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.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/15919

The Discipline of Self-Discipline

                                 

First you establish your goals, and then you enforce a strict set of disciplines necessary to cross the finish line of achievement. Every act of self-discipline moves you toward your goals, and every exception takes you off course.

You may be tempted to pooh-pooh away this statement as something so obvious, however before you do, ask yourself this important question: "Based on my goals set, am I ahead, on or below target?

The answer to that question is directly tied to your willingness and ability to remain focused on the key actions necessary for success.

The FACTS are simply this; you are either buying or selling. If you are on, or better yet ahead of target than you are a seller. You have sold yourself on the importance of discipline and have stayed focused in spite of the world of options and temptations that circle you all of the time.

If you are below target than you are a buyer. You have bought the same excuses that have led so many others down the pathway of mediocrity. The things you buy are procrastination; lack of discipline and whatever else is your poison of choice.

Remember this absolute rule of discipline; "If you don't discipline yourself, you are sure to be disciplined by others". Don't believe me, huh? Chew on this, run up your credit cards real high, be late on a few payments and see how quickly those companies are to teach you a thing or two about discipline.

I repeat, "If you don't discipline yourself, you are sure to be disciplined by others".

To CREATE HISTORY you must become a seller. Sell yourself on the power of your goal; your vision for what is possible. To REPEAT HISTORY all you have to do is continue to be a buyer. Buyers consume not only products from the store but also excuses from their minds. It, meaning success and failure all begins within the parameters of your own mind and the disciplines of your behavior.

We are all walking, talking power struggles: head vs. heart...intellect vs. emotion. Many leave the steering to their emotions and merely bring their intellects along for the ride. Your goals or your excuses, which is running the show in your life?

Contrary to popular belief, freedom does not arise from "letting it all hang out;" freedom is the result of a personal triumph over excuses and bad habits. Excuses such as procrastination are like toxic waste to your potential.

To experience true freedom, you must prove to yourself that you are the master of your own destiny. Never are you less free than when you are held hostage by your excuses and lack of discipline. When lack of discipline and excuses rule, enslavement and mediocrity, not freedom, follows!

Bad habits are the gravitational pull of your emotional life, and overcoming them is not easy. Change is challenging. Surrender is tempting, and it gets tastier with practice. The good news is that it takes less energy to remain disciplined than to regain it.

The only bad news about self-discipline is that it is so easy to give up. Every compromise in behavior (nice word for excuse) greases the wheels for another compromise. Make a personal "no exceptions policy," and stick to it.

Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. Self-discipline requires you to connect today's actions to tomorrow's results.

There's a season for sowing, a season for reaping. Self-discipline helps you know which is which.

Winners prepare and anticipate behind closed doors. Lay the groundwork for success carefully: Effective preparation and self-discipline are closely allied. Do your homework. Since most people are rarely well prepared, you will often succeed by default. When opportunity presents itself, burst out of the starting gate, sprint to the finish line, and take home the prize.

Do what needs to be done. Quality living requires you to make difficult choices and sacrifices; it demands that you do the hard work first. You cannot arrive at true success without making the trip.

Self-discipline is a habit. It is not situational, but it is applied situation by situation. Anyone can be self-disciplined on occasion, but to get consistently positive results requires consistency.

It is the day-in day-out practice of self-discipline that determines where you'll end up. After all, a lifetime is an accumulation of moments, days, weeks, months, and years.

What you do during each moment counts and influences the degree to which you judge your life to be a success. If you aspire to achieve your goals, you must be prepared to play every play as though the two-minute warning clock is running. Every move is significant. Every move counts!

Everyone struggles with self-discipline. The question is not "Do I..." but "Where do I need to exercise greater self-discipline?" The discipline you establish today determines the successes you'll enjoy tomorrow.

The strenuous life tastes better. When it comes to self-discipline, a key driver of success, EVERYTHING COUNTS!

Gary Ryan Blair

Gary Ryan Blair is President of The GoalsGuy and the author of Everything Counts! 52 Remarkable Ways to Inspire Excellence. Everything Counts! is a call to greater awareness of the small details that impact results.

Gary can be reached for speaking, coaching and media requests at 877-462-5748. Visit Everything Counts - http://www.everythingcounts.com and download a Free MP3 titled: Do It Right the First Time!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/70603

Get Organized - Stay Organized

                                         

My mother is one of the most productive people I know. She is 78 years old and still works full-time as the personal assistant to the CEO of a bank. (I come from great genes--it makes me very optimistic about my long-term future!) One of her secrets to productivity is what is often called "a tickler file." It used to be a popular organizational tool but eventually fell by the wayside. The tickler file is a reminder system based on the days of the month and months of the year. It simply consists of two sets of file folders: "1-31" and "January-December." It's time to bring that old system back.

Surveys show that people's stress levels are at an all-time high. A major source of that stress is information overload. Information arrives in five ways: on paper, electronically, via voice mail, through verbal messages, and as thoughts in your head.

Think of a 5-lane freeway. You are speeding down the highway when suddenly you see orange barrels--you know you're in for trouble. That's exactly what happens when you sit down at your desk and are overwhelmed with where to begin. Do you start with the e- mail? Most people do, but should you? The highest priority could be in the "In Box" you haven't looked at in days--or could it be the idea you had while taking a shower? You've got information overload and you need a way to cope with it.

Managing Information To conquer a stack of papers--permission slips, newsletters, report cards, bills, and articles to read--employ these five productive steps.

o Discard. I've spent lots of time promoting the power of throwing things away. Ask yourself, "What's the worst possible thing that would happen if I didn't have that or didn't do this?"

o Delegate. If you are not delegating some of your work, why not? The most productive people in the world are those who spend 80% of their time doing what only they can do and surrounding themselves with people whose talents are complementary to theirs.

o Do it now. Ask yourself, "Is taking care of this the best use of my time right now?"

o File for reference. These are things you want or need to keep for future reference. Develop or use a good filing system (like Taming the Paper Tiger, information below), so you can find items easily and quickly.

o File for follow-up. These are things you want or need to do. In the Paper Tiger software system, we place these items in Action Files so you can find them when it's time to take act on them. The task won't be forgotten because the Paper Tiger can print weekly reminders or you can put a simple note in the tickler file.

The Important Question No matter how information arrives, your first reaction is probably, "I have to take care of this now." If you are serious about increasing your productivity and prioritizing your work, the question you have to answer is, "When?" As scary as it is sometimes, you have to decide. When you determine what date to take action, put the reminder in your tickler file system. Now you have a tool that enables you to prioritize your work and to measure whether the interruption of the moment is more important than what you said you were going to do today.

When people hear about this system, their first reaction is often fear--fear of making mistakes, fear of taking on another task, fear of failure. But remember that old saying, "If you keep doing what you're doing, you're going to keep getting what you're getting!" After trying the tickler file system for the first time, one client said, "Instant peace of mind!" Are you ready for something old and better?

© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3551

Why Positive Thinking Doesn't Work!

                                                         

There was someone I used to work with who, well aware of their tendency to look at the negative side of things, used to constantly tell themselves to "think more positively".

This was said with such a feeling of desperation that I just knew that not only would they NOT think positively, they would probably go even further into negative thinking. The mere fact that they kept pushing themselves to "think positively" was a sign that this would ultimately be counterproductive.

So many of us have interpreted the desire to be positive thinkers in a very narrow and ultimately ineffective way. The push to be positive often results in ignoring our true feelings. Instead of recognizing that we don't always feel positive and learning how to convert and turn round our feelings, it so often ends up with us denying them altogether.

The Law of Attraction, as defined by Abraham Hicks states that "you attract to yourself what you give your attention and energy to, whether wanted or unwanted".

One reason why positive thinking doesn't work is that our focus is in the wrong place. So we say "I don't want to be ill" and believe that this thought will prevent us from being ill. So where is our focus? On being ill! Because the Universe doesn't recognize "not" or "don't". How many times have you told yourself NOT to forget something and then what happens? Oops you've forgotten it!

Another reason why positive thinking doesn't work is that we often veil our negative feelings with a positive surface. So we say "I want a loving relationship". Sounds good right? Except that underneath there is the hidden message that having a loving relationship wouldn't even be an issue - unless you'd been in one or a series of not so loving relationships.

So it's the hidden message and negative feeling around it, that is still coming through. Ultimately, you're still pushing against something and it's still counterproductive. You're likely to attract more unloving relationships, even though you THINK you've stated otherwise.

How can you begin to reverse this? Rather than focusing on your thoughts, focus on your feelings about a given situation or what you would like the situation to be. Start to visualise and sense what you truly desire. Focus on ramping up good, positive, energetic feelings about what you desire, rather than the thought.

Practically you can do this by building a "creation box" of pictures, ideas, notes, to stimulate your imagination of how you'd like things to be. Appreciating lifes abundance in what you already have by keeping an appreciation journal, feeling and acting like the prosperous person you actually are and channelling your good feelings into what you desire.

In fact, instead of being a positive thinker, aim to become a positive feeler - it's much more visceral and real. Live your life as though you already have what you desire and you'll make way for it to come to you.

Julie Plenty helps writers, artists and photographers prosper in their business by helping them build a strong personal foundation, because they ARE their business. For more self growth and personal development articles, and to sign up for her Life Design newsletter, visit: [http://www.self-help-personal-development.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3547