Wednesday 28 December 2016

Putting Down Your Burden


"Today is the first day of the rest of your life."

"Self-evident" you may say, "it goes without saying"!

So why am I saying it?

The reason I feel it necessary to say this, is that whilst everybody knows this as a self-evident truth, almost nobody lives their life the way they would if, internally, they really knew it.

Have you ever read "Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan?  In that book (written in 1678), Christian, the hero of the story, struggles on a long journey with a heavy burden on his back.  A bit like a modern day special forces recruit doing what the Royal Marines call a "yomp" - a long march with a fully loaded 100 pound pack on his or her back.  There is one big difference though.  The special forces need to be able to carry that weight because they will need what is inside the pack.  On an exercise it may just be weighted down to increase the challenge, but the reason for that exercise is the soldier needs to be able to carry heavy supplies in a combat situation.  But Christian didn't need it at all.  I know I am now changing the story a little (apologies to Bunyan!), but he could simply have put that burden down at any point in his journey.  He didn't, and nearly drowned in a swamp as a result.

Are you carrying any burdens?  I know you are, even if you think you are not.  We all are.  Maybe what is called "emotional baggage".  Maybe a belief that we cannot achieve our dreams, because the last time we tried something like that we failed.

We all have the ability and the right to put down our burdens and carry on our journey through life without anything holding us back.

We all have the ability and the right, but for most of us it feels as though something is holding us back and we feel we cannot do it.

Recognize the burden is there and that you do not need to carry it.  You simply have to put it down.  Nothing is stopping you - only your false believe that you cannot release it.

In accounting there is a concept called "zero-base budgeting".  Many organizations (both in business and in public service) base their budgets on whatever was budgeted and spent the previous year.  This may be a way to produce a budget quickly and easily, but it certainly does not produce the best result.  In many cases it prevents that organization from moving forward and achieving what it needs to achieve this year.  More forward-thinking organizations use zero-base budgeting.  Forget what happened last year.  Just look at what you want to achieve this year, work out what it will cost to achieve it, and if it seems to produce the result you want (e.g. it is profitable enough), then budget for those required costs.  Maybe there are costs in that budget you have never had before.  That doesn't matter.  Maybe last year you spent a lot of money on something you are not budgeting for at all this year.  That doesn't matter either.  All that is important is that you are budgeting the true costs of achieving what you need to achieve this year.

Really forward thinking organizations go further than just zero-base budgeting.  They apply the zero-base concept to everything they do, not just to the costs of a project.  They look at what they want to achieve, what resources they have to achieve it, and what they need to do now with those resources to get there.  Never mind if this means they are completely changing the way they do things.

Have you ever heard the story about the housewife who always cut the ends off a piece of meat before she roasted it?  One day her husband asked her why she did this, and her answer was that she had always done it this way.  Her husband was an engineer, and always liked to know exactly why things worked the way they did, so he pressed her on this point and asked why she ever started doing it this way.  Did it improve the quality of the roast?  He asked her to do him a favour and one time roast the joint without cutting off the ends.  His wife did what he said, and they found the roast tasted just as good, but without wasting any of the meat at both ends.  They were now intrigued.  So they visited her mother, who had taught her to cook this way.  They asked the mother why she did this, and her answer way "because I have always done it this way - it is the way my mother taught me to do it!"  So they visited the grandmother and asked her the same question.  And do you know what she said?  "I always cut the ends off the joint as my roasting pan is too small for the whole joint to fit in!"

Never believe you have to do something simply because you have always done it, or you have to do it in a particular way because you have always done it that way.  Things change, and we need to change too rather than stay stuck in a particular rut.  We need to put down the baggage we are carrying and check whether we need everything that is there.  We need to zero-base our lives.

Zero-basing your life and putting down your unnecessary burdens should be quite simple.  And really, it is.  But often a big part of the burden is the belief that it is impossible to put it down.  Believe in yourself.  You really do have the power and the right to start fresh, without that burden.

This is something you should do every day.  Because every day really is the first day of the rest of your life.  You don't have to spend it being miserable, living your life in a way you don't want to live it, doing what others want you to do rather than what YOU want to do.

If you are reading this just after I have written it, resolve to "zero-base" your life from 1st January this coming year.  A new year, and a new start.  But also recognize you can always put down your burdens, and you can always live your life in the way you want to live it from now on, not simply accept that "it has always been this way".

Wednesday 21 December 2016

Moods and State Changes


Physical State Changes


I want you to try a little experiment for me.

Sit down on a chair or the sofa.  No, in fact don't sit - slump untidily there!  Breath shallowly.  If you were smiling, stop doing so.  Frown.  Sit that way for several minutes.  Now think about how you are feeling.  What kind of a mood do you have.  Are you happy, sad, or indifferent?  Do you feel lively and energetic, or are you lethargic and in a "couldn't care less" kind of mood?

I am pretty certain you will have answered at least "indifferent", if not "sad".  And it is very unlikely you answered that you felt "lively and energetic" - if you did, then you are a very unusual kind of person!

Now stand up.  Straighten your back.  Feel tall.  Smile.  Take a deep breath, hold it, then fully exhale.  Do that again.  And again.  Now how do you feel?  Do you feel any different from a few moments ago when you were slumped on a chair or your sofa?  I am pretty certain you now feel quite different.  You should feel happier and more energetic.

Finally, go one step further.  This time I want you to start jumping up and down.  Keep the smile on your face as you jump.  Stretch your arms right up as you jump, bringing them down again as you land.  Keep jumping like this for a while.  Now analyze how you feel.  Probably happier, and certainly livelier and more energetic.

What this proves is that what you do with your body has a big influence on the way you feel.  You are in control of your moods, and one way in which you control them is through your body.  If you want to feel happy, then sit up (or stand tall if appropriate) and smile.  If you are feeling miserable, check whether you are frowning - stop frowning and smile, and again, put your body in a position more conducive to feeling good.

Anchors


It is not just your body position and your smiling or frowning that can create moods, although you will find that by changing position and starting to smile you can always change your "state".  There are other things that trigger different moods.  Not just being happy or sad but, for example, feeling confident, feeling resourceful, feeling ready to take on a challenge, etc.  These are all different "states", and they can be triggered by what NLP professionals call "anchors".

When you are in a particular "state", your subconscious mind notes everything around you.  Smells, sights, sounds, the things you touch, etc.  It then anchors these to the state.

Once you realize this, you can design your own anchors.

It is a good idea if you make those anchors relate to the state you are trying to achieve.  For example, you might associate a comforting hand on your shoulder with confidence.  
In order to associate the anchor properly, find a memory where you were really fully in that state.  In this example, a time when you were feeling really confident about something.  Try to find the best example of this that you can.  It is really worth spending a long time doing this if it gets you the right memory.  When you recall this time and are right in that "zone", immediately feel that comforting hand on your shoulder.  If the memory fades, then imagine that hand being removed from your shoulder.  But if possible, maintain that memory for several minutes, and keep feeling the hand there all that time.  Now open your eyes, feeling that the hand has now left.  Repeat this several times, trying to make the memory more vivid each time.  For now, that is enough.  But later in the day, use the anchor (in this case, feel the hand on your shoulder) and check that the confident state arises.  At first it may not be a strong feeling for you, although many people do indeed get an immediate very strong change of state.  Don't worry if it is not that strong - just repeat the anchoring process several times again.  Keep doing this in different periods during the day and feel the anchoring build up stronger and stronger.

The next day, visualize the anchor again.  It should bring the state change immediately.  If not, again repeat the anchoring process.  You may need to do this several times for several days running, but eventually it will be fully and permanently anchored.

In this example I have referred to only one state - feeling confident - and one anchor - a hand on your shoulder.  You can, and should, use this process to create as many positive states as possible, using a different anchor for each.  You will find this is a long process, on which can build more and more positive state changes over the next few months and years.  A long process, but a very worthwhile one!

Summary


Use both these techniques to change your state, and you will find you have a much better control over your moods and can get into the right state so much easier.  This will create enormous positive changes in your life.

Wednesday 14 December 2016

Greylag Geese and Why You are Not Successful



Has your past influenced the way you are now?  Of course it has!  We all have free will, but the decisions we make when we use that free will are highly conditioned by things that happened to us in the past.

In many cases that is a good thing.  You have a bad experience because of something you did, and that teaches you not to do the same thing again.  If this were just a memory, from which you could then make a logical decision, this would in many cases not give you enough time to modify your behaviour before it caused the same problems.  So we are all equipped with a way to make the "right" response instantly, before we even have time to think about the response.  This is called "imprinting".

The 19th century biologist, Douglas Spalding, discovered the phenomenon of imprinting and published his results in "Nature" in 1872.  Konrad Lorenz popularised the concept, particularly in his books on the studies he did on the behaviour of greylag geese.  Lorenz found the geese bond with the first object they see after they had hatched.  Normally this is a good thing, as it will be older geese who will show the younger geese what they should and shouldn't do.  But sometimes the process goes wrong, and the geese are inappropriately imprinted.  When this happens, the badly imprinted geese behave inappropriately, even when that behaviour causes them problems and maybe is even very dangerous for them.

The same thing applies to all of us.  Except our imprinting is certainly not limited to the first thing we see after we are born.  Many things influence us in this way throughout our childhood and on into our adult life as well.

For example, imagine as a child you hear your parents having a big argument.  This makes you very unhappy.  You notice the argument is about money - which is one of the commonest reasons for a couple to argue.  This imprints on you the idea that money is bad because it causes arguments and makes people unhappy.  And that imprinting creates within you a block that will always try to stop you making money.  Unless you find a way of dealing with this block it will be almost impossible for you to make much money.  Even if you do manage to make some, the block will act to make sure you lose it quickly!

Very many people have at least one "money block" that was imprinted on them from early childhood.  I would go as far as to say the majority of people have "money blocks".  They also have many other blocks, which stop them from achieving anything they have set their heart on - success, a fabulous life partner, etc.  Which means the majority of people will find the manifestation techniques they learn simply don't seem to work for them.  They study all the books they can find on the Law of Attraction, try to put it into practice, and eventually give up in disgust.  They decide all this talk about affirmations and how you can attract all you wish for through the power of thought is nonsense.

Does this sound at all familiar?  Perhaps you have reached this phase and are ready to give up trying.  Or maybe you are not as far down that road, but are still getting frustrated that nothing seems to work for you.  It could even be that you have only just started, are full of enthusiasm, and have not yet realized how difficult the journey is going to be.

Whereever you are on your journey to your definition of success, you need to find and eliminate the many blocks you have which will either make it impossible or very difficult to reach your goal.

Wednesday 7 December 2016

Time Travel IS Possible


If you could travel back in time and change anything, anything at all, what would you change?

OK, I know we cannot travel back in time - at least, not yet.  But humour me please.  Imagine that you could.  For Doctor Who fans, imagine you are Doctor who and you have your own Tardis.  Close your eyes, think about how things are now, then think about what you could do to change them if you could go back in time.

Pick something that really means a lot to you.  Something that can get you emotional.  Something you can invest with your emotions.  Something that would make a real, important difference.  A difference in your life or a difference in the lives of those around you, or both.

Now let me add two rules:
1  You cannot go back to before you were born.
2  The only magical power you have is the power to go back in time.

As a result of those rules, You can only change things by behaving differently.  Not by playing superman.  Not by going back to pre-war Germany and assassinating Hitler - unless you are at least 90!

Perhaps those rules mean you need a different objective.  If so, change your objective.

Visualize that objective.  Now visualize what you are going to do in order to change what happened.  Remember, this has to be a realistic action, not something that is virtually impossible.  See yourself making that change, and then visualize how things are now as a result of that change.  How does that make you feel?  Hold on to that good feeling.  Bask in it.

Now choose something else.  Again, something that would make a real difference.  Something it would be possible for you to change if only you could go back in time.  Visualize the things you did to change it, and the difference that made.  Feel that difference strongly.  Let the positive vibes from it change your state.

Do this a third time with yet something else.  Maybe something completely different.  Perhaps if the first two were mainly changes to your present lifestyle, then make this one something that will make things better for those around you - your family and friends, or even strangers if you wish.  And vice versa.

How do you feel, now you have imagined those changes?  Happy and fulfilled, I hope.  Don't feel frustrated, thinking that there is nothing you can do now to change what has already happened.  Just feel good about the changes you wanted to make.

This exercise alone will change things for you if you let it.  You have sent a message to the Universe, and the Universe has heard and will respond.

But that is not the only reason I asked you to do it.  Nor is it even the main reason.

Think for a moment about what you did.  You knew that by doing things differently you could make a change for the better in the future.  As I said, at the moment we do not have the ability to go back in time and change things, but we do have the ability to change things now, to make things better in the future by changing what we do now.

Time travel IS possible right now, just not in the way you may have thought.  Not only is it possible, but it is happening.  The future is not here yet, but it is coming.  And changes in what you do now will change that future.  What kind of future do you want?  For yourself and for those around you?  Think about that carefully, then start doing now the things that will change your future for the better!  You are in your own private time machine and can change everything.  You are Doctor Who and have your own Tardis.  Choose wisely how you change it all!

Wednesday 30 November 2016

Healing


Do you believe in healing?  I don't mean the kind of healing you get from doctors.  Nor do I mean "alternative medicine" such as homeopathy for example.  I mean using the power of the mind to heal.

Let me slightly rephrase the question.  Do you believe you can heal?  Guess what - no matter how you answered that question, you are right!

Did you say "no, I cannot heal"?  Then you are absolutely right.  If you have that belief it would be very difficult for you to channel any healing power either to yourself or to others.  So you cannot heal.  Not because it is not possible for you to heal, but because you are conditioned by your beliefs.

Did you say "yes, I can heal"?  Then you are absolutely right.  If you have a strong belief in the power of healing, and believe it is possible for you to channel healing power, then you can do so.  Not because your mental or spiritual powers are better than the powers of those around you, but because you are conditioned by your beliefs.

We all have within us amazing abilities if we are prepared to acknowledge them.  Those abilities include healing powers.

The healing we can give, to ourselves and to others, is across a wide range of conditions.  This includes mental and physical ailments.  It includes minor and major illnesses.

Be careful, though, that you do not misuse this power.

What do I mean by misuse?

Firstly, I mean do not assume that if we have the power to heal we do not need medical science.  Some of you may be members of a religious group that believes its followers should not consult doctors and only pray in order to receive healing.  This is not my belief.  But if you are a member of such a group you do not need me to tell you about the power of healing anyway.  It is not my mission to change anyone's religious beliefs, so I will not be drawn on whether or not what such people believe is right.  But to the rest of my readers, I implore you to seek proper medical care when you are ill.  I am not encouraging you to replace medical science with the mental and spiritual power of healing.  Just to add mental and spiritual power to the efforts of medical professionals.

Secondly, do not raise false hopes.  Yes, miracles do happen.  There are cases of people with "incurable" illnesses being completely cured through healing power.  There are cases of people who have been given only days or weeks to live being treated effectively by healing power.  But there are no guarantees.  Please do not give false hope to such people or to their families.

As long as you do not fall into the trap of misusing your healing power, begin to recognize today that you personally do have this power if you wish to use it.  Look for ways to nurture it and use it to be better and stronger yourself and to help those around you.

Wednesday 23 November 2016

Manifesting


Law of Attraction.  Visualization.  Affirmation.  Vision Board.  Mind Movies.  Manifesting.

You have probably come across all these words and phrases at some point.  But which one is the odd one out?  The last one.  The first five are techniques you can use in order to be successful, in order to manifest whatever it is you really want.  Whether or not you use some or all of these techniques, one thing I can guarantee - you are manifesting something.  The question is - what?

For most people, what they are manifesting is not what they want.  But that does not mean they are not manifesting.  They are doing it all the time.  The universe is responding to the commands they are giving.  It is just that they do not realize what those commands are, or that they are giving them.

Myths and fairy tales contain a great deal of truth.  They are often a way of passing on a truth that we might miss if we were told it outright.  Do you recall, as a child, hearing the story of the genie who had to give three wishes to his "owner" (usually the person who rubbed a lamp that allowed the genie to escape)?  Inevitably, the person making the wishes didn't phrase those wishes correctly, with the result that they got exactly what they wished for but were unhappy with what that was.  I remember reading those stories and thinking how silly the "hero" of the story was.  Fancy having all that power and using it to make the wrong wish come true!  What I didn't realize as a child is that this fairy tale, like most, hides a true story which has meaning for every one of us.  The only real difference is that we are not limited to three wishes.  We can make as many wishes as we want, and our genie will make them come true.  That is the power of manifesting.  But just like the unfortunate people in the fairy tale, most of the wishes we make are not in our best interests at all.

Once you know that you are continually manifesting it is easier to decide that you will manifest what you really want.  It makes no difference to the universe.  If you ask it for something that is not what you really want, it will still give it to you.  And then you will complain that you never get what you want.  A fatal mistake!  Because of the way manifesting works, by making such a complaint you will be asking the universe for more of the same - and it will respond by giving you more of what you don't want.

The key to manifesting what you really want is to learn the language of the universe and then to use that language.  I don't mean "language" as in English, French, Chinese, Urdu etc.  It is a language without words.  Or, rather, the language hidden behind those words.  This language is positive, not negative.  It is free from guilt.  It knows, without question, that the universe will respond in the right way.  And it is thankful for what the universe has given - even before anyone can see that it has given it.

Now that you know you are always manifesting, start using those techniques I have listed.  Each one builds on all the others.  You will find plenty of material on each if you search for it.  A lot is right here in my blog.  For those of you who have subscribed to my e-mails, you will find plenty more, as I am constantly searching out the very best programs and letting my subscribers know about them, as well as giving links to free training.  If you have not already subscribed, do so now by going here:  www.beallican.com.

Wednesday 16 November 2016

Escape from Prison




"If you want to get ahead, you have to make sacrifices and work all the hours God gave!"

Has anyone ever said that to you?  For that matter, have you ever said that to yourself?

This belief is so common that I am sure, in one form or another, this has been said to you so many times that deep inside you really believe it to be true.  Even if you don't consciously think this way, subconsciously you probably do, without even realizing it.

Many people, on hearing this (or something very like it), have decided that they are simply not going to bother.  They don't want to sacrifice time with their friends and family.  They don't want to work themselves into an early grave.  So they opt out of the race to success.  They know that they are never going to make it without sacrificing more than they are willing to sacrifice.  And so they give up.

Most people I meet fall into one of these two camps.  Either they are working so hard they don't have time to stop and smell the roses, or they have thrown away all the ambitions they had when they were younger because they know they will never achieve them.

Do you fall into either of these two categories?

If so, you are missing a vital trick!

It is simply not true that the only way to become successful is to make unacceptable sacrifices.  You only believe that because you have been told it too many times, and now even repeat the mantra to yourself.  This creates an inner block which makes it virtually impossible for you to be successful.

For as long as you have this inner block it is as though you are in prison.  But in a prison cell you created for yourself.  And a prison cell for which you have the only bunch of keys.

There are several doors you must pass in order to break out of that prison, and you have a key to each of those doors.

The first door you must open is the one to the room that tells you what it is you really want.  Surprising as it may sound, most of us do not know what we really want.  You will need to sit quietly as you reflect on what it is you think you want and see what bubbles up to the surface.  If you do this properly you will probably find what you really want is quite different from what you thought you wanted.  Once you have opened this door you are well on your way to freedom from your self-imposed imprisonment.

The next door is one labelled "It is ok!".  What do I mean by this?  I mean whatever it is you really want, you have to know that it is ok to want it!  Recognize that the Universe (or God, if you prefer) really wants you to succeed.  You have a destiny you can fulfill if only you will recognize it.  Once you really become aware of this you will feel really positive.  And that positivity will propel you forward towards your goal.

Then there is the door labelled "Visualize".  Having found your real goal, and recognized it is right for you to achieve it, you need to find ways to focus your emotions on achieving it.  Some people refer to "affirmations".  As long as you invest those affirmations with a strong positive emotion, and repeat them in the present tense rather than as a hope for the future, then this is a good way to move forward.  Some people refer to a "vision board", on which they put pictures of whatever it is they want to achieve and what their life will be like when they have achieved it.  Again, this is good.  However you do it, visualize yourself having achieved success.  Feel what it is like.  Immerse yourself in it.  Know that you have achieved it.

Unlock these three doors and you are well on the way to escaping from the prison you have made for yourself and achieving the success of which you have always dreamed!

Wednesday 9 November 2016

Self-Image



Try this exercise.  In one short sentence, without using your name, write down who you are.

When someone asks who you are, your answer will usually depend on the context.

If, for example, you are stopped by a security guard as you enter a company's offices, you will probably identify yourself in terms of why you believe you have a right to be there.  For example "I am a new employee and I was asked to report to reception".

But if you are asked the same question in no particularly special context, you probably answer with your name.  That is what identifies you.

How did you answer?

As I told you not to use your name you probably used a different label.  Perhaps your job title and the name of your employer - e.g. "I am an accountant working for Grant Thornton".  If you are studying, maybe you wrote down "I am a business student at Harvard University".  

Or maybe you have used a more personal label.  "I am a loving husband and father", or "I am a loving wife and mother".

Whatever label you may have used, that is not the real "you".  It is a mask you hold up to the world.

What IS the real you?

Hidden behind the various labels you use are many thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Your identity may just be a name, job title or a face to those around you, but it encapsulates far more than this to you.

Try answering the question again, but this time don't use any labels.  Dig deep.  Identify the image you have of yourself.  You may need to spend some time doing this, coaxing the image out.

Once you have identified your self-image, see how comfortable you are with it.  Is it a good image?  How does it make you feel?  Is there anything about it you would like to change?

You will probably find some negatives within it.  Re-write your image but replace those negatives with positives.  I suggest you attach a photo of yourself to the page where you have your modified self-image.  That way, you will begin to associate the image you want to have of yourself with your picture.  Eventually your subconscious mind will automatically assume that this new and improved image is the real you.

Someone I know who exudes confidence and has a great ability to inspire others, does a very simple exercise every day.  He stands in front of a mirror and tells himself he is a wonderful, handsome man.  He has always done this from his early teens.  When he started doing it, he didn't really believe it, but because he kept telling himself the same things every day eventually he DID believe it.  More importantly, so does everyone with whom he comes into contact!  His positive self-image is contagious.  What he does every day is quite similar to what I am asking you to do once you have identified what you want your self-image to be.

This may sound simple.  Other than the need to dig deep and make your true self-image emerge, it IS quite simple.  But don't let the simplicity deceive you.  This is an extremely powerful technique.  Use it properly and your self-confidence will improve by leaps and bounds.  You will find yourself behaving in ways you never imagined possible.  A massive return for not a great deal of effort.

Get working on your self-image today and be prepared to see big, positive changes!

Wednesday 2 November 2016

The Most Powerful Force in the Universe



What is the most powerful force in the Universe?

Is it gravity?  Certainly gravity is a powerful force.  It takes a lot of power to overcome it.  Gravity is what keeps our sun in one piece, rather than allowing it to fall apart.  It is what keeps us orbiting the sun rather than flying off into outer space.  Be very thankful for gravity.  None of us would be alive without it.  But gravity is not the most powerful force by any means!

How about the "weak force".  It doesn't sound a very promising candidate.  But the name is a bit of a misnomer, as it is actually ten trillion times more powerful than gravity!  Wow!  That is what I would call a strong force, not a weak force!  The weak force is responsible for nuclear decay and nuclear fission.  The power that was unleashed on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  But the weak force is not the most powerful force in the universe (as you probably gathered from the name).

Electromagnetism is far more powerful than the weak force.  It is a hundred billion times more powerful than the weak force.  Electromagnetism is what stops you simply falling through the earth.  So is it the most powerful force in the universe?

No, it is not.  According to physicists, the "strong nuclear force" is the most powerful force.  The strong nuclear force is what keeps atoms from disintegrating.  Nothing physical could exist without the strong nuclear force.

But the physicists are wrong when they say any physical force such as gravity, weak force, electromagnetism, or the strong nuclear force is the most powerful in the universe.  None of these, in my view, deserves the title.

Without doubt, the most powerful force in the universe is Love.

Sometimes Love crystallizes as a physical force.  Nowhere near as strong as any of the above forces in its physical guise, but still very strong.  On Good Friday in 1982, in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Angela Cavallo lifted a 1964 Chevy Impala (weighing about 3,500 pounds, or 1,600 kilos).  Why?  Because it had fallen on her son, Anthony, and she wanted to stop it crushing him.  She held it for around 5 minutes until help appeared and her son was pulled out, fortunately still alive.  Could you, under normal circumstances, lift 3,500 kilos and hold it for 5 minutes?  I doubt it, unless you have trained for a long time as a weight lifter - which Angela Cavallo had certainly not done.  The reason Angela could is that she was powered by love.

Again, I stress that physical force was nowhere near as strong as the four physical forces I have listed.  The real power of Love is not physical, but spiritual and emotional.

Do you want to possess the most powerful force in the universe?  Then work on developing and expanding your Love.  Love for your spouse or partner.  Love for your family and friends.  Love for all around you - even for those you do not like.  Love for all humanity.  And perhaps most importantly, Love for yourself.

The more Love you have, the more you will achieve for yourself and for others.

Wednesday 26 October 2016

Do It Yourself



No, this is not a blog about home improvements.  Just self improvements!

"If you want something done right, do it yourself!"

Has anyone ever said this to you?  Do you sometimes say it to yourself?  This is one of those half truths that can be so helpful at times, but so dangerous at other times.

It is probably often true that you will put more care and attention into doing properly something that will affect you, especially if you are the only or main person it affects.  The original phrase is a rather liberal translation of a line in a French play written in 1809 by Charles-Guillaume Étienne.  A closer translation of this line would be "One is never served so well as by oneself".

Where I feel this particularly applies is when you are planning what exactly you want to do with the rest of your life.  This is not something restricted to a young person deciding what he or she wants to do as a career, although it also applies there of course.  But notice I have said "with the rest of your life".  We all have a "rest" of our lives.  We don't know how long that "rest" is, but we all have it.  Maybe it is 50 years (and even though I am over 60 I could still have another 50 years remaining), maybe it is 1 year, maybe it is only 1 day.  For any of us, today could be the last day of our lives.  So plan it well!  But also there could be many years remaining - you could achieve a great deal in those remaining years, so plan that well too.  Make sure you HAVE a plan!  Plan your day, each and every day, to get the best you can out of it for you and your family.  Plan your coming year (perhaps broken down by quarter) to achieve one or more of your short term goals.  Approach it the other way around, too - do some work on finding out exactly what it is you want to achieve, and then fit this into an appropriate timescale, rather than only looking at a day, week, year etc and deciding what you can achieve within this.  At the risk of having one quote too many for a short article, remember (as Jim Rohn told us) that "If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much."

Don't fall into the trap, though, of believing that nobody wants you to be happier, be more successful, and that nobody can help you achieve what you want to achieve.  There are plenty of people who will not want to help, and may even wish to hinder you, and some of those people may be hiding in the group of people you call your "friends".  This group of "negative" people will grow as you begin to become happier and more successful.  But there are also many people who genuinely want you to be happier and want you to be more successful.  Time spent finding out which group the people around you fall into is time well spent.  Keep your distance from the "negatives" and try to spend more time with the "positives".  Learn to take advice and help from those positive people.  Never let pride stand in the way of getting help.  Draw on that help properly and it will be like supercharging your journey to your goals.  Spend time searching out those who can and will help you in this way.  Including those who do it as a profession - for example good coaches.  Gratefully receive any free help that is available, but also be prepared to spend good money getting really good professional help.  Paradoxically, this particularly applies to your efforts to create the right plans for yourself, despite what I have said in the last paragraph.  Yes, you need to take the steps yourself to create the plans, and not expect anybody to do it for you, but certainly be ready to accept all the help you can get in doing so.  This will create tremendous leverage in your efforts to achieve whatever it is you really want to achieve.

Finally, don't fall into the other trap of thinking that if you are better at doing something then only you should do it.  This particularly applies in business, but it also applies in your personal life.  Learn to delegate.  Accept that you may have done the job better than the person you delegated it to, but also recognize that the benefits of the way you were able to use the time you saved by delegating it more than compensated for this.  Also, we generally get better and better at tasks the more we do them.  So even though you may now be better at doing it than the person to whom you delegate, eventually they may well become far better at it than you ever were.  This can be a hard lesson to learn, but it is a very important one.

For help in finding a good, licensed, professional therapist, try this page:

https://www.betterhelp.com/

Wednesday 19 October 2016

Bucket Lists and Personal Evolution Strategy



Let me begin this article with a confession.  I don't have a bucket list and I am probably not going to make one.

I have always seen the concept of a bucket list as rather a fad that started with the film of the same name, which was released in 2007.  A film about two old men dying of cancer and trying to complete a list of things they want to do before they die.  I don't think it is necessary to have a bucket list just because everyone else seems to have one.

But I do agree it is a good idea to have a list of things I would like to do, places I would like to visit etc.  A list that isn't set in stone.  On the contrary, one that will constantly change as I grow.  Yes, at the time of writing I may be 63 but I am certainly still growing, mentally, emotionally and spiritually even though not physically, and I hope you are too.

I also agree it is a good idea to write it down, so it is a proper list, rather than just have a vague idea of what I would like to achieve some day.  If you practice the Law of Attraction you should be doing this anyway, to help bring those things closer, but if for some reason you are not a believer in the Law of Attraction you should still write those things down or you are bound to have some you simply forget - especially if you are close to my age or older!

The reason the word "bucket" is used here is because of the euphemism "kick the bucket", meaning "die", hence a list of things to do before you die.  When I thought deeper about this recently I looked up what are the commonest expressed regrets of those who are dying.  What do the dying say they most wish they had done.  Here is the list I found:

  • I wish I had lived a life true to myself, not to what was expected of me
  • I wish I hadn't worked so hard
  • I wish I had expressed my feelings more
  • I wish I had stayed in touch with my family and friends
  • I wish I had let myself be happier

Now THAT is a bucket list I can work with!  Not as the list itself, but as a starting point to produce a list.  As a list of areas to work on so I don't have any regrets when I die.  My Personal Evolution Strategy.

Take a look at each of these regrets in turn.  Make sure you do agree you would regret it if at the point of your death you had to say any of those things.  One good way to do this is to re-state each of the regrets as its opposite.

For example, "I wish I had done what was expected of me instead of living a life true to myself!"  Can you honestly say that?  I hope not!  If it feels absolutely wrong to you to say it, then you know "I wish I had lived a life true to myself, not to what was expected of me" would be a genuine regret.

Take 5 sheets of paper (or more if you have come up with some other broad concepts which don't fit into any of these 5) and, at the top of each sheet, write a positive statement reflecting the appropriate wish.  Make sure it is positive and written in the present tense so you are visualizing it as a reality, something which is a part of your essential being right now, not at some vague time in the future.  You have a birth certificate so you know the exact day you were born, but you don't yet have a death certificate, so you don't know the exact day you are going to die.  It could be tomorrow!  In fact, not wishing to be morbid, but with the number of people who regularly read my blog articles it is very likely it WILL be tomorrow for at least one or two!  So if you want to avoid having those regrets this needs to be a new "you" starting today, not next week or next year!

Here are my suggestions, although you may choose slightly different wordings:

  • I live a life true to myself
  • I take plenty of time off to spend with my loved ones doing the things we love
  • I always express my feelings fully
  • I spend lots of time with my family and friends
  • I always allow myself to be as happy as I can be

Now reflect on each of them and tease out exactly what they mean to you.  You will need to spend quite a long time teasing some of them out, as they can be very broad.  Also it may be very difficult at first even to understand what this particular heading really means.  What is "a life true to myself" for example?  The answer to that may take a few hours of reflection rather than just a few minutes.

I suggest you do each of these as a form of meditation at first, and then when your brief meditation has finished you can write copious notes.

Once you have done this, use those notes to identify particular things you wish to achieve so you fulfill much better what you have written in the heading.

Finally, on another 5 sheets of paper, write each heading again, and underneath write the specifics, again in a positive manner in the present tense.  Staple the pages together and you have your Personal Evolution Strategy.  Resolve to yourself that this is your strategy and start doing the specifics you have written.  In the space of just one day you will probably find you have made an enormous jump forward in your personal evolution.  Keep making these quantum leaps and there will be one fewer people in the world who will have real regrets when he or she dies!

By all means create a traditional "bucket list" if you wish.  Certainly have your growing and evolving list of things you wish to achieve, places you wish to visit etc.  But far more powerful than these is your Personal Evolution Strategy which is now the starting point for what you really wish to and can accomplish in this life.

Wednesday 12 October 2016

Be the Change



“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.”

This was written by Mahatma Gandhi in 1913, paraphrased on bumper stickers to "Be the change you wish to see in the world".

How true!  On so many levels!

The only thing you can change in human society directly is yourself.  You can encourage others to change, but you cannot change them; only they can do that.  But indirectly you most certainly can, and you do that by changing yourself.

Do you want world peace?  Guess what?  The way to begin creating world peace is to begin by making yourself peaceful.

But notice also the third sentence.  "As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him."  I believe this is one of the missing keys to Manifestation.

Thousands of people, perhaps even millions, have tried Manifestation, Affirmation, Creative Visualization, the Law of Attraction - it comes in many guises and with many different names, but the concept is the same.  They try it, but then give up because (they say) it doesn't work.  Are you one of those people?  I hope not!  It does work as long as you do it properly.

Does what you focus on materialize?  Perhaps.  But certainly not every time.  Not even most of the time.  The world would be completely chaotic if it did.  Just imagine it for one moment!  Think how many completely irreconcilable demands there would be on the universe!  There would be signs of the laws of physics being broken all the time.  After all, Jesus did tell his disciples "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

Perhaps you think this makes me a sceptic.  Why am I saying something that appears to go against what all Law of Attraction coaches teach?

Well, firstly, if you really take the Law of Attraction very seriously and study properly under a good coach you will find that is not what the best coaches teach.  What has happened is that people have extracted "sound bites" from the pure teachings and then pass these little extracts on as though they are the entire story.  Is Christianity a religion that teaches its followers to uproot mountains?  Not a bit of it!  But if the only verse in the Bible you have read is Matthew 17:20 then you could be forgiven for thinking it was.

Secondly, and the best coaches will certainly teach you this, good practice of the Law of Attraction begins with you changing your own nature.  Change what you are to reflect what it is you want to achieve and the Universe will recognize that and will begin to reward you by returning to you the things that fit with that new nature.

Have you ever noticed that lottery winners tend to lose most of their money within a few years of receiving it, or even faster?  Also, have you ever noticed that people who have created a fortune themselves can lose it all but quite quickly get it all back again?  Here are just a few examples of the latter:

  • Walt Disney's first film company went bust in 1922.  I don't think I need remind you that this was not the end of the Walt Disney empire!  Why?  Because he was Walt Disney!  It is who he was!

  • Larry King filed for bankruptcy in 1978.  In 2015 he was estimated to be worth around $150 million.  Why?  Because he is Larry King!  It is who he is!

  • Francis Ford Coppola filed for bankruptcy twice.  The latest information I could find on his net worth is $100 million.  Why?  Because he is Francis Ford Coppola!  It is who he is!

  • Kim Basinger had $5.4 million in 1993.  She was sued for $8.1 million and went bankrupt.  In 2014 she was worth $36 million.  Why?  Because she is Kim Basinger!  It is who she is!

You are probably saying "I am not Walt Disney, Larry King, Francis Ford Coppola or Kim Bassinger".  But that is the point!  Each of these people have (or had) something within them that made them who they are.  Take away their wealth and it just comes back, because of who they are.  Believe it or not, you can and should also change your internal nature so that the Universe begins to provide you with what it is you really want.

This is only the first step.  Once you have taken it you must also do those things in the "sound bites" you have probably already read in articles on Manifesting and the Law of Attraction.  But take that step first.  Be the change you wish to see!

Wednesday 5 October 2016

How to Eliminate Fear and Anxiety


Do you ever worry about something?  Do you suffer from anxiety?  Are you ever fearful?  Would you like to eliminate fear, worry and anxiety altogether?

Before we go any further, let me clarify one important point about fear.  The reason nature has given us an emotion we call "fear" is to try to stop us from getting into dangerous situations when we do not need to.  This is a good thing.  You should not try to eliminate that fear, but rather respect it.  React to the fear by doing whatever you can to remove yourself from a dangerous or catastrophic situation.  Once you have done that and know there is nothing else you should or can do, then use the techniques in this article to eliminate the fear.

Deciding whether or not you can do anything about a situation is a very important first step, perhaps the most important step of all.  If there is something you can do which may stop something bad happening, then do it!  Don't sit there worrying about what might happen if there is something you can do to stop it!  This might seem obvious, but for some reason most people never take this first step, but instead feel like a rabbit frozen in the headlights of a car about to run it over.  The rabbit could simply run away and avoid the terrible fate awaiting it, but it doesn't as it is paralyzed by the very fear nature intended to save it from that fate.  Do not become that rabbit!

Once you have thought through the actions you could take, and have taken the appropriate ones, now is the time to eliminate the fear or worry as now it is serving no useful purpose.

One method I always use at this point is to imagine whatever it is I fear or whatever is worrying me has happened.  Imagine the worst case scenario.  Now think about whatever you can do to make the best of a bad situation.  Once you have done those things, just how bad is it?  How does it compare with, for example, the suffering of people trapped in Aleppo?  Is it as bad as that?  I think not!  Accept this bad result and move on.  Don't spend too long on this, as you don't want inadvertently to invoke the law of attraction and find you have created the bad situation for yourself.  Now that you recognize there will be things you can do at the time to reduce the hurt of whatever this bad situation may be, put it behind you.  Remember you have done everything you can to stop it happening in the first place, and you have recognized it is not exactly the end of the world if it does happen, and therefore the fear and worry serves no purpose any longer.  It can be a good idea to verbalize this.  Thank the worry for having alerted you, tell it you have addressed the problem (either by changing things so it doesn't happen, by accepting the results if it does, or both), and then tell it now it has done its job it can go away.

You may think talking to a worry in this way is childish and silly, but it is not - it is actually a very effective way of disarming it.

Recognize that what you have done here is simply accept the worst case scenario should it ever occur.  Unless you have worked pretty hard to create a bad situation for yourself it is probably never going to materialize.  In 1816 Thomas Jefferson wrote the following to John Adams:

"How much pain have cost us the evils which have never happened!"

Sometimes we worry about something because it seems too big for us to deal with, and yet we also feel it is something we SHOULD be dealing with.  The answer to this is to treat it in the same way as you would treat the task of eating an elephant (sorry to all of my vegetarian friends!) - break it down into bite sized pieces and then deal with each piece one at a time.  The big puzzle may seem too big for you to solve, but there are usually small pieces you can chip away and solve, eventually making that big problem very much smaller.  While you are dealing with one piece, again address the big worry.  Again thank it for showing your there is a problem which needs to be solved and tell it that you are dealing with it piece by piece.  Ask it to go away while you are solving each piece so that it does not stop the very process it wanted you to start.

You may find just the techniques I have given you above are enough to deal with all your fears, worries and anxieties.  But there are many people for whom this is simply not enough.  They find they are still worrying about things.  Often those worries and anxieties are "nameless".  They don't know what they are worrying about.  Worrying and being anxious has become such a habit that they simply cannot stop.  If you find you are one of these habitual worriers, then read on for what you can do once you have used the principal attacks on your worries.

Schedule some time each day to practise meditation, mindfulness exercises or yoga.  Ideally you should do this when you first wake in the morning and again just before you go to sleep at night.  I am not going to go through any meditation or yoga techniques in this article as that would probably turn it into a book!  Take a look and you will find plenty of material around - including in other articles in this blog.  Perhaps even invest in some books on the subject, subscribe to a course, join a local group.  Do anything - just as long as you take some action!  What you will find is that these techniques will help you relax and your nameless anxieties will gradually melt away.

Even regular physical exercise can help.  Having a hard work-out can make those worries, the ones not related to anything you can deal with, simply melt away.

Finally, do not underestimate the importance of staying socially engaged.  The support good friends can give you should not be underestimated.  Sometimes they can help you directly with the things that are worrying you if you take the trouble to ask for their help or advice.  Even when this is not the case you will find simply enjoying good company will lower your anxiety levels for no apparent reason at all.



Wednesday 28 September 2016

Angel in Disguise


Have you met an angel?

No, I am not joking.  This is a serious question.

The word "angel" derives from the Greek word "angelos", which means "messenger".  Typically, a messenger from God.  Or, if you prefer, a messenger from the Universe.  One who comes to tell us how we can play our rightful part in the Universal plan, and also how to become open to the good things God, or the Universe, wants to let us have.

Personally I believe in spiritual beings who are "personal angels", just as I believe in a spiritual being who is my "personal God".  But this is really only one small aspect of the concept of an angel, and you do not need to believe in angels as spiritual beings in order to gain enormous benefits through your interaction with angels.

An angel can easily be your next door neighbour.  A work colleague.  A relative.  A close personal friend.  If this person gives you a message from God or from the Universe, even if they do not realize they are giving you this message, then they are most certainly an angel.  An angel in disguise.  An angel who does not even realize he or she is an angel.  An angel who is flesh and blood just like you and me.

Let me answer the question I asked you.  No matter what you think I can assure you that you HAVE met an angel.  Not just one, but many angels.  And you will meet many more.  The angels you have met have probably always been in disguise, so perhaps you have not recognized them.  They have carried messages to you, but either you have not heard the message or, if you heard it, you have rejected it as nonsense.

Do you know the story of the time Abraham and Sarah met with angels?  Those angels promised them that Sarah would have a baby.  This was difficult for Abraham and Sarah to believe, as he was 99 and she was 90.  Imagine that - conceiving and giving birth at the age of 90!  But it happened anyway.

Although they found the message difficult to believe, at least Abraham and Sarah heard the message and knew it was from God.  And what had been promised happened 9 months later when Sarah gave birth to their son Isaac.

Maybe you believe this story from Genesis 18, or maybe you do not.  But whether or not you believe it, know for certain that angels are constantly giving you messages, all of them about very good things and all of them true.  Usually you need to be receptive to those messages in order to receive those good things from the Universe.  If you fail to hear the message, or refuse to believe it, then it is unlikely you will be able to receive the blessings God, or the Universe, really wants to give you.

Be more open.  Be more ready to receive the messages the Universe is constantly sending you.  Change your state in this way and you will be amazed at the way your life can change for the better.

Everyone on earth performs as an angel many times during their lifetime.  Again, usually without realizing that is what they are doing.  So if you feed someone who is hungry, clothe someone who is naked, visit someone who is in prison, you are doing those good things for an angel, a messenger from God.  And the Universe sees this and will bless you even more for doing it.

Finally, if everyone on earth performs as an angel many times, clearly that means that you too are an angel.  You are an angel in disguise.  You carry messages from God to those around you whether or not you realize you are doing so.  If you recognize this is happening, then you can tune yourself more clearly so those messages come through more strongly and so even more messages come through.  Just like tuning a radio properly so there is a clearer signal.  Become more in tune with the Universe, more in tune with your purpose in life and you will find not only are you helping those around you far more than you may have thought possible, but also you are becoming far more receptive to all the good the Universe wishes to give you.  This is perhaps one of the most important secrets of Manifestation, so learn it well!

Wednesday 21 September 2016

Reason for Being


Why am I here?

That is a question most of us ask ourselves at least once in our lives.  Actually, I hope it is a lot more than once, because when you ask a question often enough you usually get an answer, and the answer to this question is probably the most important answer you will ever get.

The Japanese call the answer to this question "Ikigai" - the reason for being.  In Okinawa people say that "ikigai" is the reason for getting up in the morning, which I feel is a very good way to think of it.

The answer to the question will change over time.  It is meant to.  Your purpose in life will vary according to many different factors, a lot of which are changing all the time.  The very core of the answer may be the same throughout your life, but the detailed way in which it is expressed will change.

For example, your answer may be "to make the world a better place".  A great answer!  But if you want to create a plan of what to do, it is probably not very helpful.  It is great as a spirit level to check the correctness of something you plan to do, but not actually to generate the idea in the first place.  You therefore need to dig deeper.

One good way of digging deeper, and finding your own true reason for living, is to create a series of 4 lists.  These should be headed as follows:

1 What do I love?
2 What am I good at?
3 What does the world need?
4 What can I be paid for?

Produce the lists in that order.

When you are producing each list, be as open as you possibly can be.  Write down all the ideas that come to you even if they seem silly.  Make sure the list is as long as you can make it.

The first half dozen ideas should be very easy and should come very quickly.  The next dozen or so probably won't come so quickly but should still not be too difficult.  But don't stop there.  Keep going.  You may find after you have produced a list of 20 you struggle to find any more.  Or perhaps that will happen when you get to 30.  Or maybe it happened even earlier at 10 or 15.  This will be different for each list and different for each person.  If you are an athlete you will know what I mean when I say you have reached "the wall".  You have got to that place where it seems impossible to go any further.  And it is by crossing that wall that an athlete really gets into the zone and goes on to win.  So cross the wall - spend time digging deep, as you may well find that the ideas that come up the other side of the wall are the most fruitful.

Produce all 4 lists in this way, but it is actually the first 2 that are key.  Three and four are vital, but you may find once you have produced one and two you can fill in three and four from ideas in one and two.

Take the first two lists, "What do I Love?" and "What am I Good at", and try to find items that are on both lists.  If you spent enough time and crossed the wall for both lists you will find a large number that are on both.  While you are doing this you are also allowed to cheat.  By this, I mean if you see an item on one list and cannot find it on the other, but feel instinctively it belongs there, then add it!

You are now going to create more lists.  Sorry about all these lists, but it is really important!  The first of these new lists is headed "Passion".  On your "Passion" list, write down everything that you have just identified are in lists one and two.

Now take lists 1 "What do I Love?" and 3 "What does the World Need?" and find any shared items on both these lists.  Copy these into a new list headed "Mission".

So, you now have a number of things that you love and that you are good at, which are all your passions, and a number of things you love and you believe the world needs, which are your missions.

Take list 2 now, "What am I good at?", and compare it with list 4 "What can I be paid for?".  Copy these into a new list, headed "Profession".

Then take list 3, "What does the world need?", and compare it with list 4 "What can I be paid for?".  Copy these into a new list, headed "Vocation".

Now you have 4 new lists:

a Passion
b Mission
c Profession
d Vocation

Look at all four of the new lists.  What items are on all 4?  Write each of these on a list headed "Reason for Being".

Some of the items that have ended up on "Reason for Being" may well surprise you.  You may never have thought of putting effort into them, but this "Reason for Being" exercise has highlighted them as very important.

What you do with this list is up to you.  Maybe it will prompt you to start a new career or a new business.  Maybe you will start a new hobby that ends up giving you some "pocket money".  Perhaps you will not make any radical changes but just slightly modify what you do and how you do it.  You may meditate, focussing on your "Reason for Being" list and see what arises from your meditation session.

I cannot promise you will suddenly make loads more money, or feel much more needed, or completely change your career.  But I can promise you that in one way or another you will change, subtly perhaps or maybe quite obviously, and that you will be better as a result.  And once you have performed this exercise, don't think the job is now done and never need be done again.  As I said at the outset, things change over time, and this "Reason for Being" process can be very valuably repeated many times over your life.

Wednesday 14 September 2016

Why You Need a Life Coach



Why do you need a life coach?  What does a life coach actually do?

Many people completely misunderstand the main purposes of a coach, and how the right coach can really help them achieve whatever it is they want to achieve.

First and foremost, a coach is not there to tell you what to do.  A good coach knows it is important for YOU to realize what you need to do.  At the stage where you are working out what to do, the coach will help you discover from inside yourself what it is you really want to do.

You may well think that is an unneccesary step.  After all, you already know what you want to achieve, don't you?

Well I would suggest you probably don't yet.  In earlier posts I have gone into great depth about ways to unearth your true desires.  You may now realize that very often (in fact, I would go as far as to say in most cases) what you initially think you want to achieve does not properly reflect your true inner desires.  As long as you are striving for something that is not fully aligned with your true inner desires it is like trying to swim or paddle against a very strong tide - maybe you will eventually get there, but only after a great deal of immensely hard struggle.  And when you DO get there you don't feel as satisfied as you ought to, as you haven't achieved what you really wanted anyway.

A good coach will therefore start with that.  What exactly is it that you want to achieve?  Is it truly aligned with your inner desires?  Each coach will have quite different ways of doing this, and often you will not even realize this is what they are doing, but the end result is the same: you recognize what you really want to achieve.

Even if this was all a coach did for you it would be well worth the time and money invested.  But for most coaches this is just the first step.

In order to get from where you are to where you want to be you have to take some action.  Yes, the Universe wants you to get there, and will provide an enormous amount of help for you to get there, but first you have to take action yourself.  What action?  Well here is where a good coach will help you take the next steps.  The coach will work with you to help you identify where you are starting from and what steps you need to take in order to move in the right direction.  It is not the case, though, that the coach will have a pre-prepared plan and simply give you that plan to follow.  Everyone has a slightly different goal from everyone else, even if the goals look quite similar, and everyone is starting from a different place.  By this, I don't just mean your own personal circumstances, albeit those circumstances are certainly extremely important.  But I also mean your state of mind, the strength of your desires, the spiritual strength you have.  What the coach will do is work with you to help you identify all these key factors so you start moving in the right direction.

Finally, but just as important as all the earlier steps, your coach will be there with you in spirit on your journey.  He or she will help you stay focussed, help you negotiate the many unexpected obstacles you will undoubtedly find along the way, help you prime yourself with the right motivation to continue that journey even when you may despair of ever reaching the goal you have defined.  The coach will be someone who will make you accountable.  We all need to be accountable to someone, even if that someone is just ourselves.  But having a coach makes it much less likely you will give up along the way and forget to be accountable.

I hope this article has helped you recognize the value a good coach can add to anyone's life.  Perhaps it has also made you recognize that you, too, could become a good coach and earn a very good living by helping others achieve their goals.  Let me know if this is the case and I will be happy to put you in touch with someone who can help you do exactly that!  Or try this page:

https://www.betterhelp.com/