Self-Improvement - Something For Everyone (Part 1)

Self-improvement is something that every person in the world yearns for. It has nothing to do with where you live, your age, occupation or your income. Yes, it is true that many people spend a small fortune each year on trying to improve themselves by hiring life coaches and personal trainers. However, there are many ways you can indulge in self-improvement without going to any extra expense.

Let's take for example, the woman who finds herself gaining a little too much weight. For her, self-improvement is shedding the extra pounds and fitting back into her clothes. She can start by cutting back on the high-calorie food she eats and incorporate a walk into her daily activities. If she doesn't want to spend extra money, then she doesn't have to join a fitness club or a program to help her lose weight, but the option is there if she wants to take it. This applies to anyone that wants to take some action directed toward improving some aspect of his/her life.

Self-improvement can involve anything that you feel will make you feel better about your life. It could be taking a course that would lead to a hobby, if you feel bored during your leisure time. Even taking a trip to a faraway place can be a method of self-improvement because it gives you a chance to see another part of the world, learn about another culture and get some rest and relaxation at the same time.

Self-improvement is such a broad topic that it would take pages to write about all the ways you can learn from it. No matter what form of improvement you choose for your life, it will help to increase your self-image and your confidence. Just knowing that you look good with the weight you've lost adds something to the way you walk. Having someone compliment you on something that you have made or built as a result of a new hobby will fill you with pride. So how do you get to figure how what it is about your life that needs improving?

Jealousy Can Often Be Caused By Insecurity Or An Over Active Imagination Or Possibly A Combination Of The Two.

People who allow their jealousy to get out of control often become angry and agitated when the person that they link the jealousy to, does innocent things. This ultimately could lead to destruction of the relationship or create two very unhappy people who are forever questioning their love for each other. Helping clients with Hypnotherapy in High Wycombe and in many other towns its no surprise to learn that Jealousy is a hot subject.

When negative things happens, even though they were caused by the jealousy and not an outside factor the jealousy is reinforced in the jealous person. Most of the time the jealous person has an overwhelming love for their partner that they feel makes them justified in being jealous and in some cases controlling. This will result in magnifying the jealousy in their next relationship. In some cases jealousy can lead to violence including mental torture and manipulation which are two things that can quickly finish any relationship.

Hypnotherapy identifies the triggers from the present or past that leads to the outbursts. Once the triggers are identified they are dealt with. Negative thinking is replaced with positive actions that strengthen the relationship by showing the client how to build up their self esteem and confidence.

The use of hypnosis can be so profound that all jealous feelings completely disappear. When I have used Hypnotherapy in High Wycombe clinic I have personally seen some outstanding changes in people. No one need suffer from the grip of jealousy.

If someone logically tries to work it out – they are often doomed for failure because with such high emotions they are stored in our subconscious as with all emotions. And to get to the issue you need to get to the subconscious –hence the use of hypnosis can be so very powerful.

How To Recognize Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a devastating disease that effects millions of people every year. Recognizing alcoholism in yourself or someone else can be difficult. Alcoholism is defined as a disease that allows a persons use of alcohol to interfere with their life and the basic functioning of their daily tasks, needs and responsibilities.

The clinical way of looking at alcohol is by examining the amount of alcohol a person consumes. A women who drinks more than seven drink per week or more than three drinks a day and a man who drinks more than 14 drinks per week or four drinks in a day would be considered an alcoholic. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80 proof liquor.

Warning signs of alcoholism may vary form person to person. Usually though these warning signs will be obvious. The following list outlines some of these signs.

- misses a lot of work or school
- losses interest in family, friends or activities
- depression
- drinking to cope with any problem
- insomnia
- being intoxicated often
- moody
- drinking related health problems

These are some of the noticeable warning signs. More serious behaviors can also serve as a wake-up call. Risky behavior like drinking and driving should be taken seriously.

Alcohol when taken in moderation is a nice way to relax or enjoy a social engagement, where when alcohol becomes a problem it can effect everyone who is close to the alcoholic. Some things that can tell a person they may be having a problem with alcohol are:

- worry over not having alcohol or money to buy it
- hiding alcohol so others do not know you have it
- often wishing to be drunk or get drunk faster
- unable to stop drinking once started
- hearing others comment on your drinking

Alcoholism should always be taken seriously. If you or someone you know has a drinking problem professional help is available in every community. Recognizing the problem is the first step to finding a solution.

Holiday "Ki" Moments: Choosing Your Best Self

"I like to think of myself as an artist, and my life is my greatest work of art. Every moment is a moment of creation, and each moment of creation contains infinite possibilities. I can do things the way I've always done them, or I can look at all the different alternatives, and try something new and different and potentially more rewarding. Every moment presents a new opportunity and a new decision."

--From Creative Visualization, by Shakti Gawain

The Holidays are filled with key moments -- and Ki Moments. Are you ready for them? Gift decisions, company parties, Holiday dinners with friends and family -- they're loaded with opportunities, aren't they? Will the pressure of the moment help you reach peak performance or will you look back later wondering why you did what you did -- again!

When your sibling does something that pushes your buttons, your children are over the top with excitement, your partner forgets the wine, and your associate forgets the most important action item, whatever you do, say, and receive back will be contingent upon what self you choose in that moment.

Give yourself and those you love and work with some unexpected gifts this season:
--The gift of your best self. When the pressure is on, breathe and come back to what you really want -- for this moment, and this relationship.
--The gift of empathy. Give up the fight and acknowledge the pressure that you and they are under.
--The gift of perspective. Laugh, love, let go, and learn.
--The gift of peace. Don't talk about peace, BE peace, in your family, your workplace, your community, and your nation. As Ghandi said, "We must be the change we wish to see in the world."

Ki (from Ai-KI-do) is the Japanese for life energy. Aikido means "the way of blending with energy." How will you extend your life energy this season? How will you receive theirs? It's your choice. Your life depends on it.

How Bodacious Women Get Unstuck and Make a Decision

Copyright 2006 Mary Foley

When it comes to making a decision, sometimes we get so wrapped around the axel we’re paralyzed and can’t move forward. You become captive to your fears. Being in this place is no party! At one point in my AOL career, I was debating whether or not to ask my manager for what I wanted: To go part-time. I had recently been accepted to grad school and I quickly determined that continuing to do 60-hour weeks at AOL along with grad school while finalizing my divorce was too much.

I didn’t want to leave AOL altogether, but part-time was an oxymoron at that place! And anyways, we didn’t have a part-time position in my group. Once I voiced my request I wondered if “the powers that be” would think I was pulling back and decide I should leave, like now. I was stuck and afraid. What to do? What to do? What to do?

I was stuck in this quandary. Then a way to get unstuck came to me. You see, Bodacious Women have the courage to figure out what to do in uncomfortable situations. You can use it, too, for those sticky, stucky moments. Here it is:

1. Imagine the worst-case scenario of the decision you’re trying to make or the risk you want to take.

Sit down, tell it to a friend or someone you trust, and paint the complete picture with all the events, people, and especially your feelings. From your cozy chair, experience as much as possible what the worst case would feel like.

2. Ask yourself what you would do if this worse case happened.

What would you do? What would you say? To whom? How might they react? How would you react? If you can answer these kind of questions with some degree of confidence, then you can handle it. It may not be fun, it may not be pretty, but you can handle it. Likely, you’ve handled something at least as intense before. Remember?

3. Ask yourself the likelihood of the worst case happening.

Most of the time, we paint the most horrible picture, and then it doesn’t materialize. It’s a great monument to our imagination. Perhaps more of us should write movie screenplays. So, something between Terrific! and Ugh! is probably reality. Hey, good news! You’ve already determined you can handle that, too. Piece of cake. Make a decision and go for it!

Having Confidence

No one wants a date with someone with low self esteem and a negative self image. Try to makeover your self confidence and learn how to be a desirable date with these ideas…

Make a list addressing all the things you are not comfortable with about yourself. Be honest. Establish which things people may not like about you and get an honest second opinion. Change the things that are easy first, and ensure you are comfortable with any alterations.

Address the way you look and dress. By changing the basic aspects of your looks, lifestyle and regime, you will instantly feel more confident. By looking and feeling good about yourself and widening your horizons your life has already changed for the better and your confidence levels are on the up.

There are a few changes that can be made in your daily life. Make sure you are in shape or attempting to be. If you are dieting or exercising, remember to be patient as these changes will take a little while. Also, start doing things you wish you always had the courage to do…maybe a hobby, sport, class or society. Learn to enjoy the smaller things in life and give yourself time especially for these things. If you like to cook for friends, then start having dinner parties.

Start dating…if someone has asked you out, accept. If not, be proactive and ask someone out yourself who you like. Just do it, and accept the fact that some people will say no…but many will also say yes. Begin to make conversation with the nice people you meet along the way. Become sociable and look good at every opportunity. Now start to be selective about what kind of people you really like. But by the same token, talk to everyone. The more people who are interested, the higher your confidence levels.

Remember to stay away from people that bring you down or criticize you. Whether a friend or a potential date, you deserve better. Walk away from anything you don’t like and instill a positive attitude in everything that you do.

Self Identity: Who Are You?

Self-identity? Who are you really? We identify with many things, but this is just a process in our minds. In fact, this identification causes us to suffer.

Your favorite basketball team loses, and you suffer as though YOU lost. Your car is damaged and it feels like YOU are hurt. Somebody attacks who they think you are, and it is as though they could actually reach inside and poke at your true self. Is there a way to escape this unecessary drama and pain?

Perhaps, if you can see what you are not. Seeing this clearly can free you from much of the suffering that comes from identification. Try this simple meditation.

A Meditation On Self Identity

Get comfortable in a quiet place. Close your eyes, relax and take several deep breaths, breathing through your nose. Let your breathing fall into a natural pattern. Allow tension to drain from your body.

Now begin by asking: Where am I? What am I? Who am I? Let these questions sit for a moment in your mind.

Be aware of your body. Think of your leg. If you lost it, would you cease to exist? Are you your leg? Go through the parts of your body, asking "Am I here?" "Is this my self?"

Open your eyes and look around you. Are you those things? Maybe it you feel pain when your favorite chair breaks, as though it were you. But you're not that chair. Ask yourself which of these things you own are you. "Am I this?"

Close your eyes and say your name. Do you feel a sense of identity? What if you had no name? Ask "Am I really..." and say your name again. What's the honest answer? If this one is tough, say "I am..." and insert any other name. Notice how when you call yourself by another name, you feel differently. Your name-identity is a collection of ideas, something seen differently by you and others.

As feelings arise, ask "Am I this fear?... this pain, desire, sadness, pleasure, anger? Your feelings are not you - they just pass through you. Your clothes, your body, your reputation - none of it is your true self-identity.

Do this meditation for twenty minutes, then take a deep breath and get up. Notice if you feel different - less worried or less attached to things, feelings and thoughts. Do the meditation as often as necessary, to remind you of what you are not.

IQ Level - Who Cares?

What is your IQ level? What is "intelligence quotient anyhow? The American Heritage Dictionary defines it as "The ratio of tested mental age to chronological age, usually expressed as a quotient multiplied by 100." More or less, it's a test of intelligence, with 100 as the average score. IQ tests have some problems however.

One IQ test asks which of four fruits is different. It's the one with more than one seed, but what if you weren't familiar with these fruits? The test is culturally biased, because it assumes certain knowledge, yet is supposed to test for intelligence, not knowledge.

Look at these letters: "ANLDEGN." Rearrange them to spell the name of a(n): Ocean, Country, State, City or Animal. Tests are timed, so I start with oceans, since there are few oceans, and thus I can eliminate these quickly. The problem is that this is a test taking technique I use, and an intelligence test shouldn't be testing test-taking ability. I'll score higher than a person of equal intelligence who hasn't learned simple techniques for scoring higher on multiple-choice tests, right?

Real Life Results vs IQ Levels

An imperfect test is better than no test, and it is entertaining. I recently took an IQ test, and although I don't think my IQ is really the 138 it showed, it was fun. Of course you'll score higher on a good day than a bad day. Try these tips to make it a good IQ test day:

1. Breath deep through your nose.

2. Sit up straight and close your mouth.

3. Drink a cup of coffee, tea or other caffeinated beverage.

4. Exercise enough to get your blood pumping faster.

5. Eat or drink Ginkgo Biloba to increase blood flow to your brain.

By the way, what was Henry Fords IQ? Who cares! He was one of the most innovative people of the last century, and he did what he did by surrounding himself with intelligent people. This practice alone must be worth more than 20 IQ points. Do you see the point?

You want real life results, right? If you want to be more creative, learn creative problem solving techniques. To concentrate better, learn techniques for that. Learn speed-reading and you'll have double the knowledge in the same time. Once you paint your first Mona Lisa, build your first skyscraper or make your first million, who will care about your IQ level?

The Mystery of Enlightenment

Initially, enlightenment is living in the present moment and accepting your situation as it is. That is a pretty heavy task for anyone in any time. It is often said that an enlightened person cannot be angered by small talk or negative energy.

Many people are humble and believe that they will never be enlightened in this life. They also believe: The goal of enlightenment is too vast for the average person to achieve. However, should you just give up?

What can you do to attain enlightenment?

You should meditate daily: This will help you connect to the world around you. This is an awareness of plants, animals, people and many things around you that are often not appreciated or overlooked.

Meditation will enhance awareness of yourself, everything around you, and the connection between the two. This will bring out the ability to see reality as it is - with the ultimate goal of reaching a state of “pure consciousness.”

Understand the value of prayer, mantras, and singing. Even if you only practice in your mind, this will strengthen positive energy within you. Many people resort to theses practices; to gain comfort in times of need. This is a shame because you can gain the positive benefits of prayer, mantras, and singing, any time.

Remember, enlightenment is not a race: You would be shocked at the number of people who put pressure on themselves to be “instantly enlightened.”

It is good to have goals in life, so creating a log to track your progress is a beneficial practice. Your log may track your meditation sessions, your ability to deal with, or diffuse, negative situations, your ability to create positive energy and project it to others, and your ability to see reality.

If you continue the process of keeping and maintaining a log, your results will be encouraging. You may also want to join a group with compatible religious beliefs, search for a teacher, or share your practice with a friend on the same path.

Lastly, do not be frustrated by uncertainty and learn to accept what you cannot control. If all humans could maintain enlightenment, we would experience world peace. We could all accept each other, despite differences of culture, nationality, color, sex, religious beliefs, or any other thing humans can find to develop a pre-conceived notion about each other.

The Effects Of Having A Stutter

If you have difficulties with your speech, you are not alone. Latest figures state that over one percent of people in the UK suffer with a stutter or stammer. This article describes the effects that stuttering can have on a persons life.

I am somebody who has overcome a stutter or what some people call a stammer that had basically ruined my life for eighteen years. Stuttering affects people in different ways, however these were the aspects of life I found difficult:

Introducing people

Ordering food or drinks

Speaking on the telephone

Attending interviews

Trying to attract a girlfriend

Socialising with friends or family

In general the stutter made me accept second best in life and made life a huge struggle. I found stuttering a disability and was forever looking for ways at beating the stutter.

People who knew me including family and friends were not really aware of how the stutter affected my life and were quite shocked when I eventually told them.

I attended speech therapy from the age of four or five. My attitude was possibly not what it should have been, in my own mind I always believed that they could not truly understand what I was going through as thay themselves had never had a stutter. The therapy included group and one-to-one treatment and lots of advice to speak slowly and to take deep breaths.

I never accepted that I would have the speech impediment for life and aged twenty-two decided that I would attempt to achieve fluency. I was very lucky as I had superb support from my family and friends. This was vital as these were the people I spent hours practicing the techniques I had learnt.

I spent about six months working out the techniques and it took another five months to make these techniques a natural part of my speech.

As a career I now help other people to achieve fluency by running one to one speech courses which are based in Birmingham. People leave the course with a dvd and a written booklet which act as a reminder of what to do. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at info@stammering-stuttering.co.uk

Emotion, No Longer a Dirty Word

When I tell some people that we perceive and communicate emotionally and then give logical reasons for it, they are quick to deny it. However, salespeople know this to be true. They learn that people buy for emotional reasons and then rationalize the purchase. Showing someone why he or she needs the item or service will not get you as far as showing him or her why he or she wants it.

The same semantics’ happen with perceptions and communication. When we look at the physiology of perceptions, we learn that our clearest memories are ones that have an emotional context to it. The reason is: anything that is highly emotional will come through the amygdala in our brain, whether it is from fear or love, anxiety or excitement.
Other sensory information will come directly from the brain stem to the hippocampus and a more select version will come from the cortex.

So whether it was a happy memory, i.e. weddings, special vacation, birth of a child or a sad memory: death, injury, 9/11, or an assassination of a major figure, we hold clear details of what we were doing at the time.

Many people fight hearing this because "emotional" was considered a dirty word for a long time. This group still relates to the old meaning. To them it is about being out of control, or even weak and unstable.

Most people are coming around and seeing it in a new light and as a word that can help them. Those who follow Meta or Quantum physics understand the importance of this word. How it is part of the secret, which many successful people used to acquire what they want in life.

We are taught that clear thought and communication with ourselves, combined with feeling or strong emotional desire, is the path to achieving our dreams and desires. That everything starts with a thought and then the feeling or the emotion brings it into fruition.

It is the half of the equation that many people are missing due to their dislike of the word. But what if you looked at emotion in a new light? What if you saw it as your strength? And what if you saw it as a tool for all you wish to achieve? Imagine the possibilities.

Ways To Quit Smoking

There are countless ways to quit smoking, and the majority of smokers have tried their hands at most of them. There is the old "cold turkey" standby that tends to send people into a painful period of withdrawal that eventually causes them to start smoking again. There are also the nicotine-based cessation programs like gum, patches, and lozenges. While many of these result in short-term success, they usually don't help you quit smoking for good.

Ultra-Herbal offers one of the safest and most effective ways to quit smoking on the market today: Nicocure. These all-natural patches are fully effective 97 percent of the time. Instead of releasing more of an addictive chemical into your system, Nicocure patches utilize a proprietary, all-natural formula to rid your body of its need for nicotine. Why try to break a nicotine habit by giving your body more of this dangerous chemical? Try Nicocure instead for a safe, all-natural alternative to those ineffective, nicotine-based gums and patches.

Results or Your Money Back - With Nicocure, you simply wear one patch a day for 30 days. In many cases, users see satisfying results within the first 10 days! Even when this occurs, however, it is a good idea to continue the process for the full 30 days. If for some reason you are not happy with your progress after 20 days, you can return the remainder of your patches and get a full refund on your purchase (minus shipping and handling).

Nicocure patches give you the best opportunity to quit smoking fast and for good. They make quitting easy and comfortable, eliminating withdrawal symptoms. They are also equally effective for people who have just started smoking and those who have tried to quit for years. And because Nicocure is all-natural, you know that's completely safe. For the stop smoking aid that truly breaks the nicotine cycle, try Nicocure today, completely risk-free.

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Getting Help For Your Bipolar Disorder And Your Fears

It is not easy to deal with your bipolar disorder and your fears. The first step anyone should do is to talk to a professional. Getting help from a counselor or other professional is very important and can provide you with much help and insights in dealing with your current problem. In the meantime, here are some techniques a person can use to help manage their fears and bipolar disorder.

A good way to manage your fear is to learn how to manage your negative thoughts by thinking of something positive. For instance, you have a fear that you will not be able to get through the rest of the week. Instead of focusing on this negative thought try to remind yourself that you got through other times in which you dealt with your fears. This is no different. Remind yourself that you can do it again.

Take it one step at a time. You never know when a new opportunity may come that will help us to solve your problems. The answer you may be looking for may be around the next corner. Be positive and always be aware of what each day can bring us.

Sometimes, a certain task may make us nervous. When this happens, visualize yourself doing the task in your mind. For instance, you are nervous giving a speech in front of a group of people. Before this event takes place, imagine that you are giving the speech in front of some people. Using your imagination can help you prepare for a future event.

Try to learn as much as you can in managing your bipolar disorder and fears. Read books and consult with a counselor as mentioned above. Learn from your mistakes when managing your anxiety. If something doesn’t work the first time around then try again. Never give up in dealing with your fears.

Avoiding your problem will do nothing in the long run. Managing your bipolar disorder and your fears will take some hard work. Be patience, persistent and stay committed in trying to solve your problem.

The Greatest Gift

"Go ahead, Judy, talk to your father. What do you want to say?" With these words offered by my favorite Aunt Mimi, I was given the greatest gift—the gift of myself.

Mimi and I had gone on an aunt-niece shopping adventure, and at age 15, I became the proud owner of my first mini-skirt. Upon seeing it, my dad hit the roof, and as usual, I was angry, scared, and tongue-tied. Years of admonitions to not "talk back," had my voice stopped in my throat.

Before that moment, I believe I didn't know that I could have wishes of my own, schooled as I was in pleasing others. How could I speak my thoughts if I didn't know I had them? But with Mimi at my side, I was emboldened. I had an ally. And I found words.

I opened my mouth and talked to my father. I don't remember exactly what I said - it's not important anyway. What's important is that I talked to him. I found my self - my sense of authority over what I wanted to wear and why, my feelings in that moment, and the quiet power that comes with the acknowledgment of these things.

Every time words get stuck in my throat, that moment comes to me, and I think: "Judy, what do you want to say?" And I find my self, and the words come.

This was the greatest gift I ever received from another human being. And it was a gift I could share with my father. As I found the weight of my own convictions, I was able to communicate with him in a new way - not to hurt, retaliate, prove a point, or to show him how wrong he was, but to remove a barrier and let him see a part of me I'd not ventured to show before. It was a gift to both of us.

In the spirit of giving, what will you give yourself and your relationships? Is there a "stuckness" somewhere that could be freed up by finding your center and communicating in a new way with someone you love? Are you hiding? Or are you expecting someone to guess your feelings? Give them and yourself the greatest gift.

What You Have In Common With Elephants

In many parts of India, elephants are used for manual labour; it is a tradition that has been a part of their culture for thousands of years.

Now although they are relatively peaceful animals, elephants are incredibly strong and can be difficult to control, as they can weigh eight thousand pounds or more once fully grown.

To deal with this, handlers developed a method that allows them to “condition” elephants while they are still young.

This conditioning involves tying a young elephant’s legs to a stake in the ground with a very thick rope, which prevents it from moving more than a few feet.

Whenever the baby elephant attempts to break free, it discovers that the rope is too strong. Although the elephant may attempt several times to escape, over time it eventually gives up and accepts its fate.

As the elephant grows to its full size, it continues to accept the idea that the rope prevents it from being free, even when the strong rope is replaced with a flimsier version.

With this belief firmly in place, the handlers can restrain a full-sized elephant easily with very small ropes and little supervision.

Now, it is easy to see that elephants and human beings are completely different; however, this story shows how conditioning can keep an animal clearly superior to humans in strength and size under control.

The reality of this example is that the elephant can walk away at any time, and that it would be pretty difficult for its handlers to stop it if it chose to do so. It is its belief system that tells it walking away is impossible, and so it stays captive for the rest of its life.

No, we are not elephants, but just like them, many of us create limiting beliefs about ourselves and the world at a young age. We base them on mostly inaccurate information, and it is these beliefs that are the cause of many of our present problems.

Hypnosis-Imitation is a Powerful Force for Hypnosis

We know that human social conduct is reinforced through emulation. Your senses feed your habits. The input to habit comes from sensory perception. Our thoughts and actions respond to:

What we see
What we smell
What we hear
What we taste
What we touch

The human mind works like a computer, absorbing information through the senses. Reactions are fed back to the muscles, nerves and reflexes.

As a child grows, he learns that certain words evoke specific responses. Throughout the rest of his / her life, each word he hears, each sight he sees, every event his senses absorb elicits images and reactions. This response is called output.

Your mind is constantly concerned with input and output.

For example, the word "animal" brings to mind a positive or negative image, depending upon previously acquired impressions. To a child once frightened by an angry dog, it would present memory of a playful pet.

Reflexes are trained to behave in a ritualized pattern by the process of image-recall. Our brain is constantly flashing images for our consideration. Not only old images, but those we pick up from our immediate environment. This is why it's important to develop the ability to sort out the wanted from the unwanted impressions / habits.

The most encouraging characteristic of a habit pattern is that the repetitive activity can be interrupted when the min is turned to other interests. Hypnosis causes a break in the continuity of a habit, thereby acting as a wedge to weaken its hold on the mind. This is the key that can help change a harmful habit into a helpful one.

Hypnosis doesn't just take away your habits. Rather, it is a tested method for exchanging bad habits for good ones. It trains you how to maintain a relaxed body and tranquil mind, prerequisites for a strong and attractive personality.

Love and good wishes,

What Causes People To Develop A Speech Impediment?

I am one of many people who are unfortunate enough to develop a speech impediment in childhood. This article describes why these impediments may occur and how I went about achieving fluency. For the purpose of this article, I concentrate on the speech impediment known as stuttering.

There are many reasons why people may develop a stutter, it can be as a result of bullying from school, an over aggressive member of the family, a shock reaction to an event such as a car crash, or it could be passed down from another member of the family who has a stutter.

I have met many people who stutter as I now help people to achieve fluency as a career. I always ask them to talk about how and why their stutter started. The reasons above are the type of answers I receive.

Stuttering normally originates in childhood and nine out of ten people who stutter are men. Around 1% of the population has a stutter according to recent reports.

I have now managed to beat my stutter which had basically ruined my life for eighteen years. When I had a stutter, I found it difficult to say certain words beginning with certain letters. I would always avoid these words or I would think of an alternative word to say.

Aged twenty-two I decided it was time to try to overcome my communication problems. I started to observe what I called very good fluent talkers, I was watching and trying to work out how they were talking and breathing. I also tried to find differences between their speech and my own. I also started to read books about things like, positive thinking and mind over matter as I also realised I needed to change the way I was thinking.

After nearly a year of working and practicing very hard, I managed to overcome my stutter, much to my relief. As a career I now help other people to achieve fluency by running one to one speech courses from my home in Birmingham. A also offer a self help ebook and seventy minute dvd for people who are unable to attend the courses.

PricewaterhouseCoopers Indicates Fraud Remains a Key Global Threat

Of those reporting fraud, 69 percent were of the opinion that fraud had affected their share price, 84 percent said that it had increased the costs of dealing with regulators and had incapacitated their relations with other companies and 88 percent were of the opinion that it had dented their brand and impacted staff morale.


The study, entitled "Economic Crime: People, Culture and Controls," found that economic crime affects companies of all sizes and is all but universal. Fraud levels never dropped in the past eight years since PricewaterhouseCoopers started the survey. Only 11 percent said that in the next two years they will probably become the victims of fraud in their own country.



Steven Skalak, Global Investigations and Forensics Leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers said, "Controls alone are not enough. The answer lies in establishing a culture that supports control efforts and whistle-blowing with clear ethical guidelines." Among companies having 5,000 employees, 62 percent reported being fraud victims.



According to the study, the reasons that were cited to enlighten why fraud is committed by individuals include luxurious lifestyle, financial inducements, and career disappointment. In 40 percent of the frauds that were reported, employees lacked awareness of wrongdoing, and 26 percent denied the financial consequences to the company.



Fraud was as common in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia and Turkey (E7 emerging economies) as in more developed countries, but the cost of fraud was considerably high in emerging countries. Altogether, the E7 countries accounted for 45 percent of the US$4.2 billion in financial loses reported worldwide.



Skalak said, "Companies doing business in emerging economies need to understand the fraud risks they will face in different cultures and anticipate that they may be asked to participate in inappropriate schemes."

Faith, Visualization of, and Belief in Attainment of Desire

The Second step towards Riches

Faith, another word for "Absolute Confidence". When a person has faith in his beliefs then one can say that half of the battle to acquire success is won. So when faith is combined with the vibration of thought then the subconscious mind picks up the vibration and translate it into spiritual equivalent and transmits it to infinite intelligence.

How to develop Faith
The method by which one develops faith where it does not already exist is very difficult to describe. Faith is a state of mind, which may be developed at, will after the thirteen principles, which are in this book, have been mastered. All thoughts, which have been given feeling and mixed with faith, begin immediately to translate themselves into their physical counterpart. The emotions or the feeling portions of thoughts are the factors, which give thoughts vitality, life and action.

There are millions of people who lack faith in them; these people believe that they are doomed to poverty and failure because of some strange force over which they have no control. These people are prey to their own misfortunes because of this negative belief, which picked up by the subconscious mind, translates into its physical equivalent.

Any order given to the subconscious mind with belief, or faith will be met with success. One should practice how to give the subconscious an order mixed with faith.

Perfection will come through practice. It cannot come by simply reading instructions The values of faith are endless; faith is the elixir, which gives life, power and action to the impulse of thought.

Riches begin in the form of thought! The amount is limited only by the person in whose mind in whose mind the thought is put into motion. Faith removes limitations!

Remember this when you are ready to bargain with life for whatever it is that you ask as your price for having passed this way.

Why Do We Feel That Life Can Be Cruel?

Watching torture scenes of the prisoners, thinking of the hunger deaths at many places of the world, looking at some merciless act around one's own neighborhood and sometimes recollecting the pain we ourselves get from our friends and our enemies -the thought that life can be very cruel comes to mind.

Recently a story appeared in Indian newspapers about an old man who came back from jail after 44 years. He was arrested in 1961 for a petty fight with a neighbor and was sent for trial. Before the trial could begin, he was found mentally imbalanced and sent to asylum. He stayed in the asylum till if I remember correctly, 1998 after which he was sent back to jail for trial. But all papers relating to his case were lost/misplaced by then. Somehow the news filtered out and judiciary was approached about this man's plight. This man was released recently.

I saw the photograph in the newspapers. It looked as if he was staring at nothing, or was lost in his own pain or something else. But nothing looked natural or happy. It was a photograph of a life lost. His family had taken him for dead since long, his wife had remarried his brother and life had carried on for them in struggle. What does this man do now? Who does he come back to? His wife of years ago is no more his wife. The long 44 years have battered him beyond recognition. What will he look forward to?

Pain changes a person beyond belief. The battering that one gets from life makes one lose faith in fairness of life. Some unfortunate people undergo so much pain that they no longer remain human beings. They turn in to some unknown specie that knows how to take pain, that accepts pain, that bears pain, that expects nothing good and that carries on from day to day like a dead person. They carry so much pain and memories of that pain that no amount of compassion can bring them back to the saner world. They have lost their faith in the world and don't want to return to that world again to receive more shocks of pain. They are more pained by the memories of the pain and they fear the thought of getting more pain than the pain itself. Life can be very cruel sometimes with some people.

Managing The Anxieties And Stresses Of Dealing With Your Finances

Many people get stressed out in managing their investment portfolios and their finances. In some months, your investments are doing good and the next month you may be losing money. The good news is that there are ways that a person can reduce their anxiety and stresses in taking care of their finances.

Get sound advice from a good financial professional. There are many financial professionals that can give you good advice on how to manage your finances. Listen to what they have to say and decide for yourself the best route you can take in terms of your investments and finances.

Develop a budget to manage your expenses. A budget will allow you to distribute your paycheck that will pay all of your bills and will prevent you from spending your money on things that you do not need.

Plan for any emergencies that may come up. Put aside a small amount of money from your weekly paycheck into an emergency fund. The purpose of the emergency fund is to provide instant cash for sudden, unexpected events. When something happens, you will have something to fall back on.

Learn to manage your spending habits. The more you spend on things that you do not need, the less money you will have for the future. There is nothing wrong with buying things that seem nice at the time. The point is that you need to spend your money wisely.

Stay out of debt. Pay off your credit card bills and try to get rid of your debts. There also many credit counselors you can talk to that will help you develop a plan to get out of debt.

These are some of the ways to manage your anxieties and stresses of dealing with your finances. Even if you do not make a lot of money, there are ways to reduce your expenses and develop a sound budget. The key is to knowing how to manage the money you do have.

Speech Course For A Stutter

This article describes the type of stutter speech courses which are available. In general they are designed to help people who stutter to achieve fluency.

During the first couple of days of the course, this is where the stutter speech coach normally describes the techniques which are required to overcome the stutter.

The first day is normally the most important day. This is the client's easy day, as the coach will do most of the talking, explaining in detail around half of the speech rules required to beat the stutter. They are likely to ask the client to talk about their history, including information about how their stutter started, about their family, about their interests, plus any other information they would like to disclose for example, where they work. The client will have at least one further speech task on this first day, which they will be asked to complete after they have heard the first set of rules.

On the second day the client becomes more involved, starting to put into practice what they have learnt from the previous day. The final speech rules are taught on this day.

The final three days are spent practising, enabling the rules to start becoming embedded as a natural part of the client’s speech.

Some of the areas included in the courses could be:

1. Why people stutter.

2. Telephone technique.

3. Interview technique.

4. Public speaking technique.

5. The speech rules:

The person who has a stutter should not worry about the contents of the stutter course. If there is an area of the course that they would rather not cover or do they simply do not normally have to do it.

Each course is unique, as every stutterer is different this is why courses are usually run on a one-to-one basis.

People are able to keep in contact after the course via e-mail and telephone which acts as a form of back up and continued support.

For people who are unable to attend a course there is the option of purchasing a self help dvd or ebook, however people who attend a course leave with a copy of these at no extra cost.

Thank You Very Much – Turning Problems Into Gifts

I am a martial artist and black belt in aikido, a practice that continues to teach me about life, both on and off the mat. For example, at the end of each aikido practice, I express gratitude to my partners by bowing and saying: "Thank you very much." I've found over the years that sometimes I have obvious reasons to say thank you - working with that person was exhilarating and fun. However, sometimes the reasons are not so obvious - my partner was stiff, rough, unconscious, or generally difficult to work with.

Still, I say thank you, because we're supposed to. Over the years, because I like to be congruent, I have learned to look for something to be grateful for. With my stiff partner, I find I have learned to be more flexible. With the rough opponent, I learned to take care of myself by speaking up or falling more carefully. In each case, I look for the gift. It's become fun to do this, and fun to apply this learning off the mat as well.

How might you incorporate this simple but effective practice in your daily life? Who are your attackers, and where are the unexpected gifts? After an encounter with the pokey driver ahead, if you had to say, "Thank you very much," what would you see as the gift? With a dismissive coworker or boss, if you had to look for the gift, what would it be? In each "difficult" relationship, where's the gift?

There are certain times of the year when we are more aware of being grateful for all of our blessings. My hope is that you might be grateful all year round, and not only for the obvious gifts but for the unexpected ones as well. Wishing you many of both kinds . . .

How Can I Find Time For Myself During My Busy Day?

Life is hectic. Face it. It seems like, if we’re not actively doing something, then we’re on our way to the next thing. There is laundry to do, dinner to prepare, work piling up on your desk and you’re already late for your son’s soccer practice. How in the world are you supposed to find time for yourself?

Yet at the same time you know that you will be a much better spouse, mother, friend and employee if your life is in balance and you take time to relax and rejuvenate.

Delegate

We are all limited to 24 hours in any given day. Since you can’t get extra time, you need to free up a few hours a day by delegating some of your tasks. Get the kids and your spouse to help out around the house, ask someone else to work out all the details for the church fundraiser this year, and delegate some of your simpler tasks at work to your assistant or if you own your own business, consider outsourcing.

Tackle One Thing At A Time

Multitasking is great, but sometimes you waste a lot of time trying to get 5 things done at the same time. Try focusing on one project at a time, putting your head down and getting it done before moving on to the next one. You’ll find yourself getting things done much faster without all the distractions multi-tasking can bring.

Schedule “Me” Time First

Make yourself a priority. There are always going to be at least 25 other things that you could be doing. Just ignore them for a moment and schedule time for yourself first. Get out your day planner and block out a few hours each week that are just for you. Unless there is a dire emergency, don’t reschedule.

Now that you have carved out some time for yourself, put it to good use. Take a hot bath, read a good book, or give yourself a facial. Relax before diving back into your hectic everyday life.

Getting Help For A Friend Who Struggles With Fear And Anxiety

Getting help for a friend who struggles with fear and anxiety can be tricky. He or she may be reluctant to get help or they may be scared. This is the time that your friend needs you the most. With this in mind, here are some suggestions on how a person can help his or her friend with their anxiety.

The first step a person should do is to convince their friend to get professional help. Explain to them that they must decide to get the help they need to overcome their anxiety. Nobody can do it for them. Explain to them that seeing a professional will really help them in the long run and that it is in their best interest to get this help.

Remind them that is hope and there are solutions to their anxiety problems if they seek treatment. There is nothing wrong in asking for help. Try to convince your friend that there are ways to manage your persistent anxieties and fears, however they must make the effort to learn these techniques.

When your friend is struggling, be there for him or her. Be supportive of your friend and try to help him out during his struggles. Dealing with fear and anxiety can be tough so give your friend a break when he struggles with his fears and anxieties.

One technique that you can use is to learn from your fearful and anxious situations. In every stressful situation that you experience, begin to learn what works and what you can do to improve. For instance, you have a lot of anxiety and you decide to take a stroll around your local park. The next time you feel anxious you can remind yourself that you got through it the last time by taking a short walk.

Taking advantage of the help that is available can go a long way in managing your fears and anxieties. When you are with your friend, you need to remind him or her of this fact.

Hypnotherapy For Negativity

Sometimes it may seem that you just live to go from one worry to the next. Does this sound familiar?

If it is, then you are about to discover a way of getting your life back and creating the future of your dreams!

So what is negativity and how is Hypnosis going to help you?

Imagine that you are wearing a pair of blue tinted sunglasses, everything that you see has a blue tint. Now imagine wearing a pear of rubber gloves and everything that you touch will feel 'rubbery'. Now imagine burning incense and noticing everything smells nice.

Notice how the glasses, the gloves and the incense change all of your perceptions! For instance, without these, things seem 'how they should be' - completely natural, however with them everything seems unnatural.

Now that was a metaphor to explain a point, but what has it to do with Negativity?

Well like wearing gloves, when you have negativity, it allows everything to feel negative.

So where is your negativity and how do you get rid of it?

A part of the mind called the 'Sub-Conscious' is where negativity sets up camp... In a way it seems like a disease, affecting every thought and emotion, sometimes causing the sufferer to lose night after night of sleep worrying about thing that have maybe never bothered them before.

Hypnosis, EFT and NLP can all be used to effectively eliminate negativity, however we use all three as to make sure that it goes away and stays away!

If you are tired and always regretting not doing the things that you have always wanted to do because of negativity, please contact us to arrange your appointment, to see how Hypnotherapy and Self Hypnosis can help you further.

You will be amazed just how quickly you will see the benefits!

Good Luck

Good luck, people called it, when a couple I know had a business handed to them for free. It was making a little money, but the owner didn't want to deal with it anymore. Other things were going on in his life, and he just wanted to drop the whole business. However, the lease on the building the business was in still had nine months to go.

This is where my friends enter the story. The owner had a problem, and they had a solution. Here are three reasons they had a business given to them, and why they were so "lucky."

1. They let the man tell his story, and they listened.

2. They looked at the business, and saw the opportunity.

3. They worked, doing what it took to benefit from their "good luck."

Good Luck Comes From Preparation

You can say they were lucky. The owner agreed to give them the business if they would simply take over the lease on the building. The biggest reason for their good luck however, includes the ones given, and goes beyond them: They were ready.

Having some money in the bank made it possible to handle the transition. They had previous experience with a small business. They were willing to learn what they needed to learn, and were mentally prepared to work.

Another example: John was "so lucky" to get a $6,000 car for $2,000 at an auction, a friend told me. I mentioned that John went to the auction regularly, that he had made himself familiar with car values, and that he always kept money available for such opportunities. Of course, it didn't seem to register with my friend.

My friend could have been "so lucky," too, but he had to be ready. He might have saved $2,000, or obtained a credit card with a high enough limit, or arranged with someone to borrow the money and split the profits when deals like this came up. Since he didn't do any of these things, there was no opportunity here for him.

If you want good luck, aren't there always thing you can do to prepare? To be lucky in love, you comb your hair, right? If you want opportunities in the stock market, start studying, setting aside money to invest, and exploring the possibilities. Prepare for opportunity, and it will come more often. Good luck!

Fear Of Heights

Psychiatry identifies three different categories of phobia:

Agoraphobia is a fear of open spaces. It is also a fear of having a panic attack in a public place, of losing control in an area from which escape may prove difficult or embarrassing.

Social Phobia is an irrational anxiety brought forth by exposure to certain social situations, leading to avoidance behaviour.

Specific Phobia is a persistent and irrational fear in response to some specific stimulus, which commonly results in avoidance of/withdrawal from that stimulus. It could be triggered by an insect or animal (zoophobia), by a situation like being trapped in an enclosed space (claustrophobia) or it could be a fear of disease (pathophobia).

Fear of heights is one of the most widespread of fears. In some situations a fear of heights is quite appropriate and a matter of common sense. According to psychologists, there are only two natural fears – fear of loud noises and fear of heights.

However, a morbid fear of high places, which is the definition of acrophobia, can be very bad for you. If you found yourself in a "high" situation, it would be much better for you to have your wits about you. Feeling an intense fear while inside a safe environment such as a skyscraper is not an appropriate response.

As with many fears, acrophobia often goes hand in hand with other phobias, a fear of flying in particular. As it is a fairly common phobia, many sufferers choose to live with it rather than try to get help, accommodating their lifestyle to the limitations. This can prove crippling to many aspects of life from holidays to accommodation, even limiting your possible career options.

The best methods for curing acrophobia involve gradual desensitisation, slowly exposing the sufferer to ever-greater heights while teaching them relaxation techniques that will enable them to maintain their presence of mind. Some of the methods that work best are NLP and timeline therapy.

Learn to Be Self- Confident

Many of us are not satisfied with ourselves, with some particular features of our character or the results of our own deeds. Psychologists refer to such phenomenon as low self esteem. So, why don’t we value ourselves? First of all our self esteem depends on how other people perceive us. We are inclined to base our self esteem on other people’s opinions. It is especially typical of children. Little children are not able to analyze their activity and their confidence depends on adults’ estimation of their behavior. Besides during all our lives we always compare the image of our ideal “ego “with our real “ego“. And if our real “I “is too far form the ideal our self esteem suffers from it. But in most cases thee are no reasons for that, as our ideal image may be too perfect and unreal.

People with low self esteem do not hope for success in their activities and they are more likely to act, just trying to escape from our failures. And even when they attain positive results, they attribute their small victories to external factors (the task was too easy; it was just luck). And the feeling of discontent with themselves is growing dramatically. It is a kind of vicious circle: people cannot achieve success, because they are dissatisfied with themselves and on the other hand, they are dissatisfied with themselves because they have never managed to succeed. We should remember that every success starts with your self confidence, with the belief that you will achieve what you intend to do.

To improve your self confidence I’ll share an efficient exercise with you. You are expected to make a list of positive features of your character (not less than forty). I know that it is not that easy. But you are not limited for time and you may write when you wish to. Once the list is completed, you are to enrich it with new strong points of your nature every day. Soon, you will see that such a person as described in the list surely deserves respect and you will like him/her.

Reclaiming Your Inner Child

Remember when you were a child. Everyday seemed to be an adventured filled with laughter and giggles. There was humor all around us. Children laugh 400 times a day up to 4 years old, while adults laugh 15 times a day. Unfortunately, the cares of life weight most of us down. We turn to alcohol, sex and drugs to relive that silly time of our lives. We can reclaim our inner child without the pain of sex, drugs and alcohol.

How does one reclaim their inner child??? First by realizing it is ok to step outside of our sophisticated selves and play. Given our career image, we must uphold it is hard to just play. We develop sophisticated hobbies such as golf, sailing tennis and horseback riding, but do we just wrestle and play? Playtime and laughter keeps us young and joyful. We need play to escape stress, heart attacks and strokes.

Our lack of play explains why Halloween has become the second largest holiday after Christmas. It is one of the few days where it is socially acceptable to dress up in a costume and become whom ever we choose. We can be Spiderman, a gangster, a witch, a bar maid or a goblin all day without strange looks. We can role play and laugh at others who role play with joy and glee. For one day, we can gallivant throughout the neighborhood with the children and grandchildren collecting treats or delivering tricks. We can party and dance all night in our new role. We can play make believe again. It is our day to be a child again.

Let your playtime begin this Halloween. But don’t stop there. Reclaim your inner child at least once a month all throughout the year. The quality of your life and your health will truly improve as your laughter and play grows.

Hypnosis, Hypnotherapy, Hypnotism, And The Truth About The Funky Chicken!

Over two hundred years after this momentous event the world is still saying WOW in amazement to this gracious art. Hypnotherapy has come so far and I believe that we are now in an age where we now know so much of how the mind works and what makes us tick, that it is possible to successfully change our lives into the dreams that we wish them to be! During my time as a

Hypnotherapist I have enjoyed tremendous results from my clients, I put this down to my main work ethic, which is – When I work with someone my only aim is to help them achieve the kind of life that they desire through empowerment!

Hypnosis can be briefly described as an altered state of consciousness, just like daydreaming.

While in Hypnosis, changes can be made in the part of the mind that you don't consciously use, this is called the sub or unconscious mind. Also while in Hypnosis you will feel relaxed and comfortable and will be able to hear the Hypnotists voice guide you to make the changes that you want to achieve. Hypnosis is a perfectly natural state, as mentioned it's a bit like being in a daydream. You will know exactly what is going on around you, but also be so completely relaxed.

Hypnotherapy is also about empowering the individual to make changes in their life. So by coming just for Smoking, Weight Loss or Stress, you will leave your session being able to use Self-Hypnosis, to change and make the life you've always dreamt of.

Henry Ford once said "Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right." Why not use hypnosis today, so that you can believe and achieve the impossible - Right Now...

Fate - How It Changes Our Plans

All of us are working towards some goals. All of us have some plans for our life. We plan for our future, our children, our career and retirement. We are always planning and trying to implement our plans. While doing all this, we forget to count fate, and that can give us a shock if we are not ready for it. When one makes plans, one should always leave the results to fate. Otherwise the shocks can be disastrous for our equanimity. Let us see how.

Some people don't believe in fate. How do these people justify few occurrences? For example, why some kids get cancer at a very early age? Why, a person who takes care of his/her health in all the possible ways, is suddenly diagnosed with impossible sounding diseases? Why does one person survive in an accident while the other person traveling with him/her dies on the spot? Why some people instinctively leave some place, a night before a natural calamity? We hear of so many such miraculous survivals and cruel deaths, that the role of fate becomes impossible to deny.

A journalist who goes out only to fulfil his/her duty gets kidnapped in a foreign country and is killed mercilessly. Why? Few others make all the plans to go to the same place, but change their plans on the way! Which power makes us act in ways that either help us survive in a disaster or pull us towards one? It is fate. Isn't it?

What should we do if life is such? We surely cannot stop planning about our future? We surely cannot sit at one place and let fate play its own game. And after thinking about the games fate plays, one cannot plan and be absolutely certain that things will turn out precisely as planned. What is the best way to live life?

Let us plan. Let us apply all our might to bring the plans to fructification. Let us fight against all the obstacles and try to reach the goals. Let us do whatever we can to achieve what we desire. Let us leave the results to God. To dream of results and be sure that they will be fulfilled as per our plans may give us a bigger shock, if that does not happen.

Overcoming Touch Deprivation

From the time you were a newborn how well you thrived depended in large part by how much you were lovingly touched.

I was born two months premature in Trinidad in 1965. I was only 4 pounds and had to be in an incubator for my first few weeks of life. The doctors told my mom not to get attached to me because I only had a ten percent chance of surviving. My mother didn’t believe them.

And touched and loved me and willed me to live. And live I did. I grew into being a 6’3”, 200 pound man in almost perfect health. Such is the power of love, such is the power of touch.

We tend to get touched less and less as we get older, although our primal need for touch never diminishes. Touch deprivation is a significant form of sensory deprivation. Most of us wouldn’t dream of going weeks or months without opening our eyes, or keeping our ears plugged, yet many of my patients tell me that they haven’t been massaged or held for weeks or months.

Our world is becoming too formal, too stiff, too emotionally cold.

For the sake of your physical, emotionally, mental and spiritual health, give your self more permission to touch and be touched. You can never overdose on loving touch.

Don’t limit touch to sex. Don’t limit touch to just your partner and family. Reach out and touch more people.

Close your eyes sometimes and experience your world through touch.

Your skin is your biggest organ- use it. Get more skin to skin contact.

Everyone can heal and be healed through touch.

Be a great healer and lover by experiencing the miracle of touch as often as you can.

Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist

What is Mensa?

Mensa was founded in 1946, in England. The Mensa Society was formed specifically for intelligent individuals. The aim of Mensa was to create a non-political society free from all forms of racial or religious distinctions, that focussed on exceptional intelligence. All are welcomed into Mensa regardless of background, religion, socioeconomic condition, race, or age.

In fact, on February 14, 2005 the Mensa confirmed that a three-year-old boy had become the youngest current member of Mensa. Toddler Mikhail Ali of Bramley, Leeds in the UK has an IQ of 137 a level of intelligence which puts him in the top 2% of the population for his age. A mensa spokeswoman confirmed Mikhail was its current youngest member and said the organization only has 30 members under the age of 10. Mikhail was three years and six weeks old when he joined Mensa. The organization's youngest member ever was two years and 10 months old when he joined in the mid 1990's. These records are a meaningful only from a public-relations standpoint however, since IQ changes very little with age. That is, people who are smart in adulthood were just as smart as children and vice versa, regardless of whether or not they join Mensa.


The name Mensa comes from the Latin word for table and indicates a group of equals sharing ideas, like a roundtable discussion.

Mensa's stated purpose is to identify and encourage human intelligence for the benefit of humanity; to foster research in nature, characteristic and uses of intelligence; and to promote stimulating social and intellectual opportunities for society members.

Famous mensa currently include Isaac Asimov, and Gena Davis. Mensa sets a measured intelligence level in the upper two percent of the population. This is its only requirement for membership. Statistically, about six million people in the United States alone qualify for Mensa, of whom 50,000 have actually joined. Worldwide, about 120 million people qualify for mensa of whom 100,000 have joined.

Need A Boost In The Self Improvement Area?

Choosing the right personal development program is going to change your life. If you are ready to take a step in the right direction and make a positive change then you need to start looking into some good self improvement courses. Actually, there are several proven strategies that can be used to help us be successful in our efforts to improve an aspect of our lifestyle.

You can learn everything that you need to know about being all that you can be with a good personal development program. This will teach you how to be a mature and whole person. It is amazing how many of us do not know how to function at our ultimate potential level. We are not taught in school how to really get by in life well. We all deserve to be happy and only a personal development program is going to teach us how to do it.

These kinds of programs will help you to maximize your potential at work and at home. If you are not where you want to be in your career, no matter what that career may be, you need to start progressing. It is common to feel stuck in a rut but you don’t have to be. You can do more with your life all you need is a little push and that is what a personal development program will give you.

Your home life can run smoothly and happily if you know how to keep things on track. Everyone has problems and we could all use a little help dealing with them. If you are not the best person when it comes to your temper, or if you have jealousy issues then a good personal development program can make all of the difference. Life does not have to be hard, it really doesn’t so be open to new concepts and ideas and watch your life change for the better.

The Fear Of Criticism

So many times in life we would like to try something new. Like a new sport, different style haircut, changing clothing or loosing weight. But are afraid to try because of the criticism we might receive from others because of our change. Over time we have been brainwashed into believing other people's opinions and think they hold more weight then our own feelings. We don not want to be judged. If you want to break old habits you must not be controlled by outside people. You must have inner control.

This is your life!

There is nothing wrong with a little criticism. You just have to be able to decipher between the truths. Listen for it. Ask yourself if there is any truth to what someone is saying. Do they know what they are talking about? If you feel they are after careful consideration then use their feedback to improve. If your intuition tells you they are full of it then disregard it! Be true to your self and only accept opinions that hold truths!

Don't be afraid to have criticisms of your self. But make sure they are your own opinions and not someone else’s. If you don not like something about yourself then change it. Always look to improve.

Sometimes our own criticisms are tainted. This goes back to being brainwashed. Others have fed us information over the years that might have be tainted and have altered our thoughts over the years. Since we were not trying to decipher between the truth, our thoughts have turned into a messy desk where you can not find the paper you want. It is time to clean up the mess of criticism and restructure. This is the only way you will be able to change you habits and better your life.

How to Survive Being Overwhelmed

1) Know Your Purpose.

Know your vision, your goals, and your plans because these help you set priorities. Each day, identify the task you must accomplish and make that your top priority. Also, set aside time to invest in your future, working on important things that you will need later. If you have yet to write out your priorities, then take time to do this. It could be the most important hour that you spend in your life.

2) Say No.

Be fiercely protective of your time. Make sure each new commitment adds value for you. Do what is necessary and then stop. Rather than ask yourself "What can I do?" ask "What can I not do?" Avoid low value tasks, new projects, and distractions. Then tell people about your decisions. Huge amounts of effort are wasted by people trying to complete tasks that someone else decided to ignore.

3) Schedule Life.

Even if you ride an accelerating treadmill you can step off once in a while. Leave work at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Take Saturday or Sunday off. Give yourself a two minute break when you close your eyes, rub your neck, or meditate. Set a date with family members for a meal or an activity (hint: put this date on your calendar as if it were an important business appointment, because it is).

4) Protect Yourself.

When you’re tired, your efficiency falters. Thus, eat healthy foods. Get enough sleep. Avoid toxic habits. Exercise (use the stairs, do crunches or push ups in your office, take a five minute yoga break). If possible, schedule exercise as if it were a business appointment.

5) Be Efficient.

Spend time only with people who add value to your life. Buy only from companies that provide adequate support. Hold effective meetings. Decline invitations to meetings without an agenda (I guarantee these will accomplish nothing). Avoid conflicts; they always cost time to repair. Keep your cool; anger always costs you more than what it achieves. Take a moment to plan before starting a task.

Learn To Type- Just Do It!

So who wants to learn to type? You! Here's a fun article to give you some incentive to give it a try. Touch typing software doesn't bite. ouch!! my computer does though - it's jealous... So you're thinking... hmmmm touch typing software, what's in it for me? How long does it take to learn to type?

Typing Software - Learn To Type

Typing software helps people that want to learn to type fast as they read. You will learn to touch type without looking down at your keyboard. This improves your writing as you focus what you have to say and type fast to get the job done quick. It' takes about ten hours or so to learn how to type 70 words per minute. Once you learn to type fast , you'll wonder "Why did it take me so long to learn to type?

Email Headaches? - Learn To Type

Does all that email drive you nuts? Me too! So learn to type fast and plow the email. Also, you can say more in chat rooms once you want to learn to type fast. Meet more people, join more discussion groups. Personally, I thought I would near learn to type and look at me now! At that's before the invention of typing software to teach you how to type.

Find a Better Job - Learn To Type

Once you learn to type fast, you'll be able to find a better job. People that learn to type are better qualified to handle certain jobs because they took the time to learn to type. You can too. It's easy and fun to learn to type with the online software programs and fun games.

Typing Software Download - Learn To Type

OK, so you ready to learn to type. How does it work? You visit a typing software site and download the touch typing software, It's easy to install and you can get started in minutes. The interactive typing software has fun games and exercises to help you learn to type. Just by downloading the typing tutor software, you’ll feel like you just passed your first typing test, - and you will pass other typing tests too!

Get away from it all

Haven't you ever had time you wanted to get away from it all? In March/April 1978, www.motherearthnews.com published a story about a couple who bought McLeod's Island — a 90-acre island off the coast of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.

They have a few animals, spend very little on groceries, and are pretty well sustained by the island itself. Although it does present them with some challenges:

"The sea, you know, is not called "restless" for nothing. A glass-smooth bay (as we've learned so well!) can churn-sometimes seemingly in seconds-into a windswept chaos of currents and combers. We've also seen that same bay (the one in which our island is located) thaw and then completely refreeze in just hours on a single December day.

Winters up here can be especially variable. Continual spring-like thaws throughout 1976's cold season, for instance, kept our bay filled with slushy ice that was too thick to push a boat through ... but too dangerous for even a fox to walk on. We were marooned for three full months, from the first of January until the end of March. Last winter's record cold snap, on the other hand, filled the bay so solidly with pack ice that we could hike back and forth to the mainland for our mail and toboggan loads of supplies any time we wanted."

For some of us, we find the Internet gives us the freedom to be able to work and live almost any place we want to. These people didn't have that luxury. I use the past tense as I can't find any current information about them. Who knows? Maybe the tide swept the out to sea.

Life is full of sacrifices. Some are just more dear than others. Still, I don't think buying an island is in my future.

You can read the whole article here.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1978_March_April/We_Homesteaded_an_Island

I Love Teleclasses!

Teleclasses are fun! You join a group of friendly folks interested in the same topic as you. Experts, teachers, or the conference call leaders help you with fresh ideas to look at your topic in a new light. Plus, the other callers give you tips on how they accomplished goals like yours.

Also, many participants exchange email addresses and help each other progress towards the final product, whether that is writing a book, developing a website, or even remodeling their personal home. I have made long-term buddies through teleclasses that I took a couple of years ago. It's been fun to watch my friends' progress and see their books and web pages unfold!

Besides making new friends and gaining valuable information, teleclasses save you time, money, and effort.

• You don't have to travel.
• You save money on expenses. Teleclasses often cost less than seminars.
• Teleclasses are so easy! All you need to do is listen, if that's what you want. You don't need to get dressed up and arrange child care. However, you should keep the children entertained so they let you learn in peace.

Now, from a teacher's point of view, I still don't have to travel, get dressed if I don't feel like it, or grade papers! Teleclass participants behave. They don't talk to the student sitting next to them or ask to go to the restroom. Plus, they don't give excuses for not doing homework assignments.

From either the participant's or leader's perspective, teleclasses help you gain knowledge, achieve your goals, and have fun while learning and sharing something new, the easy way.

Copyright © 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All Rights Reserved.

Remember Long Lists

I want to explain a technique that is used to remember long lists. It is especially useful if you have to remember the list in a particular order.

Let's say that you are going shopping and need to remember 5 items. This can be used with 50 items as well.

The items are:

Pasta
Oranges
Detergent
Bread
Butter

You will take the items you need to remember and add them to a place you know.

Here is what I would do:

I would take an area of my house. Let's say, my laundry room. I already know what is in there so I don't need to remember anything about the room. I would then combine each item in my mind with a part of my laundry room.

I would picture pasta growing on the door to the room. Then in my mind I open the door to find the Dryer bouncing around because Oranges are going crazy inside. The Boiler sneezes and suds of Detergent come out if it's mouth. Next to the Boiler is the Washing Machine. Bread is rising and the Washing Machine is going to explode. Next to the Washing Machine is the Sink. It is spitting out Butter from the faucet and the whole room is getting filled with Butter...

This is a technique the Romans used to remember large amounts of information. You can use every room of your house and place an item in many sections of the room. Also, you can use your neighborhood and streets, etc.. There is no limit to the information you can store with this technique.

You are not likely to forget the rooms of your house, or your neighborhood. Use what you know and place anything that you want to remember with this in your memory.

Your Thinking style - Test It

Thinking it is said is one of the toughest things to do. Many of us say that they will think about something and then revert. You must have heard this many times. Do these people really think? What do they do? Do they look at the problem in total perspective, think about different actions that could be taken and find out the consequences and then find out the best option? No, not many of us do that.

Most of us do sloppy thinking. We don't strain our mind, but find out a convenient answer that does not need much thinking and present that as their conclusion. We come across many issues in our life. Dating, studying, taking a career, selecting a job, look for a home, and so on. Do we think about every option and weigh it or find out cursory details and decide?

You must have read lot of history and geography. How many times did you think about the times described, about the people, the kind of lives they led and their knowledge? not many of us do that. Every news that we come across has something to think about. But we don't. Why none of us thinks about why all of us want to know so much about how celebrities live and their love and career? What does that information give us except some entertainment for few minutes? But we don't think. We don't think about how to use our time effectively.

Do we think about what our political leaders say? Do we think about why we are looking for a date? Do we think about why our relationship is breaking? We pretend to think. But we don't normally carry out any analysis. Sloppy thinking leads us nowhere. It produces bad results. To think means - to try and understand every aspect of the given problem, its past and what the future may entail.

What kind of thinker are you? Why not find out with some fun quizzes about your personality. They will surely make you think.

Stuttering Disability

There are many types of disablity. I am somebody who believes that to have a stutter is a form of disability.

I think most people would probably say no, however I disagree. People who stutter have to struggle their way through life at times. I am somebody who had a stutter for eighteen years. I am going to now explain one of the situations that I found difficult and how my mind or what I would call my demons would be saying to me.

This is when trying to meet and approach people of the opposite sex. Lets say I am in a bar and I see a woman/girl who catches my eye. I think to myself, who don't you go and talk to her and make a move etc? My demons are always talking to me, and are basically saying "She won't want to know you.

You have a stutter and when you start talking she will hear it. Do you really think she will want to date somebody who has a stutter? Even if she is interested, you then have to possibly meet her friends and family.

How will they find you and treat you, when they realise you have a stutter?" These demons would make me think twice and more often than not I would not even bother going over and talking to the person. I would therefore let the demons win.

This is one example of thousands where the stutter handicaps your ability to live a normal life. This is why I believe stuttering is a disability.

Having a stutter affects your confidence in and gaining employment. People who stutter can find it hard attending an interview, having to speak under pressure to people they do not know.

Social occasions such as weddings or a party can fill people who stutter with dread. Not only finding conversation difficult but also ordering food and drinks.

Stephen Hill

The Gift Of ADD: Gremlin Or Ipod

Through out the online ADD Community there is some what of an on going debate about whether ADD is a gift. ADD expert Edward Hallowell describes ADD as a gift that needs to be unwrapped. I like to think of ADD more like one of those gifts that I have unwrapped but just have no idea what to do with. It's also like one of those gifts that I didn’t ask for but somebody just felt the need to give to me.

ADD reminds me of the movie Gremlins. If I remember correctly Gizmo was a cute fun little guy but had to be cared for by following very specific directions. If those directions were not followed to the “T” all hell broke loose. I supposed the same could be said about a person with ADD. With proper care and feeding people with ADD can thrive. With out proper care and feeding the life of those with ADD can resemble the movie Gremlins.

Maybe ADD really is a gift that we didn’t ask for but have no choice but to keep. Maybe all we need is somebody who actually knows what to do with it and can teach us how to use it. Just think about a gift like an Ipod, if somebody didn’t know what it was or how to use, it would just seem like a weird piece of metal. However once somebody explains what it’s for and all of the uses it becomes so much more.

I’m not saying that ADD is really truly like a Gremlin or an iPod but there are some similarities to both of them. I guess depending on what each person does to manage his or her own ADD, he or she can compare it to another type of gift too.

Stuttering Treatment, Stammering Treatment

There are many different treatments for people who stutter/stammer. In this article I will describe some of the experiences and types of stuttering or stammering therapy people experiment with.

One of the first places people go to when seeking help for a speech impediment is speech therapy. I myself started attending speech therapy at the age of five and I continued at different times to attend until the age of eighteen. Now I am sure some people have some very positive experiences and results from this type of therapy, however I was not one of these people. From what I remember the main advice I was given was to slow down my speech and to take a deep breath before starting to speak. When I observed fluent people speaking, I rarely heard them take a deep breath.

Another area people try is hynotherapy. This was something I really wanted to try for myself at the age of around nineteen. Unfortunately each session cost nearly as much as my weekly wage at that point of my life. I never managed to experience this form of stammering therapy.

I now believe that stuttering is a physcological as well as a physical problem. As hynotherapy only really deals with the physcological issues I am now not sure if it could have offered me the complete answer.

The other treatments people who have a stutter try are speech courses. These courses are either on a group basis or on a one to one basis. With each of these courses, the person who attends the course is required to practice the techniques to make them a natural part of their speech.

Confidence courses are another form of treatment for stuttering. In my opinion these are of value, however do not cover the physical aspects of how to eradicate a stutter.

Quiz- Do You Pamper Yourself Or Beat Yourself If You Make A Mistake?

What do you do with yourself if you make a mistake? Quiz yourself and find out. You may be even knowing the answer if you are on either extreme. But most of us do not know the answer because we are unaware of our subtle behavior. All right, let me ask you. Suppose you are doing house cleaning and you drop a costly vase
costing thousands of dollars? What would you do with yourself? Beat yourself mentally for being a fool, or say -everybody makes a mistake. What is done cannot be undone. I will take care next time. Let me not beat myself about this. Let me give my mind some peace now? Your reaction to some situations decides your personality and your success. Let me tell you how. Let us quiz first about your attitude.


Quiz your self-esteem - what kind of self-esteem do you have? Do you consider yourself as just an average or somebody destined to do big? Do you value yourself or degrade? Do you focus on your strengths or the weaknesses? Your self-esteem decided s your behavior at critical times. If you have high self-esteem, criticism will not be able to hurt you much; otherwise any body that decides to criticize you will make your life hell. Please quiz yourself about your self-esteem and raise it as much as you can.

Quiz your self-love - do you love yourself or not? Suppose you love a person very dearly and he/she makes a mistake. You will not only forgive that person but also pamper to remove the hurt. Do you do that with yourself? Or do you beat yourself whenever you make mistakes? Self-love is a very important quality. I am not talking about obsession, but healthy self-love. Quiz yourself about your self-love. Next time, when you make a blunder, pause and watch your immediate feelings. Are they of pampering or beating? Please pamper yourself. If you do not pamper yourself, why would the world do?

Quiz - Are You Reliable?

We all value those friends who are reliable. It also applies to family members. We do not respect anybody who is not reliable. He/she has lost our trust. In every relationship, trust is of primary importance. If you cannot rely on me, what use am I as a friend? What about you? Are you reliable? Can your friends and family members trust you? Why not quiz yourself and find out?

What do we understand by being reliable? That means that if I give a word, I will keep that. I will not break the promise and give excuses to defend myself. To be reliable is a great asset, because then others can depend on us. That increases our respect and our esteem. Does any body respect those who are not reliable?

How to become reliable? The first step towards becoming reliable is not to promise what we cannot do. We sometimes make promises because we don't want the other person to feel bad. But after we break the promise, we not only lose his/her trust but can also be responsible for damaging their interests. You need some quick funds for a short time and I promise you that I shall give you tomorrow. I fail. In the meantime, you had finalized an order thinking that I would give the funds. What shall happen to your order? You would lose your credibility. Rather if I had told you that I would not be able to do it, initially you might feel bad, but your interests will not be hurt.

The first requirement is not to promise what I we cannot deliver. The second step is to deliver what ever we promise under all circumstances. Once we establish our reliability, every body will realize that when we say no, that means no and when we say yes, that will be done. Quiz yourself about these and find out how reliable you are.

Quiz- What Is Your Strength?

All of us have pluses and minuses. All of us have strengths and weaknesses. For some of us, our job may be our weakness, for some others it may be our friendship. For few others, it is their children or partner. In this manner we all have a weakness for which we will try utmost. Similarly we have strengths. Let us focus on strengths.

Quiz your strengths - You strength may be in any area. You may be a very good analyst. You can analyze every situation clearly and find the causes, and effects. Or you may be very good at looking at the Macro picture of any problem. You can look at the problem as a whole and think about it. Your strength may be a very good mathematical brain. Your strength may be great understanding of arts. Your strength may be in predicting the future trends. What are your strengths? I had given few illustrative examples to tell you about what I meant. Please think about your strengths. Let me tell you how that can help you succeed quickly in life.

Quiz about how to get best out of them - We know of persons who are employed as office assistants, but are also very good at making say - paintings. Most of us never ask that person, why he/she does not leave the job and work as a professional painter? This is one example. Many of us are employed in jobs that are not our strengths at all. We make our strengths as our hobby. Why not change it totally and make the hobby as a moneymaking profession?

Are you also caught in such a situation? Please find out your strength and try to understand if you are using it in your job. If not, please change the job, or drop it al together and do something by which you can make use of your true strength.

Handicapped Can change our attitude.

Unhappy people -

Unhappiness is part of life for many of us. For some of us, it seems that difficulties are way of life. To get happiness in this world looks impossible at times? How to improve the quality of our life and get happiness?

Handicapped People -

Let us compare our lives with many of our friends who are handicapped.
What about the blind persons of the world? Imagine their life for a moment.
They see no colors, no shapes, no faces, no sunrises, no sunsets, no steps, and no clouds. They see nothing but darkness. What a life it must be? Can you imagine the pain?

What about people without hearing? No music, no words, no sounds of laughter. People without hands? Can not type on a computer like we do everyday. Can not lift anything. Can not wash themselves. Can not defend themselves.

How handicapped can help us?

Thinking about the handicapped people of the world will make us more aware of our assets. This will make us count more of our blessings and less of our difficulties. Rather than thinking about our own problems at all the times, if we try to do something that can improve lives of handicapped people that may inspire us to achieve more. That can improve our self esteem. That can make us thank God for all the blessings. Let the handicapped inspire us to live a richer life. Let us not feel depressed by thinking of what we don't have, but get inspired by thinking of all that we have! Let us change our attitude.

Fear Of Public Speaking

Social Phobia is an irrational anxiety brought forth by exposure to certain social situations, leading to avoidance behaviour.

Specific Phobia is a persistent and irrational fear in response to some specific stimulus, which commonly results in avoidance of/withdrawal from that stimulus. It could be triggered by an insect or animal (zoophobia), by a situation like being trapped in an enclosed space (claustrophobia) or it could be a fear of disease (pathophobia).

Though it feels real, the fear of public speaking or Glossophobia is what psychologists call "social construction". This means that it is not a natural phenomenon, but the result of something society has created. We expect it to cause fear and therefore, it causes fear.

Unfortunately it is this "fear of the fear" which causes the problem to perpetuate, creating a vicious cycle.

It is possible for a sufferer to change their attitude to public speaking and thus reduce their fear. If you can figure out exactly what it is about public speaking that scares you, then you can begin to see what you might be able to do about it. This analysis will help you to change your feelings.

For example, if you regard the thought that people might laugh at you to be an important factor in your fear, you should ask yourself when they have laughed at you before. If they only laughed when you wanted them to, then your fear is unreal. Such reflection can make a positive change in your attitude to public speaking.

Knowledge Is Not Power

Whoever first said that knowledge is power was probably selling encyclopedias. Knowledge is a tool, like money and influence. Tools are only powerful if they are used effectively. How, then, do you make a headful of knowledge into a powerful tool?

1. By seeing clearly what can be done.

2. By seeing clearly your own limitations.

3. By acting on what you know.

Wise Action, Not Knowledge, Is Power

Investors often learn so much that they think they can consistently predict the course of the stock market. In reality, there are probably fewer than ten old investors that have never lost money. Wise investors know that the best they can do is get the odds in their favor, so they'll have more wins than losses. You have to see the limitations of knowledge.

I can read about how to sing, and even get advice from a voice coach, but I can't sing well. I'm not saying that I could never sing well, only that right now I cannot. If I'm not willing to do what is necessary, then I would be wise to look for a non-singing way to make money. You have to see our own limitations.

The most important part of making knowledge into power, is to act. You can study political philosophy and every aspect of the political process for a decade, and still have no power. Power is in the effective application of what you know.

Imagine an inventor with a hundred ideas on paper. He has a head full of knowledge, and a creative imagination, but nothing to show for it. Now imagine a simple man with one new invention, who understands the limits of innovation without marketing, and sees his own limitations in that area. He seeks out the people that can help, and makes a million. Now that's power.

Quiz Yourself- What Rules You - Heart Or A Head?

Human beings are emotional animals. At the same time we analyze and think with our head. In any given situation, heart or head does not always guide our response. It may be both heart and head that determine our response. For example, you may find one of your co-workers making major blunders. You will not complain about him/her to senior management without considering the emotional break down that may be suffered by him/her if the senior management sacks them. Your heart will add its compassion to your logic and you will decide accordingly.

All of us don't react similarly in a given situation. Some of us are emotional animals while some of us are prominently analytical thinkers. When you read biographies of some of the greatest historical figure, you will find that they had a good mix of both heart and head, except few brutal ones who only thought with head and had no heart.

What is your mix? Are you more of heart or head? Please quiz yourself about this. Are you driven by cold logic or your heart makes you act in most of the situations? Please find that out. Observe your responses in different situations and think about your response. You will find out if your heart directed you more or your head? Sometimes, those who are heart directed need to act with their head or they may get cheated with false sob stories. Similarly those who are head guided need to have more heart in their decisions otherwise they will never enjoy their life and they will always be guided by brutal logic. Quiz yourself about your natural tendency and bring a fine balance in life.