Self Improvement

Awaken your senses through self hypnosis

2009-07-30T23:07:00.003+08:00

The modern world has brought people a lot of preoccupation. It made living faster yet complicated, it made interactions wider yet shorter, and it made communication easier yet brief. Despite the so many preoccupations brought by media created by people, there are also those who would want to get back to their original self and connect with it in the most basic possible means. One of these is self hypnosis. Defined as a "process involving a hypnotist and a subject who agrees to be hypnotized," self hypnosis is characterized by intense concentration, extreme relaxation, and high suggestibility to both parties.
Experts say that the self hypnosis is versatile. In fact, its versatility can be quite unparalleled. Today, self hypnosis can take place in various social settings and continue to change social settings dramatically. Unlike before where settings of self hypnosis are quite limited, today the sessions between the hypnotist and the subject can take place in common places such as clinics, showrooms, classrooms, and even to open spaces and establishments.
Other experts use self hypnosis in order to recover suppressed memories of people who have had bad experiences to help them overcome the problems that they are dealing with right now while other psychologists and hypnotherapists use hypnosis to discover hidden truths from a person's ordinary consciousness. This is done by tapping into the unconscious state or mind where information are believed to dwell.
GETTING INTO SELF HYPNOSIS
Many perceive that self hypnosis as a trance-like altered state of a person's consciousness while others believe that it is a way of accessing a person's unconscious mind that is filled to suppressed memories, repressed multiple personalities, various magical insights, and unforgettable memories of the past life. But, in the world of psychology, self hypnosis is considered as altered state and gateway to knowledge about one's self and the universe he or she is living in.
Today, self hypnosis is not only used for treating various behavioral problems but also for self-enhancement and improvement. If you are planning to get into hypnosis or self-hypnosis, there are so many things you need to consider. Experts say that self hypnosis is one of the excellent ways of taking control over one's life. In fact, it can be used as means of disciplining yourself if you want to achieve a specific goal. For some people, self-hypnosis is advisable if you want to achieve something and utmost dedication and discipline is needed. Hypnosis introduction can benefit those who would want to lose or gain weight; those who want to boost their self-confidence; and those who would want to overcome their fears or phobias because it can help them contemplate a lot on the things that they need to do.
If you are planning to get a course on self hypnosis, you can expect that it can teach you to reach your subconscious mind through bypassing your conscious mind as well as how to communicate with your subconscious mind, methods of creating your own hypnosis scripts and visualizations, how to design and use affirmations, the effects and use of symbols on the subconscious mind, how to understand which methods will be most effective for you personally, deepening your trance state and using visualizations, adapting to scripts to suit various problems, how to change your personal history and plan a more effective future and how to understand your dreams as well.

What self-hypnosis is all about

2009-07-30T23:01:00.001+08:00

Self-hypnosis has become one of the hottest ways to help people cope with their addiction. Of course, this is not something that you can use for instance when you are addicted to drugs or when you have a bad case of mental disorder. For the most part, self-hypnosis works for addictions that are not deeply-rooted and does not involve any forms of withdrawal.
One of the most common uses of self-hypnosis nowadays is towards self-improvement and personality shift. If you want for instance to suddenly become more patient and manage your anger well, this is the procedure for you. The same goes with people who want to excel academically by enhancing their memory and concentration skills. Self-hypnosis is also found to be effective when it comes to helping relive pain after a medical procedure or when pain is one of the symptoms. There are some who have even used self-hypnosis to quit smoking although it was not completely effective in all of the cases. According to experts, the effectiveness of the procedure will still depend on the individual’s own personality and response. There are people who are much easier to hypnotize than others.
Despite its more modern uses, self-hypnosis or hypnosis in general has been part of the world’s history since time immemorial. The Egypt for instance found this a good thing and likened it to spiritualism. The Church however do not condone the use of hypnosis and have even been mentioned in the past as one way to open the mind to the devil. New age believers however feel that hypnosis is an untapped science that can help the humankind when utilized better.
Contrary to what most believe, self-hypnosis is safe, perhaps even safer than professionally administered hypnosis because you are basically in control of your own mind. You are not surrendering complete control to the hypnotist. This is good especially if you are not really sure on the abilities of your hypnotist. Doing it yourself can however have a downside. One of them is its slow rate of response. You may need to wait awhile before you can actually notice a change in your behavior. You may have to work real hard for it as opposed to sitting pretty in the company of a professional hypnotist.
This “your own effort” bit is most often what attracts people to self-hypnosis. If you must remember, one of the earlier criticisms against hypnosis is the fact that patients are not essentially changing their behavior but having someone tweak it for them. There is no hard work involved nor there is an intrinsic change to speak of. However, even with the emphasis on doing it on your own, you still need the guidance of a professional hypnotist. In fact before starting the session, you need to get instructions from them. They will also answer all your questions and guide you through your sessions. There is still professional involvement in the sense that they will be monitoring your progress.
On what is more effective, self-hypnosis or professionally-administered, the jury is still out. According to industry experts, a lot depends on the patient who may respond well or not well to a hypnosis session. Still, the mere fact that you can have complete control over yourself even during a hypnosis session already makes self-hypnosis the better choice for most people.

Relief for Knee Pain

2009-07-30T19:08:00.002+08:00

Have you ever had a knee injury? Knee injuries are quite painful and people suffering from such a condition will immediately look for effective pain relief. Your knees are one of the most important body parts. If you encounter repetitive knee injuries or accidents, you should know about the various techniques to ease the pain.
When you encounter any injury or accident, you must attend to it at once. You can use this technique which is more popularly known as RICE. ‘R’ stands for rest. You need to take a rest after you’ve cleaned the wound or injury. Place your legs in a relaxing position. ‘I’ stands for ice. Put ice over your knees. ‘C’ is for compression and it is important when you have a knee accident. ‘E’ stands for elevation so don’t forget to elevate them as well.
A lot of pressure is exerted on the knees so you need to ensure that when you have a knee accident, the pressure is removed. Rest is vital if you want to relieve pain. Don’t even try to put your knees at work. Blood flow should be slowed down and you can do this by placing ice over the affected area. By doing so, you can reduce swelling. Get some bandage and put it over the injury. Don’t make it too tight. The healing process is also promoted through elevation. Try elevating your knees and you will notice that there is less pain.
Repetitive injuries can cause progressive pain. You can get rid of the pain by taking pain relievers. Ointments and creams are also available without doctor’s prescription. Again, don’t remove the bandages because it will help in stabilizing your knees. The discomfort is already part of the injury but you can still reduce it to moderate by taking medicines.
You will need immediate professional assistance once you meet a knee injury. Consult an orthopedic expert or a pharmacist so that you will know what to do. Don’t take medicines without a doctor’s supervision because it might worsen your condition. The orthopedic physician can teach you effective exercises and methods that can ease the pain of the injury. It may take a while before you can exert pressure on your knees again but it’s worth the wait; if you put your knees at rest, complete healing can come sooner. Always follow the doctor’s instructions and if you need to take medicines, take them on time and at the right dosage.
You can’t do your routine activities if have a knee injury so make sure that you recover from it as soon as possible. Thanks to the modern technology of today, there are now countless medicines (natural and conventional), techniques, and other procedures that can speed up healing.
Affected individuals should also be determined to get well. If you think positively and you’re doing everything to get rid of the pain, you will gain positive results. Your brain tells you when you’re in pain and to some individuals it’s all in the mind. While you’re trying to recover from the injury, don’t think too much about the pain because it will only get worse. Watch a movie, read a book, etc. but make sure that you maintain a resting position. If you don’t exert pressure on your knees, your knees will be in shape once more.

Relief for Chronic Pain Naturally

2009-07-30T19:07:00.003+08:00

Are you currently suffering from chronic pain? If your answer is yes, how do you relieve such pain? It’s natural for the body to look for pain relief when it is in pain or when it’s not functioning properly. Is there really a need to look for relief for chronic pain? This is a question that deserves a very good answer.
All the techniques to relieve pain are based on the philosophy that in order to be an effective pain relief tool, it should be able to manipulate the body. Some examples are shakes and applying pressure in the affected area.
People today are always busy and they don’t have enough time to rest. Most of their time is dedicated to work and other household responsibilities. Indeed, you need to tell your body to work doubly hard in order to earn good income but you’re also putting too much stress on your body. If this continues, you will suffer from chronic pain.
Getting a massage every now and then can really make you feel good. But do you really think that if you force ‘pain relievers’ to your life, you will feel better?
Well, you’re wrong. There is no need to force the pain relief techniques. If you can manipulate the therapies or techniques to relieve pain, you can expect better results.
People are already used to ‘doing’ something in order to achieve a certain goal. By doing so, people are stressed out which brings about chronic pain. It is very easy for people to forget that they are just human beings.
Try to observe nature. What do you see? You can see birds flying, trees swaying, wind blowing, and plants growing all over the fields. As you may have noticed, these things happen naturally and no force is required.
According to studies, people who suffer from chronic pain should forget about ‘doing’ something about the pain. So what can you do? You can try relaxation and meditation. However, you might find it difficult to do this especially when you’re feeling excessive pain.
In every therapeutic or meditation process, it is vital for you to relax. To some individuals, the pain will become more evident when they are in a relaxed state. Try to find a position where joints are centered and your voluntary muscles are disengaged. Quiet your mind; don’t think about the pain. Feel the stillness around you. Soon you will realize that your body is no longer in pain.
This idea may seem ridiculous since people are already used to ‘doing’. However, if you try it now, you will not lose anything. So what are you waiting for? If you’re suffering from chronic pain, find a comfortable position where you can relax. It would be best to do this at home. Lie comfortably and put your body at rest. Forget about everything and empty your mind of thoughts. Try to feel the silence and stillness. Think positively so that your brain will not think of the pain.
Before you even think that this technique is not effective, try it out yourself. By the time you’ve finished this technique, you will notice that the pain is going away. Don’t expect immediate results. It may take some time especially if you’ve been suffering from chronic pain for a several years now. Just try to be patient because your efforts will be rewarded and there are no costs involved.

Pain Relief – Lower Back

2009-07-30T19:06:00.005+08:00

The work environment varies but in most cases, jobs require employees to sit all day on their desk doing tons of paperwork and other tasks. Sitting for a very long period can cause lower back pain. Just imagine that you’ll be sitting on your office chair for the rest of the year every day. It’s no wonder many employees suffer from stress and constant pain particularly on their lower back. This is the best time to choose an effective pain relief.
True enough, sitting at the office is less strenuous as compared to hiking, biking, or traversing rough trails. Because of the sedentary lifestyle of many people, their bodies suffer greatly. According to studies, back pain is a very common condition and most of today’s workforce is suffering from it. With the cool atmosphere provided by the air-conditioning systems and limited body movement, the body is inactive all throughout the day. There may be ways to address pain on the lower back but most of them are not effective.
People whose jobs are office-based tend to suffer from back pain which includes the lower portions of the back. The pain may be chronic especially to those who have been working at the office for a long time. New office-based employees are just beginning to feel such pain and if you don’t want the pain to last, you should make use of the appropriate pain relief. As you can see, lower back pain should be addressed at the soonest possible time for best results.
There are lots of online and offline resources that can help you in addressing back pain. However, not all these stuff work. eBooks on pain relief are all over the internet and they offer possible solutions for your back pain. If one treatment doesn’t work, you can always try another one. Don’t resort to drugs and surgery. If you simply take time in looking for effective pain relief treatments, you will surely find one that you can afford and one that will work for you.
Lower back pain starts with the muscles around the spine. When the muscles are weak or quite tight, you will feel pain. It is very important that you have good blood circulation as it can also bring about back pain. Even when you’re in the office, you should stretch up a little. Don’t just sit down. Try to move from time to time; stand up and stretch your arms. By doing so, you can reduce the tension on your lower back. When muscles are stretched and moved, it will not become too tight.
You need to lie down on the floor and under your knees, you need to put pillows. Bend your knees and feet. By doing this position, the weight is taken off from your back. If your back still hurts, you should lie down in this position. Try to walk from time to time to get those muscles moving.
If you feel muscle spasms, use heating pads. You can use it for 20-30 minutes. For additional relief, you can also try massages and ice packs. Some individuals take non prescription medications like aspirin, naproxen, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and ketoprofen. These medicines can reduce swelling and pain.
Search for the best lower back pain relief that you can use at home or in the office. You can do the exercise; take medicines, and many others. The choice is yours.

Pain Relief Info

2009-07-30T19:06:00.002+08:00

What is the definition of pain? According to medical experts, it is an unpleasant emotional and sensory experience. It is oftentimes associated with damaged body tissues. Pain is a personal experience and it varies from one individual to another. Pain management is a discipline used by medical professionals today in order to cope with pain. Trained physicians can help patients suffering from acute, chronic, and progressive pain in eliminating the unpleasant experience.
Trauma can lead to acute pain. It is reversible but there is a need to correct any underlying problem. Chronic pain is caused by certain conditions that can’t be easily diagnosed. In this case, it will be quite difficult to reverse it; typical examples are referred pain, neuropathy, and cancer. If you’re suffering from such conditions, pain management is introduced individually to meet the varying needs of the sufferer. Pain is already a symptom of the disease so it would be impossible to remove it at once.
Pain management is a multi disciplinary approach used by only qualified professionals. The approach is a combination of interventional procedures, narcotics, and analgesics. Aside from that, the approach also involves cognitive therapy and biofeedback, also known as psychological measures. Practitioners of pain management are considered experts in their own medical field. Medical professionals who practice pain management include psychiatrists, neurologists, anesthesiologists, and physiatrists. These individuals are experts in handling pain, whether in the use of drugs and in other interventional measures.
Nurses and doctors give particular attention to pain management because it is a major area in the medical field. When treating various kinds of diseases, pain management is already part of the treatment program especially in the case of serious accidents, tumors, and cancer.
With the help of the doctors, nurses, and other concerned personnel, the patient will better understand his or her condition. If they know what they are dealing with, it will be easier to address the pain problem.
Pain is not always physical. Some individuals tend to suffer from emotional pain. It is vital that pain sufferers consult the appropriate medical expert. In most cases, referrals are being utilized. If a certain medical practitioner can’t handle the pain problem, the patient will be referred to the appropriate pain management expert.
Not all patients are willing to take drugs and other interventional measures provided by medical experts. Some say that they don’t want to experience the side effects of such drugs or medications. For those individuals who are tired of using conventional medicines to handle pain, they can turn to alternative pain relief tools.
What are these alternative approaches? It includes yoga, Reiki, herbs, and other natural means of relieving pain. If you want to opt for these approaches, it would be best to consult the experts and experienced individuals. In the case of herbs, you can search the internet for local herbalists to help you with the herbal preparations. If you want to learn more about yoga or Reiki, you should contact the yoga practitioners in your area. Learning from the experts will ensure your safety and the effectiveness of such approach. There are also online resources that can help you finding videos, CDs or DVDs on meditation techniques.
Pain relief can be addressed using conventional medicine but the pain sufferer can also opt for the alternative methods. It’s a good thing that people today can choose the best treatment that suits their needs.

Pain Relief for Your Aching Muscles

2009-07-30T19:05:00.001+08:00

Soft tissues are vulnerable to injuries, both chronic and acute. The best way to repair injured soft tissues is through hands-on approach. Consult a chiropractic doctor or an osteopath because they know how to manipulate the soft tissues and how to mobilize them. Aside from that, you can also try physical therapy and massage.
Individuals who haven’t tried Massage Therapy are hesitant to try such approach and they get really nervous. Well, you’re not the only person who’s anxious of getting a massage. Oftentimes, patients tend to ask question like if they need to take off their clothes, if they should talk to the massager, or what they would do just in case they get uncomfortable. These are common questions that require immediate answers.
Firstly, you need to look for a massage therapist in your area. You can ask for referrals or you can check out the different massage parlors in your locality. Once you find a massage parlor, it’s now time to talk with the therapist. You will be asked to provide some vital information about your health and your current health concerns. You see, the therapist needs to analyze your condition so that he or she can determine what techniques to use and what not to use. This is important to ensure your safety.
Aside from the personal questions, the therapist will also ask you about your preference when it comes to the actual therapy. The therapist will try to meet all your preferences to ensure comfort. The most commonly used oils are lavender, cajeput, and tea tree oil but you will still be asked to choose scented oils. The reason why therapists prefer these oils is because they soothe inflammations and irritations. The oils also desensitize and penetrate nerve endings, thereby giving pain relief. However, if the therapist doesn’t ask you, you can bring up your concerns and preferences.
The question of getting undressed is another consideration. Therapists prefer to work with a patient who doesn’t have clothes on because they can easily work on the different areas of the body. However, if you’re uncomfortable in such setting, you can talk to your therapist about it. Besides, you will not be asked to expose your whole body because you will use a drape. If you still want to wear clothes, make sure that you wear loose clothes so that the therapist can still work well on the affected areas of your body.
You will simply lie down on the massage table. Some tables have bolsters for more comfort. There are also times when you will be asked to move so that the therapist can better access the area being massaged. If the position makes you uncomfortable, tell the therapist at once.
During the therapy, you can talk to the therapist or you can remain silent. When changing positions, then there is a need to talk but after that, there is no need to converse with the therapist. It is up to you to tell the therapist if you like a conversation during the therapy or if you prefer to be silent.
Don’t worry if your body is oily after the massage. The therapist will help you in removing them so that the oils will not stain your clothes.
Massage is an effective pain relief tool. Why don’t you try it now?

Pain Relief and Yoga

2009-07-30T19:04:00.003+08:00

Are you in pain? If you are, then you will be glad to hear that there is another pain relief option available to you – Yoga. A lot of individuals suffering from any kind of pain are now turning to alternative methods to relieve pain. They have grown tired of using medicines or drugs which oftentimes have undesirable side effects.
A great number of people are suffering from chronic pain and for quite some time now, they were able to spend a huge amount of money in purchasing pain relievers. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get rid of pain. Read on and you will find out how to naturally address your body aches in an inexpensive way.
Perhaps you’re already familiar with meditation. People who are suffering from pain can benefit greatly from mind and body medicine. Through centuries, meditation was used by people to achieve a relaxed state of mind and body. It is truly an effective tool in relieving pain. Aside from relieving pain, meditation can also maintain your overall health and it helps in boosting the body’s resistance against diseases.
If you want to cope with pain, try meditation now. Meditation techniques are now being taught in some clinics all over the world. Stress is a very common cause of pain which can lead to headaches, eczema, arthritis, back pains, and other health conditions. Meditation can also work for almost anything especially if you do it right.
The body produces endorphins and this hormone is said to give humans a good feeling. It is also helps in alleviating stress and in reducing pain. Through meditation, the production of endorphins is enhanced so you will soon feel better.
When you’re meditating, your brain is in a coherent and synchronous state. Large quantities of endorphins are produced so you will feel good. You will be at peace. It’s easier to feel happy and connected to your body and mind.
Pleasurable experiences stimulate the brain and because of this fact, it will be easier to overcome pain and depression. Yoga meditation makes use of different techniques and you can choose only the ones you prefer.
Breathing is usually the initial step to achieve awareness. Breathing patterns are followed to provide body relaxation. When the breathing rate is slowed down, your body will also calm down and relax. If your body is relaxed, you will also feel less pain.
When meditating, you will also ponder on the realities of life and its ever changing concepts. You must be able to understand yourself in order to view things differently. When your perspectives are changed, you will also begin to deal with problems or pain effectively. Inner peace is achieved and you will feel more in control of your life. Emotional transformation can improve your overall health and it helps in reducing physical symptoms and pain.
Pain and anxiety can also be effectively addressed through visualization techniques. You will simply imagine a relaxing and pleasant place or activity from your past. By doing so, you will feel calm and relaxed thereby reducing pain.
Through meditation, chi or prana flows through your body giving you more energy. Such energy can be directed to improve health conditions and relieve pain. Yoga meditation has its benefits and for centuries, people have already proved its efficacy. Learn the various yoga meditation techniques now and use it as a pain relief tool.

Pain Relief and Hypnosis

2009-07-30T19:04:00.001+08:00

For many years now, hypnosis has and is still being used for different purposes. Did you know that it can also be an effective tool for pain relief?
Hypnosis is just another alternative method to rid your body of pain but you should not use it as a substitute for medical examinations. Pain can be eliminated using different hypnosis techniques. Is there really a connection between pain relief and hypnosis? Read on and you will find out.
You’re probably aware by now that your brain is responsible for telling your body that it is in pain. Hypnosis is a method that concentrates on the minds of its patients. Now, if hypnosis can tell your brain that there is no pain, then there is a possibility that you won’t feel any pain.
People tend to have different pain levels. For instance, mild irritation can be viewed by others as agony. Pain is not the same among individuals. What might seem very painful to you may be just slight pain to your friend. Hypnosis works on your subconscious mind and it redirects the body’s pain indicators. Such pain indicators should not reach the brain because once it does, you will feel pain.
Giving birth is really painful. In some clinics and hospitals, women who give birth utilize hypnosis as a pain killer and it really works. However, hypnosis can only be performed by an experienced individual. Although some patients may welcome it, there are still others who hesitate to try it. They fear that such technique won’t work and the pain will persist.
If you want to get rid of the pain you’re feeling, you should always think positive. Chronic pain can be very irritating as it affects your routine activities. According to some studies, hypnosis can address chronic pain. Hypnosis sessions should be done regularly for better results. Who can benefit from hypnosis as a pain relief method? Individuals suffering from hip pain, knee pain, arthritis, and chronic pain can turn to hypnosis for pain relief.
Even those patients who lost their limbs (i.e. arms and legs) can turn to hypnosis. Losing an arm or a leg is devastating. Even if the wounds are healed, the patient still feels pain. Hypnosis is an excellent tool to get rid of the pain. It will also help the individual in accepting his present condition. Acceptance is important in getting rid of the pain. Again, it’s all in the mind. If you tell your mind that everything’s fine and that it’s okay to have lost an arm/leg, the pain will gradually disappear; find a qualified individual who performs hypnosis in your area. If you want, you can also ask how much it’s going to cost you. Oftentimes, the rate is per session of the hypnosis. If you can afford to pay for regular sessions, then you can start as soon as possible.
Pain receptors are quick but if a certain method or medicine can redirect it, the pain will surely be gone in no time. Search the internet now for professionals who practice hypnosis. There are lots of online resources that can help you out. If you’re still unsure about this procedure, do a bit of research. By learning more about this effective procedure, you will have no second thoughts in trying it out. Hurry and try it now especially if you’re suffering from chronic or progressive pain.

Pain Relief and Arthritis

2009-07-30T19:03:00.002+08:00

According to medical experts, when you have arthritis, you’re likely to suffer other diseases. People who have arthritis often feel joint pains because it is accompanied by inflammation. Arthralgia is the medical term for the joint pain. There are over 40 million arthritis sufferers in the United States and they are all continuously looking for effective pain relief. The disease is considered debilitating because sufferers can hardly stand the inflammation and pain.
Arthritis can affect different parts of your body but in most cases, the pain and inflammation occurs on the – tendinitis, fibromyalgia, sclerodermal, and joint types or articular. Tendinitis aims at the tendons; Sclerodermal refers to the thickening of the connective tissue and skin; when the muscles become tender and sore especially when touched, it is called fibromyalgia; and the articular refers to lupus or gout and it can be really painful.
You can’t really tell when arthritis is going to hit you; whether you’re young or old, you can suffer from arthritis. At present, a majority of arthritis sufferers have Osteo-Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. People who have these conditions feel persistent back and joint pains. The causes of Osteo-arthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis are different, as well as the effects and risk factors. If you’re also suffering from the same symptoms, you can choose among the different pain relief devices, drugs, and products sold in the market.
In the US, Osteo-arthritis affects more or less 21 million individuals in different age ranges. If you have this condition, it’s natural to have swollen limbs. Your joint cartilage is affected and it also results to stiffness. The condition is commonly called OA and it can affect different body parts like the spine, hips, knees, and fingers. Other parts like the ankles, shoulders, elbows, and wrists can also be affected but this seldom happens. According to medical experts, these parts are subject to OA if there is a history of unusual stress or injury. Physical trauma and repetitive injury during early age can also cause OA.
The common OA symptoms are intermittent or steady joint pain, stiffness especially an inactive period, tenderness or swelling of a joint/joints, and crunchy feeling when you use your joints.
The only way to determine if you have OA is through an x-ray test. If the symptoms are already present, the doctor will request an x-ray test. The x-ray results will reveal the cartilage deformation as well as the tissues around it. Joint Aspiration can also be performed by a qualified doctor. A synovial fluid will be taken from your affected joints with the use of a tiny needle.
Rheumatoid arthritis is another dreaded condition because it is characterized by chronic and progressive pain of the joints. The synovial tissues tend to increase in size and this is called hyperplasia. This condition provokes bone and cartilage destruction. Damaged cells will eventually die and it also promotes abnormal growth of the surrounding tissues.
Natural products like cod liver, olive oil, and ginger act as pain relievers. These are renowned and affordable products which can relieve pain effectively. Try them out now and see the pain relievers can also work for you. When you feel chronic and progressive joint pains, consult a doctor right away because you may be suffering from arthritis already. It would be best to address your condition at an early stage to prevent the onset of undesirable effects of the disease.

Essential Information on Pain Relief

2009-07-30T19:03:00.001+08:00

As you know, too much of anything is not good. This also applies to the use of drugs for pain relief. Being too dependent on drugs is also not good for your body. Because of this fact, many people are now turning to electronic machines or devices for pain relief. If you don’t want to feel any side effects from the use of pain reliever drugs, the best option would be the devices or machines. Such digital machines are convenient because once you wear them the pain relieving action takes effect. Your routine activities are not even affected.
Have you ever about the effectiveness of TENs? TENs or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation works through your skin. In order to use it, you will put the patch on the skin area where you feel any pain. This conductive patch will serve as the entry point of the electrical impulses from the TENs machine.
Your brain tells you that you’re in pain. The electronic impulses from the machine block the sensory nerves of your body so that the pain signals cannot go to the brain. If the pain signals are blocked, you will not feel any pain; thus, resulting to pain relief. The machine generates signals that aid in the release of ‘feel good’ hormones or endorphin.
Back pain is quite common and if you’re also suffering from it, you can try using the machine. According to a Swedish study, the machine really works. In fact, about 70% of workers were satisfied of the pain relieving results of the TENs.
The recent TENs kits already comes with an electrical probe which can help in stimulating the acupuncture points of your body. The machines always come with cautions so that users will know where to put the pads. For neck and head pain, you should follow the machine instructions so that you can determine the acupuncture points or the channels. Read the manual carefully so that you won’t encounter any problems.
For the machine to be effective, you should know how to position the electrode pads. If you’re suffering from joint or muscle pain, the pads should be positioned near the pain source. For those suffering from nerve pain (sciatic), the pads should be placed over the sides of the spinal column and the leg’s top portion. Consult your medical specialist and ask about the machine. There are lots of medical practitioners out there who encourage the use of TENs. They can help you in effectively using the equipment. Proper placement of the electrode pads is vital. Always follow the guideline of the manufacturer so that you can get the best results. Keep in mind that the electrode pads should not be placed over the brain/neck/throat nerves, as well as near your eyes.
The machine allows users to control the electrical signals received by the body. You should always check for the settings of the machine. Muscle twitching is an indication that the control setting is too high. Make sure that you feel only tingling sensations when using the TENs.
Don’t use the machine without the supervision of a qualified medical professional. You see, not all pain conditions can be relieved by the machine. Through expert help, you can determine if the TENs is the most suitable pain relief option for you. Ask your doctor now and if he or she recommends the use of the machine, you can always try it out.

Alternative Pain Relief Options

2009-07-30T19:02:00.000+08:00

Certain drugs have undesirable effects and for this reason, a great number of individuals have second thoughts in using them. Here are alternative pain relief options for you.
Ever since humans existed, pain is already a part of life. Pain also has varying degrees. An individual can suffer from emotional pain, physical pain, etc. It would be impossible to avoid pain all the days of y9ur life. You must accept the fact that pain is part of life but if you don’t want to use conventional medicine, you can always turn to alternative methods.
Famous drugs can indeed help especially in the case of tooth extraction or when there is injury. Trademark medicines are numerous these days and there are also creams to relieve any kind of pain. For common pains, you can also use certain natural treatments and herbal supplements.
What are the alternative options for pain relief? Well, here they are:
Massage – many years ago, ancient civilization was already using massage to get rid of certain body pains. Oriental traditions believe that at the center of the massager’s palm is an energy source that can immediately rid the patient of pain. Its efficacy has long been proven. Have you ever heard about infant massage? Mothers are encouraged to give their babies infant massage to relieve muscular pains. At present, massage therapy is already considered a profession. If you don’t want to take medicines, consider this an effective and affordable pain relief option.
Acupuncture – this ancient science was first used in China. In this method, the acupuncturist inserts tiny needles to the ‘meridians’ found in the different parts of the body. You can find a lot of information about acupuncture on magazines, newspapers, and on the internet. If you want to choose this option, make sure that you contact a real acupuncturist to ensure your safety. Get only the professional.
Herbs – herbs have healing wonders. Depending on the location and nature of the pain, there is always an appropriate herb that you can use. You can now find natural herbal supplements and preparations for ease of use. Minor pains can be effectively addressed using herbs.
Relaxation Therapy - you need to achieve deep relaxation of the mind and body. A therapy is now widely prescribed by some medical experts; examples are Reiki and Yoga.
Even if you plan to use these alternative options, it is still important that you seek medical attention from a qualified professional. If you plan to turn to herbs, you need to consult an herbalist so that you can make the appropriate herbal preparations. The other alternative options also require professional attention so that you can ensure the efficacy and safety of such methods. It may take a while before you can see the effects but you need to be patient especially if you’re learning Reiki and Yoga.
If you exert a little effort in learning the alternative methods, you can achieve desirable results. For centuries, people relied on natural ways to relieve pain. There is no harm in trying and if such alternative methods don’t work, you can always go back to using conventional medicine. Safety should always be your first consideration when using pain relievers. Who would want to worsen their situation right? So what’s its going to be – massage, acupuncture, herbs, or relaxation therapy? Choose now and experience a different way to get rid of pain.

Overcoming Fear of Failure

2009-07-30T18:54:00.001+08:00

The Fear of Failure
Fear of failure is common for obvious reasons. People want success and yet only those who are brave enough to confront this type of fear are the ones able to rise above their fears and achieve whatever goals they have set for themselves. For those who were overcome with this fear, then they are prevented from realizing their potential.
The most destructive element entailed with the fear of failure is one's inability to take criticism or feedback well. Instead, they tend to magnify the mistakes they have created along the way until it overtakes their mind such that it is difficult to get rid of them. There are also instances wherein the fear of failure is so immense that people tend to limit themselves to the point of not trying for fear of failing.
Steps to Overcoming This Fear
Why must fear of failure be given attention on, you might ask. Unless you are able to let go of the fear of failure, then you are unable to achieve your desired result. Oftentimes, fear of failure produces negative thoughts that reduce your actual potential. You think you are incapable of achieving something when it fact you can.
Once you are brave enough to do something about this fear, then you are able to provide yourself more freedom to do what you need to do and succeed at it. Here are some basic methods you can try.
Do Something About the Fear
Fear of failure immobilizes you. You become so wrapped up with the fear that you will eventually fail that you rather not try. But when you don't try, you neither fail nor succeed. Therefore, make that decisive action towards conquering your fear. If you should fail, then you will create awareness of the factors that will contribute towards your success. If you succeed, then you can reward yourself with that.
Find Alternatives
There are several factors that contribute as to why you fail or succeed at doing something. Whichever it is, you need to look at your behavior towards something and the result achieved. But the most important step you can take is never to associate your failure with yourself. You can always get back up and try other alternative methods to achieve your goals. You can try doing things differently as the methods you use could be the reason why you failed in your attempt.
Learning From Failure
This is the best that you can take out from the experience and also one of the more effective ways to get rid of this fear. Instead of putting all the blame on yourself as to why you failed in your endeavors, take it as a learning experience instead. This will enable you to prevent failing in the future yet again. Consider the following questions as they can provide the answers in your need to conquer the fear of failure:
• Where did you commit mistakes?• How could you prevent the mistake from happening?• Where can I make improvements?
Failures must always be translated into a learning experience. That way, you have more opportunities to learn and do better. After all, if you have not experienced any type of failure, then you would not have the means towards changing for the better. In terms of conquering this type of fear, it is important that you learn how to confront and overcome them. Or else, you could end up repeating the same mistake or worse that your fear of failure could prevent you from following your goals.

Overcoming Dental Fear

2009-07-30T18:53:00.004+08:00

About Dental Fear
Dental fear is another common fear shared by many individuals. Despite the importance of dental care, there are quite many who despise the idea of going to the dentist for a visit. For some people, the pain associated with any type of dental problems is tied up with the fear of that dreaded visit to the dentist. Statistics reveal that dentists are the most feared out of any type of doctors.
It is no surprise as to why dental fear is so prevalent given the different situational causes to it.
Cause of Dental Fear
The fear of dentists vary in their intensity such that some people are afraid of undergoing intricate dental procedures while others dislike the idea of seeing the dentist at all. Due to the importance of dental care as part of taking care of your body, it is also important to assess your level of fear so you can undertake the necessary steps to overcome it.
If you examine the causes for dental fear, these are quite familiar. Therefore, you need to be able to identify them before you can think of ways to eliminate them.
• Previous terrible experience with a dentist.
• Fear of being embarrassed or ridiculed for your dental condition. This is quite problematic since your own fear is also the reason for your dental neglect in the first place.
• Fear of certain dental procedures, specially intricate ones that you might perceive as painful.
• Others own scary or terrible experiences with the dentist that impact your own perception about dentists and having a dental check-up on a whole.
• Fear of the anesthesia shots and needles registered by the dentist before proceeding to any dental procedure.
Behavioral Techniques To Overcome Dental Fear
As with any other types of fear, dental fear mostly takes place in the mind. Therefore, you can try to combat it with a few psychological methods that will enable you to confront this fear. By following them, you are not entirely guaranteed of being able to let go of that fear altogether. However, it can help you understand that this type of fear can be illogical and enable you to appreciate the importance of having frequent dental care.
The Comfort Zone
This is an important concept associated with psychological fears involved with your dental fear. Undergoing dental procedures can be scary, but you can get over that by re-learning the emotional responses solicited by the experience. This is most common among children. For example, you can try doing basic check up wherein the doctor examines the teeth using a mouth mirror. If a child shows no signs of fear from that, then you can proceed to a more elaborate test. Taking this step by step process and moving in slowly will enable the child or individual to remain in their comfort zone. This is a more useful approach among adults given that they can voice out their experience so that you remain as relaxed about the entire dental visit.
Knowing You're In Control
This one is related to the idea of the “comfort zone”, which is basically about letting your dentist know whether or not you are comfortable about the dental proceedings. It is important that you learn how to effectively communicate with your dentist so they remain aware about your state throughout the entire procedure. If at some point you become quite anxious about the situation, then it is best to send out warning signals so your dentist know when to stop or proceed.
Also, you need to keep it in mind that dental procedures are not going to hurt. That is what the numbing agent is for, which is also another reason why you should not fear those shots administered before any procedure. Once you have motivated yourself enough to dismiss all these thoughts of fear and anxiety, then you'd be able to come out of the procedure with a healthier dental condition.

Overcoming Childhood Fears

2009-07-30T18:52:00.002+08:00

About Childhood Fears
Fear affects anyone regardless of age. However, children are more prone to develop fears because they scope of understanding about society and things in general is still quite limited. The same also applies to their reasoning capacity in terms of identifying what is rational or irrational. Which is also the reason why childhood fears are often cited as irrational fears because they are mostly products of the mind and are not legitimate forms of fear where the feeling could create its source from.
One thing that everyone needs to understand though is that developing fear is completely normal. Some can develop at an early age or later in life, but they are always triggered by events or encounters in one's life. Whether it is caused by something you experienced yourself or have not but creates a certain level of fear, then it is important to identify where the source of fear is. These are what is referred to as rational fears. Irrational fears, on the other hand, are more commonly known as childhood fears since they are not triggered by actual material world and are often imaginary.
Since they are usually produced by your mind, then overcoming them could entail more work. Some say it is an effect caused by the development of a child's mental and emotional activity, as well as exposure to new people or environment. However, a few also insist that childhood fears must be conquered as it can potentially be harmful and limiting for the child.
How Do You Overcome Them?
Most individuals who suffer from childhood fears do not rely learn to let go of that fear and as a result carry that fear with them even when they're grown up. This level of fear is often categorized as childhood trauma though, and can be caused by extremely disturbing events in his or her childhood years.
But whether you are still a child going through these fears or an adult who has not completely overcome these fears, then it is not yet too late to look for ways to free yourself off these fears. One way to get started is to realize the extent of your fear and devise ways in which you can relieve the burden.
Here are two effective ways to face and conquer childhood fears.
Confronting Fears
Recognizing fears is your first step towards finding overcoming it. Unless you identify the source of your fears, you will never be able to find a solution or treatment for it. Since most childhood fears are irrational, it is best to talk about it with your friends or family members. Talking enables you to release any emotional burden that you experience as an effect of these childhood fears. Though it seem rather easy, talking about your childhood fears to other people is never easy. However, you need to be open with this idea in order to relieve any tension.
Seeking Professional Help
If you are not open to the idea of discussing your fears with family or friends, then seeking professional help is the best step towards overcoming childhood fears. Psychological experts are equipped with the proper training and knowledge that would help people suffering from fears and traumas to release their fears. You can also benefit from seeking psychological help in order to deal with your childhood issues and let go of any fears that you had to deal with over the years.

Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking

2009-07-30T18:52:00.001+08:00

Fear of Public Speaking
This is one of the most common fears that people has, which is making a speech before an audience. Although this task appears to be rather straightforward, there are several factors that could come into play, which makes this a legitimate type of fear instead of being an irrational one.
Even those people whose job requires them to speak before a group of people are not exempted from this fear, which is surprising knowing that they do it often. So you might as well picture those individuals who only get to perform public speaking on given occasions and the amount of fear that is entailed with the task. In fact, the fear is so massive that it can result to stress for some people. This requires some attention knowing that some people who experience fear of public speaking end up not delivering a quality speech since they are overtaken by that fear. Indeed, the feeling of fear can cloud one's ability to focus on the task at hand. After all, an effective public speaking produces a satisfying experience for both the public speaker and its audience.
Steps to Overcome Fear of Public Speaking
Public speaking isn't an activity to be feared about. If this does not do the trick for you, then you might want to consider applying the following perspectives and behavior towards this and hopefully be able to overcome this type of fear.
Public Speaking Isn't Supposed to be Stressful
Fear of public speaking is quite common that some people think it is inherently stressful. Well, it is time you know it is not! Communicating with others is an activity with which humans do everyday, so why should public speaking be any different? Therefore, one way to overcome the fear of public speaking is to imagine this activity as any regular communication that you do everyday. The only difference with public speaking is that you are addressing more people than you normally would.
Acquiring this new perspective is not something that you can achieve overnight, though. However, just focus on what you need to share during your public speaking and less on the actual delivery process to lift off the burden.
Give Up The Idea of Delivering a Perfect Speech!
This is another major culprit as to why people fear the idea of speaking in public. Indeed, the idea of embarrassing yourself in front of many people is frightening. But the content of your speech is what is these people will remember, not how you flawlessly delivered the speech. Once you are able to get rid of this anxiety, then you will find that you become less frightened with the idea of making public speeches or talking in front of large groups.
Focus on the Purpose of the Speech!
One of the most common “hidden” causes of stress associated with public speaking is related to the cause above, which is trying to impress the audience with your delivery. Focus on what value the audience can get from your speech delivery instead of trying to make an impression on them. Although delivery will boost your success at a public speaking activity, the most important thing is to communicate effectively with them. If it offers any consolation, not all public speakers get 100% approval from their audience anyway.
Becoming a Good Public Speaker
Now that you have recognized the major cause of fear that most people experience when public speaking, here are factors that are important in not just overcoming this fear but also doing a good job at your speech.
• Study your subject matter thoroughly so you can be confident when its time to deliver it.• Polish your speaking skills. This will enable you to relay the information clearly and authoritatively.• Prepare all of your presentation materials so you can deliver an organized speech. • Practice your delivery. Even the best public speakers do this.

How Do You Overcome Fears?

2009-07-30T18:51:00.001+08:00

What is Fear?
Fear is one type of emotion that impacts one's life significantly. Animals and humans alike have this emotional response based on any events in the environment that poses danger, whether physical, mental, or emotional. Indeed, fear takes on different forms and it will be discussed later. However, the effect that fear has on a person is important because it can potentially alter one's life and how he or she deals with the environment.
How do you know when one is undergoing fear? Despite of its cause, there are common physical indicators of fear. They are as follows:
• increase in heart rate and blood pressure• tightened muscles• inability to focus your senses• dilated pupils• sweating
Different Forms of Fear
Fear comes in various forms. And yet, its effects are similarly devastating to the person involved. There are various triggers for these fears but all have the potential to impact one's ability to think clearly and respond to situations logically.
Below is a list of the different forms of fears:
• Places: crowds, enclosed places, below ground, or heights• Animals: rats, snakes, mice, spiders, etc• People: strangers, homosexuals, feeling over-responsible for others, talking to groups of people, etc• Events: war, crime, public speaking, etc• Family member/loved ones: death of family member, getting ill• Disaster: hurricane, lightening, injury or pain, blood, death, earthquake, etc• Other people's reactions or responses: rejection, disapproval, being humiliated, being ignored, pretension, insecurity• Feelings about one's self: taking the leadership role, speaking to a large crowd, stage fright, embarassing yourself
There are more different categories of fear that is experienced by people, hence people response differently. Some are able to use that fear they experience in order to sharpen their responses to a given situation. Others, however, do not have control over the level of fear they are experiencing, which often leads to panicking.
Negative Impacts of Fear
Fear is not always negative, provided that you learn how to deal with the feeling of fear. And yet it can be potentially dangerous when the feeling of fear has gotten really extreme. Therefore, it is important that you are able to understand where fear is coming from and deal with it logically. If not, it can lead to you making irrational responses on the situation at hand, such as the following:
• Inability to make clear and logical decisions.• Prevents your ability to trust in your surroundings and other people, which is crucial in your own growth and development. • Brings about fear of change due to the uncertainty of events, even though the situation requires it.• Results to resistance of help from others.• It confines you and unable you to explore opportunities that come your way.• You become unmotivated to pursue your dreams.• Tendency to exhibit self-destructive behavior.
Confronting Your Fears
Before you even think about overcoming your fears, confronting them is a necessary first step. You start off by recognizing your fear. If you have several types of fears, then you can rank them according to intensity. That way, you will be able to recognize which fear needs attended to the most as it can also produce the most negative impact to you.
The best way to get yourself to confront your fears is realizing what you can get once you have let go of these fears. The lack of such fears in your life will motivate you to take steps to rid yourself of it. Whether it's regaining control over your life or improving your own self image, losing that fear will help boost your confidence about yourself and the world so you can become a better individual.
Overcoming Fears
The most effective means to overcoming your fears is to change your perspective and behavior towards it. Since it is not easy to do, you need to keep yourself motivated in order to live life free of fears. The first step is identification of fear, which is closely tied with the step of confronting your fear. Then, honestly assess the extent of your fear. This is the only way that you can logically come up with methods that can reduce or eliminate the fear you are experiencing.
When you encounter a stimuli that could potentially trigger the feeling of fear, think of ways to release tension and keep yourself in a relaxed state. This is important since once you have acknowledged fear, it can quickly consume and overtake you. If possible, tap the help of others (whether your friends or family) to provide assistance in conquering your fears. Lastly, this is a long-term procedure and you cannot expect to get rid of your fears overnight.

Five Effective Steps to Overcoming Fears

2009-07-30T18:49:00.001+08:00

Overcoming fears might appear simple in concept, but actual application of these techniques are never easy, especially for the person directly involved. Depending on the intensity of the fear, some people might be able to confront it themselves while others require the help of others. Nonetheless, it is important that you do something about it. When you are able to successfully overcome your fears, you will open up more opportunities for personal and career growth while also forging more successful relationships.
Taking Slow and Steady Steps
This is highly suggested for individuals who have difficulty coping with the overwhelming feeling of fear that people often experience. It does not necessarily mean that the fear is so intense as it can be as simple as your fear of being rejected on your request for a date, but it concerns one's inability to take action due to the presence of fear. Hence, take one initial, small step instead of aiming for a big one right away. Being able to do that should provide you enough confidence to take succeeding steps.
In order for you to build up courage and make that small step, identifying your fear is essential. Before long, you will realize that your confidence will extend to other areas of your life as well.
Find a Motivation
Overcoming fears often entail a difficult process that requires time. When this happens, people often can easily get demoralized. One way to keep yourself actively make an effort to combat your fears is by replacing your negative thoughts with ones that motivate.
One way to concretize this step is to list down all the benefits that you can get if you decide to make that change, which is to overcome your fears. Seeing all these wonderful benefits that you can enjoy should motivate you to get going in your advocacy to eliminate fear in your life.
Changing Perspectives
When people suffer from failure or rejection, it often spirals into more negative thoughts that lead to self-destructive behaviors. However, all people go through failure at some point in their lives. This is a reality that you need to understand and be aware of.
It is therefore recommended that you change your view about failure and rejection. Instead of letting it demoralize you, use it as a learning process instead where you can pinpoint areas of your life that needs to be improved if success were to be desired.
Facing Your Reality
Most fears are associated with unpleasant experiences in the past or worries about the future. Therefore, one way you can overcome such fears is to focus on the present. Learn how to make plans and realize them. This is your best bet at succeeding in life and your endeavors, instead of wearing yourself out with worries and fears. If you fail to get yourself out of that situation, you neither fail nor achieve anything.
Redefining Your Perceptions of Fear
One of the most effective ways to overcome fears is to redefine yourself and how you view fear. You need to actively participate in each of these steps in order to effectively progress in your fight against fear. When you dedicate yourself at these steps, then they will eventually become natural to you. Also, it allows you to see things in a more positive light where fear does not exist.

Who is a Reiki Master?

2009-07-29T18:40:00.001+08:00

The term Reiki has its Japanese roots. Literally, Rei signifies God's Wisdom or Higher Power whereas Ki denotes Life Force Energy. The Japanese Makao Usui is said to have rediscovered this Tibetan kind of healing. After his death, his disciples continued its practice until today that the discipline has already been passed on to the Masters from varying generations and cultures. In the course of this healing practice, a Reiki Master plays an important role. This article focuses on the introduction of who a Reiki Master is and how he fulfills his role of molding the learners.
An Introduction of the Master
The Master is the person who has devoted his time and energy in learning the art of healing that is known as Reiki. He studied and earned the degrees relevant to enhancing his skills in self-healing, healing others, and teaching the Reiki students. Prior to being qualified as a teacher, he has to prove himself proficient in executing all techniques in the lower degrees or levels both with mastery and efficiency and then he must move on to studying the Master Level or Master Degree.
Looking into the entirety of the Master, you will see a person who performs the healing art with due proficiency. He is the kind of an individual who is able to feel the calling along with the willingness to assume the responsibility of being a mentor, an initiator, and above all, a teacher. He is the certified person who can teach the methodologies and then attune other students into this kind of healing art.
The Master's Skills Enumerated
As the Master of Reiki teaching, he is endowed with numerous skills that has something to do with the spiritual healing. Included herein are his communication skills, the transforming, and handling of different types of emotional responses, carrying on the therapeutic figures, specializing in the teaching skills, and overcoming any resistance to perform the healing motivation.. Since Reiki is comprised of various levels, the Master should be knowledgeable enough in granting his students an in-depth knowledge in every level that he handles. It is furthermore required that he is capable of teaching all the encompassing levels or degrees.
Using the Energy
The master should therefore have the rightful knowledge on the usage of the life energy. As per the Reiki theory is concerned, the energy flows towards the target. Thus, it is exhibited to where the attention of the healer is directed. The symbols play a vital role in this sense especially in the production of the energy. There are different symbols involved and they all generate the respective energy. The produced energies are later on utilized for several objectives like stress relief and stress release, healing, and in curing a myriad of problems.
The Learning Course of the Masters
There are numerous courses that help mold a Master in Reiki. Reiki itself revolves within the straightforward philosophy of self-healing prior to healing other people. A Master's first challenge is that of healing himself because it is the only way on how he will be able to heal and help other people. During the training, the student who aims to become a Master is aided in resolving his personal past issues so he can better hold the rein of his own emotions. The mind training likewise helps a lot in provoking the manifestations of his own wants.
At any rate, the Reiki Master has a spiritual power that should never be underestimated. With all the positive energies in him, he is sure to influence the outpour of positive results.

The Purpose of Reiki Healing

2009-07-29T18:38:00.000+08:00

Reiki healing has been in continuing practice for several years now. It is recognized to be a great tool that is aimed at personal treatment and growth. Reiki energy is rooted from an optimal spiritual source which never fails to come up with the best results. The healing applies for the spirit, the mind, and the body which has to serve as the guide in an individual's journey called life. Reiki likewise aids in the enhancement of the personal talents. Of course, all of these can only materialize if you prefer to get attuned to this sacred practice. There exists a sacred covenant that has to be maintained and nurtured for always.
Learning the Program of Self-Healing
For you to be able to acquire the depth of the knowledge on Reiki's self-healing process, you must develop a sensible time for practice. You need to master different techniques. The way on how you execute it will move you forward near your goal or pull you away from your desired aim. In the course of self-healing, the appropriate technique must be used and thus should be learned by you. If you are qualified enough to do so, you may choose to develop your own healing system which will work to your advantage. If you have your spirit, mind, and heart into Reiki, you will surely succeed.
The Allotted Time for Self-Healing
The Reiki system of self-healing is best done by regularly allotting at least 30 minutes to yourself. It is time that you realize how important it is to value yourself and therefore spend some time for your complete healing. You may use either the scanning or hand positions as your technique. Your focus should be on those regions that require healing the most. As the session begins, you will be carefully guided as to where your hands should go and which body part should you touch. You have to feel everything that you are doing. Let the energy flow and feel it vibrating. While the session is going on, ponder on your daily activities and where your life is heading. It is by means of thinking over your practice in life will your quest for self-healing produce a great impact. This is a kind of technique that promotes the development of a healthy attitude. More so, this self-reflection technique will similarly give you more room for the generation of very creative ideas and ways on how it will be best to handle your own troubles.
Self-Healing in Groups
Again, Reiki treatment can be administered to yourself or to others. Hence, you may form a special group with the rest of the Reiki self-healers whom you know and do the session altogether. This practice is a lot more effective because you don't only get to heal yourself but the rest of your group mates as well. A daily practice can do wonders. You will heal each other faster. The complete healing is also sure to materialize. The secret to it is the sharing of energy and support as the group gets on with the session.
Being in a group will give you the opportunity to discuss among yourselves the things that you want to get healed with. A once a week meeting will generate a more serious focus and a deeper purpose in each and every one of you. Let the prayers guide you through as you convene in the Reiki healing practice.

What You Need to Know about Reiki Treatment

2009-07-29T18:37:00.002+08:00

If you have not yet heard of Reiki treatment, then now is the best time to get to know it. Reiki is an age old healing technique that utilizes energy of different levels to cure and attain the balance that should exist among the spirit, the mind, and the body. There are claims that the same technique had been used by none other than Jesus Christ along with the rest of the great spiritual healers of the times. The Reiki which the contemporary world is familiar with in these days is the same thing that had been rediscovered by Mikao Usui in the 20th century. Through time, the strategies have been adapted, used, and then mixed and matched so that explains why there are different variations that we have today. The variations that exist are in support of the known interpretations and belief systems. It is to be taken note that Reiki is not in any way related to a body of faith or religion. It exists in its own consciousness.
Understanding Reiki in a Better Way
In order to achieve a clearer view of Reiki and the system of treatment that it covers, one has to dig deeper into the essence of the philosophy of illness. The modern medical arena feeds on the fact that the human body is similar to a mechanical device that when any of the systems get damaged, it can be mended by means of repair or replacement. As a typical way of handling the human body dilemma, surgeries and drugs are often recommended. Say for example, a headache is cured by taking a pain reliever pill.
On the other hand, what is known as the holistic medicine employs a very different type of approach in addressing the human health. It respects each part that comprises an individual. It looks into the mental, the physical, the spiritual, and the emotional components of a person. It relies on the concept that once parts of the abovementioned systems malfunction, the rest of the body structures get affected. In fact, it poses its effect on the person's life in general.
To solve such ordeal, the main root of the problem should be tracked down. Once the body feels bad, the symptoms can be felt and spotted sooner or later. What the busy individuals fail to realize is that the body indicates some warning signs which when ignored may lead to more serious problems.
The Main Role of the Reiki Practitioners
The Reiki practitioners emphasize that the little warnings should never be ignored. They may appear insignificant at first but later on you will find out how serious the problem may be. Thus, they address this concern by making use of the Reiki energy to free or heal the problematic tissues. As soon as the symptoms have been eliminated, they encourage a change in the person's way of life. They fully point out how the balance in the overall health should be maintained and why it is very necessary to do so.
Many a times have Reiki treatment been regarded as valuable. Since the earliest time, this technique has never faltered. In these modern days, one should consider looking back to the days of yore when everything was yet balanced and harmonized. After all, it doesn't hurt to give it a shot.

Reiki Symbols Unfolded

2009-07-29T18:36:00.002+08:00

What role do the Reiki symbols portray?
First and foremost, it is vital to understand the main role of these symbols. They are not ordinary in such way that they do stand for the sacred healing icons which are meant to improve the flow of the Life Force Energy. They are believed to be the keys that are able to open the doors to the higher level of manifestation and awareness. While the meaning that they denote may sound astounding, it is necessary for you to look at them in the same manner. After all, it is only by means of putting your faith in them that you will be able to achieve a different level of healing.
Where did they come from?
These symbols are derived from the Sanskrit language but which have taken the Japanese formation. The Sanskrit is considered to be the mother tongue of all the languages known to man. The Vedas own the language and Sanskrit forms most of the oldest writings. The Vedas claim that the latter is nonetheless the lingo utilized in the spirit world.
Why are these symbols shown?
Someone who studies these icons should be exposed to the forms and meanings of each and everything. The symbols likewise connect to the metaphysical energies. It is necessary to learn to associate every symbol with its corresponding purpose. Before a student gets attuned to the purpose of the use of the symbols, he has to understand that such procedure has been crafted with a strong sense of Divine covenant and the sacred connection must be maintained between the Creator and the one who is attuned.
The symbols also function using their own awareness. One can meditate on them and attain the guidance on their usage.
What are the involved symbols in Reiki?
The first symbol is called the Cho Ku Rei or the Power Symbol. Even in its absence, the Reiki Energy will continue to flow. However, as it is used, it is powerfully believed to heighten the amount of energy flow. It is centered at the treatment of the physical body and is commonly utilized at the very start of the healing session and at any moment that there is a need for more power.
Sei He Ki comes next and is the utilized symbol to address emotional and mental healing. It is also used for the purposes of purification, protection, balancing, and clearing. It targets the cause of any disease which normally lies in the subconscious mind or within the emotional body or within the conscious mind or the mental body. The healers believe that diseases are the manifestations of some things that need to be attended to and those which require mending. This symbol aims to correct the balance between the left and the right brain.
There is also the Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen. This is the symbol that transmits the Reiki energy across space and time. Meaning, the energy may transpire across the town, across the room, and even across several places all over the world. It transcends distance and can be used to connect time either in the past or future.
Dai Kyo Mo or the Master Symbol. The Light of the Buddha or the Light of the Awakened Heart is its primary essence. It denotes clairvoyance and wisdom which are important elements in the healing of the soul.
These Reiki symbols are considered sacred and are only to be employed by the rightful people.

Reiki Psychic Attunement Explained

2009-07-29T18:36:00.001+08:00

What is meant by Reiki psychic attunement? How does it happen? How is it done? These are just among the questions that bother your mind. Read on and you will learn more.
An Explanation Generally, the attunement itself is the procedure which aids in the opening and expanding of your innate psychic abilities. Some believers of Reiki emphasize that the procedure assists in clearing you of the concerns that tend to bug your spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical bodies which furthermore enhance your own psychic gifts. To add to it, the attunement process brings about the healing energies. Although the latter are simply around us at all times, it does not follow that everyone can easily get them and be absorbed into their system because there are cases when their chakras appear to be imbalanced. It is also during the course of the attunement process that all of the metaphysical and universal laws as well as the Hermetic Law of Similarity are called for. There are also several other forms including the Usui, Tibetan, and Karuna Reiki which are employed by many to be able to perform the so-called distance healing symbols which are known to go across space and time. As a general rule, the experience that comes abound with the attunement requires no body of belief or religion for that matter. Also, the attunement can last for a lifetime and may be taken for several times.
Clearing the Misconception The name psychic attunement is often utilized to mean the process of a Reiki learner being harmonized with Reiki energy and its significance. It has to be clear though that the Reiki energy is not in any way a psychic force since the practitioner does not make use of the mind's power in the treatment session. Simply put, Reiki is likened to ESP, telepathy, or mind reading. Before, modern medicine was too stubborn to accept the efficacy of Reiky. However, after a few more struggles and proofs, it has somehow dedicated a certain spot for Reiky therapy. After all, it does not fall short of its effectiveness when the healing touch is being talked about.
Reiki and the Psychic Term The term psychic basically points to the powers manifested by the human mind. On the other hand, Reiki is the word that is used in describing the life force or energy that encompasses every living thing. "Life force" may exist through different terms and names in various cultures and countries but the entire concept remains the same.
Therefore, the practitioners of Reiki are not in any way psychics. They are the people who have gone through a rigorous learning experience in expanding their knowledge about life in general. They are also the ones who have tried their level best to learn how the human physical body works and responds to the energy around.
Furthermore, Reiky therapy is qualified as an alternative and complementary medicine. It is also termed as the "energy medicine". Although there are some people who may refer to it as the Reiky psychic attunement, it is to be understood that it does not fall under the category called psychic phenomena. The healers sense the illness or pain and when they get attuned, they can readily feel the warmth of all the energy just with the use of their bare hands.

Reiki Lesson - A Discussion of the Levels

2009-07-29T18:35:00.002+08:00

As it has been previously discussed, Reiki is an art that needs to be inculcated to the learner only by a Master. The Master gets qualified to teach the new students after he has earned the Master Level or Master Degree. Reiki has been practiced for such a long time now especially if we are to trace its conventional roots. As it got rediscovered by a Japanese national, it became entwined into the Japanese roots. Throughout time, it traveled into several foreign places and pertinent changes were merged as it evolved. For now, Reiki therapy is more contemporary and at the same time versatile in nature and the Reiki lesson has become more stuffed too.
Getting to Know the Original Tradition The original version for which was pioneered by none other than Dr. Usui Mikao. There are times that the terms Usui Teiki Ryoho, Reiho, and Reiki Ryoho are used too. Again, traditionally speaking, the practice entails three levels or degrees. However, in this time and age, the schools or institutions that offer the course are offering up to seven levels. Its travelling into various parts of the world has contributed much changes to the original system.
The Levels Described You will find below the brief discussion of the four types of levels or degrees of Reiki. The lessons as taught in these levels are also covered. You know though that the lesson format varies from one school to another or from one Master to another. The Masters normally include the teachings that are based on their personal experience and expertise.
Reiki's First Degree. The first level deals entirely with the healing process as applied on the self. The lessons covered include the history of Reiki, the mythos that encompass it, the various associations that exist all over the world, and the traditions that have existed before and those that still exist in the present time. The lessons are also coupled with the teaching of the practical hand positions, their descriptions, their benefits, and the Reiki correspondences that make it applicable in healing pets, plants, family, and friends. This level emphasizes that the Reiki energy can rejuvenate both the self and other people.
Reiki's Second Degree. A more advanced level, the Reiki symbols are revealed to the learners who have successfully passed the First Degree. The methods on how to utilize the symbols are imparted by the Masters to their students. The so-called distance healing is also taught in this level.
Reiki's Third Degree. This degree is known as the Personal Mastery level and is taught for the more prepared and more advanced students. The channeling of the Universal Spiritual Reiki Energy is imparted along with the balancing of the chakras, execution of some psychic surgeries to eliminate the bad blockages from the aura, and the establishment of the crystal grids to further transfer the Reiki energy to invite light, harmony, and peace into this world. The other more progressive steps in distance or absentee healing are also revealed.
The Master Level. This applies to those who believe that they have been designed to teach the methodologies of Reiki. Prior to being admitted into this level, the person should acquire an advanced level of Personal Mastery. He should perform Reiki on a regular basis and the techniques taught in the third level must be proficiently executed.
Overall, the Reiki lesson is meant to transform an individual into a wiser, responsible, and good being.

Reiki Instruction - An Overview

2009-07-29T18:34:00.002+08:00

You may really wonder why Reiki is such an in demand topic for many people. All over the world, it is being practiced for healing purposes. There are some concepts that surround it which you are required to understand most especially if you do manifest an interest in the methodology used in the practice of Reiki. Moreover, the latter is the conventional Japanese type of hands-on healing. Through time, the traditional sense of Reiki has been quite forgotten with the many variations that have already evolved. The system that is known to this contemporary world is no longer in its original state. Taking up a Reiki instruction will open your eyes to its many varieties. There are numerous branches that exist nowadays as well as different modes of instructions used. Those who practice Reiki therapy go through a system of instruction as divided into levels and they earn their degree and certification too.
The Reiki practitioner can come from any part of the world, study at different institutions or Reiki clubs, and be under different Masters too. Generally, the very first form of Reiki was divided into three degrees or levels with an addition, that is the Master Level or Master Degree. After the completion of the latter, a practitioner qualifies to train others.
Anyhow, there are multiple branches of the instruction. Take a look at their different forms by reading below.
The Usui Shiki Ryoho. Originally pioneered by Mrs. Takata, several other solitaries like the Reiki Alliance Masters began to form. As a part of the oral tradition, this medium of instruction employs three degrees which are taught to the learners. The first degree covers four attunements including mythos and history, the hand positions, and the channeling of Reiki energy for self-healing and in healing others. The second degree impart more forms of attunements that cover the teaching of three among the four sacred symbols, healing of mental as well as emotional disorders, and the absentee or distance healing. The Master Degree involves only one attunement and that includes the fourth sacred symbol as well as the techniques for the channeling of more energy.
The Raku Kei Reiki. Someone by the name of Iris Ishikuro who trained under Takata contributed much to this branch of the instructional system. The term Raku Kei Reiki is also called "the way of the Fire Dragon". It is comprised of the directional energy flow wherein Raku signifies the vertical flow while the term Kei means the horizontal energy flow. Both the first and the second degrees are discussed in a class that touches on the positions of the hand, the techniques in healing, the four traditional symbols, the distance healing, and the use of the Master Frequency plates. The third degree on the other hand promotes three attunement levels along with the two other additional symbols, the use of crystals, herbs and white light in healing.
The Tera Mai or Tera Mei Seichem. A few changes have been made to this type of instruction which covers the energy activation of the Angelic light, Sakara, and Sophi-el. There are also symbols which have been added to the older ones.
The Usui or Tibetan Reiki. This mode of instruction combines the traditional and the understandings expressed by Rand and Raku Kei.
A learner has the option to choose which Reiki instruction he feels to study. The Masters are everywhere and one has to simply get in touch with them.

How will You Choose Your Reiki Master?

2009-07-29T18:32:00.001+08:00

It is a glaring fact that these days, there are numerous teachers, institutions, training courses, and practitioners of Reiki all over the world. This then opens up a pool of confusions especially on the part of those interested apprentices. It is common for someone to entertain the feeling of being lost. There are several people who are serious in their desires to attain the Reiki attunements which are but essential so they can practice the art of healing by themselves. With the large number of institutions and trainers around, it is a bit hard to find out the exact person who can teach you of the relevant methodologies. As a would-be Reiki student, finding the appropriate Reiki Master can truly be challenging. You should spot that particular person who has the full energy within him, one who is proficient in practicing the rituals and techniques, and one who is every inch an expert in Reiki.
An Important UnderstandingAs a learner of Reiki, you should understand that this healing process is nonetheless a holistic system that covers several factors in relation to healing, balancing, and harmonizing every single aspect of an individual. The balanced and harmonized factors can be utilized to promote both the spiritual and personal consciousness and growth. The healing technique is basically safe. You may ask why. The main reason is that all the strategies used are executed gently. The healers actually make use of the spiritual energy in the treatment of the mental, physical, and emotional diseases and problems but with the absence of massage or any other pressure or manipulation.
Reiki is all about doing good in one's lifetime. It applies to where it is necessary. The client will only receive the appropriate energy that he requires at the time being. Reiki is not in any way pushed by the practitioner but the energy from it is being drawn in by the client himself. It is also necessary to note that throughout the session, the client will not take the energy that belongs to the therapist. What he gets to absorb is the pure and the clean Reiki energy.
Top Tips in Finding the Best MasterDuring your search, you will be drawn towards the rightful Master who will be perfect for you and your needs. You should go to the person with whom you feel comfortable. He should be the one who can teach and guide you. He is someone who can feel for what you need and what you desire for.
As you take a trip to several Reiki institutions, here are the tips that can help you out in seeking for your ultimate Master.
Proficiency. Your Master should have worked hard and long to know every single detail that comprises the art of healing. He should be able to perform the techniques based on what he has learned, experienced, and practiced with or without them having been mentioned in the Reiki books or manuals.
Lineage. The Masters belong to different categories. You should find out his affiliation to be able to know the teachings and techniques that he is likely to impart.
Qualifications. Be sure that your Master is certified. There are prerequisites prior to being qualified to become a mentor.
Class Coverage. What will he teach you? Will he reveal the symbols? Will he teach you self-discovered techniques?
Fees. Know the relevant fees that you need to settle to start with the course.
Overall, the Reiki Master will be the one who will hone your skills with the right amount of techniques, hand positions, energy usage, and the likes. It is a must to look around for the best Masters who are qualified to provide the teachings.

Getting to Know the Reiki Hand Positions

2009-07-29T18:30:00.000+08:00

With Reiki treatment, the energies are balanced so a new kick for life is furthermore promoted. Through all of these, the Reiki hand positions play a vital role.
As the treatment session is conducted, the hand positions are importantly executed. They are able to let the individual feel the strong sense of coldness, heat, tingling, or pulsations vibrating within him. It is also possible to be devoid of any sort of feelings. Reiki treatment may be performed on yourself or to another. The positions of the hand are definitely meant to cure the diseases that affect the parathyroid, thymus, thyroid gland, asthma, and the throat, among others.If you have not witnessed an actual healing procedure, then you may not be familiar with the various hand positions. This article is going to give you an idea of what they are. Read on and find out below.
The first position is the hand that is placed on the face. To do this, you should put your palms either on your own face or on the person who is receiving Reiki. The palms should form a cup over the eyes while the fingers are on the forehead. There must be no pressure at all but only a gentle touch.
The second position includes the hand on the crown and on the top of the head. Both hands must be on the sides of the head whereas the heels of the hands are located near the ears. The fingertips must be able to touch the crown.
The third position is at the back of the head. Form a cross by using your arms. One of the hands must be on the head while the other one is above the neck's nape.
The fourth position includes the touching of the heart and collarbone. Make a V-like shape with the thumb and fingers. You must be able to easily hold your neck via the V formation. Lower one of your hands and have it resting in between the collarbone and the heart.
The fifth has something to do with touching the jaw line and the chin as well. Again, let your hands form a cup and let your chin rest in it. Let your hands wrap themselves on your jaw line.The sixth position includes your ribs. Put your hand on the upper portion of the rib cage and provide some support to the bended elbows. The other hand should be on the abdomen. Let your fingertips touch your tummy.
The pelvic area is included in the seventh position. Put your hands on your pelvic bone and allow your fingertips to touch your pelvic region.
Then the eight position concerns your shoulders. Bend your elbows and arms over the head and touch your shoulder blades with your hand. While your elbows are bent, put your hands onto the center part of your back.
The final position includes the lower back and the sacrum. Let your hands rest on your lower back. Lower your arms and then place them on the sacral area and then proceed to relax.
The main intention of the Reiki hand positions is to let the energy flow and retain its balance once more. A practitioner will not apply a heavy pressure on the body parts but will simply touch them to promote the general flow of the somehow trapped energies.

Personal Mastery And Improving Your Confidence

2009-07-29T00:18:00.007+08:00

Self- confidence is something that people find difficult to have. There are people who find low self-confidence influences the way they see themselves and their performance. Contrary to what most people think, self confidence is not something that only the gifted and blessed could have. With the help of personal mastery, individuals could now start building on their self-confidence.
Personal mastery is about self-development and self-improvement. It is about loving yourself and accepting yourself as you are. You need to acknowledge your weaknesses and at the same time strengthen them. Personal mastery is about loving yourself.
To attain personal mastery and confidence, it is important to believe in yourself. It is also important to be content with yourself. To develop self- confidence, self-acceptance should occur. Self- acceptance is about accepting not only the good things in life, but also the failures in life.
Aside from self-acceptance what else can you do to achieve self-confidence through personal mastery.
• Understanding thoughts and emotions- forgetting about a bad habit or behaviour would make us more aware about thoughts and emotions. By becoming aware of our emotions and behaviour, then we will be able to overcome and correct our behaviour. But once you have decided to change habits and behaviour, there are different strategies and methods that you can do gain mastery over them. • Self discipline. Changing attitude and behaviour, or even perspective might take a while. Change does not happen overnight. You need to gather enough knowledge and start learning and practicing the skills that you would like to improve and develop. • Have a clear vision on what you want to happen in your life. To be able to move forward in your life, then it is important to have clarity. Seeing what you want to have in a clearer image would encourage you to work for it.• The choice is yours. You can choose what you want to experience. Doing something important for you and something you love, would give you enough confidence to continue with what you have started. • Commitment and trusting. To be able to attain personal mastery for development and growth, you need to trust yourself that you can undergo the process and commit yourself on the process.
When developing self-confidence through personal mastery, we would have to develop some characteristics. We would develop self awareness, which is about our readiness to look at our past, accept it and the same goes for the present. Aside from this, we also develop self-knowledge which is about understanding our past and our attitude. Not only should we understand them but also be able to comprehend the basis for such attitude or experience. Last, we develop self discipline. Self-discipline is about how we make sure that our goals and vision are translated in action and achieved. We need self discipline to make sure that we do not back-out just because of simple and little disappointments and setbacks. Building self-confidence can’t be done on just a snap. Self- improvement can be a never-ending process. There are people who even acknowledge that self-improvement can last even for a life-time. Sometimes, we can only say that we are fully masterful of our life if we have reached our dreams and goals. Personal mastery can help use with growth and eventually with success. We just need to continue with our dreams and be patient.

Personal Mastery And Leadership

2009-07-29T00:16:00.007+08:00

It is also a responsibility of a leader to be a role model. How can leaders be great role models? Personal mastery can help individuals be a better person and also help leaders become role models. According to Peter Senge, “The core to leadership strategy is simple: to be a model. Commit yourself to your own personal mastery.”
Personal mastery helps an individual to acquire self-knowledge and at the same time promote self-development and growth. Personal mastery helps an individual to develop the following characteristics:
• Understanding the direction of their life and therefore the direction of their group or organization• Recognize reality and remain grounded on it.• Think creatively and out of the box.• They understand and work with change.• They view themselves to be a part of the whole system and feel connected to others.• They understand that they could influence others but are impossible to control them.
It is important for a leader to understand the vision and the mission of the organization. A leader who has achieved personal mastery would be able to identify the methods on how to effectively achieve the organization’s goals. Personal mastery helps a person identify what are their guiding values and their goals.
Personal mastery allows people to deal with change. Change is one thing constant in this world. Leaders and organizations should be open to change. Accepting that change is inevitable prepares leaders and organizations to also change their methods to be able to achieve their goals.
Personal mastery allows a leader to develop characteristics that would help them deal with difficult situations and pressures. It also helps a leader to understand and deal with the team members’ weaknesses and strengths.
Effective leaders should understand how to give feedback and criticisms without sounding as if to chastise the person. The intention behind providing feedback is giving support, it is never intended to be an order or to control the person. Personal mastery help individuals develop an effective way of managing their emotions. This would help leaders when they are giving criticisms, they would learn to respond instead of reacting.
Personal mastery instils integrity, authenticity and confidence in a leader. These are the characteristics which would help a leader to have a clear vision and at the same clearer and more decisive action. Personal mastery could increase the potential of a leader. Business leaders have been testifying that stepping towards personal mastery can provide changes in the leadership, performance and have decisive and significant results.
It is important to get back to the basics. The core for an organization and business success relies on human capital. A leader should think that he or she is capable of influencing change.
The benefits of personal mastery for leadership have broad and deep effects. Its effects can also be felt for a long time. There are numerous programmes where business executives and organizational leaders can apply to achieve personal mastery in their chosen career.
There are countless leaders who have testified that undergoing personal mastery programmes have enabled them to maintain balance in their lives and at the same time shape them into becoming effective leaders. But even so, members or any individual can still apply to be a part of the programme. There are great benefits if all the members of the team would undergo transformation because of the personal mastery programme.

Personal Mastery Principles

2009-07-29T00:14:00.004+08:00

There are people who fully understand how important it is to develop their skill and know their strengths and weaknesses to be able to deal with their growth and development. Those who have known and developed personal mastery would be able to listen to themselves and maintain balance in their life.
Personal mastery would also enable people to manage their energy levels and minimize dependence with stimulants to increase their energy levels. To attain personal mastery, there are principles that would be the guide of a person in a quest for growth and maturity.
Principles behind personal and self mastery are actually fundamental concepts that are essential when building professional, social and spiritual relationships. The first one is how success is defined. In personal mastery, the internal change is actually more important than what had happened to you.
Personal mastery is also based on reality. It is important for the follower to spend time and energy in things that can be controlled, like the present and the future. It is important to let go of reactive attitude like resentment, complaint, blame and just wishful thinking.
Another principle behind self mastery is understanding that what happens to your life is based on your own choices and not from anybody else. We should take responsibility for what had happened in our life. Therefore, decisions about our lives should be made by our own will. We have to know the weaknesses and strengths of our character. This would enable us to change how we think, feel and behave.
Having a clear vision of what we want and what we should do to achieve it are also principles behind personal mastery. After identifying our goals and how we can attain our goals, then it is about time to translate them into action. This would be the application of our vision, values and principles that we chose to follow.
These key principles would help the followers: • How to deal with difficult and challenging situations.• Isolate positive behaviours and feelings and work on them.• Accept difficult and harsh realities of life.• Let go of negativities like resentment and blame.• Understand the importance and freedom that comes with responsibility.• Set goals for yourself.• Identify your principles in life.• Prioritize what is more important to you.• Deepen your commitment• Develop self-confidence and self-esteem• Accept imperfection and build on one’s strength. • Feel the connection between oneself to others.• Develop an inquisitive mind• Adapt and work with change
Overall, an individual who have attained personal mastery would be able to raise self-awareness, self-acceptance and self-responsibility. What it great about personal mastery is that individuals would recognize that they are part of a system. They know that they would be able to contribute and influence through their creative ideas although they would also be conscious that controlling the situation or the system is impossible.
Personal mastery is something that does not happen as an accident not overnight. It would require discipline and reinforcements. Those who are in the path or personal mastery would oftentimes attend trainings, seminars, coaching and counselling to make sure that what they have learned in personal mastery is not at lost again in the midst of selfishness and materialism.
Personal mastery helps everybody understand that life is full of opportunities for expanding our vision and skills, until later on we succeed.

What Is Personal Mastery?

2009-07-29T00:12:00.001+08:00

Personal mastery is about approaching life from a different perspective. Sometimes people would refer to it as a journey towards continuous improvement. Personal mastery is guided with key principles like vision, personal purpose, creative tension, commitment to truth and understanding the subconscious mind.
One of the most important fundamental aspects of personal mastery is personal vision. Personal mastery when combined personal vision can create a framework or guiding philosophy on how you can operate and live your life. Some people would say that personal vision serves as a guide that would keep you on track.
Followers of personal mastery see that there are great opportunities to improve their growth. Followers recognize that there are many avenues for growth and opportunities like books, tapes, lectures and school courses. People also benefit from organizationsin their quest for personal mastery.
Personal mastery is about loving yourself and expressing your gifts to its fullest. Some would think that personal mastery is controlling and limiting one self, but actually it is about understanding your personality. To control or overcome some habits, it would be important to identify how ad why those habits arise. The more you suppress things, the more you would have difficulty in conquering and overcoming it.
Personal mastery is self-discipline. It is about taking responsibility for the direction that your life is going to take. You would slowly realize that you can do anything with the aide of your skills and talents. Discipline would clarify and deepen your perspective in life. Those who quest for personal mastery would develop patience and see life objectively.
Personal mastery can actually help you become successful in life. You can say that you have developed personal mastery if you are starting to fully understand your strengths, talents and your purpose in life. Personal mastery enables you to be inspired, energized and happy with your life. You start to show a sense of commitment in changing on how people perceive life and the world. The ultimate thing about personal mastery is that you would always feel that you are guided and supported by God.
It is also important for a person who is in quest for personal mastery to develop integrity, humility, justice and industry. Actually, these are “rules” on how we could conduct ourselves professional, socially and spiritually.
Peter Senge said that attaining personal mastery has no shortcuts or no “quick fixes.” Sometimes it would take a lifetime for personal mastery to be attained. Personal mastery detaches a person from self-interest or selfishness and encourage people towards providing care and service to other people. Also individuals who follow personal mastery see the connections in their surroundings and perceived everything as a whole.
Proactive behaviour is also something that personal mastery helps you to develop. Reactive behaviour like thinking beforehand hand that you cannot do things is dealt with when developing personal mastery. Actions and service that you provide are based on how you can creatively maximize your skills.
To summarize it, personal mastery guides you to develop being aware with your beliefs, attitudes and behaviour impacts. It also enables you to accept yourself and be responsible with your own action, attitude, and thought.
Experts would say that personal mastery could be truly gained by living purposefully and by living with integrity. Living purposefully would include showing talents, gifts and strengths to achieve goals and be successful. Living with integrity is by integrating your ideals, standards and behaviour.

Personal Mastery And Career

2009-07-29T00:11:00.003+08:00

Personal mastery is not something that you can only to help you deal with stress and improve you confidence. Actually, it is possible to apply mastery into you career as well. There are numerous studies showing personal mastery to have impact on your everyday life as well as with working effectively.
Applying personal mastery in your career development is called career mastery. Career mastery is when you can integrate your personal development and growth to your professional growth and development.
There are different elements for career mastery.
• Being proactive. It is important to go after what you want. In the application of career mastery, you need to identify your goal and take necessary action towards it. With this element, you get to overcome barriers and limitations daily. You do not have to overcome everything at once, you just need to do consistent action everyday.• Connect with others. To effectively connect with other people or network, you need to connect with yourself first. You get the power and the intelligence of connecting to other with how you understand and interact with the inner you. • Getting informed. Being informed is not only concentrated on your existing job. There are people who are in search for other career options. When choosing other career options or job ideas, you need to know your options. And making the correct decision is all about gathering enough information. • Being focused. When setting your goals, you need to make decisions on how you can attain them. The method for achieving your goal depends on your decisions. Which is why you need to keep your focus on making the decisions and directing your career. • Know your potential. It is important to know your potential and your strengths and weaknesses. You get to take responsibility for your actions and would be able to figure what works for you when achieving your dream.
These elements are actually there to improve the individual’s behaviour and attitude. These basic elements can be applied whether you are working for an organization or self-employed. Even those who are facing career choices like college students and professionals who would like to change a career can apply career mastery to be able to develop. Executives and employees who would like to make some changes with their current organization also follow career mastery.
It is important to take charge with your career. You have to take the move yourself and not other people should discover or promote them for you. All throughout your career, the five elements of career mastery will keep on popping up. This is why it is essential for a successful person to be familiar with career mastery.
Basically, it goes down to the basic. Do something that you love. Successful people not only create and build their business just because for economic reasons, but because they love their business and their company.
But for some people, knowing what you want is not that easy. Sometimes what is logical and radical is confused with something that you want. According to Peter Senge, “ adults have little sense of real vision.” They may have goals and objectives in their lives but these are necessarily not their vision in life.
Achieving personal mastery with one skill and behaviour can produce remarkable results. Changing or shifting your career as a professional or an entrepreneur is not easy. You have to master yourself and your skills first before you start changing, otherwise changing careers would happen a lot or you would not be able to put your skill into maximum use.

Personal Mastery And Effective Communication

2009-07-29T00:00:00.013+08:00

Success is not only dependent on your own skill, proper attitude and effective communication are also important contributing factors. Personal and career mastery are can help a person a lot in improving their growth and development and succeed in the chosen field. Effective communication is not determined how well we speak in front of many people or how well we write documents, effective and good communication relies on how well people have understood us and how we expressed ourselves.
They say that communication is the most important source of power. Many businesses and organizations almost collapsed because of many failures due of the poor communication between business executives and employers. Employees show high burn-out and stress levels, dissatisfied and disengaged employees.
To achieve effective communication, it is important to increase and attain personal mastery. To increase personal mastery would mean change in attitude and perspective. It is important for leaders and organizations to maintain openness to engage their colleagues, employees and customers.
Communication is an important part of relationship building. The most important relationship is our relationship with our inner self. Therefore, communication with the inner self should be maintained. How we communicate with our inner self determine how we communicate with others.
Positive thinking and reinforcement would help us deal with difficulties better. For example, if we believe something then those beliefs can either limit or be beneficial for us. A positive inner dialogue would project a more positive and supportive communication with others.
An example of maintaining effective communication is giving feedbacks or constructive criticisms. We should develop effective feedback. We should give and receive criticisms openly. Aside from that, when giving feedbacks we should take into consideration our emotions. Dealing and taking care of emotions is one of the methods that personal mastery can achieve. Aside from that, personal mastery also helps an individual to look at things objectively.
Effective communication with the help of personal mastery can assist with the following:
• Effective problem solving. Since you would be able to communicate to your employers and co-employees about the real issues and problems, this can lead to a deeper understanding of the problem. A deeper understanding could lead to quicker and more effective problem solving. • Effective leadership. For a leader to set direction and influence the team and the organization, he or she should be able to develop better communication with them. Criticisms should be given as a form of suggestion and should be serve as support not as chastisement. • Effective planning. Planning involves understanding the mission, vision, and the goal of an individual, department or organization. Planning should be guided by the guiding principles of the group. However people may have different approach to everything, it is important to properly communicate with each other to create and draw up an effective plan.• Effective organizational development. Personal mastery is not only about personal and professional development and growth. An improvement in the personal and professional path of a person can have significant effects on the improvement of the group or organization.
Personal mastery helps a person develop themselves and be able to interact effectively with other people. It could actually help you become successful in life. The great thing about personal mastery is that helps an individual develop a healthy communication with their inner self and at the same reflect this changes on how they interact with others. The application of personal mastery in a person’s life can make dramatic and great changes.

Personal Mastery And Your Kids

2009-07-28T23:53:00.008+08:00

Why is it important to teach personal mastery to your children?
Our children nowadays are the next generation. They would be facing a future that could hold immense possibilities and opportunities. But even with this bright future waiting for them, there is also a sad future waiting, a future where uncertainties and materialism can be prevalent. How can we prepare our children to face this kind of future.
It is beneficial to teach children a new set of values and attitude that would be good for the family. Helping children develop personal mastery in early age will help them have a mindset and habits that could be an instrument for their success in the future.
The recently discovered personal mastery would help an individual to develop skills and behaviour that would help them deal with difficult circumstances. Personal mastery enables an individual to understand the strengths and weaknesses of other people and deal with their emotions. Aside from this, personal mastery encourages thinking outside the box and ability to take responsibility for their life.
These attitudes would be very beneficial for our kids. Personal mastery can also help children develop confidence grounded on reality, different from arrogance, live life and inspire other people and the world.
How can we start teaching our children about personal mastery?
We could start teaching our kids early, with the current environment, the chances that our kids would get affected by depression, anxiety, physical and mental health problems are also high. Attitude changes attained through personal mastery are not innate. It is important the our kids learn to keep their self-confidence and stay positive to be able to fulfil their dreams.
Start with telling your children about the facts of life like failure. You could share your own failures and disappointments. To help children deal with anger and frustration, you can start letting them know that failing is part of achieving big dreams. When you share experiences about failing something, make sure that they see the point that you continued with your dreams even if you failed once.
It is okay for your children to experience setbacks and unwanted outcomes. Personal mastery is about being grounded to reality and dealing with difficult situations. This experience would help your children understand on how to deal with their emotions. Do not try to interfere too much, provide breathing and learning space for them.
For children to be successful adults, they need to be able to face challenged independently. Children need to know that setbacks and anxiety can be normal, but they are there for them to overcome.
It would also be helpful if they would be able to identify themselves as a part of a whole. Encouraging them to participate in extracurricular activities and team activities would help them develop their methods of interacting with peers and seniors.
But if they have joined groups and extracurricular activities, do not interfere or even provide your opinion. Let them talk about it, like how they feel about being part of the team, how could they help or interact with each other. But otherwise, keep the opinions to yourself.
When teaching your children about personal mastery, do not teach them as if it is a lecture. It would be less effective if you ask them to sit down and take down notes. Introduce the concepts gradually and in different ways. You can introduce it while talking over dinner and family activities. Children would absorb them easily since they are integrated in their daily lives and it becomes natural learning.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO IMPROVE YOUR SELF?

2009-07-28T22:36:00.001+08:00

Sometimes, when all our doubts, fears and insecurities wrap ourselves up, we always come up with the idea of “I wish I was somebody else.” More often than not, we think and believe that someone or rather, most people are better than us.- when in reality, the fact is, most people are more scared than us.
You spot a totally eye-catching girl sitting by herself at a party, casually sipping on a glass of Asti Spumanti. You think to yourself, “she looks so perfectly calm and confident.” But if you could read thru her transparent mind, you would see a bunch of clouds of thoughts and you might just be amazed that she’s thinking “are people talking about why I am seated here alone?... Why don’t guys find me attractive? …I don’t like my ankles, they look too skinny… I wish I was as intelligent as my best friend.”
We look at a young business entrepreneur and say “Wooh… what else could he ask for?” He stares at himself at the mirror and murmur to himself, “I hate my big eyes… I wonder why my friends won’t talk to me… I hope mom and dad would still work things out.”
Isn’t it funny? We look at other people, envy them for looking so outrageously perfect and wish we could trade places with them, while they look at us and thinks of the same thing. We are insecure of other people who themselves are insecure of us. We suffer from low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence and lose hope in self improvement because we are enveloped in quiet desperation.
Sometimes, you notice that you have an irritating habit like biting off your finger nails, having a foul mouth, and you – of all people, is the last to know.
I have a friend who never gets tired of talking. And in most conversations, she is the only one who seems to be interested in the things she has to say. So all of our other friends tend to avoid the circles whenever she’s around, and she doesn’t notices how badly she became socially handicapped – gradually affecting the people in her environment.
One key to self improvement is to LISTEN and TALK to a trusted friend. Find someone who you find comfort in opening up with even the most gentle topics you want to discuss. Ask questions like “do you think I am ill-mannered?”, “Do I always sound so argumentative?”, “Do I talk too loud?”, “Does my breath smell?”, “Do I ever bore you when were together?”. In this way, the other person will obviously know that you are interested in the process of self improvement. Lend her your ears for comments and criticisms and don’t give her answers like “Don’t exaggerate! That’s just the way I am!” Open up your mind and heart as well. And in return, you may want to help your friend with constructive criticism that will also help her improve her self.
One of Whitney Houston’s songs says “Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.” True enough. In order to love others, you must love yourself too. Remember, you cannot give what you do not have.
Before telling other people some ways on how to improve themselves, let them see that you yourself is a representation and a product of self improvement. Self improvement makes us better people, we then inspire other people, and then the rest of the world will follow.
Stop thinking of yourselves as second-rate beings. Forget the repetitive thought of “If only I was richer… if only I was thinner” and so on. Accepting your true self is the first step to self improvement. We need to stop comparing ourselves to others only to find out at the end that we’ve got 10 more reasons to envy them.
We all have our insecurities. Nobody is perfect. We always wish we had better things, better features, better body parts, etc. But life need not to be perfect for people to be happy about themselves.Self improvement and loving yourself is not a matter of shouting to the whole world that you are perfect and you are the best. It’s the virtue of acceptance and contentment. When we begin to improve ourselves, we then begin to feel contented and happy.

"Enlightenment" Your 7 days program to Positive thinking

2009-07-28T22:35:00.001+08:00

I'm sure you have a bright idea hidden somewhere in the back of your mind that you just can't wait to test out. Of course you're not the only one with the bright idea. So what motivates you to churn those creative, or even inspiring juices to its utmost flavor?
It's always best to set up a personal goal where you can accomplish the most in record time, maybe like mowing the lawn in an hour before the big game on TV. A correct and positive attitude in whatever you do will make things easier, and even enjoyable.
Here are some tips to make it through the week even if you're just sitting in your favorite couch. An idea takes time to form in your head and is always at work while you are busy sitting.
Having a bit of positive thinking can help you realize things that are never thought possible. Thinking big is indeed the American Way and that what made our country prosperous.
1. Take passionate action towards living your life by design. Talk is cheap. Action = deposits in the bank of a passionately authentic future. Without it, passion is void.
This is a perfect example where dreams are made of where you start by tinkering with your mind, then with your hands. And if the idea weakens, you can always go back to it later until you finish it.
2. Commit to yourself as well as those you love to create powerfully a life you can love. Instead of reacting, commit to creating from your heart and soul, out of love rather than fear. The American Dream will always be there, but a dream will still be a dream without motion. Be amazed as the transformation begins.
3. Recognize and embrace the thought that each moment is perfect regardless of its outcome. Every time you hit on something that may appear too extreme, why not give it a shot and see if it will work. You will be surprised to see of there are other ways to get the task done in time. If you are not pleased with the outcome, decide to use that moment to learn from and make the appropriate shift.
4. Dwell completely in a place of gratitude. Learn to utilize what you have in your hands and make use of it in the most constructive way. Slipping into neediness will become less of a habit when you repeatedly shift towards gratitude, away from poverty consciousness.
5. Use a Passion Formula of Recognize/Reevaluate/Restore in place of the Shoulda/Woulda/Coulda whirlwind. The former is based in increased knowledge and abundance while the latter focuses on scarcity and lack. As you face people or tasks that may seem harder than scaling the summit of the Himalayas, allow yourself to realize that the task is just as important as giving out orders to your subordinates. You would rather be richly passionate!
6. Keep humor at the forefront of thought, laughing at and with yourself when possible. You may find yourself quite entertaining when you loosen up! I am yet to see a comedian ever go hungry even though his jokes are as 'old as great-grandma'. Life has so much to offer to allow you to mope around in self pity. Humor is very attractive, very passionate: life-giving.
7. Believe that you are the architect of your destiny. No one can take your passionate future from you except for you! Create your life authentically. As long as there's still breath in your body, there is no end to how much you can accomplish in a lifetime. The concept of thinking big is all about enjoying your work, which would lead to celebrate a discovery that is born within your hands. Watch everything flow into place with perfect, passionate precision.
It's interesting how people get wallowed up by something trivial as learning to use a computer, when nowadays that top computer companies are manufacturing software that even the kids can do it. I don't mean to be condescending, but that's the idea of not having any positive thinking in your life-you'll just end up as a dim bulb in a dark corner. So instead of subjecting yourself to what you will be doomed for, make your path by taking the first step with a positive attitude.

Spiritual Growth: the Spiritual Challenge of Modern Times

2007-07-23T20:59:00.002+08:00

To grow spiritually in a world defined by power, money, and influence is a Herculean task. Modern conveniences such as electronic equipments, gadgets, and tools as well as entertainment through television, magazines, and the web have predisposed us to confine our attention mostly to physical needs and wants. As a result, our concepts of self-worth and self-meaning are muddled. How can we strike a balance between the material and spiritual aspects of our lives?
To grow spiritually is to look inward.
Introspection goes beyond recalling the things that happened in a day, week, or month. You need to look closely and reflect on your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and motivations. Periodically examining your experiences, the decisions you make, the relationships you have, and the things you engage in provide useful insights on your life goals, on the good traits you must sustain and the bad traits you have to discard. Moreover, it gives you clues on how to act, react, and conduct yourself in the midst of any situation. Like any skill, introspection can be learned; all it takes is the courage and willingness to seek the truths that lie within you. Here are some pointers when you introspect: be objective, be forgiving of yourself, and focus on your areas for improvement.
To grow spiritually is to develop your potentials.
Religion and science have differing views on matters of the human spirit. Religion views people as spiritual beings temporarily living on Earth, while science views the spirit as just one dimension of an individual. Mastery of the self is a recurring theme in both Christian (Western) and Islamic (Eastern) teachings. The needs of the body are recognized but placed under the needs of the spirit. Beliefs, values, morality, rules, experiences, and good works provide the blueprint to ensure the growth of the spiritual being. In Psychology, realizing one’s full potential is to self-actualize. Maslow identified several human needs: physiological, security, belongingness, esteem, cognitive, aesthetic, self-actualization, and self-transcendence. James earlier categorized these needs into three: material, emotional, and spiritual. When you have satisfied the basic physiological and emotional needs, spiritual or existential needs come next. Achieving each need leads to the total development of the individual. Perhaps the difference between these two religions and psychology is the end of self-development: Christianity and Islam see that self-development is a means toward serving God, while psychology view that self-development is an end by itself.
To grow spiritually is to search for meaning.
Religions that believe in the existence of God such as Christianism, Judaism, and Islam suppose that the purpose of the human life is to serve the Creator of all things. Several theories in psychology propose that we ultimately give meaning to our lives. Whether we believe that life’s meaning is pre-determined or self-directed, to grow in spirit is to realize that we do not merely exist. We do not know the meaning of our lives at birth; but we gain knowledge and wisdom from our interactions with people and from our actions and reactions to the situations we are in. As we discover this meaning, there are certain beliefs and values that we reject and affirm. Our lives have purpose. This purpose puts all our physical, emotional, and intellectual potentials into use; sustains us during trying times; and gives us something to look forward to---a goal to achieve, a destination to reach. A person without purpose or meaning is like a drifting ship at sea.
To grow spiritually is to recognize interconnections.
Religions stress the concept of our relatedness to all creation, live and inanimate. Thus we call other people “brothers and sisters” even if there are no direct blood relations. Moreover, deity-centered religions such as Christianity and Islam speak of the relationship between humans and a higher being. On the other hand, science expounds on our link to other living things through the evolution theory. This relatedness is clearly seen in the concept of ecology, the interaction between living and non-living things. In psychology, connectedness is a characteristic of self-transcendence, the highest human need according to Maslow. Recognizing your connection to all things makes you more humble and respectful of people, animals, plants, and things in nature. It makes you appreciate everything around you. It moves you to go beyond your comfort zone and reach out to other people, and become stewards of all other things around you.
Growth is a process thus to grow in spirit is a day-to-day encounter. We win some, we lose some, but the important thing is that we learn, and from this knowledge, further spiritual growth is made possible.

More than One Way to Skin a Cat: Adventures in Creative Thinking

2007-07-23T20:59:00.001+08:00

How many times have you caught yourself saying that there could be no other solution to a problem – and that that problem leads to a dead end? How many times have you felt stumped knowing that the problem laying before you is one you cannot solve. No leads. No options. No solutions.
Did it feel like you had exhausted all possible options and yet are still before the mountain – large, unconquerable, and impregnable? When encountering such enormous problems, you may feel like you're hammering against a steel mountain. The pressure of having to solve such a problem may be overwhelming.
But rejoice! There might be some hope yet!
With some creative problem-solving techniques you may be able to look at your problem in a different light. And that light might just be the end of the tunnel that leads to possible solutions.
First of all, in the light of creative problem-solving, you must be open-minded to the fact that there may be more than just one solution to the problem. And, you must be open to the fact that there may be solutions to problems you thought were unsolvable.
Now, with this optimistic mindset, we can try to be a little bit more creative in solving our problems.
Number one; maybe the reason we cannot solve our problems is that we have not really taken a hard look at what the problem is. Here, trying to understanding the problem and having a concrete understanding of its workings is integral solving the problem. If you know how it works, what the problem is, then you have a better foundation towards solving the problem.
Not trying to make the simple statement of what problem is. Try to identify the participating entities and what their relationships with one another are. Take note of the things you stand to gain any stand to lose from the current problem. Now you have a simple statement of what the problem is.
Number two; try to take note of all of the constraints and assumptions you have the words of problem. Sometimes it is these assumptions that obstruct our view of possible solutions. You have to identify which assumptions are valid, in which assumptions need to be addressed.
Number three; try to solve the problem by parts. Solve it going from general view towards the more detailed parts of the problem. This is called the top-down approach. Write down the question, and then come up with a one-sentence solution to that from them. The solution should be a general statement of what will solve the problem. From here you can develop the solution further, and increase its complexity little by little.
Number four; although it helps to have critical thinking aboard as you solve a problem, you must also keep a creative, analytical voice at the back of your head. When someone comes up with a prospective solution, tried to think how you could make that solution work. Try to be creative. At the same time, look for chinks in the armor of that solution.
Number five; it pays to remember that there may be more than just one solution being developed at one time. Try to keep track of all the solutions and their developments. Remember, there may be more than just one solution to the problem.
Number six; remember that old adage," two heads are better than one." That one is truer than it sounds. Always be open to new ideas. You can only benefit from listening to all the ideas each person has. This is especially true when the person you're talking to has had experience solving problems similar to yours.
You don't have to be a gung-ho, solo hero to solve the problem. If you can organize collective thought on the subject, it would be much better.
Number seven; be patient. As long as you persevere, there is always a chance that a solution will present itself. Remember that no one was able to create an invention the first time around.
Creative thinking exercises can also help you in your quest be a more creative problems solver.
Here is one example.
Take a piece of paper and write any word that comes to mind at the center. Now look at that word then write the first two words that come to your mind. This can go on until you can build a tree of related words. This helps you build analogical skills, and fortify your creative processes.
So, next time you see a problem you think you can not solve, think again. The solution might just be staring you right in the face. All it takes is just a little creative thinking, some planning, and a whole lot of work.

Enjoy Your Life: Change Your Point of View

2007-07-23T20:53:00.000+08:00

"Two men look out through the same bars: One sees the mud, and one sees the stars."- Frederick Langbridge, A Cluster of Quiet Thoughts
If you’ve placed second in a writing contest, will you jump for joy and push for better results the next time or will you be discouraged and find an excuse not to join again?
In life, you are always filled with choices. You may opt to have a pessimist’s view and live a self-defeated life or you may decide to take the optimist’s route and take a challenging and fulfilling life.
So why nurture an optimist’s point of view? And why now?
Well, optimism has been linked to positive mood and good morale; to academic, athletic, military, occupational and political success; to popularity; to good health and even to long life and freedom from trauma.
On the other hand, the rates of depression and pessimism have never been higher. It affects middle-aged adults the same way it hits younger people. The mean age of onset has gone from 30 to 15. It is no longer a middle-aged housewife’s disorder but also a teen-ager’s disorder’ as well.
Here’s how optimists are in action and researches that back up why it really pays to be an optimist:
Optimists expect the best
The defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to believe bad events, which will last a long time and undermine everything they do, are their own fault.
The truth is optimists are confronted with the same hard knocks of this world. What differs is the way they explain their misfortune---it’s the opposite way. They tend to believe defeat is just a temporary setback, that its causes are confined to this one case.
Optimists tend to focus on and plan for the 'problem' at hand. They use 'positive reinterpretation.' In other words, they most likely reinterpret a negative experience in a way that helps them learn and grow. Such people are unfazed by bad situation, they perceive it is a challenge and try harder.
They won’t say “things will never get better,” “If I failed once, it will happen again” and “If I experience misfortune in one part of my life, then it will happen in my whole life.”
Positive expectancies of optimists also predict better reactions during transitions to new environments, sudden tragedies and unlikely turn of events. If they fall, they will stand up. They see opportunities instead of obstacles.
People respond positively to optimists
Optimists are proactive and less dependent on others for their happiness. They find no need to control or manipulate people. They usually draw people towards them. Their optimistic view of the world can be contagious and influence those they are with.
Optimism seems a socially desirable trait in all communities. Those who share optimism are generally accepted while those who spread gloom, panic and hysteria are treated unfavorably.
In life, these people often win elections; get voted most congenial and sought for advice.
When the going gets tough, optimists get tougher
Optimists typically maintain higher levels of subjective well-being during times of stress than do people who are less optimistic. In contrast, pessimists are likely to react to stressful events by denying that they exist or by avoiding dealing with problems. Pessimists are more likely to quit trying when difficulties arise.
They persevere. They just don’t give up easily, they are also known for their patience. Inching their way a step closer to that goal or elusive dream.
Optimists are healthier and live longer
Medical research has justified that simple pleasures and a positive outlook can cause a measurable increase in the body's ability to fight disease.
Optimists’ health is unusually good. They age well, much freer than most people from the usual physical ills of middle age. And they get to outlive those prone to negative thoughts.
So why not be an optimist today? And think positively towards a more fulfilled life.
Why not look forward to success in all your endeavors? Why not be resilient? Like everybody else you are bound to hit lows sometimes but don’t just stay there. Carry yourself out of the mud and improve your chances of getting back on the right track. And why not inspire others to remove their dark-colored glasses and see life in the bright side?

Energy Healing 101: Pranic, Tantric, and Reiki

2007-07-23T20:52:00.000+08:00

You have probably come across exotic-sounding terms such as “chakra”, “prana”, “aura”, and “tantra” in your course of reading books on spirituality, sex, and healing in the New Age literature section of the bookstore. But what’s the real scoop behind these exotic vocabularies?
Are All Energy Healings the Same?
Chakra or energy center is a term used in Pranic healing, an ancient Hindu system of energy healing. “Prana” means life energy. “Aura” is another terminology traced to Pranic healing. Aura is a non-physical body that consists of energy, which exists along with our physical body. The aura that covers our body is said to have seven layers pertaining to the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of an individual as manifested by energy. Studying the color and thickness of auras give ideas on the state of health of individuals. Six colors are associated with aura and interpreted into six personalities. These colors are all present in an individual but one or two are more pronounced. Green – ambitious achiever Blue – spiritual peacemaker White – unconventional chameleon Red – activist Orange – creative communicator Violet - psychic
Although Tantra is popularly associated with the peculiar practice of sex and spirituality, it is another method of energy healing. It comes from the word “tan” which means to spread or expand. The concept of connectedness is a recurring theme in Tantric writings on sex and spirituality. As a method of healing, spirituality and sex figure prominently. It is presupposed that the union of man and woman can reach spiritual levels during orgasm, which removes the body and mind off collected impurities. These impurities being negative energies can in turn manifest as physical illnesses.
Unlike Pranic and Tantric healings, which have Hindu origins, Reiki originated from Japan. It is relatively younger than Pranic and Tantric healings having been rediscovered in the early 1900’s. Reiki stands for universal energy, an energy brought forth by higher intelligence. Students of Reiki are taught how to tap this energy to heal physical, emotional, and mental illnesses.
Although Pranic, Tantra, and Reiki are all systems of energy healing, they differ in the type of energy tapped for healing: life energy, sexual energy, and universal energy respectively.
The concepts of the connectedness of mind, body, and spirit; the connection of individuals to all living and nonliving things around them and to the universe; and how energy impacts physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are some of the salient similarities of these three healing methods.
Why Do People Turn to Energy Healing?
Pranic, Tantric, and Reiki are considered alternative methods of healing. In spite of the availability and relative accessibility of modern medicine, how come more and more people are being drawned to them? Here are some possible reasons: · Energy healing worked where modern medicine failed.
For several reasons both explainable and unexplainable, modern medical treatment failed to heal ailments and conditions in several if not many persons. Research or data may not be able to support this statement. But for the families of the dying as well as for the dying patient, they would take the risk of using alternative methods ranging from herbals and organics, faith healers, witch doctors, and New Age healing techniques just to be get well.
· People perceive modern medicine to be isolating.
Medical treatments are oftentimes focused on the disease and its causative agent, which can make a patient feel isolated and treated like a mere host of the disease. Although recent developments in hospital practice are gradually promoting the holistic treatment of a patient, the perception still persists. Unlike in energy healing, since energy and spirituality are intimately linked, the patient feels that all aspects of his health are being attended to.
· Energy healing is non-obtrusive and natural thus it is safer.
Repeated surgical procedures are physically and emotionally traumatic for most patients. It is but a logical and attractive option to both patient and families to look for less stressful health interventions. Moreover, with the rising popularity of New Age religions, going natural is the way to go.
· Energy healing is a good way of relieving stress.
Meditation is part and parcel of energy healing methods and this is an added come-on for highly stressed people. Moreover, sophisticated equipment is not required thus it becomes all the more convenient for students and future students of energy healing.
The battle between alternative healing and mainstream medicine continues as both present the benefits of their approach. But in the final analysis, what matters is the restoration of good health.

Impossible is Just a Word

2007-07-23T20:50:00.000+08:00

Everyone, at some point of his or her life, has dreamed of being somebody special, somebody big. Who hasn't fantasized about being the one who hits the game-winning homer? Who hasn't dreamed of being the homecoming queen? And how many times have we dreamed of being rich, or successful, or happy with our relationships?
Often, we dream big dreams and have great aspirations. Unfortunately, our dreams remain just that – dreams. And our aspirations easily collect dust in our attic.
This is a sad turn of events in our life. Instead of experiencing exciting adventures in self actualization, we get caught up in the humdrum of living from day-to-day just barely existing.
But you know what? Life could be so much better, if only we learned to aim higher.
The most common problem to setting goals is the word impossible. Most people get hung up thinking I can't do this. It's too hard. It's too impossible. No one can do this.
However, if everyone thought that, there would be no inventions, no innovations, and no breakthroughs in human accomplishment.
Remember that scientists were baffled when they took a look at the humble bumblebee. Theoretically, they said, it was impossible for the bumblebee to fly. Unfortunately for the bumble, bee no one has told it so. So fly it does.
On the other hand, some people suffer from dreaming totally outrageous dreams and not acting on them. The result? Broken dreams, and tattered aspirations.
If you limit yourself with self-doubt, and self-limiting assumptions, you will never be able to break past what you deem impossible. If you reach too far out into the sky without working towards your goal, you will find yourself clinging on to the impossible dream.
Try this exercise. Take a piece of paper and write down some goals in your life. Under one header, list down things ‘you know you can do’. Under another header, write the things ‘you might be able to do.’ And under one more, list the things that that are ‘impossible for you to do.’
Now look at all the headers strive every day to accomplish the goals that are under things ‘you know you can do’. Check them when you are able to accomplish them. As you slowly are able to check all of your goals under that heading, try accomplishing the goals under the other header-the one that reads ‘you might be able to do.’
As of the items you wrote under things I could do are accomplished, you can move the goals that are under things that are ‘impossible for you to do’ to the list of things ‘you might be able to do.’
As you iterate through this process, you will find out that the goals you thought were impossible become easier to accomplish. And the impossible begin to seem possible after all.
You see, the technique here is not to limit your imagination. It is to aim high, and start working towards that goal little by little. However, it also is unwise to set a goal that is truly unrealistic.
Those who just dream towards a goal without working hard end up disappointed and disillusioned.
On the other hand, if you told someone a hundred years ago that it was possible for man to be on the moon, they would laugh at you. If you had told them that you could send mail from here to the other side of the world in a few seconds, they would say you were out of your mind. But, through sheer desire and perseverance, these impossible dreams are now realities.
Thomas Edison once said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Nothing could be truer. For one to accomplish his or her dreams, there has to be had work and discipline. But take note that that 1% has to be a think-big dream, and not some easily accomplished one.
Ask any gym rat and he or she will tell you that there can be no gains unless you are put out of your comfort zone. Remember the saying, “No pain, no gain”? That is as true as it can be.
So dream on, friend! Don’t get caught up with your perceived limitations. Think big and work hard to attain those dreams. As you step up the ladder of progress, you will just about find out that the impossible has just become a little bit more possible.

The Road to Intuition

2007-07-23T20:45:00.001+08:00

Have you had that experience when all of a sudden you just had this huge hunch that something is about to happen, and to your surprise, that intuition was eventually translated to reality?
When you feel strongly about something without logical basis to it, that's called intuition. It comes in three impressions: clairvoyance or "the third eye", sensing clearly and feeling through listening.
Clairvoyance is when your eye goes beyond what it can see. This is when you know what is happening somewhere.
Sensing clearly is basically what we refer to as "hunch" or "gut feel." This is the time when you are overwhelmed with a feeling and you can't explain it and all you can say is "I just know."
On the other hand, feeling through listening or clairaudience is being able to "listen" between the lines. Intuition also happens at times when a certain sound, whatever it is - be it a car's honk or a bird's twitting - ushers in an intense feeling.
They say only a number of people are gifted with intuition. Astrologers even insist that people born under the Scorpio or Pisces signs are naturally intuitive it almost borders on E.S.P. But studies have been sprouting left and right that proclaim that anyone can develop intuition.
Why the need to develop intuition, you ask? Why not let your emotional and psychological state as it is? First and foremost, intuition promotes good communication. It makes you more sensitive to the people around you; it often keeps you from hurting those you love because you are intuitive enough to understand them. Intuition also makes you far more creative than ever. Intuition means releasing more creative juices for any means of expression. Lastly, intuition has a healing power. This healing power is not in the physical sense, but in delving deep into your soul to eradicate some negative energy buried in it.
With that being said, are you ready to develop your intuition? Here are some ways to unlock this gift:
1. Hypnosis
Oh yes, get yourself hypnotized. Hypnosis is not limited to watching a pendulum move back and forth. Perform self-hypnosis or you can avail of hypnotic programs that can strengthen your intuition.
2. Meditation
Meditating means finding peace in yourself. If your mind and heart are cluttered with too many baggage and hurt, you wouldn't be able to quiet down that part of you that could eventually initiate intuition. There are so many ways to meditate: take a yoga class, or just simply practice some breathing that could bring you straight to Zen.
3. Think positive!
A worry-free, fear-free state could do so much to improve your intuitive ability. By staying positive, you attract good energy that would be able to easily recognize imminent feelings and events.
4. Just let go.
What does this mean? If you are on the brink of making a huge decision, let go of all the inhibitions and head to a quiet place where you could find out where the letting go has brought you. Sometimes you just have to listen to the voice within you, and that voice wouldn't come out unless you let go.
5. Never expect.
After letting go of the inhibitions and all those things that stop you from thinking and feeling clearly, never expect for an answer right away. Never expect that the "hunch" would fall on your lap immediately. Give it a little time then you'd just get surprised that -- wham! -- now you have your answer.
6. Believe in your first impressions.
When you see someone for the first time and think that he is a bit too arrogant for your taste, chances are that impression actually holds true. Most of the time, first impressions are brought by intuition.
7. Stay happy!
See? All you need to be intuitive is to stay happy! Happiness attracts immense power and such power includes intuition. In tapping your intuition, your motivation must be happiness and contentment. Given that premise, intuition will fall to you easily.
Intuition is helpful, because sometimes it leads you to something that cannot be achieved otherwise. A lot of lives have been saved by intuition alone. Decisions are easier done if armed by this gift. Develop intuition now and reap benefits you have never imagined.

Life Mapping: A Vision of Success

2007-06-29T18:36:00.000+08:00

Success is more than economic gains, titles, and degrees. Planning for success is about mapping out all the aspects of your life. Similar to a map, you need to define the following details: origin, destination, vehicle, backpack, landmarks, and route.
Origin: Who you are
A map has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now. Most people when asked to introduce themselves would say, “Hi, I’m Jean and I am a 17-year old, senior highschool student.” It does not tell you about who Jean is; it only tells you her present preoccupation. To gain insights about yourself, you need to look closely at your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural, and civil status. Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, Jean realized that she was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but impatient. Her inclination was in the biological-medical field. Furthermore, she believed that life must serve a purpose, and that wars were destructive to human dignity.
Destination: A vision of who you want to be
“Who do want to be?” this is your vision. Now it is important that you know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision and targets for the future would also be unclear. Your destination should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Continuing Jean’s story, after she defined her beliefs, values, and principles in life, she decided that she wanted to have a life dedicated in serving her fellowmen.
Vehicle: Your Mission
A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent, your mission would depend on what you know about yourself. Bases on Jean’s self-assessment, she decided that she was suited to become a doctor, and that she wanted to become one. Her chosen vocation was a medical doctor. Describing her vision-mission fully: it was to live a life dedicated to serving her fellowmen as a doctor in conflict-areas.
Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude
Food, drinks, medicines, and other travelling necessities are contained in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you need to gain along the way. This two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of success. Jean realized that she needed to gain professional knowledge and skills on medicine so that she could become a doctor. She knew that she was a bit impatient with people so she realized that this was something she wanted to change.
Landmarks and Route: S.M.A.R.T. objectives
Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track while the route determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of success. These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree within a period of three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master’s degree is two years. Going back to Jean as an example, she identified the following landmarks in her life map: completing a bachelor’s degree in biology by the age of 21; completing medicine by the age of 27; earning her specialization in infectious diseases by the age of 30; getting deployed in local public hospitals of their town by the age of 32; and serving as doctor in war-torn areas by the age of 35.
Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes
The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But oftentimes our plans are modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns, detours, and potholes thus; we must anticipate them and adjust accordingly.

"Have One Week, Will Relax" Your 7 days program to Stress management

2007-06-29T18:35:00.000+08:00

They say there's more than one way to skin a cat. The same goes when you start tearing your hair out with all the frustration, grief, anxiety, and yes, stress. It's a state of mental conditioning that is like taking that bitter pill down your throat, causing you to lose your sense of self, and worse your sanity. Just thinking about it can drive anyone off the edge.
And they say that the proactive ones are already living off the edge.
As one stressed-out person to another, I know how it feels, and believe me there are many variants when it comes to stress. Coping with life, and carrying the problems that may or may not belong to you can scratch away the little joy and happiness that you can carry once you head out that door. You can't blame them for being like that; they have their own reasons, so much like we have our reasons to allow stress to weigh us down. They say that stress is all in the mind, well, what's bugging you anyway?
There are several ways to manage stress, and eventually remove it out of your life one of these days. So I'll try to divide it into a seven-day course for you and I promise it's not going to be too taxing on the body, as well as on the mind.
1. Acknowledge stress is goodMake stress your friend! Based on the body's natural "fight or flight" response, that burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment. I've yet to see a top sportsman totally relaxed before a big competition. Use stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts most.
2. Avoid stress sneezersStressed people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and before you know it, you are infected too!
Protect yourself by recognizing stress in others and limiting your contact with them. Or if you've got the inclination, play stress doctor and teach them how to better manage themselves.
3. Learn from the bestWhen people around are losing their head, who keeps calm? What are they doing differently? What is their attitude? What language do they use? Are they trained and experienced? Figure it out from afar or sit them down for a chat. Learn from the best stress managers and copy what they do.
4. Practice socially acceptable heavy breathingThis is something I've learned from a gym instructor: You can trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and things start to feel more normal.
5. Give stressy thoughts the red lightIt is possible to tangle yourself up in a stress knot all by yourself. "If this happens, then that might happen and then we're all up the creek!" Most of these things never happen, so why waste all that energy worrying needlessly?
Give stress thought-trains the red light and stop them in their tracks. Okay so it might go wrong - how likely is that, and what can you do to prevent it?
6. Know your trigger points and hot spotsPresentations, interviews, meetings, giving difficult feedback, tight deadlines…. My heart rate is cranking up just writing these down!
Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Is it only presentations to a certain audience that get you worked up? Does one project cause more stress than another? Did you drink too much coffee?
Knowing what causes you stress is powerful information, as you can take action to make it less stressful. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch to decaf?
7. Burn the candle at one endLack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise wreaks havoc on our body and mind. Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning as it's often ignored as a stress management technique. Listen to your mother and don't burn the candle at both ends!
So having stress can be a total drag, but that should not hinder us to find the inner peace of mind that we have wanted for a long time. In any case, one could always go to the Bahamas and bask under the summer sun.

"A Better You" Your 7 days program to self-improvement

2007-06-29T18:33:00.001+08:00

I seem to lost count on how many times I've read and heard of celebrity marriages failing almost left and right. Not that I care (and personally I don't), it seems strange that we often see movie and TV stars as flawless people, living the fairytale life of riches and glamour. I suppose we all have to stop sticking our heads in the clouds and face reality.
There are many ways to lose your sense of self-esteem despite of how trivial it could get. But whatever happens, we should all try not to lose our own sense of self.
So what does it take to be a cut above the rest? Here are some of the things you can think and improve on that should be enough for a week.
1. Know your purpose Are you wandering through life with little direction - hoping that you'll find happiness, health and prosperity? Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your truth north every time.
This may seem tricky at first when you see yourself to be in a tight or even dead end. But there's always that little loophole to turn things around and you can make a big difference to yourself.
2. Know your values What do you value most? Make a list of your top 5 values. Some examples are security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. As you set your goals for 2005 - check your goals against your values. If the goal doesn't align with any of your top five values - you may want to reconsider it or revise it.
The number shouldn't discourage you, instead it should motivate you to do more than you can ever dreamed of.
3. Know your needs Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically. Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be right, to be in control, to be loved? There are so many people who lived their lives without realizing their dreams and most of them end up being stressed or even depressed for that matter. List your top four needs and get them met before it's too late!
4. Know your passions You know who you are and what you truly enjoy in life. Obstacles like doubt and lack of enthusiasm will only hinder you, but will not derail your chance to become the person you ought to be. Express yourself and honor the people who has inspired you to become the very person you wanted to be.
5. Live from the inside out Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence. Commune with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind. For most of us city slickers it's hard to even find the peace and quiet we want even in our own home. In my case I often just sit in a dimly lit room and play some classical music. There's sound, yes, but music does soothe the savage beast.
6. Honor your strengths What are your positive traits? What special talents do you have? List three - if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help identify these. Are you imaginative, witty, good with your hands? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths. You can increase your self-confidence when you can share what you know to others.
7. Serve others When you live authentically, you may find that you develop an interconnected sense of being. When you are true to who you are, living your purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others -your spirit - your essence. The rewards for sharing your gift with those close to you is indeed rewarding, much more if it were to be the eyes of a stranger who can appreciate what you have done to them.
Self-improvement is indeed one type of work that is worth it. It shouldn't always be within the confines of an office building, or maybe in the four corners of your own room. The difference lies within ourselves and how much we want to change for the better.

"Relaxing with a Mental PDA" Your 5 minutes daily program to Stress management

2007-06-29T18:19:00.000+08:00

We all have this favorite expression when it comes to being stressed out, and I wouldn't bother naming all of them since it may also vary in different languages. But when it comes down to it, I think that it is how we work or even relax, for that matter that triggers stress. Ever been stressed even when you're well relaxed and bored? I know I have.
Since Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. is unavoidable in life, it is important to find ways to decrease and prevent stressful incidents and decrease negative reactions to stress. Here are some of the things that can be done by just remembering it, since life is basically a routine to follow like brushing your teeth or eating breakfast. You can do a few of them in a longer span of time, but as they say-- every minute counts.
Managing time
Time management skills can allow you more time with your family and friends and possibly increase your performance and productivity. This will help reduce your stress.
To improve your time management:
· Save time by focusing and concentrating, delegating, and scheduling time for yourself. · Keep a record of how you spend your time, including work, family, and leisure time. · Prioritize your time by rating tasks by importance and urgency. Redirect your time to those activities that are important and meaningful to you. · Manage your commitments by not over- or undercommitting. Don't commit to what is not important to you. · Deal with procrastination by using a day planner, breaking large projects into smaller ones, and setting short-term deadlines. · Examine your beliefs to reduce conflict between what you believe and what your life is like. Build healthy coping strategies
It is important that you identify your coping strategies. One way to do this is by recording the stressful event, your reaction, and how you cope in a stress journal. With this information, you can work to change unhealthy coping strategies into healthy ones-those that help you focus on the positive and what you can change or control in your life.
Lifestyle
Some behaviors and lifestyle choices affect your stress level. They may not cause stress directly, but they can interfere with the ways your body seeks relief from stress. Try to:
· Balance personal, work, and family needs and obligations. · Have a sense of purpose in life. · Get enough sleep, since your body recovers from the stresses of the day while you are sleeping. · Eat a balanced diet for a nutritional defense against stress. · Get moderate exercise throughout the week. · Limit your consumption of alcohol. · Don't smoke.
Social support
Social support is a major factor in how we experience stress. Social support is the positive support you receive from family, friends, and the community. It is the knowledge that you are cared for, loved, esteemed, and valued. More and more research indicates a strong relationship between social support and better mental and physical health.
Changing thinking
When an event triggers negative thoughts, you may experience fear, insecurity, anxiety, depression, rage, guilt, and a sense of worthlessness or powerlessness. These emotions trigger the body's stress, just as an actual threat does. Dealing with your negative thoughts and how you see things can help reduce stress.
· Thought-stopping helps you stop a negative thought to help eliminate stress. · Disproving irrational thoughts helps you to avoid exaggerating the negative thought, anticipating the worst, and interpreting an event incorrectly. · Problem solving helps you identify all aspects of a stressful event and find ways to deal with it. · Changing your communication style helps you communicate in a way that makes your views known without making others feel put down, hostile, or intimidated. This reduces the stress that comes from poor communication. Use the assertiveness ladder to improve your communication style.
Even writers like me can get stressed even though we're just using our hands to do the talking, but having to sit for 7 or 8 hours is already stressful enough and have our own way to relieve stress. Whether you're the mail guy, the CEO, or probably the average working parent, stress is one unwanted visitor you would love to boot out of your homes, especially your life.

Happy as You Want to Be

2007-06-17T18:55:00.000+08:00

Almost everyone have heard the hit single 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' by Bobby McFerrin. The song has a very catchy way of conveying its message of being happy to everyone. Bobby Mcferiin's simple message surely made a lot of people by telling them not to worry.
Living a happy, resilient and optimistic life is wonderful, and is also good for your health. Being happy actually protects you from the stresses of life. Stress is linked to top causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.
One of the better things ever said is - 'The only thing in life that will always remain the same is change', and in our life we have the power to make the necessary changes if we want to. Even if we find ourselves in an unbearable situation we can always find solace in the knowledge that it too would change.
Social networks or relationships are essential to happiness. People are different, accept people for who or what they are, avoid clashes, constant arguments, and let go of all kinds of resentments. If arguments seem unavoidable still try and make an effort to understand the situation and you might just get along with well with
Happiness is actually found in everyone, increasing it is a way to make a life more wonderful and also more healthy.
To be happy is relatively easy, just decide to be a happy person. Abraham Lincoln observed that most people for most of the time can choose how happy or stressed, how relaxed or troubled, how bright or dull their outlook to be. The choice is simple really, choose to be happy.
There are several ways by which you can do this. Being grateful is a great attitude. We have so much to be thankful for. Thank the taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank the cook for a wonderful dinner and thank the guy who cleans your windows. Also thank the mailman for bringing you your mails, thank the policeman for making your place safe and thank God for being alive.
News is stressful. Get less of it. Some people just can't start their day without their daily dose of news. Try and think about it, 99% of the news we hear or read is bad news. Starting the day with bad news does not seem to be a sensible thing to do.
A religious connection is also recommended. Being part of a religious group with its singing, sacraments, chanting, prayers and meditations foster inner peace.
Manage your time. Time is invaluable and too important to waste. Time management can be viewed as a list of rules that involves scheduling, setting goals, planning, creating lists of things to do and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the results you desire.
Laugh and laugh heartily everyday. Heard a good joke? Tell your friends or family about it. As they also say -'Laughter is the best medicine'. Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to people around you. They will most likely reciprocate your actions. Try not to keep pent up anger of frustrations, this is bad for your health. Instead find ways of expressing them in a way that will not cause more injury or hurt to anyone. Working hard brings tremendous personal satisfaction. It gives a feeling of being competent in finishing our tasks. Accomplishments are necessary for all of us, they give us a sense of value. Work on things that you feel worthy of your time. Learning is a joyful exercise. Try and learn something new everyday. Learning also makes us expand and broaden our horizons. And could also give us more opportunities in the future.
Run, jog, walk and do other things that your body was made for. Feel alive. Avoid exposure to negative elements like loud noises, toxins and hazardous places.
These are the few simple things you can do everyday to be happy.
And always remember the quote from Abraham Lincoln, he says that, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

"Who's the Boss?" 10 ways to start taking control (time management, goal setting, record tracking)

2007-06-17T18:53:00.000+08:00

At first glance, it would seem that positive thinking and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) have nothing to do with one another. But many of us with ADD develop negative thinking patterns because we become frustrated by our challenges and frequent feelings of being overwhelmed. This negative outlook then makes it even harder for us to manage those challenges and move forward.
Practicing positive thinking allows people with ADD to focus on our strengths and accomplishments, which increases happiness and motivation. This, in turn, allows us to spend more time making progress, and less time feeling down and stuck. The following tips provide practical suggestions that you can use to help you shift into more positive thinking patterns:
1. Take Good Care of YourselfIt's much easier to be positive when you are eating well, exercising, and getting enough rest.
2. Remind Yourself of the Things You Are Grateful ForStresses and challenges don't seem quite as bad when you are constantly reminding yourself of the things that are right in life. Taking just 60 seconds a day to stop and appreciate the good things will make a huge difference.
3. Look for the Proof Instead of Making AssumptionsA fear of not being liked or accepted sometimes leads us to assume that we know what others are thinking, but our fears are usually not reality. If you have a fear that a friend or family member's bad mood is due to something you did, or that your co-workers are secretly gossiping about you when you turn your back, speak up and ask them. Don't waste time worrying that you did something wrong unless you have proof that there is something to worry about.
4. Refrain from Using AbsolutesHave you ever told a partner "You're ALWAYS late!" or complained to a friend "You NEVER call me!"? Thinking and speaking in absolutes like 'always' and 'never' makes the situation seem worse than it is, and programs your brain into believing that certain people are incapable of delivering.
5. Detach From Negative ThoughtsYour thoughts can't hold any power over you if you don't judge them. If you notice yourself having a negative thought, detach from it, witness it, and don't follow it.
6. Squash the "ANTs"In his book "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life," Dr. Daniel Amen talks about "ANTs" - Automatic Negative Thoughts. These are the bad thoughts that are usually reactionary, like "Those people are laughing, they must be talking about me," or "The boss wants to see me? It must be bad!" When you notice these thoughts, realize that they are nothing more than ANTs and squash them!
7. Practice Lovin', Touchin' & Squeezin' (Your Friends and Family)You don't have to be an expert to know the benefits of a good hug. Positive physical contact with friends, loved ones, and even pets, is an instant pick-me-up. One research study on this subject had a waitress touch some of her customers on the arm as she handed them their checks. She received higher tips from these customers than from the ones she didn't touch!
8. Increase Your Social ActivityBy increasing social activity, you decrease loneliness. Surround yourself with healthy, happy people, and their positive energy will affect you in a positive way!
9. Volunteer for an Organization, or Help another PersonEveryone feels good after helping. You can volunteer your time, your money, or your resources. The more positive energy you put out into the world, the more you will receive in return.
10. Use Pattern Interrupts to Combat RuminationIf you find yourself ruminating, a great way to stop it is to interrupt the pattern and force yourself to do something completely different. Rumination is like hyper-focus on something negative. It's never productive, because it's not rational or solution-oriented, it's just excessive worry. Try changing your physical environment - go for a walk or sit outside. You could also call a friend, pick up a book, or turn on some music.
When it comes to the corporate world, protocol is pretty much the religion. To know the things needed to do are the basics of productivity, but interaction and having a steady mind makes up the entire thing to true productivity. There are those who seem to work well even under pressure, but they're uncommon ones and we are human and imperfect. To get these little things like stress under our skins won't solve our problems. Sometimes it takes a bit of courage to admit that we're turning to be workaholics than tell ourselves that we're not doing our best.

"A Piece of Blarney Stone" 10 ways to empower your communication

2007-06-17T18:51:00.000+08:00

The Blarney Stone is a historical stone, or actually part of the Blarney Castle in Ireland where it was believed that kissing the stone can grant you the gift of gab. Yeah, it seems strange in this day and age, but who are we to question tradition? It's not like I'm saying that Santa Claus doesn't exist (OOPS!).
There is so much to know about conversation that anyone, even I, could ever realize. You can go though watching talk shows; radio programs; clubs dedicated to public speaking; ordinary conversations; certain rules still apply when it comes to interaction through words. It may sound tedious, I know, but even though it's your mouth that's doing the work, your brain works twice as hard to churn out a lot of things you know. So what better way to start learning to be an effective communication is to know the very person closest to you: yourself.
1. What you know.Education is all about learning the basics, but to be an effective speaker is to practice what you've learned. My stint as guest at every Toastmasters' meeting I go to taught me that we all have our limitations, but that doesn't mean we can't learn to keep up and share what we know.
2. Listening.It's just as important as asking questions. Sometimes listening to the sound of our own voice can teach us to be a little bit confident with ourselves and to say the things we believe in with conviction.
3. HumilityWe all make mistakes, and sometimes we tend to slur our words, stutter, and probably mispronounce certain words even though we know what it means, but rarely use it only to impress listeners. So in a group, don't be afraid to ask if you're saying the right word properly and if they're unsure about it then make a joke out of it. I promise you it'll make everyone laugh and you can get away with it as well.
4. Eye ContactThere's a lot to say when it comes to directing your attention to your audience with an eye-catching gaze. It's important that you keep your focus when talking to a large group in a meeting or a gathering, even though he or she may be gorgeous.
5. Kidding aroundA little bit of humor can do wonders to lift the tension, or worse boredom when making your speech. That way, you'll get the attention of the majority of the crowd and they'll feel that you're just as approachable, and as human to those who listen.
6. Be like the rest of themInteraction is all about mingling with other people. You'll get a lot of ideas, as well as knowing what people make them as they are.
7. Me, Myself, and IAdmit it, there are times you sing to yourself in the shower. I know I do! Listening to the sound of your own voice while you practice your speech in front of a mirror can help correct the stress areas of your pitch. And while you're at it you can spruce up as well.
8. With a smileA smile says it all much like eye contact. There's no point on grimacing or frowning in a meeting or a gathering, unless it's a wake. You can better express what you're saying when you smile.
9. A Role ModelThere must be at least one or two people in your life you have listened to when they're at a public gathering or maybe at church. Sure they read their lines, but taking a mental note of how they emphasize what they say can help you once you take center stage.
10. PreparationMake the best out of preparation rather than just scribbling notes and often in a hurried panic. Some people like to write things down on index cards, while other resort to being a little more silly as they look at their notes written on the palm of their hand (not for clammy hands, please). Just be comfortable with what you know since you enjoy your work.
And that about wraps it up. These suggestions are rather amateurish in edgewise, but I've learned to empower myself when it comes to public or private speaking and it never hurts to be with people to listen how they make conversations and meetings far more enjoyable as well as educational.

"What Really Makes You Tick?" 10 questions you should ask to yourself: a preparation to self-improvement

2007-06-17T18:49:00.000+08:00

Be all you can be, but it's not always in the Army. I often see myself as somewhat contented with my life the way things are, but of course it's hard to think of anything else when where are real issues to be discussed.
Still I aspire for something deeper and more meaningful.
So we're all pelted with problems. Honestly it shouldn't even bother or even hinder us to becoming all we ought to be. Aspirations as kids should continue to live within us, even though it would be short-lived or as long as we could hold on to the dream. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks… or can they?
1. What do I really want?The question of the ages. So many things you want to do with your life and so little time to even go about during the day.
Find something that you are good at can help realize that small step towards improvement. Diligence is the key to know that it is worth it.
2. Should I really change?Today's generation has taken another level of redefining 'self', or at least that's what the kids are saying. Having an army of teenage nieces and nephews has taught me that there are far worse things that they could have had than acne or maybe even promiscuity. So how does that fit into your lifestyle?
If history has taught us one thing, it's the life that we have gone through. Try to see if partying Seventies style wouldn't appeal to the younger generation, but dancing is part of partying. Watch them applaud after showing them how to really dance than break their bones in break-dancing.
3. What's the bright side in all of this?With so much is happening around us there seem to be no room for even considering that light at the end of the tunnel. We can still see it as something positive without undergoing so much scrutiny. And if it's a train at the end of the tunnel, take it for a ride and see what makes the world go round!
4. Am I comfortable with what I'm doing?There's always the easy way and the right way when it comes to deciding what goes with which shoes, or purse, shirt and whatnot. It doesn't take a genius to see yourself as someone unique, or else we'll all be equally the same in everything we do. Variety brings in very interesting and exciting questions to be experimented.
5. Have I done enough for myself?Have you, or is there something more you want to do? Discontentment in every aspect can be dangerous in large doses, but in small amounts you'll be able to see and do stuff you could never imagine doing.
6. Am I happy at where I am today?It's an unfair question so let it be an answer! You love being a good and loving mom or dad to your kids, then take it up a notch! Your kids will love you forever. The same goes with everyday life!
7. Am I appealing to the opposite sex?So maybe I don't have an answer to that, but that doesn't mean I can't try it, though. Whether you shape-up, change the way you wear your clothes or hair, or even your attitude towards people, you should always remember it will always be for your own benefit.
8. How much could I have?I suppose in this case there is no such things on having things too much or too little, but it's more on how badly you really need it. I'd like to have lots of money, no denying that, but the question is that how much are you willing to work for it?
9. What motivates me?What motivates you? It's an answer you have to find out for yourself. There are so many things that can make everyone happy, but to choose one of the may be the hardest part. It's not like you can't have one serving of your favorite food in a buffet and that's it. Just try it piece by piece.
10. What Really Makes You Tick?So? What really makes you tick? You can be just about anything you always wanted to be, but to realize that attaining something that may seem very difficult is already giving up before you even start that journey. Always remember, that self-improvement is not just about the physical or philosophical change you have to undergo, but it's something that you really want.

"Life With Woody" 10 inspirational quotes than can improve yourself

2007-06-17T18:43:00.000+08:00

It might take a little coffee or probably a few rounds of beer or any other booze you could get your hands on when it comes to relaxing after a hard day's work. Well, yeah I'm guilty about that one as well, unless I'm caught dead wearing a lampshade over my head after a few rounds of vodka… half-naked! Okay, bad example and I apologize to everyone reading this after getting nightmares about me in that state of drunken stupor.
Just don't ask how it happened, please.
But what's really interesting is that how do people go through the usual part of life when faced with vein-popping stress? I mean, the new age thing like Zen or yoga is one of the good things and it actually works. Is there room for the intellectual side of people who can actually smell the roses-in-a-can while on the move? It kind of had me thinking that there really must be something in this 'mind-over-matter' thing.
Humor is indeed the best medicine there is whenever you are. I mean anyone can pay good money to listen to a comedian just to make you wet your pants after laughing so hard. Despite of what's been happening, and to those who has gone though the ordeal, it's better to just laugh while facing the troubles with a clear mind than anger with a clouded vision. One of my favorite celebrities of all time may have to be Woody Allen. Now this is one guy who gives you the in-your-face bluntness that he pulls out with gusto, even without even trying. You can talk just about anything with a man, and he's bound to mock the subject and you'll end up laughing rather than being upset about it.
Woody Allen has this to say:
1. "Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons." It sounds good to me, I mean the practicality of all things does involve money but it doesn't have to take an arm and a leg to get it.
2. "I believe there is something out there watching us. Unfortunately, it's the government." 'Nuff said.
3. "There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman?" This happens to be one of the classic ones. I mean the issue about life's little problems isn't all that bad, until 'he' shows up.
Sure, relationships can get complicated, or does have its complications that probably any author about relationships is bound to discover it soon. We follow what our heart desires, unless you're talking about the heart as in the heart that pump blood throughout your body.
4. "Love is the answer, but while you're waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty interesting questions." And if you want more, just keep on asking!
5. "A fast word about oral contraception. I asked a girl to go to bed with me, she said 'no'." It sounds, 'practical', I think.
And when it comes to everyday life, he really knows how to make the best out of every possible scenario, and it doesn't involve a lawsuit if he strikes a nerve.
6. "Basically my wife was immature. I'd be at home in the bath and she'd come in and sink my boats." I never had a boat in my bathtub before. Just staring at it while soaking in hot water makes me seasick already.
7. "I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens." If it rains, it pours.
8. "I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose." It could get worse when you're guzzling on beer… or mouthwash, and it happened to me once!
9. "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans." At least he doesn't smite us with lightning, and I'm thankful for that.
And despite of what may happen to all of us in the next ten, twenty, or even thirty years, I guess we all have to see things in a different kind of light and not just perspective. I can't seem to imagine life without any piece of wisdom that could guide us. Whether we're religious or not, it takes more courage to accept your fears and learn how to deal with them is all that matters when it comes to even just getting along.
And to sum things up, here is the last nugget of wisdom to go by… however, whenever, and wherever we may be.
10. "The talent for being happy is appreciating and liking what you have, instead of what you don't have."
Ciao!