Managing Stress

It would be nice if we lived in a world that was completely calm and the monster we know as stress did not exist? While this may be a wonderful dream, that day will probably never exist. However, we can learn to cope with stress and control it instead of it controlling us.

Anyone who has ever experienced high amounts of stress for long periods of time is well aware of the damages it can have on a person’s life. For this reason, it is highly important that we are all aware of ways in which we can deal with stress in effective and safe ways.

You may feel there is nothing you can do about stress. The bills will not stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day, and your work and family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have more control over stress than you might think.

Stress management is all about taking charge of your lifestyle, thoughts, emotions, and the way you deal with problems. No matter how stressful your life seems, there are steps you can take to relieve the pressure and regain control.

 What is stress management?

We all respond to stress differently so, there is no “one size fits all” solution to managing stress. But if you feel like the stress in your life is out of control, it is time to take action. Stress management can teach you healthier ways to cope with stress, help you reduce its harmful effects, and prevent stress from spiraling out of control again in the future.

No matter how powerless you may feel in the face of stress, you still have control over your lifestyle, thoughts, emotions, and the way you deal with problems. Stress management involves changing the stressful situation when you can, changing your reaction when you cannot, taking care of yourself, and making time for rest and relaxation. The first step is to recognise the true sources of stress in your life.

Start a stress journal

A stress journal can help you identify the regular stressors in your life and the way you deal with them. Each time you feel stressed, keep track of it in your journal. As you keep a daily log, you will begin to see patterns and common themes. Write down:

• What caused your stress (make a guess if you are unsure)
• How you felt, both physically and emotionally
• How you acted in response
• What you did to make yourself feel better

It is easy to identify sources of stress following a major life event such as changing jobs, moving home, or losing a loved one, but pinpointing the sources of everyday stress can be more complicated. It is all too easy to overlook your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that contribute to your stress levels. Sure, you may know that you are constantly worried about work deadlines, but maybe it is your procrastination, rather than the actual job demands, that is causing the stress.

To identify your true sources of stress, look closely at your habits, attitude, and excuses:

•Do you explain away stress as temporary (“I just have a million things going on right now”) even though you cannot remember the last time you took a breather?
•Do you define stress as an integral part of your work or home life (“Things are always crazy around here”) or as a part of your personality (“I have a lot of nervous energy, that is all”)?
•Do you blame your stress on other people or outside events, or view it as entirely normal and unexceptional?
Until you accept responsibility for the role you play in creating or maintaining it, your stress level will remain outside your control.

How do you currently cope with stress?

Think about the ways you currently manage and cope with stress in your life. Your stress journal can help you identify them. Are your coping strategies healthy or unhealthy, helpful or unproductive? Unfortunately, many people cope with stress in ways that compound the problem.

These coping strategies may temporarily reduce stress, but they cause more damage in the long run:

• Smoking
• Drinking too much
• Binging on junk or comfort food
• Zoning out for hours in front of the TV or computer
• Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities
• Using pills or drugs to relax
• Sleeping too much
• Procrastinating
• Filling up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems
• Taking out your stress on others (lashing out, angry outbursts, physical violence)

Learning healthier ways to manage stress

If your methods of coping with stress are not contributing to your greater emotional and physical health, it is time to find healthier ones. No single method works for everyone or in every situation, so experiment with different techniques and strategies. Focus on what makes you feel calm and in control.

Stress management strategy #1: Get moving

Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress, but you do not have to be an athlete or spend hours in a gym to experience the benefits. Just about any form of physical activity can help relieve stress and burn away anger, tension, and frustration. Exercise releases endorphins that boost your mood and make you feel good, and it can also serve as a valuable distraction to your daily worries.

While the maximum benefit comes from exercising for 30 minutes or more, you can start small and build up your fitness level gradually. Short, 10-minute bursts of activity that elevate your heart rate and make you break out into a sweat can help to relieve stress and give you more energy and optimism. Even very small activities can add up over the course of a day. The first step is to get yourself up and moving. Here are a few easy ways:

• Put on some music and dance around
• Take your dog for a walk
• Walk or cycle to the grocery store
• Use the stairs at home or work rather than an elevator
• Park your car in the farthest spot in the car park and walk the rest of the way
• Pair up with an exercise partner and encourage each other as you workout
• Play ping-pong or an activity-based video game with your kids

Managing stress with regular exercise

Once you are in the habit of being physically active, try to incorporate regular exercise into your daily schedule. Activities that are continuous and rhythmic—and require moving both your arms and your legs—are especially effective at relieving stress. Walking, running, swimming, dancing, cycling, tai chi, and aerobic classes are good choices.

Pick an activity you enjoy, so you are more likely to stick with it. Instead of continuing to focus on your thoughts while you exercise, make a conscious effort to focus on your body and the physical (and sometimes emotional) sensations you experience as you are moving. Adding this mindfulness element to your exercise routine will help you break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that often accompanies overwhelming stress. Focus on coordinating your breathing with your movements, for example, or notice how the air or sunlight feels on your skin. Getting out of your head and paying attention to how your body feels is also the surest way to avoid picking up an injury.

When you have exercised, you will likely find it easier to put other stress management techniques to use, including reaching out to others and engaging socially.

With thanks to Sean May http://www.scienceofimagery.com/stop-falling-victim-to-stress-you-can-claim-your-life-back/

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Intention

Intention is the starting point of every dream. It is the creative power that fulfills all of our needs, whether for money, relationships, spiritual awakening, or love.

Everything that happens in the universe begins with intention. When I decide to buy a birthday present, wiggle my toes, or call a friend, it all starts with intention.

The sages of India observed thousands of years ago that our destiny is ultimately shaped by our deepest intentions and desires. The classic Vedic text known as the Upanishads declares, “You are what your deepest desire is. As your desire is, so is your intention. As your intention is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.”

An intention is a directed impulse of consciousness that contains the seed form of that which you aim to create. Like real seeds, intentions cannot grow if you hold on to them. Only when you release your intentions into the fertile depths of your consciousness can they grow and flourish. 

Here are five steps for harnessing the power of intention to create anything you desire.

1.  Slip into the Gap

Most of the time our mind is caught up in thoughts, emotions, and memories. Beyond this noisy internal dialogue is a state of pure awareness that is sometimes referred to as “the gap.” One of the most effective tools we have for entering the gap is meditation. Meditation takes you beyond the ego-mind into the silence and stillness of pure consciousness. This is the ideal state in which to plant your seeds of intention.

2.  Release Your Intentions and DesiresOnce you are established in a state of restful awareness, release your intentions and desires. The best time to plant your intentions is during the period after meditation, while your awareness remains centered in the quiet field of all possibilities. After you set an intention, let it go—simply stop thinking about it. Continue this process for a few minutes after your meditation period each day.

3.  Remain Centered in a State of Restful AwarenessIntention is much more powerful when it comes from a place of contentment than if it arises from a sense of lack or need. Stay centered and refuse to be influenced by other people’s doubts or criticisms. Your higher self knows that everything is all right and will be all right, even without knowing the timing or the details of what will happen.

4.  Detach from the OutcomeRelinquish your rigid attachment to a specific result and live in the wisdom of uncertainty. Attachment is based on fear and insecurity, while detachment is based on the unquestioning belief in the power of your true Self. Intend for everything to work out as it should, then let go and allow opportunities and openings to come your way.

5.  Let the Universe Handle the DetailsYour focused intentions set the infinite organisng power of the universe in motion. Trust that infinite organising power to orchestrate the complete fulfillment of your desires. Do not listen to the voice that says that you have to be in charge, that obsessive vigilance is the only way to get anything done. The outcome that you try so hard to force may not be as good for you as the one that comes naturally. You have released your intentions into the fertile ground of pure potentiality, and they will bloom when the season is right.

- See more at: http://www.chopra.com/ccl/5-steps-to-setting-powerful-intentions#sthash.SgMX2ixE.dpuf

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Are You In Conscious Control?

Many people assume that they are in conscious control of themselves all the time.

If you pay close attention you will realise that this assumption is not 100% correct. Of course, you consciously control many aspects of your life: for instance, what you say, what you eat, and where you go. Despite the fact that you may believe that you are in conscious control of yourself, many of your decisions and actions do not come from your conscious mind but from your unconscious mind.

For example: You are having lunch with your friend or colleague. Suddenly he or she says something that “pushes your buttons”, and you react accordingly, many times inappropriately. Why do you react the way you do?

Your reaction came from your pre-programmed (learned) way of thinking, located in your unconscious mind. Someone’s comment or action was the trigger for you to respond according to the unconscious program you have learned, whatever this program is. Sometimes this program has been there since childhood. The result is that you say things you do not really mean, or you misinterpret or misread a person’s mind. Do these reactions, in fact, come from your conscious mind? No, indeed; they come from your unconscious mind.

Sometimes your reactions have zero input from your conscious mind, and you are not to blame for that. Like everyone else, you cannot recognise those reactions that stem from your unconscious mind. These reactions are triggered by a particular word or words, and your responses to them are instant and unconscious. It happens to each one of us, many times every day.

The problem with reacting from the unconscious mind is this: You cannot see the programs in your unconscious mind; nor can you directly reach your unconscious mind, and some of your programs have been there since you were 5 or 6 years old. In other words, when you unconsciously react, you are reacting as if you were still that child!

Children are beautiful, but they live in a hypnotic state of mind, meaning that they learn quickly and absorb all the information around them but have not yet developed the ability to think critically, a process that helps to distinguish between what is good and bad, or what is right or wrong. They are building their core belief system by just observing what is happening around them, without the benefit of critical thinking.  Later in life, they will develop a more effective way of thinking.

Obviously, as an adult, you are not stuck forever with the blueprint that currently exists in your unconscious mind…and do not blame your unconscious mind: it is there for a reason.  If you want to change the unconscious program that is giving you a hard time, you need to overdrive that program. There are many ways to do this; you might try meditation or hypnosis, for example.

The relationship between your conscious and unconscious mind is this: If you want to be successful and reach your goals, your conscious desires and your unconscious intentions should support each other. Only when the conscious and unconscious mind work together toward the same goal will you achieve what you want.

Article by Yasha www.happymindsoul.com

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Hope

One of our greatest gifts is HOPE, for with it, all things are possible. Without it, nothing is possible. The survival of Nelson Mandela and the victory of Mahatma Gandhi are dramatic examples of the power of hope. Despite their ordeals, both nurtured hope in their hearts, and in return hope sustained them.

Before continuing, let us define hope. It is the feeling that we will eventually get what we want or need. Or that in the long run everything will turn out for the best, even if the final outcome is not what we want at the  time. Hope requires faith and trust in life, oneself, and others, and is the opposite of fear, anxiety, and despair. It also leads to positive expectations.

What do you believe the future holds in store for you? Do you expect it to be bright or gloomy? Regardless of your expectation, you may be right or you may be wrong. Since you cannot predict the future, you can only take a guess. Although we cannot know the future, we can predict the outcome of your guess. For if you believe your future will be gloomy, you will become anxious, unhappy, and less motivated. On the other hand, if you expect a bright future, you will be confident, enthusiastic, and happy.

As we cannot predict the future, we can only guess at the outcome. And that guess is a choice we make. Choosing to be hopeful is practical because it will free us of unnecessary suffering. And even if our guess turns out to be wrong and disaster strikes, we will be much better prepared to deal with it. For those who expect a tragedy grow so weary that by the time it comes they are completely drained of energy and incapable of taking constructive action.

To deliberately choose despair over hope is foolhardy. Moreover, hope not only makes our journey much more pleasant, but may even guarantee our success. Especially when it is combined with action. That is, besides expecting a successful outcome, do everything in your power to make it happen and look for evidence that you are approaching your goal. At the same time, stop doing whatever is counterproductive. When you combine the power of hope with that of action, you will have good reason to H.ave O.nly P.ositive E.xpectations (H.O.P.E.). 

Are dark clouds looming over your life? If so, it does not necessarily follow that a storm is approaching. However, even if today were to be your darkest day, the tempest will pass if you wait it out. That is why you must keep the flame of hope burning in your heart. Storms may rage, but do not let them extinguish hope.

While in his fifties, Tom had a heart attack. He looked death in the face for the first time and found the experience depressing. He grew lethargic and life came to a halt. It was almost as if he were already dead. But with a little encouragement, he rekindled the flame of hope, hope for a better life, for a return to normal. So, re-energized, he stopped smoking, changed his eating habits, and exercised regularly. Today, Tom is once again enjoying life.

Does this simple example not prove that hope is always a better choice than despair? Of all the forces that make for a better world, none is so indispensable, so powerful, as hope. Without hope people are only half alive. With hope they dream and think and work. Men and women are not limited by the place of their birth, nor by the color of their skin.  The people who succeed best in life always seem to be more cheerful and hopeful. They go about their business with a smile on their faces; and accept the changes and chances of this mortal life with courage facing rough and smooth alike as it comes.


In August 1943, torpedo boat PT-109 was rammed and cut in half by a Japanese destroyer during a night attack in the Solomon Islands. The commander of the boat, John F. Kennedy, was thrown to the deck. His back, previously injured in a university football game, was re-injured. Despite this, he gathered the ten surviving members of his crew. After placing a badly injured crew member into a life jacket, Kennedy held on to one of the straps with his teeth and towed the wounded man as they all swam for shore. Five hours later, they reached land and were able to rest, but could find no help. It was only after swimming to two other islands that they found natives with access to the U.S. base. They were rescued after a native delivered a message written by Kennedy on a coconut. The situation seemed hopeless, but because Kennedy clung onto hope he found the strength to lead his crew members to safety.
The Many Benefits of Hope

1. The difference between living with hope and living in fear is like the difference between the life of a hero and the life of a coward. Those who live in fear, refuse to take risks, and wind up settling for a life of mediocrity. But those who live with hope, boldly go where their dreams take them, and experience a life of adventure. Is there any question which is the superior choice? I think you will agree, it has never been, and never will be, easy work! But the road that is built in hope is more pleasant to the traveler than the road built in despair, even though they both lead to the same destination.

2. Life is synonymous with change. So, any pain or fear that we are experiencing will end, which is a cause to be hopeful. Every area of trouble gives out a ray of hope, and the one unchangeable certainty is that nothing is certain or unchangeable .Hope is the feeling that what you are experiencing right now is not permanent.

3. To live with hope is to be awake or, in the words of Aristotle, “Hope is the dream of a waking man.” On the other hand, to live without hope is to cease to live. Anyone who is among the living has hope — even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!”
One cannot be awake or aware and not be hopeful and joyful, for ignorance means the capacity to ignore. You must be ignoring the birds, the trees, the flowers, the people. Otherwise, life is tremendously beautiful, so absurdly beautiful, that if you can see it as it is you will never stop laughing. You will go on giggling — at least inside.
4. Hope sustains us. It provides us with the strength to look for solutions and do whatever is possible or accept what cannot be changed. It helps us to weather the storm in a sea of uncertainty, and its optimism acts as a self-fulfilling prophecy, washing away problems.

5. Hope is the best possession. None are completely wretched except those who are without hope. Once we live with hope, we will be in a position to give it away to others. There is hardly anything better that we can do for others.

6. Hope is the fuel for action. When we are filled with hope we have a reason to act. But No hope means no action.

7. Hope is the star that points the way to the path of growth, for we grow not by darting from pleasure to pleasure, but from hope to hope.

8. He who does not hope to win has already lost. Those who live with hope win because the hopeful person sees success where others see failure, sunshine where others see shadows and storm.

9. Patience is a key to success and only the hopeful are patient. Anne Frank  wrote in her diary, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” No, we need not wait to give away the gift of hope. When we give hope to others, we are performing a valuable service, for hope and patience are two cures for all that ails us. But before we can give hope to others, we have to have it ourselves. So, how do we cultivate hope?

Cultivating Hope
Plan A
1. Eat balanced meals, drink plenty of water, get sufficient sleep, and exercise regularly. Poor health leads to burnout and energy depletion. Sound physical health is a key component of sound mental and emotional health.
2. Eliminate negative self-talk by focusing on the positive.
3 .Have high expectations. It is not what you deserve that counts, but what you expect.

4. Forget the past and focus on the future. You do not make progress while you are looking back.
5. Building on your strengths is more important than improving your weaknesses.
6. View ‘problems’ as challenges and look for solutions rather than reasons to quit.
7. If you get stuck, look for help.
8. Persist. Keep at it until you succeed.
Plan BBoth hope and hopelessness can be learned. To learn how to be hopeful, follow these steps.
1. Set goals to have something to be excited about. Stretch yourself, but do not  overreach.

2. Make a plan, listing all the steps you need to take to reach your goal.

3. Work your plan. That is, set target dates for each step and follow through.

4. Persist. Do not stop working at it until you reach your goal.

Plan CAsk yourself, and act upon, the following questions:
What excites me?
What might be?
How can it be?
What will be?
What is already working and how can I build on it?

To read the complete article go to http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/hopes-
shape-future.htm

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Curiosity

Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning (William A. Ward) 

The miraculous power that will drive man to the far reaches of the universe is not anything tangible, such as rocket fuel or time travel. The power that will get them there comes from within. It is an insatiable appetite to explore. It is called curiosity. Just as infants tirelessly delight in exploring their immediate surroundings, people are driven to extend themselves. They stretch out into space and reach deep within themselves, examining their own genes. Each new discovery leads to new questions, which calls for further exploration. Therefore, we travel on an endless road, motivated by the excitement we experience with each new discovery. Curiosity is the mother of philosophy, religion, and science.

Curiosity is a sacred gift. That is why Einstein called it "holy" when he wrote, "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery everyday. Never lose a holy curiosity."

Despite the treasure we have inherited at birth, many of us have become jaded, allowing the candle of curiosity to burn out. The result is devastating. We are surrounded by lost souls, drifting without a purpose, unaware of the wonder that surrounds them. They wander in a trance in search of happiness that eludes them. What happened? What went wrong? Many have been taken in by the false promises of advertising. We are told by the media that happiness comes from leading the "good life." Material possessions, an attractive mate, and leisure time are the sources of happiness, so we are told.

But what happens when we accept the bait and follow this empty dream? Well, let us look at an example. A young man thinks he can make big bucks in the Information Technology field, so he enrolls in an IT school. After entering, he discovers he has to study monster-size books. Soon, he is thinking, "Hey! No fair! Where's my leisure time? These books are b-o-r-i-n-g!!" If he graduates, what is his reward? More books! Bigger books! A lifetime of study! To stay employed, he will have to keep abreast of the ever-changing technology.

Now, compare the above with another case. A young woman never lost her childhood curiosity. She finds life exciting. Especially today, for there is so much to discover. She is fascinated by the information and communication explosion, so she enrolls in an IT school to learn more. Once she receives her textbooks she begins to think, "Wow, look at the size of these books! Imagine how much I am going to learn!"

The first young man was chasing after the "good life." He wanted to lead a life of leisure, wealth, and ease. He soon discovered, however, that he would not have the leisure he dreamed of. Resentful of the material he has to study, he never fully masters it. As a result, he does not earn much money either. Poor guy, his dreams are shattered. He will probably wind up changing careers, only to experience frustration again. The problem is not with the job, but with his motivation. After all, if we take the wrong path, we end up in the wrong place.

What about our young woman in the example I gave? She was not in search of the "good life," but an exciting life. A life of endless discovery. How could she not be thrilled by the technological miracles she researched? Needless to add, she excelled in school and later established her own successful company. The "good life," you see, came in search of her.

If we are unhappy in our present place of employment, there is no point in changing our job until we change our attitude. We need to change our perception, our awareness. We need to rekindle our curiosity and rediscover the joy of learning and creation. When we follow the right path, we will arrive at the right place. Remember, no time, place, or position is the wrong point to begin. Regardless of our age or job, we can always reignite our curiosity and set foot on the right road.

Why should you go on living? To satisfy your curiosity! How do we conquer boredom? With curiosity! How do we protect democracy and guard the environment? Is it not by being curious enough to question the statements of politicians and big business, while searching out the truth?

Your life does not stop at the walls of your home or apartment. It extends outward, beyond the walls. There is a limitless universe and a bottomless ocean of knowledge waiting to be explored.

Can we make any progress without curiosity? Do we not need to ask an endless series of questions? Questions like, "Is our community moving in the right direction? Why do we have homelessness? Why do some turn to crime? Are heinous crimes committed by evil people or sick people? If sick, how can we help them while protecting society? Should humanity control its own evolution? Is time travel possible? How will life extension affect society? Will computers develop consciousness?" The joy of life not only flows from our personal discoveries, but also from learning the solutions offered by others. Who knows? The next exciting thing I learn may be something you have discovered.

With thanks to Chuck Gallozzi http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/curiosity.htm

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Personal Growth

How we can make personal growth a permanent part of our lives? By making personal growth, with gradual and steady improvements as the cornerstone of our lives.

“I want to grow. I want to be better. You Grow. We all grow. We're made to grow.You either evolve or you disappear.” 
― Tupac Shakur

The most essential element to long-term personal growth is to continually optimise. Personal growth should not be done in random spurts of enthusiasm and action, but long term steady progress. Attempting to overhaul your entire life all at once most likely will not last. Instead we need to make consistent and constant gradual changes that will impact over time.

When most people win the lottery, they have spent all of the money they won within a year or two. This is because money was never their problem. These people never learned how to properly handle money, so they become poor within a short time of their windfall payment.

Motivation works very much like money in this case. Many of us win our own jackpot of motivation and enthusiasm after a particular moment, because we have never learnt how to properly spend that enthusiasm and motivation, we end up drained and poor again in no time at all.

Instead, we need to focus on making little but constant improvements throughout our life. If someone starts out poor and becomes a self-made millionaire, they are far more likely to keep their money than a lottery winner. Random, quick bursts of improvement are not going to give us the permanent changes we seek.

This theory of steady and progressive improvements is not a new idea. Simply understanding that we need to make steady improvements over random bursts of innovation is a little different than actually living this way. So, how can we take this practice of making steady and incremental improvements and make it a standard by which we operate our life?

Step One: Commit to Change

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature,
nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.
– Helen Keller

This may seem a little odd, but few people rarely commit their lives to change. We do not want change and risk. Instead we want comfort, stability and security. As a result, we spend most of our time trying to keep our life stagnant.

Our lives are always going to be changing. Instead of recoiling from that prospect, we need to embrace it. We need to embrace that there is no permanence in our lives. Furthermore, we need to embrace the idea that change is inevitable, even if we try to avoid it. By making this commitment, we are also asserting that we are going to help guide that change so it brings us more good than bad.

Personal growth will not work for people seeking stability. People who want to just make a quick change and keep everything else the same will not be able to make permanent changes. Remember, as Helen Keller said, “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

Step Two: Act

The second step is to start making those small improvements we see. These improvements do not need to be huge, they just need to be consistent. This could be as simple as reading for fifteen minutes a day, or buying healthier foods.

This step is really not that difficult. Whenever you see yourself doing something you think could be done better, just start. Instead, some people try to start with their most difficult problems right away. Then when they have trouble, they give up altogether. By keeping the steps small but noticeable, we can make lasting changes.

Step Three: Evaluate

The third step in being consistent with improving our personal growth is 

to be constantly evaluating our progress, this can be done in a weekly review. In this review answer the three following questions:

1) What went right? What things did you improve this week? By giving yourself credit for these small improvements you encourage yourself to make future improvements.

2) What went wrong? What things could you improve next week? By identifying the areas you believe you have to grow, you will be able to start making gradual changes to improve them.

3) What now? Now you need to ask yourself what you plan on doing for the future. By identifying what you are going to do in the next week to improve, you are ready for those improvements.

A weekly review certainly is not the only way to evaluate your progress. However, shorter daily reviews, keeping a journal or even meditating on your day can all serve to evaluate your progress.

These evaluations are crucial. If you are not evaluating your progress, you will not be able to see your own growth and you are far more likely to slide back to your old habits. Gradual improvement is generally fairly hard to see in the short term but huge in the long term. By evaluating our progress we can allow ourselves to see these little improvements.

Step Four: Measure

There is an old adage that says “Whatever is measured, improves.” This truism has a lot of significance to our own commitment to constant personal growth. Simply by measuring something, we have a better grasp over our effectiveness and efficiency with it. We can see this is especially true with money. If you are careful with keeping track of all of your finances and budget properly you have a lot more control over how you spend your money, than if you are not even sure how much you have.

The process of measuring takes the subjective process of evaluating and makes it objective. Instead of just reasoning where we have seen improvements, the results are tangible. By knowing exactly how much we are improving (or getting worse!) we have a lot more control over where we emphasise our personal growth. Keeping track of  steady improvement is important to ensure if we are actually improving. 

Long term personal growth can only come from our commitment to steady and consistent improvement. By taking the four steps of commitment, action, evaluation and measurement, we can make steady improvements in our personal growth that will transcend the temporary boost we get from an inspiring seminar, book or audio program.

With thanks to Scott H Young https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2006/04/06/continuous-improvement-making-personal-growth-last-series/

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The Psychology of Positive Thinking

Understanding the Psychology of Positive Thinking and How It Can Help YOU. 

You may have heard about positive thinking, but do not really know enough about it to know exactly how it works. Positive thinking can provide many benefits in your life such as improving your health, opportunities in life, the way you relate to others and the way you see yourself.

The psychology behind the power of positive thinking is that you are more apt to take on life with a positive outlook and have more positive results than if you face the world negatively. That does not mean that you should gloss over the obvious, but it does mean that a bad circumstance can be made much brighter than viewing them in a negative way.

Some psychologists view positive thinking as how you explain what happens in your life. If you have an optimistic attitude, you are more likely to explain away bad things that happen by blaming something else for the circumstance. You are also more apt to view a negative happening as outside the norm or a temporary circumstance.

Abraham Lincoln once commented, “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” When you make up your mind to approach life’s challenges with a positive attitude, you are not ignoring the bad stuff in the world, but it does mean that you are attempting to see the best both in people and in situations.

Positive thinking and positive psychology are often thought to be the same, but they are really not. With positive psychology, the focus is definitely on positive thinking, but most psychologists tend to think it is more beneficial to think realistically.

For example, positive thinking might lead a person to take risks that he or she should not, such as investing money in a business that is extremely risky or thinking positively that you can swim across the lake without taking into consideration the distance.

However, it is clear that thinking more positively will ensure more positive outcomes in your life. The best thing you can do is to pay attention to your self-talk and realistically assess whether it is better to think that way – or not.

As you practice positive thinking, you will become more adept at culling out the positive thoughts that are not realistic as opposed to the thoughts that can have a positive impact on your life.

You are in control and you CAN choose to change negative thinking into more positive thinking. Try for a few days to stop every negative thought in its tracks, by changing the thought into a more positive one, and see how that changes your outlook. The more you do this, the better you will feel and it costs you absolutely nothing! 

With thanks to Maria McMahon cogni-fusion.com