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How to Start Your Day the Right Way

2009-11-02T23:02:18Z

How did you start your day today?

I ask because it is really important that your day begins in the right way. It will determine your frame of mind and your attitude to all that you encounter during the minutes and hours ahead.

Unfortunately, however, many people get off to the worst possible start. For instance sitting down and reading the newspaper over breakfast can be fatal. The saying that "good news doesn't sell newspapers" is very true and so you can guarantee that whichever paper you choose to read will be full of "doom and gloom" about the economy, about the weather, about terrorism, and about anything else they can find to make you miserable. You read about it and immediately you're feeling negative.

The television's not much better either and watching your favorite breakfast show, whilst it might have some fun and uplifting features, will also have regular news bulletins about all that is going wrong in the world. More reasons for you to feel down!

Add to this the simple fact that you may get up feeling worried about the stresses of the day ahead and you can pretty soon be guaranteed a difficult day.

Amazingly some people will actually welcome all these things as they will have a ready-made excuse for another day when they achieve nothing. But I know you're not like that!

Because you are taking the time to read this I know that you are positively seeking to make your life the best it can be. You want to be a winner at the game of life and to do so you must adopt the habits of a winner.

Winners make sure that they start their days just right and get straight down to taking positive action. So to help you to get the most from each day here are some things you can try to ensure that you become a winner too:

- Start with a smile! When you get up look in the mirror and smile at yourself and try to hold the smile for at least 30 seconds. This will send positive energy pulsing through your body and mind.

- Use a positive affirmation to tell yourself that today you are going to achieve something positive. Focus on whatever goal is specific to you and say exactly what it is that you are going to accomplish.

- Instead of turning on the TV or Radio, listen to something inspiring. It could be a motivational CD or more simply just two or three pieces of music that are uplifting and will get you motivated.

- Instead of a newspaper read something motivational or inspirational like a section from a personal development book. Winners are voracious consumers of this type of material and you should try to build your own library of motivational books and CDs.

- Before you rush into the day and all its demands take a little time to sit quietly on your own and concentrate on the life you aspire to. You can use meditation techniques if you wish, but just ensure that you are able to clearly visualize all the aspects of your perfect life and understand exactly how it will make you feel.

Then you can begin your day feeling energized and motivated. You will be positive about all that you have to do, knowing that you are creating your perfect life.

This article was written by Tony Hall who runs his own business dedicated to helping individuals develop their personal and business skills. You can learn more about how to develop your own life skills and get your complimentary copy of "The Process of Success" by signing up for his weekly newsletter at: http://www.selfimprovementskills.com/newsletter.html

Critical Voice? How to Stop Your Monkey Min

2009-11-02T22:57:16Z

"That will never work." "What is wrong with you?" "Who do you think you are?" "That's a stupid idea."

If a friend talked to you this way you probably wouldn't be friends for long. Surprisingly, though, most people do have someone who talks to them like this. It's their Monkey Mind!

Monkey Mind is that inner voice jabbering away at you, criticizing, judging, blaming, doubting, and worrying. Everyone has some of this chatter going on. It's part of being human. In fact, experts say that of our 25,000 to 60,000 thoughts a day, 90% of them are critical and the majority of these critical thoughts are aimed at ourselves.

Your own critical voice is often the biggest obstacle you face in creating a happy, fulfilling life. This kind of commentary droning on in your head can drain your energy and either slow you down or completely stop you from knowing and creating what you truly want in life. Besides that, it's no fun!

If you are limited by and suffering with this jabbering voice, wouldn't you love to stop it or at least turn down its volume? But how?

What Doesn't Work

There are three typical responses to your inner critic: you're not even aware of it talking (which may mean it's running your life without you realizing it), you believe and agree with what it's saying, or you argue with it.

Unfortunately, none of these responses works. These have you either following the Monkey's dictates or allowing it to strengthen its power as you focus your attention on it.

What Does Work

Over my life I have had a very active and quite mean inner critic. For many years I tried and tried to get out from underneath it without much success.

Five years ago, I finally learned a strategy that helped. Using this approach I've had about a 90% reduction in that critical chatter. Monkey Mind isn't completely gone but its frequency and intensity are vastly reduced. This created a profound, positive difference in my life: that critical inner voice doesn't run my life anymore and that frees me to be calmer, clearer, and happier.

What worked for me? Shifting my attention away from Monkey Mind and towards what lights me up. Yes, it's that simple although I know it's not always easy.

When I notice the critical commentary running in my head, I work to shift my attention as quickly as I can. I might take a few minutes to walk near the water, call a friend to chat, or read a good book -- all things that light me up. If it persists I need to out-persist it by continuing to think about and do what lights me up.

My clients have also found this to be a very powerful, effective approach. The more they focus on and shift their attention to what lights them up, the more they are able to turn down the volume.

The way to ease the Monkey's grip on you and your life is to gently, steadily, and persistently shift your attention away from what it is saying and towards what lights you up.

In Your Life

If you'd like to turn down the volume on your inner critic, experiment with this strategy.

1) Create a "Lights List." What makes you smile just thinking of it? What increases your energy? What do you love? What are a few "lights on" things that are quick and easy for you to do?

2) When you notice your critical voice talking, acknowledge it. Then choose something from your "Lights List" to think about or do. Keep doing this until Monkey Mind is out of the driver's seat and you're back running your own life.

The key to this simple strategy is to gently persist, focusing on what lights you up until you have loosened the critic's grip on you.

May you turn down the volume on Monkey Mind so you can create more of what you truly want in life.

Enjoy!

Bonnie McFarland helps women approaching or in their 60's make peace with 60 and creae a life they love at 60 & beyond. Her ebook, 3 Big Mistakes That Can Sour Your Sixties . . . And how to avoid making them as well as her Savoring Your Sixties ezine are both available free at http://www.SavoringYourSixties.com

8 Tips to Embrace Change

2009-11-02T22:53:40Z

Successful people embrace change. They understand that everything around them changes, all of the time and they adapt accordingly. Although change can be exciting, it can also be fearful and a bit overwhelming. When change happens you have two choices: Accept it or resist it. The choice is yours. What is stopping you from reaching for that brass ring?

If you chose to resist change, you most likely have done so because of fear. Fear can be an immobilizing emotion and if not managed correctly, can rob you of many opportunities and from creating and enjoying an abundant life. There is an acronym for F.E.A.R - False Evidence Appearing Real. We create false evidence in our minds to justify our decision not to move forward. We also become so overwhelmed with fear, that we lose focus and lose sight of what is really important to us and this single factor, can keep us in our current situations and living our lives in its current state. If you want to overcome your fear, here are some final words of wisdom and tips that have worked for me:

1) Everyone fears something.

Nobody is invincible. Everyone has encountered fear at one time or another, even the most successful people in the world so you are not alone and can get through it as many before you have.

2) Take small steps

Break down your action into smaller actions that you build upon. For example, if you are scheduled to give a presentation to a large group but are fearful, try talking with smaller groups. If you are trying to exercise, try walking around the block. You do not have to run that marathon right now if you are afraid, but you do need to look for continual improvement and take action towards your goal.

3) Nobody is paying attention to you.

So many times, we fear embarrassment or not being accepted by others. In the top ten fears of humans, Public Speaking holds the number 1 spot, while death holds number 5. Meaning, people would rather end their life rather than not be accepted by a group. The truth is, nobody is paying attention to you and you need to be confident in who you are and worry less about what other people think.

4) Staying positive, motivated and focused.

One of the most powerful weapons in your arsenal is a healthy mind. Remind yourself each day why you want to achieve your goals, what positive changes will come to your life and remain on target. You must never lose sight of your target and where you want to go and more importantly, the why.

5) Accept failure as part of change

Things do not always go our way. We will fail. It is not the failure that we should be focused on but what we learned from that failure so we do not repeat again. By changing your mindset to look at failure as an opportunity to grow and to learn, you will create the behaviors to support taking the next action to move you closer to your goal.

6) Embrace a live in the moment attitude.

Focus your energy in the moment. Do not dwell in the past or constantly dream about the future. You have a life going on right now - embrace the moment. Be completely present and engaged in what is going on right now - your conversations, your relationships, your career, everything. Appreciate what you have and focus on making the changes you need to right now in this moment!

7) Allow change to happen.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over the same way expecting different results. The only way you and your life are going to change is to let change happen. Transform, be free and embrace every opportunity as a positive experience.

8) Do what makes you happy!

For your goals to work, they must be personal and you must have an emotional connection to the result. You own your own life so do what makes you happy. Not what you think others want from you. If the people in your life truly love you, they will support you in decisions and I guarantee you they want you to be happy.

If you chose to accept change, you are in for the ride of your lifetime! Your life is going to change and since you are in complete control of your choices, you life will be all you desire. In Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he discusses being aware of the things you can control in life and the things that you cannot control. Knowing this difference is critical in accepting change.

Kellie D'Andrea is the creator of the 94daychallenge.com goal achievement program providing individuals with tools, resources and a personalized coach to motivate, educate and lead the way to victory.Interested in learning more attend a FREE webinar on Why Most Goals Fail and How Not to. Learn more here 94 Day Challenge Preview http://www.kelliedandrea.com/free-teleseminar-registration_94.html

Are You Doing the RIGHT Stuff?

2009-11-02T22:37:08Z

These days, it seems like we are being pulled in so many different directions. Priorities compete with each other, and it just seems like we can't get everything done, doesn't it?

What's worse, it seems like our daily "to do" lists grow much faster than our abilities to check them off. No wonder the world is showing more stress.

Sometimes it is helpful to step back, and evaluate all those things we're doing, to make sure that the important "stuff" is being addressed.

OK, so what's the important "stuff?"

A lot of that is up to you to decide. I like to challenge my coaching clients to decide which "mountains they want to climb" (goals), and when they want to climb them. Then, we check their daily "to do" lists to see if their activities are related to climbing one of those mountains.

Funny thing about goals... You have a much better chance of achieving them when first, you HAVE them, and second, you write them down. And only 2% of the world has goals! Do you?

Let's get back to those mountains you want to climb. Mountains are our analogy to life goals. If you picture a mountain climber, he or she doesn't necessarily climb only one mountain in his or her lifetime, but several. And many of the preparations they make can keep them ready to climb any one of those mountains. So you can choose a number of mountains to climb over your lifetime, just as you can choose many life goals. They don't necessarily compete when you spread them out over a reasonable time.

No, it is not all that easy to decide which mountains you plan to climb, or which things are most important in your life, but it is easier than you think.

When you write down all the roles you have, goals can naturally emanate from them. Examples of roles are parent, sister, son, soccer coach, community leader, musician, friend, nurse, etc. for instance, if one of your roles is parent, you can have goals related to the future of your children, or your relationships with them. You may have goals related to saving for college, or goals related to how much "alone time" you plan to spend with them each week.

Strive for Balance

Goals are lived best when you have balance in your life. Fulfillment in one area fuels each other area. Too much emphasis in one area can drain the others. It's important to assess your balance, from time to time, and to take steps to assure that your life is well rounded physically, emotionally, intellectually, attitudinally and purposefully. Staying in balance is a great strategy for fulfillment in life.

The mountains you want to climb should encompass each of the areas balancing your life. Goals around physical health, intellectual challenge, life purpose, and emotional satisfaction can form the base for you to climb those other mountains.

Do, Be or Have

The next choice in goals surrounds things that you may want to do, be or have in your life. Whether you want to drive cross country, learn to play the guitar, or be a doctor, these are the "mountains" you can place in your plans.

Putting it all together...

Once you've settled in on which mountains you want to climb, set plans to do it. By proactively working toward those goals, you'll feel more energy and excitement about your life. And as you plan your months, weeks and days, make sure the actions you are taking are going in the direction of one or more of those mountains.

It's an interesting exercise to look at someone's daily "to do" list to see whether their activities match those mountains they're planning to climb. Many of us spend more time doing things that are helping others meet their goals, putting our own goals on the back burner for another day...

Attitude Plays a Part

When you believe that only YOU control your attitude, and you combine it with recognizing your ability to live in the moment, you can truly control your enjoyment of life. That means the moment you are in. Right now. Too many people live in the past or the future, which adds stress (what about all those things I'm not getting done!)and it inhibits their ability to enjoy the actual moment they're experiencing. You have a CHOICE to enjoy the moment, to be happy or sad, a CHOICE to worry or anticipate, a CHOICE to be positive or negative. You have a choice to believe that you are working on the right stuff. It lowers stress, knowing that you're working on the right priorities, and enjoying what you're working on.

After all, its pretty exciting, thinking and planning for the next mountain you will climb!

Marsha is a certified executive and success coach, and member of the National Speakers' Association. She can be reached at http://marshaegan.com or 877-749-4036.

Five Tips For Improving Self Confidence

2009-10-15T17:07:51Z

A lack of self-confidence can have a negative impact on your life in many ways. In addition to harming your personal life, your professional life can be affected as well. Instead of accepting your low self esteem as just how it is, you should instead work on improving self confidence. Here are five tips to help you get started.

Stop Comparing

There will always be someone who is smarter, richer, prettier, thinner, more talented and more pulled together than you. Stop with the comparisons. People with low self esteem will NEVER feel that they measure up so making such comparisons does nothing but set you up to feel even worse.

Instead of wasting your time comparing yourself to others, learn to find the things about you that you like. Since people who lack self confidence tend to focus on what they view as their flaws, this might be difficult at first, but you have got to try and focus on the positive.

Focus on the Good

When you look in the mirror do you hate what you see? Women especially tend to focus on what they consider flaws. For example, a woman who is pretty happy with her hair is likely to ignore the hair and instead focus on her skin that she thinks is awful.

When she looks in the mirror, all of her focus is on the skin. Instead, you need to retrain yourself to focus on the hair first. Concentrate on what you like about yourself and your flaws can seem less obvious.

Learn a New Skill

A great tip for improving self confidence is to learn something new. When you tackle a new skill, it gives you that "yes, I can" feeling. Find something that you are interested in such as photography, web design or cake making and then take a class.

In addition to learning a new skill, you will have the added bonus of meeting new people with similar interests.

Improve Your Health

If you feel you are a bit overweight (or a lot overweight), then now is the time to start an exercise routine. Start with at least thirty minutes of exercise several times a week and then build up from there. Many people do not realize that making changes to your eating habits can not only help you shed pounds, but it can increase your energy level and help give you a sharper focus. All of those things can help build self confidence.

Volunteer

Another tip for improving self confidence is to volunteer. Put yourself in a situation where you are helping someone else. This can give you a feeling of empowerment as well as give you a glimpse into the lives of people who may have it a lot worse than you do.

One of the biggest factors when trying to improve self confidence is learning to see the positive side rather than the negative side of your looks, talents and abilities. Start with the tips above and then figure out what else you can do. Do not let a lack of self confidence hold you back. You are worth so much more than that.

Free Video shows you how to quickly and easily destroy negative thinking patterns and become more confident overnight. Please visit http://www.triggerselfconfidence.com

Motivation Tips - Discover Your Key Motivators

2009-10-15T17:03:38Z

Do you ever sit back and create a path or goals for yourself, but just aren't finding the right motivators to achieve them? Are you struggling at balancing all that life has to offer, never mind the fact that you want to experience new things you just don't have time for? Now is the time to do those things you've always wanted and achieve that "someday" you've been after. The following motivation tips will jump start your progress towards achieving those wishes and wants you've always desired.

Let's get your motivated and your goals on their way today. Before we dive into any suggestions, you must come up with an action plan for your goals.

FIRST: Set out your goals. Decide exactly what it is you want to accomplish. Write it down and describe it in great detail.

SECOND: What is a goal without a deadline? Think about how much time you want to dedicate towards your goal and when you hope to achieve it by. Be realistic, if it's something you're saving up for, make sure to factor in your current money situation. If you're unsure of how long it will take, don't rush yourself or base your decision on wants, try and make a realistic assumption by including all factors.

THIRD: Write out your plan. When you are planning a trip, you usually map out your destination based on turns, stops and any conditions that may cause loss of time or rerouting. Now that you've found your goal, map out how you'll get there. For example, if you are trying to lose weight, your first goal may be to exercise three times your first week for a half an hour, and skip out on extra snacks everyday but Sundays. Your second week, you may up your workout times or change your eating habits based on how well you did the week before.

LASTLY: You're ready to start achieving your goals. Now you need the support and motivation tips to help you move closer to achieving them.

When you find yourself down and out and think you should give up on your goals, try the following:

Team up with people around you and try working towards goals together. If you don't have someone with the same mission in mind, ask them if you can report your progress to them.
Keep track of your progress. Every night, write down a reflection on what you accomplished that day towards your goals. If you didn't have any progress, write down what stopped you and how you can change that in the future. End all of your reflections with an objective for the next day.
Have your family and friends write motivation tips for you. Place them, ones that you've made on your own and any other inspirational pieces where you will see them throughout the day. (Hint: try on your fridge, on your bathroom mirror or on your office computer screen).
Brag about your progress. Next time you're out with friends, share with them how things are going. Even if you have bad days, talking about them will prevent you from doing them again.
Reward yourself. The best motivator is a reward. If you're trying to lose weight - buy new clothes. If you're quitting a bad habit, treat yourself to something more positive. Don't be afraid to set milestones and rewards in your action plan. Each time you see your progress, you'll feel even better knowing you were rewarded. If possible, make each reward a little better than the last - forcing you to make it to your end goal.
Visualize yourself accomplishing your goal. That final moment will keep you inspired throughout your journey as you strive to make it a reality.

These motivation tips can only be of use to you if you are honest with yourself. Every time you make a turn in the wrong direction, don't get down on yourself, instead get back on track and think of it as an obstacle you have been proud to accomplish.

Remember being healthy will help you accomplish your goals faster - sleep, exercise and proper nutrition help you feel good about yourself and your progress along the way. Whatever you do, don't allow any negativity to get in your way. When you do find hurdles that knock you down, use positivity to get you back up and on your way. Use your motivation tips to help you move on.

And last but not least, keep these motivation tips where you can find them. Don't get too obsessive with reaching your goals that you want to give up, rather make it a lifestyle change that will help you get there at your proper pace. Keep yourself motivated and you will succeed.

Gary Gzik is a Corporate Trainer and CEO of the business consulting company BizXcel which owns and operates Getting to Someday, a place where people go to achieve their goals for getting to someday - http://www.gettingtosomeday.com

Stop by today and also receive your free Motivational eBook:http://gettingtosomeday.com/content/ebooks

6 Easy Tips to Stop Procrastinating and Start Succeeding

2009-10-15T17:00:32Z

When I ask business owners why they are not as successful as they'd like, they often tell me, "I plan on doing more when I find the time." Let me be the first to tell you, they don't find the time because some part of them wants to procrastinate. When you procrastinate you're putting off things that you should be focusing on right now, by doing nothing or finding something that you're more comfortable with. For some, they may not know where to begin. Others may doubt that they have the right skills to be successful. Regardless of the reason (or excuse) the result is less business growth and not enough clients. If you are consistently waiting for the "right time" you may wake up one day to see that it's the same time six months from now and you've accomplished little.

Of course, it's important to learn how to market yourself and have the support to take the actions to work smarter not harder. At the end of the day though, it's up to you to put a plan together, schedule steps, and take action. The following tips will help you beat your own version of procrastination, and re-motivate yourself to get out there and make it happen. Your potential clients and the unlimited success of your business await.

Recognize where you procrastinate - take an honest look at your business and the areas that seem to hold you back. If you reflect on it, you are most often keeping yourself stuck. Don't judge yourself, just become aware where you don't take consistent action and the opportunities you've not yet followed up on.

Think about what it's costing you - when you consider what procrastination is costing you, you may realize what you're missing out on. Ultimately, if you put off marketing for tomorrow, you miss the opportunity to build your business both short and long term. This means you have less money, less chances to share your skills, and ultimately way less freedom to live a life of passion and purpose. Aren't you worth it?

Understand the reasons why - take out a pen and paper and journal a bit about why you procrastinate. There is always something below the surface fueling your lack of activity or motivation. Perhaps you have fears that it may not work out, or you wonder if you will know enough to be successful. Or, it may be that the task is not something you enjoy doing. Whatever the case, if you can figure out the why, you can then determine a reasonable solution and/or get support to work through whatever may be holding you back.

Create an action plan with steps - often times when we look at the end road, the steps along the way can seem daunting. So, it's important to create a manageable action plan. First, write down every step you'll need to take to accomplish the particular goal. Next, organize the tasks in the order you'll need to take them. Finally, schedule the steps in your planner and do ONE thing at a time. If you can view each step as a singular accomplishment, you'll feel a greater reward, and getting to the finish line will not be nearly as overwhelming. Start with the easier tasks first, so you build momentum.

Get support - you don't have to do it alone. If there is something you don't know how to do, and that's what keeps you stuck, ask a knowledgeable person for support. Perhaps you need to implement new technology to automate tasks you do (newsletter etc.). Recognize that there is support out there, and all you have to do is ask.

Reward yourself - once you've accomplished a task or milestone on your action plan, reward yourself for a job well done. This could be anything that fulfills you or makes you feel relaxed. I often treat myself to a massage once I've reached a goal. And along the way a little organic chocolate (in moderation) sure doesn't hurt!

My question for you - think about why you deserve to be more successful, and why you've been getting in your own way. Make a plan for one of your of your goals, and put in motion step-by step. What will you do first?

Robert Notter is founder and president of Robert Notter Business Coaching, a company devoted to empowering health and wellness entrepreneurs to build a successful and fulfilling business. Based in New York City, he works with client all over the world in person and by phone. His practice is focused on helping individuals find more clients, increase their income, and have long term personal and professional success. He has worked with and taught to over 4500 people nationally.He is also a faculty member at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where he leads the Marketing Education Program. You can learn more about Robert and receive his free Ecourse on Finding Your Ideal Client by visiting:http://www.BookClientsNow.com.

Life Thrives on Action

2009-10-15T16:57:37Z

Activity Keeps You Young

Life thrives on action. People who savor life fill their days with activity, and when they're not active, they feel less than what they ought to be. Action allows you to avoid feeling sluggish and dull, conditions that occur when you prematurely stop your momentum.

Life thrives with activity in that increased activity pumps life-giving blood through your veins and arteries at a greater rate. It's the boost to blood racing through your body while supplying your cells and organs with health enriching oxygen and nutrients, and flushing away deposits of harmful toxins. Plenty of enjoyable exercise helps to rid your body of built-up waste deposits that take years away from your life span.

Inactivity is like a narcotic - deceptive with a promise of pleasure - it distracts you from normal pursuits and allows stagnation to occur. Once it has a hold over you, it doesn't let you go.

Toxins increase, because they become settled in cells and tissues rather than being flushed away by an ample blood supply. If you're feeling dull or listless, you have blockages that cause your inactivity and prevent you from obtaining your dreams.

Positive Action Gets Things Done

You dream of what you want from life. As the years pass, certain dreams don't happen, and you'll set aside some dreams and replace them with new ones. To have a chance of realizing your dreams, you must focus upon what is essential to fulfill them and then take action to achieve the desired result. Cavett Robert, one of America's outstanding speakers says the following about taking action:

"A constructive life is built of the things we do - not of the things we don't do. Never forget that the only material used in building a constructive life is positive action."

Positive action gets things done. Some people are famous for being a dreamer, but these people most likely followed their dreams by taking action. Successful dreamers - writers, builders, inventors, speakers and others - took action to transport their dreams from thought into reality.

Know What You Want From Life

Living your life with any degree of momentum requires action and action requires doing something. Your determination focuses an action and brings it to a point of completion. The strength of your determination is proportionate to the probability of your success.

Clear, organized and well-conceived thoughts inspire actions that don't waste energy. Often, people live their lives drifting from one experience to another, wasting both time and energy. People "drift" when they either don't have a plan or simply don't act upon their plan.

Those people will find that their life is not on course. They aren't living joyfully and successfully. They aren't sure how to avoid "drifting." And are not sure how to direct their course.

Having a Goal Directs Your Course

To direct your course, you need to be clear about where you want to go - you need a goal. The more clearly you etch a goal into your mind, the easier the goal will be to accomplish. A goal gives you a destination; deep thought gives you a plan and focused action gives you the possibility to attain your plan.

While working on your plan, rest and recharge your energy, especially if your goal is difficult to achieve. Allow your mind to rest because you come across many stressful situations. Know how to deal with your stress. Some stress causes too much action - frantic action - and some stress causes too little action - laziness.

The first step toward having a satisfying, joyful life is to begin to know yourself well. The time you spend in meditation, deep thought or prayer will give you insight and momentum to take action on your life's plan.

Formulator of Dentizyme™ and other natural remedies, Dr. Rodio is an Ethnobotanical Research Scientist and the Director of Natura Health Services, Inc. in Scottsdale, Arizona. She researches how plants, foods, and customs influence the health of cultures around the world - socially, emotionally, and physically.

You can access the Natura website at http://www.NaturaRx.com or call 480 451-0168.

What Are the Ingredients of a Positive Attitude?

2009-10-15T16:52:44Z

Positive attitude is a huge subject that I believe one cannot get enough of. I am doing a series of articles on this fascinating subject with added examples and practical application techniques that can be very useful.

What are the ingredients / traits of a positive attitude person?

Hope - expecting good things to happen Have you ever told or been told anyone "you are hopeless?" This is probably one of the worst things you can say of anyone. Without hope there is no reason to get out of bed is there? Without hope you a person do not bother attempting anything.
'This too shall pass' attitude They know that life has its seasons of rain, sunshine, ups and downs and that these come and go in cycles. Even when things are great a slow-down will occur sometime. Knowing this allows one not to become euphoric one day and 'in the pits' the next minute.
A thankful spirit It is the ability to be thankful for all the blessings that are in and part of your life. Even the challenges because they make you grow stronger, like exercising, to prepare you for the next blessing.
Seeing the potential in a problem An example, the recession and you are short of cash. Can you see the potential? 30 billion people are looking for a way to make extra /save money per month online.
Creativity To be able to look for the good in any situation one needs to be creative. You need to have a uniquely different perspective to create or find potential solutions.
Goal oriented Without a goal your optimism is like one of those firework spinning wheels; plenty spark spinning in circles till it fizzles out. With a goal there is reason to find solutions and take action.
Focused approach Although you have goals you realise you cannot achieve them all at once. There needs to be a focus on a few of them for best results. Diluted effort = diluted results.
Passionate / charged up / Enthusiasm / joy The positive role models I have observed ALL had a passion, enthusiasm and joy about something. You better get excited about something in life. Preferably everything you do.
Looking at the truth and not the facts of a situation The facts may be that you do not have any money or may be overweight. The truth is that in your mind you already see yourself driving your ideal car. You already see yourself in that little itsy bitsy bikini with all the guys looking at you on the beach. Do you see with your eyes or your mind?
It is a determined choice to be... Being positive is a choice. Not once a day but many times every day until it becomes a habit. This is probably where most people fall flat on their face because they are waiting for or expecting a 'feeling' of positiveness. Positive people do not depend on others or situations to make them positive.
Action oriented What I mean here is that you are not a wishful thinker. No matter how much you believe you will achieve, that in itself will not get the job done. They know that just wanting something is not enough. Action is required.

Now the strangest thing is that most people assume positive think is feeling and that it starts the action. What if you are down? How do you get positive? You certainly will not think positive and then take action. I believe that to get the mood right you first need to act. The mood will be induced and the real 'get off my butt' action will follow the mood.

How do you do this?

Quite simple really. Just DO something that makes you feel great, preferably something that requires physical movement. Here are a couple of Examples;

My best friend likes to do gardening to sort out her mindset. The physical activity and the thinking time seem to work hand in hand.
Listening to your favourite piece of upbeat music will probably get you dancing.
Take any positive book and read 5 pages.

The great thing about becoming a positive person is that all these traits can be learned through consistent practise to form a habit. I will be sharing practical examples of how to do this in another article and on my blog.

Ockert Pretorius has more than 14 years experience in the health MLM industry. He is teaching and mentoring MLM entrepreneurs to leverage the internet for rapid growth and sustainability in their core business in the most cost effective way. Blog: http://www.ockertpretorius.com

It's Time To Deal With Procrastination

2009-10-15T16:50:15Z

Everyone procrastinates at one time or another but some make a habit of it. What causes procrastination? The tendency to procrastinate is caused by having things that need to get done and they seem too overwhelming or not exciting enough to get off our "To Do" list. You look at your "To Do" list and pick the lower priority, easy jobs and avoid the taxing, urgent and critical tasks. You fill your time with busy work. Then you believe you just don't have the time to get the task done.

One common cause of procrastination is perfectionism. No one and nothing is perfect. Thinking that you must do the job perfectly on the first try will likely prevent you from ever getting started. This expectation creates stress, anxiety and the fear of failure.

* IF YOU FEEL THE TASK IS TOO OVERWHELMING:

Break it down by writing down steps you need to take to get the task done. If it is still too overwhelming, break it down again into mini-steps you can do on a daily basis. Build the steps into your schedule. Keep yourself on a timetable to make sure you are making steady progress. Daily success can be a powerful motivator and can give you the momentum to succeed. For example, Spring Cleaning. List the chores that need to be done. Washing windows, flipping mattresses, washing floors, cleaning in dark corners and so forth. Next decide how to break down the list. Assign yourself one room each day. If that is too much, just wash the windows in one room every day until they are done. Be reasonable. Determine a deadline and don't forget to reward yourself when you are done.

* BE REALISTIC.

If an item keeps showing up on your "To Do" list and is repeatedly bumped to the next day, maybe it isn't that important to you. Ask yourself if it is really your goal. It could be someone else's goal, or their goal for you. Figure out if you want to do it or let it go.

* DO YOU FEEL UNDER-QUALIFIED?

Is the project more than you can handle alone? Don't be afraid to ask for help. Call a friend or family member to help you out. Do some research to figure out how to get the task done yourself. Take a class to sharpen your skills.

* ARE YOU BEING DISTRACTED?

What else is going on to take you away from this particular task? Figure out what and why and make the necessary adjustments to eliminate the interruptions. Don't answer the phone, don't check your email, close the door and let the kids know you need some time to work on this project.

* DO YOU JUST HATE DOING THE JOB?

If you detest washing windows but they need to get cleaned, why not try swapping this task with someone else who is willing to do the job you hate. You can do something for them in return that they hate to do. Then, everyone is happy! There are benefits to overcoming procrastination. Once you recognize that it's okay to not get the project done perfectly, but just aim for progress, you will find that you can overcome procrastination. You will feel in more in control and won't have that weight on your shoulders and you will see that your "To Do" list gets completed and you will no longer procrastinate.

Audrey Cupo is a full time professional organizer and sole proprietor of A BETTER SPACE based in Bucks County, PA She specializes in residential organizing and focuses her business on helping busy moms get organized with her services and her U Can Do It product line. Visit her website athttp://www.4abetterspace.com to learn more about her products and sign up for her free monthly newsletter "Organizing News You Can Use".