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  • Motivation, the Heart of Self Improvement

    “Have your heart in your life’s work, and be stout-hearted. Do something, act always, and do it now. Don’t be afraid. Many a man has been defeated by his doubts—lack of confidence. Take your risks —you cannot eliminate them, you cannot escape them. You can diminish them by dominating them.” ~ Batten’s Wedge

    This article is an excerpt from the book “believe it and you will achieve it.”

    Pain may sometimes be the reason why people change. Getting flunked grades makes us realize that we need to study. Debts remind us of our inability to look for a source of income.

    Being humiliated gives us the ‘push’ to speak up and fight for ourselves to save our face from the next embarrassment.

    It may be a bitter experience, a friend’s tragic story, a great movie, or an inspiring book that will help us get up and get just the right amount of motivation we need in order to improve ourselves.

    With the countless negativities the world brings about, how do we keep motivated? Try on the tips prepared from A to Z.

    A – Achieve your dreams. Avoid negative people, things, and places. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

    B – Believe in yourself, and in what you can do. You are the only obstacle to you success.

    C – Consider things from every angle and aspect. Motivation comes from determination. To be able to understand life, you should feel the sun from both sides.

    D – Don’t give up and don’t give in. Thomas Edison failed once, twice, more than thrice before he came up with his invention and perfected the incandescent light bulb. Make motivation your steering wheel.

    E – Enjoy. Work as if you don’t need money. Dance as if nobody’s watching. Love as if you never cried. Learn as if you’ll live forever. Motivation takes place when people are happy.

    F – Family and Friends – are life’s greatest ‘F’ treasures. Don’t lose sight of them. Embrace and enjoy their presence.

    G – Give more than what is expected. Motivation and self-improvement happen everywhere—at work, at home, and at school. True growth occurs when you put in extra effort and go beyond the minimum required.

    H – Hang on to your dreams. They may dangle in there for a moment, but these little stars will be your driving force. Your dreams will define the kind of legacy you want to leave behind.

    I – Ignore those who try to destroy you. Don’t let other people get the best of you. Stay out of toxic people – the kind of friends who hate to hear about your success.

    J – Just be yourself. The key to success is to be yourself. And the key to failure is to try to please everyone. The more you try to please everyone the more frustrated you will get.

    K – keep trying no matter how hard life may seem. When a person is motivated, eventually he sees a harsh life finally clearing out, paving the way for self-improvement.

    L – Learn to love yourself. Now isn’t that easy? Probable the easiest thing to do.

    M – Make things happen. Motivation is when your dreams are put into work clothes. Things do not happen without effort.

    N – Never lie, cheat or steal. Always play a fair game. The truth will always set you free. Build trust by being truthful.

    O – Open your eyes. People should learn the horse’s attitude and sense. They see things in 2 ways – how they want things to be, and how they should be.

    P – Practice makes perfect. Practice is about motivation. It lets us learn repertoire and ways on how can we recover from our mistakes.

    Q – Quitters never win. And winners never quit. So, choose your fate – are you going to be a quitter or a winner?

    R – Ready yourself. Motivation is also about preparation. We must hear the little voice within, telling us to get started before others will get on their feet and try to push us around. Remember, it wasn’t raining when Noah build the ark.

    S – Stop procrastinating immediately and take decisive action without delay. Procrastination only hinders your progress and prevents you from reaching your full potential. By overcoming the habit of putting things off, you can increase your productivity, reduce stress, and achieve your goals more efficiently.

    T – Take control of your life. Discipline or self-control jives synonymously with motivation. Both are key factors in self-improvement.

    U – Understand others. If you know very well how to talk, you should also learn how to listen. Yearn to understand first, and to be understood the second. Communication is very key your wellbeing.

    V – Visualize it clearly in your mind. Motivation without vision is like a boat stranded on dry land, unable to move forward or reach its destination.

    W – Want it more than anything. Dreaming means believing. And to believe is something that is rooted out from the roots of motivation and self-improvement.

    X – X-Factor is what will make you different from others. When you are motivated, you tend to put on “extras” in your life like extra time for family, extra help at work, extra care for friends, and so on.

    Y – You are unique. No one in this world looks acts or talks like you. Value your life and existence, because you’re just going to spend it once.

    Z – Zero in with absolute focus on your dream and confidently go for it with determination and passion!!!

    Conclusion

    Zelda Fitzgerald once said “Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold”. That is why when you put your heart to something it stands out.

  • 4 Tips for Inspirational and Motivational Thoughts

    “The more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be” – Horace Bushnell.

    One key to staying motivated on any project is staying positive, no matter the circumstances. The more positive you are, the better the chances of accomplishing your task.

    A positive mindset benefits not only the success of any endeavour but also the individual, since people generally like being around positive-minded people.

    There are several ways to maintain a positive mindset most of the time. Below are some simple recommendations anyone can follow to keep positive thoughts.

    Focus The Mind

    Perhaps the first recommendation is to focus your mind on the moment. Your mind is key to staying motivated and inspired.

    Training your mind to recognise the positive elements in any situation is a good habit.

    This is because the perception formed in the mind generally dictates the individual’s response. Your mood is also generally determined by what you are thinking of at that moment.

    If you think you are happy, then you are happy. If you think you are motivated, then you are motivated. You are what you think.

    Therefore, if your mind can process information positively, you have a better chance of facing potential problems successfully. See related articles: the power of thought and knowledge is key to success.

    You want to keep your thoughts positive at any time. Remember you can process one thought at a time. You cannot be happy and sad at the same time.

    Motivation is from within. “When you begin to perceive that the essence of the Universe is within yourself; is you; you begin to do things; you begin to feel your power; it is the fuel which fires the imagination; which lights the torch of inspiration; which gives vitality to thought; which enables you to connect with all the invisible forces of the Universe. It is this power which will enable you to plan fearlessly, to execute masterfully” – The master key.

    The Company You Keep

    Being around other positive-minded people also helps cultivate your own positive mindset. Just as sword sharpens sword, you benefit more from being around forward-thinking people.

    Keeping negative-minded people from being a permanent fixture in one’s everyday life is a step in the right direction.

    You must be mindful of the people you surround yourself with most of the time. The people we hang around with reflect who we are.

    I believe everyone we meet has a bearing and a purpose in our lives. Not all of them are beneficial, though, so you need to know who will be your long-term friend and who will just be an acquaintance.

    Try to evaluate all your mates and companions and see what each one brings and adds to your life.

    I can tell you, I know amongst my peers who to approach when I am in need of assistance in a certain area, say financial, spiritual, etc.

    At least I have an idea of the characters of most of my friends and those I normally associate with, and I know what I draw from their lives.

    Improve Your Knowledge

    Nothing can substitute knowledge, and knowledge comes through experience, hearing, and reading. The more knowledge you acquire, the better your thinking capacity develops.

    Another interesting way to stay positive is to surround yourself with positive posters, quotes, audio, and visual media, and maybe even commit some helpful, positive abstracts or statements to memory.

    Attending personal development, self-growth, and self-improvement workshops and/or seminars is another good way to stay motivated.

    I have made it a point to read at least one book every month. This is in addition to my daily Bible reading.

    I can attest that the Bible is probably the best book on motivation and inspiration. You can never go wrong reading the Bible every day.

    Staying motivated also requires reading books that motivate you for at least thirty minutes a day. You must never get tired of reading. Knowledge is the pathway to life.

    Exercise

    Scientific research shows that regular exercise can help regulate the body’s chemical balance and create the positive energy needed to maintain a positive mindset.

    Thus, following a regular exercise routine would be a definite advantage. Besides helping maintain your physical health, exercise also supports your mental health.

    Meditation and yoga may also help you achieve the same positive mindset, as they are predominantly geared toward this end.

    Mind exercises and games can also help you grow your mind. I personally play chess in addition to a weekly physical exercise schedule.

    I prefer to exercise early in the day. This makes me feel very refreshed as I go about doing my daily business.

    I usually feel very alert during the day after my morning run. The thing about exercising is doing what you are comfortable with.

    Do not overstretch your body in the name of keeping fit. Just do what your body can handle. Start small and keep improving as your body adjusts.

    That way, you will enjoy your outdoor or physical exercise. Also, find a time that fits into your schedule. I know some friends who usually go to the gym during lunchtime.

    Conclusion

    Inspiration and motivation are the art of imbibing, the art of self-realisation; the art of adjusting the individual mind to that of the Universal Mind; the art of attaching the proper mechanism to the source of all power; the art of differentiating the formless into form; the art of becoming a channel for the flow of Infinite Wisdom; the art of visualising perfection; the art of realising the Omnipresence of Omnipotence.

    “Opportunity follows perception, action follows inspiration, growth follows knowledge, eminence flows progress. Always the spiritual first, then the transformation into the infinite and illimitable possibilities of achievement.” ~ the master key.

  • Improve Your Self-Esteem Part 2

    This is the final part of a two-part series. In the first part, I mentioned the importance of having goals; principles, and success experiences and how these impact your self-esteem.

    I will mention the remaining 3 that are compared with others; recognition and rewards and how these affect your self-esteem.

    Comparison With Others

    The fourth element of self-esteem is comparison with others. Leon’s study concluded that in determining how well we are doing, we do not compare ourselves with abstract principles and standards, but, rather, we compare ourselves with people we know.

    To feel like a winner, you must know for sure that you are doing as well as or better than someone else.

    The more you know about how well the others in your field are doing, and the more favorably you compare with them. The more you will feel like a winner, and the higher your self-esteem will be.

    Successful people continually compare themselves with other successful people. In order to succeed, you must have a mentor.

    Successful people think about their mentors and read about them and study their performances, and then they work towards improving their own failures.

    The best competition you can have is yourself. Begin to compete with your previously achieved goals and improve on them. I believe that success is not a destination but a long journey.

    Recognition

    “When we come into a recognition of the Unity of all things and that the source of all power is within, we tap the source of inspiration” ~ Charles Haanel.

    The next element for self-esteem is recognition of the accomplishments by people whom you respect.

    To feel really great about yourself, you need the recognition of people you look up to and admire people, such as your boss, your coworkers, your spouse, and people in your social circle.

    Whenever you are recognized and praised for any accomplishment by someone whose opinion you hold in high regard. Your self-esteem goes up, along with your eagerness and enthusiasm to do even better on the job.

    We all need a pat on the back for the work well done. I am sure you have been to places where even when you have done your very best no one comes to congratulate or encourage you. It feels like you are just wasting your time and energy.

    Recognition is a very nice feeling. Most of what we do if not everything, we all want to be recognized for it. At least I am talking about myself.

    Rewards

    Don’t we all want to be rewarded for our efforts? The final element of self-esteem involves rewards that are consistent with your accomplishments.

    You may work in a field where you receive financial bonuses, status symbols—larger offices, bigger cars—or even plaques and trophies for superior achievement.

    All of those symbols can have an incredible impact on raising your self-esteem and causing you to feel terrific about yourself. Expecting to be rewarded for your efforts comes naturally.

    If, however, your existing situation does not offer the tangible or intangible rewards that are necessary for you to build and maintain your self-esteem. You must create rewards for yourself.

    One of the smartest things you can do is to design a system for giving yourself rewards for both small and large accomplishments as you move progressively toward your goals.

    Whether or not your current environment provides the six elements of self-esteem improvement that is goals, principles, success experiences, comparison with others, recognition, and rewards. You need to establish your own structure and take full responsibility for building and improving yourself up on a regular basis.

    When you have that foundation, you will experience a form of mental fitness and unshakable optimism that will sustain you through failure and propel you to success.

    Conclusion

    Improving your self-esteem should be like physical exercise. To achieve and enjoy your life’s purpose you need to cultivate high self-esteem.

    Generally, people with high self-esteem are more likable and live happier lives than those with low self-esteem.

    Like I always say that personal development of self-growth does not come overnight so is high self-esteem.

    Keep working on your self-esteem. You will never say I have arrived at the destination of high self-esteem it is a continuous journey.

  • Improve Your Self-Esteem Part 1

    “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope or confidence” ~ Helen Keller.

    Your self-esteem is probably the most important part of your personality.

    It is the source of energy or the reactor core of your personality, and how much self-esteem you have determines your levels of vitality, enthusiasm, and personal magnetism.

    People with a high self-esteem are more positive, more likable, and more effective in most part of their lives.

    Everything that you do, say, or think affects your self-esteem. It is important, therefore, that you guard your self-esteem jealously by having the right frame of mind on a continuous basis.

    Probably the best definition of self-esteem is “the level to which you respect and value yourself as an important, worthwhile person.”

    How much value do you put on yourself? The value will usually be determined by the kind of life you lead. It is your level of mental fitness. The more positive-minded you are the higher your self-esteem.

    To be at your best and feel terrific about yourself, you should be in a perpetual state of self-esteem building and maintenance.

    Just as you take responsibility for the level of physical fitness, you need to take complete responsibility for the content and quality of your mind.

    I have developed a simple formula that contains all the critical elements for self-esteem building, and you can use it on a regular basis to ensure maximum performance.

    The formula is comprised of six basic elements. They are goals, principles, success experiences, comparison with others, recognition, and rewards.

    Goals

    “Goals allow you to control the direction of change in your favor.”  How much you like and respect yourself is directly affected by your goals.

    The very act of setting big, challenging goals for yourself and making written plans of action to achieve them actually raises your self-esteem, which causes you to feel much better about yourself.

    It is important to set goals for your life. Imagine how nice it would be like to play a video of your life and you being the main character achieving your goals one at a time.

    Self-esteem is a condition you experience when you are moving step-by-step toward the accomplishment of something that is important to you.

    For that reason, it’s really important to have clear goals for each part of your life and to continually work toward achieving them.

    Each progressive step you take causes your self-esteem to go up and makes you feel even more positive and effective in everything else you do.

    Principles

    The second element in self-esteem building is having clear principles and values to which you are committed. We all or rather most normal thinking people have their own set of principles.

    These are the driving force of each and every one of us. The difference is the level of commitment. Men and women with high self-esteem are very clear about what they believe in.

    The more you hold onto your values and beliefs, and the more you strive to live by them, the more you will appreciate and respect yourself. This commitment will boost your self-esteem.

    Lasting self-esteem comes only when your goals and values are congruent, that is, when they fit into each other like a hand into a glove.

    Much of the stress that people experience comes from believing one thing and trying to do another.

    But when your goals and values are in harmony with each other, you feel a wonderful surge of energy and well-being, and that’s when you start to make real progress.

    Success Experiences

    “My definition of success is to live your life in a way that causes you to feel a ton of pleasure and very little pain – and because of your lifestyle, have the people around you feel a lot more pleasure than they do pain” ~ Tony Robins.

    The third vital element in improving self-esteem involves actively pursuing and achieving success experiences.

    Once you have set your goals and principles, it is important that you make them measurable so that you can keep a score of your small and large successes along the way.

    Setting up a goal is the first step towards achieving greatness. When you break that goal down into smaller, manageable parts, you empower yourself to tackle each piece with confidence.

    Completing those parts not only propels you closer to your ultimate aim but also boosts your self-esteem, making you feel like a true champion. Embrace the journey and celebrate each milestone—you are capable of incredible things!

    But remember that you can’t hit a target you can’t see. You can’t feel like a winner unless you clearly lay out the standards by which you are going to measure your success and then achieve those standards.

    Let’s say that you set a goal to sell a x-amount of money or earn a certain amount of money in a given year. If you break that down into monthly and weekly goals, and then you achieve the first of those goals, you will feel great about yourself.

    Every time you reach another milestone, your self-esteem and ability to perform will increase, and you will feel encouraged and enthusiastic about the next challenge.

    The key is to keep encouraging yourself with tangible results. The more tangible results you can see the more self-esteem you buildup.

    Conclusion

    This is a two-part article and I thought to end here. In the final article am talking about the remaining elements that is a comparison with others; recognition and rewards.

    There is more you can do to improve your self-esteem. Having a high self-esteem is the gateway to a better life and living. It does not matter who you are, or what you have, when you put on high self-esteem you can move mountains.

  • 5 Qualities of Leaders and Motivators Part 2

    This is the final part of a two-part series. If you missed out on part 1 please click here before you continue. In part one I talked about the first two qualities and these are vision and courage.

    We learned that we are all born with these qualities and that the difference between leaders and followers is the expression of them to the world.

    I also talked about the importance of vision and courage in leadership. In this issue, I will write about integrity; realism, and responsibility as the other qualities of leaders and motivators.

    Integrity

    “In the arena of human life, the honors and rewards fall to those who show their good qualities in action “~ Aristotle.

    Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.

    I believe integrity underlines all other qualities. The measure of integrity is determined by how honest you are in the critical areas of your life. How honest you handle other people’s finances for example?

    Can someone trust you with their valuable possessions? Can you be trusted with handling say public matters even when it means that you will lose popularity in the short term?

    Integrity means that you, as a leader, admit your shortcomings. It means that you work to develop your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses.

    Integrity means that you tell the truth and that you live the truth in everything that you do and in all your relationships.

    Integrity means that your dealings with people are straightforward and that you do not compromise on what you believe to be true.

    “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” ~ Thomas Jefferson.

    Realism

    “True realism consists in revealing the surprising things which habit keeps covered and prevents us from seeing” ~ Jean Cocteau.

    The fourth quality of leadership is realism. Realism is a form of intellectual honesty.

    It is a way of seeing, accepting and dealing with situations as they really are without being influenced by your emotions or false hopes.

    The realist insists upon seeing the world as it really is, not as he wishes it were. This objectivity and refusal to engage in self-delusion is a mark of the true leader.

    A leader accepts situations as they are and transforms them to his advantage.

    Those who exhibit the quality of realism do not trust luck, hope for miracles, pray for exceptions to basic business principles, expect rewards without working or hope that problems will go away by themselves.

    These all are examples of self-delusion, of living in a fantasy land. Yes, I know that miracles do happen but not without you playing a part.

    The part you play and the amount of faith you have will definitely be a determining factor in the general out.

    A good leader insists on seeing things exactly as they are and encourages others to look at life the same way.

    As a leader, you get the facts, whatever they are. You deal with people honestly and tell them exactly what you perceive to be the truth.

    This doesn’t mean that you will always be right, but you will always be expressing the truth in the best way you know-how. Thereby excising your integrity in the process.

    Responsibility

    It is said by Brian Tracy that “the happiest people in the world are those who feel absolutely terrific about themselves, and this is the natural outgrowth of accepting total responsibility for every part of their life.” This is the mark of a true leader.

    The fifth of leadership is responsibility. This is perhaps the hardest to develop.

    It is the duty of a good leader to take and accept responsibility no matter what the outcome is. In the same manner, as when the outcome is positive he takes all the parting on the back. He should take the brunt when things have failed.

    If instead of accepting responsibility when things go wrong, you make excuses, blame someone else and simultaneously become angry and resentful and blow up, this may cost you.

    Personal leadership and motivational leadership are very much the same. To lead others, you must first lead yourself. To be an example or a role model for others, you must first become an excellent person yourself.

    There is no dodging responsibility. Know also that you are responsible for your own life. Your very own life is in your hands.

    You are responsible for your actions. Wrong or right, good or bad they are your actions. If you want to become more, more of you is expected.

    “Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” ~ Tony Robins

    Conclusion

    Finally, take action. You know that all mental preparation and character building is merely a prelude to action. You become a leader by motivating yourself.

    Motivate yourself by striving towards excellence, by committing yourself to become everything you are capable of becoming.

    You motivate yourself and others by continually looking for ways to help others improve their lives and achieve their goals; you become a leader by becoming the kind of person others want to get behind and support in every way.

    Remember that we all have the five qualities in us wake them up and see how far you can go.

  • 5 Qualities of Leaders and Motivators Part 1

    “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader” – John Quincy Adams.

    This is a two-part series in which I am illustrating the 5 qualities of leadership and motivators.

    We are all born with leadership qualities regardless of our situation the difference is how much of it, we show the world. How much of it are we utilising?

    I thought to talk about these just so as to remind us about our leadership qualities. You may not be in a leadership position but you are the leader of yourself.

    If you are a parent like me then you are responsible for providing leadership to your family. Men and women are leaders and both possess diverse leadership qualities.

    This diversity of qualities between men and women complement each other. One cannot do entirely with the absence of the other.

    Find herewith, the five qualities of leaders and motivators.

    Vision

    The first quality is vision. All great leaders have a vision and they are persistently pursuing it. Whatever the vision maybe it becomes the driving force for success.

    Perhaps vision is the single most quality that, more than anything else, that separates great leaders from average leaders.

    The more clearer the vision you have the more likely you are to succeed.

    “All successful men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.” ~ Brian Tracy.

    A good leader does not get caught up in the day-to-day activities this is the work for his followers. The Bible says “where there is no vision the people perish” ~ Proverbs. A great nation can also be seen from the kind of leaders they have.

    But remember that we are all born with this quality called vision. If you focus on your area of interest it does not matter what area it is, you will be a great leader in that respect.

    “Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements” ~ Napoleon Hill.

    The best way to motivate others is to firstly motivate yourself. I have attended some personal development workshops and the first thing that strikes me is the level of motivation by the speakers.

    Believe me, if you yourself are not motivated and are trying to motivate others it will show. For example, you cannot talk to people about how to make money when you do not have the money to show for it.

    You must at least show some potential for earning the money or demonstrate that you are actually earning the money. I sometimes come across adverts in the streets, about how someone will give you some lucky charms for getting rich when they themselves are living in poverty.

    One of the most powerful tools for all motivators is the commitment to excellence. The best motivational vision you can have for yourself and others is to strive to be the best.

    Be it in business or in whatever area, you must strive to be the best. If you are not the best strive to be among the best at least standout.

    Courage

    “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” ~ The Bible.

    The second quality of a leader is courage and it is the distinguishing characteristic of a true leader. You can often see it in a leader’s words and actions.

    A true leader speaks with courage and boldness. It is always easy to set a vision and standards for yourself. But it takes a lot of courage and humility to abide by your aspirations.

    We all have what we want to be or rather archive in life. At least I have formulated my life’s purpose and am moving towards achieving it.

    The distinguishing factor is having the courage to make certain unpleasant decisions that will help us in the long run.

    When you set certain standards for yourself trust me temptations will come your way, so do not compromise with your standards. When you are tempted show your courage by resisting them.

    Remember when I said that we are all born with these qualities? It is the level of growth that differentiates leaders from followers.

    I believe that all growth comes from the inside. And that, what we are, is a result of what has developed from the inside. Or better still what we are is a reflection of what we harbour.

    The foundation of character is the combination of courage and integrity. The first form of courage is your ability to stick to your principles, to stand for what you believe in, and to refuse to budge unless you feel right about the alternative.

    Courage is also the ability to step out in faith, to launch out into the unknown, and then to face the inevitable doubt and uncertainty that accompanies every new venture.

    I give the example of Alexander the Great, the King of Macedonia. He became King at the age of 19 and managed to conquer great nations with mightier armies than he had at the time.

    Simply because he refused to remain at home when his soldiers went to battle instead he was the first one to charge at the war front. He leads by example by letting his men know that he believed in the outcome of every war or battle they fought and that motivated the soldiers to do even more.

    Conclusion

    For now, I end here. In the next series, I will mention the remaining three qualities of leaders and motivators that is integrity; realism, and responsibility.

    “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

  • 5 Ways to Improve Your Confidence

    This is one of my long articles. Feel free to bookmark it and come back later to finish reading it.

    Self-confidence is something that people find difficult to have. There are people who have low self-confidence and it influences the way they see themselves and their performance.

    Contrary to what most people think, self-confidence is not something that only the gifted and blessed could have it is available to all.

    With the help of personal mastery, individuals could now start building on their self-confidence.

    “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face” Eleanor Roosevelt.

    Self-confidence is a requisite to personal development. Having an improved self-confidence can really improve your general work output.

    Personal mastery is about self-development and self-improvement. It is about loving yourself and accepting yourself as you are.

    You need to acknowledge your weaknesses and at the same time strengthen them. To improve your self-confidence it is important to know and accept your weaknesses.

    I believe that identifying your weaknesses is the first step to personal improvement. Many of the time we like to ignore our weaknesses and concentrate mainly on perfecting our strengths.

    I have written down my weaknesses and strengths and keep reviewing them time and again. I have found this very helpful and would recommend it to anyone.

    To attain personal mastery and confidence, it is important to believe in yourself. It is also important to be content with yourself.

    Self-belief and contentment leads to building a solid self-confidence. It is very difficult to achieve personal development without being content with yourself.

    To develop self-confidence, self-acceptance should occur.  Self-acceptance is about accepting not only the good things in life but also the failures in life.

    Failure is only failure if accepted. You must always treat failure as a learning curve.

    When you fail the first time re-organise yourself, analyse your failure and move on. Do not stop at failure.

    And now the suggested five ways to help you improve your self-confidence

    Understand Your Thoughts and Emotions

    Many of us find it very difficult to understand our thoughts and emotions, yet understanding these can unlock huge potential for improving self-confidence.

    Forgetting about a bad habit or behaviour would make us more aware of our thoughts and emotions.

    By becoming aware of our emotions and behaviour, then we will be able to overcome and correct our behaviour.

    Behavioural control and correction are some of the key important elements to improving self-confidence.

    I have noticed that a lack of confidence is mainly our negative behaviour and most of the time we are very aware of it.

    It is very rare that if you put on your positive behaviour you will experience low self-confidence.

    Understanding your emotions is very critical. Your emotions will usually dictate your mood.

    It is therefore important that we always try to replace our negative emotions with good ones.

    A few practical ways to know your emotions is to observe and write down the feelings and emotions you experience; observe and or write down the preceding events and duration of your emotions.

    I have noticed that with time my emotions are largely affected by my thoughts. Hence I always try to keep my thoughts positive.

    By knowing the root cause for your emotions you can learn to take control of them.

    Flee from sorrowful emotions and make the decision to improve your mood. You deserve to be happy.

    Self-discipline

    Self-discipline is perhaps the number one factor for self-growth. Without discipline very little can be achieved in life.

    I have not come across a successful person who is indisciplined. When we set our goals on achieving our intended purposes in life, discipline and focus is what keeps us from swaying away from them.

    We graduate with flying colours from school because we are disciplined to study and work hard.

    Changing attitude and behaviour, or even perspective might take a while.

    Change does not happen overnight. You need to gather enough knowledge and start learning and practicing the skills that you would like to improve and develop.

    To do this you need to be disciplined. This is an essential ingredient that is found wanting in many of us.

    Discipline comes through self-control. This means that one must control negative qualities.

    Have a Clear Vision

    To be able to move forward with your life, it is important to have clarity. Have your life’s purpose written down.

    Seeing what you want to have in a clearer image would encourage you to work for it. That is why it is important that you write down your intended purpose in life and read it every day.

    I would encourage you to read it every night. I read almost mine every night before going to sleep.

    Having a defined purpose in life acts as a guide and motivation for living.

    I know that most of us live by the day. If you do not have a defined purpose and vision for yourself, I encourage you to think about formulating one immediately.

    At first, your vision might not be as clear as you might want it to be, but just start working on it.

    You will begin to see a clearer picture of your destination as you take action to achieve your destiny.

    You will be amazed at how much self-confidence you can have just by writing down your intended purpose in life.

    You Have a Choice

    You can choose what you want to experience. Doing something important for you and something you love, would give you enough confidence to continue with what you have started.

    The beauty of being human is that God gave us a choice. You have the will to choose whatever you want to be.

    You can choose to be confident or not. We are made up of the choices we make in life.

    If you take a look at yourself you will realize that you are where you are because of the choices you have previously made.

    It is therefore wise to make choices that are self-building. I know that some choices are difficult to make but, remember that, choices are there to be made and they have to be made.

    You have a choice and the choice is yours. Bear in mind that the choices we make today have a direct effect on our tomorrow.

    We are continuously shaping our future by the choices we are making today.

    Commitment and Trusting

    To be able to attain personal mastery for development and growth, you need to trust that you can undergo the process and commit yourself to the process.

    When developing self-confidence through personal mastery, we would have to develop some characteristics.

    We would develop self awareness, which is about our readiness to look at our past, accept it and the same goes for the present.

    Aside from this, we also develop self-knowledge which is about understanding our past and our attitude.

    Not only should we understand them but also be able to comprehend the basis for such attitude or experience.

    Last, we develop self-discipline.  Self-discipline is about how we make sure that our goals and vision are translated into action and are achieved.

    We need self-discipline to make sure that we do not back out just because of simple and little disappointments and setbacks.

    Conclusion

    Building self-confidence can’t be done on just a snap. Self-improvement is a never-ending process.

    Self-improvement is a lifelong commitment. Sometimes, we can only say that we are fully masterful of our life if we have reached our dreams and goals.

    Improving our confidence can help with growth and eventually with success. We just need to continue with our dreams and be patient.

     

  • Believe in Yourself

    Everyone has that earnest aspiration to succeed. One’s ability to establish and accomplish goals will mold one’s happiness and success over and above any skill, one can ever realize.

    You cannot hit the target when you cannot see it. In order to succeed, you must set yourself goals and targets to be achieved.

    It is very important to set out a vision and an intended purpose for your life. Success is not a destination but a journey.

    The foundation and point of origin of success is when you decide exactly what you really and truly want, in all aspects of your life.

    This is the starting point of your success journey. The journey to success is indeed a difficult and bumpy one.

    You will need to believe in yourself and continue to build on that belief.

    One of the pillars that make me continue with my journey to success is self-belief. I strongly believe in myself and what I do.

    Yes, there are times when I feel it’s not going right, but that’s what makes it even more interesting and challenging.

    If every individual has that yearning for winning which we all have, and if success is accessible to everybody which it is, why then, only a few succeed?

    I guess this is a million-dollar question. This is because only a few have believed in their potential, and most of all, only a few started by defining and acknowledging a goal, and truly believe in their spirit and minds that they can achieve that goal.

    Belief is perhaps a driving force to success. You cannot succeed without belief.

    Take a look at the Barack Obama’s of this world. Who would have thought that an African American would one day rule one of the most powerful nation of the world?

    When you listen to or read Obama’s speeches, it’s clear that he possesses a deep confidence in himself. Similarly, Henry Ford was another individual known for his strong self-belief, and countless others share this trait.

    Just wishing for something is so much different from being able and prepared to accept it.

    Nobody is ever truly prepared to accept or embrace anything until they genuinely believe deep down in their heart and mind that they have the ability to obtain it and make it a reality in their life.

    One way to believe that you can obtain something is to conceive it in your mind. See your success and live a successful life in your mind.

    The belief to succeed begins with the transmuting of your mind. “You are what you think of most of the times.”

    The mind must first be in a state of believing and not just hoping or wishing for something.

    An open mind is important in believing and a closed mind never inspires courage, faith, or the power to believe.

    Almost everyone has gone through difficult life encounters and experiences.

    These experiences and encounters usually define one’s existence, becoming important educators on life’s course.

    However, the enemy, which is that negative force within often would recognize these difficult experiences as symbols of thyself that one is not “good enough” in order to succeed. Simply put, this is fear from within.

    Fear, according to psychologists is normal and a natural line of attack focused on life’s adjustments and changes.

    Fear is what prevents one from doing “crazy or stupid things”; but it may be carried to a great extent.

    When a person fears nothing, they may be seen as “mad” or “foolish.” However, fearing almost everything, especially the fear of taking risks, can make one appear a plain coward.

    The enemy inside of you will tell you that your fear is reasonable when it is transitory.

    As the mind dictates your fear, it also dictates your thoughts and your actions.

    When you believe in your mind that relationships are complicated and demand so much effort, you will indeed attract those individuals who will cause difficulty in the relationship or demand a lot of effort from you.

    More significantly, when you worry regarding something that you essentially believe in negative outcomes, then so the results of your actions will be.

    Of course, it does not occur every time that you think and believe negatively, because although there is worry and apprehension inside you, there is still, in that little corner of your heart, of your mind, that you hope for a positive result.

    So then, that power prevents disaster from happening. Yet worrying through and through, without a small spark of hope, then beware, disaster is sure to come!

    However, there is so much more to faith and believing than simply creating beliefs.

    Possessing “positive beliefs” in the mind is the initial step towards making a positive outlook, resulting in a successful life.

    Believing, taking note is something entirely different. For instance, you have “positive beliefs” with regard to money; at the same time, you believe that many ways are offered in order to acquire money.

    Yet if for any reason, you do not believe you will be able to make money, then you will not make that amount of money that you want.

    Here are three things to help you get through fear and help develop your self-belief:

    • Your belief should be superior, exceeding fear. It will entail a lot of effort, but as much as you can, try to closely observe and listen to the inside of you.  Look around and see what is functioning well in your personal or business life and what is not. Small or great, profess your successes.
    • Believe that you can reach great things and as early as now, begin counting your blessings. Remember the bible says “do not despise the days of your humble beginnings.” Success does not come at once. You work through your success. God does not bless abundantly if you cannot even manage the small things that are in your possession right now. To work through your success you need to learn how to manage the current situation positively.
    • Only believe in you, in the things that you can do, and not in the circumstances. You have to believe in only yourself because there will be times when you will be tempted to put your belief into something else such as a job, a friend, or a particular opportunity. Although this could be nice, note that people and circumstances are changeable. Your success should be created by only you, and you alone can decide whether to change it or not.
    • Keep in mind that success will take some time and if ever you do fail, take it as an opportunity to learn and reassess your beliefs and your goals.

    Conclusion

    The power of believing is very strong and affect our decisions, feelings, and actions.

    And although you have been depending on a specific set of suppositions regarding your life for so many years, those particular beliefs can be adjusted or changed. Start changing them now and live to reap the rewards.

  • 7 Steps to Boost Your Brain Power

    Most of us, especially those of us who are not as intelligent as Albert Einstein, would want to have a boost of our brainpower.

    If you are one of those people who want to think better like me, your brainpower boost might be just a few steps away.

    These seven steps might help you in your quest to keep your brain working perfectly fine. They surely work for me.

    Exercise Regularly

    It is rather surprising to note that most of the people I have associated with do not take any form of exercise. You will be amazed at how many of your friends including your family members do not take any form of exercise.

    Yet we are taught even from an early age in school how important exercising is.

    I have personally taken it upon myself to ensure that each and every member of my household do a bit of manual work on a regular basis. Be, it cleaning the house, gardening, or anything that involves them being manually active.

    Do simple exercises like a simple walk or jog. It may not be as intense as a full-blown workout.

    You just have to keep your body physically fit and active. The best is to set out a weekly schedule for this.

    I like exercising early in the morning. This keeps me alert during the day.  Simple work-outs may trigger the release of neurochemicals known as endorphins.

    These chemicals are responsible for making us feel happy and by feeling happier; a more positive effect on the brain can be observed.

    In addition, physical exercise compensates for the effects of anxious and depressive thoughts.

    Supplement Your Diet

    I am not an expert in nutrition but I know that our daily diets need to be supplemented. A good diet is one with a lot of vitamin-rich foods especially those rich in Vitamin C and E.

    For more information on food, supplements click here. Eat foods that are as close to their original state as possible. Variety is a sure guide: grains, fruits, vegetables and not forgetting nuts in their many forms.

    Natural supplements are believed to have a good effect on the brain. These supplements not only keep your body healthier, but they also maintain the fitness of your brain; thus resulting in better brainpower!

    These supplements are so popular that they can be found anywhere, from your local health and food store up to the web pages of the internet.

    Exercise Your Brain

    If you are to exercise your body, you should exercise your brain as well.

    Use your brain muscles more often – think and learn. You may read, talk with other people or even play educational games.

    Any activity that can keep your brain working effectively may be tried out.

    Play Games

    Choose games that will definitely have a good effect on your brain. Refrain from playing games that are “no-brainer.”

    Nowadays, most computer games are designed to exercise your brain, so all you have to do is to choose well, the games that you will play.

    Gaming consoles are also following the fad into increasing brain function. So, do your part in boosting your brainpower, play games that will increase your brainpower.

    One of my favourite games is chess. I like playing it either on my laptop or challenging a friend to a game of chess. It has been my hobby since my high school days.

    I really get satisfaction from playing any other strategy games as well because they make me think and thinking stretches my brain muscles.

    Enjoy an Educational Hobby

    Choose a hobby that will give you some lessons at the end of the activity. This will not be such a difficult task since most of the time, we learn something from our experiences.

    Just be sure to do things that are not monotonous. Your hobby should be something that will help you learn new things every time you perform it.

    This way, you will be able to use some parts of your brain which are not used most of the time.

    This is very important especially as you choose your career. Choose one that teaches you something every day. One such career is computer programming you are always faced with challenges to resolve.

    There are many other great careers that you need, to continuously learn new things especially those that are technology-oriented.

    Do Not Neglect Rest

    Because of the complexities of our society today, your brain is exhausted just as much as your body.

    Thus, you should take the time to relax and cleanse your mind of the worries and stresses that might overwhelm your thoughts.

    You may want to try on spas or meditations to give your mind a break from all the hassles of life.

    After the relaxation, you will feel that you are prepared to take on another complex day! This is how you better your brain’s health and performance.

    You can use breathing methods for relaxation. Breathe deeply two or three times in a row, two or three times each day and breathe out slowly, have no misgivings about the relaxing efficacy of such a simple remedy.

    Sleep Well

    Sleeping is the time when your body rebuilds and recharges itself. Most professionals believe that you should sleep for at least six to eight hours a day.

    Aside from these hours, you should also try to take ten-minute power naps. I personally do fewer hours than recommended.

    I am not sure of the long-term effects but it seems to work better for me at present.

    After these refreshing periods of sleep and naps, you will surely feel energized to take on more activities for the day.

    Do not deprive yourself of sleep, and you will then realize that your brain will function better with more hours of sleep.

    Remember that your body recharges when you are asleep it’s like a battery.

    Conclusion

    There are many ways to boost your brainpower I have only outlined 7 as these are the ones that I practice and have been beneficial to me.

    I believe that personal development cannot be achieved without growing the power of the brain.

    The brain is the engine for personal development and as such should be given the due care and attention it surely deserves.

    You must always take care of your brain as you move towards achieving your personal growth.

  • Change Your Mind and Enjoy Your Success

    “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us” – Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

    The starting point for success is determination and self-belief, both of which begin in the mind.

    Determination and self-belief open’s your mind to new opportunities that come your way, to do and to be anything you desire.

    You are where you are because of your mindset. Your personal progress is mainly determined by the state of your mind.

    The more open, your mind is the more success you can achieve. It is amazing how much success can be scored and achieved just by changing the way you think. When you change the way you think you also change the way you look at things and the way you do things.

    One of the major elements of success is the openness of your mind. Let’s look at some of the things we need to do to help us change our minds.

    Renew Your Mind

    “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” – The Bible. Your mind is the key to your success. Change the way you think and you open the door to success. By the way, there is no single formula to success.

    Our minds are often clogged with dirt and negativity, and they need to be renewed daily for clarity and focus.

    You renew your mind by reading positive and inspirational books, listening to personal development lectures, attending workshops on personal development, and many more.

    Where do you get your inspiration from; where does your help come from? My number one source is reading the Bible.

    I have come to appreciate that the Bible is a wealth of inspirational stories. The most unfortunate thing is that you probably have packed it and it’s gathering dust on your book self.

    Reading the bible and applying it to my everyday life has been very beneficial to my personal development journey.

    When you renew your mind you rid it of the old thinking and bring upon it new thinking. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

    The mind in itself is believed to be a subtle form of static energy, from which arises the activities called ‘thought,’ which is the dynamic phase of the mind.

    Mind is static energy; thought is dynamic energy – the two are phases of the same thing. Thought is therefore the vibratory force formed by converting static mind into dynamic mind.

    Your mind is such a powerful tool. Studies have not yet established how much power and the extent to which this power can go.

    Watch Your Self-speech

    The statement “there is power in the tongue” may come as a surprise to some but the statement is as true as can be.

    What we say about ourselves goes deep down our subconscious than what other people say about us.

    Your opinion about yourself is cardinal and should always be a positive one. Speaking positively about ourselves helps us renew our minds.

    We are constantly telling the mind what to think of ourselves.

    If I get promoted
    I am not good enough
    I’ll never amount to much
    I always fail at that

    Are some of the negative speeches we make about ourselves. These negative speeches come from our daily programming. You could probably list a thousand negative statements about yourself.

    These, however, must be replaced by positive affirmations such as;

    When I get promoted
    I am good enough
    I’ll amount to much
    Next time I will not fail at that

    Positive affirmations help to motivate and uplift ourselves. We must always ensure that we speak positively about ourselves regardless of the situation and circumstances.

    We are also judged by what we say and eventually do. It is better to keep quiet and not say anything, especially during arguments.

    Focus Your Mind

    When you let your mind focus through attention or concentration on any single purpose for any length of time you will see how nothing becomes impossible to achieve.

    It is important that we keep our minds focused on the intended purpose of our lives.

    If you have ever looked through the viewfinder of a camera, you found that when the object was not in focus, the impression was indistinct and possibly blurred, but when the proper focus was obtained the picture was clear and distinct. This illustrates the power of concentration and focusing.

    Keeping your mind focused on what you want to achieve in life sends out energy to attract the necessary conditions to enable you to achieve your intended goals.

    An open and positive mind allows the universe to act upon your inner thought energy and create that which you seek.

    If you truly desire something so keenly that your desire is an obsession, you will have no difficulty in convincing yourself that you will acquire it.

    This is the right set of mind needed to succeed. You need to continue burning with the desire to achieve your set goals.

    Focus your mind on your future, look back only to learn from your past.

    It’s like when you are driving a car the windshield is bigger so you can clearly see where you are going. The review mirror or side mirrors are smaller. Focus on where you are going.

    Conclusion

    “Success is having achieved that which you determine you will do!” you determine what success is for you. It is not based on what other people are saying about you, but on what you say about yourself.

    In whatever, we do or intend to achieve the mind plays a very central and critical role.

    Personal change starts by changing our minds. Success comes by changing our minds.

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