Recognize and Avoid Self-Sabotage

One of the finest feelings is that state of satisfaction that accompanies accomplishment.

The feeling of pride you experience when you’ve managed to cross off those items on your “to do” list is amazingly rewarding.  But that having been said, why, do you suppose, do people not strive to replicate that feeling on a more regular basis?  Why do they settle for mediocrity and procrastination when accomplishment, and moreover, the fantastic feeling that goes hand-in-hand with it, is reasonably in reach?

The truth lies in a wise old saying:  “We are our own worst enemies.”  For some reason we sabotage our own success and enjoyment, settling instead for a life of uncertainty and only marginal happiness.  Make no mistake though, people want things to change.  They want more out of life but they convince themselves that they are not good enough or smart enough or pretty enough or rich enough.  Success and happiness, “they say”, is reserved for the few, the lucky.

This is hogwash!  Success and the happiness that accompanies it, is accessible to everyone, but first we have to “get out of our own way.”  We have to allow it to happen by eliminating self-sabotaging actions and beliefs and replace them with clearer objectives through which success can be achieved.  The first step is to recognize the various forms of self-sabotage.  Here are a few, recognize any?

1.  Procrastination

In simple terms, procrastination is putting things—things that could be reasonably accomplished now—off until another time.  For example, a high school senior who says she will start college in the fall is not procrastinating, but the person out of high school—the one lying around the house with goals that are undefined—is procrastinating.  The problem is that this “other time” is rarely measurable.  People say, “I’ll get to that tomorrow,” but when tomorrow comes they repeat the mantra and the process.

This procrastination is a major roadblock on the road to success.  Many continue to put things off for years with the notion that another time may be more suitable.  They wait and wait only to find out that the “more suitable” time never comes.

Make a list of the things you really want with clearly defined objectives on how you plan to achieve them.  Most importantly, give each objective a timeline and stick to it.  Even on the days you “don’t feel like it,” do it anyway.  You’ll be happy you did.  It sounds cliché, but there really is “no better time than the present.”

2.  “I’m Not ______________ Enough” (Smart, Good, Talented, Pretty)

Believe it or not, rocket scientists were not born rocket scientists.  They worked extremely hard to achieve their positions.  If they are happy as a result of their success, being smart had very little to do with that happiness.  They had a goal in mind, one that matched their abilities and interests, and they pursued it.  They didn’t allow doubt and the occasional setback define who they were.

If you think about it, inferiority—feeling as if you are somehow beneath another person—is truly imaginary.

Allowing setbacks to act as permanent barriers to success is detrimental and wholly unnecessary.  Just ask Michael Jordan.  The man many consider to be the greatest basketball player in the history of the game, Michael Jordan, was cut by his high school basketball team.  Some coach at a North Carolina high school believed he was not good enough, and sent him on his way.  The rest of the story is so famous that I need not repeat it, but you probably see my point.  Through hard work and an unshakeable belief in his own ability—his own dream—he was able to overcome an obstacle that, for some, would have stopped them in their tracks.

You can achieve anything you want if you are truly committed to it.    Eliminate self-sabotaging beliefs and turn setbacks into opportunities to grow.

3.  What will people think?

On a recent trip to the mall, I happened upon a mother and her very young daughter who were picking out clothes for a teddy bear they had purchased.  Yes, strange as it sounds, I said teddy bear.  Anyway, the young girl had selected a certain dress she really liked and I overheard her mother say, “Not that one honey.  What will people think? It doesn’t match your room.”  Naturally, the girl began to sob, but the mother did not relent.  Now I know I shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but I couldn’t help wondering why this mother would deny her child the happiness of choosing the teddy bear clothes she really wanted, based on some ridiculous and erroneous notion of what others might think.  Certainly the girl’s happiness—which will in turn create more happiness in the mother’s life—is more important than the way she might be perceived.  Isn’t it?

When we allow thoughts and perceptions, such as those described, impede our path to happiness and success, it may be time to evaluate what is truly important.  If you are acting in a positive and healthy manner, trying to improve your life and the life of your family, how could it possibly matter what others may think?  The truth is that most people are far too concerned about themselves, and the way they are perceived by others, to even notice what you are doing.   If you act according to your dreams, the people who really matter in this life will support you, and that, after all, is the only thing that matters.

Mental Health: Then and Now

The treatment options for those suffering from mental illness have evolved significantly over time.  Those struggling with various disorders now have several non-invasive and humane choices available to them for managing troubling symptoms.  But sadly, this has not always been the case. Not so long ago, the stigma associated with mental illness, coupled with the barbaric ways in which many were treated, could be fairly classified as criminal.

In the 19th century, one of the most widely used treatments for mental illness involved a process called “blood letting.”  Doctors believed patients could be cured by relieving their “poisoned blood,” and by altering blood pressure rates which were contributing to their condition.

Many believe the famous Salem Witch Trials were actually a movement targeting the mentally ill.  Ill people were labeled demons and animals, and were regularly executed and excluded.  For years to come the mentally ill would be chained, placed in straightjackets  and warehoused in asylums which had the sole purpose of removing them from society altogether.  Once there, they became guinea pigs for a wide range of deplorable, experimental treatments.

Things did not get much better with the dawning of the 20th century.  At the time, “hydrotherapy” was the preferred treatment by psychiatrists working in these so-called hospitals.  Patients were subjected to both icy and hot water submersion, externally and internally, as doctors believed they could alter brain activity by changing the patient’s body temperature.  Some of the other treatments in this era were not much better.  Here are a few that were employed.

· Henry Cotton of Trentwood State Hospital thought bacteria from tooth rot contributed to insanity and began pulling the teeth of his patients.  Almost half of them died as a result.

· Jacob Klaesi began inducing a deep sleep in his patients by combining barbiturates with their other medications, hoping to alter brain patterns at a subconscious level.

· Two Harvard doctors, Jonathan Talbot and Kenneth Tillotson thought it would be therapeutic to bind patients in icy cold blankets and drop their body temperatures by as much as 15 degrees.

· The Viennese doctor Manfred Sakel introduced a process called insulin-induced coma, also thought to be therapeutic.

Towards the middle of the 20th century, as the population grew, so did the number of people identified as mentally ill or unstable.  To be mentally ill meant to carry an unfathomable stigma and be subjected to a slew of harmful stereotypes.  It was also during this era that the two most notorious forms of mental health treatments—treatments we have all come to know too well—were introduced.

Electroshock therapy was widely accepted as the most effective treatment for the mentally ill.  Later discredited, this therapy was applied to thousands of patients.  Doctors believed that seizures and mental illness were opposite entities, and that by inducing seizures in patients with the use of electric shock, they could somehow reverse the effects of the illness.

Lobotomy also surfaced around this time.  Introduced by Portuguese doctor Egas Moniz, a lobotomy is a procedure in which a patient’s frontal lobes are surgically altered, usually with some type of drill.  Moniz believed that mental illness was a product of static patterns and that “to cure these patients we must destroy the more or less fixed arrangements of cellular connections that exist in their brain.”  Moniz won the Nobel Prize based on his work.

Thankfully treatment for the mentally ill has come a long way, and while a stigma still remains to some degree, more people are beginning to seek the proper attention for what ails them.  There are some experts, though, that believe we still have a long way to go.  While doctors have certainly come far from the days of submersion and bloodletting, the treatments currently being offered may still have room for improvement.

Medication therapy is the primary strategy employed by the majority of doctors today.  In fact, antidepressants have replaced all other categories of drugs as the most prescribed drugs in North America.  Initially, drugs called dopamine blockers, which included Thorazine, were the medications most often prescribed.  They succeeded only in placing patients in “vegetable-like” states, making them difficult to treat.  Currently, a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, have taken over the lead.  The drugs Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil are included in this category, and according to some experts, their usage has reached epidemic proportions.

The SSRIs have helped many people deal effectively with their symptoms, but the drugs do nothing to address the actual causes of depression.  As a result, millions of people are becoming dependent on drugs that they may never be free of.  To make matters more complicated, the usage of SSRIs has been known to cause many troubling side effects.  Insomnia, digestive problems, tremors and sexual difficulties are regularly endured.  Many believe these medications are responsible for a host of dangerous conditions, and are creating more problems than they are addressing.

In the wake of these record prescriptions, some mental health professionals are beginning to employ some alternate techniques.  Talk therapy, cognitive therapy and behavior modification strategies are often combined with medications to try and unearth the root of the illness.  Some wonderful reports are beginning to come in, boasting the effectiveness of these treatments, and it has prompted doctors to employ a more comprehensive approach for these conditions.

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a strategy involving a combination of eastern meditation techniques and cognitive therapy.  Patients are taught to meditate and are instructed just to “accept what is,” and “live in the moment.”  The theory behind MBCT is that meditation, coupled with cognitive therapy will help people recognize and interrupt harmful patterns, such as dreading the past and anxiously awaiting the future, and replace them with “right now” thinking and a feeling of peace and empowerment.

Other techniques such as Subconscious Restructuring and Magnetic Stimulation therapy are quickly gaining popularity in the medical community.  The former seeks to treat the causes of depression, and other disorders, at the subconscious level.  It helps patients become aware of harmful stimuli, and provides them with techniques to identify these triggers and actively alter or eliminate them.  Magnetic Stimulation is a technique in which charged or static magnets are applied to an affected area, in this case the brain, to alter its activity.

Collectively, all of these alternate therapies represent a positive shift in the arena of mental health.  As the stigma, inherent in mental illness, gradually begins to ebb, doctors are embracing the challenge of tackling mental health at its root.  Times have changed, but its important to remember that mental illness is still avery serious dilemma—a dilemma without a cure.  With continued research and a complete commitment to finding a cure, a commitment which is embraced both medically and sociologically, the options available to those suffering will continue to evolve, offering a ray of hope for treating this global plague.

Is This Swine Flu Deja Vu?

It seems as if though one cannot go outside, inside, near anybody or eat anything without fear of getting “some” disease. In the past 10 years we’ve been inundated by phobia slanging and fear mongering techniques versus being informed with accurate information and supportive strategies.

How do I know we aren’t informed properly? Just a hunch. But to test it…  ask yourself if you can explain what the significant risk-factors are behind any of the following diseases: West Nile Virus, Bird/Avian Flu, SARS, Monkey Pox, Mad Cow Disease, Ebola and Anthrax.

Didn’t think so. So my point is, if these are so deadly, contagious and infectious, how come you haven’t took the proper time to identify the risk factors? I mean shouldn’t you know exactly what is going on in order to give your self and loved ones the best chance of survival? Well it turns out that the majority of us have become desensitized to the media’s attempt to peddle new phobia’s. It seems we just don’t have enough time to care about them all.

Which made me think of you all when I recently heard from a personal friend of mine, Dr. Brad Nelson. For those of you who haven’t heard of him (yet), Dr. Nelson is the Author of the book “The Emotion Code” and teacher of a seminar of the same name. Brad has been studying the “Swine Flu” Vaccine that is about to be pushed on millions of people and he was very concerned…

During the conversation he sent me a link to a video that dated back to 1976. According to Brad “back when there were real reporters” 60Minutes ran a special on Swine Flu. Yes believe it or not, even way back then they were pushing people to get the vaccine. Back then it was in fear of an outbreak. Are you surprised? I was. But what was even more surprising was the fact that perfectly healthy people who took the vaccine got ill, and the Government admitted it.

Did you know that 70% of the time flu vaccines are not effective? Dr. Brad recommends doing yourself a favor and NOT taking the vaccine. I’m curious to know what you think of the video and how this affects your view of the current situation. HOWEVER, in the short time that I watched the video and went to re-post it to inform you, this is what happened:

“This video has been removed due to terms of use violation.”

So instead of a live video proving that swine flu is a recycled form of fear mongering, you will have to settle for a quote from wikipedia about Squalene, an ingredient of the current Swine Flu Vaccine.

Squalene is used in vaccines to “turbocharge” the raw vaccine. Since it’s an organic compound, it’s more common to see it used in animal vaccines, however, use in human vaccinations has been prepared in pandemic vaccinations like the H1N1 vaccine or military vaccines, like the anthrax vaccine. This allows less virus to be needed, thus creating more doses.

According to Dr. Brad, a previous case of use would be in the Gulf War, where soldiers had been given the vaccine. Subsequent adverse reactions have caused the military to ban it’s use and opponents of squalene in vaccinations have drawn a link between Gulf War Syndrome, and the use of the adjuvant.

Again, in Brad’s words “this vaccine has 1 million times more Squalene than the original Gulf War vaccine… 1 million times more Squalene than the Anthrax vaccination that caused Gulf War Syndrome; remember that all 146,00 soldiers that got this vaccine became very ill.”

Dr. Nelson urges you to PLEASE do NOT get this vaccine. Swine Flu is a MILD flu. The vaccine however may just change your life dramatically for the worse!!! I’m NOT totally convinced, but don’t you owe it too yourself to check out more information? Before you react emotionally to information try to exercise your ability to respond to the information with rationality.

No matter what you believe, there is an awful lot of “hype” around this Swine Flu, and yet the number of people who die from other preventable deaths seems to get ignored. Why, given all the possible death and diseases, does the media and Government tend to focus on this? Ask yourself, when is the Government ever very efficient at communicating and executing anything?

Hidden agenda or not, with the Internet at your finger tips if you are reading this then it is your duty to yourself to get more information. The more you research, the more of an informed decision you can make so take time to educate yourself fully.  You can start by typing “1976 Swine Flu” into Google or YouTube search to try and track down a copy of this video, or contact me and I may know of where you can watch this video.

Most of all, STAY CALM. Do not panic or buy into the media hype and frenzy. The three best things you can do for you and your loved ones to increase your chances of keeping them safe are: manage good hygiene habits, wash your hands regularly, and stay informed through multiple sources (not just the news media). Your imagination has better things to focus on, so stay positive and take care of one another. The only way to stop the spread of the epidemic is to spread the awareness.

The Difference between a Cold and H1N1 Flu Symptoms:

5 Tips to Tackle Procrastination

Procrastination is a nasty little habit in which individuals habitually put off the things they need to do.  It’s a practice that hampers productivity and can lead to a mountain of stress, but this stress could easily be avoided with an effective plan to tackle it.  This article will explore some of the quickest methods for ridding procrastination from your routine.

Each tip will help boost your performance and make you more relaxed and confident about each new day.  If you are ready to rid your procrastination then keep reading for how to get real results in your life in a very short time.  However, the key to ending procrastination is in action.  You have to do these tips in order to see if and how they work for you.

1.  Make an Appointment with Yourself

If you are anything like me, your life is filled with a multitude of meetings, appointments and obligations.  You bend over backwards to make sure the people you work and live with are happy and content.  But how much time do you spend with yourself, planning your own happiness?

I urge you to make an appointment with yourself and just engage in self-talk conducive to your own success.  If you are not planning your happiness and scheduling “me” time then who is? Make important but realistic promises to yourself and vow to stick to them.  Try it, it will feel good I promise.

2.  Make a List

With each new day, you probably find yourself juggling a thousand and one thoughts.  You struggle to remember each of your tasks, but undoubtedly something will be missed.  This is a process that requires a lot of energy to maintain and will gradually create unnecessary stress in your life.

To avoid this, start each morning with a list—a prioritized list of the things you want to accomplish for that day only.  This is not a “wish” list, but an “absolute” must list. Use this list as a road map to navigate your day, crossing items off as you achieve them.  Remember to celebrate after each item is crossed off.

When it comes to tasks a list will help eliminate procrastination and keep you focused on what is really important.  Moreover, this list will release the thoughts from your head, and help eliminate the stress they can cause.  Another style of writing that many people prefer is keep track of their thoughts in a journal.

3.  Slay the Beast First

There is probably one particularly difficult task in your life that stands out.  It may be a task you’ve avoided for quite some time, constantly putting it off and making excuses for why it couldn’t be done.  It’s only an illusion that you cannot do it, eventually you will have to own up to your inability to learn.  Then you’ll wonder why you didn’t learn it sooner.  No wonder using this method eventually causes a great deal of stress.

What is the one thing that you could do that you are avoiding, but if you did do it, it would completely change your situation?  Put this “beastly” task at the top of your list and get to work attacking it first.  Focus on slaying it and stay proactive.  Why not make a game of it and pretend your actions will determine if the who wins between you and the beast.  The more inspired actions you take the less likely the beast will win.

The relief you will feel as a result of completion will be rewarding.  This will help provide a remarkable sense of momentum in your life, making subsequent tasks that much easier.  Just think, if you can slay the beast… you can do anything!

4.  Get organized

You may think organization has nothing to do with procrastination, but I beg to differ.  A cluttered life will almost always lead to a cluttered mind.  The mind reflects your ability to get exterior results and the disorganization in your life can make any project seem impossible.

Everything in your life costs you energy to maintain.  The more papers, to-do notes and unsatisfactory relationships you have in your life, the less energy you have to focus on what is really important.  When you are tired at the end of the day and don’t want to take the extra step for your dreams, getting organized can help motivate you to move forward.

Spend a day organizing your life.  If you cannot devote an entire day at once, schedule two – 8 hour days or three – 5 hour days.  Take time to catch up on whatever in your life requires the most attention.  Make a folder for each of your important papers and file them alphabetically.  Check and answer emails.  Pay those late bills.  You know where you have been neglecting responsibility, start by paying some attention there.

When you feel more organized you will be less likely to put off the tasks in your life.  They will seem more manageable and you will feel less stress.  When you feel less stress you will want to do more with your self and your time.

5.  Schedule Leisure Time

Everybody needs time to unwind and refuel.  Whether you are a hotel maid or a Wall Street millionaire, you need to have time in your life reserved solely for the things that are most important to you.  However, most people are caught in the trap of “I have to…, but I can’t”, or “I can’t, because I have to…”.

For example, you might not think that you have the time or money to take a vacation because you are paying down debt or saving for something special.  But if you don’t invest good quality time out for yourself you will soon be paying the price in other ways.  Your health or your spiritual well-being can suffer if you don’t take a break.

Most people neglect doing the things they need to do and then out of guilt try and do things they cannot do. Avoid this trap by simply taking time out of your schedule to take a healthy break. Stick to this time, relaxing only during the parameters you have set.

With your leisure time now set, use the other time to work diligently, pursuing each of your goals without procrastination.

Five Tips for Securing Your Dream Job

In a tough economy, where good jobs are scarce, it stands to reason that employers become a bit more selective in the hiring process.  Below are five tips that will help you stand out and secure the job you want:

1. Clarify What You Want

2. Sell Yourself

3. What Are You Good At?

4. The Resume:  Get Noticed

5. Be Bold

Clarify What You Want

What do you like to do?  Asking yourself this simple question is perhaps the most crucial step when searching for employment.

Each day millions of people worldwide set out for jobs they hate, trading misery for a paycheck.  Work is nothing more than that part of their lives that much be suffered to make the rest of their lives possible.  As a result, these workers seldom reach their potential, which is unfair both to themselves and their employers. Conversely, people content in their jobs, are much more productive and thus more likely to create value for the company or organization.

The first step when planning your career should be defining the type of work you find rewarding and satisfying. Work is where you will spend the bulk of your waking hours, so choosing a job you enjoy will naturally make your life more fulfilling. This passion will be evident to employers as well, who are searching for candidates that bring the most overall value.  One employee, who will perform tasks willingly and enthusiastically, is often better than many who will not.

So before you begin your employment search, have a clear written description of what you really want to do.  It will show.

Sell Yourself

What makes you so special?  During tough times, when jobs are scarce, it’s important to spend some time preparing an answer to that question.  Naturally, employers want to hire the top candidate for the job, and what you’ve accomplished in the past is all they really have to rely upon.  Take some time and write the story you want employers to see.

Create a short autobiography which lists your accomplishments.  Include goals you’ve set and reached, praise from past employers and awards you’ve received.  Make it effortless for prospective employers to uncover who you are and determine what you can offer. Remember, if you neglect to write your own story, employers will be obligated to construct their own.

What Are You Good At?

Remember, in step one, you answered the question, “What do you like to do?”  This next question, “What are you good at?” is equally significant when deciding upon a career path. Why?  Consider this:

Regardless of my zeal for working on cars, I recognize that a certain amount of skill is essential in executing these tasks.  Regrettably, these are skills I do not and, in all probability, never will possess.  This impasse between what people enjoy and what they do well is one that many will encounter, and it can cause them a great deal of unnecessary anguish.  But instead of allowing this conflict to serve as a justification for surrender, use it instead as a valuable learning tool.  Remember, this is just one skill you don’t possess among the many that you do.

Be candid with yourself and select a career involving the skills and abilities you already have.  Build upon and perfect those skills, and strive to become the very best at what you do well.

The Resume:  Get Noticed

In certain scenarios, your resume may be the only tool you have to ensure getting noticed by potential employers.  When prized positions become open, especially during a recession, the demand for them is exceedingly high.  Often employers will receive hundreds of resumes for a sole position, and from them they will select only a few.  So how do you ensure your resume will get noticed?  These three small tips may help:

1. Create a resume that looks professional.  Present what you want employers to see on a single page which is clear and easy to understand.  Check it thoroughly for spelling and punctuation and make certain that all your information is current.
2. Present information that is relevant to the position for which you are applying.  Shape your resume to highlight the education and experience employers are looking for and eliminate the unnecessary filler.
3. Follow up.  There’s a fine line between professional courtesy and harassment.  Walk it.  Contact potential employers once to confirm that your resume was received, and thank them for their consideration. This small step may help get your resume to the top of the pile.

Be Bold

When jobs are scarce, the ability to stand out in a crowd becomes enormously important.  Try and invent a creative, yet appropriate strategy, designed to set you apart from the masses.  Here are three examples of what others have tried:

· One woman sent one of her baby shoes to the hiring manager along with her resume with a note that said “let me get my foot in the door.”  She got the interview and the job.

· Show up to the interview with a strong piece of work you’ve created which illuminates your abilities.  When the interview is completed, ask the employer if you can leave this behind for their review.

· On the cover letter you will send with your resume, instead of using the phrase, I look forward to hearing from you, as many do, be a bit more definitive.  Try this instead; I will call you on Thursday, November 23, to answer any questions you may have.

Apply these simple tips to your job search as soon as you can.  It’s simple, yet it may make all the difference. The amount of time you spend in preparation could pay huge dividends down the road.

International Day of Peace Instructions

Until such a time when everyday can be a day of peace, let us celebrate that which we have, even if it is but one day out of 365. However, just because it is one day doesn’t mean that you have to only practice peace for 24 hours.

Today,  September 21, is the International Day of Peace. It is a time for us to join hands, link minds and align with the spirit of all who are simultaneously sending prayers, meditations and positive intentions for world peace.

As you can see, there are many ways in which one can participate. In the event that you are still unsure how exactly you can help with this amazing initiative, please find the following instructions as per given by the Global Coherence Initiative (GCI):

Start With Your Imagination

You can help simply by envisioning the peaceful world that you want to live in. Creation starts with thought, desire and imagination….the same as desiring a new house, job, etc. Thoughts, desires and imagination create an energetic blueprint for what we want; then taking action steps towards our goal helps to create the building blocks for intentions to manifest.

Care Focus Peace Technique

For a month, in honor of Peace Day, let’s take five minutes a day (or what ever is convenient for you) to envision the world as you would want it to be. Here are some ideas to get your brainstorming started:

A world that respects individual human rights and authentic communication, has balanced, conscious leadership and compassionate governing systems worldwide, values the preservation of resources, has love and respect for animals and environmental balance. A world that provides food, pure water, shelter and world peace for all.

You have the creative freedom to create your own additions as you see the needs and desires of the world. Think about what problem in the world do you want to address, or what solution were you born to help solve. Remember, the most important part of this technique is to connect with vision with your emotions. When you enrich your vision with genuine feelings from your heart’s desire it breathes life into your intentions.

Close with a moment of gratitude and the request that whatever manifests only be the highest best for the whole.

Our common link with each other is that we all care. By honoring our differences, we multiply the strength of connection and effectiveness in our care for the planet and each other. This is what the planetary shift is about – differences coming together in the heart to co-create a greater wholeness.

Revised Note – Please Read

Guiding Principles for GCI Care Focus

As the Global Shift is playing out, there are a growing number of situations that unfold continuously around the world that could benefit from focused care. This makes it difficult to choose a GCI focus that would suit everyone at any given time. With GCI members from many different countries and cultures, it’s understandable that this would influence personal feelings of what would be most appropriate for a GCI care focus.

At times when a global issue is more important to you than the GCI care focus selected, we suggest this: Spend a little time on the GCI care focus, then spend most of your time sending love and compassion to whatever situation you feel is most important. Some of you may choose to hold a vision of the planet in a state of perfection, which can help manifest how we would want it to be. The most important thing is for us all to love, accept, and respect without judgment each others expressions of care.

The techniques suggested by the GCI team won’t always feel appropriate for everyone because of our many cultural backgrounds and personal belief systems. This is very understandable. When this is an issue, we invite you to use your own heart’s choice of technique, prayer, meditation, affirmation, visualization, etc., when sending love and compassion to the planet and its inhabitants. It’s our genuine coherent love and care that make a difference, much more so than method or technique.

Thank you for your participation.

For more information please visit: http://www.glcoherence.org

7 Tips for an Amazing School Year p2.

The previous blog post discussed 3 tips to help you thrive and not just survive when it comes to school. Here are the remaining 4 tips, keep these in mind and you’ll be sure to experience an absolutely amazing school year.

4. Discover.

School is a time to discover new things including yourself. Learning new things gives you the opportunity to change and grow with new information. Have you recognized your own growth over the past few years? In what ways have you grown and matured? What do you classes to you enjoy? What subjects are you good at? What new courses or projects will excite you to take on this year?

It may seem selfish to spend time thinking about yourself but if you don’t do it, nobody else will! Therefore, you might as well start to get to know yourself because no matter where you go, there you’ll be. You can never lose yourself. The sooner you start inquiring into these questions the sooner you can start to receive answers for creating more fun, joy and results in your life.

If you discover only one thing this year, discover the values in which you stand for. Why is it important to know what you stand for in school? Because if you do not know what you stand for, you simply may just fall for anything.

What should you stand for? Keep it simple and real by always standing for what you believe in your heart.

5. Grow.

You are a powerful being that is constantly unfolding a new person from within. School provides the perfect opportunity to stretch yourself. Nature also grows based upon this principal, for example picture the development of a tree. The tree doesn’t get bigger because the bark grows from the exterior, the tree grows from the inside out. You do too!

Don’t buy into the pressure to seek “material” success. The fanciest pencil case, cool shoes or most expensive jeans, etc. These are all exterior representations of yourself, and we all know what matters and counts is what’s on the inside. No matter what the appearances are on the outside, the real question you need to be concerned about is: “Are you happy with the person who is inside?”

Are you unfolding into a fair, joyful, giving, kind and loving person?  Or.. are you continuing to practice being a person who is jealous, angry, vindictive, revengeful and full of fear? In life, the fruits of your labour will depend on what type of tree you are. The good news is, this decision is solely yours to make.

6. Fail.

One of the biggest investments you can make in your future right now is to learn to be comfortable when you are uncomfortable. More specifically, you must learn how to view failure in a healthy way in order to learn and grow from the experience. To avoid being paralyzed in fear you must adopt a perspective along the lines that says: “Experience is what occurs when I fall short of my goals.”

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” -Theodore Roosevelt

The secret that smart and successful people have realized is that they will never be completely comfortable when doing something new, so they just practice doing it anyway. In fact, the only difference between successful and unsuccessful people is that successful people in life make a habit of doing the things that the unsuccessful people are too uncomfortable doing.

When you practice being comfortable when doing new things you are building your ability to respond, or your response-ability. If you resist the feeling of experiencing the uncomfortable feeling, you will never be able to practice being comfortable in new situations because you will be too busy “being” uncomfortable.

It is delusional to think that feeling good about doing something will come before the practice. Feelings always lag behind action. Get familiar to the proper order of things by practicing doing something new without judgement or reservation. You goal is to practice doing something you are not very good at and experience whatever feelings arise.

Before, during, and after you try something new, say the following power affirmation(s) out loud to yourself:

Personal Power Affirmations: “I am a winner”, ” “I can win”, “I will do prevail!”

7. Participate.

What activities do you want to participate in? What ‘good’ are you going to contribute too this year?

Are you a good team player? Can people count on you? Can you rely on other people? Do other people benefit in a positive way from having you around? The only way to be an effective person is to start practicing. Volunteer work and team sports are two great environments to practice your participation muscle.

Joining a team or becoming a member of a group can help you foster the social dynamic skills necessary to compete in today’s “real world”. Remember, when you graduate out of school you will still have to deal with other people and work in groups, so the sooner you start preparing to be an effective team player the better.

Begin by researching places you would like to volunteer. Do you want to rescue animals? How about being a Big Sister or Big Brother? Feed the homeless? You could even volunteer to babysit for neighbors so that they can enjoy a romantic night out. Volunteering is also great for connecting with people who believe in the same cause. If you cannot give your time then find a cause you can afford to support financially.

Another way you could get active is by joining a team, club or association. Teamwork teaches you social dynamics, accountability and discipline. Working with people can teach you a lot about your self and your emotions. The sooner you learn how to manage your emotional state the better. Learning discipline is also easier with the guidance of a school coach and the support of teammates.

What are some sports that appeal to you that will get your heart racing and exercise the mind? Not athletic at all? Try running or jogging because doing 10 minutes or more of aerobic exercise will help dose those grumpy feelings and help to moderate your mood.

Keep this list in mind the next time you want to craft up an amazing school year. Some of these exercises and questions may seem difficult at first but the sooner you start exploring your values and answering some of these tough questions the easier your year will be. You can not change what you are not aware of. The sooner you discover your unsupportive habits of thinking, feeling and doing, the faster you can get onto things you really enjoy.

7 Tips for an Amazing School Year p1.

September is that time of year when the bus stops start to get busy and the smell of pencil crayons begins to permeate the air. Yes people… I am talking about back to school time! School is a paradox, it can mean different things to different people. Ask 9 people about what they think about school and you will be sure to collect 9 different answers. So are there any similarities in our scholastic experience?

Turns out that there are indeed some interesting similarities. For instance, no matter how long you have been out of school it still probably seems like yesterday for you doesn’t it? Yet if you are reading this and still in school, no matter how many have past already, the days still can’t seem to go quick enough can they? Since school is a topic that most of us are familiar with, I will use the most important information that I’ve learned since being out of school as the premise of this post.

Here is the short list of 7 things it takes to thrive not just survive when it comes to school. If you follow these you will be sure to set yourself up for experiencing an absolutely amazing school year.

1. Decide.

Did you know that indecision is still a decision? If you decide to do nothing, you are still deciding to do something, it just happens to be nothing. In order to get good grades, have a social life and enjoy a good year you must first decide.

Decision is supported by the unseen hand of the Universe. When you decide the world will conspire with you. Decide to make this year different no matter what the previous year (or years) have been like. You are the residual result of your previous decisions, the choice you made in the past. Today and every day following it offers the chance to make new choices, and with those, the opportunity to obtain new results.

What could you decide to work on today that would move you closer to having the type of school year you want?

When in doubt remember… The most important decision you can ever make at any time is to be yourself.

2. Forgive.

Forgiveness is not just something that priests do. Forgiveness is a powerful force in nature. Students who learn how to master this ‘tough’ teacher usually find the lesson of “love”. Love is only important if you want to nurture your soul. Could you use more care, attention or love in your life? To receive more of these wonderful feelings we must first learn how to forgive.

You must learn to forgive yourself and forgive others no matter how bad you goofed or how big someone screwed up. Realize that no one can hurt us without our permission, therefore, we must always choose to learn, heal and grow from our let downs.

The truth is we are all trying to do our best with the best we have learned so far. It is wrong to assume people think, feel and behave the way you were brought up. We are all raised differently with individual motivations.

Ask yourself, how will carrying around these feelings of resentment help your grades? Will a lack of self-esteem help you perform better? The obvious answer is no they won’t. You want to “teach someone a lesson”, why don’t you step up and be a bigger person by demonstrating the lesson of forgiveness?

Remember: If there is a will there is a way. Can you find a way to forge through your forgiveness?

3. Relate.

High school is a time to develop and establish friendships. What else do you expect to do for the rest of the year while being stuck in the same rooms with the same strangers? It’s time to get better at getting to know your classmates. You might as well practice your people skills because the opportunity doesn’t get any better or any easier.

School is the time to make friendships that may last a lifetime. Good friends are rare to find and even rarer to hold on to. Enjoy the people who come into your life no matter who long they stay.

Why not make it this months goal to find at least one new friend? You don’t have to be instant best-buds or perma-pals, and be sure you seek and surround yourself with only quality people. Make friends with multiple groups of people and this will diversify your circle of friends. It is unhealthy to expose yourself to only one source of information because it develops a limited perspective.

Expand your sphere of influence and the type of information you expose yourself to by engaging in genuine small-talk with your fellow school mates. Search for people you find interesting or that find you interesting. This doesn’t mean you have to talk to everybody or be fake for the sake of making conversation. Showing a genuine interest in others is a quality that is instantly recognized and always appreciated by others.

Challenge: Promise yourself to make acquaintances with at least one new person a day.

Stay Tuned…

The next post will discuss 4 other easy but effective tips to make your school year amazing.

Five Drug-Free Ways to Foster Mental Health

Each year, millions of dollars are spent on medications promising relief to people suffering the symptoms of mental illness.  Recently though, some physicians have opted to steer their patients towards alternate, drug-free treatments either in conjunction with, or in place of these prescriptions.  These treatment plans offer patients additional options to explore before turning to medications which can often have troublesome and even dangerous side effects.  Each therapy is unique, but they all seem to share one common characteristic:  Unlike popular medications such as Prozac and Effexor, which merely treat symptoms of depression and anxiety, these alternate treatments seek out and treat the underlying causes of the illnesses.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

· Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction was developed by Jon-Kabat Zinn, a PhD at the University of Massachusetts, in 1979.  MBSR uses intentional, present-moment awareness to help people tap into whatever is happening in their life as it unfolds, without judgment or curiosity.  The process, based on mindful meditation, helps people to become more skillful and creative in their responses to real world stimuli, eliminating destructive habitual patterns such as anxiously awaiting the future, chronically focusing on the past or just going through the motions of life without regard to what’s happening in the now.  It is universal and easily accessible, allowing people the ability to develop intelligent and thoughtful reactions to events and circumstances as they are happening, and to construct unique, healthy reactions in response.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

· Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is similar to MBSR, in that it combines present-moment meditative practices with conventional cognitive therapy techniques.  The therapy, developed by Zindel Segal, Mark Williams and John Teasdale, and based on Zinn’s MBSR model, allows participants to cultivate a right-now awareness of what is happening within them.  MBCT uses Eastern meditative techniques and cognitive therapy to help patients become acquainted with the different modes of the mind that can often characterize mood disorders and allows for the development of new, healthier responses to harmful stimuli.  By focusing on what “is” rather than all the potential negatives that “could be,” MBCT helps people break harmful, repetitive responses and patterns that can lead to a variety of disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Subconscious Restructuring

· Most treatments for conditions such as depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) look for external causes for the trauma affecting individuals, and then seek to treat that cause.  This can be a very long and expensive journey for patients.  While certainly well-meaning, treatments such as these are nothing more than a series of educated guesses that can take years to complete and are often completely ineffective.  Subconscious Restructuring offers something quite different.

Developed by PhD Kelly Burris, SR coaching takes a look at how individuals process information at the deepest level of their subconscious.  It guides patients through a method which allows them to recognize and have immediate access to potentially harmful subconscious patterns, and thus be able to alter or eliminate them. Using this technique, people are able to identify the internal cause of their disorder, rather than speculate on possible external factors.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

· Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a noninvasive medical technique designed to magnetically excite the neurons of the brain.  Weak, electric currents are introduced into the tissue that makes up the brain which in turn triggers brain activity that can be studied and evaluated.

rTMS, as it is commonly referred, lasts longer than a single stimulation and it is thought to either increase or decrease the excitability of what doctors call the corticospinal pathways within the brain.  Scientists believe this stimulation technique can effect changes in the synoptic efficacy of the brain and has been offered as a treatment solution for long-term depression and other illnesses.

Magnetic Field Therapy

· Magnetic Field Therapy is a process that uses magnets to help treat mental and physical ailments.  The theory behind the efficacy of MFR is that in order to maintain health, the body must be in balance with its electromagnetic field.  Utilizing electrically charged or static magnets, practitioners seek to alter the magnetic field in patients with emotional disorders, by bringing their bodies into balance with the earth and the magnetic field that surrounds it.

The advantages of the therapies listed above, in addition to other available treatments not mentioned, are significant.  All of the treatment plans focus on the causes of mental and mood disorders, and they give people who are suffering from the often frightening symptoms, a variety of treatment options to explore before resigning themselves to a medication ritual that is often arbitrary and dangerous.

Good Mental Health Starts With the Heart – What is Your Passion?

What is your purpose in life?

It’s a question people regularly ask themselves, but regrettably, the process of answering this question seldom extends beyond the “dream” stage.  It’s an important question though—one if ever answered could unlock unlimited possibilities for the future.  So why don’t more people go the extra mile and find answers to this question?

Most people would claim they’re too busy­—too busy going through the motions of their lives, doing the normal things that normal people do.  They get married, buy a house, have a few kids and work at a job they hate to support a dream that was never theirs—it was just what they were supposed to do. What people don’t realize is that neglecting your dreams will eventually lead you to feelings of “I want to… but I can’t” or “I can’t…. but I want to”.

Thankfully there are some folks who veer away from this traditional scenario, deciding to take a different path, a path borne of the heart.  You see these people all the time.  They’re the ones in the limousines or on the big screen; the ones in the corner offices or living in the three-story mansions.  They’re the ones you look up to and aspire to be; the ones always smiling, like they have a secret they want to share.  The secret:  follow your heart and the rest will follow.

If you decide—really decide—that you want to make your life extraordinary, and follow you heart towards limitless success and happiness, I have some good news.  Following your passion is really only a two-step process that you can begin right now.

The first step is to dream big—really, really, really big.

Sounds easy but the task may be a lot harder than you may realize. You see the problem is that most people take themselves out of the game before it even begins. Sometimes when considering our future we become frustrated, thinking about all the potential obstacles and limitations down the road that may impede our progress. We doom ourselves before we even begin.  This is not only unnecessary but extremely unproductive. The only limits you have are the ones you put on yourselves.

The first step in dreaming big is to give yourself permission to dream. Imagine a future without any restrictions, limitations or obstacles. Get a clear, descriptive picture in your head of everything you want. Picture yourself enjoying your dream job, living in the mansion on the hill, driving your expensive car and enjoying your family and loved ones.  In this stage of the process, everything is possible.  Now, write it down, get excited and proceed to step two.

Every great story starts with a great idea, so must the story of your life.  Dreaming about what you want is neither selfish nor irresponsible.  It is a normal, healthy activity.  Our dreams are what make life tolerable, a reason to get out of bed.  Without them, life would be simply unbearable.  But acting upon those dreams doesn’t always seem so easy.  Many people begin this process—they begin with a flash, fueled by the uncontainable motivation to succeed—but all too often, life, with it’s schedules and responsibilities, gets in the way, and the dream dies before it ever had a chance to flourish.

The secret to succeeding with step two of this process—acting on your dreams—is momentum.  Many of us are good out of the gate, but lack the endurance to finish the race.  We get sidetracked by a world that seems bent on crushing our dreams.  At least, that’s what we tell ourselves.  The truth is that we limit our own progress because we fail to construct a detailed plan for getting what we want.  If you wanted to visit, say, Oklahoma, and you’d never been before, how would you proceed?  Would you get in your car and drive aimlessly, hoping to come upon it by accident?  Probably not—you’d probably look at a map and develop a plan for getting there.  Why, then, don’t we take the same approach with our lives?

Once you’ve identified your passion, you must put together a written plan for achieving it.  Start by identifying your long term goal and give it a deadline.  For example:

Long-term Goal:

Purchase my dream house Deadline:  7/25/2011

By writing it down, you have made it real.  It may also help to confide in some of the people whom you trust.  They can help hold you accountable and assist in keeping you on track.  Next, develop a series of short-term objectives, necessary for reaching your long-term goal.  Start with things you can do right now and be specific.  Take a look:

Short-term Objectives:

1. Talk to a financial consultant or realtor to determine exactly how much money I’ll need to buy my house. Deadline:  August 1, 2009.

2. Talk to employer about overtime and advancement opportunities at work:  Deadline:  August 15, 2009.

3. Put $1,000 in the bank.  Deadline:  September 1, 2009.

You get the idea.  Now, follow through.  Commit to making these objectives a priority in your life and make progress toward each of them daily.  Keep the goals in front of you as you cross or check them off as a symbol of your progress. Celebrate your achievements! Be proud remembering that each objective you reach brings you closer to your dream, and every forward step you take creates sustainable momentum that will fuel you to persevere.

You can apply this system to any arena of your life.  Follow your passion by first, identifying—in detail—everything you want to accomplish, and then draw yourself a detailed “map” to help you get there.  Don’t become discouraged by obstacles.  Instead, view them as challenges—opportunities for growth—and keep moving forward.  Get excited about your life!  You deserve it.