The Action Reaction - By Kevin MacAskill

Wikipedia defines a reaction as being a response to some other action. And actions abound. We are surrounded, immersed, caught up in action at every moment. We have been accustomed to responding to these events in an almost automatic way, even tuning out the activities around us, out of a need for self preservation. We are steeped in hype, from the evening news to the commercials which punctuate it, to bill-boards, bumper stickers, tee shirts… The list goes on. No wonder our senses become dulled and we fail to become activated or engaged by this incessant deluge. Turning down the volume provides some necessary, blessed relief.

But then, what about the actions we should take, for our own fulfillment, our prosperity, our happiness? We all have whispers of intuition, which come to us in fleeting thoughts or all too seldom inspiration. Einstein asked "Why do all my best thoughts come to me in the shower?" When we have an Einstein moment like that, we tend to rinse these showers of inspiration away with the soap suds, negating their value. We owe ourselves better. Just suppose that our reaction to these ideas was different. Suppose that our reaction would be to honor these promptings by acting on them. When we go to the Doctor and he takes out his little rubber hammer, we know what’s coming. He taps our knee in just the right spot and our leg kicks out. We have no choice in this reaction, the healthy response is automatic.

We read all manner of inspirational self-help books and our knee-jerk reaction is to go out and buy another book! This behavior is so addictive that I once made a pact with a friend that if either of us found a book titled "How to Stop Reading Self-help Books" we would immediately buy it and send it to the other. Down deep inside we realize that one more book; one more inspirational message will not cause us to change. Rather, it becomes an excuse to procrastinate. What is needed is to develop an ACTION REACTION. When intuition whispers then, react vigorously, with positive, concrete steps to turn the whisper into a shout. We have been exhorted down through history to take action. Goethe’s quote comes to mind… "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. For boldness has genius, power and magic in it." Ben Franklin committed to giving strict attention to just one virtue for an entire week. He felt that it would then become a habit. One week! That’s almost instant gratification.

Here’s your assignment then, if you chose to accept it: Every day, for one week, act immediately, vigorously and with boldness on your inspirations. Once the habit is formed, the ACTION REACTION will kick in, automatically. You will become an action-inspired person and your world must change in response. Goethe would be proud. As for me, I can’t wait to start. Right now, I’m going to take a shower!

To your prosperity.

Kevin MacAskill works at home in British Columbia, Canada, surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery. This prompts him to reflect on life and the human condition. You may use this essay in an ethical manner, by including this resource box.
http://www.prosperity-patterns.com

Promise - By C. V. Harris

How many of us are aware that we need to make important or even life saving changes about our person or within our lives? Yet we wait until the eve of New Years to convince ourselves that NOW is the time to put in the work to secure that change.

Case in point: You KNOW you need to quit smoking, so what do you do? You take out that new pack of Vice Roys and hurl em into the trash. However, as soon as that urge hits you, you know the one. That overpowering desire to ......SMOKE. A craving so enormous, that it encourages you to bolt into the kitchen, dig into that garbage can and retrieve that pack of cancer causing sticks that you threw away only a few hours ago... when you promised yourself you'd QUIT.

Even though you've tried to rid yourself of your nasty habit before you got that monkey on your back, that CRAVING, you know only too well. That animal who'd come 'round the mountain every few hours or so. Know him do ya?

You were more than aware that you'd have to find willpower from a place deep inside your gut (a place you never knew existed) that would allow you to free yourself from the shackles of that puff that you yearn for each day. Am I right??

Here's one a lot of us can, or should be able to relate to at one time or another in our lives. What about promising yourself that you'd quit cursing? You've tried the jar routine and that didn't work. And don't even act like it's just me who knows about the jar routine....you fill a jar with money for each curse word that you use. After weeks of depositing your entire paycheck into that stupid jar, out of frustration, you take the money stuffed inside and go and buy a carton of cigarettes!!

The point is this: We don't need a date to indicate that we should make positive changes that affect our livelihood. Our initiative should begin within our own minds. We know what we need to do but we drag our heels about doing it don't we?

I'm a great observer of people and one of the observations that I can't deny is we always find time to do what we want to do but rarely find the time to do what we need to do.

We've all heard how anything worthwhile takes effort to attain it, but are we willing to put in the work to make that "positive change" happen?

People deposit crazy amounts of money into purchasing vehicles, throw money away on clothes, hair, nails, feet, teeth, contacts, sex, men, women, animals (I'm guilty of the contact one, in hazel might I add), and a host of other things we believe we can't live without, but talk about a person going to the gym is like asking most to agree to be hung by their toenails. I just don't get it!

Most of you who read my blog know I can babble for days about a topic that I feel strongly about. However, this time, I just want to give you a little food for thought:

You know what you need to do; you already know or have a good idea of how to do it. The mindset you need to have in order to make it happen has been there all along. So what're you waiting for? Next year? Next week? How about the next hour? Procrastination is the thief of time. Always has been and I suspect it always will be. Since time is the most valuable commodity today, and also one we can never get back, what're you gonna do about YOUR time?

Don't make promises to yourself you know full well you will have a problem keeping or better yet, you won't even try to keep the oath you made to yourself at all!!

Check this out: We all have power over our own way of thinking to ......CHANGE. You already realize that you must go through some type of sacrifice to make that change your reality. So how 'bout this? Stop thinking about it, and simply BE ABOUT IT!...After all, If you make no attempt at changing at all for a better or healthier YOU, New Years will be back this time next year on the same bat channel. And you'll still be exactly where you are right now. THINKING about it!

Only YOU know the repercussions, if any, of "remaining where/how you are right now" in your life. And THAT dear reader, I CAN promise you!!

(c) 2007 By C. V. Harris. All Rights Reserved.

C. V. Harris' Memoir entitled Stubborn Stains has been published. She is currently working on her sophomore novel entitled Ricochet. Send an e-mail to her at info@onewriterwriting@hotmail.com or visit her Blog at http://www.onewriterwriting.blogspot.com for more interesting articles.

The Journey Of A Lifetime - By JeNeika Smith

The journey of a lifetime...can only begin when you take your first step forward. If you REALLY want to make your dream a reality...you must be willing to step into your destiny. No dream was ever realized by sitting and just THINKING about it...action is necessary.

Let's say you want to lose twenty pounds. Now, to meet that goal, you'd need to have a game plan, right? You won't lose it by sitting in front of the TV. Now, you go and order the latest exercise video...go and buy workout clothes...equipment, etc. You're all set, you think, and make plans to get up EARLY the next morning to begin your journey.

That next morning, you wake up, and you're not ready to get up yet. You want an extra 30 minutes to sleep, so you say you'll put off the exercise until that evening.
You make the resolution to skip breakfast, hoping that will start you on your way. At lunch, you're starving because you skipped breakfast, so you eat a big meal and think, "Oh, I'll eat a small dinner AND work out 5 more minutes later. "

Dinner time comes around, and what's for dinner? Your absolute favorite meal ever...which of course you can't pass up having just a little bit, right? That little bit turns into a second helping...and by that time, you're stuffed, so you've already decided to start exercising TOMORROW...and go ahead with your dessert.

And so the cycle begins...and two weeks later, you're still resolving to take that first step...soon.

Now, where did we go wrong? What could have been done differently to motivate us to begin that exercise program? One thing that can help is along with SETTING a goal...set smaller milestones along the way to track your progress and keep you working towards the end result. An example of a milestone would be:

I want to lose 1.5 pounds by *insert date*.

The date would one by one you could reasonably expect to lose that amount. You've then got a marker set, and rather than trying to focus solely on the BIG goal, you can work on the smaller milestone. You can set milestones as often as you want/need to help you along. Along with that milestone, identify three current habits you have right now that you feel are impeding your goal to lose weight. Replace those with three positive habits in line with your goal.

Now, you've taken that first step of the journey! You've prepared, and now you're in your persistence/perserverance mode. At this point, you may want to consider hooking up with an accountability/motivation partner-someone who will help you stay on the journey and not fall off when a bump in the road occurs!

JeNeika Smith is a coach and writer based in Houston, TX. She is the CEO of Dream Your Best Life Now, a company focusing on women’s empowerment and self improvement. She is firmly committed to helping the world, one person at a time, live up to their highest potential and create the life they dream of! Visit her on-line at http://www.dreamyourbestlifenow.com or e-mail her personally at coach@dreamyourbestlifenow.com.

Positive Mental Attitude

"Go on a 21-day PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) diet; think and talk
about only the things you want for three weeks. This is not easy."
--Brian Tracy

"Of course it's hard. It's supposed to be hard. If it were easy,
everybody would do it. Hard is what makes it great."
-- From A League of Thier Own

"The only thing worse than not reading a book in the last ninety days is not reading a book in the last ninety days and thinking that it doesn't matter."
--Jim Rohn.

"Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it."
-- William Durant

Urgent Motivation? - By Tomas Labas

You may not be aware of it but you are actually practicing motivation techniques everyday of your life. You can notice this clear when you force yourself to wake in the early hours of the morning to prepare for the day ahead.

The same motivation is the one that gets you going through the rough day, even though you felt that you cannot finish it in the start.
And do you know what makes you feel at the end of the day? Motivation.

With this in mind, you are looking forward for the next day with the thought that you are getting nearer your chosen goal.

You may encounter times when you feel like you do not have enough motivation to get you going. It is during these times that you need to remember some motivation techniques so the going will not seem as tough.

And you need to remember the way which will bring you urgent motivation.

What are they? Let's look through basic motivation techniques first, and let's pretend that you want to loose weight as an example.

1. Be conscious of your goal.

A solid goal is something that you can picture one in awhile or whenever you need to motivate yourself to do more. Take for example the process of losing weight. More often than not, you visualize a person with the kind of body you want to have. That person serves as your visual motivation.

The best thing to do is have a picture or poster put in a location you will come upon everyday. It may be in the door of your fridge or beside the bathroom mirror. This way, you will be reminded everyday of the goal that you want to achieve.

2. Reward yourself with the feeling of happiness.

You may realize that you are losing some of your excess weight little by little. You can reward yourself with food or things once you have gotten to a certain weight requirement.

Promise to get yourself another reward in case you get to the next weight loss level. This way, you are given something to look forward to. Think of something that you really wanted. That would be enough to get you to your goal the fastest time.

The most important - reward yourself with happiness. You achieved this! You can do it! Feel happy about this.

3. Clear up what you want.

According to studies, people who write their goals have a bigger chance of keeping and achieving them. This is in contrast to just thinking and telling other people about it.

Writing it out is like binding yourself to a contract that needed to be followed to the letter. In this case, it is between you, yourself and your goal. After listing them down, put it in a place where you can review and reread them over or when you feel that you are losing track about where you are headed.

4. Let go and just be confident in yourself.

Start wearing dresses that can shed off instant pounds. When you notice that there are changes in your body, do not loose some of your slack. Continue on doing what you have started.

Show all your friends what you have achieved so far. Indulge in the praises and comments that they will bestow on you. These are not signs that you need to stop and take it easy. Instead, it is a sign that you are doing a great job and is halfway in attaining your goal.

These motivation techniques are the ones that majority of people are doing. It can be noted that these same techniques are also the ones that have helped people achieve even the most impossible of goals. Are you doing the same?

I'd like to share with you one more motivation technique which you probably are aware of but probably never considered it seriously.

You should...

It's so simple that everyone can easily apply it but because of its simplicity its used only by a few people. Its so powerful that when you use it brings urgent motivation, no mater what...

You must identify what your heart really desires.

I'm not talking about your short term or long term goals, these are your mind wants. As you know mind is based on experience, and the motivation solely depends on mind, which is mostly limited to experience.

The true motivation power lies in your heart desires. When you know what your heart desires, you will acquire urgent motivation and energy, and you will be unstoppable. No mater what...

Self improvement can be a never ending process... Unless you change the way you
think. Visit my Self Help Blog and discover
few more self improvement techniques now.

What To Do When You Don't Know What To Do - By Caroline Jalango

Sometimes life can be so overwhelming. It can leave you feeling helpless and drained especially when you really don’t know what to do or even how to tackle the situations that bombard your life.

Have you ever experienced a “brain blackout” where your brain temporarily became incapable of churning productive thoughts?

Have you ever felt that you just could not think anymore, even though you knew that you needed to get answers urgently?

What would you do if you realized that you did not know how to acquire or achieve the only thing that would help you make that positive difference in your life or career?

Whether you feel overwhelmed by a single issue or several issues coming your way at the same time, the following tips are hints for those times when you may not have a clue about whom to consult or where to start searching for solutions or answers to pressing issues.

Relax

This is a good way to let go of mental fatigue or pressure. Meditation, exercise or a good night’s sleep can work wonders both for your body and mind. A relaxed and refreshed mind is ultimately more productive and many times, things always look better in the morning!

Ask for help

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. A friend, family or an expert may have the answer you need. Floating the issue around may just bring you a much-needed stroke of luck by providing you with direction about what to do or even the perfect answer!

Seek spiritual guidance

Having faith and believing in a supreme being has proven time and time again that it is possible to get inspiration and answers by placing your trust in God.

Research the issue

You will be surprised at the wealth of information that is available on the Internet and in other publications about almost all kind of issues. If you don’t have a clue about where to start and what to do, try the World Wide Web.

Be creative

According to Plato, “necessity is the mother of invention.” When you don’t know what to do, you need to be creative to find the way forward. Start by writing down every possible option you have regarding the issue you are facing, however far-fetched it may seem. Consider the pros and cons for each option and then determine whether or not to pursue them.

Maintain a positive attitude

Like many people, you probably know that a wrong attitude blinds you from seeing opportunities and does nothing to eliminate a “brain blackout!” You obviously don’t want that to happen…do you?

Caroline coaches women, provides strategies and solutions, motivates and helps women who desperately want to strike the match that sets them ablaze to live happier, meaningful, positive, productive, improved and purpose driven lives. SIGN UP and receive your FREE "do better for yourself" mini-course designed to help you develop and maintain your momentum to start doing better for yourself today and get the results you want by visiting http://www.dobetterforyourself.com

Move Himself

If a man would move the world, he must first
move himself.

--Socrates

One hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was,
how big my house was, or what kind of car I drove. But the world may be
a little better, because I was important in the life of a child.

--Forest Witcraft


Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate
the mind on the present moment.

--Buddha


Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished:
if you're alive, it isn't.

--Richard Bach

The Resolution Revolution - By Craig Harper

So today is Sunday December 31st 2006; the day before we all change our lives forever.

Apparently.

We've told ourselves tomorrow is the day.
The new us.
Leaner, lighter, happier, more relaxed, wealthier, more balanced.... different.
Better.
Between Christmas and New Year we ate our own body-weight in food because... that's what we do and anyway..."We're starting tomorrow!"

So it's all okay.

I can justify and rationalise whatever I want; shut up Harper.

My body, my life.
Anyway, I deserved it.

We overeat, we drink too much and we stumble towards the end of the Year, safe in the knowledge that January 1 is coming... and it will all be different.

Somehow.

Sure we've made and broken resolutions and promises before.... but this year it's gonna be different.

Lesson 1: If nothing changes, nothing changes.

If you want next year to be the best year of your life, then you need to establish why and how it will be different this time. Keeping in mind that a good or a bad year is not about situations, circumstances, events or other people; it's about you.

Your choices.
Your attitude.
Your ability to deal with discomfort.
Your ability to create new standards and 'rules'.
Your ability to persevere when previously you've thrown in the towel.
Your ability to keep doing, even when the doing ain't fun or cool or sexy (consistency).

So tomorrow we start losing weight.
Getting fit.
Giving up the smokes.
Cutting back on the alcohol.
Swearing less.
Fixing relationships.
Changing bad habits.

Yep, tomorrow's the day.

So glad it's not today; not emotionally prepared today.

Just heard an interesting stat on the news: this New Year four million Australians will go on a diet. That's about twenty percent of our population.

If we use the same maths on the United States, we end up with sixty million dieters.

Jenny Craig must be rubbing her hands together.

Lesson 2: The truth is, for most people, the only change that January 1 brings is a short term change in behaviour (usually less than a fortnight, often less than a week).

For Personal Development types like me, January 1 is the most interesting day of the year. It's the one universal day where everyone talks about goals, dreams, plans and hopes; in short we all talk about creating a better life (however that is represented for us).

We talk about it, we dream about it.
But often we don't (really) plan for it, sweat for it, sacrifice for it, work for it, get uncomfortable for it.
We just kind of 'hope' it will happen.
Hopefully success will fall on us from a great height.

We don't create it.
We don't persevere.
We don't finish what we start.

In my job I have watched (literally) thousands of talented, intelligent and capable people spend years going around in circles.
Years being frustrated.
Years under-achieving.
Years making Excuses and years waiting for the right time.
Years making and breaking promises and resolutions.

Our biggest challenge in the pursuit of forever change, is not our ability (or lack of it), not opportunities, luck, potential, skills, education (or lack of it) and not our age or gender; it is our ability to consistently do the things we need to do to create our desired results, irrespective of how we're feeling, day in and day out.

Lesson 3: Motivation is temporary.

For most people, motivation is a feeling; an emotional state. "I feel motivated because I just saw this amazing film clip...."
If we only do when we feel motivated, we'll never create real (forever) change... because nobody is motivated 24/7.

Success is always less about motivation and more about some very un-sexy things like planning, self-control, discipline, organisation, time-management, decision making and mental toughness.
Not sexy, not glamorous, but effective.

I can tell you want you want to hear, or I can tell you the truth.

Lesson 4. We don't need another resolution, we need a revolution.

A revolution in the way we do things.
A revolution in the way we approach the next year.
A revolution in our head.

I hate the whole concept of January 1 being the day for a new start.

If only we all understood that every day is the day.

A better life ain't about the New Year....

It's about the New You.

Craig Harper (B.Ex.Sci.) is an Australian motivational speaker, qualified exercise scientist, author, columnist, radio presenter, and owner of one of the largest personal training centres in the world.

He can be heard weekly on Australian Radio SEN 1116 and GOLD FM and appears on Australian television on Network Ten's 9AM.

Motivational Speaker - Craig Harper

Powerful Resources

Never forget the three powerful resources you always
have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness.

--H. Jackson Brown, Jr.


Success is how high you bounce when you
hit bottom.

--George S. Patton


Wisdom begins in wonder.

--Socrates

A Fresh Start - By Diana Long

2007..A Brand Spanking New Year is upon us. What will you choose to do with it? Your decisions and mind set today about the year ahead will make all the difference in how this year shows up for you. Really. The ritual of making New Year's Resolutions has been in place for centuries dating back to Babylon. Records show that their top two resolutions were #1 to pay off old debts and #2 return tools to neighbors! Our modern day resolutions aren't all that different from the Babylonians, are they?

So what is the secret to making a resolution that actually comes true vs. tired, "same old, same old "obligatory resolutions that don't come true? You know the ones: "I will lose weight this year" "My business makes more money" I will stop smoking" etc. It's simple really. The most important component to creating powerful and potent resolutions is to create intention statements. An intention is a statement that is clearly articulated and infused with feeling. The resolution " I will lose weight" becomes "I am strong, enjoy optimal health and am physically toned and fit." This clear intention lends itself to creating more intentions and actions that support it. For example, "I delight in eating delicious, nutritious foods each and every day."

Your script of intentions becomes your touchstone to progress on your dreams/goals. A helpful tip is to review your intentions often( daily is optimal) to reaffirm your commitments. If certain intentions no longer hold the "zip" they once had throw them out and write up new ones that get you excited. This intentional process works like a charm! Watch amazing things begin to happen in your life. Success Expert, Anthony Robbins says this about being decisive: "The moment I finally said, I've had it! I know I am much more than what I am demonstrating mentally, emotionally and physically. Anthony Robbins says he made a decision to alter his life forever. "I decided to never again settle for less than I desired and I did just that!"

Be bold. Be decisive. Be committed. What do you really want for the year ahead? Why do you want it? I invite you to dig deep, get crystal clear and declare your decisions and desires for 2007.

In order to make room for the New Year, it is very important to close out the past and get clear on what your desires are. Here are some excellent questions from the book" Completions & Creations, A Book of Questions" by Marcia Jameson.

What was your greatest learning in 2006?

What about yourself, your life, your work are you most committed to changing or improving in 2007?

What brings you the most joy and how are you going to have more of it in 2007?

I'd love to see your intentions for 2007.,I invite you to e mail me your list of your intentions. I'll support you 100%! Carpe Diem!

Success Coach and Speaker, Diana Long, is the President of the Life Design Institute. Diana can help you transform your dreams into reality and give you the shortcuts to success with her variety of life-changing programs and products.
Learn more about Diana and receive your Free Report,” How to Avoid the 3 Biggest Mistakes that Women Make to Sabotage their Success” and Free subscription to “Life Design Secrets” e-newsletter, please visit http://www.DianaLong.com