From Motivation to Motive-Action

// June 29th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Law of Attraction, Leadership, Personal Development, Self Improvement

From Motivation to Motive-Action

By Denis Waitley

With the passing of every new year, each of us needs to understand the magnitude of social and economic changes in the world. In the past, change in business and social life was incremental and a set of personal strategies for achieving excellence was not required. Today, in the knowledge-based world, where change is the rule, a set of personal strategies is essential for success, even survival. Never again will you be able to go to your place of business on autopilot, comfortable and secure; that the organization, state or government will provide for and look after you.

A former Navy pilot, Waitley is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. He received his Ph.D. in human behavior from La Jolla University in 1970. He and his wife, Susan, reside in Rancho Santa Fe, California. They have seven adult children. Visit his website at www.deniswaitley.com

How to Think Like A Champion

// June 29th, 2009 // No Comments » // Leadership, Personal Development, Self Improvement

How to Think Like A Champion

Losers say they might and winners say they will. It’s as simple as that. Of course, attitude has a lot to do with winning and life success. Any Olympic athlete knows that at their level of proficiency, the game is played with their level of attitude and mental confidence. Arnold Schwarzenegger knew the power of a winning mindset when he was competing as an underdog for the 1980 Mr. Olympia title. He had come out of retirement to win the Mr. Olympia title and he was hungry to achieve it. Schwarzenegger had not been training all year like the other competitors were because he was, at that point, an upcoming Hollywood actor and spending most of his time out shooting movies. However, Schwarzenegger was a seasoned veteran of the IFBB and knew that mental focus was the key towards making a winning performance. In the prep room behind the stage, where all the competitors would prime their bodies for competition, Schwarzenegger would crack jokes to the other competitors in order to throw off their mental focus. Schwarzenegger said it was his ability to psych out the other competitors, even the reigning Mr. Olympia at the time, Frank Zane, that secured him the 1980 Mr. Olympia title.

Unlike Arnold, you don’t have to be a pro athlete or be on the Forbes 400 list to develop the mental attitude of a champion. I’ve listed some very practical and proven methods for you to start your path towards developing the attitude of a champion.

Be Outcome Oriented

Nothing comes easy in life. If things were easy, then everyone’s life would be blissful. If we want the things that we want in life, then we have to know what we must give up in order to get it. That means we have to get our hands dirty doing the grunt work before we can enjoy the rewards. If we focus solely on the grunt work, we won’t be as motivated as the ultimate reward of completing that job. For example, paying bills causes us pain, but having the bills paid gives us pleasure. Exercise causes us pain (or at least discomfort), but having exercised causes us pleasure. Winners in life are outcome oriented. Instead of focusing on the grunt work which they don’t like, they see the end result of having done that grunt work. It’s that ability which motivates great achievers do accomplish so much more.

Reflect on Your Daily Achievements

As a former gymnast, I would often get frustrated and upset when my progress wasn’t what I wanted it to be by the end of the workout, but my coach Mircea Badulescu, who was the former head coach for the Romanian Olympic team, made sure that I reflected on what exactly my daily achievements were at the end of each workout. By reflecting on what I had achieved during that day, I realized that in fact, I was making progress and that I was moving forward towards my goal and this became a powerful technique that I use even today.

At the end of each day, on a piece of paper, your journal, or computer, write down at least five things that you accomplished that day. Review that list and be proud of your achievements. Each morning when you wake up, coach yourself towards achieving small steps that you can write down on your list at the end of each day.

Pick a Role-Model and Get Inspired

When I was an aspiring gymnast, I had posters, videos and autographs from several of my favorite Olympians. They were heroes to me and it served to give me something to shoot for in my training and my purpose. All champions do this when they first start out because remember that champions are never born—they are made. They all had role-models that they aspired to be like and the role-models that they chose showed the particular skills or traits that they wanted in themselves. Many of us, however, choose poor role-models or no role-models at all as a result, they aspire to be nothing at all. It goes to show that if you want to be the best at something, then you have to model yourself after the best out there. I suggest that you read inspirational books, magazines, articles, or watch documentaries or interviews with great people. Go and rent inspiring videos that are about human perseverance and stories of success. I personally devour biographies and articles about self-made millionaires—the people who had nothing, but attained financial abundance for themselves through hard work and creativity. Role-models also serve the purpose of giving you a blueprint to follow. Remember that the best of the best out there are really no different than you or I, but we can learn what they did to rise above and beyond the rest and then follow in their footsteps down the road that they have already carved.

Build Yourself a Winning Team

No professional athlete is ever a one-person accomplishment. Behind every great professional athlete is the multitude of supporting personnel that keeps that athlete in prime shape with the objective of winning. A lot of times, we don’t see that. We only see, for example, two boxers in the ring. While the game ultimately comes down to that particular athlete, it’s their infrastructure that plays a bigger part of their winning or losing a fight. That team includes coaches, specialty trainers, therapists, and an army of other people that we rarely see when they compete. So in fact professional athletes can be seen as something like a corporation and like a corporation, they would fail if not for the people who help support them. In order for you to achieve your goals, you too will need a winning team on your side. Be careful of the relationships that you get involved in and make sure that the relationships that you do get involved in are synergistic in nature, meaning that you both benefit from it. Often, my clients come to me with parasitic relationships where one person (the parasite) feeds off the other person, whether it be physically, financially and/or emotionally, until that person is just an empty husk of the person they once were. Don’t enter parasitic relationships, just as a professional athlete would not hire an incompetent trainer to be by his side. Your ability to be a winner is directly linked to your ability to choose a winning team.

Make Your Daily Tasks “Idiot Proof”

Mozart was said to be able to create pristine and perfect pieces of music that were note-perfect on his first attempt. Well, God created Mozart and then he must have been falling asleep when he created me because I rarely get anything perfect the first time. I’m not the type of person who can simply work on a project that has multiple steps to it because I’ll procrastinate on it until the very end and I’ll slap something together the night before it’s due, which if I’m lucky, will slightly resemble a finished project. For me to get things done, I need to “stupefy” my tasks and what I mean by that is that I need my tasks to be so no-brainer that I don’t have to think much to get them done. I need concrete and simple “next actions” that I can put myself on auto-run and not have to worry about. Procrastination and unrealized goals happen when we know what we want, but we don’t know how to get there. I take a goal that has many steps to it and I break it down as much as I can. I break that goal down until each step can’t be broken down any further. I understood awhile back that if I had to think about how to do something, I would rarely do it. By having very simple actions on my daily task list, it removes the brainwork from the equation and all I have to do is simply DO IT.

Develop a “No Retreat, No Surrender” Attitude

One of my favorite quotes is from one of my earlier role-models, Peter Vidmar, who won the gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in gymnastics. When asked by a reporter how he was able to finally secure a gold medal for the Americans, he replied, “Winning the Olympic gold was simple. I just trained when I felt like training and I trained when I didn’t.” Champions are not the superheroes that we make them out to be. They are in fact regular people just like you and me. The difference between champions and losers is the fact that when the two groups are faced with adversity and pain, it’s the losers who turn and run away and it’s the winners who push forward. You see, winners have a “No retreat, no surrender” mentality. They burn the bridge behind them and there is no going back. They put 100% of their energy on seeing a goal towards completion, regardless of the pain they might have to endure to get there.

When you decide to put 100% of your focus on a goal, make sure you set in stone and tell yourself that there is simply no other way to get out of it other than by seeing that goal to its completion. There are no if’s, and’s or but’s—no excuses at all, you just get it done regardless. Make it a habit to burn the bridges behind you when you set your goals so that you eliminate all your possible ways of retreating.

Celebrate Your Victories

Finally, champions go out and celebrate their victories and so should you. Celebrations are fun and not only that, they also serve to reset your mind so that you can start the whole process of winning over again. But true champions also know that celebration comes after they’ve won the game and not before the game has even started. So celebrate when you achieve your goals and share you achievement with your winning team that made it possible.

About the Author

Tristan Loo is the founder of the Self Improvement Association (SIA) and a leading authority on human potential and personal effectiveness. As a life coach, author and presenter, Tristan has inspired thousands of people all over the world with his passionate message of overcoming adversity and creating the ultimate life that they desire. His vision is a world where everyone is able to achieve their dreams in life. His life is dedicated towards facilitating that dream.

Get more information about joining the Self Improvement Association

The Worlds 8 Worst Handshakes

// June 21st, 2009 // No Comments » // Dating Relationships, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, NLP Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Personal Development, Self Improvement

In this article you will see some truly bad handshakes. You’ll be taken through a list of the very worst handshakes that exist, be ready to cringe.

Here are 8 of the world’s worst handshakes, they are the most annoying and disliked handshakes and their variations. Avoid them at all costs or it could cost you a job, friendship or business relationship.

The handshake is extremely important in a business situation so avoid giving a bad handshake at all costs. Reading this article will alert you to worst handshakes and tell you if you give a bad handshake or not.

8. The Pump Handle Handshake

Credibility Rating: 4/10

With strong rural overtones, the pumper grabs the hand of the pumpee and commences an energetic and rhythmic series of rapid vertical strokes. While up to seven pumps is acceptable, some pumpers continue to pump uncontrollably as if they are trying to draw water from the pumpee.

Occasionally, the pumper will cease pumping but continue to hold the receiver’s hand to prevent their escape and, interestingly, few people try to pull their hand away. The act of being physically connected seems to weaken our resolve to retreat.

7. The Vice Handshake

Credibility Rating: 4/10

This quietly persuasive style is a favourite of men in business and reveals a desire to dominate and assume early control of the relationship or put people in their place. The palm is presented in the down position with one sharp downward pump followed by two or three vigorous return strokes and a grip that can even stop blood flow to the hand. Sometimes it will be used by a person who feels weak and fears they will be dominated by others.

If you are guilty of giving this handshake, I invite you to skip straight to the bottom in order to learn how to give a correct handshake, so you can relieve yourself. Then skip back up and read more of the worst handshakes. Just to make sure you don’t give any other bad handshakes.

6. The Stiff-Arm Thrust Handshake

Credibility Rating: 3/10

Like the Palm-Down Thrust, the Stiff-Arm Thrust tends to be used by aggressive types and its main purpose is to keep you at a distance and away from their personal space. It’s also used by people raised in rural areas, who have larger personal space needs and want to protect their territory.

These people will even lean forward or balance on one foot to keep their distance when delivering a Stiff-Arm Thrust.

5. The Socket-Wrencher Handshake

Credibility Rating: 3/10

A popular choice of power players and common cause of watering eyes and, in extreme cases, torn ligaments. This is the father of the Bent-Arm-Pull-In, and involves forcefully gripping the receiver’s outstretched palm, then simultaneously applying a sharp reverse thrust, attempting to drag the receiver into the initiator’s territory. This results in loss of balance and gets the relationship off on the wrong foot.

Pulling the receiver into the initiator’s territory can mean one of three things: first, the initiator is an insecure type who feels safe only within his own personal space; second, the initiator is from a culture that has smaller space needs; or third, he wants to control you by pulling you off balance. Either way, he wants the encounter to be on his terms.

4. The Finger-Tip Grab Handshake

Credibility Rating: 2/10

A common occurrence in male—female greetings, the Finger-Tip Grab is a handshake that missed the mark and the user mistakenly grabs the other person’s fingers. Even though the initiator may seem to have an enthusiastic attitude towards the receiver, he in fact lacks confidence in himself. In these circumstances, the main aim of the Finger-Tip Grab is to keep the receiver at a comfortable distance. The Finger-Tip Grab can also result from personal space differences between the people in the handshake. This could happen if one person’s intimate space was two feet (60cm) and the other’s was three feet (90cm), the latter stands further back during greeting so the hands don’t connect properly.

If this happens to you, take the other person’s right hand with your left and place it correctly in your right hand and say, with a smile ‘Let’s try that again!’ and shake hands equally. This builds your credibilitybecause you are telling the other person that you think they are important enough for you to get it right.

3. The Dutch Treat Handshake

Credibility Rating: 2/10

Being somewhat vegetarian in approach, this handshake has its origins in the Netherlands, where a person can be accused of ‘Geeft ‘n hand als bosje worteljes’ meaning ‘Giving a handshake like a bunch of carrots’. It’s a distant relative of the Wet Fish but stiffer and less clammy to the touch.

2. The Wet Fish Handshake

Credibility Rating: 1/10

Few greetings are as uninviting as the Wet Fish, particularly when the hand is cold or clammy.The soft, placid feel of the Wet Fish makes it universally unpopular and most people associate it with weak character, mainly because of the ease with which the palm can be turned over. It is read by the receiver as a lack of commitment to the encounter, but there may be cultural or other implications – in some Asian and African cultures a limp handshake is the norm and a firm handshake can be seen as offensive. Also, one in twenty people suffer from a condition called hyperhydrosis, which is a genetic condition that causes chronic sweating. It’s wise to carry tissues or a handkerchief for mop-up strategies before any bout of handshaking.

The palms have more sweat glands than any other part of the body, which is why sweaty palms become so obvious. Surprisingly, many people who use the Wet Fish are unaware they do it so it’s wise to ask your friends to comment on your handshake style before deciding what you’ll use in future meetings.

1. The Bone-Crusher Handshake

Credibility Rating: 0/10

A second cousin to the Vice, the Bone-Crusher is the most feared of all handshakes as it leaves an indelible memory on the recipient’s mind and fingers and impresses no one other than the initiator. The Bone-Crusher is the trademark of the overly aggressive personality who, without warning, seizes the early advantage and attempts to demoralise his opponent by grinding his knuckles to a smooth paste. If you are female, avoid wearing rings on your right hand in business encounters as the Bone-Crusher can draw blood and leave you to open your business dealings in a state of shock.

Unfortunately, there are no effective ways to counter it. If you believe someone has done it on purpose, you could bring it to every-one’s attention by saying, ‘Ouch! That really hurt my hand. Your grip is too strong.’ This puts the advocate of the Bone-Crusher on notice not to repeat the behaviour.

The Cure to a Bad Handshake

Few people have any idea how they come across to others in initial meetings, despite the fact that most of us are aware that the first few minutes of that meeting can make or break a relationship. Take the time to practise handshake styles with your friends and colleagues and you can quickly learn how to deliver a positive handshake every time. Keeping the palms held vertical and matching the other person’s grip is usually perceived as a 10/10 handshake.

Now that you’ve reached the end of the ‘8 of the worlds worst handshakes‘ you can jump along to more related articles such as the 9 golden keys to making a great first impression, How to Get Ahead in Business and the First 20 Seconds of an Interview.

Craig is a 22-year-old student currently studying psychology at Bournemouth University. He runs a self improvement blog and communityfilled with useful advice. His main aim is to help people exceed their expectations and reach their true potential.

Subscribe to his RSS and follow him on Twitter to keep up-to date with his articles and blog posts.

Face Reading for Job Interviews

// June 21st, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Entrepreneurship, NLP Neuro-Linguistic Programming

Face Reading for Job Interviews

One of the most useful avenues of Face Reading techniques is during the job interview. Candidates can gauge the interviewer as they do not have the birth date of their future superior. Employers can use it as additional gauge of the employee in case the birth data of the employee is not accurate.

Forehead

A high, fleshy and pinkish forehead generally means that this person will achieve great sucess in hiscareer. However, if you are the superior, you may want to compare your forehead against your subordinate’s forehead in case your subordinate overshines you in your department!

Eyebrows

Sparse eyebrows indicate that the person is quite meticulous and would be useful for jobs that requires details. However, such a person is less suitable for managerial post as he has the likelihood to micro-manage. In addition, eyebrows which has hairs that are not grow in the same direction denote a state of mind that is not so clear and concise. If the 2 eyebrows are spaced too closely this person is likely to be narrow-minded or petty.

Ears

Ears that stick closely to the sides generally mean that this person is quite careful.

Nose

A high and protruding nose bridge indicates this person is quite confident on himself.

A fleshy nose indicates a kind personality. For job-seekers, this will be one good feature to keep a lookout for your prospective superior. A short nose indicates tendency to job hop and should be of interest to the employer. Lastly a visible nostril also indicates a violent personality.

Cheekbone

A squarish cheekbone generally means confidence. If you are hiring a manager or someone for a position that needs to exudes confidence when dealing with people, this will be the physical trait you need to keep a close lookout for.

Eyes

An exceedingly larger % of the whitish portion of the eye signifies the person is vengeful. Having a staff with such a physical feature may mean the workplace harmony is compromised.

Mountain Root

This is the space between the eyes and if scarred or ridden with lines means this person is likely to be embroiled in conflicts.

Lips

A thinner lower lip suggests this person is selfish and aggressive. If the work entails cooperation and team spirit, someone with this physical trait will not be suitable for such a line of work.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/interviews-articles/face-reading-for-job-interviews-722801.html

How to Create A Law Of Attraction Vision Board

// June 21st, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Dating Relationships, Entrepreneurship, Law of Attraction, Leadership, Personal Development, Self Improvement

How to Create A Law Of Attraction Vision Board

Law Of Attraction Vision Boards:
The Secret To Getting What You Want In Life

Have you ever wondered why your dreams haven’t come true yet? If you’ve been reading my newsletter for awhile, you know that I embody and teach the ‘how to’ principles behind successfully achieving our goals and dreams. Nothing happens, no forward steps are taken until we first have a dream. However, even when we have a dream, we can’t begin manifesting it until some important first steps are taken to prepare a solid foundation for success. To make a dream come true we don’t have to initially know HOW we are going to do it. Instead, we only have to know what we want and then engage our physical body senses in the process. The basic first steps include:

One simple, and powerful, action step to making your dreams come true is to construct a visual representation of the desired outcome. Vision boards are a fantastic tool to help us focus on the particular abundance, joy, or relationship that is important to us. They help us see our desires vividly while stimulating all of our physical senses. A Vision board is a visual picture of the dreams we have for our life. It’s a big colorful poster onto which we place pictures of what we want to create.

For example, if your goal is overcoming overeating, creating a happier life, or creating a healthy and fit body, take a little time and articulate what you do not want. From this statement, ask yourself some meaningful questions about what you do want:

• What would the dream look?
• How would life be different?
• How would you feel, think, and act if you had what you wanted?
• What strengths would you have?

Then, it’s easy to flip the statement around 180 degrees and articulate what you do want. For example, “I don’t want to feel stressed and use food to cope” becomes “I have comfort and ease in my body right now, along with the freedom to eat what I want in amounts that are satisfying.” Or, “I don’t want to struggle with my weight” becomes “I have a loving partnership with my body that allows the formation of confidence and beauty.”

From these positive statements, notice what images come to mind. The next step to turn those dreams into reality is to create a visual representation. Vision boards help us see the images of our success. They help us to focus on the joy of our dreams. In addition, they allow us to cultivate the excitement necessary to take further action steps that bring dreams closer to reality. The key is to find pictures that help us focus and reflect on ourselves already in possession of the desired outcomes.

Looking at your vision board helps cultivate a belief of impending success! You can indeed live the life you want to be living. You can feel good, right now, in this present moment, as you realize you have taken control of your life as you deliberately chose the direction you wish to head toward. No more is life something that just happens to you. Now you are firmly in the driver’s seat!

How to Create A Vision Board

Law of Attraction Vision Boards are easy and fun to make. All you need are a few simple tools. In a short amount of time, you’ll be able to tap into the secret so powerful it transforms the lives of anyone discovering it…

1. Purchase a large poster board in whatever color you like. Also pick up a glue stick and a pair of scissors.

2. Gather an assortment of old magazines, pictures, catalogs, and snap shots.

3. Take some time and create a space where you can relax and have fun. Brew a cup of hot tea, light a candle, put on music that speaks to you. If you want, invite a close friend or your partner to join in the process! Then – is this is an important step – breathe deeply, close your eyes, and imagine the goal you wish to achieve. Allow your senses to play with your dream. Take five minutes and fully live your dream exactly the way you want to be living it.

4. Now open your eyes and let the fun begin! Leaf through the magazines, and tear out any pictures, words, phrases, and thoughts that inspire your senses. Don’t think about it too much. Simply go through the magazines and remove anything that grasps your attention. Pull out pictures, images, words, and phrases that excite and motivate you to reach your destiny. Along with the pictures, it also helps to add a few motivational statements that spell out the goals you wish for yourself.

5. Take your time. Give yourself an hour, or an evening, to create your vision board.

6. When you sense you have all the pictures you need, sort through your pictures, and begin to arrange them on your poster. Use the scissors and cut out the words and hone in on the images that speak most to you. After you have cut out the pictures and phrases, glue or paste them on your poster board.

7. Have fun doing it! Enjoy yourself! Let you imagination be your guide. If you really want to make this a fun experience, invite several of your closest friends over to join you in the process. Make it a party! Celebrate life and the act of creation with those friends or family you most love spending your time with!

8. Once your board is completed, activate your Vision board. Place it in a room or on a wall that you can look at it often for a month or two. Perhaps the best place would be in your office where you can put it in front of you and look at it often. Or maybe the best place is in your bedroom, where you can reflect on your dream first thing in the morning, and make it the last thing you look at before you close your eyes at night. You could tack it to the ceiling above your bed, or it might just make an excellent screen saver.

By using your Vision board you will be able to put the “Law of Attraction” into use immediately. As time passes, feel free to add to your board, or paste over what doesn’t work. Make it come alive by dwelling on it every now and then when inspired. As you concentrate on these visual images of what you want, add a sense of peace and joy. Smile. Inhale the sensation of you having exactly what you want. Allow your subconscious mind to help you achieve your goals. You now have a self-generated tool that keeps you focused on your desires and makes you feel good. Your vision board is the most powerful tool assisting you in manifesting abundance!

Source: Law Of Attraction Vision Boards by Annette Colby, PhD.

Is there a right way to lay someone off? By John Maxwell

// June 20th, 2009 // No Comments » // Dating Relationships, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Personal Development, Self Improvement

http://johnmaxwellonleadership.com/2009/05/20/is-there-a-right-way-to-lay-someone-off/

Imagination: Your ticket to a dream (John Maxwell)

// June 20th, 2009 // No Comments » // Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Personal Development, Self Improvement

http://johnmaxwellonleadership.com/2009/06/15/imagination-your-ticket-to-a-dream/