Handling Depression

Are you emotionally strong or emotionally on the edge? You know if you have emotional strength if you mostly feel calm and capable and nothing much seems to faze you. If you are emotionally fragile you likely feel anything can set you off and trigger you going off your rocker.

The good news is you can build your emotional strength. You may be wondering why bother? Those who are emotionally strong can deal with anything in life.  A sudden new opportunity, a sudden tragedy or sudden change of plans.  Being this flexible and resilient separates these people from the rest.

The first step to being emotionally strong is being aware of your emotional reactions at the moment.  And the next time you react to something, stop and ask yourself how an emotionally strong person would respond in this same moment.  And then consciously make the effort to respond that way too.

And then it’s just a case of repeating this over and over. Like anything, a new habit takes time to establish, before it becomes normal and second nature to you. You will have to be diligent and monitor your responses to everything very carefully. Do the best you can, as you won’t be able to catch yourself in the moment every time.

The results will be well worth it though.  Not many people are emotionally strong.  You will belong to an elite group and serve as an example to others. You will no longer crumble under the smallest pressure.  You will no longer complain over details that don’t matter.  And you will no longer feel like everything is against you.

Being emotionally strong has a calming effect on everyone you meet. Those close to you and possibly even strangers will comment on your poise. You will be able to make decisions quickly and easily.  You will be able to adapt to change seamlessly. And you will be able to deal with the most impossible situations that come your way.

It is worth taking the time to actively build your emotional strength. It is recommended you persist until you see results. You will know you are progressing when you catch yourself responding differently than you normally would.

Building your emotional strength will be an ongoing exercise for many. Remember you are changing a life-time of practiced responses and this change cannot happen overnight. However the rewards are great and well worth your attention and effort.

Paula Owen has been passionate about personal growth for the last 5 years. Check out her latest website One Cup Coffee Makers which reviews and lists the latest One Cup Coffee Makers so you can decide which one cup coffee maker best suits your coffee needs.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/how-to-develop-your-emotional-strength-1441982.html

Research after research has shown that meditation is good for the body and soul. A recent study done in China found that only after five days of meditation, the experimental group showed better tolerance to stress compared with the control group. The experimental group also showed less anger, anxiety, fatigue and depression.

Many other researches have shown that meditation helps to keep blood pressure normal, decreases the risk of heart disease, increases pain tolerance and aids weight loss. Recently meditation is also being used to aid cancer patients as means of therapy.Meditation also promotes youthful appearance and vitality.

So what is meditation?

The man on the street usually thinks meditation as a form of worship or prayer. It isn’t. Meditation is awareness. It involves the overcoming of distractions and dissipated energies into a blissful awareness. Meditation involves becoming more aware and more sensitive to what is within us. The word meditation originates from two Latin words : meditari(to think, to dwell upon, to exercise the mind) and mederi (to heal). Its Sanskrit derivation ‘medha’ means wisdom.

The three basic concepts of meditation are:

1. Withdrawing from the distractions of the senses and bringing the mind to a place of concentration. Focus is directed onto one element like the repetition of breathing, the repetition of a word, the connection with a bodily sensation, or an image or single thought.

2. Meditation is done without judgment and conclusions are not drawn from irrelevant thoughts. Wandering thoughts are placed in the background without struggle. Meditation does not mean to suppress outside thoughts, but rather to keep these thoughts from taking you away from the present.

3. During meditation, you remain aware of sensations, distractions, surroundings, and irrelevant thoughts, but discovering that they do not agitate or bring on stress. You meditate to develop the ability to exist in the moment with contentment and acceptance.

To start meditation is very easy. Just take 5 or 10 minutes. Go somewhere quiet.Start by focusing on your breathing and let your thoughts drift away, if thoughts come pay no attention to them. Next try to feel yourself going deep within your mind. Then for 10 minutes try to hold this awareness with one pointed concentration. If external noises come do not let them distract you, they will always be there. Just concentrate on your breathing. Even if this first experience is not fruitful keep persevering for with every try you will gradually learn the art of meditation.

Alternatively you can also use brainwave meditation CDs such as The Brain Evolution System or BrainEv. BrainEv employs pioneering technology in the field of brainwave entrainment and offers the benefits of meditation. By listening to the specially-created sounds using headphones, our brainwaves are altered, taking it to a lower frequency just like those achieved after years of practice. This process is known as brainwave entrainment and provides a proven easier path enjoy the benefits of meditation without spending years learning how to meditate. Just by listening 30 minutes everyday for 6 times a week, users can experience sharper senses, increased level of energy, better memory, a sense of peace and calmness and a feeling of wholesomeness.

To learn more about The Brainwave Evolution System, visit this website.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/meditations-and-its-benefits-1435226.html

Almost everyone between the ages of (5-9) had dreams while growing up. Nice car, big house, beautiful wife, etc. you had no limits what to dream about. It was very nice to think how wonderful life was going to be.

Twenty years later, most of those dreams disappear before their realised. Same people who had dreams in their youth now settle for mediocrity. They are now caught up in the system of leaving day by day not having a great vision in their life. Why???

I believe one of the reasons is that people realise that life is not ideal; we have real challenges in life that keeps us down. When they grew up, nothing was going to stop them achieving their dreams.

This people become victims of their circumstances. They blame everybody or the system for not allowing them to succeed. They believe that their lives are shaped by circumstances, as a result they don’t go anywhere in life.

One thing they fail to realise is that they have forsaken the first law of success, “Have a dream” it amazing to see the percentage of people in our society living and breathing without any dream. Truly speaking such people are death while working.

The main point of this article is to revive those dreams of youth again. People must know that life presents equal opportunity for everyone to succeed. Life does not choose certain individuals and blessed them; no you should be willing to learn. Growing your self to become better is the key to live your dreams

One of the important key of success is the ability to follow instructions. Most successful people are more than willing to share their knowledge. The key is to follow a foot print that leads to success.

One of reasons why (90-95) % of people in the world struggle financially is conformity. Instead of following the plan from someone who is successful, these people blame the government, family members and etc for not succeeding in life.

Lack of experience or unshaped character can be used as an excused, but we know that when a man earnestly applies himself to correct the defects in his character, and make swift and marked progress, he passes rapidly through a succession of vicissitudes. This is powerful

Are you teachable? Can you follow an instruction that leads you to financial freedom? Is it in you? Because man do not attract that which they want or desire, but that which they are. Therefore work on your self and follow step by step of how to live a life of abundance and flourish in drought of so called recession.

Probably you have believed that you won’t make it, you will be poor and work for someone else for the rest of your life. I have good news; you can align your self to succeed by following online mentor millionaires who will teach you step by step how to bring that passive income you’ve been looking for. For if a man radically alter his thoughts, he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in material conditions of his life.

Xolani is an Electrical Engineer by training. He is working for an oil company called SASOL. Did you find the article helpful? If you did, then take a look at step by step video tutorials here! http://www.maverickmoneymakerblack.com/Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/how-to-live-your-dreams-in-a-land-full-of-abundance-opportunities-while-other-people-see-only-lack-1425444.html

WHAT IS SOCIAL PHOBIA?

Social phobia – or social anxiety – is the fear of interacting with others in various situations: groups, work, school, parties, on the telephone, in a market or store, and so on. People with social phobia experience extreme anxiety or panic when they know that they have to talk or interact with others. They often find themselves isolating rather than risk the rejection or ridicule that they fear.

People with social phobia may be saying things to themselves such as:

* What if I make a fool of myself?
* What if I can’t think of anything to say?
* What if I say something stupid?
* What if people think I’m weird?
* What if no one wants to talk with me?
* What if everyone can see how nervous I am?
* What if I blush?

Social phobia comes from an extreme fear of being judged and rejected by others. The fear may turn to panic when in the presence of an authority figure.

WHAT CAUSES SOCIAL PHOBIA?

Imagine that you have a small child whom you are taking to a birthday party of peers. Imagine that you tell the child before the party, “You must make sure that you do everything right so that the people at the party like you, because if they don’t like you, then you are unlovable and worthless.” Do you think this would cause the child to be very anxious?

You would probably never say this to an actual child, yet this is what you are saying to yourself – to the child within you, which is your feeling self. You are telling yourself that your worth is determined by others liking you or rejecting you: if they like you, you are okay, and if they don’t, you are worthless.

This is self-abandonment, and is the root cause of social phobia.

SELF-ABANDONMENT

You are abandoning yourself when you refuse to define your own worth and lovability and instead make others responsible for your sense of worth. You are abandoning yourself when you refuse to take responsibility for your own feelings and instead make others responsible for your feelings of anxiety or safety. Once you make others responsible – especially authority figures whose acceptance you desperately want – there is no way you will not be anxious when with them.

Once you hand away to others the responsibility for making you feel okay, then you have to try to control how they feel about you by doing everything “right.” Trying to control how others feel about you always causes anxiety. Your anxiety is letting you know that you have abandoned yourself and that you are trying to do something you cannot do – which is to control whether or not others accept you or reject you.

When you are not giving to yourself the acceptance, approval, and attention you need to feel lovable and worthy, then you will invariably try to get approval, acceptance and attention from others, which creates much anxiety.

HEALING SOCIAL PHOBIA

Healing social phobia is about learning to love yourself – to accept and value yourself and to take responsibility for your own feelings. People who love themselves go into social situations to share their caring with others. When you feel good about yourself, you want to offer your smile, your interest, your attention, and your caring to others. You are far more concerned with what you want go GIVE to others than with what you want to GET or what you want to AVOID.

If you want to heal your social phobia, then you need to do the Inner Bonding work necessary to stop judging yourself and start loving yourself.

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is a best-selling author of 8 books and co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding® healing process. Ready to join the thousands who have healed their pain and discovered their joy? Learn Inner Bonding now! Click here for a FREE Inner Bonding Course, and visit our website at www.innerbonding.com for more articles and help. Phone Sessions Available.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/healing-social-phobia-1430758.html

I will be perfectly honest with you; I am the last guy I thought would ever be writing about positive thinking and affirmations.

I watched Stuart Smalley on Saturday Night Live for years, and couldn’t help but to laugh at how ridiculous he was. Remember him “I’m good enough; I’m smart enough; and gosh darn it people like me”. I won’t take it to that extent, but there is definitely some merit to that hilarious character.

I grew up in a small redneck community in the backwoods of Canada, and never thought I could be where I am today until I was 22 years old and listened to a short book I had received for my birthday called “The Strangest Secret”. The basic philosophy behind it was you become what you think about.

At first this was a little hard to wrap my head around, until I remembered for as long as I could I always thought I had more in me than what I was doing at the time. But as we all know sometimes life has a way of beating the crap out of us and we start to settle and give up on any dreams we had.

I spent the next 5 years really researching this philosophy and trying to improve myself so I could start to dream again, and finally “EUREKA”. As I started becoming more successful in my career I began to get much more praise and recognition. People expected more of me and would verbalize that to me. Every time somebody would praise me it made me feel good and I strove to do better and better. That was powerful, but who did I spend the majority of my day with. Me!

What if I heard that kind of talk all day every day, and then what could I accomplish. From that my affirmations were born.

During my days now whenever I have free time I spend it repeating to myself three key phrases that have worked for me. Sometimes out loud, sometimes in the mirror, sometimes just to myself in my own head. It sounds crazy, but I challenge you to try it for 30 days and see the results.

1. Everyday in every way I am getting better and better.

2. Everyday in every way I am getting richer and richer.

3. Everyday in every way I attract the right people and ideas into my life.

It sounds silly, doesn’t it? Well if you look at the statistics today 95% of the population in North America is unsuccessful. To me that is silly. If you want to start acomplishing things in your life, you’ve never done before, then you need to start doing some things differently. As silly as they might seem.

You will become what you think about most of the time, and if you can train your thoughts and actions to think about whom you want to be, I guarantee you will have more energy and accomplish more than you ever have before.

Try it for 30 days; if it doesn’t work then you can call me crazy!

Did you find this article helpful? If you did, then get more free tips and training at http://www.UltimateGoalsProgram.com or Make NOW the best time of your life by learning simple and proven ways to achieve your goals and dreams in record time! at http://www.CalDrouin.comArticle Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/3-positive-affirmations-to-success-1425642.html

Do we feel guilty because of something wrong or immoral that we have done; something that we didn’t do and should’ve done; have we let other people down, or have we not met others expectations?  Worse still is not meeting our own expectations.  Are we our own worst critic; have we not met our own personal standards, or have we magnified out of proportion what we think we have done?  If so, it may be that our personal expectations of ourselves are unrealistically high.

Our consciousness and our values are what bring about our feelings of guilt.  These feelings are normal.  Extreme feelings of guilt are another story and can exasperate feelings of depression, low self-esteem and low self-confidence.

Some of my own feelings of guilt are because I went to work while my youngest was still young.  I had stayed home with his three older brothers and his sister.  I felt the loss more than he so I carry the guilt for not having been home to look after him as well.  He, when asked, said he does not feel deprived and has grown up to be a very well-adjusted and social person.

Another guilt I am feeling is the necessity of having to set boundaries with my aging mother.  Boundaries in our lives are necessary for our own emotional health and well-being but when our parents become elderly, setting boundaries is a difficult thing to do.  Do setting personal boundaries become selfish when it involves the elderly and the ill?  Our inner critic may tell us they are.  Do others expect more from us than what we are doing?  Or are the expectations we think others have of us really of our own making about what we think we should be doing?  Are our feelings of guilt always logical or realistic?  Only we can make that decision.

None of us is perfect and not one of us can be expected to be.  Once we can accept that, we can stop beating ourselves up.

Sylvia Behnish has published her first non-fiction book entitled “Roller Coaster Ride With Brain Injury (For Loved Ones)” which tells the story of her partner’s first year following his brain injury. Her first fiction book entitled “His Sins”, a three generation family saga, is due out late fall. She has also published numerous articles in newspapers and magazines in both Canada and the United States.

Order “Roller Coaster Ride With Brain Injury (For Loved Ones)” by e-mail at: orders@trafford.com
Website: www.talesbysylvia.com
Blog: www.progressofabraininjury.blogspot.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/if-guilt-threatens-to-strangle-us-1426870.html

The problem here is whether we have the ability to be objective instead of subjective when we are in a combative situation.  If we view a disagreement in a subjective way when we are angry, we probably will see very few pros and the con list may be very long.

How do we know if we are being subjective or objective?

If we are being objective, we are basing our opinion on definite facts; we are unbiased, and our facts are true and not imagined.

Being subjective is an opinion, an assumption or a belief which may or may not be true.  If it is not true, the opinion based on it could be destructive for both sides.

But we each see our own truths – what is true for one person may be seen completely differently by another and that is their truth.  So what is the truth and how do we determine it when we are trying to objectively make up our pro and con list.

An example of this would be that an opinion may be that he/she was drunk.  The responding comment might be that he/she had only had two small drinks and was only tipsy.  To each, it is their truth and without a breathalyzer test, who could say accurately.

The real value of the pro and con list is that once it has been made, if the pro list is longer, the anger will likely have dissipated.  If the con list is longer, go for a run and then come back and open the doors of communication.

A lot of times our truths are based only on our perceptions; after communicating it is possible that something that may have once been on the con side may not be seen in such a negative light.

If the pro and con list is made up each time there is a major disagreement, and if each time the pro list is longer than the con list, as it was in my mother’s case, sit back and enjoy the benefits of your good relationship.

Sylvia Behnish has published her first book entitled “Roller Coaster Ride With Brain Injury (For Loved Ones)” which tells the story of the first year following her partner’s brain injury. Her first fiction book entitled “His Sins”, a three generation family saga, is due out late fall. She has also had numerous articles published in newspapers and magazines in both Canada and the United States.

Order “A Roller Coaster Ride With Brain Injury (For Loved Ones)” by e-mail at: orders@trafford.com
Website: www.talesbysylvia.com
Blog: www.progressofabraininjury.blogspot.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/the-important-of-a-pro-and-con-list-in-our-lives-1421457.html

Napoleon Hill writes in the book “Think and Grow Rich” that if you can conceive it you can achieve it.  Personal Development is a powerful weapon to counteract the numerous negative thoughts that plagues us.  Visualization is a great way to retrain your mind to see things as you want them to be.  You must be able to tap into your sub conscious mind to cultivate your thoughts.  If the path to riches was a marathon, then thoughts would be considered the first step.  Thoughts that are contributing to your success will keep failure at bay.You must fill up your mind with positive thoughts through personal development and visualization.

I am not talking about the rah-rah pump it up positivity temporary fix; no I am talking about goal oriented thoughts.  I remember when I sold a very expensive product door to door our supervisor always had these meetings that were purely rah-rah pump you up and send you out the door.  He really believed that those meetings were the reason that kept us motivated all day long.  This concept did not work, because it was one to two hours before you reached your first home to present the product.  When you worked on a van, then it might be 4 to 6 hours before you even got a “show”. You had to be able to motivate yourself through personal development by listening to tapes and reading books.

Your goals had to be big enough to overcome the negative thoughts swimming in your head on that long ride to your presentation.  The beauty of tasting success is that nothing hurt when you are winning.  When your sales are down, then every little thing is a major issue.  One on one selling is one of the most transparent forms of selling.  Your potential customers can detect fear and doubt and use it to stroke you out the door.

Your potential customers will pick up on your attitude and use it to their advantage.  A critical part of the presentation was performing a mattress test in your prospect‘s bedroom.  I have personally closed many deals at this point and the rest was just a formality.  If you are not sure of yourself, then you would never be able to accomplish this key part of the presentation.  Your words move you to action, moving you towards your goals for the future.

If you are unable to move to action to perform a critical part of the presentation, a bad habit will form.  The habit of not doing your best will lead to you taking shortcuts.  You will no longer attempt to get into the bedroom, your sales would decrease. When you are in a funk amazingly everyone else is to blame for your failure.  You would blame the system, the lead or the economy.  A habit whether good or bad is formed anywhere from 21-59 days of action so pay close attention to your actions.

Your character of who you truly are to the core is developed by these habits.  Your character in turn determines your destiny.  If you are not happy where you are in life then change your destiny with your thoughts. Where you are in life can be traced back to actions or in actions taken by you.  Negative thoughts will become your future, unless you make a conscious effort through personal development to change. Your destiny started from thoughts, so cultivate your thoughts wisely.

Shirland Carrington is originally from Barbados. Shirland earned his B.S and M.B.A degrees to help him achieve his goals and dream. Amazingly, Shirland is achieving his dreams without direct correlation to earning his degrees.

Visit my Blog http://innerpowerrevealed.com/10/personal-development-a-little-snake-could-interfere-with-your-success/Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/personal-development-your-thoughts-determine-your-destiny-whether-good-or-bad-1423197.html