Making Positive Choices from Infinite Possibilities

By Lynn M. Scheurell

"You and I are essentially infinite choice makers. In every moment of our existence we are in that field of all possibilities where we have access to an infinity of choices." ~ Deepak Chopra
I believe that we are spirit travelling incognito as humans; in fact, I wrote a movie about that. The key concept to us, as spirit, is that we are swimming in infinite possibilities on a daily basis (not that time has the same meaning to spirit), and we have to make choices in order to "tangible-ize" our possibilities. Every day, we choose little things, whether to work out, what to eat, who to spend time with and what to work on throughout the day, and big things, like our interpretation of the meaning of life and how we want to show up in the world.

Our job is not necessarily to create opportunities but to decide which ones to pursue. And the hardest part about it is that there are no guarantees - there are only choices.

So how do we know what choices are best for us? A positive choice just feels good. Some part of us knows that it is the right thing to do. It opens up our lives and creates new momentum for the best of us to shine and be recognized, even if only by our own inner fan club. And we know when it's time to make a new choice when we feel: stuck, tired, sick, confused, negative, fearful, bored, safe, comfortable...and more. We know when it's time to make a new choice. The question really becomes: are we ready to have something new?

A positive choice moves us forward in some sense (even if it's hard to do or against the well-intentioned advice of others) because it helps us become more aligned with our true purpose. It's a choice that is about us, not about anybody else or their wishes or what they can gain by it - it's truly in our best interest and we have the domain to make the choice at hand. A positive choice sets us up to win - we will gain something, whether it be knowledge, skills or experience, by pushing our growing edge.

3 Things You Can Do:

1. Look at where your growing edge is hiding. Consider where you are too comfy, or anxious, stuck, bored, fearful, negative... any feeling that isn't absolutely free and flowing is a place where your growing edge for new choices is revealing itself.

2. Look at the results you've gotten / are getting. If you don't like the results of your life, which is shown through everything around you, it's time to be accountable to yourself in a new way. New choices will require you to show up more clearly, in a more focused and powerful way. And how you show up by making new choices will generate new results - it is simple cause and effect. Change the cause (choice), and you change the effect (result).

3. Make a list of all your possibilities. Consider new directions you could be pursuing in the following areas: career/vocation, self-knowledge, family, wealth, reputation, marriage/relationships, communications, creativity, community, health. These possibilities might come from ideas, inspiration, new associations, doing something you've been putting off, advice from other people, enjoying a wish list thing... it's pretty much endless. If you can list at least 3 new directions in these areas off the top of your head, you've got some choices to make - or you have to answer to yourself why you're not decided to make new choices after making that list!

May you enjoy both the swim in infinite possibilities and the results from making positive choices!

Lynn Scheurell, Creative Catalyst, helps conscious entrepreneurs strengthen their inner systems, both personal and professional, for faster business results. She teaches renaissance souls how to gain clarity on their purpose by remembering who they are from their essential self, then aligning everything they do to express their unique gift through their business while working with natural energies for maximum support. Register for a free GEENI™ for Change ecourse to learn how to upgrade your life in just seven days at http://www.mycreativecatalyst.com/

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The Power Of Your Mind

By Ali Mack

When we start talking about the power of the mind I think of the powerful saying "Your Thoughts Create Your Life" and wonder if this is really possible!In my previous post - " Does Your Personality Make You Disease Resistant" we talked about why some get chronic illnesses and why some don't seem to suffer at all, and is it all possible that it is through our own thoughts that this situation was created.

Let me give you an example from within my own life….. My brother-in-law was diagnosed as having cancer and was told at the very best he could expect to live was five years, worse case scenario would be two years. So rather than get depressed and morose over the situation his first reaction was to defy this prediction and set out to prove his physician wrong.

So instead of accepting this death sentence he began looking for alternative therapies to get him through this hurdle in life. As well as reading and finding out as much as he could about his condition, he started taking herbal supplements, eating organic foods, drinking green tea, and used humor to keep him positive as well as indulging in positive mind games. "Knowing What You Want and Getting in Harmony With It", in other words having a focus point and fixating on it and getting to the finish line. But the secret was he never had a finish line he always kept moving the line it as he got near it.

However during his treatment about two years after first being diagnosed he got really sick and we were told he was very close to death. At the time his daughter was on an overseas trip and it was decided we would bring her home (a 24 hour flight plus travel time so at the least it would be 36 hours) before she would be home. Through his pain he said that he would wait for his daughter to return, as he needed to see his little girl and apologize for shortening her trip. Although most of us did not believe he would make it through the night and believed that his daughter would be coming home for a funeral. However he did get to see his daughter and slowly got better and is still here with us to this day 10 years after being diagnosed and being told he would only do five! He later told us that on the morning that his daughter was to return he set his next goal and that was to see her get married.

So it's all about getting clarity in what you want and getting your mind and body in tune with it, and visualization is a major part of this mind process. The gurus tell you visualization is "simple", just find a quiet place, relax close your eyes and imagine what you want in as vivid detail as possible - what you would be seeing, hearing, and feeling when the goal is already accomplished. They say to just use your imagination and picture yourself in the future as if you already have achieved what it is that you want.

Now you may have tried that, but found that it really is not that "simple" but there is a way to visualize that no one is telling you about. It's been proven to work for thousands of successful business people, athletes, performers, and leaders. This method combines the power of hypnosis with visualization for an ultra-powerful combination. It helps you to program your mind to release everything that you don't want, and to pull towards you exactly what it is that do you want. To find out more about this method go to my blog at http://healthyalternativemedicine.com/blog

Medical experts estimate that millions of adults have tried or are considering trying some form of alternative medicine. Are you next? At www.healthyalternativemedicine.com, you can learn the basics of this innovative health care system with the eBook, "Everything You Need to Know about Alternative Medicine." It tells you absolutely everything you need to know about alternative medicine, different therapies and whether or not they will work.

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What to Focus On to Have Positive Attitude Every Day

By Vincent Kituku

"Muli, get me a basin with water. I want to take a bath and go to Nairobi." This was the request of my mother after I arrived home from school. A visitor in our home might wonder, "How can she go to Nairobi at this time of the day?" My mother seemed to have the punch line ready, "I am going to my husband's store. That is my Nairobi."

Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, had its charm, especially for rural folks who rarely had the chance of visiting the, "place of cool water." Nairobi dwellers had different perspectives from those who lived in country sites. They had exposure to different cultures and the Western lifestyle. Their food was different from that in the villages. Cultivation, which roughned the skin of rural folks, was not practiced in Nairobi. Thus, dwellers of Nairobi had smoother skin.

As I was growing up in Kangundo, it was a special event for a woman to visit her husband in Nairobi. When she returned, she brought new clothes for her family. Sometimes, she brought bread and other unusual items. If her visit lasted a month or so, her skin would affirm the comfortable lifestyle of Nairobi. It was smooth and starting to soften. When communicating with neighbors, she would use Swahili or English words here and there, which were the dominant languages of the big city.

My father left the King's African Rifles (British Colonial Army) in the early 60's to start a business in our local shopping center, about one mile from our home, but 60 miles from Nairobi. Every evening, my mother would go to the shop to help him and close the business for the day. Our business was mainly a fabric outlet. By the early 70's, the business was well established, and people knew the best material was found there. Dad made sure that my mother had the newest fabric in the community, which was the best advertisement.

What was fascinating to me was her contentment. She was so proud of it, she could never miss the "real Nairobi." When my mother went to help Dad, she also bought cooking oil, meat, kerosene and other supplies the family would need. For my mother, this was her "Nairobi."

My mother's attitude and contentment were my first encounter with the Biblical teaching, "But Godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Timothy 6:6). It is the contentment that makes the heart leap with joy in the midst of material poverty; contentment of the soul that gives the mind unexpected peace to enjoy the triumphs of the day without focusing on the wants of tomorrow or languishing on past disappointments; contentment that culminates with an attitude of gratitude for the blessing of life, appreciation for divine providence of basic necessities, thankfulness for a closely-knit family and an understanding that God has the best in store for us.

Just look at what you, where you are and what you are doing. Focus on what is good and working for you...that's your Nairobi

Dr. Vincent Muli Kituku, Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku, author of Overcoming Buffaloes at Work & in Life works with organizations to increase productivity through leadership and employees development programs. He can be reached at http://www.kituku.com or (208) 376-8724. Dr. Kituku has been described as a research-based motivational speaker/trainer whose storytelling skills have won awards for both spoken and written words. He is one of the less than 7% speakers to earn the coveted Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) recognition, the highest designation presented by the National Speakers Association.

Wherever he speaks, people from all backgrounds agree that words cannot describe Vincent but that he must be experienced. His ability to captivate audiences with content, interaction and entertainment has made him not only a sought after speaker but an annual presenter for key organizations.

The impact of Dr. Kituku's memorable speeches and workshops has propelled him into a league of his own. He has given presentations for HP, CISCO, MICRON, AIRFORCE, GENWORTH FINANCIAL. He has been the motivational speaker for the successful Boise State University Football Team since 1998-the alumni of BSU selected him the 2003 Homecoming Grand Marshal.

A scientific researcher and experienced corporate America student, Dr. Kituku, a native of Kenya, Africa, draws on his rich cultural heritage and his in-depth experience in corporate America to help others apply the strategies of personal and professional success to their lives. Vincent offers individuals and organizations the necessary spears to change and stay motivated. Since establishing Kituku & Associates in 1995, Dr. Kituku has done research on the challenges and expectations of every group he has worked with. He then uses the data/information to develop and present a customized presentation audiences can relate to and apply in whatever they do to make success a continuous experience.

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Dealing with Difficult, Argumentative People and Yourself

By Paul Hannig Ph.D.

You try to get a word in edgewise. Everything that comes out of your mouth is met with an argument. Whatever you say is met with negativity and denial. You ask your kids to do something and they always seem to be defiant and uncooperative. They even call you names. People make obscene, put down gestures to you and say nasty rotten things to you ... things that you just don't want to hear and see.

That rush of rage come up. It's like a knee jerk reflex. You want to physically hit that person or persons. You want to say nasty retaliatory remarks. You want to pay back and avenge yourself for being treated badly. You are on the verge of losing your judgment and temper. You must get back at the perpetrator. You've reacted. You've stuck your two cents in when you should have acted more prudently. You get scared. You're afraid of the terrible things that might happen now that you've gone too far with your vengeful anger.

Welcome to the Club!

You are like so many other people. You react to insult, injury and provocation and question whether there is something uniquely wrong with you. Well, relax! You're normal, although perhaps a bit unwise. There are people and things out there just waiting to jerk your string, push your buttons and provoke your rage. It's an unfair, cruel world and you are subject to having to deal with argumentative, defiant people. They are the "crazy makers". They will subject you to stressful responses that could be regretted after the smoke and fire clear.

You may be quick to anger and retaliate. You may wish and pray that you could always remain calm and turn the other cheek in provocative situations. Perhaps you admire and envy those people who seem to never get frazzled about anything. They always seem to be so gentle and incapable of "hurting a fly". Well, obviously you are not such a saint and you do get riled when someone gives you a hard time.

Let Me Give You Some Consolation ...

You are a good person. It does not have to take years of psychotherapy to get you to handle provocative, defiant, argumentative people. You do not necessarily have to explore your unresolved childhood traumas. Too bad if your parents were defiant, argumentative and fought with each other. Tough luck if you were made to do and listen to things that you didn't want to as a youngster. So maybe you were a little bit defiant as a kid. You argued with your parents and siblings and your teachers thought that you horsed around too much. So what if you were suspended three times from school for mischievous behavior and your neighbors thought that you would grow up to be a criminal. Do you think that these things made you vulnerable to being seduced by provocative, defiant and argumentative people? Well, maybe ... SO WHAT! There's nothing terrible about this situation and you are not a bad person. The trick is to learn how to control those rising, hot, angry reactions ... to change your feelings early so that you do not go out of control and make the situation worse. It is best to de-escalate the tension rather than heat it up by doing something that you will be sorry for later.

Steps to Staying Calm

The first step to defusing that upsurge of angry energy is to realize that it is possible to be provoked into an argumentative situation at any given moment. Defiant, argumentative people do not really want to hear, listen or receive what you have to say. They are poised and ready to spring into defiance and disagreeableness. They are set to discount any, if not all, of your perceptions, thoughts or feelings. They are rejectors and life with them is usually punctuated with unpleasantness, fights and yes, even violence. These are the people that you just want to punch and throw through a wall. Real closeness and intimacy with them is virtually next to impossible.

The second step, if possible, is to avoid deep intimate relationships with such people.They will only cause you grief. Their attacks on your character will bring out sides of yourself that you will not like. It is best to form close relationships only with those people who do not trigger your intense, negative reactions. There are so many wonderful, agreeable, positive people in this world with whom you can get along. So why struggle! You have a right to receive as much happiness, joy and pleasure as you can stand. Remember, entering into relationships with provocative people will only make you unhappy and could injure your self-esteem. Put downs are not a positive experience, so avoid vexatious people. Learn how to control your angry/anxious reactions when in the company of such individuals. Your first response to such negative interactions may be to raise your voice. If this happens, it is an indication that you have a need that is not being met.

The third step to defusing angry energy is to realize that most provocative situations involve a competition for need satisfaction. You may feel that someone is being insensitive to your needs. The truth is, the other person also has needs to be satisfied you are both in competition. For example, there is a group of kids being very noisy in the next room. You are watching television and they are interfering with your need for relaxation and entertainment. However, in reality, they are only trying to satisfy their need for playful fun and are not being deliberately provocative. They only want to satisfy their needs, the same as you. Your anger rises, but you immediately let it go and remain calm. You choose to postpone satisfying your needs for the moment. On the other hand, you could have satisfied your needs first by gently telling the children to keep the noise down. Either way of handling the situation prevents your getting upset and allows the kids to keep playing without disturbing you. Everybody wins and you have kept your cool.

When I was a young boy I saw two neighborhood fathers fist fighting over their kids and a rubber ball. A simple dispute escalated into full scale warfare between grown men. The fight started with their children but soon involved the whole neighborhood. In my opinion the quarrel should have stayed with the kids. Parents should stay out of such disputes and only enter to remove their children if the action gets too hot and heavy. That way, you protect your child and you do not get involved with your rage and violence. The choice of not fighting fits into your philosophy of not being able to successful get what you want in this manner.

The fourth step is avoid becoming triangled into someone else's quarrel and this method of choosing not to get angry keeps that from occurring. It is always better to send the antagonists back to each other in order to work things out. That way you do not make their problem, your problem. Rule of thumb: if two or more people are acting provocatively it is better to separate them by pulling yourself or your child out of the fracas. If you don't, you will be in danger of being provoked. That situation will not get your needs met. Your goal is to get your needs met without being provoked into rage.

Negative and Irrational Beliefs

The question arises: what if I am one of those people who provokes confusion and anger in other people? Yes, I said confusion. If other people do not know what you need or want, how can they respond to you without confusion and anger? People with low self-esteem have irrational beliefs about themselves. If you are one of these people, you will frustrate others, because they cannot understand you or read your mind. It would be better to express your needs or wants in a non-competitive way. You could say, "Right now I need/want something and I don't know what it is, so bear with me while I try to explain what I want. I also don't wish to compete with other people here". Then explain as clearly and directly as possible what it is that you want, no matter how difficult it may feel to you.

You may harbor a low self-opinion inherited from your past. You may unconsciously believe that you are unlovable, unacceptable to yourself and others, ugly, stupid, boring and wonder how could anyone like someone as lowly as you are. These are loser beliefs and they have to be challenged, confronted and disputed out of existence. If your self-esteem is low, you will treat these lowly, evaluative beliefs as if they were facts rather than just an opinion of yourself. These beliefs are non-utilitarian and interfere with your pursuit of happiness and high self-love.

First, believe that these negative beliefs that you create have far too much power over you and understand that they can be changed with vigorous hard work and effort. They will not disappear overnight, but you may be pleasantly surprised how fast you can get rid of them.
Second, remember that these negative self-evaluations have been firmly fixed in your preconscious by years of repetition. Their effect has been very strong in determining your behavior and self-esteem. Fortunately, you can use the same repetition method to dislodge such self-effacing beliefs.

Paul J. Hannig, PH.D. is a licensed California Marriage and Family Therapist offering innovative and in-depth individual and group therapy. His expertise includes Deep Feeling Therapy, core self work, psycho-spiritual therapy, and marriage/relationship counseling. He is the author of "Feeling People", "Sizzling Relationships: the 401(k) of Love", and "Coping with the Disorder" plus many well-known, published articles on Mood and Personality Disorders. His office is located in Chatsworth, CA (near Los Angeles) and he is available for in-office consulations and long distance Telephone Therapy. Dr. Hannig's web site PsychotherapyHELP (http://www.nvo.com/psych_help) offers a vast compendium of free articles and resources to download, therapy information, and books and media to purchase. He can be reached at phannigphd@socal.rr.com. With the creation of the PsychotherapyHELP web site, Dr. Paul now brings over thirty years of his knowledge and expertise to all who search for answers to deep emotional pain and interpersonal problems.

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Mind Power - Happiness With Positive Thinking Tips

By Joel Chue

Being a negative thinker is very unhealthy as it lowers your self-esteem and bad for your morale. It drains your energy rapidly and causes you to lose focus. To stop being a negative thinker, you have to change your thoughts pattern.

1. The first tip to being positive is to look after your body and mind. To ensure that you are in a good shape, eat well, exercise regularly, sleep well and spend time with your family. A relaxed and healthy body is a natural attractant for positive energy.

2. Reject and delete any negative thoughts that flashed through your mind. Researchers found out that an average person has about 60 000 thoughts being flashed through his mind on a single day. Why should anyone cling onto a negative thought? Make a conscious decision, and do your best to rid of any negative thoughts.

3. Hug your loved ones. By hugging, it increases your self-esteem. It makes you feel comfortable and loved. Move past a cold and sturdy handshake, and hug someone you really love and care for.

4. Make sure that you surround yourself with happy, cheerful people. Avoid friends who think poorly of themselves. This way your mind will always pick up positive vibes.

5. On a piece of paper, write down all the things that you are happy and grateful for. They can be your friends, your colleagues and your family. After you are done with the writing, paste the list somewhere it is conspicuous so that you can see it everyday. This will remind you of all the things you are grateful for and not take the things you have now for granted. Most importantly, it keeps you happy too.

6. Get out of the habit of fixing labels to people and situations. Don't say "I always knew it" "I always said so" "She never cared for me" "You have always used me" , etc. Such negative thoughts put you on a negative footing. They also lower your self-esteem.

7. Do not ever be afraid to speak up. You will never gain confidence if you do. You do not need to bother what others might view you as if you speak up as you are living your own life, not others. Opportunities may slip away if you remain silent.

8. Don't think of the negative stuff when something happened. When your boss asks for you, don't think of him reprimanding you or giving you a sack. Life is unpredictable; he may want to give you a raise in salary for your excellent performance.

9. Extend a helping hand to those in need. You can read a story to your neighbor's mother who is crippled and can't move; or you may go out and trim the garden of an orphanage on a weekend you are free. You will find that these small gestures have a wonderful way of generating positive energy. They make you feel warm, energetic and wanted.

10. There may be times when you find it impossible to get rid of negative thoughts. In such situations you should go out of your house for a walk or a jog. You can even go to the gym and do some light exercises. Such activity takes your mind off the negative thoughts.

If you follow these steps, you will find that your mind starts rejecting negative thoughts on its own.

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Positive Mind is Powerful

By Clement Fernando

Positive mind is the power in every individual.

All of our feelings, beliefs and knowledge are based on our internal thoughts, both conscious and subconscious. We are in control, whether we know it or not. We can be positive or negative, enthusiastic or dull, active or passive.

"A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes." Gandhi

No one can blame others for what he/she is. You are in control of your success or failure. You control your situations if you control your emotions. When you lose control of you emotions , you lost control of your situations. We should not be led by our emotions. There is difference between your head and heart. Head helps you to think of reality and heart produces emotions. If you obey your heart always, you will make many wrong decisions because you yield to emotions which will vanish soon.

You have to become the master of your feelings. It is not an easy process. It requires practice and self control.

Winston Churchill said, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty".

People, who complain about everything around themselves, never become winners. Complainers are sorrowful people. They have the notorious ability to make everyone feel miserable.

Don't look around and compare yourself with others.

"Instead of thinking about what you're missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing."

Failing to acknowledge the good things God has given you makes you a loser. If you list out all blessings you have and thank God, you shall live a happier and more productive life.

Confess positive words. Make it a habit. 'I can, I shall, I will' is the mantra for you success.

When negative thoughts storm your mind, sit alone and fight against them. Negative thoughts are so powerful that they creep into our minds easily. You don't need an effort to create negative thoughts. Replace each negative thought by positive thought.

Stop confessing negatively;

I am timid
There is no more hope
I don't think I am a better person
This is a bad country
My family sucks!
People are ungrateful these days

Spread happiness wherever you go. Become a messenger of happy news. Speak encouraging words with others. Always tell disappointed people that there is a better way for them.

Always start your work with clear vision and expected outcome. Have a definite plan. Imagine the result you want to reach.

Read books that can build your personality and self confidence. Spend time in reading religious books that lead you to good thinking and moral enhancement.

Having fellowship with positive minded people will surely change your life. Select friends carefully. If someone's presence affects your personal and family life negatively, don't hesitate to sever the relationship.

Spend quality time with your spouse and children. If you are happy with your family, everything else will fall in place.

Quit drinking and smoking. Say no to pornography. People, who are addicted to pornography, are not happy people. Accept your failures and ponder over the mistakes you have made. Humble yourself.

Forgive yourself. Look for a new beginning. Start again. Your falls aren't your end. Whenever you fall, get up and try again.

A haughty heart can learn nothing.

Being positive makes you a real winner and the happiest person in the world.

Clement is an ESL teacher and a soft skills trainer. More can be found in his site http://www.mindyourenglish.com

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