Do you want to change the world? First you have to change yourself.
But the way to change both yourself and the world starts from the same basis.
Watch this video by Tony Robbins on the art of fulfilment and you will know how!
Friday, 29 June 2012
Saturday, 23 June 2012
Work Life Balance
Crashing the Myth of Work/Life Balance
Author:
Deborah Huso
Author Jon Gordon helps us find our happiness.
*****
Most of us live our lives like we’re on a tightrope, teetering between giving our all at work, giving our all to family, getting just enough sleep, and then doing it again the next day. We call it work/life balance. Excuse me. But do you really want to live like a tightrope walker hovering over the abyss?
Best-selling author Jon Gordon doesn’t. In his latest book, The Seed: Finding Purpose and Happiness in Life and Work, Gordon says the idea that we can achieve balance every day of our lives among our multiple responsibilities, passions and interests is just, well, crazy. “We experience guilt from wanting to be with the family we love, yet there is this pressure to be successful and make money,” he says.
Gordon suggests we let go of the idea of achieving balance and pursue “purpose and passion” instead. Strive to find joy and fulfillment in everything you do. Look at balance as a longer-term goal. Instead of trying to achieve it every day, work to achieve it over the course of a year.
“A lot of people who amass great financial wealth often have trouble with relationships at home,” he says. “Your wealth must include an abundance of relationships.” Give your all to work during your busy season; take extra time for family in the off-season. Engage yourself no matter where you are. When at work, work hard and love it. When with family, play hard and focus on your loved ones. Turn off the BlackBerry, and don’t answer the phone. He says finding time for both work and life is more about “rhythm” than balance.
*****
Most of us live our lives like we’re on a tightrope, teetering between giving our all at work, giving our all to family, getting just enough sleep, and then doing it again the next day. We call it work/life balance. Excuse me. But do you really want to live like a tightrope walker hovering over the abyss?
Best-selling author Jon Gordon doesn’t. In his latest book, The Seed: Finding Purpose and Happiness in Life and Work, Gordon says the idea that we can achieve balance every day of our lives among our multiple responsibilities, passions and interests is just, well, crazy. “We experience guilt from wanting to be with the family we love, yet there is this pressure to be successful and make money,” he says.
Gordon suggests we let go of the idea of achieving balance and pursue “purpose and passion” instead. Strive to find joy and fulfillment in everything you do. Look at balance as a longer-term goal. Instead of trying to achieve it every day, work to achieve it over the course of a year.
“A lot of people who amass great financial wealth often have trouble with relationships at home,” he says. “Your wealth must include an abundance of relationships.” Give your all to work during your busy season; take extra time for family in the off-season. Engage yourself no matter where you are. When at work, work hard and love it. When with family, play hard and focus on your loved ones. Turn off the BlackBerry, and don’t answer the phone. He says finding time for both work and life is more about “rhythm” than balance.
Sunday, 17 June 2012
Optimistic Outlook
Why An Optimistic Outlook Will Make You Healthy, Wealthy and More Popular!
By:Roger Elliott
You would think that headline is too big a claim to back up. Think again...
Optimism is a neglected topic. Since the advent of positive thinking, it has taken a back seat in personal development and therapy circles. But optimism is different to positive thinking, and what's more, learning how to do it buffers you against depression and anxiety and, unbelievably, makes you more likely to succeed in your chosen pursuits.
The trouble with optimism is that it is seen as something unchangeable. People tend to see themselves as either 'an optimist' or 'a pessimist', and these two extremes leave no room for anything in between.
In reality, you are an optimist to a degree, and this degree changes in different situations. What's more, you can deliberately alter the way you think to increase your optimism quotient. But why should you?
The Benefits of Optimism
In one study of elderly people, their perception of their own health was found to be more important in longevity than their actual health.
This article cites research that shows:
i) the immune systems of pessimists function less well than those of optimists
ii) optimists have greater life expectancy than pessimists.
And if that's not enough for you, how about this:
People like optimists more than they do pessimists.
How do we know that? Well aside from common sense that says we like to be around people that make us feel good - (your friend telling you "Everything's ruined and it's going to get worse" doesn't usually improve your day!) - here's an astounding bit of research...
In his book 'Learned Optimism', Martin Seligman talks about the research he and his team did into the optimism levels of American Presidents. 27 out of 29 winners of the presidential race were graded as more optimistic than their unsuccessful running opponent. I think we need say no more.
And on the subject of money, success and all that, consider these quotations:
"Success is 99% failure"
Soichiro Honda
"Genius is one percent inspiration, and ninety-nine percent perspiration."
Thomas Alva Edison
Pessimists give up more easily than optimists - after all, what's the point continuing with something if you think it will fail? Strong optimists press on and on, until they arrive at the place they 'knew' they would reach eventually - success. Or die trying.
Optimism in the Face of Adversity
The times when optimism really pays off are when you are faced with a life problem, challenge or setback. An optimistic thinking style at these times will increase your resilience, maintain hope and improve your chances of a successful or acceptable outcome.
Pessimism will tend to make you feel more anxious, depressed and hopeless, none of which will help you overcome obstacles, deal with tough situations or persevere with difficult projects.
"I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist."
Apart from the endless, moebius-like philosophical debate on reality that could be entered into at this point, there is another, much more pertinent reason why optimism beats pessimism any day.
There is some research to show that pessimists have a more accurate take on some situations than optimists. But not the sort of situations that really matter.
In a study of students after an exam, those who were shown to have a pessimistic thinking style guessed their performance more accurately than the optimists. All well and good.
But what about the ambiguous situation presented by a relationship difficulty for example? While the pessimist might have a more 'accurate' take on the reality of the situation, the optimist will tend to persevere, and so is much more likely to overcome the problem.
The pessimist is more likely to give up early. So who is better off? Well, as long as you think relationships are worthwhile (and you'd have to be a major pessimist to think they are not), the optimist of course!
And this applies in all sorts of uncertain situations - the stuff of which life is made.
Usefulness, not Accuracy
The thing is, optimism is simply much more useful than pessimism in the sphere of emotions, relationships and life in general. As mentioned above, learning optimism makes life more enjoyable. Period.
Optimism tends to engender pleasant emotions, while pessimism creates unpleasant ones. And that, in essence, makes for an enjoyable life.
At least I think it does.
Article by Roger Elliott, confirmed optimist.
Monday, 11 June 2012
Book Review
Personal Development Book Review
This month I am reviewing classics by three highly respected authorities in the field of personal development: Dale Carnegie, Steven Covey, and Norman Vincent Peale. Click on the title of any book that particularly interests you and you can buy it right away from Amazon.
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living
by Dale Carnegie
Even if you never buy another book, you should consider investing in this one. I read it while still in my teens, and 40 years later still find myself practising the eminently sensible advice Carnegie distilled into this marvellous book. It is ideal, obviously, for those who find themselves worrying and want to stop. But even those of us who do not normally worry about things will still find it filled with helpful advice. This is a must for everyone’s personal development bookshelf.
Here are some comments from other readers of this book:
“After a series of personal difficulties, I went to my GP for sleeping pills and anti-depressants. My GP declined to give me these and told me to buy this book instead. Less than impressed with my GP's advice, I bought it anyway. I read it cover to cover in a matter of days. It's clear, concise, factual and is backed up with case study upon case study upon case study. The advice it gives makes perfect sense. Unlike other 'self help' books, it's not full of 'wishy washy' spiritual blurb - it's common sense. The book is a little dated but then it was written in the fifties and there are a few religious tones here and there but don't let that deter you. The author gives excellent, practical steps on how to manage your stress and worries...and how to eliminate them completely. Since reading this book, I now sleep at night, I stop worrying about things and I am slowly turning my life around. I can't praise this book enough. If you buy one book in your life, make it this one.”
“After a series of personal difficulties, I went to my GP for sleeping pills and anti-depressants. My GP declined to give me these and told me to buy this book instead. Less than impressed with my GP's advice, I bought it anyway. I read it cover to cover in a matter of days. It's clear, concise, factual and is backed up with case study upon case study upon case study. The advice it gives makes perfect sense. Unlike other 'self help' books, it's not full of 'wishy washy' spiritual blurb - it's common sense. The book is a little dated but then it was written in the fifties and there are a few religious tones here and there but don't let that deter you. The author gives excellent, practical steps on how to manage your stress and worries...and how to eliminate them completely. Since reading this book, I now sleep at night, I stop worrying about things and I am slowly turning my life around. I can't praise this book enough. If you buy one book in your life, make it this one.”
- La Nobbre
“I first purchased this book a few months ago on a whim - I was feeling pretty down and felt I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders in worry. Just yesterday, I decided to have a look at How to Stop Worrying and Start Living properly, having seemingly "nothing" to do with my spare time - and how GREAT of a choice it was to read this book! I got so hooked that I finished it in one day!
I can already feel a complete change in my physical and mental attitude towards life - my happiness, my self-esteem and my judgement of what is even deemed worthy to worry about, after just ONE day! You will soon realise that even the toughest of emotional upsets and worries can be overcome using the techniques in this book. You just have to apply them! This book will change your whole worldview, creating a happier and less tense life. I read all of the chapters in this book, and highlighted and annotated the most relevant and memorable parts that I can apply to my life. I intend to re-visit this book often, to keep it clearly in my mind. I cannot make it any clearer - BUY THIS BOOK NOW!”
“I first purchased this book a few months ago on a whim - I was feeling pretty down and felt I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders in worry. Just yesterday, I decided to have a look at How to Stop Worrying and Start Living properly, having seemingly "nothing" to do with my spare time - and how GREAT of a choice it was to read this book! I got so hooked that I finished it in one day!
I can already feel a complete change in my physical and mental attitude towards life - my happiness, my self-esteem and my judgement of what is even deemed worthy to worry about, after just ONE day! You will soon realise that even the toughest of emotional upsets and worries can be overcome using the techniques in this book. You just have to apply them! This book will change your whole worldview, creating a happier and less tense life. I read all of the chapters in this book, and highlighted and annotated the most relevant and memorable parts that I can apply to my life. I intend to re-visit this book often, to keep it clearly in my mind. I cannot make it any clearer - BUY THIS BOOK NOW!”
- TheNathanA "Good and honest reviews."
“This is a fantastic read and has numerous helpful and practical tips to help you stop worrying. By applying some of these measures my life and wellbeing has changed for the better. This is a must have read.”
“This is a fantastic read and has numerous helpful and practical tips to help you stop worrying. By applying some of these measures my life and wellbeing has changed for the better. This is a must have read.”
- Sinead
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
by Steven Covey
Many reading this blog will already have Steven Covey’s classic on their bookshelf, but for those who do not, read this review by an enthusiastic reader:
“As the title of the book implies, Covey describes the seven habits of highly effective people and techniques for adopting the seven habits. Covey makes clear that an individual must make a paradigm shift before incorporating these habits into his/her own personal life. A paradigm is essentially the way an individual perceives something. Covey emphasizes that if we want to make a change in our lives, we should probably first focus on our personal attitudes and behaviors. He applies different examples via family, business, and society in general.
“As the title of the book implies, Covey describes the seven habits of highly effective people and techniques for adopting the seven habits. Covey makes clear that an individual must make a paradigm shift before incorporating these habits into his/her own personal life. A paradigm is essentially the way an individual perceives something. Covey emphasizes that if we want to make a change in our lives, we should probably first focus on our personal attitudes and behaviors. He applies different examples via family, business, and society in general.
This book's focal point is on an approach to obtain personal and interpersonal effectiveness. Covey points out that private victories precede public victories. He makes the example that making and keeping promises to ourselves comes before making and keeping promises to others.
Habits 1, 2, and 3 deal with self-mastery. They move an individual from dependency on others to independence. Habits 4, 5, and 6 deal with teamwork, cooperation, and communication. These habits deal with transforming a person from dependency to independence to interdependence. Interdependence simply means mutual dependence. Habit 7 embodies all of the other habits to help an individual work toward continuous improvement.
Habit 1 discusses the importance of being proactive. Covey states that we are responsible for our own lives; therefore, we possess the initiative to make things happen. He also points out that proactive people so not blame various circumstances for their behaviors but they realize behavior comes from one's conscious. Covey also explains that the other type of person is reactive. Reactive people are affected by their social as well as physical surroundings. This means that if the weather is bad, then it affects their behavior such as their attitude and performance.
He also explains that all problems that are experienced by individuals fall into one of three categories, which are direct control, indirect control, or no control. The problems that are classified under direct control are the problems that involve our own behavior. The problems classified as indirect control encompasses problems that we can do nothing about. The problems classified as no control are those that we can do nothing about.
Habit 2 focuses on beginning with the end in mind. Covey wants the reader to envision his/her funeral. This may sound disheartening but his goal is to help you think about the words that you wish to be said about you; it can help the individual visualize what you value the most. To begin with the end simply means to start with your destination in mind. That gives an individual a sense of where he/she presently is in their life. One has to know where they are going to make sure that they are headed in the right direction. Covey also mentions that the most effective way to begin with the end is by developing a personal mission statement. After doing that, you should identify your center of attention. Are you spouse centered, money centered, family centered, etc. The he tells you depending on you core of interest, your foundation for security, guidance, and power.
Habit 3 is the practical fulfillment of Habits 1 and 2. Covey accentuates that Habits 1 and 2 are prerequisite to Habit 3. He states that an individual cannot become principle centered developing their own proactive nature; or without being aware of your paradigms; or the capability of envisioning the contribution that is yours to make. One must have an independent will. This is the ability to make decisions and to act in accordance with them.
Habit 4 deals with the six paradigms of interaction, which are win/win, win/lose, lose/win, lose/lose, win, and win/win or no deal. Win/win is a situation in which everyone benefits something. It is not your way or my way; it is a better way. Win/lose declares that if I win then you lose. Simply put, I get my way; you don't get yours. Win/lose people usually use position, power, possessions, or personality to get their way. The win/lose type of person is the person that feels that if I lose; you win. People who feel this way are usually easy to please and find the strength of others intimidating. When two win/lose people get together both will lose resulting in a lose/lose situation. Both will try to get the upper end of the stick but in the end, neither gets anything. The person that simply thinks to win secures their own ends and leaves it up to others to secure theirs. The win/win or no deal person means that if there is not a suitable solution met that satisfies both parties then there is no agreement.
Habit 5 deals with seeking means of effective communication. This habit deals with seeking first to understand. However, we usually seek first to be understood. Most people to not listen with the intent to understand but with the intent to reply. The act of listening to understand is referred to as empathic listening. That means you try to get into the person's frame of mind and think as they are thinking.
Habit 6 discuses combining all of the other habits to prepare us for the habit of synergy. Synergy means that the sum of the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Possessing all of the habits will benefit an individual more than possessing one or two of them. Synergism in communication allows you to open your mind to new possibilities or new options.
Habit 7 involves surrounds the other habits because it is the habit that makes all of the others possible. It is amplifying the greatest asset you have which is yourself. It is renewing your physical, emotional, mental, and social nature. The physical scope involves caring for yourself effectively. Spiritual renewal will take more time. Our mental development comes through formal education. Quality literature in our field of study as well as other fields help to broaden our paradigms. Renewing the social dimension is not as time consuming as the others. We can start by our everyday interactions with people.
Moving along the upward spiral requires us to continuously learn, commit, and do on higher planes. This is essential to keep progressing. At the end of each habit, there are application suggestions or exercises that help you become a more effective person. This is definitely not a quick fix it book. The concepts should be studied in order to be fully achieved. I think if you learn to use these 7 habits, it will change your life.
This is a must-have book!”
This is a must-have book!”
- An Amazon customer
You Can If You Think You Can
by Norman Vincent Peale
“This book was recommended to me by a friend who received it as a Christmas gift. When I bought this book, I was going through a period of being very negative, both at work and at home. I was very cynical and didn't think that my life would change after reading one book ... how wrong I was. Dr Peale really puts life into perspective and makes you realise that there are no magic formulas but everything you need to be a positive person in right there in your head. There are lots of stories which lift you up and make you realise how lucky you are relative to others and they give you the confidence to believe in yourself and the confidence to change your life. He makes it very clear that if you want to change your life, it is up to YOU to change it - if you don't like something in your life the do something about it. He states lots of very simple and abvious things about life that are too easy to forget when you're in a rat race. At the end of each chapter he summarises the main learning points. He does talk about religion a bit, but this is not in any way preaching - he even says that you should take what you want from the comments about religion and ignore what you don't want. My attitude to life really has changed after reading this book (I can't believe I am writing this!) - I will not let my mind be polluted with negative thoughts, I love my job (the same job), I'm laughing and smiling at home and yes, I love life! If you want a more positive and happier life then BUY THIS BOOK!”
- Sunil
“In 1990, this was just one of three great books that turned my life from a tradgedy to success. Back in 1990, I had a huge business that came crashing down. I was jobless and pennyless. Dr Peale's excellent book and a book that I had read many years before turned my life around. Within weeks, I had found a brand new opportunity and within months my income was at a all time personal high. The other two books? They were "Think and Grow Rich" by Napolean Hill and More Wealth without Risk" by Charles Givens. I obviously highly endorse all three. The priciples work. Please don't make the same mistake I did--read it and pack it away! Read the books, take good notes, apply and reread at once a year. It's very true that what you don't use, you'll lose. I know it happened to me.”
“In 1990, this was just one of three great books that turned my life from a tradgedy to success. Back in 1990, I had a huge business that came crashing down. I was jobless and pennyless. Dr Peale's excellent book and a book that I had read many years before turned my life around. Within weeks, I had found a brand new opportunity and within months my income was at a all time personal high. The other two books? They were "Think and Grow Rich" by Napolean Hill and More Wealth without Risk" by Charles Givens. I obviously highly endorse all three. The priciples work. Please don't make the same mistake I did--read it and pack it away! Read the books, take good notes, apply and reread at once a year. It's very true that what you don't use, you'll lose. I know it happened to me.”
- An Amazon Customer
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Testimonial
I was so pleased to receive this e-mail recently from a young lady who downloaded the free e-books I am offering:
"I just wanna
say, although we've never met, you have NO idea how much the things you
send has been helping me and continue to do so. Is there any way I can help
you? Spread the word about your wonderful books and things!? Plz let me
know! I'd be honored to help and bring new clients your way! :) I'm
being serious. Reading these has almost completely turned things around
in me and my daughters lives! Astounding difference! Let me know if
theres anything I can do to help."
If you haven't yet received your own copies, it is really easy. Just put your name and e-mail address in the boxes on the top right, and I will send them to you, without charge and without obligation.
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
What is Hypnosis?
So, what IS hypnosis?
Here is a dictionary definition:
"Hypnosis is the induction of a state of consciousness in which a person loses the power of voluntary action and is tremendously conscious of suggestion or direction."
Here is a dictionary definition:
"Hypnosis is the induction of a state of consciousness in which a person loses the power of voluntary action and is tremendously conscious of suggestion or direction."
To go into a little more detail you could say that hypnosis is often over exaggerated. The term "Hypnosis" is used to describe a trance-like state.
However, in point of fact we all go in and out of mild “trances” every day; those moments when our minds wander and we daydream, even when we just shut the planet out and deeply focus on a book we are reading.
These are trance like states, and they are all natural and safe. Hypnosis simply puts you into one of these mild “trance” states purposefully, and over time the hypnotist plants simple, beneficial messages into your subconscious mind.
Although you might not remember everything which is said to you once you enter a trance you are not actually asleep. Hypnosis is a wakeful state in which you are both deeply relaxed but also have a heightened sense of awareness and are open to suggestion.
Because of this heightened mind-set you can use hypnosis to make changes within your mind which would be much harder with conscious coaching alone.
To sum up very briefly, it might be said that hypnosis gains access the subconscious mind to get rid of the negative beliefs which hinder personal development.
However, in point of fact we all go in and out of mild “trances” every day; those moments when our minds wander and we daydream, even when we just shut the planet out and deeply focus on a book we are reading.
These are trance like states, and they are all natural and safe. Hypnosis simply puts you into one of these mild “trance” states purposefully, and over time the hypnotist plants simple, beneficial messages into your subconscious mind.
Although you might not remember everything which is said to you once you enter a trance you are not actually asleep. Hypnosis is a wakeful state in which you are both deeply relaxed but also have a heightened sense of awareness and are open to suggestion.
Because of this heightened mind-set you can use hypnosis to make changes within your mind which would be much harder with conscious coaching alone.
To sum up very briefly, it might be said that hypnosis gains access the subconscious mind to get rid of the negative beliefs which hinder personal development.
What can hypnosis help?
Well, it’s almost a case of what can’t be done, or what can’t hypnosis be used for...
Hypnosis has a reputation of treating phobic disorders and fears, or at least this is the way it started out. It then began to be used with good results for weight reduction and stopping smoking.
Hypnosis is now used for the elimination of almost any unfavorable belief, it is used to help a wide range of health problems, and is massively effective for bettering self beliefs such as self-esteem and confidence.
It is possible to obtain these benefits by consulting with a hypnotherapist. This can, however, be a rather expensive way of doing so.
Hypnosis has a reputation of treating phobic disorders and fears, or at least this is the way it started out. It then began to be used with good results for weight reduction and stopping smoking.
Hypnosis is now used for the elimination of almost any unfavorable belief, it is used to help a wide range of health problems, and is massively effective for bettering self beliefs such as self-esteem and confidence.
It is possible to obtain these benefits by consulting with a hypnotherapist. This can, however, be a rather expensive way of doing so.
Nowadays it is possible to obtain benefits more economically through mp3 downloads. One firm pioneering this "self-help" hypnosis method is "Natural Hypnosis". You can try out their methods initially by downloading 3 albums for free. If you find them of benefit then you can go back to them and get something more particularly targeted to your own self-development aims.
Click here to claim your 3 free hypnosis downloads
Hypnosis is no miracle cure. In fact, by itself it is not a cure at all. If you feel you need a cure for anything then you should, of course, see your doctor. But if you are looking for a simple tool to help you by giving you a positive attitude and increased mental strength then using hypnosis can be a very effective addition to your armoury of self-help tools.
Click here to claim your 3 free hypnosis downloads
Hypnosis is no miracle cure. In fact, by itself it is not a cure at all. If you feel you need a cure for anything then you should, of course, see your doctor. But if you are looking for a simple tool to help you by giving you a positive attitude and increased mental strength then using hypnosis can be a very effective addition to your armoury of self-help tools.
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Get Motivated
How to get motivated: 4 NLP strategies that work
Author: Anna Aparicio
/mo·ti·va·tion/
1. The reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way
2. The general desire or willingness of someone to do something
3. *My own definition: the art of getting off your butt and getting stuff done
Because here is the thing: you may have a burning desire to do something, you may have the best will in the world, you may even know all the reasons why you should do it… but if you haven't done it yet, don't be surprised.
Getting motivated doesn't happen by coincidence or by miracle. Motivation is not something that some people have and others don't either. It is something we all do, consciously or unconsciously, everyday!
Motivation is not something you have or don't have; it is something you do
Take training, for example, notice I say training, and not exercising! We want to do it, we know it is good for us, we know it is going to make us look better and feel better… but after a hard day's work, when tiredness sets in, who would blame us for wanting to slouch on the couch and watch some TV while eating our favourite treat?
Well, think of taking a shower for a moment. Most of us do it every day. We don't wait until we are all stinky to clean ourselves. We do it because it is the right thing to do; it is time to take a shower.
We are able to do this because we have built up this good habit over the years through repetition. We do it at the same time, in the same place, following the same routine, which is so ingrained in our unconscious that we are barely aware of the process.
If you want to get to the point where your training routine goes as smoothly as your shower routine, start following the following NLP rules:
1# IDENTIFY EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT TO DO
Answer these questions:
What do you want specifically? When do you want it by? Where? With whom? What for? What will happen if you achieve that? What if you don't achieve that? Is it under your control? Is it worth it?
You see, when setting up goals, a lot of people do it wrong. They state what they want to have, not what they want to do; things like "I want to be slim", "I want a six pack" or "I want to have toned arms"… But, what do you want to do? Because it is as a result of you doing what you need to do that you will get to have what you want.
Your objective needs to be stated in a way that your brain understands it. And just like your computer, your brain needs 3 things: affirmative statements that are direct and very specific.
If you are just thinking it then it is not an objective, it is just a thought. So, put pen to paper and write your answers to the questions above.
If you don't know what you want, how will you know when you've got there?
2# MAKE A PLAN
Again, if you don't have a plan, all you have is a lovely thought. I suggest you get yourself a diary, an excel sheet, a calendar, whatever works for you, and devise your personal strategy. A strategy to suit your lifestyle, your working schedule, etc…
Keeping the end result in mind, what is the first step you need to take in order for you to do what you need to do? And after that? What's next? Do you have all the resources you need (resources are materials, books, money, people…), or do you need help?
If it's going to take you 12 weeks to get a six pack, set a date and work backwards from there. If you want to lose a stone in 3 weeks, do the same. Break your objective into smaller, more achievable chunks, so that this week you know exactly what you are doing with regards to training and nutrition, and you can focus on just that. As I tell my clients, it's one week at a time, one day at a time.
You see, now you have more than just a nice thought; now you have a plan of action. And believe it or not, this is what most people lack. It's hard to get motivated if you don't know what you want to get motivated for!
And what are you going to do when you are tired, sad, in a mad mood, frustrated…? You must put strategies in place, so when that happens, and it will, you know exactly what to do. You have to become a bit of a ninja!
3# FIND OUT WHAT FIRES YOU UP
There are a lot of things that we need to or should do, but that doesn't mean we do them. So I want you to try on the following sentences, simply add what you want to be able to do at the end.
For example, if you want to go to the gym every day at 6pm for an hour, try these on. Say them out loud:
I should go to the gym – I need to go to the gym – I have to go to the gym – I'd better go to the gym -
I could go to the gym – I can go to the gym – I will go to the gym – I'm going to the gym
Do this a few times and notice which one creates the strongest feeling within you, like you want to go do it. You've just unlocked your personal motivational language. Make sure you use it from now on!
4# IMAGINE YOURSELF SUCCEEDING
One of the main functions of the brain is to prove itself right. So, whatever you focus on is magnified, as the brain thinks it is an objective of yours. Also, the brain doesn't know the difference between a vividly imagined memory and reality. This is why if you want to do something, it's vital you imagine yourself doing it like this (read this NLP resource fully before you do it):
Think of yourself doing the thing you want to do, training in the gym, or whatever. When you think about it you may notice the thought to be at a certain distance from you, a certain size, and in a certain place. Just make sure you see yourself in it, looking happy, positive and really enjoying what you are doing.
Now, imagine the thought getting bigger and bigger until it's almost panoramic. Make sure it's big, bold and colourful, maybe add some sound to it, and notice how good you feel.
Now, imagine you can float outside of your body and into yourself in the image, so you can see through your eyes, hear through your ears and feel how good it feels to be doing what you are doing and loving it too! Intensify everything even more, so the colours are brighter, the sounds louder and the feelings stronger.
Now, tell yourself in your most motivating voice "Go For It!"
Now, take a deep breath through the nose and magnify the feelings so you feel even more motivated!
Repeat 3 times, first sitting down, and then standing up, and notice how you feel even more motivated!
It's vital that you build a propulsion system that makes you feel good and look forward to doing the things you want to do, so that you want to do them more and more. This is how you get to build up new more useful habits to last you a lifetime.
I've just shared 4 motivational strategies with you, that when you use them, they will help you get more stuff done and achieve more, faster. They can be applied in any area of your life. These strategies have helped transform some of my clients from couch potatoes into fitness freaks, so good luck to you!
About the Author
Anna Aparicio is regarded as Ireland's top female NLP/Hypnosis Life Coach. A Self-esteem and Confidence Expert, she has helped hundreds of women all around the world feel empowered, super confident, and lead happier more succesful lives. With a unique blend of Neuro-linguistic Programming, cutting edge personal development tools, and a contagious sense of humour and zest for life, Anna is renowned for getting results fast.
Thursday, 24 May 2012
Seven Secrets to Success
Standard Strategies On Exactly How To Turn Into An Effective Individual
Author: harry888
Self-help is written off by many, to be ineffective or a waste of time. In all likelihood, these critics have not paid attention to specific techniques that exist to pursue an organized, directed self-help strategy that slowly but surely, yields results. This article lists some of these techniques in a straightforward, easy-to-implement manner.
Create goals that are personalized to you. You aren't going to respond well to goals of another because only goals that are personalized to you take your personal limits and capabilities into consideration. If you are able to create goals tailored to you specifically, you will find it easier to reach your goals.
Have plenty of self confidence in yourself. Never doubt that you cannot do what you set out to do. Set realistic goals for yourself, things that are attainable and within your reach at the time. This will ensure that you never feel self conscious and always have plenty of self confidence.
There are seven secrets to success that will bring about true personal development. They are direction, destination, action, reaction, acceleration, completion and reproduction. Go through these steps in order and make sure to share your success with others. Success becomes more real to you when you can talk about it.
While the term "self-help" implies that you can lift yourself up by your bootstraps and better your life, you can never do this alone. Seek out colleagues and mentors who can give you wisdom or advice during crucial times. By building a network of supporters and asking for help, you make yourself better-equipped to help yourself and survive troubled situations.
Reach for goals that may be just out of your grasp. You will never grow unless you challenge the limits of your comfort zone. You do not want to try and attain impossible goals, but you do want to attempt new things. This is the only way that you will change and grow as a person.
If you focus too much on what you want, then you create reasons for why you can not have what you want. This leads you to dwell on your weaknesses. Rather, focus on gratitude. Every day, you should focus on things that you are grateful for. This will give you a positive outlook on life.
There are many ways to learn life's lessons. One way to learn a lot while at the same time helping others is by listening to other people. We all need a listening ear, and too many people do not take the time to do this. Listen to others, and you will see a marked difference in your life.
In order to really feel the need to make a change, you have to be dissatisfied with your current situation. If you are not completely happy, you will want to improve yourself. Just be cautious so that you are not getting down on yourself, but are giving yourself motivation for change.
Use mistakes as growing points. Everyone is going to make mistakes from time to time, whether serious or very minor. Either way you go, you have to understand that these mistakes are sometimes inevitable, and the best thing you can do is learn and grow from these mistakes, using them to propel yourself forward instead of letting them hold you back in frustration and discouragement.
Do not just react to whatever events are taking place in your life. Always be proactive more than reactive. Being reactive is just accepting whatever events come your way. Being proactive isn't just taking care of those events but also creating your own events. Stay away from just being reactive and become proactive.
A great personal development tip that every single person should really follow is to love yourself. Really truly love the person you are no matter what aspects of yourself you are upset with. Understand that you can always better yourself, but before you can, you have to really love yourself.
Don't forget to make time for yourself. No matter what your ultimate goals are, if you fail to make time for yourself you're most likely setting yourself up for failure. No one can do everything that life requires of them (work, family, etc) in addition to striving for personal goals if they don't periodically take a break and breathe.
When seeking to develop your personality it is key that you seek purity as opposed to seeking eloquence. In other words, seek wisdom that is both pure and powerful. Learn how to discern the difference between truth and wickedness. Once you distinguish the difference between these two you will gain both understanding and insight.
The tips listed in this article, provide a wonderful way for anyone to start a wonderful journey of self-help. Common criticisms of the self-help process are often rooted in the thought of self-help as unorganized or nonsensical; however, by using the tips in this article, you can direct yourself in a calculated manner and achieve your personal goals of improvement.
Sunday, 20 May 2012
Personal Development
What you have now, you have attracted by the person you have become.
Watch this video by Jim Rohn now and find out how you can change what you will attract in the future.
Watch this video by Jim Rohn now and find out how you can change what you will attract in the future.
Thursday, 17 May 2012
The Art of War
"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. Why on earth would I be talking about a book on strategies of warfare in a blog all about personal development and success? Especially considering my personal philosophy is that all war and violence is inherently wrong no matter what the provocation! The reason is simple: although Sun Tzu wrote his book as a treatise on military strategy it can actually be used by anyone to achieve almost any objective if they read it properly. Many successful business leaders have used "The Art of War" to achieve their business success. Some personal development coaches use it as the basis of their coaching - and charge their clients high fees for the privilege.
You can use "The Art of War" to improve your sporting ability, build a business, overcome personal challenges, widen your social circle, make bullies leave you alone, attract a member of the opposite sex (or, for that matter, the same sex) - in fact, for almost any challenge you may have in your personal or professional life. The secret, of course, is to read between the lines and adapt this treatise in your mind so it provides you with an appropriate strategy to achieve your desired goal.
You should begin by obtaining a copy of "The Art of War". This book is well out of copyright now, having been written well over 2,000 years ago. The English translation most accepted by academics was written by Lionel Giles, who died in 1958, so this version, too, is no longer copyright. There are many free versions now available on the internet, including at Project Gutenberg. One version with a typeface I find particularly easy to read is that published by Pax Librorum in 2009. You can download this version here (for free, of course!):
"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu
Once you have your copy, sit for a while thinking clearly about what you are trying to achieve. Then take your copy and begin reading it, identifying in your mind each section with your intended strategy. Make copious notes in your book, crossing out words and phrases and replacing them with ones appropriate to your own goal. Continue doing this, maybe not in one sitting, until you reach the end of the book. Then go back to the beginning again and begin writing out your own version, using your own changes you made to make the book fit your strategy. Now you will find you have a very good manual, totally personalised, which will help you make very good progress indeed with whatever strategy you have in mind.
The autosuggestion specialists, Subliminal MP3, have even come up with a subliminal MP3 you can use to ensure appropriate affirmations to help you achieve your goal are embedded in your subconscious. You could either use this on its own or in conjunction with the strategy I have outlined above. If you want to try the Subliminal MP3 you can obtain a copy here:
Subliminal MP3 of "The Art of War"
If you download this within the next three days, as a reader of my blog you will be entitled to a 30% discount. Just enter the following coupon code at the checkout:
ARTWAR234
Good luck with whatever strategy you have in mind for your copy of "The Art of War". And go in Peace!
You can use "The Art of War" to improve your sporting ability, build a business, overcome personal challenges, widen your social circle, make bullies leave you alone, attract a member of the opposite sex (or, for that matter, the same sex) - in fact, for almost any challenge you may have in your personal or professional life. The secret, of course, is to read between the lines and adapt this treatise in your mind so it provides you with an appropriate strategy to achieve your desired goal.
You should begin by obtaining a copy of "The Art of War". This book is well out of copyright now, having been written well over 2,000 years ago. The English translation most accepted by academics was written by Lionel Giles, who died in 1958, so this version, too, is no longer copyright. There are many free versions now available on the internet, including at Project Gutenberg. One version with a typeface I find particularly easy to read is that published by Pax Librorum in 2009. You can download this version here (for free, of course!):
"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu
Once you have your copy, sit for a while thinking clearly about what you are trying to achieve. Then take your copy and begin reading it, identifying in your mind each section with your intended strategy. Make copious notes in your book, crossing out words and phrases and replacing them with ones appropriate to your own goal. Continue doing this, maybe not in one sitting, until you reach the end of the book. Then go back to the beginning again and begin writing out your own version, using your own changes you made to make the book fit your strategy. Now you will find you have a very good manual, totally personalised, which will help you make very good progress indeed with whatever strategy you have in mind.
The autosuggestion specialists, Subliminal MP3, have even come up with a subliminal MP3 you can use to ensure appropriate affirmations to help you achieve your goal are embedded in your subconscious. You could either use this on its own or in conjunction with the strategy I have outlined above. If you want to try the Subliminal MP3 you can obtain a copy here:
Subliminal MP3 of "The Art of War"
If you download this within the next three days, as a reader of my blog you will be entitled to a 30% discount. Just enter the following coupon code at the checkout:
ARTWAR234
Good luck with whatever strategy you have in mind for your copy of "The Art of War". And go in Peace!
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Bouncing Back
How people who have faced life's toughest challenges found the strength to keep on going-- and how you, too, can develop your resilience muscle.
By Melissa Balmain
No matter what troubles you face, at work or at home, it’s worth asking youself one question: What would Howie Truong do?
In 1977, as Truong fled postwar Vietnam with his wife, baby son and several other people, their motorboat was captured by pirates. The pirates forced everyone aboard their own boat; although brusque toward the adults, they doted on the baby and tried to buy him. After a few days, they shoved Truong into the sea. He nearly drowned before he was rescued by fishermen. Weeks later, in Thailand, he learned that his wife’s body had washed ashore; he would spend 34 years wondering what had happened to his son.
How in the world did Truong survive the grief that followed his ordeal? How did he move to America, become an expert metalworker, remarry, raise four more children, and eventually find his firstborn? Truong, handsome and dark-haired at 54, smiles in his living room in West Henrietta, N.Y. “I told myself, ‘Get going,’ ” he replies emphatically. “ ‘Life has to go on.’ ”
If you think Truong’s story has little to do with your own, think again. Resilience like his can be learned, experts say. And it can help you through just about any setback—a blow to your business or health, for instance; a death, a divorce, a disaster.
“Resilience is very important in today’s uncertain world,” says Harvard psychologist Robert Brooks, Ph.D., author of The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence, and Personal Strength in Your Life. It’s a trait worth nurturing even when all is well, he believes, so you’ll be better prepared for a crisis. But if hard times have already knocked you down, it’s not too late to bounce back. “There are certain outlooks and skills we can develop,” Brooks says, “so that regardless of what the adversity or challenge may be, we are able to deal with it.”
And who better to coach us than Truong and others who have endured life at its worst?
In 1977, as Truong fled postwar Vietnam with his wife, baby son and several other people, their motorboat was captured by pirates. The pirates forced everyone aboard their own boat; although brusque toward the adults, they doted on the baby and tried to buy him. After a few days, they shoved Truong into the sea. He nearly drowned before he was rescued by fishermen. Weeks later, in Thailand, he learned that his wife’s body had washed ashore; he would spend 34 years wondering what had happened to his son.
How in the world did Truong survive the grief that followed his ordeal? How did he move to America, become an expert metalworker, remarry, raise four more children, and eventually find his firstborn? Truong, handsome and dark-haired at 54, smiles in his living room in West Henrietta, N.Y. “I told myself, ‘Get going,’ ” he replies emphatically. “ ‘Life has to go on.’ ”
If you think Truong’s story has little to do with your own, think again. Resilience like his can be learned, experts say. And it can help you through just about any setback—a blow to your business or health, for instance; a death, a divorce, a disaster.
“Resilience is very important in today’s uncertain world,” says Harvard psychologist Robert Brooks, Ph.D., author of The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence, and Personal Strength in Your Life. It’s a trait worth nurturing even when all is well, he believes, so you’ll be better prepared for a crisis. But if hard times have already knocked you down, it’s not too late to bounce back. “There are certain outlooks and skills we can develop,” Brooks says, “so that regardless of what the adversity or challenge may be, we are able to deal with it.”
And who better to coach us than Truong and others who have endured life at its worst?
Pulling Yourself Forward
Getting flattened by adversity is, of course, as common as adversity itself. Inertia, self-pity, junk-food binges: All are par for the course, experts say, and nothing to beat yourself up about. “I think of grief as ebbing and flowing rather than as a distinct phase that ends,” says Karen Reivich, Ph.D., co-director of the Penn Resiliency Project at the University of Pennsylvania, which trains soldiers and others to manage stress. The more time passes after a major loss—of a job, a loved one, or home—the more you’ll feel able to get up and at ’em, Reivich says. “The good periods get longer and the others, shorter.” The trick is to take advantage of those good periods. “If there’s that voice inside you that says, ‘I don’t want to get out of bed, but I probably could,’ listen to that voice,” Reivich says. “Sometimes you may need to give yourself a little pep talk—‘I know I don’t feel like getting up, but if I get going it’s going to feel better than if I don’t get going.’ ”
Listening to those who love you is important, too: the buddy who says, “Grab your coat—we’re taking you out.” The brother who insists you start writing a new résumé. “Rely on people that you trust, who know you and know your style, to help pull you forward a bit,” Reivich says.
Another powerful pulling force: obligation. For many who find themselves unemployed or bereaved, a desire to “be strong” for children or a spouse can help. For Truong, what yanked him free of despair—and of drinking himself to sleep—was remembering his role in his family. “In my country, the big brother is the main guy to take care of sisters and brothers,” he says. After his nightmare at sea, he went to a Thai refugee camp. Then an uncle sponsored him to come to Louisiana. Within seven months of losing his wife and son, Truong was studying welding in upstate New York (home of his in-laws), determined to earn money, and bring his parents and seven siblings from Vietnam to live with him. “Sometimes I would buy beer, try to forget the past, but then that wasn’t good,” he says. “I said to myself, ‘Go out, learn something. Keep busy.’ ” Burying himself in his studies—and, later, his career—distracted him from his woes for long stretches and filled him with hope.
Listening to those who love you is important, too: the buddy who says, “Grab your coat—we’re taking you out.” The brother who insists you start writing a new résumé. “Rely on people that you trust, who know you and know your style, to help pull you forward a bit,” Reivich says.
Another powerful pulling force: obligation. For many who find themselves unemployed or bereaved, a desire to “be strong” for children or a spouse can help. For Truong, what yanked him free of despair—and of drinking himself to sleep—was remembering his role in his family. “In my country, the big brother is the main guy to take care of sisters and brothers,” he says. After his nightmare at sea, he went to a Thai refugee camp. Then an uncle sponsored him to come to Louisiana. Within seven months of losing his wife and son, Truong was studying welding in upstate New York (home of his in-laws), determined to earn money, and bring his parents and seven siblings from Vietnam to live with him. “Sometimes I would buy beer, try to forget the past, but then that wasn’t good,” he says. “I said to myself, ‘Go out, learn something. Keep busy.’ ” Burying himself in his studies—and, later, his career—distracted him from his woes for long stretches and filled him with hope.
Taking Control
Any positive step you take after a major loss, in fact, can curb anxiety and keep you moving forward. “One basic finding in resilience research is that resilient people will focus on what they have control over,” Brooks says.
Something as simple as cooking a good meal can make you feel less helpless. So can taking a brisk walk, playing a musical instrument or writing a step-by-step plan for getting what you want. “When people feel overwhelmed, being able to break up a task in shorter- or longer-term goals is very important,” says Brooks, who has known plenty of overwhelming times himself. “I’ve always liked to put a couple of easy things at the top of my to-do lists, so I could check them off quickly. I know it’s only a mind game, but seeing a few things checked off, I could say, ‘OK! At least I got this out of the way.’ ” Making backup plans and lists is important as well, to buoy your spirits if Plan A doesn’t pan out.
Even at the most basic level, seizing control may help. Three years ago, financial planner Carl Richards found himself—ironically—in financial hot water after the stock market crashed and the housing bubble popped. He and his family wound up losing their $575,000 house in Las Vegas. Richards’ main way of handling the stress was to ride his mountain bike—and focus on his breathing. “It was kind of empowering to realize everything else may be out of control, but I can control my breath,” says Richards, who has since written The Behavior Gap: Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money, and moved with his family to a rented home in Park City, Utah. “It gave me a sense of stability and ‘I can do this the next minute and the next, and doors will keep opening for me.’ It gave me the ability to say, ‘I can make the tough decisions. I can face this other stuff.’ ”
Something as simple as cooking a good meal can make you feel less helpless. So can taking a brisk walk, playing a musical instrument or writing a step-by-step plan for getting what you want. “When people feel overwhelmed, being able to break up a task in shorter- or longer-term goals is very important,” says Brooks, who has known plenty of overwhelming times himself. “I’ve always liked to put a couple of easy things at the top of my to-do lists, so I could check them off quickly. I know it’s only a mind game, but seeing a few things checked off, I could say, ‘OK! At least I got this out of the way.’ ” Making backup plans and lists is important as well, to buoy your spirits if Plan A doesn’t pan out.
Even at the most basic level, seizing control may help. Three years ago, financial planner Carl Richards found himself—ironically—in financial hot water after the stock market crashed and the housing bubble popped. He and his family wound up losing their $575,000 house in Las Vegas. Richards’ main way of handling the stress was to ride his mountain bike—and focus on his breathing. “It was kind of empowering to realize everything else may be out of control, but I can control my breath,” says Richards, who has since written The Behavior Gap: Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money, and moved with his family to a rented home in Park City, Utah. “It gave me a sense of stability and ‘I can do this the next minute and the next, and doors will keep opening for me.’ It gave me the ability to say, ‘I can make the tough decisions. I can face this other stuff.’ ”
Finding a Team
When dealing with your own problems, resist the urge to isolate yourself. Join a support group. Keep up your social life. Don’t be shy about asking a neighbor to watch your kids while you go to an interview. “The myth of resilience is you go it alone,” Reivich says. “But resilience is really a team sport rather than an individual sport. Those people who have a board of advisers, a close-knit group—those people do better.”
No one knows this more than Jennifer Loredo, a master sergeant in the Army. In 2010, while she and her husband, Edwardo, were serving in Afghanistan, a roadside bomb left her a single mother of two. Back in the United States, Loredo began seeking other widows to talk with; some were part of a military support group, some not. “It just felt really like a relief almost, like I’m not alone in this—other people are going through it and they’re OK,” says Loredo, who lives in Fayetteville, N.C. “It kind of confirmed that my kids and I were going to come out OK.”
No one knows this more than Jennifer Loredo, a master sergeant in the Army. In 2010, while she and her husband, Edwardo, were serving in Afghanistan, a roadside bomb left her a single mother of two. Back in the United States, Loredo began seeking other widows to talk with; some were part of a military support group, some not. “It just felt really like a relief almost, like I’m not alone in this—other people are going through it and they’re OK,” says Loredo, who lives in Fayetteville, N.C. “It kind of confirmed that my kids and I were going to come out OK.”
Counting Your Blessings
Odd as it may sound, something else that has helped Loredo—and countless others in desperate straits—is gratitude. Each night before bed, Loredo takes a few minutes to recall three pleasant moments of her day. She often jots notes on how they made her feel, what made them happen and how she might make such things happen again. One recent note was about learning that her 14-year-old daughter had aced an English test, another about hearing her 4-year-old son say, “Mommy, you’re beautiful.” Research suggests that this habit of reflection, taught to her by Reivich (from the Penn Resiliency Project), reduces symptoms of depression. “In the beginning it’s kind of hard to come up with three good things that happened every day,” Loredo says. “But after you do it for a while, you find yourself realizing there is a lot of good in your life and it definitely outweighs the bad.” Partly as a result, she now tries harder to let family and friends know she treasures them: “It could be something as little as telling my mom that I love her and I appreciate the time we spent together the last time I was home.”
All of which fits a common and welcome pattern known as “post-traumatic growth.” “We’re all familiar with post-traumatic stress,” Reivich says. “But in post-traumatic growth, when people emerge on the other side of something horrible, they know what their passions are. They have a new commitment to life and a greater sense of spirituality and faith. It doesn’t take away the suffering they feel, but some people experience this renewed sense of going after what matters in life. Research would support that that’s a critical part of healing and resilience.”
All of which fits a common and welcome pattern known as “post-traumatic growth.” “We’re all familiar with post-traumatic stress,” Reivich says. “But in post-traumatic growth, when people emerge on the other side of something horrible, they know what their passions are. They have a new commitment to life and a greater sense of spirituality and faith. It doesn’t take away the suffering they feel, but some people experience this renewed sense of going after what matters in life. Research would support that that’s a critical part of healing and resilience.”
Lending a Hand
For Celeste Peterson, what matters in life is what mattered to her daughter. Erin Peterson was among 32 students and faculty shot to death in 2007 by a deranged student at Virginia Tech. More than anything, Erin—who died at 18—had wanted to work for a nonprofit that improves people’s lives. So now that’s what Peterson does. With donations that poured in after Erin’s death, she co-runs a program for at-risk boys who attend Erin’s high school in Fairfax County, Va. She takes the boys on outings, brings in speakers to inspire them, and gives them scholarships for books if they’re accepted to college. “It keeps my mind going,” she says. “I don’t just sit there and act pitiful. I don’t have the time to just feel sorry for myself.”
Helping others is a great way to boost your resilience, studies show. Like religion and spirituality, it can give you a sense of community. Like paid work, it can bolster your belief that you have a positive effect on the world. “This belief reinforces a sense of purpose to one’s existence,” Brooks has written, “thereby impacting positively on emotional and physical health.”
Peterson says amen to that: “Working with the boys does give me a sense of purpose. It’s like I can hear Erin in my head, saying, ‘Come on, Mom, we’ve got a job to do.’ ”
Helping others is a great way to boost your resilience, studies show. Like religion and spirituality, it can give you a sense of community. Like paid work, it can bolster your belief that you have a positive effect on the world. “This belief reinforces a sense of purpose to one’s existence,” Brooks has written, “thereby impacting positively on emotional and physical health.”
Peterson says amen to that: “Working with the boys does give me a sense of purpose. It’s like I can hear Erin in my head, saying, ‘Come on, Mom, we’ve got a job to do.’ ”
Accepting and Adapting
Another key to climbing beyond self-pity, experts say, is a willingness to reinvent yourself. Anna Hovind of Atlanta learned the truth of this six years ago, after losing her longtime position as a newsroom manager at CNN. Although her layoff came soon after her 25-year marriage dissolved, she found the divorce from her job even harder. And it wasn’t just because she missed the office camaraderie and excellent health benefits. “Before I got downsized, all I had to do was say, ‘I work at CNN,’ and people were like, ‘Wow’—and all of a sudden I didn’t have that,” she says. “I was just like an ordinary Joe on the street and that was a little bit of a challenge.” After she found a new job in broadcast public relations, she continued struggling with her relative obscurity. But as she mastered the duties of an unfamiliar field, Hovind found a fresh identity to take pride in: that of the plucky middle-aged professional who could compete with people in their 20s. “I kind of shook the dust of CNN off my sandals,” she says. “I said, ‘I’m done grieving for what I lost, and this is my new reality.’ ”
Tricia Downing can relate. In 2000, she was a cyclist who rode in races throughout the country. Then a bike accident left her paralyzed from the chest down. Downing threw herself into rehab and—on top of learning how to care for herself—mastered the challenge of using a handcycle and a racing chair. As a para-athlete, she finished 68 marathons and triathalons and many other races between 2001 and 2011. Now she’s training to make the U.S. Paralympic rowing team. “If I had thought, ‘Gosh, I can never come back from this injury,’ I probably wouldn’t have,” says Downing, who lives in Denver and has become a motivational speaker. “In the beginning I did have those thoughts, but I let them dissipate. I realized, ‘I can’t do things the same way I used to do them—I just have to find different ways.’ Telling yourself, ‘I can do this’ is really important to being resilient.” Another mantra that keeps her going on the racecourse and off: “Ride your own race.” Instead of comparing herself to others, Downing takes pride in beating personal records. “What it comes down to is focusing on what you do have and not what you don’t have,” she says. And by her own estimation, she has a lot: A nice house. Lucrative work. A loving husband she met seven years ago. And, of course, the biceps of an Amazon. “I feel accomplished,” Downing says. “I feel like I stared down a demon and I won.”
Tricia Downing can relate. In 2000, she was a cyclist who rode in races throughout the country. Then a bike accident left her paralyzed from the chest down. Downing threw herself into rehab and—on top of learning how to care for herself—mastered the challenge of using a handcycle and a racing chair. As a para-athlete, she finished 68 marathons and triathalons and many other races between 2001 and 2011. Now she’s training to make the U.S. Paralympic rowing team. “If I had thought, ‘Gosh, I can never come back from this injury,’ I probably wouldn’t have,” says Downing, who lives in Denver and has become a motivational speaker. “In the beginning I did have those thoughts, but I let them dissipate. I realized, ‘I can’t do things the same way I used to do them—I just have to find different ways.’ Telling yourself, ‘I can do this’ is really important to being resilient.” Another mantra that keeps her going on the racecourse and off: “Ride your own race.” Instead of comparing herself to others, Downing takes pride in beating personal records. “What it comes down to is focusing on what you do have and not what you don’t have,” she says. And by her own estimation, she has a lot: A nice house. Lucrative work. A loving husband she met seven years ago. And, of course, the biceps of an Amazon. “I feel accomplished,” Downing says. “I feel like I stared down a demon and I won.”
Forgiving, But Not Necessarily Forgetting
It’s easy after a major setback to be angry—at the spouse who dumped you, the driver who hit you, the boss who derailed your career. Yet one of the most important parts of resilience, experts say, is deciding to forgive. This shouldn’t be confused with forgetting, minimizing or denying hurtful actions, Brooks says. “Rather,” he explains, “forgiveness ensures that our lives are not dominated by intense anger and thoughts of revenge that lessen our own happiness.”
And here, again, we look to Howie Truong.
As the decades passed, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his stolen child, Khai, was still alive. The pirates had been too fond of the boy to have killed him, he believed. Last summer, after years of fruitless attempts to find him long-distance, Truong got his family’s blessing to take an extended trip to Thailand. Incredibly, thanks in large part to his dogged questioning of strangers and to help from Thai officials and media, he found Khai in a month. He turned out to be a father of two known as Samart Khumkhaw, who worked on a rubber plantation near the home of the couple who—apparently ignorant of his kidnapping—had adopted him when he was a baby.
Now Khumkhaw, on his first visit to the United States, sits with Truong in his living room. Father and son have matching eyes, matching mustaches, and, above all, matching infectious grins. Truong, the only one adept at English, does most of the talking.
One thing he realized during his trip to Thailand, he says, is he could easily track down the pirates and press charges against them. But he won’t. “I figure if I forgive them now,” he says, “later somebody will forgive me for something.” He glances at his recovered son, eyes widening as if he still can’t believe he is right beside him. “He was lost for 34 years. It’s time for me to make up for that.”
And here, again, we look to Howie Truong.
As the decades passed, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his stolen child, Khai, was still alive. The pirates had been too fond of the boy to have killed him, he believed. Last summer, after years of fruitless attempts to find him long-distance, Truong got his family’s blessing to take an extended trip to Thailand. Incredibly, thanks in large part to his dogged questioning of strangers and to help from Thai officials and media, he found Khai in a month. He turned out to be a father of two known as Samart Khumkhaw, who worked on a rubber plantation near the home of the couple who—apparently ignorant of his kidnapping—had adopted him when he was a baby.
Now Khumkhaw, on his first visit to the United States, sits with Truong in his living room. Father and son have matching eyes, matching mustaches, and, above all, matching infectious grins. Truong, the only one adept at English, does most of the talking.
One thing he realized during his trip to Thailand, he says, is he could easily track down the pirates and press charges against them. But he won’t. “I figure if I forgive them now,” he says, “later somebody will forgive me for something.” He glances at his recovered son, eyes widening as if he still can’t believe he is right beside him. “He was lost for 34 years. It’s time for me to make up for that.”
Five More Secrets of Resilient People
1. Keep a journal and read through it now and then. You’ll spot trends you may want to address (“I’m always sad around 6 p.m.”), and feel proud when you read of obstacles you’ve since overcome.
2. Think about what your greatest strengths of character are—from kindness to persistence to a knack for humor. Then brainstorm approaches to your problems that revolve around those strengths.
3. Don’t shield your partner or spouse from hard decisions you face. If you make them together, it will be easier for you both to live with the consequences.
4. As much as possible, even when times are hard, lift your spirits by keeping up with favorite hobbies or pastimes.
5. Stop asking, “Why me?” and start asking, “Why not me? How am I going to handle this? How do I help other people handle it?”
2. Think about what your greatest strengths of character are—from kindness to persistence to a knack for humor. Then brainstorm approaches to your problems that revolve around those strengths.
3. Don’t shield your partner or spouse from hard decisions you face. If you make them together, it will be easier for you both to live with the consequences.
4. As much as possible, even when times are hard, lift your spirits by keeping up with favorite hobbies or pastimes.
5. Stop asking, “Why me?” and start asking, “Why not me? How am I going to handle this? How do I help other people handle it?”
Sunday, 13 May 2012
Meditation
The Practice of Meditation
by Sri N.Ananthanarayanan
(Reproduced by kind permission of Swami Padmanabhananda, the Divine Life Society)
A baby's eyes are riveted on a flower or a butterfly. It keeps looking at the object with unwinking eyes, eyes full of wonder, for minutes together.
A mother calls her teenage daughter to go and have lunch, but there is no response. The call is repeated twice, thrice; still there is no response. The girl just does not hear, though her ears are very much open. Nor is she deaf. What could be the reason, then, for her not hearing? Her mind is immersed in a Sherlock Holmes or a Harold Robbins; her eyes are glued to the lines; her face is buried in the book.
In the dilapidated building of an elementary school, the class is on. The teacher explains something and then asks the children, "Did it enter?". There is an instant response from the backmost bench: "Only the tail has not entered yet!". The earnest voice belongs to a boy who has been all along intently watching the struggle of a rat to wriggle out of the class room through a hole in the wall. It has managed to squeeze in its body, but its tail is still not gone in. Perhaps the hole is blocked.
These are everyday examples of concentration. Attention, concentration, meditation-these are different degrees of the same process. It is fixing the mind on a single object or idea to the exclusion of everything else.
In his book, "Concentration and Meditation", holy Master Sivananda presents a most beautiful scene to illustrate what is meant by concentration. In this, Dronacharya tests the power of concentration of his students, the Pandavas. A basin of water is placed on the ground. Above, a clay bird is kept rotating. The archer hat to hit the bird by looking at its reflection in the water.
Drona: "O Yudhishthira, what do you see?"
Yudhishthira: "O Acharya (teacher), I see the bird to be aimed at, the tree on which it is sitting and yourself also."
Drona: "What do you see, Bhima?"
Bhima: "I see the bird, the tree, yourself, Nakula, Sahadeva, the tables and chairs, etc."
Drona: "What do you see, Nakula?"
Nakula: "I see the bird, the tree, yourself, Arjuna, Bhima, the garden, the streamlet, etc."
Drona: "What do you see, Sahadeva?"
Sahadeva: "I see the bird to be aimed at, yourself, Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishthira, the horses, carriages, all the onlookers, several cows, etc."
Drona: "Now then, Arjuna, what do you see?"
Arjuna: "O Revered Guru! I see nothing but the bird to be aimed at."
That is concentration. Arjuna's is the power of concentration. Concentration, when developed, becomes meditation.
Yoga is an exact science. Asanas and Pranayama (Yoga postures and breathing exercises) perfect the body. Service and charity expand the heart. Prayer, Japa (repetition of the Lord’s Name), Kirtan (singing devotional songs) and other devotional practices purify the mind and make it more subtle. The aspirant is now fully equipped for the last lap of the journey. It is the toughest part of the pilgrimage to God. It is full of darkness and the aspirant has to pierce this darkness with his purified mind. The purified mind is the most dependable weapon in the armoury of the spiritual aspirant.
The purified mind must be made to concentrate. Concentration is mental focussing. The mind can be focussed on a concrete object or an abstract idea. For a novice, concentration becomes easy if the object of concentration is concrete. Also, the beginner should choose a pleasing object on which to concentrate. Only thus can he prevent the mind from wandering away from the object of concentration. To start with, concentration can be practised on the flame of a candle, the tick-tick sound of a clock, the star in the sky, the picture of OM or the picture of one's lshta Devata (personal God). This should be followed by concentration on a suitable spiritual centre within the body. The Sadhak may concentrate with closed eyes on the space between is the eyebrows or on the tip of the nose. There is nothing which cannot be achieved by concentration.
Concentration should be followed by meditation. Meditation is nothing but protracted or sustained concentration. A scientist has to concentrate on a problem, on a given subject, on a riddle, to bring out the answer, to solve it. He has to think, think and think. Then only the answer flashes forth. Likewise, meditation is intense concentration, concerted concentration on the problem of life, on the problem of the inexplicable triad of God, man and the universe. While concentration becomes essential even to solve small problems in science, what to speak of the problem of life which has baffled humanity since time immemorial? The Sadhak (aspirant) who wants God must meditate, meditate and meditate.
Meditation can be practised on any image of the Lord. This is concrete meditation. After some practice, the aspirant will be able to visualise the form of the image even with closed eyes. Meditation can also be practised on abstract ideas and on various Vedantic formulae such as "I am Eternity", "I am Infinity" and so on.
Reading of profound scriptural texts like the Upanishads and the Brahma Sutras (revealed texts of the Hindus) requires intense concentration. Such reading itself is a mild form of meditation. It should be followed by contemplation on what was read. Repeated meditation on a single idea will bring out a wealth of knowledge on that idea.
While meditating on a particular object or idea, various extraneous thoughts will try to enter the mind of the aspirant and interfere with his meditation. The aspirant should ignore these extraneous thoughts, be indifferent to them and repeatedly try to concentrate on the object of his meditation. Gradually, the frequency of interruption will be reduced and a time will come when meditation will give uninterrupted peace and bliss.
Meditation is digging deep into the mine of truth and wisdom. Swamiji asks the Sadhak to meditate and bring put his own Gita and Upanishads. Says the Master: "There is no knowledge without meditation. An aspirant churns his own soul. Truth becomes manifest".
Meditation confers peace and strength. Sivananda affirms that half an hour's meditation is sufficient to enable the aspirant to smilingly pass through a whole week's life in this world of problems and misery.
Meditation must be regular. Whenever the Sattvic (a state of calmness and purity) mood manifests and divine thought-currents begin to flow, the aspirant must sit down for meditation. Brahmamuhurtha (period between 4 am and 6 am), says the Master, is the ideal time for meditation. Why? He gives the answer:
"There is Sattva in the atmosphere
In Brahmamuhurtha.
The atmosphere is calm
And the world is asleep.
The Raga-Dvesha (like-dislike) currents
Have not yet started flowing in your mind.
You are just returning from deep sleep
When you enjoyed bliss without objects;
You can then easily convince the mind
That real happiness is within.
Only Yogis, Jnanis (wise man) and sages are awake at this time.
You will be greatly benefited by their thought currents.
Never miss the Brahmamuhurtha even for a day."
It is not possible to meditate the whole day. Without variety, the mind, especially of a beginner, will get tired . It is necessary to guard against this possibility. It is important that the aspirant should be protected from the monotony of one-sided spiritual practice leading to reaction and a return to worldly activity with a vengeance. The beauty of divine life lies in the fact that the seriousness of meditation is tempered with the joy of Kirtan, the happiness and strength of service, the peace of Japa and the understanding of Svadhyaya (reading of scriptures).
In the books of Yoga, the great Rishis (sages) distinguish between Bahiranga Sadhana and Antaranga Sadhana. Bahiranga Sadhana is outer Yoga or spiritual practices designed to perfect the outer instruments of body and Prana (vital- energy). These are the ethical practices and the Yogasana and Pranayama exercises. Once the body is perfected and the Nadis or astral tubes are purified through Pranayama practices, the spiritual seeker attains fitness to start the inner Yoga or Antaranga Sadhana. This includes Pratyahara, Dharana and Dhyana-sense abstraction, concentration and meditation. The senses and the mind must be withdrawn from the sense objects and the mind must be focussed on the God within. This is inner Yoga. The outer Yoga practices are to prepare the aspirant to gain fitness to practise this inner Yoga.
Where the necessary preparation is inadequate or wanting, meditation cannot succeed. Simply sitting cross-legged and closing the eyes, thinking the same worldly thoughts and building castles in the air, or falling into a semi- sleep is not meditation. A person who wants to meditate must be free from disease and desire, from cares and worries. He must be free from love and hatred, and from like and dislike. He must be soaked in Vairagya (dispassion). He must be able to sit firmly for hours together in the same posture. His breathing must be slow and even. His stomach must be free from constipation, free from gas and very light. when these conditions are not satisfied, meditation will remain just a pipe dream.
While meditation in itself constitutes. a very powerful attack on ignorance, Swami Sivananda suggests that the spiritual aspirant should practise Vichar also. Vichar is enquiry into the real nature of things. Vichara results in Viveka or discrimination between the real and the unreal. It helps the aspirant to sift the true from the false. Swamiji asserts that without cogitation, Truth cannot be known or realised. Vichara sharpens the intellect and leads to the discernment of the Truth that lies behind the phenomenal universe.
How should the aspirant reflect? The Master shows the way: "Who am I? What is Brahman (God)? What is this Samsara (process of worldly life)? What is the goal of life? How to attain the goal? How to attain freedom from births and deaths? What is the Svarupa of Moksha (Essential nature of liberation)? Whence? Where? Whither? Thus should the aspirant of liberation ever enquire, seeking to achieve the purpose of life". The justification for this method of Vichara or enquiry is contained in the saying, "As you think, so you become". By constant reflection on the Reality behind the appearances, the seeker attains oneness with the Reality and becomes that Reality itself.
Enquiry opens the aspirant's eyes to new vistas of knowledge. It leads him steadily to Truth. For instance, if the aspirant starts the "Who am I?" enquiry, he will soon find that he cannot equate himself with any one of his sense organs like the nose, the eyes or the ears, because even without one or more of these, he can live and life can pulsate in his veins. So, he is not the body. Nor is he the mind, because even during the unconscious and the deep sleep states, when the mind ceases to function, he exists and his heart throbs. Then, what is this 'I' in everybody? Swami Sivananda declares that the real 'I' is none, else than Brahman or the Atman who is the motive force behind all existence. It is He who thinks through the mind, sees through the eyes, eats through the mouth, hears through the ears and so on He is the Witnessing Consciousness who dwells in all beings. When a person gets up from deep sleep and says, "I enjoyed a sound dreamless sleep", it is this Witnessing Consciousness which remembers the fact that the body and the mind rested in sound sleep. It cannot be otherwise. The mind which was virtually dead during the deep sleep state could . not itself have consciously enjoyed a sound slumber and remembered it. The enjoyer is the Atman. Swamiji repeatedly advises the spiritual seeker to identify himself with this Atman which is his real Self and not with his perishable body. Constant identification with the Atman or the Witnessing Consciousness in oneself is a shortcut to spiritual success. The aspirant who adopts this technique will soon rise above body consciousness.
The secret of spirituality lies in realising one's essential nature. It is not becoming something outside of oneself. It is not as if man and God are separate and that man should go to a God who is external to him and merge in that God. No. God is already there, everywhere, Within us and outside of us. The body and the mind in which man is encased are mere illusions of an ignorant mind. God only is. All else is not. All else is only appearance. This appearance is made possible by the functioning of the mind. Meditation and enquiry enable the aspirant to feel, to realise that he is, after all, Brahman and not a bundle of body and mind. When divine wisdom dawns, the Sadhak realises his innermost Being. And being is Brahman.
Man himself is God and the entirety of Sadhana (spiritual practices) is meant to enable man to realise his God-nature, to realise that the God he has been searching for is his own Self. Initially, Yoga Sadhana purifies the mind. Later on, the seeker uses this purified mind, to concentrate and meditate on the God within; and at the deepest point of meditation, the purified mind melts in the God within and is itself lost there, destroyed there. And only God remains. Being remains. God-consciousness remains. A telling analogy given in the Yoga texts is the dry twig used in kindling a fire, where the twig itself is ultimately consumed in the fire. The purified mind is like this twig. It helps to kindle the fire of God-consciousness within, and in the process, is itself destroyed in that fire. In Samadhi (superconscious state), the mind melts in Brahman as camphor melts in fire. The separate identity of the individual soul vanishes. Only Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence- Consciousness-Bliss Absolute) prevails.
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Stay Focused
Great Ideas To Help Stay Critically Focused
Are you prone to distractions while performing important tasks? Do you feel like sometimes your mind is not under your control, that it has made choices of its own? It is because we live in a world full of distractions, distractions which can have numerous repercussions. Naturally, those who achieve greater productivity have an immense critical focus on their goals.
What follows is a guide to help you maintain critical focus on your goals, which will enable you to achieve more gratification and success in your endeavors.
What is critical focus?
Critical focus is extensively related to and with critical thinking. Critical thinking is one's ability or competence to question the assumed facts. Similarly, critical focus is one's ability to retain the concentration or convergence of their mind by eliminating every external interruption. Some of the major causes of these distractions are mental clutter, hyper-mind and head overdrive.
Are you focused objectively?
Many of us begin to work on a project with great expectations and focus. Then suddenly we disappear down the rabbit hole without any apparent reason. It happens because the mind does not like being restrained or made to follow regulations. It will resist nearly all your efforts to keep it on the track. Apparently, it loves its freedom more than anything else. It will find many ways to stop and disrupt you. In order to accomplish and prosper; you must prove to be stronger. The importance of time management should also be kept in mind as critical focus alone is useless without time management.
Let me explain with the help of an example - I have been approached by many students asking the same question over and over again: How to focus on studying? Students are likely to experience the phenomenon of lack of critical focus almost every day. Whenever they get their hand on the books and start reading, they experience aberration and divergence from their topic of study. In spite of the fact that some of them don't even have any external source of disturbance at all. It shows that their own mind is taking them away from the intended practice. This is what shows that they are not critically focused. So in order to get their minds back on the books they need to learn the methods of staying critically focused.
How to stay critically focused?
As explained in the preceding discourse, the combination of time management and critical focus is the ultimate recipe to success. The following list contains some of the many tips mandatory to staying critically focused on your objective:
• Get plenty of rest - You should sleep well and take care of your body. Don't try to force your body when it's demanding rest. Try not to sleep too much or become excessively lazy. An adequate amount of rest is needed to keep your mind sharp and focused.
• Eat proper diet - Some of the most essential elements necessary for a human brain to work efficiently are produced by the body only when the nutrition is adequate. So, take care of your meals and their timings. This will make a drastic change in your critical focus ability.
• Eliminate Distractions - Now that your body has all it needs for the brain to function properly; you'll have to work on the external factors affecting your mental focus. Even a minor distraction can make you lose your train of thought; which is very detrimental. So be careful to make your surrounding environment peaceful and organized.
• Picture your mind as a blank canvas - The most fundamental component of critical focus is to keep your mind clear of all the stress and tension. Your mind should be like a blank canvas when you're about to being working on your project. This enables you to build an ultimate focus on the objective.
• Practice focusing techniques - There are various mind focus techniques that help create critical focus on your ambitions. Some of them include yoga and meditation. These certainly can help and be an effective assistant of critical focus.
There are far too many help techniques that I haven't been able to express in this short article. My intention here is to simply to get you thinking of ways to stay critically focused on your objectives.
It's one thing to get all excited about a new goal, project or just life. Following through and being successful takes planning, productivity. http://jaywestinginfowiki.com will provide comprehensive guidance by suggesting other sources to study in order to glean exactly the information that you are looking for.
About the Author
Jay Westing has been involved in behind-the-scenes internet marketing since 2002. He has now made the decision to come into the spotlight with his introductory blog at: jaywestinginfowiki.com.
Jay says about himself:
My purpose on the Internet is to provide a variety of information that is hoped to be beneficial. My logo is a hound dog whose purpose is to sniff out a variety of information. Along the same track I am sniffing out and introducing the possibilities of making money on line, for those who are interested. My focus is then to basically provide information to make an informed decision.
Thursday, 3 May 2012
Empower Yourself to Win
On the Bookshelf
Those who succeed understand the risks, plan for them and work with purpose
*****
Success is never an accident. An unexpected boon without work isn’t really success, but rather a happy coincidence or luck. Indeed, success requires forethought, planning, evaluation and persistence.
In the books on the bookshelf this month, you’ll learn how the right plan and the right attitude separate the triumphant from the frustrated; the happy from the dissatisfied; the successful from the failures. Why not start planning for your success today?
*****
Success is never an accident. An unexpected boon without work isn’t really success, but rather a happy coincidence or luck. Indeed, success requires forethought, planning, evaluation and persistence.
In the books on the bookshelf this month, you’ll learn how the right plan and the right attitude separate the triumphant from the frustrated; the happy from the dissatisfied; the successful from the failures. Why not start planning for your success today?
Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck--Why Some Thrive Despite Them All
by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen
HarperCollins, 2011
It may come as a surprise to learn that the most consistently successful leaders are not extreme risk takers. Rather, they are extreme planners who persistently work to anticipate worst-case scenarios, practice constantly for success, and base their actions on sure foundations of established research and data. In Great by Choice, Jim Collins and Morten Hansen reveal that companies they refer to as “10Xers”—those that consistently outperformed comparative firms by at least 10 times over a period of 15-plus years—are actually more driven by discipline, empiricism and paranoia than their counterparts.
By following business leaders and watching how they handle everything from recession to terrorist attacks, they discovered the core characteristics that helped their companies thrive. “Studying leaders in an extreme environment is like conducting a behavioral-science experiment or using a laboratory centrifuge,” the authors explain. “Throw leaders into an extreme environment and it will separate the stark differences between greatness and mediocrity.”
Although Collins’ and Hansen’s book follows the stories of major companies, the tenets of consistent strong performance they uncovered can be applied to any business or any entrepreneur. Through case studies and solid presentation of data, as well as chapter-by-chapter summaries and “take action” questions, the authors lead readers through the processes to help them ensure stability and even build success in the most challenging of economic times. “By embracing a myriad of possible dangers,” the authors write, “[10Xers] put themselves in a superior position to overcome danger.”
—Deborah Huso
- Which characteristics help companies thrive in uncertain times.
- How to make productive use of luck.
- How to channel ambition into meaningful work that inspires others to follow you.
Noteworthy Quote:
“Getting a high return on luck requires throwing yourself at the luck even with ferocious intensity, disrupting your life, and not letting up.”
The Zigzag Principle: The Goal Setting Strategy that will Revolutionize Your Business and Your Life
by Rich Christiansen
McGraw-Hill, 2012
In The Zig Zag Principle, serial-entrepreneur Rich Christiansen explains why driving headlong toward a goal isn’t always the best choice. Having founded or co-founded more than 30 companies, Christiansen says he has learned that deliberately altering your course, zigging or zagging at certain stages of growth, actually enhances your chances of success in the long run. Based on real-life experiences, The Zig Zag Principle offers a step-by-step guide for building a profitable business and a successful life.
—Marilynn Hood
A couple things you’ll learn from this book:
- Your values serve as your foundation for everything you do.
- Your relationships are one of your most valuable resources.
Noteworthy Quote:
“Money cannot build intelligence, relationships or passion. But intelligence, relationships and passion can always yield money.”
Affluence Intelligence: Earn More, Worry Less, and Live a Happy and Balanced Life
by Stephen Goldbart and Joan Indursky DiFuria
Da Capo Press, 2011
Having a high net worth doesn’t always equate to happiness, but personal satisfaction can lead to acquiring more money, say the authors of Affluence Intelligence, who offer strategies for simultaneously increasing your emotional and financial wealth. The book’s quizzes reveal your Affluence Intelligence Quotient, or AIQ, and show you how you may be sabotaging your financial well-being. You’ll also learn about four key areas the authors claim are necessary for unlocking your Affluence Intelligence: priorities, behaviors, attitudes and financial effectiveness. By addressing both the psychology and practice of money management, Affluence Intelligence will help you assess your current level of prosperity and create a plan for acquiring the kind of financial and emotional wealth you desire.
—Jenna Lang
A couple things you’ll learn from this book:
- How to become more financially effective.
- What to do in the next three months to become more affluent.
Noteworthy Quote:
“People with financial ease feel empowered in their relationship to money: They can make the necessary and sometimes difficult lifestyle choices in order to gain or maintain their security and peace.”
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