Breaking The Bonds Of Limiting Influence

Posted on October 8, 2009 by admin

By John Halderman

If you are wanting to live your life uniquely, your own way, doing what you are here to do, you will need to take a good look at what is influencing you day in and day out. Your family, friends, groups and society all can influence your life usually beyond your awareness. Most people operate within what is considered normal in our society. People tend to go away from discomfort and pain, seeking comfort however they can, which usually means not wanting to feel the wrath of disapproval for doing something out of the ordinary.

The fact that most people are influenced greatly by others keeps them living a life where they are striving to feel good and be happy, but in ways that don’t bring long lasting results of either. If you are influenced to behave like the masses by the masses, what has happened to your unique inner drive? It is sniffled because it does not fit into the norm, and you have allowed yourself to go the more comfortable route, keeping in alignment with those around you.

There is something we are each intended to do, and we get thoughts and feelings about this, but usually cover it up. We think it can’t be done, because it doesn’t look like the life we are now living. The life we have fallen into by listening to and watching the masses rather than our heart and inner guidance is not usually close to our passion and purpose.

Our true deep happiness and satisfaction Continue reading →

The Journey to Becoming Yourself

Posted on October 8, 2009 by admin

By Jan Engels Smith

In a world full of stress, deadlines, needs, and scarcity, it is sometimes hard to determine that you have any power. Helping yourself can feel like an overwhelming and unattainable mission. However, we also live in a world full of new information and understandings. Ideas of self-empowerment and the feelings that these truths bring is testimony for a new way of thinking.

The universe is unlimited, and, if you choose to explore it, you will awaken to a whole new way of knowing—a whole new way of being. Spirit is available to all people at equal levels; there is no “better than,” or “more deserving.” The choice to raise your consciousness means to broaden your awareness, open up to new possibilities, step out of your comfort zone, and allow information other than what you already “know.”

Spirit has many names: God, Great Spirit, All That Is, Mother/Father, Great Mystery, Allah, and Lord. All are interchangeable. Your spirit, which is housed in your body, is part of that giant whole. In fact, everything is made up of the same energy. All things—every tree, rock, grain of sand, gust of wind, drop of water, animal, insect, bird, planet, star—are expressions of the divine, and we are all interconnected in a divine and profound way.

You are an incredible spirit of divine perfection, the same composition as Spirit. Creator is an ocean and you are a drop of water in that ocean. You carry within you the exact components and properties of the entire ocean. You are made of Spirit, in the reflection of Spirit, and Spirit is in you. Continue reading →

How to Attract Personal Happiness

Posted on September 12, 2009 by admin

The ‘Golden Rule’ occurred in the Greek and Chinese cultures thousands of years before the Christian era: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The spirit of the Golden Rule is one of generosity and altruism and is at the heart of any personal networking and ‘right’ living. Ralph Waldo Emerson said ‘To have a friend, you have to be one’, and his words are as true today as they ever were.

You can test this out yourself by completing the following simple exercise:

List ten people you know best: 1 – 10

After each name, write an ‘H’ if the person is happy, or an ‘N’ if the person is not happy. (H/N S/N) Then write an ‘S’ if the person is selfish or a ‘U’ for unselfish. Rimland in Psychological Reports (51); Brain/Mind Bulletin 1983 defines ‘selfish’ as:

“A stable tendency to devote one’s time and resources to one’s own interests and welfare – an unwillingness to inconvenience oneself for others.”

In his experimental study, the 2000 individuals who completed this exercise reported very few individuals who were both happy and selfish. The findings represent an interesting paradox.

Selfish people are, by definition, those whose activities are devoted to bringing themselves happiness. Yet at least as judged by others, these selfish people are far less likely to be happy than those whose efforts are devoted to making others happy.

So the Golden Rule in networking, as in life, is if you think about the other person rather than yourself, not only is that going to increase your empathy and rapport skills but it will make you a much more attractive person to know and be a magnet for personal happiness.

Another vital part of your networking skills is your ability to build rapport quickly and effectively with others. Successful rapport building will attract others to you and in turn attract personal happiness.

To build rapport successfully with another individual you need to understand ‘where’ they are coming from and have ‘empathy’ with them.

People often think of empathy as a mystical commodity, a special, almost uncanny ability to experience the thoughts and feelings of someone else. In fact ‘empathy’ is quite simply applied imagination and only requires a little exertion and discipline.

The next time you are sitting in a room conversing with three or more people, try this very simple activity:

Temporarily remove yourself from the conversation. Be very quiet for a few moments. Pay particular attention to the person doing the most talking.

Imagine the following things: Imagine the physical sensations the speaker is experiencing.

Mentally place yourself in that person’s body, sitting or standing in a particular position, eating the same food, drinking the same drink.

Mentally become that person. Do you feel energised? Tired? Irritated?

Imagine what kind of day the speaker has had – using all your knowledge about the speakers’ day. If you know little about the person, guess.

Continue to imagine yourself as that person. How does your day colour and affect what you are saying? Imagine the person’s relationship’s to everyone in the room – including yourself.

Continue to mentally be that person. What kind of feelings are generated by the people around you? How do they affect the things you say?

Now step back into yourself and rejoin the scene. Does your own role in the conversation feel different? Empathy, like memory is a creative act, not a mystical property and it requires imagination and practice.

It lies within the grasp of all of us.

Margaret Stead – Positive Psychologist, Career, Executive and Dream Architect Coach, helps individuals, executives and business leaders achieve their goals and experience genuine fulfilment with their work and career choices.
You can signup for Margaret’s FREE newsletter and learn more about these terrific resources at http://www.careersnet.com and http://www.careersnet.co.uk and NOW http://leadership-executive-coaching.com

Accept the Crisis

Posted on September 2, 2009 by admin

‘Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.’ Benjamin Disraeli

I have developed 7 steps to enable you first to determine whether you are in crisis at work and then to give you a kick-start to taking the actions necessary to change the situation.

Step 1 – Identify

Answer these 7 questions quickly and without thinking about the answers too much:

Do you constantly feel stressed or anxious at work?

At the end of the day do you often think ‘I have added little or no value today. I have made little or no difference.’?

Is there always too much to do and no time to do it?

Do you think you are unworthy for or unlikely to get a promotion?

Do you think your boss does not respect or value you?

Does it feel as though you have little or no support at work?

Do you think often of resigning or of losing your job?

If you answered yes to 5 or more questions, then you are in crisis.

Step 2 – Accept, Face, Decide

Now that you’ve realised it the next step is to accept it and face it. Until you do nothing will change. Ask yourself these questions:

Do I accept now that I am in crisis at work?

Am I now willing to face the fact that I am in crisis at work?

Now you have a decision to make:

Are you going to take control and do whatever it takes to change the situation and yourself (because undoubtedly changes are required in both)?

Or are you going to stay as you are and allow things to take their own course without your influence and regardless of your wishes?

Congratulations! You have just taken the first couple of steps towards changing the situation. They were difficult and even scary steps I know. So take a moment to pat yourself on the back and give yourself the positive feedback that you have started the journey towards where you want to be.

Now let’s start working on getting you from the situation you are in to the one you want to be in.

Step 3 – Set the Main Goal

We need to start with a very clear idea of what you want.

Pick a time frame for when you want to have resolved everything successfully. Is it 1 month? 3 months? 6 months? 1 year? Or something else? Make sure the deadline seems right for you, that you believe it is possible at the same time as giving yourself a slight stretch. Work out the exact date and write it down.

Now what is your goal for that day? You need to come up with a sentence that is phrased positively, is specific and is measurable. Imagine yourself on that day. Think about what you want to see, hear and feel. Again ensure that you believe it is possible at the same time as giving yourself a slight stretch. Write the goal down next to the date.

It is vital to be truly honest with yourself when setting your goal. You would be amazed at the number of my clients who say they want one thing, set that as a goal and start moving towards it when in their heart of hearts they truly want something completely different!

Once more imagine yourself on the day your goal is achieved. What are you seeing? What are you hearing? What are you feeling? Take a few moments to completely immerse yourself in that vision of the future. And then ask:

On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is not at all and 10 is completely and utterly, how much do I truly want to reach this goal?

If something isn’t quite right or you realise that goal really isn’t what you’re after, then re-visit the goal and tweak or re-write it until you can answer the above question with a minimum score of 8.

If that goal seems like the summit of a mountain right now, relax. We’re not going to try to fly straight to the top.

In Part 2 of this article we will take the next 4 steps to break the journey up into manageable bite sized pieces and start to move you forward.

© Emma Wortt of Em-powering Executives, 2008. All Rights Reserved. Em-powering Executives help leaders and their teams to achieve excellence through executive coaching and training. To receive similar articles direct to your inbox, you can subscribe to the FREE monthly Em-powering Executives newsletter at http://www.em-poweringexecutives.co.uk

How to Belly Laugh

Posted on August 30, 2009 by admin

At first glance this title may just confuse those who already think they know what laughing is and how to do it. What many people do not realize is that there is a big difference between casually giggling at a silly joke and thoroughly enjoying and taking the time to really laugh during moments that are just too hysterical to pass by. I like to call this sort of laugh, the sort of laugh that comes from deep down, a “Belly Laugh.” The sound of such a laugh is hard to describe, because everyone has their own unique laugh, but you know it when you hear it and you feel it when you do it. Belly laughs start from the core and can shake your body for as much as 15 minutes, however the effects of it stay with you and keep you feeling happy the rest of the day. In our fast paced society, it is sometimes considered a waste of time to laugh. There are many reasons people these days do not laugh as much as they used to. Some people are insecure about their laughing habits, or afraid to look too childish, but the fact of the matter remains the same, laughing is good for your health.

Some people abstain from belly laughing because they are embarrassed of their laugh. I think that was my problem. My husband told me one day at the beginning of our marriage that he did not know what my laugh sounded like. At first, I defended myself and reminded him of how many funny times we have shared and some of the jokes I have laughed at and told. He agreed that we have enjoyed lots of hilarious times, but he could only remember what my faint chuckle sounded like. He was right. For a long time I was insecure about the way my laugh sounded in public and so I stifled it. I was afraid that my voice would crack or that I would snort if I laughed too hard. I felt uncomfortable when I laughed in public because I worried everyone else would hear my laugh and think it sounded awkward compared to all the other perfect, beautiful laughs. What a ridiculous notion! When something is genuinely funny, we should laugh, not be concerned about what other people think. Do you judge other people based on the quality or quantity of their laughter? Probably not. It is unlikely that other people are paying such close attention to you during a funny moment that they are listening closely to your laugh and determining whether or not your laugh is a good one or a strange sounding one.

Another reason people are afraid to laugh out loud is because they do not want to look childish in a professional environment. It is true that children laugh more than adults. In fact, the average pre-schooler laughs and smiles about 400 times per day, however laughing will not make an employee or employer look foolish. In fact, recent research suggests that the workplace needs to lighten up, because 63% of respondents in one study said that the stress they felt at work has impacted their health and family life negatively. Many companies are actually trying to bring humor back into the corporate world, because the employers know that by incorporating fun back into the working environment, employees can maintain a sense of happiness and be more efficient with their work. So laugh a little at work, be the one who encourages others to actually take pleasure in their occupation. No one will assume you are foolish. They will just think you are trying to enjoy the time you spend at the workplace. And who knows, maybe you are just what someone else needs to feel a little more comfortable and start laughing as well.

Laughing should be part of our everyday lives. Each time we give one good, belly laugh, we burn about 3.5 calories and we release endorphins. When these endorphins are released into the body, there is an exhilarating effect similar to the effects of a hard workout. Laughing also invigorates and replenishes our cells, souls and minds by increasing our oxygen intake. A good belly laugh can also boost immunity, relieve stress and even increase our pain threshold.

So there you have it. You owe it to yourself to look for the funny moments in life and not just chuckle. Do not worry about what your laugh sounds like or what other people will think of you. Just remember the benefits to your health. Give a good old-fashioned belly laugh the next time an unexpected comical thing happens during your busy day. Like the old saying goes, “Live well, love always and laugh often.”

Courtney Lewis is the manager of Sweetly You where you can find unique bath and body products and create custom bath and body gift sets.

Taking a Chance on Healthy Living!

Posted on August 21, 2009 by admin

One of the most important aspects of living a healthy and prosperous life is understanding “risk.” By this I mean knowing how to understand and analyze situations in life that affect health. Being able to accurately weigh benefits and risks when making health decisions is very important! Too often decisions are based on incomplete or inaccurate information and this is a huge mistake with significant consequences!

Failure to accurately assess risk keeps people locked in all kinds of unhealthy situations including poor eating and exercise habits (lifestyle), relationships and jobs. Sometimes people are just afraid to step out and make a change. They see “risk” in making a change when the REAL risk comes from NOT making a change. From my perspective, living with the stress, unhappiness and frustration of indecision and poor health is the greatest risk of all, and one that is definitely not worth taking!

Accessing “risk” is nothing more than collecting information, weighing the alternatives and then making appropriate decisions based on the information.

Some risks to our health are more “real” than others. For example, it is common knowledge that obesity is associated with a wide variety of health problems. On the other hand, there are some health risks that are so remote we rarely think about them. On a practical level, eating highly processed foods and avoiding a daily dose of fresh fruits and vegetables is rarely considered serious. But, as too many have already discovered, the long range consequences of this practice are real and devastating.

Failure to accurately assess risk limits us in many ways. We imagine the “risk” of talking with our children about drugs, dating or sex and we put off having the “talk,” even though the risks of NOT talking are infinitely greater. Fear of flying and public speaking are two more “risks” affecting millions of people. But practically speaking, these fears are unfounded. People ride in cars every day, even though cars are far more dangerous than commercial aircraft! It’s a failure to accurately assess risk, and it limits our health, prosperity and pleasure in life.

The goods news is that failure to accurately access risk is reversible! The effects of those decisions to eat inappropriately or NOT to exercise are, as the common expression goes, “do-overs.” We can effect positive change in our lives by following a few simple steps to accurately access risk:

1. Accurately define your present situation and access your health “risks”. Are you eating a healthy diet? Are you getting enough exercise and good quality sleep? What are the consequences if you DON’T change? Weigh the benefits of healthier living vs the potential risks such as increased cost, inconvenience or discomfort.

2. What do you stand to gain if you change your present circumstances? Assess the “up-side” potential. Too often we look only at the “downside” risk and forget the benefits. What good things might happen if you take the risk and win?

3. Limit the “down-side” if you happen to make a wrong decision. Don’t continue down a path if it does not produce results. This is especially important when following weight loss programs. If the pounds are not coming off or if the weight loss is only temporary, find a new program! You not only want to lose weight, but want to sustain the weight loss for as long as possible. Take steps to ensure this will happen. Clear, concise, realistic objectives will definitely help.

4. Reduce your risk by being smart! Understand the situation and seek the advice of experts in the field of health and nutrition. This includes finding and forming partnerships to receive support and get good advice.

5. Have a fall-back position. If the decision you make fails to produce the desired results, be prepared to take a long, hard look at the circumstances and be prepared to change what you are doing.

Everything in life involves some element of risk. Driving your car, meeting someone new, crossing the street…but we do them every day. Winners in life are willing to accept the risk and continue on their way! Get involved, be smart about how you play the game, come prepared for a few failures along the way, but don’t quite. You will reap the benefits for your effort and live a happier and healthier life. I like to remember the words of the great Winston Churchill when he said, “Never, never, never give up!”

For more health articles and zyprexa side effect information go to: http://effects-side-zyprexa.com

Stress and the Brain’s Response to It

Posted on August 19, 2009 by admin

If you have been suffering the effects of stress over a continuous period, then there are definite physical consequences such as damage to the gastrointestinal tract, glandular system, skin or cardiovascular system as the body tries to cope with the incessant demands made on it. But it is not just in our body that stress manifests; prolonged stress also causes physical changes in the brain and these too can have profound effects.

Some of the more common symptoms of stress such as depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, fatigue and outbursts of crying for no reason are caused by a chemical malfunction in the brain. It can help to look at the way our brain chemicals function and are affected by stress so you know exactly what is happening to you.

Chemical Messengers: Since 1977 scientists have been able to find out about the inner workings of the brain through being able to penetrate into the very interior of single nerve cells. This work revealed that vital chemicals carry messages between brain cells which allow them to communicate with each other. Every day billions of such messages are being sent back and forth between the cells in the brain. There are two different kinds of messengers and the messages they carry are the complete opposite of each other.

Their function is to either encourage or inhibit our feelings and behaviour, the ‘positive’ messengers and the ‘negative’ messengers if you will. The positive ones send happy, uplifting and joyful messages and the negative messengers carry the less positive, less stimulating and sadder messages. The majority of our nerve centres receive input from both types of messengers and as long as this input is balanced between the two then everything runs along on an even keel. There are three positive messengers in the brain: serotonin, noradrenalin and dopamine and it is these brain chemicals that begin to malfunction when stress levels become more than we can handle comfortably. They each have quite different functions:

Serotonin is essential for ensuring you get a good night’s sleep and when we are stressed this is often the first change we notice. If serotonin is out of balance then restful sleep will elude you because it is responsible for the regulation of our internal body clock that makes sure the body is ready and receptive for sleep. The body clock lives at the very centre of the brain in the Pineal Gland and it is in there that serotonin is stored ready for use by the body. It is actually converted by the body into melatonin every day and then converted back again to serotonin over a 24 hour period and that is what decides your body clock.

This daily cycle is how your body chemistry is adjusted to a sleep and wake pattern so that when it is working optimally, the serotonin will make sure that each night you are drowsy and ready to sleep and maintains the sleep cycle throughout the night so that your sleep is deep and restful. It is the switch to melatonin each morning that means you wake up rested and refreshed.

Our Internal body clock: As well as regulating our sleep patterns, our body clock is also responsible for co-ordinating body temperature. Every 24 hours, your body temperature cycles from high to low, varying by as much as one degree. When it is time to wake up and be active, your body temperature rises slightly and when it is time to fall asleep it drops a little and again it is your body clock that regulates that temperature difference. Another vital element in sleep regulation is the hormone Cortisol, which is the body’s chief stress fighting hormone.

We have very high cortisol levels when we are in ‘fight or flight’ mode, but they normally drop dramatically at night as we relax and prepare for sleep. As with body temperature, the natural rise and fall of cortisol in the body must continue on it’s usual course throughout every 24 hours.

However, if you are constantly stressed then this cycle is disrupted and it becomes very difficult to get a proper restful night’s sleep.

Noradrenalin is responsible for setting the energy levels in the body, and is related to adrenalin. Noradrenalin is one of the positive messengers and is vital to a healthy nervous system. If levels of noradrenalin drop, we don’t have enough energy and feel tired and exhausted, with no enthusiasm to do anything. If you feel constantly exhausted and lethargic when stressed, it may be that your level of noradrenalin that is out of balance.

Dopamine is the third positive brain messenger and is responsible for both our pleasurable and painful feelings. We produce natural morphine-like molecules in our brains that are known as endorphins and they regulate our awareness of both pain and pleasure. Dopamine is found in the area of the brain next to where endorphins are released so if our dopamine messengers fail then our production of endorphins is also threatened.

It is stress that causes dopamine failure and if you notice that you are more sensitive to pain than usual that could be a signal that your dopamine messengers are not functioning fully. Dopamine is also responsible for the area of your brain that allows you to enjoy life. When stress interferes with dopamine function the pleasurable messages are no longer being transmitted and things that normally you find enjoyable become dull and uninteresting to you.

So we can see that when life is running according to plan the positive messages are able to keep up with our needs, but when we are under stress it appears that too many demands are placed on the positive messengers and their ability to keep up with the flow of messages to other cells seems to slow down.

If the stress continues, then the positive messages begin to fail. If this happens, then the important nerve centres receive more negative than positive messages and a state of brain chemical imbalance is present. This shift over to more negative than positive brain messengers being sent can result in a sense of being overwhelmed by life, anxious and unable to cope.

A common complaint in this situation is a lack of energy and enjoyment of life and often great problems in sleeping.

AnnA is the author of the practical ebook full of tips and resources called ‘How To Handle Stress.’ For more information and news of her special bonus report on Attitude and Illness, visit http://www.sortingstressout.com If your stress comes from procrastination, then email AnnA for your free resource of 52 Ways to deal with a habit that can damage your health, and happinesss. Contact AnnA via her main website at http://www.catalystonline.co.uk

Benefits of Living Life with Purpose

Posted on August 17, 2009 by admin

896613_liquid_background Why we should lead a purposeful life? What are the benefits of living life with purpose? No one comes here on this earth without any purpose.

If by the God’s grace you are here in the form of human being, nothing better could have happened to you than this. You are one of those fortunate creatures who are blessed with God’s best architecture.

You should be thankful to the Almighty for His creation and blessings.

Human birth is the best of all incarnations: To incarnate in the form of human being has been considered the best birth on this planet.

Because you are the one who can think and act better than any other living beings. You are gifted with a brain, superior than any computer, a pious soul and a heart full of compassion and love.

You have been blessed with all those faculties that could stop the flow of rivers and turn the direction of storms. Still you are yelling and sound miserable? Get up and shed your somber and distress!

You do not deserve to be the way you are today! You are here for some destined purpose. Now it’s your task to identify that purpose. You must find it as you have been bestowed with all that might and knacks to find your life purpose.

You have been designed by the God, the greatest architecture, with the best possible traits within you. How you could be down in fervor and spirit!

Your life purpose is within you: Are you still wondering? Let me help you! Just try to find out what pleases you the most.

What you are passionate about. What enchants you the most! What you find yourself good at? Whatever your answer is that is your first step towards your life purpose.

Don’t blame others for your condition: If you are miserable and frustrated today don’t blame it to destiny or circumstances. It’s rightly said, “A man gets what he actually deserves.”

It’s all your own creations. You need to look back where you lacked in your efforts to reach your goal in life. Where the drawback was? Strengthen it and start again with even more force and enthusiasm.

Pull your socks and give one more try with greater energy, inspiration and audacity! Who knows if your goal is only an attempt away!

There is no power that can restrain you from reaching the purpose of your life if you are armed with adequate enthusiasm and perseverance.

Nirvana the ultimate path to fulfillment and contentment: It’s not sufficient to only find purpose in life. It’s all about leading and fulfilling that purpose as well. Because life with a purpose will bring happiness and a sense of contentment which is rare to find even after being bestowed with whole lot of authority, money and power.

This is the reason people are wondering in search of peace and fulfillment. It is not easy to earn money and fame today but it is more difficult to attain that level of peace and enlightenment which is the ultimate goal of all human being.

In other words “Nirvana” is the last step towards happiness and peace. It is a state of mind where there is tranquility everywhere and the mind is free from cravings and lusts. This state of mind can only be attained when you have a purpose in life.

This is one of the biggest benefits of living life with purpose. And to find purpose, you need to grill your consciousness repeatedly to extract the purpose behind your birth on this earth.

Listen to your consciousness because there is no bigger well wisher than your own inner voice. Because this voice never lies and perhaps never dies as well.

Nicolas Baron developed a system to help you succeed in Finding your Purpose in Life and feeling fulfilled and happier in general. These worksheets & exercises are incredibly helpful for self awareness and a greater understanding of the key principles to finding your life purpose. Discover more about how to Find your Purpose and Passion from his popular free e-Course, available at: => http://www.find-your-purpose-now.com

Meteoric Personal Development!

Posted on August 16, 2009 by admin

Willie Horton’s acclaimed two-day personal development seminars have been running for thirteen years. He teaches that a clear and present state of mind creates extra-ordinary personal and business success. His vast expertise is now available in his Online Workshop at Gurdy.Net. His website also offers daily free personal development video seminars, articles and a Free Personal Development Ezine published every Monday morning.

Myself and my family recently spent an evening on our balcony star-gazing – watching the annual Perseid Meteor Shower – when the earth passes through a band of wayward comet grit. Many people might just see one shooting star in their lifetime – but, in the space of about twenty minutes, we counted a dozen. It was a humbling experience. Here we were, five insignificant dots on the balcony of a house – no more than a dot on this planet which, in itself is no more than a tiny pebble spinning at high speed through a vast space. That evening, we watched pieces of rock – undoubtedly billions of years old (comets are leftovers from the Big Bang) – spend the last seconds on their existence as they burned up on entering our atmosphere.

As I say, it was a humbling experience and one which gets you thinking about who you are and your place in the world – and the universe. It also gets you thinking about what people believe in – and why, as a client asked me recently, very bad things happen to ordinary people. She asked why “a loving God” would be party to the tragic drowning, whilst on holiday, of her five year old nephew. My answer related to the universe and how it responds to the things that most occupy our minds (her nephew’s mother was always convinced that something dreadful would befall her children and, as a result, was over-protective).

God – who probably does not exist in the traditional religious sense – is not a loving God. God is a responsive God. Quantum physics tells us that there is a mathematically improbable degree of order in the universe because that order is being “orchestrated by an underlying entity or singularity”. Quantum physics also tells us that the energy of the universe is responsive to our energy – responsive to the things that most occupy our minds.

Psychology tells us, however, that normal people’s minds are most occupied by nonsense – whether it’s the fifty thousand random, mainly useless, thoughts that pepper the conscious mind daily or the extent to which all normal people’s minds tend towards the negative. There is strong empirical evidence to prove these facts.

As a result, the responsive universe, of which we are an integral part, gives normal people what they inherently expect – varying from the norm of “not too bad”, to the tragedies that pepper the human condition. It’s not that “God” does awful things, it is that we conscious or subconsciously wish these awful things upon ourselves. Buddhism might call it karma, Christianity might say the what goes around comes around – either way, these are the fundamental truths of our scientifically proven responsive universe. We get what we expect.

That truth goes a long way towards explaining our part of the greater whole – it goes a long way towards explaining why the collective nonsensical thoughts of normal people wreak havoc, on a grand scale, in our world – whether that be from war and oppression or the starvation of millions in a world where many feast themselves into obesity. That truth also gives us an insight into how we can live better lives, experience happiness, peace of mind and effortless success. In other words, it’s all in our minds.

We’ve got to change our minds in order to play a positive role in the great responsive universe in which we live. We’ve got to step outside the norm – become abnormal. We’ve got to expect something different and, quantum physics tells us, something different will happen – for us, for those we love and for the world at large. In other words, we’ve got to carve out our own destinies. It is our responsibility – not that of a “loving God”. After all, God loves a trier – God helps those who help themselves.

This extraordinary – or abnormal – journey starts and finishes within. We’ve got to take responsibility for the only thing that we can fully control in our lives – our own state of mind. We have extraordinary inner energy, power and potential. And, yet, normal people only use 1% of that inner power – the rest of it idling destructively on useless thought and the negative. If we want more out of life, we need to invest more than 1% of our mental or spiritual energy in the universe and, in turn, as sure as night follows day, the universe will respond.

The steps on the personal journey that can bring us an abnormally successful and happy life are taken one at a time – moment to moment. No one can commit to being abnormal for the rest of their lives – each of our lives is lived moment to moment in the here and now, the only place and time we have and the only time in which we can commit to being either abnormal, or abdicate our responsibility for ourselves and lapse into horrible normality. Hence, the “power of now”.

The most effective way of taking control of your inner power and potential is to increase your attentiveness to what is happening and where you are, in the present moment. This is easily done by paying attention to what your five senses are telling you. We all did this as children but research tells us that we pay almost no attention at all to our five senses as adults. We need to really, really see, feel, hear, smell and taste where we are. In doing so, we prevent our minds dwelling on useless thought or on the subconscious negative. In doing so, we change our experience of now and, as a result, we change our lives. Most importantly, in doing so, we become more attuned to the free-flowing energy of a responsive universe.

1.0 Degree° Amarani

To upgrade is human

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