Download PDF version: The Navigator - May 2010 (30)

Spring brings the promise of renewal. Try writing down your hopes, dreams, and goals in a journal.

Even Oprah Has A Journal -How to Use One to Improve Your Life

One of my favorite personal development tools is a journal, even Oprah has one! Start by buying a notebook especially for this purpose and use is to record your goals, dreams, and whatever you happen to be working on at this time in your life. When you feel a bit lacking in the motivation department, go back to reread a few pages out of your “personal chronicle,” and let your own exploits inspire you! It’s all too easy to forget how great you felt at achieving a particular something, once the feeling naturally fades and time washes away the newness. A journal is a marvelous reminder to yourself that your capabilities are greater than you typically realize.

Below are a few other ways that journaling can help you.

Empty your mind.

It’s very easy to have a cluttered mind -we often have thoughts that aren’t worries per se, but manage nevertheless to irritate and distract us from what we really need to. You can begin an effective day by “pouring” the whole lot of these stray thoughts into your journal. As you write down your thoughts remind yourself that you’re setting them aside, to best focus on the day’s tasks. If you notice that random thoughts are nagging at you later on while you work toward your goals, then go to a new page and then repeat the process. After a while, your mind will become accustomed to focusing on the task at hand, and eventually let go of these stray, random thoughts.

Remember your “why.”

Staying motivated is a cinch when our reasons to want to improve ourselves are right there in our minds. But motivation can spray out like air from a slightly-punctured tire as we go on and an idea loses momentum. Use your journal to write down the reasons why you want to make these changes or pursue the goals you’re going after. Read them often in order to keep them in the forefront of your mind, and if there comes a time when you need a little “kick in the pants.” Reread them again.

Be grateful.

Gratitude can be a powerful ingredient in giving yourself a more positive attitude and kicking up your motivation. Either start or end your day by journaling a list of 5 things that you’re grateful for. While there’s nothing wrong with general things, such as your family, your health or the roof over your head, it’s even better to go into specifics of what you’re grateful for, progress you personally made, or any unexpected opportunities that pooped up. Before long, you’ll feel like a million bucks -and you’ll naturally want to create even more great things in your life.

Rachel Ford is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Personal Change Coach who helps people create powerful and permanent changes in the way they think, feel and behave. Pop over to http://www.yourmindzone.com and claim your FREE hypnosis recording to help you achieve success and accomplish your goals.
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Download the print version: The Navigator - April 2010 Volume VI, Issue IV (38)

Where the mind goes the body follows. Make sure your mind is going were you want your body to go or you’ll end up somewhere you don’t want to be. Read this article to help set your mind on the road to success.

Mindset – Who Holds the Key to Success?

The Key to Success – Mindset – Making Money Online

Mindset…how big of a word is that in the online industry or any industry for the matter, work or sport related. You ask any professional sports star and they will tell you that it is all down to mindset…they knew it and visualized the win before it even happened, millionaires and billionaires are not there today because that sat around waiting for things to happen. They had an idea and the correct mindset to achieve those goals.

Mindset is a very important aspect of becoming wealthy and successful, you need to think positive, have faith and believe in yourself and what you are capable of achieving! In order to advance from one level of income or achievement to the next there needs to be an advancement within you…

As you know, there are millions of opportunities out there to make an absolute killing, and in so many different areas of work. There are literally unlimited avenues and opportunities you can pursue to advance your own success. Do you need to find the most stellar and lucrative opportunity in order to advance to the next level or do you need to advance yourself first? I believe you need to advance yourself first…People chase opportunities, it’s a natural human thing, something new and exciting comes along which gets them all excited about potentially making a good sum of money, all the hype that comes with the new prospect and idea. Then, after all that excitement wears off a bit so goes the opportunity…there is a saying strike while the iron is hot and this a perfect example, people will buy into the idea when it’s hot but when it fades out and the opportunity falls off the desk and gets tucked away in the drawer of forgotten dreams. But not to worry as there will be another exciting opportunity knocking around the corner…We all get bombarded with tons of emails and requests a day advertising new and wonderful products and they all look so lucrative so it’s no wonder we all get carried away with the excitement.

Do you not think it will be better to master a topic before moving onto the next big thing? How many income producing opportunities do you know of that are out there…tons… and they require a lot of energy to be mastered. If you focus your energy on one topic at a time then you won’t be running around like a headless chicken trying to finish all the dead end jobs, instead you will be focused and clear about the task you set and confident that you can finish them in the required time… Lay one brick at a time and focus on making a difference…

There are an abundant of opportunities out there with millions of strategies, methods and ideas to make a fortune…but there is only 1 YOU… and ONLY YOU determine if you achieve your dreams or not! Focus on making yourself stronger and wiser and you will have half the battle won. You really have to zone in and focus on protecting your dream. Do not let anyone ever tell you that you can’t do it.

You can lead a horse to water but you can’t force him to drink…I can give you all the right tools and strategies to become wealthy and successful and have the freedom you desire but only YOU can make it happen. Take action and do not give up especially when the going gets tough and you think you have lost, coz you will never know if victory was another step or corner away.

Don’t get left behind in the Rat Race, change your mindset and believe in yourself… nothing is unrealistic.

Greatness exists in us all we just choose not to believe. Change your life today, take action and start believing.

My name is John Champion and I am just as a normal guy as you are, I work hard and like to play even harder. I am very easy going and relaxed but also dedicated at achieving my goals.

My business background varies from being in the military / private security business to sales and administration to running a few businesses. none of these ventures gave me as much freedom as having my own international online mobile business. I aim to help others in their quest for financial freedom or personal freedom.

http://www.whoisjohnchampion.com

http://250kincome4u.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticlesyour

Download the Print Version: The Navigator - March 2010 (69)

I don’t know where I heard these or if I just made them up but they’re true. More often than not we complain about the economy, co-workers, bosses, bills, corporations, politics, everything and without doing anything to improve our lot. Don’t look to the outside for your inner fulfillment. Decide what you want and then GO FOR IT! Read this article to get ideas on how to achieve what you want.

Do You Realize The Importance Of Personal Development?

It is unfortunate that many Americans today do not pursue the “American Dream.” They get stuck working a 9-5 job for 20 plus years with nothing to show for it.

With the importance of personal development at hand you learn how to begin taking small steps towards a life filled with joy and passion.

This has become such a fast and growing industry everyone wants to learn about self help in some area of their lives; you begin to understand the importance of personal development.

So why all the fuss you ask? Well we have all be raised in a society that instills limiting beliefs, and yes you probably still possess the beliefs that you picked up when you were young and they continue to hold you back today.

Personal development will teach you techniques that have been utilized in the past and are still used today to assist individuals to begin creating and working towards the “American Dream.” The importance of personal development is not taught in our schools. (which I believe it should be)

So what are some of the techniques that are utilized by athletes, entrepreneurs, salespeople, professionals, and anyone else who decides to utilize them?

I have listed some of the techniques below:

1. Goal Setting: believe it or not this is the most important step in the whole process. Without a goal you have no direction, and you will keep going in circles.
2. Action: Okay now that you have a goal in place, take the time to write it down on paper. (believe it or not this is extremely powerful) It now becomes more than wanting, what are you willing to do to reach this goal? How much effort will you put forth?
3. Set A Date: A goal without a date of accomplishment is just a wish. However learn to set a realistic date, if you set a unrealistic goal, you can tend to become discouraged a not ever pursue an endeavor again.
4. Read, Read, and Read: Never stop learning. You must continually be open to receiving more education. You can receive this education through books, weekend seminars, or classes.
5. Mastermind with others who understand the importance of personal development as you do, and they are on the path. The more you can surround yourself with people who think like you do, it will benefit you both.

Remember the saying “birds of a feather flock together.” We become like our closest friends we hang out with.

The importance of personal development is; it is never too late to begin. However the sooner you begin your journey the sooner you can begin to let
go of your limiting beliefs.

Once you let go of your limiting beliefs you will begin to find the courage to pursue your dreams. Without dreams, we are just living without a purpose. When we do not have a purpose, We have no spark or happiness. We as humans must have something to look forward to everyday.

So why not begin your journey today? You will begin to develop a passion and begin to find out what your passions and hobbies are. You also will be able to assist your children and encourage them to “follow their dreams” and lead by example.

Remember the importance of personal development is to help you lead a more positive and powerful life. Is that not what everybody would love their life to be like anyways?

Visit [http://www.personal-development-life.com] for loads of free tips on wealth creation, meditation and other personal development techniques. Plus sign up for the free newsletter.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Velez

During the holidays you took care of friends and family, possibly to the exclusion of you. Now’s the time to think of you and keep yourself in the equation of your life. A high self-esteem allows you to risk and the more you risk the more you get. So, read this article and get ideas on how to build your self-esteem so you can have the year you want and the life you deserve.

Loving Yourself – Learning And Practicing Behaviors Necessary To Build Your Self Esteem

This is your gentle reminder of your continuing work on your self-esteem, and positive self-image. You really have started on a path of “healing from your source”. Everyday we have opportunities to bring in positive thoughts and messages about ourselves and our lives; We just have to learn how to be conscious and aware of these opportunities.

The purpose of this message is to bring to you an affirmation/meditation that you can utilize throughout your day, and throughout the week so that your thoughts, your energy and ultimately, your feelings about yourself become more positive and your life will reflect these changes. Remember, you really are “Well Within”; you are simply accessing it consciously now.

This week we are focusing on Loving Yourself.

I am not talking about egotistical love. I am talking about the kind of love that is compassionate, understanding, and nonjudgmental. The kind of love we all look for in life; the kind of love we all wished for as children growing up; the kind of love we hope we’re giving to our children and people closest to us. I am talking about the kind of love that is unconditional; that feels warm and tender and safe and secure within our hearts and souls. So, what does it mean to love yourself this way? Loving yourself stems from the belief that “Who I am is enough”; that the qualities I possess as a person are worthwhile, special, and unique. This is the center of what it means to love yourself. The question everyone always asks is: “Yes, but how do I get there?!”

Allow yourself to take a slow deep breath, in through your nose, and release gently with a sigh through your mouth. — As you feel your body relax and become open to receiving a new message, I want you to picture yourself. Imagine that you are looking at yourself in the mirror. — Who do you see? — (Not what do you see?) Let your judgments pass by (you know the ones I mean: I’m too fat, or my hair needs washing, or I look tired, or old or I have too many wrinkles, or I need a hair cut.—) Just allow these judgments to pass by. Breathe in and out slowly and deeply— and look again at yourself in your mind’s eye. Now see who you really are. Focus on your inner qualities. Are you a good friend, a good listener, kind, understanding, compassionate and caring to others, sensitive, witty, fun to be with, someone who enjoys a good laugh, someone who is helpful, intelligent, a hard worker, reliable, etc. You know what I’m talking about.

Maybe it will help to think about your best friend, (or spouse, or close family member, or your spiritual leader, or colleague) and what you like and admire in him/her. What would this person say that they like about you? What makes you their best friend, &/or special in their lives? Stop for a moment and really allow yourself to ponder this thought. Take another deep breath and sit with what these qualities are. If you are struggling with this part, please, take a break from reading this and pick up the phone and call this person and ask him/her to tell you what they love about you. Let yourself hear what they have to say. Write down the qualities that they tell you. Look at the messages and allow yourself to breathe them into your body, your mind and your soul. You know the words are true because they feel so good. Please, admit it to yourself that way down deep inside you, you enjoy knowing these qualities that you possess feel good to you, because you know they are true. Let the good feelings flow through you and around you. Take a deep breath and picture yourself in the mirror once again, and allow yourself to REALLY see who you are! That’s it, breathe and stay with this warm, loving feeling. Take a deep breath and say: “I am lovable, capable, worthwhile and special and I deserve to be treated as such, by myself & others in my life!”

Take another deep breathe and really let the message sink in. Say this statement again allowing yourself to breathe in slowly and deeply and feel where it goes in your body. “I am lovable, capable, worthwhile and special and I deserve to be treated as such, by myself & others in my life!” Does it flow freely or does it get stuck. Just breathe— and repeat the statement again, out loud. Hear the words resonate in your room, not just in your head. This is a statement, along with “Who I am is enough!” that must repeated over and over again as you go through your days and your week. Finding your self-esteem and bringing it forth is what this work is all about, and we’ll journey together as you uncover and discover how lovable you really are!

Loren Gelberg-Goff loren@wellfromwithin.com journey to self-esteem and self-empowerment to live authentically self-esteem

For more information about our services and self-esteem products for your journey to self-esteem, visit http://www.WellfromWithin.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Loren_Gelberg-Goff

How to Set and Achieve Your Goals

Are you just going? Or are you going somewhere? There’s a big difference. How to Set and Achieve Your Goals will deliver all the tools you need to make sure that the path you’re on is one that you’ve planned to be on and one that will take you where you want to be. With guidance and advice on how to set goals, avoid pitfalls how to stay motivated and focused, this book is one tool everyone should have in their toolbox!

For a limited time only $7.95. Regularly $9.95.  Place your order now!

Start the new year off with a new way of thinking, acting, and being. Don’t let this year be just another cookie cutter image of last year. Make it yours, make it what you want. This article can give you tips and steps to make this year the start of long line of great years to come.

3 Steps Promise New Year Abundance

Take 3 simple steps and plant the seeds of prosperity and harmony for your new year ahead. Now is the time to clear out the old and make room for the new. Sometimes the hardest things to hear (and do) are so simple and easy you can’t believe they work. Give Good Fortune a try – you’ll love the results.

The Winter Solstice months of December and January are the longest nights and the shortest days of the year. It is a time that nature draws within herself. Leaves fall, some animals hibernate, as do many trees in cold climates (and the sap runs again in the spring.)

It is a time of you naturally turning inward to inner peace and stillness – and also a time of festivities, parties and gatherings of friends and families. Find your balance between the two and spend quiet time now.

“Nothing happens unless first a dream.” Carl Sagan

Dust off your imagination, and play with your own potential for the coming year. What is your Dream of the best life can be? Discover your own unique creative path to wealth and health.

Can you Imagine your past year – and life up to now – as a big garden? Try it. Pretend that all your habits, activities, work, play, hobbies, and relationships are flowers and vegetables growing in your life’s “garden.” Winter is the best time to clear some space for new growth in the Spring.

This time of year is quiet, and much now lies dormant. You can easily see the weeds of fear, judgment and blame that kept some plants (desires) from blossoming and bearing fruit last year. Some places the weeds overtook your best intentions, and your harvest was not what you’d hoped.

Imagine you can clear out the old “weed” habits of fear, anxiety and blame…set them aside, dried and withered, and burn them. Watch them go up in smoke. Now the ashes will make the soil richer – so dig everything up, turn the soil, see the rich earth fertile and ready to bring forth new life in the spring. The seeds of your future need a fresh place to grow, then bear fruit and a bountiful harvest in the coming year.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle

Take three steps and assure you have created the space for your New Year.
To have something new – you must create the space for it – and do something new about achieving it. Use your power to Vision and Imagine as a good starting place.

Imagine the Winds of Change clearing away the old and opening up a way to bring in the new.

“How much pain they have cost us, the evils which have never happened.” Thomas Jefferson

Step one: Cleanse.

Clean away and let go of all that is no longer of use, remove all that is interfering with you flowing easily in life. Make room – a fresh clean space to invite in all you Desire. Open up and release all that is outside your Vision.

Cleanse away old models and unconscious habits that conflict with your vision. All fears of loss, of not being good enough – fears of illness or poverty or aging.

Clean out fears (from ancestors and childhood) – of authority, of others, of evil (stopping or interfering with you) and of not being safe on your own or of working with others.

Fear of change, fear of failure or of a set-back, fear of taking risks, fear of humiliation or that someone will disapprove of your Dreams.

Fear you can’t find your right place and your own inner-Vision. Fear you can’t do it, can’t make it on your own, that no one will help. Fear of not knowing the outcome, nothing is certain, most fail, what do you fear?

Clear away the old habit patterns that keep you ignorant of Inspiration and Opportunities. Old habits guarantee you will fail: Following others and authority, sticking to old ideas and models…compulsive responses to social triggers and remaining consistent to the past.

“Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.” Raymond Lindquist

Step two: Renew.

What needs to be renewed, refreshed, remembered, and revitalized? Renew your sense of yourself: Choose to move into the fresh, light feeling of love and appreciation for all life. Make a list of 20 talents and 10 things that make you happy. Recall your inner-Vision. Follow what feels good, a natural path from your heart to your Dream.

Renew your commitment to stop automatic responses and live Mindfully. Feel the weight of ignorance, of old models, falling away and with it the fear, anxiety and inertia that blocks the path to the life you want.

Align with your Dream of the good life – and feel the fun and Joy of living it NOW. Remember to feel appreciation – that “vibration and feeling” is out of the range of fear.

Seek out your Dream in your daily life and to enjoy the qualities of fun and playfulness you want to live, even in small ways.

Open to your New Year ahead. Open your body – to healing quickly, being vital and flexible. Open your mind to the knowing within and speak of love and joy. Open your heart to the love all around – share it and feel happiness. Open to Mindful Intentional living NOW- present, aware, secure. Open to be at-ONE with Source – the creative Life Force within you.

In the past it may not have been possible to have it all – but now it is. Anything you Desire and Focus on is available to you: Your potential is unlimited. Renew this expansive, happy feeling and live it. Look for it and you’ll find it.

Love your Dream unconditionally. Renew your commitment to live your passion. Accept and approve of doing what pleases you most. Be free to create and explore the best life has to offer. Well-being is your birthright. Claim your rightful place as a Creator in life.

“The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others.” Sonya Friedman

Step three: Purity.

Find the core essence of you – the place you’re perfect. Your pure essence is you loving your Vision of your future.

Feel the purity of the Life Force flowing into creation. Enjoy it and flow with it – it’s leading to everything you want.

Once the old habits fall away – you are free to explore more of whom you are and what you Desire. Feel the freshness, the lightness, and the purity of your intention to find and live loving, happy, easy, playful experiences – that Attracts more of your Vision.

Find your pure inner Vision. Take it with you to your holiday parties and gatherings. See the world from within the life you love. Everyone will enjoy you – and you will not be bothered by anything – those that are not in harmony will not be attracted to you.

“If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” Thomas Edison

Cleanse, Renew and find Purity: three steps to guarantee a successful future.
Do you feel a difference now – from when you started imagining? Your feelings open up possibilities. It really is that simple. It does take repetition and quiet time so you can hear your own Inspiration.

Spend time alone- get to know your self. Choose to be in Beauty and Nature – that refreshes and enlivens you. Stop all self-talk, be still and allow Inspiration to emerge – it is the easy way to make changes, and quiet time opens the door to your inner guidance. You’ll find you really like the YOU in your Dream. Why not live that now?
Once you have your garden free of fear and ready – imagine planting the seeds of health and wealth…and spend some time dwelling on how good life will be this coming spring and summer as what you Desire grows tall, blossoms, bears fruit and you harvest just what you want. How often repeat it? How much do you want what you want?

Your Good Fortune: “Sow the seeds of your future with every thought, word and deed. A bountiful harvest will soon be yours.”

Cheryl Janecky is the expert on attracting Good Fortune and quick easy steps to Living the Dream. Get the facts and free “21 Insights, tips and strategies” at http://www.quick-good-fortune.com/Get-Rich-Quick.html

Start today, find your passion, take action and live your Dream. From the new sciences and ancient wisdom, get the free facts on exactly how to resonate and attract abundance at http://www.quick-good-fortune.com/Law-of-Attraction.html

© Cheryl Janecky – All Rights reserved.

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We get so busy during the holidays, making sure that guests are well cared for and family is pampered. Unfortunately, the person we most often forget is ourselves. Don’t let this holiday season proceed without putting yourself into the equation. This article will give you some helpful tips for you to “Have Yourself a Healthy Little Holiday”.

Have Yourself a Healthy Little Holiday

The colder season is finally here! Gone are the golden days of autumn, thoughts of raking leaves, and the colorful fall foliage. In their place are winter-themed wrapping paper, sparkling trees and weeks of non-stop celebration. These days, with the holiday season being heavily commercialized, hyped-up and overinflated, many of us find ourselves in a perpetual state overwhelm. Is it possible to enjoy the holidays without the chaos, anxiety and stress?

Years ago, the holiday season gave us permission to pause. It was well-deserved time off that gave us space to enjoy family and friends, recharge our batteries and prepare for a brand new year. These days, it can be difficult to slow down and really savor the holidays, but the possibility still exists. Take a minute and connect with your most fulfilling and enjoyable holiday season. What made it great? How did you take care of yourself? How did you feel after the holiday season was over?

A prosperous New Year starts with making time for self-care during the holidays. With that in mind, here are a few self-pampering gifts that will guarantee a season of healthy celebration.

The gift of movement. Be sure to exercise at least 3 times per week. It is great way to manage stress and burn off extra calories.

The gift of nourishment. Stock up on fruits, vegetables and unprocessed/unrefined
carbohydrates such as whole wheat crackers, granola bars and dried fruit. Don’t go for perfection, but strike a balance between indulging in celebratory treats and feasting on foods that keep the body well nourished.

The gift of being in the moment. Take time to be still and notice where you are on the holiday map. Are you consciously and intentionally moving through the holiday season? Staying grounded in the present will help you avoid temporal pleasures that may lead to extra pounds or unexpected debt.

The gift of connection. The holidays may surround you with people who are difficult to be with. Treasure the opportunity to connect deeper with everyone. What is the gift the “hard to be with” person gives you? How can you better appreciate everything the holiday season brings?

The gift of gratitude. Reflect on what has made your life richer and fuller [this year]. How can you leverage these blessings to experience a wildly successful [next year]?

Here’s to a wonderful, enjoyable and healthy holiday season!

Terri Holley, MS CPCC is a Certified Professional Life Coach, trainer, speaker, and wellness expert. She supports people in honoring their deepest commitments to health, fitness and wellness. She is the owner and founder of Momentum Health and Life Coaching, LLC. Visit her website at http://www.mhlcoaching.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terri_Holley

What You Think is What You Get

If…

A thought gives way to an action,
an action gives way to a habit,
a habit gives way to a character,
and a character gives way to a destiny.

What are you thinking? What You Think is What You Get will deliver tools you need to make sure you’re thoughts aren’t keeping you from the success you want. With the guidance and advice as to how we’re programmed and how to reprogram our thoughts you’ll be well on your way to creating the career, relationships, business, and life you want and deserve.

Only $9.95 for the book or $4.95 for the download.

Place your order now!

You are responsible for your thoughts, feelings, actions, and emotions. No one else can make you think something, feeling anything, do something, or express anything. No matter what you think! Once you get clear about this you’ll know that only you can be happy or not. Yes, even if something bad happens, you don’t have to let the situation determine how you feel, act, or think. When you’re not happy think of something that you enjoy. Mine is puppies: little, fuzzy, pink-bellied, fluffy, puppies. Now, who can say “puppy” and not smile and be happy? Read this article and get more tips about how to be happy.

Learn How to Be Happy

“He’s simply got the instinct for being unhappy highly developed.” ~ Saki, British author (1870 – 1916)

Happiness is not about what you own, who you married, or what you collect. Happiness is feeling good – not having your life look good – and it can only be felt right now, in this moment. It cannot be projected into the future or relived from the past. Interestingly, people don’t necessarily know how to be happy. We are busy. We know how to do stuff and get things done. Generally, there is a pervasive discontent in society as we struggle to keep up with our own expectations, society’s expectations, and our family’s expectations. And when we cannot meet the unrealistic expectations about who we should be and what we should be doing, we feel bad. Guilt, shame, fear, disappointment, self-doubt even self-loathing erupts in us resulting in constant movement because if we stop, we might have to actually feel these “bad” feelings and that’s too upsetting to consider!

Inevitably, reality hits us, usually with a series of events meant to smack us in the face so we have no other option but to face our reality. These can be an illness, the sudden death of someone you know, a cancer scare, a friend’s affair or divorce, or even turning a certain age. It can be your weight when you step on the scale. Whatever the event, suddenly your world is turned upside down and you can no longer deny that you are not happy living the way you are living.

Interestingly, it may not be what you are doing that’s making you unhappy. You may have a great life. However, how you think about your life and what you are doing may be your difficulty. In other words, your thoughts and your beliefs are what may be causing your angst and your discontent.

Your Emotional Message System

As humans, we are blessed to have such a wonderful emotional system to inform us of things that require our attention. Many of us, however, are completely ill-prepared to handle this system and have not learned how to use it to our benefit. So we fumble about doing the best we can. It’s not like we are born with an instruction manual on how to deal with our emotions. And if we as adults don’t do it well, we will not be able to teach our children how to be emotionally competent.

Mastering your emotions is part of your human experience. The learning starts when you are a child. You learn by watching your parents and how they deal with emotions. You also learn through instruction. What were some of the messages you learned growing up? What response or reaction did you receive when you expressed an emotion? How was anger handled in your home? What about sadness, disappointment, or frustration? How did your family mourn losses? Were people generally happy? Did they know how to enjoy themselves?

Being told, “Don’t cry,” when you were sad has made an impact on you and may have created a belief about how you are supposed to deal with sadness. If your parents screamed at each other all the time, then you learned something about how couples get along. If no one talked to one another for days on end when they were angry, then that has left its mark on you as well. Unearthing your hidden beliefs about emotions and learning to be at choice rather than at the mercy of these old, unhealthy patterns will help you to feel in control about your emotional state.

Emotions are inner messages. They provide you with information which you can use to guide your behavior. Emotions enrich the experience you have while you are in your human form; they permeate every aspect of being human. There are no “bad” emotions. Emotions just are. We judge them as “bad” because we may not like to feel them or we fear them because we don’t have the skills to manage these emotions when they show up.

But people have just as much trouble with the “good” emotions such as happiness and joy as they do with so-called “bad” emotions such as anger, grief, or depression. We find ourselves spending most of our time worrying, full of anxiety, in a state of fear, and full of self-doubt. And because this is what we are used to, we are habituated; it’s more comfortable and familiar than happiness, joy and love. In order for us to change, to learn to be happy, then we must create new habits, habits that support our ability to embrace and experience the “good” emotions.

The Path to Happiness

The path to happiness – to respect, to inner peace, to feeling good about yourself and to being confident – is by honoring yourself and doing the things that make you feel good or comfortable. And when something feels bad, don’t do it. Choose to spend time with people who you enjoy being around. And when someone does something that feels bad, then tell them about it and, if need be, instruct them on what would feel good for you. If they don’t want to oblige and continue to do things that are of no value to you or that hurt you, then instead of trying to get them to change, just stop spending time with that person.

It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? So, why is it so hard?

It’s hard because there are so many things that get in the way of eliminating what feels bad and moving toward what feels good. We get in our own way. Most of the time, our heads get in the way; we do a lot of second guessing and we don’t trust ourselves or our feelings. So we behave in ways that do not reflect what we truly want and, therefore, our results are not what we want. This makes us unhappy and we don’t know how to make it better.

In addition, other people have their own heads and thoughts to contend with. They don’t do or say what they really mean either and we spend a lot of time guessing and making assumptions about what they want from us. It makes communication really, really difficult. And we wonder why there are so many single people and the divorce rate is so high!

At the most basic level, the path to happiness is to identify and eliminate the things that feel bad and identify and include the things that feel good. Each day, you have the opportunity to discover new things that you like and don’t like. Practice by being on the lookout for how you feel. It will take time, but with each choice you make to be happy in that moment, it will become easier and eventually, it will become habit. Then you’ll start looking for things that feel good and add value to your life and you’ll actually repel things that don’t. You’ll become attractive to good things! It may be hard to imagine, depending upon how you feel today, but one day at a time, with focus and a desire for change, you will succeed at happiness.

Julie Fuimano, MBA, BSN, RN, CSAC is dedicated to helping you break through the barriers to your happiness and success. She is a masterful coach, a motivational speaker and world-renowned writer and author. For additional resources and to sign up for her inspiring e-newsletter, visit http://www.NurturingYourSuccess.com or email Julie@NurturingYourSuccess.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Fuimano

By Larry Barkan 

I was recently coaching a person who told me that he would “try” to improve his relationship with a coworker but that it would be “very difficult” and that it would “take a lot of time to trust him.” 

Consider the words that are in bold above. Could it be that while this person thinks he’s merely describing the future, he’s actually creating it? Could it be that our words actually produce results in the real world? 

Consider these examples:

I was recently reading about Lanny Bassham, a former Olympic rifle shooter and “mental coach” whose clients include U.S. Olympic archers. Bassham notes that the archery community has a peculiar obsession with “target panic,” which refers to a malady sometimes suffered by champion archers who become so worried about hitting the target that they stop themselves from even attempting a shot. 

Bassham says that, “the words ‘target panic’ have induced an unnecessary amount of severity and concern about this condition among archers.” He concludes by noting that, “I think if they had a better word for it, they’d have a lot less problem trying to cure it.” (I’ve bolded those words for emphasis). 

In his book, The Perfect Mile, Neal Bascomb writes that, “On May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister became the first man to run the mile in less than 4 minutes, a barrier many experts had long considered unbreakable. What is remarkable is that Australia’s John Landy and New Zealand’s Peter Snell bettered his record that same year. Roger’s feat changed the thinking of people in countries all over the world.” (I’ve bolded those words for emphasis). 

What do these examples have in common? They all suggest that the key to unlocking our chains lies in the words we use to describe our world. 

Consider the possibility that if you want to know what stops someone from achieving a goal, listen to how the goal is described. Could it be that describing a goal as “difficult,” “strenuous,” or “tough” creates those outcomes and that talking about a goal as “achievable,” “exciting,” or “inspiring” creates outcomes that conform to those descriptions? 

Isn’t it amazing how we can predict the future? Or, perhaps, not so amazing. Perhaps the process is quite straightforward: We predict how the future will occur when we describe that future and then, naturally, live out that prediction. 

Or, as ancient wisdom has noted, “Be careful what you wish for. You may get it.” 

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