Color Your Life

                                                 

Have you ever arrived at place in your career and wondered how you got there? Have you found yourself stuck, not liking your job, yet not seeing how you can change after investing 15 years at it.

Let's take a different perspective and see if you can solve your dilemma through this colorful full spectrum exploration of job and career.

Think back to when you began working. You looked at options and explored different ways to make money soon, you may have transitioned into a new career as a way to create a lifestyle change or to remodel your work life. This move expresses power and taking charge. It is strength and energy, and the color is red, the base chakra. It doesn't matter if you found yourself a corporate job or built your own business. You are inspired and motivated.

Your career move brings networking meetings, web sites and all the social issues. You contact buddies or former business associates to promote your business. If in a corporation you meet your co-workers and the leaders. It is stimulating, social and the color is orange, the second chakra.

At this point your career is a craft based on a set of skills or a model. You work based on memorized processes or protocol. You work from your left brain.. This is the third chakra, and the color is yellow. Your experiences are formalized, routine. Some people stay here, feeling the strong hold of golden handcuffs.

Others naturally transition to the next level, the heart center. You link to an evolving growth cycle both for yourself and your work.

Perhaps, like so many people these days, you began your career at a very young age, tinkering in your garage, participating in Junior Achievement, or selling lemonade. You work with a passion, a mission. Your training comes from this place and you learn the techniques and lingo of your career path.

Do you move back to the heart after your training? You never leave this heart center, for that is who you are. The color is green for balance and you give it your all, from your place of authenticity. This is the fourth chakra.

Your next transition may be the most difficult, for this is where you express who you are and what you do. And where routine trips up many. At this level you integrate your job into a career and into your body, losing the memorized skills. You are "in flow" as you meet new people, change companies and encounter new opportunities. Life becomes an art form. This is the fifth chakra, blue, and it is the throat or communication center. As you speak from this place, you begin to experience the law of attraction. This is where you clarify or redefine intentions based on who and what you want to attract and how you want your career or business to expand.

Your next shift is integrating your intentions into your inner knowing, the intuitive self, so real flow can begin. You assume leadership roles. You work with the intuitive voice, let go of ego, the need to be right and bring in fresh ideas through synchronicity. This is the sixth chakra, indigo, also called the third eye. It is the center from which shamans and healers work.

This could be your last step, for this brings you to the spiritual level -- a vital step in the big picture. It is where, through your work, you connect to the Divine in all things and you become aware of your impact on others' environments. You connect with yourself in a different way. You experience integration of your life on all levels. Here is where balance really begins. It is the place where you experience the "Big AH HA". This is when things become mystical. It is the crown, or seventh chakra, and the color is violet. For you this may be the "be all and end all".

I believe, however, that there is a next and final step. It is here where you can get off track again. It is also here where you are free to express who you are to the world. You reach a place of trust and knowing, and your career and life become an art form you have finely crafted. It resonates in your body, in your mind, and you move freely in this knowledge. It is where you walk your talk, and paint, write, design a house or build a boat. It is a place of freedom, and it is not age or retirement related.

It is here where you bring the strength and power of your base chakra, red, and blend it with your crown chakra of violet so that your spirit speaks from deep within your being. This blended color is magenta, the auric color, which becomes your magical, mystical attractor. It is where you express your uniqueness and become grounded to your being in your heart.

You may wonder why there are so many in business with a "poor me" attitude. From my vantage point, this comes when people are working from the lower chakras and are experiencing fear, lack and competition. No matter if you are an entrepreneur or an employee, you have the power to move beyond the "poor me" place. To vitalize, color and reshape your world, step aside for a moment, walk around and reflect on where you stand in the world of business. Better yet visualize where you stand in the world.

Look back on these eight levels and examine where you stand today. Where have you been in the past and to where are you moving your career and your life today? Take your time, for these are growth steps.

These concepts may be a bit edgy, unique, and certainly out of the box. May you find your place on the edge too.

© 2004 Susan "Sue" Bacon Trumpfheller

Sue Trumpfheller is the author, teacher and a coach, Sue supports her clients by helping them "paint a picture" that illustrates their current situation. Using shapes and vibrant colors is central to her intuitive coaching style and to making the coaching relationship a living, breathing supportive environment. Contact Sue through http://www.ecoentrepreneur.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2569

Unleash It!

                                         

On airplanes, in restaurants, in the newspaper and on television, I often hear people saying their businesses are not growing to their satisfaction or that they are not reaching their objectives. The explanations that follow consist of reasons like: o It's the economy

o Our customers don't get it

o I don't have the right people on the team I could go on, and so could you. I think that is all a bunch of hogwash. People (both those doing the talking, and those they are talking about) are not all they can be. The organization is not all it can be. Both have tremendous untapped potential sitting there, waiting to be recognized and tapped. Both have potential waiting to be unleashed. Dictionary.com defines potential as "the inherent ability or capacity for growth, development, or coming into being, or something possessing the capacity for growth or development." When we point to others and other factors as the cause to our problems (in business or any part of our life) we are missing the point. We hold many of the answers ourselves. 

Maybe not in this moment, but when we unleash our potential, we unleash talents, skills, perspectives and ideas that can help us solve the problems we face and (as no small side benefit) become more fulfilled in our lives. Simply stated, as caretakers of our own lives we are cheating ourselves if we don't do everything, we can to unleash our potential - that innate ability within us waiting to be developed. As leaders in organizations, our responsibility for unleashing potential is at least as great as it is for us personally. 

We are responsible for results, for meeting the needs of Customers, for helping and empowering people, and for generally doing the good things our organizations exist to do. If we aren't helping those around us unleash their potential, are we really doing our job? You know the answer. So, the question isn't, are we doing all we can to unleash the tremendous potential that exists, but how do we do that? In very short form here are some of the key steps you can take to begin unleashing your potential or the potential in others. As you read these steps, think about it in both ways - both from the perspective of helping others and of helping yourself. 

1. Believe. Tug McGraw, pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies said throughout an improbably run to a World Series Championship, "Ya Gotta Believe!" An entire team, and an entire city did, and the team went further and accomplished more that they initially believed they could. Tug helped that team unleash their potential, because he believed, and helped others believe too. If you don't believe your team has the ability to achieve or accomplish more, how likely are those accomplishments to occur? 

2. Recognize. You can believe the potential is there and you can start by doing that on faith, but then you have to recognize exactly what is there. The specific mix of potentials that I possess is different than yours. The mix is different for everyone. Recognition helps us target the ways we can stretch and gives us clues about what to do in the steps that follow. 

3. Expect. There are all sorts of studies that deal with expectation and how powerful it is. Want to do just one thing to help a team you work with improve? Really expect improvement. Let the team know that you have a positive expectation, based on your belief in them and the skills they possess. Act on this belief and this expectation. Let your behavior prove your words. You will be amazed at the change you will see, almost overnight. If we know this to be true with our expectations of others, while you are at it why not raise your expectations of yourself too? 

4. Plan. You need a plan. Once you see potential and have higher expectations for it, you need a plan to help unleash that potential. That plan might include study, a mentor, courses, books, new habits, changes in environment and many other things. You will be able to build your plan based on your specific situation. Use this step to help others tailor a plan for themselves too. 

5. Invest. You have to invest in the plan. The plan isn't enough. You must take action. Putting your plan into action requires investments in discipline, time and perhaps money. You can't unleash potential without some investment. 

6. Effort. Sustained effort is required. Notice I said effort, not work. If you are moving towards your unique innate potentials it won't always be work, but it will take effort. You've heard it said "there is no free lunch." It is true for your potential. Yes the potential is inside you, but it takes effort to bring it out. You might ask is it worth it? Well, what is it worth to raise your self confidence? What is it worth to raise your skills? What is it worth to meet your objectives and goals? What is it worth to feel more fulfilled in your life? What is it worth to be happier? What is it worth to have greater earning potential? Continually moving towards your potential will give you all these things. My guess is it is worth the effort. 

7. Patience. Sometimes you will make fast gains, other times the advancement may seem slow. Be patient. Be persistent. You are worth the wait. Help others and be patient with them. They are worth the wait as well. 8. New Targets. The master violinist, Jascha Heifetz said, "There is no top. There are always further heights to reach." So it is with our potential. Each of us (and each organization) is brimming with potential. When you recognize some potential skill or talent some and master it, the pool will still be full. When you have made the gains identified in your plan, go back to step one and with the great excitement of knowing that this process works, begin again. This isn't a topic that can be covered this briefly - this is only a start. There are many facets to potential, both for us as individuals and for unleashing the potential in those around us. Right now, don't worry about that - just get started. I encourage you to do at least three things with this information: 

1. Think about the steps laid out above, and start believing in your own amazing potential.

2. Begin to recognize your unique set of potentials.

3. Share this article with others you know who would benefit from these ideas.

© 2004, All Rights Reserved, Kevin Eikenberry. Kevin publishes Unleash Your Potential, a free weekly ezine designed to provide ideas, tools, techniques and inspiration to enhance your professional skills. Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/current.asp to read the current issue and subscribe. Kevin is also President of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. You may contact Kevin at toll free 888.LEARNER.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2090

The Power of Inspiration

                                                     

INSPIRATION can be a powerful thing. It can keep you going when all around you cries out "quit!" It is even more powerful than motivation, as motivation gives you your basic reasons to keep going--it tells you why you want to do what you do, because motivation is based on goals. These, in turn, may be based on necessity want or desire. But inspiration fills those reasons with hope, possibil- ity and enjoyment and keeps the "grind" from becoming too grindy.

But just what does inspiration consist of? I posit two elements: vision and mission. Proverbs 29:18 says 'Where there is no vision, the people perish." A vision is the first step toward turning your motivation into inspiration. A person with a vision sees down the road. He can sense what it will be like six weeks, six months, a year, two years, five years and more ahead.

But how do you get a vision?, you ask. First of all, you need to narrow your perspective. You can't attempt to "ride off in all directions at once," so to speak. Try to decide what it is you are looking for, so you'll know it when you see it. In other words, try to have in mind some general goals as to where you want to be six months a year, etc. from now. These goals will not only form the basis of your motivation but should also serve to limit to an extent the scope of your activity.

Next, try to locate and choose an opportunity (business, career or job) which you feel is right for you. This may be easier said then done, as there are many choices which sound good. You may come upon an outstanding one right away, purely by chance. If so, latch onto it. But you will probably have to pick several at first and study the things which each one offers and try to evaluate the potential of each one as you see it. Settle on the one which you feel has the most potential with the least amount of hassle (preferably one that is totally Internet driven as opposed to one where you have to spend time calling potential prospects by phone).

Once you have chosen your company, stand behind it in every way and don't quit or change your mind. B.C. Forbes said "Without loyalty, nothing can be accomplished in any sphere..." Think of yourself as being in it for the long haul, no matter what. And try to envision, based on what you know, how things will be down the road. Keep that picture before your mind, and never doubt. Napoleon Hill said "What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve," and the Bible says, in Hebrews 11:1 "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Once the vision is firmly implanted in your mind, let it become your driving force. Let the vision excite you with the possibility of its fulfillment and you will automatically begin the next step--you are on a mission. Your mission is to bring about the realization of the vision. If you keep the vision in mind, you will move forward in the mission, accomplishing enthusiastically step by step that which is necessary to bring the vision into reality. You will have developed a sense of excite- ment, importance and urgency which will keep the fires of inspiration burning in your heart and moving you ever onward and upward.

Article written by James M. Becher, Seminary graduate, Bible teacher, Sci-fi and historical fiction author with a purpose (see http://www.authorsden.com/jamesmbecher), and publisher of the bi-weekly Ezine, "Inspirational Success Tips" from which this article was taken. To subscribe follow these steps: 1) SEND a blank email to: inspirationalsuccesstips@Freeautobot.com. 2) wait for the validation email from inspirasucestips@bellsouth.net, (subject "IMPORTANT Please validate your subscription."), open it and CLICK once on the long link toward the middle of the email.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1130

Reprogram Your Mind to Be a Successful Learner

                                           

If you want to become a good student, it's important to have confidence in yourself as a learner. It's important to believe that you actually like learning, and it's important to believe that you really enjoy the topic you are studying.

Why? When you think that you're not a good learner, you may let yourself get defeated before you start. When you tell yourself that you don't understand a subject, that it's too hard, and it's not very interesting, you won't let your brain get excited about learning the material.

You can actually reprogram your mind to improve your learning success by changing your attitude and beliefs.

By pretending to yourself that you do understand the subject matter, and that you find it incredibly interesting, you set up the conditions within your mind to make this a reality.

Successful visualization essentially means that you are able to pretend to yourself that you are already performing successfully the skill you want to learn.

You can use the technique of visualization to change your messages to yourself about what kind of student you are. You can create new messages for yourself saying that learning is easy and fun for you.

Practice your new, imagined state of learning confidence frequently, until it becomes a part of you.

To make the messages sink in even more deeply, put yourself into a very relaxed state of body and mind. To achieve this state, sit or lie comfortably in a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Notice your breathing.

Relax your body and focus your attention on your breath. Start to breathe freely and deeply, in a relaxed manner. You can also use different meditation techniques to get your mind into a more relaxed state where it will be easier to accept a new, positive message.

Take a few messages to picture yourself as a learner. Take note of what you see in your mind.

When visualizing, some people see still images, as in a photograph, while others see live action all around them. For some people, the images are two-dimensional and faint, while for others, the images are three dimensional and solid. For different people the images may appear as black and white, transparent, or colored.

Your visualization may seem to unfold on a screen like a movie, or you may see yourself acting in a play on stage with seemingly real people. You may be watching an image of yourself in action, or you may feel as if you are actually inside your own body, looking out through your eyes, watching the action around you and participating in it.

If you are visualizing either past or future scenarios in a way that drains away your self- confidence, you can use special techniques derived from Neuro-Linguistic Programming that will lessen their hold on you.

Are your visualizations of yourself positive or negative?

When a negative scenario plays itself out in your mind, notice how it appears. Does the scene appear in black and white, or is it in color? Is it near or far? Does it seem to be on a screen, or is it three dimensional? Are there voices? Are they threatening? Humiliating? How do you appear in the scene--are you large, or small? Do you seem powerful? Or weak?

Once you are familiar with the details of your negative imaginings, become the director of your own inner movie. If you are seeing a negative experience in color, change it to black and white, or make it transparent. If the negative image is close, make it go far away.

If the negative image is three-dimensional, make it two-dimensional. If there are voices you don't want to hear, make them quiet, or turn them into funny cartoon voices that sound silly.

Play circus music in the background to drown out the words of people you don't want to hear. If other people in your scenes seem very threatening to you, shrink them in size or make them into cartoon characters. Imagine yourself growing very, very large and solid, much bigger than the people who have been putting you down.

If you have been reliving an unpleasant scene as if you are actually participating in it with the action all around you, change it so it takes place on a screen that you are viewing from a distance. That way it will have less emotional impact on you. Bleach out the colors, or turn them to black and white. Turn down the sound. Then make the screen smaller and mentally whoosh it away.

Now, replace the visualizations that you don't want with visualizations that you do want. Imagine scenes of yourself being happy, relaxed and confident. See yourself learning easily, understanding deeply, getting excellent marks on your tests.

Strongly feel within yourself the satisfaction, confidence, and pride you would have. See it, feel it, right now, in the present, as a part of you.

Feel that you really understand the subject matter and that you absolutely love learning more about it. Pretend to yourself that it is one of your favorite subjects to learn about.

When you have imagined yourself in a scene that fills you with positive confidence, you can view it on a screen, or imagine yourself right in the middle of the scene, taking place all around you. Intensify the colors, and your positive feelings.

Or just close your eyes and feel within yourself how much you enjoy this subject, and how much you enjoy how smart you are.

Anytime you have a few minutes, recreate these positive imagined scenes. Do this as many times a day as you can, until you always think of yourself as a smart, capable learner.

This article is written by learning expert Royane Real. If you want to learn more ways to improve your brain performance and creativity, get her new book "How You Can Be Smarter - Use Your Brain to Learn Faster, Remember Better, and Be More Creative" Download it today at http://www.lulu.com/real

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/186004

Do Yourself A Favor--Forgive

                                         

"Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned." Buddha

I can't count high enough to number the people in my clinical office and in my seminars who have argued... "He/she doesn't deserve to be forgiven after what happened. I just can't let him/her get off scott free!"

Yet scientific evidence has clearly demonstrated that it is the person who chooses to hold the bitterness that pays the price...not the perpetrator. Little by little, your feelings about that person bleed into the rest of your life, negatively coloring your view of other people and your attitude. It's like dropping one drop of red ink into a beaker; soon all the water is pink. Months and years of refusing to forgive weakens your immune system, damages your other relationships, and robs you of psychological health. Picture yourself perpetually tied to that person! Ouch!

Forgiveness is not sweeping the situation under the rug, excusing the behavior away. Forgiveness doesn't necessarily mean that you keep yourself in a dangerous or destructive situation. Nor does forgiveness require a "loving" feeling.

Thoroughly confused? Good. It's misconceptions like these that have kept many from reclaiming their own lives.

So what is forgiveness? I recently heard a great definition from Dr. Charles Stanley: "Forgiveness is giving up my right to hurt you for hurting me."

Forgiveness is a decision, a choice. It's a deep personal and spiritual transaction in which you choose to let go of plans or fantasies of revenge, and to release yourself from the burden of psychologically or physically "evening the score." Someone wisely said, "If you're always trying to get even, you'll never get ahead."

Sometimes reconciliation with the person is possible, and sometimes it's not. If the other person is willing, you may be able discuss what happened and make mutual plans for a better relationship in the future. (Caution: Avoid the holier-than-thou approach, like "Being perfect and full of grace myself, I forgive you, you horrible person, for the things you did to hurt me!" Be sure that you're willing to take responsibility for the part you played in the problem.)

In other situations, reconciliation of the relationship is not possible. Maybe the other person refuses to change, and the truth is, if you totally let down your guard, the same thing will happen all over again. It may be that the person you need to forgive is not even alive. Sometimes, you simply have to do business internally, between you and God.

Will you feel better immediately? Maybe. But don't expect all your bad feelings about that person to vanish. In fact, the next time you see him or her, you may find yourself in an emotional battle that causes you to question whether you really have forgiven. Don't get drawn into a mental rehash of all the things that happened. No, immediately focus on the positive decision you made, and remind yourself that after the decision comes the process of emotional healing. (Asking for divine help about now certainly won't hurt!)

What about forgetting? If you don't forget, have you really forgiven? I disagree with many on this. I believe that as a human with a brain that is a super-recorder, you will have a physical memory of the events, even when you've truly forgiven. So don't tell yourself that if you still remember what happened, you must not have done it right.

The crux of the "forgetting" matter is this: are you choosing to remember, to internally rehearse the situation over and over, and to watch and wait for the person to experience "what goes 'round comes 'round"? If so, go on back to your "forgiveness closet", because you have some more work to do.

Thomas Fuller said, "He that cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself, for every man has a need to be forgiven."

Do yourself and all those you love a favor...release those who have harmed you. As you do, you will release yourself.

Dr. Bev Smallwood is a psychologist who has worked with organizations across the globe for over 20 years. Her high-energy, high-content, high-involvement Magnetic Workplaces (r) programs provide dozens of practical strategies and skills that can be put to work immediately to:

1. build strong leaders who influence and develop others through serving
2. energize, motivate, and retain team members
3. successfully accomplish important organizational transitions
4. impress customers and build their loyalty

Review a complete list of her programs available for your convention or corporate meeting at the website, www.MagneticWorkplaces.com [http://www.MagneticWorkplaces.com].

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/654

Developing Your Extraordinary Mindset Opportunities

                                 

Just like artists who unleash their talent for being creative, you too can develop your own inspired creativity using the talents you have. Since your thoughts, attitudes, and expectations affect everything you do as a leader, you need to also look at your priorities as well as identify success factors for your company. Your critical goals and strategies to achieve these talents and successes are good places to begin. Experience new ways of thinking, not just about leadership, but about everything you do.

But business is business, and you want to get to the top and stay there. What do you do to make that happen? In paving your way toward becoming a better leader than you have been, the following tips are what I found for Developing an Extraordinary Mindset of Opportunities for those of you who want to become extraordinary leaders and those of you who are leaders and want to become even more

extraordinary leaders:

1. Develop Extraordinary Mindsets: Since your beliefs or the way you think produce the specific results you want, ask yourself, "Do I have a solid understanding of my game plan?" If so, begin to create attainable goals that will generate powerful results. If not, begin by writing down what you have already accomplished, and then add to that list what you want to accomplish as a business leader.

2. Develop Leadership Bench Strength: Be ready to strengthen your leadership capabilities. Tap into your natural strength areas of high performance management, articulating and implementing your vision, inspiring your people, having integrity, being accountable, as well as even more importantly, make things happen.

If you feel that some of your skills need a helping hand, build on them. Leading a team or a department is different from managing a team or a department. With that in mind, having a foundation of leadership skills on which to build gives you the opportunity to strengthen those skills when you use them and to gain other skills in the process. By integrating your new skills with the skills you already have, you are able to perform your job more effectively. It is vital that you acquire new skills that will enable you to perform effectively. Do not ignore any weaknesses you find either - work on improving them.

3. Focus your Mind: Evaluate your skills, knowledge, and competencies. Start by writing down a list of the things you have accomplished that were so exceptional that they gave you better results than what you expected. Manage your time according to your priorities. Also, when you make a decision, make sure you have both short- and long-term goals in mind. (Your legacy is also on the line here).

4. Take Control of Your Creativity: Do not analyze the reasons that something did not work to the exclusion of improving the situation so that it will work the next time. That is a waste of energy and time. At times you may need to go beyond traditional thinking when you are met with a challenge. Thinking more creatively by first brainstorming about how to solve a problem or in implementing a policy might be what is needed. Having an exchange of ideas with others can trigger the beginning of what you are looking for regarding a solution to a problem or even a new product or service that your company is looking to produce.

5. Exceptional People Skills: Have you ever wondered how some people can walk into a room full of strangers and leave with new friends and business acquaintances? This is where your interpersonal skills come into play as they are related to all of your other competencies. Look at how your skills are compared to those of Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence. (See Goleman's book entitled: Working with Emotional Intelligence as there are just too many to list here.)

6. View Obstacles as Opportunities: Do not think of the downside of what is holding you back or of how this is going to stop you from getting to where you want to go. Instead, think of obstacles as stepping stones and think of ways to get over what is stopping you. Learn to develop new ways of thinking about opportunities. You will be amazed of your improved communication skills, team-work, commitment to your work, as well as your increased organizational performance.

7. Forward Thinking: Knowing what to lead and aligning your skills with confidence and practical ideas to challenge issues with practical and creative solutions encourages the leader to think beyond the confines of traditional leadership. Since it provides you with different perspectives, your insights become unique for solving the issues at hand.

Neal Burgis, Ph.D. is the founder and CEO of Burgis Successful Solutions, an executive coaching firm. Neal has 18 years of experience helping people with their goals and performance. He specializes in executive coaching on work balance issues of performance, leadership development, and improving skills, as well as being a sounding board. Dr. Burgis is a National Certified Psychologist, a Certified Executive Coach and a Certified Mediator. He is available to help with your coaching needs either in person or through telephone coach consultations at your convenience. For more information, you can visit his website at http://www.successful-solutions.com or contact Neal at 602-405-2540 or nburgis@successful-solutions.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/245252

Engaging in the Moment for More Effective Living

                                     

I spend lots of time working with individuals, corporations and businesses to get them engaged in the present moment. The reasons I think this is important in business as well as personally are drawn upon toward the end of this article.

My centre here in Bournemouth used to sell a wide range of books and one that I used to stock was a book called "The Power of Now" by a guy called Eckhart Tolle. Lots of people that came to classes, workshops and consultations at the centre would often tell me how great it was and give me snippets of information about its content and for a number of years I would occasionally think "Yeah, I really should read that book" then kept on deciding that I would wait until later (yes, I am fully aware of the irony in this!) Nevertheless, I am already sold on the power of the present moment, for a number of reasons:

My First reason - Only this present moment exists.

I think this is by far the most compelling reason to put your attention on the present moment. Yesterday doesn't exist, except as a memory, with all the unreliability we know to be true of memories; when you experienced yesterday, it was n-o-w. Tomorrow doesn't exist either, except as an imaginary construct; when you experience tomorrow, it will be n-o-w. And as it's all that exists, it's a good idea to experience it, so, have a go at doing the following...

1) Sit with your feet flat on the floor, in a comfortable, aligned position (spine straight, hands on your thighs or at your sides, breathing comfortably.) With your eyes open or closed, allow yourself to become aware of the different sounds, sights, smells & sensations around you. This is the present moment.

That's right. This is the present moment, & there are a number of good reasons for keeping your awareness in the present as much as possible (in addition to the first reason I gave.)

My Second Reason - There's a whole lot more of it in store for you.

If you stop for a moment, you will realise that all the experiences of your life will take place in a present moment. The more comfortable you are with the present moment, the more comfortable you'll be with those future presents.

My Third Reason - The present is where you are.

If in doubt, look at your hands. Your hands only exist in the present moment. Rub your fingers together, feel how it feels to be in this moment. Because it's where your hands (& the rest of your body) are located, so...

My Fourth Reason - The present is the only time you can take action.

You can wish you took action yesterday (so many do; they rue the day that.....), but yesterday no longer exists, so it will remain a wish. You can plan to take action in the future, but when you take the action, it will be in the present moment. The only time you can take action is in this hot second.

My Fifth Reason - Wherever you're headed, you presumably want to enjoy it when you get there. Get in the habit of enjoying the present now & you'll be even better at enjoying then when you get there.

I took some amazing insight from my running experiences with my younger brother. When we ran and trained together and competed in races, he always enjoyed the race and commented on our surroundings whereas I always had my eye on the finish line. So much can and has been said about enjoying and engaging in the journey rather than always focusing on the future. Have a go at this one too....

2) Gently place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth (continue to breathe easily.) Imagine you are holding a tiny droplet of oil between the tip of your tongue & the roof of your mouth.

I originally got this idea from Eric Robbie on a training he did with Michael Breen & I tinkered around with it a bit, & it's a great way of turning off your internal dialogue. Turning off your internal dialogue is an excellent way of allowing yourself to focus on the present. This is particularly important if you want to be able to pick up the clues that people give you about how they're thinking. Maybe I'll write another article about that internal dialogue.......

"The only way to live is to accept each moment as an unrepeatable miracle, which is exactly what it is - a miracle and unrepeatable."

-- Margaret Storm Jameson

So, how do you relate this knowledge and my rantings to ones Business or day to day life?

Business and life today seems to operate at a faster & faster pace. People have lots of demands on their time, & need every advantage they can get to be more effective. When I do corporate and business consultancy, one of the most common 'challenges' that people want to deal with is being focused & making progress on important business objectives or life goals.

As I've investigated how people avoid being focused, I've found that, they are often not centred in the present. Instead, they are thinking about what's happening tomorrow, or what happened yesterday, or running through a list of things that they need to do later. As a result, their attention is not in the present.

I used to work in Victoria in Central London and if you have ever been there during the rush hours it is a hectic place. What I find interesting is that you can tell who is engaged in the moment and who is thinking about their day or the next day. Those people whose awareness is within their heads, mulling over their day or dreading what's in store tomorrow are the ones bumping into people or veering off in wrong directions. Whereas those people whose awareness is outside their heads and engaged in their surroundings are those that are balanced, poised and agile, like a panther!

When you bring your attention & energy into the present moment, you can accomplish things more quickly, solve problems more effectively, & enjoy the process more than you might expect. So, thirdly, have a go at connecting with the moment more and more in your days...

3) Before starting an important task, take a moment to centre yourself & relax. Then, get clear about what you want to accomplish, then begin.

I wish you all the very best and hope to engage in the present with many more people here.

Copyright Adam Eason 2005. All Rights Reserved.

Adam Eason is an author, consultant, trainer and motivational speaker in the fields of hypnosis, NLP, personal development and human potential. His website is filled with information, stimulating articles, resources and uniques products.

Adam's bi-monthly free ezine is packed with modern, innovative psychological tips, techniques and strategies; all those who sign up receive an instantly downloadable, unique hypnosis session to enjoy in the comfort of your own home.

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