10 Tips to Improve Your Self Esteem

Striving to improve our self esteem is on everybody’s mind. It doesn’t matter if you actively pursue this goal or you subconsciously working on improving your self esteem. The problem with this is that you really don’t know exactly what you want to improve. You’re acting intuitively on external signals.

Do you know how to improve your self esteem? Probably not. To make it a little bit easier for you and to achieve your goals quicker I put together 10 tips that you can utilize right away.

1. Build up your self-esteem. You must take an inventory. What do you want to improve or change about the way you interact with others? Try to make only one change at a time. Always check you progress before making another change.

2. Celebrate your journey, not your destination. Learn to always feel good about where you are now, and to exude self-confidence about anywhere you might find yourself tomorrow.

3. Set clear goals for yourself before every interaction. Know what you want. Think about how the people you will be meeting can help you reach those goals. Then decide how to approach each person accordingly. Apply this regularly and you will notice a difference.

4. Be proactive. Take the initiative. Be decisive. Let the other person know exactly how he or she can help you. Proactive people tent to be more successful in their career.

5. Treat each person you meet as if she or he is truly important. (You'll be amazed how this works.)

6. Give a firm handshake; look the other person straight in the eye. Practice both of these. Your handshake should be just right. Not too firm and not too loose. Train yourself to notice something you like or find attractive in the person.

7. Listen! Listen! Listen! Teach yourself to develop good listening skills. Learn a way to remember the other person's name. If in doubt simply ask for the name again 2 or 3 sentences into the conversation.

8. Visibly respond to the other person. Smile, nod agreement, and address him or her by name. Apply all you listening skills to visibly respond. The body language is the most important part of a conversation. Practice, practice, practice…

9. Pay more attention to the other person than to yourself. Are you responding to what may be going on in his or her life? Don't filter out bad news. Put yourself in the other person's shoes. Be caring.

10. Stay "in the moment." Don't mentally cut off the other person. Don't reload while he or she is speaking. What this means is that you need to focus on the other person 100% during a conversation. Anything less is considered rude.

Next time you meet somebody new look out for these behaviors. Put a mental checkmark on the each of the 10 tips and see how well this person scored. Chances are that the person scored very high if you tent to like her/him. On the contraire the person probably scored low if you don’t seem to connect.

The more you practice the more likely you will create a positive aura which is commonly known as charisma. To step up to become a charismatic personality it takes more than just these 10 tips.

Creating a positive aura will benefit you in every thing you do. You will create a warmer ambience with your family. You will be more successful in your career. Even while trying to meet a partner of the opposite sex you will notice a difference on how people perceive you.

Unfortunately a small article can’t do justice on the wide spectrum of creating a positive aura and developing a charismatic personality. You will get the complete picture and step by step explanations in Race Kale’s new book “The Power of Charisma”.

Author: Peter Dobler is an active real estate investor and a successful home business entrepreneur. Learn how to become a charismatic personality in this new book.
http://www.powerofcharismabook.com

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Self Confidence - Overcoming Words Of Self-Doubt.

No matter who you are I am sure that you have had at least one person say something to you that was hurtful. Many times these things can produce self doubt and lead to a low self confidence. These words can live on in your mind for years and continually make you doubt your own abilities in life. Here are 3 ways to overcome those words of self doubt so that you can increase your self confidence and find your greatness in life.

1. Begin to say positive things to yourself.
This is often called affirmations and can be one of the hardest things for you to start doing depending on how low your self confidence is. However, if you start and stay consistent with this, you will begin to see dramatic changes in the way that you see yourself. For instance, if you have been told that you aren’t smart, every morning you need to get up and say out loud, ‘I am smart. I have the ability to do anything that I put my mind to.’ Say this 50 times when you get up and 50 times before you go to bed and watch the change happen.

2. Find new friends.
If necessary, find new friends that will encourage you and say good things about you. Having friends that make fun or say negative things about you, aren’t worth having.

3. Stop the self-doubt.
This may take time but is essential if you want to increase your self confidence. You have to make a decision to longer think negative things about yourself no matter what others may have or are telling you. The first place to increase your self confidence is you. If you tell yourself that you aren’t good enough for something, you are your own worst enemy. Begin to believe in yourself.

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Author: Jason Osborn, has dedicated himself to changing thousands of lives by helping people find their greatness and true potential through his Find Your Greatness Newsletter.

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Curing Stress Vs Coping With Stress.

There are many avenues and techniques used for coping with stress. Relaxation techniques, engaging in a creative activity, a good workout, or relaxing walk. Coping, however, isn't curing. If you want to deal with chronic stress in an effective manner it is necessary to get at the root cause.

Stress is generally a two pronged attack on you... external and internal... essentially the two colliding factors are what has happened and how you internalize the level of seriousness. The sum of these two products determines what your ability to cope is with any given situation.

Certainly life offers up many stressful events such as a lost job, a failed marriage, a serious illness, and on and on. But, even for these events to result in stress (especially long term stress) any individual has to evaluate the events and themselves in a particular way.

Self confidence and experience in handling stressful events go a long way toward any person being much more resilient to stress. If the person identifies situations realistically and internally knows that they have the capability to deal with and overcome life's inevitable inequities; they will certainly feel challenged (not incapacitated) - but this is a normal part of living and in fact is quite a healthy reaction... and is far from constituting chronic stress.

In order to deal with chronic stress it is vital to have an objective sense of the actual damage and the external factors that come into play. Many circumstances in life involve losses that are, at the very least, are temporarily out of our control... but situations change, wounds heal, relationships mend, and new friends and partners are found.

Even permanent losses should not result in loss of persistence and hope. We humans are a very resilient lot. This is not to say that 'time heals all wounds', but through thought and effort you can cover a great distance in doing so. When a person focuses on what is valuable and what is possible and look beyond the stress agent then acute stress is mitigated and when thought and effort combine with a pragmatic attitude toward life's personal tests and challenges, a chronic stress invasion is all but impossible.

Unfortunate event's happen within everyone's life. Everything isn't always 'ok' - but having a sense of realism is a major tool for you to have. When bad situations occur it is this realism that keeps things in perspective in that; yes bad things happen and things truly may be 'as bad as they seem' - but rarely do they have to stay that way.

Objectivity is a key characteristic in either keeping chronic stress away or breaking the cycle. Long term stress many times partners with or leads to depression and is in fact many times self perpetuating... you feel bad - so everything looks bad - things look bad - so you feel even worse.

Recommitting to successes and achievement and overcoming life's daily challenges is essential to break the negative cycle. With every hurdle that you overcome, you grow stronger in your ability to get over the next one. But, getting to this in your life takes conscious thought and most of all... action. Rarely do life's answer come mailed special delivery right to your doorstep.

About the Author: Jeff Foster. For more important information on coping with and managing stress, be sure to visit www.0-stress.com where you will find advice and tips on stress the causes of stress, depression, phobias and much more.

You Can Choose To Live A Healthier Lifestyle

Ask yourself these two questions, as you get older do you honestly think that you are likely to get sicker, have different health problems and more of them? Or will you choose a healthier lifestyle?

Since we now live in the information age, if we really want to be healthier, then it is possible to improve with age, rather than giving in to the downhill spiral of deterioration and ill health. Past research has proven it to be so.

You may have heard the saying, "An ounce of prevention is cheaper than the pound of cure." You might be interested to know that should you continue to do things that are not healthy, you will be known as being "bad". Things such as, eating poorly, smoking, refusing to be more active, this is commonly known as "Lifestyle Suicide."

There is a much better way. Here are some of the more significant areas that involve lifestyle and our ability to make choices. Keep in mind that by choosing wisely you are focusing on a healthier lifestyle choice and will improve your health to its greatest potential ever.

Cigarettes: nicotine is a very highly addictive substance. Research shows that the average smoker makes seven attempts to quit. Ex-smokers say that it was all worth the effort although the cravings do still last for years. Quitting smoking is the most effective choice a person can make in improving their health. So if you have decided that you want to quit, then do it now!

Food is all about what you eat and how. There is a serious problem with obesity in our country. Portion size must be taken into consideration, but you must also take care to eat the right foods and exercise in order to receive the full benefit of a healthier lifestyle.

Deciding to lose the extra 15 or 25 pounds is noble, but dieting alone will just not work. The key to achieving your goal is activity. Avoiding or even eliminating completely, any refined carbohydrates such as white sugar and flour, along with regular yet moderately exerting activities will eliminate the necessity of measuring or weighing of food, and will almost guarantee that you lose one to two pounds a week.

Avoid foods with trans fats, like margarine, white sugar, flour and prepared foods. Instead eat more raw and unprocessed foods. Don't miss out on breakfast and never eat late at night.

Eat foods rich in anti-oxidants like darker colored fruits and vegetables, purple grape juice, green tea, red wine and dark chocolate. Try to drink four or more glasses of water daily.

If you decide to start exercising remember to Keep It Simple. Start off by walking for 15 minutes three times a week; this should cause you to get a bit of glow. Gradually increase your walk, causing a bit more of a glow. Although there is no upper or set limit on how long you choose to walk for, the health benefits do get greater after 60 minutes of activity.

If you do decide to start taking better care of yourself and live a healthier lifestyle, it is recommended that you get some advice from professionals who will take care of you in a holistic way, as opposed to just treating the symptoms. Prevention of health problems before they even become symptomatic is the best approach.

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About the Author: Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of my-personal-growth.com , a site that provides information and articles for self improvement and personal growth and development.

Not Getting What You Want in Life?Your Thoughts Could Be the Culprit

Unhappy? Stressed out? Do you feel you not only want more fun in your life, but you need more fun in your life? You seem to be doing all the right things, but yet you still feel unfulfilled.

So, what’s wrong? You want that feeling of happiness again, like that sense of pleasure you had as a child when you saw your first rainbow.

But now you feel like you aren’t getting what you want out of life, and it’s leaving you feeling disheartened. The answer could be that your thoughts are sabotaging your happiness.

Is it possible that our thoughts have that much power over us? Yes! Our thoughts are the most powerful manifesting agent we have. Our thoughts work together with our subconscious mind to manufacture our reality. Our thoughts dictate to our subconscious mind to create what it’s saying.

Our subconscious mind is non judgmental; it is like a computer assembling data. Whatever data you give it, it will accept. If the data is false or inaccurate, the computer doesn’t care, it will accept whatever you punch in.

Our mind works in the same way. Our internal dialogue is the data that we input to our subconscious mind. Our daily thoughts are the information that our subconscious uses to create. Our subconscious mind’s job is to make our thoughts materialize. If your internal chatter says, I’m not as intelligent as my co-worker, your subconscious minds says,

“Okay you’re not as intelligent as your co-worker, I’ll produce that for you. I will manifest your co-worker getting that promotion instead of you, to show you that it’s true.” If your internal chatter is always complaining about the injustices that happen to you, and that you are a victim, your subconscious mind says, “Yeah, you are such a victim, you are always getting treated unfairly; I will create a circumstance where you are treated unjustly, so you can be victimized.”

Have you ever wondered why successful people keep getting successful? It’s because of their thinking. They have found the formula to success, their thoughts. Your subconscious is hard at work creating what you tell it. It wants to please you, so it will do what you think.

Changing your outer world starts by changing your inner world first. When your inner world isn’t congruent with your outer world, it creates turmoil inside your body, leaving you with the feeling of being stressed, tired, and an overall sense of unhappiness.

How do you stop the sabotage? Pay attention to your thoughts and internal dialogue. When you hear your little voice say anything limiting or negative, stop and replace that thought with what you really want, and believe you deserve it.

It doesn’t stop there, and then you have to take action into making that a reality. Act as if it were already true. When you do this, your subconscious knows you are serious about making a change, and it will assist you into getting what you really want. It will take a little time to start manifesting, but you will see a difference. Changing your thoughts results in changing your life.

About The Author
Marla Sloane Ph.D. is a successful author and speaker. Her Daily Positive Affirmations subscribers have reached world-wide proportions, and her book, “The Masks We Wear and How to Live Without Them” is at the heart of her teleclasses; Live Your Best Life. Marla has also produced, Trilogy of Meditations, for your Mind, Body, and Spirit, which is distributed nationwide, and in Europe. You can visit her web site at: www.marlasloane.com.

A simple yet very powerful way to beat your negative emotions

Negative emotions, like insecurity, fear, despair, discouragement, frustration, anger, deception can pollute your life. Throughout the day, you experience all kinds of emotions, some are positive and others are negative and painful.

Feeling positive emotions, like happiness or peace is a choice, isn't it? Negative emotions are choices as well. Consciously or unconsciously, you choose to generate a feeling.

When you feel negative about yourself or an outside event, you can say to yourself: "I am in a bad mood" or a better way to say it is: "I choose to be in a bad mood". This statement gives you more freedom and responsibility, don't you think?

This freedom and responsibility can help you choose whether you want to immediately change the kind of emotions you're experiencing or not. It is your choice to totally master your thoughts and eventually master your personal life.

Here are the following three steps to get rid of negative emotions, simply but powerfully. With some practice, you can apply it successfully in seconds. This technique is called the cloud technique. So the next time, you experience a negative emotion, apply these three little steps:

1. The cloud symbol. First, make a representation of the negative emotion as a cloud. Notice its shape, colour and how it moves? The representation for example could be a big, black cloud that moves around you.

2. Blow the cloud Step out of the cloud and leave it where you were standing. Look at it, asking yourself the following questions "Is this emotion useful for me right now?" or "Is this emotion helping me as I communicate?" Now you're going to take a deep breath and blow at the cloud which will dissolve before you or float up into the blue sky and disappear. Notice how the negative emotion goes away as well.

3. Feel great Finally, decide what you want to replace your negative emotion. Choose a new positive emotion to try such as love, kindness, peace, friendship, confidence, humour or curiosity. Imagine another cloud or a door that will represent your positive feeling. Then step into the cloud or the open door and see how you feel. By then, you should be calm, at peace or full of love. This is your choice.

This technique can be surprising at first, due to its simplicity. When you are stuck in a negative mood, it may seem like you have no choice. When you use this technique, you will be more aware of your power to change your thoughts, emotions and even your life. You will be more conscious of your inner gift, which is your free agency or your freedom to choose.

Changing your emotions in a blink of an eye is possible. It is also a choice you can make consciously. Don't let your emotions control you. You can master your life by mastering what happens inside of you. The more you apply this technique, you more you will feel great and the more you will be success in your life.
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About the Author: Emmanuel Segui

11 Symptoms Of Depression And How To Recognize Them


Everyone feels "blue" at times. Life is full of highs and lows. But people with depression feel sad all of the time. Depression is a real medical illness. Left untreated, it can lead to other mental illnesses or even suicide. Real clinical depression is not something you can just shake off. You can't talk yourself into feeling better. It can interfere with your daily activities and can hurt the ones close to you. The first step in getting better is to recognize the symptoms and admit that you might have depression. Some people may have only a few of the following symptoms while some may have many.

Persistent sad mood or feeling empty.
Feelings of hopelessness.
Feelings of guilt or worthlessness.
Loss of interest in favorite hobbies or things you once enjoyed
Loss of interest in sex.
Decreased energy.
Sleep disturbances, either sleeping too much or too little.
Inability to concentrate.
Overeating or not being able to eat.
Restlessness or irritability.
Thoughts of suicide.

Depression may also cause a wide variety of physical symptoms. People with depression often experience digestive disorders such as constipation, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Depressed people may also get frequent headaches and experience back pain. Anxiety attacks may also coincide with depression.

Women experience depression twice as often as men. Hormones can play a huge role in depression. Menstrual cycle changes, pregnancy, post-partum period, miscarriage and menopause all can be contributing factors to depression. Women have additional responsibilities at work and at home and are usually the care giver for the children and sometimes aging parents. These stressors can lead to depression

Men that are depressed often try to mask it with alcohol or drugs. They rarely admit to being depressed. Often times they will work excessively long hours to hide it. The rate of suicide in depressed men is four times that of women. Men often become angry, irritable and discouraged. They are less likely to seek help and are often harder to diagnose.

There are three major types of depression:

Major Depression.
This is a disabling depression that has a combination of the symptoms listed above. It interferes with one's ability to eat, sleep, work or enjoy pleasurable activities.

Dysthymia.
This is a less severe type of depression. It is not disabling, but generally keeps one from functioning well or feeling good. People with dysthymia will probably have a least one major depressive episode in their lives.

Bi-Polar Disorder.
It is sometimes referred to as manic-depressive disorder. It is characterized by severe high and severe lows. The cycles may happen rapidly or come on gradually. Left untreated it can worsen to a psychotic state.

If you experience any of the above symptoms and they last for longer than a couple of weeks you should seek medical treatment. There is no shame in admitting that you may have depression. It doesn't mean you are crazy or weak. People of all ages, race and gender can suffer from depression. With the right interventions, you can enjoy your life once again.

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About the Author:
Jean Morgan is the publisher of Beat Depression Today an informative ebook and self help package for anyone suffering from this illness. It is available from http://www.beatdepressiontoday.com
Jean also has a blog at http://howibeatdepression.blogspot.com/ Jean Morgan is the publisher of Beat Depression Today an informative ebook and self help package for anyone suffering from this illness. It is available from Beat Depression Today Jean also has a blog at How I Beat Depression