Even the most self confident among us will experience self doubt from time to time. Because we can’t completely avoid it, we need a strategy that allows us to contend with, and conquer self doubt. So, what is the difference between those who overcome this insidious foe, and those who are controlled by it? Before we get into that, let’s talk a little about what self doubt is, and why it likes to creep into our lives like a party pooper, and throw a wet blanket on our motivation. Self doubt is that feeling of…
How to Stop Feeling Disappointed
There is no two ways about it; we have all experienced what it feels like to be disappointed. We’ve been disappointed in ourselves, others, outcomes, the weather, our job, and just about anything else we can think of. So, here’s my question: Why? It’s a simple enough question! Why do we get disappointed? Is it because people and situations let us down? Well, I know that’s the way it feels sometimes, but that is not why we get disappointed. In reality, feeling disappointed has nothing to do with other people, places, or circumstances. The fact is, being disappointed doesn’t actually originate with external sources…
Is an Honest Response Better Than Making Excuses?
Making excuses is a bad habit that anyone can slip into. I’ve done it, you’ve done it, and now it’s time to get passed it. Sometimes we make excuses because we are trying to be polite, or at least that’s what we tell ourselves. Maybe somebody invites us to…
From Imagination to Realization – Bridging the Gap
Your Imagination is one of your greatest personal assets. It is a window into the world of possibility, and a powerful force toward the realization of a happier, more fulfilling life. When used purposefully, your imagination becomes the trigger of your creative abilities. Without imagination we would never venture outside the box. Our reality would only exist within the confines of the status quo. What we tend to label as “fantasizing” is really a vital first step…
Are You Creating What You Don’t Want?
All of us are very busy creating our personal reality. Creating is actually a full-time job and we are all quite good at it. Problem is, most of the time we do this unconsciously. That means that there’s a strong likelihood we are busy creating things we don’t really want …
How Do I Find My True Self?
Step away from everything that is familiar to you like your job, friends and family. Then take yourself out of range of all the electronic noise from computers, cell phones and the television. Now tell me this: When it is just you standing alone in the quiet of total solitude, who are you? If that question leaves you scratching your head, you are certainly not alone. I’ve noticed that more and more people are starting to feel almost completely disconnected from their true self. They tell me that they just don’t…
Personal Excellence: Building a Castle or Hauling Rocks?
There’s an old story about personal excellence that goes like this: A man who walks by a construction site and sees three workers, each pushing a wheelbarrow holding one enormous stone. Out of curiosity, he asks one of the workers what they are doing. “What does it look like?” he says with a sneer. “I’m just hauling rocks.” Unsatisfied with that answer, the man asks the second worker with a wheelbarrow the same question. Without even bothering to look up, this man says “We’re putting up walls.” Frustrated, the man tries one last time. “I say there,” he asks …
Use Body Language to Instantly Influence Others
Do you realize that you have at your disposal the power to change the state of those around you in an instant? I am not just talking about people that you know, but also people you have only seen once and that you have never even talked to. Yes, you can change the state of a complete stranger in a moment, from a distance. That’s a lot of power, don’t you think? Before we explore this remarkable source of influence, let’s consider a few basic facts about human communication. Some possibilities Most of us tend to focus on our verbal communication skills, and that’s reasonable. After all, being able to express yourself accurately, …
21 Worthless Distractions that Sidetrack Your Success
Have you made a list of worthwhile things you intend to do in the upcoming months to move you closer to your dreams and goals? Have you got an action plan in place so you can keep track of your progress? That’s a great start, but what about the flip side of that coin? Is it possible that there is another important aspect to successfully accomplishing your goals that you haven’t considered? How about learning to avoid the things…
What Does Personal Success Mean to You?
Success is one of those concepts that we all understand, and yet, in reality it means something different to each individual. What might represent financial abundance to you might represent poverty to someone like Donald Trump. Your concept of being physically fit is probably not the same as that of an elite Olympic athlete. While swimming a quarter of a mile might represent your new personal best, to someone…
Actions and Outcomes, It’s All About Consequences
Actions always produce outcomes! Embracing this one fundamental truth has the power to completely change your reality. Regardless of your current circumstances, you can start recreating your reality right now by getting crystal clear about the law of consequences. I am not exaggerating when I say that you can radically simplify the whole concept of creating a better reality for yourself by making one simple change in the way you run your life. Always consider the consequences of your actions. Is that something you would you be willing to try? Before you say yes, I’d like to tell you a little story. Don’t expect something for nothing There was once a poor exchange student who rented a room above a fancy restaurant…
The Personal Growth benefits of Goal Setting
When you think of successful goal setting, what kind of picture comes to mind? Do you see yourself with all the things that accompany wealth like a luxury home and fancy car? Do you think of the respect and prestige you’ll receive once you finally make your mark on the world? Or perhaps you imagine the sense of pride you’ll experience when your accomplishments are acknowledged by those who doubted you. Certainly, successful goal setting can bring all of those benefits and more. But as …
7 Strategic Actions for Overcoming Procrastination
How often do you want to do something important, but instead of doing it you make excuses that convince you to postpone taking action? Now let me ask you this, after putting something off once, how easy is it to put that same thing off again? It gets easier every time, doesn’t it? That’s what we might call the mañana mentality. In other words, why do today what you can put off until tomorrow? The truth is, the more we make excuses, the more we buy into them. Eventually, procrastination becomes integrated into our identity. We actually become a procrastinator. We all procrastinate to…
How Beliefs affect Self-Esteem
Personal self-esteem isn’t something that a lot of people feel comfortable talking about. When we do discuss it, we generally use terms like healthy or low to describe the condition of our self-esteem. But what is the foundation of self-esteem? If we want to make some improvements in this area, where do we start? Our beliefs form the basis for our self-esteem. Specifically, our beliefs about our value as a person and what we feel we are or are not capable of. The way we view ourselves according to those beliefs is either empowering or limiting. We form these beliefs based on the conclusions we draw about our own experiences, especially our estimation of our ability to …
Can Productivity Lead to Increased Happiness?
Has technology given you more free time or less? Are you feeling overwhelmed by too much multitasking, information overload and an overcrowded schedule? Do you feel guilty when you’re not doing something productive? It seems like most of us live our lives based on the clock. We wake up at a certain time, work on a schedule and scrutinize our performance on how long it takes us to accomplish things. If we get more done in less time, our productivity feels like a source of happiness. But when…
One Dozen Simple Anti Stress Strategies
Stress is such a pervasive part of life anymore that some people exist in an ongoing state of “fight or flight.” This is an extremely dangerous condition both emotionally and physically. Prolonged hyper adrenal activity will literally burn you out in a big way. As much as I appreciate articles on ways to unwind and relax after a stressful day, I think there is another issue that should also be addressed. Instead of just dealing with stress it is…
What It Takes to Accomplish Your Goals and Dreams
Everyone has dreams they would like to see come true. How long would it take you to list three of your favorites? In fact, why not do that before we continue. Just write down three really important things that you would like to see become a reality in your life. Go ahead, I’ll wait! All set? OK, let’s see if we can’t get you a little closer to making those dreams happen. The first …
Abundance and the Power of Positive Thinking
Do you ever catch yourself feeling pressured by economic fluctuation or rising prices? Such changes can definitely affect much more than just our wallets, they can also undermine our efforts to stay in abundance mode. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push(); Did you know that money is the most emotionally charged inanimate object in existence, and that negative thoughts and feelings about money can easily rob you of your sense of joy and happiness? When we allow money to influence our emotions, we have given our power to an inanimate, lifeless object. This is a trap that can interfere with our ability to live a life of abundance. Abundance and lack, two opposing forces Abundance and lack cannot coexist, one or …
Validation, Approval, and Happiness
What is it that we are all seeking? If your first response to this question is validation, you would be thinking in the right direction, but think bigger. What are we all after that validation contributes to? Happiness, right? When we boil it all down, the one thing most people …
Learning to Celebrate Life!
In every culture, nation, and religion there are special times set aside to celebrate life or some significant event. We generally refer to these special times as holidays. Have you ever wondered why people get so excited about holidays? Think for a moment about the role they play on an emotional level. A break from the norm Emotionally, holidays feel like a reward. Instead of working, those days are used for enjoyable activities like getting together with friends or family, having exceptional meals, or going on a vacation. Pausing to celebrate life feels like you…
Is Time the True Essence of Life?
Do you wear a watch? Most people do, but just in case you forget yours; there’s a clock on your cell phone, dashboard, computer screen and hanging on the wall in almost every room you will enter today. Why are we humans so obsessed with knowing what time it is? The reason is rather obvious, don’t you think? We only have so much time! That’s right; we only have so many hours in a day, days in a week, and so on. Once they’re gone, there is simply no way to get them back. So we schedule and plan according to the clock. We make appointments and arrangements. We calculate travel time, meeting time, mealtime, bed time and wake up time. We use a schedule …
Happiness that Comes From Giving
Giving becomes big business during certain times of the year, so I thought we could take a closer look at the whole concept of giving. Once you back away from the commercial aspect of giving, what comes to your mind? Do you think it’s possible to spend a fortune on gifting and still miss the happiness of giving? The wisest man who ever lived said: “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.” Do you believe in this principle? If so, then perhaps you have wondered what kind of giving is the most valuable. What kind of giving really produces that deep sense of happiness that eclipses receiving? Giving that …
10 Simple Ways to Instantly Build Self Confidence
Lets face it, self confidence is the difference between feeling unstoppable and feeling scared out of your wits. Your perception of yourself has an enormous impact on how others perceive you. Perception is reality and the more self-confidence you have, the more likely it is you will succeed. Although many of the factors affecting self confidence are beyond your control, there are a number of things you can consciously do …
10 Timeless Guidelines for a Happier Relationship
Relationships are under a lot of pressure these days and I want to help. There are certain basic guidelines that can benefit any two people trying to build a truly happy and meaningful relationship. Here are 10 of my favorite timeless guidelines for building a better relationship. 10 Timeless relationship guidelines 1. Listen with your ears and your heart. It is…