Happiness - 5 Golden Rules For Being Happy Now and Always

No matter what you're looking for in this world, or in this lifetime, chances are that the underlying reason you're looking for it is so you can be happier than you are now. Think about it for a second; you certainly don't want more money and better health so you can be miserable. Likewise, if you want a great relationship, or some other kind of success, it isn't so your life will be completely ruined - it's so you can be happier than you are now. It is only natural to want to live, learn, grow, and be happy. Basically, if we aren't trying to stay alive, we're usually trying to be happy.

But why does it seem to be so difficult to be happy? Why do so many people suffer? Why are so many people sick, in debt, and/or in bad or un-fulfilling relationships and situations in their lives? The answer is simple: They aren't following the "rules." In order to be happy, you have to do certain things - "happy things," you might say. If you are unhappy in your current life, you will not be able to keep your life exactly the way it is and ADD happiness to the mix. Happiness isn't a "thing" that's missing from your life - your life is causing you to be and feel something other than what you call. "Happy." Below are "5-Golden Rules of Happiness;" they aren't always easy to follow, but they are very simple.

5-Golden Rules for Being Happy:

1. "Don't worry; be happy." "Don't sweat the small stuff," don't sweat the big stuff, don't sweat the stuff you can't control, and don't sweat the stuff you can control. In other words, don't worry about anything.

2. Judge not. Don't label, judge, or criticize anything or anyone; acceptance and allowance is the key to a happy, stress-free life. This may sound difficult - or even crazy - but, trust me; this is one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself.

3. Think about others more than you think about yourself or your own problems. It is impossible to be unhappy unless you are thinking about yourself. Find someone to help; and stop spending so much time thinking about "You."

4. Let Go! It is our attachment to things, people, situations, conditions, judgments, and our own fears and limiting beliefs that causes suffering. Nothing is permanent; practice non-attachment and release. Practice forgiveness along with non-judgment; you'll be glad you did.

5. Think happy thoughts. Happiness is a feeling; and, feelings are caused by thoughts. You can't be happy unless you choose to be; and choosing happiness simply means choosing happy thoughts.

Because so much of the average person's life is spent in a kind of daze, stupor, or otherwise "unconscious" state - mindlessly doing the same things they did yesterday and the day before - these "rules" aren't always easy to follow. But happiness is a gift you must wake-up and claim if you truly want it. It is very simple; but it definitely takes effort. Of course, it is definitely worth the effort it takes to keep your mind focused on positive outcomes and happier thoughts. Your only other option is to remain in a miserable, unfulfilled, unhealthy, unhappy, or depressed, state. So what will your choice be? Before you choose your next thought, just remember: Your happiness depends on it!

By Pete Koerner

If you're ready to release your reasons for being unhappy and set yourself free from negative, painful, or uncomfortable emotions, visit us and download your FREE, Illustrated Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Manual; just go to: http://www.ExploreExpandEvolve.com/free_download/ (It only takes about 10-seconds to get your Free EFT manual and start erasing fears, limiting beliefs, and other reasons for not being happy!).

Pete Koerner is the author of The Belief Formula: The Secret to Unlocking the Power of Prayer. The Belief Formula is a look at how you can use ancient wisdom and modern scientific awareness to learn how to use your mind to reclaim your health and create the life of your dreams.

For a Free Report on Making The Belief Formula Work for You, visit: http://www.TheBeliefFormula.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pete_Koerner

Read More..

Staying Positive - Why It is The Key To Your Success?

When it comes to chasing after your dream of becoming a millionaire it is vital to your survival that you stay positive. Without a positive mindset you are sure to fall into the trap of negative thinking.

The saying that says "If you think you can or think you can't you're right" is so very true. Keeping a positive attitude will drive you towards success, however if you have a negative attitude then almost everything will be impossible for you to achieve.

Although it is impossible to have a positive attitude 100% of the time (after all we are all human and flawed), but it is important to maintain a positive attitude as much as you can. A positive attitude is not reliant on the circumstances you are in or how well off you are in like. It is simple how you react to those situations. A positive attitude allows you to see the potential in people and in circumstances and allows you to turn bad circumstances into good circumstances over time. Most importantly a positive attitude is vital if you want to become a millionaire, because without it a negative attitude will drag you down into failure.

I have compiled a list of ways I believe you can get and keep a positive attitude.

1. Hang around positive people - You become like who you hang around, if you hang around positive people you will become positive, if you hang around negative people then you will become negative. I learnt this lesson early when I read in the bible that "as iron sharpens iron, so friends sharpen the minds of each other". So spend time with people full of positivity and full of faith and you will see your attitude to your work change and you will become more productive, more creative and more successful.

2. Remind yourself to be positive - put reminders in your phone, stick them on your walls and continually remind yourself of the positive aspects of things not the negatives ones. When a circumstance arises train yourself to look at the positives not the negatives. This is great because I positive attitude seeks to overcome and solve problems whereas a negative attitude will shut you down and let your problems overcome you.

3. Keep a thankful spirit - every morning when you wake up have a thankful spirit. It will keep you positive all day. More on having a thankful spirit here

4. Read positive material - Read books and websites that inspire you, read testimonies of people who have made it in the area you want to see success and be inspired that it is possible to achieve

5. Set achievable goals - Often we set goals too high that we cannot achieve them. When we fail we get upset and negative and our progress is stunted. Instead set smaller goals which you can easy achieve and as you achieve them give yourself a pat on the back and set bigger goals to achieve. This will help you keep a positive attitude towards goal setting and the progress you are making.

Staying positive may sound a little off topic, but it is a vital aspect to anyone who is going to build wealth. Because building wealth takes time it is easy to lose heart and become negative, we need to avoid that and stay positive because that is where we will see most of our results.

By Ryan Mclean

Sign Up For the Fool's Wealth Weekly Advisor at http://www.foolswealth.com/newsletter and learn how any fool can become extremely wealth. Want to go from $0 to $1,000,000 in just 12 months? Then join the people already partaking in "The Challenge" by signing up at http://www.foolswealth.com/challenge

You could very well be on your way to becoming a millionaire today. Hurry.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryan_Mclean

Read More..

5 More Steps to Help You Have a Fantastic Day

Step 1. Stand up

Your spine is your age line. A bad spine will make you feel old even if you are young. Slouched posture, weak abdomen, slumped shoulders, short neck, head bent forward are antidotes to having a great day.

You can see how a person feels from 100 meters just by their posture. And you can feel fantastic at the worst circumstance with a good posture. There are many tools for posture correction. And these are definitely not at the gym.

Palates, some yoga, Alexander technique, Qigong, and Tai chi are postural techniques. Lifting the inner core, holding the body well. It's amazing to see people in countries where carrying heavy loads on their shoulders in normal.

Those who are forced to do it develop slumped arched backs. Those who volunteer have beautiful straight backs. You can easily tell when a person is carrying a burden that they don't want.

And in the west, these burdens are mostly emotional. But the affect is identical. So straighten up your spine. Sit on a chair without a back rest, or one of those ball things, sit on a wooden crate it doesn't matter what, just get the habit of a straight back.

Step 2. Include Challenge

My friend often calls and tells me how hard the day has been. When I ask why, he says "so much challenge"

Did you know that there cannot be a challenge without a support. So, when we speak of a "challenging day" that very same day has "supporting day" built in. However, we go where the loudest noise takes us sometimes. So, we can easily focus on the challenge and forget the rest.

When my friend rings up and says "I had a great day" I always ask "so where was the challenge?" He gets totally annoyed at me, but it's true.

Wanting a day without challenge is like wanting a relationship without questions, or an apple without a pip, or a child without a complaint. It's just the way it is meant to be and if we go into these situations wishing for a "gee don't challenge me" attitude, then we're going to be so disconnected. So unapproachable.

But more than that, we're going to be disappointed. Because if we want the day to be challenge free, we can't have a fantastic day. Try enjoying the challenges. It's all part of the process.

Step 3. Be Certain

If there is a myth that has been sold to millions of people it is the myth of certainty of an outcome.

It's an easy myth to sell. All you need to do is achieve and outcome and then say, you knew it was going to happen right from the start.

I've consulted to 5-6,000 people, spoken to a million, and been a part of things that involve billions. Of those people, about 20 are really where they dreamed they could be. Most are somewhere good, but this was not the childhood dream of "I knew I'd make the top10 one day"

Of the thousand or so athletes who make the Olympic games and the few who win gold medals millions and millions of people failed. So many were trying to get to the Olympics and win that medal. But just a few get through.

Is it because of some "certainty" in the mind of that winner? Is it some confidence or commitment they had? Do you really think, in all honesty that the gold medal winner was the only one with absolute certainty that they would win?

Lets not do this any more. You can control the quality of your process and remain a happy person having a fantastic day. You can hold a dream in your mind and focus on all the right ingredients to win. You can practice, train, practice, train, and rehearse, and learn but, if the energy is not your turn, you might have to settle for less.

So, there is no certainty. There is only your heart, your actions and your integrity and if all these three are lined up, then the probability of success just increased. But there is no certainty, just a commitment to try.

Step 4. NO excuses

Last week I had a kidney chill. I was out in my kayak and the weather just turned and I got so cold. The next day I felt like crap. I certainly was in no mood to work. So, I got a DVD set, a warm blanket, hot tea, turned off my mobile and shut the world out. I had a fantastic day even though I felt like crap.

There's no excuse. Even someone dying is no excuse - but this requires huge spiritual awareness - so there is an excuse! "I am not spiritually awake"

Everyday is a new day. So the sun comes up and we have a thousand justifications not to have a fantastic day. If I sit with some people I think they could win the gold medal in the Olympic excuses competition.

But that's not what they want. Neither do you. Zero tolerance means that there's always a bright side, always a gift, always something to be thankful for and there's always an opportunity to lift your spirits even when things are bad.

I saw this once in an amazing way. My Dad was so proud to teach me things. He wanted me to know how to chop wood, clear a forest, make a house, dig a trench and concrete over the top of the garden to make it neat. So, I'd spend many compulsory hours being his Go-fa (go for this and go for that) -

Dad wanted me to enjoy work. He'd joke and laugh and tease me. The whole thing was that he entertained me, to keep my spirits up amongst the hard work. Anyway, Dad chopped the end of his finger off, sliced right through it. He smiled, wrapped a bandage and made a joke, then back to fun and enjoying the day. I fainted.

Anyway, the point was, he wouldn't even let a smashed finger which needed many stitches, spoil the moment.

Really, its got to be enjoyable. There's only one pass at this one life. Every day is so precious yet, people waste the days with excuses. Oh, it's too hot. Oh it's too cold. My goodness.

I think this was the whole message of Monty Python. Learn to laugh at it. That great song "always look on the bright side of life" with Brain hanging from a cross. Or the skit about "luxury" - "when we got home, our Dad would chop us into bits, make us work 25 hours a day, sleep in a shoe box in the middle of the road, and the kids today, they just won't believe you. Ah, yes, we had it tough. Luxury"

Step 5. Love it

Just for arguments sake lets paint the world out so you can't see it anymore. There's nothing there. You are sitting here, reading this long article, you are alone. Now, there's about 6 trillion stars in the milky way. Our Sun is one of them. And our planet goes around our Sun, just like all the other Suns have planets too.

There are 50 billion galaxies like the milky way. So, if you do the math, your calculator will be unable to display the numbers, it isn't built to think that big.

Now the world is still painted out. But you know it is out there. You know there are trees and birds and cars and red wine out there. So, you know. You know. You can see or know there are stars and cars and things.

This is the most important thing. To stay in awe of the magnificence of the universe and how bloody lucky we are to even know that there's sugar in our tea and taste it, let alone become conscious of the vast magnificence of it. We become a little self obsessed.

To have a really, really fantastic day, one of the greatest gifts is simply to be excited about the fact that you're alive. Dad used to say, "I look up the obituaries in the paper, if I'm not in it, it's a great day"

We each need to remain so excited about life. Just like a child at Christmas or Passover or whatever your faiths special day. Everyday is Christmas, everyday is your birthday, the birth of a new day. That's where great, fantastic, unbelievable days begin.

In your home, surround yourself with things from another world. Not this one. Pictures of a universe, like my screen saver from Apple. Amazing awe-inspiring ideas and things that make you like a child. Just so ready to have a fantastic day. Like a child learn to bounce off the walls and mend the hits. Make no excuses and be like a child, smile, want life, want it to be fun. In this, you will know yourself and your heart will be open to life.

By Christopher Walker

http://www.chriswalker.com.au Chris Walker is a world leading change agent, an environmentalist and author of more than 20 books. Born and bred in Australia, he consults to people and organisations throughout the world on improved relationships, health and lifestyle through the application of the Universal laws of Nature. The result he offers is that we stay balanced, share loving relationships, work with passion, enjoy success, and live our personal truth. To learn more about Chris's work and journeys to Nepal, visit http://www.chriswalker.com.au -- http://www.chriswalker.com.au

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Walker

Read More..

Never Never Never Give Up

I recently picked up a book while endlessly waiting for a flight to take off. In the book I came across a very important statement, rather a profound truth articulated by Dr. Karl Menninger (a psychiatrist). He said,"Attitudes are more important than facts."

It basically means that any fact facing us, however difficult, or seemingly hopeless, is not so important as is our attitude towards that fact.

The author of that book said that this statement is worth repeating until its truth grips you. I couldn't agree more. I was instantly reminded of Winston Churchill's final speech. Winston Churchill was emphatically introduced. He slowly made his way to the podium, looked at the assembly and said, "Never give up; never, never, never give up."

For the record - He was in his 90's, in very poor health, and was speaking to his former high school pupils. His attitude, however was never in its 90's and never in poor health.

How often have you told yourself, "That's not fair," and the feeling of being a victim of circumstances made you feel like giving up? Not too often I hope. It begs the question though that never give up on exactly what? I intuitively know he means never give up trying, but upon personal reflection (and lots of it) I understand that it's about never giving up hope.

I heard from a researcher of cancer patients who have been in survival experiences. They all agree that once hope is removed, it's very easy to give up, and at that point dying becomes the likely outcome. There are instances of patients in almost similar physical conditions; where some defied the odds and survived when the situation seemed hopeless; while their companions simply gave up and quickly passed away.

it's very easy to focus on the negative aspects of the past or the present, it's very comfortable to imagine that nothing will change. I say comfortable because it then allows us to crib and cringe (mostly to our own mind) in a manner where the responsibility for the change has shifted outside of us. Outside of our control. It's someone else's fault or someone else's responsibility. AND obviously there is a reality formed - that you cannot do anything about it.

My friend, attitude is more important than fact. The fact might well be that you are in a hopeless situation. However if you have given up hope, then, most definitely, the fact will forever be a reality.

The chief problem really is that we allow hopelessness to enter our minds and discolor and distort our outlook. We do this because we get consumed by the facts.

So what does a positive attitude mean? Simply put - "Have faith in your abilities." It sounds really simple. And you can do it very easily. Let me share with you a real-life narration from one of my coaching sessions.

This particular coaching assignment was with a vice-president of a retail company. The session is inspired by a technique I learned long time back in a book (I am struggling with the name right now but it's a must read and I'll post it in my next mail). He has been in this role for years and years. He is disgruntled about it for obvious reasons. He hasn't got a promotion in a long time. He is seeing other divisions of the company grow, his peers being promoted, salaries rising for everybody.....

In my first session with him he says,"Why are you coaching me. I am 54 years old. i have nothing to achieve. I am here in this role for the last 12 years and will be till retirement. I have nothing to look forward to. I'll do my job well. I am too old to start over again or find a more exciting job. My and my family's standard of living will remain where it is. I have accepted that this is it."

I asked him "Nothing to look forward to." "Nothing" he repeated.

I asked him if we could write down things he likes or enjoys. "There's no use. Nothing will change", he said.

I told him that let's just see anyways and started writing for him. I asked him if his wife loved him. He said "of course she does. We've been married thirty years." I asked him about his children - he said he has three daughters and they call him everyday before he leaves for work and tell him that they love him and are very proud of him. He emphatically tells me, "not a day they miss."

I said Friends? He said that he doesn't have too many friends but there are a couple of them since college days who are with him always. In good times and in bad. "They keep exploring opportunities for me. I tell them the same thing. There is no point."

I asked him what was his most treasured value in life. He said "honesty, I've never harmed anyone or lied to anyone." I asked him how his health was. He said,"A few problems here and there but I keep pretty good health. I can walk a few miles more than the youngsters in my locality can."

I asked him if he believes in India's growth story. He said'"of course I do. This is the place to be in." Finally I asked him if he was religious and he replied,'I believe in God. I am thankful for what I have."

I turned to him the small sheet of paper I'd been writing on. It read:

1- A wife that loves me- 30 years
2- Three daughters who are proud of me.
3- Two friends who explore opportunities for me almost everyday.
4- Honesty -
5- Good health.
6- India is growing and I am here.
7- I believe in God.

I told him, 'I thought you said there was nothing to look forward to."

He said to me,"I never looked at it that way." The ONLY thing that changed for him was a shift from thinking about his negative situation at work to a faith that he does have things going for him. He can, if he wishes, chose to embrace them.

He took that list from me. It still hangs on his pin-up board. It's been three years. He tells me he reads it everyday and draws a lot of energy from it. This gentleman who is a very wonderful human being is today the President, enjoys a higher salary, is responsible for another division and I guess is generally much happier.

We can all chose to focus forever on problems, negative situations or on something we do not have and reinforce it all our lives. We can also focus on what we have. we can at the very least have faith in our own abilities.

I'll repeat again Attitude is more important than fact. It's also the perfect reason why you must focus on a positive future, take actions that give you the hope and belief that things are going to be great, and never, never, never give up (on hope).

yours,
Chetan Walia

By Chetan Walia

Chetan Walia: is a creative, on-the-edge, speaker with unquestionable expertise on sales and breakthrough achievement. Chetan is known for programs that are funny, insightful, and in setting landmarks in learning.

OVER 100 COMPANIES. Chetan has delivered corporate programs and coaching programs on achievement to over a hundred organizations.

CORPORATE CUSTOMERS. Our clients include Airtel, American Express, Coffee Day, Ernst & Young, Suzuki, Mother Dairy, Pepsi, PriceWaterHouse, Sanofi, Sasken, United Nations, World Bank.

Coach. Chetan is a coach and mentor to some of the senior most executives in the country.

Breaking Barriers: Has been known to not only break barriers of the mind through our programs but also has broken may an industry barriers (that were thought to be so called norms) to generate breakthroughs.

Visit: http://www.breakthrougher.com for more information or to subscribe to Chetan's Free Weekly eZine.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chetan_Walia

Read More..

Six Keys to Creating Loving Boundaries - Or Learning to Say "No"!

Where are you in life right now? What are you creating that makes you feel good. Do you find you end up doing things for others that you really don't have time or energy for? We say "yes" to doing things for other people when we really don't want to do. When that happens, we end up giving our power away. We say "yes" when we really want to create boundaries, we want to say "no".

Here are six keys to working with your inner strength in order to say "yes' to setting boundaries.

What things are draining your energy? You know, the things that you are putting up with that you would rather not. There is a cost to saying yes to these energy drains. What is it costing you? Is it costing you time? Is it costing you money? Is it causing you added stress?

The first key is about power. No, not the ability to overtake someone physically, mentally or emotionally. Power is your inner strength. Power is the ability to listen to your heart and make balanced choices in your life. Are you in touch with your inner strength? What can you do to honor this power within?

The second key is balance. What does balance mean to you? Balance is not standing on one foot or learning to walk a tight rope. Balance is the ability to look at circumstances, through the foundation of your values, and to choose the actions that do not drain your energy. From a place of balance, you can choose activities that empower you.

The third key is regarding your values. What are your values? What is important to you and how do you see the world? Value is not the price you put on something. Values are the beliefs you have that allow you to make choices from your heart and which enable you to engage in actions that bring joy and energy into your life. Limiting beliefs keep you from experiencing your deeper values. These beliefs also create resistance, which keeps you from moving forward with your desires and dreams.

The fourth key is learning to stand your ground. What does it mean to stand your ground? Standing your ground does not mean being a bully or guilting someone into doing "it" your way. When you stand your ground, you come from a place of inner power and being. When you listen to this inner power and strength, what do you notice about the way you feel? There is energy and truth that comes through you. Here, you can choose to act with balance and grace. When you say "no" to someone, say it from love and integrity. You are saying "no" in order to satisfy your balance and sense of being. You are not being mean, you are saying "yes" to your boundaries.

The fifth key is about communicating authentically. When you communicate, do your words match who you really are or are you like the Wizard of Oz saying "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain"? There is more to that giant talking head in the room. When you look at the the true person speaking, there is deeper meaning, understanding and compassion. You just have to look under the curtain to discover the true person. Communicate authentically. This means express yourself from your heart and speak through your values. The way in which you speak is very powerful. When you speak positively - positive words, positive tone and positive action - you can communicate your need for boundaries. When you say "no" to someone or something, don't make up an excuse! Be true to who you are and your words will follow.

The sixth key sums up all the other keys - trust. What does trust mean to you? What can you do to honor yourself and your choices? If you trust your inner guidance and power to speak from a place of balance, to be true to your values, to stand your ground with integrity and to communicate authentically, you will be honoring your needs.

Saying "no" is about honoring your integrity, your needs and your desire to create a happier, healthier and more balanced life. Say "yes" to giving yourself permission to set your boundaries and say "no" when you need to. If you feel you are doing a juggling act - remember - you are not a circus clown! Saying "yes" to your boundaries honors your choices and supports your ability to stop being a juggler, without dropping the ball!

By Christine Laureano

You Are An Occasion ~ Rise To It!

http://www.ChristineLaureanoCoaching.com
Create Your Best Life!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Laureano

Read More..

It's Not Impossible to Reach Your Dreams

Everybody at one point or another in their life, have had big dreams of accomplishment and how many little boys dreamed of hitting the game winning home run or little girls wanting to be a princess when they grew up. How many times have you heard someone fantasize about winning the lottery or being a big movie or music star. Just look at American Idol.

Too many times our dreams and desires remain as fantasies and become quite rusty with age. We just go on dreaming and wondering what life would be like if we could just fulfill some of the things on our wish list.

It is very unfortunate that we let these get away from us and instead of living the exciting life we imagined, there is the problem of looking at the day as just trying to get by. Letting the mundane events of our daily lives dictate how we will feel is how are hopes and wants get smothered.

True, we need to be mindful of the chores and activities that keep us alive and with a roof over our heads but we should not fall into the trap of thinking that there isn't enough time to work on attaining those things in life that we really want.

Of course, you can't spend your entire day on a project but that does not mean it cannot be done. If you only spent 30 minutes a day devoted to one subject that is almost an entire week by the end of the year. Can you imagine how much more you would know after spending a week on it.

If you can just schedule your time to include one hour a day on the subject of your dreams then you can have two weeks a year. It does not feel like a lot when you are sitting there just killing time in front of the television for a couple of hours but it adds up.

By Matthew Maiden

If you would like to learn more about the Universal Life Church please visit: http://www.ulcradio.com and read about becoming an ordained minister in the ULC.

Matthew Maiden is the host of The ULC Radio Program and would like you to give a listen to the show.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Maiden

Read More..

"What Do I Want?" - Easy Steps For Goal Setting And Manifestation Of Desires

"I hate my life." "I hate my job." "I hate _________." Have you ever caught yourself thinking and feeling this way? Feeling trapped, or suffocated by circumstances? I think we all have. The good news: You can change things. You're not a victim in this life. You have choices. You can create the life you desire.
The topic today is manifesting. It's about bringing into your reality the things you want, and increasing your joy. We're not talking hocus pocus, or pipe dreams. It's real. In my own life, I've successfully manifested a lot of things, new body (I've lost 75 pounds!), new friends, new career, and new passions. You can, too!

The most important part of manifesting is coming up with and knowing the answer to this question: "What do I want?" If you're like I was, I'm sure you can come up with a litany of "here's what I DON'T want..." That's not the question. What DO you want? Focus on the positive! What you focus on expands. When you focus on what you don't want, you get more of what you don't want. Think, rather, about what you do want. Delineate what you want, inside and out, and make sure it's realistic, makes sense and fits your life. Here's how to create a well-formed goal or outcome in your mind, or on paper.

So, you're thinking about what you want: state it in the positive. The next step is to set the context. Be very specific! Where do you want this goal, when and with whom? Think about these things as well: Is it realistic? Is it attainable? "I want to lose 40 pounds by next Saturday." Not realistic! It reminds me of the magic 8 ball message: "wish for something possible." It has to be physically possible. Perhaps change it to 40 pounds within the next 8 months; that's doable.

Ask yourself: Is this something I can do by myself, start by myself? We only control ourselves, our behavior, our feelings, we can't control others. "I want Mary Jane to fall in love with me." That's not a well-formed goal. What you can wish for, instead, is that you yourself develop and enhance your own positive attributes that would attract someone like Mary Jane.

Think about the goal in complete sensory terms. How will you know you've gotten it? What will it look like? What will you feel inside your body? What will you hear? Smell? Taste? Get every sense involved!

Think about how the desired outcome may change your life, and whether those are positive changes for all aspects of your life. How will it affect your family and your friends, your health, your career, your spiritual beliefs, everything? How does it fit? You may want a promotion in your job, but what if that would entail much more time spent working and traveling, and less time for your family. How do you feel about that? Is it worth what it will take to get it? Think about ecology, as it's called, as you define your outcome.

Ok, now you have an answer to "What do I want?" You have a positive, contextualized, self-propelling, sensory-based, ecological goal. You've accomplished more than half the battle!! Now we'll talk about what specifically you can do with this goal to bring it into your world as reality. Here comes the fun part.

We play "let's pretend!" Activate all your senses. Go inside your mind and imagine or fantasize that you have already manifested the goal. It's yours! What is your life like now? How does it look? How does it feel? How does it taste? What do you hear? What's going on? Get inside that context you created. Most importantly, attach a strong feeling of satisfaction to having your goal. I like to play this James Brown song in my mind: "I feel good! I knew that I would, now!" Create a knowing, a certainty, that what you want is a done deal. I throw in some gratitude, as well.

Now, think about how you got there. Notice any intermediate steps you might have taken to accomplish the goal, and attach a powerful feeling of desire to them. Feel the satisfaction as you move closer to the goal, step by step, and feel a growing sense of completion. Make this exercise in imagination really intense, fully blooming, make it potent! The better you can create a compelling fantasy here, the more importance your unconscious mind will attach to accomplishing the goal.

Now, let go and trust. And watch (in varying degrees of amazement) as things materialize for you. Your unconscious mind will look for opportunities, little things in everyday life, which will advance you towards your goal. When you notice these little positive nudges from the universe occurring, go with them! Go with the flow, towards achieving what you want.

Put a written list of your goal or goals where you will see it, and spend time every day looking at it. When you review it, notice the progress being made on each one, and activate that gratitude again! Be appreciative. Every few weeks, you lather, rinse, and repeat: Re-do the imagination and desire process. You can modify the goals at any time and make any changes you desire as you're moving forward.

Life is all about change. Change is good! Change is fun, especially when it's a positive change you have well-delineated and desire intensely, and have manifested into your life. Go for it!!

By Connie Brannan

Connie Brannan is a Neuro-Linguistic Hypnotherapist and Licensed Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming™, certified Stage Hypnotist, and co-creator of Mindworks Hypnosis, http://www.mindworkshypnosis.net a therapy practice in the Seattle, Washington, area. She is a published author and creator of several self-help audio hypnosis products, a speaker and a teacher. She is a member in good standing of professional organizations including the National Guild of Hypnotists, the International Hypnosis Association, and the Society of Neuro-Linguistic Programming™

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Connie_Brannan

Read More..