Jobs and CareersPowerful Breath For an Unlimited Future NOW
By George Hutton
One of the most powerful ways to develop a centered stance in the world that can be useful not only to deal with problems effectively as they come up, but to have a generally higher than normal level of base happiness is to practice a breathing exercise every day. There are several reasons behind this. Breathing keeps you centered, making it harder to knock you off balance. Because breathing is normally an unconscious action, when you take conscious control of your breathing you are sending yourself as strong message: That you have the capacity to be a cause, rather than being an effect. Breathing has also been known for several centuries to be a natural aid in digestion and elimination, gently helping food pass through the alimentary canal for maximum benefit.
This is but one thought hallucination among hundreds that can easily enhance through life through the combination of focused breathing and visualization. Get into your favorite meditative position. Sitting, standing, laying back. If you want to do this as you fall asleep, you'll have a good sleep and wake up feeling not only refreshed but in a good mood.
Slowly breath out, and pause just slightly. Wait until you feel a slight desire to breath. Slowly breathe in, and imagine that the breath is of the same force of creation at the moment of the big bang. Hold in your mind two imaginary timelines. One starting with the big bang, and unfolding through the creation of the universe until the moment that you are. The second is of the breath itself, slowly inhaling until your lungs are full. Imagine that the time at which the mystery of creation unfolds into the now that is you coincides with your lungs being full of air. At this point, release all thought, and commune with the mysterious force that is in all things. As you commune with the super conscious, allow your mind to fill with appreciation for all that is.
Hold this breath for a few moments, and as you exhale try another hallucination. One is simply the exhale of breath. The other is the sum total of all your expressions, both verbally and non-verbally in your past, present and future. Exhale your breath, and allow your generated appreciation of all that is coinciding with all your imagined expressions of who you are. Again, experience them in the same span of time, on two different timelines. One is the exhalation of breath, the other is your entire life, (or lives if you prefer), past present and future. Remember all your expressions, experience all your current expressions, and imagine all your future expressions as being charged with the appreciation for all that is.
Do this for as long as you feel comfortable. You might want to have a way to keep track of time, because this is very self hypnotic in nature, it's easy to lose track of time. If your boss asks you why you're late, and you tell him it was because you were communing with the super conscious, he might ask you to take a drug test. I usually do this on the roof of my apartment building; about thirty minutes before I know the chimes at my local Junior High School will go off, so I know I'll have a reminder to quit.
After you try this out, come on over to my blog and let us know how many ways you've become enlightened.
George Hutton is a widely read author and blogger who writes inspirational and life changing articles. You can join many others who read daily at http://www.georgehutton.net/wordpress
You can also view his videos at http://www.youtube.com/georgewhutton
====================================
Improving Communication - How to Use the Salt Factor, Plus Six Other Conversation Tips
By Ruth Seebeck
"Honey, would you please help me?"
Silence.
Once again, hubby didn't hear me. Or if he did, it didn't register enough to get more than a grunt. Doesn't that seem like typical communication between husband and wife ... parent and teen ... worker and boss, or any two people?
Improving the quality of your communication with others is one of the secrets to lower your stress and increase your success. Here are seven keys to effective communication:
1. Establish eye contact. Your efforts to communicate with your spouse (or anyone else) won't be effective if he/she doesn't notice you're there. Get in his or her line of sight. Hollering from the next room is NOT effective communication - unless you're in danger!
2. Speak with people, not to them. Make sure the other person is engaged in your conversation. Mentally ask yourself, "Am I explaining myself well? Am I hearing what they are saying?"
3. Watch your body language. If you're standing rigid with your hands on your hips, your teen has already tuned you out! Be relaxed, arms loose, not crossed in front of your body. Have a slight smile on your face, not a glare. If the situation you're dealing with has inspired high tempers, postpone your conversation until emotions are under control.
4. Slow down. Speaking too fast causes you to trip over your words, and the other person often struggles to understand what you're saying. Speak slowly and clearly so that you words register with the other person.
5. Get feedback. Ask the other person if they have any questions. Have them tell you what they heard, don't assume they 'got' what you said. Remember the childhood game of 'Telephone'. One child said something to the next child, and so on down the line. By the time the last child heard what was said it was always very different from the original!
6. Watch your attitude. Communication is always two-way. If you become demanding without considering the other person's opinions and feelings, you lose. Stay open to their thoughts and ideas. Compromise often produces a better result. It's called synergy.
7. Use the Salt Factor. What's that, you ask? Let me illustrate ...
Me: "Honey, I just don't get it ..."
Silence.
Me: "You know, it just doesn't make any sense to me ..."
Now, he looks up. I've gotten his attention because he doesn't know what I'm talking about yet - but I'm still taking.
Hubby: "What doesn't make sense?"
Me: "Well, ..."
Now that I've gotten a response, I know he's involved. Now we can talk about whatever issue needs attention. I've used this technique successfully for years. It always starts with an open-ended question with no stated subject. Usually it takes two of them (like above) to really impact the person you're speaking to.
It works with spouses, children (adult or otherwise), co-workers, friends. It's particularly good when you need to change or impact the other person's opinion or decision. It even works in the middle of a conversation. The Salt Factor changed his gender-common "NO" edicts to our daughter's issues. It opened the door and allowed us to discuss issues without rancor or pre-judgment.
It's called the Salt Factor because you season the conversation with questions to promote a better flavor in your communications. Done correctly, the Salt Factor improves understanding, resolves issues and leaves 'a good taste' in your relationships. Sprinkle it liberally in your conversations!
For more information on communication, life skills, better relationships, and becoming the best YOU possible, visit http://www.TheRuthFactor.com today. Sign up to receive your FREE weekly "Good Life" Tips & Topics newsletter.
Ruth Seebeck has built a reputation over the last 30 years as a life-skills coach, mentor and Christian counselor. She has a loving husband, Ed, awesome daughter, Jennifer, one cat and two rambunctious Japanese Chin pups. You can reach her at ruth@theruthfactor.com
===========================================
Life Balance - Do You Have Smorgasbord Syndrome?
By Laurel Vespi
I'll bet at some time you have been to an "all you can eat" buffet or a Sunday brunch. Laid out in front of you is the most wonderful array of dishes, old favourites and new delights and of course spectacular desserts.
You probably had a little internal conversation that went something like this: "It all looks so good. I'll splurge today because who knows when I'll get the chance to have these treats again.""Well maybe I should pick and choose a bit. I don't want to over do it." "No go ahead. Enjoy yourself. It's all good stuff. You deserve it."
Sound familiar? I'll also bet that you gave in to the temptation and put way more on your plate than you usually do. And chances are you regretted it by the next day. I call that smorgasbord syndrome.
Life is just a big smorgasbord.
The same thing happens when you are adding things to your plate of commitments. Most people realize they often overload with things they don't really want to do. They feel guilty if they say no, so they say yes. That's certainly an obstacle to life balance.
The bigger challenge though is saying no to some of the wonderful opportunities that life brings us. Just like the buffet, life lays out in front of us a delicious array of experiences and if you try to taste them all at once, you will make yourself sick physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Life is more in balance when you pick and choose carefully what you put on your plate. Say no to some of the wonderful things. They will likely still be available to you later. That way you will have enough time and energy for your commitments and you can really enjoy them. You'll have time to savour the things you are doing rather than just wolfing them down.
My mother used to say: "Be careful that your eyes are not bigger than your stomach."
How much you can comfortably put on your plate depends on what is already on it. Is it overloaded already, especially with things you find hard to swallow? Is there space available to add a new and wonderful dish?
Let pick and choose be your mantra. Then go ahead, grab your fork and be a discerning gourmet.
Laurel Vespi, certified life coach and chief executive guru of stone circle coaching, ignites businesses & individuals to new levels of CHANGE. Laurel works with clients internationally, providing unconventional yet practical tips that make the seemingly impossible... possible!
Sign up for Laurel's free ezine, inside the circle, and receive the bonus article "Blissful Living." Personal Life Coach
=======================================
Personal Development Techniques - Teaching Children to Visualize
By Sue Broad, Ph.D.
I'm a life coach, and although I usually work with adults, people often ask me how they can get their kids to stop being negative or worried about things. One of the things I recommend is for them to get their kids to visualize. Visualizing is like day dreaming with intent. Most adults know about the power of visualizing, but kids often have no idea. So if you're child has a goal they want to achieve, or they are worried or negative about something, teach and practise visualizing with them. Practise first by yourself if you need to!
Get them to think about something positive they would like to achieve, or maybe a situation they are worried about working out ok. Then get them to close their eyes and ask them to picture what would happen when they achieved it, ask them lots of questions and prompt if necessary. For instance you can ask them what would they hear (maybe a teacher or you telling them something positive), what would they see, where would they be, what would they feel inside (excited, proud, happy), what would they taste (maybe you have baked a cake as a reward for them, or maybe baking the cake is what they want to achieve), what would they smell. Try and bring in as many of the senses as are relevant.
Ask really specific questions to make it realistic, what colour clothes are they wearing, are there noises in the background etc. Get them to look through their own eyes as if they are there, and then get them to imagine they are watching themselves like they are in a video, so they see themselves in the picture.
You can get them to visualize themselves achieving their goal and enjoying the rewards, as well as doing what they need to for it to happen. For instance, if they want to do well in a running race, get them to visualize crossing the line and maybe getting a trophy, and also have them visualize going to training and practising their starts. Or if they are worried about giving a talk in class, have them visualize doing the research on their topic and then writing out their talk. Then have them visualize giving their talk and receiving praise from the teacher or their friends. Finally, have them visualize coming home and talking to you about how well they did.
At first you will have to talk them through the process, asking the questions so they can make it feel real, but with a few goes, you'll find they can pick it up easily and can then do it by themselves, maybe just with a reminder from you to do so.
Dr Sue Broad is a Life Coach, Author and Entrepreneur, if you found this article useful, visit her website http://www.SueBroadLifeCoach.com for more free tips, articles and resources, and to find out how the personal development industry is changing lives around the world using a simple system based around "the Secret".
===================================
In Search of Enough
By Tom LaForce
I once read an article that posed the powerful question, "How much is enough?" The authors researched the question and discovered that for most people there is no such thing as enough. The more people have, the more they want. They found that "enoughness" is a moving target, that regardless of income, people usually don't achieve.
This question struck me as one I would like to answer for myself. I know that I've always believed my yearly earnings should exceed the previous year's earnings. I've strolled through larger houses and imagined myself in one. And as for peach pie with ice cream, well enough is never enough.
The article reminded me that continually wanting more will probably result in frustration and unhappiness. I've been thinking about how to overcome my desire to have more. I'm not certain I know the solution to this problem; however, I thought of some questions that I believe will put me on the right path.
* What aspects of my life do I like best?
* What do I value?
* How do I differentiate between what I need and what I want?
* How well am I meeting my needs and those of my family?
* How does what I want support my values?
* What price will I pay to fulfill my wants?
* What would it take to be happy with what I have right now?
* What will bring me joy and make my life complete?
With some work, the answers to these questions will help me answer the question, "How much is enough?" Once I've discovered the answer for myself, the really hard work begins--living with the answer.
Tom LaForce is a speaker, meeting facilitator, and team development expert. He writes extensively about ways to strengthen teamwork and improve organizational effectiveness at his website, http://tomlaforce.com
By George Hutton
One of the most powerful ways to develop a centered stance in the world that can be useful not only to deal with problems effectively as they come up, but to have a generally higher than normal level of base happiness is to practice a breathing exercise every day. There are several reasons behind this. Breathing keeps you centered, making it harder to knock you off balance. Because breathing is normally an unconscious action, when you take conscious control of your breathing you are sending yourself as strong message: That you have the capacity to be a cause, rather than being an effect. Breathing has also been known for several centuries to be a natural aid in digestion and elimination, gently helping food pass through the alimentary canal for maximum benefit.
This is but one thought hallucination among hundreds that can easily enhance through life through the combination of focused breathing and visualization. Get into your favorite meditative position. Sitting, standing, laying back. If you want to do this as you fall asleep, you'll have a good sleep and wake up feeling not only refreshed but in a good mood.
Slowly breath out, and pause just slightly. Wait until you feel a slight desire to breath. Slowly breathe in, and imagine that the breath is of the same force of creation at the moment of the big bang. Hold in your mind two imaginary timelines. One starting with the big bang, and unfolding through the creation of the universe until the moment that you are. The second is of the breath itself, slowly inhaling until your lungs are full. Imagine that the time at which the mystery of creation unfolds into the now that is you coincides with your lungs being full of air. At this point, release all thought, and commune with the mysterious force that is in all things. As you commune with the super conscious, allow your mind to fill with appreciation for all that is.
Hold this breath for a few moments, and as you exhale try another hallucination. One is simply the exhale of breath. The other is the sum total of all your expressions, both verbally and non-verbally in your past, present and future. Exhale your breath, and allow your generated appreciation of all that is coinciding with all your imagined expressions of who you are. Again, experience them in the same span of time, on two different timelines. One is the exhalation of breath, the other is your entire life, (or lives if you prefer), past present and future. Remember all your expressions, experience all your current expressions, and imagine all your future expressions as being charged with the appreciation for all that is.
Do this for as long as you feel comfortable. You might want to have a way to keep track of time, because this is very self hypnotic in nature, it's easy to lose track of time. If your boss asks you why you're late, and you tell him it was because you were communing with the super conscious, he might ask you to take a drug test. I usually do this on the roof of my apartment building; about thirty minutes before I know the chimes at my local Junior High School will go off, so I know I'll have a reminder to quit.
After you try this out, come on over to my blog and let us know how many ways you've become enlightened.
George Hutton is a widely read author and blogger who writes inspirational and life changing articles. You can join many others who read daily at http://www.georgehutton.net/wordpress
You can also view his videos at http://www.youtube.com/georgewhutton
====================================
Improving Communication - How to Use the Salt Factor, Plus Six Other Conversation Tips
By Ruth Seebeck
"Honey, would you please help me?"
Silence.
Once again, hubby didn't hear me. Or if he did, it didn't register enough to get more than a grunt. Doesn't that seem like typical communication between husband and wife ... parent and teen ... worker and boss, or any two people?
Improving the quality of your communication with others is one of the secrets to lower your stress and increase your success. Here are seven keys to effective communication:
1. Establish eye contact. Your efforts to communicate with your spouse (or anyone else) won't be effective if he/she doesn't notice you're there. Get in his or her line of sight. Hollering from the next room is NOT effective communication - unless you're in danger!
2. Speak with people, not to them. Make sure the other person is engaged in your conversation. Mentally ask yourself, "Am I explaining myself well? Am I hearing what they are saying?"
3. Watch your body language. If you're standing rigid with your hands on your hips, your teen has already tuned you out! Be relaxed, arms loose, not crossed in front of your body. Have a slight smile on your face, not a glare. If the situation you're dealing with has inspired high tempers, postpone your conversation until emotions are under control.
4. Slow down. Speaking too fast causes you to trip over your words, and the other person often struggles to understand what you're saying. Speak slowly and clearly so that you words register with the other person.
5. Get feedback. Ask the other person if they have any questions. Have them tell you what they heard, don't assume they 'got' what you said. Remember the childhood game of 'Telephone'. One child said something to the next child, and so on down the line. By the time the last child heard what was said it was always very different from the original!
6. Watch your attitude. Communication is always two-way. If you become demanding without considering the other person's opinions and feelings, you lose. Stay open to their thoughts and ideas. Compromise often produces a better result. It's called synergy.
7. Use the Salt Factor. What's that, you ask? Let me illustrate ...
Me: "Honey, I just don't get it ..."
Silence.
Me: "You know, it just doesn't make any sense to me ..."
Now, he looks up. I've gotten his attention because he doesn't know what I'm talking about yet - but I'm still taking.
Hubby: "What doesn't make sense?"
Me: "Well, ..."
Now that I've gotten a response, I know he's involved. Now we can talk about whatever issue needs attention. I've used this technique successfully for years. It always starts with an open-ended question with no stated subject. Usually it takes two of them (like above) to really impact the person you're speaking to.
It works with spouses, children (adult or otherwise), co-workers, friends. It's particularly good when you need to change or impact the other person's opinion or decision. It even works in the middle of a conversation. The Salt Factor changed his gender-common "NO" edicts to our daughter's issues. It opened the door and allowed us to discuss issues without rancor or pre-judgment.
It's called the Salt Factor because you season the conversation with questions to promote a better flavor in your communications. Done correctly, the Salt Factor improves understanding, resolves issues and leaves 'a good taste' in your relationships. Sprinkle it liberally in your conversations!
For more information on communication, life skills, better relationships, and becoming the best YOU possible, visit http://www.TheRuthFactor.com today. Sign up to receive your FREE weekly "Good Life" Tips & Topics newsletter.
Ruth Seebeck has built a reputation over the last 30 years as a life-skills coach, mentor and Christian counselor. She has a loving husband, Ed, awesome daughter, Jennifer, one cat and two rambunctious Japanese Chin pups. You can reach her at ruth@theruthfactor.com
===========================================
Life Balance - Do You Have Smorgasbord Syndrome?
By Laurel Vespi
I'll bet at some time you have been to an "all you can eat" buffet or a Sunday brunch. Laid out in front of you is the most wonderful array of dishes, old favourites and new delights and of course spectacular desserts.
You probably had a little internal conversation that went something like this: "It all looks so good. I'll splurge today because who knows when I'll get the chance to have these treats again.""Well maybe I should pick and choose a bit. I don't want to over do it." "No go ahead. Enjoy yourself. It's all good stuff. You deserve it."
Sound familiar? I'll also bet that you gave in to the temptation and put way more on your plate than you usually do. And chances are you regretted it by the next day. I call that smorgasbord syndrome.
Life is just a big smorgasbord.
The same thing happens when you are adding things to your plate of commitments. Most people realize they often overload with things they don't really want to do. They feel guilty if they say no, so they say yes. That's certainly an obstacle to life balance.
The bigger challenge though is saying no to some of the wonderful opportunities that life brings us. Just like the buffet, life lays out in front of us a delicious array of experiences and if you try to taste them all at once, you will make yourself sick physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Life is more in balance when you pick and choose carefully what you put on your plate. Say no to some of the wonderful things. They will likely still be available to you later. That way you will have enough time and energy for your commitments and you can really enjoy them. You'll have time to savour the things you are doing rather than just wolfing them down.
My mother used to say: "Be careful that your eyes are not bigger than your stomach."
How much you can comfortably put on your plate depends on what is already on it. Is it overloaded already, especially with things you find hard to swallow? Is there space available to add a new and wonderful dish?
Let pick and choose be your mantra. Then go ahead, grab your fork and be a discerning gourmet.
Laurel Vespi, certified life coach and chief executive guru of stone circle coaching, ignites businesses & individuals to new levels of CHANGE. Laurel works with clients internationally, providing unconventional yet practical tips that make the seemingly impossible... possible!
Sign up for Laurel's free ezine, inside the circle, and receive the bonus article "Blissful Living." Personal Life Coach
=======================================
Personal Development Techniques - Teaching Children to Visualize
By Sue Broad, Ph.D.
I'm a life coach, and although I usually work with adults, people often ask me how they can get their kids to stop being negative or worried about things. One of the things I recommend is for them to get their kids to visualize. Visualizing is like day dreaming with intent. Most adults know about the power of visualizing, but kids often have no idea. So if you're child has a goal they want to achieve, or they are worried or negative about something, teach and practise visualizing with them. Practise first by yourself if you need to!
Get them to think about something positive they would like to achieve, or maybe a situation they are worried about working out ok. Then get them to close their eyes and ask them to picture what would happen when they achieved it, ask them lots of questions and prompt if necessary. For instance you can ask them what would they hear (maybe a teacher or you telling them something positive), what would they see, where would they be, what would they feel inside (excited, proud, happy), what would they taste (maybe you have baked a cake as a reward for them, or maybe baking the cake is what they want to achieve), what would they smell. Try and bring in as many of the senses as are relevant.
Ask really specific questions to make it realistic, what colour clothes are they wearing, are there noises in the background etc. Get them to look through their own eyes as if they are there, and then get them to imagine they are watching themselves like they are in a video, so they see themselves in the picture.
You can get them to visualize themselves achieving their goal and enjoying the rewards, as well as doing what they need to for it to happen. For instance, if they want to do well in a running race, get them to visualize crossing the line and maybe getting a trophy, and also have them visualize going to training and practising their starts. Or if they are worried about giving a talk in class, have them visualize doing the research on their topic and then writing out their talk. Then have them visualize giving their talk and receiving praise from the teacher or their friends. Finally, have them visualize coming home and talking to you about how well they did.
At first you will have to talk them through the process, asking the questions so they can make it feel real, but with a few goes, you'll find they can pick it up easily and can then do it by themselves, maybe just with a reminder from you to do so.
Dr Sue Broad is a Life Coach, Author and Entrepreneur, if you found this article useful, visit her website http://www.SueBroadLifeCoach.com for more free tips, articles and resources, and to find out how the personal development industry is changing lives around the world using a simple system based around "the Secret".
===================================
In Search of Enough
By Tom LaForce
I once read an article that posed the powerful question, "How much is enough?" The authors researched the question and discovered that for most people there is no such thing as enough. The more people have, the more they want. They found that "enoughness" is a moving target, that regardless of income, people usually don't achieve.
This question struck me as one I would like to answer for myself. I know that I've always believed my yearly earnings should exceed the previous year's earnings. I've strolled through larger houses and imagined myself in one. And as for peach pie with ice cream, well enough is never enough.
The article reminded me that continually wanting more will probably result in frustration and unhappiness. I've been thinking about how to overcome my desire to have more. I'm not certain I know the solution to this problem; however, I thought of some questions that I believe will put me on the right path.
* What aspects of my life do I like best?
* What do I value?
* How do I differentiate between what I need and what I want?
* How well am I meeting my needs and those of my family?
* How does what I want support my values?
* What price will I pay to fulfill my wants?
* What would it take to be happy with what I have right now?
* What will bring me joy and make my life complete?
With some work, the answers to these questions will help me answer the question, "How much is enough?" Once I've discovered the answer for myself, the really hard work begins--living with the answer.
Tom LaForce is a speaker, meeting facilitator, and team development expert. He writes extensively about ways to strengthen teamwork and improve organizational effectiveness at his website, http://tomlaforce.com
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