Monday Video: Wayne Dyer Interview

This weeks video is the first of a nine-part interview of Wayne Dyer conducted by Tony Robbins for his Power Talk CD audio series.

The interview was put up on YouTube with some video shots and it has a tone of inspirational material throughout. During the upcoming weeks I'll share with you the complete interview series.

Guest Article: Life Is Simpler Than We Think

Life Is Simpler Than We Think—"Yeah Right! My responsibilities at work and home are huge and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel anytime soon,” you lament. If you think life is difficult—then it is.

Your thoughts are powerful forces in the creation of your experiences in life. “Every choice we make, every thought and feeling we have, is an act of power that has biological, environmental, social, personal and global consequences.” –Caroline Myss

You can monitor your thoughts and hear yourself in the middle of investing your energy. Are you investing energy on self-limiting thoughts? Or are you focusing your thoughts on the infinite possibilities of the present. Taking a deep breath will help you center your thoughts on being in the moment right now.

Regular meditation allows you to gain mastery over your mind so that you can still your thoughts to focus on the richness of being. If you dwell on the past or the future, you will miss the experience of living in the present moment. Setting and visualizing goals is wonderful, but you can bring your thoughts into your current experience by taking steps to create them now.

Life is simple when we remember to focus our thoughts on possibilities instead of impossibilities and systematically manage tasks by approaching them one step at a time. Even the most difficult and challenging tasks are composed of numerous components, which can be easily compartmentalized and tackled one step at a time.

As you systematically focus on each step to reach a goal, you will recognize your detail-oriented capabilities have many benefits. The effort you put into your endeavors can energize you in ways you had not noticed before—this reward will prompt you to recognize your goal achievement process is truly easier than you think.

When you accept life is simpler than you think, you can move forward in confidence, prepared to face the challenges that lie ahead because you understand that a misstep or a mistake will not have a tremendously adverse effect on your progress. The thoroughness and patience you embody serve as a constant reminder that you are well prepared to walk the path before you.


Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Life Coach, Hypnotherapist, Author, "101 Great Ways To Improve Your Life." Dr. Dorothy has the unique gift of connecting people with a broad range of profound principles that resonate in the deepest part of their being. She brings awareness to concepts not typically obvious to one's daily thoughts and feelings. http://www.drdorothy.net

Monday Video: Tony Robbins 2

This is from the Tony Robbins CD, "Awaken the Giant Within."

In this little seven minute clip, Robbins discusses the power of belief.

Guest Article: The Myth Of Creative Freedom

"Creative Freedom" is a phrase that at first sounds like the ultimate goal to strive for.

Free to create whatever we want to create, free from restrictions and pressures and demands. Free from limitations put on us by ourselves and by others. Free from anything and everything that might restrict our creativity.

Heaven!

Except it doesn’t quite work like that...

What happens when we have this complete freedom is not that our creativity flows with the might and volume of the Amazon River.

In fact you might be lucky to even get a trickle with the force of a pinhole in a hosepipe.

So what happens, what goes wrong?

Why does the promise of so much freedom actually restrict our creativity, often to the point of complete standstill?

Quite simply, we become overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with possibilities, overwhelmed with choice.

Which medium should I create in? What materials shall I use? How big is the project going to be? What’s it going to be about? What themes will run through it? Where do I START?

Plus a hundred thousand other variables marching through your head as relentlessly as hungry ants who’ve just caught the scent of a family picnic.

Contrary to what we think - and what might be the sensible, logical conclusion – when we start to put a few boundaries in place, we actually give our creativity the go ahead to get busy.

Let me give a personal example if I may:

I used to record music using an electric guitar, a small amp, a microphone and a 4 track cassette recorder. I had big ambitions to create deep, complex, ”sonic soundscapes”.

I had to be very inventive to get the layers and sounds I wanted in the music.

This included recording then flipping the tape over and record the next layer backwards, swinging the microphone from a light fitting to get the effects of the music coming closer then farther away, and physically “manipulating” the guitar (ie banging and shaking it with varying amounts of force!) to get the different sounds I wanted.

It was great fun! And a very creative period of time.

Later on I got a multi-effects pedal and computer software that did everything but make you a cup of tea and a sandwich. (It probably did this too, I didn’t read past about chapter 5 of the 65 chapter manual).

I did go on to create more sophisticated tracks. But something was lost. And it didn’t feel as “hands on and dirty” as creating in those early days.

The point is, the fewer options we give ourselves, the more creative we HAVE to be.

Sometimes it’s about defining the boundaries we think are going to stimulate our creativity and force us to take it to another level that are most important. Not how many knobs and filters and effects our equipment has.

What project can you take on today to get back to basics and “hands on and dirty” with YOUR creativity?

Pick something that needs the minimum of equipment, approach it like you’re creating for the first time, finding your way around and learning as you go.

It’s a great exercise in getting back in touch with your core creativity.

Take the next step to increase your creativity today. Get your FREE copy of Creativity Coach Dan Goodwin’s powerful and practical "Explode Your Creativity!" Action Workbook when you sign up to the FREE twice monthly ezine “Create Create!”. Visit the website now: www.CoachCreative.com

Setting Career Goals

One of the toughest issues in making a good career choice is identifying what it is you want. Even when it seems you know what you want, you could still have doubts if the career choice is the right one.

Reaching clarity in those issues may be the most important thing you can do in your career planning and goal setting. Here are a few career goal setting guidelines that can help.

Most people, even very successful ones, have some periods in their career path when they seem unsure about their choices and goals. It's totally human to feel this way.

Often, such periods come and go. For example, they come when you face some overwhelming obstacles but vanish as soon as you get through the obstacles.

That situation by itself is not a problem of choosing a career, only a test of your perseverance in seeing it through. But what if those doubts persist, or if they always live somewhere in the background of your thoughts?

If this is the case, then it is time to look more carefully at your career choice and overall career objectives.

Often we choose or are placed in a career because it just seems like the right step to make or it's something you've fallen into, without a plan.

Choosing the right career goal to sink into requires a great deal of soul searching. You need to ask yourself these questions beforehand:

1. Am I making the kind of money that I want to make?
2. Do I want to make more money?
3. Does money even matter to me?
4. Do I like what I’m doing right now?
5. What am I passionate about?
6. What could I be doing that would make me happier than I am right now?
7. Would I be happier simply switching positions or getting a promotion; or would I be happier changing careers all together?
8. Why am I still working here?
9. What is stopping me from leaving this job or getting that promotion?
10. What is stopping me from leaving this job?

These are all vital questions that you have to ask yourself before deciding what your career goals are going to be. If you are honest with yourself, you will know exactly what direction you should be going in.

Without being honest with yourself you can’t expect to better your life, you can only expect to have to ask yourself these questions all over again until you find happiness.

Monday Video: Tony Robbins

This weeks Monday video is a presentation by Tony Robbins. He gave this motivational speech in Monterrey, California in 2006.

Robbins talks to the crown about unlocking your true potential.

Guest Article: Seven Keys to Managing Stress

Stress management is a complex area. There is not one “off the shelf” solution that will suit every individual who needs to manage their stress. We often turn to psychology to help us manage our stress but my experience is that psychology does not have all the answers. Psychology does play an important role but there is so much more to this subject. Although it is complex my work with others and my own research has thrown up what I believe are the seven keys to managing stress.

1. Learning to relax
This is the most important place to start. If you are under too much stress at the moment then learning to relax is essential for reducing the negative effects and restoring good health. There are many resources available and many books have been written on this one aspect. Find something that works for you and don't assume that meditation is the only solution because there are many.

2. Know what stress is and where it comes from
It is important to understand stress and what it can do to you. Sometimes this stuff can be a little frightening but its important to understand. You should also be looking out to identify stress in yourself as part of this process.

3. Change the way you think
The way we think can have a profound effect on the amount of stress we experience. For instance why can one person walk in to a presentation feeling confident and yet a better trained and more experienced person can feel physically sick walking in to the same situation. It's to do with what is in your mind – this is where Psychology comes into its own.

4. Get some practical things in place
Some of the ways of handling stress are very practical. Good time management skills and education on how to do a job well are all excellent sources of stress management.

5. Make your body work for you and not against you
The fitter your body is the better able it is to cope with stress. Being fit is not an excuse for living on the edge but if you have to live there it will help you survive. Always remember that fitness is not an absolute, even top athletes struggle and put themselves through pain to get fitter. To get fitter usually involves a certain amount of struggle but there are ways of making that struggle enjoyable.

6. Become a part of the world
Good friends and strong families help people who are under stress. Take the time to build relationships and find ways of belonging. Commitment has been a tough word to hear for many years but it needs to become a part of your vocabulary if you are going to be a master of stress management.

7. Get a bigger view of life
It's a simple truth that people who believe in a God who helps feel less stress. It's also true that those who have learned to appreciate life and beauty are happier. We must all find our own way here but don't neglect your spiritual life.

There is a certain irony in the fact that to manage stress well involves doing more things, but in many cases it is about learning to be more effective as people. This increased effectiveness leads to a happier and more productive life. I recommend making these seven keys your habits for life and feel the sense of inner peace that they can bring.

Christopher Brown is a full-time Stress Management Consultant in the UK. To discover more visit his website at www.browncow-opportunities.co.uk where you can sign up for a free e-course called "Avoiding Burnout". You may also contact Chris direct at chris@browncow-training.co.uk


Article Source: EzineArticles.com

The Specifics of Goal Setting

Although the concept of setting goals in general is a great one to learn, specificity is the key to making them work.

For example; if you want to better your career options, you'll be setting goals that are specifically attuned to your career. Of course, career goals aren’t the only goals that most people are looking to set. Other areas include:

• Relationships
• Family
• Health and fitness
• Spiritual
• Social/cultural

What do you think stops most people from achieving what they want out of life? Many believe it's a lack of talent, lack of ability, personal circumstances, and upbringing. Sorry, none of the above.

The single biggest reason for the inability in reaching your goals is a lack of focus and action.

If you don't start, how do you expect to move forward? Many a life-long adventure started with the smallest of steps. Action is the first step to achieving your goals.

Most are fine at choosing a goal to set, but are inept at reaching them. You can achieve everything you want by taking it one step at a time.

One step is all you need to make. One step today, and the next day and so on and so forth. The important thing is to start.

The trouble is, the first step is the hardest, and momentum is tough to build. To get past this inertia you need to break your goals down to smaller manageable steps. Do the easy things first, build momentum and like a snowball rolling down hill, it gets easier wants you get started.

Motivation and goal setting go hand in hand. The goal is your journey and the motivation your fuel to get there.

You may have many goals, but no fuel to get there. You may have gallons and gallons of fuel, but no journey to go on. Decide on what you want, make a plan to get it and do something daily to move you closer to it.

It is really common for those around to hold you back simply because they are not doing anything themselves. For example, if you are losing weight, some of your support system will inadvertently sabotage you by offering you food or alcohol.

I'm not saying that all advice is bad, it's just that sometimes the most well meaning of comments can empty your desire and motivation very quickly. You need to develop mental muscle and self-discipline to reach any worthwhile goal.

It won't be easy, but anything worthwhile isn't. If you hang in there and don't give up, you'll eventually have the life you always dream about.

If You Can Spare 30 Minutes a Month, I Guarantee To Work Miracles In Your Personal and Financial Life

Monday Video: Les Brown Part 2

Here is another video from master motivator Les Brown.

Brown is an incredible speaker and master teacher. Watch this video and if you can't get inspired by his message, check your pulse.

The Key Points of Goal Setting

Goal setting is an important method of accomplishing any lifetime achievement. However, there are some key points you should consider before setting your goals.

Let’s take a look at what they are:

• Deciding what is important for you to achieve and making your choices based on this knowledge
• Separating what is important from what is irrelevant so that your focus is in the right place
• Motivating yourself to achievement to ensure accomplishment
• Building your self-confidence based on the measured achievement of goals
• Ensuring that your goals are your own and no one else’s

You should allow yourself to enjoy the achievement of goals and reward yourself appropriately. You must draw lessons where they are appropriate, and feed these back into future performances. In learning from mistakes and errors, you are guaranteeing future success.

If You Can Spare 30 Minutes a Month, I Guarantee To Work Miracles In Your Personal and Financial Life

Happy Fourth Everyone!

Just a short little post today wishing everyone a happy, healthy and safe Independence Day celebration.

This is a time for friends, family, barbecue and reflection.

Reflection on the sacrifices our Founding Father's made to create the personal freedom, opportunity and liberty we have here in the United States.

So, forget your problems and anxieties, at least for today, and enjoy the many freedoms that God and this country brings us.

Happy Fourth of July everyone.

Monday Video: Les Brown

This week our video feature focus is on motivational speaker Les Brown.

If you haven't heard Les before, you're in for a treat. He's energetic, inspiring and puts his heart and soul into what he does.

Listen, learn and be inspired.