Improve Employee Motivation

You can't deny the fact that your organization works because of teamwork. The more the team works together harmoniously, the more successful your organization is. However, this is easier said than done. Many organizations fail because they are filled with unmotivated employees. If you have a problem with employee motivation, then take notice. A team that doesn't have employee motivation means that they have poor performance, which translates to bad business for you.

Improving the Motivation of Your Employees

- Build a good foundation at the start.
You improve motivation if you build a solid foundation at the beginning of your employee's career. Once the employee becomes a part of your organization, make sure that he is given an orientation of the history of your business and the mission and vision. Be aware also of his career expectations and goals and how you can make them feel as part of your team.

- Promote a positive environment in your organization.

A positive environment can always promote a positive outlook among employees. This means that you do not have preference over your other employees and you make all your employees feel important. Try to keep your doors open to all your staff, that they can approach you with problems and issues.

- Lead by example.

As a leader, you must lead by example. If you want your employees to come to work on time, then you should do the same. You communicate to your employees the things that you want by leading a good example and not simply talking about it.

- Make sure that your employees have a career path.

Employees always aim for career advancements and possibilities of promotion always improve employee motivation. You can work with your employees in charting their career growth plan taking into consideration their current skills and future goals. You will see how this would create magic among your employees' self-esteem.

- Be liberal with seminars and trainings.

You motivate your employees when you provide means to increase their professional skills through seminars and trainings. If there are possibilities of attending workshops and seminars related to your business, then offer these to them. If the employees feel that you are investing in them, they would feel cherished and would eventually improve their job performance.

- Let your employees have fun.

All work and no fun would make Jack a dull boy. Once in a while, engage your staff in fun activities together like annual excursions or dinner out for some job well done. If it's possible, you can reward your staff with an unexpected day off or early closing in a Friday.

- Offer incentives to the good worker

Offering incentives is a way of acknowledging a job well done. This can be in cash or in kind. Aside from the usual praise, you can offer small tokens of appreciation like gift certificates or performance-based bonuses.

- Be true to your promises.

Stick to your promises and your employees will feel motivated all the time. If they see that the people leading them are doing what has been promised, they would realize that they are working with a credible company and that they are lucky to be part of it. Remember that not keeping your promises would only translate to a decrease in employee motivation and eventual loss of trust.

There are many ways to improve employee motivation in your organization. All in all, it is all about being people-oriented and not losing sight of the fact that you need your staff to make your business successful.

Learn how to map out your path to success with comprehensive tools and guides to get your life back on track. Discover how to more effectively obtain personal, career or business goals and learn how to stay motivated right to the end

For More Great Content Please Visit http://www.settinggoals101.com/business-goalsetting.html

How to Counteract Violence, Anger and Hatred

Counteract Violence with Knowledge... The saying "it's the quiet ones you want to watch" is very accurate, the people who don't instantly recoil to the violence but stop to weigh their options. Profile the aggressor, find the cause of the violence, then react in a cool calculated way by finding collaborative and empowering alternatives. If the reaction comes from keen acuity and not a chemical imbalance the outcome will be far more efficacious. "An eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind"- "Mahatma Gandhi" Wise words from an even wiser man that teaches us one thing. There is no point in fighting fire with fire. Remedies like listening, deducing and giving time to get to the root of violent behaviour is what we need to dissipate it.

Counteract Anger with Understanding... Anger is a significant state of disapprobation and reasoning power is significantly hampered. Often anger can be diffused significantly when given a passive audience or serene location. Communication skills are essential in anger management but it is important not to lose control of your emotions. You do not have to agree with the position to respect the human behind it.

Counteract Hate with Righteousness... Hatred is more difficult, simply because it is not a rational feeling and is not subject to reason. Isolation from the hate mongers, education and psychotherapy should work. Every individual is human (with good traits and not so good traits) applying this ideology inhibits the reciprocation of this hate.

These may be difficult to counteract, especially since they are strong emotions, but with practice and dedication, they can be achieved!

Sashakay Fairclough is a 20 year old final year law student at the University of Huddersfield in England.

Our Abundant Universe

We live in a perfect, infinite and extremely abundant Universe. Everything that we could possible need or want is available to us, once we learn to accept it. Part of the spiritual message that I want to impart to everyone is that it's perfectly ok to accept the abundance that comes your way. Not only that, it's also ok to manifest more.

In a limited, finite Universe for one person to have more means that another has to have less. Too many people today trap themselves into poverty and utterly hideous lifestyles because they simply can't envision the infinity of the resources available to them. Much of the training that I want to impart to people is not just that we can live and survive, but that we can live well and thrive.

When a person has a limited perspective then everything that person does must come through the filter of those limitations. Mystic Wolf Press is about breaking free of those limitations and sharing the bounty and abundance of the universe with as many people as possible. I believe that Lao Tzu gets the credit for saying "Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for the rest of his life."

Give yourself permission

In our modern culture we usually look to external sources for permission to do anything. We've become accustomed to being told what we can and cannot do by the government, the church, our family, friends and the television.

The simple fact is that every one of us has the ability to connect to our own inner authority and inner power. Some of the philosophies and exercises in this book will cover this in more detail, but for now I want you to give yourself permission to open your mind and heart and study the information in here from the attitude of "I CAN".

Giving yourself permission is the first step in touching and using your inner authority. It's the moment when you quit reacting to what is happening to you and begin to take charge of your life and chart your own course.

Keeping a Positive Attitude

As you begin to follow this path you're going to experience emotions, feelings and in some cases pain. Sometimes it'll only make sense years later when you look back on it and realize what was happening. In many cases starting your business is like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle without having any kind of picture to go by.

No matter what happens, or where you feel drawn to go, a positive attitude will make the whole thing easier. I try to look at everything as a test, and that works for my personality. Each individual moment I have choices that I can make. I can be enlightened or ignorant, loving or afraid, loud or quiet and it all depends on my willingness to listen to the inner voices that we all have. The inner voices (spirit guides?)(Yeah, I know it sounds crazy) are an amazing asset to keeping you on the right path and helping you become the person you came here to be.

That kind of insanity requires a positive attitude.

Developing your self-awareness

Becoming the spiritually aware entrepreneur begins with the process of learning to accept exactly who you are, with all your warts, wonders and blemishes.

Your self is just like a blanket that you cover up with or a jacket that you put on. Spend some time becoming completely comfortable with it and you'll begin to see that you can put it on and take it off at will. It's just an external way to identify which self is yours. Once you can get beyond that and see that you don't really exist, then you can really start having fun with this stuff.

Developing your self-awareness is a multi-faceted exercise that encompasses all parts of your being. No matter how good you become at it there will always be new layers to uncover and new things to learn.

At the elementary levels of this business you'll have to look at your physical self, your mental self and your spiritual self and see how you can integrate them into your total being. This is a process that can take the rest of your life, so settle in for the long haul. As you can see this is about much more than just creating a business, It's about creating a businessperson (you) that you can be proud of.

The Law of Reciprocity

Simply stated, the Law of Reciprocity is; "What goes around comes around."

I realize that this sounds simple, almost to the point of being silly, but this incredibly simple concept is echoed repeatedly in every single spiritual path and religion in the world for a good reason. It works!

When it comes to your business it's especially important to remember that what you send out is what you'll get back. If you send out fear and hate then that's exactly what you'll get back.

When you use this principle in your life it's important to remember that what you want to receive is what you have to give. If you want to have more time then give time. If you want more money then give money. If you want more love then give love, etc., etc.

Those interested in really using this principle in your lives are encouraged to read Stuart Wilde's book The Trick to Money is Having Some and Robert Kiyosaki's excellent Rich Dad, Poor Dad series. I can't praise either of those books enough as they've been extremely helpful for me personally.

Dr. Wayne Dyer also talks about this principle repeatedly in his books, as do Louise Hay, Caroline Myss and a host of others. This concept can be used to enhance every part of your life, so look for new ways to use it.

** (Authors note; First, a word about energy. You'll see me use that term a lot in this book, partly because some of these sections are cut from the other books that I've written on meditation. How can I cut those sections out of a meditation book and plop them right down into a business book? I do it because we are not only dealing with money and business but with our relationships to one another and the universe in general!

Money is a form of energy. It's the tool that we apply to various situations as a lever to get things done. When you begin to see that money is only a form of energy then it opens you up to all of the different forms of energy that you can use, rather than just money. For instance, in many cases what we need is not really money, but some other resource such as another person's time or a tool that someone else has. Learn to open up to having the proper energy that you need rather than to just having money. With that in mind I'm only going to refer to energy for the rest of this section. It's up to you to identify and find the proper form of energy that you need for a particular situation) **

When you are using your energy and sending it to someone else, it's vitally important to remember that what you send is what you'll get back. Therefore you'll always want to keep this in mind, even when training in the dojo. As you begin doing these exercises you are going to be using more energy in your everyday life. Even though it's very subtle, people will still be able to feel that energy and respond to it.

If you let that energy run loose and uncontrolled, especially if you haven't learned to balance out your anger issues and emotional attachments, then you are going to offend people and hurt feelings, even when you don't mean to.

As you begin building up your personal catalog of experiences and experimenting with your energy, you're going to be tempted to play with it with other people. Remember to keep your intentions clear and remember that what you send out is what you're going to have returned.

If you want to practice sending energy into other people make sure that you are sending loving and benevolent energy. Even though you'll occasionally be tempted to send a good dose of revenge and retribution out to those you think deserve it, remember the Law of Reciprocity. For my part I try to make a point of sending good energy to those who disagree with me. If they are wrong then I hope that the energy helps them see the right answers. If it turns out that I'm wrong (which apparently happens a lot J) then it's good to send a little 'thanks and happiness' to someone who helped you learn a lesson.

Robert Kiyosaki writes profoundly about the Law of Reciprocity in his books. He makes a great point that you have to give if you are going to receive and that you must give away that which you need most to receive.

If you need money then you must give money. Give it to a charity, or to a 'bum' or to a stranger on the street, but give it just to give it and don't try to have any expectations about what you'll get back. This is important.

When you give simply to give and without any expectation of a return then you are sending out a message to the universe that "I have plenty! I have so much that I can just give it away to help someone else."

Like attracts like. When you have an abundant and giving attitude then you'll find that there is plenty of abundance to share. When you have a negative attitude and won't give because you feel that you don't have enough to share then you are just confirming that reality for yourself.

Spend some time thinking about this and working up to it. You don't have to give away your house and cars. Start small and send $5 a month to PBS or NPR, to an animal rescue shelter or some other charity that you can believe in. You may think that $5 a month isn't enough to make a difference for anyone, but every charity that I've ever seen would be happy with that.

Don't have any expectations about what you may get back for your donation. Do it just to share and in the hopes that it'll help those hardworking folks make the work a better place.

This next section is when we get into the power of Networks so think about this, if everyone in the network that you are going to build also sends in $5 a month to a charity then you are going to get to the point, as your network expands, where you will be single-handedly affecting some real social change. If you want to multiply this then talk to the people in your downline (your network) about everyone sending $5 a month to the same charity.

2006 Robert Morgen. This article may be used by anyone, anywhere as long as the author's bio and links are included.

"Our Abundant Universe" is an excerpt from Robert Morgen's new book The Spiritual Entrepreneur.

Robert Morgen had a near-death kundalini awakening in 1992.

He's the author of 'Kundalini Awakening for Personal Mastery 2nd Edition' and 'The Spiritual Entrepreneur'

Find out more about his books, radio shows and teleseminars at http://SpiritualEntrepreneur.biz

Mastering Our Minds' Manipulators by John Bear 2001

Your life is a product of what you think; it's not so much about what happens to you or what's going on around you, but how you react. John Bear aims to raise our awareness on the basic principles that govern our lives. He covers many areas that affect the quality of our lives and discusses how becoming more aware of these, gives us the opportunity to make more informed, and therefore better, choices. Without this basic understanding and awareness the reason for many of the choices we make, and subsequently, the results of those choices cannot be understood.

What is it that governs our decisions? Why do we have to have the latest gadgets bought on credit? Buy designer clothes we can't really afford knowing they are overpriced? What are the thoughts and impulses that drive us to succeed or not? Are we driven by fear and if so, fear of what? How do our choices impact the world around us?

The subjects raised may challenge your beliefs and if you decide to read this book require an open mind willing to give consideration to the thoughts put forth.

When we rely on sources outside of ourselves for our well-being we give away our own personal power. Governments, the media and institutions rely on this for their own gain above ours. Once they have won us over with promises and policies, it remains in their interest to only give information that benefits them and strengthens their position. Expanding your knowledge base and awareness through self education, exploring private investing and always questioning the information you are given is essential if you are to stand up and accept responsibility for your own life.

To sit back and complain about the state of your life, the economy or world has no effect except to leave you more exposed to the events that will happen. Remember it's not about what happens to you, but how you respond that determines the outcome, at the time and in the future. John Bear looks deeply into how the governing bodies of politics, religions and the media use their power to manipulate our thinking, so that they will profit and be secure in their positions, whilst we flounder with no choice but to reach out to them for help.

'Mastering our Minds' Manipulators' is an eye opening exploration into who we are, and what responsibilities we carry by being here. It encourages self education and awareness that allows you to make decisions in your life based on reaching out for the truth. You don't have to accept everything you're told, or believe that only one way is right. You will empower yourself by deciding you are no longer a victim of circumstance, 'For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.' Prov.23.7.

Absolute Wealth Education. Introducing a range of educational packages suitable for young and old. Homestudies, dvd's, books, ebooks, seminars etc. delivering knowledge and investment strategies that if implemented can provide individuals and families long term lifestyle and security . http://www.absolutewealtheducation.com

The Secret to Positive Affirmations

An affirmation is a statement or concept of belief. Affirmations are synonymous with everything we say and think. We are constantly affirming to ourselves through our subconscious thoughts, which are sometimes called mind chatter, mind-scripts, or self-talk. This subconscious stream of affirmations is vitally important to our life results because they create a foundation on which our conscious actions are built.

Many times our self-talk is the result of experiences from our childhood. Our thought patterns usually reflect self-impressions that we created long ago, as children. They can be positive and work in our favor, or they can be negative and cause huge problems in our lives. Positive affirmations are a way to let go of outdated attitudes and feelings about oneself.

A powerful way to sculpt our self-talk is to create beneficial affirmations and review them on a consistent basis. These positive affirmations are short statements meant to override and replace any negative beliefs held by the subconscious mind.

Using positive affirmations is a conscious effort to stay focused on goals. They remind us to target our thoughts and words on what serves us best. Positive affirmations are a type of prophecy that when imagined with true belief and passion can come true.

When our conscious mind believes our positive affirmations, it feeds them to the subconscious mind. The subconscious may easily consume the belief, or it may reject the belief. Daily repetition of positive affirmations is the most effective way to overcome resistance and realize an improved inner truth.

Once you have firmly established a positive belief in your subconscious self-talk, it can begin to manifest great changes in your conscious reality. The faster you are able to embrace change and alter your beliefs, the faster positive affirmations can work to make tangible improvements in your life.

The format for positive affirmations is very important. They are best constructed as if the desired result has already occurred. For example, "I enjoy sharing my wealth with others", or "I have boundless energy to exercise each day". This format enables the mind to begin thinking like a person who has already accomplished those results.

Positive affirmations can be super-charged when accompanied with high levels of emotion and passion. A way to evoke powerful feelings is to involve as many of the senses as possible. Using a program that automatically incorporates images and audio with your affirmations leverages the benefits of the experience.

An image or visual representation that accompanies each of your affirmations sends a strong message to the subconscious about what is truly desired. And using audio that incorporates brainwave entrainment technology puts the mind in the best possible state to receive and hold those messages permanently.

When you want to see change in your life, it's wise to use the most powerful tools that exist today. Video programs that utilize cutting-edge scientific technology help users maximize their life results. These programs allow change to happen on the subconscious level by simply opening and viewing a video file on your computer.

How would you like to manifest your ideal life by tapping the power of YOUR subconscious mind? Revolutionary videos from Get The Dream combine an electronic Vision Board with Brainwave Entrainment technology. Put the Law of Attraction to work in your life with only 20 minutes per day! Manifest more Wealth, Peace, Health and better Relationships with video programs available for instant download at http://www.getthedream.com

Living Life in the Divine Flow

How would you like every moment of every day to feel like one miracle happening after another? How would you like to accomplish your goals and realize your dreams without undue struggle or strain?

Its possible. Its called living life in the divine flow.

Whether you are consciously aware of it or not, there is a divine flow in your life that is continually guiding you toward the effortless fulfillment of your hearts desires. The trick is learning how to recognize and cooperate with that flow, instead of blocking or restricting your experience of it.

Fortunately, thats not a very difficult thing to learn how to do. In fact, there are two fundamental steps that you can take right now to begin living life in the divine flow.

Step one is to simply pay attention. The divine flow is continually guiding you toward the effortless fulfillment of your hearts desires . . . continually! But to take advantage of that guidance, you must be aware of the subtle ways that the flow is attempting to guide you.

Here are three ways that you receive guidance from the divine flow:

First, you are continually receiving direction from your own intuition. Your intuition is the most valuable and reliable source of guidance you have. It is the spirit of the divine within you. It is the spirit of the divine that is you! Your divine spirit always knows the next right step to take. And it is continually trying to tell you what that step is. So take the time to slow down, get quiet, and listen to that still, small voice. Honor it. Respect it. Follow it.

A second form of guidance comes to you through the wisdom of others. The divine flow often speaks to you through the people who cross your path. It is through their wisdomtheir intuitive guidancethat you are often led to your next right step. That doesnt mean that you have to accept and act on everything that everybody says to you. But you should at least be open and receptive to others, and willing to consider what they have to say.

A third way that the divine flow communicates with you is through signs, coincidences, and synchronicities. These occurrences are not mere chance or happenstance. They are meaningful. They are divinely designed to open doors for you and create opportunities for you in direct response to your desire. But you have to pay attention to those signs and synchronicities. And you have to act on them. You have to go through those doors and take advantage of those opportunities.

Which brings us to the second step for living life in the divine flow: You must let go of what you think you know. The divine flow often guides you to your good in a way that is far differentand far betterthan anything you would ever come up with on your own. But to take advantage of that guidance, you must be careful not to hastily dismiss it or overrule it because you know better.

That doesnt mean that you have to forget everything you have been taught, or ignore the conclusions you have drawn based upon your experience. It simply means that you must keep an open mindand realize that there is always more to know than you currently know. As certain as you are about something, if you are willing to admit that there could still be something that you just havent considered, you will leave an opening in your mind that is wide enough for divine direction to get through.

So there you have it. Let go of what you think you know. And pay attention to the flow. Stop trying to force things to go they way you think they should go, and be willing to move in a direction that is different from what you planned on or expected.

Do those two things, and you will begin to live a life that is dramatically more fulfilling, immensely more joyful, and, on top of it all, remarkably effortless!

Steven Lane Taylor is a spiritual author and speaker now living in Sedona, Arizona. Since the publication of his book, Row, Row, Row Your Boat: A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow, Steven has been sharing his message with congregations and organizations all across the country. For more information about Steven and his work, to see where he is speaking and conducting workshops, or to sign up to receive his free weekly inspirational email, visit http://www.rowrowrow.com

You're Closer to Your Goal Than You Think

Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them--a desire, a goal, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill." Muhammad Ali

Have you ever noticed someone that came ever so close to their goal, only to give up before getting there? A poem that I have always posted on the bulletin board in my locker rooms is about not quitting:

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must
But don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit!
Anonymous

So what do you need to be able to stick to your guns?

You need to believe: When former football coach Lou Holtz took over the football program at South Carolina, they weren't very good. South Carolina was getting ready to play a game where they were a 21 point underdog. No one believed they could win--the players, the alumni, or the media. Holtz asked his team, "Tell me all of the reasons why we are going to win this game." Silence filled the room. After what seemed like an eternity someone answered. Although the process started off slowly, within an hour Holtz had over 50 reasons why they would win the game. The focus shifted to why they were going to lose to why they were going to win the game. They won the game!

"When the why gets stronger, the how gets easier." Jim Rohn

You need a plan of action: President John F. Kennedy said, "There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less that the long range risks of comfortable inaction." As my Uncle Harold used to say--Off and On--Off your butt and on your feet. Remove can't from your vocabulary. Go forward or go backward. Do whatever it takes. But do something!

You have to have the desire to succeed: According to race car driver Mario Andretti--"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal--a commitment to excellence--that will enable you to attain the success you seek." What if that South Carolina football team believed they could win that game, and the coaching staff had a game plan, but it just wasn't important enough for the players to succeed? What do you think the outcome of that game would have been?

You need to stay the course: H. Ross Perot, Texas billionaire and former Presidential candidate has this to say about persistence--"Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown." What if the Pittsburgh Steelers had given up when Arizona had taken the lead in the last minute of the game? There is a Japanese proverb that applies to sports, business, and life--"Fall seven times, stand up eight."

How small is the difference between winning and losing, success and failure?

According to S. L. Parker in his 212 Degree-The Extra degree, the difference between first place and being just another contender is miniscule. Parker cites the following examples:

1. During the period 1977-2001, the average margin of victory on the professional golf tour was 2.36 strokes. Or, 0.59 strokes per day.

2. During the period 1998-2002, the average margin of victory in the Triple Crown horse racing series (15 races) was 2.2 lengths. Six of those races were decided by less than a single length.

3. During the 2002 Winter Olympic Games the margin of victory between a gold medal and no medal was: Men's Downhill Skiing 0.65 seconds, Women's Downhill Skiing 0.93 seconds, Men's 500 Meter Speed Skating 0.26 seconds, Women's 500 Meter Speed Skating 0.62 seconds.

4. During the 2000 Summer Olympic Games the margin of victory between a gold medal and no medal was: Men's 800 Meter Run 0.21 seconds, Women's 800 Meter Run 2.36 seconds, Men's Long Jump 29 centimeters, Women's Long Jump 16 centimeters.

"The line between failure and success is so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it. How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience, would have achieved success. A little more effort and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success." Elbert Hubbard

So what's it gonna be? The choice is yours. Remember--"Failure will never overtake you if your determination to succeed is strong enough." Og Mandino

Tom Hughes is a coach, educator, author, and motivational speaker. He has an MEd from Pittsburg State University. He has taught and coached on the high school, college, and professional levels. Since 2001 Tom has written Motivational Moments, a free motivational newsletter. He authored "Power Thoughts for Coaching Basketball, a multi-purpose source book for basketball coaches.

Tom has spoken to business and civic groups, college and high school students, faculty and staff workshops, and athletic teams. The most popular program topics are - Goal Setting for Success; Team Building - On the Court or in the Office; Developing and Maintaining a Positive Attitude; Leadership Training; Improving Performance Through Achievement Motivation.

His website is: http://www.motivationnmore.com

Effectively Study For Finals

One of the most stressful times in college is finals time. Students performance on finals will often be the difference between and A or a B. It may even be the difference between passing the class and failing the class. For this reason it is very important to learn tips on how to study for finals. I have written many articles with tips and suggestions that you can use but this article will explain the basic foundation to success and tell you how to use it to become a better student.

The basic foundation to success in school, business or life in general is motivation. Sorry if you were looking for the end all be all suggestion but the bottom line is motivation directly relates to success. But how does motivation make you a better student and furthermore how can I get motivated if I am not.

Motivation works best if you know what you want to achieve. Students or people who feel like they are spinning their wheels often feel this way because they do not have a plan or direction to focus on. Therefore motivation will suffer. The first thing that you must do is to understand what you want to accomplish and then write it to paper to confirm it. Maybe you want a promotion at work or maybe you want A in a class or a 4.0 GPA. Once you know what you want to accomplish you use your motivation and desire to achieve your goals.

Clearly, this is easier said than done and in order to be successful you have to make sacrifices. The key point here is develop your goals, focus on what you want and you will see your motivation increase. Maybe you are a student who is struggling, if you are this article also applies to you. Set your goals to become a better student and use your new found motivation to learn new study tips and methods. Then put those newly found tips and methods into practice and watch the results.

My motivation was to become a better student by learning how to improve my study skills and also learning how to increase my study speed. Motivation will help you become a better student guaranteed but you have to find it and use it. As mentioned before becoming a better student is learning how to increase your study speed. A website you can go to to learn the benefits of speed studying is here SpeedStudyMethod.com. Imagine how well of a test taker you will be when you can study twice the material in half the time. My motivation was because I had more time to focus on other things. There are many benefits to using this method of studying. I used this method and was able to finish my undergrad in 3 and half years and currently I carry a 3.79 in my MBA program. If you want to be a better student follow these tips and check the website out you won't regret it

Top Self Help Strategies to Beat Depression According to Scientists

A group of Australian scientists did some research to discover more than 2214 self-help strategies to beat depression. Their findings were published in the Journal of Affective Disorders in Oct 2008. After getting rid of complicated strategies that they found to be difficult to implement, the team selected a final list of helpful strategies. What were the top strategies?

The list included...

-physical activity,

-proper sleep habits and regular sleep schedule,

-doing enjoyable things,

-getting involved in activities with a purpose,

-rewards for reaching small goals,

-relaxation methods,

-talking over problems or feelings with someone supportive and caring,

-informing family and friends,

-and eating a healthy, balanced diet.

When you discover that your head is attached to your body and that you must take care of your body in order to have a healthy mind, beating depression is closer than you think. For some reason, in our modern lifestyles, we incorrectly assume that what we choose to do and consume will not affect our health. As a result, our health care systems cannot possibly provide us adequate care. Proper health care begins with each individual. Please don't sacrifice your long term health for short term comforts.

With help from your doctor, you can start making life changes today to beat your depression. Your doctor can only guide you but he/she will not cure your depression. Only you can. My own life is an example of that.

When anti depressants brought on thoughts of suicide, I did my own depression research reading through the medical journals. Then I took it to my doctor and he suggested how to implement the research safely and effectively. But, it took discipline on my part (not his) for me to implement it. Three months later, I was out of the tunnel because I diligently made the necessary lifestyle changes. You can make these simple changes too.

There is hope! You are worth it!

From suicidal to impacting the lives of others, Merri Ellen Giesbrecht shares hope for those suffering from depression. When antidepressants made her life worse, she began to research the medical journals to find the truth. What she found would not only change her life but also thousands of others in over 80 countries around the world through her website: http://www.cure-your-depression.com

I Am Just Exploding With Excitement

I feel fired up for life. I just can't keep it to myself. I never felt energy in myself like this before. I love giving off this high energy. I think it is contagious. Just give off the energy that you can't help but bring a smile to somebody.

The week before the Summit , I dropped off 4 cards in 4 of my neighbors doors. They have no idea that each other had it done to them. I could believe the responce my cards. They were blank cards that I had filled in something that I appreciate about them.

First Cosmo, I told him he was my hero. He has a brain tumor to big to do anything about.He lives each day to the fullest and never takes a day for granted. I saw him 2 days later and He was so happy to have recieved my card.

Then there is Carmen, She lives on my floor. She used to take my kids for 2 hours once a week to let me have a break. That is years ago when my husband worked nights. We are just good neighbors. We look out for each other. So Her card said thanks for always being there. 2 days later she dropped flowers at my door. I had made her day. Ha! She made mine, i love fresh flowers .

Lynn, She lives on the 6 floor like Cosmo. She is very sick. She won't tell me what is wrong. She looks really sick. We have gotten to know each other in passing throughout the years. We have done nice gestures for each other as well. Her card said , I miss you. I haven't see her in months and I just wanted to tell her HI, I miss seeing you. She called last night. She said she couldn't bring herself to call me and tell me how she felt about me. She in my mind reasures me that I am a amazing human being. That I know how to touch hearts and change lives.

The last card I didn't hear from. I hope it brought a smile to her face, like the thought of her brings to mine.

My name is Dana Malave. I am 35 years old. I am a wife and a mother of 2 incredible children. My life is dedicated to personal development . Whether it be helping people through my writing http://www.mylifeinabundance.com

Controlling Your Fear of Public Speaking

To persuade, a speaker must talk fluently with courage and confidence. When fear or timidity becomes evident, an audience loses confidence in a speaker's ability to persuade. Obviously, if he cannot control himself how can he hope to persuade others?

The fear of public speaking is common to most people around the world. It is very often one of the top three fears of people in surveys. However, stage fright must be learned because people have only two natural fears at birth: the fear of falling and fear of loud noise. As stage fright has been learned it is impossible to control and overcome the anxiety.

The common fears associated with public speaking are:

- Fear of the unknown - new situations can be frightening. Remember the first time you were asked on a date or asked for one, or when you first began to drive.

- Fear of rejection - the feeling that the speech may be either criticised behind your back or openly.

- Fear of failure or making a mistake - you may forget part of your speech or mispronounce a word etc

Now we know what the fears are and that they were learned, how do you control them? Here are 8 techniques to use overcoming the anxiety;

1. Emerson's quote "Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain" is true. George Bernard Shaw suffered from stage fright and overcame his fear by speaking at every opportunity. Make many short speeches as this is far more helpful in overcoming fear than delivering only a few long ones.

2. Have an attitude that, "I'm giving them my best. I hope that's good enough. At this point I couldn't do better. And if someone is unhappy with my speech, so what? Without worrying a second about any speech I've already delivered I'm going to put all my energy into the next speech."

3. Mentally play down the importance of his speech. Who is going to remember it a hundred years later anyway?

4. Learn to grin at an audience and go right on speaking when you make a mistake, people will forget the mistake and remember the grin. A mistake always looks much bigger in the mind of the person who made it than in anyone else's thinking because he is so near it. Other people are so busy thinking about themselves (and their own mistakes) they won't remember someone else's error long.

5. Talk about something you really know. Something you know from your heart not through memorisation

6. Practice this speech drill either on your own or with someone - Choose a favourite hobby (your most active one.) Tell and show an imaginary audience how to take part in it. Do this with much pep. Put zip, spirit, and sparkle into your tones. Let your feelings show in your face, eyes and body. Overdo it! Feel that people must share your hobby, not tomorrow or next week, but as you talk about it. Do this again and again.

7. Properly prepare and practice your speech - know your subject intimately and practice as often as you can in front of the mirror, in front of friends. If possible run through the speech at the location where you are to give the speech.

8. Visualization. Visualize delivering your speech successfully as often as possible with intensity and passion.

Public speaking anxiety is something that can be overcome by all. It is a skill that is in the reach of anyone. Through a good attitude, practice and preparation it is possible for all to become proficient speakers

Edward Hope is editor and publisher of the recently released ebook "The Art of Great Conversation." To claim your free preview visit http://selfconfidentspeaking.com

Getting Your Mojo Back

Motivation can be defined as momentum that stimulates action. It comes from within you. Nobody can "make" you be motivated. It's up to you. So, how do you keep your motivation on a daily basis, and especially during these economically hard times?

First, let's go there and talk about where LACK of motivation comes from and how it manifests itself into your life. Lack of motivation is usually caused by fear and lack of self-confidence. I've seen this so many times when working with under-producing sales professionals. Maybe you've been on a roll. Sales have been great. You've been the "golden players" on the sales team. Maybe you're struggling just to get out of the gate.

All of a sudden somebody or many people say "no." The economic climate changes. You lose a client or maybe more. Prospects dry up. Fear begins to set in about job performance, money, etc. If you are being highly scrutinized because of falling sales, fear and self-confidence set in and begin to spin out of control.

Fear and lack of self-confidence will paralyze you from doing what you need to do to move forward. Where there is fear and lack of self-confidence, there cannot possibly be motivation.

Ok. Enough of that! We all know what LACK of motivation can do. But when you're down there, how to get up again? How do you keep your self-motivated day after day in a tough marketplace full of competition and rejection?

Let me give you 4 steps to recover your motivation, get out of the rut and get your "Mojo" back!

1. Make A List: When you've fallen into a slump you might feel as though you're at the bottom looking up ad you can't dig yourself out. Your thoughts are spinning about all the things you should do, and need to do. It's impossible to figure out what to do and how to do it when your head is spinning! Make a list. Sit down someplace quiet, breathe and write down everything that is spinning around up there. After you've made the list you can then start to prioritize. If sales are down and you need to make 10 sales, the goal is to make sale. Notice I said "a sale" not 10, not 2, not 6. ONE. Whatever your goal is, chunk it out into smaller, more reasonable pieces that will give you success quickly. When you succeed at the first goal that success will spur you on to the next.

2. Post Your Goal: Make your first goal real by putting in front of you. Also, put a positive spin on your goal. Don't just write, "One Sale" or "I need to make one sale." Instead write something like, "I can make one sale." Then post ion your bathroom mirror, on your refrigerator, in your car, in your home office, etc etc. Make this goal your mantra.

3. Don't Quit! Make a list of 4 or 5 ways you can get to your goal. Who do you need to see? What referral do you need? Who in your network can you call on for help? Keep putting one foot ahead of the other, one step at a time. This is the most important step to get where you want to be.

4. Squash Negative Thoughts:. For every negative thought that pops into your head and runs around in there, identify where that thought comes from. For instance, if you are thinking, "I'm a loser."

Who said that to you? Why to you feel that way? When you've identified where the negative thought comes from, select an opposing thought to replace it. Instead of, "I'll never make my sales goal" think I will make my sales goal because sales is a numbers game I know I can win!

Remember that sales is a numbers game. By setting goals and being consistent your Mojo will return and not only will you make your sales goals, you'll beat them! You are a winner. Act as if you are!

Jill Freeman is a dynamic and motivational coach with over 20 years of sales, marketing and business development experience. She has been called "The Go-to Sales and Marketing Maven" by Stacey Kelly, founder and CEO of PM Squared in Houston TX. Jill is the founder of ROAR! Growing Your Business With Pride. She is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite University and holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Organizational Development. Jill lives in South Central PA with her husband and children. You can learn more about ROAR! by visiting http://www.roarcorps.com

Myths of Strengths and Weaknesses

The following is more information that resulted from my good Friend Mr. Jay Niblick's The Genius Project. The findings are pretty astounding. The implications are even greater!

The Myths of Strengths and Weaknesses

There is a myth about strengths and weaknesses, which states that we all possess them naturally. In reality, we don't. No human possesses any single weaknesses. What we do possess are natural talents and non-talents. Now don't get him wrong, he's not one of those that think it is too negative to tell someone they have a weakness and wants to call them "opportunities for development". He actually hates this term because more often than not it supports the incorrect view that one can fix a weakness by developing natural talents. If one of his clients is suffering from a weakness he tells them so straight up, but the key is that this weaknesses isn't natural, it is manufactured. Weaknesses and strengths don't exist naturally, only talents and non-talents do. If, however, one relies on a non-talent, they turn it into a weakness. Likewise, if one doesn't rely on my talents, they are never a strength for them.

In other words, you are ultimately in control of your strengths and weaknesses. Granted you have to work with the potential strengths you have, in the form of what natural talents you possess, but it is totally up to you as to whether you allow yourself to be dependent on a non-talent - or try to rely on a talent. You may be born with talents and non-talents, and there is nothing you can do about that, but you are in charge of whether those talents and non-talents become strengths and weaknesses. If you allow your success to depend on your talents, you create a strength. If you allow your success to depend on your non-talents, you create a weakness.

This might seem like he's talking about some minor difference of semantics, but I assure you that this is much more than a simple play on words. Understanding this concept requires a total change of perspective. Most people buy into the myth that they possess their strengths and weaknesses and fail to understand that they don't actually possess them, they create them. The power is theirs as to whether they exist or not.

The key is how you apply yourself, and the impact of this understanding is incredibly important because once you realize that you create your strengths and weaknesses, you realize that you are in control. You realize that you don't have to suffer from weaknesses which were given to you and about which you can do nothing. You are in control because while you definitely have non-talents, nothing in the universe states that you have to depend on them and if you don't depend on them, then they aren't weaknesses now are they? Make sense? Both talents and non-talents are only "potential". Natural talents are only potential strengths and non-talents are only potential weaknesses. The thing that controls how these potentials turn out is how you apply yourself.

If one fail because of their weaknesses, it is their own fault. Not because they didn't fix their weaknesses, but because they allowed their success to depend on my non-talents. They created a scenario where their weaknesses outweighed their strengths. Either way, the control lies with them and no one else.

Geniuses understand this. Their locus of control lies internally within them. They know that they are the only ones responsible for whether they benefit from strengths or suffer from weaknesses. They manage to turn potential strengths into actual strengths by relying on their natural talents and they manage to leave potential weaknesses as just that - potential weakness. They do not allow their success to become dependent on their non-talents, which would manufacture a weakness. Their primary focus is on maximizing their dependence on talents and minimizing their dependence on non-talents. Peter Drucker said, "your job is to make the strengths of your people effective and their weaknesses irrelevant." While obviously influenced by the industrial era mindset, because he's talking to management not the individual, the message is none-the-less spot on. The key is the focus on minimizing dependence on weaknesses, not eliminating them.

Geniuses don't have more talents than anyone else. They are just as flawed and imperfect in their natural abilities as the next man. Geniuses don't have fewer non-talents, they just have fewer weaknesses because they are very aware of their non-talents and they do a damn good job of not depending on them. To quote Dr. Marshall Goldsmith again, "there are a whole lot of things I stink at Jay. I just make sure I don't have to do them to be successful." The level of success these Geniuses achieve is hard to argue with. They achieve significantly more success with less effort, while finding more passion, satisfaction and happiness.

The Numbers

From a pure statistical perspective, Geniuses are quite rare but they significantly outperform the non-geniuses across the board. The percentage of 5th level performers in the study was only 9% of the total population (n=300,000+) but the difference in their results was astonishing:

The most successful people outperformed the next closest level not by 10 times, nor by 100 times, but by as much as 1,000 times in some cases

The average level of self-awareness for the 5th level performers in the study was 92% compared to 62% for the 4th level performers and less than 47% for the 1st through 3rd level performers

Those who were 5th level performers had levels of authenticity that were 91% versus the levels of authenticity seen in the 4th level performers of 79% and in the 1st through 3rd level performers who were at 63%

The differences between the level of self-awareness and degree of authenticity, and the correlation of these two factors with performance, make a very compelling argument for

The data showed us that there is a direct and positive correlation between the levels of awareness you have for your own abilities, the degree to which you are authentic to them and your overall level of performance. These data showed that those who performed at the lower levels had lower levels of self-awareness and authenticity. The higher people were in performance the greater their level of self-awareness and authenticity became. The great news about this is that self-awareness and authenticity are acquired talents and as things you can develop - you can develop your ability to reach the 5th level of performance AKA The Genius Level.

Mr. Timothy A. McGinty is the published co-author of the highly regarded Wake Up... Live the Life You Love series. This series is a collaborative effort with such inspirational leaders as Tony Robbins, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Brian Tracey, Steven E, and Lee Beard.

Mr. McGinty is also the author of "Your Blissful Life", a book which takes the reader by the hand and walks them through a process for defining their "Blissful Life" and the action plan for achieving it.

Imagine Yourself... is an organization focused on enabling clients "breakthrough" in achieving their success. Mr. McGinty has helped many organizations and individuals discover their passion, define the life balance they seek, develop strategies for achieving that balance, and held them accountable for reaching their goals. His clients have been so successful that Mr. McGinty is known as "The Breakthrough Guy"

Imagine Yourself...
13477 Prospect Rd. Suite 204
Strongsville, Ohio 44149
Telephone: 440-236-6519
Web: http://www.timothymcginty.com
E-mail: tim@timothymcginty.com

Choosing Empowerment And Positivity

Choosing empowerment and positivity, or negativity and unhappiness, is a decision that you're making every day, whether you realize it or not.

Native American culture tells the story of a man who explains his own constant struggle between positive, empowering, creative impulses and negative and self-destructive ones by telling his son that he has two wolves fighting in his heart -- a good wolf and a bad one. The boy asks him which of the two will win the battle. The father replies, "Whichever one I feed."

It's very true. The feelings that we nurture and return to, time after time, are the ones which come to dominate our thoughts and actions, while the ones we turn away from fade away.

The exciting thing is, we have a choice. Although the two wolves both exist, we can choose which one of them we want to feed. That means, we choose which one will win.

You probably know people who feel sorry for themselves, who belittle others, who seem to get some kind of pleasure out of feeling miserable, who portray themselves as victims and reject the affections of anyone who doesn't offer constant sympathy. Often it seems to everybody but themselves that they actually have a whole lot going for them, but they're apt to be defensive if anyone should ever dare to point that out!

That's a classic example of what happens when you feed the bad wolf. You don't satisfy an appetite for any kind of feeling when you feed it - you only make it stronger. If you indulge negative feelings about yourself or other people, you strengthen them until they're very hard indeed to break away from.

The other side of the coin's what happens when you feed the GOOD wolf. If you know people who always seem to get a real kick out of life, who laugh a lot, have lots of friends and interests, and light up the room with energy and sparkle, who succeed in everything they turn their hand to and who always seem to have a lot of fun, you don't need ask which wolf they're feeding.

So, how do you feed the good wolf, then?

You give it what it most enjoys.

It has the most enormous appetite for feeling good, for having a positive self-image and strong self-esteem, for kindness, understanding, positive attitudes and healthy laughter. It feeds on self-respect, and tolerance for other people. It thrives on learning skills for the achievement of a purpose, and it loves the satisfaction of attaining worthwhile goals. It laps up happiness.

Above all, it relishes enjoying life and sharing joy with others.

When was the last time you wanted to laugh aloud, or sing, or dance, or turn a somersault, just from the sheer delight of being alive? That state of mind's the one that feeds the good wolf best of all.

If your good wolf's been going hungry, here's how you can provide it with an instant banquet.

Sit back and relax, and clear your mind of everything. Just let your thoughts all drift away, and feel yourself becoming warm and comfortable. Let your mouth relax into a smile.

Now, think of something that makes you feel exhilarated. It doesn't matter what it is, as long as it's something that makes you light up as though somebody had pressed a switch. This isn't the moment for something comforting and soothing - this is about the sort of joy that makes you want to shout out from the rooftops that life's wonderful.

If that's not the way you feel right now, then think of of anything that's ever made you feel delight and wonder. If you can't immediately remember anything that's made you feel that way, imagine what it would feel like to be totally spontaneous and carefree.

Now, focus on that feeling, and experience it as strongly as you can. Revel in it... relish every detail. Your subconscious mind can't tell the difference between what's really happening and what you only feel is happening, so concentrate on that great feeling till it becomes completely real for you.

Do this for at least 10-15 minutes, and make yourself a promise that you'll do it regularly. That way you'll give yourself a surge of energy that will benefit yourself, your work and all you come in contact with.

Remember that you will get what you focus on, whether it's positive or negative. What's more, you won't just get it, you'll become it... an upbeat, enthusiastic, sparkling and happy person, or a miserable and self-destructive loser.

The choice is yours. Your mind will give you everything you ask of it -- and it will give you it in quantities you haven't dreamed of yet.

Make sure you feed the GOOD wolf... because the wolf that wins the battle is the one you feed.

Aislinn O'Connor is a motivational writer, and producer of personal empowerment audio tracks. To download a complimentary copy of her book, Your Daily Inspiration, visit http://www.Supreme-Success.com.

How Do I Get Un-Stuck?

It's sad to say, but the majority of people in our society are asking themselves this question every day. They feel hopeless when they are looking at their current situation and cannot see a way out. I know because I used to be one of them. Are you still there?

So, what does a person in this situation do? How does the common person get themselves out of this all too common state of life? Well, I can point you to this recourse, or introduce you to that opportunity, but none of those things will change your situation until you first change your mind, or the way your mind looks at situations. If you're still here reading this, then you obviously have the desire to change, but desire is nothing without the action to back it.

You first have to know, not hope it will happen. You have to know, not hope you will succeed. You have to KNOW! You see, until you develop a mind set of knowing, you will be approaching every situation in life from the state of lacking what it is you want. And if you are lacking, then there is doubt. And if there is doubt, there will never be success. But if you know something is already yours, then nothing can stop you from getting it (except you).

So don't lose hope. There are many great opportunities out there for you to get un-stuck. But before I can show you those, you must know that you absolutely can you absolutely will.

Frankie Gomez is a professional marketer and web based business owner. Serious entrepreneurs, who wish to know more about his extremely lucrative opportunity that is taking the industry by storm, please visit http://www.IamTheMasterOfMyFuture.com today. You can also visit http://www.myspace.com/wealthbuilderfrankieg to find out more about Frankie.

Basing Your Career on Your Passions Will Lead to Fulfillment

If your prime motivation is the bottom line then maybe it doesn't make any difference as long as you're making money and providing for you and your family a desirable lifestyle.

But, if you long for a job or career you can love and do with a passion then it may be a little more difficult.

True, some people just fall into their lifelong passion with little or no trouble at all. Maybe they grew up in the family business, never knew anything else or cared to learn anything else and found contentment staying close to the nest. However, this is not the norm. Most of us seek to fly out of the comfortable nest and fly over the fence to see if the grass is greener.

It's never too early or too late to discover your passions and act on them but first determine what you're passionate about. When you understand your own passions (and this is not easy matter) a whole new world of possibilities opens up.

Step back and take a close look at where you are now and what brought you there. Perhaps, you're a plumber but long to travel. More than likely you'll make more money being a plumber, but if you're not happy each day and dread going to work, then the bottom line is not your motivating factor. See, you're learning about yourself already.

Look at your passions from all angles. In the case of travel, is it really the travel you love or is it exploring new lands and meeting new people. You could meet new people and make new friends in all kinds of endeavors.

Meeting lots of people as a plumber is usually limited. Maybe you enjoy making travel plans and scheduling cruises and flights which could lead to a travel or tour business. It's important to search your passions from different directions.

What you think your passions are could be just admiration of others who do what you think you would like to do. Would you like to become a writer but hate to sit down to a computer and write?

Do you admire a person who makes birdhouses for a living but you hate to be cooped up in a wood shop all day. Don't confuse your passion with admiration. And be prepared for the realization that doing what you love will not always put bread on the table.

You can bet people who are working at whatever their passion spent long hours to get where they are today. But, if it's truly your passion, getting there will be a joy. Explore your passions whether they're a love of animals, gardening or photography and take these passions to the next step.

Learn all you can about your passion. Take a class or a course, volunteer or intern in the field you love. See where the path leads. It could lead you right back to where you were in the first place but you owe it to yourself to find out. Enjoy the journey.

Zara Jones is a life coach based in San Francisco and enjoys writing articles for many journals and websites. Check out this great guide to Job Interview Techniques site which has a ton of great articles, guides and advice on improving you job interview chances.

http://www.jobinterviewtechniques.info

Individuals and of the Earth

Today, many people on the planet are in need of healing and are suffering through difficult times - some physically, some emotionally, some due to what appear to be external circumstances. In reality, the earth itself is undergoing a global purification which is causing many to experience an upsurge of both emotional and physical difficulties. We are not yet accustomed to thinking of everything that is physical as having a spiritual root, and yet this is what is taking place as purification advances upon the planet. Many nations, as well, are experiencing a similar kind of upheaval related to planetary purification. The purpose of this movement and, indeed, of this turbulence, is to free the self of formerly blocked negative energies and ultimately to create greater freedom for each self and for the planet as a whole.

The purification of the individual and of the planet operates according to similar principles and the healing that is made possible through both is the same. Light intensifies in its potency, creating a separation between energies of light and darkness. The darkness, once separated, moves from a dormant state into the light of awareness where it can be seen, and felt, and released into the infinite light of God. During this passage, things that were held in the body because they were too painful to feel things that may have manifested as longstanding physical or emotional symptoms may intensify in their level of activity while at the same time becoming available to our awareness again. On a planetary level also, things that were latent within human consciousness are now more readily acted out upon the world stage because what was hidden is now revealed, and what has become more conscious has a greater possibility for becoming active in its expression. The purification that is taking place in a general sense means that people will feel more that things will come up more frequently and with greater intensity on all levels in order to be healed. This is the result of the greater efficacy of light upon the earth, and though its immediate result may be disturbing in certain respects, it is simultaneously creating the possibility for greater freedom of people everywhere to live in love, in peace, and with a sense of unity with all of life.

The increased possibility for dealing with formerly concealed or dormant energies that are now making themselves known, creates entirely new possibilities for healing at this time. This can include physical, mental, and emotional difficulties that are acute, or those that may have troubled us for years. The power of light that is now more available on the planet is already infusing our physical, mental, and emotional bodies. Through understanding the process and through working with it in a conscious way in a way that focuses on the incorporation of greater light into the body and consciousness - greater healing of pain and suffering that relate to the time we are in can take place, and discomfort and distress can be alleviated.

There are many avenues of working with light for purposes of healing and purification, some more powerful than others. Some take place through meditation; some through participation in the synergy of light-filled groups; some through being in nature, and some through spiritual practices which focus more directly on alignment and on breathing in light for the purpose of healing painful areas of life, whether physical, emotional, or any other variety. Commitment to such a practice can go a long way toward concentrating light in the body for purposes of healing. It can also create a heightened awareness, simultaneously, of our deeper identity as spiritual beings.

For additional writings by Julie Redstone see Pathways of Light. For a deeper understanding of healing through light as it relates to pain and suffering, see the Calendar of Healing.

Hard on Religious Faith

It's probably hard to find facts if your mind is already made up. If you're trying to find information on anything, more than likely you will find exactly what you're looking for, if you look hard enough. With all the information out there, available in books, media, and of course the Internet, would we really know the honest to God truth if we ran into one.

Not something that man made up and forced our ancestors to believe in.

If you're studying on faith alone and trying to prove or disprove something, you will succeed. If you're reading the Bible and looking for answers to problems in your life, eventually you will find the answers. All you need is to believe in your God and he will show you the way. Has he truly shown you the way or are you basing your religious beliefs on faith alone.

I have studied the Bible for many years and came to the conclusion that, I was often blinded by the way I view the information and couldn't get the facts most of the time. I always enjoyed reading Proverbs and the story of Job, both of these books in the Bible inspired me to become a better person.

By studying the Bible without faith and looking for information based on facts, it wasn't long before I realized this book could be and I say could be a group of stories that man over the centuries combined into one book during the Council of Nicaea in 325A.D and became religious doctrine for Christians.

In order to study anything effectively, you need to keep an open mind, this might require you to reprogram your thinking. You have been taught for years that only your religion is correct and all other religions are wrong. You can't think like this and gather information effectively.

Studying on faith alone could close your mind and keep you on the path of spiritual resistance. You know you're on this path if only the things you believe in make sense. Nothing nobody else says can make much sense if you're studying on faith alone.

What would it hurt to read a life changing spiritual book on another religion or form of spirituality? If you can't read another religious book, because you're religious organization tells you to only read their spiritual books to gather information, you're following a path of spiritual resistance.

If you're really going to study on faith alone then I suggest studying with intention to learn instead of follow.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended reading, Stories from the Old Testament

Greg is currently working on a religious and spiritual answers library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion

Certified Rolfing & Budokon Yoga Science

At a point in history that is saturated with self help books, get rich gimmicks, and exercise infomercials, it is no wonder that Budokon yoga purposed to emerge in our culture. Budokon yoga is philosophy, science, and art for the spirit, body, and soul. Its literal Japanese translation is " way of the spirit warrior' and it represents a conscious decision to no longer chose "more of the same". It is said, "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few". The merging of yogic and martial movements combined with limbic re-integration techniques enables the human species to engage in health and wellness not known since the human movement potential era. It far exceeds the sum total of components needed for fitness and enables the whole person to awaken to a new potential organically. It has been heralded as "the most intelligent practice on the planet"; it is indeed a functional revolution.

So much time and energy is exhausted plotting how to look, feel, and get better. The emphasis is on the quantity and not the quality, on doing something instead of being something, as if there is a boundary separating the thought, the word, and the action. "How much can I shove into my day because I am busy getting somewhere", is how most of us live our lives, and it is said that, "the way we do anything is the way we do everything." The structural and functional differential states that quanta filters into sensation, then e-motion, into belief, and finally into expression, in other words our perception of "other" or our circumstances predicate our movement. When the pressure starts to mount in life or on the mat how do we keep the drama or the functional differential at bay? What if there was a way to approach all of our personal ideals as if they were already available in the form of latent potential waiting to be unearthed? Budokon is a system of somatic awareness that presents itself in the yogic, martial, and living arts with a premise of self-accountability, patience, and mastery by practicing just to practice. Weight loss, tone body, clear mind, better coordination, increased strength are not goals of Budokon, they are benefits. The nervous system that governs the functional differential does not normally change quickly but progressively by diligent, attentive practice it changes slowly and subtlety. Practice just to practice. It encompasses the components of nutrition, fitness, health and wellness desired by our culture and ultimately navigates each person to a more authentic expression, a functional evolution.

The movement science of this practice is purposed to cultivate bio-mechanic potentials that are consistent with structural and functional ideals. What distinguishes Budokon yoga movement from all other yogic or martial systems is its recognition and subsequent utilization of the spinal engine. The spinal engine theory suggests that all biomechanical movement, walking, running, yoga, etc... originates in the small muscles of the spine that initiate movement. The origin and insertion of these tissues initiate and accommodate movement in the sagital, frontal, and transverse planes, thus when the activation for movement begins it expresses from the spine, through the core, into the appendicular. Since we are designed to live in a dynamic, fluid filled body it makes perfect sense that a practice cultivate uninhibited movement in all three planes with flexion-extension, side bend, and rotation. Movement in life is the sum total of all three primary planes and associated movements in these planes operating synergistically, so our practice is more fruitful if it acknowledges these potentials. Budokon also provides a dynamic approach to medial/internal and lateral/external rotation of the pelvic and shoulder girdles, with core activation enabling the spinal engine to transmission into full expression extending in to an open or closed kinetic chain. The kinetic chain is an energetic potential that transmissions from the spine, core, or Mu into the appendicular or limbs of the body. If a limb is grounded the chain is closed, sending system wide signals of stabilization and containment and if a limb is not grounded but extended with direction into infinity it is open. The nervous system is designed to operate in terms of survival and predictability and activation can be voluntary or involuntary. The limbic brain is where the body houses these maps of movement predictability for survival and as we discussed earlier its change is slow and subtle or sub-cortical. These changes happen when they are discovered not discussed so it seems that when one allows the opportunity to play with movement as an exploration into something new and unfamiliar as apposed to analyzing and repeating something taught, that spontaneous change can happen. Limbic re-integration is a vital component to Budokon yoga that enables each individual to play and explore bio-mechanic potentials buried under the yoke of cultural and social stigmas. Gorilla, kimodo dragon, bull frog, panther, lion, crocodile, spinning monkey, and many others can provide a gateway to a new movement potential by offering the opportunity to play with homologous, homo-lateral, and contra-lateral movements.

Philosophy plus science equals art. The artistic value of Budokon yoga emerges through movements like rolling wave, floating frog, dancing dog, flying warrior and dancing lion. Budokon is a yogic and martial system teaching basic movements that can augment into a more advanced expression by making movement fun, exploratory, and efficient. The merging of the yogic and martial movements into a practice is a way for complete new comers to engage in learning and exploring basic stand up and ground budo with out the threat of failure. Art is adaptation and although there is form that is essential to efficiency of movement, it is the exploration of innovating the form that creates the fertile ground for artistic value. Budokon yoga instructors are specific to teaching form while allowing the opportunity to play, explore, and innovate. When movement is sloppy and unrefined it is not innovation it is laziness, it is the predictable pattern of movement that is no longer desired and Budokon yoga will not enable more of the same. It will provide the framework for a new potential and allow each individual to create a different and more satisfying option.

There is so much more that can be written in an attempt to discuss Budokon yoga and its life altering benefits, but again true change can not be discussed it has to be experienced. To list and identify all of the components of Budokon and the practice would create a lengthy article and it is not the focus of this article to overwhelm the reader with everything but just enough of the philosophy, science and art so that an individual can make an informed decision to no longer chose more of the same.

Budokon yoga and the Certified Rolfing Ten Series have the ability to reduce pain and release tension in the connective and myofascial tissue of the body associated with TMJ, CTS, RLS, Fibromyalgia, Sciatica, Fascitis, Bunions, Scoliosis, and Cerebral Palsy. Fascial asymmetries can cause foot, leg, knee, hip, back, shoulder, neck, arm, hand, and head pain; integration therapy is necessary. Orthopedic, Chiropractic, Physical, and Massage Therapist recognize Rolfing and Rolf Movement as premium pain management utilizing Structural, Functional, and Postural Integration. Before and after photo's of some of my clients proven results available only on my website.

John Barton, Certified Rolfer & Rolfing Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas
rolfmovement.com
certifiedrolfing.com

Sacred Love Building Relationships That Work - Some Essentials of the Heart

There are five simple ingredients to a great relationship. I think all of them need to be in place for the relationship to stand the test of time. Any one of them will trigger the desire to enter the relationship, but, unless all are there, the relationship just dwindles to maintenance.

The first ingredient of a great relationship

Falling in love, over and over again. Did you know that we "fall into love" with someone when we get out of our head? That means, we fall in love when we are not thinking. The irony is that we fall in love with someone because we expect nothing from them. Then, we spend the rest of our relationship with that person trying to get them to match our expectations. The fastest path around this is to acknowledge that you are going to have those expectations and they are important, but to fall in love, again and again and again, you need to have periods together where you just have time out. Fun stuff, where you just BE together without wanting anything. I call this STILLNESS but it's not still.

The second ingredient of a great relationship

The truth of human nature, (as opposed to the ego nature) is that it has two sides. Balance. So, we have a public and a private nature. They are always diametrically opposite. The total ass in public has a sweet side that they display somewhere else in life. So, in relationship, it is really common to find yourself focusing on the "darker side" of your partner, especially if you are into self-help, personal growth, yoga or meditation. You see, everyone has a good and a bad side. When we are in relationship we can easily focus on the bad side, because we become self-obsessed focusing on hiding our own bad side. It's like buying a yellow VW car. Before you buy one, none exist. After you buy one, it seems like every second person has one. When you become obsessed with changing yourself, or disowning your darker side, you can't see past the darker side of your partner. Their foibles. So, the solution here is to start to embrace your true nature, and as a result, be able to embrace the whole being that is your partner too.

The third ingredient of a great relationship

Evolve ya bastard. We tried to find a quote for the women folk, Evolve ya bitch just doesn't have the same ring too it and coming from a bloke like me, can be misinterpreted. So, simply put, "GET OVER IT." You are not a victim, shit happens in your life because you bred it. Take the fall, own your power, you cause your troubles. If you do this, you can fix this. See, if you don't cause your world, then how can you fix or change it? Evolve means to accept and UNJUDGE. That's deep stuff because it involves changing your beliefs. It also involves massive MIRRORING. Meaning seeing your own reflection in the actions and words of others. If you don't evolve in a relationship, you sabotage it and bring in the drama.

The Fourth ingredient of a great relationship

Dreams. 99% of self and relationship sabotage comes from lost vision. Now, I'm not here talking about maintenance. Like "bringing up the kids." When a couple get totally turned on by each other long term it's really because they see a great future together. It's exciting and filled with new adventures. When the libido drops or the emotion goes out, it's because that future has turned to boredom. Boredom in any area of life kills the human spirit. Now, you might say, "bringing up the kids is not boring," but really, its the same thing, day in day out. It's maintenance. I'm talking about things that you dream about. Holidays are a poor man's substitute for a great life. So, many people who lack the real vision of the future to inspire themselves, go on holidays. It's like putting a band-aid on a skin cancer. Do dreams, do vision quest together. Nothing is more important for long term sexy relationship than this.

The fifth ingredient of a great relationship

It's you. You have to turn up happy. You can't prey on your partner for happiness. Happiness is what you bring to your relationship. If you turn up bored or burned out from your job, you're going to suck the life force out of your partner. They have to put up self-protective barriers to that sort of ignorance. Get a life. Get a sport. Get a Hobie. And if you don't, you'll find yourself dreaming of sex with strangers, aka, TV Desperate Housewives. Stupid life. If your yoga class, your meditation class, your spiritual guru, your self help, your job does not send you home laughing, smiling, jumping for joy at the life you've got, then F...k it.

With Spirit and love

Chris "walk your talk" Walker

I really want to help people live to a different rhythm of life. I have done many practices to achieve inner peace, they were good, but fragile. Now, I have found stillness because life has become my meditation. I would love to share how. You see, once I thought my expectations were the best barometer of goodness. Anything that wasn't good, needed to change, or be fixed. Now, I know nature, natural law, creation. And I realise that with self-honesty, I can hold my inner peace, my stillness, wherever I go, not just on my cushion in the morning and night.
http://www.chriswalker.com.au and http://www.innerwealth.com - This is what I share.

Overcome the Fear of Change

Do you feel discomfort or fear when there are things changing in your life? This is quite common for adults to feel while children rarely experience those feelings. Children usually are excited about all the new things that are coming their way - new friends to play with and more things to learn.

When you were young, you did not resist change. You anticipated change. You anticipated growth. But many adults do not look forward to getting new jobs, switching careers or relocating to a new city. I wonder when people decide they have reached the point where they want things around them to stay the same.

Be aware of the fact that change is an unchanging truth. Intentional or not, your life is always changing. Look back one year ago or even 10, 20 and 30 years ago, how has your life changed? You have finished school. You have started a career. Maybe you have started a family also. How about the people around you, how have they changed? Have you lived in different places? I am sure you would notice lots of changes over the years. Yet, many people still have a strong tendency to resist change.

If you are among those who fear changes, here are three effective ways to help you overcome that fear:

"Feel the fear and do it anyway." Everyone has a comfort zone. Your fear is a warning that you are about to step outside of your comfort area. If it is your intention to do something different from what you are accustomed to, then your fear is a welcoming signal. Your comfort zone will grow each time you venture outside of it. Remember the first time you drove and you were not even sure how to do it on an empty road? How about the first time you drove on the expressway? How about now? Do you sometimes find yourself driving with one hand on the steering wheel and the other hand fumbling on the music player searching for your favorite song while talking to your friend sitting beside you? Rather than let you fear hold you back, embrace the opportunity to grow. Keep practicing until it becomes second nature to you.

Focus on your goal. The anticipation of pain is one of the main causes of fear. Do you realize that a lot of this pain resides only in your imagination. Have you ever experienced that actually taking the feared action has been much easier than you imagined it to be? Perhaps it was the first time for you performing on stage or it may have been the first job interview you had. To allay your fear, set your goal and understand why achieving this goal is important for you. Make a decision to do it and commit to it. Focus on your goal and it will help to keep your fear at bay.

Identify the benefits of change. When a person associates change with loss, it can be difficult. A caterpillar will never become a butterfly if it is so attached to its identity that it refuses to morph. What benefits will you gain from making that change? Will you lose anything as a result? Is it a true loss or a perceived loss? Many people are hard hit by the prospect of a job loss, retirement, relocation or family changes. For sure, those situations can be emotionally challenging but they can also open up opportunities for something even better.

Recognize that you are not alone feeling the fear of change. Join some support groups if you need emotional support. Recruit the help of mentors or coaches to help you gain an independent perspective and learn from their experiences so you can have a smooth or even fun transition.

Corinne Lor is a success coach who works with dissatisfied business professionals and people in transition, helping them realign their personal resources to meet multiple work and personal demands while having the joy of rediscovering their personal lives. Corinne Lor provides private individual sessions and group workshops through business enterprises.

Do You Ever Loose Your Keys - Planning Advice

You obviously don't need to read this article if you rarely lose your car keys. However if you misplace your car keys often and have a pretty good relationship with your locksmith, it's time to change these bad habits into good ones.

One of my friends, recently lost their car keys. I would like you to listen to what I'm about to say and see if it makes sense to you. Most people get two keys when they buy a car. This means, if they lose one key, they now have a spare key. When they lose their first key, this should give them a pretty good clue that the second key is now the only key, if they wish to drive their car.

Does that make sense? If you lose your first key, you don't have a second or spare key anymore. Now is a good time to purchase a spare key or have one made. Don't wait until you lose the second one, unless you are planning to change your bad habit into a good one.

Now let me get back to my friends who recently lost their car's key. The car they were driving was a new Honda and you can't go to the locksmith to get another key made. You have to order one from the Honda dealer and this key cost them over $200. That's a lot of money for one key.

Now my friends lost both of their original keys and now have one key to operate the vehicle and this key cost them over $200. Now if I had to pay this amount of money, I would make sure that I never lost this key ever again. I would do whatever it to to change my old habits and create some new ones.

How hard is it to get in the habit of placing your keys inside of your purse. Placing your keys in your pockets and then only removing them when you are going to place them inside of a drawer, container, cup, bowl or on a shelf in your bedroom. If you place your keys in a drawer, this will keep them out of other people's temptation.

If you choose to lay your keys in a bowl, in the kitchen, there's a good chance someone will take them or another member of your family could lose them. Place your keys in a protected area, do not leave them out in the open ever.

If you want some tips to prevent you from losing your keys, simply talk to someone who rarely if ever loses their keys. Most of these people have simple and easy to follow tips. You can consciously create a habit that can save you money and frustration in the future.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a spiritual video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world.

Thoughts To Ponder

These little known quotes from a variety of well-known philosophers, authors and professionals bring a perspective worth contemplating.

"Russia on its path has oftentimes discussed and over discussed what had happened earlier, instead of moving forward. The result is always the same: It is very difficult to move forward when you're looking backward. - Mikhail Khodorkovsky

"Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile." - Vince Lombardi

"It's easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you're a winner, when you're number one. What you've got to have is faith and discipline when you're not yet a winner." - Vince Lombardi

"Part of the issue of goals is to be able to set realistic goals, but that's one of the hardest things to do because you don't always know exactly where you're going, and you shouldn't." - George Lucas

"Basically, our goal is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful." - Larry Page

"I've been blessed to find people who are smarter than I am, and they help me to execute the vision I have." - Russell Simmons

"You will encounter many distractions and many temptations to put your goal aside: The security of a job, a wife who wants kids, whatever. But if you hang in there, always following your vision, I have no doubt you will succeed. - Larry Flynt

"Leaders need to be optimists. Their vision is beyond the present." - Rudy Giuliani

"One of my goals is to inspire people to be all that they can be and, hopefully, be a good example and teach some useful, interesting principles. Perhaps I can be the key that turns on the engine in their life, and then they can take their car where they want." - Mark Victor Hansen

"Perhaps my most important goal is to create a million millionaires." - Mark Victor Hansen

"How am I going to live today in order to create the tomorrow I'm committed to?" - Anthony Robbins

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Life Coach, Hypnotherapist, Author, "101 Great Ways To Improve Your Life." Mind, Body, Spirit healing and Physical/Sexual Abuse Prevention and Recovery. As an inspirational leader, Dr. Neddermeyer empowers people to view life's challenges as an opportunity for Personal/Professional Growth and Spiritual Awakening. http://www.drdorothy.net

Attitude - Life is Good

Is it really true that a certain attitude can affect our lives in a significant way? Let's think of it as a scientific study. Say we hypothesize that a positive attitude deems success and a negative attitude deems failure. We could stratify the study -- see the differences between men and women, old and young -- but is that really necessary, aren't we just looking at the obvious?

Success is definitely more of a mental attitude -- it's not how much money we make, if we're male or female, or how skinny we are -- it's our perceptions, how we see ourselves fitting into this world. Rich people are not always at peace, beautiful people are not always happy, and why is that? Think of Victor Frankl and the Pursuit of Happiness -- the incredible trials -- but yet he still found peace amidst the unbelievable circumstances he had to endure.

Let me share a true story to illustrate my point -- one that a good friend shared with me. My friend was browsing in a bookstore one day when in walked two women. One was absolutely stunning -- you couldn't help but stare. Her features, manner, and clothing were swiped off the cover of a glamour magazine. Next to this beauty was her friend in a wheelchair -- kind of plain looking, maybe a little chubby, and with no real amazing sense of style. My friend thought they were an odd pair to be out together, but didn't think about it anymore and went back to her browsing. A few minutes later, she could hear the pair talking in the next aisle. One was gently coaxing the other. It's just your attitude, you can do anything you set your mind too. Life is wonderful, it's all about how we choose to see things. My friend was transfixed, the words and the voice were so powerful that she almost believed them. I mean, she was listening to the words of an obviously beautiful, successful woman. But then my friend snapped back to reality, almost slightly angry. So easy for her to say when she has everything. My friend rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks. The encouraging voice, the powerful positive message, came from the woman in the wheelchair.

That story has always stuck with me and illustrates my point perfectly.

So how does an attitude really cause our success? Here are some pointers.

• Gratitude: When we are able to be grateful for even the smallest things, our thoughts and actions focus on the good of the situation.


• Grounded: If you don't allow the craziness of everyday ups and downs get to you -- remain gracious and kind, focusing on the good -- you will better be able remember your priorities and work towards achieving your goals.


• Attraction: As we are gracious and grounded, we attract other positive people. Put simply, do you prefer to hang out with grumps or happy people?


• Opportunity Knocks: Your mind will be clear, and negative thinking won't affect your perceptions so you're better able to recognize an opportunity that aligns with your goals in life. And many times those opportunities may come in the form of happy, successful people that you've attracted into your life.

So to answer our question at the beginning -- yes, our attitudes can significantly affect our lives. Just as we focus on the positive aspect of life, focusing on the negative can have the same effect in the opposite direction. We'll attract negative-like minds. But we must remember that living in a fantasy bubble with our blinders on is almost as bad as wallowing in our pessimism. So as in everything, life is about balance. Let's have a good attitude but be aware with our eyes wide open.

Jaycee Fox writes on health and family related issues, and the pursuit of achieving a balanced life. She has a Bachelors in Psychology and a Masters degree. She's happily married and the mother of three. If you're interested in finding that balance and the many resources that can help you achieve it -- even her recommended books on improving attitude -- then check out Jaycee's resource website at http://jayceeliving.com