Calming your mind

Each one has to find his peace from within.
And peace to be real must be unaffected
by outside circumstances.
Mahatma Gandhi

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night with frantic thoughts about all the stuff you need to get done the next day? Do you ever feel unsure about where to start because you have so many things to do and not nearly enough time to get it all done?

Everyone has these feelings occasionally, but you can begin to overcome them by learning to calm your mind. A calm mind is a more alert, attentive and proactive mind, and in learning to remove your anxious thinking, you can learn to enjoy your life more.

Gaining peace within

When your mind is racing non-stop, you will be hard-pressed to find inner peace. The faster your mind races, the more anxious and frustrated you will become, and this causes you to be unproductive. You really don’t have to go on living this way. There are many ways to calm your overactive mind that you can easily learn and will help you lead a more calm and peaceful life.

Stop-Breathe-Say

If your mind starts running a million miles a second, and you are not sure which way to turn next, try to stop, take a breath and repeat a positive affirmation. When you use the power of positive self-talk (rather than negative self-talk), you will begin to reprogram your mind to work in newer and different ways.

When things feel like they are getting completely out of hand, you can use an affirmation like, “I trust in my ability to relax. I am calm and peaceful.” Although this may not be the case at this exact moment, if you repeat this a few times, and actually listen to yourself saying it, you will begin to believe it. This will help you change your internal dialog in those precious few moments when you are tempted to give in to the craziness that is surrounding you.

Positive affirmations are important because they give you permission to turn off the negative dialog racing through your mind and replace it with positive thoughts. The negative dialog feeds the feelings of fear, doubt and turmoil, and when you replace them with peaceful affirmations, you change your life and your outlook, one positive statement and one positive step at a time.

If you have a hard time believing that this strategy will work for you, give it a try. But you must approach this with both an open heart and mind. It really does work! In a very short time you will begin to feel more at peace and you can reap the benefits in every area of your life.

Sidestep the craziness

Many People think and feel that they cannot do anything about the crazy lives they lead, the inner discontent they feel and the crazy people they work and socialize with. I can assure you that this is not the case. When you use positive affirmations, you can reprogram your brain so that there is only room for positive thinking. You will be surprised to find how quickly a positive affirmation like,  “I trust that there is a plan for my life, even if it has yet to be revealed to me” can work for you.

If you feel as though your life has gotten knocked off course and you do not feel that it is possible to get back to leading a calmer life, why not give a peaceful affirmation a try?  If you repeat the positive affirmations often enough, you will soon begin to believe them, and you will be able to turn a seemingly simple statement into your desired reality.

Thoughts?

- Article source : http://basicsmatter.com/calming-your-mind/#sthash.67Ss6qOE.dpuf

Benefits of Exercises and Yoga Stretches for Lower Back Pain

As more and more people ask more and more from their bodies, injuries to their bodies are becoming a normal part of our society. Things like the X games, where skateboarders and bicyclists attempt death defying feats, on their skateboards and bikes, are becoming commonplace. Even regular sports like football and baseball can result in cringe inducing videos of athletes getting hurt.

If these people, arguably in top physical condition, can get hurt, you and I don't stand much of a chance do we? Sadly, lower back pain is a part of many people's lives. That's why exercises and yoga stretches for lower back pain are becoming increasingly popular with every passing day. Yoga stretches, along with normal bodily exercise, are certainly a good route to go; when you are suffering from lower back pain.

Exercise, combined with a good, nutritious diet and plenty of rest, is something everyone should do on a daily basis. Unfortunately, it takes something like a lower back injury, for people to realize just how frail their bodies are. By that time, it's too late. The damage has already been done. We just have to fix it as best as we can and do everything in power to prevent it from happening again or getting worse down the road.

When you combine exercise and yoga stretches for lower back pain together, you get two excellent tools in your arsenal of healing. Exercise is great for building up strength and endurance. Yoga is perfect for maintaining elasticity and flexibility; two great attributes every muscle should have.

Elasticity will allow your muscles to extend and flex over and over again without causing any tears. Flexibility is needed when you need to over extend or over flex your muscles. It allows them to twist and turn whenever you need them to. Where most people would strain or sprain a muscle, yoga keeps your muscles limber enough to handle the task without injury.

Bodily exercise and yoga stretches for the lower back help not only the part of your lower back that's causing pain. But they help the entire rest of your body, too. Any type of exercise can get your heart rate up. An increased heart rate can help you burn off calories and fat, resulting in a leaner, stronger you. It can also keep your entire cardiovascular system running more effectively, letting your heart pump more efficiently. That can lead to less chance of a heart attack down the road.

Much like exercise, whenever you do yoga, you will be using more than just your lower back muscles. All of your muscles will receive the benefits of yoga as you move from one yoga position to the next. Each of your muscles will become more limber and flexible, allowing all of them to twist and bend more smoothly and efficiently whenever you require it.

As you can see, the benefits you receive from exercises and yoga stretches, for lower back pain affect far more than just your lower back.

Check out this website for more information.

How You Can Benefit From Personal Development

You have the power to transform your life for the better through personal development. The following tips describe easy ways to improve your personality, moral character, and way of living.

If you want to make progress in the area of personal development, you need to declare lowliness. You will want to learn all you can, once you realize that you have only scratched the surface of all there is to be known. A humble attitude puts you in the right mindset to learn new things and develop as a human being.

Base your development plan on your values and goals. It doesn't make any sense to focus on things that your value set does not include. Focus on positive aspects to improve. These aspects should mesh with your values. This will help you make significant changes to your life, both at home and at work.

If you take proper care of your physical needs, you will get the maximum benefit from your personal development approach. Make sure you are getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and exercising on a regular schedule so that you have enough energy during the day, and you will find it will be a little easier to reach success. Although this is simple advice, it is perhaps one of the hardest things that we can master.

Exercise can benefit almost anyone, even those who are not trying to shed excess weight. There are many reason you should do physical exercise. When you exercise, your body produces a number of chemicals, such as endorphin, which improve your overall mood.

Compliment other people. You can reverse the process, though. Being kind and positive to other people puts you in a good mindset and encourages you to treat yourself right.

It isn't possible to care for someone else at your own expense. No matter what point you are in on your journey, you should always take time to breathe.

Whereas trying to fix your problems yourself is always a great idea, sometimes you might have to seek out professional help. Books that teach self help are helpful, but do not contain the one-on-one personal touch you can get from a therapist. For some people, they have much more success when they can talk openly about their problems. Books can't interact with people the way a trained psychiatrist is able to.

You should always be respectful towards people, no matter what power they hold or what they could do for you. Your treatment of others is a direct reflection of you character.

Identify which things in life are the most important to you, then focus on obtaining and maintaining them. You will have much more inner peace if you just choose to focus on things that matter to you.

These suggestions may have helped you find a way to be a better all around you! With the tips you just learned you can begin in your efforts towards personal development, helping you reshape your life for the better so you can begin anew.

Check out this website for more information. 

10 Ways to Go from Good to Great

“No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.” — Voltaire

I see good people go from good to great all the time.  It’s not magic.  It’s passion, purpose, and action.

They find their path, they have a purpose, and if they get knocked down, they get up again.  They keep asking better and better questions that get them closer to their goals and they continue to find the people and resources that support them on their journey.  They turn resistance into growth and they fully immerse themselves in the experience.

I’ve boiled down the pattern I see into 10 keys.

10 Ways to Go from Good to Great
These are the 10 ways I see people go from good to great:

1. Find your compelling “why.” Find your one thing. Become a dream machine, turn your dreams loose, and envision the end in mind. Your “why” is your drive and you find your “why” by answering the question, “Why do you do what you do?”  To find your compelling, find the answer that connects with your passion and plucks at your heart strings.  That’s the power of purpose in action and it’s what crusades are made of.  Launch your own crusade.
2. Become a force of one.  Get out of your own way and stack yourself for success by channeling your thinking, feeling, and doing.  Think the thoughts that serve you, feel the feelings that empower you, and do what you know needs to be done.  Disciplined thinking combined with disciplined action is an unstoppable force, and it’s yours for the asking.
3. Model the best. The best do it with models.  They find the best examples of what they want to accomplish, and they learn from them.  You can find role models or success stories or case studies and work backwards from there.  Success always leaves clues and you can play detective.
4. Give your best where you have your best to give. This is you unleashed.  The best play to their strengths.  They spend more time doing the things that make them strong, and less time doing the things that make them weak.  This builds energy and momentum and instead of getting drained, you get charged and you grow where you can grow best.
5. Find your best arena.  Don’t be a fish out of water.  Find your element.  Going from good to great means finding where you can play your best game.  Maybe you’re a mediocre developer, but a great Program Manager.  Maybe you’re an OK doctor, but an incredible actor.  Take your skills to the job or place where they make the most impact.
6. Execute.  Taking action is how you make things happen.  Throw massive action at whatever you need to do.  Even if it seems like you’re only taking baby steps at a time, you’ll eventually hit your stride.  When you keep taking action, you learn faster.  Each result teaches you another way how to do something, or how not to do something.  Sometimes, the only way to get past some problems is to overwhelm them with action.  To paraphrase Voltaire, I would argue no problem can withstand the assault of sustained action.
7. Stick with it.  If you fall down six times, stand up seven.  Remember The Little Engine That Could?  Well, whenever you think you can’t, you’re working against yourself.  It starts with belief.  Think you can, then prove yourself right.   Find your eye of the tiger.
8. Learn and respond.  The best take action, learn, and respond.  They are always failing forward.  NLP teaches us that there is no failure, only feedback.  The great ones use the feedback to improve their approach.  They stay adaptable while they are finding their way forward.  Be your won best coach, not your own best critic.
9. Let it go.  The best let it go and move on.  They don’t carry baggage.  They focus on the objectives and they measure against effectiveness.  Either their approach is working or it’s not.  If it’s not working, they let it go, and find a new way forward.
10. Team up.  The best of the best team up with people that amplify their impact.  They also team up with people that provide more deliberate feedback and that help them find their blind spots and get unstuck.

Putting it all together, you can stack the deck in your favor by playing to your strengths, living your values, and finding the best arena for your greatest results.

Article source by : http://sourcesofinsight.com/articles/

How to use affirmations to boost confidence and self esteem

Anyone that knows me or has visited this blog before will know that although I am a huge believer in positive thinking, I’m not necessarily a believer of affirmations*. 

But affirmations can be useful; as long as you use them properly and stick to a few basic rules. 

Confidence and self esteem are linked with a positive mind, so those of you that are trying to overcome negative thoughts may find it useful to say some daily affirmations.  Here are some tips of how to use affirmations to their best potential.

1)     Make sure that you always say them in the present tense, not past and definitely not future.  “I am calm and in control” for example. 

2)     Sometimes, an affirmation such as “I am calm and in control” is a stretch too far, in other words your mind automatically rejects it.  The way to get around this is to say “I am calmer and more in control every day”.  Still in the present tense, but now you are easing yourself into the affirmation and it will not be automatically rejected as unbelievable.

3)     Make sure that you say the affirmations in a positive tone (either out loud or in your head).  This is a time to be bright and breezy not monotone or bored!  Sound confident and you will trick your subconscious into believing that you ARE confident.

4)     Do it a lot!  You can’t just say the affirmation once or twice and then give up.  Positive thinking is a habit, just like negative thoughts are.  So rinse and repeat many many times.

5)    Don’t give up.  Eventually if you stick to the above 4 simple rules, the affirmations will start to have an impact on the way that you think and your confidence and self esteem will grow.

You may not notice this improvement as it will be gradual and long term, but try keeping a journal to keep track of your thoughts and you will really notice an improvement. 

You can also use your journal for making notes of really good affirmations that you can use.

* When affirmations won’t work;  when you have a past trauma or negative event that is ‘stuck’ in your energy field which needs to be cleared. 

* * * * *

Please feel free to leave a comment, your favourite affirmation or tips of how you have increased confidence or self esteem.  Please use your real name and NO SPAM!

Article source : http://www.healingthatfeeling.com/how-to-use-affirmations-to-boost-confidence-and-self-esteem

Check Out These Great Personal Development Tips!

Developing yourself is essential to improving your life in both a mental and emotional level. In order to begin furthering your personal development, you need to be aware of the different personal development techniques and strategies available, and then you need to find ones that work for you. The article you are about to read will give you plenty of tips to get going on your personal development plan.

You will miss opportunities if you avoid making important decisions. You should not fear making decisions even if you do not feel as sure about it as you would like to be. Successful decisions evolve into good instincts. Even mistaken decisions are valuable because they provide instructive learning experiences. When you make the incorrect decision, learn from this, and make sure that it never happens again.

Know which values and characteristics are important to you before designing a program for personal development. Focusing on areas you don't value, doesn't make sense. Instead of this, you should focus your energy on the things that you want to develop that also go along with your own values. This is the best way to make long-term changes.

You should stay in great physical condition in order to get the best out of personal development. You can do this by getting a sufficient amount of sleep, exercising frequently, and maintaining a healthy diet. You will have more energy if you are in shape, and therefore will be more successful in your personal development efforts. It may seem easy, but it can be quite difficult to properly care for yourself.

Exercising is not only a way to lose weight. There are many reason you should do physical exercise. Exercising causes the release of endorphins that make you feel happier and less irritable.

One way to raise your self-esteem is to give other people compliments. Fighting this trend and complimenting others changes your mindset and makes you a kinder person.

Create a fund specifically for emergencies. It appears as though every time something unexpected happens, we charge more to our credit cards. Even if you can only save $10 per week, do so. It will come in really handy when something goes wrong. Having an emergency fund will prevent you from having to use credit cards to pay for unexpected expenses, which will save you a great deal in interest over the years.

Instead of talking about your accomplishments, ask some other people about some of the things they have accomplished and what they are most proud of. This will help you to remain humble while giving you a picture of how people around you operate.

As was stated in the above article, there are various ways to improve yourself as well, as what goes on in your life, by focusing on your personal development. Use the development ideas that you find most appropriate to your own situation. Who do you wish to become? Applying the advice from this article will most certainly help guide you to your personal development goals.

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Great Personal Development Tips That Are Easy To Follow

Make sure you know how to use personal development to your advantage. This article contains tips on how you can reach your personal development goals.

If you avoid making decisions, then you are denying yourself opportunities. You should not avoid decision making, even if you feel that you do not have all the information. Good instincts are the result of successful decisions. Even mistakes are valuable as they are instructive learning decisions. A wrong choice only ensures that your next choice will be better.

Remember to practice your core principles. Every person has beliefs that serve their core sense of self. Having a good foundation based on your core principles will benefit your sense of self esteem. Another bonus is the fact that doing so will encourage you to be steadfast in how you conduct your life, and that is something that will garner great respect.

Declaring lowliness is a crucial step in advancing in personal development. Understanding that you are a minute portion of the world will help you think about your level of knowledge. Once you see the bigger picture, you will be able to embrace everything that the world has to offer you.

Stay in top physical condition to maximize your personal development success. Make sure you are getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and exercising on a regular schedule so that you have enough energy during the day, and you will find it will be a little easier to reach success. While it may sound simple, this is sometimes one of the most difficult things to do.

Instead of boasting about trophies, awards, and medals, try asking others about their achievements. You'll be able to find out about the wonderful things the people you know have accomplished, bringing about a new-found respect and admiration for them.

You must take care of yourself if you expect to do a good job caring for others. Whether you're just starting your personal development plan or are well down the road and regardless of whether you're succeeding or failing, you have to set aside time for yourself to rest, relax, and regroup.

Many people are unaware that diet can affect feelings of depression, as an increase in consumption of complex carbohydrates can help. If your complex carb intake is lower than recommended, your body won't produce enough serotonin. Increase your consumption of fresh fruits, raw vegetables, nuts, brown rice, assorted beans and whole grains to have a diet that is enriched in complex carbohydrates.

You only need to remember one key to live and lead a successful life. You need to make the choice to stay active in life, and not sit on the sidelines. If you act only as a spectator, no one will really pay attention to you, so be active!

Educating yourself is an important part of personal development. It is also important that you apply what you know. There are many different facets to self-improvement. You will be more self-assured once you implement the suggestions in this article.

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Self Help Tips That Will Make A Difference In Your Life

Do you want to live a more fulfilling life? Read this article for some tips on personal development.

Use your work time efficiently. One simple solution is to go on more breaks while you work. While this may sound odd, taking frequent breaks gives you time to relax and re-energize, so when you return to your work, you are more productive.

Put your core principles into practice. Your individual core beliefs are what support your sense of self. Use your faith in these principles to drive your faith in yourself. Best of all, following your beliefs encourages consistency, and this is a much desired character trait.

Accept your limitations before engaging in personal development. If you acknowledge you are tiny and unimportant in the world, it will cause you to realize the lack of knowledge you have. Once this idea gets instilled in your mind, you will want to know, understand and learn new things, therefore, improving yourself.

Create a personal development plan by determining what your personal values are. You will not be happy or motivated if your plan goes against what you believe in. Instead, work on aspects of your life you want to improve that mesh well with your individual beliefs. By spending your time in these specific areas, you can make the changes in the areas that matter and have these changes stick with you.

Don't think physical activity is only for when you want to lose a few pounds. There are a variety of great reasons to exercise. Exercising stimulates your body to produce all kinds of chemicals that ultimately result in a happier, calmer you.

It is impossible for you to properly care for the ones you love, unless you take care of yourself first. No matter how much progress you have made in your personal development, always make resting and restoring yourself a top priority.

Try talking to the pastor at your church, or a therapist; it can help. These people have lots of training and experience with this sort of thing. They are able to look into your life from the outside and analyze things you can't see. By speaking with a professional about your problems, you can lead a much healthier and enjoyable life.

Make sure you treat all people with respect, no matter who they are, how powerful they are or what benefits you can obtain from them. How you treat them reveals more about your own character, than it reveals about theirs.

If you suffer from anxiety, consider heading to a movie with a friend. You will be thrust into a busy setting and out of your comfort zone, but you will not have to excessively socialize with others. This will give you the chance to get acquainted with the idea of being around more people.

Focus on the things that you have determined are most important to you. Personal development involves focusing on the important things in life while allowing negativity and unimportant matters to drift past.

This article demonstrates that creating a newer, better life is a goal that is well within your reach. Remember all the advantages and happiness you are bringing yourself through these changes.

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