Conceive and Believe

Mind Power

When most people refer to mind power they could be referring to the term in any one of several different contexts.

The first context is in terms of mental discipline. In this sense mind power refers to the actual stamina of the mind when it comes to such abilities as concentration, memory, comprehension, information and the ability to learn. The longer you can stay up nights studying, spend hours writing or solving problems, or remember facts and trivia the more mind power that you are considered to have. Someone who is good at Sudoko could be considered to have a lot of mind power.

Yet another context that mind power is describe in has a bit of a neruolinguistic bent. In this sense mind power refers to an individual’s ability to alter his or her own behavior to produce a predictable set of reactions from another individual. It is about the power of persuasion and more about satisfying the ego than anything else.

There are all kinds of NLP programs, books and courses available both online and offline that will teach you how to increase your mind power. The problem with this type of mind power is that it doesn’t often allow others the option of having free will. Many people who practice mind power with the intent of manipulating other people are often bitterly disappointed when it does not work because to think that one’s mind somehow dominates another is a delusion.

Another context that the term mind power is often used in is in context of witchcraft. This is applicable to books about the manifestation of objects using occult or mystical means. Using chants, spells and positive affirmations are usually part of demonstrating this kind of mind power.

Once again this type of mental power is associated with delusions that are more appropriate to the Dark Ages then to these modern times. Still thanks to books like the Secret, ritualistic and repetitive distortions of thought are being used to try and alter events that might occur in the future. The jury is still out on whether this type of mind power is actually real and it has been out since the death of Socrates.

The words mind power can also have a psychic meaning. Sometimes mind power is used to describe someone who can read minds or read the future. As this is not a normal function of the mind, it is seen as a powerful skill.

Mind power is a term that is best left to describe mental proficiency and the powers of an excellent memory rather than to describe attempts to manipulate others through the power of thought or metaphysical means. In fact, if you want to subscribe to Buddhism, one of the surest ways to weaken your mind power would be too make it busy with affirmations, wishes and thoughts of controlling others with your thoughts. It is a still mind that is led to clarity as the result of a profound and consistent meditation that is more likely to be a powerful and focused one.

Tags: mindpower, mind power, mental discipline, mental fortitude, nlp, nlp programs, mental power, mental proficiency

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The Secret – The Law of Attraction

The thing about the book, the Secret is that it is not secret at all. The principles in it have been extolled for centuries by a number of very spiritual individuals who have not been credited by the authors of the Secret. In fact it is insulting to most people’s intelligence to have the wisdom of the ages repackaged and remarketed to them on Oprah.

These authors who were not credited in the Secret include individuals such as Dion Fortune (the mother of white light), Alistair Crowley, Florence Scovell Schinn (who pioneered all positive affirmation books) and countless others have written about these principles in books that have been widely published and read by millions of people.

The authors of the Secret also blatantly ignored the masterworks of philosophy, the works of Shakespeare and even the Bible itself, which discusses the Law of Attraction with the phrase “the word is flesh.” There was also no credit given to any of the authors such as Norman Hallet who wrote “Think and Grow Rich” or Norman Vincent Peale who originally wrote “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Even Ayn Rand who first wrote “The Virtues of Selfishness” was totally ignored.

To even define The Secret as a book about the Law of Attraction is an insult to the many authors who are true masters of writing about the subject. A good example is Samantha Stevens, a metaphysical author from Canada who was writing about the same subject in 2001 in four books that predate The Secret and that were widely sold on Amazon and Walmart. Another author that is badly ripped off in The Secret is Wayne Dwyer who wrote several ground breaking books about

The Law of Attraction coined phrases like “Attitude of Gratitude” long before this greedy collection of marketing experts decided to pinch it and include it in their marketing scam. It seems that part of the law of attraction might be to appropriate the ideas of others and make them your own. In fact this law of taking credit for other people’s ideas is actually one of Robert Green’s ugly and political “48 Laws of Power” and not really qualified to be one of the laws of attraction.

One thing that is very flawed about The Secret is that it does not have the inherent wisdom in it to take notions of success away from the realm of money and into the realm of happiness and spiritual achievement.

The book does not really have anything to do with the Law of Attraction and is more about the Law of Greed. What it really does is set up unrealistic expectations of oneself and others. Failures no longer become a matter of rational cause and effect. Now when a failure occurs in someone’s life it is because the person is guilty of not being able to practice the “Law of Attraction.”

This type of superstitious and metaphysical belief about manifestation is a delusion that belongs in the Dark Ages and is inappropriate and also inhumane to adopt in the twenty first century. Surely we are in a position in this modern age to provide people with real solutions and not the false hopes as exemplified by the idea that our thoughts can manifest us things like new bikes, cash and jewelry. It’s psychologically and spiritually bereft and much too primitive for this society.

Tags: metaphysical belief, law of attraction, the secret, personal power, personal magnetism, attitude of gratitude

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Attracting Success

Attracting success is an idea that is a bit of a misnomer. This is because success is a state of mind and not a goal or object that needs to be baited or reeled in with clever techniques. The truly successful person knows who he or she is and does not waste their time trying to attract it. In fact trying to hard to attract success may actually cause you quite a bit of bad luck.

The reason that trying to attract success is not a good practice is because it sends a message to both your subconscious mind and the universe that you lack success in your life at the moment. This creates a spiritual deficit that only brings more misfortune your way. The more you recite mantras, light candles and buy books about attracting success the less successful you are likely to be because all you are expressing to the universe is your lack.

The truly successful individual behaves like they are successful even if they are not. They are not coveting a lot of money nor do they desire to own a lot of stuff. Some of the most successful people in the world owned very few things. This includes some of the most spiritual individuals including Mother Theresa, the Dalai Lama and even the Pope.

Morality tales, both modern and ancient, have shown again and again that all the money in the world cannot make a person happy. Good examples of individuals who suffer from this syndrome are Nicole Richie. Princess Diana would be another great example.

Unfortunately one of the things that most people don’t understand about attracting success, especially material success, is that their acquisition of property, cash and things often means the suffering of someone else. Causing the suffering of someone else is not the definition of success in any religion.

Many internet gurus and writers of books like The Secret will tell you that it is okay to be selfish because the universe has unlimited supply. These people are clearly exploiting human hope for their own benefit financially. If the universe had unlimited supply, our success in North American and Europe would not be causing the deprivation, starvation and health problems suffered by so many in the third world.

Furthermore our success, as defined by the writers of these types of books, internalize desire to be all about the individual instead of larger issues that affect us all such as global warming. All of the material success in the world does not matter if there is no world to live on in the first place!

The most successful people in the world are ones that realize that at least part of a measure of their success is due to compassion, gratitude and selflessness. Good examples of these philanthropic type of individuals in action are Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson and Angelina Jolie. These celebrities truly don’t have a minute to waste meditating on attracting to success as they are too busy trying to manifest it for others. That is the REAL secret.

Tags: attracting success, personal magnetism, attract success, successful celebrities,

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Affirmations are emotionally driven statements of intention and faith that guide thought and action. Affirmation comes from the Latin firmus, meaning strong. Affirmations recognize and assert the existence of personal truths. These statements can be powerfully effective for developing and strengthening thought patterns, and thus actions, needed to achieve goals. These thought patterns also attract the situations we affirm to be true.

Use Affirmations Effectively

Affirmations are effective when combined with strong emotions and vivid sensory imagery: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Effective affirmations state, in present tense, what we want. At the same time, we are feeling the joy, satisfaction, and gratitude we would feel if each statement had already manifested.

Recall Vivid Imagery and Strong Emotion

An effective way to create mind imagery and emotion is to recall a situation in your life when you actually felt the emotion you want to create. Recall situations that made you feel joyful, loving, forgiving, excited, happy, accepting, successful, and grateful.

This is the same way emotions surface when we dwell on memories that bring tears, upset, or nostalgic feelings. When using affirmations, you get to select purposely the emotions you want. Let these emotions surface and permeate your mind and body.

Practice Positive Affirmations

Belief, imagery, and emotion are essential elements in effective affirmations. With practice, you will be able to create vivid images and emotions very quickly. It might also be helpful to begin by affirming the action you are now taking, as in the exercise below.

Here are seventeen sample affirmations for strengthening goal achievement, creativity, confidence and abundance. Practice the affirmations while combining them with compelling imagery and strong emotion.

1. I reflect on successful experiences, and I let the memories and moments linger.

2. I enjoy expressing myself freely, confidently, and creatively.

3. I am grateful for the success and satisfaction that my purpose is bringing to me.

4. I provide value to those I serve, and I am becoming more abundant each day.

5. I welcome challenges and changes in my life, and I feel grateful that each change brings new blessings.

6. I see my goal clearly, and allow myself to receive it with gratitude.

7. I forgive myself and others, release the past, and move forward with love and confidence.

8. I am resilient, capable, confident, lovable, and loving.

9. I allow joy to flow through me, and I rejoice in my self-expression and creativity.

10. I feel the joy in small accomplishments each day, and I allow myself to be thankful, loving, and peaceful.

11. I deserve success, am enthusiastic about life, and create my life the way I want it to be.

12. I allow energy, vitality, adventure, and passion for my purpose to fill my life.

13. I allow abundance into my life through my actions, gestures, and words, and I receive all that I need.

14. I accept Divine guidance, and I feel safe, secure, hopeful, and protected by Divine Love.

15. I celebrate life’s peaks and valleys, knowing that every situation provides a lesson I must learn.

16. I allow every experience to make me stronger, wiser, more capable, more abundant, and more loving.

17. I savor small victories along the path to my goals, and I reflect deeply on each experience.

Affirm Only Your Intentions

Each day, our minds fill unconsciously with self-talk, echoing thought patterns and beliefs formed during early development. These might be positive and supportive thoughts. However, our internal speech can also attract the very situations and feelings we would rather avoid.

Negative, distracting thoughts are actually affirmations working against us. By becoming aware of these negative affirmations, we can replace them immediately with positive affirmations that focus on what we want.

Create Your Personal Affirmations

After practicing with the affirmations above, create your own affirmations based on what you want to achieve. It will not help to simply repeat a list of someone else’s affirmations that you don’t actually believe. You must own each affirmation as a personal declaration of your intention and faith.

Act on Your Affirmations

Spend time each day with your personal affirmations. Then take actions that will lead to their realization. When charged with belief, vivid imagery, and strong emotion, affirmations can be effective and supportive tools that help you move toward the achievements that you desire.

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Our third grade class was listening to our teacher, Miss Pratt. She told us she was disappointed that we were not making the progress she had expected with multiplication tables one through nine. She explained that we really understood the meaning of multiplication but that we had not spent enough time memorizing the tables. The rote method was necessary in this case.

I regretted that I had not put forth the amount of effort required. I had spent too much time playing with my friends instead of drilling myself. I had let down my teacher, who to me was the kindest, sweetest, and prettiest one I had ever known. This was my first experience with one who smiled much more than she scowled, laughed often, and never threatened any of us, yet she was able to “read” the children, control the class, and teach effectively. Miss Pratt put a lot of herself into her work. Every day near the close of school, she would read to us, or even better, tell us stories about when she was a little girl. Most importantly, she made us feel that she cared about us and that we were important.

Because of a serious car accident when I was three and a half years old, I had a scar below my nostril that was the result of a torn upper lip. Everything else had healed up without any after effects physically, but my emotions remained scarred. (Years later plastic surgery was performed that improved that condition.) Meanwhile, having been called Chief Running Nose and Scarface by many insensitive children, my confidence and self-esteem had suffered. Although my parents and relatives referred to me as pretty, I did not see myself that way. Focusing on my scar, I could not appreciate any redeeming features. (As I grew older, I thanked God that I was alive with relatively little damage, and still do.) At the end of one school day, I remained in my classroom, waiting for the arrival of my mother, who was coming to take me to an appointment close to the school. Miss Pratt sat at her desk with a fellow teacher and chatted.

I glanced at the clock and realized it was time for me to get ready to leave. I put on my matching brown wool coat and hat trimmed with beaver that even I realized was becoming. The teachers looked at my outfit and seemed to admire it. I was able to read their lips a little and my ears perked up to hear, “Who is she? She really is cute.” My teacher’s answer was, “I agree; Bernice is adorable.”

Adorable! The word grabbed me. It jolted me. It was just about my favorite word. A delicious warmth enveloped me with a new sense of awareness. Teachers would not lie. Maybe it was true. I looked pretty. This was a revelation to me.

At that moment I made the decision to be the first child in my class to learn the assigned tables. Whatever it took, no matter how much time, I would succeed. No one was going to stop me. This time I believed in myself.

About one week later, Miss Pratt announced to the class that Bernice was the first one to learn the tables and she told us she was proud of me. She handed me my first diary, gold key and all. I thanked her enthusiastically. The class smiled and clapped. For the first time, I felt truly good about myself. I knew I had been motivated by Miss Pratt’s remark. This might not have occurred if I had not overheard those kind words. What a difference one special teacher can make! Miss Pratt, you’ll never know how much I’ve thought of you through the years. I tried my best to be a caring teacher like you were. I believe I was successful. My classes always loved the stories I told them about myself when I was young.

Thank you for being the kind of teacher you were. I hope you enjoyed the wonderful life you deserved.

Your Space

Reflections, memories, ideas, wisdom thoughts, glimpses into your world, favorite foods, treats, dreams. Perhaps you have remembered a favorite story from your early childhood! Jot it down here and don’t forget to share it with others!

Go for it!

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Financial independence is having the freedom to support yourself through your own efforts. Here are seven fundamental habits that will help you achieve and maintain financial independence.

1. Express Gratitude

Financial independence begins with gratitude. Set aside a daily period to offer a sincere thank you for every blessing in your life. Include people, places, possessions, talents, and memories. Offer gratitude for your future dreams as though they were already in your possession.

Gratitude will allow you to attract the blessings you want. When they arrive, protect them from the thieves that could rob you of your financial independence.

2. Liberate Your Future

Debts of the past are thieves of the future. If you want financial independence, live a simple life style that does not create unnecessary personal debt. Living with class does not require being extravagant. If you are conservative most of the time, you can be extravagant at the right times.

Do not allow credit card companies to hold your future hostage. Take control. Seek professional help to get rid of credit card debt that robs you of high monthly interest payments. Borrowing is a tool that should produce a return on your investment, not cost your future security.

3. Commit to Wellness

Your health is also an asset that you need to protect. Wellness allows you to manage and enjoy financial independence. Get regular physical checkups and maintain a sensible physician-approved exercise program. These can help to minimize illnesses and maximize the rewards of a productive life.

Maintaining wellness requires an ongoing commitment. Another area of commitment that is equally important to financial independence is one of personal financial discipline.

4. Develop a Saving Discipline

A financially independent future requires saving, and saving requires discipline. As credit card debt diminishes, savings can begin to increase. An emergency savings fund of six to twelve months living expenses is a wise idea. However, you will want major long-term savings plans for such goals as education and retirement.

Do not expect the government to take care of your financial future. If you want to remain financially independent, take ultimate responsibility for every chapter of your financial life. That responsibility begins with wise investing and respect for money.

5. Invest Wisely and Respect Money

My father taught me to have several investments that produce an ongoing, passive income. This, he said, would allow me to remain independent if I were to become physically disabled. These investments are like “feeding geese that lay golden eggs”. Passive income streams also provide additional capital to place in other financial growth investments.

Respect for money is the beginning of saving and investing. Respect for a dollar begins with respect for a penny. You will always have dollars if you take care of your pennies. Even the smallest of assets and investments need protection.

6. Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones

In the article, Ten Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs, I wrote that one of those traits was making a commitment to protect the welfare of your family and loved ones. Ensuring the safety of your financial assets is part of doing this.

Adequate insurance coverage for your life, health, and property is a wise investment. You should also use professional legal, financial, and security services to help protect your business, property, and all the things you have worked to acquire.

7. Design Your Financial Independence with Qualified Help

Seek qualified professionals to help you design your financial future. You do not need to be a financial expert to become financially independent, but you must become financially literate. Seek professional guidance from experts in financial planning, taxes, and accounting. These people can work with you to help you realize your financial goals.

Begin today by seeking out professionals that can help you achieve your financial goals. Become financially independent in your own mind. Express gratitude for the blessings you will receive as if they were already in your possession. Avoid and eliminate unnecessary personal debt, and live a healthy lifestyle. Save with discipline, invest wisely, and respect your financial assets. Protect the assets you have worked to acquire, and you can enjoy the financially independent lifestyle that you have envisioned.

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Why are so many wealthy people so miserable?

I just read an installment from another self-improvement course that states that celebrities are unhappy because they don’t have gratitude for what they have. I disagree.

Have you ever had a time when you were making a good living, lived in a nice place, drove a nice car, took trips, had everything you needed and more – and yet you were still unhappy?

It wasn’t that you were ungrateful for what you had, just something seemed wrong. You weren’t fulfilled, or some-thing, but you couldn’t quite figure out what the problem

was? Maybe you’re in a situation like that now. You feel like you should be happy, who wouldn’t given all that you have, but you’re not.

It simply means that your life is out of balance. Something has been shoved under the rug and forgotten about. It mightbe spending quality time with family or friends, or even just by yourself. It might be that you’re not eating wellenough to keep your body balanced. It might be that even though you make a good living, you don’t love what you do.

If you look at the life of a celebrity, you can understand why they would be so unhappy. Their lives are totally out of balance. They spend years on the road. They don’t have the time for important relationships and recreational time.

They’re always under pressure to be the “star”.

Think about how you feel when you’ve put in a lot of hours at work and then have no energy left to give to your family. You don’t have the energy to eat a good meal or get the exercise you need in order to have more energy.

People are on the never-ending treadmill trying to get money. But money itself will not make you happy. Life is a delicate balance of relationships, emotions, desires,and responsibilities to others as well as to yourself.

What do you really need to live a balanced life?

A clean, safe, calm home to retreat to – your escape from the rest of the world where you can let your hair down, relax, and be yourself.

A healthy diet and exercise to stay fit, healthy, trim and full of energy.

Self-Care, whether it be reading, meditation, prayer, soaking in a hot tub, a new hairstyle, new clothes, you need to take care of your personal needs. It’s not selfish. It’s necessary. Remember the old saying “If Momma’s not happy, then no one’s happy”? There’s a lot of truth in that.

Loving relationships. As much as some people swear they are happy being alone, we need human companionship to feel alive and part of the world.

Quality time with family and friends. Everyone thrives when you take the time to enjoy the important people in your life. Even if you’re a workaholic like me, make sure to set aside time everyday for important relationships. You think that if you do all the work now, you can make it up to them later when you’ve made it. Most of the time, by the time you’ve made it, the important people in your life have left. It happens all the time.

A way to support all of the above. Yep, that’s where the money comes in. But it’s more than that. It has to be some-thing you like doing, or every workday will seem like a prison sentence.

Dreams and goals. Without something to strive for, something to live for, we end up in a tedious existence. We need something that keeps the fire going – no matter how old you are. How many people have you known who reached retirement only to spend the rest of their days in front of the television?

Faith. It takes many forms throughout your life. Faith in your God, faith in yourself, faith in your kids. You’ll find many times in your life when you just need to have faith that things will come out ok. Faith is what get us through the tough times. It has been proven in numerous studies that those who practice their religion live longer, healthier, and happier lives.

Whenever you feel discontent coming on, do some soul searching and find out what you’ve been ignoring. It may seem like a lot of work to tend to all this stuff. It’s just like the juggler. When you drop one of the balls, the rest come dropping down too. You need to pay attention to all of the balls. Instead of a balancing act, let’s call it a Juggling Act!

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Once upon a time there was a Princess who set out on a raft to find the Enchanted Forest. She took with her a canteen full of hopes and dreams, minimal provisions, and outdated maps. The raft swayed. the wind blew. It was too cold. It was too hot. She was hungry. She was tired. She was scared. At times she was almost swept overboard.

Finally, she arrived at what she thought was the Enchanted Forest. At first it was welcoming. There were beautiful trees and lovely smells. However, quickly she fell in the brambles and was pricked again and again. It was dark inside the forest and she couldn’t see where she was. She realized that most of the signposts were missing, some that were there were tilted the wrong way. Night was falling, this was not an Enchanted Forest! She was sure of that as she lay down in a pile of leaves to try to sleep. This was feeling like a Disenchanted Place!

I wandered for ages through this disenchanted forest. I was alone and yet not alone as many others were wandering also. Yet there was a hole in my heart as I felt even though others were in the forest we weren’t connecting. We were shadowing each other but not speaking in ways to each other that were full enough to create connection and a sense of joy! I wanted to go home. But where was home now?

Then some women came along and gave me time and opened their hearts and minds to me. I listened to what they shared and went over their wisdom and knowledge again and again. I suddenly realized that more sunlight was coming through the forest. The birds were singing and the flowers were all in bloom. I realized that I had gone from a disheartened state to a state of elation!

The women had helped me discover and give life to THE ENCHANTED SELF. I realized quickly that each of us has one! For some of us, our enchanted selves are clear and central to our beings. For others our enchanted selves are vague and barely breathing. But everyone has one! It is our most special part of ourselves that is where joy, wisdom and meaning emanate from. It is a gift that we carry. It is a gift we share. It provides the light when everything is dark and it takes us again and again away from disenchantment and despair!

Now as I walked through the forest verything changed for me. Light kept filling the forest and when the light was dim, I would remember the women and how they taught me to light my own way-pull from my own passions and loves and what gives me delight. I would remember that my own potential can not be extinguished by negative words from someone else as it is my blueprint of who I am and my gifts to be shared. I knew a great gift had been sent to me by these women who had shared their stories with me. I was blessed. And immediately I knew that I a responsibility to send the news far out over the land.

I was filled with the passion that comes from knowing a special assignment had been given and I flung open my arms to all!

I welcomed all in to receive this glorious news-We have the capacity for delight and joy within! We are not the victims of disenchantment! We are each able to use enchantment as a way to unfold our personal talents, capacities and convictions. We are not doomed to by mesmerized by darkness nor do we have to wait for a power to come from without! The power of elation is waiting within each of us!

But just opening my arms was not enough-I had to take an instrument of wisdom and use it wisely. And so I did-for me often that meant taking pen or computer in hand. And that meant I reached out to you! And I am so happy that you are hear. I hope you will also take in your hand the wisdom of Enchantment and begin to send it out into endless waves of positive energy and encouragement. I look forward to sharing many wondrous tales!

For more information on how my search began please read the professional paper I have prepared at: http://www.enchantedself.com/mentalhealth.htm

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Responsibility means being accountable for what we think, say, and do. Personal responsibility involves working on our own character and skill development rather than blaming others for situations and circumstances. It means choosing to design a life that honors our values and purpose.

Here are twelve reflections on personal responsibility:

1. Personal responsibility begins from the inside and moves outward. We must begin by taking responsibility for our thoughts, choices, and reactions. Then we can be responsible for the circumstances we create in our world.

2. We have the divine gift of free will. We make conscious choices as spiritual living in a physical world. Conscious choice is a gift that carries great responsibility.

3. Every choice can benefit humanity or harm it. Even avoiding choices is a choice, and each choice will have consequences.

4. When you think something or someone else is responsible for your problems and their solutions, that exact thought is the first problem to solve.

5. People waste precious years while believing that there will be more time tomorrow than there is today. Today is the perfect day to accept and develop our gifts and talents.

6. A great philosophy of responsibility: When things are working, I am responsible… and when they need fixing, I am responsible.

7. Only our choices and actions today will bring the rainbow’s end with any gold it might contain.

8. The richest blessings follow those who follow the rules and honor the universal laws for abundant living: laws for wellness, success, relationships, prosperity, spirituality, and service to others.

9. When you follow the rules, life works. If you think you ever really get by with breaking the rules, you are only fooling yourself.

10. True personal independence is the freedom from reaction—the ability to choose actions and make choices that will influence positively the future of our lives and our world.

11. The Creator knows what it is we need to be doing and will provide us with plenty of chances to show up. However, we will not get an unlimited number of chances, and we cannot ever assume that we will have tomorrow.

12. Living serenely does not mean that we deny problems or avoid the responsibility for solving them. Just the opposite—we find the clarity and presence of mind to deal with the issues of daily living in positive constructive ways.

You cannot control all the circumstances in life; however, you can learn from them. You can choose to allow every circumstance to make you stronger, wiser, more knowledgeable, more skillful, and more loving.

You can control your ability to design your life and your philosophies. A philosophy of personal responsibility allows you to live from an inner core of integrity. It will bring a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.

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Personal Growth involves expanding into new areas in our life, making changes, and making progress towards our dreams and goals. In order to do this we have move out of our comfort zone. It is normal to experience fear and insecurity. We grow and see success as we face the fear and do it anyway.

Our greatest growth in life comes from pushing through our present comfort zone. This process starts at birth. A baby feels safe, warm and secure in its mothers womb. However to stay there much longer than the gestation period would mean certain death for both the mother and child. Life began for all of us as we left the comfort and security of the womb and faced the strange and unfamiliar world outside. Our first breath is often a painful experience, a cry of protest at temporary discomfort. Yet without this experience, our life would be fleetingly short.  

Each milestone of growth and accomplishment for a young child involves leaving an existing comfort zone. The first crawl, the first step, many new, first experiences all push from the familiar into the unknown.For the child the process of pushing through their area of comfort leads to increasing independence and the formation of their unique personality and character..  

This foundational principle continues into adult life. In order to enrich our life, it is necessary to step out of our present comfort zone. Personal growth occurs when a person moves out of their area of comfort and into the unknown and challenge of a fresh experience.There is a stage of risk and discomfort before any significant growth in our life.For each of there comes a point where we hold back and resist. It becomes easier to remain static and comfortable than to keep moving forward. 

What holds us back? 

Whenever we consider taking on a new project, or venture, or want to put ourselves out there, we feel fear. Fear is natural, and is to be expected.It is our body’s way of letting us know we are moving out of our comfort zone. Fear can alert us to possible threats and dangers. However unlike our cave men predecessors, many of the threats today are not life threatening.Fear can warn you and enable you to be more aware and cautious, but need not stop you progressing. If you want to move forward on the journey towards where you want to be, you will have to confront your fears. Unfortunately many people allow fear to stop them, and don’t achieve their goals and aspirations. 

Fear does not feel comfortable, and many people want to avoid it at all costs. Everyone experiences fear. People who want to be successful feel the fear and do it anyway! Fear is part of the package. Yes, there is always a risk of failure, but that needs to balanced with the old adage “Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained”.A child’s risk of falling when taking those first faltering steps is high. Yet, what a transformation to a child’s life once they have mastered the skill of walking! Limitless possibilities are opened up in the child’s life. The falls and tumbles are soon forgotten overshadowed by the new adventures and experiences. 

Pushing through to leave your comfort zone is hard work. Nature demonstrates that graphically for us. The chick pecking it’s way out of the shell, the butterfly struggling from it’s cocoon, illustrate how that struggle is necessary in order to bring life, growth and success. 

The good news is that once we have faced our fears and done it anyway, we have moved forward to a new place. Every time we push through and live out of our comfort zone we will never be the same.Growth happens!

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. US Supreme Court Justice, once said 

Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”

I believe this is true of not only our mind, but also of who we are as unique people.Life moves into a new dimension through each experience we go through in life.

However there is also the possibility that once we have pushed through our comfort zone into a new place of growth, we rest too long there, and create a different comfort zone! 

Lets keep pushing through and moving forward towards growing our uniqueness and living our life fully.

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