Personal Development Articles

Today's article is a continuation from the previous articels where I discuss the lessons that Yossi Ghinsberg learned through his harrowing experience lost alone in the Amazon jungle. Today we continue on with a profound experience he had which saved his life. Yossi was in severe pain. His feet were torn to shreds, he survived off barely any food, and he was covered in painful insect bites. One night a flash flood arrived sweeping Yossi away. He survived and spent days crawling his way through mud and debris on his hands and knees as his feet would no longer carry him.

Have you ever come across an individual who knocks you down, tear you down over everything that you are about? S/he will criticize you, condemn you and basically let you know or feel that you are an idiot for even thinking what you are thinking or doing what you are doing. Then several months/years later you realize that they are now doing the same thing that they were criticizing you for. Then they turn around start telling you that you should be doing what they are doing. Sometimes there are no words to describe these individuals.

Every one of us has 24 hours in our day – no more, no less. Yet some people manage to get an awful lot done in that time and others just can’t seem to get anything done. These latter people fritter away their day, finding other things to do while avoiding the goals and tasks they ...

As I write this, I think of how many dreamers and wishful thinkers we have in this jet age. Active in my thought now is the number of people trying to be who they are not created to be. I hope it’s not strange to you when children identify someone they want to be like in the future. Can you remember you once did? This generation of ours is that in which cross-carpeting of personality has been the order of the day. Do you know what? It is a complete truth that there are no two people on earth. There is no one like you. Trust me on that statement.

"Introduction to Screenwriting" Week Three Welcome back! Although the basic structure of: SITUATION, CHARACTER, OBJECTIVE, OPPONENT, DISASTER remains the method of choice for diagramming basic plot structure (insuring that all basic elements are in place), and GOAL, CONFLICT, DISASTER, REACTION, DILEMMA, DECISION is the preferred method for diagramming basic plot dynamics (regulating the flow of action), there are many, many other ways of looking at the basic questions.

"The distance is nothing; it's only the first step that is difficult." Marquise du Deffand Now that we are in a new year, it is so cool to recognize how we all get to have two New Year’s in one year. The first obviously is when we will all celebrate 2010, and the second is of course our birthday. This is a great time to take a moment and reflect on 2009. What went well for you? What goals did you set? Which ones did you meet? What did you learn this year? What would you do differently?

If you've watched TV shows like the "X Factor", you'll know that there's a big difference between those who are talentless with no "X" factor and those who go all the way to the final with heaps of the "X" factor. In fact, much of the show's attraction lies in the contrast between the early no-hopers with no talent for what the show is looking for and the later-stage finalists who have it in abundance.

“The stress-free way to enjoy the holidays is to plan, take one step at a time, and have a sense of humor.” Beth Tabak Can you feel the holiday jitters beginning? Suddenly there it is right around the corner. Relax! Take time to plan well now and ease into the holidays with a big smile. Grab a ...

Are you bored with your work, your relationship or your life? Being bored is a state of mind when you are fed up and sick of what’s going on or the lack of activity around you. Complacency also contributes to feeling bored. Boredom becomes a great conce when it results in procrastination, ...

Small talk is any superficial personal communication between two or more people. It is the vehicle through which you approach people to test to see if you share interests, attitudes, philosophies, values, histories, and experiences on which you and the other person can build. It is the method by which you discover if you are interested in getting to know the other person better. nnYou can make small talk during in-person meetings, in chat rooms, on bulletin boards, on voice m

Ok, so you turn the calendar to a New Year and suddenly you think something should change. You’ll get those pesky 20 pounds off once and for all! Or you’ll definitely get promoted or change jobs this year. Or perhaps this is the year you will have a better relationship with your spouse – or your kids – or your parents… The list goes on and on.

What do you really want; how will you know when you have it? Does this question cause internal struggle? Just thinking about this question causes you to break out in a ‘cold sweat’, your hands become clammy and chill bumps cover your body. You know you desire and deserve better, but how do you get it? Click to Tweet

The Secret took only a few years to become the best-selling self-help book of all time, making Rhonda Byrne world famous in the area of personal development. Before the movie and book were released, no one had ever heard of her. But the important thing about this movie was not the person delivering the message, but the message which was delivered by over a dozen of the most well known success coaches in the world. That message was best encapsulated in the statement made by John Asaraf: "You can have anything that you want, I don't care how big it is."

Let’s be honest: It takes a lot of time and thought to eat healthy — especially for those of us who are just starting or figuring out our way through high school. Athletics and academics dominate most of our time, and the last thing I ever wanted to worry about was what I was eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is so much easier to grab anything, disregarding ingredients or nutrient density.

Some how, some way, I got roped into the whole pursuit of stuff, status, and happiness thing. That is really embarrassing to say, but hey...I said it. As is the case with our entire culture, at some point in my life (it was around 26 years of age) my focus went from trying to get better stuff to trying to get more stuff. I joined right in with the other consumers of the world, and the more money I made the more stuff I bought. Well, as I laid out in a previous post, that came to end about a year ago.

This week, I had a fabulous conversation with Starla Sireno – Founder of www.Fearlessnessinc.com and the Fearless Women Entrepreneur Network – an empowering forum for women entrepreneurs in San Francisco and beyond, providing the knowledge and support women need to become fearless entrepreneurs. Starla and I both found so much validation and confirmation in sharing our honest and frank views about the coaching business, entrepreneurship, women’s challenges in launching their ventures to great success, and the onslaught of false information that is damaging to thousands of women today.

The second most prominent questio I encounter as I meet with people around the world has to do with balance. “How do I balance all of the demands of my life; work, home, family and self?” One Thing To Think Aboutr You are unique, and your life is like no other. What equates to life balance for your neighbor or co-worker probably won’t work for you. You must define balance for yourself. Balance isn’t necessarily about not being busy, although that may be part of your definition.

No question about it, Christmas is such an exciting time, filled with joy and goodwill. It’s also loaded with high expectations and the inevitable sense of urgency … shopping, decorating, activities for the kids, entertaining and s-t-r-e-s-s. No matter how aware we are that it's coming, and try to avoid it, holiday stress happens just like clockwork, because the triggers are always the same … too many commitments, too much shopping and preparation to do, end of year work responsibilities, crowded stores and family gatherings.

My aunt and I had lunch the other day. We were discussing weight loss and I mentioned my fear of regaining the forty pounds I have worked so hard to lose when she said, “It’s easy to lose weight; the hard part is keeping it off.” In my many years as an addictions nurse, I have always said that the hardest thing to do is to GET clean – to make the change and give up an addiction – and that it is much EASIER to maintain the change by staying clean one day at a time. So which is harder – making a change or sustaining the change?

Justice or mercy? The more emotional the issue, the more divided the opinions. We often encounter issues that tempt us to decide: should we insist on justice, knowing that justice always have consequences? Should we show mercy and always try and understand the other side of the coin? Or should public opinion be the determining factor? In the past weeks a number of these emotional issues have been in the headlines. In May Burma's military regime jailed and charged the pro-democracy opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, because a man swam across a lake to her house.

For anyone, staying positive typically promotes a better mood and health due to the reduced stress you feel! Another huge benefit of having a positive mental attitude and the topic of this discussion is how it can help you achieve your goals! This is NOT to say a positive mental attitude is all you need to achieve more, but it will help you blast through barriers that can hold you back! Let's have a quick look at how you can more easily achieve your goals by simply maintainin

You lost your job. Your partner left you. Your car was re-possessed. You find your life barren like the desert. Your self-esteem plunged. You don’t think you are good enough for anything. You will never find another job because you lack the education and the skills required. You are too old ...

With the idea that when one faces a challenge, exte al obstacles are actually the easy part they’re obvious. We can look at them and devise a plan of action to work through or around them. The real barriers are the internal roadblocks. This is where it can get a bit difficult. When you doubt yourself or your ability to persist in the face of a challenge, you immediately cut yourself off from the internal strength and resourcefulness required to succeed.

The inherent assumption in most training and work-related attempts at encouraging personal change is that it is skills based, in other words people can be taught to change. They can be taught, but generally they won't change. They can't change and according to Professor Robert Kegan this is because of their inbuilt and invisible immunity (or resistance) to change. The scale and pace of change that is impacting organisations now is such that it cannot often be planned for and

Imagine this: It is the year 1492. You are Christopher Columbus and you have just discovered that when you stand on the beach, you can see waves, but when you stand on a cliff you can see the ocean but no waves. Did the waves disappear? No, of course not. You simply changed your vantage ...

I’ve belonged to numerous gyms and health clubs over the years and it never fails to amaze me that every “resolutionist” in town signs up for membership at MY gym in January. This year was no different. I showed up at my usual time and voilà — all the machines were in overdrive with bodies furiously pumping at each and every weight station. I should mention that my usual time is not exactly peak. Didn’t matter. The whole gang was there.

The economy woes are having a huge impact on our most important asset: people. People are scared. Therapists are seeing an increase in patients as anxiety intensifies keeping people awake at night and interfering with their ability to focus and be productive. Fear is taking over what were ...

Have you ever wondered why some people are richer and happier while others are always struggling and remain poor and unhappy? The answer to this question is simple, it’s the way people think. What you’re today is based on your past thoughts and beliefs. Your past thoughts and attitude created your present and your present thoughts will create your future. This means you have the power to change your tomorrow and make your dreams come true. And it's easier than you think. #1 Write a List Of Desires What do you really want? What do you want to have?

“Joe, what’s with the beads?” People sometimes ask me why I wear a string of beads. I’ve been wearing them off and on since 1979. It began as a mala (prayer or meditation necklace) my spiritual teacher at the time asked me to wear. Over the years it evolved into something more. I wore beads when I was in the movie The Secret, and when I appeared on Donny Deutsch’s television show, The Big Idea.rnI didn’t wear them on either of my Larry King Live television appeara

Can you deny it? Can you deny that financial and living times are as difficult as most people have ever seen? Many are being pushed to the brink of losing control. Do you know what to do? Where to turn next? First, let's deal with stress. Pressure is the natural by-product of survival when there is a personal concept t

Fear is an acronym for – False Evidence Appearing Real and this can be applied to all our fears. We all have them – so what is it you’re afraid of? Is it - • Fear of public speaking – identified as the No 1 fear for most peoplen • Making decisionsn • Changing jobs – or any changen • Growing ...

In ramping up my marketing consulting work with women consultants, practitioners, and entrepreneurs these past months, I’ve heard these words over and over: “I hate marketing.” or, more specifically… “I hate promoting myself.” It’s an amazing thing to observe – that so many women today view marketing as sleazy, embarrassing, scary, or simply overwhelming. Women tell me that marketing and networking are deeply challenging (and scare the pants off of them) for the following reasons (these are exact quotes): “I just feel like that sleazy used car salesma I hate.”

The Two Edges Of Self Talk It wasn't long ago that the idea of self talk carried the connotations of multiple personality disorder, but that view was the result of a lack of good information. The truth is that self talk has come a long way in recent years and is now considered a powerful technique not only for changing unwanted behaviors, but also for discovering those behaviors in the first place. Neither one of which is an easy task to accomplish. Most people live their whole lives without ever realizing that they could have been so much more had they only looked closely enough.

According to many psychologists, our behavioral patterns, including how and whom we love, are developed by the age of six. As children our ability to communicate is minimal but the power to observe and mimic as a survival skill is deeply rooted in the genetic coding of our species. This ...

Parents want the best for their children: shelter, food, friends, educational and lifer

Inspiration of the Day “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” - Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948, Indian Political and Spiritual Leader _____ When starting any enterprise or business, whether it is full-time or part-time, we all know the value of having plenty of capital (money). But I bet we both know or at least have heard of people who started with no capital who went on to make fortunes. How? You may ask.

Statistically about half of the population make New Year's resolutions, but how many of us actually keep them? According to Psychology Today, setting a resolution is a form of "cultural procrastination" because people fail to set realistic goals and aren't ready to change their habits.

Home is truly our exte al heart and as such it needs a lot of care and attention in its decorating and development. Invite friends and family to contribute to the creation of your home. A house is merely a dwelling; it becomes a home when you use your heart to express your environment in a ...

Many boomers betwee Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day find exquisite enjoyment in the preparations, cooking, buying presents, singing carols and just generally spreading good cheer. On the other hand, there are those of you who are not exactly Scrooge but VERY close. You decided to opt out of the obsessive commercialism surrounding the Holiday season. You’ve become numb to Christmas decorations in September, only toys and other such ads on TV, and the much dreaded Holiday parties. You’re thinking, “Must I carry a gift to ALL of these.” Remember, you can choose; take a gift or not.

It’s true that no two persons share the same identity -not even the most identical set of twins. Although it’s possible to share semblance with different people either through name or appearance, sharing the same qualities, values and ideals with someone else is definitely impossible. Your personality is a set of unique qualities which typically distinguish you from every other person. It’s what attracts people to you, allowing them to form a perception about you. Perso

Please allow me to first clarify that I am not involved in network marketing, so the intent of this article is not to pitch you on a business opportunity. I did however spend nearly a decade working for one of the largest direct sales companies in the world, so I’m very familiar with the business model.

People often underestimated the importance of goal setting, don't be one of them. Wouldn't it be great if you were handed a map that CLEARLY illustrates where you can find buried treasure? Well, start goal setting and you'll have the equivalent. When you set CLEAR, SPECIFIC goals, you become excited by knowing EXACTLY how to get to the treasure!... Leaving you to just have to follow the map. What's that?

Sometimes even I get slightly jaded to the daily routine when I am sharing the same information with so many people. To each person or new group the information is fresh, but I sometimes have to talk about it for hours on end throughout the week. That can become somewhat routine if one is not careful to focus on the mo

I come from a family of special souls. We are as different as chalk and cheese. The chalks have beautiful colours. The cheeses have a wide range of textures tastes. Together, we make an interesting, tasty and useful combination.

No matter what it is you want to do with your life or what goals you have there is bound to come a moment in time when you just want to quit. The realization of your goals takes time, effort and sacrifice. There are lessons to be learned along the way and parts of your character that need to be developed. There are things you have to be willing to give up to get where you want to go. When you are going through this journey you will be faced with challenges- it's all part of the character building process right?

Does this sound too good to be true? It's not. The first step to success is to decide that you want it and that you'll do whatever it takes to get it. Many people say they want success, but in reality, they don't want the responsibility that accompanies it. When you've made your decision that it is worth it, you must give deliberate, bold, conscious attention to your prosperity. The following are steps that you can take immediately which will produce quick results. • When you open your mind to happiness and prosperity, you open your mind to a world of possibilities.

I know what’s going on. I have at least become that self-aware in the last sixty-one years. I am practicing the art of avoidance. I know that I am going to have to write this sooner or later, but I am assiduously putting it off as long as possible. We all have that tendency, don’t we, when it comes to dealing with the unpleasant realities of our lives? I know I’m not the only one who does it. There is a niggling question in my mind – which I am trying to fan to life like a

3-2-1 Method: A technique to assist in accomplishing your to-do list. Can be used for getting through a holiday season or building your business and anything in-between that you intend to create. The method is to write a list consisting of 3 items, 2 items and 1 item: 3- Tweaks…write 3 small tweaks to engage in that will move you toward your goal 2- Celebrations..write down which 2 things you will celebrate and be grateful for today 1- Thing You’ll Stop today…Pick one thing to stop doing that contradicts your goal

Is your inner brat taking over your job? Everyone has an inner brat. It’s the part of us that’s still a two-year-old. It lives on in the dark recesses of our minds, no matter how much we’ve accomplished.nnThe inner brat gets furious at the slightest inconvenience. It feels entitled to get what it wants, when it wants, and it complains when things don’t go its way. Your inner brat not only makes you miserable; it makes work unpleasant for everyone else.nn“Hmm,” you

"Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up." A. A. Milne In personal development growth occurs more easily when we create space to grow. In order to experience living beyond limits in business or personal lives we must rid ourselves of the ...