The Successful Self

Whether or not something can be defined as successful depends on whether it achieves what it set out to. So, in order to decide whether we have a 'successful self ' we need to be clear about what we want our self, our identity, to achieve. Of course, that is not always an easy question to answer because we do not tend to think of our identity as being about achieving something, it is just who we are.

So, perhaps it might be more helpful to think in terms how happy we are with who we are - to what extent we feel fulfilled in our strivings. In this sense, then, the notion of 'the successful self' can be said to be a spiritual one (whether religious or not) - as it is about how well we feel we fit into our world, how secure and comfortable we are on the one hand and to what extent we are 'living our dream' on the other.

Existentialist philosophy has taught us that it is not wise to conceive of the self as fixed and unchangeable. It is more helpful to think of identity as a process - a journey even - in which we grow and evolve over time, influenced in no small part by people and circumstances we encounter along the way and the wider social (cultural and structural) context in which we live our lives. What direction the journey takes us in, how fulfilling we find it and to what extent we feel we can call it a success will depend in part on choices we make along the way, opening some doors and closing others.

In view of this, some important questions to ask ourselves would be:
• Do you feel comfortable with who you are?
• If so, what is it that makes this the case and how might you be able to use that insight to help others to feel comfortable with themselves?
• If not, what is stopping you from doing so and what might you be able to do in order to
change the situation in a positive direction?
• Do you strive to be more than comfortable, to achieve particular goals?
• If so, do you have a clear plan for achieving them?
• If not, might you have a higher level of well-being if you were to develop some goals for yourself?
• In your work, would there be benefits for you to consider how comfortable in themselves the people you work with are (that is, supervisees, managers, colleagues, clients, service users, patients, customers)?
• Would it help also to support them in identifying goals for themselves if they were happy for you to do so?

Being 'successful' is often interpreted narrowly to mean material success (income, status or social position, for example), but it is arguably the case that material success will not bring about a successful self in the form of happiness or a sense of fulfilment. Feeling comfortable with who we are, being comfortable 'in our own skin', as it were, is much more likely to give us a sense of well-being, but ironically the major focus in modern, western societies seems to be on material success, resulting in overly competitive, highly unequal social relations, with all of the problems such factors can bring for individuals, groups of people, and society as a whole.

Perhaps it is time, then, for us to think very carefully about what we mean by success, how we define it and how we go about trying to achieve it.

Fantastic Opportunity - Unleash the Power Within 2014 - London - Buy 1 get 1 Free until end of May 2013

Just had to let you know about this event in case you did not already know, and until the 31st May you can buy one ticket and get one free.  Hope to see you there!

Procrastinating because of procrastination

Not doing or delaying of a task which is most often directly linked to perfectionism. A consequence of procrastination is that it often makes us feel higher levels of stress and guilt. A procrastinator typically produces less than their colleagues and are able to make a calamity from thin air. In some cases they do get angry with others as they can't fulfill their commitments as agreed. It is not unusual for most people to procrastinate sometimes but it might become a problem if it starts to affect their normal every day functions in life. People who suffer from serious procrastination might be suffering from an underlying psychological or physiological disorder to.

The word procrastination originates from the Latin {words of|] "Pro" which means forward and "Crastinus" which means of tomorrow. Many people through history have produced quotes on the subject of procrastination, for example...Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.

The are various causes with the psychological type of procrastination but normally the person with the condition to experience the following:-

1. Anxious 2. Low self esteem 3. Self defeating mentality

Often a procrastinator will have a higher than normal level of conscientiousness based on their inclination to be perfect or being an achiever. This is in complete contrast to their appreciation of their obligations and potential are. Unfortunately this can mean that they sometimes unconsciously over or underestimate the scale of the project in hand.

Researchers have looked into the physiological aspects of procrastination. Focussing in relation to the function of the prefrontal cortex of the human brain. This is responsible for executive functions like planning, impulse control, and attention and,it also behaves like a filter by reducing the amount of stimuli that can distract other parts of the brain. Should there be damage or low activation in this area of the brain then it it is likely to reduce a person's ability to disregard such stimuli that is likely to distract them. The end result is that they are poorly organized, they are usually less attentive and their susceptibility to procrastination will be increased.

It is then that expectation which was once non urgent higher up the list of things to complete and will soon become a priority. This means the procrastinator will become subject to all tasks that are urgent and because he is unable to establish any prior ties in order to get complete any task. In this case such people are often to be found spending time on tasks which are neither urgent or a priority as an escape from the stresses caused by the important tasks they are ignoring.

The procrastinator needs to understand that only by organizing their work routine and planning every day before committing to any action. It is important that they allocate time first thing each day to create a plan of action {of|for|covering) the tasks that they {need|have) to complete the following day. If they can then divide these tasks up into smaller parts in order to get the job done. Finishing a project can help relieve the effects of procrastination that they are feeling, once a procrastinator completes a hard project it can help release their abilities, the biggest problem is getting them to that point.

Learn From Your Mistakes And Make Your Life A Masterpiece

Setbacks are part and parcel of life. We cannot taste the sweetness of success unless we've tasted the bitterness of our failures and setbacks. The essential thing to remember is not how many times you fall down but the fact that you always managed to pick yourself up again. You have to become the type of person who always bounces back instead of the type of person who gripes and moans or worse, give up trying.

If you find that you are not happy with your new job or if it does not live up to your expectations, or if you are not happy as you should be with the new house that you just bought, then you have to find the fortitude to admit that you have made a wrong decision. Remember the old saying "nothing ventured, nothing gained". Maybe your next venture won't be as successful as you thought it would be. Don't let it bother you. What can you learn from it? There are many possibilities and you're sure to find something right or make a successful transition.

If you want to live your ideal life, you need to take your life into your own hands. This means you need to take the responsibility for your own decisions and actions, including the wrong ones. For this reason, you need to invest a lot of energy and anything worthwhile will not work without a strong sense of self-discipline. People who live by the principle of "always put off to tomorrow what you could do today", will remain in the same circumstances and never be content with their lives. They will wait for the push factor of their environment or external forces to act on them, and depend on the opinions of others instead of taking up the independence of doing what is right.

Perhaps you're a student with less-than-ideal grades or an adult swamped by information at work. As a student you have to take the responsibility of improving your study skills. As an adult you need to learn new techniques to accelerate your learning or improve your memory to cope with the currents of change. You need the self-discipline to learn new methods to cope with the ever-increasing volume of information flow, instead of moping around and giving up.

Discipline, coupled with a healthy feeling of self-worth are the foundation of success in life. Different people will have different ideas or opinions of what makes them self-confident. You have to ask yourself critical questions, "Do I like myself the way I am?" or "Do I respect myself?" You may not like the answers you give yourself honestly. But you must have the courage to make the necessary changes if your answers to the above questions is "No.". it is time for you to take steps to become more self-assured and self-confident. The most important principle to remember in building self-confidence is that you cannot learn to respect yourself if you are constantly criticising yourself. Only when you are basically happy with yourself as you are will you be able to learn new things and adjust to the flow of life. But if you are not satisfied with yourself, you will always make sure that your situation reflects your negative self-image. But conversely, if your answers to the above questions is 'Yes", then you will go through life full of self-confidence.

All of us make mistakes now and then but not everyone can handle criticism in a positive way. To move forward in life, you need to be self-confident enough to admit when you have made a mistake. Admit your mistake openly without any excuses and as the saying goes "the truth will set you free". You won't find it difficult if you have a healthy self-esteem. You will notice that having a life worth living is a cycle of healthy checks, making positive changes, self-discipline, and honest evaluations of one-self. It also helps to have a healthy dose of humour. Learning to laugh at yourself is just as important as making those serious changes to make your life a masterpiece.

Pursue Your Dreams

Everyone has dreams about success. Some will pursue their dreams and some will think that their dreams are impossible to achieve. If your dreams are possible for others, then you can achieve them too! Your current position in life can be the launching pad to the destiny you've always dreamed about.

Bigger dreams take longer to achieve. But if you focus on small steps and take consistent action, you can achieve whatever your heart desires. The key to a life of success and fulfillment is to chase your dreams, beginning today. You must start your journey now, especially if your dream is a big one that may take a while to achieve.

It All Comes Down To Attitude

Much of the battle for your dreams is fought in the mind, which is why it's so important to believe in yourself and your abilities. Before you even start making progress towards your dreams, know that success is yours for the taking if you believe and take action.

There are many reasons that you may doubt yourself. You may convince yourself that you lack the intelligence, resources, or capability. But if you have a dream in your heart, then you can achieve it! It's just as easy to convince yourself that you can do it. Simply replace defeating self-talk with empowering affirmations that fire you up and get you moving.

To get ready to reach your goals, start by questioning and attacking your doubts. Are they really true? Are they logical? Most doubts are simply exaggerations based on fear. Replace them with empowering thoughts that boost your confidence. Instead of focusing on the big picture, focus on the small steps that will get you to your dream.

List all the skills and positive qualities you possess. If you can't think of any, ask your friends and family. Others often have a better perspective on your strengths than you do.

Think of the compliments you've received, write them down, and review them often to combat the fear and anxiety that falsely lead you to believe that you aren't good enough.

Next, list the things you want most in life. What are your financial and career goals? What would you like your relationships to be like? What are your core values? Explore yourself and find the dreams that you've buried beneath fear and inaction. Dust off those dreams and start to take action today.

Dealing With Fears

Once you've decided to go after your dreams, you'll likely deal with some form of fear. This is because risks can be scary. But the people that take risks tend to be happier in life in the long run. Choose to step out of your comfort zone to chase after the destiny you deserve.

When you feel fear, listen to what your mind is saying. Ask yourself why you're afraid and determine whether this fear is serving you, or holding you back. Some fear is healthy, but much of it is caused by irrational exaggerations of reality. People who achieve great things feel fear and choose to turn that fear into a motivator to push them forward. You can use affirmations to overcome fear.

The primary reason many fall short of their dreams is inaction. If you face your fears head on and take consistent action, you will achieve the success you deserve. But if you fail to take action, the fear will win. Instead, take one small action today that will begin to create in you an unstoppable momentum. Ride that momentum to the destiny you desire - and deserve!

NLP in Action - How To Create Super Motivation (Part One)

In his wonderful book, Awaken the Giant Within, Anthony Robbins says: 

Every change you've ever accomplished in your life is the result of changing your neuro-associations about what means pan and what means pleasure

This means that every change we create in our behavior results from changing how we associate that behavior to either pleasure or pain. Our mind automatically creates these links, with or without our conscious awareness that an association exists.

Suppose you want to start working out more, but you find yourself putting it off, dreading it, or finding anything else to do instead of working out. Why is this? You understand all the wonderful health benefits that come from working out. You also understand that working out will make you feel and look better, yet you still can't seem to get motivated to take the first step.

In all likelihood, your subconscious mind has linked exercise to something unpleasant. Perhaps you had a high school coach (like my track coach) who liked to say "no pain, no gain." After an experience like that, it is understandable that you might link exercise to pain or something unpleasant.

So how do you create super motivation for some new action or behavior? It really is not very difficult at all. In the next few articles, we will discuss how to identify a new behavior you want to create. Then we will learn how to find something that already gives you pleasure. And then we will learn how to link the desired new behavior to the thing that you already find pleasurable.

Using a few simple techniques, you will learn how to create the same amount of pleasure in the new action you want to create, that you already receive from the thing already existing in your life.

Finally, in those cases in which you want to rid yourself of a behavior that you are already doing, you will learn how to replace that unwanted behavior with a new behavior that gives you greater pleasure.

Great Tips for Beginning Students of NLP

Thanks in large part to the Internet, the amount of information available on NLP can be a bit overwhelming, especially to a beginner. First step - don't worry! Many have been in your shoes before and attained deep and powerful skills.

Here are some tips gathered from my personal experience as a Master Practitioner that will help guide you on your way.

I) "Take it easy, but take it." - Woody Gutherie.

Many pieces of NLP are very in-depth and cannot be mastered all at once. Make sure you are biting off manageable pieces. Even if you are simply focusing on one specific technique, for example the meta-model, it is possible and recommended to break it down even further into its component parts. Learn one part well and then move on to another. Was Rome built in one day?

II) Formulate a Specific Plan of Action

Even if you are working with manageable chunks, it is still possible to be overwhelmed. Think about your goals and the sequence of pieces that you will need in place to make that happen. When choosing a NLP piece to work on, ask yourself questions like "What piece can I learn know that will make all of the other pieces simpler to learn?" or "Which piece will have the most immediate impact on my life?" You can even take it to a simpler place: "Which piece will cause me to have the most fun today?"

III) Get Off Your Couch and Out Into the World

At the end of the day, all of the reading in the world won't help you one iota without concrete action. It is in the real world that we make real strides. Get out there and practice - you will probably surprise yourself! Do you want to be a Master Practitioner or a Master Researcher?

IV) Develop a Daily NLP Practice Regimen

Daily practice is essential to progress, even if you only spend a few minutes each day. Once you get started practicing every day, you will begin to see more and more opportunities to apply your training. Don't forget to use them.

V) Practice Receiving Feedback in a Constructive Way

No matter what the content of the feedback, you can use it as a learning opportunity. Negative feedback tells you what to work on, and positive feedback helps you realize you are on the right path. Of course, don't forget to celebrate your successes!

VI) Remember that Learning is a Process

No one has ever said that learning something new is easy. Remember that there will be bumps along the way and that this is totally normal! Take comfort in the fact that you are taking time to work on yourself -a step that many people never undertake. Appreciate your progress and enjoy the journey.

VII) Take notice of NLP Occurring in its Natural Environment

Sometimes excellence occurs in places you never would have thought of. These are great opportunities for you to absorb and experience excellence first hand - don't let them go to waste! Where do you think NLP came from originally?

VIII) Remember and Apply this Simple but Insightful Joke.

A tourist has tickets to a concert at Carnegie Hall but can't find the way. He asks a pedestrian "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" The answer: "Practice Practice Practice!"

IX) Don't forget to have fun!

Seriously. It is a well-known scientific fact that people learn better, faster and with more depth when they are having fun. It sounds simple, but if you think of your training as a difficult and unwanted chore, you will surely get lost along the way and your practice will suffer. Plus, by having fun you get the added benefit of having fun!

I hope these tips will help practitioners of all levels deepen and improve their NLP experience and their daily lives. I wish you good luck and lots of fun on your journey!

Starting NLP Training

Neuro-Linguistic Programming

Starting NLP training can be a lot of fun, either by yourself or in a group environment. Like any type of training it is important that you do it in a way where you feel comfortable. Some people learn best by themselves, and others learn best in groups.

NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming. It was created in the 1970's by John Grinder and Richard Bandler. NLP is essentially a type of therapy. The basic premise is that by modeling anyone who is excellent at what they do you can become excellent yourself.

For example, if you want to become a better golfer, instead of learning through trial and error, you could find someone who is great at golf and study their techniques, swings, but more importantly how they think.

For example by learning how Tiger Woods mentally approaches each shot, each hole, you can model what he does and improve your golf game. My NLP training started through reading books. There are hundreds of great NLP books available. If you are just learning about this area, start with some introductory books on the subject.

Be careful when picking out books to read, some NLP books can be very advanced and can be quite dry for the beginner. Many of these books were written for certified NLP practitioners and not for beginners.

Another way to get training is through group workshops. These are held all over the nation and are a great way to get cutting edge techniques. Try and find a workshop for beginners. A lot of these workshops focus on more advanced techniques or their purpose is for more advanced practitioners to gain certification.

If you don't have time to travel there are also lots of great audio courses you could buy as well. Some people learn better through audio courses, which can be a very convenient way to learn. You can easily spend a small fortune doing NLP training if you wanted to. I find it best to not spend all your money on one large conference, but to go to smaller one-day workshops, or buy study at home courses, which are much cheaper.

If money is really an issue, eBay always seems to have a good amount of NLP material available. However you choose to learn about NLP, pick a way that you feel comfortable with. You might find that you like NLP so much you want to become a certified practitioner.

Time For Stock Take in Your Life

Every year shops and businesses do a stock take of all their products and services and are able to define where there business is going and what profits they have made since their last stock take etc Now we could all say yep OK what has that got to do with me and stress, but have you ever thought about doing that in your own life. Interesting isn't, what if we were to take time two to three times a year and do our stock take on our own life.

But I think if we are going to sit and stock take in our lives then we are going to have to go at it with an open mind being honest with ourselves about own life. And with out allowing assumptions on what other people think of us. It has to be done in way that you are free to do as you wish. We can get so wrapped up in conforming to what is expected of us and from society that we forget about ourselves. We just keep going with the flow of life.

Well just maybe its time we should take time and do a stock on our life and think about all the things we want to do. How many times do you read a story about someone that is dying or they are old and they are contemplating their lives and thinking about all the things they wished they had done in their life. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but only when you don't wait till you're dying and old and its all too late. If we were to do a stock take often then we would be living our lives to the fullest and when we are old we can look back and say hey I did everything I wanted, I achieved a lot and I had ago.

So how does this relate to stress in our life? Well if we were living our lives how we wanted and doing what we wanted to do in our lives then we wouldn't have stress in our life. We would be living in a state of joy and happiness.

So take some time out of your life, away from your everyday life and the people. Take yourself away for a couple of days and sit under a tree and think about what it is you would like to do in your life. Don't think about oh but what if this, but what if that, it's not important and really just an excuse of why you're not going to do it. Ask yourself if I did this or I did that how would I feel, and if you get that excited rush through the body then there is your answer it means go and do it.

So if you want to make some changes in your life and feel hesitant to do it then let me tell you something from experience. Often when we want to make a huge change in our life we hesitate because we are not sure what's on the other side or how everything will work out. But as soon as you make the decision and you take the leap you don't look back and everything just changes for the better and you have a whole new world right there before you and you think to yourself why didn't I do this sooner. So don't worry about it just do it and it all works out like you never expected.

On a side note here writing this article it reminds of the story in the Movie Pretty Woman. Yes I know it was like a love story but if you look at the guys side this is what he did, he made changes in a whole new direction in his life. This movie is a great example of what I am talking about.

So start doing a stock take on your life now, and start taking action and doing what you want to do in your life, don't wait till your dying or you're old. Just Do It Now.

Whyfore Art Though? Finding and living Your Purpose.

It's been said that great minds have purpose while others just have wishes. At some point in your life you've probably asked yourself the question "why am I here?" I think that most people with a healthy mind often ask this question and mostly at points in their lives when they are forced to take a time out. Socrates said that the unexamined life is not worth living and it is from examining our lives that we can look at it afresh and get a new perspective on why we are really here.

I believe that we all have a purpose for being here. There is a reason why you are here in this universe and that there is a specific role for you to fulfil. Even though this is a belief, I do think that anyone who is in touch with their spirit (or soul or other self) will know that there is a part of you that long for more than just the day to day physical needs of life. We all long for more and this longing, in a sense is fulfilled by your purpose. Your purpose in life is not a pre-assigned role, but rather a decision that you make as a result of introspection. There is no black board in the sky on which your purpose is written. There is however feelings and experiences that you long to experience while you are here and your purpose is what will cause you to experience, feel and be that which you long for on the deepest level of being a human "being."

The original Latin meaning of the word purpose is derived from the word intention; meaning that your purpose is there by (your) design and is something that you intend either consciously or unconsciously. When you intend for something to happen you are the one that makes it happen; it is not something or someone outside of yourself. Most people spent all their lives waiting for "a sign" as to what their purpose is. They spend all their lives trying to find their purpose instead of just deciding and using the power of intent to make things happen. Nelson Mandela as a young man saw things he did not like and he decided that his purpose in life will be to rid the world of racial inequalities. This became the very reason for him living and even though his purpose lead him on a very rocky road, his purpose did not change. All this was born in a truly committed decision. His committed decision lead to a definiteness of purpose; something that did not change, despite all the odds being against him. He found a purpose that was much bigger than himself that gave him leverage to achieve the impossible.

With a strong sense of purpose you can achieve virtually anything. Purpose is what gives you the reasons for doing something. In life there is a big difference between what you can do and what you actually do and the results usually comes down to your motivation. Motivation is nothing but having a strong sense of purpose; a sense of knowing why you do what you do. When people don't know why they are doing something they will rarely do it full-out and they will rarely stick with it long term. Purpose is the engine of human motivation. Purpose give you the reasons why and in with strong enough reasons "why to" you will find the "how to's" - reasons come first and the answers come second as a result of the why.

Purpose therefore gives you power. It gives you the power to persist and take action until you succeed. When you say that someone did something "on purpose" you are actually saying that he was responsible for doing it and that it is because of him that it happened. When you use your mind, your body and your emotions you have the ability to bring into being virtually anything on purpose. By intending for it to happen you can make it real. With a strong purpose you are able to tap into the unlimited resources that are within you; resources that become available because you feel compelled to make it happen. When it is a must you will find within yourself the resources to make it happen. When what you want is merely a wish, it is only a "should" that might only come together when it is convenient. Musts happen regardless of your circumstances or situation for it is your very purpose. It is your reason for being. Nelson Mandela was able to change the way a whole nation thought and he even broke down barriers all over the world from the confines of a prison cell. With a strong enough purpose nothing can hold you back.

Discovering and living your purpose is all there really is for you to do in this life. It is like the axis of the wheel of your life and it holds everything in your life together. Your purpose gives meaning to everything you do and provides you with an inexhaustible well of resources to truly achieve whatever you set out to achieve or accomplish. The ironic thing however is that when you are on purpose all the "things and stuff" do not matter for the feeding of your purpose is what you truly long for and it needs no external satisfaction other than the experience.

Great minds have a purpose and it is usually a purpose that goes beyond themselves; beyond what they will "get". With their purpose they serve humanity. You can only find that much drive to serve and uplift yourself, but when you turn your attention to a cause much bigger than yourself you can find a purpose that has immense power to propel you to do virtually anything; even that which most people think of as impossible. The human spirit is truly one of love as we will do more for others than we will ever do for ourselves. When you find something that you can serve that goes beyond your personal gains you will discover that life's greatest joys is in giving; in giving the gift the you are.

10 Powerful Tips To Stop Smoking

Whether you are using Nicotine Replacement Therapy, Hypnosis or just Cold Turkey, these strategies and hints are for aiding you to stop smoking and are sure to assist you in helping your neurology change and thus enable you to stop smoking with ease. It is up to you to ensure that you do these things to really enhance what you are doing, the more effort you put into these exercises, the easier it is to stop smoking for good.

Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 1.

Being a smoker is like cycling with stabilisers attached to the wheels, you can find it hard to be balanced without smoking. Now, when you cycle freely again, the natural balance returns.

When people smoke, more than half of what they breathe is fresh air - pulled through the cigarette right down into the lungs. So if you feel any cravings you can instantly overcome them by taking three deeper breaths. Imagine breathing from that space just below your belly button. Whenever you do this you put more oxygen into your bloodstream. This means you can use deep breaths to change the way you feel instantly and give you power over the way you feel and help you let go of those old cravings and thus making it easier to stop smoking.

Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 2

Next, think now of all the reasons you don't like smoking, the reasons that it's bad and the reasons you want to stop smoking. Write down the key words on a piece of paper. For example, you experience breathlessness, it's dirty, filthy and your clothes smell, your friends and family are concerned and it's expensive, unsociable and so on. Then, on the other side of the paper, write down all the reasons why you'll feel good when you've succeeded in stopping. You'll feel healthier, you'll feel in control of your self, your senses are enhanced, your hair and clothes will smell fresher and so on. Whenever you need to, look at that piece of paper.

Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 3

Next, we are going to programme your mind to feel disgusted by cigarettes. I want you recall 4 times when you thought to yourself "I've gotta quit", or that you felt disgusted about smoking. Maybe you just felt really unhealthy, or your doctor told you in a particular tone of voice 'You've got to quit' or somebody you know was badly affected by smoking. Take a moment now to come up with 4 different times that you felt that you have to quit or were disgusted by smoking.

Remember each of those times, one after another, as though they are happening now. I want you to keep going through those memories and make them as vivid as possible. The more vivid you make those memories, the easier it will be to stop smoking. See what you saw, hear what you heard and feel how you felt. I want you to take a few minutes now to keep going through those memories again and again, overlap each memory with the next until you are totally and utterly disgusted by cigarettes.

Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 4

Have a think to yourself about the consequences of you not stopping smoking now, if you just carry on and on. Imagine it, what will happen if you carry on smoking. What are the consequences? Imagine yourself in 6 months time, a years time, even 5 years time if you do not stop smoking now. Think of all the detrimental effects of not stopping right now and how a simple decision you make today can make such an impact on your future.

Next, imagine how much better is your life going to be when you stop smoking. Really imagine it's months from now and you successfully stopped. Smoking is a thing of the past, something you used to do. Keep that feeling with you and imagine having it tomorrow, and for the rest of next week. In your mind, imagine stepping in to that non-smoking version of you and feel how it feels to be a non-smoker.

Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 5

Also, your mind is very sensitive to associations, so it's very important that you have a clear out and remove all tobacco products from your environment. Move some of the furniture in your house and at work. Smokers are accustomed to smoking in certain situations. So, for example, if you used to smoke on the telephone at work move the phone to the other side of the desk. Throw away ashtrays, old lighters and anything that you used to associate with smoking. Make your environment conducive to stopping smoking.

Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 6

Smokers sometimes use their habit to give themselves little breaks during the day. Taking a break is good for you, so carry on taking that time off - but do something different. Walk round the block, have a cup of tea or drink of water, or do some of the techniques on this programme. In fact, if possible drink a lot of fruit juice. When you stop smoking the body goes through a big change. The blood sugar levels tend to fall, the digestion is slowed down and your body starts to eject the tar and poisons that have accumulated. Fresh fruit juice contains fructose which restores your blood sugar levels, vitamin C which helps clear out impurities and high levels of water and fibre to keep your digestion going. Also try to eat fruit every day for at least two weeks after you have stopped.

Also when you stop, cut your caffeine intake by half. Nicotine breaks down caffeine so without nicotine a little coffee will have a big effect. Drink 8-10 glasses of water (ideally bottled) to help wash out your system.

Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 7

You were used to using cigarettes to signal to your body to release happy chemicals, so next we are going to programme some good feelings into your future. Allow yourself to fully remember now a time when you felt very deep ecstasy, pleasure or bliss, right now. Take a moment to recall it as vividly as possible. Remember that time - see what you saw, hear what you heard and feel how good you felt. Where abouts in your body were those feelings, imagine turning them up and spreading them through your body to make them more intense.

Keep going through the memory, as soon as it finishes, go through it again and again, all the time squeezing your thumb and finger together. In your mind, make those images big and bright, sounds loud and harmonious and feelings strong and intensified. We are making an associational link between the squeeze of your fingers and that good feeling.

Okay, stop and relax. Now if you have done that correctly when you squeeze your thumb and finger together you should feel that good feeling again. Go ahead do that now, squeeze thumb and finger and remember that good feeling.

Now we're going to programme good feelings to happen automatically whenever you are in a situation where you used to smoke but now you stop smoking.

So, next I'd like you to squeeze your thumb and finger together, get that good feeling going and now imagine being in several situations where you would have smoked, but being there feeling great without a cigarette. See what you'll see hear and take that good feeling into those situations without a need for a cigarette.

Imagine being in a situation where someone offers you a cigarette and you confidently say 'No thanks, I don't smoke'. And feel fantastic about it!

Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 8

Get social support. Your commitment to stopping smoking for the rest of your life can be made much easier by talking about it to friends and family and letting them support you. They will congratulate you on doing so well too! You really did stop smoking.

Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 9

Be aware of making excuses for yourself. Some people talk themselves into smoking, especially if they encounter a stressful situation and in the past they used to deal with it by smoking. If those old thoughts pop into your head, shout the word "STOP" in your head, to stop the thoughts from progressing. Nicotine just stresses your body more and is like that itch that can never be properly scratched; the more you smoke, the more you have to. So say "STOP" and steer clear of old slippery slopes.

Powerful Stop Smoking Hint 10

Reward yourself. Congratulate yourself. Feel how good it feels to stop smoking and be a non-smoker. Treat yourself each time you get past a certain milestone; the first week or first month, the six month target. Let yourself know that you did something really special here.

Keep on using your brain, stretching it and helping your self, by running through these exercises time after time; you are sure to be able to make it easier and easier and successfully stop smoking for good.

Truth Breeds Success and Happiness From Within

Truth & Falsehood

In all the world there are two things --- the one is Truth and the other is Falsehood and Falsehood That Seems To Be!

Well, here is a hot topic for your mental discussion. Thanks for taking the time today to learn about truth and falsehood and how you create success and excellence using truth in your life.

Unfortunately, there is not a lot of truth that is being bounced around the social mirror (society). It is inherent in the judicial system, the educational system, the health system, and any other system that can be beneficial to your growth and development.

Why is it that they cannot find a cure for cancer? Why is it that when a case goes to trial, the two sides are never the same? Why are they teaching myself and my children that Christopher Columbus discovered America but there were people already present? Why have someone created a device called a "Lie Detector?" Why are the television airwaves running rampant with court tv shows, cheaters, Maury, and Jerry Springer where people literally makes fools of themselves?

It is all because people do not tell the truth. People lie and hide behind them to really hide from their true selves. The statement "The Truth Shall Set You Free" is powerful and it really does free your mind from the stress of constantly trying to cover up a lie.

Remember this basic principle: "It takes a small book to tell the truth. It takes a large book to cover up the truth." The truth is a simple thing. It is not complicated and can literally lift the weight of the world off your shoulders.

Speak your truth all the time because it will always bring you back home to yourself. Also, remember this, it takes less energy to tell the truth than it does to fabricate a lie.

You also have to watch out for the "Falsehood That Seems To Be True.

• Just like they tell you to lower you cholesterol to some ungodly number, but do you know that you brain needs cholesterol to function.
• Christopher Columbus discovered America, but when he landed, Indians were present. Don't they count.
• They can't find a cure for cancer, but go into another country where doctors are paid unless you are well and see the difference.

Watch out for the "seems to be. If they (and you know who they are) tell you to go left you had better done your research to know what is on the right.

So, in closing, speak your truth for you owe it to yourself and the people in your life to be, live, and talk who you truly are. A wonderful, growing, prosperous human being.

Thanks for spending time with me today and I wish you well on your journey of excellence.  Peace.

Giving Your Brain A Workout To Enhance Your Self Development!

Whеn undertaking self development fοr thе first time, wе firstly need tο reawaken ουr brain, wе need tο exercise ουr mind regularly. Thе fact іѕ whеn wе become stressed οr depressed ουr brain becomes very relaxed аnd lethargic tο ѕау thе lеаѕt. It doesn’t want tο corporate whеn іt comes tο аnу changes wе mау wish tο mаkе bе thеу physical οr mental.

Whеn wе exercise ουr mind аnd ουr thουght processes via self development techniques іt mаkеѕ υѕ feel healthier, more alive аnd more importantly іt gives υѕ thе nесеѕѕаrу gеt up аnd gο needed tο achieve ουr goals іn life аnd become successful.

Really self development іѕ a form οf meditation іn thаt іt helps υѕ focus οn аnd face thе stresses аnd tribulations іn life аnd mаkеѕ υѕ seek out thе necessary аnѕwеrѕ needed tο relieve thаt stress οr those tribulations.

Self development іѕ аbουt relaxation, іt іѕ аbουt being аblе tο gеt ones self іntο a complete state οf relaxation іn order thаt ουr minds аnd ουr bodies саn function correctly аnd аѕ one. It іѕ аbουt taking a close look аt ourselves аnd hοw others mау view υѕ.

Self development programming іѕ a form οf mental exercise, іt mаkеѕ ουr brains work, іt encourages ουr brains tο work out via thinking аnd working solutions out tο аnу problems wе mау hаνе thаt саn bе considered аn obstacle tο ουr ultimate goal whісh іt self improvement.

Thеrе аrе various forms οf exercise wе саn give ουr brains, such аѕ thinking positively аnd coming up wіth nеw аnd fresh іdеаѕ tο hеlр towards ουr self improvement.

Wе саn exercise ουr brains bу thinking аbουt ουr deep inner thουghtѕ аnd aspirations іn life. Bу bringing thеѕе thουghtѕ аnd aspirations out іntο thе open аnd analyzing thеm tο see іf thеу аrе conducive wіth thе nеw direction wе hаνе chosen tο take іn life аnd wіth ουr nеw self development program.

Another thing wе саn dο іѕ tο take detailed notes οf ουr thουghtѕ аnd thеn wе саn write down ѕοmе goals thаt wе wουld lіkе tο achieve аnd thеn compare thе two tο see іf ουr thουghtѕ аrе іn tune wіth ουr gaols. Yου see wanting something isn’t enough, уου οftеn hаνе tο change уουr thουght processes іn order tο bе аblе tο achieve уουr goals.

Yου especially need уουr thουghtѕ аnd goals tο bе іn tune wіth each οthеr whеn іt comes tο achieving success whether іt bе financially οr spiritually. Bу writing things down nοt οnlу аrе уου exercising уουr brain bυt уουr аlѕο conditioning іt tο future changes thаt mау occur.

Bу being positive іn уουr writing down οf goals уου аrе аblе tο hеlр change уουr thουght processes аnd bring thеm more іn line wіth уουr dreams аnd ambitions іn life.

Self development іѕ аbουt changing thе past fοr a nеw brighter future. In order tο mаkе thаt happen qυісkеr уου ѕhουld continue tο regularly write уουr dreams, aspirations аnd goals οn a piece οf paper. It іѕ recommended thаt уου dο thіѕ οn a daily basis аѕ thіѕ wіll hеlр nοt οnlу exercise уουr brain bυt аlѕο hеlр shape уουr thουght processes аnd encourage thеm tο realign themselves wіth уουr goals.

A healthy аnd active brain isn’t always whаt іt ѕhουld bе аѕ іѕ a lethargic аnd docile brain. It іѕ οnlу through self development thаt wе саn obtain thе сοrrесt state οf mind conducive wіth success.

Therefore іt іѕ іmрοrtаnt thаt wе carry out thе required mental exercises needed tο reach thаt goal οf self improvement.

Learn How To Have A Happy Day

Every morning is a fresh opportunity for your life to take a new path. The day is at your disposal and can be anything that you want it to be. The real question is how to you ensure that you have a happy day?

Many people believe that they have no control over the day ahead of them. That everything happens by fate and that they are simply in for what life has in store for them. However, that is not true. There are some things that you can do to ensure that you have a happy day.

The first thing that you need to do is choose your attitude. It's easy to allow yourself to have your emotions swayed by the circumstances that you are in. Unfortunately this often leads to you feeling more negative than positive.

Rather than allowing that to happen it is better to choose your attitude and to stay strong in that choice. It is surprising how much of an effect your choice in attitude can have on your day. When you have a positive attitude you can take bumps in the road in stride.

One of the easiest ways to have a happy day is to simply put a smile on your face. When you smile it activates your muscle memory reminding you of times that were happy. That can make you feel more happy in a very short period of time. The great thing about a smile is that it doesn't take a lot of effort to make happen, yet it can bring about a significant change in your mood.

Another way to put yourself in a more positive mood is to count your blessings. All too often you may find yourself taking what you have for granted. This does not just mean material things. It can also mean those intangible things like love, faith, and security.

Take some time each and every day to cherish the blessings that you have in your life and realize how lucky you are to have them. Recognizing these things can instantly make you feel more happy and content each and every day.

To make yourself feel satisfied and happy it is also a good to finish things that you have started. It is not uncommon to have unfinished projects lying around, but these projects tend to hang over your head and overshadow everything that you do. The best thing that you can do to make yourself more happy is to finish some of those projects. That sense of satisfaction will bring a smile that you will not soon lose.

If all else fails one way to give yourself an emergency shot of happy is to take the focus off of yourself. Spend some time lending a hand to someone in need. This could be someone that you know or even someone that you don't. Sometimes volunteering to help others is exactly what you need to do to realize how much you have in your own life and how happy you should be in your life each and every day.

Top Five Self-Help Apps to Improve Your Life

In addition to enhancing our job productivity and allowing us to have access to social networks on-the-go,

smartphones and tablets can also help us to improve our mental well-being and become more content and self-actualized.

It’s not really that surprising that self-help applications are becoming more popular than ever as buying apps from iTunes and the Android Market become increasingly available to professionals, academics, and master’s degree students. These applications help balance out the power of electronics today and their ability to distract us from our responsibilities.

MyThoughts+

Getting work done while you’re down in the dumps is a hard task to accomplish. Many people swear by the power of positive thinking. Noted cartoonist Scott Adams, creator of the comic strip Dilbert, credits his uncanny ability to devise hilarious comic strips with his positive attitude.

MyThoughts+ displays positive affirmations on a customizable background, transitioning from one quote to the next while playing soothing music in the background. If you can’t afford a mountain retreat to the Himalayas, MyThoughts+ just might be the next best thing.

LiveHappy

One of the best ways to accomplish any goal or complete any task is to break it down into manageable, bite-sized pieces. LiveHappy is an application which helps cultivate optimism in your daily activities.

Based on the book, The How of Happiness, by Sonja Lyubomirsky, LiveHappy helps you to keep track of your personal progress as you work towards obtaining inner peace. It features a built-in personality test as well as plenty of tips and tricks on conceptualizing a happier you.

iStress

Not only is stress a detriment to your daily well-being, it is a contributing risk factor in illnesses ranging from heart attacks to strokes. iStress is a comprehensive stress management application which features a number of helpful exercises aimed at reducing stress and encouraging positive thinking.

It includes a compendium of motivational sayings and affirmations to help you reduce your stress levels when you feel overwhelmed. It also allows you to keep a journal of positive or negative thoughts and emotions so that you can identify stress triggers and avoid them in the future.

Gratitude Journal

Brought to you by the good people at Happy Tapper, Gratitude Journal is a fun way to give thanks for what you’ve got. Too often in life, we focus on the negative and completely forget about all the positive things that happen to us. Gratitude Journal gives you an easy way to keep a log of what you’re thankful for that you can turn to when you’re down.

The Habit Factor

Most of us are creatures of habit. We tend to perform at our best when we incorporate positive habits into our daily routine. The Habit Factor is a tracking app that allows you to set goals and commit to forming good habits.

You can use the application to monitor your adherence to your resolutions and check them off as you accomplish them. If you’re trying to form good habits in your personal and professional life and stick to them, it helps to have a constant reminder like the one The Habit Factor provides.

In Conclusion

We’ve often been told by self-help authorities that happiness comes from within. Despite being a cliché, the sentiment remains true. Getting your house in order has a lot of direct and indirect benefits. Happy people are more successful, tend to earn more, and have better relationships with those around them in general.

The best way to get to that happy place is to help yourself. After all, nobody in the world understands what makes you happy better than yourself. The applications listed above should help you in taking the first step towards achieving happiness.