Posts Tagged ‘goals’
The ABCs Of A Great Life: J Is For Joviality
Laughter, humor, a lighthearted sense of being – all of these are an important part of a well-balanced breakfast, er, life. Without humor, there is no hope. Without laughter, no love. And with a heavy heart, we live only a life of sadness and despair. Our ability to laugh at our foibles and laugh with our friends is a key indicator for predicting how readily we’ll bounce back from difficulties and how well we’ll handle the curveballs that life throws our way, and a quick smile is always the best defense in a situation that’s hit a sour note.
In addition, medical studies have shown that indeed, laughter is the best medicine. Not only does it flood our brain with “feel good” hormones and exercise our body’s core trunk muscles with spontaneous and deep contractions, but it noticeably and effectively raises our immune system’s defenses in ways that are only now being fully explored – an effect which lasts considerably longer than the laughter that triggered it. Laughing lowers your blood pressure and exercises the heart. It relieves stress and helps generate an overall stability of well-being.
People with notably jovial attitudes are seen as friendlier and better adjusted, and people are drawn to them like flies to honey. Socialization with peers becomes smoother and more enjoyable, and people can’t wait to rejoin and reestablish the acquaintance of those with a good sense of humor.
Of course, this does not include “humor” that hurts – biting sarcasm, “witty” putdowns, jokes made at the expense of others, mockery and other such imposters. It is doubtful that any of these recreate the same effects as true humor and lightheartedness, and I know for a fact that they attract far fewer friends.
Go on, laugh! It’s good for you. Learn to bring laughter and joviality into your life and every step of the way will be filled with the warm embrace of good times spent with good friends in good health. Salut!
(c) Soni Pitts
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Soni Pitts is the Chief Visionary Butt-Kicker of SoniPitts.Com. She specializes in helping others reclaim “soul proprietorship” in their lives and to begin living the life their Creator always intended for them.
She is the author of the free e-book “50 Ways To Reach Your Goals” and over 100 self-help and inspirational articles, as well as other products and resources designed to facilitate this process of personal growth and spiritual development.
Why Doesnt This Manifesting Thing Work for Me?
You’ve written out your goals. You read them every day. You do the visualization exercises. You do everything you’ve read about in this newsletter and all the other newsletters, seminars, self-help books and web sites, but nothing seems to be happening in your life.
Why doesn’t this manifesting thing work for me, you ask?
Well, there is a bit more to it than most people lead on.
In order for the things you desire to start manifesting in your life, you MUST reprogram your thoughts and beliefs.
Yes, affirmations and visualization is the way to do it. But you can only manifest WHAT YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN MANIFEST.
If you wish to manifest money in your life, more than you’ve ever had before, you MUST BELIEVE that you already have the money that you desire.
What? Now what is the world do you mean by that, Dawn?
Yeah, it sounds a bit crazy doesn’t it? But it works, really, it does.
See, you do already have it. It just hasn’t materialized into your world yet.
God is your supply for EVERYTHING.
So, let’s say you want one million dollars, but your bank account says $45. And the most you’ve ever had after your bills are paid is about $150.
$1million sounds like an unbelievable amount of money to you. But you go on affirming it and visualizing it, reading your self-help books, doing all the things the “experts” tell you to do. But at the same time that you are doing that, a little voice inside of your head is saying, right under those affirmations, “Yeah, right. One million dollars? You buggin’.”
The reason that voice is there is because that statement, “You buggin;” is your CORE BELIEF.
In order for things to manifest in your life you have to change your core beliefs. Once you change your beliefs, you will change your life.
Dawn Fields is a motivational speaker, author and life coach who teaches how to discover your life’s purpose and incorporate it into a lucrative career. Visit her web site at http://www.dawnfields.com and be sure to sign up for Your Life’s Purpose newsletter by sending a blank email to dawn@dawnfields.com with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. Tune in Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST to her live radio broadcast at http://www.dawnfields.com/radioshow.htm
Ace Abs Without Crunches, Cradles, Or Sit-ups!
I know what many of you are thinking reading the title of this article. I also thought the same once. It cannot be done! Attaining a stronger, visible, set of abdominal muscles has always been a common goal in people’s fitness training programmes and yet, paradoxically, many (most) of these people never actually achieve this goal.
Being involved in the fitness industry I see the same problem over and over again. The problem can be spelled out like this.
M-A-C-H-I-N-E-S!
Now, while there is nothing innately wrong with abdominal equipment, it does bring with it a whole host of potential problems. One of the most prominent is that people simply do not use the equipment correctly. Another is that they erroneously believe that somehow the machine will do half the job for them!
A third problem is that to some extent abdominal cradles, and the assortment of similar cradle designs, are essentially lifting your head for you thus eliminating the need for that much effort.
There is a way to work the abdominal region however that requires little movement, but that is highly effective, as the emphasis is purely on you to put in the effort without a machine in sight!
This method involves the use of deep focused breathing whilst squeezing (with varying degrees of intensity) your abdominal muscle. To some it seems too simple and yet, performed daily and with gusto, it is a wonderfully natural and invigorating exercise that promotes tighter abdominals and, as an added bonus, aids in strengthening the internal organs.
Try the basic exercise below each day for the next week and feel the benefits.
1. Stand (or sit) comfortably.
2. Inhale into your belly (not your chest) and feel it expand.
3. Once full with air, being your exhale, and squeeze your abdominals at the same time.
4. Do not rush this exhalation. It should be smooth with no impediments. A good way to perform this exhale is through pursed lips.
5. Repeat at least ten times.
Note ? Do not squeeze and try to force the air out while holding the breath. Breathing exercises such as this may be dangerous. Ideally, perform where fresh air is circulating. Having experienced this you should be feeling great! Your abdominals will have been exercised, you will have breathed deeply, and energised yourself in as little as ten breaths!
It is worth saying that you should not utilise one hundred percent muscular contraction in your first attempts at working your midsection this way. It may lead to injury. Instead, focus on incrementally adding tension as you become more proficient at it.
There are many other methods for working the midsection that one can do without machine based, or standard movements, but as a start the above exercise should provide you with food for thought on how one can get a great core workout in without having to wait in line at the gym for the abdominal cradles to be free!
Have at it!
© Tim Webb 2005
Tim Webb is a fitness instructor, Ju Jutsu instructor and competitor. He specialises in easily accessible deep breathing exercises that combine breath and mind together. His site http://www.breathforsuccess.com/ offers a product that provides deep breathing exercises for invigorating yourself, relaxing, and highlights how your breath can be tied in with your goals to move you towards them in record time!
12 Steps to Targeting Success in Your Career or Job Search
Is your job search sagging? Are you still looking for that ideal next job? Or are you about to begin looking for new work and are not sure of the best way to go about it? What you need is a way to evaluate your job search strategies to see whether or not they are working effectively for you.
Ready to get started? Here are 12 building blocks to a successful job search and the goals that will help you get to where you really want to be in the world of work:
1.) Making networking phone calls: Effective job searches begin and end with networking. Start by making a list of everyone you know: family members, extended family, friends, present & past co-workers, faith community colleagues, barber/hairdresser, dog groomer, neighbors. Even list the clerks who work in your favorite grocery or video store, bank tellers and gas station attendants. Everyone! Call or talk to each person on your list (most people can easily produce a list of 50-100 people). Target: Make 3-5 new networking phone calls weekly.
2.) Contacting employers before openings occur: The process of applying for a job before an opening is known to be present is referred to as “accessing the hidden job market” – and doing so is critical for job search success. By using a great on-line tool such as Reference USA to access employer information, you can mail targeted resumes and cover letters to companies that match your size, focus and sales criteria. Target: Mail 5-10 targeted but unsolicited resumes with cover letters weekly.
3.) Responding to online postings: There are literally hundreds of sites like Monster.com, and you can pour hours and hours into searching them for job opportunities. Remember to search on multiple titles or portions of titles and to post your resume at every opportunity. Target: respond to 3-5 postings weekly.
4.) Responding to newspaper help wanted ads: This is the favorite job seeking strategy of searchers everywhere, but guess what? Out of every 100 resumes an employer receives, they will throw away 92-95! Target: Submit only 3-5 resumes and cover letters weekly in response to help wanted ads.
5.) Identifying new employers to contact: Find employers the old-fashioned way: in phone books, through networking leads, through word-of-mouth, in reference sources and online databases (such as Reference USA, mentioned above), through articles in local papers and through the Yellow Pages of your local phone directory. Target: Identify and research 5 new employers weekly and use them to fill your quota for #2, above.
6.) Contacting recruiters and employment agencies: It’s not appropriate for every job seeker to contact recruiters and employment agencies, but if this strategy makes sense for you, then by all means make use of them. Target: Contact 1 new recruiter or agency weekly.
7.) Making follow-up phone calls & sending thank you letters/cards: Sending out resumes and cover letters is only the first step in the process of developing relationships with employers. About 1 ½ to 2 weeks afterward, call them to verify they received your materials and to inquire about next steps. Always follow-up on interviews and make is a habit to send thank you letters or cards afterward as well. Target: Make 5-10 follow-up phone calls weekly and send a thank you letter or card for every job interview or informational interview you participate in each week.
8.) Managing your references: How do you “manage” references? Supply each one with a copy of each version of your resume. Keep them up-to-date on what is happening in your job search. You don’t need to call them weekly, but you should generate news every few weeks at least. Give your references a copy of all the references you’re using so each one can refer an employer on to someone else on the list if asked. Prepare your references by giving them background information, adjectives and descriptive words that “sell” your best stuff. Target: Contact each reference at least once per month during your active job search and contact everyone when that perfect opportunity comes along to prepare them.
9.) Practicing interview answers: Don’t just practice the night before an interview. Target: Practice your interview answers and questions at least 1 time per week.
10.) Practicing the salary negotiations process: Ditto with salary negotiations. Target: Practice your strategies and responses at least 1-2 times per week.
11.) Staying socially connected with employed others: Job searching is extremely lonely, so make sure you stay socially involved with family and friends. Target: Get out of the house at least 2 times weekly to see friends or extended family.
12.) Managing your attitude and energy: This is the most important building block of all, because without a positive attitude and high, focused energy, you won’t achieve the result you want. Targets: Do at least 1 fun and creative thing outside your house weekly.
Why not take Fridays off (if you’re unemployed) and enjoy! Absolutely, categorically don’t job search on weekends. Exercise, take care of your body, and journal. Feed your mind good books and your spirit hope.
Strengthen or do more of what works. Adapt, replace or fix what does not work. Reevaluate your search progress every 30 days for as long as it takes for you to find the work you really want. And, if your job search results do not markedly improve within 45 days, see a career search professional for individualized assistance.
Cheryl Lynch Simpson is a Spiritual Director and Solutions Coach who helps women discover and create the life they’ve always wanted to live. Cheryl is the author of over 30 print/Internet articles and the founder of Coaching Solutions For Women, a coaching website that produces and showcases career, business, and life solutions that improve the life balance of today’s busy women. For a complimentary copy of her latest e-book, Ten-Minute Stress Zappers for Women Service Business Owners, visit http://www.coachingsolutionsforwomen.com.
Best Home Gyms Tips
Best home gyms
It isn’t always easy to find the best home gyms without a little trepidation. But have no fear as shopping through what are touted as the best home gym has been simplified.
No kidding, stop and think about what you want to accomplish, weight loss, toning, shaping and body building may be part of your goals. But how hard can it to lift weight or bend over. Maybe we’ve gotten a little carried away with what once was and frankly still is a very simple activity.
The real question may very well be, how much portability do I want, how much space do I have, and what is my budget. You can buy very expensive equipment but for most of us that’s probably not necessary.
The fun part is to sit back, kick off the shoes, grab your favorite drink and mans best animal friend and have some fun. Heck, you’ll find plenty of stuff on the internet to choose from and really won’t get confused doing it. No one to sell you on the merits of the million dollar machine that you really don’t need. Don’t get me wrong, I agree there may be times for the biggie but seldom is the case for most of us.
Most folks can land up with a very expensive clothes hanger if you get my meaning. Go online to the search box and type in best home gyms and see what you find. Have fun.
Your next step-home fitness gyms
Build New Habits — Payday Will Come –
Feeling that it never works is not a good excuse. You may even remember last year not getting past February. GOOD intentions. NO success. Don’t quit! Every year has a new beginning for each of us. Keep on working at it.
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
You knew that was coming. Wipe the slate clean for 2004. Most of us had a few UPS and some had more DOWNS. There is real power in your mind. Think positives even when it is most difficult. Negatives are destroyers that pull us down into the abyss.
Actually, you can make resolutions EVERY day. Hop out of bed with a great attitude. Begin by saying, “Good morning, God, what are you and I going to do today?” It may surprise you. Negative folk say, “Good God, it’s morning!” You decide!
DON’T QUIT
I know! Last year just left you defeated. Every change you were going to make fell by the wayside. None of your resolutions got done. Maybe you OVER reached. Be more reasonable. Don’t expect big leaps. Bite off the challenges in small chunks rather than going for the boulder.
Success is closer than you think. One step at a time. You can become the happier, healthier person that you envision.
All of us like to improve. There’s a sincere desire to learn. To stick with our new diet. To work out at the gym or go to aerobics. Walk a mile each morning or night. Our goal is to eat right; live right; exercise and be our very best.
OVER ZEALOUS
Suddenly, I’m going to change my habits. Our resolutions fill a complete page. All the things we haven’t been doing. Beginning tomorrow. You have just programmed failure into your New Year’s resolutions. Too much at once. None of us can handle it.
Put down one or two life changing challenges. Maybe you can take on another one or two in another month. Don’t overwhelm your psychic all at the beginning. Stretch your goals over time.
First, write down your new passions. A full page of resolutions is too much. Select those with the greatest benefit. Leave the others for now.
Don’t expect perfection. Good intentions pave the road but you need to allow for a detour along the way.
BUILDING NEW HABITS
Your real goal is to develop new habits. Replace the old ones. NO exercise turns into some exercise. Eating too much turns into pushing away from the table sooner. Drink more water, less cola. Putting your spouse before the children or grands. Doing fun things together. Go to the movies. Out to dinner. Long weekends to the mountains.
Don’t expect “old habits” to suddenly disappear. They are still lurking. Trying to get back into first place. Wanting to mess up your plan.
Few things are more rewarding than reaching your goal. Even if it takes longer than you expected. Moving in the right direction counts for success. Reach for incremental mile markers. Each step takes us closer to our destination.
PAYDAY IS COMING –
Keep that in mind. Not necessarily money. A much BIGGER benefit.
You quit SMOKING because (you don’t want to increase cancer odds; your breathe is cleaner; clothes no longer smell stale; eat in nicer places; kicked a bad habit, etc.)
Go on a DIET because (clothes look nicer; you look nicer; you feel better about yourself; cost less for food; and?..)
Quit drinking because?. (Don’t want DWI risk; no more acting a fool; risky addiction and family loss; and?)
Bad habits are hard to break. Only YOU can make the decision. No one can do it for you until you decide.
Many times our “bad” habits are patterns of behavior. Smoking gives us a break and often it comes with dinner and a drink. Must be a social issue. Everyone else is doing it so we “do it” to be “accepted” within our social group.
SUCCESS TEAM
All of us need support when striving to reach goals. Find those with the same mindset and desire to change habits. Working out is always easier in a group. To quit drinking is easier with NON drinkers. Non smokers help us kick the nicotine habit.
Cheerleaders are needed. Keep it up! Don’t quit. Hold on to your goals. Accountability keeps most of us on track.
Do something nice for yourself when you reach incremental levels. Buy yourself a new suit or a new dress when you drop a full size. Make every step a recognizable achievement.
Eat at a new restaurant. Go to the movies. Treat yourself to a massage. Relax and enjoy the NEW you.
One last admonition. HAVE FUN! In the end (December 2005) you can look back with pride on the success you have enjoyed in the last 12 months.
ACTION TIP: A better YOU and ME is worth the investment. Set reasonable goals. Bite off in small incremental pieces. Look for the BIG pay off. Get a support TEAM. Reward yourself for each success level. HAVE FUN in the process of changing your habits.
Don Monteith spent 32 years in the Staffing Business. His firm placed thousands of job candidates in their dream job. Today, he shares his expertise. Learn more by visiting his website at: http://www.HowToGetYourDreamJob.com
Are You an Ex-career Woman Living In a New Country?
Were you once a successful, professional woman who had a significant status level and received adequate remuneration for your work?
Have you re-located to a new country where the educational degree you worked so hard to achieve is neither recognized nor considered valid?
As a result, have you now settled for a job for which you are overqualified and living paycheck to paycheck?
If you once had a successful professional career and answered yes to the above, you probaby understand how frustrating it is, to be unable to practice your profession in a new country.
The decision to immigrate to another country is a courageous act which involves leaving everything that you know and everything that makes up who you are. It usually means starting over, making changes and finding a new job or career.
As a skilled professional woman, you already have a unique combination of marketable skills and experiences, optimism about your future prospects in the new country, education, commitment and motivation to work in your field of expertise, language ability and a desire to learn new things expertise…so, it’s really puzzling and shocking when you suddenly find yourself unemployed or unable to find a job in your field.
It is therefore important that you wake up from your slumber and do something about making your life a success.
To start making something of your life in a new country, you need to:
1. Stop being in denial.
Accept change and be ready to change! Your past successful life is always going to be a part of you and no one can take that away from you. However, the rules of the game in the new country may mean that you may no longer be the successful, lawyer, doctor, CEO or professional you once were.
As painful as it may be to accept?don’t spend your days talking about who you were in the past and dwelling in the glory of your past success. Don’t live in denial any longer than you must. Accept the fact that your circumstances have changed and start looking for constructive ways to make the best of your life in the new country.
2. Take a stand for your life.
When people move to a new country, they usually want to live in a place where they have some contacts, relatives or friends. However, some of these people you know, may have resigned themselves to living unfulfilled lives and may try to prevent you (by their comments or actions) from expecting more for yourself.
If you want to make a success of your life, you must take a risk, go against the negative majority, choose to be different and take a stand for a positive future. The decision to get out from among people, who will hold you back from doing something with your life, is worth it!
3. Don’t lose your sense of self-worth.
Your professional occupation is a large part of your identity and an integral part of your life. However if you have settled for less and are now overqualified for your job, you may feel that the work you are doing is not a valuable contribution to society. As a result, you may start questioning yourself and feeling worthless.
You are not worthless! Find meaning and purpose in what you want to do and begin to pursue it with vigor. After counting the cost, make the decision to do what you have to do to make your life a success. Stop settling for less than you deserve, start standing up for yourself and for your dignity.
4. Stop being invisible.
If you were used to being recognized by members of your community who were aware of your professional merits, you may be feeling very “anonymous” in the new country.
If you were previously a highly active, social and professional woman, don’t chose jobs that will relegate you to the back office and hide you behind a pile of meaningless paperwork. Look for a job that projects your social qualities and allows you to interact more visibly.
Find a career that allows you to fully utilize your skills. This could mean starting your own business, finding a new career, going back to school or finding means and ways to become actively involved with people in your profession in the new country or abroad.
5. Be informed about the work culture of the new country.
This may seem pretty basic but it should not be taken for granted. If you want to get ahead you must stop running around like a headless chicken and begin to familiarize yourself with the lifestyle, culture and work ethics of the new country. For instance, do you understand the work place terminology? What kind of transferable/employable skills do you need? Do employers require curriculum vitae or resumes? What is the academic equivalent of the professional qualification you hold?
Sometimes the hardship you are facing is not brought about by you as a person but by your lack of research on the basics. Make the adjustment easier for yourself by tailoring your life to fit into the new place and not vice versa.
6. Increase your social networks.
There is always a close connection between one’s occupation and social status. When you are unable to transfer the occupation that you once held to the new country you now live in, you also lose social status. It is therefore important to have a network of people that you can trust and depend on.
You can have personal networks like friendship groups and social organizations and also join and actively participate in professional associations, community networks and support groups that are involved with issues that interest you. These networks also play a useful role in combating the feeling of being alone in a new place and can also be good idea or lead generators for a new job.
7. Don’t be complacent?do something!
Don’t wallow in self-pity. Hold on to your dreams and your goals. Work steadily and take risks to achieve them. Persevere and be resilient. Do what you have to do, to ensure that you make a success of your new life.
Be strong! Although there are many barriers to be overcome in a new country, let not your spirit be tarnished. Look within yourself for the strength to move forward with your life. With a positive attitude, you will find that there are a lot of things that can bring you ultimate success.
About The Author
Caroline Jalango is a life coach for unstoppable women who are willing to step up to the plate and take a shot at living exceptional lives wherever they are. www.motivationzone.com
4 Steps to Successful Goal-Setting
Successful people have always had clear, focused goals that guide them to greatness.
It took Thomas Edison thousands of attempts and thousands of failures over many years to invent the electric light bulb, but he new exactly what he wanted, and his goal kept him going until he achieved it The rest, as they say, is history.
Michelle Kwan had a goal to be the best skater in the world. Oprah Winfrey was an abused child who determined to make a better life for herself.
Successful people always have clear goals. Great musicians, great athletes, successful salespeople and inspiring leaders know what they want in life, and they go after it. Great parents work at it. No one becomes an astronaut by accident!
And yet the great bulk of people continue to drift through life with no goals at all, or with only vague dreams, hopes and wishes. No wonder we achieve so much less than we could!
For those who have not yet experienced the joy of setting and achieving magnificent goals, here is a powerful set of principles that have worked for thousands of my clients. They will work for you, too. I call them The 4 Steps to Successful Goal-Setting:
1. Decide what you want. Decide if you would rather have money in the bank, or that new car. Choose the life you prefer! You can’t have everything in life; but you can have anything you choose, if you will focus, pay the price, and pursue it with all your heart.
2. Clarify your values. Too often, people choose goals that are inconsistent with their priorities and daily behaviors. Do you value health, or comfort? Is financial independence a priority, or merely a wish? In a clash between your values and your wishes, your values will win every time. Be certain your goals are consistent with your most important values.
3. Write them down! Have the courage to put your intentions on paper, in your own words. Be specific and describe your goals in detail. When will you achieve them? What will success look like? Write down the details and read your goals every day, even take a moment to summarize them every morning. Stay focused.
4. Take ACTION! To run a marathon, you must jog every day. Building a business requires that you make sales, every day. A loving marriage or happy kids require your time, your attention and your love, every day. Your daily actions need not be profound or heroic, but they must be consistent and persistent. Every day!
Success does not “just happen”. It is built like a work of art. First, it is imagined, then the skills, tools and materials are gathered, and the artist sets about creating a thing of beauty. It takes time. It requires skill, determination, persistence and faith.
Just as an artist will make preliminary sketches and work out the details in her mind, so your success requires written goals, careful choices, clear commitments and daily persistence. You can do this. Make something magnificent of your life!
About The Author
Copyright © by Philip E. Humbert, PhD. All Rights Reserved
Email: Coach@philiphumbert.com
Website: http://www.philiphumbert.com
Visit Dr Humbert’s website for over 250 pages of articles, Top 10 lists, humor, quotes, tips and tools for your success! There’s a free book on making (and keeping!) more money, and a FREE motivational newsletter. Check it out at his website!
One Life to Live
Nothing stops us. Well, almost nothing. Although we do live in a world that whirls at breakneck speed, there are a few things that will stop us in our tracks. When tragedy strikes, our attentions are diverted from our normal hustle and bustle to the turmoil at hand. The perfect example of this is, of course, the world’s reaction to the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States and the events following it.
As we witness catastrophic events unfold around us, our own mortality becomes evident. In reaction to this, we vow to devote more time to the “important things” in life and do less quibbling about the “small stuff”
Post any tragedy, we are thankful for life’s blessings. People often attend church services more, spend more time with their families and are just nicer to one another in general.
But Time changes everything and these newfound priorities have a way of being forgotten. It’s much easier to slip back into the comfort of our old habits that it is to face the harsh reality of life and our own mortality.
To effectively reach your goals, your drive and vision must come from within. When it comes from outside sources, it may be ineffective long-term. According to John Donoghue, performance psychologist coach, “Motivation is only a temporary emotive action which usually has no real lasting effort nor does it make permanent changes.”
In order to be truly successful in achieving goals, we must give ourselves a critical assessment and work to continually improve ourselves. “A person’s performance and behavior will always be consistent with the picture they hold of themselves, i.e. their ’self-image’,” says Donoghue.
And since nothing can improve our self-image like reaching goals, being successful can lead to more success. We are our own best coaches and motivators, and when the will to win comes from within, almost nothing can stop us.
In setting and striving for goals, there are many things we can do to help ensure success. One is to use the “SMARTER” approach to achieve your goals:
Specific: Is your goal specific enough to move toward?
Measurable: Is your goal tangible enough to measure?
Attainable: Is this goal possible for you at this point in time?
Relevant: Is your goal tied to what is most important?
Trackable: Can you chart your progress for this goal?
Elasticity: Are you and your goal flexible enough?
Rememberable: Will reaching your goal be a celebratory event?
Vera Haitayan, Principal Consultant of The Leadership Laboratory., a California-based employee development and process improvement consulting firm and is the senior editor of The Stepping Stone Newsletter featuring leadership and process improvement best practices. http://www.1leadershiplab.com mailto: vera@1leadershiplab.com
The Subconscious Diet Can Help Protect Your Child From Type 2 Diabetes
Until obesity became epidemic, type 2 diabetes was virtually unheard of in children and teens. It was originally called “adult-onset” because it was mainly seen after middle age. At least 9 million American children are seriously overweight and another 9 million are heavy enough to be at risk, yet studies show that many parents are in denial about their children’s obesity.
16% of U.S. children have weight problems but doctors make weight reduction suggestions to parents about their children in only 1% of visits. There are a number of reasons for this denial and lack of concern:
Obese mothers nearly always recognize that they are overweight but only 1 in 5 correctly identified their overweight children.
Many doctors are just too busy to become involved in problems not directly related to the symptoms the child was brought in for.
78% of the population of the U.S. does not see being overweight as a health problem.
Many cultures equate thinness with poverty and starvation; to them a fat child is a strong and healthy child.
Many parents believe that the child will grow into their weight.
A child that is overweight will very likely become an obese adult. Studies show at least 15 conditions causally related to obesity. They include diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, hip fractures, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, end-stage renal disease, liver disease, urinary incontinence and several forms of cancer.
For many overweight children the possibilities of disease in the future is not a concern. There is a far more pressing cause of pain for these obese children on a daily basis. This pain is caused by discrimination by their classmates. Other children are much more direct and cruel then most adults when it comes to ridiculing the “fat kids” they associate with. A first grader is likely to believe that thinner is better and young children will put these thoughts in to action by excluding their heaver classmate from their team or by calling them names.
This ridicule may cause a child to retreat from social interaction or to become a bully, using their weight to intimidate their tormentors. Either course of action only causes the child more grief and frustration in the long run.
Most children are not receptive to traditional restrictive diets. When they are told that they can no longer have the foods they crave, such as: white bread, candy, cookies, and ice cream they feel that they are being punished. It makes little difference how much time the parent spends trying to convince the child it is for their own good.
Children will often find access to the foods that are being denied to them at home with friends, relatives who don’t believe in diets or by spending their own money to purchase the sweets. If the child doesn’t have money they may begin to steal the foods they crave.
Many times when the child gains access to the forbidden items they will binge. 30% of girls and 16% of boys who were on a diet admitted to binging on foods that had been forbidden to them when they got the chance. Now the child not only feels punished by the parent, they have added guild to the emotional mix by defying their parents’ orders or breaking the law. This guilt causes stress that may cause the child to act out in other more serious ways.
Since traditional diets do not work for most people, it is far past the time to start looking for ways to change a person’s way of thinking about food, states Hugh B. Sanders the author of the Subconscious Diet: It’s not what you put in your mouth; it is what you put in your mind! (www.TheSubconsciousDiet.com)
This is not hypnosis. Hypnosis implies external control but what is vital to any weight reduction program is a system of internal control. A child or an adult must feel that any change, such as a diet, is not only their decision but it is also something they understand and want to accomplish. Most diets are only restrictions on eating, very few offer the steps to changing a persons mind about the way they approach food.
The Subconscious Diet shows a person how to develop a new operating system for the subconscious mind. The subconscious is very much like a computer in that it holds all of a person’s values, habits, memories, and is constantly working to come up with answers to each situation that life present us every day. Just like a computer we can choose to change how the mind goes about finding the solutions. The steps are relatively simple:
Clearly stating our goals (weight loss is a goal).
Writing out and repeating those goals daily (affirmations).
Getting rid of fear, anger, hate, and guilt (letting go!).
Learning to associate only with positive friends (get away from negativity).
Vividly seeing the desired end result in our own mind (visualization).
Children are ideal candidates for the Subconscious Diet because they are more in touch with the subconscious portion of their minds then adults generally are and they naturally day dream (Visualize). If the parents help the child direct those day dreams to focus on a positive view of the child’s body, eating habits, and physical activities, the parent can assure a healthy path for the future of their children.
The catch for the parents and it is really a benefit, is that they can’t just tell their children what the kids have to do. The parent must lead by example. The adults in the family must incorporate all of these steps into their own lives. “Do as I say, not as I do!” just won’t work and has never worked for children.
Eighteen million children are at risk of suffering pain and premature death if their weight is left uncontrolled. If your child is getting heaver each day, you have to make a decision about the amount of effort you are willing to put forth to make your child’s life as good as it should be.
For more information please check out: www.TheSubconsciousDiet.com.
Hugh B. Sanders is an award wining speaker who has been involved in the study of self-improvement, personal growth techniques, and success training for over thirty years. He has won production awards from every company he has been associated with. The author has conducted training classes and motivational seminars across the country. This book is a project of passion, and one that his readers and peers are very excited about.
Some of the major firms the author has been associated with as Top Salesman, Office Manager, Regional Manager, Sales Trainer, and Motivational speaker are, Marcus & Millichap Investment Brokerage, H. Bruce Hanes, Inc., Wagner / Jacobson, Inc, Trace Miller / American Airlines, Avis, Washington Mutual Bank and Countrywide Home Loan.
