The Powerful Subconscious Mind

The subconscious is an extremely powerful tool which is very poorly understood by virtually all scientists. We know more about space than we know of the deep oceans depths and in the same way we know just as little about the one thing every human being has in their possession...the subconcious part of our own brains.

Why have are we still failing to unlock the secrets of the brain? Is it still as much as a mystery as it when humans first started to study it? I think so...

When directed we know for fact that the subconscious is very powerful. A well known scientific experiment took two groups of basketball players, one group was asked to visual taking shots as part of their training while the other group continued as normal. The group who were asked to use visualisation were found to have improved their performances when compared to the other group.

Another example of the motivated subconscious mind was an experiment done where group of people were asked to visualise as vividly as possible working out in the gym and doing their normal training routine...but...not actually do any of the exercise. At the end of the trial it was found that the athletes actually improved their performances slightly and didn't decline as you would expect.

A motivated, directed subconscious mind is very powerful

If you are serious about unlocking the power of your subconscious mind, you will find these worth reading, Self Improvement: The Top 101 Experts and Mind Power Books

----------------------------------------------------------------

The Power of the Subconscious Mind

You know when you’re trying to recall an actor’s name or that great book you want to recommend? It’s on the tip of your tongue but just out of reach? After wracking your brains for what seems an age, you give up only to have the name pop up in your mind later on. How did you do that? How come you couldn’t remember the name when you were trying so hard?

This isn’t confined to recalling names though and if you can recall a time you were trying to think of a work or home solution you will know the feeling of frustration and eventual resignation as you give up in disgust. So what to do? Well, stop thinking about it and the answer will come.

When I was trying to decide in which direction to take my business recently, I suddenly had a vision of online courses while I was putting on my make up. As each idea came to me I quickly jotted it down on a pad, and within 10 minutes, I’d got the outline of a free mini programme, and finished applying my make up too! Before then I’d been wracking my brains trying to come up with some new ideas to no avail.

So, the next time you’re looking for a solution, put the problem to the back of your mind and say to yourself you’d like an answer by a given time and see what happens. Sometimes the answers come in unexpected ways, which you may miss at first, but the more you use this method the more success you’ll have. After all, somehow the name of that actor always does present itself to you doesn’t it? If you don’t think of it yourself, someone talks about him on the radio, or you see him in a film clip on TV and say, “That’s the actor I was trying to think of the other day, what a coincidence.” But was it a coincidence or was it really the power of your subconscious mind?

Pam Stokes is a Business & Personal Development Coach. Besides coaching, she provides interactive online courses for busy people, mentors newly qualified and trainee coaches, and runs workshops in stress management and NLP. Free downloads are available at http://www.pamstokesassociates.co.uk

Why Don't You Help Yourself?

Many people long for a change of job, a change of lifestyle, a change of direction but many people never achieve this change. Why?

There are many why reasons people don't change their situation. Many are too afraid to try, others are too lazy and a very large number don't know how to change.

Recent surveys have shown that 80% of employed working people would like to change their jobs. Another startling fact from the same survey has found that 84% of employed people are under employed. This means they are carrying out duties which are below their capability whereas they're capable of carrying out a more responsible and senior position in their organisation.

The sad fact is, they don't even know it

There are many articles, books, courses and advice available for people wishing to 'better themselves' and I don't doubt there are many people who buy them. But what do they do with them when they have bought them? It's an absolutely certainty that the vast majority don't follow the advice given in the book or course. There are many reasons but they all have the same thing in common. People take NO action. We emphasise that this article will not be another self help manual on "How To".

What we are going to do is examine some of the reasons why people don't take advantage of opportunities staring them in the face.

You first need to critically examine your own situation in your working life.

Your self analysis will tell you if you are content and happy with your present situation. If so, you have reached your comfort level. But if you're not satisfied you can then start to think about how you are going to change things. Whatever you decide is necessary to improve your lot you must be determined to succeed. You need to believe you will be successful in your endeavours to change your situation, no matter what happens along the way.

Success is defined as:- "The achievement of something desired, planned or attempted. The gaining of prosperity or status".

Other things come to mind once you are successful, such as, Peace of Mind, Freedom from Fear, from Stress, from Worry and other problems.

Another important element of success is Health and Vitality. This is an individual situation but we can all improve our health and vitality.

Relationships are an excellent way of helping to obtain success. If you don't get on with people or are too introvert you will need to increase your confidence and self esteem. One of the most important necessities in being successful is to have Financial Security. This means you need to have sufficient resources to meet your needs during your search for success.

When you have met the criteria above you can start to PLAN how to achieve your ambitions. 'Plan' is the operative word. Without careful and detailed planning you will have difficulty in reaching your goal. You must Plan how to attain your objective by planning in stages and continually monitor your progress towards your goal.

If you have carried out the original self analysis correctly and fixed your objective firmly in mind (say to replace Bill Gates as the CEO of Microsoft!) you should have no difficulty in setting out each step by step progress, time frame, requirements and be in a position at any time to check your progress. When you do this you will see the areas where you are not performing well enough and immediately take remedial action.

Set your objectives realistically. Don't aim too high in the initial stages, always look for an opportunity to learn and gain experience. Learn from your superiors, your friends, your acquaintances and never miss an opportunity to promote yourself. If you follow these steps seriously, with considerable thought and determination you can succeed and continually improve your life-style.

If you do decide to take action to change your situation, whether it be to obtain promotion at work, start your own business or branch out into a new field you will find plenty of advice and assistance to help you prosper.

You can do anything you want if you MOTIVATE yourself correctly.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Self Help

Vision: Yours

Today, yes this very day, a dear family friend, only 48, did not wake up. Yesterday he was fine. Today the funeral is being planned.

We do not know how long we have. Not you. Not me. Not anyone. The grim reaper shows up when he will.

Have you a vision of your potential legacy? Is there a plan in position, your plan, to leave this world a better place. Surely you know that’s why the creator of us all gave us breath and life.

Each day we speak or train, we have the opportunity to allow some part of our vision to be actualized.

I love to share the Johnny Appleseed story from the platform. Picture this frail old man, sack over his back, walking by the side of the road aided by his cane. He pauses every 30 feet, or so, and pokes his cane into the earth.

He reaches into his sack. He takes out one apple core and gently pushes it into the hole made by his cane. He tamps it down with his shoe. Then he walks on. 10 or 12 paces ahead he repeats the performance, a little smile on his lips.

A small boy watches, pulls on the old man’s sleeve and says, “I know what you’re doing. And you won’t be here to see those trees get big, produce apples and give shade.”

The old man wipes his brow with his big red neckerchief. “In that case,” he replies, “I think I’ll plant a few extras today.” His vision is obvious.

What is your vision. What is your vision of the possible you, of the reality that is to be because you stand and speak?

We don’t have to change the macrocosm, the whole world. What matters is that we add value, all we can add, for those in the microcosm, our personal worlds, yours and mine: All the people we know, all the places we go, all the circumstances and conditions of our lives. And that we do it while we can . . .

Are we walking our talks? Are we justifying the space we take up and the resources we consume on this earth? Are we being a model of the possible human? Have we a vision, our personal vision, of our respective legacies? This is what we must face. This is what we must consider in the still watches of the night.

After all, there are only so many tomorrows. . .

© Burt Dubin. Burt Dubin is author of "The Speaking Success System," an unusually effective mentoring program to help speakers reach their career goals faster. Get your complimentary 7 part e-course on how to succeed faster as a paid speaker plus Burt’s Speaking Biz Strategies Letter at: http://www.burtdubin.com/bonus.html Contact Burt at: (928) 753-7546 or 1-800-321-1225 Fax:(928) 753-7554

Will You Keep On Slaying Dragons Or Be A Hero?

“Well, Johnny,” said his Mom, as she closed the book, “that’s it for dragons tonight.”

As she tucked him under the covers, she noticed that he was frowning.

“Do you have something on your mind, son?”

“I think St. George had it easy.”

“No, he didn’t he killed the dragon. It wasn’t easy at all.”

“Anyone can kill a dragon, Mom. It’s not hard. Just stick him with your lance.”

She kissed him on his brow and started to walk out of the room.

“You know what’s hard, Mom?” asked Johnny.

Sighing, Agnes returned and sat on the side of the bed.

“You know, Mom…anyone can kill a dragon. What is real hard is waking up every morning and trying to love people all over again. That takes a real hero.”

There comes a time in every life when people face a day of reckoning. For some it comes early. For others late. Possibly, for a few it never comes.

On that day, you ask: “Did I help someone, did I do well by someone, did I make a difference? Did I love myself, did I love other people, did I love the world?”

It’s easy enough to just drift through life and whittle it away, one uncaring day after another, preoccupied with just trying to survive…but that’s not what this entire earth journey is about at all.

Did you give back to others? Did you love enough? Did you laugh with anyone? Did you understand another’s pain? Did you make a small effort to leave things better than you found them?

Perhaps you don’t have a prescient little soul like Johnny in your life to remind you of the deeper things—but you can still be a hero any day. There’s much more to life than just slaying dragons.

Who did you help today? Who did you hurt today? Who did you thank today? Who did you forgive today?

And how will you do it better tomorrow?

What will you be…today, and tomorrow?

What will you do with the rest of your life?

Will you keep on slaying dragons or be a hero?

Saleem Rana would love to share his inspiring ideas with you. Hunting everywhere for a life worth living? Discover the life of your dreams. His book Never Ever Give Up tells you how. It is offered at no cost as a way to help YOU succeed. http://www.theempoweredsoul.com/enter.html Copyright 2004 Saleem Rana. Please feel free to pass this article on to your friends, or use it in your ezine or newsletter. It's a shareware article.

Count Your Chickens Before They've Hatched

By Deon Du Plessis

At some stage in your life, you've probably been told not to count your chickens before they have hatched. You were probably told to not get your hopes up and to not expect too much - just in case you might be disappointed. For most of us this, or some variation of it, was told to us over and over again by well meaning, but ill informed people. From an early age the idea of staying in an emotional "safe zone" was instilled in most of us until it eventually became belief systems that now control our behaviours.

We live in a culture were the predominant psychology is based in fear. The fear of loss drives and motivates most people's decisions and behaviours. From this mindset the culture invented mechanisms to protect itself and saying like "don't count your chickens before they've hatched" is but only and illustration of how the culture prepares and "grooms" us from an early age to settle for the lowest denominator. "Go for the lowest and easiest to make sure that you at least get something." "Don't expect too much, just in case you don't get anything at all." From this mindset we loose all our power; the power that is born in the belief that we are indeed worthy of all the success and all the abundance that we can possibly dream of.

Expectation is indeed one of the most powerful resources that you possess. An intense anticipation can transform possibility into reality. One of the biggest reasons why most people never get to live their dreams is because they lack the motivation to follow their dreams. The real purpose of a goal is to act like a directional mechanism that guides your life in a specific direction. A strong and exciting goal has the power to motivate and inspire you. When you fuel this goal with expectation you set in motion an unstoppable force that will give you that internal drive that will enable you to create virtually anything you desire. When you count your chickens before they've hatched you create a sense of excitement and enthusiasm that has immense power to motivate you. Success and achievement are rarely the result of your ability but rather the product of your motivation; of your ability to consistently take action on your dreams and goals.

Expectation is not the same as hope. Most people hope that one day they will get what they really want or that one day they will get lucky and all their dreams will come true. Hoping is nothing but a weak prayer. Hoping always includes success and failure while expectation is solely fixed on one single outcome. When you count your chickens before they've hatched you nurture your expectation; you make it stronger and most importantly, you make it real. It is a fixity of purpose where no one or no-thing can throw you off course. When you create that intense feeling of expectation you not only imagine having what you want but you start to create the feeling of already having it.

Whatever you expect with certainty will become your own self fulfilling prophecy. We all long for certainty on some level. For most people certainty comes from seeing and experiencing things before they "believe" it. This is why they keep re-creating and experiencing the same old things over and over again. When you use your mind, your emotions and your imagination to create the certainty within you, then anything is possible. Expectation goes beyond hoping. You want to be like the little kid on Christmas who knows that he's getting a new bike, but he has to wait until Christmas morning before he can actually feel and touch it.

Have you ever ordered something really exciting and then had to wait for it in the post? You knew you were going to get it and you anxiously await the moment of delivery. You anticipate the moment where the image in your mind's eye becomes real and where you can touch it, even though the imaginary experience felt just as real. This is what expectation really is. It is getting excited in advance. It is feeling the feelings in advance. It is the most powerful motivator there is. Expectation, fuelled by emotion, acts like a vacuum within you. It is like a thirst that forms a burning desire that you will do anything to fulfil. This is when your "should's" become "musts" and when it is a must you will get it.

With expectation you can start to transform your perception of life, especially your life. Because you no longer hope for what you want, you expect it to come along any second. There are no more doubts and no more hoping. There is only a knowing and a feeling of certainty. When you know something you can stop doubting and questioning. Now, every situation becomes an opportunity to receive your goal. Every person becomes a player in the process and every problem becomes a stepping stone towards the realization of your dreams. You have that certainty that the outcome is resolved and that you are merely in the process; waiting for "Christmas morning" to come.

You have to let go of the mentality that is based on the fear of loss; the mentality that is grounded in the belief that you are not worthy of having it all. Let go of the beliefs that you might be disappointed when you give it your all and it doesn't work out. All they do is to lock you up in a world where you never even "try" just because you might not make it. If anything you want to overestimate your abilities. Over estimate your capability. When you feel like you are running up a hill that is too steep, don't turn back and run down hill. Instead, up the prize for getting to the top. Make the reward more compelling and you will find within yourself a strength that was previously unavailable. This is how you access your real resources, those resources that lie asleep within you waiting to be called upon. Nothing of significant value has ever been created without enthusiasm.

Do whatever it takes to "count" your chickens; whatever it takes to create the feeling of already having it. If you have goals you need to start living them and the way you do that is to build your expectation. Do whatever it takes to create the feeling of already having it. Make it real. The legendary musician, Jackson Browne once said that whenever he gets nominated for an award he always expects to win, even when he is the underdog. He always prepares a victory speech. What is your victory speech? How can you prepare for what you desire most from life? What can you do to make it real? Most people plan to fail by never expecting to succeed. Remember that your results will rarely exceed your expectations.

This article is published with the permission of the author, Deon Du Plessis. He is the founder of The Self Improvement Gym, and author (in)action, a groundbreaking new action guide on eliminating procrastination. For more of his in-depth insights into personal development and access to his free self improvement library visit http://www.The Self Improvement – Gym.com