Category: Personal Development

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47 Hearts – How To Live The Life of Your Dreams With Passion, Purpose and Persistence.

I’ve known Dr. Mani for several years now, and this man is not only a great writer and marketer. I believe he’s one of the finest human beings on the planet. He is releasing a book on Valentines Day this year called “47 Hearts”, and I’ve been lucky enough to get a review copy.

It’s really a very simple book that illustrates the small things in life that, done well, will lead you to living your dreams now. It reminds me a bit of Tony Robbin’s “Giant Steps”. The ideas are very short and to the point, and very much in the loving style that Dr. Mani exudes.

Did I mention that he’s a heart surgeon? He knows a bit about matters of the heart.

Dr. Mani, I love your book. Thanks for all you do.

BTW, I’m not sure if one of the review copies is still available, but if they are you can get one here http://www.47hearts.com/reviewit.htm

Motivation is the driving force behind life enhancing change. It comes from knowing exactly what you want to do and having an insatiable, burning desire to do what’’s necessary to get it. The power of motivation keeps you going when the going gets tough.

Here’ are 5  tips to help you supercharge your motivation:

1. Create a picture board and fill it with images of your desired goals. The car you want to own, the house you want to live in, the area where you want to live yes, they’re the obvious ones. Others could be pictures of holiday destinations, trophies, first-class travel tickets, clothes you want to buy, fine restaurants you want to frequent – whatever you can think of that gets your pulse racing.

2. GET ANGRY. If you want to change your life for the better then get angry about where you’re at now. Having a blasé attitude towards change isn’’t what’’s needed and it won’t create a strong desire within you. So ask: “Why do I want to change?” Is it because you’re FED UP with debts? Does your job DRIVE YOU CRAZY? Is your life DULL AND PRECITABLE? Are you SICK AND TIRED of doing the same thing week in week out? Are you BORED BEYOND BELIEF by the dull, uninspiring, unhappy people you associate with? THEN GET ANGRY ABOUT IT. And I mean REAL ANGRY. Write it all down, all of the frustrating, unrewarding, miserable lot of it that makes every day a dull slog until your final days. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?

3. Speaking of your final days, start to appreciate the value of time. Time is one of the most precious resources you have and it is also a NON RENEWABLE resource. You can either use it fully or squander it. If you want to create change you’re going to have to invest a lot of time to make it happen. Start to reduce the time you waste on irrelevancies: Television, newspapers, lie-ins, weekends spent shopping, partying, dining out, visiting an endless line of relatives and friends – these won’t help you get what you want and all of them will rob time from you. Valuable time that you can use much more effectively by investing it in YOU. Remember this: You have a finite amount of time here on Earth. You don’t know how much time you have – no one does. But it’s how you use the time you have that counts. So make your time count and that means starting from right NOW.

4. Conformity. Are you a mindless little sheep who’s way too timid to pursue your own way? Do you have to follow where everyone else goes, doing exactly what everyone else does and therefore, who gets the same levels of happiness as all the other little sheep? Seriously, does this describe YOU? Are you too frightened to be different than all of the other sheep because they wouldn’t like it if you decided to follow a different path? So you dutifully trot along following all the other sheep because if they’re doing it then that’s how it is right? But if you do what everyone else does you’ll just get what everyone else gets. Do you want to be a mindless, timid little sheep who blindly follows all the other sheep? Or do you want to be a leader, a warrior who possesses the courage to be uniquely you and to do what you want to do and make your dreams happen? If so then this means you have to be more like a tiger than a sheep. Do you really want to be a sheep? I mean, haven’t we got enough sheep already?

5. Fear your fear. Fear is the force that is determined to stop you in your tracks and rob your dreams from you. But it can only do this if you let it. Are you going to let this cruel destructive charlatan trample on your dreams, steal your happiness and crush your spirit? Imagine this thought haunting your final days: “I didn’t do the things I wanted because I was too frightened to live”. And by then, it’ll be far too late to conquer fear. Refuse to let fear spoil your life and start taking action – now!

The world is waiting for your unique gifts. Why keep it waiting any longer?

The Law of Attraction works in a very simple way. Whatever you place your attention on grows bigger. Put another way – you get more of what you focus on! Or, put another way – what your attention rests on expands! This is the very foundation upon which the Law of Attraction works.

In order to fully utilize this law and, thus create the life you want, you need to be very careful about where you are placing your attention. You need to be aware that all the negative or positive thoughts you are having are creative. The Law makes no differentiation between positive and negative. If a thought, any thought, is maintained for a mere 60 seconds the Law of Attraction immediately begins the manifestation of that thought. Every single time!

So regardless of what it is you are thinking about, no matter what it is, it only takes 60 seconds to begin manifesting it. This sounds great to the beginner. Wow, 60 seconds to the life of your dreams. All you have to do is sit quietly for 60 seconds, think about what you want and the Law of Attraction will bring it to you effortlessly. However, it gets a little more complicated than that!

When most people first learn about the Law of Attraction they think that they can visualize living in a mansion, driving a jaguar, owning a jet and marrying a model etc. and then just sit back and wait on the effortless results that will follow. However, they fail to realize that every thought is creative – not just the good ones! If you visualize the life of your dreams for just 60 seconds you begin to manifest it. This is totally true. “Well”, you may say, “I have imagined living my dream life for a lot longer than 60 seconds. In fact I have dreamt about it all my life sometimes spending hours lost in my fantasy and it still hasn’t come true”. To this I simply say – Every Thought Is Creative!

Spending time visualizing your ideal life is great but do you sustain those thoughts throughout the rest of your day. Or, do you go around complaining about how bad things are? My guess is, if you don’t have the life of your dreams, then you do the latter! These negative thoughts are also creative and are much more abundant in the majority of people. If the thoughts are backed with high emotion then they manifest even faster! You literally cancel out the good work you have done in your visualization. You are storing up great things for yourself but through your dominant negative thinking you are keeping them away from you!

Now, don’t get me wrong, visualization is an extremely powerful tool that can and will totally transform your life, but only when you use it in accordance with the Law. The Law of Attraction always works. It never sleeps and it never fails. It is an unbending Universal Principle. Every thought is creative. Every single one. Therefore you need to change your dominant mental patterns before you can see any real tangible results from consciously trying to use this law.

So how do we do that?

By changing your focus. You must change the way you view your world. See the world as a nasty, unforgiving, greedy, violent place and that is what you will attract more of. Begin to look for the beauty that is around you. Look for the abundance even if you are not fully experiencing it in your own life right now. Look for the things you want. Try to notice all the people who are currently enjoying the life you want to live and rejoice in their good fortune.

So how do we do that?

Simple! You get into a place of gratitude for what you already have. What you focus on you get more of and what you place your attention on expands! By being grateful for what is in your life at the moment you put our attention on what you like and you get more of it. By feeling good about areas of your life that are working you are sending out very positive thoughts that the Law of Attraction immediately begins to manifest. What you focus on you get more of and what you place your attention on expands!!!

Are you starting to see the power of gratitude and how it can work wonders?

If, on the other hand, you allow your attention and focus to center around the things that are not working in your life then they will expand and you will get more of what you don‘t want. Think about this seriously. Give it some real contemplation. Can you identify areas in your life where this has happened or is continuing to happen now? The sayings in our everyday language sum up this Universal Law, “it never rains but it pours”, “when something goes wrong, everything goes wrong”, “Murphy’s law at work again” etc.

If you get jealous over another person’s good fortune then you are actually affirming that you don‘t have what they do and focusing your attention on your own lack! However, by having gratitude for what you do have and rejoicing in another’s good fortune you are actually focusing your attention on what you do want and ….. What you focus on you get more of and what you place your attention on expands!

So be grateful for what you do have. Be happy for another person’s success. Show gratitude all the time and your focus will be on the positive and your attention will be placed on what you want. Your attitude will change when your attention is squarely placed on the things in life that you want and you do this through gratitude. So to keep you on track and in an attitude of gratitude always remember these two aspects of the law.

If a thought is maintained for a mere 60 seconds the Law of Attraction immediately begins to manifest it.

What will you spend 60 seconds manifesting today?

Staying calm, composed and maintaining strong self esteem in today’s tough environment can be difficult but is not impossible if you follow a few simple guidelines. Here are 6 tips you can use as a starter guide to self improvement.

Everything and everyone else around you can affect your self esteem, and people can deliberately or inadvertently damage your self image. Unchecked people and circumstances can ultimately destroy your self esteem and pull you down in ways you won’t even notice.

Don’t let these influences get the best of you. But what should you avoid?

1 : A Negative Work Environment

Beware of a “dog eat dog” environment where everyone else is fighting just to get ahead. This is where non-appreciative people usually thrive and working extra is expected and not rewarded. In this environment no one will appreciate your contributions even if you miss lunch, dinner, and stay at work late into the night. Unless you are very fortunate most of the time you will work too hard with no help from others around you. This type of atmosphere will ruin your self esteem. This is not just healthy competition, at its worst it is brutal and very damaging.

2: Other Peoples Behavior

Bulldozers, brown nosers, gossipmongers, whiners, backstabbers, snipers, people walking wounded, controllers, naggers, complainers, exploders, patronizers, sluffers – whatever you want to call them, all have one thing in common – an overriding desire to prosper at the expense of others. Avoid them and do not be tempted to join them. They may get some short term advantage with their behaviour but deep down most are very insecure, unhappy and ashamed of their behaviour. For most their self esteem disappeared a long time ago. Seeing someone like this prosper is sickening but do not join them – you are better than that!

3: A Changing Environment

In today’s fast moving society it is difficult if not impossible to avoid change. Changes challenge our paradigms and tests our flexibility, adaptability and alter the way we think. Changes can make your life difficult and may cause stress but, if it’s inevitable, you must accept it, don’t fight it and in time find ways to improve your life. Try to manage change and try to avoid multiple changes at the same time. If a particular change can’t be avoided welcome it. Change will be with us forever, we must learn to live with it.

4: Past Experience

We all carry “baggage” – past experiences which have moulded us to who we are today, but some people live in their past experiences – usually something that hurt and still hurts. It’s okay to cry out when you experience pain but don’t let pain dominate your life as it will transform itself into fears and phobias. If something painful happens, or has happened to you, find a way to minimise the effects. Discuss it with a friend, a family member or a professional if necessary and move on. Don’t let it continue to dominate your life and dictate your future actions. Because something bad has happened doesn’t mean it will happen again. Learn what you can from any bad experience and move on.

5: Negative World View

The television news is full of doom and gloom and it is true that around the world there are many people suffering war, famine or other natural or man-made disasters. Whilst I do not suggest you should not care and do nothing, remember that there are many beautiful positive things happening too. Don’t wrap yourself up with all the negative aspects around the world. Learn to look for beauty too for, in building self esteem, we must learn how to be positive in a negative world.

6: Determination Theory

Are we a product of our biological inherited characteristics (nature) or a result of the influences we absorb throughout out lives (nurture)? I believe how we are is due to a mixture of both nurture and nature and as a result our behavioural traits are not fixed. While it is true that some things are dictated by genetics (for example race, color and many inherited conditions) your environment and the people in your life have a major effect on your behavior. You are your own person, you have your own identity, and you make your own choices. The characteristics your mother or father display are not your destiny. Learn from other people’s experience so you don’t suffer the same mistakes.

Are some people are born leaders or positive thinkers? I don’t believe so. Being positive, and staying positive is a choice. Building self esteem and drawing on positive experiences for self improvement is a choice, not a rule or a talent. No-one will come to you and give you permission to build your self esteem and improve your self. It is in your control.

It can be hard to keep positive, especially when others and circumstances seem to be conspiring to pull you down. You need to protect yourself and give yourself a chance to stay positive. Improving your self esteem gives you that protection.

One way to stay positive is to minimise your exposure to harmful influences while using affirmations to boost the positive influences in your life. Constantly reminding yourself of the good things in your life will keep the impact of negative influences to a minimum.

Go make it a great week!

RB

Are you working at a job you can’t stand? Would you like to quit, but are afraid you’ll attract more of the same? Often people write to me with questions like: I want out of my present job so badly. How can I speed things up so I can quit?

The best way to shorten the time spent in a negative situation is to focus on all the positives you can. If you can find something to appreciate–even if its appreciating a regular paycheck which DOES cover some of your essentials–you will begin to feel better. As you feel better, you’ll find it easier to notice another thing you appreciate about your job.

What if you can’t find a single positive aspect of your present job? If you don’t change the way you feel about your current job, you will simply attract another miserable job.

“Sometimes it’s easier to act your self into a new way of thinking, than it is to think your self into a new way of acting.” -Jo Berry, author

Years ago, in Los Angeles, California, I heard Jo Berry speak about how to get rid of a bad habit. Jo asked her audience, “How long have you thought about giving up this habit? Has it done any good to just think about it?”

At the time, I had thought and thought about quiting smoking. No matter how much I thought about quitting, I had not made it through one day in over ten years without a cigarette. (Now, through understanding how the Law of Attraction works, I can see that by “pushing against” a habit, I was reinforcing it.)

Jo told us that if we started to ACT LIKE what we wanted to be or do, then our thoughts and feelings would follow. In the flash of a moment, I understood that I could quit smoking by acting like a non-smoker. Of course the next question was, “How does a non-smoker act?” Quickly followed by, “What does a non-smoker do with their hands?” The answer came ever so gently: “They fold their hands.” I figured that folding my hands when I wanted a cigarette was symbolic as well as appropriate! And it worked. I haven’t had or wanted a cigarette since Sept. 13th, 1976.

Instead of trying to change the way you think about your job, begin to get a picture of yourself acting like you enjoy THIS job. What would you say or do differently? Try ACTING in a new way then notice how much better you feel.

Soon you’ll find yourself in a more positive feeling place, offering a new vibration which will either attract different situations in your current job or you’ll find yourself working in a new place that feels great! Who knows–you may end up LOVING your current job!

Rebecca Hanson is a Master Law of Attraction Coach. Thousands of people have enjoyed her talks or articles about real-life experiences and how she found the “nugget of truth” in every situation. Now she has such a deep grasp of how faith, beliefs and thinking work that she is able to lift others to a higher level, very quickly. You can contact Rebecca at Rebecca@YouCanHaveItAll.com or on her website at http://www.youcanhaveitall.com and sign up for her free “Museletter”.

Rebecca has also written a book called, “Law of Attraction for Business: How to create a business or attract a job you LOVE!” To find out more about this book and other information check out http://www.lawofattractionresources.com/

Every day of your life you are selling yourself. We’re all in the selling business whether we like it or not. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lawyer or an accountant, a manager or a politician, an engineer or a doctor. We all spend a great deal of our time trying to persuade people to buy our product or service, accept our proposals or merely accept what we say.

Before you get better at persuading or influencing other people – you need to get better at self-motivation and selling yourself.

Here are 10 simple steps to self-motivation:

#1 – You must believe in the product, You.

Selling yourself is pretty much like selling anything. First, you need to believe in what you’re selling. That means believing in “you.” It’s about lots of positive self-talk and the right attitude. The first thing people notice about you is your attitude. If you’re like most people then you’ll suffer from lack of confidence from time to time.  It really all comes down to how you talk to yourself. The majority of people are more likely to talk to themselves negatively than positively – this is what holds them back in life.

It isn’t just about a positive attitude. It’s about the right attitude – the quality of your thinking.

Successful people have a constructive and optimistic way of looking at themselves and their work. They have an attitude of calm, confident, positive self-expectation. They feel good about themselves and believe that everything they do will lead to their inevitable success.

If you’re in a sales job or a business owner or a manager then you need to continually work on your attitude. You need to listen to that little voice inside your head. Is it saying you’re on top, going for it and confident, or is it holding you back.

If you’re hearing – “I can’t do this or that” or “They won’t want to buy at the moment” or “We’re too expensive” then you’d better change your self-talk or change your job.

Start to believe in yourself and don’t let things that are out with your control effect your attitude.

Avoid criticizing, condemning and complaining and start spreading a little happiness.

Remember the saying of Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company – “If you believe you can do a thing, or if you believe you can’t, in either case you’re probably right.”

#2 – The packaging must grab attention

Like any other product we buy, the way the product is packaged and presented will influence the customer’s decision to buy.

Everything about you needs to look good and you must dress appropriately for the occasion. Don’t think that just because your customer dresses casually, that they expect you to dress the same way.

The style and color of the clothes you wear, your glasses, shoes, briefcase, watch, the pen you use, all make a statement about you.

#3 – Smile

No need to get carried away, you don’t need a big cheesy grin, just a pleasant open face that doesn’t frighten people away.

#4 – Use names

Use the customers name as soon as you can but don’t over do it. Business is less formal nowadays however be careful of using first names initially. Make sure your customer knows yours and remembers it. You can do the old repeat trick -”My name is Bond, James Bond” or “My name is James, James Bond”

#5 – Watch the other person

What does their body language tell you? Are they comfortable with you or are they a bit nervous? Are they listening to you or are their eyes darting around the room. If they’re not comfortable and not listening then there’s no point telling them something important about your business.

Far better to make some small talk and more importantly, get them to talk about themselves.

It’s best to go on the assumption that in the first few minutes of meeting someone new, they won’t take in much of what you say. They’re too busy analyzing all the visual data they’re taking in.

#6 – Listen and look like you’re listening.

Many people, particularly men, listen but don’t show that they’re listening. The other person can only go on what they see, not what’s going on inside your head. If they see a blank expression then they’ll assume you’re “out to lunch.”

The trick is to do all the active listening things such as nodding your head, the occasional “UH-HUH” and the occasional question.

#7 – Be interested.

If you want to be INTERESTING then be INTERESTED. This really is the most important thing you can do to be successful at selling yourself.

The majority of people are very concerned about their self-image. If they sense that you value them, that you feel that they’re important and worth listening to, then you effectively raise their self-image. If you can help people to like themselves then they’ll LOVE you.

Don’t fall into the trap of flattering the other person, because most people will see right through you and they won’t fall for it. Just show some genuine interest in the customer and their business and they’ll be much more receptive to what you say.

#8 – Talk positively.

Don’t say – “Isn’t it a horrible day” or “Business is pretty tough at present” or any thing else that pulls the conversation down. Say things like (and only the truth) – “I like the design of this office” or “I’ve heard some good reports about your new product.”

#9 – Mirror the other person

This doesn’t mean mimicking the other person, it just means you speaking and behaving in a manner that is similar to the customer.

For example, if your customer speaks slowly or quietly, then you speak slowly or quietly. Remember people like people who are like themselves.

#10 – Warm and friendly

If you look or sound stressed or aggressive then don’t be surprised if the other person gets defensive and less than willing to co-operate.

If you look and sound warm and friendly, then you’re more likely to get a positive response.

Use these tips and see if things get better. I’m 100% confident that they will.

Meditation is very often misunderstood by those who have never practiced it. Very often, I hear meditation referred to as, “altered states of consciousness, and that sounds more like intoxicants, rather than bringing clarity to a cluttered mind. Without going too deep into what meditation is, or is not, let’s focus on one of the many things a daily meditation practice can do for you.

Meditation is commonly seen in many Yoga classes, but it has been practiced by a variety of cultures, including Roman Catholic priests, as well as Japanese Samurai, who practiced a form of Zen meditation. I mention this so you can see the full spectrum of meditation and its many facets.

There are many varieties and types of meditation, but the easiest form to learn is, “breath awareness meditation.” Compared to many other meditation techniques, this will enable anyone to experience the benefits of meditation in much less time.

At this point, let’s consider that meditation and Yoga teachers often compare the mind to a monkey. Many thoughts are running through your brain, at the same time, and it is hard to control all of your impulses – let alone, sit still and meditate. So why go through all this trouble?

Meditation has many rewards, and we will now consider one of extreme value. Through daily practice of meditation, you will release the unlimited potential of your mind. The ability to change, or alter the universe, starts as a single thought within your mind.

One human decided to harness the power of fire, and did he/she foresee the global warming effect? How could he/she imagine where we are now?

This is just one of many thousands of examples of Karma – the law of cause and effect. Therefore, one seemingly small change, of any kind, will have a ripple effect on the universe.

Some of the seeds to change the universe, rests locked up in your mind, but you have the ability to shape the future by any small changes that you make. Let’s say you have a friend, family member, or associate, who cares for you deeply, but, up to now, you have always taken it for granted. Can you imagine what would happen if you take the time to groom that relationship? The answer is you would have a loyal ally and all you had to show was kindness or appreciation.

You have the ability to alter your own personality and affect the world around you. Hopefully, your personality will always continue to change for the better; if so, this will alter everyone around you for the best.

Why do some people seem to succeed in all they do, but others flounder along at the rear? Mostly it’s because the successful people have set goals and take steps to successfully achieve them. So how do they always seem to achieve their goals?

Here are five strategies they use:

1. Start with a long-term goal, write it down, taking into account when you are going to achieve the goal and why it’s important. Always be as visual as possible, explaining how the achievement of this goal will change your life for the better. Once this long-term goal has been documented, break the goal into tangible steps that need to be taken to achieve the goal.

2. Make certain that you really want the goal. Ask yourself, “Do I really want this goal? Will this goal give me a better life?” Answering these questions will give you more drive to achieve your goal.

3. Speak up. You should not keep your goals to yourself. Sharing your goals can help you get the support you may need from others. Some people are concerned with telling others about their goals because they are worried they will fail. However, telling others means that you are more likely to achieve your goals either with their support or in-spite of them.

4. Write down your goals. This strategy is advisable for those who have a long list of goals. After writing them down, review them regularly. You may also want to keep them handy to keep you motivated.

You have to discipline yourself to stick to what you have written. Do not just write them and tuck them away somewhere ‘safe’. Its better to keep them where you will see them, try sticking them to the refrigerator.

5. Stay on track and do not give up. Reviewing your goals will help open your mind to see if you are on the right track. While on track, you may have to face challenges that might change the way you see yourself.

Never be discouraged. Encountering obstacles is just a test for how dedicated one is to achieve the goals you’ve set. It will all boil down to you preparing yourself to face anything and doing everything to get to the goal that you have set for yourself. Only you can make it happen. Nothing can stop you if you have set your mind to it and commit to taking action.