Self Improvement Tips To Benefit You

Self Development is a key component of any successful person. Today I explore the word Failure - and why it isn't real!

No-one is actually born successful are they? no - not even Paris Hilton! (debatable whether she ever was successful.....lol.....House of Wax...OMG!) Anyway -

I am a true believer that those who choose to actively acknowledge their issues and seek to improve their situations are the only ones who really succeed in life (makes sense?)

Self improvement is not for everyone though - there always has to be the whingers amongst us! But somewhere, someday, somehow we all must take responsibility for ourselves and stand up and be counted! We must take responsibility to improve ourselves and make it a top priority in our lives!

Most people have had bad situations in their life or childhood that can make for a really good excuse, to not make the most out of life. I choose not to allow any of the misfortunes in my life to be excuses for moving forward and being successful!

I choose to get on with it and be a success at everything I do! - You can too!

Today.......I want to start by exploring the unreal word that is - FAILURE!

Hvae you shyed away from something new, just out of fear of failure? I know I have in the past!As a matter of fact - most people have at some time in their life! I know it and you know it - no one likes to fail. Can anyone put their hand up and say they are happy to feel like they're ineffective, inefficient, weak or lacking in any way? not me! thats for sure!

Think about this - failure doesn't exist - not until YOU say it does, anyway! If you get out the old dictionary - you will find several definitions of the word 'failure'. You will find some of these: a state of inability to perform a normal function adequately, a failing to do or perform, a lack of success, a fracturing or giving way under stress.

Check out these definitions - do you see what they have in common if you consider goal acheivement: failure is merely a PERCEPTION.

If you believe you have failed, then you most certainly have! If you believe you don't have the ability to succeed, then you don't. and you won't! If you believe you can't handle the pressure of achieving your goals, surely you wont reach them! If you believe you're not or can't be successful, you're not and you won't be! Failure only really exists in your own mind! The moment you decide to give up or stop working toward your goals, failure is born and it is real.

Lets say that you never do that though? You never say this sort of negative stuff and instead, you strive to reach your goals, bit by bit, baby step by baby step - there's no failure then, is there?

This little snippet of info should be particularly encouraging if you've been working hard towards your goals but are not yet seeing many or any positive results yet. All you need to do is keep going and you cannot fail! Now this is self improvement at the roots! Improve your mindset! - You CAN do it! You WILL do it! You ARE doing it!

Here are three tips to improve yourself and keep your mind strong and focused on your goals:

1) Never allow yourself an easy way out. Heaps of people do this without even knowing they are doing it! They are happy to work hard on their goals until the going gets too tough or its not as easy as they thought and then they give up. Don't do that! Commit yourself to making your goals happen, no matter what! Never quit, never admit failure, never lose your determination.

2) Don't set yourself up by putting unrealistic timeframes on your goals! It's okay to set a general timeframe, but surely you have to know that circumstances are not always in your control (crap happens!) so you can't be totally sure when your goal will actually be achieved. Do you feel like, in order to claim success you must set an exact time to complete your mission? If so - you are really just aiming for failure! Don't do that! Instead, get a general idea of when you'd like your goal to be completed, but then take it a day at a time and focus on making progress towards you goal, not on reaching the finish line in as little time as possible. (sensible? - I think so!)

3) Finally, are you one of these people that see obstacles and setbacks as failures? The two are completely different. An obstacle, setback or delay means only one thing: it's not time for your goal to be achieved yet. That's it! It doesn't mean you failed; it simply means you're not done yet. You've got to keep moving forward and find a way around the problem.

I personally believe that self development and self improvement should be a daily mission for everybody who really wants to succeed in life.

Article Source: http://www.approvedarticles.com

The Power of the Negative

The vast majority of us learn very early on that we are expected to deal with facts. In and of itself this might not be such a terrible thing. The trouble starts when we combine with this the idea that we also learn very early on where these facts come from. Typically we are not learning that facts come from testing hypotheses and finding evidence for a piece of information, but rather that facts are synonymous with statements. As we have learned that facts are true, when we are provided with a statement that is held up as a statement of fact, we tend not to question it. Obviously there are times when taking this approach to dealing with the world is hugely advantageous.

“The stove is hot”

“It’s raining”

Provided with these statements and taking them to be facts our understanding of the world, at an emotional and cognitive level, adapts appropriately and we can tailor our behaviour to deal with the implications of these facts, for example, “stay away from the stove”, “get a coat”.

Such statements don’t need to be questioned. This of course doesn’t mean that they can’t be, but for practical purposes taking them at face value is unlikely to cause any of us anxiety or distress. If one were to take a Gibsonian view of these statements (which admittedly is a little odd as Gibson’s theories were concerned with visual perception) we might say that these facts “afford” a clear understanding of their meaning and implications. We are not bound by those implications, just as one is not bound by affordances in visual perception, but they provide opportunities and information for decision making in the widest sense, including thinking, feeling and behaving. Crucially, such statements are neutral, they are not laden with values and this might explain why we tend not to question them. However, the situation is not so simple. If we consider statements that are value laden there still is a tendency to treat them like they afford clear understanding of their meanings, and we don’t question them even though there may be a broader set of possibilities behind them.

Let’s consider some positive statements.

“You’re performance today was brilliant”

“You have a nice way of dealing with people”

Would you be prepared to take these statements, perhaps feel a little embarrassed, but take them as statement of fact and not question them? Probably. But what exactly do they mean? What makes up a brilliant performance, and how does knowing that help you hone your skills, adapt your emotions, thinking and behaviour? Equally, what constitutes a nice way of dealing with people? Knowing what “nice” consisted of, when regarding dealing with people, you could gauge your performance and use this knowledge of your attributes in other situations. We don’t tend to question the positives, but naively accept them, and in doing so we don’t really learn anything from them.

Objectively this is pure laziness, but if we explore this issue a little more deeply we can understand why this laziness makes a certain amount of sense. Think about the effort that would be involved in trying to tease apart the deeper meaning of what someone is trying to communicate with these positives. How would someone react if you asked in return, “What exactly do you mean when you say nice?” How would you react if someone asked you that after you had complimented them? It feels a little strange. Just like when we ask a casual acquaintance, “How are you doing?” we don’t expect to hear anything other than, “Not too bad”, we expect that a compliment should be enough. You look good; you did well, great goal, what else is there that you need to know?

Social convention dictates that positive information stops there, and this means that other than being a sense of comfort, reassurance and fostering good relations, it isn’t particularly functional. That isn’t to say that it isn’t pleasant and enjoyable, and can have strong motivational influences, but what do you learn?

Now let’s get a little paranoid - how much do you trust compliments and positive statements? 100%? Do you completely and absolutely take everything positive said to you without a tiny pinch of salt? Does your critical voice ever speak up and place nagging doubts in your mind, either about the speaker, or about how their opinion might be different if they knew you better? Let’s pretend that there are sometimes doubts. So, positives are not particularly informative, you can’t really learn from them and you can’t be entirely sure that they are 100% truthful. As far as personal growth goes perhaps they are not quite the bargain the might be. Feel good, yes, and that is powerful, but their power is coming from someone else. You haven’t increased your power from them, your personal understanding of your talents, skills, biases, weaknesses etc. Someone else is in a position of power to convey these blessings upon you, and as we’ve begun to suspect, they may not be 24 carat gold.

If neutral statements aren’t going to help us in our quest for personal growth and understanding, and positive statements aren’t, the only thing left would be the negative statements.

How could negative statements help us develop, after all, the negative statements that we are so good at keeping in our heads, that running commentary that intervenes and deflates us, probably couldn’t be considered to be a source of vital information that leads to our self-growth? That’s true. But it is through what we can learn from the negative reactions of others - the things they say, the way they respond, - that we can start to challenge the voices in our minds, and the voices outside.

If you know what it is that you are doing wrong, you can change it if you decide to do so. The great thing is that people are only too happy to let you know what it is that you are doing wrong. Probably the only thing people like better than talking about themselves is telling other people what’s wrong with them. Remember that you aren’t obliged to change to satisfy anyone, but if you want or need to develop in a certain area of your life, then knowing where you are now, and how that isn’t as good as required, and knowing the specifics of where you are going wrong, it’s almost like you have been given a map of how to develop. Now that’s a map worth having, and you’re getting it for free. Whilst someone else might feel that they are getting to vent at you, you can collect useful information and use that to build up an understanding of what is expected, and develop strategies to get there.

Who is it that is benefiting, the person criticising, or the person criticised?

Article Source: http://www.articles4sites.com

How to Have Power over Others.

If power begins in controlling something, then are we powerless prior to controlling?

Yes and no.
We have potential, which is a power in itself, but unused and undirected potential is NOTHING.

Are we powerless prior to controlling?

I would say we are not powerless, but ignorant (Which is a version of powerlessness, I guess.)

We don't know that we have power and don't know to know to test it.

The end of all powerlessness begins with awareness.

A Samurai Warrior would learn this by practicing a meditation of sitting on the top of a mountain with his arm extended and sword pointing skyward in a position ready to fall. He would meditate on that fleeting moment when a balanced piece of metal would turn into an unpredictable falling/killing weapon. His awareness was on the potential of the weapon. When he learned that then he could study the application of it's power.

What is power?
What is power like?
How great is power?
Where is power now?

To Know. To Will. To Dare. To Keep Silent.
These were the powers of the Sphinx and they remain dormant in all of us to one degree or another.

You don't know what you don't know. Thus you must seek knowledge in whatever realm you wish to control.

You must Will and Dare to use that knowledge.

To keep silent. This is where power turns to craft. It is the most subtle application of power. So subtle it may seem that things are all happening in your favor when in fact they happen by your design.

A bolder resting precariously on a cliff, a bow string pulled tight, these have a quality of potential force, What the Chinese strategist, Sun Tsu, called "shih". With just the right action and the force is unleashed.

The silent art of power and control is to see the potential force in everything and arrange it so that, if released, it works in your favor.

The keys to this power are first to know what you want far into the future and to know it in rich and glorious detail. The next step is to develop a presice and detailed plan to your goal and to meditate upon it day in and day out. By having this constantly on your mind you will function with the greatest efficiency toward your goal.

You will see the world about and know "This action will lead me to my goal. This action will lead me nowhere."

This task that is unnatural for most of us because of our natural tendency to focus on the thoughts of the present and to respond to the urgencies at hand. To master this skill we must alter our thinking and see every action that we perform as an act of manipulating "shih".

To do this is the height of Sphinx-like power and makes mere men to seem magical as if they controlled the forces of nature.

Article Source: http://www.articles4sites.com

14 Key Self Improvement Skills

It can be helpful to take a high level perspective on self improvement, looking broadly at all the important skills. This can help identify areas you may be weak in, and serve as a mental checklist to help you focus. While this is not an exhaustive list of elements important to personal development, these are some of the most important.

1. Continuous Learning: Take responsibility for your own lifelong personal development, knowing that it’s the secret to success in all areas of life, and your most valuable asset. Your knowledge and experience is personal wealth you can never lose.

2. Positivity: Find the positive aspect in everything, accepting what cannot be changed, and acting on what can, towards a positive result. Don’t let circumstances drive your state of being, let your state of being drive your results. Smile and use humor to help drive a positive attitude and share it with others.

3. Personal Excellence: Strive to do your best in everything you do. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well. Not only to achieve superior results, but so that if you fail you can remain positive rather than wishing you had tried harder. Look to be creative in your personal excellence rather than follow the safest, lowest risk path.

4. Honesty: Maintain honesty and integrity in all that you do. Trust and respect by others is hard earned, yet can be permanently lost over the smallest lie. Decide that honesty is one of your core values, and stick to it at all costs.

5. Know Yourself: You are a unique individual with your own strengths and weaknesses, all others have these also. The difference with a successful person is they have learned to leverage their strengths, and to identify their weaknesses so they can improve those areas through learning and practice. Accept yourself as you are without comparison to others, if you look you will find much about yourself to be proud of and thankful for.

6. Appreciate the Moment: Seek happiness in the present moment, even in the simple things around you such as nature, a good conversation, or a good meal. Excessive contemplation on the past or future steals this appreciation from you. Some techniques to support this is getting out in nature, and meditation.

7. Communicate Well: Learning to communicate well with others is an essential skill, which includes speaking, writing, listening well, and body language. Nearly everyone can still find areas to grow with these skills, and should receive constant attention. Becoming a good listener is one of the top areas of improvement you should seek, become truly interested in other people and it will work wonders.

8. Embrace Mistakes: Mistakes are a prerequisite to personal development; you must choose either courage and success, or safety and being average. Mistakes are a learning opportunity so long as you are not repeating your mistakes, if you have learned from a failure then pat yourself on the back. Carry this to other’s mistakes also, forgive them with this understanding in mind.

9. Embrace Change: Change is a constant part of life, and integral to personal development and success. Become excited about change, and look to it with a positive attitude. Be a leader by being the initiator of positive change. If you fear change, then you fear personal development, as self improvement is about changing yourself.

10. Increase Your Value: Know that personal development is not a selfish activity; rather it increases your value to others, ranging from relationships, business, and career. Too many people focus on changing others, which rarely works as well as changing yourself. Make a difference externally by changing yourself internally.

11. Be Giving: Seek to be giving, compassionate, loving, yet humble, knowing you receive what you give out. This is a secret to finding happiness in life.

12. Balance: Seek balance in all areas of life, considering family, relationships, career, business, health, leisure, and spirituality.

13. Gratitude: Be thankful for the gift and opportunity of life. If you have a spiritual belief, pursue the core tenets of the teachings and make them part of who you are.

14. Find Your Excitement: Find things in life that excite you, and act on them. Embracing things which excite and motivate you will move you more quickly into success and happiness, and attract the things you need to get there. This attitude will support and integrate with all the above tenets.

Article Source: http://www.articlegalore.net

Entrepreneurship and Personal Growth

If there were one thing central to doing business, that would be towards developing your self. And that exactly what famous entrepreneurs go through.

Well, it's only between them and themselves after all. The battles they have to get through and the risks they needed to confront to be able to get from square one to the second juncture of your business will all pour down as instruments for their own self-realization.

Since personal development is different from one person to another, we cannot give an actual characterization or pattern for various stimulus (e.g. risk taking, failure of business transactions, lack of funds, etc.), even as we see them unfolding for famous entrepreneurs.

If you want to be like them, it would not harm if you follow these guidelines.

Discovering where you are good at is one of the earliest stage in becoming an entrepreneur of your own business. Knowing your forte and turning it into productive means will not only produce a good source of income for you but will also extensively nurture you as a person. There is no telling how much you would improve once you become the founder of a business you decided to take.

As many of us would agree, getting the most of life's lesson will only be possible if you are taken at the center of all the challenges. That way, you would get to experience things first hand. And you would learn to cope up with the pressing problems in ways you thought would have been impossible if you were not the captain of it all.

In a sense, venturing into business entrepreneurship does not only mean that you'll get better (or worse) financially. It also requires you to develop yourself full-blown depending on your reactions to specific risks and problems you would have deal with.

Operating a new enterprise or embarking on a new operation you have not done before is surely a thing that would create developments in you. Before you do you must know the risks and be able to prepare yourself with the possible failures that are their eternal parts. The way you would handle them will be able to test your limits and will be used as boundary points when similar undertakings come in the course of your business. You must know that you alone is accountable for all your decisions in attempt to make your own business grow. You must understand that it is not those who labor for you or those who share the capital with you who will spell the success. It is you, as the entrepreneur will decide what courses to take. Thus you'll either lead your group to success or failure.

With each trials you have, you and your group will meet new changes that will require you to go with the flow or to go beyond it. Both ways, you will hone yourselves. Both ways, you will learn to cope. And both ways your personalities will be taken into newer heights. Thus you will develop.

Therefore, personal development in the business world is largely dependent on how you manipulate factors.

Chances are small that you would not grow, even if your business fails. The fact that you have taken responsibilities on things that only few take is reason enough for you to consider as a pathway for self-realization.

Business entrepreneurs are specifically knowledgeable of the opportunities that lay in their paths. They are keen to various chances in pursuing growth in areas like professionalism and personal development.

Some may not actually realize the extent of their progress. Nevertheless, once something is changed in them and that something has changed towards good, there is absolutely a degree of productive change which whether they choose it or not, will be applied to other things important to wholesome living.

As we have repeatedly implied, the opportunity for personal development is high in the business world. Business entrepreneurs, to be able to meet success, should have a good combination of attitudes, skills, beliefs systems and training. All these would work together towards extending product services to those that need them.

People who have been through extreme hardships are those who are most beautiful. They have learned to take risks and turn those risks into opportunities. They have learned to compromise their present leisure in exchange for future growth. They have learned to welcome failures and prove other people's doubts wrong. They have learned through their everyday business battles that it is always too late for giving up.

Article Source: http://www.articlemarketing.org

Expand your thinking and try fun new things – Create passion in life.

Have you ever wanted to have a carefree, passionate and fun-loving personality, but felt it wasn’t “you”, or worried about the consequences?

There is a way to have a creative, cheerful lifestyle with plenty of happiness and meaning in life and still be a responsible person.

It starts with thinking and trying new things. That easy? Well, it doesn’t all happen overnight, but it can begin overnight, and continue for the rest of your life if you want.

In order for your life to expand, your mind needs to expand. Just like with physical exercise, when you exhort force on your muscles, they grow. It’s the same with your mind; when you think or try new things, your mind expands. And an expanded mind is an enriched mind. You become enriched, and so does your life.

It can lead to passion in life, an outgoing personality, you meet new interesting people, try new fun things, build self confidence and self esteem, which all bring you happiness and meaning in life.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said it profoundly well:
“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.”

“How do I start doing that?” you may ask. How do I create a passionate life, an outgoing personality? How do I meet new interesting people, try new fun things, build self-confidence and self-esteem, and ultimately find happiness and a meaningful life?

There are a number of ways to expand your thinking and actions in everyday life. Problem is that sometimes we find ourselves “running in sand” that we just can’t seem to get out of. Furthermore, we have a tendency to put on our autopilot and go through the motions in our lives, without consciously THINKING about what’s going on around us.

Have you ever been driving home from work or school, and when you arrived, you “snap out of it” and couldn’t remember a thing about the drive? Your autopilot kicked in and did the driving for you, and that’s pretty convenient, isn’t it?

Trouble is, your mind didn’t expand one little bit on that drive home. In fact, it probably contracted a wee bit instead. How about next time, you say to yourself “I’m going to try a new route home, just for the fun of it”. What might happen? Well, first of all your autopilot is off, so you’re using your conscious mind driving home. Second, who knows what you may find on that new road? A new restaurant you haven’t tried? A re-modeled shop that may interest you? A different coffee shop than the one you always go to in the morning? Hey, remember to keep your eyes on the road!

Well, I think you get the picture. Your “Plain Vanilla” ride home becomes a “Rocky Road” (pun intended). “Do I have to keep driving that new road?” you ask. No, of course not, unless you like it better. The point is that you tried something new today. You “re-wired” your brain in a small way, and that makes it grow. Furthermore, when you decide to try new fun things, who knows what interesting new people you might meet along the way?

That’s just a small sample of the things you can do. In my new guide “Star Power – Get the Success and Happiness You Deserve in Work, Business, Love and Life!” I discuss several areas big and small in life, where you can re-think your think and expand your mind and ultimately enhance the passion in your life.

The sample above speaks more about the ATTITUDE you chose, than the minor decision to take a new road home. You see, when you start making minor changes, it becomes a habit, which leads to bigger changes. Those bigger changes can lead to all kinds of wonderful things for you. You’ll see more serendipity, creativity and passion in your life; you’ll develop a more outgoing personality and trying new fun things can open the door to meet new interesting people.

In time, this can all build self confidence and self esteem, and bring increased happiness and meaning to your life. You’ll be thinking less “I can’t do that”, and more “Well, just maybe I can!” It will all have a snowball effect, and chances are you’ll be loving every minute of it!

Have you ever wanted to have a carefree, passionate and fun-loving personality, but felt it wasn’t “you”, or worried about the consequences? There is a way to have a creative, cheerful lifestyle with plenty of happiness and meaning in life and still be a responsible person.

Articles Source: http://www.article-buzz.com

Personal Growth in Freelancing

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. In the case of freelancing, yes, this saying applies. Your contacts are your most valuable assets aside from your skill. You will need people to give you business, whether it is a neighbor, your parents, classmates, etc.

Questions when considering freelance work via referrals:
1. Do you know anyone inside a company where you can get the latest scoop on what’s the current industry trend?
2. Do you know 20 people who can recommend you?
3. Do you know 10 people who are interested in freelance services?
4. Are you willing to invest on more than 20 hours on sales, marketing and networking?
5. Are you familiar with decision-makers in companies as your list of potential clients?

Though most successful freelancers make a lot of money compared to their employed counterparts, money isn’t stable in the freelancing world. When you decide to become a freelancer, you are giving up a steady paycheck. Work and money will be scare, and you will be at the mercy of clients who pay after 30 days.

When you start working as a freelancer, your contracts will always vary. Some may run from 3 to 6 months, sometimes shorter. Work will be cyclic --- one month you’re overworked while you’re bored the next. Plus, a freelancer’s taxes can become complicated and are quite high. You constantly need to market your skills and expertise in order to find work. Nothing is definite.

Freelancing is rewarding both professionally and financially. There is never a dull moment with freelancing, and if there were, it only means that you’re not putting yourself out there more. You get to decide what projects appeal to you; you get to run the show!

Since freelancing is a high-risk endeavor, this lifestyle is not for everyone. It’s better to talk to present and former freelancers and investigate what and why works for them in the freelancing game. And since this is a complete transformation, make sure to discuss it with your partner as it will greatly affect your finances. There is a need to be constantly motivated and self-sufficient. Perfectionism is mandatory if your skills are being outsourced. You also need to be flexible enough to cater to the whims of your client. You also need to develop the patience and tenacity to troubleshoot equipment, software, etc. As a freelancer, access to help desk staff and network admins will be nominal. Basically, you would have to tackle them on your own, learn it and eventually apply it. Being a freelancer means also getting your hands dirty; after all, you are a one-man show.

The freelancing lifestyle was never like a walk in the park. It entails a lot of sleepless nights and stress. Coffee will become your best friend. Somehow, going fulltime will consume your finances as well. It’s better to set aside money when the going gets tough as you make your transition gradually.

Attitude is everything in freelancing. If you take every problem with a grain of salt, correct, improve then move on --- life will be less stressful and more fulfilling. After all you’re working for yourself now.

Article Source: http://www.largedirectory.info