Mood swings, also known as phase mood changes, may have natural or unnatural causes. Receiving good and bad news at the same moment certainly warrants a mood swing. But there are also times when a person experiences mood swings for no apparent reason. When this happens, you might want to consult a physician about it as such mood swings could be a symptom of a more serious problem.

Possible Mood Swing Causes

Before approaching your physician, you can review the possible causes below and see if any of them may have brought about your mood swings.

Menstruation and Menopause
Some women have all the luck. They go through menstruation each month and menopause in the latter stages of their lives without ever suffering pain or discomfort. Others are not as fortunate and these women are the ones prone to suffer from mood swings.

Menstruation and menopause cause hormonal changes in our bodies and these changes could mess up the way we think and feel at the moment. Mood swings could be a result. Certainly, the pain that comes with menstruation and menopause can also cause mood swings. At the early part of the day, you could be extremely happy but once your period comes, your mood could instantly change and you become irritable and overly sensitive.

Mood swings during these stages may frequently occur but even so, they’re entirely natural and as such you shouldn’t be too worried about it. To regulate their frequency, try doing what you can to alleviate the pain caused by other symptoms of menstruation and menopause. Do that and the frequency of your mood swings will consequently go down.

Puberty
Growing up is a painful but necessary change in life. This is especially true as kids hit their teenage years. For women, the changes are more visible: their bodies develop curves that once weren’t there. They also start experiencing menstruation, which is painful in itself. Their voices change and even their skins could change, making them more acne prone among other things. Add all these up and it’s fairly easy to understand why adolescents become prone to mood swings.

Bipolar Depression
In this case, mood swings are merely a symptom of a more prevalent condition. Bipolar depression is vastly underestimated by many. It is a serious condition that when left untreated can lead to graver complications.

The best way to know if one is suffering from bipolar depression is to obtain a professional diagnosis.

ADHD
ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is certainly not something to scoff at either. True enough, it is not in any way life-threatening but if the affected individual is left to cope with his condition without professional help and support, he will find it extremely difficult to achieve certain things in life – things that may come naturally to other people who aren’t suffering from ADHD.

And because he doesn’t understand the cause of his inadequacies, he could be prone to mood swings. There is no cure for ADHD but there are ways to help affected individuals lead a normal lifestyle.

Stress
Last but not the least, problems in your life can easily lead you to suffer from mood swings. The best way to prevent mood swings in this case is to solve your problems instead of running away from it.

Whatever the cause of your mood swing, you’ll find it easier to prevent them from occurring again if you have the care and support of your loved ones.

All the best

Alan

PS. Check out BrainFit For Life: A Users Guide To Life Long Brain Health And Fitness. Improve Your Mood, Memory And Metabolism With The Four Cornerstones Of Brain Fitness. BrainFit For Life Will Entertain, Educate And Motivate You To Achieve A More Enriched Life.

Brain Fit for Life

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I have a special bonus for my Health Wealth & Creativity readers. 350 Self-Help Tips and Strategies, which contains 7 free reports for you to download. Report 1: Wealth Tactics. Report 2: Better Health Tactics. Report 3: Time Management Tactics. Report 4: Relationship Improvement Tips. Report 5: Vision Board Tactics. Report 6: Spiritual Tips. Report 7: The Law of Attraction Tactics.

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This is my way of thanking you for your readership.

Go ahead and download the reports now, it’s free…

All the best

Alan

PS. If you have your own niche business and would like to resell these reports, or offer master resell rights so that your customers can resell the reports, then go ahead and download the reports and you’ll be taken to a page with the Resell Rights info.

350 Self-Help Tips & Strategies

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Love me, love my gold

Hi. Have you ever been so single-minded about something that you’ve alienated yourself from those closest to you? Perhaps they’ve stood in the background quietly supporting while you’ve ‘gone for gold’? No-one achieves gold or love on their own…

Five-time gold medal-winning figure skater, Jenny Kilmer, has won the women’s Olympics since she was 16. At 36, she is attempting to win her sixth straight gold medal. Kilmer has been blessed to have such fame and fortune with sporting equipment endorsements and TV contracts. She has gotten everything that he has set out to get, except for one thing: love.

Love is what has been eluding her. She has had many relationships, but none that have transpired into anything beyond just a relationship. Her latest relationship with Scott seemed to be destined to the same scenario.

Since two years old, Jenny’s life has been all about skating. Her intensive training has obviously paid off professionally because of her gold medals, but personally, even her trainer, Yon, cannot stand to be around her. It was five days until the Women’s Olympic medal competition.

Yon asked her, “Do you think that you’re gonna find that special guy like that girl did in that movie, ‘The Cutting Edge?’” he said in his Russian accent. “You are ten times the spoiled brat that she was.” “Absolutely,” said Jen. “I’m Jenny Kilmer. America’s Sweetheart. Every man wants me.” “Until they get to know you,” Yon retorted. “But they get together in the end.” “Actors get together in the end, not skaters!” “Whatever, Yon.” “You know I am right. Scott is on to you like the others. You don’t need anybody. No one is gonna tell the great Jenny Kilmer what to do! What has it cost you?” “All right, all right, Yon.” “Have you not learned anything about love since we’ve been working together? Since you were 16? When it comes to love, you still talk like a 16-year old. Your mother and your father are at their rope’s end with you. Your agents put up with you because you make them money.” “Why are you still here, Yon? You can coach anyone you want. You’ve got your five gold’s with me. What’s keeping you here?” “I want to see you come full circle. You’ve got nothing more to prove in skating. The pressure is totally off of you in this Olympics. I am partly to blame for you being the way that you are. I have pushed you too much for too long.” “So, what are you saying?” “I have made my dreams into your dreams and I am sorry. I want you to win the Gold Medal…in love.” “But, why are you saying this now? After all this time?” “Scott loves you with all of his heart. Do you remember when you broke your ankle two years ago at the Nationals when you tried the quadruple lutz? He went on to the ice and carried you off. He doesn’t care about your skating. He cares about you! He canceled a multimillion-dollar building project to be with you for two weeks after your injury. He lost dollars after dollars for his company, got demoted and risked getting fired for you. He slept in the chair in your hospital room for two weeks! That’s love! Scott is one of the greatest things to ever happen to you and you cannot see this. You are headed to becoming a bitter old maid! You’ve got another half-hour till practice is over. Skating- it’s what you’re best at. Go on!”

For one of the first times in her 36 years, Jen Kilmer was silenced, but not without tears of sadness and despair. She could not stop crying…even after practice ended.

The next day, Kilmer fell time after time attempting to do a quadruple lutz. Very few skaters have ever successfully done the quad lutz.

Yon coached Kilmer, “You are not falling because you don’t know how to do the quad lutz. You are falling because Scott has not called in a week.” “What else am I gonna do, Yon?” Kilmer asked. “Call him again and apologize to him – for real this time. At least you’ll know you’ve tried. If you don’t see him again, so be it.”

The day of the women’s medal event arrived. Several of Kilmer’s competitors had sub-par performances, which eased the pressure even more for her. Still…her pressure was not on the ice. She could probably do a very safe program and still win the gold.

Jenny and Yon were in the locker room. Kilmer was stretching as part of her warmup routine. She spoke apathetically to Yon. “Scott’s not gonna show, Yon. I’ve pushed him away like all the other guys before him. I’ve been the biggest bitch to him. He put up with so much of my crap. I won’t be able to show any of my children my gold medals because there won’t be any husband to start a family,” she said confessingly as she started to cry. “ I AM gonna be a bitter old skating commentator for some TV network and I’ll smile my typical smile and show to the world that Jen Kilmer is the happiest woman in the world. I’m such a phony.”

Kilmer’s name was announced on the public address, which meant that it was time for her two-minute warmup before her program.

Kilmer skated gracefully and confidently as usual. She was a skating legend. In her mind, she was just going through the motions. She nailed some practice double and triple lutzes, which she could do in her sleep.

As she skated toward her coach, she formed a puzzled look on her face. Yon was smiling and laughing next to a man who had his back turned to her. Jenny braked and as the man who was laughing with Yon turned around.

“Scott,” Jenny said straining to say his name. She was finally able to get her breath. “Why? Why are you here? I thought I lost you.” “That’s what Yon thought too until I called him,” said Scott. “You called Yon, but you didn’t call me?” “Don’t push it.” I love you, Scott,” she said. “Thank you for being with me after I broke my ankle. You’ve always been there for me and I’ve treated you like crap. Like I told you on your message-phone, I am so sorry.” “All is forgiven, my dear. You can thank Yon for it.” Kilmer smiled at her coach. “I’m doing the quad lutz. And I’m gonna nail it!” “Are you insane? If you wanna win a sixth gold, don’t go for the quadruple lutz! You were lucky four years ago, but remember what you did last year in the Nationals? You fell flat on your ass!” Yon reminded her. “I’m gonna have fun this time, Yon. For the first time in the Olympics, I’m gonna have fun because I finally got everything that I’ve wanted. This is it. After this skate, I’m done. I’ve won the gold this year.” Yon nodded his head with approval and a slight smile. Scott had a puzzled look on his face. “You haven’t skated yet.” “Oh yes I DO HAVE the gold,” she took Scott in her arms. “He’s right here and I’m never gonna let him go,” she sniffled. “I have five gold medals. Now I want some babies. Will you marry me?” “Yes!” said Scott surprised. “I love you, Jen with every bone in my body.”

Scott and Jenny kissed passionately as a couple of Olympic officials walked up to Yon to let him know that his skater was next. When they were done kissing, Yon tapped Jen on the shoulder. “Well then,” said Yon, “You’ve got one more skating duty. As you said, have fun.” He smiled widely. As her named was announced, Kilmer skated onto the ice with the biggest grin she ever had on her face. The crowd’s applause had never been louder for America’s Sweetheart. Kilmer could not hold back the tears of joy. She knew it was her last skate. Jenny Kilmer had won the gold even before her program. She won the gold medal in love.

Good luck with your gold medal hearts of love.

Alan

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I Eat Happy Food

Hi again. Here are some questions for self–reflection on the subject on: how our happiness can be affected by a diet of negativity.

Are you constantly bombarded by thoughts of negativity? Plagued by feelings of insecurity? Do you see everything in a negative manner? The reason for this lies deep within your heart. You are what you mentally and spiritually eat. If a person drinks alchohol on a daily basis, odds are their body will be affected in some way. They may have liver issues, develop cancer or incur some other type of health problem directly related to the amount of alcohol they have consumed. In the same way, a person who constantly feeds themselves negative thoughts will simply turn into a negative person.

So in keeping with the diet comparison, it may be time to go on a diet…a diet of positive attitude food. You have to literally stop feeding your mind negative things. Ask yourself is this thought negative or positive? What do negative thoughts look like? Well, they start with can’t rather than can, no as opposed to yes, and won’t as opposed to will. This is a simplification of course, as sometimes, we need to feel okay about saying for example, ‘no’, I won’t do this. The challenge is knowing the difference between when saying ‘no’ limits your life in some way, or perhaps puts you in harm’s way.

Many consider the Bible to be perhaps one of the  greatest self help book ever written, and it speaks about taking every thought captive. Some meditation practices teaches us to observe our thoughts and then let them pass…like a river flowing by. This can assist us in not getting hung up on our thoughts and become less of a victim and more of a master of  our inner thinking. It would be a generalization to state that this is a problem in our society where our thoughts have taken us captive and we have begun to let our thoughts control us, without a lot of research. However, I would hazard a guess that many of us would struggle with the practice of the ‘feeding’ ourselves with a good diet of positive attitude food.

A great way to know what we are negative about is to ask those people who are closest to us and whom you trust to give fair assessments. You can ask your spouse or another person in your life who really knows you how they would rate your attitude on a scale of 1 to 10. 10 being super positive and 1 super negative. Ask this person to be totally honest with you. You will benefit from their honesty even if it causes you pain – we might have a different perception of ourselves. Ask this person what it is that you specifically say that they perceive as negative. Write down what they say and look at the actual words. Now is the time to be honest with yourself. Those words are a reflection of what is inside you. They are who you are.

The great thing is that you can change. It is as simple – and sometimes as hard – as making a choice to do so. You must decide to replace the thoughts of negativity with thoughts of positivity. Decide what words you will change the negative words on your paper to. Once you have done this, make an effort to insert these new positive thoughts in your mind – do this especially before you sleep at night and if you can, first thing in the morning. You will begin to notice a positive change taking place in your life. Your family, friends and co-workers will all notice it as well. They may not know what is different about you. But they will know that you are not the same person that you were (a word of caution however, would be if you find yourself in a position of being victimized by someone. Trying to think positively about abusive treatment by someone, is not going to necessarily change your life for the better. It might help us temporarily cope with it but in the end, such treatment needs to stop if you are ever going to find peace and happiness in your life…get support here as soon as you can).

The items which are causing negativity in your life could very well be the news, movies, constantly replaying tragedy in your mind and the list could go on. These things should be eliminated if you want your new mental health regimen to be a success. The news is very negative and does not help someone who is trying to rid their mind of such thoughts. When you are feeding yourself thoughts of death from a war or gunshot or car accident visually the outcome will be negative. I do believe there is a time to grieve over the death of a loved one. However, if a person constantly replays this negative event in their minds it can lead to depression. The person who has passed away is not coming back and we must close that chapter in our lives and move on to the next chapter. This is a difficult task which can only be done by making a decision to proceed with our own life, no matter how hard this may be (again, getting support for this most difficult time, can be vital in your recovery).

You can do it. You can and will have a positive attitude, if you simply take the steps outlined above. You do not have to be what you were in the past. You can be different in the future. The choice is yours. Change your diet today and you will forever reap the benefits in your life.

All the best

Alan

PS. If you’re interested in working on your happiness, then check out Reality Creation Secrets – Law Of Attraction. Most Powerful Knowledge In The World About How To Create The Perfect Reality You Desire And Manifest Super Riches, Total Freedom And Extreme Happiness!

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A True Smile

How do you measure your happiness? What makes you happy? Can we only know our happiness by our experience of sadness? Do we learn our capacity for happiness from others, or is it an inherited trait? Is a child’s happiness and joyous laughter learned behavior, or a natural response to pleasant stimulus? Does our capacity for happiness change as we get older? Can we be happy if we’re sick or dying, or something terrible has happened to us or someone we know? Is it important to feel happy? Why? What’s the payoff?

The more I think about ‘happiness’, the more questions arise. Happiness is happiness, but what caused me to be happy when I was a child, won’t necessarily create that state now…or will it? Also, what is the relationship between joy, play, laughter and being happy? Is playing synonymous with happiness? Is this the common thread or measuring stick?

Here are 7 quick and easy ways to feel happier…see what you think and let me know if they work:

1. Go for a walk
Most people know that going for a short daily walk is one of the best forms of exercise. When you are feeling down it is even more beneficial. If you can, go into a natural environment with plants and birds. Can you think of such a setting not? What do you notice first? The different shades of greenery, the fresh  smell of country air, the sounds of birds, or the sunlight shining through the trees? Make it real by taking a short stroll.

2. Listen to quality music
Music can shift a listener’s state within moments. It’s effect can be nearly magical. Dig out that CD you haven’t listened to in ages or tune in your radio to something you’ve never listened to before.

3. Open yourself to discovering something new
Read something (printed, not on line…or print it out) different than what you would normally read. There are a ton of different types of magazines can you get these days. Visit your local library or browse through a magazine rack.  Pick up or buy a magazine you wouldn’t normally buy. You may discover something wonderful.

4. Find something to laugh at
Laughter is one of the best ways to lift your spirits. Find a humorous book, or watch a comedy. Even better, try to learn a few new jokes and tell them to others.

5. Simple breathing meditation
Breathing meditation is a great exercise that you can do anywhere.  Simply allow yourself to sit comfortably with your back straight. Now close your eyes and become aware of the flow of air into and out of your nostrils. That’s all there is to it. Do this for 10-15 minutes. Notice how pleasantly surprised you can be at how you feel afterward.

6. Doodling for the fun of it.
Most people can remember when they were young and used to doodle for hours. Kids love drawing silly little pictures. Drawing is not just for kids or artists.  Whoever you are get some pens, pencils, crayons or whatever you have and just draw for the fun of it. Notice how your state of mind shifts.

7. Think of others less fortunate
The fact that you are reading this article suggests that you are probably much better off than most people on this planet. At times this may be hard to believe, but if you can read and have access to the internet, just those two things alone means you are better off than most people in the world.  There are many human beings that barely have access to the basics of survival. There are people in lots of pain. Allow your compassion for them to grow.

These are all pretty simple. There’s nothing profound or life changing, but when all you need is a quick pick me up these may be just the thing you need. Putting simple ideas, methods, tools and techniques into action will help you achieve change more quick and easily–surprisingly so at time– than you imagine. Let me know what your think and/or what you do to ‘lift your spirits’ to arrive at that perhaps over-rated state of happiness.

All the best

Alan

PS. Check out The Awakening Course: Attracting Wealth, Health, Happiness And Love. Dr. Joe Vitale, Star Of The Hit Movie ‘The Secret,’ Has Taken The Law Of Attraction Up To A Whole Other Level, Providing Practical Step By Step Applications To Help You Create The Life Of Your Dreams! It includes 2 Bonus Discs!

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As you age, you most certainly want to postpone the effects such as wrinkles and creases. I am sure you have heard that you need to exercise regularly, watch your diet, sleep eight hours a day, use anti aging cosmetics and try hormone therapy. Some people have even tried plastic surgery to get rid of wrinkles and other signs of aging.

However, if you get back to basics and eat healthy, which includes three nutritious meals a day and, exercise, exercise, exercise. If so, experts believe you may be better off than people who have had plastic surgery. If you are dieting, make sure you pay attention to what you are eating and eat nutritious foods which include plenty of fruits and vegetables.

As our bodies age it is important to ensure that we are getting the proper amounts of vitamins and minerals to maintain a healthy diet. Some vitamins are more critical than others. Make sure you eat plenty of foods that are rich in Vitamin B such as fish, poultry, leafy green vegetables, eggs, beans and peas. This will help with preventing memory loss and will also lower your chances of getting cardiac disease.

You will want to eat foods that are rich in Vitamin D so that you will have strong bones. As we age, our bones get brittle. Foods that are rich in Vitamin D include milk, eggs and fish.

Make sure that you are also exercising regularly. This will help you with stress and to maintain a healthy weight. This will also increase your energy level also. Overall, you will feel much better.

You really don’t need to be concerned about most fruits and vegetables. They have no salt or cholesterol, fat but, they do have vitamins and minerals that are important for you. There are a multitude of other vitamins and minerals you can obtain from fruits and vegetables such as folic acid, iron and magnesium. They also contain anti oxidants that help fight off disease and illness.

So keep in mind that the anti aging process works from the inside out. It is important to keep this is mind. Keep in mind that aging is a process and you can work towards aging in a healthy or an unhealthy way. It starts with a nutritious diet and exercise.

All the  best health to you

Alan

PS: Fit over 40: Middle-age and Senior Health, Fitness and Hormone Restoration, is a great resource to help you look and feel younger. You get a free 10-day fat burning E-Course, 2 Mystery Gifts (value $180), a free chapter sample from the book and a free weekly newsletter, ‘Success For Life!’ Have a look if you’re interested>

Jon Benson -before/after - Fit After 40

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Just don’t ask how it happened, please.

But what’s really interesting is that how do people go through the usual part of life when faced with vein-popping stress? I mean, the new age thing like Zen or yoga is one of the good things and it actually works. Is there room for the intellectual side of people who can actually smell the roses-in-a-can while on the move? It kind of had me thinking that there really must be something in this ‘mind-over-matter’ thing.

Humor is indeed the best medicine there is whenever you are. I mean anyone can pay good money to listen to a comedian just to make you wet your pants after laughing so hard. Despite of what’s been happening, and to those who has gone though the ordeal, it’s better to just laugh while facing the troubles with a clear mind than anger with a clouded vision. One of my favorite celebrities of all time may have to be Woody Allen. Now this is one guy who gives you the in-your-face bluntness that he pulls out with gusto, even without even trying. You can talk just about anything with a man, and he’s bound to mock the subject and you’ll end up laughing rather than being upset about it.

Woody Allen has this to say:

1. “Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons.” It sounds good to me, I mean the practicality of all things does involve money but it doesn’t have to take an arm and a leg to get it.

2. “I believe there is something out there watching us. Unfortunately, it’s the government.” ‘Nuff said.

3. “There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman?” This happens to be one of the classic ones. I mean the issue about life’s little problems isn’t all that bad, until ‘he’ shows up.

Sure, relationships can get complicated, or does have its complications that probably any author about relationships is bound to discover it soon. We follow what our heart desires, unless you’re talking about the heart as in the heart that pump blood throughout your body.

4. “Love is the answer, but while you’re waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty interesting questions.” And if you want more, just keep on asking!

5. “A fast word about oral contraception. I asked a girl to go to bed with me, she said ‘no’.” It sounds, ‘practical’, I think.

And when it comes to everyday life, he really knows how to make the best out of every possible scenario, and it doesn’t involve a lawsuit if he strikes a nerve.

6. “Basically my wife was immature. I’d be at home in the bath and she’d come in and sink my boats.” I never had a boat in my bathtub before. Just staring at it while soaking in hot water makes me seasick already.

7. “I am not afraid of death, I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” If it rains, it pours.

8. “I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.” It could get worse when you’re guzzling on beer… or mouthwash, and it happened to me once!

9. “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” At least he doesn’t smite us with lightning, and I’m thankful for that.

And despite of what may happen to all of us in the next ten, twenty, or even thirty years, I guess we all have to see things in a different kind of light and not just perspective. I can’t seem to imagine life without any piece of wisdom that could guide us. Whether we’re religious or not, it takes more courage to accept your fears and learn how to deal with them is all that matters when it comes to even just getting along.

And to sum things up, here is the last nugget of wisdom to go by… however, whenever, and wherever we may be.

10. “The talent for being happy is appreciating and liking what you have, instead of what you don’t have.”

All the best

Alan

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My new path

It is well documented that many people fail to achieve their goals in life due to the phenomenon known as “fear of failure” but are you aware that a major factor that is often overlooked, is a state known as “fear of success“?

Fear of failure will lead many people into inertia – the inability to make decision or take action in case they receive rejection or negative outcomes. This mental state is fairky easy to identify and there are many tools in the personal development industry to help combat this plague and reprogram the mind for success. However, the fear of success is much more subtle, harder to spot and also harder to eradicate.

Perhaps you have this tendency in your life. Here are some indications of a fear of success mentality.

• Studying and trying to implement self-improvement techniques and/or personal development tools but your life does not improve or may even get worse.

• You settle for less than you feel you deserve or are capable of achieving.

• You start new projects full of enthusiasm and optimism but wane in your efforts or stop short before you have completed them.

• You expect things to go wrong no matter how well the situation appears to be at the moment.

• Can you identify your own patterns in the any of the above statements?

The fear of success can also make you behave in ways that hold you back. Look at the list below. These are the symptoms of the fear of success.

Procrastination - putting off what needs to be done or not doing what you know will bring you closer to your desired result. Everyone suffers from this inner ‘demon’ at some point in their lives (although some of us suffer from it more than others!).

Procrastination is a ’success killer’! How can ou expect to reach your destination if you do not take steps towards it? Strive to do little things each day that will bring you small steps closer to your goal. This is why having a personal development plan is an essential ingredient in the fight against procrastination. Take action! Any action! Refine your steps as you go along but do not sit and do nothing. Taking action is one of the key aspects in personal development.

Can’t see the forest for the trees! - this is almost the opposite of procrastination but has the same effect on your personal development. The aforementioned saying is well known but have you ever given it real consideration?

Don’t get caught up in your plan believing that it is more important than the materialised goal! For many years I got caught in this trap. I started to think and act as though my plan was more important than my end result and thus missed many opportunities to alter my path and reach my goals more quickly! Let go of your ego and allow the Universe to show you a quicker route to your goal. Remain flexible.

Thinking that the time is not right – have you ever waited until the timing was perfect before starting a venture? Have you ever waited until you had more information on a better plan?

Again ACTION is the key to the door to success. Taking small steps forward are better than taking none or waiting to see if your foot is landing on the right spot! Even if your actions take you away from your goal you have at least gained insight and knowledge about what does not work!

Being a perfectionist - this is similar to the point above and has the same effect, namely, that you never really move forward. No matter how good a job is when its finished it can always be improved! I have heard many great musicians tell how they hate listening to their own songs because they can find a million things that need improved. Yet, we still enjoy them. I think a classic example of this is “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Paul Simon. This song is hauntingly beautiful yet Mr. Simon does not think its good enough!

Seeing only problems – how do you use your focus? Do you constantly see only and alll the problems involved? If you are this way inclined it is pointless trying to change overnight! However, you can use this mindset to your advantage while you strive in your personal development to acquire an opportunistic frame of mind instead.

“How can you use seeing only problems to my advantage?” you say. “Easily”, is my reply! Look at the problems and prepare a plan to deal with them. Every time you overcome one congratulate yourself. Use them as a gauge for your achievements. If you keep seeing more problems remind yourself of how well you dealt with the others. Look at how far you have come! If you see a problem ask yourself, “how best can I overcome this challenge?” or “how quickly can I rectify this situation?”. The quality of your questions are important as I have outlined in a previous article. Use the problems as fact finders. Is there a real problem now? If so then deal with it. Is it a potential problem? If so then create a contingency plan in case it does occur but don’t get caught up in it just be prepared.

Enjoy the journey, follow the above guidelines and you will achieve success. Eventually your fear of success will dissipate and you will have moved a long way forward in your personal development.

All the best

Alan

PS: Check out Success Upgrade and accept my free complimentary Silver Membership.

Free Silver Membership to Success Upgrade (value $27)

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Unleash the Power of the Mind!

 Creativity continues to be under-valued in our world. Yes a broad statement, but if you’re looking at making a living from your art, then you’re probably going to be in for a challenging time. 10CC’s famous lyrics ‘Art for art’s sake, money for god’s sake’, aptly sum up the difficulty of being creative and getting paid for it. As an artist and musician on-and-off for many years, I too have struggled with this dilemma: is my creativity – art – worth money? How do I measure the worth of my creativity? Why would someone want to pay for my art? What am I getting from doing this?

 Sting once said something that stayed with me…’making music is your best reward’. Something like that, which I took to mean that the music created is the reward itself. Well, I love creating, but I need to pay the bills, which is the dilemma…ergo the common saying upon musos: get a day job!

However, having said that, being creative does have other rewards beside the ’outcome’ or product itself…and no it’s not money…read on.

 “Are there still original ideas in the world?”
“They beat me to that bright idea; what else can I do?”
“I’ve failed many times before that I can’t think of anything else to solve this problem anymore.”

These statements reflect the thought of an individual who has given up on creativity. Sadly, a lot of people share this way of thinking. They never viewed creativity as a very useful tool to improve or improvise in life in all its diversity.

A situation that requires a solution can be approached in a variety of ways. There isn’t a single way fix to a problem. Being creative opens new horizons and can deliver many benefits. Creativity can sometimes be mistakenly interpreted as an obstinate attitude. Some people think that insisting on doing things in a different way is a sign of stubbornness.

Never hold back a good idea. Everyone is free to interpret his own unique way. Any interpretation by itself is creativity at work. A person who enjoys creative thinking can easily come up with innovative solutions for situations that require a quick fix.

For instance, your car got stalled on a deserted highway due to a leaky rubber hose on the cooling system. Tough luck! Of all places, it had to happen in the remotest places.

If you have some chewing gum in your pocket, it just might be a handy fix. Start chewing the gum and patch it on the leak. To keep the gum in place, tie it with a piece of rag. This quick fix might do the trick so you can drive several miles without an overheated engine, until you get to a service station to have the leaky hose replaced.

There used to be a television series entitled “MacGyver.” The main character is an extremely creative and crafty guy. Whenever he finds himself in a tight fix, he tries to find a way out of it with his quick fixes utilizing available materials around him.

In a way, creativity is a never-ending learning process. From learning, you gain untold benefits, which you can use in real life situations.

Being creative might require you to think out-of-the-box, venturing your mind into the uncommon. You can never be sure of your ideas until you try them. As long as there is no perceived danger involved, it is always worth a try.

Inventions are products of creative minds. The field of science, in whatever branch you may touch on, is invention itself. Without creative minds, science would have been a forlorn field of knowledge.

It must be noted that most adaptations to improve or improvise are aimed at improving current conditions. Upon analyzing honest applications of creativity, the ultimate intention is to achieve good for all and the will to build lasting peace. After all, this intention is what counts most.

Erich Fromm spelled it out clearly, “The conditions for creativity are: to be puzzled, to concentrate, to accept conflict and tension, to be born everyday, and to feel a sense of self.”

 All the best

Alan

 PS: okay, so money is important to survive, but you want to be creative too? Take this quick quiz to see if you have what it takes to be rich…ie, the Mindset! SUCCESS UPGRADE

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Mary blames the entire industry for why the Law of Attraction is not working for people. Mary states that ‘they take an amazing truth and they amplify the ’sexy’, less vital bits, and leave out the rest.’

Mary believes that the Law of Attraction that we’re getting today is actually the ‘watered down’ version of the real thing. Bob Proctor also believes that the Law of Attraction is incomplete and reveals the 11 ‘Forgotten Laws’ that will finally uncover the Law’s ‘true potential’.

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a little tired hearing that word…’FINALLY’! I guess that I had been thinking that the Secret was finally an approach that would deliver. Now don’t get me wrong here, I’m truly grateful that I have learnt about this approach and I can honestly say that my life has improved in so many different ways. I’m clearer about what I want, my finances have improved to the point where I don’t have to worry about money anymore, my general health is better and more importantly, my state of mind is so much more positive than it had been before the Secret.

I have experienced some amazing ‘little’ miracles, but having said that, not all of my ‘attraction requests’ have yet manifested themselves, which makes me ask, ‘well why not?’ Then I think, well this is a doubt. I remind myself of my mantra; I have asked, I believe, I will receive…and then move on.

However, Bob Proctor is asking whether The Law of Attraction is just hype? He talks about the financial system wreckage like the major banks dropping like flies and that the ‘feds’ seem to be running around like ‘headless chickens’…whatever that means – I don’t mean the metaphor.

So apparently, what’s been left out are the 11 laws that weren’t covered in The Secret. Apparently we’ve been given half-truths, which is why we’re getting similar results. I must admit that I’m curious and I’m a bit of a sucker for ’secret’ information. I mean, I’ve had some good results so far, so perhaps it might be worth further investigation. Let me know what you think about it and/or if you go on to try it out.

Check it out here: The 11 Forgotten Laws, by Bob Proctor and Mary Morrissey

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