M.J. Penny's Blog, page 6

Yogic breathing for health: Kindle edition by celebrity trainer Subodh Gupta

Feel energetic and look younger with the help of centuries old simple yogic breathing techniques in comfort of your home.

Celebrity yoga trainer Subodh Gupta has released a new simplified kindle edition of yoga breathing techniques for vitality, good health and looking younger at new reduced price of £0.96 only. It’s available on Amazon kindle and Kindle apps.

According to Subodh, “This is the only book on breathing with clearly illustrated photographs and practical instructions for improving vitality and looking younger.”

This kindle edition can help you to transform your life through the simple yet amazing power of yogic breathing.

Yogic breathing techniques can help you to reduce your stress levels, improve health and look younger. One can feel the difference by practising for just 10 minutes every day.

If you find yourself getting tired easily or stressed, you can improve the situation.

Subodh has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK.

Subodh Gupta conducts yoga and wellness sessions for celebrities and professionals in London.

Find more detail about the book at Amazon and Amazon readers:

Yogic breathing book


http://www.subodhgupta.com

More Details:http://subodhguptayoga.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/yoga-breathing-for-looking-younger.html

Tags:  attitude, Books & Literature, help, improvement, lifestyle, positive thinking, positive thought, self help




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 Research reveals ageing related to genetic programming  The Power of Doing Good - Pick the Brain  Wasted Power by E.R. Thompson  Gender Gap Disappears in School Math Competitions  Who do you think you are?Copyright © M.J. Penny [Yogic breathing for health: Kindle edition by celebrity trainer Subodh Gupta ], All Right Reserved. 2013.

Philosophy book wins educational Book of the Year

In a letter to the Independent and The Telegraph this week, educational experts warned Michael Gove that his emphasis on knowledge alone within the curriculum is dangerous and could severely erode educational standards.

“Mr Gove has clearly misunderstood England’s decline in the Programme for International Student Assessment tests. Schools in high-achieving Finland and Massachusetts emphasise cognitive development, critical understanding and creativity, not rote learning.”

The academics are not alone. Many teachers and educational professionals have been writing and expressing their concerns over the new curriculum. And in the same week that the letter was printed, The Philosophy Shop book was awarded ‘Educational Book of 2013’  at the Education Resources Awards – a sign that the profession recognises the importance of the skills developed through doing Philosophy.

Anthony Seldon, Master of Wellington College, says in his review of The Philosophy Shop,

“The Philosophy Shop is a much needed corrective, because at its heart it is encouraging young people to think, and to think independently of exams. The book wants to see thinking for thinking’s sake, the development of the intellect for the sheer love of learning, and the formation of enquiring minds which want to probe and are unwilling to accept authority unless grounded on good argument. This is dangerous stuff, and is likely to get the purveyors of the material locked up by the Department for Education.”

The Philosophy Shop was published by Independent Thinking Press, an imprint of Crown House, and was produced by award-winning charity, The Philosophy Foundation. The Foundation brought in top academic and popular philosophers to contribute to the book, including Professor Angie Hobbs, Professor A.C. Grayling, Professor Michael Hand and Professor Peter Adamson. The book is edited by Peter Worley, CEO of The Philosophy Foundation, and has already won Best Compilation prize at the New England Book Festival and is a finalist for Best Philosophy Book 2012 in theFore Word Reviews competition.

The Education Resources Awards (ERA) are now in their 15th year and are firmly established as the premier annual event to celebrate outstanding success for the suppliers and teaching professionals of the education sector throughout the UK.

The awards highlight and reward the quality and diversity of educational products, resources, services and people as well as the best educational establishments and the most dedicated members of the teaching profession. The ERA’s is recognised throughout the education sector as the Accolade of Excellence.

The judges, an independent panel of experienced educational professionals, most of whom are classroom teachers, felt that The Philosophy Shop, a book containing numerous philosophical puzzles and challenges offered an exciting and unusual way to develop thinking at all stages of learning.

Peter Worley says, “We are delighted to have won the Award. A philosophy book winning the prize may reflect an unease with the knowledge based curriculum.”

For review copies of The Philosophy Shop, a review of the book by Dr Anthony Seldon, an interview with editor and educationalist Peter Worley and to find out how Philosophy can be used to develop critical and creative thinking both in and out of schools, please contact The Philosophy Foundation.

Email – emma@philosophy-foundation.org

www.philosophy-foundation.org

Tel: 020 8699 9314/ 07930 310 543

Tags:  Good Reads




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 Curing the Blues  Five Signs of Sleep Disorders in School-Age Children with Special Needs  The Power of Doing Good - Pick the Brain  Monica Dumont creates The Children's Self Help Series  The Drill Sergeant by E.R.ThompsonCopyright © M.J. Penny [Philosophy book wins educational Book of the Year ], All Right Reserved. 2013.

Taking Time Off From Yourself

There are days I have nothing to say, no opinion on anything whatsoever.  I simply couldn’t care less.  It may sound callous and hard, but I think everyone needs to take time off from themselves every so often.

Forget your problems, forget the news, forget the time and above all forget yourself.  Instead spend your time in idleness of something that calms your mind.  Reading is a great way of taking time off from the everyday as is listening to music and visiting somewhere new, which you have no preconceived opinion, making everything fresh and varied.

By letting yourself go this way you are eliminating a build-up of stress that has accumulated.  Sometimes, we are so used to the way we live, the way we think and the way we feel that we don’t even recognise the stress it has on our minds and bodies.  We are simply doing what we only know.

Taking time off from yourself is something like switching off a T.V.  Imagine if you watched one TV station all the time, day in and day out, how boring and repetitive would this be?  Imagine if you couldn’t switch your T.V off and all the time it was beating out noise.  Most people get so used to the noise that they hardly recognise it in the background, it’s only when something louder grabs our attention that we take notice.  Our lives are like this, we go on with the noise always in the background- people, problems, opinions, decisions, responsibilities, obligations, that we barely notice anything.

So today try it, switch yourself off, forget everything that uses our mental energy that continuously drains your battery, sit back and recharge.

Tags:  Behaviour, positive thinking, positive thought, positive thought for the day




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 Philosophy book wins educational Book of the Year  6 Tips to Being Happy In The Present Moment - Pick the Brain  Why Taking Time Off From writing is Stressful  Music's role in building a baby's brain  Children of Divorced Parents Are More Likely to Switch or Leave ReligionsCopyright © M.J. Penny [Taking Time Off From Yourself], All Right Reserved. 2013.

10 Simple Ways to Build Self Confidence

10 Simple Ways to Build Self Confidence

Click here to view original web page at www.pickthebrain.com

We live in a world where criticizing people and focusing on negative attributes seems to be the social norm.

It’s an unfortunate aspect of life and many people well into adulthood still struggle with their own self confidence. It’s also unfortunate that these same people may be missing out in life because they don’t believe in themselves, or they don’t believe that they deserve the good things in life. This is simply not true.

It all begins within yourself, and you have to want to change things for the better. If you can’t change your environment, you can at least change your own ways.

1. Get good at something

Sometimes all it takes is a little talent. Taking up a hobby or refining a talent can do wonders for your confidence. If you feel brave enough, you can show other people your hard work. It never hurts to hear a little praise on occasion.

2. Keep a journal

You are your own worst critic, but you don’t have to be. Recording your accomplishments or writing about things that make you happy can help you realize your own self worth. Life is worth living and you should remind yourself of that.

3. Keep fit

Exercising and eating healthy food can make you feel good about the choices you make for yourself. When you notice how good and healthy you look, you won’t have reason to try to hide behind baggy clothes.

4. Take care of yourself

Do something that you want to do. If nobody wants to see that cheesy movie with you, go by yourself and don’t get into the mindset that only losers go to the movies alone. Being independent and not having to constantly have companionship is a strength, not a weakness.

5. Turn into an optimist

It makes no sense remarking on the dark clouds while ignoring the rainbow. Seeking positive ideas and looking at the “bright side” can affect your mood for the better. Focusing on the good things in life can help you hold your head high, knowing that life is good, even when it seems bad.

6. Spend some time alone…but not too much

Everyone should have some time to themselves every day. Reading a book or enjoying the outdoors are great for the soul. But too much alone time can get the brain to sit stagnant. Sometimes people get sick of themselves and end up thinking of things that end up depressing them. Have a healthy dose of “you” time, but make sure you leave the room to seek out the people who matter most.

7. Do good deeds

There’s nothing like helping other people to give you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside. You know you’ve done something good and that you made another person happy. Making a difference in someone’s life can make a difference in your own, for the better.

8. Set achievable goals

Setting impossible goals only sets you up for failure. If, for example, you want to lose weight, small increments at a time may be a good option. You can easily lose five pounds. Lose those five pounds and you will feel a sense of accomplishment. Further challenge yourself to another small amount. The more goals you achieve, the more you will see how awesome you really are.

9. Who cares what other people think?

It’s very difficult to turn off the thoughts of what others might be thinking. The only way you can shrug it off is if you resolve to just not care. Who cares? If someone thinks poorly of you, that’s their problem. That issue is on them, not you. Move on, stay fabulous.

10. Learn to love yourself

The person whose opinion matters the most is your own. If you don’t love yourself, try to find out why. Then try to find a solution to that reason. Can it be fixed? If not, can you find someone who can help, perhaps a psychologist, a friend, or a pastor? Make room in your heart for yourself. You’re the only “you”, you’ve got.

Dustin considers himself a full-time smile producer. He runs optimisticquotes.org and spends his free time finding his favorite quotes, stories, and inspiration for those difficult moments in our lives. Need a self-esteem boost, he’s got you covered.

Tags:  attitude, Behaviour, improvement, lifestyle, Negative Emotions, positive, positive thinking, positive thought, self, self help, thinking




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   What are relationships all about?  How to Concentrate (2)  How to Motivate Yourself....Forever!  Taking Time Off From YourselfCopyright © M.J. Penny [10 Simple Ways to Build Self Confidence], All Right Reserved. 2013.

Cultivating Intuition

For most people, early education and training taught us to look out outside of ourselves for the answers to our questions. But we have the answers we need inside. Our unconscious mind is the source of our hidden genius.

Intuition is not something relegated to certain people. Not only does everyone have intuition, but everyone has experienced it as well.

Have you ever been thinking of someone, and the phone rings and it’s that person on the other line who was just thinking about you? Have you ever felt a burning sensation on the back of your neck and when you turned around you see someone staring at you from across the room?

We’ve all experienced this kind of intuition. If you want to leverage your innate wisdom to create greater success, you must learn to tap into your intuition at will.

Recognize When Your Intuition Speaks

To be able to use your intuition, you must able to recognize when it is speaking. Intuition is not loud and demanding. It is subtle and appears differently for different people.

Some people receive messages as visions or images, which can appear in quick flashes or unfold slowly, like a movie. Your intuition might speak to you as a hunch, a thought or in words. You may even find that you are able to dialogue with your intuition to get more information and clarity.

You might notice physical sensations, such as goosebumps, discomfort in your gut, a feeling of relief or a sour taste in your mouth. Others experience intuitive messages through emotions, such as feelings of uneasiness or confusion when their intuition is trying to steer them away from something or, when the message is positive, feelings of euphoria and profound peace. Sometimes intuitive messages are simply a deep sense of knowing and certainty; if you’ve ever said “I felt it in my heart” or “I knew is in the depth of my soul,” chances are it was a message from your intuition.

Deepen Your Intuition

Although intuition is something everyone has, you must cultivate it to receive the maximum benefit. Here are 5 tips to help you access and use your intuition to greater effect.

•    Use meditation to deepen your intuition. Regular meditation will help you clear your mind of distractions, as well as teach you how to better recognize the subtle impulses from within. Set aside time each day to meditate on your own, or use guided meditations such as those found in my Awakening Power program. As you become more attuned to your inner world, you’ll be able to more quickly and easily pick out the sound of your higher self or higher power speaking to you through words, images and sensations.

•    Make time to listen. Life is busy, and in the rush to achieve our tasks and goals, it’s easy to forget to stop and tune into our higher wisdom. Your most valuable wisdom comes through when you are open to receiving it. Devote time every day – and even multiple times each day – to consciously giving your intuition center stage.

•    Ask questions. Don’t be passive when communicating with your intuition. Step up and ask for answers to the questions you are struggling with.

•    Write down your answers. Intuitive impressions are subtle and can “evaporate” quickly. Neuroscience research indicates that intuitive insights not captured within 37 seconds will likely never be recalled again. Many people find journal writing to be a highly effective way to access their intuition. Try it – you’ll be amazed at the clarity of what comes through.

•    Take immediate action. When you act on the information you receive, you’ll find that you get more and more intuitive impulses. After a while, you’ll be living in flow. Intuition works best when we trust it. The more you demonstrate faith in your intuition, the more you will see the results in your life.

Whether you want to make more money, make better decisions, solve problems more quickly, or create winning plans, tuning into your intuition will help you achieve your goals. Trusting your intuition is trusting yourself. The more you trust yourself, the more success you will have.

 

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

Tags:  attitude, Behaviour, help, lifestyle, mental, positive, positive thinking, positive thought, self, self help, thinking




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 What are relationships all about?  Philosophy book wins educational Book of the Year  The Will to Learn by E. R. Thompson - The Human Machine  When Goals are Forgotten: 4 Steps to Get Back on Track  Are you really you?Copyright © M.J. Penny [Cultivating Intuition ], All Right Reserved. 2013.

Why Taking Time Off From writing is Stressful

It’s a paradox of sorts, taking time off from writing is something I find incredibly stressful.  For the past four years, I have written thousands of articles for various industries and businesses, along with ghosting columns and press releases.  Every time I decide to take a break, it always feels as though something is amiss.

Take this Easter holiday.  I decided to take a break from the keyboard and instead I’m snacking on reading ferociously, anything I can get my hands on.  I feel like a heroine addict that is making do with methadone as they wean themselves off their addiction.  You see the problem is, unless I’m writing or researching for an article or book, it feels that my day is unproductive.

I always get this way, and find holidays and vacations stressful, like playing truant the day before a big exam.  My comfort zone being a string of ideas gathered together into my head and transmuted into the written word with the hope of some semblance of coherence.  As I write this, my hand is tempted to hit the file on my desktop where I keep my research and half finished notes and articles…But NO, I promised, I would spend the next couple of days doing normal things such as the Mr. Ben marathon I have planned.

After speaking to friends, I find I am not alone, regardless of their jobs and careers, they too tend to spend holidays fretting about work, whether they enjoy their jobs or not.  I suppose the trick is to live in the moment, not the past or the future and enjoy every second with forgetfulness of time…which I’m aware, sounds a contradiction in terms.

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 Doing Nothing by E.R. Thompson  Children of Divorced Parents Are More Likely to Switch or Leave Religions  Ladder Building  No Scientific Basis for Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage  When Goals are Forgotten: 4 Steps to Get Back on Track Copyright © M.J. Penny [Why Taking Time Off From writing is Stressful], All Right Reserved. 2013.

6 ways to build your self esteem and maintain your self-confidence

So how do you remain calm, composed and maintain self esteem in a tough environment?  The answer is all about self esteem and self confidence.

The trick to improving and maintaining this self confidence and self esteem is to first recognise it.  It’s not enough to react to situations, but to actively think about them.  There are many people of various degrees of mental attitude out there, many not capable of controlling their emotional reactions, but you can!

It’s something akin to driving your car. You may be the safest driver out there, with good control but accidents can severely harm you due to other’s reckless driving.  Keeping safe behind a car is not just being careful about the way you drive but about watching and seeing what other drivers are doing and taking necessary action.  By adopting this attitude, a habit is formed, before long it becomes automatic habit.

Life is like this, people can harm us, mentally, denting our self esteem…IF WE LET THEM. Listed below are some simple tips, to protect you from the negativity that serves to hinder and lower our confidence and self esteem.

 Negative Work Environment

Beware of “dog-eat-dog” theory where everyone else is fighting just to get ahead.  This is where non-appreciative people usually thrive.  No one will appreciate your contributions even if you miss lunch and dinner, and stay up late.  Most of the time you work too much without getting help from people concerned.  Stay out of this; it will ruin your self esteem.  Competition is at stake anywhere. Be healthy enough to compete, but in a healthy competition that is. Learn to observe and re-think the situation and when you see it for what it is; you will be able to rise above it with quiet confidence.
 Other People’s Behaviour

Bulldozers, brown nosers, gossipmongers, whiners, backstabbers, snipers, people walking wounded, controllers, naggers, complainers, exploders, patronizers, sluffers… all these kinds of people will pose bad vibes for your self esteem, as well as to your self- improvement scheme.  It’s also worth taking an observational note of your home-life – is there someone there who challenges your self-esteem and confidence?  See it for what it is – their problem, not yours and let any negativity bounce off you, be yourself and don’t acknowledge negative feedback that is not constructive.
 Changing Environment

Change challenges our paradigms.  It tests our flexibility, adaptability and alters the way we think. Changes will make life difficult for awhile, it may cause stress but it will help us find ways to improve our selves. Change will be there forever, we must be susceptible to it and adapt to it.
 Past Experience

It’s okay to cry and say “ouch!” when we experience pain.  But don’t let pain transform itself into fear.  It might grab you by the tail and swing you around. Treat each failure and mistake as a lesson.

5.

 Negative World View

Look at what you’re looking at. Don’t wrap yourself up with all the negativities of the world.   In building self esteem, we must learn how to make the best out of worst situations.

6.

  Self -fulfilling Prophecy


           

Sometimes, you may want to wonder if some people are born leaders or positive thinkers. NO. Being positive, and staying positive is a choice. Building self esteem and drawing lines for self improvement is a choice, not a rule or a talent.

In life, it’s hard to stay tough especially when things and people around you keep pulling you down. When we get to the battle field, we should choose the right luggage to bring and protective armour to use, and pick those that are bullet proof. Life’s options give us arrays of more options.  Along the battle, we will get hit and bruised. Wearing bullet proof armour ideally means ‘self change’- the kind of change which comes from within – voluntarily.  Armour or Self Change changes 3 things: our attitude, our behaviour and our way of thinking.

Building self esteem will eventually lead to self improvement if we start to become responsible for who we are, what we have and what we do. It’s like a flame that should gradually spread like a brush fire from inside and out. When we develop self esteem, we take control of our mission, values and discipline.  Self esteem brings about self improvement, true assessment, and determination. So how do you start putting up the building blocks of self esteem? Be positive. Be contented and happy. Be appreciative. Never miss an opportunity to compliment. A positive way of living will help you build self esteem, your starter guide to self improvement.

 

 

Tags:  attitude, Behaviour, improvement, lifestyle, Negative Emotions, positive thinking, positive thought, positive thought for the day, self help




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 When will you be happy?  The Will to Learn by E. R. Thompson - The Human Machine  No Scientific Basis for Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage  What are relationships all about?  Monica Dumont creates The Children's Self Help SeriesCopyright © M.J. Penny [6 ways to build your self esteem and maintain your self-confidence], All Right Reserved. 2013.

3 of the most important questions you should ask yourself to become a happier person

The one thing every creature on this planet has in common is the urge to seek fuller expression.  Call it evolution, progression or natural advancement, whatever it is; every living entity has an innate compulsion to grow.

People are the highest form of this expression and are quick to manipulate and adapt to their environment, creating their world as they go.  But with the urge for more, to evolve, to seek better circumstances, a happy emotional state and a life balance, the distractions that sidetrack us and the problems that cause us unhappiness can all too often leave us stagnating and frustrated.

Life is not ‘a one size fits all’ scenario.  Each of us in unique and different.  Variety allows life to express itself through our uniqueness.  Don’t settle for less; don’t get swept up in the sheep-like throng provided by media, governments and society.  YOU have something different from anyone else on this planet, something that is YOU and only YOU, and the world is waiting for your contribution.  It may be simple like your sense of humour, it could be your outlook on life.  Whatever it is make sure you don’t bury it in the race to fit in and gain approval from the society of sheep!

There are questions that we should ask ourselves from time to time.  Our lives change, and as it changes, our aspirations change.  You are, after all, not the same person you were five or ten years ago – in fact you are more today than you were yesterday, because we continue to grow, through experience and the challenges life serves us.

So what are the questions you should ask yourself?

1. What do I really want?

The question of the ages.  So many things you want to do with your life and so little time to even go about during the day.  Sometimes it’s hard to know what WE really want.  Industry and social conditioning reinforced through the media tell us what we should aspire to, but this does not necessarily mean it is right for us.  The main purpose of life is to be happy.  Happiness is an emotional state.  The trick is to find what it is that will make YOU happy.  You can have some fun with this, try new things, but don’t get hung up on any individual subject, just see what happens and see how it makes you feel.

Find something that you are good at can help realize that small step towards improvement. Diligence is the key to know that it is worth it.

2. Do I take responsibility for my own life?

It’s sometimes all too easy to be the victim, to blame others or circumstances for our lack of happiness.  You have only one life, and it is only YOU that is responsible for it – it is only YOU that will experience it.  Ultimately, YOU have to live with consequences of your decisions and actions.  Does it matter who’s to blame?  Does it make more sense to find the cause, even it’s your own mindset, learn from it and draw a line under it then move on?  After all you cannot always control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it.

3. Am I free?

I’m talking in the psychological sense – ask yourself is there something holding you back?  Is there a fear that stops you moving forward toward your own personal happiness?  Are you in a relationship that depends on your partner’s approval or are you resistant and scared of moving on with your life because of past experience?  Does fear of change leave you holding back?

Being free in your mind emotionally allows you a limitless choice of opportunities, without fear pulling you back.  Don’t go gung-ho immediately and all at once, take it slowly, start introducing small things at first, like perhaps you always wanted a new hair colour or style or fancied going on holiday by yourself.

The trick to being free is to have faith in yourself; by knowing that whatever happens in life – YOU WILL BE FINE, YOU CAN HANDLE ANYTHING LIFE THROWS AT YOU.  Gaining that faith does not happen overnight, but over a period of time.  It is what experience is all about.

Think of it as an emotional immune system – similar to our own antibodies that fight infection and disease.  Antibodies that overcome virus’s and illnesses, remember next time they are infected with the same strain and can deal more effectively with killing the harmful cells – so too does experience.  After all, whatever doesn’t kill you-makes you stronger.

 

Tags:  attitude, Behaviour, improvement, lifestyle, positive thinking, positive thought, self help




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 Ladder Building  E.R. Thompson - The Human Machine, Secrets of Success  More than half of us will send a Facebook message instead of a gift or card this mother's day    Children of Divorced Parents Are More Likely to Switch or Leave ReligionsCopyright © M.J. Penny [3 of the most important questions you should ask yourself to become a happier person], All Right Reserved. 2013.

3 of the most important questions you should ask to yourself to become a happier person

The one thing every creature on this planet has in common is the urge to seek fuller expression.  Call it evolution, progression or natural advancement, whatever it is; every living entity has an innate compulsion to grow.

People are the highest form of this expression and are quick to manipulate and adapt to their environment, creating their world as they go.  But with the urge for more, to evolve, to seek better circumstances, a happy emotional state and a life balance, the distractions that sidetrack us and the problems that cause us unhappiness can all too often leave us stagnating and frustrated.

Life is not ‘a one size fits all’ scenario.  Each of us in unique and different.  Variety allows life to express itself through our uniqueness.  Don’t settle for less; don’t get swept up in the sheep-like throng provided my media, governments and society.  YOU have something different from anyone else on this planet, something that is YOU and only YOU, and the world is waiting for your contribution.  It may be simple like your sense of humour, it could be your outlook on life.  Whatever it is make sure you don’t bury it in the race to fit in and gain approval from the society of sheep!

There are questions that we should ask ourselves from time to time.  Our lives change, and as it changes, our aspirations change.  You are, after all, not the same person you were five or ten years ago – in fact you are more today than you were yesterday, because we continue to grow, through experience and the challenges life serves us.

So what are the questions you should ask yourself?

1. What do I really want?

The question of the ages.  So many things you want to do with your life and so little time to even go about during the day.  Sometimes it’s hard to know what WE really want.  Industry and social conditioning reinforced through the media tell us what we should aspire to, but this does not necessarily mean it is right for us.  The main purpose of life is to be happy.  Happiness is an emotional state.  The trick is to find what it is that will make YOU happy.  You can have some fun with this, try new things, but don’t get hung up on any individual subject, just see what happens and see how it makes you feel.

Find something that you are good at can help realize that small step towards improvement. Diligence is the key to know that it is worth it.

2. Do I take responsibility for my own life?

It’s sometimes all too easy to be the victim, to blame others or circumstances for our lack of happiness.  You have only one life, and it is only YOU that is responsible for it – it is only YOU that will experience it.  Ultimately, YOU have to live with consequences of your decisions and actions.  Does it matter who’s to blame?  Does it make more sense to find the cause, even it’s your own mindset, learn from it and draw a line under it then move on?  After all you cannot always control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it.

3. Am I free?

I’m talking in the psychological sense – ask yourself is there something holding you back?  Is there a fear that stops you moving forward toward your own personal happiness?  Are you in a relationship that depends on your partner’s approval or are you resistant and scared of moving on with your life because of past experience?  Does fear of change leave you holding back?

Being free in your mind emotionally allows you a limitless choice of opportunities, without fear pulling you back.  Don’t go gung-ho immediately and all at once, take it slowly, start introducing small things at first, like perhaps you always wanted a new hair colour or style or fancied going on holiday by yourself.

The trick to being free is to have faith in yourself; by knowing that whatever happens in life – YOU WILL BE FINE, YOU CAN HANDLE ANYTHING LIFE THROWS AT YOU.  Gaining that faith does not happen overnight, but over a period of time.  It is what experience is all about.

Think of it as an emotional immune system – similar to our own antibodies that fight infection and disease.  Antibodies that overcome virus’s and illnesses, remember next time they are infected with the same strain and can deal more effectively with killing the harmful cells – so too does experience.  After all, whatever doesn’t kill you-makes you stronger.

 

Tags:  attitude, Behaviour, improvement, lifestyle, positive thinking, positive thought, self help




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How to Motivate Yourself….Forever!

Just as willpower is an essential factor in achieving success, at some point in time, discouragement and lack of motivation may hinder you from reaching your objective. And it is up to you, and you alone to devise techniques that will help you keep that drive within afire.

It is helpful to have visual goals. Whatsoever that is you are working towards, make it visual. It maybe something material like a car, or a vacation you have been looking forward to for the longest time.  Take or cut out a picture of it and post it at a conspicuous place at work or at home where you can see it often. So that when you feel discouraged, this will remind you of your goal and will help you keep your spotlight.

Ways to Motivate Yourself

Make a contract with yourself.  According to motivational researches, people who write down to-do-lists are far more triumphant in achieving their intended goals than those people who just keep mental lists instead.  Putting something in writing somehow makes it more powerful psychologically speaking. This may also be the basis why most cultures have such a high regard in honouring contracts. In the contract, you may also include a certain reward that you will give yourself once you have accomplished the task.

After all, everyone likes to be rewarded for completing a good job. Even a simple pat on the back, “good job”, or “thank you” may do the trick to give the person the additional push to carry on, but unfortunately, these may not always be readily available. Considering that these are also essential in keeping oneself motivated, you must learn to find a way to get that encouragement on your own through pleasing yourself.

Abusive people lower your self-esteem and bring you down. Get these negative people out of your life. Surround yourself with positive people. Imitate their example. Smile amply and think happy thoughts.  These will give you a brighter outlook and lets you see a clearer picture of what you really want and a fresh mind to know what steps to take to get there. Rather than wait for things to happen, try to be proactive and MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. Inactivity idles the brain and stagnates your potential to reach your goals.

Read inspirational books and literature. These will help you improve your attitude and heal your mind. A book of success stories also proves to be encouraging. You will not only learn from others’ experiences and derive confidence boosting insights from them but the story will be instrumental in motivating you to go for your goal and move ahead with your plans. If this still seems to falter, get training or education.

Oftentimes, not knowing how or where to start is frustrating. Knowledge is power. Having a clear understanding of how and where to start is empowering and it will provide the extra drive needed to hit the mark you are aiming at and follow it through.

Having enumerated all these tips and tricks to attain self-motivation, but still you seem to feel lacking that much needed drive, there is one last thing that you must try.  Whatever it is that you have been meaning to do, or wanting to achieve, JUST DO IT! Keep on aiming high and go for it! Actually getting your hands dirty best solves the problem of motivation. By “forcing” yourself to just do it, your momentum will pick up gradually as you go along and before you know it you have finished the task or have finally achieved your goal. Divide and conquer is the key.

Break down the apparently unattainable activity to small doable steps. Not only does it become less overwhelming, but seeing the “in the meantime” results will further your confidence that it can indeed be done.

Lack of motivation happens to us all, but if you do not encourage yourself to accept opportunities and be challenged, no one else will. It is most important to keep your eye on the goal, find ways to keep going, and in no time, you shall reap its benefits.

And if at the beginning you were just doing it for the material reward, you will also learn to realize that the fulfilment, satisfaction and self-achievement you derive from reaching your goal is a much enjoyable high that will keep the drive within constantly burning.

Tags:  attitude, Behaviour, improvement, lifestyle, positive thinking, positive thought, self help, thinking




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Comments:  0 (Zero), Be the first to leave a reply!You might be interested in this:  
 How Shakespeare’s writing was influenced by his lead actor  The10 Best Self Help Phone Apps  Curing the Blues  The Most Valuable Question You Can Ask  The Drill Sergeant by E.R.ThompsonCopyright © M.J. Penny [How to Motivate Yourself....Forever!], All Right Reserved. 2013.