Wealth Creation Power of Gratitude

Do you have an attitude of gratitude?

There’s been a lot of focus both in the media, at the water cooler and at the family dinner table about the terrible financial loss people have been dealing with. Jobs have been declining at an incredible rate. The bureau of labor statistics reported In December, the number of unemployed persons increased by 632,000 to 11.1 million and the unemployment rate rose to 7.2 percent.

Some people have lost more than 50% of their IRA and 401K savings and no one, even if you have a terrific credit score, we’re talking more than 720, are having a difficult time accessing credit.

All this is understandably disturbing. It has stricken fear into the hearts of Americans and citizens worldwide. Suddenly everything we’ve taken for granted is gone. This loss of security has affected even those who have yet to really suffer any financial loss. We’re all left with a lot of questions and an abundance of uncertainty.

With all of this unfortunate news there is one thing you can do to regain your security, to regain your control, and to get started on a path to even greater wealth and abundance.

Gratitude.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
-Melodie Beattie

The first steps of Gratitude and Wealth Creation

Gratitude is an emotion. It’s recognizing and feeling appreciative of what you have. Now this can be difficult if you’re losing money at a record rate, if you’re in debt, and if you’re at risk or have lost your job. No matter where you are financially, even if you’re at the very bottom, there is always something to be grateful for. Are you breathing? Do you have someone who loves you? Do you have food on your table? Do you have job? Do you have skills, abilities, and knowledge unique to you? Do you have your health? There is always something to be grateful for and the first step to wealth creation is to recognize what you do have and to be grateful for it.

When you look at what you do have rather than what you do not have it changes your perspective. It gives you power, hope, and strength to look at your present and your future differently.

Focusing on what you don’t have or what you have lost doesn’t change or solve anything. You still don’t have it. However focusing on what you do have changes everything. It gives you the ability to make plans for the future. To grow what you presently have, even if it is only your breath.

Feeling Gratitude is Profitable

Napoleon Hill, author of the esteemed and widely read “Think and Grow Rich,” speaks of gratitude as a way to overcome your fears. Overcoming your fears is imperative to attain great wealth.

It’s easy to know you’re supposed to be grateful, to say thank you for what you have however feeling gratitude is another thing altogether. Spiritual and financial experts often recommend keeping a gratitude journal. Write down what you’re grateful for. Make a routine out of it and document your gratitude every day, perhaps at the end of the day as you’re getting ready for bed or first thing in the morning.

While this type of gratitude experience is a great start, it is not enough.

Journaling can easily become another task. “I have to write down 5 things I’m grateful for before I go to bed,” doesn’t inspire actually feeling grateful.

In order to achieve the kind of effects, the power of gratitude, you must feel grateful down to your core. Every cell in your body needs to sing “THANK YOU.” This requires quiet contemplation.

Think about what you’re grateful for and why. If you’re grateful for the food on your plate, why are you grateful for it? Who are you grateful to? What does having food on your plate right now mean to you?

When you’re grateful down to your core this type of gratitude becomes a way of life. It affects everything you do, every decision you make, and how you interact. If you believe the law of attraction then you know that you attract more of what you focus on and when your heart is singing thank you, you’ll attract more of what you want into your life.

Expressing Gratitude Is Profitable

It’s important to note that as you’re building a business, gratitude plays a critical role in how your customers and prospects relate to you. This goes beyond saying a quiet thank you for your customers and actually thanking them.

The Psychology of Consumer Behavior by, Carey, Clicque, Leighton, & Milton, 1976, showed that when customers of a jewelry store were called and thanked they showed a 70% increase in purchases. This was compared to customers who were not called at all and customers who were thanked and then notified about a promotion. Simple gratitude goes a long way toward boosting business profits and increasing wealth.

The same concept is embraced by restaurant servers who write a simple “Thank you” on the bill – they receive larger tips. Think about that big tip jar on the counter at your local coffee shop. Are you more likely to put a dollar in there if it says “Thank you” or if it says “God is watching you,” or even if it says nothing at all? A big “Thank you” goes a long way.

So how can you thank your current customers?
Send them a letter.
Send them a personal email
Give them a call
Give them something for free
Recognize them on your website, blog, or newsletter

We’re all in this world together. Understanding that, appreciating, that and expressing gratitude not only for your customers but for everything you have in life is the first step toward receiving all that you desire. It’s more than having a glass half full attitude, though that is a super start; it’s about sharing that attitude with everyone around you.

We’re drawn to people who are positive, who are grateful, and who appreciate us and what they have. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have or what you’ve lost, use the power of gratitude to build on what you do have. You’ll be grateful for the results.

Excerpt From: Jeremy Gislason
SureFireWealth INC

Does The Credibility of Government of Malaysia Has Been Affected by Use of ISA (Internal Security Act)?

The recent used against three person under ISA (Internal Security ACT) by the current government of malaysia under UMNO rule to curb/calmed racials tensions.

The detention under ISA of a blogger, newspaper reporter and an opposition MP highlight the problem which had become the struggle to survive for certain group of people and individual in the current government in order to stay power.

NOW, the question that need to be ask; does the government still hold the credibility and the good image that they carried for so long?

Has ISA been use to curb/arrest criminals or communism and terrorist or has it been manipulate by certain individuals to silent the truth from been spoken out.

Has ISA been abuse and do we still need to keep ISA?

Has the government realize that they have been elected by the people to rule with justice and true?

The home minister: syed hamid albar said no one above the law? Does he understand what he had just said it? or being ignorance?

Recently, a member of parliament from Gua Musang , Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said the detention under the ISA of a blogger, newspaper reporter and an opposition MP had heightened rather than calmed racial fears.

"In the present context of a leadership struggle within Umno and a strong opposition, it is impossible to dispel the notion that these measures are calculated to keep certain individuals in power.

"Nothing does more to undermine the legitimacy of a government than plainly unjust acts," Tengku Razaleigh said in a statement here.

His criticism follows that of former de-facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who resigned from his cabinet post last week in protest against the ISA arrests.

Blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin was on Tuesday sent to the Kamunting detention centre in Perak where he will begin his internment of up to two years under Section 8 of the ISA.

Selangor senior executive councillor Teresa Kok and Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng have been released.

The arrests were also criticised by other Barisan Nasional component party leaders from the MCA and Gerakan.

In his statement, Tengku Razaleigh painted a bleak picture of the nation's current political and economic situation.

He said the political and economic crisis could cascade into long-term instability for the country.

"I appeal to all parties to come together to hold an honest discussion about what is happening to our country.

"We need to come together to find unity and direction out of this dangerous situation."

SAPP PARTY QUIT BN AND RAYMOND TAN DECIDED TO DUMP SAPP.

After long battle and waiting for an answer, finally SAPP (Sabah Progressive Party) under the leadership of Datuk Yong Teck Lee together with his supreme council decided to quit from BN(Barisan Nasional) for good. All the members of the parties agreed unanimously to quit from BN and broke rank whatsoever that to do with BN. But seems not everyone in the parties agreed with Datuk Yong Teck Lee decision to quit. His deputy president, Datuk Raymond Tan and Mr. Au are totally against SAPP from leaving BN.

Now, what is more startling revelation here, Raymond Tan, his ex-deputy president, revealing some insight why Datuk Yong Teck Lee made the hush decision to quit from BN is because Datuk Yong Teck Lee was disappointed for not been given a seat during the recent election in the state. (By the way, Datuk Raymond Tan, decided to quit from SAPP)He claimed that Datuk Yong was not pleased with the decision made by Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi for not chosen him to be one of the candidate. NOW, the question that we would like to ask to Raymond Tan, why are you revealing all this secret to especially people of Sabah and Malaysia. What are you try to proof to us. What benefits that Sabah get from BN after been rule by BN (UMNO) for many years and why are you care to help SABAH.

By telling us all about your former leader (Datuk Yong) this and that will help him(Raymond Tan) to expose the true colours of your former leader? By begging Dato' Seri Abdullah Badawi not to arrest his President for corruption under the ACA, does that make him a hero?

Question.....

1. By exposing your former president his weaknesses does that help him(Raymond Tan) to be good leader.

2. A good leader will try to support his President for whatever cause and not start attacking his leadership.

3. By asking the PM for help when even PM also are having leadership problem ( in house problematic) guarantee will he help? Do you think the people of sabah, care to know what are you doing. Begging and pleading. For what the people see, you only think about your own position and prestige. Rank and business dealings.

4. By forming another party does that help you achieve or champion the right of the people of sabah. What motives that he has for forming party? To save his business/status?

Let the people of sabah decides and judge. A good leader will not reveal or attacking his own president for whatever reason because at the end, three fingers will pointed back at him. When a leader think about himself , he cannot see others. He only think about himself and him alone.

Why Government of Malaysia are using ISA and arrested three person?.

Lots have been happening here lately where the Government lead by UMNO are trying to win the heart of rakyat(people) but it seems, whatever decision their made, it creates more damages and mistrust among the people. Whats more the arresting of three (3) person under ISA under the pretext of protecting the country from chaos and prevented racials tensions.

From the eye of layman what the Government did was not only wrong but also created more hatred, no confidence, breach of trust, mala fide. By arresting the reporter from Sin Chew Daily, Ms.Tan Hoon Cheng,who reported the statement made by YB Ahmad Ismail that the chinese in Malaysia are squatters (pendatang) and labels the chinese as Jews of America and put her under ISA (Internal Security Act) just because she reported what had been said by this Encik Ahmad Ismail. Really show how backward the Governemnt really are. Home Minister: Syed Hamid Albar said, She was been put under ISA for the safety and protection. The question that we have to ask, why must ISA be used against citizens knowing that person had never done anything wrong . Why ISA never been use again Encik Ahmad Ismail for rising the issued of racism. Why Dato' Syed Hamid gave a funny statement to justified his action (since he is the Home Minister).

Why put Teresa Kok (MP from Selangor)under ISA when she never uttered any words about the "AZAN" are too loud. Why the Government never properly check the authenticity of the report and hearsay from Khir Toyo, the former menteri besar selangor and reported also from local malay newspaper. It creates lots of misunderstand and confusion.

Question, by enforcing ISA, does Government trying to creates fear to all the rakyat (people) for telling the truth. If it corrects, then we all in big shit of trouble because the Government will check and scrutize all our activities even when we read newspaper, coming late to work, spank our kid for being naughty, late making payment to all our bills, etc etc and next things you know everyone will put under ISA for our safety and protection. C'mon dude! Its not acceptable.

I think its time for the rakyat to choose another Government to rule.

By putting Raja Petra under ISA will help the curtail the tensions created by the Government or his cronies?

***When the leadership are weak, the people suffered.

Dreams are the Key to Your Purpose

A person's dreams can give a person the chance to discover his purpose and meaning in life. Dreams are akin to visions and goals in life. Yet, they tend to be unrecognized in the lives of people because they are so busy with the business of living and providing for themselves. More than that, the world offers a lot of noise and diversion to people and prevents them from realizing their dreams. People should be able to identify the dreams that they have.

This requires conscious efforts and soul-searching on the part of people. As such, people who want to live their lives in accordance with their dreams should be willing to search deep within themselves for these dreams. Up to a certain degree, they have to shut down the noises of the world and be silent for a while. After recognizing the impulses and the ideas that make up your dreams, you need to take a pen and write down your dreams. This way, you are able to track down your dreams more effectively.

You may not be able to figure out right away how to achieve these dreams. But the important thing is to write these dreams. It would even be better if you can designate a notebook as your journal, which you can use to track your progress in achieving your dreams. Your journal can also become the venue in brainstorming the different steps you need to make in order to achieve your dreams. You cannot achieve your dreams in a snap of your fingers. Rather, the steps you need to take are many and sometimes you really have to be patient and persistent to achieve these dreams. If you expect your dreams to come true after doing exerting little effort, you are badly mistaken. Remember that a house is built after laying down the foundations and then slowly, the building blocks are added till the roof is put on top. The process takes time.

But unless you take the first steps in achieving your dreams, you will never find your purpose in life. This world thrives on a myriad of processes, which cannot be undermined. The process of achieving your dreams also rests on different processes. In finding purpose and meaning in your life, you better follow your dreams. It may be costly and you might experience a lot of difficulties along the way but you the destination is worth the journey.

About the Author: Cassidy Williams. The One Question is a website that helps people discover their purpose in life. It discusses the meaning of life and lets you find yours.

20 Cute Love Quotes to Make You Smile

If you're a hopeless romantic, nothing can bring a smile to your face quite like cute love quotes can. The problem is, finding cute love quotes that aren't cheesy can be a bit harder than one might imagine. That being said, they are indeed out there. Here are 20 cute love quotes that are anything but cheese.

1. "Only when we give joyfully, without hesitation or thought of gain, can we truly know what love means." ~ Leo Buscaglia

2. "Love builds bridges where there are none." ~ R. H. Delaney

3. "Absence is to love what wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small, it enkindles the great." ~ Comte DeBussy-Rabutin

4. "Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your heart or burn down your house, you can never tell." ~ Joan Crawford

5. "When you love someone, all your saved-up wishes start coming out." ~ Elizabeth Bowen

6. "Love is too strong a word to say it too early, but it has too beautiful a meaning to say it too late." ~ Kurt Cornish

7. "What the world really needs is more love and less paperwork." ~ Pearl Bailey

8. "Love is the only gold." ~ Alfred, Lord Tennyson

9. "LOVE: The irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired." ~ Mark Twain

10. "Marrying for love may be a bit risky, but it is so honest that God can't help but smile on it." ~ Josh Billings

11. "I don't want to live-- I want to love first, And live incidentally." ~ Zelda Fitzgerald,

12. "Love is like an hourglass with the heart filling up as the brain empties." ~ Jules Renard

13. "Love, like a river, will cut a new path whenever it meets an obstacle." ~ Crystal Middlemas

14. "Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile." ~ Franklin P. Jones

15. "Love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise." ~ Samuel Johnson

16. "It is with true love as it is with ghosts; everyone talks about it, but few have seen it." ~ Francois De La Rochefoucauld

17. "If only one could tell true love from false love as one can tell mushrooms from toadstools." ~ Katherine Mansfield

18. "Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence." ~ H. L. Mencken

19. "Gravitation can not be held responsible for people falling in love" ~Albert Einstein

20. "Everyone admits that love is wonderful and necessary, yet no one agrees on just what it is." ~ Diane Ackerman

Who says cute love quotes have to be cheesy? These twenty love quotes prove otherwise. The next time you find an anti-romantic in need of romantic inspiration, share these cute love quotes with them and prove that love is worth pursuing!

For more [http://www.famous-quotes-and-quotations.com/love-quotes.html]love quotes, check out the popular love quotes section at Famous-Quotes-And-Quotations.com, a website that specializes in 'Top 10' lists of quotations in dozens of categories.
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3 Easy Tips on How to Ask a Girl Out.

Do you find yourself struggling with how to ask a girl out?

She's attractive, interesting and has a great personality. But every time you're around her, you can't seem to figure out how to ask her out on a date? Well if this sounds like you, then you're not alone. In fact, lots of other guys have problems with getting a date.

What's funny is it's actually pretty easy to ask a girl out on a date. If you know the RIGHT sequence of events and how to set things up, it'll be easy to land a date without making her feel pressured or uncomfortable.

If you follow my 3 step plan, you'll easily increase your chances of a woman accepting your date request. Let's get started...

Your first is to make sure you build attraction around this girl. When you first meet her (or if you already know her), the conversation must get to the point where she is interested in what you have to say. So this means you should display ALL the traits that she'll find attractive.

For instance, you should do the following:

* Display an alpha male personality

* Demonstrate higher status

* Be cocky/funny

* Tell interesting stories

* Ask provocative questions

Now during the process of attraction building you need to show one additional thing: You have an interesting life. When you're talking to this girl, you should mention how you like to do fun things.

Specifically you should mention an event you're doing within the next week. The key to this step is to discuss how much fun you're going to have and why you're really excited about it. Then steer the conversation towards something else that she finds interesting.

Finally you'll come to the conclusion of the conversation. This is the moment where you'll ask her out. Instead of just getting her number, you should act like you had a sudden thought. Mention that she might be interested in the event you were recently discussing. Then tell her "it would be cool if you tag along". Get her number and let her know that you'll call with more details.

This technique for asking a girl out is a great way to set up a date without having to resort to specifically giving a date request. You build attraction and excitement about a specific event. Then you ask the girl out without making her feel uncomfortable with an uncomfortable dating environment.

Asking a girl out can be hard for a lot of guys. The trick is to know how to build excitement about date and eliminate her nervousness. If you make her interested about the date, you'll discover that it's easy to make her want to go out with you.

About the Author: Scott Patterson can help YOU meet, attract and seduce ANY woman! In his free resource, Attraction Mastery , Scott provides over 50 TIPS you can use to get instant results with girls. To claim your free copy of this incredible resource, visit his site right now: http://www.ChickMagnet101.com

10 Inspirational Quotes, Self-improvement & Success – Hand in Hand.

Everything that happens to us happens in purpose. And sometimes, one thing leads to another. Instead of locking yourself up in your cage of fears and crying over past heartaches, embarrassment and failures, treat them as your teachers and they will become your tools in both self-improvement and success.

Remember watching Patch Adams? It’s one great film that will help you improve yourself. Hunter “patch” Adams is a medical student who failed to make it through the board exams. After months of suffering in melancholy, depression and suicidal attempts – he decided to seek for medical attention and voluntarily admitted himself in a psychiatric ward. His months of stay in the hospital led him to meeting different kinds of people.

Sick people in that matter. He met a catatonic, a mentally retarded, a schizophrenic and so on. Patch found ways of treating his own ailment and finally realized he has to get back on track. He woke up one morning realizing that after all the failure and pains he has gone through, he still want to become a doctor. He carries with himself a positive attitude that brought him self-improvement and success. He didn’t only improved himself, but also the life of the people around him and the quality of life. Did he succeed? Needless to say, he became the best damn doctor his country has ever known.

So, when does self-improvement become synonymous with success? Where do we start? Take these tips:

Stop thinking and feeling as if you’re a failure, because you’re not. How can others accept you if YOU can’t accept YOU?

When you see hunks and models on TV, think more on self-improvement, not self pitying. Self-acceptance is not just about having nice slender legs, or great abs. Concentrate on inner beauty.

When people feel so down and low about themselves, help them move up. Don’t go down with them. They’ll pull you down further and both of you will end up feeling inferior.

The world is a large room for lessons, not mistakes. Don’t feel stupid and doomed forever just because you failed on a science quiz. There’s always a next time. Make rooms for self-improvement.

Take things one at a time. You don’t expect black sheep’s to be goody-two-shoes in just a snap of a finger. Self-improvement is a one day at a time process.

Self-improvement results to inner stability, personality development and SUCCESS. It comes from self-confidence, self appreciation and self-esteem.

Set meaningful and achievable goals. Self-improvement doesn’t turn you to be the exact replica of Cameron Diaz or Ralph Fiennes. It hopes and aims to result to an improved and better YOU.

Little things mean BIG to other people. Sometimes, we don’t realize that the little things that we do like a pat on the back, saying “hi” or “hello”, greeting someone “good day” or telling Mr. Smith something like “hey, I love your tie!” are simple things that mean so much to other people. When we’re being appreciative about beautiful things around us and other people, we also become beautiful to them.

When you’re willing to accept change and go through the process of self-improvement, it doesn’t mean that everyone else is. The world is a place where people of different values and attitude hang out. Sometimes, even if you think you and your best friend always like to do the same thing together at the same time, she would most likely decline an invitation for self-improvement.

We should always remember that there’s no such thing as ‘over night success’. Its always a wonderful feeling to hold on to the things that you already have now, realizing that those are just one of the things you once wished for. A very nice quote says that, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” We are all here to learn our lessons. Our parents, school teachers, friends, colleagues, officemates, neighbors… they are our teachers. When we open our doors for self-improvement, we increase our chances to head to the road of success.

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By Tim Staines

How Your Life Can Have Meaning after the Death of a Loved One.

How can you find meaning in life now that your loved one has died? How can existence possibly have any purpose? It is common to feel that life has ended for you. When someone we love is no longer physically present, we are often haunted by despair, emptiness, and the lack of purpose.

Even though grief therapists know this is a common yet temporary experience, it is not common and temporary as far as you are concerned. It is too real and deeply painful to consider what the death of your loved one means.

1. The first step to take is at some point in your mourning is to decide that you will become restoration oriented. I cannot tell you when that will occur; only you can make the call. In short, you must form the intention of reinvesting in life despite all of the feelings inside that say, no way. You may not be able to do it today. Later, a little at a time, will do. However, it is clear that a loss orientation always leads to stagnation and increased unhappiness.

One of the secrets of human behavior is to discover that you can act your way into new beliefs and assumptions about life. Yes, act. You don’t necessary have to start with the positive mental attitude everyone talks about. This happens in someone’s life every day. What they never thought could happen within, suddenly changes due to their persistent make believe behavior.

Act as you wish to be is an ages old recipe for adapting to change. Hard work? Yes. Yet it always works, if you do one thing: keep acting “as if.” This means acting as if you are where you want to be.

2. Embrace that which is unfamiliar is the second step. It is the familiar and predictable which gives us a secure feeling. The loss of your loved one forces you to face a new world, a new life, devoid of the presence of the person who added so much meaning to existence. You will have to face the unfamiliar, learn new skills, and reach out—or live a much contracted existence. That is a given. But you can approach the task with special motivation to look for ways to reinvest your emotional energy.

Here is a taste of what others have done. Take short or long trips to places you have never been. They can be places near your home or out of the country. Start sampling foods from other cultures. Some you can purchase in your local super market. Others can be tried in restaurants. Try a sport or exercise you have never done before. It could be Yoga, Tai Chi, boating, breathing exercises, or golf as starters. Never stop learning. There are thousands of things we have never done.

3. In welcoming the unfamiliar, don’t be over-controlling. Let whatever you discover in your attempts to embrace the unexplored to play out. Don’t judge too soon whether it’s good or not so good for you. See what it fully offers by giving it much time and space to play its role in your daily life. Consider the satisfaction it brings and the interpersonal relationships it generates in your evaluation to make it a part of your new life or to abandon it. Let these events unfold to create a multiplicity of possibilities and wonder for your greater good. Study the possibilities carefully.

4. At root, you are searching for meaning in the death of your loved one and in a life without him/her. Realize how vastly important meaning is. It is the flywheel of life around which everything is organized; you are a universe of meanings and emotions. It builds and tears down, brings sorrow or joy, throws you into the past or causes you to become interconnected in a web of relationships. Changes in meaning can bring changes in your ability to cope; even your body will respond in healthier ways.

We act out and believe what is meaningful and makes sense. Meaning will change your life for good or for the worst—all on the way you choose to perceive an event. The miracle of it is that you can find new meaning for your life, let go of the old, and cooperate with the massive changes imposed by loss. For it is meaning that will keep you connected to your loved one, and learning to love in separation.

Don’t forget, all of the above works if: you act as you wish to be, seek and accept the unfamiliar, and refuse to be controlling as you allow the new to play out. This will facilitate making a diligent search in your thought life for other meanings in the death of your loved one and in your life. What other meanings can you find?

Dr. LaGrand is a grief counselor and the author of eight books, the most recent, the popular Love Lives On: Learning from the Extraordinary Encounters of the Bereaved. He is known world-wide for his research on the Extraordinary Experiences of the bereaved (after-death communication phenomena) and is one of the founders of Hospice of the St. Lawrence Valley, Inc.

His free monthly ezine website is
[http://www.extraordinarygriefexperiences.com.]http://www.extraordinarygriefexperiences.com

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Communication Skills - the 4 Powerful Secrets that Win People Over .

Having a conversation seems very natural to some people, but to others it is a struggle every time. There is no need to feel frustrated or upset every time you are faced with a situation where you must be involved with a conversation.

Conversation is essential and important to every day life. If you avoid conversation with others they may see you as stuck up. Thinking you do not value what they have to say or think they are not worth your time. You can gain a horrible social image if you avoid conversation.

There are four great tips that can help you to overcome whatever may be bothering you about conversation.

Tip#1 How to answer rude or inappropriate questions.

Some people are very bad at the art of conversation and may say something off beat. They may ask an extremely personal question or just make a comment that is not appropriate.

To handle this situation you should politely give a short answer or reply without drawing attention to the situation and then move on. Change the subject or if the person just piped up with this, go back to the original conversation.

Tip#2 What to do when you run out of things to talk about.

If you are constantly watching others and paying attention to what they are talking about you shouldn't run out of things to say. If you do find the conversation running out then try to find something common to talk about. This will bring everyone back into the conversation and allow it to pick up again. Some good conversation topics are current events or something about the place you are at.

Tip#3 How to kick up a conversation.

Sometimes for lack of better things to talk about a conversation can get boring. If people are not interested in what is being talked about they will stop talking or leave. You do not want to end up with silence or awkward good byes.

So if you feel the conversation is dragging try to bring up something different than what you have been talking about. This is a good time to state an interesting fact you know or to share a hobby. Pet peeves are another good thing that will liven up the conversation.

Tip #4 How to deal with a topic you know nothing about.

Sometimes you will find that the people you are having a conversation with bring up a topic you know nothing about. In this case you have the opportunity to use your listening skills.

You should take interest in learning about this topic by asking questions. This shows you are interested in the other person and you care about what they have to say.

These tips cover four main situations that crop up in conversation and cause anxiety. Knowing how to handle them can make you feel more at ease with the idea of having a conversation and improve your overall communication skills.

Source: Submit Articles at ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report: 10 Simple Steps to Developing Communication Confidence. Apply now because it is available only at: conversation topics

How To Deal With Emotional Problems.

Into every life a little rain must fall. But every once in a while, that rain becomes a deluge, especially when personal problems become too much for one person to handle. At some point, you might find yourself having to help and comfort someone who has a problem.

While you may have learned how to patch-up a physical wound, you might not feel capable of providing help with an emotional wound. You may feel at a loss when dealing with an employee, a friend, or even a family member who is angry, crying, or despondent.

Some people are afraid of helping others deal with personal problems. They would rather walk away, allowing their employees, friends, or family members to figure it all out for themselves. However, the act of helping someone deal with a personal problem is a mark of your success as a communicator, a problem solver, and a person.

No doubt you’ve heard the classic advice from a well-meaning friend: “Never let personal problems surface at work.” And no doubt you’ve been privy to some standard advice from a well-intentioned colleague: “When you go home at night, leave your work problems at work.”

Problems are not something you can switch off and on. A serious personal problem tends to engulf all of your time and thought no matter where you are. Personal problems do not respect time frames. So its illogical to have an argument in the morning with your spouse, and not expect to think about it at some time, more likely, several times during the workday. You just can’t pretend to be happy if you’re really miserable.

If you breakdown a typical workday, the largest chunk of time during a 24-hour period, is spent on the job, anywhere from eight to ten hours. Any problem from home will undoubtedly surface at work. Likewise, a problem at work will overflow into the time you’re trying to devote to family and friends.

Many people, especially men, feel that the idea of suppressing your emotions is a sign of strength. This train of thought is wrong. As kids, we’re taught to contain ourselves and not show certain emotions. An obvious example of this is that men shouldn’t cry; it’s not the macho thing for men to do. We get the idea that showing emotions is shameful. We need to let go, and get past these ideas, because they are destructive and counterproductive. We need to recognize that we can talk to other people about our problems.

The best managers are often those who know how to help employees with their problems. A good manager understands that people have problems that sometimes invade the workplace and take over for a while. A good manager knows how to listen and how to serve as a facilitator.

Emotional crises tend to involve more than one personal problem or distressful event. When personal problems take their toll, it’s usually because of a series of concurrent events. For example, you’ve had an argument with someone important in your life, a bad investment is coming to light, and a close relative is extremely sick and demands attention. When it rains, it pours. Things begin to unravel, and you feel overwhelmed.

Problems can manifest themselves in several ways. They can manifest in an inability to make eye contact, or the inability to concentrate, nervous gestures, or deep sighs. Other signs might be a loss of sense of humor, a quick temper, difficulty in performing routine tasks, or taking too long to perform tasks.

If an employee comes into your office in a fit of anger, or a sibling calls you in tears. What do you do? Remember, you’re not a psychiatrist; instead, you’re more like a practitioner nurse, assessing the damage to determine a course of action. You’re there to provide comfort and guidance.

If the person’s emotional reaction is severe, consider helping him or her get professional attention. If the outburst is not as severe, you might be able to help. Three of the most common emotional reactions you may encounter and be able to handle are crying, anger, and despondency.

Crying. Take the person to a private room. Offer something to drink, such as water, coffee, or a soft drink. Never hold or cradle an employee who is crying, only do this if it is family member. Give the person time to gain his or her composure. Don’t come on in a strong or overbearing manner. Instead, use a calm, sympathetic tone of voice. If the person declines to discuss the reason for the tears, don’t push. If he or she doesn’t want to explain, simply back off. But if the person does want to talk, remain understanding and sympathetic. Don’t make judgments. In the case of an employee, offer him or her a chance to go home early. Check at another time to show your concern for his or her well-being.

Anger. If an individual comes to you angry, make it clear that he or she must cool down before you take any action. Ask the person to explain, but cut of any tirades. Try to get at the facts. Once the story has been explained, the person may feel ashamed for the outburst. Assure him or her that anger, within reason, is an acceptable emotion.

Despondency. Maneuver the despondent person into a private room. Without conveying any kind of judgment, ask gently whether the person is feeling down or unhappy. State your willingness to help. If the person agrees to talk, be a good listener. If tears come, don’t’ stop them. They may provide a great relief for the person. Recognize that despondency is more serious than crying or anger, because it can signal deeply rooted depression. Look for an extended pattern of depression. If necessary, you may need to recommend some fairly serious steps, such as a leave of absence or outside counseling.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember in these situations is that you are providing comfort, listening, and trying to help solve a problem. You should let the rules of common sense and logic be your guide. Also, don’t let the event ruin your day or overrule your priorities. Recognize, that you’re only temporarily turning your attention to someone’s problem. Once the problem has been addressed, then return to your daily schedule.

Everyone deals with personal problems in different ways. Some people are vocal; some people hide; some call on their sense of humor; some get very intellectual or philosophical. Your goal should be to develop a method that works best for you.

As a starting point, you should simply acknowledge the situation. If you’re becoming overwhelmed, try to step back and develop some perspective. Recognize that personal problems are affecting your work and other aspects of your life. Then you can look for an appropriate path to get out of your dilemma.

It’s important to realize that you’re going through a rough time that will soon fade into memory. Know that you can manage it; don’t let it control, or consume you. There are ways you can go about your life even though you are thinking about your difficulties.

One of the best ways I’ve found to do this, is to simply think of the problem as a burden. Visualize your emotional issue as a weight that you carry with you like luggage. Take your burden to work with you. When you have to attend a meeting or make a telephone call, set down your bag and perform your work. After each task, pick up your burden and deal with it. This way, you can avoid letting your burden consume you and get some work done.

It’s important, that you never let your problems take on a life of their own. Sure, a crises is going to disrupt your life for a while. A crisis causes you to think and react. It is going to force you to turn your attention to it. But you must realize that you have control over it. You can decide how you are going to let this crisis or personal problem affect your life. Hopefully, you’ll come out of it a better person, having learned something from your problems.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could always walk around carrying a big umbrella for those rainy days? However, even if we could, it’s inevitable that there will be a time when a problem bigger than a dump truck will splash a lake full of water on us. It’s unrealistic to expect to stroll through life high and dry.

That’s why personal problems are such problems. You know they’re out there; you know you’re going to get hit by a few of them. Your success in overcoming your problems all depends on whether you let them take the form of a light summer shower or a downpour that rains on your parade.

Copyright©2006 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and achieve total success. He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in personal and business development. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many of America’s largest corporations, on the subjects of leadership, self-esteem, goals, achievement, and success psychology.

Reach Joe at: joe@jlmandassociates.com
Read more articles and newsletters at:

http://www.jlmandassociates.com

How To Be A Winner In Everything You Do.

Experts, including many leading psychologists, agree that what separates life's winners from its losers are certain patterns of thinking and behavior. Losers tend to perceive the path to success as a straight, unbroken line from beginning to end. As a result, these people are unable or unwilling to cope with setbacks along the way.

If their progress is slowed or halted for any reason, they often become frustrated and give up. For these people, setbacks are failures that can not be overcome. Their motto might be, "if at first you don't succeed, give up".

Here are some of those winning characteristics found in common among successful people in all walks of life.

1) Goal-Oriented

In order to be a winner, you must have a goal- some point you wan to reach. That's the first and most important requirement for success. Simply put, you can't be a winner if there's nothing to win.

Both short- and long-term goals are essential elements in providing a sense of direction and purpose. Without a specific, clearly defined goal, you're like a traveler who has no destination. You have no idea of where you're going or why. You don't know how to use your time and resources to their fullest advantage. On the other hand, goal-oriented people know exactly where they are headed and why. They plan their journey carefully, keeping in mind all the detours they may face along the way, and never lose sight of their destination- their goal.

2) Motivation

Once you have set your goal(s) you must have the drive or motivation to reach it regardless of the obstacles in your way. Winners are all highly motivated people who press forward until their goals are reached. That doesn't mean that in order to achieve your goals you must exclude everything else from your life. You'll still need to socialize and relax, but you must set priorities. Consider how much time you spend each day in unnecessary pastimes that do little more than sap your energy.

If you use that time instead to focus on and work toward a specific goal, you'll increase your chances for success dramatically. The bottom line is, in order to be a winner, you must want to reach your goal more than anything else.

3) Positive Mental Attitude

Having a positive outlook doesn't mean blissfully ignoring the many harsh realities of life. Winners understand that risks and potential setbacks are a matter of fact. Instead of dwelling on these negative aspects of life, winners are constantly looking for alternate ways to pursue and achieve positive results. After all, how much can anyone accomplish with a defeatist attitude?

A positive approach with allow you to be your most creative and productive- both mentally and physically. Negativism will make you more vulnerable to stress and less likely to pursue your goals.

One way to become a winner in everything you do is to study successful people and then follow their examples. You don't have to make yourself over in someone else's image. But you should learn and develop the winning characteristics these people have in common.

It's not an impossible task. If you are willing to make the necessary changes in thinking, attitudes and behavior, you can realize your full potential and achieve whatever goals you set.

About the Author:
Enrique Villalobos is the owner of MakingExtraMoneyAtHome.com, which provides free articles and resources about working from home. Visit it now and download the free ebook "Dotcomology, The Science of Making Money Online."

The Power of Your Words.

Most of us underestimate the power of our words. We sometimes miss how our words set a tone. A few words can make someone's day, or shatter it. Words can inspire someone to buy, or to go away without buying. Our words can move someone to do their best work, or to work against us. Your spoken words serve either to build up or to tear down. They serve to empower and inspire, or to disempower and hurt. Words are either life affirming or destructive. For this reason we should choose our words carefully. "The word is the most powerful tool you have as a human...like a sword it has two edges, your word can create the most beautiful dream, or your word can destroy everything around you." (The Four Agreements, Don Miquel Ruiz)

When you are talking to someone ask yourself this question: "Who am I being and what is the impact of my words on the people around me?" The power of your words lies in the intention behind them. Is it your intention to create a resolution or to be right? Do you intend to help the organization accomplish its mission or to satisfy the need to take someone down? We communicate best when we are clear about who we are and what we intend. This kind of clarity prevents us from saying words that are harmful to ourselves and others. It may prevent us from engaging in harmful gossip and complaining.

Gossip is usually destructive. It is often a careless use of our words. We just aren't thinking about how we are affecting others. Sometimes gossip is mean spirited and intended to cause hurt. Whether gossip is careless or intentional, it causes pain. We may be hoping for a little humor or self justification, but the results of gossip are anger, suspicion, embarrassment, and fear. These creations of gossip negatively affect morale, service, and productivity. You cannot both care about someone and gossip about them. If you think back to the last time you either heard or offered gossip, it probably didn't make you feel good. Gossip disempowers us.

Similar to gossip is chronic complaining. Complaining about people and situations makes us feel and look powerless. Managers who complain in front of their employees lose credibility as leaders. Chronic complaining leads us into a dead end street where there is nothing to be done. We become victims who are powerless to change anything. While venting frustrations to a trusted friend can be helpful in releasing negative feelings, complaining to everyone tends to reinforce negative feelings. Like gossip, chronic complaining disempowers us.

Our power to do harm is exceeded only by our power to do good. A simple, sincere apology (given without expectation of return) can heal a relationship. An uplifting word at the right moment can change a life, launch a career, or convince someone to go beyond perceived limitations. By consciously looking for evidence of greatness in others, and by using our words to tell them, we help others to build confidence. When we sincerely speak well of others we uplift ourselves.

There is great power in making the commitment to keeping our words as positive and life affirming as we are able. As an affirming presence our influence grows. We feel better about ourselves. Constant negative speech imprisons us and prevents us from finding joy and success. Developing the habit of speaking well of self and others frees us to enjoy life more. We become a blessing to ourselves and to others.

Our spoken words originate from our thoughts. The best way to increase the positive power of our spoken words is to clean up our thinking. We must become willing to think well of ourselves. Constant self criticism needs to become unacceptable. We free ourselves to think and speak well of others by thinking well of ourselves.

Consider practicing the following:
• Affirm life in your thoughts and your words. (To affirm life is to build up, to nurture, to support, and to bless)
• Refuse to gossip. Commit to saying only words that are uplifting or helpful to others.
• Refuse to listen to gossip. Compassionately tell others it is beneath them to gossip.
• Refuse to indulge in complaining about another person.
• Refuse to dwell on self critical thoughts. Learn from mistakes and move on.
• Intentionally look for positive qualities to think about yourself. Make a list often.
• Intentionally look for positive qualities in others. Tell them.
• Don't take the words of others personally. Their words are more about them than about you. Let go of your grudges and your hurts and wish others well. This practice will make you happier.
• Do not allow negative emotion to control you. Accept it. Be willing to let it go. Stop feeding it with negative words. Choose words that will refocus you on who you are and what you really want.

Gossip and complaining are distractions and a misuse of your energy. Decide what you really want and apply your energy to it. As you become more life affirming in your thoughts and words you will experience more joy and success, and your sense of well-being will affect others. More people will trust you and want to help you. Your life will change. Affirm life with your thoughts and words and you will find that your organization, your family, your community, and you will benefit greatly.

William Frank Diedrich is a keynote speaker and the author of The Road Home: The Journey Beyond the Spiritual Quick Fix, 30 Days to Prosperity: A Workbook for Well Being, and Beyond Blaming: Unleashing Power and Passion in People and Organizations. William also offers a free online newsletter, Transformation Times. To learn more about Bill, his books, and his services,

go to http://www.transformativepress.com

or to http://noblaming.com

Article Source:

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What Women Want: a Five Point Guide for Men

What women want may surprise you. At least once a day, as a dating coach and a columnist, I get an email from a guy somewhere begging for an answer to this most frequently asked question by men: "What do women want?"

The question of what women want comes from a genuine confusion in many men. What most people already know is that men and women think in very different ways. And how those different thinking patterns are demonstrated gets some couples in trouble. Men like action activities; women like to sit and talk. When you are planning a date, if you want to please her, try and combine both such as lunch and a walk in the park. Another example of the different ways men and women think is that men perceive working long days and even on weekends as a way to show their success or love. Women, however, may see that behavior as neglect. There are many other examples where men and women get their signals crossed.

If you have ever been at a loss for understanding what women want, here is a five point guide:

1. Being Number One

All women want to be Number One. Just ask Cinderella, Cleopatra, Miss Piggy, or any other well-known female icon. They want to know that they come first in a man’s order of priorities. They want to feel that their boyfriend or husband will choose them over every other activity or relationship. If your girl knows this, she won’t mind when your mother, child, friend, or co-worker calls and asks for help. What she won’t understand is if you have dinner with your Ex on occasion, or drop your plans with her and go have beer with the guys instead, or, never take time to ask about her day because you watch the sports channel every minute you are at home. Being Number One is the Number One desire of most women.

2. Keeping Your Word

Women want a man who keeps his word...in his relationships, his work, and in all aspects of life. If you promised her the world (Disney World, that is) then you'd better give it to her. If you don't do what you will say you will, she won't trust you. Without trust, your relationship doesn't mean anything. Keep your agreements. If you can’t, tell her so (preferably, beforehand) and tell her how you plan to rectify it. More importantly, don’t make promises you can’t keep.

3. Listening

Women want a man who listens. I know you are tired of hearing about this one, but it is central to a relationship. She wants to be heard. Listen to her. Apparently, this is difficult for most men to do. Sitting down and talking is not something you are naturally wired for. But you can learn. Further, it’s impossible to have intimate or important conversations with dogs barking, kids crying, or phones ringing. If your girl is trying to talk to you, handle any emergencies, turn off the cell phone and TV, and give her your full attention. If you do, you will make her feel that she matters.

4. Believing Her

Women want to be believed by men. Men tend to be (or think they are) more analytical than women. Therefore, when she speaks, and is trying to tell you something important, you may have a tendency to dismiss it. If you know how to balance your brain with your heart, and listen with kindness, you will find that what she has to say is relevant to your life with her. If you are with someone you don’t trust, then her words will have no affect on you. (And you should be asking yourself why you are there.) But if you love and trust her—then believe her.

5. Doing What She Asks

Women want you to do what they ask at crucial times. She doesn't expect you to "fix" everything, but there are times when her requests call for action. I know, I know—some of you are probably smirking by now. But if you implement what she says, you will have an extremely happy partner. This statement assumes that you are with a good person; that she is rational most of the time; that she does not ask the impossible or the ridiculous of you; and that she is equally giving. Some men find this hard to do because they feel that to do this, they are being a wimp. Believe me, she wants you to have backbone. And there is every opportunity in all parts of your life to exercise that quality. She isn't asking for you to give up anything. She is asking to be heard and cared about. If you trust her character and if she tells the truth…do what she asks.

Go on and try these suggestions. If you are with a happy lady…you are going to be a happy man. This is what women want.

Visit

http://www.tonjaweimer.com or http://www.singlesdatingtips.com for more tips, skills, and insight on dating, relationships, singles, and love. Subscribe to our F*ree Savvy Dating Newsletter from master single's coach, life coach, and syndicated columnist, Tonja Weimer. Copyright 2006, Tonja Weimer. (Please note source if reprinting this article.)
Source: Submit Articles at ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:Tonja Weimer Dating Coach, Singles Relationship Coach, Midlife Singles Coach, or Personal Life Coach all describe the help you may be seeking. Visit Tonja's website for more exciting dating tips! Singles Dating Tips Online

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Smile More Often

The ability to smile is a gift to humans. It not only fills a mood of happiness and positive energy into one's own soul, but also spreads a feeling of good will, friendship, love, and care for the others to perceive, who happens to be facing you or to whom you are smiling at.

Further, a heartening smile is a non-verbal symbol of acceptance, which is very crucial in our social lives, and a gesture that personifies your confidence, eagerness, aptitude, and willingness to perform your duties with full heart. Have you ever heard an HR personnel lecturing on interview skills telling the candidates not to smile at the interviewer before accepting his invitation to take the seat? Or have you ever met a receptionist attending to your queries with a tight lip?

In fact, not! No friendly interaction could do away with a broad smile on either of the participant's faces. This is a universal truth in fact, but restated by our motivation and success-type of gurus.

So, it is quite obvious why it is important to learn to smile, even in times when you do not feel to smile at all, but to grin or gnaw. Here are top 5 reasons as to why you should smile more often than how you are today. If you are confident enough that you are smiling very often, please skip this article; it is meant for those poor souls who have not still fathomed the importance of a cheek-to-cheek smile.

a) As mentioned earlier, a full hearted smile sets the tone for the rest of the day. It makes one feel good and better and the positive energy a smile brings into oneself is both self perpetuating and infectious.

b) A heartening smile makes others also feel welcomed to come and talk to you.

c) A smile originating from your inner self is a good enough stress buster. It triggers your hormone production, thus soothing the building tension in you.

d) A smile not only peps up your appearance, but it also plays a major role in toning up your facial muscles. Remember, smiling is a subtle exercise in itself.

e) Finally, a smile does not cost you anything. And it returns in lot, the results being emotional, social, and biological.

Our world is full of sad people, with long faces. Let you also do not add to their already long ranks. Smile yourself into a new life and let others also follow suit. So, next morning, when you get up, make sure that there is a broad smile originating on your lips. Make it a habit to smile and soon you will realize how substantially this little change can transform your life!

John Khu is an experience entrepreneur and internet marketer. He specializes in communication development and personal happiness.
http://www.happyessence.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Khu

Developing Your Sense Of Humor

Having a good sense of humor is one of the most important characteristic of all happy and successful people. A good sense of humor helps you to solve problems, improve your relationships, and have a positive outlook on virtually every aspect of your life.

Sense of humor is something people talk about but rarely understand in terms of what humor really is. It is often defined as having a different perspective on things. This way of looking at sense of humor is only partly correct. If you defined sense of humor as just having a different perspective, it would be like saying, “If you were just 6 feet tall, you’d understand this” and “If you just had a full head of hair, you’d be more comprehensive.

Changing your perspective means going back through your entire life and looking at all the belief systems and elements that went into making up your perspective. So it’s not a simple process. A sense of humor is a very particular developed sense of perspective that allows you to access joy even in adversity.

I’m not talking about going through life and laughing things off. Nor am I talking about the fact that you ignore a problem or don’t take it seriously. I am talking about first dealing with the problem and then putting a positive spin on it.

The idea is that a sense of perspective when it comes to humor allows you to see yourself in the scope of things rather than always at the center of things. Most of us have a tendency as to believe that any problem we are confronting and facing at particular moment is the most important thing that is going on in the world.

This way of looking at problems is a very heavy responsibility. It makes you feel as if the problem is everywhere and it becomes the focus of your being. This is why a developed sense of humor is so important, because it allows you to see yourself in the scope of things rather than always at the center of things.

When you look at things with a sense of humor perspective, it enables you to have a remarkable capacity to control how you see the things that are going on in your life. You cannot control the external events in your life, but you can control how you look at them.

An important part of a developed sense of humor is the capacity to take yourself lightly, even though you may take your work or your problem very seriously. A sense of joy in being alive is an intimate component of the human will to live. It’s not abstract, but it’s not easy either, you have to work at it.

One of the best ways to develop your sense of humor is to make a list of all things that make you happy, that put a smile on your face, or give you joy. Make of a list of the things you do or once did that you don’t have time for anymore, that nourish and sustain your sense of joy. List the things that enliven you and strengthen your spirit, so that when a problem occurs you’ve got a reason to combat it and have the flexibility to see it though to a successful conclusion.

The root form of humor is umar in Latin. It means to be fluid and flexible like water and that is what humor is about. It’s staying flexible so you don’t get broken by the difficulties you confront. Being flexible enables your creative mind to stay open so that you can still come up with solutions even in painful situations.

Making a list of the things that make you happy sounds simple, but it’s not. I’ve done it with thousands of people over the past ten years and what I’ve found is that most adults over the age of 35 cannot write down more than three things that give that make them happy. They will invariably start off with something such as, “my work, I love my work.”

You should never put work on your list, or anything that causes you or other people harm. Instead you should list things that make you happy and put a smile on your face. For example, you might want to list things like going to a movie, fishing, or kissing your spouse.

Don’t try to complete this list all in one sitting. You should spend at least four to six weeks completing it. I advise my clients to get a small diary or pocket folder and carry it with them. This way you can write down things as they come to mind or as you’re actually enjoying them. After six weeks time you should have over 100 things on you list that make you smile, laugh, or feel better.

This list is going to become a critical component in developing your sense of humor because it will help you deal more effectively with all those small things that are always chewing at you. If you have a big problem, you can handle it, you can see it, and get into it, but it’s all those little things that keep sneaking up behind you and nipping at your neck that having a good sense of humor helps you deal with.

Misery is not subtle. Pain is not subtle. Joy, humor, and laughter are very often subtle. So you have to pay attention to them to start activating them into your life and that’s what this list will help you to do.

Making a list of all the things that you enjoy and put a smile on your face will not only help develop your sense of humor but it also gives you the opportunity to find out more about the people in your life and what makes them happy and this will enable you to help them develop their sense of humor. When you are able to give other people joy and put a smile on their face, especially when they need it most, you will be giving them the greatest gift you can give.

Copyright©2006 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and achieve total success. He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in personal and business development. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many businesses around the world, on the subjects of leadership, achievement, goals, strategic business planning, and marketing.

Reach Joe at: joe@jlmandassociates.com

Read more articles and newsletters at: http://www.jlmandassociates.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Love

Get Clear About Your Life Purpose.

Do you want to wake each morning looking forward to the day ahead?

Do you want to be of service to others by creating benefit and value in your everyday life and environment?

Do you want to love what you do?

If your answers sound anything like "yes", then it’s likely you’re not yet living the life that’s right for you. The result? You’re living out of habit with a routine that serves only to help you exist as opposed to live. The solution? To get clear about what it is you really should be doing with your life, to start living it and to realise the wonderful benefits for you and your environment.

Are You?

Fed Up With Where You Are Right Now – Perhaps Even Resentful?

Wishing You Were Doing Something More Meaningful Each Day?

Sensing It’s Time You Did Something About It? If any of your answers are "yes" then read on ...

What’s In It For You?

Discover What It Is That You Really Should Be Doing With Your Life

Transform It Into Reality

Revel In The Benefits That Come Your Way As Your Environment Seeks To Support You

By sticking to the same old routine of existing as opposed to living, we risk forming a habit that serves only to frustrate us. We slip out of alignment with our inner self, and because of this we fail to express our potential and the magnificence of the person we really are. The way to cut through this is to wake up to our calling – to discover what it is that motivates us to be of service and to make a difference.

How do we achieve this? Simple – we first need to discover our unique qualities and motivators for creating change, then set about applying them in our interactions with others. As we continue in this way, we begin expressing ourselves more naturally. In turn, we become compelled to make an even greater difference and do so by organising other areas of our life into alignment with this way of being and doing.

Result – we open up to who we really are and find ourselves expressing a genuine love for life. We also benefit from the support of our environment as all manner of opportunities appear to help us on our way.

INQUIRY: Make a note of your core values and unique personal qualities. List some of the ways in which you enjoy expressing these when interacting with others. How can you call on them to make a difference? What more can you be and do to build on this?

ACTION: For the next thirty days, make this a reality by putting the above into action. Notice how different you feel, and the effect you have on your environment. Perhaps there’s a way you could make a living from this? If so, check it out – what’s the first step? Trust in yourself - grab the initiative and make it happen. You’ll never know the difference you can make until you’ve made it.

Make A Habit Of Getting Clear About Your Life Purpose

For more information on how you too can live a better life, visit http://www.rightlifecoaching.co.uk/ now.

Best Wishes

Simon

“Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfilment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated, thus everyone’s task is unique as his specific opportunity,“ Viktor Frankl

Simon is a professional Self Development Coach based in the UK. He specialises in helping individuals and businesses to see the reality of their challenges and desires, and then set about ways to transform and achieve them through inner change.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Perkins

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.

Is there greatness on the inside of you but you don't know how to achieve it? Jason has just completed his brand new 7 part e-course, 'Find Your Greatness'

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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.