SELF IMPROVEMENT AND SUCCESS

SELF IMPROVEMENT AND SUCCESS

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.

I 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 the a doctor. He carries with himself a positive attitude that brought him self improvement and success. He didn’t only improve himself, but also the life of the people around him and their 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 you start? 

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

*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 and good looks concentrate on your inner beauty and strength.

*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 less than you are.

*The world is a large room for lessons, not mistakes. Don’t feel stupid and doomed forever just because you failed at something. There’s always a next time make a room for self improvement.

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

*Self improvement results to inner stability, personality development and dig this …. 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 realise 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 attitudes hang out.  

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, realising 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, neighbours… they are our teachers. When we open our doors for self improvement, we increase our chances to head to the road of success.

Here's a piece of software to install onyour computer to keep you motivated without you even realising it. Click Here

Body Language Facts and Statistics

Have you ever wondered just how many ways us human beings communicate? If so here’s a few facts and statistics about non verbal communication – Body Language.

Mario Pei, estimated humans produce up to 700,000 different signs.

Ray Birdwhistell, estimates the face is capable of over 250,000 expressions.

M H Krout, identified 5,000 distinct hand gestures.

G W Hughes has catalogued 1,000 different postures and their accompanying gestures. According to Wharton University studies, human beings take in information about the world around us through our five senses (actually we have many more than just five that everyone thinks but that’s another article) 

Eyes 82% 

Ears 11% 

Other senses 7%

Retention Verbal 10%

Retention Verbal – Visual 51%

Albert H Mehrabian experimented in the late 60’s and early 70’s and came up with this calculation in terms of how important the non verbal movements, signals and gestures are when it comes to the overall effectiveness of our communication in relaying our message to others.


Words account for only 7%

Tone of voice accounts for 38%

Body language accounts for 55%


Although in fairness, it’s not an absolutely reliable way of calculating such figures, as this study was conducted for a telecoms company over the telephone. Therefore, the person on the other end could hear the words and the tone of voice but lacked the visual input of the body language.


What are the uses of body language?

There’s predominantly three ways in which we use body language signals, movements and gestures and they are:

As a direct replacement for words – sign language is a prime example.

As a reinforcement of our words – we gesture to emphasize speech.

As a mirror of our inner emotions and attitudes – people read our faces, body angles, distance etc.

Cultural differences in body language are infinite and change all the time, especially now with worldwide movies, the internet, exotic holidays etc.

We now see more of other cultures than ever before so it makes sense that the same gestures can have several different meanings and out of all our 700,000 different signals there are said to only be six that are universal.

Happiness
Sadness
Surprise
Disgust
Anger
Fear

I’ll add to this when I get some more time.

Robert

Body Language And Being A Parent.

Being a parent is not an easy job at the best of times. While we all want to do the best for our children, we sometimes inadvertantly allow the pressures and frustrations of everyday life to show themselves when we talk with our children.

Children are incredibly perceptive to our moods and behaviour. Why ? Because they have to be, we teach them almost everything they know in the first few years of life so they pick up on these things without really having to try very hard at all.

If we're lucky, we get to spend a lot of time with our offspring in those early formative years and how we talk, move and gesture to them signals our inner feelings, unless you're already very good and practiced in making that instant change from work mode to parent mode.

How often have you been talking with your spouse, partner or another adult about your really hard day at the office, factory, shop, etc. All of a sudden in burst the kids with their Barbie dolls, Action Man or some other toy, babbling on about what they've just done with it. You, still in work mode, wag the finger at them saying something along the lines of "Can't you see I'm talking, don't interupt" sound familiar ?

Of course it does, the words might not be exactly what you'd say but I can bet that at sometime in your life you've reacted something like this to your child. You don't have to be shouting at your child to give them the indication with your body language alone, that you are not in the best of moods or that this is not the best time to get the full attention of their parent and it would be best if they went away till you are in the right frame of mind to talk and play with them.

Why? Because they pick up on the non verbal cues we all give off. It sounds very obvious and it is but how many times do we do things like this when interacting with our little loved ones. The answer for most parents unfortunately is a lot more than we should because we've not been able to immediately switch from one state of mind to another.

As children grow up with us as their mentors, they learn about the subconscious body language way before they learn the spoken language. They also learn about emotions we are expressing towards them through the tone of voice we use when speaking to them.

Can you imagine trying to koo koo a baby with an angry voice ? How do you think the child would react to these gruff and loud noises coming out of your mouth ? It just wouldn't work would it.

Because from the moment a new born baby enters this world, the influencial adults, especially the parents, talk in soft quiet tones along with gentle, soft movements. So the child learns almost immediately these people are nice, comforting and non threatening.

In fact children are born with only two fears; the fear of falling and loud noises, everything else we or others teach them. This includes how to express themselves both positively and negatively.

If you don't belive this, watch your children and see just how many of your gestures, expressions and movements they mimmick without even trying, you'll be surprised. How many times have you said "You're just like your father/mother."

So when you are talking with your child try not to tower over them and talk down at them with the wagging finger or with your arms crossed in front of your chest. Try instead to sit side by side or with your child on your lap or crouch down to their level.

Talk where possible in softer tones with your palms facing upwards and outwards. This is an open, honest and non threatening hand gesture we all use when we're being open and honest with people, you can't stop yourself in everyday conversation without sitting on your hands or putting them in your pockets or under your armpits, even then the desire has to be supressed.

Show them you are on concentrating solely on them by looking them in the eye, not at the TV, newspaper etc. Because although you may well be able to multi task different jobs, your child will perceive it as non interest and you won't get your point across in the most effective way.

We as adults spend our lives living with both the negative and positive affects of our parents, siblings and the other significant people in our lives. So make sure you pass on as many positive things to your children as you can and just taking a second or two to reflect on how best to handle your children in everyday situations.

There is nothing on this earth as precious as a child, they are priceless, each one is totally unique and our future lies in their hands.

Remember, one day they'll choose your nursing home !!!

What do you really want in life?

How To Determine What You Want In Life

Most people don’t discover what they want in life until it’s time to late – and that’s a shame.

Most people spend the best years of their lives watching television or doing things they dislike. An author described humanity by saying, “Most people die at twenty and are buried at eighty.” Are you one of the living zombies?

What do you really want in life?

Some people struggle in answering such question. When asked what they want or what their goals in life are, many are unsure. They dillydally in their decision, hardly giving any thought about what they want in life. People without definite goals are letting time pass them by. Are you one of these people?

If you are undecided about what you want out of life, do not worry there are many ways of discovering your purpose in life.

To discover what you want in life, try looking deep into your heart.

Often, people are ruled by logic and live by what they think they should be or by what others like them to be. The discovery process is the perfect time to listen to your heart. What your heart desires comes from the whispers of your authentic self. Your authentic self is the real you.

Listen to your heart to be able to listen to your authentic self. What your heart says usually feels right. What your heart desires is what you usually love to do and this represents your passion. Anything done with passion is like play where the task is accomplished with ease and without hesitation. You pour out your very best and feel no pressure or resistance.

You will totally enjoy doing things that are your passion. Setbacks, difficulties, and obstacles will make it more challenging, but should not deter you from pursuing your goals.

Naturally, there may be barriers that may prevent you from reaching your goal, but your heart’s desire will find ways to overcome these barriers so that you may ultimately get what you want in life.

Remember this: the universe supports people who are pursuing their passion and those who are pursuing their destiny.

However, this does not mean that you don’t use your head. People are born with both the mind and heart. Your duty is to live your best life and be in harmony with your mind and heart.

The poet Rumi wisely said, “Live completely in the head and you cannot feel the breath and rhythm of life. Live completely in the heart and you may find yourself acting like a love-struck fool with poor judgment and discipline. It’s all a fine balance - the head and heart must forge a lifetime partnership if one wants to live a beautiful life.”

Listen to your instinct.

Part of human nature is the mysterious and spontaneous reaction on things. Often times, these are called instincts. Your authentic self communicates with you and guides you via instincts. Instincts are those gentle nudges that urge you to act and follow a certain path. Your role then is to listen attentively.

Often times, we listen to what others say and allow them to run our lives. Parents often do this to their children.

“We come from a family of doctors, lawyers, builders, so my son/daughter is going to be one too"

How often do we hear this from parents who have good intentions for their children? Parents unconsciously block the true expression of their child’s real self and calling. Friends and critics will discourage you and point out the impossibility of your dream. Before heeding their advice, evaluate the accomplishments of the critics. Did they achieve theirs dreams? Do they dream big at all?

Remember, it is your destiny that is in line, not theirs. It doesn’t mean, though, that you will not listen to what other people say. Hear them out just the same. But the final decision should be yours.

There is only thing to remember: Every person, to live truly and greatly, must define how he wants to live and what his brightest life will look like. Listen to your instincts and follow your heart’s desire and you won’t go far wrong.

Brian Tracy has several fantastic programmes on Goal Setting - Achieving Work-Life Balance and Strategic Achievement plus numerous others.

Check out http://www.briantracy.co.uk

Have a great day,
Robert

Massage - The Art of Massage.

Hi Guys and Girls,

Listen up, I have just secured the rights to the massage DVD series advertised below.

The Art of Massage DVD series, 3 DVDs teaching you the art of massage, can't be simpler than that, everything you need to know about this age old remedy for relieving stress, aches, pains, migraines, headaches.

Improved blood flow, healthier looking skin, sinus and congestion problems, detoxification and much more.

Facial Massage
Full Body Massage
Indian Head Massage

Great value at $47 including free postage.

http://www.positiveideasnetwork.com/massage.htm

SETTING GOALS:

The basics of setting a goal is an open secret known by top-caliber athletes, successful business men and women, all types of high achievers in every field of endeavour.

The basics of setting goals gives you the short-term and long-term motivation and focus. Goals help you set focus on the acquisition of required knowledge to get you where you want to be or go and help you to plan and organise your resources and time so that you can get the very best out of your life.

Setting clearly defined short term and long term goals will enable you to measure your progress and achieve personal satisfaction once you have successfully met your goals.

Charting your progress is essential and will enable you to actually see the stages of completion leading to the actual realisation of your goals, which eliminates the feeling of a long and pointless grind towards achieving your goal.

I thoroughly recommend a "Picture Book" of what you want, search the net and find pic's of what it is you want and print them off and either put them in a book you can look at everyday or put them up on your wall so every time you look at them you focus on what it is you want.

Even when you're not directly looking at them your peripheral vision will pick them up and embed them in to your unconscious mind, making them a powerfully motivating force.

Your self-confidence and level of competence will improve as you will be more aware of your capabilities as you complete or achieve each step on your journey to your goals.

The basics of goal setting will involve deciding what you really want to do with your personal and/or business life and what short term and long term goals you need to achieve it.

Then you have to break down goals into the smaller and manageable targets that you must complete in your way to achieving your lifetime targets. However, a word of warning, don't beat yourself up if you don't complete something on time, just focus on getting it done and move onward.

A good way to have a manageable list is to have a daily, weekly, monthly set of goals and by doing this you will feel empowered and in the position of going forward towards your chosen goals and then veryday gives you an opportunity to fulfill a certain goal giving you the feeling of accomplishment.

Here are some pointers that should be taken into consideration in setting goals;

ATTITUDE plays a very big role in setting and achieving your goals.

You must ask yourself if any part of you or your mind is holding you back from completing your simplest goals?

If there is any part of your behavior that is being a hindrance or puts your plans out of line with your goals?

Education is key in achieving your goals and if they require you to have a certain skill to be developed or specialisation, make plans in getting the appropriate education. Night school, courses and training on the job, meeting up with others who already know the things you need to know, the internet is a fantastic way of finding what you need.

Personal financial situations also play a major role in achieving your goals. Have a realistic goal on how much you really want to earn. You also must be able to create plans or stages by which you will be able to reach your earning potential.

As the saying goes -'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy', or something to that effect, is by all means true down to the last the letter. Giving yourself a little pleasure: should be included into your plans.

To start achieving your lifetime goals, set a 5 year plan then break it down again to 1 year plans, then 6 month plans then monthly plans, then weekly, then daily.

Now I don't mean plan all 5 years ahead of you and what you're going to do every single day of the whole 5 yrs. I mean decide what you want in 5 years and then break it down and work on short term goals, daily, weekly, monthly.

Once you've done all that, then you can create a "To-Do List" for the day.

Always review your plans and allow for spontaneity and prepare for contingencies.

The basics of goal settings should not be so difficult once you get to be familiar with them.

First Aid Assistance

Life is unpredictable right, so it's always a good idea to know some first aid skills. Even a little knowledge about how to assess an injury can help the victim get the help they need without doing any more harm at the same time. While you might not be able to fix the victim, you can provide emergency crews with some assistance as they make their way to your location.



Here are just some of the instances in which first aid is handy.



Home:

It's been said that most accidents happen in or around the home, so first aid skills can help you when trouble strikes. If you have children or an older relative you are taking care of, knowing how to treat minor injuries can help you avoid trips to the hospital or simply help to manage the situation until an ambulance arrives. You can also learn whether or not a doctor is even necessary – often they are not.



Holidays:

When you are traveling outside of your home, you might want to know some first aid skills too. This is especially true when you are traveling in an area where you do not speak the language. Since time is precious during an emergency, you need to be able to handle smaller injuries until you can find help or communicate with someone who might be able to help you. This is also the case when you are out in wilderness areas or those areas where you might not have good mobile phone reception to call for help. Learning how to perform basic first aid techniques will give you time to figure out how to handle the situation.



Yourself:

While most of us don't realize it, we are prone to hurting ourselves when no one else is around. For basic cuts and scrapes, you should be able to handle the injury on your own. If you are traveling by yourself, it will also help to be able to manage an injury until you can find help or until you can reach a phone to call for assistance. Basic splinting can help, for example, when you fear a broken bone or sprained ankle, allowing you to get to a place where the body part can be treated more thoroughly.



First aid is something that should be taught to all people as it can often help make an emergency situation a lot less stressful – and it may even help to prevent minor injuries from becoming major injuries. Even basic first aid will help you stay in control, no matter where you are or who you're with.



So here's a great resource First Aid Problems Over