How To Achieve the Impossible

Believe
When anyone tells you that something is impossible what is your response? Not only your outward reaction, what are your inner thoughts?

Do you accept it and go on thinking to yourself, "Yeah! It’s probably too hard too…" or "They’re right. That could never work." Or do you just passively go on with your existence never to give it another thought?

Well listen. S T O P thinking that way. Before you achieve anything that you think may be even a little difficult, you must – repeat – YOU MUST own the belief that it is not only possible, it is probable. Then, owning that belief, ask yourself some very focused questions.

Questions:
What do I want?
What is the first step I should take to be one step closer to achieve what I am after?
Who can clear up any lack of knowledge that I need to achieve this?
What is my plan to get from Point A to Point B?
The most important objective to achieve anything on this planet (or out of this world) is to believe. Without belief there is nothing.

Become
Become what you focus on. Whether you want to or not you will become what you concentrate your efforts on. If you concentrate on achieving wealth, you will become aware of opportunities to achieve that wealth.

If you allow yourself to become consumed with bad things that happen to you, you will become a person that bad things happen to.

You need to become just like the person you want to be like. This requires reading and diving into the lives of those who have already achieved what you are striving for.

You must become a filter for what you allow in and what you push out. Do this by reading what you want to learn. Listen to audio books that support your goals. Talk with people who build up your ideas.

Just remember you will become what you want to achieve even if others say it’s impossible.

Beware
Beware of the idiots. I have a friend who has a brilliant outlook on life. He is an entrepreneur and has a lot of great ideas. Not only are they great ideas they actually make him money.
There are plenty of people who would look at him and his ideas and tear down any effort he would make at trying to achieve.

Here’s the part you need to adopt and adapt to your way of life.

To the people who tear down or do not support his ideas are automatically dismissed as idiots. Those who support him and his ideas are always geniuses. That’s a great way to win! Develop your genius tribe. Totally ignore and dismiss the idiot pool.

Now you don’t have to be so raw about it calling people idiots (although it may help). You can still apply the same principle. Beware of the nay-sayers. Embrace the encouragers.
Surround yourself with geniuses.

Few things will kill a million-dollar idea faster than idiots telling you it can’t work.

Be You
The last sentence "Few things will kill a million-dollar idea faster than an idiot telling you it can’t work." is SO true. Another thing that will kill a million-dollar idea faster than anything is not being yourself.

Being yourself is the most unique thing you can offer anyone. Why would you want to rob yourself of the most valuable asset you can offer?

Trying to be someone else is a nasty habit that is so transparent it turns off everyone who sees it. Don’t do it. No one likes a phony. But everyone loves those who love being themselves.
People are attracted to those who are glad to be themselves and are confident in who they are.

These people understand that they are valuable being the only person they can be. Be yourself and don’t be ashamed of you.

Once you have accepted that you are valuable and are sure in who you are, you will begin to notice in a very short time that people will begin to be attracted to you. They will want to be around you and unconsciously want what you have got.

Use your YOU power. Be yourself and you will be on your way to successful living.

Successful living isn’t easy. It’s simple but it isn’t necessarily easy. Stay tuned throughout the year for more valuable ideas and tools that will help you accomplish what others would call “The Impossible”.

How to Make Small Talk With People

Small talk is often perceived as fake or shallow, but nevertheless one tends to be self-conscious if one doesn't know how to make small talk with people. That's because conversations, especially with people that you don't know well, often start with small talk.

If people don't know how to do it, they can spend their time in social situations standing on the sidelines not speaking and not being spoken to. That is a shame and just a few simple pointers on how to make small talk with people can increase your confidence greatly in social situations.

Small talk is no small matter; it's actually quite a big deal in terms of how useful it is for bonding people socially; it a great way to get to know people. Being willing and able to use small talk actually tells the other person that you are interested in them.

In order to get anything back from the people that you talk to, though, you have to give something of yourself or otherwise it just feels to the other person as if they are being interrogated.

Listening to the answers they give is very important in order for them to feel valued and to want to continue speaking to you.

It's a good idea to have a very brief introduction to yourself planned out in your head before you go somewhere where you might be called upon to speak to people that you do not know. Having that little piece of information planned out in your head and memorized will help you to feel more comfortable about the prospect of meeting new people and you will find you relax more, making small talk much easier.

Your introduction need not be long; in fact it shouldn't be more than a couple of sentences. It is perfectly adequate to say 'Hi, my name is..." then go on to simply state why you are at the social event; perhaps that might be something like 'I've been friends with the hosts for a few years now' or 'I'm looking for a painting for my lounge room'. The person you are speaking to will probably reciprocate in the same way and you will have found your first piece of common ground because you will know why you are both there.

Again, listening to the answer is very important. That enables you to take cues from what they say to further the conversation. What you say does not need to be very smart or very funny; something which shows a little interest in the other person will work very well. What you are trying to do is establish a connection with the other person and once you have connected, the conversation should flow more freely.

Remember that you should not fire a long list of questions at the person to whom you are speaking. That will unnerve them and bore them. If from one of their answers you find some common ground, something which you have a story about or some positive comment to make, tell them that rather than asking another question. They will relax and open up more as the conversation becomes more two-sided and reciprocal and so will you.

You can start your small talk with a comment about where you both are. That gives you some common ground already. You can talk about the venue or the event; the food or the facilities. Make your comments positive if you can, as this put people in the best frame of mind in which to reply to you.

Having something interesting to contribute will help when it comes to small talk, so keep up with the news and current affairs, what's on at the cinema etc. If you're going to a specific event do a little bit of research before hand so that you will have some things to say. You don't have to be a world authority; in fact, that can be off-putting.

You just need to have a few things in your memory bank to say that you're less likely to go blank and silent. So, when it comes to how to do small talk with people, practice a two sentence introduction to yourself and have three or a couple of simple questions you could ask then look around you and listen to people for further inspiration.

How Being Happy Now Leads to Future Success

True or false: Success leads to happiness.

I'm not usually a betting woman, but I'd wager big money you believe that's true. You hopefully have first-hand experience of the joy resulting from any number of favorable life circumstances, like a comfortable income, a promotion, marriage, prestige, good health or friendship.

But would it surprise you to learn that if we flipped this cause and effect statement around and suggested that happiness leads to success, it would also be true? Recent medical research explains why.

Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., of University of California, Riverside, and co-authors Laura King, Ph.D., of University of Missouri, Columbia and Ed Diener, Ph.D., of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign examined 225 studies to determine how happiness and positive affect are related to culturally-valued success. While they don't dispute that success does lead to happiness, they also found that success results from happiness as well.

"Our review provides strong support that happiness, in many cases, leads to successful outcomes, rather than merely following them," said Lyubomirsky, "and happy individuals are more likely than their less happy peers to have fulfilling marriages and relationships, high incomes, superior work performance, community involvement, robust health and even a long life."

How does happiness create success? The researchers propose that people who generally feel that life is going well "can expand their resources and friendships; they can take the opportunity to build their repertoire of skills for future use; or they can rest and relax to rebuild their energy after expending high levels of effort." In other words, when we are not using all of our energy to protect or defend ourselves or recover from a perceived loss, we can turn our energy outward toward new goals and achievements.

"When people feel happy," Lyubomirsky continues, "they tend to feel confident, optimistic, and energetic, and others find them likable and sociable. Happy people are thus able to benefit from these perceptions."

When we're happy, we're likely to take on new challenges, make new social connections, learn new skills and get curious about learning new things. If you're interested in personal growth, being happy is an effective strategy.However, being happy for no reason is a challenge. If you're happiness usually depends on something happening to you--like finding a great bargain, enjoying beautiful weather, or receiving a compliment--it can seem strange to try to get happy just for the sake of being happy. Yet if we operate according to the findings of Lyubomirsky and her colleagues, this is exactly what we need to do.

At the risk of seeming naively optimistic, I can share with you that I personally start every day intentionally getting into a good mood. I don't mean getting calm or peaceful or unstressed, I mean downright glad.

Here are some things that work for me as well as some additional ideas that may work for you:

listen to a song that makes you feel good (I have a couple of songs on my laptop specifically for this purpose)

read an uplifting quote (I have a collection of these)

browse through notes of appreciation that people have sent you (I have a collection of these too--feel free to add to them at any time...)

think about something you are grateful for

reflect on past successes

take a few deep breaths

focus on something in your environment that is beautiful or enjoyable

look at happy pictures of yourself

read or tell a joke

say hello to your co-workers with a smile

play with one of the "executive toys" on your desk

exercise

Intentionally getting into a good mood for no reason doesn't mean being in denial about reality.

The authors note that happy people are capable of experiencing sadness and negative emotions in response to negative events, which is a healthy and appropriate response.

They are also clear that happiness is not a "magic elixir" or a "royal road to the perfect life." Other characteristics such as intelligence, perseverance and conscientiousness are desirable traits, but not the same as happiness.

Being happy is simply about creating a fertile internal landscape where growth, openness and curiosity can thrive and flourish. And since being happy is what most of us want out of work and out of life, isn't the freedom and ability to be happy the ultimate success?

A note to managers

As a manager, the idea of trying to increase your team members' happiness may strike you as too touchy-feely, too much like parenting, or simply impossible.

Instead, you may want to consider encouraging, and even more importantly, modeling, characteristics that the researchers found correspond to happiness, such as "confidence, optimism, and self-efficacy; likeability and positive construal of others; sociability, activity and energy; prosocial behavior; immunity and physical well-being; effective coping with challenge and stress; and originality and flexibility."

This may involve:

promoting pleasant, respectful behavior and addressing rudeness

encouraging your team to take care of their health and physical well-being

offering training and techniques for handling stress and managing their workload

promoting work-life balance and making it permissible to turn work off

giving positive feedback; the study shows that happy people are more sensitive to rewards in
their environment, and are more likely to approach rewarding situations

More effective than any of these ideas is the strategy of focusing on your own good mood, and looking for small but frequent opportunities to express it. The article cites a study that shows that mildly unhappy (dysphoric) people are likely to under-perform in leadership and social positions. Human emotions are complex, and can't be regulated by policies and procedures. If your staff perceives an inauthentic optimism or feels that they must force a smile no matter what the challenge, any attempts at false happiness can certainly backfire. As with many useful management techniques, talking the talk before we walk the walk won't get us far. How you feel and act likely has a greater impact than anything you say.

In Other Words?

People use the expression "in other words" because sometimes other words are necessary to better understand something. You probably use it yourself, but how often do you actually think about the words you are using, and the effect they may have? How often do you change the words you use in order to change your perspective or get a better result?



To Think In Other Words That the words we choose affect how we see things, and even affect our physiology, isn't a new idea.



It is easy to prove it to yourself. Just have a friend try to relax while you tell him, "make that tension jump right out of your muscles." Afterwards try it again with, "let the tension drain from your muscles and flow out of your body." Both instructions communicate the same basic idea, but the second is more effective at getting the desired result; relaxation.



In other words, words are used to accomplish something, so why not use the ones that are best suited for the job? It's an idea that makes sense for communicating with others, but it is perhaps even more so when communicating with oneself. Your own "self talk" can dramatically affect whether you get the results you want.



Suppose you repeatedly say something like, "I can't handle this," when in tough situations. You are programming your subconscious mind to believe that you are not capable of doing certain things, and with time this will become more true the more you repeat it. That may not be the result you are hoping for.



In reality, you're probably just tired and frustrated. You actually are "handling" the situation in some way, but you would like a better way to do it. So why not say that instead? When you are tempted to say "this is too much for me," or "I can't handle all this," say, "I'll find a better way to deal with this." This instruction to your subconscious mind is almost certain to be more productive.



Better Words



Below are a few examples of words or phrases that may not be getting you the results you want, followed by some possibly more productive alternatives. These are just to get you thinking. If they make sense for you, use them, but experiment with your own alternatives as well. Think in terms of the goal, and find the words that are most likely to help.



"I can't..." Replacements: "I can..." or "I'm choosing not to right now.."



"This always happens..." Replacement: "Sometimes this happens..."



"I always do the same thing... Replacement: "I make this mistake sometimes..."



"This is so overwhelming..." Replacement: "I'm busy with many goals..."



"I have to..." Replacement: "I choose to..."



This last one reminds you to accept responsibility for your actions. Phrase it this way, and you feel compelled to either reaffirm your choices or make new ones. This prevents you from thinking that others or the "situation" forces you to do things - a very negative and unproductive perspective.



"Never," and "always" commonly show up in phrases that are counter-productive. They are sometimes powerful de-motivators that drain your energy. "This never works for me," or "I always screw up," are not likely to help you get results that you want, are they? Avoid over-generalizing like this, unless it is more like, "I always find a way to get things done." In other words, start using better words.

How to Consciously Choose the Life of Your Dreams

Everything in life is a choice and your spiritual growth depends entirely on the choices you make and the spirituality information that you immerse yourself in. The key to creating the life of your dreams is to begin the process of understanding how important it is to be conscious and aware of the choices you are making and whether those choices are serving you or not.

Relativity tells us that you can't know something as an experience until you first come to know its opposite. That is the purpose of the theory of relativity and all physical life.

That is why we have this other beautiful, magnificent and glorious ability in our lives called choice. We get to choose whatever it is that we desire. We can say “the devil made me do it” all we want, but the ultimate reality is that we make a choice about every decision we make in our lives.

Now comes the important question. Are you making your choices consciously or unconsciously?

Really think about that one. Remember we are thinking up the life of your dreams here. Are you thinking consciously or unconsciously?

Think about that, consciously. Right now you are reading this article. You are fully in the present moment. Your mind is engaged. Your brain is processing the data. You are in a conscious endeavor to improve your life. Right now you are thinking consciously, but what happens when you stop reading this article? Are you going to go over and turn on the idiot box and watch the next generation of a “reality show?” Are you going to mindlessly subject yourself to the commercials that tell you to go out and buy the next best version of the useless material possessions that already fill your cupboards and closets and your life?

Is that what you call conscious living? Does that serve you? I'm not making judgments here; I am just making observations. It is entirely your choice as to what you fill your days and nights with. I just want you think about what you are thinking about because that is the only way that you can begin to think consciously.

If we are saying that life is a process, and we are, then we want to be awake and aware of that process. You can only do that if you are conscious that life is a process and then consciously aware about how the process works.

That's why you are reading this article. To understand the true nature of how things work. This is a conscious endeavor, which takes some concerted effort, but the rewards and riches that await you are worth the undertaking.

We are not thinking about short-term gratification. We are going for the long haul, the big picture, the effortless life that awaits us when we wake up to this clarion call to consciously view life as a process.

Telling ourselves that “the devil made me do it” isn't going to cut it anymore. You can only use that excuse when you are living unconsciously. Remember we are changing the way we are thinking and thinking different thoughts. Thank you Albert Einstein for telling us that you can't change your current situation by thinking the same thoughts that got you there. You must change the way you are thinking and think different thoughts.

Start the process of consciously being aware of your current situation and the begin to consciously make choices that open up different avenues of thought that have the potential to create the life of your grandest dreams and aspirations.

Finding support for Creative Manifesting in the bible.

There was a time when religion was a thorn for me. A time when I resented God for being so unfair with the delivery of good and evil, reward and punishment. Then, when I began my spiritual path and realized that God doesn't do anything unpredictable, or out of alignment with my vibration, I began to resent Jesus for making things so difficult to understand and then blamed religion for complicating the Truth. Now, however, I feel that I've reconciled many of my judgments and I recognize the importance of religion in delivering to many a vital message.


Creative manifesting requires that we recognize that there are no mistakes. Therefore, there must be a higher order of life or what Christians might call the "Will of God". This one is tough for many metaphysical seekers to reconcile. It appears as though the "Will of God" would imply an outside force that imposes its WILL upon us, a force that is working against or not in accordance to anything we have to say or do about the matter.


Understanding what the WILL of GOD means if we believe that "we create our own reality" can mean the difference between success and failure to a co-creator. Try substituting "the Law of Attraction" for the "Will of God". For me, it is easier to be creative and access higher powers if I relax in the fact that I can always depend on the Law of Attraction to do its job. It never falters nor veers from its unbiased, impersonal delivery of "that which is likened unto itself is drawn" and like energy attracts like energy. Which means that even when I manage to botch a "creative" desire, I can trust that the Law of Attraction is at work in this situation now. Then, I can in this moment accept this as perfect and start all-over with what I want. That is what God's Will means to me -- The Law of Attraction is at work no matter what and THAT makes this a perfect Universe!


I don't pretend to be a bible scholar, nor do I spend hours studying. However, I have found peace in knowing that my "metaphysical" beliefs are confirmed by the words written so many years ago. When we can stand back and look at the words and not another's interpretation of the words, then great insights and comfort can be drawn from that international best seller, the bible.


First start with Matthew 17:20


"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, `Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."


This is what is taught and what every intentional manifestation is founded upon. There's no variance, incongruity, or even mystery to how this works in our life. It works 100% of the time no matter what the outcome. Even if what we have in our life appears to be opposite of what we want - we created it through the power of our thoughts and beliefs - which is what God, the all-that-is, answers - always!


Here's the catch - and there are a couple of catches:


Catch #1:

Any outcome that you desire to intentionally manifest, you must be able to believe with all your heart and soul in order to manifest it. You must be able to believe that it is possible, completely possible and even probable, in order to manifest it. You must have unwavering faith.


Matthew 21:21


Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, `Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done."


For example, if what you ideally want is for ALL your dreams to come true today, to win the lottery today, to marry a prince today, to have total planetary peace today then you might struggle to believe that is possible and therefore would not be able to intentionally manifest it. However, let's get something clear - it IS possible. We are unlimited and therefore nothing is impossible when we believe. However, manifesting something that we know we can believe in is more likely to yield success and thereby strengthen our manifesting muscle in training for the more difficult events.


Catch #2:

Our fears and doubts actually keep us from our greater good. Therefore, we must detach and let go of our fears. One way to do this with great success is to surrender all our fears over to God, to the Christ within or to the Divine Order of Life. When we hand our demons over and release our stranglehold on them, we let go of the noose that is in fact pulling those actualized fears to us.


Luke 12:32


"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom."


John 4:17-19


"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."


Catch #3:

Do not tell anyone that you are creating a fabulous castle, a starring role in the next George Clooney movie or even a free hotdog at the fair. We are truly vulnerable to the thoughts of others until we are cast-iron in our belief. Therefore, keep your creative ambitions a secret. The exception to this would be a mastermind partner, a coach, or enlightened friend that knows these Truths and can totally support you in visualizing the creation also.


Matthew 7:6


"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces."


Catch #4:

Accepting your unlimited potential and that you are a Divine Child of God is essential to mastering creative manifesting. In fact the more you know this, the more fulfilled your life becomes automatically. You must choose to become aware and to know that the Divine Power is within you right now!


John 17:21-23


"I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one."

Catch #5:

You must transform your thinking if you want to transform your life. Affirmations are a necessary tool in creating new thoughts to intentionally replace the old ones.


Romans 12:1-3


"And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."


And the last Catch is to connect with spirit.

By seeking the experience of God first you unconsciously and almost magically become a match to all that you desire. The more fulfilled your life is the more fulfilled your life will become. Therefore, becoming aware of the Kingdom within will create a force field of positive vibrations that will radiantly attract your wildest and most wonderful dreams.


Matthew 6:32-34


"But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.


The Kingdom of God to me is simply the essence of God: , Wisdom, Peace, Wholeness, Love, Faith, Beauty, Prosperity. Seek to know these feelings (by expressing them) inside and out and all things will be added unto you.

Envision a Better Future

Visualization can be a powerful tool to help you improve your current circumstances, but it can also help you to be more purposeful about moving toward a brighter future. This can be especially effective if you often feel nervous, anxious or doubtful about your ability to improve your life.



To begin, find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed and take a few minutes to quiet your mind and relax your body. If you like, you can put on some soothing music or simply enjoy the silence.



Take a few slow, deep breaths and imagine that you are releasing all tension, stress and worry from your body. As you inhale, envision soft golden light flowing into your lungs and spreading throughout your body, warming and relaxing you. As you exhale, imagine that you’re purging feelings of fear, anxiety and disharmony from your body. Stay with this deep breathing technique for as long as it takes to feel fully relaxed and calm.



Then, call to mind an image of the type of future you’d like to have. Include as much detail as you can, and focus on all of the important aspects of your life such as your career, financial situation, family situation, and so on.



Imagine yourself living in this future time, waking up first thing in the morning and going through your daily experiences. Focus especially on how you look and feel in this better future. Do you appear happy, productive, inspired, purposeful, confident? Are you living the life you truly want to lead? How does it feel?



Take your time with this exercise, going through each experience and enjoying it as much as you can. By the time you finish, you should be feeling very inspired and positive about your life!



Not only does this exercise make you feel more hopeful and positive about your future, it can also inspire you to take the actions that will eventually usher in those future circumstances!



Even when you return to your normal activities, be sure to keep calling those positive mental images to mind as often as you can, and focus on being the person who was living in that better future. Rather than feeling pessimistic about your current circumstances, affirm that you are creating something better with your visualization exercises.



Since visualization works better if you’re consistent with it, try to make this a daily practice if you can. Even just 10 minutes a day of focusing on these positive images and experiencing the corresponding feelings they invoke can help you bring forth great changes in your life

Empower Yourself Through Any Setback

Everyone faces challenges in business and in life. And even positive experiences such as getting a promotion or finding Mr. or Ms. Right can present you with challenges. For example, a new position brings new responsibilities and sometimes new headaches, and a new love interest poses the challenge of having to compromise with another person when you’re used to doing things your way.

The key to overcoming any challenge is to empower yourself through the event. In fact, life’s challenges and adversities can be one of the most inspiring, creative, and resourceful periods of your life, if you only take the steps to focus on the positive and not the negative. Unfortunately, most people have a pre-programmed, download of emotions that dictates how they react to challenges, changes, and transitions. And the majority of times these emotions are not positive.

Rather, they are based on resistance and fear, and they put people in the position of reacting and not being able to turn around and direct the situation. For example, let’s suppose you just got fired from your job unexpectedly. You honestly thought you were doing good work, you actually liked your job, and you had planned to stay there for a long time. Then one day your boss taps you on the shoulder and shows you the door. The natural emotions you probably feel are fear, sadness, and anger. “How am I going to pay the bills?” you lament. “What will happen to me and my family?” “How could they do this to me?” While these are normal initial emotions, you have to realize that you getting fired from your job could be a blessing in disguise, because there is always something better out there for you…you just have to look for it.

The following tips will helps you gain the confidence to face life’s challenges head on and turn them around into opportunities for growth.

1. Accept that challenges are a learning tool. Challenges educate you about yourself. They define your values and clarify what’s important to you. During any challenge is the perfect time to re-create your life, because challenges force you out of your comfort zone. When people get into a comfort zone, they don’t like to mix it up. Most people will stay in their comfort zone because although there’s not a lot of pleasure, there’s not a lot of pain either. But when you get uncomfortable, you find that you have resources, gifts, and talents that you haven’t even tapped yet. During times of challenge you have the ideal opportunity to turn the events around and create the life or professional situation you truly want to live.

2. Be mindful of your self-talk. When overcoming your pre-programmed, download of emotions and re-creating yourself, you need to watch how you speak to yourself. For example, if you got fired from your job, you may hear yourself saying, “I’m a lousy employee.” “No one will ever want to hire me.” “I have no marketable skills.” Such negative self-talk will only keep you in a negative state and will cause you to sabotage your own efforts. Therefore, focus on building yourself up through affirmations. Some good examples of affirmations for our job loss example are: “I am a committed, dedicated employee.” “I have an excellent employer with benefits.” “I am a knowledgeable person with a great deal of experience in my field.” “I am honest and have integrity and maintain that in the workplace.” Make sure your affirmations focus on the skills or traits that will help you overcome your current challenge. Write your affirmations down on 3x5 cards and keep them with you at all times. Say them first thing in the morningand before you go to bed at night. Also, anytime during the day when a negative thought enters your mind, start saying your affirmations. Soon you will believe your new self-talk and you’ll have confidence in yourself again.

3. Visualize where you want to be or what you want in life. The human brain does not know the difference between that which is real and that which is imagined. So visualize the perfect scenario for yourself. Since we tend to draw to us things that we think about, you can start to re-create your life by simply visualizing what you want. As an added benefit, visualization also helps you define your values and beliefs. When you visualize the new job position you want, for example, you can create a picture of the type of company you want to work for and get a better idea of what’s important to you. Now, if an opportunity arises that puts you in a place that’s opposite of what you visualize, you can better decide whether it’s a right move for you.

4. Surround yourself with a supportive environment. Face it, some people in your life are toxic to your success: people who are negative, who frustrate you, who sabotage your efforts, and who try to hold you back. You need to distance yourself from these people, even if it means hurting their feelings or damaging the relationship permanently. If the toxic person is a close family member, this step can be difficult, but it will free you to experience positive things in life. After all, when you’re trying to come back from a challenge, the only resource you have is your mind.

Therefore, you have to protect your thoughts and your speech, and you do that by getting rid of people who are negative and toxic. Remember that some people love to complain and want company for their misery. And as much as they seem to love you, they will sabotage you because your success intimidates them. It’s easier for them to keep you down on their level. But this is your life and you have to live it for yourself, not anyone else. So focus on the positive people in your life and ignore the negative ones. Once you do, you’ll see a marked improvement in your current situation.

5. Open yourself up to new possibilities and paths. Remember, a challenge can be one of the most creative times in your life. Therefore, give yourself permission to think beyond the obvious. After a job loss, for example, you might think to start your own business or to do something you’ve been putting off for years, like take a year off and hike through Europe. Look beyond what you’re accustomed to and let yourself dream for once. As you do so, just ponder the new experiences and realize that you don’t have to act on the first thing you think of. Use your positive support network as a sounding board for ideas. You may just stumble upon a new life path that leads to greater fulfillment and success than ever before.

Shift Your Situation Today

The bottom line is that challenges don’t have to make your miserable. When your confidence has been shaken due to a sudden turn of events, following these five tips will help you make it through the rough time and maintain your confidence. After all, you can’t go from surviving to thriving if you’re stuck wallowing in self-pity. So put these five tips to work today. When you do, you’re bound to have a more enjoyable tomorrow…no matter what the situation.

The Woman's Rules!!!

A special one for all the ladies... I just love this, I have read it before and think we all need some humour in our lives from time to time so enjoy this one just for fun...

1. The Female always makes THE RULES.

2. THE RULES are subject to change at any time without prior notification.

3. No Male can possibly know all THE RULES.

4. If the Female suspects the Male knows all THE RULES, she must immediately change some or all of THE RULES.

5. The Female is never wrong.

6. If it appears the Female is wrong, it is because of a flagrant misunderstanding caused by something the Male did or said wrong.

7. If Rule #6 applies, the Male must apologize immediately for causing the misunderstanding.

8. The female may change her mind at any given time.

9. The Male must never change his mind without the express written consent of The Female.

10. The Female has every right to be angry or upset at any time.

11. The Male must remain calm at all times, unless the Female wants him to be angry or upset.

12. The Female must, under no circumstances, let the Male know whether she wants him to be angry or upset.

13. The Male is expected to read the mind of the Female at all times.

14. Any attempt made to document, destroy or throw THE RULES away could result in bodily harm.

15. At all times, what is important is what the Female meant, not what she said.

16. If the Female has PMS, all THE RULES are null and void and the Male must cater to her every whim.

17. The female is ready when she is ready

18. The male must be ready at all times.

19. The male who doesn’t abide by The Rules can’t take the heat, lacks backbone and is a wimp.

20. If the Male, at any time, believes he is right, he must refer to Rule #5.

Connect With Your Source

Who looks outside – dreams. Who looks inside - awakes. Carl Gustav Jung

The single most important thing you can do in your life is to connect with your source. Greater than anything you desire, connecting with source allows you to develop a relationship with the Infinite Wisdom of the Universe. By staying connected you will be in the flow and everything comes easily and quickly to you.

You’ve heard it said, go with the flow. This doesn’t mean follow the masses – it means to connect with your source and go with its flow – which is unique for each and every one of us. Where do you think you really come from? Your parents? Yes, you share their DNA – and your body comes from their joining. But where does the you that stares out from behind those eyes live? In your cells, in your DNA, your central nervous system? Do you live in your mind? Are you your mind? Have you ever noticed that when you experience anything – a feeling – a moment – an event or circumstance – and that while you participate and enjoy or not these things that occur; that part of you sits back and watches everything? Many call this the observer, the witness, your spirit, your soul, whatever name you choose - it is that part of you that is always connected to source – it stands back and witnesses everything.

Your eternal being resides here and always stays in direct communication with source for without that connection you would die. If we are always connected – why must we then connect? Does this seem confusing to you? Yes, you are always connected with source, period and nothing can sever that relationship. But the part of you that stays connected is not in your conscious mind.

When I talk about connecting with source, I mean consciously. For too long we have made the part of our being that is connected with source sit in the back of the bus. Like Mrs. Parks, a time comes when that part of you simply cannot take being ignored any more. What happens? Many things – your life falls apart, you get sick, things don't go your way – you lose your job, your lover, your house, whatever is consuming your life. The Father Mother God of Your Being won't stay in the back of the bus for long – especially if something in you awakens – the sleeper must awaken. Yes, you can have all that you desire – but not at the cost of your soul.

The relationship with source is different for everyone. It doesn't take your believing in source for source to empower your being. Nor can you tell another person how their relationship with source is supposed to be. It is a very individual experience. It is the most intimate of relationships you will ever experience. Source never leaves you, never lies to you, and never makes you feel guilty. Source loves you unconditionally and always says yes to you – even if your belief is such that you feel the universe says no.

The universe will support whatever you believe to be true. An important fact to understand: the universe always says yes even when you perceive it to be no. When you experience no, what you are experiencing is your belief in no so the universe says yes by supporting your no. You define your world. Source does not do that for you. Source is not your ego, your personality or any trait or characteristic of your being. Source is not your belief structure or your religious undertakings. Source is Divine Infinite Wisdom. Some call It God, Energy, Allah, Yahweh – it is known by many names or none.

You can ask your source about anything and it will answer. It answers by giving you a feeling. If you feel calm and peaceful – that is your answer – which can be interpreted as yes. If you feel more confused and at unrest – this can be interpreted as no. As you develop your own relationship with your source you will find what form of communication works for you. There are no hard and set rules and this is a very personal relationship – one that no-one but you and source together share.

The point I am making is this: more than a body, more than a personality, or an ego, you are a divine child of the universe with an eternal spirit. Eternal. E-tern-al. You come from source, you exist because of source, and someday you return to source. Critical for your well-being as well as for your endeavors in this journey of creating your reality and learning to become the real you - the divine child of the universe - connecting with your source is a step you must make on your own. This is a very personal journey, no man; woman or child can come between you and your Source. Death cannot separate you from your source. Source is the very source of your being.

The part of you that does not reside in the physical realm – the part of you that constantly maintains twenty-four hour access to all things, known and unknown, seen and unseen stands a mere breath away. I read somewhere once that “of God” - Spiritos – means to exhale – while "man" means inhale. How much closer to source can you get? Consciously attach yourself to your source. Give thanks to your source for the ability to breathe in and out. Start your day by giving thanks for everything in your life, both the wanted and unwanted. Write a list of five things you are grateful for every day and watch your life change! Give thanks for everything you can see, taste, touch, smell, hear, or sense, for without your source you would not exist.

Step outside, right this minute, whether it is on your porch, your doorstep, your curb, your backyard, your front yard or in the street. Go outside and look up. Look at the sun or the clouds, the moon and stars and notice everything not made by man. This, in its simplest form, is the divine expression of source. And then realize that the Creator of All This - propels you, powers you, gives you being on this planet. The same energy that made the stars made you. The same energy that powers the universe powers you.

To quote Joni Mitchell, "you are stardust, you are golden."

Are you any less than one of these? You are loved. And you are known. It is time for you to know yourself. Excerpted from The Little Book of Becoming, ©2007 Laurie J. Brenner