There is a strong controversy in Psychology about the effects of nature, our genetics and nurture, our environment affects our behavior. Psychologist and attorneys have argued that because of nature or nurture (you choose) we behave a certain way. Although I believe there are some behaviors that are genetic, such as the startle reflex, I believe that most of our behaviors are learned in our environment but neither of these theories excuse our actions. I believe we can choose the way we behave. That’s what today’s article is about, our habitual patterns of acting.

Everyone one of us has habits we are not exactly enamored with, from biting our nails to eating too much chocolate at 10:30 at night. Some of these habits can have an enormously negative effect on our lives. That’s why I wrote this article, it’s for those of you who like me have some things that you do on a regular basis that you would like to change. So enjoy, and I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day!

“First we make our habits, then our habits make us.” -  Charles C. Noble

Let’s face it, we all have bad habits and habits can be very hard to break. It doesn’t matter if the habit you’ve acquired is overeating, smoking, talking bad about yourself or others, swinging your golf club too hard or even regularly getting agitated while driving (like I do)  changing our bad habits is something we would all like to be able to do but struggle to accomplish.

The problem with unhealthy habits is they can have a negative impact on both your physical and mental health. Bad habits can leave you feeling as if you don’t have any control over your impulses. While changing your habits can be challenging, having a plan can make the process a lot easier.

Here are 7 steps that can help you change bad habits into good ones:

For the rest of this article follow this link…

Maybe you or somebody you know has had the experience of having a slightly negative attitude also. If you have, then maybe these attitude adjustment tips might be helpful. I’ve found that when I’m focused on doing what I’m suggesting here my attitude really changes for the better. So enjoy, and I hope you have a wonderful week!

J. Oppenheimer once told this story, “David received a parrot for his birthday. The parrot was fully grown with a bad attitude and worse vocabulary. Every other word was an expletive. Those that weren’t expletives were, to say the least, rude.

David tried hard to change the bird’s attitude and was constantly saying polite words, playing soft music, and doing anything he could think of to try and set a good example. Nothing worked. He yelled at the bird and the bird got worse. He shook the bird and the bird got angry and ruder.

Finally, in a moment of desperation, David put the parrot in the freezer. For a few moments he heard the bird squawking and kicking and screaming. Then suddenly, there was quiet. David was frightened that he might have actually hurt the bird and quickly opened the freezer door.

The parrot calmly stepped out onto David’s extended arm and said: “I’m sorry that I might have offended you with my language and actions and ask your forgiveness. I will endeavor to correct my behavior”.

David was astounded at the bird’s change in attitude and was just about to ask what had made such a drastic change, when the parrot continued: ‘May I ask what the chicken did?’”

A lot of times we start seeing life a certain way and, as a result, we, like the parrot, begin behaving in a certain manner. As a result we can begin acting in ways that are not very empowering and make our lives dull and unhappy.

The good news is that to change your life, to make it better, often all you need is an slight attitude adjustment. You see, a better tomorrow could start with something as simple as your changing your attitude. Your perspectives, the way you see the world, has a huge effect on your overall happiness. Your attitude can affect your success as well. So by changing your attitude you can change your world.

For the rest of this article follow this link…

Over the years I have found that the way I think, either positively or negatively, directly affects more than just my mood, it affects the outcomes I receive. I have also found that there have been times when it was a lot easier to be negative than positive.

Maybe you or somebody you know has had this experience also. If you have, then maybe these tips might be helpful. I know that when I’ve focused on doing what I’m suggesting here it has definitely helped me. So enjoy, and I hope you have a wonderful week!

“The secret of life isn’t what happens to you, but what you do with what happens to you.” – Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

In 1952 Norman Vincent Peale published “The Power of Positive Thinking”, in my opinion, one of the greatest positive thinking books of all time. It is the foundation of many positive thinking books that are on the market today.

The publishing of that book was the springboard for Dr. Peale to go on and publish a number of other positive thinking books as well as “Guideposts”, a Christian based positive focused monthly magazine. My mom read guideposts for the entire time I knew her and it was because of her I became interested in the power of positive thinking.

Since Dr. Peale, every self-help guru on the planet has said that the way to experience happiness, prosperity, and health is via the doorway of positive thoughts. The interesting thing is that power of positive thinking is easy to talk about and put into action when everything is going great in your life. The problem is that it may not have the same uplifting power as things are crashing and burning all around you. But don’t despair! There is a great deal of potency in the power of positive thinking. When you begin to focus your mind on the positive you can take control of your thoughts and use them to guide you in the direction you want to go. And remember, your thoughts are the driving force toward your destiny.

Use these four simple positive thinking tips to help you achieve the life you want to live:

For the rest of this article follow this link…

I have found that people talk themselves out of being able to do all kinds of things. From being able to write a paper to creating a better life for yourself, you will only be able to do what you believe you are able to do. On the other hand, once you start to believe that you can accomplish whatever is put in front of you, you begin to achieve what seem to be miraculous things.

That’s why I wrote this article. It’s for those of you, who may, like me, who struggle from time to time staying in control of the self-talk that goes on in your head. If you are struggling a little with this then maybe this week’s article will help.

Now on to this week’s article…

“Remember happiness doesn’t depend upon who you are or what you have: it depends solely upon what you think.” – Dale Carnegie

Did you know you are constantly talking with yourself? In fact self-talk is a continual and integral part your life. As soon as you wake up in the morning you start talking to yourself and you don’t stop until you fall asleep at night. Talk, talk, talk, you do it in your mind all day! Who would’ve thought you had so much to say?

Positive self-talk is very powerful and helpful. When you regularly use it amazing things can happen. On the other hand negative self-talk is extremely disempowering. When you use it on a regular basis it can make your life much more challenging than it needs to be.

Your choice of negative or positive self-talk will either build you up or tear you down. The problem is that many people have a constant stream of negative thoughts flowing through their heads. What many people either don’t know or forget is getting and staying positive can be simple when you control your thoughts.

For the rest of this article follow this link…

After thinking about this I thought about why most of my clients come to see me. Most come as a result of being unhappy with some aspect of their lives, like feeling stressed and wanting to be calmer. I have found myself struggling with these types of issues in the past and as a result have struggled also with feeling happy. In fact, even today, as positive as I’d like to think I am, I still find myself needing this type of reminder.

I hallucinate that this might be you too. That’s why I wrote this article. It’s for those of you, who may, like me, struggle with the idea of being happy or who may actually have feelings of unhappiness right now. If you, or someone you know, are struggling a little with happiness then maybe this week’s article will help.

Now on to this week’s article…

How to Find Daily Happiness

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama

I’ve helped hundreds of people get a different perspective on their lives. You see, that’s what I believe a good coach should do, help the people they are working with get an alternate view of their life. That way they can see their lives a little differently and when they see their lives a little differently they can feel different about their life.

So often people are stressed out, anxious and even depressed because of the way they perceive their life to be. They have a feeling that they’re not happy because their life isn’t perfect, or that their life would be better if only they had more money, a better relationship with their kids, spouse, parents, and friends, a different job or whatever. In most cases they already have a pretty awesome life the problem is they’re just focused on the parts of their lives that aren’t so great. So they come to me and though the use of transformational technologies like NLP and hypnosis, they start to see their lives in a different way, to change their point of view, and as a result, begin feeling better about their lives and themselves.

Finding Happiness

So how do you go about finding happiness? How do you find happiness in a chaotic world? First you need to remember that happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy even if things are not perfect. No matter the circumstances, as long as you are alive there’s always the opportunity for things to get better. Remember – things can change.

Everyone will encounter challenges at times. Everyone has moments where there doesn’t appear to be stuck at the bottom of the well. The key to happiness when you feel this way is to simply not quit. The key to happiness is to keep on keeping on.

If you are wondering how you’ll be able to find happiness with the challenges you are experiencing in your life then try using these 7 keys:

7 Keys to Happiness

Many individuals are victims of anxiety and panic disorders, which are very debilitating. Here are some of the common symptoms of panic disorder and anxiety disorder:

Everyone is different; however, some of the most common symptoms are:

1. Tachycardia and shortness of breath

2. Overwhelming fears of common things (e.g. crowded places, driving, public speaking)

3. A feeling of impending doom if you make a mistake

4. Wandering thoughts and lack of concentration

5. Nervous tics and repetition (e.g. pacing, or repetitive twitching of fingers or toes)

6. A constant feeling of impending doom, under all circumstances. It’s possible that you feel like an emergency, heart attack or even death is coming, and can occur at any time.

7. You may feel as if you cannot stand. You may also feel numbness in legs, toes, fingers and hands.

8. You may have a dry mouth and problems swallowing.

9. You might be afraid to have people around and prefer to keep to yourself.

10. You might experience a fear of going out.

11. Your normal daily activities may feel overwhelming.

The symptoms of panic disorder and anxiety disorder can lead to panic attacks. One good thing is the fact that there are many therapies and treatments today that are very effective in lessening panic and anxiety disorder symptoms. In fact, they may end these disorders.

Nowadays, people don’t believe we must hide this sort of thing. People who suffer from anxiety attacks can find assistance. A good number of mental health providers also provide cost effective assistance if you are have a low or fixed budget. You can get treatment from your health insurance.

As we understand more about the brain and its workings, we are able to come up with more medicines and other types of remedies. Relaxation methods have worked very well for individuals affected by anxiety or panic attacks, and these methods can even be performed in your auto or at your workplace.

Comprehending your condition might be the best way to control your panic attacks. After you have an idea as to why you are experiencing this, you will know more and you will be able to take steps to avert the problem.

The better we understand about anxiety and panic attacks, the better we will be able to hold them to a minimum or end them totally.

You should seek the assistance of a professional if you are experiencing any of these symptoms. Learn all about the treatments that are available to help you escape your suffering and regain your health.

Wil Dieck is the founder of Total Mind Therapy and author of a Stress Relief e-Course that you can have at absolutely no charge. Drop by http://onlinestressreliefcourse.com/ for your copy today.

Don’t just try one method of hypnotherapy or NLP – there are many. Utilize methods from each one to help you meet your goal: quitting smoking forever.

A common method is hypnosis. This therapeutic method has been in practice for more than a century. In the past, people thought hypnotists were frauds; however, now many professionals recognize the value of hypnosis in the therapeutic setting. In the end, the physical addiction connected with smoking is just one factor. You must alter the mind to make long-term change.

Hypnosis utilizes suggestions that are kept at a sub-conscious level. The triggers that encourage you to smoke are hidden. Oppose them with chosen triggers of your own.

It’s better to have more conscious efforts. With MLP, you focus on finding the ideas and thoughts that you are able to control. When they are looked at thoroughly, they can be shaped by reference to logic and truth.

Create a list of every object and event that you associate with your decision to light up. Document when you go for a cigarette and why. Do you just automatically reach for a cigarette every morning when you get up? When your boss gives you some dreadful thing to do, do you head right outside for a smoke break?

Find the triggers and draw them into your conscious awareness. Once you’ve got them there, you can control them consciously. As with old-fashioned psychoanalysis, hypnosis accesses the subconscious.

However, NLP does not consider that they are in place due to hidden childhood trauma or some other event. Instead, NLP poses that they are present because of past thought processes. This is why these suggestions can be deliberately replaced with new suggestions by a conscious effort.

This process is not unemotional, and it is not automatic. On the contrary, you must harmonize your thoughts and your feelings.

This work is the secret to long term success. Just knowing what moves you to smoke is just half the reason. It’s vital that you do something about it.

This can translate into finding other things to do.

Put the cigarette down and get a few minutes of exercise instead. In this case, you are getting a double bonus. Not smoking one cigarette lessens a little bit of the effects that the habit is doing to your health. When you exercise, you build your body toward health. When you have a nice glass of wine or beer, don’t have a cigarette. Instead, have some cheese, bread, chocolate, nuts, or some other tasty treat.

One way or the other, the goal is to redirect the decision to smoke. Then it becomes a situation that both stops an episode of smoking and introduces a positive alternative.

The key to success in long term behavior modification is the successful re-forming of old habits. At one time you did not smoke. Go back to that time by planning your journey and taking it one step at a time.

Wil Dieck is the founder of Total Mind Therapy a method that can help you quit smoking. He is also the author of an e-Course that you can have at no charge . You can CLICK HERE to sign up to receive “9 Myths Smokers Believe About Smoking” absolutely FREE.

That’s why I wrote this article. It’s for those of you, or maybe someone you know that would like to develop the habits of success. I’ve used these habits to help keep me on track and motivated. They’ve worked for me. Hopefully they will work for you too.

Now on to this week’s article…

8 Daily Habits of Highly Successful People

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Watch your words, for they become actions.

Watch your actions, for they become habits.

Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” – Unknown

How would you like to have more than enough energy to handle the problems and issues of your day? How would you like to be able to wake up knowing that you can and will make this day the best day it can possibly be? Some of the best kept secrets to success can be broken down into daily habits, things you repeatedly do. You can use the habits of highly successful people to help you wake up so focused and so full of energy that you’ll not only be handle the problems and issues of your day but are so powerful they’ll inspire you to do more in a day than most people attempt in a week!

What are success habits? Success habits are those daily actions successful people use to propel them toward success. One of the most powerful of these daily actions is the way you prepare for and start your day.

For the rest of this article follow this link…

In the past few weeks I have been repeatedly asked what I do for a living. When I try to explain what I do in a short, concise manner I find that it can be difficult to explain what I do.

That’s why I wrote this article. It’s for those of you, who may, like many others I’ve talked to in the past few weeks, are not quite sure about how NLP is used and what NLP it can be used for. I tried to make it short and to the point.

By the way, I’d like your feedback. If you’d like more information about NLP drop me a quick line of give me some feedback on the blog here. If I get enough requests I’ll be happy to write more about it.

Now on to this week’s article…

“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

I often get asked the question, “what do you do?” When I explain that I am a life and health coach that helps people make significant changes in their health and lives usually in 30 days or less using transformation technologies like NLP and hypnosis, I often get the kind of stare I would give a physicist that was trying to explain the theory of wave particle duality. You know the kind of look I’m talking about, a blank look, with glazed over eyes, completely devoid of any type of understanding at all.

Because of those looks, today I thought I’d talk about what Total Mind Therapy is and how it uses NLP to help people just like you make quick and lasting changes. One of the areas I have found Total Mind Therapy to be most useful in is helping people overcome personal barriers and challenges in their lives. These can be challenges found in relationships or in business. This is the area I’d like to focus on today, how to use Total Mind Therapy to address and overcome life’s puzzles. You notice I didn’t say life’s problems. That’s because I believe that life only gives us puzzles to solve and, given enough time and resources, we can almost always solve them.

For the rest of this article follow this link…

Everyone has disappointments in their lives. I know I have had my share. There have been a few times in my life where those disappointments have become stumbling blocks or even barriers on my life’s path. I have found myself stuck and struggling to move in the direction of my goals and dreams.

I hallucinate that this may have happened to you also. That’s why I wrote this article. It’s for those of you, who may, like me, who struggle from time to time to deal with life’s disappointments and move on with their lives. If you, or someone you know, are struggling a little with this then maybe this week’s article will help.

Now on to this week’s article…

Overcoming Life’s Challenges

“Disappointment to a noble soul is what cold water is to burning metal; it strengthens, tempers, intensifies, but never destroys it.” – Eliza Tabor

Do you have any challenges in your life? Of course you do, all of us have challenges, right? Have any of these challenges turned in to disappointments? The fact is that everyone faces disappointments in life, some big, some small. Challenges and their accompanying disappointments are just a part of life. The problem is when people choose to whine and complain about their disappointments, blaming their problems on everything and everybody, instead of taking responsibility and actually taking the action necessary for dealing with their disappointments.

I think we would all agree that being Pollyannaish or acting as though nothing is wrong and everything is perfect is no way to deal with your disappointments and eventually overcome life’s challenges. Step one of overcoming any issue or challenge in your life is to acknowledge that it exists. Once you’ve acknowledged its existence, instead of whining and complaining, you then decide to learn from any mistakes you might have made and then take corrective action.

It’s that old goal setting 101 I always talk about:

For the rest of this article follow this link…