Why Read Self-Help Books

Today's article is by Yan Wei Chue, who ran a personal development blog http://www.livingthegreat.blogspot.com.  When I last checked there were no recent blog posts by Yan Wei, but I found this particular article so powerful I obtained permission to reproduce it here.

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Why Read Self-help Books and Attend Personal Development Seminars?

We live in a very competitive world. Any individual who wants a piece of pie in this world has to fight for it.

Today we go about getting a larger piece of the pie by increasing our self-worth through various means. For some, it means going back to school to pursue a higher education. Some continue to believe that sheer hard work is the practical way to success. Whereas a minority does nothing and hope that they can become better people.

There is an increasing trend where people turn to self-help books and seminars to improve themselves. And the results are extremely promising and encouraging.

To many of those who do not have the habit of reading, this alternative may seem boring and nerdy. Boring and nerdy would never be the words you or I would use to describe once we recognize the many benefits they have.

What is the magic behind these books and seminars? Foremost, they provide motivation. Massive and focused motivation in areas you are interested in improving on. Motivation is a crucial key to success in life. And the most convenient source of motivation comes from these books and seminars. Motivation empowers an individual with a positive mindset, the correct attitude: this greatly increases his energy, drive and productivity. We are constantly surrounded with negativity, from people, TV, radio, it's important that we get out of this negativity by reading uplifting and positive books.

Self-help books and seminars provide an array of specialized knowledge that is not available in the current education system. What is this specialized knowledge? What you seek is what you get. There are lots and lots of books in so many areas, all it requires you are some time, effort and maybe money to get your hands on the information you seek through the book. This specialized knowledge is extremely valuable and practical once you applied it. New knowledge opens the mind. You will be exposed to new ideas and perspectives from different schools of thoughts to improve yourself and to an extent for some, they suffer "information overload". My advice for you is to apply as many of the ideas you have learnt, discard those that do not work for you, keep those that are effective and see the positive changes take place in your life.

The acquisition of new knowledge is vitally important to remain competitive in today's world. However, knowledge alone is not sufficient to bring you to greater heights. What I have learnt from these books and seminars is that they have the ability to act as mentors in our lives. Mentors have valuable experience in their specialized fields to share that will provide any individual with insights and ideas never known to them. This can greatly shorten the learning curve and reduce any trial and error needed to achieve the outcome. However, everyone recognizes the many benefits of a good mentor but not many of us take the effort or are lucky enough to find such a mentor. Self-help books and seminars are an extraordinary source of accumulated experience of the authors and speakers. The essence of their experiences lies deep in these materials and is easily accessible to anyone who makes the effort to understand, learn and apply what is taught. For some, they never managed to see the valuable experience that lies right in front of them and they never will until the day they feel that is so much pain in their lives and that something must be done. Wouldn't it be too late by then? Read with a definite purpose; ask yourself, "What information am I seeking for, what is my purpose of reading this book?" Self-help books and seminars are your best mentors till you find the one that is willing to enrich and guide you.

Looking for a mentor to guide you is a MUST if you seek to achieve success in the shortest time possible. Where and how do you go about finding them? A self-help seminar is one highly possible place. These seminars are a congregation of highly motivated individuals who come from various fields and age groups and most importantly, many of them are very helpful people. The speakers themselves can be your mentors as well. There is no other better place as compared to a self-help seminar. Networking is the key to finding your ideal mentor. You will never know when you will find such a person. In short, it takes courage, persistence and a respectable amount of self-confidence in yourself to impress and convince someone to be your mentor. Remember that these mentors you seek are very busy people themselves. Instead of satisfying your needs, think about what you can offer to your mentor first. Give before you receive. They may not become your mentors but beautiful friendship may bloom and soon you realized that you are completely surrounded by positive and highly motivated people. It was Jim Rohn who said, "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." And since you are surrounded by positive and energetic people, you will experience new vibrant energy to propel you to greater heights in your life.

Copyrights © Yan Wei Chue

All Rights Reserved

The 3 Most Important Questions

Do you know exactly where you want to go in life?  Are your goals your REAL goals, are they what society has imposed on you, or are you just "making do" with what you think is achievable?

What do you want to experience?  How do you want to grow?  What do you want to contribute to this planet?

Maybe you already know the answers to these questions and are very happy with those answers.  But whether or not that is the case, watch this video by Vishen Lakhiani and try his 7 minute exercise.  I think you will surprise yourself with the results!

Self Esteem

Do you know anyone with dyslexia or other learning difficulties?  If so, please encourage them to read the following two articles, as they were written especially to remind them how wonderful they are and to help them cope with some of the special difficulties they may face in life.

But whether or not you may have such difficulties yourself, please read these articles too and put them into practice yourself.  You too are a wonderful person, and you too will sometimes face difficulties that may cause you to lower your own self esteem.  Remember it doesn't have to be this way!

Ten  Steps  to  Higher  Self  Esteem 

1)    Look at your experience as a whole. Recognise the significance that your learning difference has for you in your life. Do not blame or put yourself down in any way for any difficulties you have had or still have.

2)    Respect yourself and acknowledge your achievements and abilities.

Always give yourself credit where it is due and never underestimate the value or significance of any of your achievements.

3)    Recognise that you have faced difficulties and come

through them no matter how imperfect you may sometimes

judge your performance to be.

4)    Never fear failure, simply acknowledge it as feedback.

If something doesn't work out use the experience as an

opportunity to learn what is needed in order to change the result next time.

5)    Be flexible in all things. Realise that there is not just one way to succeed and win in life. Find what your talents and abilities are and nurture them.

This will help to build a strong foundation from which you can move towards what is for you success and a fulfilling life.

6)    Set realistic goals and break tasks down into manageable chunks.

This will help you to progress in a steady and consistent fashion and experience an increasing sense of achievement.

7)    Be your own judge and determine your own values and standards.

If you are true to yourself and make your sense of self-worth independent of external factors you will greatly enhance your self-esteem.

8)    Make a commitment with yourself to use affirmations, visualisation, positive thinking or any other technique that works for you to build and reinforce your self-esteem.

9)    Make a firm commitment to be kind to yourself.

Appreciate your strengths, acknowledge your weaknesses and learn from them but don’t dwell on them.

Give yourself the priceless gift of unconditional positive self-regard.

10) Accept ups and downs and be aware of change so you can adapt and move with it.

Most of all keep applying and living the Ten Steps to Self Esteem as only through working at them and believing in them will you gain the reward of life-long higher self esteem.

John M. Parke, ©1997 (dyslexic)

Counselling Adviser to the Adult Dyslexia Organisation (UK)

Ten  Tips  for  Adults  with  Specific Learning Difficulties

What do you like doing?         What are you good at?

Make a note of your strengths.

Try to become aware of yourself and the way you work or carry out everyday tasks. People usually cope best when they know about themselves.

Be aware of how you feel and what happens when you are tired, or stressed, and work out how to cope with it. People with Specific Learning Difficulties are more prone to stress and tiredness - these can make it worse.

Therefore develop your coping strategies - do not give up on writing cheques or memorising phone numbers. Have a go at alternative ways of remembering things. Carry 'aids' around with you such as checklists, Post-Its etc.

Consider what you find difficult.

Realise that there are things which everyone finds difficult.

Sometimes people push themselves too hard.

However if you really cannot (for example) do maths, then don't try for a job which might involve a lot of adding up or measuring.

 

Have an aim and go for it - on a small scale or on a large scale.

Write it down and put it up on the wall in front of you.

This helps focus the mind in work sessions.

Be aware of what you are aiming for and where you are going.

Think positively; expect to succeed.

Or at least, do not expect to fail - a 'failing complex' can quickly lead to failure. Sports people talk about developing the 'inner game' - they go out and expect to win and this gives them more confidence.

Decide if you are going to tell people about your Specific Learning Difficulties, and think about how you will say it, for example:

“It’s a different way of thinking and working”

“My spelling is a bit unreliable but I’m fine using a spellchecker on the computer”.

Remember there are things that you can do (due to the way you think and how you see things)  that other people find almost impossible ….

Adapted by Melanie Jameson from an information sheet by Dorothy Gilroy, Bangor Dyslexia Unit

Easy Meditation Techniques for Beginners

by

Jon McMiller

Meditation For Beginners

Meditation can offer a range of mental health benefits and induce positive behavioral and emotional changes, such as increasing compassion and generosity as well as promoting a sense of well-being and serenity.

Meditation can also bring about physiological changes, which can have important health benefits. These changes include lowered blood pressure, reduced levels of stress hormones and increased levels of chemicals in the brain that enhance mood stability.

While the benefits are numerous, becoming skilled in the techniques of meditation can take time. Here, we provide some simple beginner meditation techniques, which will help you embark on the journey to a calmer you.

Make Yourself Comfortable

Ensuring that you are comfortable while you meditate will essentially guarantee that your meditation experiences are a success.

Follow these suggestions to get the most out of meditation:

Wear Loose Clothing - Wear something comfortable and remove your shoes, as any form of physical discomfort may be distracting.

Stretch First - Stretching will loosen muscles, allowing you to sit more comfortably, and also helps to focus your attention on your body.

Experiment - Find a comfortable position. Try sitting or lying in various poses, and opening or closing your eyes. There are no rules, just do what feels right.

Designate a Specific Area - Choose a room in your house that you do not use for sleep, work or exercise. Decorate it with art if you choose, or scented candles.

Take Meditation Seriously

A determination to make meditation a permanent part of your daily life will greatly improve your chances of having a successful experience.

Try these tips on how to commit to meditation:

Make It A Formal Practice - Schedule a time, preferably twice daily, that you can set aside for meditation. This will help create good habits, which you can then maintain.

Show Purpose - Meditation is not passive, and to succeed, you will actively need to focus your attention on a single point. This will become easier with practice.

Use Resources - Read books and articles on meditation, watch DVDs and attend a class. These will help you understand the process and also appreciate the benefits.

Don't Expect Immediate Results - Meditation is a long-term process. It's important not to expect your life to change overnight. Stick with it, do it often and be patient.

Focus On How You Feel

Meditation emphasizes the importance of being emotionally in touch with yourself, and it's important to practice focusing on how your mind and body feel.

Try starting with these areas to focus on:

Recognize Frustration - If you feel frustrated during meditation, it is important to identify this, take a break and return later. Don't make meditation a chore.

Focus On Your Body Parts - Start by focusing on your feet and work your way up the body. This is a great way for beginners to increase their relaxation and focus.

Notice When Your Interest Begins To Wane - Meditation can be hard work, and it's important to recognize and celebrate your achievements. The times when you find yourself less engaged in meditation are the times when you need to practice the most.

Hopefully, following these simple guidelines will help you get the most out of your meditation experience and reap the rewards in both body and in mind.

Learn more about meditation and get free meditation techniques at www.meditationprofessor.com

There Is A Science of Getting Rich

Chapter 2 of "The Science of Getting Rich"

by

Wallace D Wattles

There is a science of getting rich, and it is an exact science, like algebra or arithmetic. There are certain laws which govern the process of acquiring riches, and once these laws are learned and obeyed by anyone, that person will get rich with mathematical certainty.

The ownership of money and property comes as a result of doing things in a certain way, and those who do things in this certain way - whether on purpose or accidentally - get rich, while those who do not do things in this certain way - no matter how hard they work or how able they are - remain poor.

It is a natural law that like causes always produce like effects, and, therefore, any man or woman who learns to do things in this certain way will infallibly get rich.

That the above statement is true is shown by the following facts:

Getting rich is not a matter of environment, for if it were, all the people in certain neighborhoods would become wealthy. The people of one city would all be rich, while those of other towns would all be poor, or all the inhabitants of one state would roll in wealth, while those of an adjoining state would be in poverty. But everywhere we see rich and poor living side by side, in the same environment, and often engaged in the same vocations. When two people are in the same locality and in the same business, and one gets rich while the other remains poor, it shows that getting rich is not primarily a matter of environment. Some environments may be more favorable than others, but when two people in the same business are in the same neighborhood and one gets rich while the other fails, it indicates that getting rich is the result of doing things in a certain way.

And further, the ability to do things in this certain way is not due solely to the possession of talent, for many people who have great talent remain poor, while others who have very little talent get rich.

Studying the people who have gotten rich, we find that they are an average lot in all respects, having no greater talents and abilities than other people have. It is evident that they do not get rich because they possess talents and abilities that others do not have, but because they happen to do things in a certain way.

Getting rich is not the result of saving, or thrift. Many very penurious people are poor, while free spenders often get rich. Nor is getting rich due to doing things which others fail to do, for two people in the same business often do almost exactly the same things, and one gets rich while the other remains poor or becomes bankrupt.

From all these things, we must come to the conclusion that getting rich is the result of doing things in a certain way.

If getting rich is the result of doing things in a certain way, and if like causes always produce like effects, then any man or woman who can do things in that way can become rich, and the whole matter is brought within the domain of exact science.

The question arises here as to whether this certain way may not be so difficult that only a few may follow it. As we have seen, this cannot be true (as far as natural ability is concerned). Talented people get rich, and blockheads get rich; intellectually brilliant people get rich, and very stupid people get rich; physically strong people get rich, and weak and sickly people get rich.

Some degree of ability to think and understand is, of course, essential, but insofar as natural ability is concerned, any man or woman who has sense enough to read and understand these words can certainly get rich.

Also, we have seen that it is not a matter of environment. Yes, location counts for something. One would not go to the heart of the Sahara and expect to do successful business.

Getting rich involves the necessity of dealing with people and of being where there are people to deal with, and if these people are inclined to deal in the way you want to deal, so much the better. But that is about as far as environment goes. If anybody else in your town can get rich, so can you, and if anybody else in your state can get rich, so can you.

Again, it is not a matter of choosing some particular business or profession. People get rich in every business and in every profession, while their next door neighbors in the very same vocation remain in poverty.

It is true that you will do best in a business which you like and which is congenial to you. And if you have certain talents which are well developed, you will do best in a business which calls for the exercise of those talents.

Also, you will do best in a business which is suited to your locality: An ice cream parlor would do better in a warm climate than in Greenland, and a salmon fishery will succeed better in the northwest than in Florida, where there are no salmon.

But, aside from these general limitations, getting rich is not dependent upon your engaging in some particular business, but upon your learning to do things in a certain way. If you are now in business and anybody else in your locality is getting rich in the same business, while you are not getting rich, it is simply because you are not doing things in the same way that the other person is doing them.

No one is prevented from getting rich by lack of capital. True, as you get capital the increase becomes more easy and rapid, but one who has capital is already rich and does not need to consider how to become so. No matter how poor you may be, if you begin to do things in the certain way you will begin to get rich and you will begin to have capital. The getting of capital is a part of the process of getting rich and it is a part of the result which invariably follows the doing of things in the certain way.

You may be the poorest person on the continent and be deeply in debt. You may have neither friends, influence, nor resources, but if you begin to do things in this way, you must infallibly begin to get rich, for like causes must produce like effects. If you have no capital, you can get capital. If you are in the wrong business, you can get into the right business. If you are in the wrong location, you can go to the right location.

And you can do so by beginning in your present business and in your present location to do things in the certain way which always causes success. You must begin to live in harmony with the laws governing the universe.

The Right to be Rich

For those who do not know, Wallace D Wattle's book, "The Science of Getting Rich" was written in 1910, and is believed to have inspired Napoleon Hill to write "Think and Grow Rich".  It was also the original inspiration for the book and film "The Secret".

I strongly believe that one of the biggest stumbling blocks most of us have when trying to become wealthier is a subconscious belief that we do not deserve wealth, or even a feeling of guilt about wanting to be rich.  Wattles addressed this issue in the first chapter of his book, so here is Chapter 1: The Right To Be Rich

"Whatever may be said in praise of poverty, the fact remains that it is not possible to live a really complete or successful life unless one is rich. No one can rise to his greatest possible height in talent or soul development unless he has plenty of money, for to unfold the soul and to develop talent he must have many things to use, and he cannot have these things unless he has money to buy them with.

A person develops in mind, soul, and body by making use of things, and society is so organized that we must have money in order to become the possessors of things. Therefore, the basis of all advancement must be the science of getting rich.

The object of all life is development, and everything that lives has an inalienable right to all the development it is capable of attaining.

A person's right to life means his right to have the free and unrestricted use of all the things which may be necessary to his fullest mental, spiritual, and physical unfoldment; or, in other words, his right to be rich.

In this book, I shall not speak of riches in a figurative way. To be really rich does not mean to be satisfied or contented with a little. No one ought to be satisfied with a little if he is capable of using and enjoying more. The purpose of nature is the advancement and unfoldment of life, and everyone should have all that can contribute to the power, elegance, beauty, and richness of life. To be content with less is sinful.

The person who owns all he wants for the living of all the life he is capable of living is rich, and no person who has not plenty of money can have all he wants. Life has advanced so far and become so complex that even the most ordinary man or woman requires a great amount of wealth in order to live in a manner that even approaches completeness. Every person naturally wants to become all that they are capable of becoming. This desire to realize innate possibilities is inherent in human nature; we cannot help wanting to be all that we can be. Success in life is becoming what you want to be. You can become what you want to be only by making use of things, and you can have the free use of things only as you become rich enough to buy them. To understand the science of getting rich is therefore the most essential of all knowledge.

There is nothing wrong in wanting to get rich. The desire for riches is really the desire for a richer, fuller, and more abundant life - and that desire is praiseworthy. The person who does not desire to live more abundantly is abnormal, and so the person who does not desire to have money enough to buy all he wants is abnormal.

There are three motives for which we live: We live for the body, we live for the mind, we live for the soul. No one of these is better or holier than the other; all are alike desirable, and no one of the three - body, mind, or soul - can live fully if either of the others is cut short of full life and expression. It is not right or noble to live only for the soul and deny mind or body, and it is wrong to live for the intellect and deny body or soul.

We are all acquainted with the loathsome consequences of living for the body and denying both mind and soul, and we see that real life means the complete expression of all that a person can give forth through body, mind, and soul. Whatever he can say, no one can be really happy or satisfied unless his body is living fully in its every function, and unless the same is true of his mind and his soul. Wherever there is unexpressed possibility or function not performed, there is unsatisfied desire. Desire is possibility seeking expression or function seeking performance.

A person cannot live fully in body without good food, comfortable clothing, and warm shelter, and without freedom from excessive toil. Rest and recreation are also necessary to his physical life.

One cannot live fully in mind without books and time to study them, without opportunity for travel and observation, or without intellectual companionship.

To live fully in mind a person must have intellectual recreations, and must surround himself with all the objects of art and beauty he is capable of using and appreciating.

To live fully in soul, a person must have love, and love is denied fullest expression by poverty.

A person's highest happiness is found in the bestowal of benefits on those he loves; love finds its most natural and spontaneous expression in giving. The individual who has nothing to give cannot fill his place as a spouse or parent, as a citizen, or as a human being. It is in the use of material things that a person finds full life for his body, develops his mind, and unfolds his soul. It is therefore of supreme importance to each individual to be rich.

It is perfectly right that you should desire to be rich. If you are a normal man or woman you cannot help doing so. It is perfectly right that you should give your best attention to the science of getting rich, for it is the noblest and most necessary of all studies. If you neglect this study, you are derelict in your duty to yourself, to God and humanity, for you can render to God and humanity no greater service than to make the most of yourself."

Music For Meditation

by

Jacob Jarden

From the very early days of meditation becoming popular, music has been a integral to it's effectiveness. There are certain strains of music that are known to have particularly beneficial effects. Music quickly alters ones state of mind, whether it be rock music to get the pumping, sad music to stir emotion, or meditative music to relax the mind. The most common effect of meditation music is the relaxing power to induce feeling of calmness and pleasant mood in the person meditating. A few other special tribal and meditation types of music hold a cleansing quality. This type of music generally has an effect on your "Chakras". Specific wavelengths and vibrations tide up your "chakras" and spiritual blockages.

Together with other equipment of meditation like meditation chairs, meditation music has also been flying off the shelves. In forums conducted for meditation, there is a roaring trade for quality meditation music. In fact, as long as the music fulfills its sole purpose of relaxing the mind and pleasing the temperament, listening to any of the music varieties is helpful.

The most fundamental reason why people partake in meditative activities is that they want to address the unbalanced moments and aspects of their lives as calmly as possible, and this is where music helps them release from the chaotic world around them. Although their are some specific meditation music styles that are highly recommended, you may stumble across your ideal audio tracks somewhere else, simply find the music that helps you relax and allows you to clear your mind completely.

No one can say that bringing your heart, mind and body as well as your spirit into a peaceful harmony and alignment can ever be an easy task. But meditation music makes the whole process all the easier for you. With the right genre of music, meditation will remove all material and emotional interruptions from your mind and allow you to discover new levels of deepest concentration.

You will soon notice a change in the way your body feels, a if positive energy is literally flowing through your body. No matter how much a stressed lifestyle you live, when meditation time comes around, everything about you and around you feels tranquil.

In order to truly achieve inner-peace, you will need to learn to work on strengthening the relationship of your mind & body, a feat that is much easier to achieve by embracing the power of sound, a sense that is often overlooked with many mind and self improvement techniques.

There are many aspects to think about, when looking for music to meditate to. The music strain should have the quality to act as a stress manager. It's important you understand that the right type of meditation music depends on your meditation plan. For example, morning meditation is not similar to meditation in the evening. For your morning meditation session, look for music that is fresh and energizing, ready to give you a truly natural kickstart. At night, the music you will use will be relaxing and work to relieve the stress of the day that has passed.

Remember, that 'Meditation Music' doesn't have to be instrumental. Some of the most effective meditation tracks simply use nature noises, such as the cliche sea or forest noises. The point is to ensure that the pace of the meditation music matches the particular ambience and mood that you are looking to achieve in your meditation environment.

About the author:

Jake Jarden lives in Indiana with his wife and son. He offers a free publication on common sleep disorders [http://relaxandmeditate.net/sleep-disorders.php] and effective cures. His recent writings include research into the healing powers of different meditation techniques [http://relaxandmeditate.net/meditation-techniques.php]. Visit relaxandmeditate.net for more info.

Learning from Fear

by

Dr. Tim Ong, M.B.B.S.

Nobody likes to feel fearful and because of that, most people will habitually react to fear by avoiding, repressing or suppressing it.  It takes courage and wisdom to see that our fear can be our greatest teacher.

When we examine our fear, we will often discover that it is irrational.  There is no real basis or substance to our fear.  That is why fear is often described as "False Evidence Appearing Real".  Fear is a self created illusion built upon past experiences or imprints.  The situation may have changed but the imprints compel us to react in a knee jerk manner without proper examination and re-evaluation of the new situation.

The good news is that this habit or tendency CAN be transformed.

The Fear of Rejection

One of the most common fears is the fear of rejection.  This fear comes in many forms.

For example, a person with this fear often feels it a challenge to talk to authority figures, whether these be their parents, teachers, superiors or even government bodies.  They are especially fearful to ask for or request things from these people.  The feeling of fear of rejection is an automatic response that arises from past experience of rejections from these same authority figures.

Another manifestation of this fear of rejection is in the inability to say "no" to other people's requests.  This is the other end of the spectrum and arises because of the fear of being rejected by the person who made the request.

Confront Your Fear

The best way to overcome your fear is to confront it.  However, there are two opposing ways of confrontation.  You can confront your fear with great compassion and gentleness, or you can confront it combatively.  The more skillful and effective way is naturally to confront it compassionately.

When you confront your fear compassionately, you'll soon discover the underlying false belief that gives rise to that fear.  You'll learn that the external situation is merely a mirror reflection of your inner mental state. That false belief gives rise to a correspondingly false perception of reality, thus the irrationality of the fear.

Confronting your fear compassionately means to see it without any judgment and blame.  It means to take responsibility for your emotion and even to embrace it with love.  When you can do this, you'll be grateful for your fear because you know it is there only as a teacher.  It is there to help you see your real self.

So the next time you experience fear, pause for a moment and examine it with love and compassion.  Allow this teacher to show you the lesson you need to learn.

As they said, "Do the things you fear and the death of fear is certain."

About the author:

Dr. Tim Ong is a medical doctor with keen interests in self improvement, mind science and spirituality. He is the author of "From Fear to Love: A Spiritual Journey" and a contributor to "101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life: Volume 3" together with other authors like Ken Blanchard, Byron Katie, Mark Victor Hansen and Les Brown.

Heal Your Self Esteem

by

Sandy Tashi Hounsell

Our true sense of self esteem that is wholly sustaining and enriching comes from within. It is not something that can be bestowed on us that is outside of us, or is something that can be taken from us by others.

Life experiences can erode our sense of self esteem. So too our personal belief systems and behaviours can and do, perpetuate a lack of self esteem in many instances.

But a real lasting, meaningful and empowering feeling of our own true worth is intrinsic to each and every one of us. We are of Source, created from love, coming into being, at our very beginning, as a spark of universal life force - S.O.U.L. Created without condition; endowed with free will and the ability to create from within our selves, from our core centre of being.

When we accept that thought and allow it to frame our personal thinking we can soon realise that everything that we are, everything in our lives is created from us. That means that we are each limitless and powerful in our ability to both manifest and create.

It is when we consciously create from our core centre, we create with loving intent that results in loving, positive outcomes. Our sense of self esteem is then no longer in doubt. We only see our self as love!

If you are not feeling that sense of self esteem, here are 10 tips that you can adopt right now to help you come to know yourself as true and meaningful:

1. Maintain Presence. Be present with your self in all of your thoughts and actions each and every day, by seeing and feeling yourself at the centre of your world. Become consciously aware of you in each moment. That way you get to consider your own feelings and how you feel about something before you take any action. And you never lose sight of who you are.

2. Acknowledge. Acknowledge your feelings whatever they are. Do not dismiss one single part of yourself. That way you become more trusting of your feelings, your thoughts and who you are and no longer doubt.

3. Cease the judgement. Don't exercise any judgement or criticism over how and what you feel. That way you give your self both the option and chance to heal.

4. Stop the chiding: Stop blaming yourself or finding fault. Instead journal on why you do that and keep asking as you dig down to find the root cause. Then decide, if you wish, to heal it.

5. Have fun: Each day do something that creates a giggle inside. Then feel the giggling spread throughout your entire body. It's a lovely sound when we hear our cells laughing. And a lovely feeling we feel our cells smiling.

6. Learn something new. Become inspired by way of learning something new that you are passionate about. Or take up that hobby you have always promised yourself. Just make a start!

7. Go Within. When feeling down withdraw into your heart chakra by focusing on a rose there. As you slowly open the petals set the intent that as each petal opens, you open yourself to love. Ask that your Soul flow into the darkest places and fill them with your Soul's divine presence, so that you feel safe, secure and trusting of who you are.

8. Assert yourself lovingly and compassionately. Everything that we do; everything that we are is created from within each one of us. So when you learn to create your thoughts and actions from a loving mindset, you naturally create loving outcomes that are uplifting for all.

9. Remember who you are: You are S.O.U.L ( Source of Unconditional Love, Source of Universal Life Force). That means that you are internally very powerful, strong and limitless. Ponder on the words. Meditate upon that thought and so allow the love of your Soul to lovingly and naturally transform your thinking and your life.

10. You are truth: Be guided by your own intrinsic truth by paying attention to your intuition and so be less affected by external distractions or by the judgement of others.

About the Author:

Sandy Hounsell founder of Soulawaken is on a mission to clear the toxic dustbin that is holding people back from stepping forward into the vibrant, healthy joyful lives they deserve.

Sandy hosts complimentary monthly webinars, sharing invaluable soul wisdom helping you live from your most truest self, your soul. Join her by registering here and you will be provided with all the details in plenty of time: http://soulawaken.com/webinar-registration-form/.

You can also take advantage of her free eBook, "Living Without Fear Or Limitations', 32 pages packed with over 100 tips and insights and a deeply healing meditation, "Opening To Love", by going here: http://bit.ly/10LO47c

Believe in Yourself

by

Ryan D Neely

You may have heard on multiple occasions that it is important to believe in yourself. You may have even responded when hearing the phrase with, "I do have faith in myself." However, the question I have for you is do you really have confidence in yourself?

Do you really believe that you can do the things you want to do? Do you truly think you can accomplish the goals you have set out to accomplish? Do you honestly see yourself living the life you have dreamed of living? Or, do you simply hope to see your dreams come true? Altogether, why do you and what leads you to believe in yourself?

There are many good reasons to have faith in your abilities. First, you must stand behind yourself in order to make things happen. Next, you must trust who you are and what you do so that others do too. Last but not the least, it is essential for you to have confidence in yourself in order to be who you were created to be.

As you begin to make things happen, your self confidence will be increased and you will draw attention from other people. They will see your motivation and determination and see you as somebody who they can depend on. After they see you as a dependable person, they will want to promote you as they will see you as someone they can trust.

When others respect your self confidence, they will not want to say anything bad about. Instead, they will want to be friends with you. Also, people of the opposite sex will want to date you.

Because of your courage, you will live the life you were put on Earth to live. You will meet the people you are supposed to meet. You will go to the places you are supposed to go and do what you are supposed to do.

Things that should lead you to believe in yourself are your goals, the people in your life, and your passions or desires. Your goals should encourage you to want to reach for the stars. The people in your life should show you the importance of loving people. Your passions and desires should lead you to seek the things you want and need to be happy. With all these things encouraging you, you will soon be lead to believe in yourself as you will have a good outlook for the future.

As you can see, believing in yourself is very important as your life depends on it. Therefore, never doubt yourself and complete your mission as you fulfill your destiny.

I hope this article has been very enlightening to you. If you enjoyed what you read, and would like more advice, check out my ebook entitled 100 Thoughts to Improve Your Life!

I Worked So Hard I Forgot My Dreams

by

Weldon Smith

There have been many times where I have been so busy with the nitty-gritty of life that I have forgotten my dreams. It's easy to do. We certainly do need to work hard enough to be able to afford a comfortable, secure, and healthful life. But we need to rest and dream too. It's what makes us human. Of course, animals dream when they're asleep. They may have wishes and desires. But they have little ability to realize their dreams, and their desires are simplistic.

If we humans spend all our time just staying alive, we negate a lot of what makes us human. Birds, animals, fish, and insects spend most of their time just making sure they have food to eat and somewhere to sleep. If that's essentially what we do, then we are quite animalistic. We might have a palatial place to sleep, we might be able to eat every meal at the best restaurants, and we might have the sexiest automobile that exists in order to travel to where we get paid to afford our lives, but if we spend all our time and energy essentially acquiring food to eat and a place to sleep, and little more, we are not appreciably better than animals.

We should have dreams, desires, and expectations of getting far beyond where we are now. In fun and excitement, yes, but also in making sure that what we spend most of our waking hours doing is of value to us and to many other people. That it's worthy of a human being.

I have dreams of traveling and spending time with people I love. I also have dreams of things I want to invent, businesses I want to start, books I want to write, people I want to help. I realize that I won't realize every one of my dreams. I am a big dreamer and I have thousands of things I would like to be successful at. I don't mind some of my dreams going to the grave with me because I have so many. I don't mind, that is, as long as I have worked steadily at bringing some of those dreams to life, and working at it all the time. But as I say, sometimes I wake up and realize that I have lost track of my dreams.

We've all heard the stories of people on their death beds saying that they wish they had played with the children more, they wish they had had more fun. They planned to visit Europe but never did. They wanted to start a business. They knew they would have been good at it, but things got in the way and they never did it. They wanted to spend some time helping people less fortunate than themselves but didn't do it. They spent too much time just staying alive, and little or no time being human. People sometimes have dreams in the backs of their minds, but they usually don't bring them to the front and work on them. They don't take charge of their own lives. They don't consider the things they might do to make life better and more rewarding for many people.

I have realized at times in my life that I was working very hard for not-enough-money. I put everything I had into trying to get not-enough-money. It seemed the thing to do at the time, but in retrospect, it seems pretty dumb. I have seen that I have a lot of company. Lots of people spend most of their time trying to get not-enough-money. Even if they have time in the evenings and on weekends to try to do something to get enough-money, they rarely do. The more time I work at getting not-enough-money, the less time I have to realize my dreams of enough-money and lots-of-money.

I heard or read something about there being three kinds of people: those who are going to write a book some day, those who are going to start a business, and those who are going to go to law school. I wish I could remember where I read or heard that. There may be more kinds of people, but really they are all the same kind of people. They are the kind of people who have shallow, undeveloped dreams, at best, and who more likely have vague wishes. If a genie granted them a wish they would go for it, but otherwise it's just something they say to try to convince themselves and others that their lives are worthwhile.

So have some dreams. All the way from very practical to pie in the sky. Then go to work on them. Think of them and work on them all the time. Even if we never attain ninety-five percent of our dreams, we are better for having tried.

Your Feelings Determine Your Reality

by

Muhammad Abdul Haq

The secret behind the law of attraction really comes down to common sense and paying attention not only to how you feel around certain people, but how the world reacts to you. It all begins with understanding how thoughts, feelings and perceptions alter your reality. For an example, have you ever been having a great day when all of a sudden a grouchy coworker or family member suddenly alters your mood in an instant? Well, the vibration you send out to the world around you can have the same effect on others, the perfect example of how your feelings determine your reality.

We all have to accept that the way we look at ourselves, and the vibes we wash over others, will shape the way we interact with the world (and the universe), and more importantly how it reacts to us. If you're living the life of your dreams, with enriching life experiences, you've already harnessed the secret law of attraction. If you're new to the law, with diligence and practice you can have it all as well.

The secret law of attraction is built around breaking negative habits and changing the way you feel to your core. If you act confident long enough, you'll start to feel more confident. On any average day we have nearly 60 thousand different thoughts; many are negative and can hinder us and limit the joy in our lives. If our thoughts are positive, life seems brighter and full of promise, ready to do whatever it takes to improve upon ourselves instead of feeling depressed or and envious of others. Having negative, self depreciating thoughts and living in a place of lack will not help improve your life. You can learn to silence these negative feelings by letting go of your damaging cognizant thoughts. Learning to ignore your negative inner voices and embracing the constructive ones will help promote unimaginable changes in your life and positively affect the world's reaction to you. You'll feel proud about every accomplishment, be able to handle life's often challenging situations with a smile on your face, and love the process.

All of the positive changes you make will create a ripple effect in your life which will have a life changing effect on your finances, your relationships, your job opportunities, your health, and even strengthen your faith. Every aspect of your life will be enhanced by a change of attitude because your feelings determine your reality.

We all have the ability to change our feelings and create new, positive attitudes about ourselves and our circumstances. Just alter the feelings you want to change and replace them with the new empowering thoughts, repeating the words to yourself repeatedly with all your heart and soul, and be excited about it. Instead of saying things like "I can't do this!" Say "I can do anything I choose to and perfectly!" or "I'm too old" to "I have worlds of knowledge to share". Most important of all, take a chance; change your feelings and live the magnificent life you so deserve.

About the Author:

My name is M Abdul Haq and the Law of Attraction is my specialty. I am pleased to share with you the results of my life's research. It is my sincere desire that you, too, learn to use the Law of Attraction to get everything that your heart desires.  Visit http://perfectrealitynow.com/dreams-come-true/Home.html to Create Your Perfect Reality Now!

How to Achieve the Impossible

by

Alex Gunn

Now, this might sound like a rather extravagant claim. To be more accurate, a completely extravagant claim, but I promise that at the very least this will be useful information, and at best it will help you change your life and achieve the impossible.

Firstly let me ask you two questions. Do you believe that when you really, really make up your mind to do something you do it? Do you also believe that when you haven't really made up your mind, when your heart's not really in it, things don't work out? I would go one step further and say that most things we fail to achieve is purely because our heart is not really in it.

Think back over all the things you have managed to achieve in life and I bet that all of them were things that you really, really wanted; getting married, (getting divorced), passing exams, your driving test, having children, buying your house, getting your job. All of these things have one thing in common...you really wanted to make them happen.

Now think of all the things you have so far failed at; quitting smoking, cutting down on drinking, losing weight, becoming a millionaire, eating less junk food, living on a private Mediterranean island in a huge white villa with a swimming pool in the shape of a dove...or whatever. I bet you this second list, as desirable as it all might be, do not occupy as much time in your "top three important things in my life" list. And this, in a nutshell, is the problem.

So how do we bump all these things in our second list up to the first list? Believe it or not, it's quite straight forward.

I really began to get interested in what has now become known as Motivational Psychology twenty-two years ago while working as a psycho-therapist in a specialist clinic for people with alcohol problems. Why did some people seem to achieve the impossible and others, often returning home to more supportive environments, did not.

To begin the process of bumping things up to our first list,(the list of things that we achieve) we have to start, what is called in motivational psychology terms "increasing importance". This has been a special interest of mine for many years, probably because I have heard so many people, rather depressingly say "you can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink"...oh yes you can.

Firstly target any one item on your second list (the "failed at so far" list) and give yourself a score out of ten of how important it really is to you. Not how important you would like it to be, but how important it really is, with ten being the most important thing in your world right now and zero being gloriously unimportant. Be honest.

Once you have got that number in your head think about why you have given yourself that number. Why is it as high as it is? What would help to increase your number by just one or two digits, or maybe more? Don't give yourself an easy time, ask your self these difficult questions and give yourself some honest answers.

The second thing to start doing is to identify what you are telling yourself about whatever it is you are thinking of and wheedle out all the self sabotaging statements. Why are you telling yourself that you can't stop smoking, or eat more healthily? There is more and more research piling up that suggests that the only thing stopping yourself achieving whatever it is you want is what you are telling yourself. It is summed up in a really useful quote coined by the psychologist Daryl Bem "we learn what we believe as we hear ourselves speak". So start speaking more positively, it will make a difference.

Now hopefully some of this information has been useful for you and I hope even life changing. Who knows, in a year from today you might be toddling out onto your verandah for a well earned swim in your own dove shaped pool.

About the Author

Alex Gunn invites you to find out how real people are making real changes in their lives at http://thelifechangepeople.com/read-my-story/153-elizabeths-story

Learn five important steps to changing your life http://thelifechangepeople.com/news-and-reviews/news/81-how-can-i-change-my-life

Overcoming Obstacles to Success

by

Monika Shaw

Has this ever happened to you? You begin a program, a project, a task or even a diet with the best intentions telling yourself that this is the day you will begin to achieve your goal, then - Pow! An unforeseen setback, roadblock or obstacle hits you that you did not see coming.

We never see these "accidents or obstacles" that come into our lives as anything positive or helpful. We look at them as detours to take us off the path we have committed to be on. It happens to almost everyone at some point in our lives; setbacks, obstacles - whether career, financial, or health-related, obstacles are unavoidable and we find ourselves out of sync with our goal. How do we stay on track? How do we overcome these inconvenient and untimely obstacles that appear unannounced and attempt to keep us from achieving success in the goals we have set?

I have found that the first and most common obstacle that most people can identify with is that many times, there is no clear definition of a goal. This alone can cause you to sabotage your road to success before you even begin. Without a clear goal, a destination to direct your efforts and energy toward, you find that you have created your first obstacle to keep you from achieving success. Clarity of goal is difficult to identify in a few short sentences if you really have no idea what it is that you want to achieve.

Right now, before you continue reading, do this exercise; Think about what it is that you want to achieve. What is that burning desire, that goal you want to achieve? Set your mind to addressing and answering this question. Take the time to write it out, then edit, edit, edit so that you own it in your mind, and can say it clearly in a few short sentences. Doing this forces you to be specific and will remove a lot of external "sidebar goals" that can draw you away from your main focus or objective.

Next, recognize that you may be an obstacle to your success. Do you tend to whitewash some of your negative habits as 'that is just the way I am'? Be honest and realistic with yourself. Identify these habits so that you can watch and recognize them as you set out on your journey toward your goal.

Most people, if you were to ask them would readily agree that fear and doubt are two of the major obstacles that keep them from pursuing their dreams, desires, or their goals. But let us focus beyond that and get more specific.

To help you identify your habits, here are some common obstacles that people face:

• Lack of focus 
• Unclear goals 
• Not knowing where to begin 
• Procrastination 
• Interruptions 
• Lack of self-esteem 
• Inability to let go 
• Hoarding (hanging on to everything) 
• Negative thinking or Negative Self-Talk

Perhaps you may find your habits in the above list, or have different ones - only you know for sure. But is that really true? Sometimes, it is wise to seek outside help from people who truly care about your well-being and success. Ask them to be honest with you and help you identify negative habits, traits, characteristics that impede your ability to achieve your success. This can be difficult if you have a sense of pride, low self-esteem, or think you have all the answers. However, it is also important to make sure that you ask only those individuals that you trust implicitly to give you honest answers.

Once you have identified your list of personal habits or obstacles:

• Write them down then suggest at least three possible solutions to help you overcome them.
• Flip the negative trait to find a positive trait or characteristic and begin to train yourself to think and act to implement and reinforce that positive habit.
• Finally, accept the fact that achieving your goal properly and with successful results will take time.

Overcoming obstacles that have been deeply etched in your life patterns are not going to change overnight. Do not allow negative thinking or negative self-talk to keep you from achieving your goal. Maintain a clearly distilled focus to overcome the identified obstacles will empower you to achieve your goals with success. Keep in mind also that an obstacle can sometimes be the very thing that rivets your from mediocrity, complacency, or the "Freeze Zone" as I call it. When you use an obstacle as a tool to help you overcome a negative characteristic, negative self-talk, or even self-sabotage then it no longer can be your enemy to defeat you. This is a powerful weapon you can utilize to disarm those hindrances that attempt to rob you of your successes. You are a winner and you have everything within you to reach your goal.

About the author:

Founder & First Lady of The Winning Woman Network, Monika Shaw; a CEO over a multi-million dollar company, Entrepreneur,Public Speaker, Trainer, Coach, Breast Cancer Winner, and a mentor to women.

Her passionate vision is for women to be empowered, equipped and released into their talents and gifts to become the success they can be - by giving themselves permission to do so.

From her personal and business experiences, she shares rich wisdom, encouragement and refreshment to the spirits of women who need to hear that they can be who God designed them to be - a Winning Woman! 

An Author, Speaker, Coach, and Mentor to many women over the years, she brings a message of hope, empowerment and the tools to make real the potential each woman has within to be a Winning Woman!

For more information on inviting Monika for Speaking Engagements at your company, convention, retreat, radio or television shows, and training events go to http://thewinningwomannetwork.com

Igniting the Law of Attraction

by

Jack Canfield

The practice of giving thanks is commemorated today in America as a national holiday. But if you want to live the Law of Attraction, appreciation shouldn’t be confined to a solitary day. It should be incorporated into your daily living.

Appreciation is the oxygen that breathes life into the three-step Law of Attraction process. It turns the spark of your desire into a full-blown flame that effortlessly attracts the things you want like moths to a candle.

Three Steps to Attract What You Want

The first step of the Law of Attraction is quick and easy: Ask.  As soon as you become aware of a desire, announce it to the universe. State your intention out loud, write it down, post a picture of what you want on a vision board, or simply think, “I want that!”

The next step is Believe. Believe that you can have the thing you want, and then release your desire to the universe. Trust that you’ll receive what you want or something better. Either way, the decision is in the universe’s hands. Detachment from the outcome occurs when you have total faith that the universe will give you exactly what is perfect for you right here, right now.

Affirmations are used to remove doubt about whether you’ll get or you deserve what you want. An affirmation describes your goal as already complete. It affirms what you want vs. what you don’t want. It also captures how you feel when celebrating your goal. This allows you to feel the actual feelings you’ll experience upon achieving your goal. For example, “I am feeling light and alive at my perfect body weight of one thirty-five.

Appreciation works its magic during the final step – Receive. Appreciation is one of the highest emotional states you can be in. It is the state of abundance. The Law of Attraction states that like attracts like. If you are grateful for what you have already received, you will attract more for which you can be grateful.

Think for a moment about your own experience with holiday gift giving. When relatives show sincere pleasure and appreciation for the gifts you give, no matter how simple, you want to shower them with even more. Gift giving becomes a delight for you as much as for the recipients. Contrast this with people who don’t acknowledge your presents or who dismiss them as not big enough, impressive enough, or “right” enough. Giving gifts to these individuals becomes an obligation. You don’t spend hours searching for the perfect gift. You settle for an item that’s adequate.

The universe operates in a similar way. Its best gifts go to individuals who vibrate at the highest levels of appreciation for the gifts they’ve already received.

To create the vibrational match with what you want, live in the feeling space of already possessing the things you want. Appreciate what you already have, and you’ll be vibrating in the same state of gratitude you’ll be in when the universe delivers what you want.

Appreciate the Smallest Blessings

Activate your gratitude by acknowledging the gifts most people take for granted.

If you have food in your refrigerator (meaning that you have electricity), clothes in your closet and a roof over your head, you are better off than 75 percent of the world’s population. If you eat three meals a day, you are far better off than the 1 billion people on the planet who eat once a day at most. Celebrate these simple blessings.

Do you have a phone? Be grateful – millions don’t. How about a car that allows you to travel to work or to explore the country? Is your family healthy? Do you have a computer and Internet access to stay in touch with the world, get access to education, and perform work for which you are paid? Do you have clean water to drink? These daily conveniences are gifts that most people in the world do not enjoy.

Daily Appreciation Habits

Here are five easy ways to make appreciation part of your daily routine:

1. Take 7 minutes each morning to write down all you appreciate. Starting your day this way primes you to be receptive and grateful for everything your day will bring.
2. Carry a physical token of gratitude in your pocket, such as a stone, crystal or some other small item. As you reach into your pocket throughout the day and feel the token, use it as a reminder to stop, breathe and take a moment to fully experience the emotion of gratitude.
3. Appreciate at least 3 people every day. Most people enjoy receiving verbal appreciation. But written notes are also nice because they can be saved and re-read.
4. Play the Appreciation Game. As the saying goes, “Every cloud has a silver lining.” Look for the good in all situations. When my wife was in a car accident a few years ago, she could have chosen to berate herself or question her judgment. Instead, she focused on her gratitude for suffering only minor injuries and for the help she received from other drivers.
5. Appreciate yourself. We all need acknowledgement, but the most important acknowledgement is what we give ourselves. In addition to celebrating your big successes, acknowledge your small daily successes, too. During my annual Breakthrough to Success training, I assign the Mirror Exercise as homework because your subconscious mind needs positive encouragement to pursue further achievements and to change any negative beliefs you hold toward praise and accomplishment. This powerful exercise requires you to appreciate yourself for the day’s accomplishments while talking to yourself in a mirror.

Appreciation Is Not Human Nature

Many people find that it requires great diligence to cultivate an attitude of appreciation. We are culturally conditioned to focus on what we don’t have, rather than appreciating what we’ve already received.

Decades ago, the University of Chicago conducted a fascinating study into appreciation. Researchers took soldiers who had recently returned from the World War II Pacific Theater and housed them in Quonset huts on campus. At first, the men were delighted with their housing, because they were ecstatic to be off the battlefield. After about 30 days, however, they started to complain about their Quonset huts. Rather than being grateful for a simple, yet safe, place to live, they began to focus on what they didn’t have. They became dissatisfied with not having more comfortable quarters.

It may not feel natural at first to focus on appreciating what you already have. But by faithfully using the appreciation exercises outlined in this article, you’ll change your conditioning. Giving thanks will become more than an occasional exercise. It will become a daily discipline that allows you to vibrate in more of what you want from life.

About the author:

Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul® and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now:  Free Success Strategies