Sunday 29 July 2012

Subconscious Mind Power


Our subconscious has a truly amazing amount of power – more than we realize, in fact. It is like a child version of us, but one that demands both to be heard and acknowledged, and one that has a lot of power. It has the power to assist us in our manifestation and creation efforts and also to stop our efforts just as quickly. It is the door that can open and close the flow of abundance for us. It can literally block our creation efforts in more than one way. And because the subconscious is so powerful in nature, it is essential that we include it in our thoughts, actions and choices as much as possible on a regular basis.

It is often required in my work that I communicate directly with my clients’ subconscious to find out the source of subconscious fears so that I can more effectively help my client to move past them. One of the biggest complaints I hear from my clients’ subconscious is that the client does not pay enough attention to it, and as a result, it does things to get their attention. I have seen clients’ subconscious stop them from creating and manifesting because of all kinds of fears it has and take a very active role in interfering by confusing them or interjecting negative thoughts to interrupt the creation of positive outcomes in their lives, and even go so far as to utilize their positive energy in a negative manner to manifest the direct opposite of the client’s intended goal.

Because our subconscious is not living the physical existence that we do on a daily basis, it often finds it easier simply to live with less than to conquer its fears to move on to something better. Why not? It doesn’t have bills to pay or food and clothes to buy for the family. It doesn’t have relationships to sort out, communication issues to deal with, or decisions to make. But you do – your conscious self, that is. So, while it doesn’t have to deal with all the problems and responsibilities that you do on a daily basis, it still has an effect on them because it can make your physical life very difficult. This is one of the main reasons why understanding your subconscious better can benefit you in so many ways.

Here’s an example…

Say, for example, you were able to communicate on a much deeper level with your subconscious to find out if it is blocking financial abundance from coming to you. What you found when you looked deeper was that it had a fear of abundance. Now you can find out where the fear began and work with your subconscious to release it, so that it will work with you instead of against you to allow you to receive more abundance in your physical life.

Clearing our subconscious of its fears and apprehensions not only allows us to move further toward our goals, but also allows us to know ourselves more fully without those fears in place. In this way, we can experience the joy, gratitude, and abundance that is intended for us as we step into who we truly are without the fears that held us back for so long.

Monday 23 July 2012

Book Review

Welcome to the July edition of my Personal Development Book Review.

Click on the title of any book that particularly interests you and you can buy it right away from Amazon.


Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking


by Susan Cain


At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society--from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer.

Passionately argued, impressively researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so. Taking the reader on a journey from Dale Carnegie’s birthplace to Harvard Business School, from a Tony Robbins seminar to an evangelical megachurch, Susan Cain charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal in the twentieth century and explores its far-reaching effects. She talks to Asian-American students who feel alienated from the brash, backslapping atmosphere of American schools. She questions the dominant values of American business culture, where forced collaboration can stand in the way of innovation, and where the leadership potential of introverts is often overlooked. And she draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience to reveal the surprising differences between extroverts and introverts.

Perhaps most inspiring, she introduces us to successful introverts--from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Finally, she offers invaluable advice on everything from how to better negotiate differences in introvert-extrovert relationships to how to empower an introverted child to when it makes sense to be a "pretend extrovert."

This extraordinary book has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how introverts see themselves.

As both a Quaker and a bit of an introvert, I have found this title particularly inspiring.  Here is what some other readers of this book have found:

"Simply put, this book was amazing at opening my eyes and realising just who I am. I'v realised that I've spent my life fighting to be more extroverted when instead I should accept myself and maximise on that."
-    Bob (UK)

"Quiet is a book I would recommend to anyone, regardless of whether you're an introvert or an extrovert. I think that introverts like myself will feel better about our personalities and will see that the way we operate can be a strength rather than a social liability, as many of us have been conditioned to believe. And I think that extroverts can learn that introverts aren't necessarily socially backwards or cold, but people who often feel awkward in our own skins because we see and admire the outgoing traits of extroverts but may have trouble emulating them. This book simply works on so many levels: from the corporate world to the world of education and right on down to a personal level.
-    Bookphile (USA)

"I love this book - it's all about my life. I learned at an early age how to turn on an extrovert personality and engage to be successful, and then retreat into a solitude to close out all sounds and activity to regroup.

This world is sometimes so loud, I think everyone should read this book and find a part of themselves here."
-    Ebeth (Ohio)


The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business


Charles Duhigg


In The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. With penetrating intelligence and an ability to distill vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives, Duhigg brings to life a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential for transformation.

"This is a book you can read as a self help book, or just as a inspiring book filled with true stories about people that quite literally rewired the habits of their own brains and others that effected change in mass groups of people using the power of habit. If nothing else its interesting. "
-    Mini-moo

"I found this book to be a good read that kept you wanting to know more. The author really does an excellent job teaching about how habits are made and how they can be changed. The examples he gives make the reading interesting and applicable. He gives examples of how habits can be used for the positive (to improve companies, help the brain damaged, help smokers quit) and for the negative (to promote "special rights" for the homosexual agenda, cause a man to murder in his sleep, and lead to a deadly fire in the London underground). It's a recommended read for those wanting to dig deeper to understand habits. "
-    J McDonald (Ohio)

"This is a very up to date and intriguing piece of research which will help me with my weightloss group work."
-    hippychic (London)


Spy the Lie: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception


Philip Houston, Mike Floyd & Susan Carnicero


Imagine how different your life would be if you could tell whether someone was lying or telling you the truth. Be it hiring a new employee, investing in a financial interest, speaking with your child about drugs, confronting your significant other about suspected infidelity, or even dating someone new, having the ability to unmask a lie can have far-reaching and even life-altering consequences.

Identify the signs, ask the right questions, get to the truth - "Spy the Lie" is a fascinating study of deception and a comprehensive lesson in how to identify and combat it. Featuring case studies based on the authors' real-life experiences in the field - involving 'turned' assets, KGB moles and criminal government officials - it reveals the methodology developed and used by the CIA to detect deception in the realms of counter-terrorism and criminal investigation, and shows you how you can apply these techniques in your daily life. Whether hiring a new employee, investing money, knowing whether your boss is being straight with you, or finding out what your kids have been up to, this ingenious book will enable you to identify deceptive behavior in all its forms, and show you the techniques that will help you reach the truth.


"'Spy the Lie' provides insights from highly experienced practitioners of deception detection. Readers will not only learn useful perspectives on detecting deception, but to also be aware that lie detection is usually not easy and requires an open mind and strategy.

The primary obstacles that gets in the way of detecting deception are the belief that people will not lie to you, along with a bias that people are innocent until proven guilty and being uncomfortable judging others. The authors begin by suggesting one look for deceptive behavior within five seconds of a question, as well as for a cluster of such behaviors - a single 'suspicious' behavior may mean nothing.

Most of 'Spy the Lie' is taken up with specific suggestions on what to look for. For example, failure to understand a simple question is a deceptive behavior. Another - deceptive persons sometimes respond to an allegation with a truthful statement that casts him/her in a very favorable light such as giving Bibles to the homeless. Truthful responses tend to be direct and spontaneous, and the person is alert and composed. Unfortunately, untruthful persons can also show these behaviors - especially if prepared.

Failure to directly answer a question, directly respond with a denial, repeating the question, making general statements in response (eg. 'I would never do something like that'), non-answer statements, inconsistent statements, and going into attack mode are all indicators of untruthfulness. Other such indicators include procedural compliance, trying to butter up the questioner, involving religion (eg. 'I swear to God'), selective memory, and smiling in response questions about a heinous crime are other indicators.

Questioners can sometimes be too specific - eg. asking questions about a '12-year affair' when it was only 11.5 years long. Presumptive questions, such as 'What happened at Nicole's last night?' are preferred over leading questions - 'You were at Nicole's last night, weren't you?' The best question - 'Is there any reason any of the neighbors will tell us they saw you in the area last night?' (Broader is better, not limited to the next-door neighbor as the suspect may know he/she wasn't home.) The authors also advise against bluff questions such as 'We have someone who says he saw you in Nicole's neighborhood last night.'

A suspects lack of eye contact, closed posture, general nervousness, and preemptive responses are not good indicators of untruthfulness per the authors. The authors suggest sitting interviewees in a chair that has wheels, rocks and swivels, and even movable arm rests. This allows nervous body impulses to be seen.

'Spy the Lie' ends with suggested question lists for several situations, as well as including a number of actual questioning situations involving well-known cases. "
-    Loyd E. Eskildson

"The authors deliver an instructive, informative, and practical guide as to how you can detect lies. An interesting essay presents a follow-up detecting process on deception. Imagine conducting an interview, confronting your soul-mate on issues or speaking to your child about drugs, and being able to reveal the truth. This captivating book provides useful tools on how to tell if someone is lying or telling the truth. To have the ability to unmask a lie is not only amazing, but can be extremely effective in life-altering consequences. Entertaining and Highly Recommended!"
-     Geraldine Ahearn





Tuesday 17 July 2012

Why Be Wealthy

Three Things to Do with Your Money


Author: Dave Ramsey


 Why build wealth? If you think wealth will answer all life’s questions and make you trouble-free, you are delusional. I have had wealth twice in my life, and I don’t find it to be trouble-free; as a matter of fact, most of the troubles have zeros attached to them. Wealth is not an escape mechanism. It is, instead, a tremendous responsibility. After years of studying, teaching and even preaching on this subject across America, I can find only three good uses for money. Money is good for fun. Money is good to invest. And money is good to give. Most anything else you find to do with it doesn’t represent good mental and spiritual health on your part.


Having Fun

The kid in us likes the fun part of this equation. If you’ve reached the point of wealth building, you have made the kid inside you behave for a long time with promises of ice cream. So if you’ve made it to this point, the kid should get some ice cream. Should anyone wear a $30,000 watch? Should anyone drive a brand-new $50,000 car? Should anyone live in a $700,000 home? Absolutely, they should. The problem with people is they buy those things when they can’t afford them.

Taking your family, even the extended ones, on a seven day cruise, buying large diamonds or even buying a new car are things you can afford to do when you have millions of dollars. You can afford to do these things because, when you do them, your money position is hardly even affected. If you like travel, travel. If you like clothes, buy some. I am releasing you to have some fun with your money, because money is to be enjoyed.


Investing

The grown-up inside us likes investing money because that is part of what makes you wealthy. In the movie Two Weeks Notice, Hugh Grant plays George Ward. The character of George is a very wealthy and spoiled corporate figure. His character isn’t one we want to imitate, but he has a great line in the movie about his wealth. He is telling Sandra Bullock’s character that he lives in this luxury hotel, when he says nonchalantly, “Actually, I own the hotel; my life is a little bit like Monopoly.”

Investing can feel like that after a while—“a little bit like Monopoly.” When you play Monopoly, you can be up, or you can get behind. Sometimes the market fluctuates, but as mature investors we ride out the waves and stay in for the long term. Sometimes I meet people who arrive at this step and are scared because just as they reach retirement age, their investments are heading down. Never fear; if you have quality investments with long-term track records, they will come back. Besides, you don’t need all the nest egg at once to retire on; you just need some of the income from it. So since you don’t need it all right then, it would be silly to cash everything out while the market is at the bottom. “Buy high; sell low” is not the formula to wealth. Be patient with the market while living off the income the nest egg produces.

You can choose to be a little more sophisticated, but until you have more than $10 million, I would keep investing very simple. You can clutter your life with a bunch of unnecessary stress by getting into extremely complex investments. I use simple mutual funds and debt-free real estate as my investment mix—very clean, simple investments with some basic tax advantages. As you arrive at this step, if you want to own some paid-for real estate, it can be fun.

Always manage your own money. You should surround yourself with a team of people smarter than you, but you make the decisions. You can tell if they are smarter than you if they can explain complex issues in ways you can understand. If a member of your team wants you to do something “because I say so,” get a new team member. You are not hiring a daddy; you are gathering counsel. God did not give them the responsibility over this money. He gave that to you. Celebrities and pro athletes often lose their entire fortunes because they give up the responsibility of managing their own money. The money manager who loses your hard-earned investments won’t live with the regret and pain that you will. A good estate-planning attorney, a CPA or tax expert, an insurance pro, an investment pro and a good Realtor are a few of the essential team members you should gather around you. I endorse the use of financial planners if they are team members and not the sole captains of their teams.

When selecting and working with your wealth team, it is vital to bring on members who have the heart of a teacher—not the heart of a salesman or the heart of an “expert.” The salesman is always chasing a commission and thinking short-term, and the “expert” can’t help being condescending, which is humorous because they likely have less money than you. Also, when taking advice, evaluate whether the person giving the advice will profit from it. If your insurance pro is coming up with more great insurance ideas every week, you may have a problem. That is not to say everyone who makes a commission off you is out to get you. There are plenty of commission-only financial people who have extreme levels of integrity. Just be aware of possible conflicts of interest.

When your money makes more than you do, you are officially wealthy. When you can comfortably live on your investment income, you are financially secure. Money is a hard worker—harder than you. Money never gets sick, never gets pregnant and is never disabled. Money works 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Money gets its job done, and it asks only for directions and a firm master.


Giving

The most mature part of who you are will meet the kid inside as you learn to involve yourself in the last use of money, which is to give it away. Giving is possibly the most fun you will ever have with money. Fun is good, but you will tire of golf and travel. Investing is good, but going around and around that Monopoly board eventually loses its appeal. Every mentally and spiritually healthy person I’ve met has been turned on by giving as long as it didn’t mean his own lights got cut off. I can promise you from meeting with literally thousands of millionaires that the thing the healthy ones share in common is a love of giving.


Summary

Someone who never has fun with money misses the point. Someone who never invests money will never have any. Someone who never gives is a monkey with his hand in a bottle. Do some of each.

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Mind Secrets Exposed

The last article I posted was about how your mind controls and even creates the world around you.  Possibly this left many of my readers thinking that this is all very well, but how can they take practical advantage of this?  Well, keep reading this article and you will see how.

The human mind is an amazing machine and is capable of some miraculous feats that confuse the most learned scientist. We know little of the mind, except that it is powerful and we don’t tap into its full potential. There are plenty of people who are interested in uncovering the truth about the mind and utilizing its full power. There are a corresponding number of self-help books available on the Internet that claim to allow access to these hidden depths – but most of them fail to deliver on their promise.

But here comes Greg Frost and his latest book, "Mind Secrets Exposed". This book is a great tool for anyone who wants to enhance their mind and the quality of their life and the best part is that this book works. "Mind Secrets Exposed" is filled with comprehensive information on how the mind works and how one can tap into its potential. Greg Frost also provides great techniques and strategies for accessing the full power of the mind, from visualization to focusing exercises, allowing the reader to accomplish anything they want.

The book comes in the standard e-book format, as well as an audiobook, for those who want to access the contents on the go. Each chapter focuses on a different part of the mind and how to fully utilize that function to achieve success and accomplish goals. The end of each chapter is capped off with exercises and guides, providing the reader with several ways to apply the concepts discussed in the chapter in real-life. These efficient guides add practicality and applicability to the theories found in "Mind Secrets Exposed".

Beyond the book itself, "Mind Secrets Exposed" also comes with Quick Wealth System and Success Monthly. The first is a simple guide on how to easily and efficiently improve your financial situation and provides advice on creating wealth and income. The second is a monthly newsletter that enhances the material found in "Mind Secrets Exposed", ranging from scientific articles discussing the brain, to biographies of famous figures in history and how the reader can learn from these shining examples.

Success Monthly also comes with a coaching system that provides an in-depth guide on enhancing success and becoming more productive, efficient and effective. The coaching system comes in video format and consists of a definitive guide on becoming an achiever in a direct, easily understandable manner.

The newsletter is made available for those who become members, which requires paying a monthly fee. For those who might think that this is too much of an investment, buying "Mind Secrets Exposed" gives you the first month for free, allowing you access to the newsletter and letting you judge its worth for yourself. I heartily recommend becoming a member, as the newsletter contains valuable information and content that cannot be found elsewhere.

In short, "Mind Secrets Exposed", and all of the supplementary materials that come with it, is one of the few books available that truly explore the depths of the mind and provides effective techniques on using its full power. For its incredibly affordable price, "Mind Secrets Exposed" is a valuable resource that cannot be overlooked.

If you would like more information on this, and the opportunity to obtain this book, please click here:

Thursday 5 July 2012

Thoughts Make the World

With Our Thoughts, We Make the World


Author: Walter Mason


What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind.
– Buddha

Those of us who grew up in the 1980s were, quite unknowingly, absorbing a healthy dose of Eastern mysticism when we watched the wonderful Japanese television series “Monkey” every weekday evening at 6.30pm. For all of the colour and movement and occasionally risqué language that appealed to my childish mind, I was also, perhaps, taking to heart the wonderful précis of Buddhist philosophy that made up the introduction to each episode: “With our thoughts, we make the world.”

This is a quote from “The Dhammapada,” that exquisitely brief text that provides the reader with all of the main ideas to be found across all of the schools of Buddhism. In fact, it is the very first verse of that most fundamental book. It is the construct that informs the Buddhist world-view – all of this, that we so keenly call “reality,” is a product of thought, and so it can be influenced by the shape of our thoughts, and we can begin to craft a new reality through disciplining our process of thought and directing it towards wiser outcomes.

Volition and free-will were the points of divergence between Buddhism and the other religious systems of the ancient world, which tended to favour notions of fate and pre-destination. The Buddha taught that karma provided us with conditions only. In every single moment we are free to choose a wise thought and do a wise action. Buddhism is brutal in its advocacy of personal responsibility. Such a point of view seems strikingly modern and rational, though perhaps slightly politically incorrect in this more feeling age.

It is the rigorous control of thought, its careful disciplining, that grew to become the central practice of Buddhist practitioners. Samantabhadra, the Universal Worthy Bodhisattva, is the patron saint of meticulous religious training in the world of Mahayana Buddhism. He imposed upon himself the almost-impossible task of honouring the Buddha in each and every thought. If his thoughts were filled with the Buddha, so must his actions and words be inhabited by the goodness of the Awakened One. Look after the thoughts, and the actions will take care of themselves.

In the Western tradition there emerged, as well, the notion that one’s actions reflected one’s spiritual wellbeing. The way a person looked and spoke was seen by Emanuel Swedenborg as evidence of habitual reflection: either on the beauties of heaven or the torments of the natural world. Much later, the great teachers of New Thought in the twentieth century saw the spiritual importance of thought control, teaching that the thoughts were our channels to God, and so should be as perfect, loving and happy as possible.

We perhaps fool ourselves that our thoughts can be allowed to stray and our lives will not be affected. Gossip, habitual negativity, judgement and constant criticism can seem fun when we are engaged in them. We can justify them, or elevate them, priding ourselves on our cynicism and critical capacities. But the Buddha was aware that all that we thought was, in fact, the sum total of our life’s experience – we cannot know goodness and happiness if we do not allow our thoughts to cultivate those qualities. He recognised that it requires discipline and the conscious application of energy to direct our minds into positive directions. Without such care we can slide into destructive patterns. To watch over the mind, he said, is conducive to happiness.

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.– Buddha

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