9 Ways to Change your Life!

6.Your number one asset

There is a lot of talk today about investments and getting ahead. In the world of finance., there is much debate about what the best investments are. And while it is important to watch your money and plan how you shall invest it, there is a much greater investment available to you: the investment of time and effort into your own personal development

The knowledge and skills you can gain in your life are your number one asset.

The people who make the greatest gains in life are those who spend time each day, week, month and year investing in their personal development. They spend time reading, learning, gaining new skills and improving themselves from the inside out. Developing yourself mentally is much like building your muscles and becoming physically fit. If you are consistent in your approach, the results start to come. You may not gain much in the short-term but over the longer term the results are noticeable and valuable. Many people who are keen to begin a course of personal and professional development wonder what they should study first.

Here is a list of ways to start to move yourself ahead:

1) Study your language. Learn to speak, read and write correctly. Each
week try to learn a new word to add to your vocabulary. Words are
tools, and the more you have at your disposal, the more effectively you
can communicate and think.

2) Study your profession. After your language, the best way to move
yourself ahead is to study your own profession. Take time to read as
much as you can about your company, type of business, the overall
industry and the future trends. Discover the skills and 'tricks of the
trade' that best people in your industry use. By studying consistently
each year for five years, you can become an expert and move to the
top of your field.

3) Study communication & people skills. You ability to get along with
different types of people will greatly enhance your success in work, no
matter what the industry. By taking time to learn how to relate, listen
and communicate, you will find yourself more popular and more able to
get what you want from your life.

By reading this article, you are one of the precious few who have discovered the miracle of personal development. If you maintain the habit of continual reading, learning and improvement of your skills, you shall find that soon enough you are making more money, friends and gaining more freedom in your life.

To be continued….

9 Ways to Change your Life

5. Responsibility and self-Reliance

For most people, having freedom and control in our lives is very important. We all value our ability to make our own decisions and having the power to choose. Of course, what a lot of us forget is that to have freedom and control in our lives requires a high level of responsibility and self-reliance. Often the best way to tell how 'free' you are is how much responsibility you are willing to accept in your life. Each of us is born totally dependant on other people, usually our parents. As young children, every part of our lives is decided and guided for us. We don't have to find our own food, clothing or shelter; we don't decide if we'll go to school.

Everything we do and everything we are is a result of other people doing it for us.

As we grow into adults, we begin to take more and more of this responsibility on for ourselves. Some of us take responsibility quite eagerly and enjoy the freedom that comes with it. Other people however tend to try to avoid the responsibility that being an adult requires. But avoiding responsibility is simply cheating yourself.

Here are three great ways to take more responsibility: 

1) Remind yourself. The best way to maintain a high level of  responsibility in your life is to continually remind yourself about it. You can say something simple to yourself like 'this is my responsibility' or 'I am responsible'. By doing this you trigger a deeper part of your character and become more in-control of your life.

2) Realise that freedom equals responsibility. Most people want a high
level of freedom in their lives. Unfortunately most people forget that to
truly be free and in-control requires that you take an equal level of
responsibility. Think about when you first moved out of home: for the
first time you were 'the boss' of your life. And as a result of this new
status, you also got to be the chief cook, bottle washer and bill-payer.
Realise that by accepting responsibility for yourself and your life, you
are also enabling more freedom and choice to flow towards you.

3) Admit your mistakes. One of the fatal flaws most people have is to try to hide their mistakes. They think that because they have 'messed up'
that they will cause trouble for themselves. Often they will try to hide
their mistakes by lying, avoiding or blaming. By doing this all they really
do is cause themselves to look foolish and untrustworthy. From this
moment on, resolve to face your mistakes and learn from them. By
admitting a mistake you instantly become more responsible.

Is there an area of your life where you could take on more responsibility? If so, then take it (bring it on) and you will suddenly feel more powerful and in-control.

9 Ways to Change your Life!

REGISTER ON TIME FOR THE SEMINAR “The Key to the Law of Attraction”

4.  Bring It On!

What is the right way to look at the problems in your life?

Should you get worried about them? Should you complain and condemn them in the hope that they'll go away? If you want to be agitated and stressed for the rest of your life, then maybe you could.

Or should you accept problems as a part of the 'tide of life' and go wearily about your day feeling burdened and miserable?     If you want to be depressed all the time, then perhaps you should.

If neither of those ways of thinking appeals to you, here is another idea for you: whenever you are faced by a  problem large or small, then look at it as personal challenge. Decide to adopt the 'Bring It On' attitude.

The 'Bring It On' attitude says

- Life isn't for wimps!

- Life is about earning your stripes

- Every challenge or problem is a chance to grow

- What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger

Each time life serves up a tough situation, you have to face it squarely and say to yourself, "Bring It On!"

This may sound like a peculiar way to face your problems, but it is guaranteed to boost your chances of success. Saying these words over and over will trigger the positive, proactive, constructive thinking that you require to solve your problems and challenges. It stirs up the courage and power that is dormant inside of you.

Only you can decide what reaction you have to the events of your life. You choose if you see something as an opportunity to show your true colours, or a sign that you should just give up.

Each time you feel overwhelmed it's easy to feel like giving up, and retreating.

But the 'Bring It On’ attitude makes you feel better about your situation. Try it for yourself next time you are starting feel sorry for yourself. Straighten your shoulders, smile to yourself and say..

"Bring it On!"

To be continued….

9 Ways to Change your Life!

 

Register for the Seminar on time

3. Change the Way you Look at Food

So many people these days are really exhausted. Ask somebody how they feel, and they'll usually say 'tired¹. It seems that modern life is really wearing us all out, and we have no idea why.

While it's true that many of us are working harder than ever before, it's also important to realise the value of the food you eat.

Most of us only think about food when we are hungry, and then we usually eat whatever we 'feel like' eating. Here is great idea to immediately give you more energy: change your perception of food. Stop thinking of it in terms of how it tastes; instead focus on how it fuels your body.

Food = Potential Raw Energy

In its most basic form, food is just potential raw energy. The more high quality fuel you use the greater return of energy your body has. The greater amount of energy you have, the more you can do and experience in your life.

By suggesting this idea, I am not saying you must become a health food fanatic - rather I'm suggesting you think about what you get out of the food you eat. Instead of only thinking about food when your stomach grumbles, think about it before you even start your day. Ask yourself what kind of activities you have on, and how much energy you need to complete them. Then decide what fuel would best suit your energy needs.

Of course, the best sources of high energy come from natural foods such as fresh fruits, juices and vegetables. This is because they are transformed into raw energy faster than any other types of food. But you must decide for yourself what types of food suit your energy needs the most.

Here is a little test for you: over the next week, be conscious of the energy return you get from the foods you eat. Do not think about taste or if you're satisfied - only think  about the energy they give you after you eat them.

Next, test other types of food to see if you gain better results. You will notice that some foods give you more natural energy than others.

Once you know what works for you (each person is a little different), try to incorporate more of the better quality energy foods into your diet. Do not obsess about a diet regime; rather just keep thinking to yourself

'What energy do I get from eating this?'

To be continued….

9 Ways to Change your Life!

REGISTER FOR THE SEMINAR ON TIME

Nine strategies to help you get more of what you want.
(And less of what you don’t want.)

1. You Become What You Think About..

2. Get Serious!

3. Change the Way You Look at Food

4. Work all the Time You’re at Work.

5. Bring It On!

6. Responsibility & Self-Reliance..

7. Your Number One Asset.

8. Relationships (play the game).

9. What it’s Really all About.

1. You Become What You Think About
Have you ever thought about how you think? Do you ever wonder how much your thoughts affect the quality of your life?

If not, maybe it’s time you did…
Perhaps the greatest mental principle ever discovered is that ‘we become what we think about’.

Each person’s outer world is a reflection of their inner thoughts and ideas. In essence what is going on outside of you is a reflection of what’s going on inside you.
This extends well beyond the concept of positive thinking and attitude; it means that everything you are and everything you have – is a result of your thoughts. Even if you don’t believe it’s true you will still become what you think about.
What does this mean for you and me? It means that we can use this discovery to our advantage. We can literally change our lives, beginning with our thoughts.

And in this article, I will show you how to start doing it.

First things first

The first step to changing your life is to begin to accept the awesome power your thoughts have in your life. This is because everything starts with a thought. It is the starting point of everything you do. Your thoughts have the power to make you unpopular or popular, insecure or confident, negative or positive. And it all begins with realising that this is so.
The secret to getting more out of your life is to structure your thinking in such a way that it helps you. You can design your thought patterns so they help you feel confident and in control. You can structure your thinking to help you learn fast and move on opportunities in your life and career. By doing this, there is literally nothing that you cannot eventually change and improve.
This is the first of the nine strategies, and if you are willing to accept that thinking can impact your life – and become more conscious of it - then you will be able to use the next eight strategies to your distinct advantage.
In this short article, I’ve given you nine strategies that act as ‘paradigm shifters’. Each of them will greatly enhance your life, if you choose to take them on. They will all take time and focus to incorporate into your life; and all of them are guaranteed to bring results. Each idea can be used separately or together to help you.
Just how far you go depends on how much you are willing to change your thinking. If you revolutionise your thinking, then you will have a lifestyle revolution as well.
Are you ready for a revolution?

2. Get Serious!

Why do you think the majority of people never achieve very much in their lives?

Is it circumstances? Is it fate?

The truth is that most people fail to achieve very much because they do not take their life seriously.
It’s likely you’ve heard the saying ‘life is not a dress rehearsal’ before. But have you ever really thought about it? How often do we do things that are only giving us mediocre results in our lives when we really want the best for ourselves? How often do we take shortcuts in our work, health or relationships when we know we could and should be doing better?
Here is a fact: each of us is given 24 hours a day to do with what we want to.

Nobody is given any more or less of this valuable resource. Yet what each of us chooses to do with our time makes a big difference. If you choose to focus your daily actions on improving yourself and your life, you will find your life improving. If in contrast you spend your time idly, counting the hours till you finish work or wishing that could win the lottery – then it’s likely nothing in your life will change.
How seriously you take your life and your success is really up to you. Each day when the sun rises there are literally millions of other people who compete with you for all the great things life has to offer. If you do not take your work, your health, your relationships and own personal development seriously, then you will soon find yourself falling behind those who do. This is neither fair nor unfair – it’s just the way the world works!
The next time you feel that life isn’t giving you what you want and need, then take a look at how seriously you are treating the life you lead. Do you give 100% to your work and your life? Or do you tend to peak out at 60%? Only you will know the answer to this, but it is an important question to ask yourself.
Being more serious doesn’t mean you must stop enjoying yourself or having fun. But it does require you to examine your daily and weekly efforts. In life we don’t always get what we want, but usually what we deserve. The more you are willing to invest into yourself - your work, relationships, health, personal development - the more life will give you back.
Here’s a great way to start practicing this idea: at the end of each week, ask yourself if you have honestly done the best you possibly could in each situation (work, relationships, health, personal development). If the answer is no, then start to think of ways you can improve your efforts the next week. Repeat this exercise each week and watch your rewards in life soar!

to be continued…..

Seminar “The Key to the Law of Attraction”

At the time I prepared this seminar many obstacles occurred and never occurred to me that I will never have the privilege to speak about a simple philosophy of living to people and I am so grateful for this event and I know that many wonderfull people will attend!

I will be speaking  about some principles that are very dear to my heart , about something I practice each and every day of my life. These principles were revealed to me after personal search the hard way. I found in these laws solutions to my problems and believe me I am the most difficult person with whom I have ever worked.  And as I realized the power of these experiences I wanted to share hopping it might be of help to others.

These techniques in this seminar are not only to achieve…

• Personal WEALTH or SUCCESS…
• A lot of MONEΥ…
• A BEAUTIFUL house and an EXPENSIVE car…

BUT… 

Also to achieve PHYSICAL and MENTAL HEALTH, a POSITIVE WAY of thinking and happiness in every aspect of your life. Improving health, teaches the cultivation of peace of mind and a constructing personal and social living and faith to accomplish any worthing goal .

The examples and the techniques I will present show that you will not have to be defeat by anything.

“In short that your life can be full of joy stability and happiness”.

Its about a process that is a growth thing for me, the idea of there being levels of awareness , ordinary human awareness and high level of awareness. This is something you can do a lot of reading about, a lot of research about but until you put it to practice and live it each and every day is really something more distant and academic.

Some of the things you are going to hear in this Seminar , may conflict with the conditions you believe in, you live in, some of the things you may hold very dear to your heart..

but…

• I am not here to challenge them…
• I am not here to change your point of view…
• I am not here to convince you to join to a movement…

“I am here to show you that you can reach a higher , higher level of awereness”

The way to attract what has been missing in you life right now, the ability to heal your self of diseases or processes through difficult situations you never being able to handle before, the capacity to create the relationship you would like to have, the ability to even have a job you never have the ability up till now, to raise the level of prosperity, whatever that maybe, to sell your home to a better deal etc etc.

Ask Yourself : What is the best step I can do today in order to change my life?

 

Start with a simple step, come to this SEMINAR and find out

“THE KEY TO THE LAW OF ATTRACTION”!

Power Life secrets #5

Overcoming Failures with the Right Mindset

Many people scoff at the power of the mind to influence circumstances but every achievement you make in life begins, first and foremost, in the mind. If you constantly dwell on past failures and berate yourself, it's like conditioning yourself to always fail.

 How can you achieve success, if you cannot even see yourself succeeding?

The journey towards success will not exactly be smooth. You will encounter roadblocks along the way that will discourage you from moving forward, and at that point you will have to make a choice to go on or give up.

In your journey there will be not just one but countless struggles along the way. It will be truly impossible if you are weak and give up at the first sign of a problem but everything becomes possible, if you only believe it to be possible. Your attitude will provide you with enough fuel to move on and fight through it all. Consider each road block a stepping stone that will lead you to ever higher levels of success.

Make your own luck

Some people seem to have more luck than others but you should not take this seriously. Although these stories could be quite inspiring, you simply cannot wait for luck to brush your way. Yes, it is nice to believe that magic happens sometimes, but you cannot idly wait for luck to come your way. What if it does not ever find you? What will happen to your hopes and aspirations? The truth is, you make your own luck by opening your mind to the infinite possibilities and putting the work in that will take you where you want to go.

Do not be a slave to work

Other people think that if they can only work longer hours, then success will be achieved much easier. Often it is not about the quantity of work you put in, but rather the quality. You could be working twenty-fours a day without rest, but achieve nothing significant. At the same time, you could be working for just a few hours but accomplish great things in that little time. You do not have to be a slave to work to be able to achieve success; you just have to know how to do work smarter.

Work does not have to be WORK

WORK is detested by many people because it entails hardship, stress, and failures. Many people dread oncoming work because they fear being strapped down by it. The truth is, work does not always have to feel like a chore. It is better to find work where you can effectively feed your passion. If you love what you do, then you will feel good while you are doing it, so make sure to do something that you are passionate about and everything will just fall into place.

Go over your limits

Never let other people dictate what you can and cannot do.

Do not let your own self-doubt stop you from doing more than other people's expectations. If you think you can, then go for it. Do not be afraid to go over your pre-conceived limitations because success is usually atop the highest mountain and in the deepest portion of the sea.

A person’s mindset can over-rule circumstances and make things that are seemingly impossible become possible. The mind is a very powerful thing especially if you know how to train and direct it. When you start training your mind and replacing old, negative thought patterns with new, positive ones, you will soon see that your potential is truly unlimited.

TO YOUR SUCCESS!!!

Power Life Secrets #4

 

How to Deal with Your Own Failures Constructively

Everyone makes mistakes.

You are human, therefore you are not perfect. So even if you think that you are a perfectionist, you cannot always avoid errors from happening. You can make thorough calculations and take very precise steps. You can be very cautious and almost take no risky move, but you are bound to meet disaster somewhere and there are instances when you will fail at something. Mistakes are part of life. If anything, these mistakes are for your own good. Take a deep breath and assess the situation. The most important thing is that you find a way to recover and use these mistakes to your advantage.

In business you can make a lot of mistakes.

You can make mistakes in front of your employees, customers, partners, and other people you deal with in business. Mistakes can be really embarrassing but worse than that these things can be detrimental to your business so you need to know how to handle mistakes constructively.

o Apologize for the mistake.

When you mistake, the first thing most people do is to panic and start blaming people. They make all sorts of excuses just to save face but that is not necessary. If you make a mistake in front of anyone you are dealing with in business, just apologize. Say you are very sorry for what happened and mean it.

o Find a solution- quickly.

Once the person has been appeased, quickly find a way to remedy the situation. Do not panic. The worst thing for you to do in this situation is to panic, so keep your composure and take charge. You will impress everyone with the way you deal with things.

o Keep it positive.

Do not forget to appease yourself, as well. Keep telling yourself that it will be alright and also tell your team the same thing. If everyone is positive then things will run positively. This is the most important thing that you need to consider because as a leader you to positively motivate your team.

o Learn from your mistakes.

After the mistake has been made, it is important for you to be able to look back and learn from it. Figure out what you could do with what happened. Mistakes are excusable once, but make sure not to go through the same mistake again. Determine where you went wrong and do what you can to avoid it next time.

o Do not dwell on it.

Never let the mistake that happened get the best of you. After it happens, separate yourself from it and let go. You cannot let the mistake overcome you. Just deal with it and move on.

o Request feedback.

If the mistake involved other people, check back on them to find out how everything is. Extend your service beyond what they expect and this will make them feel more important

There really is nothing wrong with making mistakes. Yes, it could lead to disastrous results but mistakes happen to everyone and what is important is that you were able to deal with it constructively.

TO BE CONTINUED….

Power Life Secrets #3

Failure- A Prerequisite to Success

Many of those who reap success today will tell you that it was not exactly an easy journey. They will have different tales to tell and these will not all be about jackpots, bonuses, success, and triumph.

The many people who are embracing success now, did not get there overnight.

It was a long arduous journey through different kinds of obstacles and roadblocks. However, one thing these people will most likley tell you is that the hindrances along the way became the greatest fuel that led to their successes.

Failures should not always be viewed negatively. Failures are inevitable and everyone gets to meet failures at some point in their lives but it does not mean that you have met a dead end. When you are driving towards a new destination, a place that you have not yet seen, sometimes you get lost, take a wrong turn, and meet a dead end. When this happens, you just turn the car around and continue driving. Failures can be positive. Wrong turns can lead you to a shortcut and those who have tasted success will attest to the true role of failures in their lives.

Failures Keep You Strong 

They say that what does not kill you will only make you stronger and this is true. When you survive after a big disaster, when you get to stand up after a great calamity, when you get to live after a momentous failure, you will come back stronger.

Failures Wake You Up

Sometimes, when the journey is going your way, you forget where you have come from since you are having a particularly good time at the top or on the drive towards the top. Some people who almost tasted success forget the beginnings and forget the people who have helped them get there. In their carelessness, they meet the impending fall and they collapse hard. In this case, failures become wake up calls that remind you of your past or keeps in tune with what used to be your goal. Sometimes, in the heat of the race, you lose yourself and it is failure that will keep you grounded.

Failures Make Winning Taste Sweeter

When you get to taste success with much ease, it does not feel like a well-deserved feat. When something that you have aspired for so long ends up being handed on to you on a platter, the sensation is almost lost and becomes insignificant. Failures make success taste sweeter and it will make you value the achievement that much more. It will make the challenge even more worth it- a proud moment that no one can ever take away from you.

Failures Teach You a Thing or Two

When you fail in something that you do, it will be painful but it will also be a learning experience. Because of it, you will find out which things to avoid so that you can do so much better next time. Failures are important for success because it teaches values that you will never learn otherwise. It will teach you to be hardworking, to be humble, and to be resilient.

Failures are not meant to discourage you. They are designed to challenge you and keep you going.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Power Life Secrets 2

Don’t Take Criticism to Heart 

Many people fall into a negative mindset if they are criticized in any way. Whether you are criticized by someone you love or by a co-worker you need to work not to take it to heart. Instead, work to find the positives in what you have been told. Instead of looking at the criticism as a character assassination, look at the criticism and consider whether or not making a change will make you a better person, mate, or coworker. The bottom line is not to take criticism to heart, instead you can consider it, make changes if you deem it necessary, and then move on knowing you are better for it.

Consider Meditation

When you feel overwhelmed by negativity and a swirl of negative thoughts and emotions, you might want to consider meditation. Many people find that mediation helps them let go of those non-stop emotions that contribute to their negative emotions. There are many therapists – Life Coaches as well as self help books and videos that will help you learn how to mediate if you are not already familiar with it.

Positive Affirmations

Many people find that positive affirmations work wonders when they are trying to improve their negative mindset. Positive affirmations are statements that help you change your perspective of the world and those around you. For instance, you can tell yourself every morning, “I am worthy of a happy, healthy, positive life.” If you tell yourself this several times a day you will start to believe it. Just as you trained yourself to think the worst of yourself and the world around you, you can train yourself to see and feel the best of everything around you.

Fake it Until You Make It

If all else fails or you just want to feel better right now, you need to employ the fake it until you make it strategy. If you put a smile on your face and you force yourself to look and feel happy, you will! Many times just putting a smile on your face will help you begin to see the world in a more positive light. While you may not feel 100% positive, faking it will take you a long way. When you are faking it you will elicit positive behaviors all around you because people are drawn to you, which will only help in strengthening your positive spirit.

Making a Permanent Change

If you are struggling with a negative mindset you can overcome it. When you feel yourself beginning to come out of that dark hole you need to keep up with the positive thoughts. If you don’t force yourself to employ positive thoughts every day you may find that you slowly slip back into a negative mindset. If you continue to think positive thoughts and stay in the company of positive people, you will find that it is much easier to look at the world in a much healthier light.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Power Life Secrets

How to Overcome a Negative Mindset

Many people have a negative mindset.   Negative mindsets come in different forms.

For some people, they are just pessimistic about everything in  life. For others, they are only negative when it comes to themselves and their own abilities. Either way, when you have a negative mindset you cannot enjoy life the way you should and you may even find that it is hard to maintain personal and work relationships.

Luckily, you can overcome a negative mindset and start enjoying the life that you were meant to have.

It is a matter of recognizing the harmful thought patterns, figuring out what created them and then turning them off, replacing them with healthier patterns.

Where Do Negative Thought Patterns Come From?

Often our negative thought patterns were instilled in us as children and many times this was an unconscious thing. We pick up worry over money from listening to our parents fret and fight. As time goes on, this worry about money wears a groove in our psyche and it becomes a familiar pattern. When we think about money, we automatically begin to worry and see everything that could possibly go wrong.

 

Don’t Go There!

It’s easier said than done, but don't allow yourself to get negative. As soon as you start to think negative thoughts, you need to stop them in their tracks. Unfortunately, much of our inner dialogue is subconscious so we are being negative without even knowing it. We set ourselves up for negative thinking early on in life, in many cases, so that the negative dialogue is always there. This being said, how can we not go there? You need to start with those situations in which you know you are being negative and stop the thoughts in their tracks.

Take the Power Away from the Negativity

When you hear the negative thoughts spinning around and around in your head it’s time to take action. While many of our negative thoughts happen without us even knowing it, we are aware of some of these thoughts. As soon as you have a negative though, stop the process. Take the power away from the negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones.

For instance, if you are thinking “I cannot do this!” tell yourself, “I can do this if I try.”

When you replace the negative thought with a positive one and you allow it to run through your head instead of the negative thought, you will feel as though a 5,000 pound weight has been lifted from your shoulders. The key is to be consistent in replacing the negative thoughts with the positive ones.

Make a Choice

Whether you realize it or not, having a negative mindset really is a choice.

That is difficult for many people to hear, but it’s the truth.  Many people spend their whole lives feeling imprisoned by negative thoughts and their emotions. The bottom line is that you need to make a choice whether you want to be happy or whether you want to continue to be miserable. Decide right now if you want to be happy or not. If you decide that you really want to be happy, you can go forward knowing that happiness really is your goal. When you aren’t truly dedicated to being happy replacing the negative mindset with a positive one will be nearly impossible.

Replace Negative People with Positive People

If you are stuck in a negative mindset, chances are you are surrounded by like minded people.

The old adage that misery loves company is true, so when you are in a negative head space you are going to attract or being attracted to people who are also negative. When you surround yourself by negative people and situations you will have a much more difficult time changing your life. Do away with negative people and situations.

Cut negative people out of your life and if there are situations that contribute to your negative mindset such as relationships or working environments, work to change them or find your way out of the situation as soon as possible.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Strees “a friend or the enemy” #7

Mistake #7: Being Too Self Focused

When I was developing my business and working hard to reach my goals, I put all my focus on reaching my targets. It was like I could only talk about my business, and that achieving my goals became the most important thing in my life. As a result I neglected my husbant's and child needs and, hence, began losing the connection I had with them. I stopped asking my husband how his day was, what he did or how he was feeling. I only focused on myself. I became less interested in my kids development and put videos on for them to watch so I could do a bit more work.

I became the centre of my universe.

Sure, I was achieving my goals - but at a cost!

One day my husbant sat me down to have one of those 'talks'. He said 'Katerina, I'm not feeling 'wooed' or 'special' anymore - I feel like I just fit into your life and that you are taking me, and our kid, for granted'.

Let me tell you, my husbant  has a way of putting things that make you sit up and listen. I was lucky that he pointed out that I was getting too wrapped up in my own needs and neglected my family before we drifted any further. He has helped me stay on track by reminding me that other people need my attention too.

Don't wait for a wake-up call before you realize the importance of making time to connect with your family and friends.

No matter how busy life gets, how important you think work is, or how urgently work has to get done, unless you are connecting with the people who are special in your life then you will be missing the very things you are working so hard to have in your life. It has been said that we should work to live - not live to work. I know that you don't always have the luxury of switching off at night and leaving work at work. You may have to work harder and longer to ensure that all the deadlines are met. There is a lot of pride in doing a good job.

However, if that is taking your all your focus and time away from your family and friends, then you have to question -

 what's it all for? Is it really worth it?

Each night, spend time connecting with your family and friends. As important as work is, it won't always be there for you - but your family probably will, so make sure you put them as high on your priority 'to do' list as your work commitments.

 

Conclusion

You can get insurance to protect your car, house and boat. You can get insurance to protect your health and income.

You can even get insurance in case of death, disability and trauma.

Yet, how do you insure your ability to work and/or drive your business? How do you protect yourself from burnout?

Your capacity to work and perform is what keeps you employed or in business. If your performance is compromised, so is your working capacity, stamina and quality...not to mention your wellbeing and quality of life.

You are not a machine. Your body will break down and you will experience stress if you consistently push yourself beyond your working capacity.

There are lots of pressures that people in business face each day: long hours, pressing deadlines, too many days on the road, difficult or demanding clients, family issues...and I could keep going on and on.

So, how can you become resilient to these pressures? Do you learn stress management?

NO! Stress Management doesn't work!

I should know. After working with over 1000 people in my coaching practice I can tell you that trying to reduce stress is doomed for failure.

Why?

Because stress is just a 'symptom' of a person who is not resilient.

There's no point fixing a symptom if you don't deal with the cause. That's like taking a painkiller for a headache without addressing the possible causes like neck tension, dehydration, hormone imbalance, tiredness or spinal misalignment (subluxation). The headache is bound to return because the cause hasn't been dealt with. Instead of trying to reduce stress, learn how to become resilient to pressure so you can quickly bounce back from the setbacks, obstacles or challenges in business, work and life. This way, regardless of what is thrown your way, you are able to sustain, and even expand, your personal capacity and productivity when working under pressure.

The bottom line is you need to take responsibility for your 'bounce back' and resilience to pressure, and not rely on the company, other people, or a system to 'fix' your problems.

You need to know how to…

· Work at your best without burning yourself out. · Prevent clients or customers from draining you.

· Spring back from setbacks, obstacles and problems.

· Focus for hours at a time without getting neck, back or eyestrain. · Handle negative feedback without getting upset.

Learning how to become resilient to pressure is the closest thing there is to having 'performance insurance'.

Final Thoughts

Please, don’t just read this blog – take some action! Information without action is useless!

Don’t wait for the warning signs, the burnout, the overload, or tension before being proactive.

Over the next 24 hours, act on just one idea in this blog, then repeat the process for another idea over the following 24 hours.

Here are only seven of the mistakes that people make which create stress in their lives. However, if you take action on just one idea each day, I know that you will become more resilient to the pressures and challenges that life throws at you.

This is, however, only the beginning – there is so much more you can do to become resilient to pressure and stress in your life.

On the following two pages I have listed some of the ways you can continue to learn the resilience techniques…

 

Self education

a. Read Articles:

There is a large archive of articles on building personal resilience, developing stress-hardiness, work-life balance and increasing working stamina. They are all free to view and download on the internet.

b. Turn Stress into Energy & Enthusiasm

go to the gym, take dancing lessons, go for a walk, do something that gives you energy and enthusiasm

c. Conference speaker and In-house training Programs

As a professional speaker and trainer, I am available to speak to your team, division, company, group or organization on how to become resilient to pressure in their work and life. You can send me and e-mail and tell me your ideas.

In my high energy, interactive and light-hearted presentations, I demystify how to bounce back from any setback or challenge by becoming resilient to pressure and avoid creating stress.

d. One-to-one Coaching

Katerina’s  Resilience Coaching program helps you to create the mindset and lifestyle that motivates you to rise above your business, work and life pressures so you can achieve what you want from life.

The program is specifically designed for people who have a lot at stake with their business/work and need to stay at ‘on the ball’, in control, and focused at all times, so they can handle whatever challenge or setback is thrown their way without becoming drained, tense or burning themselves out.

I would like to hear your feedback on how you have applied the strategies discussed in this blog

. Please email your comments to: energycoaching.lux@gmail.com

I wish you every success in your life.

Stress “a friend or the enemy?” #6

Mistake #6: Missing The Lesson

If you find yourself experiencing the same repeated stresses and problems over and over in your life then maybe you are missing the lesson behind them.

With every challenge we face, every crisis we deal with, and every tragedy we endure is a life lesson waiting for us to learn.

Our lessons are like gifts of learning that are wrapped in boxes called 'problems'...and sometimes it has several layers of wrapping.

When I had the difficult task of packing up my things to move to another house,  I discovered a poem  amongst some notes. I don't know who authored it (if you recognize the poem, perhaps you could let me know the author's name), but it epitomized how life presents us with stresses and problems so we can grow in strength, wisdom and character.

** The Poem **

I asked for strength - and God gave me difficulties to make me strong I asked for wisdom - and God gave me problems to solve

I asked for prosperity - and God gave me a brain and brawn to work I asked for courage - and God gave me dangers to overcome I asked for love - and God gave me troubled people to help I asked for favours - and God gave me opportunities

I received nothing I wanted

I received everything I needed      My prayer has been answered

Don't make the mistake of missing the lesson that life is trying to teach you. Realize that every challenge presents you with an opportunity to grow and stretch beyond your comfort zone.

Becoming resilient to pressure is not solely about being able to endure hardship longer than anyone else. Developing resilience is also how quickly and eloquently you can 'bounce back' from pressures that may stop others in their tracks.

By using your setbacks and obstacles as opportunities to learn something about yourself, instead of an endurance test, you gain the insight necessary to bounce back and keeping working towards your goals and ambitions.

You may find yourself working with people who you don't like perhaps so that you can learn about patience, assertiveness or acceptance. Look beyond the people and situations that make you feel stressed and see what life is trying to teach you.

In every challenging or stressful situation lies a pearl of wisdom waiting to be discovered.

You may not be able to see the learning when you are right in the middle of the crises or setback - but it's there. It may only become evident to you days or weeks after the event.

Today, get a blank notebook and write ‘Life’s Lessons’ on the front. Write down each lesson your have learnt from your setbacks and obstacles. You’ll understand why in 12 months time when you re-read your notes and see how much you have learnt about yourself.

Understand that your mistakes are really just stepping stones helping you find where the right step is by eliminating the wrong steps.

Understand that criticism is a gift that helps you improve and become stronger in areas of your work and life where you may not have known about or have been willing to look at. Rather than getting upset or worked up at situations that don't go your way, focus on what could be learnt, instead of on what was lost.

In every challenging situation, ask yourself:

a. What is this situation helping me to learn about myself?

b. What positive lesson can I get from all of this?

c. How will this situation help to make me stronger?

TO BE CONTINUED….

STRESS “A friend of the enemy?” #5

 

Mistake #5:   Having No Sense Of Purpose Beyond Work

In the 1940's, Victor Frankl, a trained psychiatrist, was one of the many prisoners in the Nazi concentration camps of World War II. Like the millions of other prisoners, he was forced to endure heavy physical labour, exhaustion, starvation, beatings and the strategic stripping of his human dignity.

Following his release in 1945, he compiled a book called Man's search for Meaning. Apart from a recollection of the atrocities he had endured, this book is an insight as to how he was able to cope and stay alive under such horrendous living conditions, and what the human spirit requires in order to survive.

In his book he writes,

"He who has a WHY can bear almost any HOW. 

To survive anything requires a sense of meaning. If we can identify what brings us meaning then we can identify a motivation that can lead or take us through anything."

Have you ever found yourself giving up hope or feeling stuck in a rut? Do you ever feel that your life is just about getting up - going to work - coming home - watching television - going to bed?

This is NOT what life should be all about! Don't lose sight of your dreams by falling into the pattern of monotony. Get clear on your dreams - your reasons 'WHY' you are living - so that you are not just existing through each day, but really living.

But how?   Try this...

You need to acknowledge your personal needs and make sure that you do things that you enjoy doing. You need to acknowledge your relationship needs and regularly connect with people. You need to acknowledge your spiritual needs and learn more about who you are and what you want from life.

You need to keep setting goals, having aspirations and dreaming dreams that give your life meaning. Highlight the reasons 'why' you are living. Make every day filled with excitement and desire so that you are propelled into your day, instead of going through it dragging your feet.

As a priority step before you go to bed this evening, spend at least 20 minutes writing down how you would like your life to turn out.

Include:

· What legacy do you want to leave when you eventually die? · How would you like people to remember you?

· What difference do you want to make to yourself? Your family? Friends? Society?

· What would you need to experience, achieve or own to be able to say ‘I lived without regrets?’

Create a sense of meaning in your life beyond ‘going to work and paying the bills’.

Before you get out of bed tomorrow (and each day for that matter), reaffirm what you want to achieve in the day and in your life.

Keep your dreams and desires alive by regularly engaging in activities, conversations and literature that inspires you and makes life interesting.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Stress “ a friend or an enemy?” # 4

Mistake #4: Suppressing Your Feelings

In October  of 2010, a man came to see me in my office practice who said his neck and back were giving him some trouble and he had difficulties with his sleep.  

He told me that he had gone through some recent stress, but didn't reveal any more detail than that.

After doing a coaching and energetic assessment, I decided that he  needed to release the tension in the muscles on either side of his spine and at the same time the pressure inside his head.   so I worked with him with visualization and affirmation tools and I suggested to see a Shiatsu practicioner in order  to release it.

In the philosophy of some natural therapies, such as Shiatsu, if a person has been keeping their feelings or stresses bottled up inside, their body may become tense on part of their middle or upper back. (It is interesting how your body can reflect a picture of your emotions.)

At the end of the session, when I asked him how he was feeling, he told me that as Iwe were working erergeticly on that middle section on his back, he suddenly felt this strong feeling of frustration and anger come up out of nowhere. It was as if all that emotional tension that he had kept to himself was coming to the surface. A few minutes later those feelings just disappeared completely and he felt very calm and peaceful.

He then went on to tell me that he had recently been through a difficult relationship break-up and that he kept at lot of his frustration bottled up because he found it difficult to talk about his feelings.

Realize that your body is a walking diary of your life's events. Your body holds all your tensions and feelings that aren’t expressed or released. Keeping your feelings locked up inside is like putting more and more air into a balloon - eventually the pressure of the air will somehow have to force it's way out.

Whether it be in your business or personal life - how you deal with your emotions will affect your behaviour, your mood and how patiently you interact with your customers, clients, colleagues, and friends.

Everything in life needs space to let go so that they can grow.

Practice expressing your feelings each day in one of three ways:

1. Talk to people about your feelings. Find someone who can listen without trying to tell you what to do.

2. Talk to yourself. No, it doesn't mean that you are crazy - but sometimes just talking out loud in front of a mirror can help to clarify, and express, how you feel and can clear your head.

3. Write it down in a letter. Not on the computer - but a hand written letter.

Writing it out can be a powerful way of releasing emotions by expressing your feelings without worrying about saying the wrong thing to someone. At the end of your letter, re-read it and then tear it up. This is not a diary to be kept - it is only a way to get your feelings out.

Getting your feelings out by talking, writing or other means, can help clarify what your thoughts and bring your challenges into perspective. Withheld emotions tend make problems feel a lot big than they may actually be.

TO BE CONTINUED….

Stress “A friend or an enemy? #3”

Mistake #3: Setting Unrealistic Time Frames

We all have deadlines to meet of one type or another.

Setting tight time frames can motivate you to really push yourself to bring out your best.

On the other hand, working to tight time frames can be anxiety producing and draining to the point of making you feel unwell.

Take this one lady, for example, whom I worked with in my Coaching  practice…

At the time she was about 28 years old and was responsible for the safety and wellbeing of several hundred truck drivers - their rest times, their truck loads, their capacity to be safe drivers etc.

She had to manage their shifts, pick-up & delivery times, rest points, as well as trouble shoot if anything went wrong.

For one person, she had a virtually impossible workload and a huge responsibility.

She loved being under pressure because she enjoyed that feeling of adrenaline and being busy which helped her think faster and get more done.

However, she got to the stage where she wasn't getting restful sleep, she would wake in the middle of the night and be throwing up because of the stress. She was experiencing headaches daily and felt tired and irritable all the time.

After a year of enduring this, she came to see me for some help.

I remember that her body was so tense that she couldn't bear to have her shoulders touched. She had buried so much tension into her system that it was now breaking down and she was on the verge of falling apart

There was no bug or virus that had caused all these problems in her -it was an accumulation of many months of ongoing built-up stress and tension. My task was to help restore some balance to her life.

So, instead of focusing solely on repairing her body's health, we discussed her lifestyle and work-style and started to make some changes.

Amongst the coping strategies that we talked about, which included; ways she could unwind at night, getting better food to eat, breathing techniques, etc. (to learn the exact same strategies I taught her,  we also looked at how she could stop living her life as if she was always in a rush by changing her work projects so they were manageable.

Within 3 weeks of working together, her headaches subsided and, although she was still under stress and pressure, she wasn't waking in the night, she was keeping her dinner in her stomach, and she became a much more pleasant person.

The key to her success was to stop putting herself under unrealistic pressure to perform. Instead she set targets and time frames that were realistic without working 16 hours a day.

Stop and look at the stress in your own life that relates to being late, getting work finished, getting all the tasks done by the end of your day.

Are you setting unrealistic expectations and deadlines that put you 'on-the-go' all day everyday?

If so, then realise that at that consistent pace, your body will eventually break down.

Take action while you still have the choice - reduce the amount of deadlines you live under or extend them to be more realistic.

Try these 4 steps:

a. Look at what you have to do in your day and write down the key goals - make sure you include the deadline for each – but make it a realistic deadline.

b. For each goal, write down the list of actions you need in order to reach it. Also, allocate the right time frame that each action will take to complete.

c. Put together a master plan that schedules all the tasks of all the goals.

I. Make a global plan: From start to finish of each goal, schedule into your diary when each step needs to be completed.

II. Make a local plan: A weekly, and daily, plan of what tasks need to be completed.

d. Identify if your goals/targets are, in fact, achievable given the time you have available. If they aren't, then you are setting yourself up for stress and tension, so you will need to either adjust your time frames or reduce your workload to ensure that you are not working yourself too hard to try and accomplish something that is unreachable.

To be continued…