What we focus on becomes our reality!

Four years ago I read an amazing book that has changed my life forever. The book is called 'Think and Grow Rich' and was written by Napoleon Hill in 1937. Napoleon Hill spent his entire life studying the laws of success and worked with some of the wealthiest men in history such as Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ford. His Laws of Success have stood the test of time and are still very valid today. If you take the time to read, study and apply those principles, I guarantee they will have a massive impact on your results and also the quality of your life.

Scientists have estimated that we have over 25,000 thoughts every day. The problem is that those 25,000 thoughts tend to be the exact same thoughts repeating themselves over and over again!

We develop patterns of behavior over time and our lives become very predictable. We sleep on the same side of the bed each night, we eat the same breakfast, brush our teeth in the same direction and have a shower washing the same body parts in the same order! We then drive to work on the same roads, talk to the same people and do the same work. We get home and watch the same television shows, have the same dinners and talk about the same topics.

We spend our entire working week counting down the days to the weekend. We then spend the weekend going out, drinking, socialising and complaining about how bad work is. Sunday night comes around quickly and we start getting depressed at the thought of going back to work again on Monday. This robot like routine repeats itself over and over again! Do you know that there are more heart attacks on a Monday morning at 9am than any other time in the week?

The sad fact is that 95% of people tend to bitch, whine and complain about their current situation without attempting to do anything to change it. They don't realize that they are creating this miserable life by the way that they think!

Nothing changes if nothing changes!

95% of people are stuck in a rut in their lives and a rut is only a few inches above a grave! To change our lives we must change our habits and to change our habits we must change our thoughts! New thoughts lead to new feelings which lead to new actions which lead to new results!

Thoughts -> Feelings -> Actions -> Results

We must learn to monitor our thoughts if we want to change our lives. How much time do you spend focusing on what you don't want in life instead of focusing on what you do want?

Imagine yourself like a human transmission tower, transmitting a frequency with your thoughts. If you want to change anything in your life, change the frequency by changing your thoughts.

The key to success is to spend more time focusing on what we want in life. We need to stop complaining about our current circumstances and accept the fact that we have created everything through our thoughts. We must accept full responsibility for our current reality. (Right now we are the total of our life experience.)  If we play a victim we are powerless. If we accept the fact that we have created everything in our lives then we now become powerful. We now have the ability to change our lives. All it takes is a decision! To change our current situation we must change our thoughts and refocus our energy.

If you type 'Poverty' into a Google search engine what comes up? Millions of topics about poverty! What happens if you type 'Wealth' into the same search engine? You get millions of pages about wealth!

What are you typing into your search engine?

If you are currently in debt and you keep getting bills in the mail then the first step is to stop complaining about the bills. Every time you complain about your level of debt you attract more debt into your life. This effect is compounded if you add extreme emotion to the situation. The frequency that you are emitting out to the universe is 'Debt'! You need to start focusing on wealth and abundance if you want to get out of debt.

The same rule applies to people who continually protest against what they don't want. They make up banners and posters, march down the street and start yelling "no more war, no more war'. They don't realize that by doing this they are actually attracting more war into their lives! Whenever you add feeling and emotion to your thoughts the results are compounded one hundred fold. Instead of being anti war they must change their thoughts to being pro peace. Whether they are thinking 'NO MORE WAR' or 'BRING ON THE WAR' the vibration is EXACTLY the same and they will attract it into their lives.

Over the next few days start to monitor your thoughts.

Take note of how many times you focus on what you don't want. Use your emotions as a guide. If you are feeling negative emotions then you must be focusing on something that you do not want. If you are feeling positive emotions then keep focusing on that!

As soon as you feel yourself focusing on negative situations immediately shift your focus to what you do want. This will take some practice but the first step to changing your life starts with increasing your awareness.

Reference:  Brad Cusworth

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Attitude - Choices

Your attitude has an impact on your company, customers and colleagues. Perhaps attitude is best defined as a state of mind. That state of mind is revealed through our behavior, tone of voice, and body language. Below are some thoughts to help improve and keep a positive attitude.

Make a choice
Everyday we have two choices. You can head out to work and decide to be friendly, happy and productive or you can decide to be negative, angry and victimized. Regardless of what is going on in your life you make that choice everyday whether you realize it or not.

Fake it until you make it
Although you may not always feel at your best no one else around you ever needs to know that. Your ability to appear positive while on the job, even if you are not, can have many positive outcomes.

Surround yourself with positive people
It is important to remember that not only do you have control over your own attitude but you also have the ability to choose whom you will spend time with.  The more positive people you surround yourself with the easier it is to maintain a positive outlook. Choosing to be around negative people will damage your attitude and your reputation.

Ask for feedback
Although conducting a self analysis is helpful, asking those around us to give us feedback on how we are doing will help provide a more honest, less biased outlook. Sometimes how we see ourselves is different than how we are seen by others.  But remember, asking for feedback from others is asking them to expose their thoughts and feelings about you.  You will only be successful in getting honest, candid feedback if those you are asking feel that you are open and candid with them. 

A positive attitude is displayed by individuals that:

• Always think about what to do next
• Love to figure out new ways to improve service
• Delight in finding ways to please customers
• Enjoy people
• Always pitch in, even if it's not their job
• Never let personal problems stop them from getting the job done
• Focus on finding creative ways to satisfy customers
• Take responsibility without blaming other people or departments
• Fix problems, rather than finding fault

Tips for a positive mental attitude

1. Smile

2. Laugh

3. Greet people courteously

4. Be enthusiastic

5. Dream. Engage in ‘Imagineering’. Set a goal. Aim high.

6. Act. Work your plan. Don’t be an ‘Excusiologists’.

7. Be single minded in your purpose.

8. Love your work.

9. Be focused at all times. Be dedicated, disciplined and regular in your work.

10. Show commitment.

11. Strive for excellence. Set your own benchmark.

12.‘Sharpen the saw, ‘Polish the brass’ everyday.

13. Be humble and open- minded.

14. Be open to change. Don’t be afraid of taking risks.

15. Don’t be judgmental. Forgive and forget.

16. Develop a loving attitude to all around you.

17. Accept adversity and disappointments. Overcome them and emerge stronger.

18. Cultivate a working philosophy of life: Turn every experience, ‘good’ or ‘bad’, into a ‘learning’ experience.

19. Be your own critic. Strive for improvement. Be a life-long ardent student of life.

20. Live each day as though it were your last.

21. Lead. The five key *facets of leadership are..... Focus, Authenticity, Courage, Empathy, Timing.

22. Remember, we are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.

Always, keep your face to the sun, and shadows will fall behind you.

Reference:  Craig Karpe

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Stress and the Recession

In these recession days, it is very well possible that you experience a feeling that you have never felt before. It is possible that you become mentally paralyzed: you don't know what to do at all anymore. You even don't realize that this paralysis is due to stress because you are in a dangerous situation. When you were young and you didn't have much to lose, no house, no income and you just finished your study, it didn't matter. You were full of energy and you were sure you would make it. And you did!

But now. How is it possible it came to this? Are you going to lose your house? Are you going to loose your job? Are you going to loose money? Even when you still earn the same, you can spend less. Do you feel it? Do you feel the paralyzing effect of the recession?

You have to be sure that things are going to be worse if you don't take action. And you know it. But how to take action when you are paralyzed? To be paralyzed is a natural condition. In nature animals have three modes of behaviour when they are in danger. Fight, Flee or Paralyze. These are automatic reactions. And it depends on the kind of animal which behaviour is most appropriate. For example for a rabbit that is getting attacked it is not really useful to fight. If it flees away from the danger it does have a chance. But a rabbit can also get paralyzed. It is possible that the attacker doesn't see him anymore because the rabbit sits still and there is no movement. So to be paralyzed can have an advantage.

But we are human beings and we can decide what is good for us. In case of stress as a result of the recession, the only way is to fight back. So you must stop the paralyzing affect the recession has on you.

Remember the feeling you had when you were young. You were going to make it. You loved the challenge. What you can do now is: Sit for 5 or ten minutes every day and remember the good feeling when you were young. You couldn't wait to take action and to fight. Remember the exact situation and feel the way you did. Feel the confidence you had and feel the happiness you felt each time you reached the next step. And remember that you still are the same you. You can do the same things in this situation. Plan what you have to do first. And fight back. Don't let your stress take over and paralyze you. Take action and you will succeed!

Tips on Reducing Stress

Step One

Try and get outside as much as you can. Fresh air really helps to clear your mind and allows you to focus on tasks. Take a walk in the evenings or try and get out during your lunch hour. You will be amazed at how much a little fresh air and some sun will help you!

Step Two

Exercising is what I use the most to help lower my stress level. Whether it is running, walking, swimming, weights, team sports, etc. – exercise really helps. For those of you worried about money and paying those monthly gym fees, try exercising outdoors. If it is too cold outside, try going to a mall to walk and stretch your legs.

Step Three

Turn off the television so you are not bombarded with all the negative news. It is still important to stay informed, but you can overdue it. The nightly news and cable stations cater to negative information, because bad news sells. You will find that they keep covering the same topics over and over if you keep watching it.

Step Four

Spend more quality time with your family. In today’s fast paced society, we often don’t see our loved ones enough. Instead of spending money to go out to eat or to a movie, try and have a family game night instead. Remember, your children are good listeners and are able to pick up on your stress.

Step Five

Consider donating your time, money, food, or extra items to charities or the less fortunate. Remember, there are probably a lot more people out there who are in worse shape than you. Be thankful for what you have and try not to focus on all the negatives in your life. Your body will thank you in the end!

Tips & Warnings

• Don't go for the high calorie foods when stressed. It can be very easy to eat a lot of sweets during times like these.
• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and drink lots of water.
• Keep your children informed about economic troubles, but don't overdue it.
• If you can't control your stress, see your physician.
• Stress can cause high blood pressure and increase your chance of heart disease.
• Children pick up on their parents stress and may become stressed themselves.

Reference:  Annelies Hilgers

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Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and winter blues

Animals react to the changing seasons with changes in mood, metabolism and behaviour and human beings are just the same. Many people find they eat and sleep slightly more in winter and dislike the dark mornings and short days and this is commonly referred to as 'winter blues'. For some, however, symptoms are severe enough to disrupt their lives and to cause considerable distress. These people are suffering from SAD.

How does SAD affect people?

Symptoms tend to start from around September each year lasting until April, but are at their worst in the darkest months. Symptoms include:

• Sleep problems - oversleeping but not refreshed, cannot get out of bed, needing a nap in the afternoon
• Overeating - carbohydrate craving leading to weight gain
• Depression, despair, misery, guilt, anxiety - normal tasks become frustratingly difficult
• Family / social problems - avoiding company, irritability, loss of libido, loss of feeling
• Lethargy - too tired to cope, everything an effort
• Physical symptoms - often joint pain or stomach problems, lowered resistance to infection
• Behavioural problems - especially in young people

Who does it affect?

The standard figure says that around 2% of people in Northern Europe suffer badly, with many more (10%) putting up with milder symptoms (sub-syndromal SAD or winter blues). Across the world the incidence increases with distance from the equator, except where there is snow on the ground, when it becomes less common. More women than men are diagnosed as having SAD. Children and adolescents are also vulnerable.

What causes it?

The problem stems from the lack of bright light in winter. Researchers have proved that bright light makes a difference to the brain chemistry but why some people suffer and others don't is not clear.

Nerve centres in our brain controlling our daily rhythms and moods are stimulated by the amount of light entering the eyes. As night falls, the pineal gland starts to produce a substance called melatonin that tells our body clock it's night time; bright light at daybreak is the signal for the gland to stop producing this melatonin. But on dull winter days, especially indoors, not enough light is received to trigger this waking up process. Light is also linked to serotonin (also known as or 5HT), a neurotransmitter in the brain. This makes sense because low serotonin levels can cause depression and if you're depressed it can be difficult to concentrate and complete what would normally be simple tasks. Evidence has shown that serotonin levels increase with exposure to bright light - SSRI drugs such as Prozac have the same effect.

What treatment is there?

As the cause is lack of bright light, the treatment is to be in bright light every day. Going to a brightly-lit climate, whether that's skiing or somewhere hot, will relieve symptoms but if that's not possible you can use a bright light. The preferred level of light is about as bright as a spring morning on a clear day and for most people sitting in front of a light like this for around 30 minutes a day will be sufficient to alleviate the symptoms. You don't have to stare at the light, so you can watch TV or read or similar, just make sure that light reaches your eyes.

The light must be suitably bright. You need at least 2500lux (lox is the technical measure of brightness) which is roughly five times brighter than a well-lit office. Brighter 10,000lux lights take less time to use and allow you to sit further away. Simply using 'daylight' or 'full spectrum' lights at home will not work as they're not bright enough.

We encourage SAD sufferers to seek the support of their doctor. Please see your doctor if you believe you may be suffering from a depressive illness.

Reference:  LUMIE

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