Building the Foundation Towards Personal Development

To achieve any form of success, personal development should be on top of one's priority. You cannot expect growth in your business when you lack certain aspects in terms of personal growth. Hence, the sad reality that only a few among those aiming for success achieve it. Through personal development methods, you might not ensure yourself of success but you can be one step closer to it.

Create Goals As Your Stepping Stone

When it comes to self improvement, goals serve as both your driving force and endpoint. In concept, setting a goal is like building a solid foundation. Hence, it ensures that whatever you place thereafter or what steps you take are supported by that strong foundation.

It might seem obvious at first, after all it is what most self-help books would initially point out. But stressing the importance of a goal is critical to your success. When you have a goal, you are able to determine what actions to take in order to reach that. Accordingly, you will also identify whatever it is you need to avoid so as not to be stopped on your tracks.

As much as you can, set specific goals: monthly, weekly, or daily. This helps keep your focus on what needs to get done for you to become a step closer to achieving your goal.

How Do You Create A Goal?

Now that you realize the importance of setting goals, the next dilemma is to determine healthy goals. It is easy to set goals, but recognizing the important goals is the tougher part. Hence, you might find these tips helpful:

1. Think of something, whether short or long term, that you want to achieve or acquire. Hence, you can use that goal towards personal development.

2. Devise a plan that will enable you to reach that goal.

3. Within that major goal, trim them down to smaller and shorter goals that will serve as steps towards achieving that bigger goal. This assists in the personal development process because it practice discipline in meeting those smaller goals.

Pillars of Personal Development

Depending on your habits, you can determine whether your day to day activities are productive or not. Indeed, our habits control what you do and the way you think. Learn to recognize your healthy habits from those that are not. Then, you can work on improving your unsuccessful habits and turn them into a more productive activity.

When it comes to your way of thinking, developing an optimistic outlook could spell success in personal growth. You become what you think about. Also, having a positive outlook in life will enable you to examine things objectively so you recognize the areas in your personal life that need improvement.

Improving Your Self Image

If you have a healthy self image, you do not have to worry about living up to anyone's expectations. Do not stress out over convincing others but focus on what you need to do instead.

In terms of business, you can get more people to trust you or find you credible when you act like one. Then, surround yourself with people that will help you grow and aim for the same goals as you do. Work only with people that are committed to helping you succeed. When you have a healthy working relationship, you assist in the process of personal development. Also, limiting the amount of negativity within your immediate surrounding improves your own self-esteem and capacity to succeed.

Just a few steps to take and keep in mind in your quest to achieve personal development.

Larry Rivera is a Internet Network Marketer who teaches people how to use the internet to start a home based business. Success University is the #1 Personal Development website on the internet. It gives you a place to earn while you learn. Having problems with relationship building, Learn the skills they never taught you in school.. Success University Review

Some Sample Prosperity Affirmations That Work

If you're stumped about creating a prosperity affirmation, don't worry - you're not alone!

When people ask me how to go about creating affirmations, money is always a hot topic. After all, who among us couldn't use a money boost? Finances are an intensely-charged subject for everyone.

Each person's definition of prosperity is different, so when I work with coaching people, I guide them through three important steps.

1) First I ask them: What conditions in your life would allow you to feel prosperous? Is there a specific amount of money that you need, or is it more about having a nice home, a decent car to drive, and plenty of food on the table? When you work on a prosperity affirmation, it's important to affirm the feeling of being prosperous and to imagine the situations in your life which would allow you to experience this feeling.

2) Then, after the person has identified what situations would allow them to feel prosperous, I ask them: What words carry this same feeling for you? What words have a feeling of prosperity? Some sample words might be: joy, peace, flow, happiness, plenty, abundance, relaxation, emotional well-being, luxury, or limitless supply. At this stage it's important to find words that have a real spark to them, that light your inner fire. It's only words that light your inner fire which will carry a true energy of prosperity as you create your prosperity affirmation.

3) After words have been identified that have the right feeling to them, I ask the person to construct some sample sentences using these powerful words. Sometimes you need to play around with grammar and try different nouns, verbs, and adjectives. If you use something that seems unnatural and the words feel stiff or weird to you, they won't work. The words need to feel good to you. Some sample sentence variations might be: "I am experiencing abundance at all times, in all ways." "I have plenty of money." "My home is safe and my family is healthy and well." "I am so happy that financial abundance has manifested." "I attract abundance at all times." "I am a money magnet." Each of these phrases works nicely as a prosperity affirmation, but feel free to use these as a take-off point to create prosperity affirmations of your own.

After you've found a nice prosperity affirmation that really "clicks," it's time to get to work! Start using the affirmation each day. Repeat it silently to yourself while you're in the shower, say it aloud as you drive to work, or write it down in a journal or notebook. Put the prosperity affirmation at the forefront of your mind and bring your attention to it throughout the day.

After you use your prosperity affirmation regularly for a few weeks, it might be time to release it. I always remind people not to "overwork" their affirmations. If an affirmation starts to feel heavy and you have a resistance to using it, it's probably time to let it go and release it to the Universe. Set it aside for a while. Let the mysterious power of the subconscious mind go to work and give your waking mind a break.

Before long, you'll be noticing people, places, and situations that are leading you into a more abundant and prosperous manner of living. Pay attention to these opportunities. They are all signs of the power of your intention, and they are working to bring about your prosperity affirmation and help it manifest on the physical plane.

After you start experiencing more prosperity, you'll know for yourself how to create affirmations that will work in every area your life. And you'll start living the limitless life you were always meant to live!

My free report, Affirmations Cheat Sheet contains sample affirmations for weight loss, self-improvement, abundance and more. You can start using them today!

Myths of Strengths and Weaknesses

The following is more information that resulted from my good Friend Mr. Jay Niblick's The Genius Project. The findings are pretty astounding. The implications are even greater!

The Myths of Strengths and Weaknesses

There is a myth about strengths and weaknesses, which states that we all possess them naturally. In reality, we don't. No human possesses any single weaknesses. What we do possess are natural talents and non-talents. Now don't get him wrong, he's not one of those that think it is too negative to tell someone they have a weakness and wants to call them "opportunities for development". He actually hates this term because more often than not it supports the incorrect view that one can fix a weakness by developing natural talents. If one of his clients is suffering from a weakness he tells them so straight up, but the key is that this weaknesses isn't natural, it is manufactured. Weaknesses and strengths don't exist naturally, only talents and non-talents do. If, however, one relies on a non-talent, they turn it into a weakness. Likewise, if one doesn't rely on my talents, they are never a strength for them.

In other words, you are ultimately in control of your strengths and weaknesses. Granted you have to work with the potential strengths you have, in the form of what natural talents you possess, but it is totally up to you as to whether you allow yourself to be dependent on a non-talent - or try to rely on a talent. You may be born with talents and non-talents, and there is nothing you can do about that, but you are in charge of whether those talents and non-talents become strengths and weaknesses. If you allow your success to depend on your talents, you create a strength. If you allow your success to depend on your non-talents, you create a weakness.

This might seem like he's talking about some minor difference of semantics, but I assure you that this is much more than a simple play on words. Understanding this concept requires a total change of perspective. Most people buy into the myth that they possess their strengths and weaknesses and fail to understand that they don't actually possess them, they create them. The power is theirs as to whether they exist or not.

The key is how you apply yourself, and the impact of this understanding is incredibly important because once you realize that you create your strengths and weaknesses, you realize that you are in control. You realize that you don't have to suffer from weaknesses which were given to you and about which you can do nothing. You are in control because while you definitely have non-talents, nothing in the universe states that you have to depend on them and if you don't depend on them, then they aren't weaknesses now are they? Make sense? Both talents and non-talents are only "potential". Natural talents are only potential strengths and non-talents are only potential weaknesses. The thing that controls how these potentials turn out is how you apply yourself.

If one fail because of their weaknesses, it is their own fault. Not because they didn't fix their weaknesses, but because they allowed their success to depend on my non-talents. They created a scenario where their weaknesses outweighed their strengths. Either way, the control lies with them and no one else.

Geniuses understand this. Their locus of control lies internally within them. They know that they are the only ones responsible for whether they benefit from strengths or suffer from weaknesses. They manage to turn potential strengths into actual strengths by relying on their natural talents and they manage to leave potential weaknesses as just that - potential weakness. They do not allow their success to become dependent on their non-talents, which would manufacture a weakness. Their primary focus is on maximizing their dependence on talents and minimizing their dependence on non-talents. Peter Drucker said, "your job is to make the strengths of your people effective and their weaknesses irrelevant." While obviously influenced by the industrial era mindset, because he's talking to management not the individual, the message is none-the-less spot on. The key is the focus on minimizing dependence on weaknesses, not eliminating them.

Geniuses don't have more talents than anyone else. They are just as flawed and imperfect in their natural abilities as the next man. Geniuses don't have fewer non-talents, they just have fewer weaknesses because they are very aware of their non-talents and they do a damn good job of not depending on them. To quote Dr. Marshall Goldsmith again, "there are a whole lot of things I stink at Jay. I just make sure I don't have to do them to be successful." The level of success these Geniuses achieve is hard to argue with. They achieve significantly more success with less effort, while finding more passion, satisfaction and happiness.

The Numbers

From a pure statistical perspective, Geniuses are quite rare but they significantly outperform the non-geniuses across the board. The percentage of 5th level performers in the study was only 9% of the total population (n=300,000+) but the difference in their results was astonishing:

The most successful people outperformed the next closest level not by 10 times, nor by 100 times, but by as much as 1,000 times in some cases

The average level of self-awareness for the 5th level performers in the study was 92% compared to 62% for the 4th level performers and less than 47% for the 1st through 3rd level performers

Those who were 5th level performers had levels of authenticity that were 91% versus the levels of authenticity seen in the 4th level performers of 79% and in the 1st through 3rd level performers who were at 63%

The differences between the level of self-awareness and degree of authenticity, and the correlation of these two factors with performance, make a very compelling argument for

The data showed us that there is a direct and positive correlation between the levels of awareness you have for your own abilities, the degree to which you are authentic to them and your overall level of performance. These data showed that those who performed at the lower levels had lower levels of self-awareness and authenticity. The higher people were in performance the greater their level of self-awareness and authenticity became. The great news about this is that self-awareness and authenticity are acquired talents and as things you can develop - you can develop your ability to reach the 5th level of performance AKA The Genius Level.

Mr. Timothy A. McGinty is the published co-author of the highly regarded Wake Up... Live the Life You Love series. This series is a collaborative effort with such inspirational leaders as Tony Robbins, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Brian Tracey, Steven E, and Lee Beard.

Mr. McGinty is also the author of "Your Blissful Life", a book which takes the reader by the hand and walks them through a process for defining their "Blissful Life" and the action plan for achieving it.

Imagine Yourself... is an organization focused on enabling clients "breakthrough" in achieving their success. Mr. McGinty has helped many organizations and individuals discover their passion, define the life balance they seek, develop strategies for achieving that balance, and held them accountable for reaching their goals. His clients have been so successful that Mr. McGinty is known as "The Breakthrough Guy"

Imagine Yourself...
13477 Prospect Rd. Suite 204
Strongsville, Ohio 44149
Telephone: 440-236-6519
Web: http://www.timothymcginty.com
E-mail: tim@timothymcginty.com

Is Busy A Good Thing - Self Help Tips

"Dan, you've been in the office since early this morning, do you want to go for a walk?"
"Id love to but I'm too busy."

"I've got supper ready. Can you stop for a few minutes to eat with me?"
"Thanks Carol but, I'd better not. I'm too busy."

"Dan, it's 11:30. Are you going to quit for the day and get some rest?"
"I'm busy right now. I'll finish this first."

Busy. Do you use that word?

It seems that many people choose to wear the "busy" word as a badge of honour, as if it indicates productiveness, worthiness, and success.

My perception is that the "busy" word is the curse of the new millennium.

"Busy" is a thought-choice. When we verbalize the thought by saying, "I am busy," it reaffirms the thought, magnifies it in our mind, and proves to us that we are busy. "Busy" creates physiological reactions in our body. Our muscles become tense; we lose focus, become irritable, and may experience anger. "Busy" causes great stress and the result is the common cold, headaches, heartaches, and dis-ease.

Common Cold

Im not talking about the sniffles and coughing. The common cold I refer to is our habitual lack of attention to and compassion toward others we are cold to them. Because we are so "busy," we don't take the time to listen to others. We assume we know what they are thinking, and make judgements based upon our assumptions. The common cold eventually destroys relationships.

Headaches

When we convince ourselves that we are "busy." our head begins to swim with confusion and yes, it may even hurt. We think we have so much to do and not nearly enough time. We attempt to multi-task, which is physically impossible. We can do only one thing at a time. When we choose to be "busy," we bounce back and forth between duties and projects and none of them are completed. Or they are not done well.

Heartaches

"Busy"-ness often leads to neglect, resentment, and apathy toward others, and especially to those closest to us our life-partners, children, family, and friends. We tend to not treat them in a loving, caring way because we are too "busy." They may think you are a pain in the butt. That may be true and hearts ache and are being broken.

Dis-ease

Ease is a state of effortlessness and simplicity. In the state of ease, we experience love, joy, and happiness. "Busy"-ness creates dis-ease (lack of ease), and a state of hard work, struggle, and difficulty. In this state, we experience hurt, anger, fear, and sorrow.

With these things in mind, do you still want to be busy?

As usual, I have a challenge for you, if you choose to accept it. Don't get your shorts in a knot; there are only two things.

1. Give yourself a "busy-ectomy." Eliminate the word "busy" from your vocabulary (mentally and orally). Every time the "busy" thought enters your mind, or you start to say it, stop yourself. Instead say things like, "I've got some great projects on the go" or "I'm really enjoying the challenges in front of me" or "I have ample time to do the things I need to do."

2. Consciously notice the changes in how you feel, think, and act.

If you think you're too "busy" to accept my challenge, change your mind. Just as you chose to be "busy," you can choose another experience. At least notice how often the word "busy" is used by people around you, and be aware of how it affects them. Does it do the same for you?

In the past, I was so "busy" making a living that I didn't take time for a life. Since I eliminated "busy." I am more focussed, at ease, and productive. I find that I have oodles more fun making a living and having a life. I experience great pleasure, joy, and happiness in everything I do. Yup, everything. It is a choice I make.

Trash the "busy" badge, turn up the edges of your mouth, jiggle, chortle, snigger, bellow out a big "yahoo" and have fun!

Copyright 2007

Dan Ohler is Thinkin' Outside The Barn!

Dan writes and speaks internationally on relationships, happiness, and change. Through Dan's insights & humour you learn to apply the basics of human psychology the natural laws that create life-long flourishing relationships, and abounding success

Visit Thinkin' Outside The Barn
for FREE how-you-can-do-it-too articles. You can see Dan in action, or order your copy of "Thinkin' Outside The Barn And Steppin' Into Fresh B.S" while youre there!

Review of Energy Awareness Training

My name is Anita and I'm a therapy junkie - or, rather, I was. Like many people, I spent much of my time looking for something that would 'fix' me. In particular, I wanted something that would cure the Irritable Bowel Syndrome that had plagued my life for over a decade, leaving me exhausted and demotivated.

As luck would have it, prior to the birth of my son, I worked as a health journalist, which meant I was able to try out, and review, a diverse range of complementary and alternative therapies over the years. Some treatments I found helpful, others less so, but none was completely effective. Some - like yoga and reiki - I stuck with, others came and went.

And then, earlier this year, a friend told me about the Energy Awareness Training offered by Stephen and Lynda Kane. The theory behind the practice is that it's possible to develop your awareness so you become able to distinguish between energy-promoting and energy-depleting choices - whether about foods and supplements, people, places or activities. These choices, of course, having a knock-on effect on every area of your life, from work and relationships to finances, home, health and happiness.

Inspired by my friend's enthusiasm - not to mention her glowing skin and bright demeanour - I decided to give it a go. After all, what did I have to lose? I signed up for the very next training session, which happened to be taking place in my home town. It seemed like a good sign...

Despite the details I had downloaded from the website, I realised that I had little idea of what to expect. As a health journalist, yoga teacher and reiki healer, I consider myself to have at least some awareness of my body's energy, but I couldn't imagine how we could learn to work with something so intangible. Would it all be hopelessly theoretical and vague?

I needn't have worried. The course was decidedly practical in nature, and the techniques taught were straight-forward, accessible, and, above all, extraordinarily empowering.

Over the weekend, we practised a series of exercises designed to increase our awareness of the energies within and around us, working initially with external aids, before graduating to more subtle 'body awareness' techniques. We learnt how to accurately discover what foods and supplements were 'right' and 'wrong' for us. And how the environment and everything in it, from material objects to directions we face and colours, affects us. We even learnt how to check out our emotional responses, bypassing our surface knee-jerk reactions to people and situations, to access the body's innate wisdom.

In particular, I was fascinated by the results of the food testing. Items I had religiously avoided for years came out as okay for me, including wheat and red wine, while many I perceived as 'good', such as bananas, tomatoes, peppers and potatoes, turned out to be affecting me detrimentally, as my experience has subsequently shown.

We were also led through several unique energy-cultivating exercises, known as 'weaves'. Reminiscent of tai chi, these sequenced movements strengthen and clear the body's chakras (energy-centres) and energy-field, retrieving lost energy and generating new awareness.

Perhaps most eye-opening, though, was the work we did with a special energy protection device called an Energy Egg. I couldn't understand how this white egg-shaped aventurine crystal could possibly work, but Stephen convincingly demonstrated how it protected against energetic stresses in the room.

All in all, the course was both enlightening and comprehensive, and, by the end of the second day, we felt we had been equipped with a complete holistic toolbox of energy techniques.

Two months on, my toolbox is in daily use and I can't imagine being without it. Best of all, though, my IBS has totally disappeared - and, as an added bonus, after years of feeling blocked, I've finally written the novel I'd always been meaning to write.

When I first looked at the Energy Awareness website, I remember one of the testimonials catching my eye. It described the training as 'life-changing' - I assumed the person was exaggerating. I don't any more. The Energy Awareness Training can change your life. I know, because it's changed mine.

2008, Anita Hall. Reprints welcomed so long as the by-line below is included and all links made live.

Anita Hall is a health journalist, yoga teacher and energy awareness practitioner. She has taken and recommends the Energy Awareness Training and the Rainbow of Happiness with the School of Energy Awareness at http://www.eat.energyawareness.org

Six Steps to Stop Delaying What You Want to Do

Step One: List the costs and benefits of doing the task you are putting off. Examine each list and weigh each side. If the result of weighing the costs and the benefits points to doing the behavior then proceed to Step Two.

Step Two: Plan a specific step toward accomplishing your goal. The step you decide to take should be easily accomplished a brief period of time. You may have to break down your goal into several components. The old saying that every journey begins with one step applies to setting goals. Choose one step and don't worry about reaching the long-term goal.

Step Three: Take a moment to anticipate any barriers or problems that may interfere with your goal. Anticipating problems can help you to find a solution before you become discouraged. For example, you know that you are going to a party where there are going to be snacks but your goal is to not eat between meals. By anticipating this, you can take steps to eat a meal before you go to the party so that you are full when you arrive.

Step Four: Identify negative thoughts that undermine your effort. Some typical thoughts include:

• I must accomplish every goal.
• There is no use in trying because I have failed to accomplish this in the past.
• There is so much to accomplish, I feel overwhelmed; I don't know where to start.
• I'm going to be miserable trying to accomplish this goal.

Step Five: Establish a means for accountability. Set up some way to evaluate your progress and share your outcome with at least one other person. Help this individual to know that you are looking for encouragement not criticism. You may want to develop a method for charting your progress or simply develop a rating scale for yourself. For example, you could rate your progress toward your goal on a 1 to 100 scale each day. Make the evaluation simple and not a burden to complete.

Step Six: Plan to reward yourself for progress toward the goal, not just for reaching the goal. The reward can be a simple statement like, "You are doing great!" or you may want to reward yourself with a more lavish reward.

Setting My Goal

What is my goal that I want to accomplish?

If I were to take a step toward that goal today, what could I attempt to do?

What obstacles might I encounter from others that would interfere with this goal? How can I overcome these obstacles?

What internal obstacles might undermine my efforts? How might I prevent these thoughts or attitudes interfering with my effort to reach this goal?

Take a minute to imagine yourself reaching this goal. Now anticipate rewarding yourself with positive thoughts and benefits from reaching this goal. How do you want to be rewarded? Who can you include in your plans to reach this goal? Seek out someone who can hold you accountable without being critical or discouraging.

Lee Horton is a psychologist with more than 25 years treating adults with depression and anxiety. Visit his website http://www.counselinginmemphis.com to evaluate your mood and learn more about Dr. Horton's approach to treating mood disorders.

How Many Disciples Were There, Really

Gregs Videos
Fighting In Gods Name
Power Of Visualization
Get Something Out Of Worship Or