How To Make And Keep A Purposeful New Years Resolution

I don’t often include full articles that I’ve written on my ‘Beyond Positive Thinking Blog’, but I have already had some good feedback from this so I thought I would include it completely as is with it being the right time of year and all. I hope you find it useful:  

Yes it’s that time of year again. Time for making and breaking yet another promise to yourself! Ring any bells? Here’s what generally happens. You pick a random subject that is your current sore spot. You make some sweeping promise such as ‘I’m going to drop five dress sizes’ or ‘I won’t eat chocolate ever again’ and then after a few days of being strong you let it slip become de-motivated that you couldn’t even keep one simple promise and give in. You then forget all about your initial good intentions and end up right back at square one where you started. 

But what if you could actually make a promise to yourself and REALLY keep it. What exactly would YOU change? Just imagine how rewarding it would feel to purposefully change your life for the better. What would you do? Would you make yourself trimmer, slimmer, fitter – curb your spending habits, save more money, earn more, improve your career, quit smoking. What exactly would it be? 

Go on choose one because I’m here to tell you that you can actually make and keep a life changing New Years Resolution (NYR) by following a few simple ground rules. Ok let’s cut to the chase, here they are: Instead of deciding to choose some unrealistic goal as your NYR, instead pick something that is more straight forward and achievable. For example if your goal is to become fitter and healthier instead of just promising this to yourself choose a measurable objective. This could be to lower your blood pressure, percentage body fat or whatever measurable related goal you can think of.  

Next you need to write your goal down. Writing it down takes it out of the dream world and brings it into the real world. It solidifies in our mind what you are trying to achieve. You should also write this statement as though it has already happened; this has very strong sub-conscious power. So, you could write: ‘I run three times a week for thirty minutes, weigh just 80 kilos and I am fit and healthy. Notice that this statement is written as though it has already happened and also includes: a) specific things that you will do to achieve the goal ‘run three times a week’. b) measurable objectives to observe your progress – ‘to weigh just 80 kilos’.c) your over-all goal – ‘I am fit and healthy’ 

By following this three step process you can create a powerful statement of intent for your NYR. This is actually known as a positive affirmation.  Now you have written your NYR/Positive Affirmation you need to do these three things to make it work for you: 1)      Repeat it aloud to yourself at least 6 times a day. In the morning and before you go to bed are the best times to do this. As it sets the tone for the day ahead and places the positive thoughts in your mind just before you sleep.  

2)      Whilst you read the statement you need to imagine yourself the way you intend to be. Really see yourself living the way you wish to become. See yourself fitter and healthier – running around the park with a more toned and slender physique. Imagine how you will think and feel with this new body.

3)      Be persistent. You must repeat this process everyday and go beyond positive thinking. The best way to do this is write this statement on the back of a photo or piece of card and put it in your wallet/purse so that every time you have a spare moment you can take it out and remind yourself what you are achieving (you might not want to read it aloud on the bus though;). You can do this anytime: on the commute to work or at moments when you feel weak and want to give in. It is even better if the photo you use if of the thing you are trying to achieve e.g. a picture of yourself when you were fit or of someone else who you would realistically like to emulate – not a super model – you need to keep your goals realistic and achievable.

Ok then, there you have it. You have just created for yourself a powerful new affirmation to change your life and you know exactly how to go about making it real in your life. Granted the changes will not occur overnight but in six months time you could have made very significant changes to your life and remember those six months will come around anyway. So what would you rather do: put it off and stay the way you are or take action so that in six months time you really have improved your life. 

There are now no excuses! So go out there and start to change your life today with the beyond positive thinking blog to help you! For similar articles to this one and more about positive affirimations click: Power Of Positive Thinking Now

Beyond Positive Thinking: Latest Poetry Attempt……..

Actually I came up with this poem once completely out of the bluw whilst I was out hiking in New-Zealand a while back. It is not really a positive thinking poem more of a view of life and where we my find help.  When I’m out in the hilss and in other such beautiful places I often come out with such words. Sometimes I forget the shortly afterwards, sometimes I get chance to write them down. Anyway let me know what you think of this one or let’s hear one of your own:

Life is full of twists and turns sometimes it;s hard to tell,

which way to go which path to tread and if your doing well,

some paths are broad and easy some paths require more care,

whilst a few are dark and tricky that you shouldn’t even dare.

next time you start to wander and begin to stray

just ask the Lord your maker and he will guide the way.

 Ok so I’m certainly no genius but it is always refreshing to be creative. Sometimes that creative spark is stifled so much inside you that when it does finally force it’s way out it produces something really worth sharing. Don’t be shy I’m sure you’ve got some taelnts, gifts or whatever, dont hide them away share them on the beyond positive thinking blog! 

The New Think And Grow Rich

I f you haven’t heard of the book think and grow rich then i seriously suggest you check it out, in fact google it now and get a copy…..oops nearly forgot you can get it FREE if you go to PositiveMindWealth.com. Seriously it is a very valuable read and claims to have launched over a million millionaires. The principles in the book complement many of the traditional positive thinking techniques that are often recommended only in a step by step process that makes everything see a bit more do-able.

Anyway this post is to let you know that I have just received the all new copy of the classic book. It has been writtenand re-launched by American Ted Ciuba. Ted himself went from hiding out from debt collectors in caravan parks in Texas to multi-millionaire using the same principles in the book. It is a good story in itself indeed even more so when he claims that he had a visitation or whatever from Napoleon Hill himself ordering him to rewrite the book. Hmmm is that self delusional or byond positive thinking! Come on Ted what do you say?

Just to put you in the picture the tradtitional book by todays standards is shall we say a bit dated with some of the language used and the examples given. It is therefore not the most compelling read I’ve ever had but the magnificent principles suggested and used are extremely valuable. Ted’s new version however includes some excelent insights into the ‘Think And Grow Rich’ philosophy and so far I have found it a very good read. It is definetely more understandable and makes the principles ceare than the original. The message stays the same but Ted has done a good job judging by the first few chapters I’v read so far.

I’ll let you no more when I get more from it. Meanwhile you can get the full original version by clicking on the following link: Power Of Positive Thinking. More from the beyond positive thinking blog soon….

Add Years To Your Life With Positive Thinking!

Another article exposing the benefits of positive thinking. This time in the arena of health. Apparently having a positive attitude is actually more benficial than exercise and maintaining low blood pressure in terms of adding years to your life.

Beyond Positive Thinking:  Full article here

The article goes on to explain how a study conducted over 23 years showed that people with who believed that as they got older their usefulness would deteriorate actually did so and hence death rates were higher in these individuals. It seems to me that self inflicted beliefs or beliefs that are forced upon individuals through out life actually shape their lives to a much greater degree than was previously thought. In a way it appears people who do not actively control their thoughts are shaped and controlled by society to fit into what it expects of them.

I therefore suggest being constantly mindful of your thoughts. It is undoubtedly a difficult skill to master but I believe is a real key to success in any sphere in life.

So how do you actually control your thoughts to create your own reality?

Well here are a few of my quick tips:

Try to associate with the people you wish to become like.

Consciously ‘drop’ thoughts that are negative and simply move on to a more positive feeling thought.

Use affirmations regularly to constantly remind yourself what you wish to become like and to ingrain in your sub-conscious mind positive thought patterns.

The reasons why these techniques work isn’t of the greatest importance but what is, is to start using them now and figure out mor of your own solutions aswell.

Click power of positive thinking for more in depth information a bout these and similar techniques.

And please feel free to share some of your own ideas and tips with us all at the beyond positive thinking blog

Beyond Positive Thinking: An Unusually Useful E-mail!

Hello again today I received an e-mail from someone which coincedentally said everything I wanted to say today. So I am including the full copy of the e-mail here. If you wish to subscribe to this gentlemans email list  you will find the link at the bottom of the page. Here’s the e-mail now…. 

On Apollo 13, the crew staged the first strike in the history of space travel.  The
date was December 27, 1973.  Mission Control had sent more commands than the crew
could cope with.  Commander General Carr put a stop to this when he radioed in to
Mission Control.  “You have given us too much to do,” he complained.  “We’re not
going to do a thing until you get your act in better order.”
       
He then shut off communications for 12 hours.  The astronauts used the time to catch
up and enjoy the unusual view.       
       
The Success Principle
       
Success happens in small steps.  Scale down big projects.  Go for small victories.

Over time, small victories add up to complete the overall goal.
       
The Principle At Work
       
In the parable, the space crew scaled everything down to regain control of their
mission.  They reduced an overwhelming situation to a manageable one.  Here you have
an example of scaling down the element of time.  While the projects remained the
same size, they were extended over time.  They became more manageable, easier to get
done.

The key word here is manageable.
       
Scaling down can also be done in terms of size.  A project can be broken down into
smaller units, into sub-projects.  When the parts of a whole are disconnected, each
part can be worked on.  A system with fewer interconnected parts is easier to
comprehend, easier to control, manipulate, and improve.  Science, itself, is based
on boiling down the vast complexity of nature into small, comprehensible units of
information called scientific laws.  Gradually, the completed parts are assembled
into a whole again.
       
In your own life, when things get overwhelming, scale them down.  Either do less of
them, diminish the size; or do them all over a longer period of time.  Scaling down
means working at a level of competence.  It means doing only a few things, and one
thing at a time.
       
Ultimately, scaling down means shunning big wins for smaller wins.  Going for big
wins creates high stress, confusion, loss of momentum and balance. 
       
When a large problem is broken down into smaller chunks, stress is reduced in three
ways.  First, a small win cuts the pressure.  “This is no big deal.”  The price of
failure is low.  The pain of failure is minimal.  Consequently, you are willing to
try again and again, until you figure out the pattern which ensures success.
Second, it cuts demand.  There is less to do.  And it is less strenuous.  “This is
all that needs to be done.”

Third, the level of skill needed is sufficient.  Performance anxiety is reduced.  A
sense of competency exists.  “I can do at least this much.”
       
What is a small victory?
       
A small victory is a concrete, complete, clear-cut outcome of modest value.   By
itself, one small victory may seem trivial.  But a series of victories at small but
significant tasks lowers resistance to opposition.  Small victories are controllable
opportunities.  They produce visible results.
       
Small solutions single out and define problems clearly.  By looking at specific,
limited conditions of a problem, it is easier to find a solution that fits.  The
problem is easier to see and the solution easier to try out.
       
Small victories emphasize the importance of defining limits.  They avoid defining
problems diffusely.  “The establishment stinks.”  They avoid open-ended solutions.
“Burn the system down.”  They define problems more precisely.  “This is what is
wrong.”  They narrow solutions.  “This is the first thing we have to work on.”
       
Once a small victory has been secured, energy is released and powerful forces are
set in motion that favors another small victory.  When a problem is solved, the next
solvable problem appears.  This happens because information is clear.  When our
perceptions are sharper, more resources, both inner and outer, can be tapped.
       
Small victories change a situation.  They stir up change.  Even when complexity does
occur in the future, you will have the skills to meet them.  In time, more complex
tasks are handled with more mastery.
       
Small victories provide information.  This information speeds up learning and
adaptation.  Small attempts are miniature experiments.  They test theories.  They
offer insight into viable strategies.  In little experiments, numerous theories can
be postulated; numerous strategies tried out, until something a click, a pattern is
discerned, a meaningful solution appreciated.
          
Small victories are also more emotionally stable.  A small defeat does not result in
despondency, a small victory in exuberance.  Everything is relatively even-tempered.
A large, sudden victory can be overwhelming.  Lottery millionaires, for example,
have been known to lose all their money rapidly.  This is different from the
businessman who understands how to manage his money, even when it runs in millions,
because he has built his business over a series of small victories.
       
Essentially, then, the best big victories are those that have arrived over a period
of time as a series of small victories.  These victories have stability, balance,
and perpetuating power.  They have matured over time because they have been built up
over a process of events.  Big corporations, for example, sometimes break themselves
down into smaller departments to stimulate the creativity and dynamism of a small
group.
        
Above all, when you initiate a small-scale project, or break a large project into
small-scale projects, there is less that can go wrong.  There is a closer link
between cause and effect.  Simple patterns can be created, observed, tested,
discarded, tried out, and finally trusted.  Immediate feedback is available as to
what works and how long it takes.  Clarity of vision, manageability of tasks, and
immediacy of results – all these arise from pursuing small victories.
       
A striking example of the cumulative effect of small victories is that of the
Pittsburgh Steelers in 1980.  By February of that year, the Pittsburgh Steelers in
the National Football League had won an astonishing 88 games and lost only 27.
Under their coach, Chuck Noll, they broke about even with strong opponents and won
by a landslide against weaker opponents.  With strong opponents, they won 29 games
and lost 26 games.  Against weak opponents, they won 59 games and lost one game.
Thus, their fabulous statistics were based on small victories spread over time.
       
Another example is that of the rise of the Women’s Liberation Movement.  The
feminist campaign against sexism did not make much progress when they aimed for the
big victory of changing legislation, the Equal Rights Amendment.  But through the
smaller victory of desexing language, they made successful inroads into changing the
collective consciousness regarding women’s rights.  The smaller reforms worked and
were adopted with less resistance because they tackled issues of a discernible,
size, clarity, and visibility.
       
The Bottom Line
       
Small victories may not inspire much attention, but through methodical persistence
something large and awesome is created.  Great men and women succeed moment by
moment, step by step, lifted up by one small victory after another, until they reach
a lofty and impressive pinnacle of success and influence.
       
I’ll talk to you tomorrow,

Saleem Rana

———————————————————————————————————
P.S.  Did you like this lesson? 

Win the gratitude of your friends.  Help them improve their lives, too.  Forward
this letter to them.  Simply ask them to scroll down to the bottom here.  They can
then follow this link to sign up for their own success lessons, too.

Sign up: http://theempoweredsoul.com/enter.html

I hope you agree that this was worth repeating in full here –  beyond positive thinking signing off.

Power of Positive Thinking

Applications Of Positive Thinking

 At last…..proof of the potential that positive thinking can reduce pain!

I was just rummaging through google a few moments a go and came across an article regarding how positive thinking is being researched as powerful tool to reduce pain. Apparently it is all to do with expectation. Here’s a short snipp it of the article for you:

“US experts say they have strong scientific proof that mind over matter works for relieving pain.
Positive thinking was as powerful as a shot of morphine for relieving pain and reduced activity in parts of the brain that process pain information.

The Wake Forest University researchers say their findings show that by merely expecting pain to be less it will be less.

Their work is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.”

Full article click here

I just get the feeling there are so many ways the world could benefit by learning ‘how to think’. There seems to be so much time effort and money spent researching for maig pills….and don’t get me wrong…I thoroughly appreciate all the advances of modern science, I just wonder
how much we could discover and improve our lives if we spent as much money studying the power of positive thinking.

I’m going to try and expose a few more examples of positive thinking being used effectively through this blog so that more people may see and make use of it’s benefits. Eventually I would love to see this kind of philosophy and positive approach to life being taught in schools.

Anyway I’ll sign off today with Glenn Mcgrath (Australian cricket team bowler) expressing the usual optimism and confidence of a great sportsman:

“I think we’ll win the ashes 5-0″

Only time will tell Glenn! (personally I think that is way beyon positive thinking – rememeber last time;)

Discover more information on the power of positive thinking – click here.

Way Beyond Positive Thinking: “I’ll Do As Many As I D** Well Want!”

Last night I went to a Muay Thai boxing event. Having lived in Thailand previousIy I have developed an interest in the Art. I’ve only been training a few months for it myself but during that time I have been lucky enough to train with a ‘World Champion’ who trains at the same camp as me. It was interesting to note his mental approach to training. When we were instructed to do fifty pushups with our feet raised on a platform a metre above the ground, the other guy I was training with said aloud ‘I’ll try and do fifty, but I’m not very good at these’ to which the champ replied: ‘thats’the wrong thing to say. You should say: I’ll do as many as I d** well want’.And guess what, he went on to do a good deal more than fifty. OK granted fifty push-ups isn’t much to a full-time athlete but it was the mental approach that I wanted to pass on to you. Positively affirming the outcome you want. Anyway, just thought I’d pass that on to your beyond positive thinking memory bank.

Beyond Positive Thinking: Quick Tip

The power of positive thinking dictates that:

‘Everything will be great in the end,

If it’s not great it’s not the end’

More at: power of positive thinking  in association with the beyond positive thinking blog.

The Rich Get Richer And The Poor Get Poorer!

Here’s a little thought provoking quote for you:

“You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success – or are they holding you back?” - W. Clement Stone.In my eyes the things that surround you the most are people. So the question to ask is are the people around you providing a positive or negative influence on your life. Did you ever hear the saying that ‘you become who you associate with’, well in my opinion one of the quickest ways to fast track your success then is to start associating with the type of people you wish to become like. I also remember  this certain anecdote, see how accurate it is for you:

“Take the salary of your four closest friends, workout the average and it will be very close to that which yours is”.

I’m willing to bet that it’s not far off for most people reading this. It just shows that who you associate with really is important in life.  Riches of course aren’t the main aim for a lot of people but in any field the same principles apply. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (Champion bodybuilder, Movie Star and Politician) experience of this philosophy is:
“Positive thinking can be contagious. Being surrounded by winners helps you develop into a winner.” Right then, I’m off to look for some winners to hang with! any takers? My shout of course. And by now of course you’ll have relised what the titles got to do with any of this, right?

More from the beyond  positive thinking blog soon.