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Andrew Strachan has been lucid dreaming for over 20 years. Anybody can learn how to lucid dream. Discover more about reality checks and learn the techniques he uses so that you can learn to lucid dream yourself.
http://www.lucidfun.com
February 3, 2008
What is belief? How important is belief? What do you believe?
Belief is the way we view our world. Your world is a different world to mine and a different world even to the one closest to you. Each one of us is individual and has our own world view. This world view is the way in which we each form our beliefs about how the world affects us and how we can affect the world.
Our personal world view can cause changes with us for the good or for the worse. It all depends on our beliefs about what effect there is upon us from those around us. The circumstances that affect us and the opportunities that come to us.
Some are held in a straitjacket or prison by those around them who constrict their movement and so restrict their growth. These people allow circumstances to rule their lives. For example: Question: ?How are you?? Answer: ?Not bad under the circumstances?. Why are you under the circumstances instead of the opportunities that abound around you if
only you can seen them? Your world view can be either circumstances that restrict you or opportunities that provide a springboard for you.
The choice is straightjacket or springboard. Which do you choose? Because you do
have a choice. It is true that you did not have much choice in the temperament you were born with, the environment that shaped your early days, the unforeseen effect of relationship difficulties in later life or the career that took an unexpected turn.
Yet all of these can be overcome. Our temperament, our environment, our past failures and
mistakes, all of these are only a part of what we can become today and in the future. Because we can shape and change our world by our beliefs about our world, the future can always be bright! Every one of us has the potential for change. But if you do not take positive action soon, then the changes will be negative. No person is static. We do not remain the same. Even by this time next week you will be a different person because of something someone said, something someone did or something we misinterpreted in our world.
The change in a day is tiny, in a week is small, in a month is noticeable, in a year can be major. But in a decade it can be the saddest change that could have happened to you because you were not in control!
By taking control of your beliefs about your world you can take control of your life. Life moves inexorably on. Circumstances come upon us daily. We are bombarded from every angle by messages of various types, some positive but some very damaging. These affect our belief system if we do not take action to defend our citadel of personality.
To sum up belief is what shapes your world. Belief is vital to any change you need to make. Belief will not stop because you pay no attention to it.
Why not decide TODAY to make your circumstances and your opportunities a springboard for action?
January 30, 2008
Do you ever wonder why ideas sometimes don’t seem to be forthcoming? If you’re a writer, perhaps you’ve suffered from the so-called ‘writer’s block.’ If you fall in this category, you’re probably wondering how to knock those walls down to make way for actionable ideas.
One way is through a lot of creative writing. People frequently ask how I have been able to come up with so many articles these days for my blog, website and other projects. It did not happen overnight - I’ve been writing in one form or another since the mid 90’s.
Here?s how to dig into the well of actionable ideas within you:
1. Start a private dairy and write everything that comes to mind without regard to spelling, grammar or sentence structure. Do this for a few minutes every day for a couple of months. Don’t worry whether or not your words make sense. They are not for public consumption anyway. Like building your muscles at the gym, you are exercising your creative juices. Starting a private diary will begin to weaken the mental blockages.
2. Sit at your computer with your eyes closed. Let your mind dictate what your fingers will do on the keyboard. Describe in words what you imagine yourself doing, saying, acting and thinking twenty years from now. Let your mind run amok and don’t worry about proper writing protocol. This will surely get your creative juices flowing even faster because you’ll have fun writing your future!
3. Purchase the book, ‘The Artist’s Way,’ by Julia Cameron. It?s a great resource for getting in touch with your inner creativity. It is full of writing exercises that are designed for solo and/or group work. If you motor through the entire book, not only will you access the stairwell of your imagination but you will also learn how to trust yourself, further tearing down the mental ‘Berlin Wall.’
4. I also recommend you get ‘Simple Abundance’ by Sara Ban Breathnach. It was from her book that I began to write, on a daily basis, at least 3 to 5 things I was grateful for that day. It helped me:
a. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude
b. Recognize more of the positives rather than the negatives of life
c. Attract more of what I was grateful for
d. Make way for creative ideas
5. Start composing short stories about your life’s experiences. This will force you to become more disciplined because you?re now paying more attention to spelling, sentence structure and so forth.
As you rewrite (and rewrite) to polish your first draft, you will learn how to make it flow better with less, rather than more words. The path to your inner pool of ideas is now becoming well worn by this point because you’re keeping at it on a frequent basis, preventing mental blockages from building back up.
Think of it this way. Ever been to a nature trail? If a lot of people walk the path, hardly any grass will grow there, right? If no one came for months for a hike, what would happen? Grass and weeds would obstruct the path. It’s the same concept here. The more you write, the more you clear away mental blockages because you’ve traveled down that way many times.
6. Look around the internet to test the strength of your short stories. Give sites like Heartwarmers.com and EzineArticles a try. They cost nothing and are moderated by human editors, which mean all submissions are individually reviewed before being accepted.
For almost a year, I used Heartwarmers to test the quality of my short stories because only one was selected for their daily newsletter, sent to 50,000 subscribers around the world. That meant if my story was accepted, than it must have been of good quality. Three of them that were previously accepted at the Heartwarmers site eventually found their way to best-selling books like ‘Chicken Soup for the College Soul,’ ‘heartwarmers’ and ‘Magical Souvenirs: Mystical Travel Stories from Around the World.’ That says a lot about the quality of their stories. Go check them out!
7. Create a blog. Blogger.com is the easiest, in my opinion, for the non-techie. Having a blog will motivate you to write more because now you have a level of responsibility to your readers. I’ve written over 60 articles since creating this blog a couple months ago. You’d be surprised how much information you have inside you, dying to get out. The more you write, the more ideas will come bubbling to the surface.
8. Now you?re ready to carry around a notepad everywhere you go. Since you?ve cleared the way for ideas, they will start to come out of nowhere. Sometimes they come fast and furious. If you don?t have a way of recording them at a moment’s notice, they’ll be gone forever because they are by nature fleeting. Often they lead you to a certain course of action, opening the way for your dreams to come true.
And it all starts with creative writing!
Food for thought: Start a private diary or write 5 things you’re grateful everyday to get a head start on releasing mental blockages. The practice of creative writing is like unclogging a blocked artery, making way for a torrent of blood (ideas) to flow.
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Profoundly deaf since birth, Stephen Hopson is a former award-winning stockbroker turned motivational speaker, author and pilot. He works with organizations that are ready to explore and overcome adversity because no one is immune from it - adversity does not discriminate. His professional speaking services, Obstacle Illusions, include fun and passionate presentations, especially the story of how his fifth grade teacher forever changed his young life with THAT’S RIGHT STEPHEN!
You can view his website at http://www.sjhopson.com
Stephen also maintains a blog called ‘Adversity University’ at http://adversityuniversity.blogspot.com/
If you are curious as to how well Stephen speaks, listen to this audio post: http://adversityuniversity.blogspot.com/2006/05/introducing-myself-to-people-who-hire.html
January 27, 2008
We often hear discussions about auras, energies and energetic balance. Let’s take a closer look at this interesting topic, which is not explored deeply enough. So, what is the secret of this healing power?
What are Reiki energies? Reiki is the energy that supports life and represents natural healing system. Japanese word ‘Reiki’ is translated as Universal Life Energy. Reiki has nothing in common with hypnosis or any other psychotechnics. Reiki is a natural, safe therapy that is widely used in Asian medicine, they can not harm anyone.
Reiki energy accelerates processes of healing at fractures and injuries. Reiki sessions are recommended for recovery of organ functioning affected by different diseases. Reiki is widely used for healing back and joints pain. Reiki energy is transferred though Master’s hands during the healing session.
Human being is a complex energetic system. Energetic centers, also called chakras, are important elements of the human bioenergetics. Throughout them energies are able to enter the body. Chakras supply all organs with the life energy though meridians and channels. Each physical organ receives energy from corresponding chakra for normal functioning.
According to Hindu and Buddhist literature there are 88 000 of charkas in the body, 7 are the main once. Word ‘chakra’ means ‘wheel’ in Sanskrit language. ‘Wheel’ can rotate faster of slower, depending on the energy level in human body. Imbalance and blocking of chakra provokes disease of the physical organ.
How this can be explained from the scientific point of view? Our brain together with the nervous system is the main engine in the physical body. As we all know our nervous system conducts electrical signal. Right at this point we are talking about the energy. Our body produces the heat, we interact with the light and sound, our DNA vibrates 54 ? 78 billion cycles /sec. As you could see our body interacts with all these different types of energy.
If we will look at the charkas diagram, everything becomes clear. Chakras are located in the same plases as the main neuroplexes, and they affect directly nervous system and glands of endocrine system that release hormones into the bloodstream. And it is a common knowledge that nervous system and hormones can seriously affect human body.
1st chakra is the Pelvic Plexus in nervous system and sex glands in endocrine system 2nd chakra is Sciatic Plexus in nervous system and sex glands in endocrine system 3rd chakra is Solar Plexus in nervous system and pancreatic gland + adrenal glands in endocrine system 4th chakra is Plexus in nervous system and thyroid gland in endocrine system 5th chakra is Cervical Plexus in nervous system and thymus gland in endocrine system 6th chakra is Brain and pineal gland in endocrine system 7th chakra is Brain
By balancing chakras we restore balance of all systems in human body.
Reiki energy flows through special channels and meridians in the body that are closely associated with human nervous system. The locations where this flow can be felt are called acupuncture points. Reiki works just like acupuncture technique, but without needles. This is the unique trait of the method of work with energy.
Practical use of energies provides overwhelming results. Let’s review just a few of them.
Case 1. 9 your old boy asked to help him with fracture of his wrist. To the surprise of his doctor plaster was removed after just 3 weeks instead of expected 6 weeks.
Case 2. Spine problem that lasted 15 years and caused pains every day ceased.
Case 3. Inveterate knee-joint injury with increase of leg volume and pains in joint that hindered walking stopped causing trouble. It allowed driving a car again. The leg restored its original volume.
There are many other cases where Reiki energy was effective in helping to resolve physical problems.
Request your 30 minutes of free distant Reiki healing at www.HealingReiki.Net
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Irina Olvido
Natural Healer - Master/Teacher/Practitioner Kundalini Reiki Certified teacher of Lightarian Institute, Lightarian Reiki Master, Master of healing art Shamballa MDH, Master Shamballa 12D, Johrei Healing Master, Orb of Life Master, KorManu Master, Full Spectrum Healing Master, Akashik Recоrds, Etherial Cristals Healing Master
Sometimes people ask me why I make such a big deal about creativity. It?s true that not everyone is, or wants to be, an artist. We so often associate creativity with the fine arts ? painting, drawing, sculpture, writing ? that we forget how much creativity enters into every aspect of life. Creativity isn?t just about the production of works of art. It is even more powerful as a means to trust, access, and express your intuition and your inspiration.
Here are ten of the most significant benefits you get from allowing your creative energy to flow. The list is truly endless, and, from this humble beginning, you may be able to see countless more. As you begin to see creativity as this powerful and natural flow of energy, you?ll see what a creative spirit you can be. Creativity is within all of us, ready to enrich our lives when we open ourselves to it.
1 ? Creative endeavors are relaxing and restorative. As opposed to shadow comforts, like television and hot fudge brownies, creative endeavors focus your attention and connect you with what you feel inside. Activities that you feel deeply connected to are much better stress relievers than activities that numb you.
2 ? Creativity teaches you to accept imperfection. Artistic endeavors come from a part of your brain that is intuitive, sometimes disorganized, and extremely subjective. By allowing your creative spirit to play, you accept that some things you do will be better than others, and that some things will end up in the trash. But other things you create will startle you with their beauty and power.
3 ? Creativity calls on you to take risks. When you?re creating for your own pleasure, and don?t have to worry about judgment, you can try new things. You can scribble or write gibberish. You can play around with new techniques, or conduct grand experiments. You can put your vision onto the canvas or the page, and if it doesn?t work out the way you planned, who cares? Letting your creativity flow may not feel safe and familiar, but it is exhilarating.
4 ? Creative work teaches patience. If you try to rush art work, to meet a deadline or because Nightline is coming on, you lose your creative flow. Creating from the heart takes time: time to listen, and time to let the work evolve. I?ve allowed some pretty impressive art work to be ruined because I was in a hurry. Without patience, you lose respect for your creative process, and for the work you are creating, and that work almost never ends up being something you truly love.
5 ? Creative endeavors teach you that you can?t please everybody, so why try? The creative flow demands that you do what feels right to you, no matter what others might think. Everyone?s taste is different. You learn to trust your own instincts, and ignore the opinions of others. Not everyone is going to love what you create, and that?s perfectly alright. Work that is made to please everyone isn?t art.
6 ? Creativity helps you find your own vision and your own voice. As you learn to follow your inspiration, you allow yourself access to your essential truth. You express things that you might never before have expressed to another person, and, over time, you develop a clearer sense of yourself. Art can give you the courage to speak out, be bold, and shake things up. And when you respect your own opinions, others will, too.
7 ? Creative work keeps you young. When you?re immersed in a creative project, your brain is humming and your juices are flowing. You?re exercising your brain and increasing the chemicals in your body that calm and heal you. Just like stress can age you, by creating wear and tear on your system, being involved in creative work that you love can relax your body and heal the damage.
8 ? Creativity connects you with others. When you do choose to share your creative work with others, they receive the gift of knowing you just a little big better. And connecting to your own creative flow allows you to appreciate more deeply the creative inspiration of others. Knowing yourself better brings you to seek out other people with whom you really click, and with whom a deep connection is possible. And spending time with other creative people?in classes, at galleries, at craft shows?brings out your own creative flow even more.
9 ? Creative energy makes you better at everything you do. Regardless of the job in front of you, having access to your creative energy enables you to think outside the box. At work, you can trust your expertise and instincts, working more efficiently and effectively. At home, you can use your insight and wisdom to deepen your relationships. You can make sound decisions by following your gut. And you have the courage to become more involved in activities that have deep meaning for you, Whether you choose to invest energy in a hobby, a class, spiritual matters, or political activism, you have the ability to be more vibrant and more invested.
10 ? Creative work is a way to happiness. You?ve probably lived long enough to know that happiness doesn?t come from big houses or fast cars or the latest gadget. Happiness doesn?t even come from other people. Happiness rises from inside of you when you are feeling integrated and connected with your surroundings and activities. Happiness comes along with the creative flow. In fact, when it comes to creative activity, if it doesn?t make you happy, don?t do it. There are too many things in the world that you can and do love for you to waste time on those that you don?t.
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Lynn Marlow is a psychologist and life coach who has been working with and trusted by individuals at every stage of life for the past 20 years.
Creativity is one of Lynn’s passions, and she expresses herself in many ways, in her writing, her garden, her website, and, most notably, in fused glass (http://www.marlowglassarts.com). Her work boldly reflects her colorful, playful, and dynamic spirit.
Lynn values connection with self, others, work, community, earth, and spirit. Her holistic approach to coaching flows from her deep appreciation for how the emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical interconnect. Lynn believes that peace and happiness come from knowing yourself, feeling and expressing your emotional truth, having meaningful connections to people and activities, and moving through life with honesty, integrity, courage, and a sense of humor.
To learn more, or subscribe to her newsletter, visit her website at http://www.creativityunbound.com.
January 26, 2008
New research shows that productivity levels and creativity not only drop when we are tired, but that a good night?s sleep is required for learning.
John Steinbeck said, ?It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.?
The brain does not quit working while you sleep.
You may be resting your body, but the brain needs sleep to consolidate what happened during the day and then store what you learned into memory. Then when you wake up, you are better able to recall newly learned tasks quicker and more accurately.
It is better to study during the day, and then just sleep on it.
However, according to the National Sleep Foundation, if you work too late the lack of sleep impairs the ability to pay attention, communicate with clarity, think through options, and maintain a positive mood. And if you are not getting enough hours of sleep, your brain can neither process nor store the new information you received during the day.
The lack of sleep is the greater cause of memory loss than aging.
Yet, millions of adults in the US are sleep-deprived, thinking they can live with less than 6-7 hours of sleep.
?We all think we?re super-duper beings, but none of it?s true. We?re all biological beings with biological limits. Until we can grow extra heads and extra brains, that is what we can expect,? said Edward O?Malley, Norwalk Hospital Sleep Disorders Center.
In addition to sleep, exercise and social interaction work as wonder drugs for our brains, spurring the growth of new cells and connections between those cells. In fact, older active people might have more mentally efficient brains than young sedentary people.
The benefits of exercise on the brain include:
1. Increasing the flow of oxygen to the brain, paving the way for the growth of new cells.
2. Boosting brain-derived neurotrophic factors that are critical to the survival of new cells.
3. Increasing neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, which play a role in cognition and enhancing mental functions such as decision-making and the successful completion of tasks. They also boost short-term working memory and the ability to multi-task.
Although static exercise is good for the brain, complex aerobic exercise where there is movement, learning and variation works out the brain as well as the body. To get the best effects, blend exercise with a social component such as dancing.
Instead of working late, take the time to meet your friends for a yoga class or for a fun, active sport. This will better help you succeed at work.
It appears that working too many hours and not sleeping and exercising enough can hurt you in the long run. To sharpen your brain, you first have to take care of your body.
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Marcia Reynolds has spent over 25 years teaching and speaking to audiences world-wide. She specializes in helping people to understand how their brains work so they can make better choices about their behavior, their communications, and their impact. Speaking in over 11 countries, she has been recognized as an expert in emotional intelligence since 1997.
Reynolds is the author of Outsmart Your Brain: How to Make Success Feel Easy and the audiotape series, Being in the Success Zone. Her insights have appeared in Fortune Magazine, Health, Christian Science Monitor, Harvard Management Update, Entrepreneur, Cosmopolitan and The New York Times, and she has appeared on ABC World News, NPR and Japan Nightly News. You can read more at www.OutsmartYourBrain.com or contact her at Marcia@OutsmartYourBrain.com
If we treat learning how to handle specific communication situations as a motor skill, can we use our imagination to improve our relationships?
Alvaro Pascual-Leone, a neurologist at Harvard, has demonstrated that piano players using mental practice improve their performance more than those not practicing at all. In fact, according to neuroscientists Robert Zatorre and Andrea Halpern, when pianists listen to a piece they know how to perform, they activate areas in the motor cortex that correspond to the finger movements they would have to make in order to produce the sounds even though they do not actually move their fingers. Even more amazing, the same parts of their brain activate when they recall the music in their heads.
Studies like these have been done over the past twenties years in sports psychology, where basketball players and golfers have proven to increase their performance through mental practice.
Can we apply this practice to improving our communication skills? Yes. In fact, this practice will also increase the speed of self-improvement.
Generally, we learn how to relate with other people?including skills of leadership, negotiation, conflict resolution and assertiveness?in a classroom, from a book, or from a mentor, but do not get regular chances to practice in real life. Therefore, the information we learn may or may not implant in our long-term memory, and our knowledge is susceptible to being overridden by fear if we do not remember or feel confident to use what we learn.
The good news is that our brains are even more adept at learning active skills than simply remembering information. If you figure out what you want to say and do in specific situations and practice over and over, even if it is just in your head, the brain records it as a skill in your motor cortex where you have access to use it even under duress. It?s true that you can?t account for all interpersonal situations, but you can prepare for upcoming interactions and presentations which will give you confidence for the unplanned events.
BRAIN TIPS:
1. When you want something to happen, practice how you will talk, act, behave and feel in your head a few times every day. Make it your mental practice as you would prepare for a concert or sports event. You have a much better chance of performing well in spite of your fears if your brain can remember what to do instead.
2. When you vision, be sure to monitor your emotions. Your brain works most efficiently when you are feeling happy, grateful, proud, compassionate, hopeful, forgiving, receptive, lucky, confident, optimistic, or any emotions related to feeling good.
3. Be sure to see it through to the end. Whenever you practice mentally, go from start to the finish. Most people just see themselves starting an event. They rarely see it through to the end. You are teaching your brain new skills and ways of being. You need to be thorough so your negative thoughts don?t creep back in.
4. Use this technique to start your day. Vision how you want to feel and who you want to be during the day. Mentally, and physically, practice this all day long to stay on track.
5. Be conscious of your thoughts as often as possible. Running negative tapes in your head is also mental practice that is remembered. You have to stop and listen if you want to change the channel.
Remember, your brain learns quickly. If you choose the lessons you want it to learn, and practice regularly, you will reach mastery. Begin today to master your communication skills.
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Marcia Reynolds has spent over 25 years teaching and speaking to audiences world-wide. She specializes in helping people to understand how their brains work so they can make better choices about their behavior, their communications, and their impact. Speaking in over 11 countries, she has been recognized as an expert in emotional intelligence since 1997.
Reynolds is the author of Outsmart Your Brain: How to Make Success Feel Easy and the audiotape series, Being in the Success Zone. Her insights have appeared in Fortune Magazine, Health, Christian Science Monitor, Harvard Management Update, Entrepreneur, Cosmopolitan and The New York Times, and she has appeared on ABC World News, NPR and Japan Nightly News. You can read more at www.OutsmartYourBrain.com or contact her at Marcia@OutsmartYourBrain.com
January 25, 2008
How many times over the course of each day do you find yourself wanting something you don’t have? If you’re like most people it’s more often than you think. There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting that which you don’t have. It’s human nature. You may want more money (who doesn’t). A bigger home maybe? How about a leaner more muscular body? Good health is a big one. On and on the list goes.
Your greatest enemy
Truth is everything you desire is nothing more than a state of mind. There’s an internal force within each of us that drives us at a unconscious level. It’s called an ego. Some of us have greater egos than others but we all have it to various degrees. According to the spiritualist Eckerd Tolle it is the ego mind that we battle each and every day for control and we do it at a completely unconscious level. Quite literally the greatest enemy you’re ever likely to face is… yourself.
Your constantly doing battle with yourself whether or not your aware of it!
So what does an ‘attitude of gratitude’ have to do with all this? To illustrate my point I would like to relate a story and a valuable lesson I learned from it.
In 1987 I ventured to Peru where I met my lovely wife Nancy. It was my first time to Peru and I wanted to experience as much as I could. So one day with Nancy and her Mom in tow we headed out of Lima into the countryside. We eventually ended up somewhere in the mountains and came upon what appeared to be a celebration of sorts. I found out the town’s people were just having a Sunday picnic. What struck me most about this picnic was the atmosphere of the entire village and the people within it. Everyone just seemed so happy! Kids were playing, people were dancing and laughing and having a wonderful time. The friendliness and openness of everyone was contagious. They asked us to join them in their celebration which we gladly accepted.
As I looked around I wondered to myself just how it is that these native Incas could be so happy? Nancy’s mother provided the clue I was missing. Her mother owned a small trading business in Ayacucho located in southern Peru. She was very familiar with the culture, customs and Quechua language of these natives and proceeded to explain to me. Quechua, by the way, is the native tongue of the Incas and was the primary language of the Inca empire long before the arrival of Spanish Conquistadors centuries ago.
I came to find out that these people lived in harmony with the world around them. They had a profound sense of gratitude for everything they received from each other and what the rich soils and nature provided to them. They were simple God fearing, loving people willing to give and receive freely and unconditionally. No egos or preconceived notions to get in the way. Their ’simple’ nature was a natural result of the spiritual enlightenment that they achieved. They had profound love, respect and gratitude towards their fellow men, women and children which also extended to complete strangers as we quickly learned. No wonder the Inca empire at it’s peak was so advanced and contained a rich and peace loving culture. That is until the arrival of the Spanish and their eventual conquest over the Incas some 500 years ago in the Andean region of South America.
The Power of Feeling Good Now
Your well being is at the very core of your existence. Being happy with who you are and what you have right now while at the same time wanting more is essential to your well being. Be content with the knowledge that the Law of Attraction will manifest the reality you desire. However, you must remove all doubt, unworthiness and impatience from your thoughts. Learn to accept and appreciate that which you have now by living with an attitude of gratitude.
In the bible Jesus states ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom’. He wasn’t referring to people living in poverty. By stating ‘poor in spirit’ he was referring to those who are humble and receptive, not egotistical or self important.
Until next time and to your prosperity…
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Mike Manjin presents advice on self improvement and personal fullfillment. To learn more about powerful success principles please visit http://www.lifeprosper.com or for more information email him at mmanjin@lifealteringprinciples.com
January 24, 2008
Mindmapping is one of the simplest, yet most powerful tools a person can use when developing ideas. It is a non-linear way of organizing information that allows you to capture the natural flow of your ideas as they spring to mind. Mind maps were developed in the late 1960s by cognitive psychology expert and author, Tony Buzan, as a way of helping students learn and take notes in an unconventional visual format designed to increase memory retention.
The Benefits of Mindmapping
? Brainstorm new ideas, new projects, new products & services.
? Managing projects and covering all bases.
? It clearly defines the central idea, by positioning it in the center of the page.
? It allows you to indicate clearly the relative importance of each idea.
? All your information is laid out on one page.
? It allows you to add new information very easily.
? It makes it easier for you to see information in different ways, from different viewpoints, because it does not lock it into specific positions.
? It allows you to see complex relationships among ideas, which might not be as apparent if using a linear system of brainstorming.
? It provides a foundation for questioning and discovery.
Here are Some Simple Steps to Follow When Mindmapping:
Start at the center. This is contrary to the linear method that we are taught in school to begin at the top left-hand corner of the page. Our brains actually prefer starting at the center and working outward. Begin with a piece of paper. The bigger the paper size, the more complete your mind map will be. In the center of the page, write a word or phrase that embodies the entire idea that you are focusing on at the moment.
Dump it!! In order to make mindmapping work, it is necessary to let go of trying to find the right answer, or the best answer, and just allow your brain to dump ideas onto that mind map. Mindmapping is a idea-dumping process that helps stimulate new ideas and connections between those ideas.
Branch it out. As new ideas emerge, focus on those ideas and see if you can break them down even further. Allow the ideas to expand outward into branches and sub-branches. Put down all ideas without judgment or evaluation.
Work fast. Your brain works in short bursts of creative ideas, so in order to capture those ideas, you want to work as rapidly as possible to put ideas on paper. It is therefore important not to judge or evaluate the quality of those ideas or else your mind will become locked up. Work fast to get as many ideas as possible onto paper as you can.
Don?t be confined by boundaries. Make sure that you do not create boundaries for yourself when it comes to mindmapping by limiting your physical space for ideas. Don?t feel confined to a 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. Use an easel pad, or butcher paper to mindmap because this medium offers more space to elaborate on your ideas. Now there is some computer software available that allows you to mindmap. These are quite good and you can print out your mindmap when you are finished.
Don?t stop. Make sure you write down everything that comes to mind even if it is completely unrelated. Otherwise your mind will get distracted onto other things and you won?t be able to come back to what you were focusing on in the first place. Always keep your hand moving. If ideas seem to slow down then draw empty lines and your subconscious mind will work hard to fill those empty lines with ideas.
Organize later. Sometimes you see relationships between ideas immediately and sometimes you don’t, so you just connect the ideas to the central focus and keep adding to your map. Organization should not be your focus until after you get your ideas on paper.
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For over 10 years, Tristan has inspired, motivated, and brought success to the lives of the people he?s touched. Tristan has competed athletically against Olympians as a gymnast, rescued and saved numerous lives as a police officer, became a successful entrepreneur and highly sought-after Personal Development Consultant, and became internationally recognized as an expert in the field of Personal Development and human potential. Tristan is the founder of the Synergy Institute, a San Diego based Personal Development Firm. His philosophy of passionate living and helping others fulfill their dreams has continually been the driving force that has placed him well above the industry standard. Visit Tristan’s website at http://www.synergyinstituteonline.com or by email at info@synergyinstituteonline.com
January 23, 2008
‘The Lord has protected me by using my dog,’ says Alan, age 10. ‘Once a dog almost bit me, but my boxer chased him away. God helps me hide from things, and he helps me by letting my dad be a cop.’
You’ve got a boxer, and your dad is a cop. Why hide from anything?
Even a mighty warrior like King David learned how to hide. What separates the brave from the cowardly is the place of hiding. David wrote in Psalm 27 that even though enemies threatened to eat up his flesh, he would hide in the secret place of God’s tabernacle.
Only one place guarantees protection in times of trouble — God’s presence. Any other hiding place is a sham. When you abide in God’s presence, you’ll have peace beyond explanation in the midst of crisis. Instead of a panic attack, determine before the crisis to have a faith attack. Remember Job’s response when disaster struck? ‘Though (God) slay me, yet will I trust him’ (Job 13:15).
When we think about God’s protection, how many of us consider the simple things? ‘God has given me a roof over my head, food on my plate, water in my cup and the most loving family a girl could ever have,’ says Lauren, 11. ‘I thank the Lord from the bottom of my heart! I love you, God!’
Lauren, thanks for reminding us of God’s faithfulness to provide basic necessities. Getting enough food is a major problem for many. Most people in America have never known hunger. Many suffer from eating too much food. Giving thanks to God at mealtimes is a wonderful way to remind us of God’s daily provision.
‘God protected me when I was swimming at a hotel,’ says Frances, 9. ‘I almost died because I was drowning. My mom thought I was faking, but I wasn’t. I tried to swim, but I couldn’t. Then, I started swimming.
”Praise the Lord,’ I said. Then, I went out of the pool and didn’t swim anymore. I was so happy I didn’t drown to death. My mom heard about it. She made me go in the pool again.’
I worked as a lifeguard one summer. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell if someone is in trouble. Frances, even though your mom failed to recognize your distress, God heard your cry. Although your mom didn’t recognize your trouble, she clearly saw that a fear of water could haunt you for life. She had the wisdom to send you back into the water.
Unrealistic fears have a way of immobilizing us. Often, it’s the anticipation of something we dread that drives us crazy more than the thing itself. We imagine the worst.
Going to the dentist is one of those imagination-run-wild things for a lot of people. Joshua, 9, even asked for prayer: ‘I have an upcoming dentist appointment. Pray for me because I am going to have three teeth filled.’
The first step in facing fear is to humble ourselves before God. Praying and asking for prayer allows us to release our fears to God and to cling to his protection and provision. Grab onto God’s promises like a life preserver thrown to you in the middle of the ocean (or a hotel pool). Cling, and you won’t drown.
Think about this: God’s promise of protection often comes packaged as an exhortation like the one Moses gave the Israelites at the Red Sea. Whether you’re fighting to get out of the water or waiting to get through the water, God will protect you if you rely on him.
Memorize this truth: ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord’ (Exodus 14:13).
Ask this question: When you face a crisis, where do you place your confidence?
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Carey Kinsolving is a syndicated columnist, producer, author, speaker and website developer. To see Carey’s Kid TV Interviews and more, visit http://www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/ The Kids Talk About God website contains free, online content for children and families. Print free lessons from the ‘Kids Color Me Bible’ and make your own book. Watch for free the adventures of an 11-year-old girl traveling around the world, visiting missionaries in the Mission Explorers Streaming Video. Print Bible pictures drawn by kids that illustrate Scripture verses. Receive a complimentary, weekly e-mail subscription to our Devotional Bible Lessons. Bible quotations in this column are from the New King James Version.
Copyright 2006 Carey Kinsolving
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