Wakeup Breathing

don’t let fear stop your progress……..0
admin posted in Uncategorized on May 30th, 2008

“When you have come to the edge of all that you know and are about to step off into the darkness, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: there will be something solid to stand on, or you will learn to fly.”

It’s pretty normal for all of us to feel hesitant when we want to try something new. The underlying fear of failure can be crippling. There are even some who fear of getting what they want and finding out that it’s not really as great as they dreamed it to be.

The fear of failure is totally understandable but there are ways to work though your fears. One is to start slow and take your time learning or trying something new. Focus on trying something simple and set a realistic goal. The purpose of the exercise is to build your confidence by reaching some easy goals. By continuing to build your confidence you can set your goals higher and eventually reach whatever goals you have set for yourself.

The second fear can be re-worded as the fear of disappointment and is just as real as the fear of failure. Sometimes an unfortunate event can happen at the same time as something good was happening. From then on we may associate bad feelings with good events. So we avoid reaching our goals because subconsciencely we think something bad will happen.

When this fear becomes uncontrollable it can stop us from attempting anything because we want to avoid disappointment. But if you can recognize that your fear is holding you back there is always room for change.
Small steps of change can add up to dramatic change in your life. A todler doesn’t learn to walk all at once, they take small steps and eventually learn to walk. So it is sometimes with change in our owns lives.

Whatever fear you have, challenge yourself to face the obstacles. Problems are always there and so are the solutions. One thing easy to do that can help a lot is to have some sort of a affirmation like: “I want to be ____ and I choose to do ____ to achieve this.” It verbalizes your thoughts and helps you focus on the correct way to pull it off. There will be times when you’ll get some setbacks but take it slow and cut yourself some slack and try again.

Continuous forward movement will get you to your goal……

do you push or pull………….0
admin posted in Uncategorized on May 26th, 2008

Do you push yourself through life or let it pull you? I’m talking about whether you push yourself to have the life you want and not just accept the life you get. Not just financially but generally in all aspects…..

We all may know someone that is very successful. Unfortunately many times success is based on how much money you have or how expensive your car is. That is one way to measure a particular kind of success. There are many kinds of successes in life not all of them financial.

But with all the kinds of success there is a common thread that weaves thoughout all kinds of success. That thread is your ability to push yourself to achieve the life you want. You can study 99% of all successful poeple and you will find that they pushed themselves to achieve. They didn’t come home from work and spend the evening watching the latest episode of some stupid sitcom. They probably don’t know who won American Idol or even care. On a side note I think television is like the gladiator games of Rome….used like a diversion for the masses to not see what is really going on in the world….but that is another article.

Many worked another job, went to school, started a business parttime. But no matter what it was they pushed themselves to achieve, create, learn, or do something to move toward their goals. Sure there are some people that luck out and get what I call “accidental success”. They were in the right place and the right time. That is also the exception not the rule……

But most of them used their 24 hours in a better way than those that are not as successful. It’s always easier to not do the extra work or push just a little further each day. Even something like writing this blog almost daily. It would be much easier to not do the work of writing. But I enjoy the process and I enjoy it that sometimes people read it and send me an email saying how much they like it……writing is one of the ways I enjoy my version of success. What is your version and are you achieving it???

We all get the same 24 hours a day……we can decide whether we push ourselves through life or are just pulled along.

writing can improve your life…….0
admin posted in Uncategorized on May 24th, 2008

No one is born a writer. Writing is more than just a means of communication. It is a form of expression that is developed through constant practice. That’s what others mean when they say that writers are made. Many people who are not into writing usually ask, “Why should I write? What good can it give me?” …………….

Writing can give you a sense of freedom. It allows you to be who and what you want to be. By writing you can be anyone and anything, and be anywhere. You can go to Venice and row a boat in the clear waters of Grand Canal. You can be the happiest person on the planet, when in fact you’re going through some tough times.

Writing can be your dearest friend. It can absorb all of you when no one else can. Sometimes, even your best friend gets filled up with your woes. But with your pen, paper, your thoughts writing will listen to evrything you have to say. Writing lets you speak with your pen, while it intently listens.

Writing can be your way of unloading everything that your heart contains. All of us can be overwhelmed, sometimes by too much grief or even excessive happiness. We may have so many emotions at once that we find it difficult to cope. When times like that come you have your pen and paper to soak up everything that your heart pours out………..

Writing can help you to become a better person. It allows you to think and reflect. Writing can help make you aware of the beauty as well as the flaws of your inner self. Writing can help you reflect on life and how you react to it to be the best you can be.

Writing allows you to explore your inner and outer world. If you are writing to a personal journal you can go back and review the path you have walked. If you write to a blog like this, you can share your life experiences with others…..those experiences could help other at the same time.

So give it a try…..you may be surprised to find a writer inside you!

Believe you can………….0
admin posted in Uncategorized on May 21st, 2008

The power of belief is a key to success in everything we do. Whether your goal is to rise to the top of your profession or to be a better weekend golfer, you have a better chance of success if you believe you’ll be successful. And by believing that you can defeat procrastination, you can start to take charge of your life today.

Learn how to control your negative thoughts. When your mind says you can’t do something, refuse to listen to it. Don’t express your negative thoughts in words, tell your mind and say it out loud that you’re going to do what it takes to get the job done.

It isn’t easy, but it’s worth the effort. Many people procrastinate because they’ve made up their minds that they’re going to fail. If you are one of these people, the most important thing you can do today is to stop believing what the procrastination demon has been telling you.

Human beings are unique because of our ability to change to become more than what we are. But before we can change, we must be able to accept full responsibility for everything we do. Smokers who say they “hate” smoking are deluding themselves-as an ex-smoker, I claim some authority on this topic.

We have a choice. People smoke because they want to smoke. It may be very hard for many people to quit smoking, but that’s not the point, they’ll never quit as long as they lie to themselves about the real cause of their habit. People are able to quit smoking when they really want to quit.

Take this quiz to find out if negative thoughts are causing procrastination in your life:

• When you tackle a job, do you expect to be successful? Do you think you’ll be able to complete the job successfully by giving it your best effort?

• Do you visualize your success? When you face a difficult task and feel like giving up, are you able to give yourself a pep talk to stay motivated?

• When friends, family members, or others help you recognize a habit that you need to change, are you able to recognize the truth in what they say? Do you believe you can change your bad habits?

• Do you accept responsibility when your projects fail, rather than looking for something beyond your control to blame it on?

• When your mind says you’re going to fail, do you try to replace these negative thoughts with positive ones?

If you answered “no” to any of the above questions, ask yourself what you can do to approach life with a more positive attitude. Do you want to go on living with negative thoughts, doubts, and fears? Are there any benefits of clinging to a negative attitude?

We can change bad habits by wanting to change them. And you can defeat the habit of procrastination in your life……..specially if you believe you can!

do you have a PDP?………….0
admin posted in Uncategorized on May 20th, 2008

What is a Personal Development Plan? (PDP)

A personal development plan is a structured and supported process used by a person to consider and improve upon their personal, educational and professional development. The individual is in control of his own development with the opportunity to monitor and steer his growth. It is simply a tool to encourage and support lifelong learning and growth…………..

The process involves identifying the areas that need development, planning, executing and reviewing.

We all tend to have a mental block when it comes to addressing our own problems. Many people are afraid about taking time and thinking about their problems and solutions to those problems. A PDP would help them to solve their problems in an easy manner.

You can start developing your PDP anytime. Based on your present situation and role, you can draw a PDP that could help to prioritize the most important areas of your life that need immediate attention and concentration.

Identify areas that need progress - This is the first step towards constructing your PDP. You need to be in tune with your current situation in life - know who you are, what you want to achieve, what you have and what you lack. You also have to be clear about what is working for you now and what is not. You need to check on what you are ignoring, also.

Many people may delay in this first step if they have problem identifying the areas of their life that needs development. If you are one of them just think about those areas that are important to you – for example, you could consider the following areas: Physical and mental well being, education, spiritual pursuit, finances, recreation, relationships – personal and professional, etc. You do not need to write down everything in detail but just make a list of these areas.

This list will help you to prioritize your areas. After you identify the areas that need improvement, write down what improvements you prefer to make in each of these areas as it relates to your personal growth.

Set a timeline on each goal - Begin with your short-term goals and then proceed to long-term goals

Write down your action plan – how do you plan to go about this process?

Review your plan – is this plan workable? Would you like to make a few changes or draw a new PDP?

Implement your plan – stick to your plan and follow your schedule

Review your progress - are you following the timeline? Are you progressing accordingly?

When you develop your own PDP, follow through with action and achieve your goals. You will feel like you are on top of the world. You will gain more confidence that your life is in your control. You will get a great satisfaction. Take one step at a time and enjoy the process. That is the key to success.

Start your PDP today!