Having an Attitude of Gratitude

Ever wondered what it means to "Keep up with the Jones"? Many times we sit and watch as our neighbors bring home new boats and new cars. We are so quick to say "if only" to ourselves. As we watch our neighbor pull into his driveway with his brand new luxury automobile, jealously rears its ugly head deep within our spirit. "What makes him think he is better than me? If he can have a car like that, I can too." The next thing you know you are off to the nearest car dealership and spend entirely too much money on an item that depreciates the instant it leaves the lot.

Society teaches us through the multitude of advertisements what it thinks we should wear, drive, eat and drink. The average person is bombarded with literally thousands of commercials each week. Roadside billboards, placards on the side of city buses, radio, television, internet and many other avenues are used to guide our subconscious mind toward a particular brand of product. We as a society are being "branded" to think and act a certain way.

Now that I've told you everything you already know, take a journey with me. If you will utilize the tools provided in this chapter, I guarantee it will forever change your life. Utilizing these simple techniques you will change the way you look at ALL situations. You will become thankful for what you have instead of focusing on what you DON'T have.


Technique 1: Compared To Whom?

Instead of comparing yourself to the rich families, look at the families who are living in the poverty stricken area of your city. I'm not implying that we are to look down our noses at them, not at all. What I am implying is compared to their situations, I'm sure your situation is looking pretty darn good. It allows you to see the extreme other end of the spectrum. I often see families that are poverty stricken and my heart goes out to them. I never let an opportunity to share my blessings with them pass by. I'm not ashamed to give my last dollar to that homeless man standing on the corner holding a cardboard sign.

I distinctively remember a time when my wife and I were coming back from the grocery store. We were almost home and we were the third car in line at the stoplight. I noticed what appeared to be an elderly man holding a sign that read "homeless and hungry". I watched as the first car (Mercedes) and the second car (Lexus) passed the man and never looked over. I do not drive an expensive automobile and I don't have an excessive amount of money, but deep within my spirit I felt the need to give. I had $6.00 in my pocket and I was honored to give it to that man.

I often hear people say that all I'm doing is giving that man money to buy more alcohol. That may be absolutely true; however, after I give him the money, it is his money to do what he wished with it. If we all thought that way, we would never help others in need. I give because I would want someone to do the same for me if I were in that situation. My blessing from God is still the same no matter what that man does with the money. Do not worry so much about what others think of you. You are in control of your life and what you manifest into your life by the blessings you bestow upon others. Let other people maintain a negative attitude and outlook on life and they will get their just reward in the end. Follow your heart and your spirit and you can't go wrong.


Technique 2: Thankfulness and Positive Thinking

Stop reading for a moment and take a look at your surroundings. Maybe there is a television or radio playing in the back ground. Maybe the scent of dinner is drifting throughout the house. You can hear your children laughing and playing just outside your window. You have many things to be thankful for. If your eyes open in the morning and you inhale your first breath for the day, be thankful! If you have a roof over your head, food in your stomach, clothes on your back, a car parked in your garage, a loving wife/husband and children, be thankful! So what you don't like your job! Be thankful you have a job.

A well known speaker told a story of a lady who was expressing her dissatisfaction with her job, he told her to stop for one minute and think of one positive thing about her job. She could not think of one thing positive. It was only after some coaching that she was able to think of positive thoughts about her job. Every work place has difficult people. Are you going to let the attitude and personality of one person dictate how your day is going to turn out? Understand that by letting the negative actions of another person change your thoughts from positive to negative; you are allowing them to have control of you. They are ruling over you.

Take a look at the following situation. You are driving to work one morning, the sun is shining, and it has turned out to be a beautiful day. You are noticing the newly bloomed flowers along the shoulder of the road when suddenly another car comes out of nowhere and cuts you off causing you to slam on your brakes to keep from hitting the car. You offer some choice words to the driver and take great pride in telling them they are number one using a "certain" finger. The further you drive the more upset and angry you become. While you are sitting in your car fuming over the situation, they haven't given you another thought. Continuing to let anger build will have a negative impact on your entire day. It will determine the way you treat others, the way you perform your daily duties and the way you will treat your family when you get home because of your bad day.

You are completely capable of controlling your thoughts. Just as easily as you got upset, you could've shoved off the negative feelings. How you wonder? Instead of looking at the stupidity of the other driver, be thankful that you were able to stop thus preventing an accident and possibly injuring you or God forbid ending your time here on Earth. I'm sure you have heard the saying "Every cloud has a silver lining". That is completely true. Every negative has a positive side. It is up to you to search for that positive side. Unfortunately not many people are willing to take the time to do such, but I promise you, if you take the time to look for that "silver lining" it will greatly improve not only your day, but your life as well. Finding the positive in any negative situation will greatly improve your quality of life as well. It is no secret that stress is the number one cause of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and many other medical problems. Finding the positive will instantly decrease the stress level in your body, thus greatly improving your quality of life.

by Bobby C.
(Savannah, Georgia, USA)

5 Part Mini Course on Visualization

5 Part Mini Course on Visualization - Lesson #1

The biggest blocker to achieve your goals and earn more money has to do with unconscious programming. It's because your consciousmind is saying one thing (words or a written goal) and your unconscious mind (emotions) are doing another.

Thoughts are the starting point of all your results. One of the most powerful ways that I have found to rewire unconscious programming is by visualization, if it's done effectively.

The problem is that many people don't know how to visualize effectively. They make these minor mistakes that have a big impact on their results.

I know this 5 part series will help clear all of this up for you.

In this lesson I'll cover the 1st of five pillars to help you become a more powerful thought creator with visualization.

 

5 Pillars to Visualization

These five pillars to visualization are like the legs of a
table. In order to set a solid foundation for the table
you need to have all legs working together. If any one
of these legs is missing, the table looses it's stability.

Therefore, decide now that you will commit to apply
and practice all five pillars to eliminate unconscious
programming and create new results.

... and most importantly, have some fun too!

Here is pillar #1.

Pillar #1: Consistency

Get into the habit of visualizing daily. This practice will
help you plant seeds of thought. These seeds will grow
into massive trees and bare the fruits of opportunity.

Consider this analogy. Let's say your deep within the
Amazon, in dense jungle. As you make your way
through the jungle for the first time, there is a lot of
resistance from vines and plants. It can be very
difficult in the beginning.

The next time you walk through the same path, it gets
easier to walk. With each pass through the jungle there
is less resistance than the time before. It gets easier
and the path through the jungle begins to widen.

How to Create Neural Highways of Thought

The same holds true with your mind. Each time you
visualize you're creating new neural pathways of
thought. At first you may only create very thin neural
strands, but with time and consistency these strands
will grow into pathways and then highways of thought.

It's these highways of thought that become your
new unconscious ways of thinking. When you're
effectively visualizing, you're giving your unconscious
mind instructions and new ways of thinking that align
with your goals.

It's these neural highways that channel your most
dominant thought patterns. The more energy and
consistency you give to these new ways of thinking,
the stronger the neural strand becomes.

Repetition is the game. If you repeat a phrase,
picture or feeling to yourself enough times, you'll
start to believe it - regardless if you do now or not.

The more times you bring up these new images on the
screen of your mind, the easier it gets. Be consistent and
visualize for at least five minutes every day.

Does it have to be everyday? 

Well, think of the jungle analogy again. If you stop
walking that path in the jungle for even one day, what
happens?

The vines, plants and trees start to grow back and
narrow the pathway, which draws back on your
previous efforts.

Even with visualization, it's important to be consistent
and visualize everyday to firmly plant new instructions
into your unconscious mind.

Watch this space, Pillar #2 is coming up soon

This lesson was taken from Freedom Coaching by Stephen Martile.

For more information visit:

http://www.freedomeducation.ca/coaching/

"When you visualize then you materialize." - Dr. Denis Waitley

Carrots, Eggs and Coffee Beans

This is tale I read at Binki's Blog.  Its such a magical tale, that I decided to repost it here.  For the original post, click here.
Thank you Binki.  This story warmed my heart, and highlighted core values we need to treasure.

The Tale of the Carrots, Eggs and Coffee Beans

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that as one problem was solved a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.



Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what do you see?"
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. She brought her closer and
asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they got soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked. "What's the point, mother?" Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity--boiling water--but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but
with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with
the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a break-up, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it
releases the fragrance and flavour. If you are like the bean, when things
are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate to
another level?

How do you handle Adversity? ARE YOU A CARROT, AN EGG, OR A COFFEE BEAN?

Don't tell GOD how big your storm is. Tell the storm how big your GOD is!

i love this! i want to be seen as the coffee bean (smiling)

Blessings and love always binki x

Inspiration from the Heart

You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world's happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged -  Dale Carnegie

Quotes to Inspire

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. - John Stuart Mill

The secret of success is constancy of purpose. - Benjamin Disraeli

Quotes to Inspire

He who wishes to secure the good of others, has already secured his own. - Confucius

Speak properly, and in as few words as you can, but always plainly; for the end of speech is not ostentation, but to be understood. - William Penn

Quotes to inspire

The world is but a canvas to the imagination

- Henry David Thoreau

Four Steps to A Super Attitude

By: Brian Tracy

Decide How to React
It is not what happens to you that counts. It is how you react to what happens to you, especially when you have unexpected problems of any kind.

In this newsletter, you learn powerful strategies you can use to keep yourself thinking and acting positively and creatively.

Here are four things you can do to assure that your attitude is the very best it can be, under all circumstances.

Focus On the Future
First, whatever challenges you face, focus on the future rather than on the past. Instead of worrying about who did what and who is to blame, focus on where you want to be and what you want to do. Get a clear mental image of your ideal successful future, and then take whatever action you can to begin moving in that direction. Get your mind, your thoughts, and your mental images on the future.

Think About the Solution
Second, whenever you're faced with a difficulty, focus on the solution rather than on the problem. Think and talk about the ideal solution to the obstacle or setback, rather than wasting time rehashing and reflecting on the problem. Solutions are inherently positive, whereas problems are inherently negative. The instant that you begin thinking in terms of solutions, you become a positive and constructive human being.

Look For the Good
Third, assume that something good is hidden within each difficulty or challenge. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, a major proponent of positive thinking, once said, "Whenever God wants to give us a gift, he wraps it up in a problem." The bigger the gift you have coming, the bigger the problem you will receive. But the wonderful thing is that if you look for the gift, you will always find it.

Seek the Valuable Lesson
Fourth, assume that whatever situation you are facing at the moment is exactly the right situation you need to ultimately be successful. This situation has been sent to you to help you learn something, to help you become better, to help you expand and grow.

Decide to Be Positive
A Positive Mental Attitude is indispensable to your success. You can be as positive as you want to be if you will simply think about the future, focus on the solution and look for the good. If you do what other successful people do, if you use your mind to exert mental control over the situation, you will be positive and cheerful most of the time. And you will reap the benefits enjoyed by all successful people.

Action Exercises
Here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action:

First, become solution-oriented with every difficulty you face. Make a habit of looking for the answers to your questions, the solutions to your problems.

Second, seek for the valuable lesson in every adversity. Make a list of every idea or insight you can gain from every setback or difficulty.

Third, think on paper. Take some time to write out every detail of the problem, and then take the most logical next step to solve it.

Quotes to Inspire

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.




Winston Churchill

Thought for the day

There are only two ways to live your life.

One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as if everything is.

Albert Einstein.

Quotes to Inspire

"A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Quotes to Inspire

To know that one has a secret is to know half the secret itself. - Henry Ward Beecher

When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that is in itself a choice. - William James

7 Tips for Being More Effective and Working Fewer Hours

by Veronica Lim

I don’t know about you, but time management never really worked for me. Mind you, there are some tips from time management that are well worth following. The main thing is to know yourself and follow your own energy in terms of “when” you do things and to use your head when it comes to deciding “what” to do.

Time is the only resource that we have a finite amount of. Will you spend it in ways that support you? Or let it while away?

(1) Work on your high payoff activities

High payoff activities are revenue-generating. These comprise marketing, delivery and business development. Determine which activities are revenue-generating and make sure that you allocate time every day for this.

Wherever you can, delegate out the rest, especially those tasks that are not your forte.

Ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” This allows you to determine firstly, whether the task should be done at all, and secondly, whether you are the right person to be doing it.

(2) Chunk your day into set time chunks

Do the same thing at the same time each day and then stick to that routine. For example, do your marketing activities at the same hours each day. Check emails at the same times each day and so on. Allocate the times for the various activities according to your own energy rhythm.

For example, I’m an early morning person and do my most effective work in the morning. So I’ll work with clients at 6 or 7 in the morning depending on the time zone differences. On days when I’m not working with a client, I’ll often nip out for a quick coffee and make sure I’m back by 9. From 9 to 10 a.m., I focus on marketing activities. Then from 10 to noon, I write articles and work on idea development. Then at noon until 2 p.m. it’s lunch and emails.

Notice how all the scheduled activities are my high payoff ones.

Afternoons are flexible. Often I’ll do activities like research or idea-generation. Other than because I’m a morning person, I find that it takes me more energy to do things like writing than it does tasks like research, so I do those first when I’m still fresh.

I’ll stick to this routine as much as I possibly can.

This is a powerful technique which I would never have guessed would be as effective as it is. It’s allowed me to work half-days with peace of mind, knowing that if I cover the items that have been chunked into the day, I’d have completed the important things I need to do. With this, I no longer get to the end of the day feeling as if I’ve spent the whole day at the desk and yet not achieved much - something that used to be a frequent occurrence for me in the past.

How can you chunk your day?

(3) Outsource and delegate

This was one I resisted for a very long time because I felt that I “should” be doing it all myself - especially in the early days of my business. I insisted on doing the book-keeping myself, for example, because I’m a qualified chartered accountant and I knew how to. But I dreaded the day each month that ‘d allocated to book-keeping. As soon as I outsourced this, I felt such a sense of freedom. And more importantly, it freed up time for me to spend on other more lucrative activities, like preparing for talks at associations and conferences, or writing articles for publications.

The same thing happened with maintenance of my website. I quite enjoyed creating my website but maintaining it was a different matter.

Plus, these tasks are administrative in nature and definitely not revenue-generating.

So which tasks to you know that you don’t enjoy doing but you keep on doing it because you think you should? Outsource and delegate those as a matter of priority.

If you’re thinking that you can’t afford it, do think again. I wouldn’t advise that you go into debt in order to outsource, but outsource even when you think you aren’t at the income level you think you should be at before you do so. It will free up your time and energy and open up avenues for more income.

(4) Take inspired action when the inspiration hits

Sometimes inspiration hits us in the middle of nowhere. It doesn’t work by the clock. So when you get the inspired idea, you’re going to have to be the judge and take the most appropriate inspired action.

If it’s an article topic, write it down in an “Ideas Journal”. If you get a string of points for a talk you’re giving, write them down. Then carry on with whatever you’re focused on. If it’s an inspiration to phone someone, tune in - is it just the idea to phone that person or is it the intuitive hit to actually make that phone call straight away. Learn to listen to your intuition and ideas, and learn to discern whether the inspired action is to just write down the ideas and carry on, or briefly stop what you’re doing to act on the idea immediately.

Once again, it comes back to knowing yourself. Be honest! If you’re one of those people for whom inspiration hits but you talk yourself out of it over time, then, you must take that inspired action immediately, before you talk yourself out of it.



(5) Only check your emails at set times

Resist the temptation to check your emails every time one comes in. Email is addictive. Set specific times in the day to check your emails and only check your emails then.

When you get to your emails, deal with the ones that need attention immediately. Batch up any others to read into a “To Read” folder and read them when you get to your reading time. Then clear it out.

My goal every day is to get my Inbox down to less than a page long…and I’m working on getting it totally clear each day.

(6) Create a “To DAD” List

Don’t carry everything around in your head. It takes up energy needlessly. Get everything down onto a list and you’ll find that you’ll clear your head. The “To DAD” list is your “To Do And Delegate List”.

In the left hand column, write down the to-dos for yourself but only write down those items that you absolutely MUST do today. (Clue: High payoff activities and those for which you have an imminent deadline). You should have only a few items in this list, no more than 5.

Everything else goes in the right hand column - “To Delegate”. Allocate whom to delegate each task to - your virtual assistant, your webmaster, your book-keeper, and whomever else you outsource to, and also your Divine Self (or Higher Intelligence or Universe or Source, whatever you call it). Typically, the items that I delegate to my Divine Self are things that I know are coming up for me that I want worked on “in the background”. Examples are: Get ideas for my next newsletter topic, line up 60 people for my preview teleseminar, get 5 clients ready to sign up when we launch the website product.

Doing this allows you to free up your mind and releases energy that you can channel into the activity you are focusing on.

(7) Stop multi-tasking

If you think about it, there really isn’t any such thing as multi-tasking. We can only ever focus on a single activity at any one time. You may be able to handle a number of things in quick succession relative to someone else, but at any point, you can only do one thing.

If, for example, you’re listening to a class recording and writing emails at the same time, you’re actually zoning in and out between one and the other. You miss bits and pieces in between, and ultimately it takes you longer to get things done. If your class recording isn’t important enough for you to be fully present with it, then don’t bother listening to it.

Also, read my e-book, “How to Get Out of the Busy-ness of Life and get Busy Living Life” which tells you how to focus and concentrate effectively. If you haven’t already got a copy, just email me and request one and I’ll send it to you.

YOUR TURN

A trait of super-successful people is that they don’t just implement one thing at a time. They pick several and get them going. If you don’t feel that you can put all 7 of the above ways into action right now (why not?), then pick at least 3 and run with it. You’ll be pleased you did because you’ll be more effective and have more free time to do other things you love.

Author's Bio
Veronica Lim coaches and provides strategies for coaches, consultants, and other service professionals who are ready to have more business, more time, more money and more fun, by leveraging their energy, time, passion and expertise. Claim your free report, “7 Simple Steps to Creating Your First Passive Income Info-Product”. Sign up for your free Success Kit at www.veronicalim.com

Have a wonderfully pronoid day!

Have you heard about 'pronoia'?

You know what paranoia is right?

Pronoia is the opposite of paranoia.
It's when you imagine that the entire universe is conspiring to do good things for you.

Every little thing that happens is a gift, something that is designed to teach you, enhance your life, bring more awareness, ultimately to bring more pleasure, either in the deepest most spiritual sense of the word; or even in the form of a second helping of raspberry sorbet.

It's like you walk out of the house in the morning and find a thousand dollar bill on the ground. And that's just the beginning, the day just keeps getting better from there.

Except it's not about money, it's about the ways you are led back to understanding that the life you lead is your own!

And everything you experience in it is for you to use as you will.

Paranoia is a kind of delusion.
Some people say that pronoia is an extreme form of sanity!
Who knows?

Have a wonderfully pronoid day!


Caitriona and Michele

Excerpt From: Manzanita Village Retreat and 5 Changes Coaching