Inspiration

Achieving Spiritual Balance

2008-05-17T00:51:00.001+01:00

In a world geared toward excess, it can be challenging to achieve balance in our spiritual lives - not to mention the rest of our lives. However, an unbalanced spiritual life has the potential to seep disharmony into the other areas of our lives, no matter how ordered they may be initially.

Just as your health and well-being depend on balanced nutritional habits, your spiritual practices must be in balance to promote total harmony through all areas of your life.

How do spiritual practices become unbalanced? When you spend either too little or too much time engaged in spiritual pursuits.

Here's a common example: If you spent a large portion of your life disconnected from your spiritual self, you might one day realize that you feel empty and aimless, and begin exploring your spiritual side through meditation or other activities that enhance your spiritual awareness. This is a good thing, but it's very easy to get swept away with it. You start feeling so good that your thirst for spiritual knowledge takes over the rest of your life. Suddenly you're neglecting your friends and family and spending all of your free time reading, meditating or attending spiritual classes. Obviously, this can cause major problems if it continues long enough.

Achieving spiritual balance is easy if you follow a few simple steps:

1) Realize that the journey is the goal. One of the reasons people get swept away by their spiritual practices is because they feel an urgent need to "get there" - the point where they'll feel content and sated spiritually. However, a true spiritual seeker will NEVER reach the "end" of the journey! The whole point is to engage in a lifelong process of growth and development. Keeping this in mind can help you feel better about slowing down, because there's nothing to hurry toward - you're already there, smack-dab in the middle of the process, which is exactly where you want to be!

2) Spiritual knowledge alone isn't enough. As good as it can feel to finally be connected to your spiritual self, you also need to strengthen and consistently reinforce the other connections in your life. Be sure to spend time with your loved ones and form friendships outside of your spiritual circle. You may worry that you don't have anything in common with them if they don't share your spiritual beliefs, but you'll find a lot of similarities if you take the time to look!

3) Less is more. Rather than trying to absorb large quantities of spiritual knowledge in a short period of time, make it a point to start with bite-sized pieces. Enjoy spiritual wisdom and insights as though they were nuggets of the most savory food you've ever tasted. Let them linger on your tongue (in your mind and spirit), and take your time ingesting them. Just like eating a meal, you'll enjoy the knowledge you gain so much more if you take your time absorbing it rather than gobbling it down so fast that you can't even taste it!

The longer you stay on a spiritual path, the more relaxed and balanced you will become with it, but in the meantime these quick tips should help you to keep balance between your spiritual self and the rest of your life.

Are You Avoiding Better Time Management?

2008-05-12T03:27:00.001+01:00

Have you been struggling to get your life under control for a long period of time? Does it seem like no matter what you do you can't get a handle on the chaos and disorganization?

Believe it or not, you may be sabotaging your own efforts to take control of your time and life. Why would you do this? Only you can say for sure, but one possibility is that you fear the "consequences" of a balanced life. In other words, your destructive habits might actually be serving a purpose in your life, and you fear letting them go because you might find yourself in situations that you don't know how to handle!

Let's take a look at some possible "consequences" of effective time management:

1) You would finally have time to pursue your dreams. Even though you want to pursue your dreams and you long for the day when they become your reality, you may also be frightened of the ways they would change your life. It's easier to complain about how you "never have enough time" to do the things you really want to do; then you'll never have to take a risk and possibly fail or deal with the uncomfortable side effects that may come along with the realization of your dreams.

2) Your relationships might become more intimate. Sometimes we use chaos and busyness to avoid confronting issues that are painful for us. For example, if your marriage has become dispassionate and disconnected, you might feel nervous about having the time to address and resolve it because you will put yourself in a more vulnerable position by opening up more deeply to your partner. It seems easier to keep avoiding the issue.

3) You would be able to hear your inner voice more clearly. Have you ever become aware that you've been fooling yourself about something? You were absolutely convinced that one thing was true, but later you're amazed that you couldn't see the REAL truth staring you in the face! Don't feel bad; we all "fool" ourselves like that from time to time and one of the ways we do that is by keeping ourselves so busy that we can't hear our own inner voice when it's trying to tell us something important. You may be trying to avoid an inner nudge toward a new life path, a new career, or even better health habits. If you get control of your life, you may suddenly find yourself faced with the need to make decisions that would be uncomfortable and scary.

4) You would have more time to help others. Most of us are compassionate and we want to help others, but we also have a hard time balancing the needs of others with our own. If you have a hard time saying no, or keeping your own priorities in order, you might be trying to avoid being available to help others. Somewhere deep inside you might feel justified that you can't possibly help others when your own life is so out of control!

5) You would claim full responsibility for your life. Effective time management gives you a feeling of empowerment and control that can easily spill over into other areas - and you may not quite be ready for that! If you acknowledge that you're in full control of the way you live your life, you might have to also acknowledge that you're in full control of the state of your body, your relationships, your career, and more. A scattered, chaotic life allows you to remain in a "victim" status, so you don't have to face the fear of owning up to the way your life is right now.

These are just a few "consequences" of a well-managed life. Do any of the fears mentioned describe you and your life? If so, take a few minutes to explore them further. Grab a journal and jot down some ideas about ways you may be sabotaging your own efforts at time management, and why.

Often, just facing your fears and striving to understand yourself better can provide the insight and courage you need to make positive changes.

The Master Key System

2008-05-09T08:24:00.002+01:00

The Master Key System is an inspirational course was written by Charles F. Haanel in 1912 and originally issued to only a small number of selected, wealthy individuals as a series of 24 lessons. It is said that these people asked the author not to publish the course because they did not want their competitors to be in receipt of such powerful information.

For some time, we have been offering this course as a free weekly correspondence course. However, since emails have a habit of getting lost from time to time, we have now decided to include the full course in the main site. So it is now published in our Free eBooks section. You may either read this course online, or you may download each of the books and read them at your leisure. Just click on the link below to go to the course now ...

The Master Key System

These books are all completely free - download and enjoy them with our compliments. The course includes Master Resale Rights so you can sell it for profit if you wish! Each book contains a Statement of Rights which explains what you are allowed to do.

Enjoy!

Are Your Time Management Goals Realistic?

2008-05-08T03:16:00.001+01:00

When you start making positive changes to better balance your life, you may become overzealous in an attempt to "fix" everything at once. However, doing so can end up causing more stress and magnifying the problem.

Below are three common ways you might sabotage your own efforts at better time management, and how to avoid them:

- Expecting too much from others. Just because you feel a great need to make changes in your life doesn't mean everyone else feels the same way! Remember that your life overlaps with the lives of the people around you. If you try placing unreasonable demands and pressure tactics on them, you'll probably end up causing more problems. That doesn't mean you can't ask for help and work together to satisfy everyone, but your approach in seeking cooperation will be important.

Rather than making unrealistic demands or expecting perfection from the people in your life, try first explaining why you are unhappy with the way things are now. Give a clear view of the way you'd like things to be, and highlight the changes they would have to make in order to make it work. Then, be forthright in asking if they are willing to do it. For example, if your spouse is not in the habit of helping out around the house, ask if he or she would be willing to take on a few very specific chores (spell out what they would be) and how doing so would help you. If he or she agrees, confirm that such and such tasks are now his/hers, and confirm that he or she is going to do them from now on. Don't be surprised if you have to issue a few gentle reminders before the new habits kick in for good - but try not to get upset or frustrated about it. That will only cause more resistance.

- Demanding too much from yourself. Just like you don't want to place undue stress and expectations upon others, you also don't want to do it to yourself. Wanting to make changes in your habits and goals is a good thing; but expecting everything to change as if by magic overnight is not!

Instead, vow to take it one day at a time and be gentle with yourself. Each day when you wake up, promise that you're going to give your best effort to keep your activities running smoothly and on-time, but if events don't go as planned you will simply dust yourself off and start again. At all costs, avoid berating or scolding yourself because you aren't "perfect" at managing the events and activities of your life. You'll never be perfect at it - and neither is anyone else!

- Unrealistic idea of what a balanced life really is. You may be interested in learning time management techniques because you dream of a completely serene, peaceful life where no upheavals occur . . . ever. Unfortunately, such a dream is unlikely to become reality. Perhaps it could if you moved to a secluded island and lived like a hermit in your rustic cabin on the beach. But you've got a full life that inevitably comes with the need to juggle and prioritize constantly.

Rather than wishing for the impossible, remember that time management is an ongoing process of planning, preparation and readjustment. There will never be a time when you get it perfect. Instead look at it as an ever evolving process of growth and mastery. Over time you'll find yourself getting better and stronger at time management, and it will seem like less effort is needed to keep everything balanced.

Beware the Habits That Eat Away at Your Time

2008-05-04T04:34:00.001+01:00

You may have heard it said that time management is really about managing yourself. That truth becomes all the more apparent when your ingrained habits seem to eat away at the time you have available each day.

Most of us deal with a few "bad habits," but sometimes our habits move beyond "bad" into "destructive and limiting." Does this describe some of your habits? And do those habits make managing your life almost impossible?

When it comes to bad habits, there are several that can completely stall your efforts at effective time management, but here are two common ones to start with:

- Procrastination. This is a habit that can range from mildly annoying to downright debilitating. While some people procrastinate only occasionally, others have gotten locked into a rut of inaction that will eventually create severe problems in their lives.

How often do you procrastinate? Do you consistently avoid doing the things that would make your life easier? Is your favorite phrase, "I'll do it later"? If so, you are likely causing more problems for yourself because you can't realistically do everything "later." As a result, more and more things aren't done getting done, right?

In order to overcome this habit, you'll need to develop a stronger will to do certain things immediately instead of setting them aside until later. You'll find that many tasks you're tempted to put off until later really wouldn't take that much time if you'd just get them over with quickly. When you do decide to set a task aside for later, just be sure you schedule time for it so it doesn't remain in the "later" category forevermore!

- Another big time-eater is disorganization. We often avoid activities like filing or putting belongings in their proper place because we think it will take too long, but not doing so is what creates problems!

When you're disorganized, it takes you much longer to find the things you need to manage your life properly. You're forever searching for your car keys, your brown shoes, your wallet, or the files you need to finish a project at work.

The more disorganized you are, the less efficiently you'll be able to complete your activities each day. While it SEEMS like putting organization off until you have more time is a good thing, it will just continue to wreak havoc in your life until you get control of it.

Here's one good way to start: Beginning today, spend 10 or 15 minutes organizing your surroundings each day. Clear off your desk, toss unused products and containers from your kitchen cabinets, designate a spot for your car keys, and so on. These short organizing sessions each day really begin to add up and before long you'll notice a big difference in your stress levels.

Other common time-eaters include: excessive television and computer activities, dealing with crises (that could have been avoided with better planning), and not having a set routine to follow each day.

Take a few minutes right now and jot down some ideas about what is eating up much of your time. Then come up with some simple strategies to get them under control. Even small changes can often create big results!

Helpful Time Management Tools

2008-04-30T10:40:00.001+01:00

Time management is very much a product of effective planning and balancing of your life activities, but there are also plenty of tools and resources that can help you in your quest for a more peaceful life.

Below are a few simple ideas that can help you save time and get more focused:

Planner or date book. Sometimes getting focused is a simple matter of having a clear system to organize the activities and tasks you need to get done each day. A good planner can help, but even a simple blank notebook can do wonders too. Start by keeping a list of your daily chores and obligations, and check them off as you get them done.

Dry erase calendar. You may also find it helpful to buy a large dry erase calendar and hang it in a prominent location in your home. The kitchen or a frequently-traveled hallway would be good locations. On this calendar, mark down important activities and commitments for all members of the family. Record your kids' activities, your own meetings, doctor and dentist appointments, special functions, etc. You can plan a week ahead of time, or even a whole month at a time. After each event has passed, erase it so you have a clear, at-a-glance view of the things coming up next.

Software programs with reminders and alarms. Many of the email and organization software programs available today offer great little settings that can remind you of important activities. You can schedule everything from birthday and anniversary reminders to notes of encouragement for yourself!

Or, use a reminder service. There are also reminder services out there that are absolutely free to use. You simply sign up for a free account, set the dates and activities you want to be reminded about, and they will send an email notification on the date and time you specify. This is a handy tool worth using if you need help remembering activities and special occasions. One such popular service is www.memotome.com; or try an internet search for "reminder service."

Mini-recorder (or notebook). Get into the habit of carrying a mini digital recorder in your pocket or purse, or alternatively a small notebook and pen. When you find yourself waiting in line, stuck in traffic or you simply have a few minutes to kill, use your recorder or notebook to record ideas, strategies and plans to save time later. This also works well to remind yourself of things to do later, like picking up a few things from the store on the way home, gift ideas for upcoming birthdays and holidays, etc.

Outsourcing services. If your daily schedule is packed full of chores and obligations that you can't seem to pare down or delegate, consider outsourcing some of them to individuals or companies that can help. For example, if you find that you spend a lot of time nagging your spouse to do the yard work (or you're forced to do it yourself and it poses a real drain on your time and energy), call a few local landscaping companies and check out their rates. Likewise do the same for housecleaning services, dog walkers, grocery delivery services, and more. You might think these services are too expensive, but you'd be surprised at how inexpensive they can be. Besides, when you consider the increased time and peace of mind you gain by letting others shoulder some of the load on your behalf, you'll quickly feel justified about the extra expense.

Organizational tools. If you spend a lot of time hunting for things you need because you're swimming in a sea of clutter, consider investing in a few good organizational systems (or even hiring a professional organizer to get you started on the right foot). Once again this will involve some extra expense at first, but in the end your peace of mind will be worth it.

All of these tools may seem overly simple, but don't be fooled! They can go a long way toward helping you balance your life activities. Remember, simplicity is what you're after anyway! The simpler and more efficient you can make your daily schedule, the less stress you'll have to deal with.

How Well Do You Prioritize?

2008-04-26T04:25:00.001+01:00

Prioritization is a skill that often takes practice before you can truly master it. When you've got a long list of things that need to be done, figuring out which ones take precedence can be difficult to say the least!

Here are 5 simple steps to becoming a whiz at prioritization:

1) Plan your day ahead of time. It's impossible to prioritize when you have no clear idea of what needs to be done. Get into the habit of making a detailed list of everything you want to get done each day. You can make your list the night before or first thing in the morning, but be sure to set a routine and stick to it so you don't forget. On this list you'll place the big activities and chores, but also the smaller tasks and obligations.

2) Pare down the list. If you're like most people, your list is probably several hundred miles long. It could probably even circle the globe at least once, right? However, if you look at the items on your list, probably a large chunk of them don't have to be done immediately. Instead, focus on the main activities that really DO have to be done today (or tomorrow, depending on when you are making your list). Transfer all of the other non-essential items to another list. You can do them once you've completed the items on your main list.

3) Allot a specific period of time for each item on the list. Look closely at each task and activity on your main list. How long do they usually take to complete? This will be a general estimate, since it can be difficult to say exactly - especially when interruptions and delays can throw your timeline off. Be sure to allow a few extra minutes for each task, just in case they take longer than you expect. If you end up finishing a task in less time, you've got that much more time that can be applied to other items.

4) Now, prioritize! Which of the items on the list is MOST crucial to complete? One good way to figure this out is to consider the consequences of NOT doing each thing on the list. What would happen if you didn't complete your work project on time or bring your child to a doctor appointment? Any item that would create negative consequences if not completed should be given very high priority. You can use a letter or numbering system to label each item on your list, if it helps. Use the number 1 or the letter A for very high priority items; then the number 2 or letter B would be for items that are important but not as crucial as the highest priority items.

I wish I could tell you to do the highest priority items first, and then work your way down the list, but unfortunately events won't always comply with that type of structure. For example, you may have a high-priority item that can't be completed until later in the day for whatever reason, so you'll have no choice but to complete some other, less important activities in the meantime. That's okay, but just be sure to keep checking your list and focusing on what needs to be done in the timeframe it needs to be done. More on this in the next step:

5) Review your list and stay focused. If you are not accustomed to working in such an organized manner, you may find yourself forgetting to check your list throughout the day, or you may even find yourself getting distracted and losing track of time. When this happens, simply redouble your efforts to get back on track. Keep your list in a prominent area so you'll see it frequently, and do your best to stick to the plan you've set for yourself.

If you manage to complete all of your most important items from the list, immediately switch to your other list of non-essential items! Even if you can only complete one or two of them, you'll feel the glow of accomplishment from going the extra mile.

Remember, this process will take time to fully master. Especially if you're used to dealing with a lot of distraction and upheaval in your daily activities, it will seem like an impossible dream to get it all together and flowing smoothly. However, every day that you attempt to stick to your priority schedule you'll find the process getting easier and easier. Before long you'll have no problem addressing the most crucial items first, and everything else will fall easily into place.

Action and the Law of Attraction

2008-04-22T10:04:00.001+01:00

When you begin working with the Law of Attraction more proactively, you may wonder whether you need to take physical action in addition to your mental and emotional exercises. The answer to this will vary according to who you ask.

There are people who claim that no action is needed; just directing the right frequency of thought and emotion toward a desired outcome is enough. Then there are those who believe that action is always necessary, because action is the vehicle through which all desires are manifested.

In my experience, it can easily work both ways. Depending on the situation, you may or may not find yourself needing to take specific actions toward your goals.

Here is a simple process to help you know for sure:

- Do the inner work first. Focus on getting your thoughts, emotions, beliefs and expectations into complete alignment with what you want. Don't worry about "how" it's going to come about, just focus on putting forth the right frequency of energy to attract it. You can do this by meditating, visualizing, affirming, making a vision board, and so on.

- Completely let go. Once you are in alignment with your desire, turn it over to the universe. Don't worry about whether it will arrive, or drive yourself crazy trying to come up with a plan. Just step back from it and let it ferment for a little while. The length of time is up to you, but I recommend at least a week or two.

- Tune into your intuition. During this letting go period, turn your attention inward regularly. Tune into your intuition and ask if there is anything you can do to bring this desire into your life. You may or may not receive any insights about it. If you do feel a hunch or nudge to do something specific, by all means do it. If not, simply keep on the lookout for any opportunities that might show up later. Don't try to force or hurry the process along, because you'll probably end up causing more delays. These things have a way of arriving at exactly the right time, regardless of how we try to mess it up!

The truth is, there is no right way or wrong way to use the Law of Attraction. Interestingly, the way it works usually seems to correspond with your beliefs.

If you believe you MUST take action to attract your desires, guess what? You'll probably have to take some kind of action. Likewise, if you believe that you do not necessarily have to take action, the universe will find a way to deliver your desires without a bit of additional effort on your part.

However, there are instances when you will be prompted to take action even if you initially didn't believe you'd have to do so. When this happens, simply follow where your heart leads. The actions you are encouraged to take will ALWAYS be for your highest good, and they'll usually be a lot of fun too! Learn to trust your intuition for guidance whenever you want to attract something, and you will be shown the way to get it as quickly and easily as possible - whatever that may involve.

Allowing Your Heart's Desires

2008-04-18T04:27:00.002+01:00

"Allowing," in relation to the Law of Attraction is a difficult thing to describe because it's a state of being, rather than a state of doing. It's a process of letting go any effort to control what happens around you and instead letting the universe work on your behalf.

Staying in a state of allowance can be challenging for some people because they are so used to taking action in order to get what they want. Allowing your heart's desires may seem contrary to this approach, but it's really just a matter of taking different actions and choosing the right mind-set.

Below you will find some simple steps to help you move easily into a state of allowing.

Sit in silence.

Meditation is the quickest and easiest way to get into a state of allowance because it places you immediately into the process of observing and being, rather than doing. As you focus on letting go of fear and frustration, you invite a flood of inner peace and acceptance to replace them. This mind-set dissolves blockages and removes resistance, which leaves only . . . allowance!

Do what you love as often as possible.

Allowing is not just about getting something you want, but rather learning to open to the natural flow of joy, passion and abundance that is available to you at all times. When you do what you love, you automatically attract a flood of positive energy into your life. Yes, this can definitely help you attract something you want, but it also sets you up to receive a lot more than you asked for. Rather than just receiving one thing you wanted, you find yourself in a constant state of surprise and joy as more and more wonderful things come your way.

Think positively.

This should be a no-brainer, because most of us are fully aware of the benefits of positive thinking. However, don't limit your positive thinking in relation to your immediate goal only! Learn to develop a true positive thinking habit, and spread it evenly through your entire life. Think positively, speak positively and act positively as often as possible. You'll feel happier, increase the frequency of your energy and stay in a consistent state of allowance.

Have unwavering faith.

Many of us tend to flip-flop between immense faith and overwhelming doubt. Our faith is strong when everything is going fine but as soon as we run into problems, doubt knocks us off-center. The true test of faith is being able to hold it while in the midst of difficulty! It may not be easy, but remember that having faith is a choice. You can choose to believe and know that everything will be fine, or you can choose to believe it won't. When challenges come knocking on your door, choose your mind-set wisely.

Detach completely.

Most of us tend to revert back to childish antics when we want something. We figure if we can just nag the universe to death, it will give in and give us what we want. So we keep meditating and praying and visualizing. We spend hours mentally begging for what we want, and obsess about it constantly. This is not allowing - it is clinging and grasping! The universe heard your request the first time, so there is no need to keep asking. Instead, remember that time may be needed before it will show up, or it's also possible that you won't get what you asked for - but you might get something much better!

Be open to whatever comes your way, knowing with all of your heart that it will be absolutely perfect in every way.

Believing in Your Abundance

2008-04-14T03:26:00.001+01:00

Do you believe you deserve great abundance? Do you believe you can have it in your life?

Most of us would like to believe that, but at the same time we have a niggling little voice in the back of our minds that jeers at us: "Ha! Who do you think you're kidding? You know you don't deserve to be wealthy and happy. You're not one of the lucky ones and you know it. Just give it up. You are doomed to live a mediocre life. Accept it."

This little voice is usually the result of early programming and negative reinforcement we experience during times of difficulty. It's bad enough that this negative voice takes up residence in our minds in the first place, but much worse is that we begin to believe what it says! We end up sabotaging any efforts we make to live a more abundant life.

If this sounds all too familiar to you, it's possible you are blocking abundance from entering your life. Dissolving these inner blockages may take some effort on your part, but it is time well-spent!

Before we go into the steps for doing that, keep in mind three things about this negative voice:

- It is replaying things that people in your life have communicated to you in the past.
- It is replaying things you have said to yourself in the past.
- You do not have to believe these things if you don't want to!

Here's how to turn that negative voice into a positive, supporting voice:

Begin speaking kindly and lovingly to yourself.

Remember, that little voice in your head will keep repeating what you consistently tell it. In the past you may have been harsh on yourself when you failed at something or didn't follow through with goals you set. Recording over that negative voice with more positive messages is very simple - just keep speaking kindly and lovingly to yourself as often as possible! In time, the tone of that mental voice will begin to change.

Celebrate your achievements.

If you believe that nothing you do is ever good enough, begin making it a priority to celebrate everything you do. Even the tiniest accomplishment should be cause for celebration. Pat yourself on the back, congratulate yourself, and most importantly feel GOOD about who you are and what you do. Keep striving to do better, but also give yourself some recognition for even trying!

Believe that abundance is your birthright.

Keep affirming that you do deserve an abundant, happy life. Expect abundance and goodness in all forms. Say things like this, "I just know I'm meant to live a powerful life. I believe I have the strength and ability to make my life into anything I want it to be." If you know you deserve abundance, expect abundance always, and allow yourself to open to abundance - you get abundance!

Remember that it will probably take time to notice obvious results. Keep doing the steps as often as you can, and before long you should find yourself feeling lighter and happier, AND attracting ever-increasing amounts of abundance into your life.

Expecting the Best and Getting It!

2008-04-10T02:04:00.002+01:00

When it comes to abundance and prosperity, expectations are vitally important. The Law of Attraction teaches us that we tend to receive exactly what we expect in life. Why is this? How do expectations work with the Law of Attraction?

If you've studied the Law of Attraction at all, you know that your thoughts and emotions release an energetic frequency out to the Universe. Whatever is vibrating at this same frequency will be pulled into your reality. If you emit low vibrations like anger, fear, or cynicism, you will attract corresponding experiences and events. If you emit high vibrations like joy, love, and passion, you will again attract corresponding experiences and events.

Another important part of this process, however, involves your expectations. Perhaps you can remember expecting something that did indeed happen. Sometimes we do this in a positive way: "Today is going to be a great day, I just know it!" and sometimes we do it in a negative way: "Ugh - today is going to be 'one of those days'."

Expectations can be powerful, especially if they are backed up with firm conviction and unwavering faith.

Below you'll find some simple tips to help you learn to expect the best - and get it!

- First, you must choose to expect the best in every situation. This will be challenging if you don't have full control of your thoughts yet. If you haven't developed a strong focus, you'll probably keep vacillating back and forth between random thoughts and focused thoughts until you train your mind. Simply keep at it! Keep saying things like, "I know this is going to work out for the best," or "I know I will turn this situation to my advantage somehow," or "I expect the best and the best always comes to me!"

- Avoid negative talk like the plague. By "negative talk" I mean complaining, arguing, or doom predictions - anything that drags down your emotions and contradicts your positive expectations. If other people try to engage you in negative talk, you may have to be firm to avoid it. You might also need to limit the amount of time you spend with negative people. Try to always phrase your statements in a positive way. Instead of saying, "This won't be easy," say, "I can handle this."

- KNOW that your expectation will come true. You may wonder how to "know" when you really don't know yet! If it hasn't happened yet, how can you be sure it will? This type of knowing is based solely on faith. You are CHOOSING to know. It might take awhile to get comfortable with this, but once you do it becomes a lot easier. In order to really know, you're going to have to completely banish doubt and disbelief from your mind. When they pop up, simply push them out of your mind and affirm again that you KNOW your expectation will happen.

These three simple things can make a world of difference in your ability to attract what you want, and when the actualizations start showing up in your life, you'll be able to add that much more faith and confidence to your expectations - which will make them still more effective!

How to Create a Wealth Fund

2008-04-06T11:27:00.001+01:00

Looking for an easy way to attract more abundance into your life? Start by making the money you have act as a magnet to attract more! One good way to do this is by creating a personal wealth fund. This is a fun and lucrative activity - and it pays big rewards!

There are several ways to do this, but here's one to get you started:

First, consider how much frivolous spending you do in a typical week. "Frivolous" spending refers to purchases of items you don't really "need," but you do enjoy. Perhaps you spend $15.00 a week on gourmet coffee on your way to work, or you buy a cafeteria lunch every day, or you and your family rent 2 or 3 movies every weekend. Also include clothing, shoes, books, cigarettes, cosmetics, newspapers, and other miscellaneous items you buy on a regular basis. Make a detailed list of these purchases and set it aside for now.

You may be surprised (and relieved) to learn that I'm not going to suggest you refrain from purchasing these items and instead put the money in your wealth fund. (Exception: if your spending is out of control and causing severe financial problems, it IS a good idea to control it better.) However, if you can afford these purchases each week, feel free to continue with them.

BUT - I also want you to set aside 10% of everything you spend on frivolous items. If you spend $15.00 per week on gourmet coffee, you should set aside $1.50 for your wealth fund. If you buy 3 new books for a total cost of $41.80, you should set aside $4.18 for your wealth fund. (I like to round up the change to the next .50 cents to keep it simpler, so I'd actually set aside $4.50)

You can designate a pretty jar or box to hold this money and once you've got enough to open a separate savings account at a bank, do it. (DON'T use your regular savings account, and DON'T request a debit or ATM card for this wealth account! You don't want the money to be readily accessible.)

Each week simply deposit your 10% for the week. And forget that money exists! Seriously, don't allow yourself to touch it for ANY reason.

At the end of the year, you should have a tidy sum which you can then invest for long-term wealth. You can purchase a certificate of deposit, open a mutual fund account, buy some bonds, or any other type of investment you feel comfortable with.

It may not seem like you'd have a lot of money by doing this, but that's because you don't realize just how much money you spend on frivolous items each week!

Let's look at some conservative estimates:

If you determine that you spend $50 per week on frivolous items, you'd be setting aside $5 per week for your wealth fund, which would gain $260 in a year.

However, most of us spend much more than $50 per week on frivolous items. More than likely it's closer to $100 - which would give us $520 in a year. It seems like small potatoes, but it definitely adds up!

Also, don't forget that most people make at least a few large purchases throughout the year. If you buy a new flat screen TV for $1200, be sure to set aside $120 for your wealth fund and give it a nice boost!

How to Know What You REALLY Want

2008-04-02T06:42:00.001+01:00

One of the very first steps in working with the Law of Attraction is getting clear about what you want. It sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Yet, millions of people around the world still have no idea what they truly want. Are you among them?

If you've spent most of your time taking care of responsibilities or feeling disconnected from your inner self, you have probably not been able to decide what kind of life experiences you desire. This article is going to show you how to know for sure what you REALLY want. Just a forewarning: a little bravery, hard work and patience might be required on your part.

You probably won't believe me if I tell you that you do already know what you want. Wouldn't you be aware of such knowledge? Yes and no. I should rephrase that statement to say that a deeper part of you already knows what you want, even if you are not consciously aware of it. Don't worry, you will be soon!

Here are 3 simple steps that can serve as a treasure map on your journey to your heart's desires:

1) Spend quiet time alone regularly. Most of us do not do this often enough, but it can act as a powerful energizer, harmonizer and balancer for our minds, bodies and spirits. Be sure to take advantage of silence as often as possible, because it is only in silence that you will be able to hear your inner voice. That "voice" may not be physically audible, but may instead come through as a faint stirring in your heart, tingly gut feelings, or an instant mental "knowing."

2) Put your thoughts to work. There are two different types of thought processes you should work with. The first is focused brainstorming sessions. Use a notebook to record your ideas about your existing skills and talents, things you've done in the past that you loved, things you do now that you love, and things you've always wanted to do but never did. The other type of thought process is to allow your thoughts to roam freely without trying to direct them anywhere specific. Just think about whatever comes to mind. Very often, a powerful insight will pop up out of nowhere when you simply relax your focus like this.

3) Expand your dreams. Daydreaming about your best life is also a great way to awaken your inner guidance. Think about dreams you had when you were younger, or come up with new dreams you would choose now. Then, make them as big and grand as you can. Keep going until your heart is pounding with excitement! NOW you are on the right track.

These techniques are only a few examples; there are many more ways to figure out what you truly want. Bottom line: the most powerful question you can ask yourself is, "If I had no limitations, what would I want my life to be like?"

The answer you come up with? THAT'S what you REALLY want.

How to Set and Achieve a Goal

2008-03-29T03:09:00.001Z

Before we go through the process of goal-setting, perhaps it is worth considering for a moment exactly why you would want to set a goal in the first place. The answer is simple and straightforward: goal-setting works. Super-successful and highly effective people regularly set goals - without exception!

The human mind and autonomic nervous system can be thought of as a goal-achieving mechanism. Modern psychologists agree that it possesses all the right characteristics. Just let that thought sink-in for a moment or two: you already have an inbuilt goal-achieving mechanism. All you need to learn is how to utilise it - and that is done through the process of goal-setting.

Setting SMART Goals

Before I started using goal-setting as an integral part of my own success strategy - and really began achieving significantly improved performance - I always thought I had goals. But the truth is that I didn't: unless you have your goals properly quantified, planned and written down, you don't really have goals at all. You may have aspirations or whims, but you don't have goals.

The following little acronym can be very useful in getting your goals properly quantified - your goals should be SMART! Here is a brief overview of the process:

S - Make your goals 'specific' - Know exactly what you want to achieve.

M - They should be 'measurable' - You need to know where you are and how you are progressing.

A - Make them 'achievable' - This doesn't mean easy but with the right amount of stretch.

R - Make them 'realistic' - They should not be based on circumstances or good fortune.

T - You should 'timetable' your goals - Which means you will also need to do the planning.

One time, I heard Jack Black, of Mindstore International, speaking on this subject; and he said a number of really interesting things about the process. The first of which was about the 'achievable' and 'realistic' part of the process. He said that we should not allow our big dreams to be constrained by this part of the process. What he meant was, when it comes to thinking about your personal mission, allow yourself to dream big & I am absolutely sure he was right.

The second really interesting thing I remember him saying was related to writing the goals down. Make sure you write your goals down & make sure you display them somewhere you can see them regularly and often - this will help you to keep, at the forefront of your mind, what you have decided is really important. Now, whenever you have to make a decision relating to what to do with your time in the future, you will be equipped with the necessary information to ensure you make a good decision. If you keep yourself goal-focussed, you will automatically make good decisions.

But something else - that almost seems like magic (it's not magic of course) will begin to happen. You will apparently begin to attract people and circumstances to yourself. In actual fact, what will be happening is that you will be recognising opportunity for what it is! Opportunity surrounds us, everyday of our lives but we often fail to recognise it simply because we have not focussed our minds upon what is really important to us.

However, if you follow this procedure properly, you will be amazed at the effects you can produce in your life. Ok, now let's consider the achievement part.

How to Achieve a Goal

In Wallace D Wattles classic book The Science of Getting Rich, he says that this is where 'most people meet shipwreck' - I think he was absolutely right!

You may read all manner of things about The Law of Attraction that seem to suggest that all you need to do is imagine your goal and put enough emotion into it; and, hey-presto, somehow the object of your desire will manifest itself. Personally, I don't believe that universe operates entirely in that way. To achieve your goal, you need to put in the appropriate amount of effort.

If you can sit down and make a plan to achieve your goal, breaking it down into individual steps then your should certainly do it: create that plan and then you can get down to the serious business of achieving it by committing yourself to taking at least one step toward that goal every day.

If your goal is a really big goal, so much the better. But you may not actually be able to plan your way to it - you may simply not be able to work out the route. In that case, you need to make a commitment that you will stay in motion. Every day, you will take at least one step toward that goal - some days they will be big steps and some days they will be small steps, but everyday, you will take some step toward your goal.

Even though you are unable to plan the route in advance, the way will open up to you if you make that commitment and follow through with action. Nothing is more certain that that you will achieve your goal if you will follow this simple little method. Notice, the steps you take may not be simple, but the method of achieving your goal is simple.

Don't let the simplicity of the method interfere with your acceptance of what needs to be done. If you follow these principles, you will become a goal-achiever - and it is exactly the same procedure for setting a business goal and setting a personal goal. You will begin to set and achieve goads you did not think were possible for you to achieve. You will become unstoppable. So go to it: get your goals quantified, written down and planned; and then commit to taking the appropriate action, every day, until you have achieved them.

Your Personal Mission Statement

2008-03-25T13:44:00.001Z

The start of a new year is always a great time for reflection and also a good time to be thinking forward to what you want to achieve over the coming year. It is a time to get your goals out, review your mission statement (you do have one don't you?) and ask yourself whether or not you are on-track to achieve what is most important to you. If you don't yet have a mission statement of your own, it's a great time to be thinking about producing one for yourself.

There is a great deal of cynicism, I find, in business today about the whole idea of mission statements. A number of years back, in the UK, everyone seemed to think that having a mission statement was a good idea. Now that most UK businesses have them, everyone is left wondering what all the fuss was about in the first case. Many people feel they just don't work for organisations; and so they feel there is clearly no need to think about having a personal mission statement. However, I would like to encourage you to think about writing one for yourself.

The reason is simple: it will help to give you clear focus on what is important. If you take your time to construct a mission statement that is a true reflection of your intentions, you will be able to use it as the yard-stick by which to judge all future decisions about the use of your time. It will help you stay on the right track for the remainder of the year; and ultimately, it will assist you in achieving your goals. Here are the characteristics of a good mission statement:

* A Good Mission Statement should be:
* A Clear Statement of Intent
* Short & Memorable
* Inspirational
* Forward-Looking

You should not worry about spending plenty of time on the construction of your statement. You want it to encapsulate what is truly important to you; and to do that well, you need to take time to reflect on your priorities in life. You will actually find that the time you spend on this activity will repay itself over and over again in the future.

You don't need to show this statement, once you have constructed it, to anyone else; just write it down and display it somewhere you can regularly expose your mind to it. Keep it in view if you can. Carry it around with you or find some other way of reminding yourself over and over again to read it. My own mission statement is on my website. It's not there for anyone else; in fact, it;s hidden under a secret link. It is there for me - I can easily read it from any computer anywhere in the world so I can expose my mind to its message.

The importance of having clarity on what is going to be your mission, cannot be overstated. So I hope you will take the time to do this exercise and to do it well. Decide for yourself what is important to you in this life - that is the first step to achieving it!

The Master Key System

2008-03-21T02:48:00.002Z

It has been persistently rumoured, on the internet, that it was the influence of The Master Key System, a course of instruction written by Charles F. Haanel in 1912, that led Bill Gates to drop-out of Harvard and pursue his dream of putting a computer on every desktop. Whether or not this is true, I suppose only Bill himself can say, however, the influence of this course on highly successful people, from every walk of life, throughout the world cannot be overstated.

Originally, the course was issued to a small number of professionals and, for a period of time, it remained unpublished. Eventually, however, it was put together into a book and, for years, so-called 'personal development gurus' have mined this information and used it in their seminars, books and courses; often without reference to its origin. Even the famous Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, incorporated the essence of its teaching into his renowned work. More recently, the material has been reworked and presented again in the very successful film The Secret.

The Master Key System deals with what has become widely known as The Law of Attraction. This is the notion that the world in which we live - our subjective reality - is a reflection of an inner world that we fashion for ourselves, from our thinking. There have been very many writers over the years who have produced excellent works based on this idea; perhaps most notably James Allen with his classic work As a Man Thinketh. This school of writing is called New Thought.

The Master Key System today remains one of the best available courses on the subject of achieving success in life - however you may choose to define it. This comprehensive course consists of twenty four individual lessons and comes complete with study questions and exercises for the student to complete so, for those who are ready to hear and act on the information, the message can truly be transformational.

By far the best way to study the work is to actually take the course in the way it was originally intended i.e. by completing just one lesson each week. This, of course, means you would be working with the material for about a six month period. That way, the material is more easily digested and it should therefore make a lasting impression. When I took the course myself, I always looked forward to receiving the next one in the series and found the pace to be absolutely perfect.

Can it make a difference to your life? Well, I think it takes time for the whole idea of The Law of Attraction to really sink in. It takes time to come to the place where you are ready to truly accept it. But once you have accepted the idea, you will begin to see changes in your life because you will begin to think differently. Eventually, you will begin to realize that there is a real principle at work; one that you can effectively tap into; and for some people, it will lead to a redefinition of what is important in life. So, for some people, the course really is life-changing.

7 Spiritual Laws of Success

2008-03-17T10:39:00.002Z

One of the most interesting discoveries of my life has been the fact that there are, indeed, laws of success which operate in much the same way as scientific laws such as the law of gravity.

It may be difficult at first to really accept that the principles of success are really 'laws' and that if we can reproduce the causes of success, then we can also reproduce the effects. But, if we can take the time to understand and make use of these laws, the results we are seeking are certain to follow. Just as night will most certainly follow day, the results (effects) will flow from the methods (causes) we choose to employ.

There have been some excellent exponents of these principles including Deepak Chopra who wrote the excellent book The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success. In this article, we take a brief look at each of these laws:

Here are the 7 Spiritual Laws of Success ...

Law of Pure Potentiality

"The source of all creation is pure consciousness...pure potentiality seeking expression from the unmanifest to the manifest."

What this law means is that all the success you enjoy will come to you as a result of your connection with the infinite. All your best ideas come from within; and you will be amazed - at first - to discover that the answers will come to you; regularly and reliably, when you learn to ask yourself the right questions.

You need to open your mind to receive what the universe has to offer; and this, of course, is achieved through disciplines such as meditation, prayer and introspection.

Law of Karma (or Cause and Effect)

"Every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like mind...what we sow is what we reap."

Your future is made by the actions you take in the present. You are continually creating that future: good or bad; consciously or unconsciously.

This law concerns the reality that, literally, everything you have in your life right now is a product of certain actions you took in the past. So if you want a better, more enriched future, you need to take the necessary actions in the present in order to produce the life you want. Everything you do produces fruit, so commit yourself to continually taking action.

Law of least effort

"Nature's intelligence functions with effortless ease...with carefreeness, harmony, and love. And when we harness the forces of harmony, joy, and love, we create success and good fortune with effortless ease."

Does this sound like it's all too easy? The law sounds a bit like: do nothing and accomplish everything doesn't it? But what is meant by this law is that you don't have to struggle with life; and in fact, the more you struggle, the less efficient you will become.

If you stay connected (meditation, prayer etc) and committed to action (cause and effect) you can simply perform your allotted tasks with joy; and everything you seek will flow effortlessly towards you.

Law of Giving and Receiving

"The universe operates through dynamic exchange...giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe."

Personally, although the law is correctly stated, I think this law is the least-well understood of the laws of success. Perhaps the best articulation of this law can be found in Wallace D Wattles classic, The Science of Getting Rich.

The principle recognizes the fact that things flow toward you as a result of exchange. So if you want to generate wealth, for example, you need to decide what you can give. But in order for that exchange to take place, in the words of Wattles, you must give 'more in use-value than you take in cash-value'.

What a principle - let it sink-in - give more than you receive & the dynamics of the universe will naturally reward you for it.

Law of Intention and desire

"Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfillment...intention and desire in the field of pure potentiality have infinite organizing power."

This is what everybody involved in Personal Development actually teaches i.e. goal-setting!. All successful people make use of goals, so you too should model this behaviour.

The business of how to correctly set and achieve a goal is the subject of my article: How to Set and Achieve a Goal. In this article, space does not permit a thorough treatment of the subject, however, here we will recognize that, quite simply, you must have goals because goal-setting works!

Law of Detachment

"In detachment lies the wisdom of uncertainty...in the wisdom of uncertainty lies the freedom from our past, from the known, which is the prison of past conditioning."

What this law means is that whereas you must be committed to your goals, you need not be committed to the methods you will employ to reach them. As Zig Ziglar used to say, you don't change the destination, but you may decide to change the route.

There are, of course, many ways for you to reach your goals; and when you are in alignment with the 7 spiritual laws, you will discover ways you didn't even know existed, ways you didn't understand and therefore could not consider.

It may sound odd, but you (yourself) will change along the road. So don't be rigidly attached to the route. Instead be prepared to change at any moment as the right opportunity presents itself.

Law of Dharma

"Everyone has a purpose in life...a unique or special talent to give to others."

This principle is what Abraham Maslow called 'Self Actualization'; and he also said that very few people achieve it. But 'Self Actualization' - becoming the person you were meant to be - is the very purpose of studying Personal Development, so I do hope you will become interested in finding out more about living the life you were born to live.

Do you think that life holds a purpose for you? I truly hope so! If you do, then you must go and find that purpose and then you must be bold enough to live it - because that's how you will find true success!

Quotations above are taken from The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra.

NLP & the Art of Listening

2008-03-13T09:11:00.002Z

In the early seventies, about 1973, Bandler and Grindler are generally credited as having developed Neuro-Linguistic programming (NLP) in collaboration with Gregory Bateson. John Gridler was a professor of Linguistics and Richard Bandler was a student at the time. They defined NLP as: the study of the structure of subjective experience.

It turns out that the way that each of us represents reality in our internal worlds is not identical. In fact, there are very many differences between individual perceptions of reality. For example - you might like to try this yourself - if you were to imagine a cow, in your mind's eye, what would come to mind? Is it an image? If so, is it two or three dimensional? Is the picture panoramic - in other words, could you walk around the cow in your imagination, if you were to try?

If you get a group of people to perform this exercise and then describe their individual experiences, you will come to realise that their internal worlds are far from identical. Some people do see things vividly, in full-colour and can easily manipulate the objects; others don't see a cow at all - and you can very easily demonstrate subtle differences in imagined visual, auditory and kinesthetic stimuli.

So what? Why does it matter that we all represent reality differently? Well, it matters a lot when it comes to communicating with other people - and that of course, is the stuff of life. We spend about two thirds of our waking time communicating - and generally, we do it quite badly. NLP can help us to understand why that is the case.

There are three specific difficulties we should consider when it comes to communicating with others:

- Insertions

- Deletions

- Distortions

An insertion is where we mentally put something into the communication that was not really there in the first place. A deletion is the reverse - i.e. we miss something that was actually communicated. The third difficulty - a distortion - can be more difficult to understand, but it is essentially a misunderstanding. In other words, the person listening makes a meaning from the communication that was not intended at all.

It's quite amazing, when you think about the scope for misunderstanding, in both verbal and written communications, that anything ever gets conveyed to another person properly.

But what can you do about these difficulties? Well, the most important things you can do is to learn how to listen. You might think that everybody already knows how to do that, but you would be wrong because hearing and listening are not the same thing. Hearing is a passive activity, but listening is an active one.

To learn how to really listen, you should practice Stephen Covey's Habit 5 - Seek first to Understand, then be Understood. Space does not permit a more complete treatment, but suffice it to say that most people want to do exactly the reverse - they usually want to speak first; and they want to be understood.

When you allow people to speak first, and really try to understand what is being said, instead of what you think is being said, then it can be truly said that you know how to listen. And, if you take this listening behaviour into each and every human interaction in which you are involved, it will absolutely transform your experience of reality.

Inspiration & Motivation

2008-03-09T16:54:00.003Z

What's the difference between Inspiration and Motivation? I think this little video clip makes the point very well indeed ...

Watch more DIY videos on 5min.com

In the modern workplace, we need more inspirational leaders and less of that management-speak ... motivational clap-trap we tend to get don't we?

As leaders, we need to find ways to inspire our colleagues; to get them switched-on to what we, and our organisations, are trying to achieve. And to do that, we must first really care about what we are doing - otherwise, we simply cannot communicate enthusiasm to those around us.

Nothing is as contagious as enthusiasm!

Hypnosis & Weight-Loss

2008-03-09T03:34:00.001Z

Weight loss through hypnosis - it sounds so appealing doesn't it - the whole idea of listening to a few words through your MP3 player and then watching the pounds simply drop off? But can you really lose weight through hypnosis? The short answer is that you will lose weight by making better choices when it comes to eating and exercising - you already knew that right?

However, when it really comes down to it, why do we eat that fast food that causes our waist-lines to bulge in the first place; why do we overindulge when our bodies our telling us that enough is enough; and why do habitually we sit at home rather than getting our running-shoes on and going for that benefit-laden jog? The answer is that we do those things that are 'bad' for our bodies -unconsciously - out of sheer habit!

So what is the answer - can we change our habits and change our bodies in the process? Well, that's where hypnosis might indeed come in handy because hypnosis is one very effective way of dealing with our sub-conscious. If we can change our unconscious thinking patterns, we can change the drivers that cause us to overeat and under-exercise. There is much misunderstanding surrounding the whole subject of hypnosis but the process is simple and can be very effective. Once the subconscious has truly accepted that you are a person who is fit and healthy - and, naturally, THIN, the wonderful thing is that you can actually begin to become that fit, healthy, thin person.

Hypnosis does not involve going into a 'deep sleep'; it does not involve swinging pocket-watches; it does not consist of looking deep into someone's eyes. It simply consists of accessing a natural brain state in which the subconscious mind is particularly receptive to positive suggestions.

Once accepted by the subconscious, those suggestions will cause you to change your eating and exercise patterns which will, in turn, cause you to lose excess weight and regain your shape. All of this can happen because your habitual thinking patterns can be changed for the better using a basic hypnosis technique known as auto-suggestion. Many people have been very successful using this method for weight-loss.

Of course, it's not just weight-loss that can be achieved through hypnosis. Today, hypnosis is widely recognized for its effectiveness in treating a whole range of issues from quitting smoking to improving your self-confidence. If you are a smoker, you know you need to stop - and you can use exactly the same techniques for quitting smoking as those you use for weight loss.

A fit and healthy person is first, and foremost, someone with a fit and healthy mind. Absolutely everything you do is controlled by your thinking - both your conscious thought and your subconscious, automatic, habitual behaviour. Hypnosis seeks to change the inner-person first. Once that change has taken place, the outer-person - the person with whom the world interacts - will be transformed.

Women in Management

2008-03-05T08:22:00.001Z

Here we are just about forty years after the first women burned their bras and yet still - we don't have complete equality in the modern workplace. Let's face it: that situation is just not good enough! Our places of work are essentially, despite everything, still male-dominated hierarchies based on the old command and control model of management that is generally acknowledged to be so outdated.

To look at this problem completely pragmatically, men and women have differently-wired brains - no it's not a joke - we genuinely have these differences in the anatomy of our brains. So What? Well, that means we i.e. the sexes, actually do think differently; and that means that male-dominated hierarchies are prisoners to male-dominated thinking - we need more females in management.

Our companies need to promote more females into senior positions. This is not a rant by someone claiming the status quo to be unfair - it is a practical proposal for a solution to the problem faced by many organisations today. To break-out of the rut that many of our organisations find themselves stuck in, we need a fresh approach; and that approach will only be found by shifting away from traditional thinking.

In Stephen Covey's book The 8th Habit, he champions the forging of a 'new paradigm' - a new map - for the practice of management in the modern workplace. He suggests that the old command and control style of management is dead in the water; and that a new style is necessary for the demands of the 21st century. My belief is that such a paradigm shift might be accessed by engaging more females in senior management within our organisations.

The female brain is known to have more interconnections between the hemispheres than the male brain. This may perhaps be anatomical evidence for the popular idea that women are better at multi-tasking than males. It is this basic difference in wiring that is responsible for a more holistic thinking style in females - engaging more right-brain processes in problem-solving.

The time is right for a revolution in management circles. Now is the time for women to take their rightful place as full equals within the modern workplace. Organisations that will be bold enough to recognise the efficacy of such a move will win the day; and eventually, the others will follow.

7 Keys to Success

2008-03-01T01:46:00.001Z

When I was quite young, someone told me, "If you want be really successful, find out what God wants to you to do with your life and then dedicate yourself to achieving it".

At the time, I didn't really like that idea; I did not believe that my life could have any particular purpose; and I did not think that anything God might have in mind would be of any interest to me in any case. Gradually, I have come to believe that what that person said to me, all those years ago, is true.

As human beings, we all share certain basic wants and needs: we have need for food, water, shelter, safety, love, respect and self esteem. We all share an in-built tendency, as Freud stated, to want to move away from pain and toward pleasure. This tendency is part of the human condition for our own good; it keeps us away from harm and generally helps us to make good choices. Most people settle for a pursuing a career that satisfies these basic human wants and needs; and never really think beyond them to what their life could be about.

Somewhere along the line, I came to realise that what God wanted for my life, and what I wanted, were one and the same thing. This understanding came after I had determined to find out what God actually wanted me to do with my life.

It was a profound moment for me. I gradually came to understand my inner hopes, dreams and deepest desires as being implanted by God. So pursuing God's purpose for my life was, in fact, also pursuing my own purpose. When it really came down to it, I finally realised that I needed to look within to discover my own purpose; and once I had found out what it was, it then became possible to dedicate myself to fulfilling it.

So my message to you is simple: it is time for you to wake-up! It is time for you to start thinking of your life in a different way. It is time for you to fulfil your dream - whatever that may be. That is why you are here on the planet right now. By finding and fulfilling your own unique purpose in life you will be living your life to the full.

It is my hope that you will begin to see yourself as a special person, with a truly unique purpose in life - because that is the truth!

The Law of Attraction

2008-02-25T10:27:00.001Z

For years self-help guru's have taught about The Law of Attraction - the idea that you can get what you want simply by creating a clear mental picture of what you desire and using your imagination to see it with your mind's eye. It all sounds very tempting doesn't it - but is there really any such thing as the Law of Attraction? Well, I would like to share with you a little about my own experience learning about and then using this principle.

It all began one day when I was driving along listening to a tape; and, although I had heard the basic message many times before, on this occasion, it really struck home. I remember hearing the words, ' ... how can you achieve a goal you have not even set ... '

And for once those words found real resonance within me. I thought to myself, 'if I were to set some really big goals, and if those goals did not come to pass, only I would know; and so there would be no reason to not give the process a try. It was the little push I needed at the time.

So I took myself off to Clevedon and sat at the end of the pier with a flask of soup, a notebook - the old-fashioned paper-type - and pen. I was there for about three or four hours asking myself those deep questions about what my own life is about and what is most important to me. At the end of the session, I had quantified four really big goals; the first of which was to become a Personal Development consultant within three years.

Now my career had, up until that time, been in IT; and I had no idea how to change not just my job, but my career, but this is what happened ...

The company I was working for at the time was taken over by a larger organization and I felt the new company did not really understand my role; which was in pre-sales support; so I started looking around for another opportunity. I saw a company advertising for a Technical Author; and I thought it might help me to hone my writing skills - which would be an important aspect of achieving my goal - so I applied and I got invited for an interview.

There I was sitting in the interview being interviewed by two people and one of them asked me a pretty standard interview question,

'Where do you see yourself in five years?'

Now I don't know how I would have answered prior to doing all that thinking, but what I said was,

'Well ... I see myself as a writer (still trying to get the job) and by that time I would like to think I will have written a successful book.'

He asked what subject I would be writing about; and I had no hesitation in explaining all about my passion for Personal Development.

"That's very interesting he replied!"

He left the room; returning a few minutes later with three course outline documents which he showed me.

"We are just diversifying into that field ourselves - could you teach these courses?", he asked.

Well I nearly fell off my chair! Here he was offering me the opportunity to do exactly what I wanted and had imagined back there in Clevedon only a few months earlier.

To cut a long story short: I got the job. I started immediately after working out my notice and so began my new career as a Personal Development Consultant. It still amazes me today to think about how it all happened - but it did!

My own belief is that opportunity surrounds us every day of our lives but we tend to miss most of it simply because of what are minds are focused on. That is the power of creating your vision and imagining it as fulfilled.

And that was how I proved to myself that the Law of Attraction really does work.

Top 3 Books

2008-02-21T11:07:00.001Z

A while back, my daughter asked me to name three must-read books in my field - which is, of course, Personal Development. It didn't take much thinking - right away, I answered that my top three recommendations would be:

* How to Find Your Real Self by Mildred Mann

* The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra

* The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

That, I believe, is also the best sequence in which to read them. In this article, I am going to outline why I think these books are essential reading for any student of the subject. Let's take each of them in turn ...

There is only one message in Mildred Mann's book, but it is an important message and one that I hope you will take on-board. It is this ... you are here to fulfill a purpose - you are not an accident - your life has meaning and value.

The book is beautifully written and it is the only one of my three recommendations that is in the public domain - that means, you can get a copy for free and read it for yourself; which is something I hope you will do!

Deepak Chopra's book the 7 Spiritual Laws of Success is the product of much thinking and soul-searching. In it, he outlines the path to success being revealed as a consequence of being connected with the universal mind of God. I particularly like the language of this book - it is almost like reading poetry at times. It is really rich and full of goodness - you feel better for just reading or listening to the words. Personally I have the book on CD and I play it in my car, from time to time, on long journeys.

The 7 Spiritual Laws are sequential and you will find that they build on the message and work of Mildred Mann. Though Mildred Mann writes from the Christian tradition and Deepak Chopra writes from a Buddhist perspective, I personally find no contradictions or difficulties in the essential content.

For many people who have studied Law-of-Attraction-style books and courses, there seems to be a missing link between the spiritual side of the process of creation/manifestation and the practical side of the process. That gap is perfectly bridged with Stephen Covey's book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

The 7 Habits is a well-adjusted approach to achieving success in life; balancing the need for development of character against the need for working creatively with other people. Frequently, people do not see the need for developing character as a basis for personal growth, but that message is central to the book.

It is a sequential approach - easy to understand, but deceptively powerful. In my experience, not everyone can immediately grasp the true power of these behavioral habits, but when they are applied to your life and they become a part of the way you operate, you can produce truly outstanding results - you can achieve whatever you set out to do.

If you take the time to read these three classic works and let the important messages sink in, you will find that they do complement each other, but they each focus on a different aspect of the subject. So you will get a wonderfully complete and holistic view of how to go about achieving real success in life.

The Crocodile Principle

2008-02-17T05:06:00.001Z

Do you remember the movie Cool Hand Luke? It stars Paul Newman as an anti-hero who has been jailed for committing some felony; and is sentenced to a term of hard labour. The hard labour, which consists of building a road as I seem to remember, is occasionally interrupted by crocodiles. Well ... I suppose they would actually be alligators because the movie is set in the American south. However, I think the Crocodile Principle sounds so much better than the Alligator Principle - don't you?

Anyway, when this happens, the prisoners have to stop the day-job and summon one of the guards in order to deal with the interruption. Only when the crocodile has been dealt with, is it then possible to get back to the more productive business (for the penitentiary at least) of breaking those rocks.

Now I see this whole situation as something of a metaphor for our own situation in the workplace. Here we are doing our level best to be as productive as possible; and we keep getting interrupted by the equivalent of the crocodile. We also have to deal with those interruptions before we can get back to more productive activity.

So what is the answer? Well, I once remember a wise person once explaining to me,

"When you are up to your neck in crocodiles, it is hard to remember the first priority is to drain the swamp".

That is a very true statement; and it also contains the seed of a really profound answer too.

In order to permanently sort out the crocodile situation in the movie, what is needed is to drain the swamp. Then the prisoners can go about their normal business much more effectively. But before the swamp can get drained, someone needs to first conceive of a situation in which there are no crocodiles - in other words, someone needs to have had the vision.

Once the vision is conceived, it then becomes possible to interleave some swamp-draining activity with the normal, every day rock-breaking activity. Over the course of time, the swap would get drained and the prisoners would then become far more productive.

And so it is with us in the use of our time. First we need to recognize the crocodiles. Then we need to figure out what needs to be done to get rid of them permanently. Finally, we need to interleave some of that activity with our normal every day activity. Ultimately we too can kiss-goodbye to the crocodiles and become far more productive.

To summarise: first conceive of your own vision. Spend time thinking about what the ideal situation looks like for you. Then work out the steps you need to take to make your vision a reality. Finally get those steps into your daily schedule and see them through to completion.

Don't underestimate the power of this little tip. If you are just committed to taking one activity every day towards your goal of draining the swamp - what ever that represents for you - then eventually you will get the swamp drained; and you will reap the results.