How Teens Cope With Stress

Being a teenager can involve a lot of juggling. Trying to manage demands at school, home and from friends can seem stressful-even overwhelming at times.

To help teens handle stress and stay focused, parents should encourage their teens to budget their time, eat and sleep well, exercise, and ask for help when they need it.

The recent winners of the Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES) Competition, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the College Board, explored both positive and negative ways of responding to stress. Natalia Nazarewicz of Oak Ridge, Tenn., and Aman Prasad of Pocatello, Idaho, conducted the two studies.

Nazarewicz surveyed more than 1,000 high school students in the Oak Ridge area on the practice of deliberate self-harm, such as cutting or burning their skin. She found that 26 percent of the students reported they had deliberately hurt themselves at least once. The survey showed the selfharm was often a response to stress and that twice as many girls as boys had resorted to such actions.

"I talked with some high-school guidance counselors and student advisors after completing my study and they were shocked by the scope of the problem," said Nazarewicz.

For his project, Prasad conducted a survey that he said suggests that physical activity may help teens mitigate the negative effects of minor mood disorders. He surveyed 800 ninth and tenthgrade students from three schools about how much physical activity they engaged in each week and measured the students' mood by asking each person to assess how optimistic and how aggressive he or she felt.

On average, he found that students who exercised at a rate of three or more days a week reported being in a better mood than students who did not exercise.

www.readbud.com

READ MORE - How Teens Cope With Stress

Run For Glory TV Series : How To Protect Yourself From Negativity

I am writing this article direct from the filming set of a new BBC1 primetime TV series called "Run For Glory." Run for Glory charts 15 people who have amazingly valiant reasons for wanting to raise money for charity by running the London Marathon.

None of them were runners before this show and they are being trained by UK Olympic gold medallists Steve Cram and Sally Gunnell. I have been filming for one of the Run For Glory shows to help the participants overcome psychological barriers and get in control of their minds with regards to running the marathon and their preparation.

I have found it very interesting to observe the relations between the crew, the producers and the interactions with and in between the participants of the Run for Glory show and how other people really do affect each other and have an impact on each other.

Recently, I wrote about developing rapport without even speaking. Lots of people do this without even being instructed on how to do it. One of the things that I have noticed since I started working within the various fields of personal development is that I am much more aware of other people and how I interact with them.

I have practiced and practiced achieving a really enjoyable sense of rapport with people when I meet them and develop relationships with them. It has been great to observe my own improvements in how I do this and the kind of intuitive and instinctive way that I do this.

When working on the set of this TV show "Run for Glory", I was chatting to one of the participants who is about to become very famous here in the UK thanks to this show, and they were telling me that at the end of filming each episode of Run for Glory, with everything going really well, they would finish the day feeling drained and verging on being depressed.

I spoke to them for a while and I was not sure about this until I observed all the kinds of interaction that was there in this unusual TV environment filming for Run for Glory – the participant was getting excellent results, I mean they are doing so amazingly well, so why were they feeling so low?

I suggested that this person might be picking up other people's issues, thoughts and feelings. I suggested that maybe they needed to protect themselves from the other Run for Glory participants. She used the technique that I then demonstrated to her and subsequently reported back that she felt amazing, so much better than she was before when she was around these people that were stressed, having great demands placed upon them and facing some very challenging situations in their lives.

When you develop rapport with people and get close to them, you can and often do access some of what they are thinking and feeling. This is not the best when the person you are in rapport with is not in a great or a productive state.

It is like a friend of mine who I joke is a "fun vampire." Sometimes he is so morose and seemingly depressed when we are out socially that he seems to "suck the life and the fun" out of all the people that he encounters! I know you all know someone like that too.

I tend to find this is particularly important when I am running seminars with people that are making a lot of changes in their lives or if I am working therapeutically with individuals; I want to be sure not to take on board too much of their feelings and way of thinking. So I want to show you some ways of protecting yourself too.

The way I suggest of doing this requires your natural ability to use your imagination and visualise. Now, if you believe you have difficulty visualising or using your imagination, trust me when I tell you that you use your imagination every day. Your imagination is what reminds you what your partner or spouse looks like, what colour your front door is and how your childhood bedroom looked. You do not have to visualising in perfect cinema screen pictures in your mind, just do it in a way that is right for you. This method is just as effective if you visualise the things I ask or if you just pretend to visualise them in your mind.

Firstly, get yourself nice and relaxed. Sit still and take some longer, deeper breaths and then allow your breathing to be natural and become rhythmic and easy. Focus on the moment; be aware of how your body feels in that moment.

Secondly, as you get more relaxed, imagine the relaxation spreading through your body. If you want to, give it a colour or a texture or imagine it as a sensation.

Thirdly, imagine the relaxation, or the sensation of stillness moving out of your body, just a few centimetres. Imagine that you are extending it to become a protective shield that is all around you.

Imagine that it acts as a filter, so only you to take on things that are for your better good and understanding and does not allow you to take on anything that is going to affect you detrimentally.

I don't know if any of you remember adverts for the oat cereal "Ready Brek"? The people used to have a glow about them when they were going to work if they had eaten their Ready Brek. When I first started protecting myself in this wonderful way, I used to imagine that I had a glow around me that acted like emotional armour and any unwanted thoughts or feelings or even comments of others that I did not want to carry around with me, just bounced off my armour.

Finally, when relaxing tell yourself that this protective shield is there working for you even if you are not consciously aware of it. That way you can be sure that you are not carrying anyone else's vibes around with you and leaves you free to enjoy your experiences for what they really are. Then go ahead and practice this a few times, putting conscious effort into it, imagine making it more powerful with your attention and really getting it strong.

These ideas are just metaphors for protecting yourself, but because your mind and body are one system, they can be extremely effective ways of letting your unconscious know what you want. One of the things that you may begin to notice after you have used this approach a few times and over a prolonged period of time is that you just need to remind yourself of it every now and then, and then it works even better and better. The long term effects of establishing some protection are so very good for you; just as good as finding a good sun screen, that's for sure. It was so successful with that participant for Run for Glory too.

One of the first things I disocvered when I really looked at the people on the set for Run for Glory was how many people out there make negative or bad suggestions (ie. people who say things which guide attention in less than helpful directions). It is the same in life as on the Run For Glory Set! The number of well-meaning doctors, family members, colleagues and friends that I have heard giving people suggestions for ill health, stress and negativity is truly amazing! If you maintain some good protection for yourself, you can be sure not to allow other peoples negative language, thoughts and feelings to affect you in a way that is not for your better good.

The ability to protect myself from the things going on around me has been instrumental in my latter life, being able to block out most unhelpful messages that come my way leaves a very nice state of well-being and it did so too for the participant in Run for Glory.

www.readbud.com

READ MORE - Run For Glory TV Series : How To Protect Yourself From Negativity

Strategy For Success

In the quest towards achieving success and accomplishment in our lives, a systematic plan of action is needed. Without a plan even the greatest of efforts will be ineffective, eventually degenerating into frustration and wasted time. A guided plan allows one to utilize his/her talents and competencies to the fullest, by focusing them in a coordinated and strategic manner upon a specific outcome. The power of concentrated effort should never be underestimated. A strategy that one should immulate from the world of sports, is that in competition one should always seek to "play his/her game". One should never be forced into the position of trying to be successful by operating under conditions strategically benificial to the opposing team. In other words, in seeking to achieve success in today's competitive environment, a professional should design an action plan around his/her personal strengths and competencies. Play to your strengths and not to your weakness.

There is always more than one way to the mountain top; a striving professional should ensure that the path he/she chooses, is the one which utilizes his/her talents and skill sets to the fullest.

The acronym A.I.D.E can be used as a tool for the striving professional, in the drafting of a personal action plan. A.I.D.E stands for: Analyze, Identify, Design and Evaluate. A professional should first analyze his/her situation. What are one's professional aspirations and goals? What stage of his/her career is the professional currently in? What are the future prospects of current and prospective career paths? It is important to fully know the landscape before any journey can be undertaken. Before embarking upon the adventure of a lifetime one should take time to learn the terrain.<

The next step in action planning is to identify those skill sets and core competencies one wishes to utilize. For example if a person possesses excellent analytical and mathematic skills one should seek opportunities which require these proficiencies, such as engineering or systems analyst. The identification stage involves much soul searching and should be undertaken in a deliberate and patient manner.

The design stage of the planning processes puts the "gears into the dream". The design phase is the actual creation of one's plan of action. During this period the professional determines the specific:
 Activities
 Time Frames
 Outcomes
 Methods
,that will be utilized in the action plan.

The final stage of the A.I.D.E process is the evaluation phase. During the evaluation phase the striving professional reviews and monitors the progress that has been made. This stage of the action plan is very important, for it allows for the rethinking of strategies and the ability to capitalize upon immediate opportunity.

The courage to boldly go, to undiscovered realms of your potential should be rewarded with that which your heart desires. Ensure success by effectively planning for it. Your plan will work, if you work your plan.

-Make it Happen!

www.readbud.com

READ MORE - Strategy For Success

Integrity In Design - The Plazacorp Promise

When you manage to provide a condominium for sale every two and a half days (on average) you have the distinction of being one of the best in your field, especially when you consider the teamwork needed to achieve such stellar success.

That is the story of Plazacorp, a company that has been provided 3,000 homes in Toronto in the past twenty years. It takes a mammoth force of specialists from design to construction, engineering to development to make this work.

The personnel at Plazacorp are on a continuous quest to develop new and innovative methods to bring quality and style to their renovations and new developments. While many builders supply a list of upgrades clients can choose from, Plazacorp includes many of those same features as standards in their building practice.

Customers have been impressed with such design features as granite or marble countertops and flooring along with other desired features such as porcelain tile, stainless steel appliances and hardwood floors. Perhaps that is why Plazacorp customers are often the best source of both repeat business as well as enthusiastic word of mouth advertising.

When you walk into a Plazacorp condominium you will be captivated by the warmth and style that bears the imprint of quality and creativity Plazacorp has been recognized for on so many occasions. It is for these reasons and many more that customers refer to their Plazacorp condominium as 'home'.

The Greater Toronto Homebuilders Association has acclaimed Plazacorp by nominating them in such prestigious award categories as Best Building Design, Best Suite Design and Best Model Suite.

Should Plazacorp customers need to move they discover one of the best reasons to be a customer is the positive resale value that comes with the Plazacorp reputation.

And Plazacorp's commitment to the environment is evident when you consider the fact that hundreds of tons of steel have been recycled as part of recent demolition work in their Wet Harbour City edition. Much of the concrete extracted from the demolition effort will be used as crushed concrete in roadbed projects. The West Harbour City project received the "Excellence in Planning Award" for its outstanding commitment to urban design.

Various neighbourhoods are receiving the Plazacorp level of integrity by seeing existing structures brought back to life and unused areas receiving new and inviting structures that are as appealing to look at as they are to live in. Project areas like 900 Mt. Pleasant, Wellington on the Park and Regency Yorkville are turning heads and raising interest in the craftsmanship and beauty of a Plazacorp home.

Plazacorp has proven that their attention to a blending of environmentally sound building practices along with timeless design and sheer elegance is not simply a passing interest in design features and integrity.

Energy efficiency is also a hallmark of a Plazacorp condominium with attention to details such as efficient appliances as well as heating and cooling systems. These design features not only save you money, but requires less energy to operate.

When a choice is made for a Plazacorp condominium you have the assurance of quality, industry honored construction along with the backing of a tremendously talented design and construction team. When the Plazacorp team passes though West Harbour City, 900 Mt. Pleasant, Wellington on the Park, Regency Yorkville or any of their other development sites they remember both the dreams for the future and the fond memories these homes will evoke.

You live in a house for a long time, Plazacorp wants to be sure you have every reason to call one of their condominiums home.
www.readbud.com

READ MORE - Integrity In Design - The Plazacorp Promise

Why Are You Keeping All the Clutter?

You know what the real problem is with getting organized?

We have too much stuff!

I'm willing to bet you have some things you (or someone you live with) keep without having a good enough reason.

So why DO we keep so much stuff?

The thing is, it's easier to find excuses for why you should keep something and delay making a decision rather than making a firm (and sometimes difficult) choice to say goodbye to your "stuff."

Here are four of my favorite excuses...

1. "I might need it someday."

Yes, you might. But the thing is most of the items we keep can easily be found or replaced within a day or two. Lots of men (my dad included) keep every screw and nail created and store it away like a squirrel with his nuts.

But what happens is these little tiny items create more and more clutter and it gets to a point where you can't find that little screw anyway because it's like finding a needle in a haystack.

2. "I'm going to lose some weight and start wearing this again."

I hope if you have a goal to lose some weight, you do everything in your power to make it happen. And when you do, I give you permission to go out and find a sale and buy some brand new clothes. You should be proud and it's the perfect time to reward yourself

3. "So-and-So Gave Me This."

I'm all for keeping memories and items that remind us of people we love.

But the truth is, memories are not in the clutter, the knick-knacks and "stuff" you have shoved in a box.

I won't say get rid of everything and it's not always an easy decision. But try and just keep the special things you cherish.

And get them out in the open, on display - where you can enjoy them and have a story to tell when someone comments or asks a question about the item.

4. I paid good money for this..."thing!"

I'm sure you did. But the thing is, what has more value...this "item" you no longer have any use for or the way you enjoy your house? The item...or your happiness? The item... or your space?

5. Oh, I'm just trying to figure out what to do with it...

Okay, so maybe it's not worth holding onto.

See, if it takes that much mental work to figure out what to do with something, you can take a pretty good guess that it may not be worth as much to you as you think.

If you can't figure out what to do with something...it's a safe bet you won't miss it too much.

There is a lot more value in enjoying your home, your friends and your family than the "stuff" you paid for

READ MORE - Why Are You Keeping All the Clutter?

Employee Rewards Reap Results

The way you reward people forms an essential foundation for effective people management. Money is by no means the only motivator of people, but too little money demotivates powerfully. Studies have shown that material reward is far more powerful than monetary.

1. How To Determine Levels Of Reward

To determine how much reward is appropriate, consider the question what level of employee reward will attract, retain, and motivate people of the calibre that you require. If an employee does something that results in a one-time boost for the company, a one-time incentive is most appropriate.

2. Why Give Employees Added Rewards In Addition To Wages?

Keep in mind that the main reason why you are giving an employee reward is because you want exceptional results, not comparable performance. Exceptional productivity will more than cover extra pay.

- Employee rewards should be set for noteworthy achievements
- Rewards must be related to a particular completion of a given task
- Employees should be encouraged to express their recent achievements
- Ensure the employee knows they deserve it, it will have a great impresion on their personality

3. Employee reward should never be an alternative for a reasonable remuneration scheme

This type of award should not be set as an enduring option to stable income amendments when, in fact, these changes should be carried out for constant and regular completion of tasks, excellent execution, and notable modifications in conscientiousness, or enhanced assessment of a status. Remember that employee reward is a one-time incentive program; therefore, it should be set out clearly and must be understood well by the employees so that they will know where to stand.

6. Employee rewards should not reflect the impression that these are changes to one's basic pay

It must be set out clear to the employees so that they will not expect anything more than what they have to receive. Make it apparent that the extra pay is for special achievement only and nothing else. Generally, employee rewards may be in the form of cash incentives or non-cash fringe benefits. It could even be something of no real financial worth such as a personal letter of commendation.

7. Reward By Volume

If you have to use a monetary type of employee reward, give reward based on results. This means that the employee gets a fixed amount for a specific amount of results. In theory, this gives the employee the best incentive to maximize output. In fact, employees tend to put a ceiling on their earnings and thus on their effort. Nevertheless, the key concept here is that the management should only give an employee reward that is tied to an individual achievement. The reward must be reasonably large to have value - no one likes getting an overly small reward as it could have the opposite effect and make the employee view the company as cheap or undervaluing them. Never reward an employee for what has been accepted as a sensible objective. It should be given for extraordinary achievements only.

www.readbud.com

READ MORE - Employee Rewards Reap Results

Leadership Training - All You Need To Know About It

Leadership training is of paramount importance to those who aspire to be good leaders and stand tall among others. Leadership training improves communication skills and other qualities that are key to becoming a successful and confident leader.

Effective leadership training also entails helping individuals form an enterprising and immensely focused group. The leadership qualities assist an individual in making sure that members of the group function jointly in an efficient and constructive manner. Leadership training helps a leader to imbibe a sense of optimism in the group to which he belongs. The group’s members are guided by the leadership virtues of the key man.

The introduction of a successful leader into a management team is a good investment for any organization. Leaders visualize plans, inspire subordinates and plan the required course. Leadership skills comprise of various qualities such as optimism, commitment and the ability to use power effectively.

Leadership training is significant, not only in the world of business, but even in the worlds of sports and medicine. Leadership training is essential for the social and economical set-up of any business. Leadership skills in managers are important ingredients in company's expansion. These skills are best acquired with the help leadership training. Democratic, autocratic and laissez-faire are the different approaches to leadership training. Each of these is unique and inculcates leadership skills based upon distinct operational patterns

A majority of times it has been observed that, despite possessing leadership skills, a person cannot flourish. This inability to come out in flying colors stems from the fact that the person is not conversant with the subtle techniques that help bring out the leader in him. <





Individuals aspiring to be successful leaders may at times find that their efforts are undermined despite their best efforts. This is due to the fact that the individual lacks the motivation to overcome his obstacles. A proper and suitable training in leadership skills often helps one to overcome these barriers.

Training programs are tools that help in the application of leadership skills at work. These skills could have been acquired at leadership skills classes, seminars or read. Individuals as well as organizations specialize in offering leadership training in various fields. There are many organizations that offer online leadership training also. Some of these organizations are even willing to reimburse the money paid for a leadership seminar, if the result is not satisfactory. Leadership training programs are expected to use core and widely agreed upon features of leadership, to bring out the best in people. Leadership involves vision and the ability to influence people and motivate them to work towards it.

Leadership training can be profitable to businesses in a number of ways. It helps to educate the employees, improves their performances and reduces staff attrition. This is beneficial to organizations, as it reduces the cost involved in constantly hiring new employees. It also helps in developing high performance teams. The participants gain a sense of power, which is, the power to guide others and the organization in the right direction, successfully.

www.readbud.com

READ MORE - Leadership Training - All You Need To Know About It

Creating Your Next-Up List

So what's a next-up list? It's the small actions or goals that are up next on your list of things to do and accomplish. Not a major dream or ambition, but something you can do within the next few days to improve the quality of your life.

With a pencil in hand and a pad of paper close by, write down your answers to the questions below. When finished, your next-up list will be ready to go!

Your Identity
What one small thing could you do to change or improve your character or personality? Would you like to be a bit more outgoing? Patient? Accepting? When you have it in mind, what step can you take within the next three to five days to put it into action?

Your Health
What one small thing could you do to change or improve your health? Is there particular food you should do without? An extra day of exercise you could throw in the routine? Perhaps you need to schedule an appointment with your doctor for a checkup? Write down your next-up health goal along with the action you'll take.

Your Career
What one small thing could you do to change or improve your career? Is there a project you'd love to get your hands on? Do you need to complete one that is already in the works? Whatever it is, write it down and match it with a specific action you can take within a few days to make it happen.

Your Finances
What one small thing could you do to change or improve your finances? Do you need to balance your checkbook? Schedule a meeting with a financial planner? Create or edit your monthly budget? When you've chosen the direction in which you want to head, write down the first step you'll take to put the plan into action.

Your Relationships
What one small thing could you do to change or improve your relationships? Is there a friend or family member you've been meaning to call but haven't? Someone close to you that needs more of your time and attention? A letter to write that would make someone's day? Add it to your goals and your next-up list is ready for action!

www.motivation123.com 

READ MORE - Creating Your Next-Up List

The Key Ingredients

Having goals in our lives is important. For some, merely creating goals brings about a positive change. When you make a goal, you are creating an exciting challenge for yourself. To make sure you meet that challenge with the right tools, you will need to do three things.

1. Write It Down
The first step is to write your goal down on paper. This may seem like a simple step, but it makes your goal visible and tangible. Get out a clean sheet of paper, and write your goal down in clear words.

It doesn't have to be a big dream for it to be useful. Any goal you have should be written down. It should also be somewhere you will look often, or pass by during the day.

2. Break it Down
You may have a goal of losing weight. This alone seems like a difficult thing to do. But when we break this goal down into its different parts, these smaller goals become easier to handle. Losing 10 lbs. seems overwhelming, but losing 1 lb. a month for ten months is something you can definately do.

3. Remind Yourself
With so many things to do during your busy day, your goals can sometimes be put aside. Write yourself a reminder, and place it where it will be seen often. Your fridge, bathroom mirror, or desk are just a few of the places where you could post your goal.

www.motivation123.com 

READ MORE - The Key Ingredients

Be Organized And Never Forget A Thing Again

Being forgetful about little things isn't a good sign of leading a healthy mind or good memory. These things are important in terms of allowing your mind to create its own association with the things in the past that you have been used to and the just the thought of you being on this state creates an even bigger conflict with upcoming tasks.

But let us not forget the people with commendable memory. They may have nothing in particular to worry about especially when it comes to memorization tasks, but these people still and will experience a slip of thought time and again. It may be just little things, like saying you have misplaced your keys because you have forgotten where you last put it in the first place. For you it may just be a simple "misplacement" of important objects, but if you try to think about it at a different level, it is actually a memory problem. The bad news is that, it could even become worse than how it is today.

Again, these things may be simple. Other than forgetting where you have placed your car keys this morning, things like important events and deadlines can slip off of your mind as well and this could become a bad habit. Good news is, you can take control of these things. You can stop yourself from developing absentmindedness because when it takes over you, your natural instinct of organizing things properly also slips away.

When you try to think about it, there is actually a great significance as to how a person organize his thoughts and in turn, the things that matters around him. Improving your memory can be done in so many ways but destroying it can also happen in a snap and there are still more factors that contribute to memory failure.

This time, it's simple. Try your best to be organized. If remembering where you placed your car keys is a problem, use a container you can easily spot and place it where it can easily be seen. If remembering names is too much, ask more information about the person, his whereabouts, achievements and acquaintances. The things that he say are going to imprint memory anchors to your brain which holds on to his name. There are many ideas how you can simply prevent forgetfulness but it is up to you apply it.

www.readbud.com

READ MORE - Be Organized And Never Forget A Thing Again

How to be Successful

Is it not what we all are dreaming of? Being a Success! We want to be successful in school, in our jobs, in our relationships. In fact, we dream about being successful in everything. But what a challenge this is!

Most of the people believe that they just can't achieve great success because they don't have what it takes, or because they're not educated enough! They complain that luck is never on their side or that they weren't born to be successful, or even that they are too poor to ever even think about being something else!

You know what? You don't need luck or any diploma to accomplish the success you deserve.

You just need faith. Faith that you will indeed be successful, faith that you have all that it takes to make it to the top! You have to BELIEVE that YOU ARE the most successful person you ever met.

If you don't believe in yourself, who on earth do you think will?

The most successful persons in the world (businessmen (women), signers, physicians, etc.) all have that point in common: They all believed firmly that they were going to be exactly what they expected to be. They never doubted themselves, they had faith in their potentials and they were absolutely convinced that they would make it to the top! They never accepted a No for an answer. Nothing as ever stopped them, slowed down maybe, but never stopped!

Well that is very neat on paper, but I can hear you tell me: "It's easier said than done! How can I have faith in myself, when all that I have done so far hasn't brought me the success I am dreaming of? Everything that I'm trying ends up in a mess! Oh, I have attained some results of course, but I want more than that!" And that could go on and on...

There is a lot of things that ANYBODY can do to become a success in any field they choose: relationships, business, career, anything you can think of!

First, you have to understand that you will need to make an effort, not necessarily a huge one, but let's put it that way: you will definitely need consistence in your doings.

With anything that you're trying to attain if you don't give consistent efforts, you'll just simply NEVER get what you expect. The main point is to believe that YOU CAN be successful, and YOU WILL indeed.

One good method I am using for years now is Affirmation. And that doesn‚t really take a great deal of an effort to do. Simply keep repeating to your self some sentences like these ones:

- I am a successful person.
- I can attain any success level I desire.
- I will be rich because I deserve it!
- Etc.

There are some rules that have to be followed when using the Affirmation Method.

Never use any negative form in you sentences (i.e.: I will not fail in anything anymore. It's better to use: I will succeed in everything I'm undertaking from now on.) And trust me, affirmations really works! So if you affirm anything negative, this is what you'll get! So be aware of it, and very careful in your affirmations.

You also have to be repetitive. Repeat at least 10 to 20 times each affirmation every day, for several days. What I like to do when I have a goal to attain is to pick up 2 or 3 sentences that make sense to me. Then I write them down 10 times each, and I repeat the process for at least 7 days in a row.

Remember, consistency!!! You can even go further and do it for 2 to 3 weeks in a row. The longer you do it, the better results you'll get.

You will be surprised on how effective that simple and easy method is. Few years ago I started with affirmations to help me care about my self. Yeah! I was like that! A person that didn't like herself enough to believe that she could do anything good. Well that simple method had simply change my life for the better! Now I am happy with myself, my life with my family and friends is fill with joy and happiness, I run a successful business in Graphic Arts and I do have a great success with my spare time e-businesses.

So, let me tell you that this method can really change your life too if you only give it a try! I went from living in a stressful mood all the time, never expecting anything good could ever happen to me, to being loaded with confidence in my possibilities and chances of being successful in all the aspects of my life! And still sometimes when something doesn't go the way I want it, I grab my pen and start writing positive affirmations. And back on the good track I am!

So pick up your pen, and start climbing the road to success!

With that simple method you too can become successful in any of your goals. I simply wish the information I just gave you, will help you out! Don't hesitate to contact me, I'll be more than glad to hear from you and discuss that method with you.

www.weeno.com/

READ MORE - How to be Successful

Another way to live

Growing up, it was pretty much just Ward and his Mum. His Dad was around but was just doing his own thing for the most part. His Mum worked a lot, so a lot of the time it was just him.

“I didn’t really have much of a parent figure around to guide me or support me, so I learnt to look after myself. Looking after myself often meant ‘looking after number one’ – always making sure I came out on top,” Ward remembers. “I made friends with people that were into drugs, and I got into drugs because, well I had the money, and the opportunity was there. With drugs came being in a gang, which then led to gang fights.”
“I’ve been stabbed three times and taken to hospital a few times. I’ve also hurt other people pretty badly with broken bones and fractures. I don’t like to talk about it much.”
“I saw one of my good mates die right in front of me when I was only 14. I lost a lot of mates because of fights and drugs, which made me angry – I just kept feeling more alone. The angrier I got, the more I got into fights and the more I got into drugs and then the angrier I got.”

Ward felt trapped in a vicious cycle and didn’t know how to get out. This was the only way of life he’d known, and had seen more terrible things by his early teens than anyone should have to see.

“When I met Roy Devine, he was just an everyday kind of guy. We knew the religious stuff was there, and it was important to Roy and his team, but if we didn’t want to hear it, they didn’t talk about it with us.”

Roy spoke about the Connect program and asked if anyone was interested in joining up. Thinking this seemed like a good opportunity to get out of school, Ward also saw this as a chance to discover other ways to live his life.

“Half of what made Roy such a great guy was that he listened to me. He never yelled at me, just sat down and talked. Most of the adults I knew would just yell and tell us what we weren’t meant to be doing. I guess Roy was the first really positive adult involved in my life. My parents were there, but they weren’t really there, they didn’t really know anything I was involved in or who I really was.”

Over the course of five camps, Ward got to know other guys his age pretty well. They sort of new each other, but only one would really have been considered a ‘mate’ – and a couple of guys he really didn’t like.

“Through being part of the Connect program I realised I shouldn’t judge people without knowing them. I realised there were other ways to live than just looking after myself, or hanging out with the people I’d been hanging out with.
“The team showed me that there was more to life than gangs and fights, that I could talk to solve disputes instead of fighting.”

Through the experience of the Connect program Ward learnt self-control; instead of losing his temper and starting fights, he learnt to just walk away. Through the program he gained a sense of stability, learnt to open up to people and make some different mates.

“Without going into the Connect program, I would probably be in jail, or dead. But I have a future now, a good one. I’m most of my way through a diesel fitter’s apprenticeship and have a whole lot to look forward to.”

Ward Kelly was part of the Connect program when he was 13. Ten years on, he is still grateful for the way that the Connect team helped him to turn his life around, and the people that helped him to do it.

www.buildthefuture.org.au

READ MORE - Another way to live

How to Bend without Breaking

If you're like me, you don't always feel like working out. Some days it comes naturally, and those days are wonderful. Other days it sounds as enticing as getting hit in the head with a mallet.

This used to cause me trouble. I set a rigid schedule and told myself I had to stick to it. No exceptions. As a result, there were some days when I exercised and wasn't too happy about it. There were other times when I skipped out and felt guilty. I broke my word and my plan.

It reached the point when I didn't want to do it at all. I felt trapped, obligated. It took a toll on my motivation.

Then I made a change so simple that it's almost laughable. But it worked. And, perhaps, it will work for you.

My schedule is to exercise five days a week. In the past, my two days off were reserved for the weekends. This is what led to the turmoil. Working out Monday through Friday was mandatory. But now, instead of five straight days of workweek exercise, I use the two days off at my discretion.

Not motivated Monday? Take the day off. Feeling wimpy on Wednesday? Skip it. As long as I got my five days in, I felt good. I had room to breathe, room to postpone when I wasn't in the mood, and I was still meeting the goal. The day after a break, because I didn't force it the day before or load my mind with guilt, I was ready to go.

Ideas don't have to be groundbreaking to be effective. So if you're having trouble staying motivated with your exercise program, try tinkering with the schedule. Give yourself the flexibility to take a break when it's needed. That way you'll have a plan that rolls with everyday living, instead of a forced road march that ends up killing every ounce of drive you have.

www.motivation123.com 

READ MORE - How to Bend without Breaking

Good Experiences Come Back 10 Fold

How many times have you needed to call for a service such as carpet cleaning? Mechanic service? How about a more serious issue such as a flood service?

Did you find that looking through the phone book just doesn't give enough info and searching online pops up to many unreliable, irrelevant leads? Either way, I personally find it hard at times to find quality, fast reliable service.

For instance, I thought word of mouth was the best way to get what I am looking for. So I talked to a friend when my car broke down. "Sure" she said, I know just the place. After agreeing to pay a ridiculous price for a fast turn around, I thought money talks, right? Not in this case, 2 weeks later my car is still in the shop and the price has doubled.

Well after explaining that I found the part myself for half the price they were charging, I would just have it towed to my location to fix it myself. I am quite handy and knew how to fix the problem, but I was going to pay so that I would not be under the hood when I needed to be out working. Trouble is I work from that vehicle and after 2 weeks you can get pretty hungry with no income.

After the manager found out that I was taking my vehicle, they cut the price in half and I agreed to let them try again. We will see how that turns out. The point that I would like to make is that I see it all to often. I see companies take on more work than they can handle or put the same person on the back burner over and over again. I am a victim of that and it feels terrible. Do you think I will send them any biz?

When I started my company Moore Services in 1997, I knew that word of mouth is the most respected advertisement and I wanted just that, a respected name that my customers could count on. From the first day of business, and even now my goal is to build a solid customer base of repeat satisfied customers. Now I have pride knowing that I still have many of my first customers all because of situations that had a negative impact on me. What I mean by that is, I knew I didn't like to be ripped off or taken advantage of and I sure don't want a single one of my customers to feel that way either.

Sometimes you just need a fast response and hope for the best after making one phone call. I spend each day making sure that all of my customers feel that calling me is in fact that one call they can trust time and again with out a doubt if they need me. If you or a friend run a company, remind yourself of the frustrations you deal with and turn the situation around to make positive impressions and experiences for your customers. They will thank you 10 fold I promise. Try to confront every frustration as a new learning experience share a smile knowing that you would never do that to a friend or a customer.

For every bad day you have, make someone else's day a good day by giving them a no hassle experience. Remember, it comes back 10 fold maybe even 20 if they have that many friends and relatives. From 1 to 10 to 100 to 1000. Now that is a lot of happy customers from just 1 happy customer. Just imagine if you gave them a negative experience.

www.readbud.com

READ MORE - Good Experiences Come Back 10 Fold

10 Steps To Clear Thinking

Does your mind sometimes feel like a television station you can't quite tune in? You know there's an interesting program on - or several, but everything is mixed with static. What if you could "tune in" at will, have clear thinking whenever you want it? Try some of the following.

Ten Clear Thinking Techniques And Tips

1. Take a walk. Science will eventually prove this to be a great way to improve the quality of your thinking, but don't wait for the proof. Aren't there enough other reasons to take a walk anyhow?

2. Stay away from sugar. If you want to understand what brain fog is, eat a sugary donut on an empty stomach, then do math problems twenty minutes later. What you will experience, along with the "sugar blues," is brain fog. At least lay off sugar and simple carbohydrates when you need to think clearly.

3. Organized space means clear thinking. It's rare that a person can actually work better in clutter. Organised working space means you won't have the thought "where is that..." distracting your mind.

4. Get better sleep. Sleep requirements vary, but the minimum for most is somewhere around five hours. Some suffer if they sleep less than eight hours. The research, however, indicates that after a certain minimum quantity, the quality of sleep is more important to normal brain function.

5. Try meditating. No time? Just close your eyes, relax, and watch your breath for a while. Accept that your mind will wander, but continually return your attention to your breath. Five minutes of this, and afterwards you'll feel a boost in your brainpower.

6. Resolve your "mind irritations." Watch your busy brain. Maybe a call you need to make has been bothering you, just below consciousness. Find these stressors, and do something to let them go. For example, make that call, or put it on a list, and your mind will let go of it for now. Just seeing a problem and saying, "There's nothing I can do about this until Friday," will often stop unconscious worrying.

7. Don't drink alcohol. At least don't drink too much. While moderate amounts can be conducive to creative thinking, all the evidence says that it is bad for the long-term health of your brain.

8. Make decisions quickly. Nothing gets in the way of clear thinking like a dozen decisions hanging around unmade. If nothing else, decide when you'll make the decision.

9. Get some fresh air. Go outside and breath deeply through your nose. You'll get a good dose of oxtgen to your brain, and the change of surroundings can help clear your mind.

10. Satisfy your physical needs. Clear thinking is easier if you aren't too hungry, thirsty, or hot.

You can think more clearly starting today. There are certainly more than ten ways, but you really only need to make a few of them a habit to have a more powerful brain. Why not try one or two right now?

www.readbud.com

READ MORE - 10 Steps To Clear Thinking