If you are able to meet your conditions you’ve set for yourself, you will feel happy otherwise you‘ll feel depressed. Hence, you decide on the preconditions before you feel happy. However, the irony is that once you meet the said conditions, you decide on another set of conditions and this goes on and happiness eludes you or, rather, you do not allow happiness to come near to you.

The secret of happiness lies in your continuous decision to remain happy, whatever the circumstances may be. The beauty is in the process of you enjoying your journey to reach your set goals.
Some people tend to stress over the activities and behavior of other people as determinants of their happiness. Your happiness is in your hands and you must not blame others for making you miserable. You control your mind on how you want to think and feel. Your thoughts determine how you react to situations around you, and hence, you choose how you respond, to be positive and bringing in your own happiness.

A Simple way to achieve happiness is to be optimistic and look to the present without worrying about the future or the past. By being true to yourself, your confidence level will increase and so will your self-esteem, thus enabling you in striving forward towards happiness.

Increase your awareness of your thought patterns and apply the law of attraction accelerate your attraction to success.

Which brings us to the question of what stress is and how it affects and even hurts us?  Stress is not pressures from the world around us; stress is our attitude to life’s challenges or responses. Stressors, though, are the events and life occasions that typically attract a response from us. We may stress in fear of a worse case outcome, we may stress from frustration and a sense of helplessness, and we may stress by emotional conflict.

There are both emotional and physical signs being under the influence of a stressor, and both of these can be controlled.

The bigger question is how we should deal with situations and occasions that enter our lives. Certainly there is an amazing number of potentially stress causes and each of these would typically be responded to differently.

Sleep is recommended therapy for one who is suffering the effects of a stressful influence. Certainly your local GP can help you in seeking medical intervention if necessary. Always consult with professional if the mountain seems too high.
Fresh air, exercise and a healthy eating plan will not only give our physical bodies protection against the effects of stress but also a welcome distraction for our minds. The emotional state of stress is a little more involved in the controlling but be assured it is not impossible.

The very first thing that you must consider is that potentially stressful situations should be faced for what they are, not what they could be. Perhaps you or someone you love may be facing a medical condition, be sure to understand exactly what is known about the condition of yourself or the patient, not what it may become.  I am in no means denying that a potentially fatal condition is a big deal, it most certainly is, but this is when you must bring some perspective to the situation.  There is the possibility that a condition may not prove fatal. Advice from your medical professionals may not be so bright; this is when it’s time to live in the now. Take your response cues from the present. When all is known about the conditions then seek to learn more. This is a very effective way of dealing with a medical issue. You are keeping yourself proactive, and concentrating on the present. Planning and understanding deletes fear of the unknown.

Frustration and a feeling of helplessness may also be controlled from being proactive. Your planning is smoothing the progression and you are no longer helpless to make a difference.

This very same advice is valid if the condition faced is involving you or another. When the condition is someone else you should reassure the other party of the plans and most importantly give them the present. Today is a gift this is why it is called the present.

Taking comfort in the present, being proactive in the planning and staying focused viewing the situation in the right perspective is beneficial to all situations that cause stress.

Let’s consider a few situations that often cause stress, generally these things are not a crisis however annoying they are. Children will do that to us in so many ways.  Poor grades at school are not a crisis, and we can work towards improving them.  Demanding children and cheeky back chatting is not a crisis; the child may like us to believe there is a crisis for the sake of attention. The best thing we could do for these children is to react by example. If mom’s not having a crisis, eventually the message will get through that demanding and acting up is not going to provide their desires.

Finally, once you’ve put stress in it’s place, use the Law of Attraction to accelerate  your manifestation of positive thoughts. By keeping yourself free from stress, your mind is free to manifest positive thoughts which will help you in achieving your goals. Let the universal energy and the subconscious mind work for you to achieve your goals. Don’t forget to check back and review your goals as you will be amazed at the results. For more information on the attraction acceleration can be found on this article… “Attraction Accelerator” report.

Bob Proctor is an author, lecturer, counselor, business consultant, entrepreneur, and teacher preaching the gospel of positive thinking, self-motivation and maximizing human potential. In that endeavor, he follows in the footsteps of such motivational giants as Napoleon Hill, Earl Nightingale and Wallace D. Wattles.

His extraordinary teaching ability has won Proctor acclaim around the globe and has carried the Canadian-born motivator to the far reaches of the earth. He is as well known in Australia and Malaysia as he is in Alberta and Mississippi.

Born in a little town in northern Ontario, Canada with the low self-esteem that often befalls a family’s middle child, he performed poorly in school, dropped out and did a hitch in the navy. Afterward he drifted from one dead-end job to another until a friend introduced Bob to the concept of self-development through Napoleon Hill’s classic Think and Grow Rich.

With the spark generated by Hill’s words, Proctor found the initiative to start an office cleaning business which he grew to international scope in his first year of operation. From that experience - after seeing what he had been able to accomplish with just a rudimentary knowledge of personal motivation and goal-setting - he hungered for more information.

His quest took him to the Nightingale-Conant organization to study under his mentor, Earl Nightingale. Once on board, he rose swiftly through the ranks. Eventually, while the Nightingale-Conant organization assumed the forefront in wide-scale distribution of personal development programs, Bob felt the need to take his ideas and methods directly to the individual, to the one-on-one level which had proved so successful for himself.

In the mid 1970’s, Proctor established his own seminar company and secured a contract to work with a few hundred agents of Prudential Life Insurance Co. of America in Chicago. During his first seminar Bob made the suggestion that any agent present could write $5 million in business that year if the agent made a decision to do so.

The fact that the seminar took place in July with the year half over and that no agent in that region had ever written so much business in the 100-year history of the company made Bob’s suggestion appear to be outrageous. However, when the performance level of the entire division increased substantially with more than one agent actually accomplishing the deed, Bob’s reputation as a motivator was established.

Over the ensuing years, Proctor has shared his special message and expertise with hundreds of business entities worldwide and, through a program of live seminars, with thousands of people of all ages in all walks of life.

Meanwhile, in addition to his international best-seller You Were Born Rich, he found time to author other works as well, including Mission in Commission, The Winner’s Image, The Goal Achiever, The Success Series, The Success Puzzle, The Recruiting Puzzle, and Being Your Very Best.

Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield is an American motivational speaker, trainer and author. He is best known as the founder and co-creator of The New York Times No. 1 best-selling “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series, which currently has over 65 titles and 80 million copies in print in over 37 languages. According to USA Today, Canfield and his writing partner, Mark Victor Hansen, were the top-selling authors in the United States in 1997.

With a BA from Harvard University, a Masters from University of Massachusetts, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Santa Monica, Canfield has been a high school and university teacher, a workshop facilitator, a psychotherapist, and for the past 30 years, a leading authority in the area of self-esteem and personal development.

Canfield is the founder of “Self Esteem Seminars” in Santa Barbara, and “The Foundation for Self Esteem” in Culver City, California. Self Esteem Seminars trains entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders and employees on how to accelerate the achievement of their personal and professional goals, while The Foundation for Self Esteem provides self-esteem resources and trainings to social workers, welfare recipients and human resource professionals. Canfield is also the President of Souperspeakers.com, a speaking resource service that provides inspirational speakers for event planners worldwide.

Canfield has traveled to over 21 countries, delivering hundreds of keynote speeches, workshops and trainings each year. As part of his presentation style, he always uses inspirational, motivational and uplifting stories to help his audiences discover, experience and retain key concepts and approaches. After each session, audiences everywhere had encouraged him to put his stories into a single book.

In 1990, while on an airplane home, he felt that it was time. He shared his idea with author Mark Victor Hansen during breakfast one day. Hansen liked the idea, and so began the Chicken Soup for the Soul phenomenon. But with their busy schedules, translating what worked on the podium onto the written page proved more challenging than either of them had anticipated. After three long years, the two had compiled just sixty-eight stories — a far cry from the 101 they believed was the magic number for a successful book. Nonetheless, their successful partnership has spawned many other titles that have made them enormously famous.

Canfield has appeared on numerous television shows, including Good Morning America, 20/20, Eye to Eye, CNN’s Talk Back Live, PBS and the BBC. Today, he speaks shares his success strategies with companies and associations worldwide.

The most recent book Canfield has written was the 2005 publication of The Success Principles. In it Canfield shares 64 principles that he and other people have utilized to achieve great levels of success.

Certainly, this book is well referenced by many of the great teachers today and it is the same book that inspired Rhonda Byrne to produce that runaway success “the Secret”. Here is what Rhonda Byrne said on her introductory note to the book, “I can honestly say that, since that first night when a tattered printed manuscript found its way to me (thanks to one of my daughters), my life has never been the same. Once you read it for yourself, you will understand why”. Rhonda went on to produce the movie “the Secret” and the best-selling book of the same title which has sold millions of copies worldwide.

However, learning how to do things in that “certain way” as described by Wallace D. Wattles may be more challenging for some as the book was written nearly 100 years ago. Some of the language is a little dated and much of its wisdom lost from a modern day perspective.

Fortunately, a new training seminar for the Science of Getting Rich has brought the wisdom of this timeless classic back to life for modern readers. Called “the Science of Getting Rich”, this program is the most comprehensive training system for mastering Wallace D. Wattles wealth creation philosophies and principles since its creation. It comprises written, audio and live seminar formats for learning, applying and mastering the Science of Getting Rich

A unique “twist” to the program is the fact that it has an in-built vehicle for creating substantial financial wealth through its affiliate program. This is truly a unique wealth eduction and wealth building program designed to empower any individual with the resources to get rich. It is a program whose time has come. The program would not be possible without the original text from Wallace D. Wattles, the skills of leading teachers of our time, the phenomenal success of “the Secret” and the Internet as a learning and distribution tool.

Click here to learn more about the Secret Science of Getting Rich and the details of the program.

Just like any road, there are corners, detours, and crossroads in life. Perhaps the most perplexing road that you would encounter is a crossroad. With four roads to choose from and with limited knowledge on where they would go, which road will you take? What is the guarantee that we would choose the right one along the way? Would you take any road, or just stay where you are: in front of a crossroad?

There are no guarantees
You do not really know where a road will lead you until you take it. There are no guarantees. This is one of the most important things you need to realize about life. Nobody said that choosing to do the right thing all the time would always lead you to happiness. Loving someone with all your heart does not guarantee that it would be returned. Gaining fame and fortune does not guarantee happiness. Accepting a good word from an influential superior to cut your trip short up the career ladder is not always bad, especially if you are highly qualified and competent.  There are too many possible outcomes, which your really cannot control. The only thing you have power over is the decisions that you will make, and how you would act and react to different situations.

Wrong decisions are always at hindsight.
Had you known that you were making a wrong decision, would you have gone along with it? Perhaps not, why would you choose a certain path when you know it would get you lost? Why make a certain decision if you knew from the very beginning that it is not the right one. It is only after you have made a decision and reflected on it that you realize its soundness. If the consequences or outcomes are good for you, then you have decided correctly. Otherwise, your decision was wrong.

Take the risk: Decide.
Since life offers no guarantee and you would never know that your decision would be wrong until you have made it, then you might as well take the risk and decide. It is definitely better than keeping yourself in limbo. Although it is true that one wrong turn could get you lost, it could also be that such a turn could be an opportunity for an adventure, moreover open more roads. It is all a matter of perspective. You have the choice between being a lost traveller or an accidental tourist of life.  But take caution that you do not make decisions haphazardly. Taking risks is not about being careless and stupid. Here are some pointers that could help you choose the best option in the face of life’s crossroads:
· Get as many information as you can about your situation.

You cannot find the confidence to decide when you know so little about what you are faced with. Just like any news reporter, ask the 5 W’s: what, who, when, where, and why. What is the situation? Who are the people involved? When did this happen? Where is this leading? Why are you in this situation? These are just some of the possible questions to ask to know more about your situation. This is important. Oftentimes, the reason for indecision is the lack of information about a situation.

· Identify and create options.
 
What options do the situation give you? Sometimes the options are few, but sometimes they are numerous. But what do you do when you think that the situation offers no options? This is the time that you create your own. Make your creative mind work. From the most simplistic to the most complicated, entertain all ideas. Do not shoot anything down when an idea comes to your head. Sometimes the most outrageous idea could prove to be the right one in the end. You can ask a friend to help you identify options and even make more options if you encounter some difficulty, but make sure that you make the decision yourself in the end.

· Weigh the pros and cons of every option.

Assess each option by looking at the advantages and disadvantages it offers you. In this way, you get more insights about the consequences of such an option.

· Trust yourself and make that decision.

Now that you have assessed your options, it is now time to trust yourself. Remember that there are no guarantees and wrong decisions are always at hindsight.  So choose… decide… believe that you are choosing the best option at this point in time.

Now that you have made a decision, be ready to face its consequences: good and bad. It may take you to a place of promise or to a land of problems. But the important thing is that you have chosen to live your life instead of remaining a bystander or a passive audience to your own life. Whether it is the right decision or not, only time can tell. But do not regret it whatever the outcome. Instead, learn from it and remember that you always have the chance to make better decisions in the future.
 

Life is filled with problems, diagnostics and solvers. To start improving your life you can start by reliving a time in your life. Look back to see obstacles in your pathway. What did you do to overcome those obstacles? Were your decisions capable of helping you handle the problems? Did your decisions have good or bad consequences? If you made good decisions then, can you use those decisions now to fix problems?

Once you review your history of problem-solving tactics move on to evaluate your skills. What skills do you have that will help you improve your personal life? What skills can you develop that will guide you to a prosperous life? Do you need to continue school? Can you find a better job?

How to travel the discovering road to unlock doors:
The first action you will need to take to unlock doors is to be honest. When you are honest with self and others, it helps reduce emotional chaos. When a person lies, they live in denial, anger, misery, hopelessness, etc and often drown in their own pity. Stop the pity and hop on the road, traveling down the trail ways to discover the keys that unlock your doors to success. To get started tell the truth about something that hinders you.

Start: I dwell on negative thoughts rather than focusing on positive thoughts. What can you do to change this? Say, my life is filled with stress, yet I feel I can change my life to make it better. Think about those people in the world who has it worse than you do.

Do you have addictions?
Consider drugs, sex, alcohol, and cigarettes and so on when thinking of addictions. Also, consider shopping, work, food and so on. If you discover an addiction ask, how can I take steps to change this harmful habits? Do I have support? Is there hope? Can I find help? How can I find that help? You will find many helpful resources, including addiction clinics of all sorts that will offer you a hand. Never deal with addictions alone. You will also need to work on your own to take control of your addictions. The key to success is accepting you have a problem. Honesty is the key that opens many doors. Once you accept you will find it easier to get help.

Looking ahead:
Looking ahead is good. When you look ahead, you are visualizing your future. You want to avoid dwelling on reaching tomorrow.

Rather keep one day in your mind and work in that day to complete your goals. Taking it one day at a time is the key to success. You have many options, yet it takes you to discover those options.

Communication:
Communication is the ultimate key that opens many doors. When you learn to communicate effectively, you are taking steps to improve your personal life. To learn effective communication skills, consider continuing your education. You can also learn communication tools by frequently talking with others about positive topics.

You will find that your mind is a wonderful tool. Your life will be designed to reach for your dreams and live your life. You are able to focus on what you want for your life and, then, when you set a clear and comprehensive goal you know that you can have such an achievement. Your achievements are marked because you worked so hard for them. When you place a goal on paper, you are able to mark a path for where you want your life to go. Then you are able to physically see that you can do whatever you need to achieve your goal.

Who uses goals?  Well, everyone uses goals to help them make it to their dreams. Businessmen and women, athletes, students and more use goals to help them make it to their dreams. Without goals, your dreams are useless because you cannot reach your dreams unless you set your goals down and have a game plan. When you set goals, you are able to motivate yourself and be able to visualize who you are. You may find that you may have to do a lot of research to be able to set your goals properly. You are also going to have to organize your time and find some resources to help you make the most out of your life.

For you to properly set a goal, you must be specific. You need to think about all the details of your goal and what you have to do to meet your goal. You want to make sure that you have everything covered in the plan. When you aim for a goal, you will find things that will distract you. Have a plan when it comes to the distractions. Do you have a friend to help keep you on track? Do you have anyone who cares enough to help you find the path that you stray away from?  Hopefully you can find a backup plan to your problems.

Why are goals so important? Goals give a person direction, and if you don’t have direction then you have no other option but to wonder. Wondering is okay when you are very young, but when it comes to being a responsible adult you are pressured by society to have goals and plan. You are expected to know what you want out of life and how to get to your life goal at a very young age. When you are in your twenties or thirties you will find yourself wondering what you want for your life. If you set a goal early, you can at least have some direction in life, but as you grow you can always change your goals to something that you want so don’t worry if the goals you set earlier change along the way.

Finally, once you have set the goals that you want, use the Law of Attraction to accelerate their manifestation. Keep them in your thoughts and let the universal energy and the subconscious mind work for you to achieve your goals. Don’t forget to check back and review your goals as you will be amazed at the results. For more information on the attraction acceleration can be found on this article… “Attraction Accelerator” report.

Most people are content just to stand around listening for orders. And it isn’t unusual to adopt a follow-the-leader mentality. But maybe, somewhere inside of you, you feel the desire to make things happen – to be the head, not the tail. Then maybe leadership just suits you fine.

Some people believe that great leaders are made, not born. Yes, it may be true that some people are born with natural talents. However, without practice, without drive, without enthusiasm, and without experience, there can be no true development in leadership.

You must also remember that good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their natural skills. This takes a commitment to constantly improve in whatever endeavor a person chooses.

First of all, let’s define leadership. To be a leader, one must be able to influence others to accomplish a goal, or an objective. He contributes to the organization and cohesion of a group.

Contrary to what most people believe, leadership is not about power. It is not about harassing people or driving them using fear. It is about encouraging others towards the goal of the organization. It is putting everyone on the same page and helping them see the big picture of the organization. You must be a leader not a boss.

First of all, you have to get people to follow you. How is this accomplished?

People follow others when they see a clear sense of purpose. People will only follow you if they see that you know where you are going. Remember that bumper sticker? The one that says, don’t follow me, I’m lost too? The same holds true for leadership. If you yourself do not know where you’re headed to, chances are people will not follow you at all.

You yourself must know the vision of the organization. Having a clear sense of hierarchy, knowing who the bosses are, who to talk to, the organization’s goals and objectives, and how the organization works is the only way to show others you know what you are doing.

Being a leader is not about what you make others do. It’s about who you are, what you know, and what you do. You are a reflection of what you’re subordinates must be.

Studies have shown that one other bases of good leadership is the trust and confidence your subordinates have of you. If they trust you they will go through hell and high water for you and for the organization.

Trust and confidence is built on good relationships, trustworthiness, and high ethics.

The way you deal with your people, and the relationships you build will lay the foundation for the strength of your group. The stronger your relationship, the stronger their trust and confidence is in your capabilities.

Once you have their trust and confidence, you may now proceed to communicate the goals and objectives you are to undertake.

Communication is a very important key to good leadership. Without this you can not be a good leader. The knowledge and technical expertise you have must be clearly imparted to other people.

Also, you can not be a good leader and unless you have good judgment. You must be able to assess situations, weigh the pros and cons of any decision, and actively seek out a solution.

It is this judgment that your subordinates will come to rely upon. Therefore, good decision-making is vital to the success of your organization.

Leaders are not do-it-all heroes. You should not claim to know everything, and you should not rely upon your skills alone.

You should recognize and take advantage of the skills and talents your subordinates have. Only when you come to this realization will you be able to work as one cohesive unit.

Remember being a leader takes a good deal of work and time. It is not learned overnight. Remember, also, that it is not about just you. It is about you and the people around you.

So, do you have the drive and the desire to serve required of leaders? Do you have the desire to work cooperatively with other people? Then start now. Take your stand and be leader today.

There is a time for everything. A time to fight,  a time to pray and a time to let go…

A Time for Everything

 1 There is a time for everything,
       and a season for every activity under heaven:

 2 a time to be born and a time to die,
       a time to plant and a time to uproot,

 3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
       a time to tear down and a time to build,

 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
       a time to mourn and a time to dance,

 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
       a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

 6 a time to search and a time to give up,
       a time to keep and a time to throw away,

 7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
       a time to be silent and a time to speak,

 8 a time to love and a time to hate,
       a time for war and a time for peace.

 9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

 15 Whatever is has already been,
       and what will be has been before;
       and God will call the past to account.

 16 And I saw something else under the sun:
       In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
       in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

 17 I thought in my heart,
       “God will bring to judgment
       both the righteous and the wicked,
       for there will be a time for every activity,
       a time for every deed.”

 18 I also thought, “As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Man’s fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal  goes down into the earth?”

 22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22