaving like a faithful steward, clearly living my belief that everything I have is a gift from God?
Do I control my possessions, or do I allow them to control me?
Am I choosing to invest my time in important ways, or do I chase a buck at the expense of relationships and principles?
How often do I lose sight of the distinction between people and things, so that I begin to treat people like things?
Are my principal motives always safety and security, or am I willing to take risks for compelling reasons?
Are my choices aligned with my beliefs, or do I settle for expediency and short-term rewards?
Do I really trust that God will provide for my needs?
I'm not advocating a commitment to a life of poverty. There's nothing inherently evil about money and material possessions.
Money is generally neutral. It's a tool, and like any tool can be deployed to build or destroy.
It's what we do with money that matters. I need to remember that my level of contentment depends less on how much I have and more on my attitudes.
What's your strongest financial tension?
Rich Dixon is a writer and motivational speaker who addresses issues related to leadership, inspiration, encouragement, and faith based on grace from a Christian perspective. Visit Rich's blog at http://www.richdixon.net/bouncingback
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_Dixon
Showing posts with label Motivational. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motivational. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Positive Psychology and Liberated Learning
It taps a huge market for the optimization in human achievement, which can be attained more efficiently through positive psychology and liberated learning.
By narrowing the digital divide throughout Indonesia, we should be able to implement effective liberated learning through an online environment based on positive learning psychology.
While many of self-help and motivation gurus are self taught, a few distinctive positive psychologists are making their marks in the scientific study of optimal human functioning. The state of happiness as a feeling must be translated into learning activities.
In his extremely popular class, Ben-Shahar defines “happiness” as the overall experience of pleasure and meaning. Happiness, after all, is the key to optimized, if not maximized, human achievement.
In liberated learning framework, both present and future benefits are also placed in proportionate importance. According to SLOAN Consortium, a professional organization dedicated to integrating online education into the mainstream of higher education, in Fall 2008, with over 4.6 million college students took at least one online course.
Among the top universities in the United States integrating online with mainstream courses are Stanford, UC Berkeley, University of Wisconsin, Columbia University, NYU, and California State University System. On K-12 level, California Virtual Academies provide free online public education curricula that would prepare students for future demands as guided by credentialed teachers using the promises of online technology. Learning is both individually tailored and mass marketed.
Learning is “individually tailored” as students and parents have the freedom to choose learning subjects and styles that fit their needs, while it is “mass marketed” as learning is no longer a scarce commodity in which one class of tens of students must be taught by a teacher who is a sage on the stage. Teachers are facilitators by the side whose main interest is ensuring a positive learning environment to optimize knowledge and skill retention. Here, Freud’s philosophy of pleasure and Frankl’s philosophy of meaning play a distinctive role.
It might take a while for Indonesian education policy makers to agree to adopt such advanced techniques in learning, particularly in distributed liberated learning. University of the People, a new online university that doesn’t charge any tuition fees is an example of democratization and equalization of learning opportunities using open source instructional materials and low-cost Internet-based technologies. Let us push the direction of education policies in Indonesia to allow equality in learning opportunities by implementing reliable and affordable — if not free — Internet connections throughout the country.
Summarized from The Jakarta Post
By narrowing the digital divide throughout Indonesia, we should be able to implement effective liberated learning through an online environment based on positive learning psychology.
While many of self-help and motivation gurus are self taught, a few distinctive positive psychologists are making their marks in the scientific study of optimal human functioning. The state of happiness as a feeling must be translated into learning activities.
In his extremely popular class, Ben-Shahar defines “happiness” as the overall experience of pleasure and meaning. Happiness, after all, is the key to optimized, if not maximized, human achievement.
In liberated learning framework, both present and future benefits are also placed in proportionate importance. According to SLOAN Consortium, a professional organization dedicated to integrating online education into the mainstream of higher education, in Fall 2008, with over 4.6 million college students took at least one online course.
Among the top universities in the United States integrating online with mainstream courses are Stanford, UC Berkeley, University of Wisconsin, Columbia University, NYU, and California State University System. On K-12 level, California Virtual Academies provide free online public education curricula that would prepare students for future demands as guided by credentialed teachers using the promises of online technology. Learning is both individually tailored and mass marketed.
Learning is “individually tailored” as students and parents have the freedom to choose learning subjects and styles that fit their needs, while it is “mass marketed” as learning is no longer a scarce commodity in which one class of tens of students must be taught by a teacher who is a sage on the stage. Teachers are facilitators by the side whose main interest is ensuring a positive learning environment to optimize knowledge and skill retention. Here, Freud’s philosophy of pleasure and Frankl’s philosophy of meaning play a distinctive role.
It might take a while for Indonesian education policy makers to agree to adopt such advanced techniques in learning, particularly in distributed liberated learning. University of the People, a new online university that doesn’t charge any tuition fees is an example of democratization and equalization of learning opportunities using open source instructional materials and low-cost Internet-based technologies. Let us push the direction of education policies in Indonesia to allow equality in learning opportunities by implementing reliable and affordable — if not free — Internet connections throughout the country.
Summarized from The Jakarta Post
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Be Real, Be Passionate, Take Risks!
By Jennifer M. Stewart
Logic can be so seductive, and seem so sensible - and be so completely wrong, in the long run. It's easy to forget that any conclusion is only as good as the information that backs it. For example, take the "logic" that says if you want success you have to work out what people want, and provide it. Seems pretty sensible. Seems statistically supportable. But is it really? Does it actually bring the kind of success we long for?
I'm always reading articles which say that if you're writing and you want readers or success it's no use writing what you want to write, you have to figure out what your audience wants. I can understand how that seems logical and based on common sense. After all, I read what I want to, and I tend to look for what I've been interested in so far. But for writers - and publishers, I guess - to conclude that I only want to read something similar to what I've liked so far, and won't be attracted to a new voice and way of writing, a new perspective, a fresh way of thinking, is just dead wrong.
Publishers, agents, producers, some teachers, even writers, are always making two mistakes. The first is thinking that the potential audience won't respond to the energy, the thrill, the excitement an author conveys when they write on something they're passionate about. The second mistake is thinking that the audience doesn't like what's new. It's ridiculous: marketers and manufacturers are always looking for new perspectives and new products, because they recognize that LIFE CHANGES, that people need newness. Newness is the lifeblood of the commercial world. And it is the artists who create the newness which we all crave, yes?
Yet publishers, producers and agents are always telling writers and artists that they must conform to some nebulous idea of what the public wants - which is in fact a formula they the publishers et al have created out of what's been done. What is it with these guys? They've got to be the most ignorant bunch of humans ever. And they don't seem to change from generation to generation. Somebody should write a book, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus and publishers, producers et al are from - hmm...
Look at every individual who has risen above the masses - haven't they all been complete individuals? Haven't they all been rejected by agents, publishers, producers, you name it? Haven't they all been told "nobody will want to listen to you / watch you / read you /you're your art because you're too different"? Yet they've shot to great heights of fame and fortune - not because they adapted themselves to "what people want" but because they gave free reign to their passion and individuality. And it always turns out that the audience was utterly starved for something new. Oh yes. It's been proved time and time and time again. Fred Astaire, Charlie Chaplin, Sidney Poitier, Walt Disney, Oprah Winfrey (reputedly fired as a reporter for being "unfit for TV" - boy was that a mistake!), The Beatles, Elvis, J.K. Rowling (very big publisher oops), Stephen King (ditto).
Publishers and "authorities" are bullies, that's all; egotists trying to hold onto their power, trying to control their world. They can never have enough uniformity, it keeps them safe. Or that's what they believe. But here's the curious thing. They could be so much safer if they recognized talent and newness and understood how much it is craved by the multitude.
How misguided can you be? And really, aren't there already enough people spewing out formulaic rubbish that has no life in it, is predictable and utterly dull dull dull?
The funny thing - right, it's side-splittingly funny - is that the authority bullies never ask anybody real what they like. They don't actually speak to anybody and say "excuse me, what do you think of this or that?" Their bullying isn't based on anything real at all. Ever. It's based on their own fear-driven, control-freak-driven narrow-mindedness. Greed might play a little role in there. They don't think they'll make so much money if they take a risk on an individual. Well the joke always ends up being on them. Always. Think of all the publishers who rejected J.K. Rowling! They must kicking themselves. And they deserve all the bruises they self-inflict.
All of us, artist and audience alike, we're all human, we're not sheep or lemmings. We all have hearts and souls and minds and we all long to be touched by somebody's passion - and when we are touched by it, we all register it. I know it's true, because if it wasn't the bright individuals would never rise above the mundane, to shine like stars for the rest of us to be inspired by. There's real logic for you.
Personally I love to hear somebody say "whatever you do, don't try to please people. Be real, be passionate, take risks".
Robert De Niro said that. Good on you, Mr. De Niro.
Jennifer Stewart experienced bankruptcy six years ago. It changed her life dramatically - for the better! She now writes a blog about her experiences and her journey of Stepping out of History. Visit its-not-about-the-money
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_M._Stewart
Logic can be so seductive, and seem so sensible - and be so completely wrong, in the long run. It's easy to forget that any conclusion is only as good as the information that backs it. For example, take the "logic" that says if you want success you have to work out what people want, and provide it. Seems pretty sensible. Seems statistically supportable. But is it really? Does it actually bring the kind of success we long for?
I'm always reading articles which say that if you're writing and you want readers or success it's no use writing what you want to write, you have to figure out what your audience wants. I can understand how that seems logical and based on common sense. After all, I read what I want to, and I tend to look for what I've been interested in so far. But for writers - and publishers, I guess - to conclude that I only want to read something similar to what I've liked so far, and won't be attracted to a new voice and way of writing, a new perspective, a fresh way of thinking, is just dead wrong.
Publishers, agents, producers, some teachers, even writers, are always making two mistakes. The first is thinking that the potential audience won't respond to the energy, the thrill, the excitement an author conveys when they write on something they're passionate about. The second mistake is thinking that the audience doesn't like what's new. It's ridiculous: marketers and manufacturers are always looking for new perspectives and new products, because they recognize that LIFE CHANGES, that people need newness. Newness is the lifeblood of the commercial world. And it is the artists who create the newness which we all crave, yes?
Yet publishers, producers and agents are always telling writers and artists that they must conform to some nebulous idea of what the public wants - which is in fact a formula they the publishers et al have created out of what's been done. What is it with these guys? They've got to be the most ignorant bunch of humans ever. And they don't seem to change from generation to generation. Somebody should write a book, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus and publishers, producers et al are from - hmm...
Look at every individual who has risen above the masses - haven't they all been complete individuals? Haven't they all been rejected by agents, publishers, producers, you name it? Haven't they all been told "nobody will want to listen to you / watch you / read you /you're your art because you're too different"? Yet they've shot to great heights of fame and fortune - not because they adapted themselves to "what people want" but because they gave free reign to their passion and individuality. And it always turns out that the audience was utterly starved for something new. Oh yes. It's been proved time and time and time again. Fred Astaire, Charlie Chaplin, Sidney Poitier, Walt Disney, Oprah Winfrey (reputedly fired as a reporter for being "unfit for TV" - boy was that a mistake!), The Beatles, Elvis, J.K. Rowling (very big publisher oops), Stephen King (ditto).
Publishers and "authorities" are bullies, that's all; egotists trying to hold onto their power, trying to control their world. They can never have enough uniformity, it keeps them safe. Or that's what they believe. But here's the curious thing. They could be so much safer if they recognized talent and newness and understood how much it is craved by the multitude.
How misguided can you be? And really, aren't there already enough people spewing out formulaic rubbish that has no life in it, is predictable and utterly dull dull dull?
The funny thing - right, it's side-splittingly funny - is that the authority bullies never ask anybody real what they like. They don't actually speak to anybody and say "excuse me, what do you think of this or that?" Their bullying isn't based on anything real at all. Ever. It's based on their own fear-driven, control-freak-driven narrow-mindedness. Greed might play a little role in there. They don't think they'll make so much money if they take a risk on an individual. Well the joke always ends up being on them. Always. Think of all the publishers who rejected J.K. Rowling! They must kicking themselves. And they deserve all the bruises they self-inflict.
All of us, artist and audience alike, we're all human, we're not sheep or lemmings. We all have hearts and souls and minds and we all long to be touched by somebody's passion - and when we are touched by it, we all register it. I know it's true, because if it wasn't the bright individuals would never rise above the mundane, to shine like stars for the rest of us to be inspired by. There's real logic for you.
Personally I love to hear somebody say "whatever you do, don't try to please people. Be real, be passionate, take risks".
Robert De Niro said that. Good on you, Mr. De Niro.
Jennifer Stewart experienced bankruptcy six years ago. It changed her life dramatically - for the better! She now writes a blog about her experiences and her journey of Stepping out of History. Visit its-not-about-the-money
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_M._Stewart
Saturday, February 20, 2010
How Fear, Resistance and Failure Are Central to Your Success
By Lisa A Cherney
It may sound counterintuitive, but fear, resistance and failure are central to your success as an entrepreneur! In fact, if you can embrace these feelings and actions, then you may be on the verge of a business breakthrough - and a spiritual one, too.
Let's face it, all entrepreneurs, no matter how successful they are, hit a rough patch now and then. This is something I like to call the "dark-night-of-the-business-soul." Believe me, I know - because I've been there myself (more than once!)
Does this sound at all familiar? You're procrastinating big tasks that are central to your success; you're spending a lot of time networking, but have too few clients to show for it (you're having trouble "selling" yourself); your head and heart are often in conflict; and most importantly, you are just not having fun anymore? If you said yes to any of these, then you are likely suffering from "dark nights."
I've seen so many people struggling recently with these "dark nights" - believe me, you are not alone. So how do you get past them? It's all about starting from the inside out and defining what it is that you really want to do. It's about finding the clarity you need to define your business strategy and "leap frog" forward.
My entire journey as an entrepreneur has been about integrating my spiritual understanding with my professional knowledge. When those two things merge, magic happens. I feel whole and complete, I don't worry, I have confidence, I offer products that resonate with people, and people invest a lot of money in my programs.
If you can learn embrace your failures, use them to your advantage and take the next step forward, it will be like entering a wormhole and coming out five years in the future living the life - and running the business - of your dreams. If you can face these "dark nights" head on, learn from them and break through them, you are on the verge of a massive, life and business-changing experience that will change everything.
Lisa Cherney is a Marketing Intuitive and President & Founder of Conscious Marketing™. Lisa has helped thousands of business owners tap into their intuition and market their businesses from the 'Inside Out'. For 15 years she worked at Fortune 500 companies and top advertising agencies.
Lisa tells her story in the new co-authored book Inspiration to Realization, available at http://www.ConsciousMarketing.com. Conscious Marketing also offers workshops, coaching and creates marketing materials. Visit her website for more details or call 888-771-0156.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_A_Cherney
It may sound counterintuitive, but fear, resistance and failure are central to your success as an entrepreneur! In fact, if you can embrace these feelings and actions, then you may be on the verge of a business breakthrough - and a spiritual one, too.
Let's face it, all entrepreneurs, no matter how successful they are, hit a rough patch now and then. This is something I like to call the "dark-night-of-the-business-soul." Believe me, I know - because I've been there myself (more than once!)
Does this sound at all familiar? You're procrastinating big tasks that are central to your success; you're spending a lot of time networking, but have too few clients to show for it (you're having trouble "selling" yourself); your head and heart are often in conflict; and most importantly, you are just not having fun anymore? If you said yes to any of these, then you are likely suffering from "dark nights."
I've seen so many people struggling recently with these "dark nights" - believe me, you are not alone. So how do you get past them? It's all about starting from the inside out and defining what it is that you really want to do. It's about finding the clarity you need to define your business strategy and "leap frog" forward.
My entire journey as an entrepreneur has been about integrating my spiritual understanding with my professional knowledge. When those two things merge, magic happens. I feel whole and complete, I don't worry, I have confidence, I offer products that resonate with people, and people invest a lot of money in my programs.
If you can learn embrace your failures, use them to your advantage and take the next step forward, it will be like entering a wormhole and coming out five years in the future living the life - and running the business - of your dreams. If you can face these "dark nights" head on, learn from them and break through them, you are on the verge of a massive, life and business-changing experience that will change everything.
Lisa Cherney is a Marketing Intuitive and President & Founder of Conscious Marketing™. Lisa has helped thousands of business owners tap into their intuition and market their businesses from the 'Inside Out'. For 15 years she worked at Fortune 500 companies and top advertising agencies.
Lisa tells her story in the new co-authored book Inspiration to Realization, available at http://www.ConsciousMarketing.com. Conscious Marketing also offers workshops, coaching and creates marketing materials. Visit her website for more details or call 888-771-0156.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_A_Cherney
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Two Easy Ways to Boost Your Self Confidence
By Pat Burnett
There are many ways to boost your self confidence and regain your self esteem. When you lack self confidence it can affect every aspect of your life. Everyone has the ability to improve their self confidence and begin enjoying life again. Follow the confidence boosting techniques outlined below to help you. The main cause of low self confidence is our negative perception of ourselves. Perceived failures, lack of support from other people, rejection or unkind words from others can lower our self confidence and damage our self esteem.
Many people with low self confidence avoid social situations. Because of this, they become lonely which can lead to depression. It is quite common for people with low self confidence to be scared of socializing with others because they think that they might say the wrong thing.
The first step to boosting your self confidence is to change the way you think about yourself. There should be no more negative self talk. No more putting yourself down. The biggest thing that can help your self confidence is positive thinking. Take some time and think about the person that you would like to be. Visualize how you would like to act and feel in your new role as a self confident person. Your goal is to strive to become that person. Keep that vision in your mind all day long. Remember it in every situation during the day.
You will be pleasantly surprised when you change the way you think about yourself that people around you will notice this change. When you are more confident and sure of yourself, other people will respect you and want to be around you. You should begin to get back into society by socializing more. Spend time with people such as family and friends that love you and care about you. They will boost your self confidence. When you feel more confident, start adding more social activities.
The sooner you get out and realize that your fear of rejection is unfounded, the more self confident you will become. Think about joining a group that has the same interests as you do. Take a class and meet some new people. Remember if you do nothing to change your situation, everything will stay the same.
Another good way to boost your self confidence is by using positive affirmations to help you get rid of negative thoughts about yourself. When you discover yourself thinking negative thoughts, repeat a positive affirmation over and over in your mind. Eventually when you repeat it enough, your subconscious mind will start to believe that it is true. This is how you can turn negative thinking around and is one of the best ways to boost your self confidence.
Visit Overcoming Low Self Esteem for additional FREE help. You may also find Overcoming Shyness helpful.
Author - Pat Burnett
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pat_Burnett
There are many ways to boost your self confidence and regain your self esteem. When you lack self confidence it can affect every aspect of your life. Everyone has the ability to improve their self confidence and begin enjoying life again. Follow the confidence boosting techniques outlined below to help you. The main cause of low self confidence is our negative perception of ourselves. Perceived failures, lack of support from other people, rejection or unkind words from others can lower our self confidence and damage our self esteem.
Many people with low self confidence avoid social situations. Because of this, they become lonely which can lead to depression. It is quite common for people with low self confidence to be scared of socializing with others because they think that they might say the wrong thing.
The first step to boosting your self confidence is to change the way you think about yourself. There should be no more negative self talk. No more putting yourself down. The biggest thing that can help your self confidence is positive thinking. Take some time and think about the person that you would like to be. Visualize how you would like to act and feel in your new role as a self confident person. Your goal is to strive to become that person. Keep that vision in your mind all day long. Remember it in every situation during the day.
You will be pleasantly surprised when you change the way you think about yourself that people around you will notice this change. When you are more confident and sure of yourself, other people will respect you and want to be around you. You should begin to get back into society by socializing more. Spend time with people such as family and friends that love you and care about you. They will boost your self confidence. When you feel more confident, start adding more social activities.
The sooner you get out and realize that your fear of rejection is unfounded, the more self confident you will become. Think about joining a group that has the same interests as you do. Take a class and meet some new people. Remember if you do nothing to change your situation, everything will stay the same.
Another good way to boost your self confidence is by using positive affirmations to help you get rid of negative thoughts about yourself. When you discover yourself thinking negative thoughts, repeat a positive affirmation over and over in your mind. Eventually when you repeat it enough, your subconscious mind will start to believe that it is true. This is how you can turn negative thinking around and is one of the best ways to boost your self confidence.
Visit Overcoming Low Self Esteem for additional FREE help. You may also find Overcoming Shyness helpful.
Author - Pat Burnett
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pat_Burnett
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Recipe For Becoming A Faster, More Creative Problem Solver
By Regina Pacelli
Life comes at you pretty quickly and can sometimes leave you feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. But that doesn't need to be how it goes. You can nurture your ability to think on your feet and develop the ability solve problems more quickly and creatively. Below is a recipe for achieving that goal without causing you any indigestion.
Ingredient #1: Build Your Mental Muscle
Every day you make lots of decisions, large and small, and everywhere in-between. Take some of the less critical problems, decisions, or situations that need resolving that come up during the day and as quickly as you can, come up with as many possible choices/solutions as you can. Push your speed limit. Don't edit yourself. The goal is to come up with as many as possible as quickly as possible. This will help you build up your mental problem solving muscle. It's a muscle like any other and the same principle of 'use it or lose it' applies. Kind of like wind sprints for the brain.
Ingredient #2: Slow Down To Go Fast
Sometimes going too fast can actually slow you down. You can end up in blind alleys and make lots of false starts. Practice making your problem solving thought process more deliberate and relaxed, less scattered and hurried. When you slow down a bit, you allow your 'gut' (sub-conscious brain) to help you out. It's where your creativity lives. Give it some breathing room. This doesn't mean becoming a slow poke, just not giving your best imitation of a ricochet bullet.
Ingredient #3: Solve it Ahead of Time
When embarking on something new, whether it's buying a car, going to a party, going on a job interview, hiring someone to paint your house, or anything else, visualize potential scenarios that could possibly happen. Play them out in your mind, kind of like a movie, thinking through what you'd say or do. This way when that or a similar scenario possibly happens, you won't be taken completely by surprise. It may not be exactly what you had envisioned, but you've given yourself at least a jump start in figuring out how to handle it.
Ingredient #4: Be fearlessly Creative Daydreamer
Daydreaming is one way to help you become more creative. Go on an adventure of your choosing. Swashbuckler, mad scientist, avenger, pioneer. Take some time to let your mind wander and take you where it will. Be fearless. Be your most creative self and even more imaginative than that. Don't hold back. It's one fun way to give your creativity a little stretch and keep it flexible.
Mix these creative problem solving ingredients together, in amounts according to taste, and bake until done.
Regina Pacelli is the author of "Outsmart the Unexpected: Grow Your Creativity the Edge-of-your -seat Way". You can learn about it on her website: http://www.reginapacelli.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Regina_Pacelli
Life comes at you pretty quickly and can sometimes leave you feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. But that doesn't need to be how it goes. You can nurture your ability to think on your feet and develop the ability solve problems more quickly and creatively. Below is a recipe for achieving that goal without causing you any indigestion.
Ingredient #1: Build Your Mental Muscle
Every day you make lots of decisions, large and small, and everywhere in-between. Take some of the less critical problems, decisions, or situations that need resolving that come up during the day and as quickly as you can, come up with as many possible choices/solutions as you can. Push your speed limit. Don't edit yourself. The goal is to come up with as many as possible as quickly as possible. This will help you build up your mental problem solving muscle. It's a muscle like any other and the same principle of 'use it or lose it' applies. Kind of like wind sprints for the brain.
Ingredient #2: Slow Down To Go Fast
Sometimes going too fast can actually slow you down. You can end up in blind alleys and make lots of false starts. Practice making your problem solving thought process more deliberate and relaxed, less scattered and hurried. When you slow down a bit, you allow your 'gut' (sub-conscious brain) to help you out. It's where your creativity lives. Give it some breathing room. This doesn't mean becoming a slow poke, just not giving your best imitation of a ricochet bullet.
Ingredient #3: Solve it Ahead of Time
When embarking on something new, whether it's buying a car, going to a party, going on a job interview, hiring someone to paint your house, or anything else, visualize potential scenarios that could possibly happen. Play them out in your mind, kind of like a movie, thinking through what you'd say or do. This way when that or a similar scenario possibly happens, you won't be taken completely by surprise. It may not be exactly what you had envisioned, but you've given yourself at least a jump start in figuring out how to handle it.
Ingredient #4: Be fearlessly Creative Daydreamer
Daydreaming is one way to help you become more creative. Go on an adventure of your choosing. Swashbuckler, mad scientist, avenger, pioneer. Take some time to let your mind wander and take you where it will. Be fearless. Be your most creative self and even more imaginative than that. Don't hold back. It's one fun way to give your creativity a little stretch and keep it flexible.
Mix these creative problem solving ingredients together, in amounts according to taste, and bake until done.
Regina Pacelli is the author of "Outsmart the Unexpected: Grow Your Creativity the Edge-of-your -seat Way". You can learn about it on her website: http://www.reginapacelli.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Regina_Pacelli
Friday, August 07, 2009
Ten Tools For Creative Thinking
Creative thinking is a skill we can learn and practice as we go through our daily routines. Every problem, stress, or conflict is an opportunity to experiment with a new approach or attitude. Here are some tips for tapping that internal resource:
1. Improv-It: Improvisation is the art of making things up on the spot, but making them up within the form of a game or specific instruction, such as "tell us about your day as if you are the world's most depressing newscaster." Improv games stimulate creative energy by engaging the right-brain's orientation to novelty within a set of rules that supply the left brain's search for order and organization. Some ways to do this in daily life include: have a conversation with your kids in which each person's sentence has to start with the next letter of the alphabet, e.g. "All of us can play this game," "But what if I can't think that fast?" "Come on, just try," etc. At the next work team meeting, have a conversation using only questions, or one where the next person has to use the last word of the person who just spoke.
2. Do the opposite. When Seinfeld's iconic loser George Costanza attributes his misery to having followed his instincts and decides to do the opposite of his own best judgment, he meets previously unattainable women and lands a job with the New York Yankees. When we choose to approach a situation from a completely different direction than what is ingrained and habitual we experience a degree of uncertainty that triggers the right-brain to search for a new and previously untried response. While we may not realize sitcom-perfect reversals of fortune through use of this technique, we will be gaining a psychological strength that increases our ability to size up unfamiliar situations quickly and respond effectively.
3. Feel the love. Creativity is positively associated with joy and love and negatively associated with anger, fear, and anxiety. A 2006 study[i] showed that positive emotions literally expand our field of attention so that we perceive a greater range of choices and are less inhibited about trying them out, part of a growing body of knowledge about the ways that positive emotions promote a creative perspective on the problems of life.
4. Observe synchronicities. True story: In 1981 I spent several months in Australia, where for awhile I had no job, little money and few friends so spent a great deal of time reading and writing at the library (because it was free). The journals of New Zealand short story writer Katherine Mansfield became a source of strength at that time of great uncertainty, after I stumbled upon a quote attributed to her that spoke to my immediate situation: "Risk! Risk anything!" she wrote. "Care no more for the opinions of others, for those voices. Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth." Fast forward to 2001. I write a one-woman show titled Whistling In The Dark about that experience of stepping into uncertainty, and while the show is running at a club in Manhattan I open the Sunday New York Times Book Review section and find a review of a Katherine Mansfield biography that had just come out. The article's title? "Whistling In The Dark." Synchronicities are these kinds of events, co-occuring in ways that have meaning to us but are not causally related. They connect us to intuition, the internal GPS that guides to choose rightly even when the world around us does not approve or understand.
5. Go Within. Maintaining radio silence with the world around us for a period of time makes us more attuned to our inner world where insights, observations and ideas form. No texts, no twitters, no exceptions. Our field of awareness - generally crowded with the pressures and stresses of getting things done - needs a chance to disconnect from incoming messages and pressures so that the less structured, seemingly random inspirations and intuitions can bubble up. A busy schedule may take precedence over carving out a piece of quiet, but even a drive to pick up the kids at soccer can be an opportunity if we turn off the radio, breathe slowly at the red lights, and listen.
6. Act as if. Changing a role changes the frame through which we view a situation and opens up a range of new possible responses. New ways of acting follow new ways of thinking, but mental habits take time to change, and as the pace of life escalates we are likely to encounter situations in which we need to take action quickly. We can "rehearse" for this very real possibility in the course of daiy life by choosing a different role than we usually take in a familiar situation. Talkative and outgoing in a group situation? Practice being the quiet listener or appreciative audience. If the kids' fighting tends to trigger a desire to referee or add to the tension with more yelling, view it through the lense of a sportscaster observing the action but detached from it.
7. Go With The Resistance. Some people complain about things they will do nothing whatsoever to change, and yet we give them our heartfelt attention and counsel. Some people constantly, often insistently, offer advice we neither asked for nor need. Add to those any other of the ingrained personality quirks, the kind that make us feel resentful and drained, and think about this: resistance is futile. We waste precious emotional energy and space in our head trying to change other peoples' behavior, energy we should instead dedicate to creating our lives and engaging with our passions. Give a superficial "thanks, I'll think about that" to the advice-giver, a surface empathy to the complainer, and get on with something real.
8. Daydream. When stressful problems need to be addressed, it may seem natural to force ourselves to concentrate and focus on them until we work them out. But new research shows that possible solutions to the more complex problems we are dealing with are more likely to emerge into consciousness when we let our minds wander. [ii]
9. Reframe negativity. Creativity is a kind of psychological "muscle" that, like physical muscles, becomes more reliable and ready to take things on through training and repetition. We develop it by relating to adversity the way a body-builder relates to weights, as providing the resistance necessary to tone and strengthen a specific set of muscles, i.e., a dominant co-worker likely to grab credit for the team's hard work can be viewed as a much-needed catalyst for growing our own self-assertion, a draining relationship the stimulus for locating and expressing stronger personal boundaries. By reframing our response to the negative people and situations that are beyond our control to change, we remove their power to control us and become more resilient to the harmful effects of stress.
10. Get Discontented. A common theme that comes up in my training seminars and networking workshops is the disconnect so many talented, successful people feel from their own passions, especially when their work life has no avenue for their expression. One way to re-discover our internal drives is to notice what news articles and stories elicit a strong emotional reaction within us, and follow those feelings. Ask "what is it about this that gets me fired up? What part of me is activated by knowing this is going on?" Our abandoned passions and gifts are right next to our discontents, so follow the feelings until inertia is no longer an option.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[i] G. Rowe, et al, "Positive Affect Increases The Breadth of Attentional Selection" Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 2007 104:383-388; published online before print December 20, 2006, doi:10.1073/pnas.0605198104
[ii] K. Christoff, et al "Experience Sampling During fMRI Reveals Default Network Amd Executive System Contributions To Mind Wandering" Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, May 26, 2009 vol. 106 no. 21 8719-8724
By Jude Treder-Wolff, LCSW, RMT, CGP
Jude Treder-Wolff, author of Possible Futures: Creative Thinking For The Speed of Life, (Lifestage Publications, 2009, http://www.thespeedoflife.org) is a Licensed Certified Social Worker, Registered Music Therapist, and Certified Group Psychotherapist in full-time private practice providing individual and group psychotherapy and addiction treatment, and President of Lifestage, Inc. a consulting company providing training seminars for professional and personal growth, health education, and stress-resilience. As Director of Clinical Services at the YMCA Family Services, she supervised professional and support staff at an community-based agency providing addiction prevention and treatment services, and as a consultant has designed and implemented training seminars for mental health agencies - including Pederson-Krag, Options for Community Living, YMCA Family Services, Suffolk County Dept. of Mental Health, among others - and organizations such as the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Therapeutic Recreation Association, National Association of Social Workers, American Music Therapy Association, and American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama, as well as courses for the State University at Buffalo Summer Institute Continuing Education Courses for addiction treatment professionals. She has been published in The International Journal of Arts and Psychotherapy Special Issue on Addiction and Special Issue on HIV/AIDS, Music Therapy Perspectives, Clinical Social Work, and Recovery Press and has been interviewed for articles about creativity and stress-resilience that appeared in New York Newsday, Woman's Day, L.A. Times, and The Three Village Times. She served as editor of The Psychodrama Network News, the official newsletter of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama from 2001-2007, and currently writes an e-newsletter titled Lives In Progress which is archived online at http://www.lifestage.org
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jude_Treder-Wolff
1. Improv-It: Improvisation is the art of making things up on the spot, but making them up within the form of a game or specific instruction, such as "tell us about your day as if you are the world's most depressing newscaster." Improv games stimulate creative energy by engaging the right-brain's orientation to novelty within a set of rules that supply the left brain's search for order and organization. Some ways to do this in daily life include: have a conversation with your kids in which each person's sentence has to start with the next letter of the alphabet, e.g. "All of us can play this game," "But what if I can't think that fast?" "Come on, just try," etc. At the next work team meeting, have a conversation using only questions, or one where the next person has to use the last word of the person who just spoke.
2. Do the opposite. When Seinfeld's iconic loser George Costanza attributes his misery to having followed his instincts and decides to do the opposite of his own best judgment, he meets previously unattainable women and lands a job with the New York Yankees. When we choose to approach a situation from a completely different direction than what is ingrained and habitual we experience a degree of uncertainty that triggers the right-brain to search for a new and previously untried response. While we may not realize sitcom-perfect reversals of fortune through use of this technique, we will be gaining a psychological strength that increases our ability to size up unfamiliar situations quickly and respond effectively.
3. Feel the love. Creativity is positively associated with joy and love and negatively associated with anger, fear, and anxiety. A 2006 study[i] showed that positive emotions literally expand our field of attention so that we perceive a greater range of choices and are less inhibited about trying them out, part of a growing body of knowledge about the ways that positive emotions promote a creative perspective on the problems of life.
4. Observe synchronicities. True story: In 1981 I spent several months in Australia, where for awhile I had no job, little money and few friends so spent a great deal of time reading and writing at the library (because it was free). The journals of New Zealand short story writer Katherine Mansfield became a source of strength at that time of great uncertainty, after I stumbled upon a quote attributed to her that spoke to my immediate situation: "Risk! Risk anything!" she wrote. "Care no more for the opinions of others, for those voices. Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth." Fast forward to 2001. I write a one-woman show titled Whistling In The Dark about that experience of stepping into uncertainty, and while the show is running at a club in Manhattan I open the Sunday New York Times Book Review section and find a review of a Katherine Mansfield biography that had just come out. The article's title? "Whistling In The Dark." Synchronicities are these kinds of events, co-occuring in ways that have meaning to us but are not causally related. They connect us to intuition, the internal GPS that guides to choose rightly even when the world around us does not approve or understand.
5. Go Within. Maintaining radio silence with the world around us for a period of time makes us more attuned to our inner world where insights, observations and ideas form. No texts, no twitters, no exceptions. Our field of awareness - generally crowded with the pressures and stresses of getting things done - needs a chance to disconnect from incoming messages and pressures so that the less structured, seemingly random inspirations and intuitions can bubble up. A busy schedule may take precedence over carving out a piece of quiet, but even a drive to pick up the kids at soccer can be an opportunity if we turn off the radio, breathe slowly at the red lights, and listen.
6. Act as if. Changing a role changes the frame through which we view a situation and opens up a range of new possible responses. New ways of acting follow new ways of thinking, but mental habits take time to change, and as the pace of life escalates we are likely to encounter situations in which we need to take action quickly. We can "rehearse" for this very real possibility in the course of daiy life by choosing a different role than we usually take in a familiar situation. Talkative and outgoing in a group situation? Practice being the quiet listener or appreciative audience. If the kids' fighting tends to trigger a desire to referee or add to the tension with more yelling, view it through the lense of a sportscaster observing the action but detached from it.
7. Go With The Resistance. Some people complain about things they will do nothing whatsoever to change, and yet we give them our heartfelt attention and counsel. Some people constantly, often insistently, offer advice we neither asked for nor need. Add to those any other of the ingrained personality quirks, the kind that make us feel resentful and drained, and think about this: resistance is futile. We waste precious emotional energy and space in our head trying to change other peoples' behavior, energy we should instead dedicate to creating our lives and engaging with our passions. Give a superficial "thanks, I'll think about that" to the advice-giver, a surface empathy to the complainer, and get on with something real.
8. Daydream. When stressful problems need to be addressed, it may seem natural to force ourselves to concentrate and focus on them until we work them out. But new research shows that possible solutions to the more complex problems we are dealing with are more likely to emerge into consciousness when we let our minds wander. [ii]
9. Reframe negativity. Creativity is a kind of psychological "muscle" that, like physical muscles, becomes more reliable and ready to take things on through training and repetition. We develop it by relating to adversity the way a body-builder relates to weights, as providing the resistance necessary to tone and strengthen a specific set of muscles, i.e., a dominant co-worker likely to grab credit for the team's hard work can be viewed as a much-needed catalyst for growing our own self-assertion, a draining relationship the stimulus for locating and expressing stronger personal boundaries. By reframing our response to the negative people and situations that are beyond our control to change, we remove their power to control us and become more resilient to the harmful effects of stress.
10. Get Discontented. A common theme that comes up in my training seminars and networking workshops is the disconnect so many talented, successful people feel from their own passions, especially when their work life has no avenue for their expression. One way to re-discover our internal drives is to notice what news articles and stories elicit a strong emotional reaction within us, and follow those feelings. Ask "what is it about this that gets me fired up? What part of me is activated by knowing this is going on?" Our abandoned passions and gifts are right next to our discontents, so follow the feelings until inertia is no longer an option.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[i] G. Rowe, et al, "Positive Affect Increases The Breadth of Attentional Selection" Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 2007 104:383-388; published online before print December 20, 2006, doi:10.1073/pnas.0605198104
[ii] K. Christoff, et al "Experience Sampling During fMRI Reveals Default Network Amd Executive System Contributions To Mind Wandering" Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, May 26, 2009 vol. 106 no. 21 8719-8724
By Jude Treder-Wolff, LCSW, RMT, CGP
Jude Treder-Wolff, author of Possible Futures: Creative Thinking For The Speed of Life, (Lifestage Publications, 2009, http://www.thespeedoflife.org) is a Licensed Certified Social Worker, Registered Music Therapist, and Certified Group Psychotherapist in full-time private practice providing individual and group psychotherapy and addiction treatment, and President of Lifestage, Inc. a consulting company providing training seminars for professional and personal growth, health education, and stress-resilience. As Director of Clinical Services at the YMCA Family Services, she supervised professional and support staff at an community-based agency providing addiction prevention and treatment services, and as a consultant has designed and implemented training seminars for mental health agencies - including Pederson-Krag, Options for Community Living, YMCA Family Services, Suffolk County Dept. of Mental Health, among others - and organizations such as the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Therapeutic Recreation Association, National Association of Social Workers, American Music Therapy Association, and American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama, as well as courses for the State University at Buffalo Summer Institute Continuing Education Courses for addiction treatment professionals. She has been published in The International Journal of Arts and Psychotherapy Special Issue on Addiction and Special Issue on HIV/AIDS, Music Therapy Perspectives, Clinical Social Work, and Recovery Press and has been interviewed for articles about creativity and stress-resilience that appeared in New York Newsday, Woman's Day, L.A. Times, and The Three Village Times. She served as editor of The Psychodrama Network News, the official newsletter of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama from 2001-2007, and currently writes an e-newsletter titled Lives In Progress which is archived online at http://www.lifestage.org
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jude_Treder-Wolff
Friday, July 24, 2009
How to Be More Effective - Go Slower and Get There Faster
By Dr. Raymond Comeau
It's not the number of units of work that is done in a day that counts. What really counts is the value and effect of each of those units. One person may read one hundred page of a book in a twenty-four hour period and get less out of it than someone who spent one tenth of the time on a single page.
The man who holds the most important job in the world, Barack Obama, will spend five minutes just clearing his throat before uttering a single word. A bit of an exaggeration here but it gets the point across. The point is that important and effective people are more deliberate and poised in most of their actions than the average person.
There are many reasons for that. The first is that rapid execution depend more on innate reflexes than on deliberate rational thinking. By constantly using innate reflexes, little personal growth and little new expertise can be expected. That way, the subject's effectiveness remains roughly the same.
On the other hand, if the subject is in the habit of using deliberate rational thinking, that faculty is bound to increase in effectiveness. Increase in effectiveness will result in increase in personal power and with more personal power comes the ability to do more in less time.
The brain is like a muscle. It increases in strength while working against resistance but will not improve if left unchallenged. Most people will simply rush through life, automatically reacting to events without ever taking the time to analyze whatever it is that they are involved in or monitoring the effectiveness of their interventions. No wonder that little progress is acquired in personal effectiveness or personal power.
We live in a hectic world where activity is often mistaken for productivity. This is especially true where people have little or no control over their lives; where people are struggling just to say afloat. When it seems as if they are caught in the whirlwind of existence and cannot seem to get a grip on life.
When that happens, a "time out" has to be called. It's time to reorganize and regroup. Time for a change in strategies and time to revaluate one's values. Rushing through life is not only ineffective; it's missing life altogether. A reality check has to be undertaken and a more effective strategy has to be implemented.
The brain is most effective when it's in a relaxed and serene mode. When under pressure or stress, the creativity and reasoning faculties become affected by interference from the limbic or reptilian mind. That primitive part of the brain whose main function is survival.
When not in relative control of a situation or pushed, whether voluntary or not, to unduly accelerate the rhythm of the work at hand, the primitive brain senses danger and sets in the fight or flight response. When that happens, some of the mental resources become monopolized by the fight or flight mechanism and are no longer available to the rational thinking process. Not an ideal mindset for productivity.
To be truly constructive, effective and in a time saving mode, the mind needs peace and serenity. A condition that a hurried peace renders next to impossible. So, to be as effective as possible and to achieve the most in the least amount of time, a tranquil and deliberate pace is the order of the day. Rushing and pressing is an invitation to delay rather than accelerate productivity.
We have but one life to live. To live it to the fullest, time must be taken to bathe in the experience of the moment. Something that simply cannot be done when febrillity reigns and speed is the essence. Relax and take it one step at the time. That's the recipe for effectiveness and productivity.
Dr. Raymond Comeau aka Shamou is the Author of ShamouBlog and Owner Administrator of Personal Development for Personal Success Forums
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Raymond_Comeau
It's not the number of units of work that is done in a day that counts. What really counts is the value and effect of each of those units. One person may read one hundred page of a book in a twenty-four hour period and get less out of it than someone who spent one tenth of the time on a single page.
The man who holds the most important job in the world, Barack Obama, will spend five minutes just clearing his throat before uttering a single word. A bit of an exaggeration here but it gets the point across. The point is that important and effective people are more deliberate and poised in most of their actions than the average person.
There are many reasons for that. The first is that rapid execution depend more on innate reflexes than on deliberate rational thinking. By constantly using innate reflexes, little personal growth and little new expertise can be expected. That way, the subject's effectiveness remains roughly the same.
On the other hand, if the subject is in the habit of using deliberate rational thinking, that faculty is bound to increase in effectiveness. Increase in effectiveness will result in increase in personal power and with more personal power comes the ability to do more in less time.
The brain is like a muscle. It increases in strength while working against resistance but will not improve if left unchallenged. Most people will simply rush through life, automatically reacting to events without ever taking the time to analyze whatever it is that they are involved in or monitoring the effectiveness of their interventions. No wonder that little progress is acquired in personal effectiveness or personal power.
We live in a hectic world where activity is often mistaken for productivity. This is especially true where people have little or no control over their lives; where people are struggling just to say afloat. When it seems as if they are caught in the whirlwind of existence and cannot seem to get a grip on life.
When that happens, a "time out" has to be called. It's time to reorganize and regroup. Time for a change in strategies and time to revaluate one's values. Rushing through life is not only ineffective; it's missing life altogether. A reality check has to be undertaken and a more effective strategy has to be implemented.
The brain is most effective when it's in a relaxed and serene mode. When under pressure or stress, the creativity and reasoning faculties become affected by interference from the limbic or reptilian mind. That primitive part of the brain whose main function is survival.
When not in relative control of a situation or pushed, whether voluntary or not, to unduly accelerate the rhythm of the work at hand, the primitive brain senses danger and sets in the fight or flight response. When that happens, some of the mental resources become monopolized by the fight or flight mechanism and are no longer available to the rational thinking process. Not an ideal mindset for productivity.
To be truly constructive, effective and in a time saving mode, the mind needs peace and serenity. A condition that a hurried peace renders next to impossible. So, to be as effective as possible and to achieve the most in the least amount of time, a tranquil and deliberate pace is the order of the day. Rushing and pressing is an invitation to delay rather than accelerate productivity.
We have but one life to live. To live it to the fullest, time must be taken to bathe in the experience of the moment. Something that simply cannot be done when febrillity reigns and speed is the essence. Relax and take it one step at the time. That's the recipe for effectiveness and productivity.
Dr. Raymond Comeau aka Shamou is the Author of ShamouBlog and Owner Administrator of Personal Development for Personal Success Forums
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Raymond_Comeau
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Relax . . . Stress Can Be Good For You!
by DesireeJumchai
Stress, or ‘the consequence of the failure to adapt to change’ [Wikipedia], is the body’s way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina and heightened awareness. Stress can help us become more productive and less destructive, if it is transformed to be useful in the right way.
In the networking business, we may face stress in terms of rejection from prospects, financial pressures, weekly cut-offs, delayed delivery orders, etc. But without facing some minor stress, we will not be prepared and stronger for heavier challenges -- and life IS all about challenges, isn’t it?
Think of your daily life. When do you get things done? Do you find yourself being lazy and unproductive if you had no imposed deadline? They say ‘necessity is the mother of invention'. Without some provocation of stress, there would be no need to find or create solutions, and therefore we would not be witness to all the great things achieved in life by people!
What can you do to deal with stress overload or, better yet, to avoid it in the first place? The most helpful method is stress management, or learning how to deal with the stress that comes along with any new challenge -- good AND bad. Here are some helpful hints on how to "de-stress" and keep it under control:
• Take a stand against over-scheduling. Prioritise on activities that are most important to you
• Be realistic. Don't try to be perfect - nobody is. Ask for help if you need it
• Get a good night's sleep
• Learn to relax. Set aside time in your schedule activities like reading a good book, making time for a hobby, spending time with your pet, or just taking a relaxing bath
• Treat your body well. Regular exercise and eating the right food helps your body function at its best
• Watch what you're thinking. A healthy dose of optimism can help you make the best out of stressful circumstances
• Solve the little problems. Learning to solve everyday problems can give you a sense of control. Develop skills to calmly look at a problem, figure out options, and take some action toward a solution. Feeling capable of solving little problems builds the inner confidence to move on to life's bigger ones
"Don't be afraid if things seem difficult in the beginning. That's only the initial impression. The important thing is not to retreat; you have to master yourself." Olga Korbut, Gymnast - Four Time Olympic Gold Medalist
To learn more about a business that has created many entrepreneurs and shown them a path to success, go to http://www.quest.net QuestNet Ltd is an international network marketing company that recently celebrated its 10th Anniversary as a market innovator and leader in its field. The company provides business opportunities to millions of people around the world. Visit http://www.quest.net now. Good luck!
Stress, or ‘the consequence of the failure to adapt to change’ [Wikipedia], is the body’s way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina and heightened awareness. Stress can help us become more productive and less destructive, if it is transformed to be useful in the right way.
In the networking business, we may face stress in terms of rejection from prospects, financial pressures, weekly cut-offs, delayed delivery orders, etc. But without facing some minor stress, we will not be prepared and stronger for heavier challenges -- and life IS all about challenges, isn’t it?
Think of your daily life. When do you get things done? Do you find yourself being lazy and unproductive if you had no imposed deadline? They say ‘necessity is the mother of invention'. Without some provocation of stress, there would be no need to find or create solutions, and therefore we would not be witness to all the great things achieved in life by people!
What can you do to deal with stress overload or, better yet, to avoid it in the first place? The most helpful method is stress management, or learning how to deal with the stress that comes along with any new challenge -- good AND bad. Here are some helpful hints on how to "de-stress" and keep it under control:
• Take a stand against over-scheduling. Prioritise on activities that are most important to you
• Be realistic. Don't try to be perfect - nobody is. Ask for help if you need it
• Get a good night's sleep
• Learn to relax. Set aside time in your schedule activities like reading a good book, making time for a hobby, spending time with your pet, or just taking a relaxing bath
• Treat your body well. Regular exercise and eating the right food helps your body function at its best
• Watch what you're thinking. A healthy dose of optimism can help you make the best out of stressful circumstances
• Solve the little problems. Learning to solve everyday problems can give you a sense of control. Develop skills to calmly look at a problem, figure out options, and take some action toward a solution. Feeling capable of solving little problems builds the inner confidence to move on to life's bigger ones
"Don't be afraid if things seem difficult in the beginning. That's only the initial impression. The important thing is not to retreat; you have to master yourself." Olga Korbut, Gymnast - Four Time Olympic Gold Medalist
To learn more about a business that has created many entrepreneurs and shown them a path to success, go to http://www.quest.net QuestNet Ltd is an international network marketing company that recently celebrated its 10th Anniversary as a market innovator and leader in its field. The company provides business opportunities to millions of people around the world. Visit http://www.quest.net now. Good luck!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
10 Top Tips to Make You Feel Great About Yourself
By Adrianne Morris
Here are my top 10 tips for you to feel great about yourself.
1. Be nice to yourself! Stop giving yourself a hard time and start appreciating "you" as a unique individual. Never compare yourself to others as this is a thankless task and you are a truly unique individual. Sure, many people have similarities but no-one is exactly the same as any other being on the planet. Ask your friends and family to list a few things that they love about you and then what they see as your weaknesses. You might be very pleasantly surprised or even astonished when they name things that would never have occurred to you!
2. Treat yourself as your own best friend. You would never talk to your best friend the way that you talk to yourself, for example, "I'm so stupid! How could I have said/done what I just did? Why am I always doing such silly things" - so why talk to yourself that way? We all do it to a certain extent but try to become aware of when you're talking to yourself like this and stop it in its tracks. Yes, you may have made a mistake but you're human, aren't you? It's ok to make mistakes, the clever thing is to think then about what you could have done differently and remember that next time you're in a similar situation.
3. Set yourself some small goals and take baby steps to achieve them. Think about how you would like things to be in each area of your life, for example, romantic relationship, work, finances, personal development, hobbies and recreations, physical health and wellbeing, spiritual growth. Identify one thing at a time and focus on that. Don't set yourself up for failure, though, by taking on too much at any one time. Take your time on each goal and move at a steady pace towards it. Set yourself small targets but ones that will require some effort from you.
4. Try new skills - anything from being more assertive to learning to dance the tango!. Challenge yourself and see what works for you and what doesn't. Don't forget that if you join a class or group learning a new skill, everyone will be focussing on themselves and not looking at you! Celebrate your success as you make progress, again setting yourself small goals and revising them as you achieve each one. Write yourself a Wish List - have 3 separate columns for "things I want to do" "things I want to be" and "things I want t have". Look for what you're doing RIGHT, not for what you're doing WRONG.
5. Write a list of your past achievements. Things like passing your driving test or writing a thesis for your degree course, or even much more basic, being able to successfully make and serve up a three course meal - to get the timing right on that is no mean feat! When you've made a list, leaving plenty of space after each item, list the skills and characteristics it took for you to complete them: for example, making that meal: it took planning, management, resourcefulness, great attention to detail - all useful skills for many other things in life. Keep this list somewhere you can look at it often to remind yourself that you are actually a very unique and skilled individual. The point of this exercise is to acknowledge your own strengths.
6. Have a look at your limiting beliefs - things you've always told yourself you're no good at, for example "I'm hopeless at maths" "I never win anything" "no-one can ever love me". Ask yourself what is that based on? What evidence has there been in your life to support this assumpotion or belief? Try to get to the origin of that thought - did someone tell you as a child that you're no good at maths? Look at the reality of that belief - is it true that you never win anything - ever, ever? Or just that you don't win things regularly or the things you want. Get REAL!
7. Givers gain - do some charitable work, help out at fund-raisers, become a mentor to someone who is learning something that comes naturally to you - it will give you a great feeling of belonging to a group, as well as personal satisfaction - it is so rewarding to do things for others. Try it, you might become addicted! We often don't appreciate that just because we find something easy, others struggle with that same job.
8. Do more of the things you love doing - see no. 4! This summer there are loads of free event based around the South Bank in London, for example. Look at your local paper or library for things going on near where you live.
9. Don't take people for granted - tell your nearest and dearest how much you appreciate them and what a difference they make to your life. We all want to be appreciated because it means people are giving us attention and that in turn will make you feel good about yourself. Be more vocal - don't think just because you "know" how you feel about someone, that they know for sure how you feel - tell them! How does it make you feel when someone gives you a compliment? So, imagine how the people you pay compliments to will feel in return towards you.
10. Get to know yourself inside out - what's important to you (your values) and live according to those values - the things you must have in your life that make you happy. When you live honouring those values, you will feel much more contented with yourself.
Be passionate about life and people will be passionate about you!
Adrianne Morris, a Success Coach, has more articles like this on her website and works with individuals to build their self-esteem and confidence in a relaxed and friendly way. Look at http://alplifecoach.com or call Adrianne on 07956 514714 for a "coffee" over the phone and a free chat about how she can help you.
Here are my top 10 tips for you to feel great about yourself.
1. Be nice to yourself! Stop giving yourself a hard time and start appreciating "you" as a unique individual. Never compare yourself to others as this is a thankless task and you are a truly unique individual. Sure, many people have similarities but no-one is exactly the same as any other being on the planet. Ask your friends and family to list a few things that they love about you and then what they see as your weaknesses. You might be very pleasantly surprised or even astonished when they name things that would never have occurred to you!
2. Treat yourself as your own best friend. You would never talk to your best friend the way that you talk to yourself, for example, "I'm so stupid! How could I have said/done what I just did? Why am I always doing such silly things" - so why talk to yourself that way? We all do it to a certain extent but try to become aware of when you're talking to yourself like this and stop it in its tracks. Yes, you may have made a mistake but you're human, aren't you? It's ok to make mistakes, the clever thing is to think then about what you could have done differently and remember that next time you're in a similar situation.
3. Set yourself some small goals and take baby steps to achieve them. Think about how you would like things to be in each area of your life, for example, romantic relationship, work, finances, personal development, hobbies and recreations, physical health and wellbeing, spiritual growth. Identify one thing at a time and focus on that. Don't set yourself up for failure, though, by taking on too much at any one time. Take your time on each goal and move at a steady pace towards it. Set yourself small targets but ones that will require some effort from you.
4. Try new skills - anything from being more assertive to learning to dance the tango!. Challenge yourself and see what works for you and what doesn't. Don't forget that if you join a class or group learning a new skill, everyone will be focussing on themselves and not looking at you! Celebrate your success as you make progress, again setting yourself small goals and revising them as you achieve each one. Write yourself a Wish List - have 3 separate columns for "things I want to do" "things I want to be" and "things I want t have". Look for what you're doing RIGHT, not for what you're doing WRONG.
5. Write a list of your past achievements. Things like passing your driving test or writing a thesis for your degree course, or even much more basic, being able to successfully make and serve up a three course meal - to get the timing right on that is no mean feat! When you've made a list, leaving plenty of space after each item, list the skills and characteristics it took for you to complete them: for example, making that meal: it took planning, management, resourcefulness, great attention to detail - all useful skills for many other things in life. Keep this list somewhere you can look at it often to remind yourself that you are actually a very unique and skilled individual. The point of this exercise is to acknowledge your own strengths.
6. Have a look at your limiting beliefs - things you've always told yourself you're no good at, for example "I'm hopeless at maths" "I never win anything" "no-one can ever love me". Ask yourself what is that based on? What evidence has there been in your life to support this assumpotion or belief? Try to get to the origin of that thought - did someone tell you as a child that you're no good at maths? Look at the reality of that belief - is it true that you never win anything - ever, ever? Or just that you don't win things regularly or the things you want. Get REAL!
7. Givers gain - do some charitable work, help out at fund-raisers, become a mentor to someone who is learning something that comes naturally to you - it will give you a great feeling of belonging to a group, as well as personal satisfaction - it is so rewarding to do things for others. Try it, you might become addicted! We often don't appreciate that just because we find something easy, others struggle with that same job.
8. Do more of the things you love doing - see no. 4! This summer there are loads of free event based around the South Bank in London, for example. Look at your local paper or library for things going on near where you live.
9. Don't take people for granted - tell your nearest and dearest how much you appreciate them and what a difference they make to your life. We all want to be appreciated because it means people are giving us attention and that in turn will make you feel good about yourself. Be more vocal - don't think just because you "know" how you feel about someone, that they know for sure how you feel - tell them! How does it make you feel when someone gives you a compliment? So, imagine how the people you pay compliments to will feel in return towards you.
10. Get to know yourself inside out - what's important to you (your values) and live according to those values - the things you must have in your life that make you happy. When you live honouring those values, you will feel much more contented with yourself.
Be passionate about life and people will be passionate about you!
Adrianne Morris, a Success Coach, has more articles like this on her website and works with individuals to build their self-esteem and confidence in a relaxed and friendly way. Look at http://alplifecoach.com or call Adrianne on 07956 514714 for a "coffee" over the phone and a free chat about how she can help you.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Let's Get Motivated!
By Kevin J Houston
What's your motivation? What's keeps you going when you sometimes do not feeling like continuing on? Do you have a goal you want to accomplish? Are you trying to impress a love one? Are you motivated for health reasons? Well, whatever your motivation is, let's get motivated and let stay motivated.
Motivated people get things done. Motivated people do not procrastinate or hesitate when it comes time to do something. Motivated people are successful people and successful people are motivated people. You will never achieve success if you are not motivated. A person's desire to be successful is their motivation. Money could be your motivation, fame could be your motivation or even wanting to help other people could be a motivation for you.
I believe that there is something that motivates everyone to do something whether it is a negative or a positive motivator. Positive motivation is what yields positive results and a positive lifestyle.
Self motivation is your ability to satisfy your desires or goals without having to be influence by someone else. Self motivation to me is the key to a healthy and successful life. Self motivation puts you in control. You do not have to wait on someone to get moving or get going. You encourage and motivate yourself. Self-motivation along with self-esteem is what leads to self-improvement. Self motivation helps you build your confidence in yourself. Self motivated people are the leaders of the pack. Self motivated people run and own the companies your work for and buy from. Self motivated people do not make excuses they make the rules you live by.
Now whether you need a little push to get going or not, that does not matter. What matters is that you get moving and doing something productive in life. Motivated people live longer, healthier and successful lives than procrastinators and complainers. "So let's get motivated and stop complaining!"
Kevin J Houston
"Motivating and Encouraging People For Life"
http://www.kevinjhouston.com
Blog: http://www.kevinjhouston.com/weblog
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_J_Houston
What's your motivation? What's keeps you going when you sometimes do not feeling like continuing on? Do you have a goal you want to accomplish? Are you trying to impress a love one? Are you motivated for health reasons? Well, whatever your motivation is, let's get motivated and let stay motivated.
Motivated people get things done. Motivated people do not procrastinate or hesitate when it comes time to do something. Motivated people are successful people and successful people are motivated people. You will never achieve success if you are not motivated. A person's desire to be successful is their motivation. Money could be your motivation, fame could be your motivation or even wanting to help other people could be a motivation for you.
I believe that there is something that motivates everyone to do something whether it is a negative or a positive motivator. Positive motivation is what yields positive results and a positive lifestyle.
Self motivation is your ability to satisfy your desires or goals without having to be influence by someone else. Self motivation to me is the key to a healthy and successful life. Self motivation puts you in control. You do not have to wait on someone to get moving or get going. You encourage and motivate yourself. Self-motivation along with self-esteem is what leads to self-improvement. Self motivation helps you build your confidence in yourself. Self motivated people are the leaders of the pack. Self motivated people run and own the companies your work for and buy from. Self motivated people do not make excuses they make the rules you live by.
Now whether you need a little push to get going or not, that does not matter. What matters is that you get moving and doing something productive in life. Motivated people live longer, healthier and successful lives than procrastinators and complainers. "So let's get motivated and stop complaining!"
Kevin J Houston
"Motivating and Encouraging People For Life"
http://www.kevinjhouston.com
Blog: http://www.kevinjhouston.com/weblog
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_J_Houston
Saturday, December 06, 2008
You Are a Gift to the Universe!
I was recently introduced as a keynote speaker at an event. They read my bio and I was amazed at all the things they said I was. Then I approached the podium and only half-jokingly asked, "Who was that person they were describing just now?"
Throughout life we play many roles as Shakespeare so eloquently describes in his play, As You Like It: "All the world's a stage and all the men & women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances. And one man in his time plays many parts...."
When we view the world as a stage (play) or movie, we are able to step back and become the observer. With all this to consider, it's no wonder we become confused as to who we are. Are we all these things that we do? Maybe not, but they are a part of who we are.
YOU ARE POWERFUL!
We realize we have power to shape the world as we would like it through our self-expression. We are constantly expressing ourselves. Self-expression comes from our attitude, mood or state-of-mind and then shows in our external appearance.. Much of it is unconsciously portrayed through our actions. When we recognize and embrace our true power, our world changes. Everyone has access to wisdom and has the strength they need to express it. Who are you?
YOU ARE A SOUL WITH A DIVINE PURPOSE!
Eventually, people ask, What is my purpose on Earth? Why am I here? What's this life for? & so on. Many times these questions may be answered with more questions: What makes your heart sing? What did you love to do when you were a child? The answers, which only you can give, may be very simple. And may be the clue to the following statement:
YOU ARE A GIFT TO THE UNIVERSE!
We are all born with gifts inside us. Part of our purpose is to express and share our gifts with others. We receive gifts from the Universe (God, Spirit, Source...) and we give back by sharing with others. Sometimes, if we are not expressing ourselves from an early age (like the child prodigy?) or are stifled in childhood by various experiences, we may have many, many gifts lying dormant inside of us! How many times have we heard about "late bloomers" who began writing, painting, etc. later in life? It's common now for people to change careers several times throughout their lives.
So, look inside yourself and discover the beauty within. You are so much more than you give yourselves credit for. We all are. We have so many gifts to give, so many blessings to share. So go forward and shine your light. Be the change you want to see and most important of all, be who you really are!
Michelle Starkey is an author, artist and humanitarian. Her first book, a book of affirmations for children entitled, Do You Know Who You Are? was released on October 18, 2007. A beautiful combination of inspirational sayings and animal paintings, it's sure to delight children of all ages, including the child within.
Her second book, a parenting book entitled, Do You Know Who Your Children Are? was released in April 2008. It is a timely inspection of the problems parents are facing today with their children's behavior and the tips for resolving the issues, including parents working on their own behavior. This self-discovery guide will help parents realize the many gifts children bring into their lives. Her goal is to assist in human development, helping others achieve their greatest potential. One way she accomplishes this is by helping people get in touch with their inner selves and remember who they are!
http://www.michellestarkey.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Starkey
Throughout life we play many roles as Shakespeare so eloquently describes in his play, As You Like It: "All the world's a stage and all the men & women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances. And one man in his time plays many parts...."
When we view the world as a stage (play) or movie, we are able to step back and become the observer. With all this to consider, it's no wonder we become confused as to who we are. Are we all these things that we do? Maybe not, but they are a part of who we are.
YOU ARE POWERFUL!
We realize we have power to shape the world as we would like it through our self-expression. We are constantly expressing ourselves. Self-expression comes from our attitude, mood or state-of-mind and then shows in our external appearance.. Much of it is unconsciously portrayed through our actions. When we recognize and embrace our true power, our world changes. Everyone has access to wisdom and has the strength they need to express it. Who are you?
YOU ARE A SOUL WITH A DIVINE PURPOSE!
Eventually, people ask, What is my purpose on Earth? Why am I here? What's this life for? & so on. Many times these questions may be answered with more questions: What makes your heart sing? What did you love to do when you were a child? The answers, which only you can give, may be very simple. And may be the clue to the following statement:
YOU ARE A GIFT TO THE UNIVERSE!
We are all born with gifts inside us. Part of our purpose is to express and share our gifts with others. We receive gifts from the Universe (God, Spirit, Source...) and we give back by sharing with others. Sometimes, if we are not expressing ourselves from an early age (like the child prodigy?) or are stifled in childhood by various experiences, we may have many, many gifts lying dormant inside of us! How many times have we heard about "late bloomers" who began writing, painting, etc. later in life? It's common now for people to change careers several times throughout their lives.
So, look inside yourself and discover the beauty within. You are so much more than you give yourselves credit for. We all are. We have so many gifts to give, so many blessings to share. So go forward and shine your light. Be the change you want to see and most important of all, be who you really are!
Michelle Starkey is an author, artist and humanitarian. Her first book, a book of affirmations for children entitled, Do You Know Who You Are? was released on October 18, 2007. A beautiful combination of inspirational sayings and animal paintings, it's sure to delight children of all ages, including the child within.
Her second book, a parenting book entitled, Do You Know Who Your Children Are? was released in April 2008. It is a timely inspection of the problems parents are facing today with their children's behavior and the tips for resolving the issues, including parents working on their own behavior. This self-discovery guide will help parents realize the many gifts children bring into their lives. Her goal is to assist in human development, helping others achieve their greatest potential. One way she accomplishes this is by helping people get in touch with their inner selves and remember who they are!
http://www.michellestarkey.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Starkey
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Developing the Self Esteem
We should always boost up our self esteem. This is because our lives are filled with various kinds of events which affects our emotions. In any circumstances, for example failure in exam or a breaking marriage can affect one's self esteem. Your own will power helps you in building your self esteem. This requires confidence and to develop it you just have to know in the first place in which particular area you lack self esteem. It can be in study, love affair, or in any other area.
For this you have to maintain records of your progress at regular intervals. Positive thinking is of great help in this matter. A positive approach towards life can improve the self esteem remarkably. Whatever situations you might be in; always feeling good always helps. This will also lift up your confidence. When you are introduced to someone for the first time,directly look into their eyes. This brings about significant changes in the way you interact with him or her in the future.
Be friendly when you are getting acquainted and just think that this person is good and will be important for you. Gradually, this will create a confidence in you and will help to establish your self esteem. Remember to count on the listening power. The act of properly listening will help you in the long run and is a good habit that should be developed. Listen to the speaker with attention.
Respond to people who speak to you by smiling, nodding or simply saying things such as, "ok", "oh yes" or "that's awesome". It takes time to improve self confidence but it is worth doing. Give respect in order to get respect. Some people are very sensitive. Deal with them carefully and see that they are not criticized or offended in any manner. You can also counsel for advices on self esteem from your colleagues, family, friends, and mentors or people whom you respect and trust.
Pankaj Mistry is a freelance professional copywriter and content developer. He has won couple of awards for his concepts and themes for various topics. You can contact him at: artystry@hotmail.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pankaj_Mistry/
For this you have to maintain records of your progress at regular intervals. Positive thinking is of great help in this matter. A positive approach towards life can improve the self esteem remarkably. Whatever situations you might be in; always feeling good always helps. This will also lift up your confidence. When you are introduced to someone for the first time,directly look into their eyes. This brings about significant changes in the way you interact with him or her in the future.
Be friendly when you are getting acquainted and just think that this person is good and will be important for you. Gradually, this will create a confidence in you and will help to establish your self esteem. Remember to count on the listening power. The act of properly listening will help you in the long run and is a good habit that should be developed. Listen to the speaker with attention.
Respond to people who speak to you by smiling, nodding or simply saying things such as, "ok", "oh yes" or "that's awesome". It takes time to improve self confidence but it is worth doing. Give respect in order to get respect. Some people are very sensitive. Deal with them carefully and see that they are not criticized or offended in any manner. You can also counsel for advices on self esteem from your colleagues, family, friends, and mentors or people whom you respect and trust.
Pankaj Mistry is a freelance professional copywriter and content developer. He has won couple of awards for his concepts and themes for various topics. You can contact him at: artystry@hotmail.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pankaj_Mistry/
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Changing Your Mindsets to Make Changes in Your Personal Life
It is simple. If you want to make changes in your personal life you have to change the way you think.
It has often been said, "It is all in the mind!" That statement is absolutely correct.
It is difficult to change unless you are ready to accept changes.
Changes are only easy to accept when you are mentally prepared for the consequences.
Unless that 'state of readiness' is achieved it is hard to change.
The following points will help us appreciate this argument.
It is important to have then desire to learn new things.
My parents are witnesses to many changes in their lifetime.
They used to solely listen to the radio before the advent of TV.
They have witnessed all the different generations of TVs, cameras, and music systems.
They used to write letters as young adults.
Now they try to learn what the new Iphone can do, what the new iPod shuffle can do, what is a Roomba, how does the G.P.S. work, which is the best gaming console, and why do I, their daughter, enjoy all these new 'toys'.
They love to write emails and can easily chat on Yahoo Messenger.
I shudder to imagine how their lives would be had they not adopted all the changes and decided one fine morning that they were comfortable with what they were doing.
They are willing to accept changes only because they have an open mind and unlike many of their friends, they 'want to learn'.
Learning is easy when you want to. It is harder to teach a concept to someone who is simply not interested.
Similarly it is relatively difficult to convey a message to someone who is not even paying attention to what you are saying.
Apply this to yourself and learn to accept change in your life.
Identify areas where you think it is harder for you to cope with changes.
Write them down in a personal log or make a mental note and then try to improve yourself.
Many studies have proven that people who make planned efforts to learn have been more successful than others who want to learn in a random, unsystematic way.
Learn to be amoebic.
If you have a chance to listen to a good speaker taking a class on 'Change Management', notice that s/he will always mention that organizations have to be amoebic.
The word 'Amoeba' was derived from the Greek, meaning "to change".
An Amoeba is a unicellular protozoan organism which moves by continually changing its body shape and forming extensions called pseudo pods (false feet).
It can live almost anywhere because of its simple structure and changing body.
The idea of an Amoeba that can change so easily has always stuck with me and I continuously try to be like one.
It is not only relevant to organizations but also to people.
We must be amoebic and change as and when required.
We all see good times and rough times in our personal lives.
All new situations demand something different from us.
We cannot play the same role in each situation and expect a solution to what is not currently satisfactory.
The simplest way to make changes in your personal life is by accepting the need to change, being amoebic in your approach to deal with that change, and always thinking of change as a positive activity from which you can learn.
In short, develop flexible mindsets and be open to the concept of life-long learning.
Gloria M Hamilten is a recognized authority in disciplines within Personal Development and People Skills for Business Professionals, such as Time Management, Negotiation Skills, Developing High-Performance Teams, Assertion Skills, Building International Rapport, Conflict Management and Resolution, Presentation and Platform Skills.
Her studies in Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Psychology have lead to her researching brain disorders such as AD-HD and its relations.
She has her own training business, and conducts courses for Corporate Organizations, Sporting groups and Tertiary Educational Institutions in Australia.
Her professional experience covers over 30 years of study, research, one-on-one coaching, group coaching, presentations and workshops. Her clientele includes children as well as adults.
Gloria Hamilten has authored the eBook: "Successful Self-Hypnosis" and many Reports and online articles.
Her websites provide a wealth of informative articles and resources on everything within these genres.
Visit her websites:
http://www.connect4results.com
http://neuro-linguistic-pro-site.com
This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, or website. The author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Gloria_Hamilten
It has often been said, "It is all in the mind!" That statement is absolutely correct.
It is difficult to change unless you are ready to accept changes.
Changes are only easy to accept when you are mentally prepared for the consequences.
Unless that 'state of readiness' is achieved it is hard to change.
The following points will help us appreciate this argument.
It is important to have then desire to learn new things.
My parents are witnesses to many changes in their lifetime.
They used to solely listen to the radio before the advent of TV.
They have witnessed all the different generations of TVs, cameras, and music systems.
They used to write letters as young adults.
Now they try to learn what the new Iphone can do, what the new iPod shuffle can do, what is a Roomba, how does the G.P.S. work, which is the best gaming console, and why do I, their daughter, enjoy all these new 'toys'.
They love to write emails and can easily chat on Yahoo Messenger.
I shudder to imagine how their lives would be had they not adopted all the changes and decided one fine morning that they were comfortable with what they were doing.
They are willing to accept changes only because they have an open mind and unlike many of their friends, they 'want to learn'.
Learning is easy when you want to. It is harder to teach a concept to someone who is simply not interested.
Similarly it is relatively difficult to convey a message to someone who is not even paying attention to what you are saying.
Apply this to yourself and learn to accept change in your life.
Identify areas where you think it is harder for you to cope with changes.
Write them down in a personal log or make a mental note and then try to improve yourself.
Many studies have proven that people who make planned efforts to learn have been more successful than others who want to learn in a random, unsystematic way.
Learn to be amoebic.
If you have a chance to listen to a good speaker taking a class on 'Change Management', notice that s/he will always mention that organizations have to be amoebic.
The word 'Amoeba' was derived from the Greek, meaning "to change".
An Amoeba is a unicellular protozoan organism which moves by continually changing its body shape and forming extensions called pseudo pods (false feet).
It can live almost anywhere because of its simple structure and changing body.
The idea of an Amoeba that can change so easily has always stuck with me and I continuously try to be like one.
It is not only relevant to organizations but also to people.
We must be amoebic and change as and when required.
We all see good times and rough times in our personal lives.
All new situations demand something different from us.
We cannot play the same role in each situation and expect a solution to what is not currently satisfactory.
The simplest way to make changes in your personal life is by accepting the need to change, being amoebic in your approach to deal with that change, and always thinking of change as a positive activity from which you can learn.
In short, develop flexible mindsets and be open to the concept of life-long learning.
Gloria M Hamilten is a recognized authority in disciplines within Personal Development and People Skills for Business Professionals, such as Time Management, Negotiation Skills, Developing High-Performance Teams, Assertion Skills, Building International Rapport, Conflict Management and Resolution, Presentation and Platform Skills.
Her studies in Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Psychology have lead to her researching brain disorders such as AD-HD and its relations.
She has her own training business, and conducts courses for Corporate Organizations, Sporting groups and Tertiary Educational Institutions in Australia.
Her professional experience covers over 30 years of study, research, one-on-one coaching, group coaching, presentations and workshops. Her clientele includes children as well as adults.
Gloria Hamilten has authored the eBook: "Successful Self-Hypnosis" and many Reports and online articles.
Her websites provide a wealth of informative articles and resources on everything within these genres.
Visit her websites:
http://www.connect4results.com
http://neuro-linguistic-pro-site.com
This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, or website. The author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Gloria_Hamilten
Monday, April 28, 2008
Memory – What Makes People Face Failure in Improving Memory?
by Bertil B Hjert
When it comes to improving memory there are several techniques available on the market. However, people still face complete failure in improving their memory power. There are several reasons for this.
Most people tend to waste their hard money on various memory products that are actually fake and not meant to enhance memory at all. They purchase these products after watching some of the powerfully directed commercials or reading billboards and newspapers classifieds ads.
Once they see something attractive and promising, they order the products. It is only after purchasing the product that they came to know about its inability to enhance memory or just about any other thing.
Another main reason in this concern is lack of practical knowledge. People don’t have any amount of practical training or very little practical knowledge. It is simple. One cannot purchase a book on body building and obtain the desired look by just reading it.
Most internet savvies usually look for instant results or magic pills. These may be available but would never provide you any sort of results.
The main thing is to attain practical experience and training. This will only make you achieve desired results.
Try to understand that memorizing skill should be natural and absolutely effortless. It should be as natural as a practical ability such as reading. When you read, you don’t think about the process. It occurs naturally.
Memorizing should occur in similar manner. Make it as effortless as breathing. You should memorize fast, efficient and via enjoying the process.
Once you possess memorization skill, you can memorize anything, even an online book. Another reason why people fail is that they get trapped in to the lure of memorization techniques, widely known as memories. People are under a false notion that the more techniques they have, the better memory they have. Hence, they are happy spending money on a lot of books, CD and videos.
Sadly, the fact is that almost 99 per cent of these techniques are inefficient and ineffective. The main reason is that they are outdated and not at all based on natural processes of memory and brain.
Now, as you have been acquainted with so many reasons on why most people fail to enhance their memory, you must stay away from frauds and focus on the fact.
Remember that real memory can only be enhanced via professional help and practical training. You need an instructor who would help you out in this.
To sum up, if you are really interested in enhancing your memory, you must believe in practical training more than anything else. - All the best!
For more Articles, News, Information, Advice, and Resources about BRAIN TRAINING please visit BRAIN TRAINING SECRETS and MEDITATION BUZZ
Article Source: Ezine Articles
When it comes to improving memory there are several techniques available on the market. However, people still face complete failure in improving their memory power. There are several reasons for this.
Most people tend to waste their hard money on various memory products that are actually fake and not meant to enhance memory at all. They purchase these products after watching some of the powerfully directed commercials or reading billboards and newspapers classifieds ads.
Once they see something attractive and promising, they order the products. It is only after purchasing the product that they came to know about its inability to enhance memory or just about any other thing.
Another main reason in this concern is lack of practical knowledge. People don’t have any amount of practical training or very little practical knowledge. It is simple. One cannot purchase a book on body building and obtain the desired look by just reading it.
Most internet savvies usually look for instant results or magic pills. These may be available but would never provide you any sort of results.
The main thing is to attain practical experience and training. This will only make you achieve desired results.
Try to understand that memorizing skill should be natural and absolutely effortless. It should be as natural as a practical ability such as reading. When you read, you don’t think about the process. It occurs naturally.
Memorizing should occur in similar manner. Make it as effortless as breathing. You should memorize fast, efficient and via enjoying the process.
Once you possess memorization skill, you can memorize anything, even an online book. Another reason why people fail is that they get trapped in to the lure of memorization techniques, widely known as memories. People are under a false notion that the more techniques they have, the better memory they have. Hence, they are happy spending money on a lot of books, CD and videos.
Sadly, the fact is that almost 99 per cent of these techniques are inefficient and ineffective. The main reason is that they are outdated and not at all based on natural processes of memory and brain.
Now, as you have been acquainted with so many reasons on why most people fail to enhance their memory, you must stay away from frauds and focus on the fact.
Remember that real memory can only be enhanced via professional help and practical training. You need an instructor who would help you out in this.
To sum up, if you are really interested in enhancing your memory, you must believe in practical training more than anything else. - All the best!
For more Articles, News, Information, Advice, and Resources about BRAIN TRAINING please visit BRAIN TRAINING SECRETS and MEDITATION BUZZ
Article Source: Ezine Articles
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Memory Training – What Are the Benefits?
By: Bertil B Hjert
Memory techniques are not new. These techniques have been existing for a long time now. It is very difficult to understand human memory as its mechanism is very complicated. However, human memory is one of the most crucial things to understand.
Memory cannot be compared to intelligence. It is actually the power of the mind that works towards processing and deducting and assist it.
One of the oldest memory techniques dates back to the era of ancient Romans. A Roman orator would walk around his garden when preparing for a speech and relate various parts of speech to different parts of the garden via placing these parts of the speech at different locations already opted across the garden. Anything that’s associated to imagery is difficult to forget.
According to a recent research, it has been proved that it is possible to train people to become more intelligent and increase the brain power they actually possessed at the time of birth.
It was assumed until late that one cannot think of fluid intelligence that has the ability to solve problems. However, according to a latest research, it has been proved that there is a method that can improve this skill. This is known as memory training.
There are several benefits one can enjoy via the process of memory training.
First and foremost, memory training can enhance problem solving skills of brain. These skills are known as fluid intelligence.
Some US and Swiss researchers teamed up to create a series of computer games in order to train working memory. This memory is quite close to fluid intelligence and bases on the similar brain circuit.
This game was designed to obtain a more difficult level in case the player succeeds to meet the intelligence level of every individual. However, if the player tends to lose, the forthcoming level becomes easier in order to not to disappoint the player.
Another benefit of following memory techniques is that these have great capacity to enhance brain power. In fact, these techniques push the brain to process all that it remembers.
In case, you have learned the name of a person, just imagine how that individual will be important to you in the near future and where would you see him or think about him.
Another important and beneficial memory training would be to tell yourself the reason on why you want to remember a particular thing and the way you will remember it. The process of remembering a particular thing will work towards stimulating the brain in order to hold the name and extra associations in the brain.
Memory techniques can make you solve many problems in a jiffy. All you require to do is to keep exercising with these memory techniques and give your brain power a boost.
Article Source:- Directory Submission & Deepika Padukone
Memory techniques are not new. These techniques have been existing for a long time now. It is very difficult to understand human memory as its mechanism is very complicated. However, human memory is one of the most crucial things to understand.
Memory cannot be compared to intelligence. It is actually the power of the mind that works towards processing and deducting and assist it.
One of the oldest memory techniques dates back to the era of ancient Romans. A Roman orator would walk around his garden when preparing for a speech and relate various parts of speech to different parts of the garden via placing these parts of the speech at different locations already opted across the garden. Anything that’s associated to imagery is difficult to forget.
According to a recent research, it has been proved that it is possible to train people to become more intelligent and increase the brain power they actually possessed at the time of birth.
It was assumed until late that one cannot think of fluid intelligence that has the ability to solve problems. However, according to a latest research, it has been proved that there is a method that can improve this skill. This is known as memory training.
There are several benefits one can enjoy via the process of memory training.
First and foremost, memory training can enhance problem solving skills of brain. These skills are known as fluid intelligence.
Some US and Swiss researchers teamed up to create a series of computer games in order to train working memory. This memory is quite close to fluid intelligence and bases on the similar brain circuit.
This game was designed to obtain a more difficult level in case the player succeeds to meet the intelligence level of every individual. However, if the player tends to lose, the forthcoming level becomes easier in order to not to disappoint the player.
Another benefit of following memory techniques is that these have great capacity to enhance brain power. In fact, these techniques push the brain to process all that it remembers.
In case, you have learned the name of a person, just imagine how that individual will be important to you in the near future and where would you see him or think about him.
Another important and beneficial memory training would be to tell yourself the reason on why you want to remember a particular thing and the way you will remember it. The process of remembering a particular thing will work towards stimulating the brain in order to hold the name and extra associations in the brain.
Memory techniques can make you solve many problems in a jiffy. All you require to do is to keep exercising with these memory techniques and give your brain power a boost.
Article Source:- Directory Submission & Deepika Padukone
Sunday, November 04, 2007
The Responsibility of Being Our Leader
Even though we work for an organization, you are our leader. We don't follow the company's mission statement, senior management memos, annual reports, or what the stock market watchers say about us as much as we follow you. And, like it or not, you're not only our leader but also a large part of our career success. Our job happiness depends on our relationship with you.
Please don't take this lightly. Sometimes we lie awake nights worrying about you and how you feel about things. We wonder why you pass us in the hall without even acknowledging our presence. We wonder why you take some of us behind closed doors while leaving others outside. As our leader, you influence all of us!
Believe it or not, we DO understand that leadership isn't easy. We watch every day and see you assume incredible responsibilities. You're accountable for your actions and for our actions, plus all the fiscal requirements, employee problems, feedback, training, technology changes, hiring, de-hiring, communicating, staff development, prioritizing, eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy, and much more. Your job is tough. But it is the job you chose.
"What we ask of you is to accept responsibility for being the very best at your job so we can be the best at our jobs"
When you became a manager, supervisor, or team leader, the game changed. You're now held to a higher level of accountability than before. In fact, everything you do is exaggerated; you are under a magnifying glass. And when you're down, we're down. When you're up, we're up. You set the tone…you shape the environment in which we can be successful.
Because of this, we expect more from you than from anyone else in our organization. And we need you to lead us without excuses.
The leadership you display and the decisions that you make contribute more to our success than all other factors combined.
Everything you do counts. Make it count!
Source: www.walkthetalk.com
Please don't take this lightly. Sometimes we lie awake nights worrying about you and how you feel about things. We wonder why you pass us in the hall without even acknowledging our presence. We wonder why you take some of us behind closed doors while leaving others outside. As our leader, you influence all of us!
Believe it or not, we DO understand that leadership isn't easy. We watch every day and see you assume incredible responsibilities. You're accountable for your actions and for our actions, plus all the fiscal requirements, employee problems, feedback, training, technology changes, hiring, de-hiring, communicating, staff development, prioritizing, eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy, and much more. Your job is tough. But it is the job you chose.
"What we ask of you is to accept responsibility for being the very best at your job so we can be the best at our jobs"
When you became a manager, supervisor, or team leader, the game changed. You're now held to a higher level of accountability than before. In fact, everything you do is exaggerated; you are under a magnifying glass. And when you're down, we're down. When you're up, we're up. You set the tone…you shape the environment in which we can be successful.
Because of this, we expect more from you than from anyone else in our organization. And we need you to lead us without excuses.
The leadership you display and the decisions that you make contribute more to our success than all other factors combined.
Everything you do counts. Make it count!
Source: www.walkthetalk.com
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Six Self Motivation Techniques
Do you find that you have a lack of self motivation at times? You can learn a hundred ways to improve your life, but then hesitate to act. Something less important catches your attention, or you just don't feel like doing what you need to do. Even if you are normally a motivated person, there may be times when you have a hard time getting started on an important task. There is a solution. Actually, there are probably dozens of solutions. Here are six of the best. These are self-motivation techniques that work for others. Try them, and if you find even one or two here that work for you, you'll be on your way.
The Six Self Motivation Techniques are:
1. Find a true interest in what you are doing. If you have no interest at all, it might mean you need to do something else. On the other hand, if it's just a task you dislike, relate it clearly in your mind to the greater goal.
2. Create energy. You need some energy for self motivation. Caffeine may help for a while, if it doesn't create other problems for you. You can also exercise and sleep well. Watch out for sugary foods - the "sugar blues" will kill your motivation.
3. Talk your way to motivation. If the task itself is less inspiring, talk about the larger goals it will help you achieve.
4. Stimulate desire. Imagining their potential future motivates many to sign up for get-rich-quick plans. Good salesmen can put you in your imagined dream home in minutes, and you'll feel motivated to do anything to make it real. Why not learn to be your own salesman?
5. Stimulate pain. Imagine any bad consequences that may occur if you don't do what you need to do.
6. Start with any small step. Training yourself to take any small step towards your goals is a great self motivation technique. Breaking larger goals down into small steps makes this even easier.
Oh, and humor is technique number seven. Laughing can overcome that feeling of being overwhelmed that sucks away self motivation.
Source :
www.increasebrainpower.com
Sunday, March 04, 2007
A Good Mentor as a Valuable Career Resource
When we're little, we look to our parents and to other adults for guidance and help in learning how to survive in the world. In other words, we rely on others to teach us what we need to know to get through life.
We go through many changes as we grow to adulthood. We get bigger and stronger, develop relationships with others, go to school, and move on to careers and to the rest of our lives.
We need examples
No matter how much we grow or change, one aspect of our beings remains the same. We all still look to those who have come before us to serve as good examples. As young professionals, we seek out mentors.
But, as with everything in life, we need to make good decisions and choices in selecting the people we want to emulate. A good mentor can make a world of difference in how we succeed and progress in our careers.
How mentoring works
Keep in mind that mentors can serve a variety of purposes. They may offer us advice and guidance in getting ahead in the world, and also give us encouragement and even push us when we need a gentle shove. They also may simply lend us their ears when we need to talk with someone.
It's also important to remember that not all mentoring occurs through face-to-face interaction; it can also take place through other media such as telephone conversations and email.
Think about and list possible mentors
It's important to consider all possibilities when it comes to mentors. A person you may not have thought of originally may turn out to be the mentor of your dreams.
Keep an open mind in matching your needs to a prospective mentor. He or she may be able to help you in ways you hadn't planned for or didn't expect.
Your circle of friends and family represent a good starting point in the search for mentors. From there, expand your search to include teachers, leaders of groups to which you belong, spiritual or religious leaders, and other significant people in your life.
Decide how you will approach the prospective mentor(s)
Think about how you want to approach and ask people to mentor you. Learning about the people you want to ask first can help prepare you to ask for guidance and assistance.
Depending upon your comfort level and the relationship that you may already have with a potential mentor, you can either make your request via telephone or email. Another approach might involve setting up a meeting where the two of you can sit down and discuss your wants and needs. An informal drop-in meeting may work, too.
Ask the person to be your mentor
When the time comes to actually ask someone to mentor you, it's a good idea to explain why you selected the person as a potential mentor and how you would like the person to help you, as well as. From there, ask the person to mentor you or to help you find another mentor.
Through the entire process of searching and asking, always be prepared for your prospect to turn you down. If this happens, don't take it personally. The person likely has other responsibilities that would stand in the way of being a good mentor.
If you are turned down, always remember to thank the person. Above all, don't give up in your search for a mentor.
Be patient
Like all worthwhile pursuits, finding a mentor takes some work and even involves some risk. You'll find, though, that the benefits that you can reap from a relationship with a good mentor will be well worth the effort you put into your search.
Good luck and happy hunting!
Originally written by Louis Whitehead
We go through many changes as we grow to adulthood. We get bigger and stronger, develop relationships with others, go to school, and move on to careers and to the rest of our lives.
We need examples
No matter how much we grow or change, one aspect of our beings remains the same. We all still look to those who have come before us to serve as good examples. As young professionals, we seek out mentors.
But, as with everything in life, we need to make good decisions and choices in selecting the people we want to emulate. A good mentor can make a world of difference in how we succeed and progress in our careers.
How mentoring works
Keep in mind that mentors can serve a variety of purposes. They may offer us advice and guidance in getting ahead in the world, and also give us encouragement and even push us when we need a gentle shove. They also may simply lend us their ears when we need to talk with someone.
It's also important to remember that not all mentoring occurs through face-to-face interaction; it can also take place through other media such as telephone conversations and email.
Think about and list possible mentors
It's important to consider all possibilities when it comes to mentors. A person you may not have thought of originally may turn out to be the mentor of your dreams.
Keep an open mind in matching your needs to a prospective mentor. He or she may be able to help you in ways you hadn't planned for or didn't expect.
Your circle of friends and family represent a good starting point in the search for mentors. From there, expand your search to include teachers, leaders of groups to which you belong, spiritual or religious leaders, and other significant people in your life.
Decide how you will approach the prospective mentor(s)
Think about how you want to approach and ask people to mentor you. Learning about the people you want to ask first can help prepare you to ask for guidance and assistance.
Depending upon your comfort level and the relationship that you may already have with a potential mentor, you can either make your request via telephone or email. Another approach might involve setting up a meeting where the two of you can sit down and discuss your wants and needs. An informal drop-in meeting may work, too.
Ask the person to be your mentor
When the time comes to actually ask someone to mentor you, it's a good idea to explain why you selected the person as a potential mentor and how you would like the person to help you, as well as. From there, ask the person to mentor you or to help you find another mentor.
Through the entire process of searching and asking, always be prepared for your prospect to turn you down. If this happens, don't take it personally. The person likely has other responsibilities that would stand in the way of being a good mentor.
If you are turned down, always remember to thank the person. Above all, don't give up in your search for a mentor.
Be patient
Like all worthwhile pursuits, finding a mentor takes some work and even involves some risk. You'll find, though, that the benefits that you can reap from a relationship with a good mentor will be well worth the effort you put into your search.
Good luck and happy hunting!
Originally written by Louis Whitehead
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Six Self Motivation Techniques
Do you find that you have a lack of self motivation at times? You can learn a hundred ways to improve your life, but then hesitate to act. Something less important catches your attention, or you just don't feel like doing what you need to do. Even if you are normally a motivated person, there may be times when you have a hard time getting started on an important task.
There is a solution. Actually, there are probably dozens of solutions. Here are six of the best. These are self-motivation techniques that work for others. Try them, and if you find even one or two here that work for you, you'll be on your way.
Six Self Motivation Techniques:
Find a true interest in what you are doing. If you have no interest at all, it might mean you need to do something else. On the other hand, if it's just a task you dislike, relate it clearly in your mind to the greater goal.
Create energy. You need some energy for self motivation. Caffeine may help for a while, if it doesn't create other problems for you. You can also exercise and sleep well. Watch out for sugary foods - the "sugar blues" will kill your motivation.
Talk your way to motivation. If the task itself is less inspiring, talk about the larger goals it will help you achieve.
Stimulate desire. Imagining their potential future motivates many to sign up for get-rich-quick plans. Good salesmen can put you in your imagined dream home in minutes, and you'll feel motivated to do anything to make it real. Why not learn to be your own salesman?
Stimulate pain. Imagine any bad consequences that may occur if you don't do what you need to do.
Start with any small step. Training yourself to take any small step towards your goals is a great self motivation technique. Breaking larger goals down into small steps makes this even easier.
Oh, and humor is technique number seven. Laughing can overcome that feeling of being overwhelmed that sucks away self motivation.
Source :
www.increasebrainpower.com
There is a solution. Actually, there are probably dozens of solutions. Here are six of the best. These are self-motivation techniques that work for others. Try them, and if you find even one or two here that work for you, you'll be on your way.
Six Self Motivation Techniques:
Find a true interest in what you are doing. If you have no interest at all, it might mean you need to do something else. On the other hand, if it's just a task you dislike, relate it clearly in your mind to the greater goal.
Create energy. You need some energy for self motivation. Caffeine may help for a while, if it doesn't create other problems for you. You can also exercise and sleep well. Watch out for sugary foods - the "sugar blues" will kill your motivation.
Talk your way to motivation. If the task itself is less inspiring, talk about the larger goals it will help you achieve.
Stimulate desire. Imagining their potential future motivates many to sign up for get-rich-quick plans. Good salesmen can put you in your imagined dream home in minutes, and you'll feel motivated to do anything to make it real. Why not learn to be your own salesman?
Stimulate pain. Imagine any bad consequences that may occur if you don't do what you need to do.
Start with any small step. Training yourself to take any small step towards your goals is a great self motivation technique. Breaking larger goals down into small steps makes this even easier.
Oh, and humor is technique number seven. Laughing can overcome that feeling of being overwhelmed that sucks away self motivation.
Source :
www.increasebrainpower.com
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