| More Links Mindtools: Stress Management | Memory Technique | HelpSelf.com | SelfHelpMagazine | SelfGrowth.com | Suite101 | Online Library | ________________ |
| Victory and Defeat You are more than your defeats, and you are more than your achievements. It pays to keep that in mind when pursuing victory and when dealing with defeat. It is great to win, to achieve, and to excel. And of course, it hurts to lose. Yet when you abandon your most treasured values in order to win, the prize will be empty. When you discard your very integrity in order to achieve, the achievement will have no real value. For the value of achievement is not in the achievement itself. The real value of achievement is the way in which it expresses who you are. Focus on winning, to be sure. Yet be careful not to defeat yourself just so you can claim victory. Each achievement you pursue is an opportunity to bring out the best that is within you. Do that, and whether you win or lose the battle of the moment, you'll have something of real and lasting value. -- Ralph Marston |
| Don't Quit When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, Keep your spirits high for through thick and thin, You must carry on if you are to win. Life is strange with its twists and turns As everyone of us sometimes learns. It challenges us to often give up When we could have captured the victor's cup. So turn you failures inside out, Press them on past fear and doubt. Never mind if things hold you back a bit, You'll come out on top- but you mustn't quit. _________________________ Top 7 Ways To Accelerate Your Abilities By Chris Widener In today�s fast-paced life, the wins usually go to those with exceptional skills and abilities. The old quote is true, "The race is not always won by the swift and the strong, but that is the way to bet." With this in mind, and with your desire to become increasingly successful, here are some ways to accelerate your abilities, thus enabling you to achieve greater and greater things. Those who will achieve much are those who say to themselves, "I want to grow. I want to be better. And I am willing to do what it takes to get there!" Visualize the benefits of increased abilities. Put them at the forefront of your mind. This will saturate your mind with the motivation that you will do what it takes to increase your abilities. What good will come out of my increased ability? How will I be better off as well as the others around me? The answers to these questions act as the carrot before the horse, moving you forward. Understand your weaknesses. If you want to improve, one of the best ways is to start with some area that you aren�t particularly good at. This is the "shoring up method." Sometimes it is easier to improve something you aren�t good at than something you are. And the gains will still look great for your overall situation! Take some time to consider what areas you are weakest in and focus on them for a while. The results will obviously be much more pronounced than getting better at something you have already somewhat mastered. Attempt greater levels of what you are already good at. Another tact to take would be to stretch yourself in an area that you already have some skill and ability in. What areas do you excel in? Now understand that when you leave the weaker areas and make extraordinary gains in one area, you will be moving more toward "specialist" rather than "generalist." That is O.K., but needs to fit in with your overall goals. Commit time each day to improvement. Steady improvement is the way to go. In fact, you may not see improvement for days or weeks. You may feel like you are failing each time. But alas, eventually you will get it and your skill will increase to the next level. The key is day in, day out, spending time working on improving. Even five minutes a day equals a half hour a week, two hours a month. That adds up! Remember, practice, practice, practice. Seek out and spend time with someone who has greater ability than you. One of the best things to do to increase your ability is hang out with people who are already more skilled than you. Watching them, studying them, interacting with them, even competing with them will make you better. As in sports, to improve, you play with people better than you, not worse. They will raise you to a new level. Who around you can you get involved to help you with your ability? Take a class or hire a coach. Go to school my friend. Take a course at a local college or vocational institute. Take a class online. Hire one of the many coaches available today. Pick a specific skill you would like to improve upon and find someone who is a specialist in that area. At the very least, pick up some audio or videotapes to help you grow. BONUS TIP Be the tortoise, not the hare. Slow but sure. Take your time and do it right. Keep going in the right direction. Learn your craft correctly. Don�t give up quality for speed. The whole idea of acceleration is this way: Slow start, work up to high speeds, go the distance. Luckily life isn�t a sprint but a marathon! Hope these ideas help you as you commit to accelerating your abilities! _________________________ Top 7 Ways To Hold On To Your Dreams Have you given up on your dreams? Would you like to get them back? Many of us give up on our dreams. Often our dreams slip away without our even realizing it. Our dreams are who we are. They give us an incentive to get out of bed everyday. They are the reason we were born, and our destiny to fulfill while we are here. They are within your grasp. And yes, they can come true. It's up to you to decide if they will. What can you do if you've given up on your dreams? Follow these easy steps: Remember you are worth it. You deserve to live your dreams. Recognizing this is the hardest and most necessary step. Most of us think that only other people get to live their dreams. Only other people are lucky enough, not us. We think we don't deserve it but the only thing these thoughts do is keep us from moving forward. Remember that your dreams are important. Once you know how important living your dreams is to your health and mental well being, then you can bring them dreams back into your life. The only way to really live your dreams is to make them a priority. Without this focus they cannot become a reality. Remember that you have dreams. Maybe you are thinking "I don't remember what my dreams were," or "I don't have a dream." You know what they are, you really do. Everyone has a dream, we just push them down so we don't have to do anything about them. Let them surface again so you can fulfill them. Remember that fear is part of the process. There are times when you will wonder if you have what it takes to fulfill your dreams. Fear is a normal part of human nature. Accept that fear will occur during this process that you don't need to worry about it. The only way past fear is through it and not around it. You can do it! Remember that you cannot live your dreams alone. Part of living your dreams is having someone to share them with. Do you ask for help, or do you do everything on your own? I bet there are people out there who want to contribute and help you along the way but you won't let them. Ask for support and stop being so stubborn. Do you really want to live your dreams by yourself? Remember that action is what propels you forward. Your life is moving forward whether you are working toward your dreams or not. So, wouldn't it be better to do one thing each day that will get you closer to your dreams? It could be as simple as making a phone call, sending an email, or doing some research on the Internet. Dreams are attained through the little steps until, one day, you discover that you are living your dreams. Why not move yourself forward today? Remember -- don't give up. Perseverance always wins out in the end. You can't get to the finish line unless you play the game and hanging tough through the tough times is what gets you to the goal. So, don't give up! ________________________ |
| Think Positive If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you won't. Success begins with your own will... It's all in your state of mind. Life's battles are not always won By those who are stronger Sooner or later the person who wins Is the person who thinks he can. _________________________ |
| WHEN A PERSON THINKS a negative thought and tries to get rid of it, that person is thinking positively negatively. Daniel M. Wegner of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, has conducted a long string of experiments that show the futility and actual danger of trying to get rid of thoughts. In some of the experiments, Wegner told his subjects, �Try not to think about a white bear.� The subjects were then asked to say aloud everything that came to mind. Of course, thoughts of white bears showed up quite a bit. Trying not to think of a white bear produced a thought of a white bear between six and fifteen times in a five-minute period. Trying not to think a negative thought will result in thinking it more. Thinking is like breathing: It goes on night and day and you can�t stop it. But you can change it. You can breathe slowly and deeply or shallowly and quickly. You can breathe any way you want. But you can�t stop. The same is true about thinking. You can say something stupid or depressing to yourself; you can say something intelligent or inspiring to yourself; but you can�t stop thinking entirely. So when you find yourself disliking the content of your thoughts, instead of trying to stop yourself from thinking a thought, try to direct your thoughts. And the way to direct your thinking is by asking yourself a question. A question gets your mind going in a new direction without suppressing what you�re already thinking. Ask yourself a question. Of course, the kind of question you ask makes a big difference. If you ask �Why is this happening to poor me?� your answers won�t help you any. The idea is to direct your mind by asking questions that put your attention on practical things, on accomplishment, on the future. If you find yourself worrying, for example, ask yourself something like this: �How can I make myself stronger and better able to deal with this?� Or �Can I get busy right now working on my goal � so busy I forget all about my worries? And if not, is there some planning I can do now that will save me time later?� Or even simply �What is my goal?� When you find yourself thinking negatively about something �bad� that happened, ask yourself �What�s good about this?� Or �How can I turn this to my advantage?� Or �What assumption have I made that I can argue with?� Ask a good question. When you decide on a question to ask yourself, ask the question and keep asking. Ponder it. Wonder about it. Let it run through your mind whenever your mind isn�t otherwise engaged. It will turn the tide of your thoughts and bring you into a new state of mind because you�re thinking positively positively __________________________________________ |
| Ten Tips for Motivating Yourself (Adapted from Emotional Intelligence at Work - Hendrie Websinger) Four Sources of Motivation: Yourself (your thoughts, arousal, behaviors) Support friends, family, colleagues An Emotional Mentor (Real or fictitious person) Your Environment (the air, light, sounds, and surrounding messages) Tips for using the different sources of motivation Yourself Become a Positive Thinker. Following are techniques that you can follow to become a positive thinker: Use Motivational Self-Statements (example, "I can get done all that I have to do today"; "I can stick with it until it is successfully accomplished.") Play Mental Games (Example, pretend it is the first day of a new job and approach the task that you were avoiding as if this really were your first day on the job). Focus your thoughts and block off some time for doing intense work. Use Mental Imagery (Relax, imagine yourself struggling with a task, imagine yourself regaining composure, imagine yourself succeeding and then imagine yourself feeling good). Use Productive Self-Criticism. Give yourself meaningful goals. Move around to generate energy. Relax Break work down into small tasks. Monitor your behavior to examine how it affects your motivation. Supportive Friends, Family, and Colleagues Develop mutually motivational relationships with friends and colleagues. Three basic characteristics of a motivational relationship are trust, suitability and availability. Tell your friends what you are feeling. Reciprocate. Emotional Mentors Choose as your mentor an individual who is extraordinarily motivating for you. Choose a motivational moment in that person's life, and relive it often. Call upon your mentor often. Your Environment Make it as healthy and helpful as possible. Breathe clean air. Tune in helpful sounds; tune out hindering sounds. Use light advantageously. Surround yourself with motivationally supportive objects. Organize your workspace so it works for you rather than against you. _________________________________ |
| Goal of the journey When you're committed to a journey of a thousand miles, a few steps in the wrong direction can't possibly bring you down. But if you have no overall direction, each negative step can seem devastating. If the little things are constantly bringing you down, that's a sign that the big things aren't compelling enough. If the minor annoyances seem like major setbacks, then work on looking beyond them. There is some purpose that will lift you above whatever setbacks may come. There is some purpose that will compel you to positive action, even when the circumstances of the moment work against you. There is some reason you want what you want. There is some desire that drives all your desires. Look beneath the surface of your day-to-day life and ask why. Dig deeply and discover the rich, special purpose that makes you who you are. Focus your attention on the goal of the journey. And you'll hardly even notice the detours along the way. -- Ralph Marston |
| Each step Don't put off joy until the end of the journey. Live it each step of the way. Don't settle for just a fraction of fulfillment. You can choose to have it all. Each step you take is not just a means to an end. Each step has a value and a joy all its own. When you assume that the task will be tedious, it will be. And your negative attitude makes it that much harder to get the job done. Instead, find joy and fulfillment in every step you take. Love and appreciate the life you have, and no matter what the task may be, you'll find a way to do it with joy. Find joy in every step of the journey. And you'll arrive long before you get there. -- Ralph Marston ________________________________________ |
| Who you can become What you truly desire is indeed possible. If it were not possible, you could not have the genuine desire for it. Your true desire is not there to taunt you or to frustrate you. Its purpose is to point your attention, your efforts, and your energy in a clear, specific, worthwhile direction. The desires that demand the most from you are the ones that end up being the most valuable. For those desires compel you to discover and fulfill who you truly are. It is not easy to transform a desire into reality. And that is one reason you desire it, to encourage you to get it done. It is not easy, yet it is possible. And in pursuing your most desired possibilities, you more fully become the unique and valuable person you are. Listen to your highest desires, see them, feel them and bring them to life. In those desires you'll discover who you can become. -- Ralph Marston ________________________________ |
| True priorities What are your true priorities? Take a look around and you'll clearly see. The reality of your life is a result of the priorities you've chosen. Consider where those priorities have brought you. Yes, of course there are many factors beyond your control. Even so, the way you respond to life's ups and downs is what determines where you go. Your priorities are not necessarily what you say they are. Your priorities are best evidenced by the way you live, moment by moment, day by day. If you're pleased with where those priorities have brought you, then you'll surely want to hold on to them. If you know that things could be better, a positive change in your priorities will reliably get you there. Either way, your priorities are yours to choose at any moment by the actions you take. And the way you choose to live them can make all the difference in the world. -- Ralph Marston ___________________________ |
| Avoiding mistakes One sure way to avoid mistakes is to avoid taking action. But in the long run, avoiding action would be the biggest mistake of all, for nothing would ever get done. If you're going to move forward, you're going to make some wrong turns along the way. Don't let that stop you from proceeding. There will be many times when you'll look back and wish you had done things differently. Don't let that stop you from moving forward. Mistakes are bad enough on their own. Don't be so afraid of them that you avoid life itself. Every mistake you've ever made is now in the past. The way to move ahead is to leave them there. Learn from where you went wrong, then step confidently and positively forward. For now is your time to live and to act. -- Ralph Marston ____________________________________ |
| A little more When you've done what needs to be done, go ahead and do a little more. When you've gotten some momentum going, make good use of it. By itself, a tiny effort won't be very effective. Yet when it is added on at the end of another effort, it can make a world of positive difference. Those who stop when they've done what needs to be done will usually manage to just get by. Those who keep going just a little bit longer end up being vastly more successful. The difference between mediocrity and astounding success isn't really that much. And yet, though the difference is small, it is crucial. You can quit when you break even, and you'll manage to stay just where you are. Or you can add a little extra effort, and move steadily ahead each time. Once you're moving forward, you have momentum on your side. Go a little past the goal, and the rewards will grow with every effort. -- Ralph Marston __________________________________ |
| "What Is Success" by Ralph Waldo Emerson To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty; To find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived; This is to have succeeded. ___________________________________________ |
| Murky anxieties There are no anxieties except the ones you create. And just as you created them, you can let those anxieties go. What has happened has happened. What will come will come. You can make a difference. You can take positive action. And your actions will be infinitely more effective when they're not burdened with anxiety. Your awareness will be remarkably more rich and clear when it is not clouded with worry. Open your eyes to the possibilities of this moment. Put your considerable energy into living the best of those possibilities. Free your mind, your body and your spirit to be productive, effective, and full of life. Let go of those murky anxieties and fully live. -- Ralph Marston _________________________________ |
| Rat's Place |
| Search Engines [Northern Light] [Yahoo] [Alta Vista] [Google] [Lycos] [InfoSeek] [WebCrawler] [Blue Mountain] [HotBot] [Taiwan C.Net] [Ask.com] [CicadaSearch] ______________________________ |
| Created 2000 Revamp 7Jul06 Edit..Check Mail |
 |
| A Place for Olsum's Reference |
| Rat's Place |
| Think Positively |
| Speaking Secrets | Words | Rat's Speech Corner | Rat's Toastmasters Journey | Think Positive | History Bio _____________________ |
| | Speaking | Buddhism | Green | Manage | Technology | Links | Photos _____________________________________________________________ To Protect . To be Generous . To be Content . To be Truthful . To be Mindful . To Be Wise |
 |