Your Not Getting Out Alive – Take The Risk

Knowledge is Power

The more you know about what you’re doing, the easier it will be to accomplish. This may seem self-explanatory, but many people don’t realize that you can always find out more information. It only takes a few minutes to look up something on the internet, consult a reference book, or call up someone you know has experience with the issue you’re facing.

Gaining knowledge has other benefits as well. The more you know about a given subject, the better you will be able to focus on your goal and work toward it. You cannot reach your destination if you cannot find the path. Look upon knowledge as the pruning shears of your mental garden, clearing the way for enthusiasm to grow and spread. With the right set of tools, you can accomplish any task easily.

Being committed to achieving your aim is essential to generating a sense of enthusiasm. Whether you want to have gleaming white teeth or flash your pearly whites at crowds of thousands as you accept your Academy Award, you should be completely committed to what you’re trying to accomplish.

One way to cement your personal commitment is to outline a step-by-step plan for reaching your goals. You can do this with any task, no matter how great or small (though you might save time to generate a mental plan for things like washing the dinner dishes, as it might take you more time to write it all down than it would to actually wash them).

On a sheet of paper- or for monumental tasks such as changing careers, at the beginning of a notebook- note your starting point: where you are now. Leave yourself some space, and then jot down where you want to be and how long you plan on taking to get there. Then go back and break down the process of getting from point A to point B in detailed steps. This not only helps you to visualize reaching your goal, it also allows you to cross steps off as you complete them. Your enthusiasm will be sustained as you move further toward your goal.

While you’re writing things down, consider creating a contract with yourself to reach your objective. You can even ask a friend or family member to act as a witness, which will further solidify your intentions to follow through. Your contract can be a simple document stating your promise to yourself, or a detailed map of the things you will do to help yourself reach your aims, with deadline dates for additional motivation and bursts of enthusiasm. Keep your contract posted visibly to remind yourself of your intentions. Every time you see it, you will find yourself eager to achieve your goal and fulfill your contract.

The Dream

So you dream of owning an SUV in five years and want to make sure you get it within your set time? Then you’ve come to the right place. This article will help you start realizing your personal goals and set them in an achievable and realistic way.

Frankly, there is no clear-cut method to effective personal goal setting. It is all up to you if you want to reach your goals badly enough to be consistent to your plan and to make little sacrifices.

To help you start, here are some tips for personal goal setting that works.

1. Know what you want

If you have identified what you want to achieve in the short or long term, it will be easier for you to plan your next moves and work out a strategy. For example, don’t just say “I want to learn to play a musical instrument”. If you’re more inclined to the piano, set your personal goal to “I want to learn to play the piano”. This way, you can map out which piano school you want to go to and under what budget.

2. Write your goals down

Personal goal setting is more effective if you have a constant and conspicuous reminder of your plans. Place your list where you pass by all the time. Stick it to your bathroom mirror so you’ll have a daily morning boost. With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, your personal goals might get thrown into oblivion if you just keep mental notes.

3. Your personal goals must be realistic.

Work within your means. There is nothing more dishearting than failing at a personal goal. Set goals you know you have the capacity to reach and don’t overwork yourself. If you’re currently earning $2000 a month, don’t aspire to own a five bedroom Manhattan flat in one year unless you intend to get yourself in the hospital for working and stressing yourself out too much to meet payments. In this instance, set your personal goal lower or allot a much longer time frame.

4. Learn to prioritize.

Personal goal setting that works involves identifying which are more important or urgent than others. Sit down and study which among the items on your list are needed in the short term, say one, three or five years, and which may be postponed for a longer period. Separate wants from needs. This will help you become too overwhelmed with plans and ideas. Keep sane and do things one at a time.

Setting personal goals is not really difficult once you have given yourself the time to think about what you want out of life. The guidelines above work best if you have enough drive to see your dreams through to the very end. Remember, personal goal setting is useless without the person — and that is you.

No Negative You

When you think about it, it’s obvious: negative is the opposite of positive, so in order to instill a positive mindset you need to get rid of negative thoughts. Sounds simple enough, right? The process is an easy one, but it takes practice to make it stick.

The first step in clearing negativity from your mind is to really pay attention to your thoughts. Whenever the words can’t, shouldn’t, wouldn’t, won’t, not, or never enter your mind, concentrate on what you’re thinking and turn it around to eliminate the negative wording. For example:

Your spouse and children are gone for a few hours, and you have the place to yourself. You’re indulging in one of your favorite activities. In the midst of your enjoyment, you start to feel guilty. You think: I really shouldn’t be doing this. I could be getting started on the project I promised someone else I’d take care of. Your enjoyment starts to fade, and you stop what you’re doing, resentful that you have to tackle this boring project when you have so little time to yourself…

Does this sound familiar? The moment you hear yourself think shouldn’t, stop right there and change direction. In this scenario, you might instead think I really should be doing this. Taking time for me is important, and when I’m relaxed and satisfied I will be able to do a better job on that project I promised someone else. I’m so glad I got the opportunity to do something I enjoy.

Try to do this every time a negative thought creeps in. The more often you banish negative ideas from your mind, the easier positive thinking will become. You will be more relaxed and receptive to positive solutions.

The benefits of being positive

By learning positive thinking techniques and putting them into practice throughout every aspect of your life you can achieve many internal and external benefits.

The internal benefits that come from adopting a manner of positive thinking are a positive attitude, belief in alternative possibilities, creative thinking, better problem solving skills, confidence, focus, determination, satisfaction and feelings of achievement.

Positive thinking leads to a positive attitude simply because thinking about the positive traits and aspects of your life causes your brain to operate in a “feel good” state. By constantly thinking positive thoughts, your brain is trained to look on the bright side of every situation, which in turn causes you to feel satisfied with your current position in life.

Positive thinking also leads to a positive attitude because it keeps your mind busy. If your mind is busy concentrating on positive thoughts, it is extremely difficult for it to dwell on negative thoughts at the same time.

Positive thinking also leads to a belief in alternative possibilities by its very nature. When faced with what seems at first glance to be a no-win situation, positive thinkers have the natural ability to look outside of the facts for off beat or less conventional solutions. This ability to look past the obvious facts opens more doors and possible outcomes for both personal situations and professional ones.

For example, a person who utilizes positive thinking skills has a better chance of overcoming a stressful situation like being fired from their job, than a person who possesses little or no positive thinking skills. A positive thinker will use their skills to broaden their new job search and ultimately find better employment in less time.

Are you staying positive in your life for success?

Goal Setting For Success

Since we were kids, we always had an aspiration or goal of some sort. Some of us wanted to become doctors, lawyers, or astronauts. Others were more specific, wanting to own the complete collection of The Simpsons by 20, owning a two-bedroom house by 25 or a having a $5000 a month job by 30. Goal setting has been with us since forever. But, really, is thinking up and dreaming about the goals we have set all there is to it? Of course, not.

Goal setting is not simply about expressing what we want out of life, but also having the drive, the perseverance and the action to reach them and make them happen.

There are several methods to effective goal setting. Here are five of the most basic:

1. Write down the goals you have set.

While our brains have the capacity to save information and remember what they absorb, our goals could get lost and forgotten somewhere between our favorite soap opera and the bills we have to pay. Goal setting works best if we write down the things and events we want to happen, so that we can frequently keep track and check if we are still on the right path. Get creative with your goal setting list. Place them were you see them often so you'll never forget.

2. Set a goal that satisfies what you truly want; not just something that would impress others.

Be true to yourself. Goal setting does not work if what you're aspiring for is for the pleasure and awe of others. Your goal should be something that would make you happy and benefit YOU. After all, you're the one who is going to be working for it.

3. Avoid setting contradicting goals. Be realistic.

For a simpler example, you cannot write down "set aside $500 from salary this month" if you're earning only $800 a month and have a $250 rent. How would you survive on a $50 monthly?

While saving $500 seems like a very good idea and could lead to a fat savings account in no time, it is not realistic. Set your goals based on what you can truly work with.

4. Try to be more detailed when goal setting.

This will help you identify your next move more easily. For instance, "buy a $99 iPod shuffle in one month" is easier to work for than simply setting "buy an iPod". Not only will the more specific goal be easier to achieve, it will also be more satisfying becuase there would be no confusion or what-ifs along the way.

5. Stick to your goals. Avoid straying.

If you've written down, "save $5 from daily expense allocation" then do so diligently. Don't set aside $2 today and just keep a mental note to keep $8 the next day. Be consistent. Cheating on your goal setting list is like cheating on yourself. This is more effective for short-term goals, of course. If you had originally written "own a Honda Scooter by 30" yesterday, surely you can change that and aim higher for a Honda Civic if you find yourself earnings $8000 a month at 25.

The keys to effective goal setting are consistency and discipline. In short, know exactly what you want, to be able get exactly what you want and more. Keep these goal setting tips in mind always and, who knows, your dreams could become reality in no time!

Be a Model

There is this story I remembered when I was still a kid, a series of stories about the ever lazy and ever stupid Juan: How Juan Motivates the Crabs.

This wasn't exactly the title but in the story, Juan appeared to be motivating the crabs when he whispered into them, "Go home, cross the sea and go to Mother. Tell her I'm still here, playing with my mates."

You see, Juan was asked by his mother to buy two big crabs at the market. The market was at the other island; Juan needs to ride a banca just to get to the other side. When he finally bought the crabs that was asked of him, he saw his playmates and was coaxed to play. What happened next, of course, you know by now. He "whispered" on the crabs and motivated them to cross the river.

Many teenagers nowadays are like Juan: love to break rules, don't finish a task assigned, and yes, do something stupid.

What can we do, as parents, to help them set a goal for themselves? We can't just sit there and let them be forever a Juan.

1. Identify the Teens Learning Style

We can't just feed onto teens goals we have set for them. We must understand how they tick, what moves them, and what drives them. We must learn and identify their learning style before we could pursuade them to set a goal for themselves.

The teens learning style could be visual, auditory or kinesthetics.

Visual learners could understand and remember better what they see. These learners would therefore display a sensitivity to visual activities or endeavor such as art or watching the movies.

If your teen daughter wants to be a fashion designer as a profession, show her pictures of designs made by renowned fashion gurus. Or have her watch movies from different eras for her to see the changes of styles through time. After that, encourage her to set goals for her dreams, like, designing her sister's winter dress.

2. Find Ways to Keep A Score Card

Goal setting for teens can be a tedious job. Remedy this by keeping a score card of his or her achievements.

This score card would give teens an idea if they are keeping abreast with their set goals, or the projects that they have undertaken are well defined.

Teens needs to see and understand the outcome of the set goals before they would even start to act on that goal. Not doing so would make them lose interest.

3. Define the End

When setting a goal, try to be specific. If the set goal is unclear, teens might see goal setting as something that keeps them away from friends. Don't ever let this happen. Goal setting for teens must be presented to teens like entertainment to gain their interest.

When creating a goal setting for teens, give clear instructions.

4. Be a Model

Goal setting for teens can be a very confusing activity. It is important that parents would be there to set goals with.

Let him participate in the family’s activities and let him marvel at each wisdom that he can discover from the interaction.

It is important to ask for their opinion of what they want in life.

Impress upon him that loved ones should always be considered when setting goals in life. They are the ones who would serve as your guide and be your motivation as one journey towards his dreams.

Smile For Success

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a smile is worth a million. The power of a smile is incredible. Even if you don’t feel like smiling, the simple act of lifting the corners of your mouth can help you lift your entire spirit and find something worth smiling about. Some of the greatest self-help advice out there comes from those who advocate “fake it until you make it.” This is especially true when it comes to positive thinking, and faking a smile goes a long way toward producing the genuine thing. You may end up laughing at yourself merely because you know you have nothing to smile about.

Another great thing about smiles- they’re highly contagious. A smile spreads faster than a cold in a daycare. Most people can’t help smiling back when someone casts a happy expression their way. This is a simple and exciting theory that you can test out for yourself. Go to any public place and start smiling at random people, then keep track of how many smile back (even suspicious smirking counts!). You’ll likely find that 9 out of 10 of your targets return your joyful expression to some small degree, and you’ve probably just made their day a little brighter, too.

Learning to smile on demand is an important step in developing a permanently positive mindset. One good technique for summoning smiles is to choose a happy memory that never fails to fill you with good feelings. Keep this memory at the front of your mental catalogue, and access it whenever you feel a case of the blues coming on. It may not solve your problems, but it will at least make you smile- which in turn helps you relax and take an objective look at your situation. Smiling often creates a mental cue for the foundation of positive thinking and helps prime the pumps of happiness.

You should also spend a little time in front of the mirror observing your own expressions. At first this practice may seem uncomfortable or downright silly, but smiling at your own reflection has a positive effect on your psyche. You can even practice different smile variations: the amused smirk; the close-lipped leg-pulling smile; the toothy grin; the laugh-out-loud open-mouthed smile. Think of it as an Olympic event...it’s your personal Smile Marathon, and you’ll win the gold every time!

Exercises that reinforce positive thinking

In order to reap the personal and professional benefits of staying positive, you must first train your mind to think positively automatically – without you consciously having to decide to “be positive”. To do this you will need to take certain steps.

First, you will need to make a conscious decision to pursue positive thinking and then commit wholeheartedly to realizing that goal. In order for positive thinking to have an impact on your life you will also need to believe in its benefits. And, since there will be setbacks throughout your journey, you will need the power of your convictions to help keep you on track.

Once you have committed to learning the skills of positive thinking, you will need to use certain exercises to teach yourself the methods and to reinforce the affirmative thoughts in your mind. The following is a list of ways to learn and practice the art of positive thinking.

Review your self-talk- The first step to learning positive thinking skills is to review the type of thinking you are currently engaging in now. Think back to the last bad day that you had. How did you react? What types of things were you saying to yourself, both internally and out loud? What feelings did you have immediately about the situation? What feelings did you take away from the situation? How do you feel about the situation now?

The answers to the above questions will give you a pretty good idea of what type of self-talk you usually engage in. For example, did you beat yourself up about the problem? Did your mind search for ways in which the problem was ultimately your fault? Did you blame the incident on bad luck?

We have the power to literally "talk" ourselves into or out of success and satisfaction.

What is positive thinking?

Before putting the powers of positive thinking to work in your personal and professional life, you must first understand exactly what positive thinking is. By definition, the word positive means dealing with matters of fact; expressed clearly, or in a confident or peremptory manner. However, in the concept of positive thinking, the word positive is meant to signify a manner of thinking: a manner that puts emphasis on processing thoughts in a more desirable, upbeat way. Positive thinking can be described as the practice of embracing the affirmative in our thoughts, our feelings, our actions, our reactions and our speech.

Positive thinking can also be described as a type of attitude. Happy, optimistic people are usually described as having positive attitudes and expressing positive thoughts. People who consistently "look on the bright side" are utilizing positive thinking.

Most importantly, positive thinking can be described as a skill that can be acquired by anyone. By learning the process of positive thinking, you can more easily reach your goals, whether they are personal goals or professional ones.

So, now you know how to describe positive thinking, but what is it? Positive thinking is the act of reviewing thought processes and personal actions for areas that need improvement and for areas with negative implications, and then using the appropriate tools to change those thoughts or actions in a positive, goal-oriented way.

Starting Success In School

All students have universal needs such as good study skills, effective time management, academic and social support systems, and recreational outlets. You may be well out of proper direction if one of these is not given value. You can be guided by a good set of goals.

A set of goals will begin by having a clear understanding of your overall vision or long range goals. You must have a definition of why you are in school and what is important to you now and hereafter.

Set goals that are manageable, realistic and attainable for you now as a student and in the future - meaning short term and long term plans. Set concrete and specific goals that you can transform into achievable tasks on a daily basis. Specific short term goals can be "study my chemistry lessons at least 1 hour every night" compared to the usual "study more." Being specific in making goals will guide you on what you are exactly set out to do.

Goal setting improves students' self-image. It calls to awareness your strengths that are necessary to overcome and provide solutions to problems, and your weaknesses so you can start to improve them. If students learn how to set their goals properly, it can give them visualization on how to plan actions to achieve goals and how to carry them out.

Other benefits of goal setting

- motivates you to set priorities as a student and make a clear direction of your desires

- makes you responsible in the decision making process

After you have set your goals, here are some ways that can help you while you are achieving them:

- find a group of friends that you can really trust even with your life. You can develop friendship with someone that cares about you and your goals.

- develop your study habits. Do not force yourself if you cannot concentrate, instead walk away from your notes for awhile and relax your mind. Then you can go back to studying as soon as you feel better.

- design yourself a schedule that will help you manage your time and your school activities. Make one and stick to it faithfully.

- communicate with your teacher right from the start. If you have questions, ask. This will help you better understand your lessons while maintaining a good relationship with your teacher.

- focus especially during exams, afterwards you can relax after receiving good grades.

Follow through

Your goals are surely challenging. You will expect and encounter problems and setbacks. That is why self-discipline and persistence are important parts of your action plan.

Being a self-disciplined student and person sometimes means doing what you don't want to do and giving up something you want - so that you can achieve greater goals. Sometimes, you need to pass up on a movie invitation to give time to studying your lessons for an exam the next day. This can be difficult with peer pressure to add, but just remember that you can watch all the movies you want after passing your all your tests.

Strong will and determination are important for failures are numerous. It is a matter of asking yourself if you truly are willing to do what is needed to get what you really want.

Discipline and persistence are vital ingredients you shouldn't take for granted.

Do all these with a good attitude.

After all, all of the tests and papers will be over soon enough and a bigger challenge awaits, success in the corporate world.

Keep Going

Bad things happen to good people. It’s a fact of life. One of the most extraordinary things about human beings is our capacity for resilience in the face of trauma. Miraculous survival and recovery are not occasional happenings in the world. Every day, someone survives a tragedy. Every day, someone takes another step toward a happier life despite a past trauma. Every day, life goes on, and we adjust. And we are stronger for it.

The suggestions in this section, once again, are not substitutes for professional psychiatric care. However, many people have found self-help effective for relieving the stress of trauma and taking control of themselves. Whether you choose to seek professional help or embark on a healing path yourself, know that you can break free and begin to live again when tragedy touches you. You don’t have to let trauma keep you from achieving what you want out of life.

You can choose just one, or any combination of these techniques to work on freeing yourself from trauma. If you are uncomfortable with an approach, move on to another selection.

“It Could Be Worse”: Dramatization and Awareness

For mild trauma, sometimes laughter really is the best medicine. If you are able to look at the situation objectively, you may be able to “laugh it off,” or at least arm yourself with enough knowledge to realize you had it easy.

There are two ways to approach this method. The first is to simply use your imagination. Picture the trauma, and then imagine all the ways in which it could have been worse. For example, if you have a checking account, you may have bounced a check, ended up having to pay a fee to the bank and had to postpone paying one of your bills or go without something you planned to purchase.

Now, imagine what might have happened if you bounced multiple checks. You might have had to put off several payments. The snowball effect could have caused you to lose your car, or have your power shut off. Your bills could have spiraled out of control, eventually leaving you homeless.* When you imagine the worst, it’s easier to put setbacks into perspective.

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” - Sir Winston Churchill

Don't stop until you make it out the other side!