Blog for Self Improvement

Negative thinking appears to be more prevalent than positive thinking. It seems that with most people positive thinking requires some effort, whereas negative thinking comes easily and uninvited. This has much to do with education and the environment one has been living in.

If you have been brought up in a happy and positive atmosphere, where people value success and self-improvement, then it will be easier for you to think positively and expect success. If you have been brought up under poor or difficult situations, you will probably go on expecting difficulties and failure.

We all view everything through our predominant mental attitude. If our thoughts are positive, that is fine, but if they are negative, our lives and circumstances will probably mirror these thoughts.

If you believe that you are going to fail, you will unconsciously sabotage every opportunity to succeed. If you are afraid of meeting new people or having close relationships, you will do everything to avoid people and relationships, and then complain that you are lonely and nobody loves you.

Do you often think about difficulties, failure and disasters? Do you keep thinking about the negative news you have seen on the TV or read in the newspapers?

Do you see yourself stuck and unable to improve your life or your health? Do you frequently think that you do not deserve happiness or money, or that it is too difficult to get them? If you do, then you will close your mind, see no opportunities, and behave and react in such ways, as to repel people and opportunities.

The mind does not usually judge or examine thoughts and opinions before accepting them. If what it hears, sees and reads is always negative, it accepts this as the standard way of thinking and behavior.

The media constantly bombards the mind with a lot of information about disasters, catastrophes, wars and other unhappy events. This information sinks into the subconscious mind, and then manifests as your habitual manner of thinking. By occupying the mind with depressing and pessimistic thoughts you radiate negative energy into the surrounding world, thus creating and recreating more negativity, failures and disasters.

The mind is neutral energy. The way you think determines whether the results are positive and beneficial or negative and harmful. It is the same of energy acting in different ways.

The good news are that persistent inner work can change habits of thinking. You must be willing to put energy and time to pursue positive thinking, in order to change your mental attitude.

Every time you catch yourself thinking a negative thought, reject the thought, and think a positive one instead:
If you catch yourself visualizing failure, switch to visualizing success.

If you hear yourself repeating negative words, switch to positive ones.

If you hear yourself saying, "I cannot", say to yourself, "I can".

Do you repeat useless and unnecessary negative words and phrases in your mind? Change them to positive ones.

Open your mind to positive attitude, happenings and events. Expect them and think about them, and soon you life will change for the better.

Decide that from today, from this very moment, you are leaving negative thinking behind, and starting on the way towards positive thinking and behavior. It is never too late. Soon your life will turn into a fascinating, wonderful journey.

© Copyright Remez Sasson

Remez Sasson teaches and writes on positive thinking, creative visualization, motivation, self-improvement, peace of mind, spiritual growth and meditation. He is the author of several books, among which are "Peace of mind in Daily Life", "Will Power and Self Discipline", "Visualize and Achieve" and "Affirmations - Words of Power".

Visit his website and find articles and books filled with inspiration, motivation and practical advice and guidance.
Website: http://www.SuccessConsciousness.com

Books: http://www.successconsciousness.com/ebooks_and_books.htm

You have a bright idea hidden somewhere in the back of your mind that you just can't wait to test out. The question is, do you really want to bring it out into the light? What could motivate you to churn your creative, inspiring juices to their utmost flavor?

Did you know that it always helps to set a time limit to your personal goals? Set yourself up so you can accomplish the most tasks in record time. For example, mowing the lawn in an hour before the big game on TV. A correct and positive attitude in whatever you do will make things easier, and even enjoyable.

It's simple. If you begin to allow yourself a bit of positive thinking then you will begin to realize things that you never thought possible. Thinking big is indeed the American Way and that what made our country prosperous. You can follow other great Americans who tapped into their creative mind and began to thing big..

Discover some tips to make it through your first week of possibility thinking even if you're just sitting in your favorite couch. Your mind is constantly at work for you. Tap into it's great resource while doing everyday activities.

1. Act. You must take passionate action towards living your life by design. Talk is cheap. Action = deposits in the bank of a passionately authentic future. My mother (probably quoting someone else) always said, "Action speaks louder than words". Without action, passion is void.

Dreams become reality when you simply start by tinkering with your mind, then with your hands. And if the idea weakens or falters you can always go back to it later until you finish it. Thomas Edison and his Dream Team had to go back to the idea of a light bulb and recalculate it over 1,000 times before the first working light bulb begin to light the world.

2. Love. Commit to yourself. Then commit to those you love to powerfully create a life you can love. Instead of reacting, commit to creating from your heart and soul, out of love rather than fear. The American Dream will always be there, but a dream will still be a dream without motion. Be amazed as the transformation begins.

3. Live. Embrace moments and opportunities. Recognize and embrace the thought that each moment is perfect regardless of its outcome. Every time you hit on something that may appear too extreme why not give it a shot anyway. See if it will work. You may be surprised with the results. If you are not then decide to use that moment to learn from it and make the appropriate shift. Learning and growing from mistakes and failures is a part of living.

4. Be grateful. Dwell completely in a place of gratitude. Learn to utilize what you have in your hands and make use of it in the most constructive way. Necessity is the mother of invention. Have you ever been stuck without something you needed and had to make do with something else? (MacGyver,from the famous tv show, was famous for that!) How grateful were you that you had the means to solve your situation? Slipping into neediness will become less of a habit when you repeatedly shift towards gratitude and away from poverty consciousness.

5. Be Passionate. Use a Passion Formula of Recognize/Reevaluate/Restore in place of the Shoulda/Woulda/Coulda whirlwind. The former is based on increased knowledge and abundance while the latter focuses on scarcity and lack. As you face people or tasks that may seem harder than scaling the summit of the Himalayas, allow yourself to realize that the task is just as important as giving out orders to your subordinates. You would rather be richly passionate!

6. Laugh. Keep humor at the forefront of thought, laughing at and with yourself whenever possible. You may find yourself quite entertaining when you loosen up! I have yet to see a comedian ever go hungry even though his jokes are as 'old as great-grandma'. Life has too much to offer to allow yourself to mope around in self pity. Humor is very attractive, very passionate: life-giving.

7. Discover Your Purpose. Believe that you are the architect of your destiny. Realizing how you wish to be remembered when you pass from this life is a truly driving force. Your purpose for being can be a seemingly simple as being a great parent to as elaborate as discovering miraculous cures.

When you have a strong purpose no one can take your passionate future from you except for you! Truly, as long as there's still breath in your body, there is no end to how much you can accomplish in a lifetime. Discovering and following your purpose will enable you to enjoy your work. Celebrate in the discovery that acting on your creative mind's thoughts is fulfilling your purpose. Watch everything flow into place with perfect, passionate precision.

Activate your positive thinking. Stretch your imagination. Think bigger than you feel comfortable. Act on your thoughts. The number one tip here is action. You want to start practicing these steps.

Think about this: It is unfortunate that so many people still do not use a computer because it appears too complicated to begin using. Or maybe they just keep putting it off till a more convenient time. These are just a couple of limitations one can set up for themselves. Limitations and failure to act on ideas and opportunities leave many as a dim bulb in a dark corner.

Alert! You are not doomed to darkness. You are interested in living a life of purpose and love. The wonderful, creative idea in you is about to be released. You are interested in doing this because you are reading this article. Fortunately if you truly desire something, the will to attain it will open your creative mind to find a way.

Now you need only to begin to act on your desire to create. Act now! Make your path to creativity and follow your purpose. Take your first step today with a positive attitude.

Source: http://www.articlecube.com

Marie Gervacio is founder and editor of Article Blender.com ShineYourStar.com, and SimpleBeautyTips.com. Get free content for your website, ezine or blog and/or publish your articles at ArticleBlender.com. Submitted with Article Distributor.

I believe that anything is possible. I believe that I can make a living on the internet. I believe that I can lose those last 10 pounds. These are all examples of affirmations. Positive affirmations. They truly can make a difference in your life. The power of positive thinking is real, its not just a saying.

Have you ever set a goal for yourself, a reasonable goal that is, put a plan in action to accomplish that goal, then NOT accomplished it? It’s a rare thing for someone who is very serious about accomplishing something to fall short, unless circumstances beyond their control take over. When people make their minds up about something, it happens. Or doesn’t happen, whatever the case may be. There are always exceptions-maybe the goal is unreachable or maybe the plan for achieving it is flawed. But if you look at anyone who has achieved their goal, there is a constant theme of - I made up my mind that this is what I wanted and I went out and got it.

People who set positive goals for themselves are generally very willing and able to put in the hard work to accomplish them. They BELIEVE that the goal is reachable, therefore it is. They believe in themselves. Positive reinforcement is also very important in attaining your goals. That is one reason why it is suggested that you take one large goal and divide it up into several smaller goals. That way, you get positive reinforcement along the way as you accomplish each portion.

Personal goal setting is something that almost all successful people use. That and they are willing to put in the hard work to attain their goals. When you use positive affirmations on a daily basis, it also helps you to attain your goal. Daily affirmations are an integral part of making sure you reach the finish line, whatever that finish line may be.

When I think of the power of positive thinking, I often think of the “underdog”. The person that no one expected would succeed but did. They succeeded because they believed in themselves. They set personal goals and achieved them. There are many motivational speakers who make their living getting people motivated to follow their dreams and live their lives to the fullest. Sometimes al a person needs is a little motivation and self esteem to accomplish any goal that they set for themselves.

I believe that anything is possible. I believe that thinking positively can truly change the outcome of some situations because positive thinkers see things differently. The proverbial “glass half full” theory. Personal goal setting, no matter what the goal is, should be a very important part of everyones daily life.

About the Author: Jennie Crawford is a stay at home mom of two small children. Find out more about her at http://jenniecrawford.com/workingathome

Source: http://www.easyarticles.com

You only need to know ONE word to become a red-hot positive thinker and be an optimism magnet. You must make sure that this word stays in your vocabulary for a long time. Before I reveal to you that one single word, let me acquaint you first with the three words that perpetuate negativity.

Why do people indulge on negative thoughts? There is no need for rocket science principles here. Has it ever occurred to you that it is easier to become a negative person than a positive one? People indulge in negative thoughts mainly because IT IS EASY; and there are 3 simple steps involved here.

Finding Faults. According to T. Harv Eker, "whoever can point to as many people and circumstances without ever looking at himself is declared the winner!" When caught in a bind, some people easily point to someone else. It is the always the other person's fault. They take the easy way out instead of taking responsibility and finding solutions to the problem at hand.

They blame their parents for being the child they became, they blame their spouse for making them feel unloved, they blame their boss for the project that bombed, they blame their officemates for spreading gossip about them. They blame credit card companies for their numerous debts, they blame the sun for the uncomfortable heat, and they blame the wind for ruining their hair. What's next to blame?

Making Excuses. In this case, some people use their creativity to come up with innovative reasons and excuses just to get off the hook!

In work situations, some people would come up with excuses just to avoid doing the task assigned. Others would claim that the task is difficult or not within their line of expertise. Some would rationalize that it is hard to initiate change even before trying it out first! Their mindset is wired to give up easily. They would rather find one hundred reasons why it cannot be done, instead of finding reasons why it is worthy to purpose.

Whining Constantly. This refers to complainers who are dead set in finding the negative side of things.

Whiners have difficulty in finding happiness in life, for they focus on what they do not have, instead of being thankful for what they have. When people are complaining, they magnify and focus on what is wrong in their lives. When they complain about lack of money, that is what precisely will manifest in their lives.

There you have it, the 3 simple and easy steps for perpetuating negativity.

For a long time, people have been indulging on negativity. Many of us, in one way or another and at any point in our lives, have engaged in negative thoughts. The uncontrolled mind becomes the perfect breeding ground for pessimistic thoughts. Everyday, negative programming is being bombarded into our subconscious.

We already have lots of practice. To some, negativity is a way of life. Some infants are born to negative families. They are sensitive enough to absorb the prevailing atmosphere of the family. They easily imbibe the mental and emotional characteristics of the mother and the father since they are their first teachers. They grow up into teenagers and adults with negative mental attitudes then later on become parents themselves.

Some find comfort in the company of friends who indulge in negative thinking. "Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are." "Birds of the same feather flock together." This accounts for man's need to belong to a group. Peers have a major influence on some people's thoughts and decisions.

So now you ask me,

"What is the ONE word I need to know to become a red-hot positive thinker?"

That one simple word is STOP.

STOP finding faults. STOP making excuses. STOP whining.

Have a positively great day!

About the Author: Michael Lee is the author of How to be a Red Hot Persuasion Wizard... in 20 days or less, an ebook that reveals mind-altering persuasion techniques on how to tremendously enhance your relationships, create unlimited wealth, and get anything you want...just like magic. Get a sample chapter and highly-stimulating "Get What You Want" advice at: http://www.20daypersuasion.com. He is the Co-Founder of http://www.self-improvement-millionaires.com and is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant.

Source: http://www.easyarticles.com

Happiness is attainable for each one of us. In fact, happiness is already inside us. Then, why do seem to be so unhappy at times?

Most of us have the "something is wrong" syndrome, which means that we feel there is always something wrong in some area of our lives, be it work, or with the family, or in a relationship, or with our situation in life.

Does the following sound familiar?

-"I just need the perfect relationship and I'll be happy."

-"If I only had a different job, I'd feel better."

-"The problem is that my parents expect too much of me."

That is, we blame our unhappiness on anything else.

In a nutshell, we create the "something is wrong" syndrome so that there is always something to fix that keeps us busy, and we can also blame something or somebody else. The idea of everything being all right is scary.

In other words, we have a fear of our own success and so we "invent" problems.

What would happen if everything was all right? Imagine the situation for a moment. What would you then do? How would it be if you never feared anything?

Perhaps at some point you realize that you feel there's always something wrong in your life and grow tired of the feeling. Perhaps you wonder how things would be if everything felt all right; perhaps you want to accept your own greatness.

There are ways to come to feel that everything is all right. One of them is acceptance.

When you accept everything that is, and you don't judge anything, you free yourself from those "This should be this way..." thoughts. That is, you abandon negative thinking for positive thinking.

When you accept it all, and specially what you now judge is bad or wrong in your life, you give yourself the chance to feel that everything is all right, and feel good.

The question is: Can you be okay with it all? Even further, can you not only be okay but actually happy, perfectly fine and peaceful with it all?

Then be it.

By: Cristina Diaz

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Cristina Diaz is a writer, and the editor and publisher of www.the-benefits-of-positive-thinking.com/article. She has published ezines with useful and sound advice. She currently lives in London and devotes her time to transmit her knowledge through The Benefits Of Positive Thinking, and to write short fiction tales in Spanish.

I had to take a friend to the doctor today and as I sit here in the waiting room about to doze off I begin to write this article. By the way, why do waiting rooms in doctor's offices make people sleepy?

OK, let me get back on track. As I'm sitting here, I hear a lady behind me talking of her past depression. She mentions she felt so lonely after her dear husband passed away. In her own words, 'her whole world fell apart.' She said her husband handled everything in their marriage such as the money, bills and auto maintenance. After he passed away she became overwhelmed with all the finances and other responsibilities she now had to deal with, not to mention the fact that she was still mourning the death of her husband.

This conversation got me to thinking of how many people deal with the painful loss of a loved one.

Many times when a loved one passes, those left behind might not immediately feel the effects of that loss. It has not 'hit them' or 'sunk in' yet. Sometimes it takes a while for a person to react to the loss. Some may try to stay strong or hide their feelings in front of others. But when the funeral is over and the family and friends have returned to their homes, the person may break down. It finally sinks in. Some sink into a depression so bad they close themselves off from the rest of the world. They take extra time off from work and even turn down invitations from family and friends.

Isolation and self-pity are never the answer. It's okay to mourn. Even people in Bible times mourned when they lost loved ones in death.

A few examples of this include:

* King David who was grief stricken when his son Absalon died (2Samuel 18:33)

* Abraham bewailed the loss of his dear wife, Sarah (Genesis 23:2)

* Even Jesus himself, who was a perfect man, 'gave way to tears' over the death of his friend Lazarus (John 11:35)

So this shows that there is a sadness when we lose a loved one to death.

The thing is to not dwell on everything. Keep busy. Get involved in other things such as hobbies. Get you mind off the loss. The memories will always be there but they don't have to be painful.

Another thing that can help you deal with your sorrow is Bible reading. God, being the loving God that he is, helps his people to endure the extreme sadness and grief that comes with bereavement. God's spirit helps us to have peace and faith in the worderful future promised in his Word the Bible.

The Scriptures refer to God as 'the God of all comfort,' so we can be sure that he will give us the strength we need and not let us be overwhelmed by sad thoughts about our dead loved one.

Knowing all this should help us realize that we are not alone in experiencing the pain of our loss. Others have been through the same thing. In time, the pain will subside. The world is not going to stop for our broken heart. Life will go on. Things WILL get better.

So knowing all of this and the fact that even the perfect man Jesus went through this as well, should help us to deal with the painful loss of a loved one.

Source: www.easyarticles.com

About the Author: Anna Allen is author of several articles on depression and grief. Visit her depression website at: http://www.depressionadviceonline.com/index.html or visit her Depression Blog which contains helpful articles that are updated daily: http://depressionadviceonline.blogspot.com/

How do you explain things to yourself? With positive self talk or negative? What we say to ourselves radically affects the quality of our lives, and our ability to do things effectively. How useful is it to always tell yourself "impossible," "more problems," "never," and "I can't?"

Below are some of the things that positive and negative people say. Look at the difference, and start talking to yourself in constructive ways, if you don't already.

Negative Self Talk

When negative people explain bad things, they internalize them ("It's me again."), consider them permanent ("It's always this way."), and generalize ("Life sucks."). When they explain good things, they externalize them ("That's just lucky."), consider them temporary ("That went well TODAY."), and see them only in a specific context ("At least THIS went right.").

"I screwed up again."

"This good weather won't last."

"It's ALWAYS a mess when I meet someone new."

"This party is great, not like mine."

"This is fun for now."

"Well, THAT went okay, I guess."

Positive Self Talk

When positive people explain bad things, they externalize them ("The weather caused it."), consider them temporary ("That was a rough couple hours."), and see them as isolated ("THAT part of the plan didn't work, but..."). When they explain good things, they internalize them ("Life is great!"), consider them to be more or less permanent changes ("Now I know how to do this."), and generalize from them ("Things are working out well.").

"That just went bad due to the weather."

"It was rough for an hour or two."

"The car broke down, but the trip was fun."

"I've done well with this."

"This has become a great business to be in."

"I like the way things are going."

Explain things to yourself differently, and you'll see a difference in your attitude today. Make positive self talk your normal mode of operation, and you'll see a difference in your life.


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About the Author: Steve Gillman writes on many topics including brainpower, weight loss, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. Learn more and get FREE e-courses at http://www.SelfImprovementNow.com

By: Esther Andrews

In my opinion, creativity is the real genius. Intelligent children learn fast, and apply their knowledge in everyday life situations. But - inventing something new, creating something original, that is real genius. I always admire originality, whether it is original artwork, an original story, or an invention that can make life easier for many people.

How can we teach our children creative thinking? How can we teach them the habit of thinking "outside the box"? Here are a few easy and fun suggestions for activities that will go a long way toward developing this very valuable skill of creative thinking in your child. Slight adjustments may be needed for your child's age and skill.

1. Play the following game: one person starts telling a story. He stops after a few sentences, and the next player continues his story. There is no limit to the number of players. It is a great idea to record the story, so that it can be distributed to the participants later, for the enjoyment of everyone. This is a very fun activity that trains your child (and you too, if you are participating) to think creatively.

2. Prepare a series of pictures. The pictures can be taken from a book, from several books, from newspapers - or even downloaded from the Internet and printed on a home printer. Put the pictures next to each other, and let your child tell a story, using those pictures. You can take turns, your child and you, developing the story based on the pictures. This game can have several variations: put the pictures face down on the table, then turn them over one by one, to continue the story. Gradually increase the speed of turning the pictures over, so that the story teller has to come up with the story continuation faster and faster. When you are done with a set of pictures, just change the order, and see if your child can come up with a different story, based on the new order.

3. Prepare a series of words written on cards. Play the same game - tell a story using these words. You can use the same variations as above.

4. Play a piece of classical music, and let your child tell you what kind of mood does this music create, what kind of story does this music tell?

5. Play a piece of music, and have your child paint a picture that shows the mood this music creates, or tells the story this music is telling.

6. When your child comes up with a story in one of the previous activities, ask your child to change the story in order to change the mood. For example, if the story is sad - can he change the story to be happy? Can he change it to be a mystery? Can he change it to be a comedy, or a funny story?

7. When reading a book with your child, always ask open ended and thought provoking questions like: How would you handle this situation? What could the character do differently? How do you think did the character feel?

8. Print several pictures on paper. (You can use cardboard if you'd like to make the pieces more durable). Cut each picture into 9 parts (or more, if you want to make this game more complex). Now let your child put the pictures back together. After putting all pieces back together into the original pictures, you can mix the pieces, so that your child can create new pictures, combining pieces from different pictures. Start with two pictures mixed together,and advance to more and more pictures. Start with bigger pieces, cutting the picture into 4 parts only, and advance to smaller and smaller pieces, cutting the picture into more and more pieces. Also, use more and more complicated pictures, that include more details.

9. Play "pretend" games with your child often, or use "role playing" with your child. When you read a story, ask your child to play the role of his favorite character.

10. When your child has friends visiting, have them come up with a short play and perform it for the parents. This is always a fun activity for the children, and it also keeps them very busy.

11. Encourage your child to paint a picture of an object. Then have him paint it in different colors. For example, ask your child to paint or draw a bunch of fruit. Then have him change the colors of all the fruit. Have a red banana, yellow apple and so forth.

12. Choose a day a week, and have all family members do their routine activities in a different way. For example, brush their teeth in a different way than usual. Take a different way to school. Sing instead of talking. Get up earlier, and play a new game. Walk backwards... Be creative, and encourage your child to be creative too.

13. Don't ever discourage your child from using his imagination. If your child tells an imaginary story, always praise him and acknowledge the creativity. If your child comes up with an original answer to a question, even if the answer is incorrect, acknowledge creative thinking.

14. Keep your eyes open for any signs of creativity and originality. Always praise and encourage these traits.

Have fun, and enjoy! To your child's creativity!

Article Source: http://www.articlecube.com
www.all-gifted-children.com. For the last 27 years Esther Andrews has specialized in gifted education and grew 2 profoundly gifted children herself. In her "The Manual Your Child Should Have Come With - How to Develop Your Child's Genius" she is teaching parents how to grow gifted children. www.all-gifted-children.com/package.htm