How to keep your love alive?

I believe that finding, sustaining, growing, and enjoying satisfying relationships is one of greatest joys and challenges we have as human beings. We have generally been blessed with a tremendous desire to love and be loved; to listen and be listened to; to take care of and accept care from others. And yet meaningful, sustainable relationships often elude us – especially as it applies to the opposite sex.

Here are some things I’ve learned in my walk through life -

1. Know who you are and what you want. You’ll never get what you want if you don’t know what it is. As women look for love, we often take what comes our way rather than seeking what and who we want. Knowing the type of person you want to spend the rest of your life with comes from knowing who you are – your values, interests, what you can/will tolerate, what you won’t.

2. Learn how to disagree, speak your mind, and/or confront.Avoiding conflict is death for a marriage. It may seem like you’re on the 1right path by never, ever arguing or disagreeing but avoiding conflict requires repression of anger, which leads to depression of feelings. Passion is extinguished in this environment. Learn to fight fair and keep the slate clear. (see article on What Are You Afraid Of?)

3. Speaking of passion – keep the fire lit! I think women often underestimate the critical role sexuality and having a really good sex life plays in a successful marriage. Men, you know what I’m talking about! Create romantic opportunities, ask for what you want, talk, talk, talk – do what you as a couple need to do to keep this aspect of your relationship alive and well.

4. Don’t allow children and child-raising to take precedence over your marital relationship. A great marriage is the best gift you can give your children. Get away from the kids on a regular basis. Find a good sitter! Arrange for an overnight with just the two of you at least once a year. Talk about matters other than the kids, the bills, the family. Someday it will just be the two of you again. Be sure you still know each other.

5. Take responsibility for your actions and affirm each other. Say, “I’m sorry” when you make a mistake or hurt your partner. Say, “Thank you” when they do something for you. Appreciate what your husband does! Don’t take “expected” action for granted. Recognition and affirmation are two of the best gifts you can give each other. Spend them freely.

6. Don’t take on the persona of, “I shouldn’t have to ask – he should know.” This is one of the greatest mistakes women make in a relationship. I hear women say things like, “But if I have to ask for it, the real meaning/pleasure/gesture is lost.” Get over it! Men can’t read our minds. They’re not always tuned in or on the same wave length. Maybe they just don’t know. Be a big girl and ask for what you want! (I’m pretty tough on this issue)

7. Get help if you need it. Don’t put your head under a bushel. If your relationship is in trouble (no matter whose “fault” either one of you thinks it is), seek out ways to make it better.

Find a relationship coach, a therapist, a marriage counselor, a book – I highly recommend John Gray’s Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus In the Bedroom (it’s on tape so you can listen to it together), Don’t give up – keep searching and talking and striving until things get better. The answer rarely lies in changing partners.

Discovering Everyday Gratitude at Work: How to Appreciate & Actually Enjoy What You Do at Work

Have you ever had something taken away from you only to realize how much you appreciated it after it was gone?

Most of us have taken someone or something for granted. We only truly realized how much that person or situation meant to us after the fact.

We often waste way too much of our time and energy focusing on what we don't like, what we're worried about, or what we think needs to be fixed, changed, or enhanced. We live in a culture obsessed with "bad stuff." Just turn on the news, listen to the conversations and negative attitudes of the people around you at work, or pay attention to the thoughts in your own head.

The Power of Appreciation on Your Life

What if we stopped this negative obsession and started paying attention to what and whom we appreciate, right now? Imagine how this simple but profound shift in focus could transform our lives, our careers, our work groups, and more. Our life experiences are functions of what we pay attention to. Each and every moment we have a choice to where we place our attention.

I am not advocating that we deny, avoid, or run from the challenges, issues, or even the pain in our careers or businesses. It is important that we are able to confront, face, and deal with these difficulties. However, we don't have to obsess about the bad stuff and let it run our lives. We each can consciously choose to focus on the good stuff in our lives, with others, and most importantly towards ourselves.

There are great things happening in your company all the time. At work you interact with amazing people each and every day. And, this is only "true" if you choose to recognize it, acknowledge it, and live it through your thoughts, words, and actions.

Here Are My Top 5 Principles to Discovering Everyday Gratitude at Work & Living a Life Filled With Appreciation and Enjoyment:

1) Be Grateful - Focus on the many blessings in your life and all that you have to be thankful for.

2) Choose Positive Thoughts and Feelings - Make a conscious decision to transform your negative thoughts and feelings into ones that empower you. Your negative thoughts will hold you back from growing your business or advancing your career

3) Use Positive Words - Pay attention to the words you use with others, about things, and in speaking about yourself. Speak with the most positive words possible. Our words have the power to create, not just describe

4) Acknowledge Others - Focus on what you appreciate about the people around you at work and let them know. Be genuine and let others know the positive impact they have on you and your life.

5) Appreciate Yourself - Celebrate who you are, what you do, and the many gifts and talents you bring to the company. Self-appreciation is not arrogance. It's an awareness of your own power and it's the key to self-confidence, success, and fulfillment.

There's a saying, "argue for your limitations and they're yours." Instead of that, what if we celebrated the good stuff around us, in others, and in ourselves? When we focus on this good stuff, our world transforms and we are able to see and experience the GREAT
FULLNESS of our lives.

We don't have to wait until everything is handled. We don't have to wait until we get it all perfect. And, we don't have to wait for people to do things exactly as we want them to. We can start appreciating life, others, and ourselves exactly as we are, right now. Don't wait 'til it's too late! The power of appreciation will help you grow your business or advance your career.

Follow Your Heart

There is a universal intelligence or knowingness in each and every one of us. When you are open to this intelligence of the heart, it guides you in the right direction to do what is best for you and those around you.

Following this intuitive knowing attracts to you whatever you need as you need it. You find yourself having, being and doing whatever is right for you in the moment for your highest good.

Your heart knows what actions are appropriate for you to take to attract to you what is appropriate for you. Your heart also knows when to give or act without wanting anything in return.

Following your heart also feels great. There is an inner sense of peace and completion as well as love and compassion as you allow yourself to follow your heart. This feels so good it is often its own reward.

What if I Have Attempted to Follow My Heart Unsuccessfully?

Even though you have probably heard the advice “follow your heart” before you know it is not always as easy as it sounds.

First of all, we have been programmed by society to believe in and trust our minds over our hearts, so we may not even try to follow the intelligence of the heart. In my experience this is a grave mistake. Our mind can only respond after the fact based on memory, while our heart – our intuitive knowing – is always in the now responding appropriately to what is actually going on.

Even if we believe in the value of trusting the intuitive knowingness that flows from the heart, we can not always tell the difference between intuition and emotional reaction. They often can start out feeling the same.

The Way to Open Yourself to the Wisdom of the Heart

There is a simple yet powerful way for you to uncover your intuitive knowingness and follow your heart… Letting go! It is very simple. When you believe you are either being mislead by the mind or are not sure that gut sense you are experiencing is actually intuition, simply let go using The Sedona Method.

If you let go and it is simply mental confusion or emotional reaction it will simply lessen as you let go and may even fully disappear. If it is a message from your heart – your own knowingness – it will simply get quieter and clearer as you let go.

Now you know why Lester Levenson, the inspiration behind The Sedona Method, said “Intuition is only right 100% of the time.” He knew as you now do that if you let go of your reactions and trust the true messages of the heart you can not go wrong.

Allow yourself to explore letting go instead of allowing your doubt or reactions to control you the next time you are attempting to know what to do. You will find yourself following your heart and naturally moving in the direction of attracting all that is for your highest good.

The Art of Breathing - Your First Key to Unlimited Energy

Yes, breathing is an art, and it is a very scientific art. The act of breathing is much more than inhaling and exhaling air. It triggers off a whole chain of physio-biological reactions, spanning each of the billions of cells that make up our bodies.

Extra oxygen in the blood stream stimulates the excretory system, thereby clearing the body of harmful toxins. Extra oxygen in the brain provides additional energy and vitality. Deep meditative breathing is a kind of reminder to the body that all is fine and in control.

Breathing has always been a part of our wellness arsenal, but somehow as one grows older, breathing becomes less and less scientific. It becomes shallow, and we begin to breathe in the chest, rather than the stomach.So, what is the correct way of breathing?Have you ever seen a baby breathe? In and out, deep and even, slow, easy and calm. If you look closely, you will see that it is not the chest that is rising and falling, rather it is the stomach.

To put it more precisely, it is the diaphragm, the muscle between the chest and the abdominal cavity, which moves.Now, compare this with your own style of breathing. Chances are that you will find that it differs. If you are like most people, your upper chest expands as you inhale and contracts as you exhale.

Over the years, you have learned to hold your stomach in.The trouble is that this has become something normal in most people’s lives. Over the years, life in a crowded city, with chronic pollution problems and a lack of fresh air can result in the gradual shift from abdominal breathing (also called Belly Breathing) to chest breathing.

This shift in breathing pattern, however, is not a natural feature of growing older. Many experts are of the opinion that this is simply a bad habit. They also believe that by breaking the habit, and returning to a style of breathing like that of an infant, we can help rid ourselves of chronic complaints headaches and fatigue. Moreover, by adopting a proper breathing technique, we may be able to ward off stress, lower our blood pressure, and strengthen our hearts and much more.

"The way we breathe can have a profound effect on the way we feel," says psychologist Dr. Phil Nuernberger, author of ‘Freedom From Stress.’ "Many stress related ailments, whether physical, mental or emotional, may be caused by improper breathing, and fortunately, they can be easily reversed by adopting scientific breathing mechanisms."

Apart from the health benefits, deep breathing also results in a much better feeling of well-being. It encourages creativity, stimulates memory, and calms emotional extremities.Practicing Belly BreathingFind a comfortable place to sit down.

Make sure you are wearing thin and comfortable clothing. Now, place your right arm on your stomach, and breathe in the following manner.

1. Breathe in through the nose, counting two.

2. Hold, counting up to four.

3. Breathe out through the mouth, counting three.

As you breathe in, feel your stomach fill up with air and expand outwards, and as you breathe out, feel your stomach deflate.Do this ten times, three times a day for the next one week and see how your health improves.

Happy Breathing for a Healthy LIFE.

Get Motivated To… Get Motivated!

Motivation is the rationale or reason, i.e., the underlying principle behind all that we humans do. Motivation is reward driven and, as such, must have a goal as its target worthy of attaining lest the reward not be great enough to light that initial internal fire that helps us to attain it to begin with!

One often finds it difficult to find the motivation to get motivated. Paradoxical? Yes. However, a truth one cannot ignore.So, we all know that we need to get motivated but how does one, odd as this question may seem, find the motivation to get (and stay) motivated?

In the following, we will discuss some strategies for developing a platform for motivation as it relates to goal attainment. Bear in mind, it is understood that it often takes motivation (and granted, lots of it) to accomplish the following, however, if one can implement these things in one’s life and partake of them on a regular basis, motivation will come more easily for other, more difficult endeavors.

Exercise - Start a regular program of exercise. Whether it be resistance training, cardio, Pilates, yoga…whatever. Exercising three times per week provides one with many benefits. Regular exercise (consisting of at least 30 minutes 3 times per week) has been shown to improve mood, reduce stress, strengthen the body, provide for more energy, improve sleep, reduce the likelihood of disease, etc. Despite the many benefits, it also just makes one feel really good. And if one is healthy, has ample energy and feels good most of the time, well, it is a heck of a lot easier to get motivated and stay motivated to do other things!

Eat right - Eating a well-balanced, healthy diet will help one by providing the energy required for exercise (and life more generally). If one eats well he or she feels well and is well. The benefits of a healthy diet, jut to list a few are: reduced risk of heart disease, reduced risk of certain types of cancers, more energy, aids in weight management, etc. A healthy diet helps both to fuel and sustain the body and mind.

Meditate - By "meditate," it is not necessarily meant that one need enter a monastery and "hum" for hours on end while sitting in the lotus position (though this will work too!) "Meditate" here simply refers to relaxation and one can relax in any host of ways. A common approach to meditation/relaxation is to sit with eyes closed and in a comfortable position, relax, and breathe in deeply for a count of 4. Hold the breath for a count of 7, and finally, exhale for a count of 8. Repeat this 4 times.

Or, if one prefers, he or she can sit in the above position, eyes closed and simply breathe in and out, monitoring the breath for a period of 5, 10 or 15 minutes. Meditation provides the following benefits: a deeper level of relaxation, decreases muscle tension, slows heart rate, reduces anxiety, elevates mood, increases energy levels, boosts self awareness and much, much more.

The key is that meditation helps one to de-stress. And if one is free from the bonds of stress, then he or she can accomplish much more. Add any one or more (preferably all) to your daily routine and watch yourself become more equipped to handle life’s many challenges but, more importantly, you will find yourself becoming more energized, focused, and…motivated! Good luck!

A Look At Motivation: What Is It?

Those of us interested in self-help hear a lot about and talk a lot about a thing called motivation. This particular article itself won’t be all that motivational (though it may in fact take some motivation to get through).

To follow we will take a closer, albeit brief, look at just what this thing called motivation is and learn a little more about it. Maybe then, perhaps, it will be easier for us to "get motivated" when we know exactly what this means! Motivation is, on psychological terms, that which is causal in terms of behavior, i.e., the reason or reasons behind the action.

Motivation can be based on base need (e.g., hunger is the motivation for eating) or based on higher desire (I wanted that last piece of cake so I took it). Motivation can also be rooted in higher concept, e.g., I behave a certain way because I hold a certain belief, perhaps a particular view of right and wrong.Motivation is governed primarily by reward, a reward being a positive acknowledgment for a given behavior or behavior set.

Rewards themselves can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. In intrinsic reward can be as simple as self-satisfaction or a feeling of accomplishment. An extrinsic reward can be anything from food to money to love. Intrinsic rewards tend to be secondary to the pursuit of certain actions for their own sake and thus a happy byproduct. Extrinsic rewards tend to be pursued for the rewards themselves, e.g., many people aren’t motivated to work because of any intrinsic reward e.g., self-satisfaction, but rather because they simply want more money. Obviously, base motivations are easier to understand and perhaps provide the most straightforward rationale for action.

If one is hungry, he or she need not attend a motivational seminar to become motivated to eat—he or she simply eats! Motivation as related to higher concept is also easy to understand. For example, a theist will behave a particular way because it is his or her belief that there is a higher being watching over him or her, one who has provided him or her with a certain set of rules for living and, as such, they are inclined to abide by these rules and this in two respects:

1) They seek to please this higher power; and

2) They do not wish to offend the higher power.

Whether or not one’s higher concept has truth value, the rationale behind the motivation is logical.Motivation, as related to the self-help movement at least, is primarily of the type based on higher desire. Individuals want certain things and thus they seek to build a rational basis for that desire as an edifice for the pursuit thereof. Such a motivational base will be successful in as much as the reward consists of both intrinsic and extrinsic elements.

Of course there is the element of desire itself to consider. Desire varies in degree and one must have the appropriate amount of desire to become motivated and to sustain such motivation to obtain the object of desire. This is something that cannot be quantified and seemingly varies from individual to individual

Art of Positive Thinking: How to Overcome Our Thought Pollutions

Thought pollutions results from the unskillful use of emotions, the most basic element of thought energy. Often when we feel down or sick, it is because we are picking up these thought pollutions, which we can absorb very easily. But we can also learn quite simply how to remove them from our minds and bodies and to extract the positive thought energies. Learning how to overcome our thought pollutions is one of the ways towards mastering the art of positive thinking.

Art of Positive Thinking #1: Overcoming Greed

Greed is an unskillful emotion that seeks to accumulate anything in order to feel safe and secure. Greed creates ill health and problems with insecurity, money and relationships. Whenever greed creeps into you, start running the images of the wind or sea and focus on one of these sounds and direct these sounds towards eroding your greed and developing an understanding that all things come to fruition in their own time.

Art of Positive Thinking #2: Overcoming Anger

Anger comes into being when a person is overwhelmed by the world and feels powerless to change it. People influenced by anger seek perfection in all things and see themselves as leaders and inspirers of other people. To transform anger, first think of how you can be of service to your fellow human beings. Focus upon your thought energy to bring you a greater experience of love and spirituality in your daily life.

Art of Positive Thinking #3: Overcoming Arrogance

Arrogance is a lack of confidence. Arrogance is being unsure of what to do, so it creates a defense system of emotions. People influenced by arrogance believe that things don't last and that they can rely only upon themselves. Whenever you experience an emotion of arrogance, sit quietly and ask yourself what's the real value of your achievements. As you gain insights, cultivate them with self-love so that you will be able to recognize opportunities for positive change.

Art of Positive Thinking #4: Overcoming Selfishness

Selfishness comes about when an individual has no self-awareness, either physically or emotionally. This lack of self-awareness leads to loneliness, which in turn affects the chemistry of the brain and the body's limbic system, both of which are intimately connected to our emotions.

The next time you experience the emotion of selfishness, close your eyes and visualize what's it is like to be free from selfishness and how others will be able to benefit from your kind generosity instead.So now that you've understood the role and importance of your emotions and the thought pollutions that can impede your development of skilful thought, it is time to start mastering the art of positive thinking by overcoming your thought pollutions.

What is Positive Thinking?

What is positive thinking exactly? When you talk about someone with a positive mindset, you probably imagine this person to live a life of denial, covering up their true feelings and pretending that everything is fine even when everything appears to be doomed.

The truth is, positive thinking has nothing to do with denying your emotions or pretending that everything is great. It's about learning to adjust the way you think and feel about the events and experiences of your life, rather than letting the events which happen to you determine your mood.

Undoubtedly, it is crucial for you to understand what is positive thinking exactly if you wish to be in control of your emotions and success.I believe many people would argue that it is difficult to stay positive always. As we encounter various setbacks in life, it's totally understandable that it's normal to feel down and even self-pitying.

However, by being negative to all that happens to you is definitely not going to help things at all.As Zig Ziglar said, 'It's not what happens to you that determine how far you will go in life; it is how you handle what happens to you.' Hence, if you want positive things to happen to you, you've simply got to adopt a positive mindset all the time.

There is a simple rule that you should apply to your thinking in everything you do.Think Positively and you will get positive results.Think Negatively and you will get negative results.There are bound to be many negative people whom you will meet in life. These people will forever be worrying about almost every single thing they can think of. Before a test, they will worry that it's going to be hard. When doing projects, they will worry about the deadline.

They spend a huge amount of time worrying instead of sitting down and think of solutions to their problems.Chances are, these people will fail to accomplish big things in life. This is because they spend their whole life worrying instead of working towards their goals. Whenever they face a little setback, they are extremely pessimistic and get discourage and end up quitting.On the other hand, people who understand what is positive thinking remains optimistic even when faced with huge obstacles.

This does not mean that they choose to ignore the problems. Rather, they face it with optimism and they understand that worrying is not going to help. Instead, they choose to focus their time on generating ideas to overcome any obstacles they face and work extremely hard towards their goals.Such positive thinking individuals are also often well-liked by their peers.

Ask yourself honestly, would you rather hang out with people who are perpetually complaining and worrying or would you want to hang out with people who are full of energy and optimism. Positive people are charismatic and people love to be friends with the. So be that person with the positive mindset too!In conclusion, it's without a doubt that most, if not all successful people are extremely positive in their mindset. So now that you've understood what is positive thinking exactly, be sure to change your mindset and make a positive difference in both your own and others lives.

Rejection should not scare you

Feeling uncomfortable in the stomach, cold sweaty palm, trembling of legs, losing the ability to think correctly when approaching a girl? Hate yourself for not able to overcome this problem? Oh, please do not feel so. Believe me, you are not the only one facing this problem.

In fact, this is a very common problem in man. Everyone is just like you, not willing to admit it openly, having the fear of being laughed and mocked by others. But there is absolutely nothing wrong for feeling so.Well approaching a girl, asking her out for a date isn’t really as scary as you thought.

For all you may know, the girl is just as or even more nervous than you. Some guys are born with the natural flair with girls while some guys are just born shy. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t do as good. In fact, shy men are who most girls are looking for. It is really a pity that all the good men are hiding up leaving the girls with not much of a choice but to hang out with the jerks.

So how can you overcome your fear? Well, this is something that I can’t help you. You simply just got to make that first step, that very first attempt. Still feeling too nervous? Ok, perhaps we should take things a little slower. There is actually no urgent need for you to just walk up to a girl and ask her out for a date. Too sudden? You might just scare her off. But please, don’t take for ages before someone else try to cut in the queue.

I don’t suppose you memorized your whole school textbook before going for your exams? It’s the same thing, you don’t need to wait till you fully overcome your fear before you approach a girl.Well anyway, I should believe that the both of you are at least like normal friends? Classmates? Colleagues or? Whatever it is, grab any chance to get closer to her. Too shy to strike a conversation with her? Look her in the eyes, drop her a nice warm smile. Make her notice you, make her remember you, let her know that you exist! You be surprised, your eyes can actually work more wonders than to words at times. All these will eventually boost the chance of success when approaching her at a later date. She will naturally feel more comfortable with you than to be approached by a total stranger.

Ok, now that you have done all of what you can do, no more excuses from you! Stop hiding up, it’s time to make your move. Now, I want you to follow very closely after me.

Take a deep breath, gather all your courage. She is sitting all alone on the bench under the tree. Slowly and steady, you walk towards her. Yes, step by step getting nearer and nearer. She turns and saw you approaching. Remember, she has seen you before, she knows who you are. Now look her in the eyes, smile at her. She greets you with her nice gentle smile. One final step, you stop in front of her. “Hi, what a coincidence to see you here”, you say to her in a nice, friendly voice. “Busy with anything now? How about a little coffee together?” Smiling so sweetly at you she replies teasingly, “Your treat? Sure why not?”Hey you still with me? Ha sorry, was just trying to play a little game of hypnosis with you. Did I fare horribly? Well anyway, it would really be so lovely if things were as what I had described? Why not? Why couldn’t it be possible? You see, the problem with most people is that they always tend to create negative thoughts; creating an image of failure, an image of been rejected in their mind before things actually happen.

Subconsciously, they have actually rejected themselves before anyone else could even reject them and yes, the likely chances are they will fail. Just like in soccer matches, when David Beckham scores from his spectacular free kick? If at the moment before he even lifts his feet, he was creating the image of ballooning away the ball over the goal post in his mind, you think he will score? So why not picture things the other way round, telling your mind; yourself that you are going to make it? It will definitely boosts your confidence and the chance of a success. Hope you are feeling more comfortable and less nervous now? But well, the chance of being rejected is nonetheless always still there.

So what should happen if you really fail? You should learn to graciously accept the rejection. It is perfectly alright, my friend. At least you know you have tried? You finally pluck out that courage? There is nothing to feel ashamed of. Picture it this way; you are the one being approached instead. Approached by a girl that is not of your type.

You would have rejected her as well, wouldn’t you? But would you make fun of her, laugh and mock at her? I should believe not? Instead, you would have felt happy and thankful to her; it is just a pity that she is not your type of girl? That is exactly how the girl whom rejected you would have felt too; it is just a pity that you are not her type of guy. Nobody would be laughing at you; probably they would be admiring you for your courage instead. Though you might be rejected but believe me, once there is a first time the rest will just come naturally. Now all this said it could be a reverse situation as well, the girl wanting the guy.

You might be sad and disappointed but once you get yourself back, you would have remembered that it wasn’t as scary what you had thought. You would have probably already overcome a great deal of your fear. It is just like the first time driving out on your own after getting your license. For some unlucky ones, meeting up with a little accident. But that doesn’t stop them from driving on? In fact, experiences were gained. So was confidence along the way, driving more smoothly, stepping even harder on the accelerator?

Well, rejection is part and parcel of life. It is not only in love that you get rejected. In life, you are faced with more rejections. Rejections from your work? Your boss? Your business associates? Even your own family? But that won’t stop you from moving on in life?

Self-Acceptance - What Is It?

We hear so much about self-acceptance from people who follow or teach personal growth and spiritual growth. What is self-acceptance? Does it mean accepting your weaknesses or negative habits and doing nothing about them? Does this mean accepting your behavior, attitude and life style, and doing nothing to change and improve? This can be an easy way to give in to laziness, and to having good excuses for leaving everything as it is.

This kind of self-acceptance might make you feel a little better and alleviate feelings of guilt, but it is not enough to contribute to real progress and improvement.

Self-acceptance seems to be not well explained and well understood. Accepting yourself as you are is only the first step. It helps you realize your good and not so good points. It could help you stop the war inside you, and alleviate the lack of satisfaction and the sense of unhappiness. It could develop some inner detachment that will prevent you from sinking into self-pity, negative thinking and other negative states of mind.

Self-acceptance does not mean that you accept what you are and do nothing to change and improve. It does not mean accepting your fate and loving it.

Becoming aware and acknowledging your behavior, habits and your type of personality, and not being afraid to look at yourself as you are is the first step to self-acceptance.

When you accept yourself as you are, you put yourself in a better position to begin improving yourself. It is not an excuse for saying, "This is what I am. I accept myself as I am. I accept my character, my failings and my fate, and this how it is. I can do nothing about it."

After you acknowledging yourself as you are, look forward to improving yourself and your life. When you better understand your character and habits, stop feeling bad or guilty, stop comparing yourself and your achievements to others, and accept your abilities or lack of abilities, you will experience some sort of inner peace, lightness and happiness, like getting rid if a burden.

Accepting yourself, your character traits and how you look can alleviate feelings of dissatisfaction, anger, resentment or unhappiness, but it is not an excuse for staying as you are. As I said earlier, it is only the first step. It helps you to see your good and bad points, and let you know what to change and improve, and what to enhance and strengthen.

At this point, I would like to remind you that beyond body, character, habits, behavior and personality, is the power that makes them work and manifest. It is the spirit - soul - consciousness or inner I, which is the real you, and which is an inseparable part of the Universal Consciousness - Universal Mind - God.