Empowerment Articles

I reviewed the recent poll we had on SelfGrowth.com asking "What is your biggest motivator?" The top answer was happiness. To me, happiness is not just a feeling. It's a decision. If we leave it to be a feeling, then it comes and goes as it pleases. We never grab it and hold on to it. But don't worry, there is a way to do this. First, decide that you're going to be happy. No matter what your circumstances are, be grateful because there are many people that are in worst situations than you. And also be grateful that you have power over your life.

Your body talks to you all day long. What you feel in your body is an indicator of whether or not you are moving towards or away from achieving what you desire. Your gut instinct will tell you what steps to take, what choices to make, that will get you what you want. Your stomach will tell you if you're headed in the wrong direction. Are you listening? Are you paying attention, tapped into what your body is telling you?

An Image of a Change Agent - by Michael Wash The questions that this paper begin to address are the following: - What are the appropriate development experiences for me as a change agent? - Where do the experiences that are available now fit?

Let me begin by asking you, What’s your Purpose in life? What do you want to achieve? How do you want to positively affect the people you love? How do you want to contribute to your society? Many live their lives in constant frustration. Even when life is O.K so to speak, they are frustrated in their own hearts because they know that life has more to offer. Because they know that they have a lot of potential that is not being utilised.

Have you ever thought about how the way we’re taught to measure worth and self-worth is similar to how we got tests graded in school? There is an interesting parallel. The school grades you received for tests measured, in a limited fashion: how well you took tests (often designed to be tricky), memorized, understood (or liked, from your side of things) what you were tested on, and—though more from your perspective than the system’s—whether or not you believed you’d have a use for the information now or in the future (felt it was applicable to your life experience or goal).

Think of a time where you acted in haste or felt you “had to” do something from the sense of someone or something stronger than you, what was the outcome? Often when we’re in these situations we perceive there isn’t time to pause. Yet taking a breath and pausing is very powerful.

Right now, in this moment, you have everything you think you deserve. You are living the life you believe you are worthy of. Your life experience mirrors your internal self-esteem. If you have an unhealthy low self-esteem you will never enjoy the life you dream of. Even if you achieve success in the accomplishment of a desired goal you will self-sabotage until you are back at a level, a comfort zone, that reflects how you feel about yourself. If you have a healthy high self-esteem you will allow yourself to achieve and enjoy what you want and know you deserve.

The alarm clock goes off. Snooze. Alarm again. Snooze. Alarm again. Off. Shower goes on. Wash body, shampoo. Shower off. Brush teeth, hair, dress. Eat. Drive. Sit. Work. Eat. Work. Drive. Eat. Sit. Sleep. Rinse and repeat daily for the worst results. Does this seem like you? Is this really life? Routines, albeit somewhat necessary, slowly destroy the creative power and the triumphant spirit inside you. It slowly works at your soul so that you simply pass every day just to make it to the next. Have you ever heard or ever said that you are so glad this day is over?

You know what to do next to live your life purpose, but you are holding back because it’s scary… sound familiar? In this article we’ll take a closer look at why you need courage to live life on purpose, how you get courage and when it is especially important to be courageous. 1. Why it’s Scary You need courage to live your life purpose because it always involves doing something that pulls you outside your current zone of comfort. Maybe you must let go of something that is s

As you've probably heard by now, research shows that eating five or six small, healthy meals a day is very effective for keeping your energy up, mood balanced, appetite under control and metabolism moving. In this article I'm going to explain the how and the why behind it and also how incorporating this into your daily routine can help you lose weight, increase your energy and improve your mood.

"The unconscious is our best collaborator."- Director Mike Nichols Did you know that you have a personal GPS system within you? It will tell you whether or not the turn, the choice, you are about to make will lead you to your destination or not. It will tell you whether you are on the right path to achieve all that you dream of or on the road to a life unfulfilled, a dream never achieved.

What does your block look like? How does it behave? Here are some tips to help you kick the “buts” about blocks. I don’t believe in writer’s block, just the fact that one or more questions need to be asked; and, relaxed patience is needed while the answer comes to you. When I attempted my first book, I went back and forth about how to present the information; and did this for two years. I made numerous lists of what I wanted in the content, mind-mapped, and used a lot of paper.

It can be amazing to listen to how people talk about their perception of reality. You can literally hear how close they get to a point that would allow shift, but stop short. I had dinner with a friend I hadn’t seen in a long while. As he told me about things that were different, it was easy to hear that he and his beliefs were pretty much the same, which means his experiences haven’t changed much.

I work with a lot of people who are often in conflict with people they work, or aspire to work with, or in their personal relationships. Time and again I see people become frustrated, angry, and hostile, all a result of having fixed and expectations of one another. Some hold onto and wear their resentment like a badge of honor. It's an exhausting way to live. Helping people recognize and reframe these control-based expectations is essential to real movement toward agreement, better experiences and overall emotional intelligence growth.

Do you ever compare where you are now in your life to where others are, or to where you thought you should be by this time? If you do and don’t feel happy, the question and comments here may help. I have a friend who recently set up a Facebook page and began to reconnect with long-lost friends, learning who was doing what now. She shared that temporary depression settled upon her, as she compared her life now to the lives of some she connected with. I say “temporary” because she eventually realigned her true feelings about this.

Do you have people in your life who sprinkle misery wherever they go? When you spend time with them, do these people suck the life energy right out of you? Do you they make you wrong, make you feel angry, deflated, belittled, inadequate or unworthy? If so, you have become their victim. As a victim you can only create more experiences of victimization. As chocolate is poison to a dog, these noxious people have the power to reinforce limitations and low self-esteem within you that will hold you back from the successful pursuit of your creative endeavors - if you let them.

7 Practices of Personal Power: 1. Heal your Fear, Surrender in Love. 2. Be in the Present, Pay Attention. 3. Maintain a Vision that is larger than you. 4. Do what Inspires you, Take Action that is in Alignment with your Vision. 5. Take Responsibility for your Actions and your Experience. 6. Speak the Truth, Keep your Word and your Agreements. 7. Practice Forgiveness, Cultivate Compassion. Exploring Practice #1 - Heal Your Fear, Surrender to Love.

There is a massive epidemic of "disorders" in children. So many children and adolescents are on anti-depressant, anti-anxiety or "attention enhancing" medications for a host of different "disorders" like ADD, HDAD, Anxiety or depression. Why is an 11 yr old having anxiety or thoughts of suicide? Something is desperately wrong! Certainly there are some cases that may have real physiological predisposition to mental disorders.

You may have a core “switch” set to keep you safe. What if self-sabotage is actually your switch doing its job? Maybe it’s time you give this a closer look. You can apply what follows to any area of your life where you feel attaining success is a struggle, but let’s start with money/wealth/abundance—whatever your word choice is . . . because money has such highly-charged emotional, self-worth, self-esteem attachments to it. Let’s imagine you don’t have the financial situation you’d prefer—but you really want it.

Childhood is often referred to as a carefree and playful time enjoyed without a thought of responsibility. However, a more accurate look at the average youth experience reveals that children experience quite a bit of emotional and sometimes physical pain. Many children who live such a stressful childhood reach for humor as a coping mechanism.

Having your own business requires consistent review. Ideas are continuously flowing and ways to improve are being flushed through your mind. Taking it up to the next level is the main goal - not wanting to miss out on being able to provide the services that your competitors are able to deliver.

I’ve never met anyone in my entire life who doesn’t want abundance. It’s a normal, human desire to desire abundance and want to live in abundance. What is abundance? According to Webster it is having plenty, more than a sufficient quantity, wealth. So it’s a given – we all want it! Yet so often it eludes us and we don’t understand why. Perhaps you do affirmations and say the right words but alas, it never comes, or if it comes it doesn’t stick around for the long haul.

Small business owners discover that a mobile presence of their business will cause their profits to increase. This huge market is open and growing by leaps and bounds. Reaching customers or clients on their tablets or their mobile phone is rapidly taking over from older, conventional marketing methods. Small business owners are clear that mobile connections are here to stay. The fact is that the number of mobile device users is so high that it cannot be ignored any longer by your business, whatever your business.

Today, we are faced with many challenges, both personal and financial; but how we handle these challenges will determine our future. In every case, the basic stimulus for these challenges is the same. We want to do things differently, better, improving ourselves and our circumstances or both. Unfortunately, for many or more likely most, these decrees of self-improvement rarely last any longer than a day, a week a holiday or just a fleeting thought. For some, the individual s

I recently read a great quote from Ben Franklin that I hadn’t seen before. He said, “Joy doesn’t exist in the world, it exists in us.” While the quote was new to me, the concept wasn’t.

Smart small business owners on the road to profitability never set the expectation that it would be easy. But 60- hour work weeks without solid results are growing old and tiresome. It’s time for a change. Clearly, there has to be a better way. Let’s look at two of the common myths about running a business.

Attitude Problems That Kill Your Business And What You Can Do About It! Most of the time we don’t think about our own attitudes. We certainly don’t think they could kill off our business or our personal lives. But truly, everything we do comes from our attitudes. And our attitudes come from how we think about the world. Do any of the following statements sound familiar? -No matter how hard I work, it will never get done.rn-What’s wrong with these people, why don’t they take responsibility for themselves?rn-Life’s a beach, and then you die. (Well, you know what I mean)r

Your gift is what you do in your unique way. Ironically, you may do it so naturally, you don’t recognize it for what it is or realize what you might do with it. Whatever you do in life, you can have a more joyful, meaningful experience if you shine the light on and share what is unique about you. We sometimes assume the way we do something is how everyone does it. This isn’t necessarily, and usually isn’t, the case. This is why something you do that you don’t think is very special or unique might be seen as very special or unique by someone else.

You pick a goal and hit it. You’re supposed to feel good or great, even amazing—but, you don’t. Hmm . . . You followed the formula: picked a goal, made a plan, worked your plan. You succeeded, but you don’t feel the way you thought you would. What happened? You aimed at the wrong target. Here are three ways that can happen. 1. You set a goal based on a “should,” whether you “should” on yourself or someone else did. You did everything required, rang the bell and got the coconut—but you really desire an apple.

Jewel of the Month: Topaz Topaz comes in many colors, most familiar is the golden topaz. There is much mythology surrounding this stone. In old cultures of India and Europe, it was considered to be the stone of Jupiter, representing rule over one’s life. Imperial topaz was known as a stone of ...

Do you feel like your life is spinning off kilter? Are you left feeling as if something is missing? Here are 7 steps to help you to find your way. 1. Know What You Want. Many professionals choose their careers because someone told them they would be good in a particular field. Another is expected earnings in their field. If you are in happy with your choice of career, what else in life do you want to experience and discover? What else would make you happy and fulfilled

Faith and Abundance Is All There IsnBy Chuck Danes Do you often wonder why it is that the daily events, conditions, and circumstances which happen in life turn out as they do? Have you ever looked deeply into why those things that you perceive to be negative, those small annoyances as well as ...

"As a man thinks in his heart so is he" SO WHAT ARE YOU THINKING AND SAYING? All of our feelings, beliefs and knowledge are based on our internal thoughts, both conscious and subconscious. We are in control, whether we know it or not. We can be positive or negative, victorious or defeated, over comers or victims, achievers or losers, filled with faith or fearful. Our present attitudes are habits, built from the feedback of parents, friends, society and self, that form our self-image and our world-image.

For many, mainstream is like a tailored suit; for some, it’s like a straightjacket. Are you swimming in the wrong stream or against the current? Mainstream, in this writing, means demonstrating via your life, work, relationships, etc., an “acceptable” model or role model, as much as possible—a model that is allowed some leeway as long as it’s a composite of descriptions provided by the various prevalent social, religious, and educational systems and models, as well as family and cultural descriptions or models.

There are two common myths about running a small business that are simply not true. One is the myth of working harder and the other is the myth that changing everything is needed in order to increase your profits. Let’s take a closer look at these two myths and bust them one by one.

Do You Suffer From Intention Deficit Disorder? Do you have moments where you aren’t quite sure where you’re going or what you’re up to? Well, if you answered ‘yes’; don’t worry. We all have these moments at times.

In her new book, Own Your Life, 7 Essential Steps to Independence, author, speaker and lawyer Suzanne B. Quinn guides the reader through the seven essential steps to personal and financial security and independence. This article is an excerpt from her book, comprising one of the seven steps. Goal setting is important, but good financial health begins with a grip on reality. We have to know and acknowledge where we are, before we can establish where we are going. Start at the beginning – where you are nowr The first step is to evaluate your present situation.

According to Webster, "sin" is a transgression (or violation) of?the law of God. It is also described?as a vitated state of human nature?in which the self is estranged from?God. This can manifest in different?forms - lying, cheating, stealing,?hurting, etc. etc. Stepping back from sin's religious origin, what is it really, and what are its causes? In my walking meditation today, I received the following: Sin* is actually an acronym for Sinking Into Negativity.

Faith is power. Once you learn to believe in yourself, you are free from the thoughts of others and only true to yourself. You can do whatever you set your mind to and live however you desire. The power of faith lifts one's spirits and destroys all boundaries. If one's belief is strong enough, it can lead a whole army of citizens to believe. How do you build faith? First, you have to stop all negative talk. You might have lived life putting yourself down or blaming yourself for mistakes. Let the past go and think about what you want.

ALIGNMENT IN THE NEW CONSCIOUSNESS At times it seems as though our lives are a bit challenging,nperhaps frustrating, and, even in our darkest times, fearful. You may ask yourself, how do I live a more balanced life? When we have set our goals for truth, and living the life of ...

With all of the information out there, I’m pretty sure you have a decent idea about what needs to be done in order to lose weight. Bottom line? Eat healthy foods and exercise. This sounds simple enough, but for many people it’s a struggle. The struggle most people face isn’t in knowing what to do, it’s doing it. Passing up certain foods; having the will to say no; getting motivated enough to get dressed and actually go to the gym. This becomes particularly difficult when faced with self-sabotaging thoughts like “Go ahead and eat it.

Before I begin talking about affirmations and how to use them to assist you in your weight loss journey, I want to briefly discuss mindset. It is important that you think about this journey as a lifestyle change, not self deprivation. If you view the effort to lose weight as a “diet” or as temporary, you’re risking ending right back where you started. You won’t always need to lose weight obviously, however feeding your body healthy foods and exercising consistently is a lifestyle – something that you will want to continue for many years to come.

The reality is that most of us in small business today barely make it through the top 20% of our to-do lists. We get tangled up in issues, emails, phone calls, drop-ins…the list is endless. We severely strain our relationships, miss important life events, and generally take care of ourselves last. Stress builds and builds. Life starts to seem out of control, not even close to what we dreamed of when we started our small business. Surely, something has to give, but what? Where to start?

Starting to think life is a merry-go-round? Have you lost or quit a job every couple of years with the excuse that your boss is a jerk or you're bored out of your mind? Have you noticed a revolving door-like structure to your personal relationships? Do you move your residence from place to place never satisfied with where you are? Is life slipping by through a set pattern of behavior that just isn't working out for you, just keeping you stuck on a treadmill of repeated experiences that you'd rather not have - again?

Way back when you first conceived the vision for your small business, you definitely projected your future to be very profitable. If you haven’t reached that target yet, could it be partly because you’ve missed opportunities along the way? Thomas Edison said that "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." When buried in the minutia of the ever bulging to-do lists, opportunities are missed because they seem so similar to the endless tasks of your projects lists.

Let’s say Geena is your friend of many years. She is a smart, creative, go-getter and beautiful to top it off - a source of admiration for many. Yet still, she confides in you, whenever she lands a major success like getting published in a popular publication or being accepted into a competitive position, she has this creeping sense of being a fraud, as if she does not deserve it, brushing it all off with “oh, it’s really nothing.”

One of the everyday realities in small business is “Negotiating.” It’s a necessity for all small business owners who, whether you love it or hate it. Negotiating a new deal, the price of an item you need to purchase, payroll and contractor issues, deadlines, service arrangements, a joint decision with a client and a myriad other items bombard you all day long. Why not get out of in front of it? As a matter of fact, the sooner you master Negotiating, the more profitable you will be.

Whose motto was Be Prepared? Who knew that this motto would be effective for the rest of my life. As a young girl, I was a part of the Girls Scout and that was our motto. These two simple yet powerful words have made an impact in all areas of my life. Being prepared is something that is necessary to handle sudden changes, challenges and everyday issues. We recently began offering training workshops to various businesses. Our initial target audience was to health care facilities.

As I was driving along the Malibu coast Paul Simon's "Fakin' It" blared through the radio. I had the volume cranked because I had the top down and was singing loudly and badly along with the song. It's such fun to let go and sing, especially if the sound of your voice could turn wine into vinegar, but I digress. When I screeched the verse: "I've just been fakin' it, I'm not really makin' it. This feeling of fakin' it- I still haven't shaken it."

No, it isn’t too early to consider this; it is exactly the right time. The very things you do or don’t do about resolutions are what you do right now. And, you can do them differently starting today. First, it’s important to understand why resolutions you make any time fizzle out.