Maria Duval - Making The Most Of Now

Making The Most Of Now
?You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.? --Henry David Thoreau (1817-62) American writer, author, naturalist

How do you actually spend your days? Are you focused and committed to everything you do? If you are, that?s wonderful! But if that?s not you, does this ring a bell? Are you spending a lot of your day thinking about what has happened to you up to this moment? Or are you waiting for something to happen, for the right opportunity to come along, to get some more time, make some more money, meet the right person? Are you dreaming of what might happen next week, next month, next year? STOP!

Each day you are given is a gift. It is time to value every moment. We all have 24 hours a day. No more. No less. The clock is ticking and there will be no second chance. You cannot get time back once it has gone. What do you choose to do with your 24 hours? Are you letting life just happen? Decide to take control. Stop rushing. Savour every moment as it happens. Take note of everything around you. Be in the moment as it happens. Listen to the sounds, observe other people, see the buds on the trees and shrubs, the spring flowers peeping out through the snow. Don?t miss what is happening now in your world.

Act as though this day was your last. What message would you like to leave? Treat everyone you meet with care, kindness and understanding. Communicate clearly. Make every encounter with another person important. Give them respect, admiration and courtesy and you will attract the same. Do what you are doing to the best of your ability. Make only commitments you can deliver. Trust yourself to say and do the right thing. Choose to be excellent in all that you do. Be more, do more, demand and expect more from yourself. Focus on what needs to be done now, on results. Prioritize your time ? don?t waste it. See every challenge or problem is a chance to grow.

Live your life on purpose, not by accident. The past ? it?s over with and should be nothing but a fading memory. The future ? it simply hasn?t happened yet and things you do today, now, are likely to have an impact on that future. Don?t compare your present situation to anything else ? accept it for what it is and make the most of it ? or decide to take action now if it is not the present you want. Acknowledge that nothing will improve unless you do something about it. Be happy. Don?t wait for events or other people to make you happy. Have some fun! Start enjoying your life ? now, today. Start doing things you enjoy or try something different. Keep your sense of humour, your sense of fun. Think ?This is my day of opportunity!? ? every day! Seize and enjoy every moment. Every morning is a fresh beginning. What are you waiting for?

Kate Harper is based in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland. Check out her website http://www.harpercoaching.com She works with people who are fed up with moaning about their lives and have decided to do something about it. If that is you, please take a look at Kate's website. Her special interest is in promoting Wellbeing through coaching. She is happy to work with people from any part of the world. "The distance is nothing; it is only the first step that is difficult." Madame Marie du Deffand Take your first step today and contact Kate.

Reboot Your Commute
Commuting is one of those things that, if you are doing it, is something that you have to do rather than want to do. And if you have a negative attitude about your commute, it can quickly turn into something that starts to impact more than just the time you spend commuting.

Your attitude about the commute can carry into work, home, and play. When you arrive at work already in an agitated state, you?ll need a cooling off period or your productivity will be lowered. Time is wasted preparing for the commute itself, either by having to hype yourself up or by dragging yourself down. It can also take its toll of your health, whether it is from increased stress or weight gain. Needless to say, commuting takes away from time that you would rather spend on other activities.

Wouldn?t it be nice if you actually looked forward to your commute? It may seem overwhelming to try to picture the commute in a different way, but there are resources out there to help commuters change their perspective and even turn the commute into something positive and productive.

Following a simple program and making small changes is a great way to start turning your commute into a better experience. Programs are good because they provide structure and activities to see you through the needed steps and help you to understand
why the commute affects you adversely and how to change it.

One of the first things to do is think about what it is that drains you about the commute? Is it the time, the crowds, being away from home, fears and risks associated with traveling, or simply the boredom? In order to revert back to a time before the stress of the commute got hold of you, you first need to articulate what about the commute is draining. Then you need to do something about it.

Think of the commute as a tool that allows you to live your life in a better way. For example, instead of saying:

?I hate driving all the way to work. I wish I could retire. What?s the use of having a nice house when I don?t have any time to spend in it??

You could say: ?I commute to work so that I may live where I choose. In this way, I get the best of both worlds, a good paycheck and a good home. I even get to use my commute time in a way that increases my health and wellbeing.?

Figure out what drains you, then you can act on that and move forward to help make your commute a positive force in your life.

Dr. Mastria is founder of Commuter-Assist and has created a five step program titled, FIVE STEPS TO A BETTER COMMUTE available free on the Commuter-Assist website (http://www.Commuter-Assist.com). Dr. Mastria's website is designed to help commuters get the most out of their commute and life in general. To contact email info@Commuter-Assist.com.

Become The Star, Director, And Writer Of Your Future.
One of the secrets of success is to not work so hard with your physical body; instead, use your mind to work out the details of how to be the person you want to be. Are you motivated to spend 10 minutes a day envisioning the future you want to create for yourself?

By deliberately mentally rehearsing the experience of success in your mind, you can turn aspirations into realities. See yourself free from the old negative habits that have wasted your time, energy, and money. Forget willpower for now and imagine yourself with positive behaviors. See yourself handling any challenging situation that normally triggers your old habits and see yourself using new strategies and doing it with
ease.

Success experts say your imagination is your own personal workshop of the mind. This is particularly true when you want to program yourself towards new habits of success.

Visualize Yourself as the Person You Want to Be with Mental Rehearsal.

Mental rehearsal is the most powerful way to tap into your creative process and overcome old behavior patterns. Mental rehearsal can be used in all areas of your life, from seeing yourself as a non smoker, seeing yourself as the weight and size you want to be, and even seeing yourself as calm during challenging times.

Mental rehearsal is a tool that can help you reduce the effects of stressful situations. Now you will be more resourceful, reducing the possibility of reverting to your old habits. All areas in your life can benefit from imagery. It doesn?t matter what level your goals are on: physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual.

Use visualization to improve your abilities. Because the body follows the mind, if you start seeing yourself in a different light, then your body will follow suit ? maybe by not craving the things that hurt you, or by motivating you to exercise more. It?s up to you to experiment. Who knows what miracles you can create in your life by using this
powerful tool?

Counselors and therapists who recommend using mental rehearsal say it is the true key to tap your potential. Their research reveals that all of our skills are learned through the image-making process, whether it?s driving a car, reading a book, or changing a habit.

You use your mind to picture the activity before you actually perform it. Think of it like this: Your mind works like a movie projector, screening an endless reel of memories and scenes of situations both real and imagined. You have the power to direct your movie projector (your mind) to reach your desired goals. Once you imagine something new for yourself, you begin to be flooded with ideas about how to realize that image. All of this will come about when you have allowed yourself to break through your own worst limitation, what you believe are your capabilities.

Seth Francis is the owner of http://www.breakyourhabits.com. Learn the true steps needed to Break any Habit in only 21 days. With the help of Personal coach Lee Milteer, Seth is able to bring you a comprehensive program to help you dig deep into your inner self and release your habits from with in, while reprogramming your mind. Copyright 2006

Intelligent Optimism Wins In Today's World
The reality of today's world seems to leave little room for optimism. Almost every news story can lead because it does bleed. We hear of critical food shortages in Africa, daily gang deaths on city streets, the profiteering from child pornography, and the climatic disasters prompted by global warming. Health care costs move up faster than a hummingbird in flight and more children now spout profanities as a regular part of speech. With such negativity, no wonder a 2004 U.S. government survey found that depression afflicts one in 10 adults 14 days a month or more.

You probably get depressed just reading the opening paragraph. But wait! There is hope. Not the cock-eyed optimism that became fodder for a song from the musical South Pacific, but rather what psychologists in France are calling "intelligent optimism." Such optimism does not deny the reality of today's world, but rather seeks to LEARN how to fashion a life amid such difficulties. Martin Seligman, the psychologist who had made optimism and happiness his life's work, would agree with the French: optimism can be taught.

Consider these basic steps:

(1) Focus on what you can control. Don't get carried away by circumstances you cannot change. You might not change global warming but you can control your energy consumption. You can't stop the downsizing in your company but you can arm yourself with marketable skills.

(2) Reframe the event so that you are not a victim. There is always another way to view a situation. The flight cancellation that caused me to miss (and forfeit) a major engagement was not "planned" to "get" me. It just was. My choice is to figure out what I can do to help the current client and what I will put in the place of the cancelled work.

(3) Think "enough". When we concentrate on what we don't have, we miss all the many things we do have. The truth of the matter is that if you are reading this article, you do have enough computer power. You do have enough intelligence. You do have enough time.

(4) Cultivate optimistic responses. Like a farmer tending a field, optimism will never grow unless it is watered, fed, weeded and nourished. We all have days in which negativity can take over. And, sometimes, that is a WISE response because it keeps us grounded in reality. Just make sure it is reality and not the imagination making extraordinary leaps into conjecture. Weed out that conjecture. Ask what you can DO to see a result that gives you a sense of power. If we don't cultivate such intelligent optimism, be aware of reality and willing to find options, then we might do what Alexander Graham Bell warned. "Stare so long at the closed door we fail to see the one that is opening."

(5) Remember the power of generations. Children of depressed parents are more prone to depression. Children of optimists are more prone to be optimists. What do you choose to pass along? Even if your parents were negative, you can break the cycle with stopping, freeze-framing a situation, listening to the negative self talk, and then literally giving yourself a different message. Yes, this takes practice but you can make it a habit if you work it over time.

Ultimately, intelligent optimists understand that change and chaos are given. They know that "this too shall pass". In the meantime, they CHOOSE to take whatever action they can within their own sphere of influence and then settle back. It is enough.

(c) 2005, McDargh Communications. Publication rights granted to all venues so long as article and by-line are reprinted intact and all links are made live.

Named by Executive Excellence Magazine as one of the top 100 thought leaders in business, Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE authored one of the first books on work/life balance. Numerous books and articles later, Eileen serves the meetings industry as a popular international keynoter and on the Board of Directors of the National Speakers Association. You can find products and services offered by Eileen at http://www.EileenMcDargh.com

The Value Of Associations
This past week I ran into a friend of mine who I hadn't seen in quite some time. It was good to see him again, at least for a few minutes.

Then I remembered why I stopped associating with him in the first place.

The guy has a big heart, and you can't help but love him. Unfortunately, he is also an incessant whiner.

He is always going on about how he doesn't make enough money with his job, and how things never seem to go right for him in life. No matter what you say to him there is no shaking his loser mantality. He has chosen to be the victim in life, and to be quite honest I think he enjoys it.

But it doesn't stop there. It's not enough for him to mope and complain about his own life, he does his best to bring the people around him down as well.

He asked me how my 'little internet business' was going. Remember it's been a long time since we had spoken last.

I certainly didn't want to rub anything in here, so I just told him politely that things were moving along and that I had quit my job as a delivery driver last year.

I could see the irritation in his face. This guy was genuinely distraught over my success.

He gave a grunt and said "Well good luck."

But he didn't really mean 'Good luck'. What he meant was 'I hope you fall flat on your face and have to go back to your old job so I can feel better about who I am'.

He's a loser because he projects nothing but negative energy into his own life, and he wants everyone around him fail and be miserable alongside him. No thanks.

I spent just a couple more minutes chatting with him, then told him I had to run.

I really do wish him the best, but I'm certainly not going to spend my precious time letting him sap the life out of me with his pity party no-hoper mentaility. There are plenty of positive, success-minded people for me to hang out with and that's where I prefer to spend my time.

There is a lesson to all this, and here it is.

Think of the most successful person you know. For our purposes today, let's define success as financial and emotional prosperity. This should be someone you know on a personal level, and not a character you've read about in your favorite business or glamour magazine.

Now, ask yourself who this highly productive individual associates with. Chances are the group of folks you identify with this question won't be a bunch of lazy, negative, self-pity freaks.

Now try the same excercise with the least successful individual you know. It's not too likely that your selection for "least successful" is a person who surrounds themselves with positive, productive human beings.

The kind of people we surround ourselves with will have a profound effect on our thought patterns. Since it's safe to say our reality starts with our thoughts, the value of our personal associations can hardly be overstated.

To spend the majority of our time around people who offer us doubt and discouragement is to limit ourselves to a bleak shadow of our full potential. Alternatively, by mingling with those who project confidence and optimism, we are sure to absorb an attitude of determination and tenacity. It's good practice to socialize with individuals who reflect our aspirations.

People who want to whine and complain about how unfair life is, and how they just can't seem to 'get a break' are bad company. Especially when these people want to project their misery and negativity onto you.

One of the best things you can do for your own success and happiness is give these losers the boot and find some happier, more productive people to associate with.

Tim Whiston is a full-time entrepreneur and internet marketer. He publishes a monthly ezine, and is the author of a popular e-book entitled From Zero to Profit.

Increasing Prosperity With Positive Thinking
Increasing prosperity in our lives can be accomplished by having the right frame of mind. The truth is, our thoughts are very powerful. They are capable of influencing every aspect of our daily lives, from our physical health to our social behaviors. I'm sure you've heard the adage, "As you think, so shall you be."

If we want to improve our lives, we must first improve our thoughts. Harnessing the power of thought in a positive way has the ability to create great change in our lives, including our financial well-being and prosperity. But how? How do we take something as intangible as thoughts, and manifest them into a physical reality?

We must first understand that being prosperous is more than having a lot of money. Prosperity is a mindset, a way of interacting in our lives, and a way of thinking. Mastering this train of thought is not easy, but it is simple enough if we keep working on it consistently.

Following are some ideas to help you improve your thoughts, and ultimately attract more prosperity into your life:

Be grateful for the blessings in your life right now. Take a few minutes each day to express heartfelt gratitude for the good things in your life. Even more powerful, write a few of these blessings down each day. This helps to put your focus in the right direction -- on abundance, not lack.

Use positive affirmations to begin training yourself to think positively. Use "I am" statements such as "I am worthy of all that is good." Write the statements down and repeat them nightly before bed. Over time, this will implant these thoughts into your subconscious mind, and you will begin to naturally believe them.

Creative visualization can help you achieve prosperity by determining what it is you wish to achieve, and then thoroughly creating that image in your mind. This works in the same way affirmations do. Our subconscious will fill with images of prosperity, and eventually these subconscious "truths" will manifest in the physical. "See" yourself as being prosperous, and you will become so.

Encourage yourself with the belief that you can achieve great things. This could also be one of your affirmations, but expand on it. If you know you can earn a certain salary, tell yourself you can earn more. Allow yourself to believe all things are possible, and you will gain the confidence needed to reach higher than you ever imagined you could. If you believe you can do it, you are more likely to take the risks associated with people who are highly successful. Prosperity and success go hand in hand, so take risks and aim higher.

Start a savings account. As strange as it sounds, think about this: Like Attracts Like. Even if you can only afford to put a few dollars into your account every month, it will begin to build up and attract more money.

Finally, believe you are already wealthy. The creative ability of our thoughts is such that we lend more power and energy to whatever we consistently focus on. Focusing on lack will create more lack. Focusing on wealth and prosperity will create . . . guess what?

Remember that this is a process. You likely won't change your circumstances in one day. But over time, with consistent focus, your thoughts will begin to attract what you want. Once you master this power of thought, there are truly no limits to what you can create!

Wendy Betterini is a freelance writer who strives to motivate, uplift, and inspire you to make your dreams a reality. Visit her website, http://www.WingsForTheHeart.com for more positive thoughts to help you on your journey.

When A Technique Doesn't Work Try Another In Managing Your Fears
What do you do when you try to manage your fears and it doesn?t work the first time around? The answer is that you try again with other techniques that might be more effective. Here are some things that a person should consider when managing their fears and anxieties.

The person struggling with the anxiety must realize that managing anxiety and fear takes practice. So when experiencing an anxiety related situation, begin to learn what works, what doesn?t work, and what you need to improve on in managing your fears and anxieties. As you do this, you will become better in dealing with your anxieties.

Try to learn what is the real source of your fears and anxieties. Knowing what the source of your problem is can go a long way in finding the solution. Think about it and try to figure out what is the source of your fears and stress. If you do not know, then ask a professional or a counselor. As a Layman, I learned that finding the source of your fears will put you that much closer in getting better.

Sometimes we get stressed out when everything happens all at once. When this happens, a person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the problem. A person could get some fresh air, listen to some music, or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things. Once you do that you will be able to think more clearly.

Learn as much as you can in managing anxiety and depression. There are many books and information that will educate you on how to deal with fear and anxiety. Share this information with others who may come up with new ideas. Education is the key in finding the answers your looking for in managing your fears.

Remember to take it one day at a time. Instead of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the week or coming month, try to focus on today. Each day can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to deal with your problems. Focus on the present and stop trying to predict what may happen next week. Next week will take care of itself.

As a Layman, I realize it is not easy to deal with all of our fears. When your fears and anxieties have the best of you, seek help from a professional. The key is to be patient, take it slow, and not to give up. In time, you will be able to find those resources that will help you with your problems.

Stan Popovich is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear? an easy to read book that presents a overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com

Re-Visioning
Radical Consciousness is the means by which we can re-invent the past and dream the future into a new reality. Radical Consciousness is not stuck in any concepts from the past or future. What happened in the past is an appearance only. You can re-live the story, and bring about a new ending. You wrote the script the first time; you can re- write it. There are as many histories as there are viewers of history. That's why it is so hard for juries to decide who is innocent and who is guilty. The important point here is to realize that you are not stuck in time. Radical Consciousness is not confined to any time or place. Consciousness is Eternal in time, and Consciousness is the Fourth Dimension in Space. The Fourth Dimension is not something added to the first three dimensions. The Fourth Dimension includes, encompasses and interpenetrates the first three. Memory is just a recording of what appeared to have happened. You put your own spin on it, and your neighbor, although present for the same event, was in a totally different world with its own spin. You can re-write the script and the future changes as does the script. The Time Machine movies are true. You can re-visit the past and change the present. Or you can visit the future and change the present. Crank up the Time Machine of your Imagination and revise your past and future. Scientists may argue whether space is a function of time or time a function of space, but in radical consciousness we realize that both are functions of the imagination. History is His-story and thus it is My-story and Your-story and Our- story. History is open to re-vision. For example, forgiveness re-writes the past, the present and the future. Do not let past hurts define you. Tell yourself a different story this time with a preferred outcome. Write it down. Make up a play and act it out on the stage of your imagination. Create your own theater and cast of stars. Don't write it like you don't want it, or you will continue to have what you have now. History is very fluid. You dreamed up your interpretation of the events in your history and so you can re-dream it. You can get angry and curse at the guy who cut out in front of you, but you could also choose to be thankful that he missed you. You can hate your ex for all of his foolishness or you can imagine him waking up from it and thus you release yourself from all of the foolishness he saw in you. What you release on earth is released in your heavenly mind and what you bind on earth is bound in your imagination. So re-script every awful and painful thing that ever happened to you and don't re-live it any more. It is said that those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. Those who would re-write history can do so. Just re-vision it the way you now want it to be, and it will be so. You have a second chance, it has been given to you already. Radical Consciousness is that chance. Take it. History was written through imagination and can be changed through imagination. Past, present or future. The past is not, as psychoanalysis has believed, determinative, unless you keep on remembering it and re-empowering it. You dreamed a bad dream; re-dream the incident as it could be or should have been. You thought carelessly; re-think it constructively. You acted foolishly; re-enact it wisely. You felt painfully; re-feel it harmoniously. You wrote amiss; re-write with accuracy. An "accident" happened; re- construct it into a blessing. A "trauma" happened; un- traumatize it. You "lost" something or someone; you can find it. You are in a bad mood; upgrade it. Radical Consciousness is in the business of re-visioning history. Nothing is impossible. Through your imagination, the world of possibilities just keeps on expanding. You are a possibility person if and when you can focus continually on the possibility you want. Every night before you fall asleep, review your day. If you did anything today that you regret or if anyone else did anything that bothers you, go back and change the story, change the outcome. In this manner you do not carry any burden from today into tomorrow. With regular practice, you will lighten your load. You will also realize the power of your thoughts and intentions in a new and profound way. Nothing is set in stone. Memory can be changed. "Behold, I make all things new." History was just an interpretation anyway, a very distorted perception and memory. It was all a soap opera. Forgiveness can be just as real as the offense. As you change the outcome to what you want, you will be able next time to do it right the first time. How you take things is how you experience them. You always have a choice about how you are going to take anything. Re-visioning means that you still have a choice. There are no victims, even in your past. The Infinite Good extends indefinitely into the past and into the future. Re-visioning is a new word for forgiveness. Re-visioning means that we let go of a judgment or an opinion. Letting go of judgments is a path of renewal because all such opinions of what is going on are ego assessments. All judgments, which leave out the Infinite Good, are false. The ego is incapable of true awareness. Forgive the false judgments of others and you are forgiven yours. You don't have to wait until the end of the day to re-vision. The sooner the better. If you practice immediate re-visioning, it won't be long before you catch yourself in the act and revise it before the mistake is even made. We are programmed by our ego. "There is no inevitable permanence in anything. Both past and present continue to exist only because they are sustained by Imagination on some level or other; and a radical transformation of life is always possible by man revising the undesirable part of it." Neville

Carroll J. Wright, Ph.D. is a professional counselor, spiritual psychotherapist, and researcher in the field of transpersonal psychology,as well as author of several books. He can be reached at: http://myspiritualpsychotherapy.com