Saturday, 31 October 2015
Rohn: 4 Keys to Unlock the Power of Your Mind
When your brain is working at peak performance, it allows you to be your best because it controls the rest.
Adapted from the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan
Source:http://chuckbauer.com/
Take care to feed and stimulate your brain and you will expand your mind. The two are inextricably connected. We need to see the human brain and mind with wonder, awe and inspiration.
The brain is the equivalent of a human supercomputer. It is more complicated than any computer mankind has ever made, and maximizing its ability is essential to becoming the success you want to be—because it controls who you are. It is the command center involved in and controlling absolutely everything you do, determining how you think, feel and act.
Simply put: When your brain is working at peak performance, it allows you to be your best because it controls the rest.
There are some basic influences on the brain that shape how it functions and how far it develops, including genes, self-talk, life experiences, stress and study. Although these things influence the brain, they do not determine how far you can go or what you can learn. In other words, you have the incredible opportunity to go as far as you desire.
So with such a tremendous tool at our disposal, what keeps so many people from experiencing the possibilities that it can bring? There are some simple barriers that have the potential to wreak havoc on your learning if you allow them to, but you can overcome them. The key to breaking through these barriers is to do the opposite…
1. Change your beliefs.
Many people do not believe that they can learn, master knowledge or become "smart." These are deeply held beliefs for many, and ultimately, if we do not believe it, we will not achieve it.
So change your beliefs. It is up to you to do the work of changing your beliefs. And when you do, you will be opening up new worlds—literally! Feed your mind with information that will change your belief. The truth is that you have an amazing mind with a capacity for learning that is beyond your comprehension. You must believe this. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind.
2. Get the right knowledge.
What keeps some people from learning is that they choose not to access or do not have access to knowledge. Knowledge comes from experiences, books, people and other "knowledge dispensers." We must tap into that knowledge.
So get the right knowledge. Words if they are not true are meaningless. I hear children say, "I read it in a book." But is it true? Just because someone says it or writes it, doesn't mean it is true. As a learner, you want to get the right knowledge, not just information or opinions. It is your job to seek out information and knowledge and then test it and run it through your mind to see if it is true, and if it can be rightfully applied to your life in order to make it better and help you succeed. You need to weigh and measure what you learn in order to gain the right knowledge. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind.
3. Become passionate about learning.
Some people simply do not have the desire to learn. They may be lazy, or they may not see the positive impact that learning would have on them. They have no passion inside that drives them to learn.
So become passionate about learning. This will take some work, but the only way to do it is to begin learning about things that have an immediate impact in your life. When you learn about a new financial concept that helps you earn money or get out of debt, that will get you fired up. When you learn about how to interact with your family in a healthy way and your relationships get better, that will inspire you. Become passionate about learning. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind.
4. Discipline yourself through the hard work of study.
Gaining knowledge is hard work and takes a lifetime to master. It is an ongoing discipline that is never complete.
So discipline yourself through the hard work of study. Learning will take work. Until someone comes up with modules that can plug into your mind and give you instant access to knowledge, you are on your own, and that takes work. The process of learning is a long one. Yes, we can speed it up, but it is still a process of reading, listening, reviewing, repetition, applying the knowledge, experiencing the outcomes, readjusting, etc. Simply put, that takes time. Slowly but surely, when you discipline yourself, you gain knowledge and learn. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind.
Learning is possible, no matter what your age. You are never too young or too old. Your mind was created to learn and has a huge capacity to do so. This week, make a commitment to unlock the potential of your mind!
Friday, 30 October 2015
Self Discovery Can Lead to a Healthier Relationship or Marriage
Source: http://favim.com/
Many individuals struggle with managing their happiness and well-being, while building a healthy relationship that incorporates the values and beliefs of the couple. It is very difficult to change a relationship for the better without consistently improving yourself. The heart of the matter is for you to take charge of your happiness by ensuring that your spiritual well-being is addressed as well. Also, journaling is a great way to help you manage your thoughts and ideas for reference later. Here are a few things to consider on your journey to self-discovery:
Remember, you are responsible for your happiness. If you are not happy with yourself, figure out why.
Of course, this step may take the assistance of a licensed professional or counselor depending on your need. Your happiness and joy are your responsibility. Therefore, you should not rely on someone else or material possessions to provide you with a false sense of happiness or temporary happiness.
Such happiness is short-lived and leads to further indulgence of superficial wants to fill voids that can only come from you taking charge of your spiritual as well as your psychological and physical well-being. The fact of the matter is that you will look for other ways to fill the void, when the happiness is gone. On the other hand, joy is long-term and is based on a spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ.
Joy is based on faith, hope, love and grace. These are a few of the characteristics of Jesus Christ. Romans 14:17 (ESV) states, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." And, Proverbs 17:22 (ESV) states, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Nehemiah 8:10 (ESV) states, "... for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Therefore, joy is long-term happiness and preserves the heart for a healthy mind, spirit and body.
It takes a holistic approach to your overall well-being to make positive self-changes. You are a multi-dimensional entity that consists of the psychological, spiritual and physical components. In order to achieve balance, which can affect your happiness and joy, you need to address all three components.
Source: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXslXzq2LUI
Individuals often address the physical before the emotional or psychological, while often neglecting the spiritual. Second, the spiritual component of your personhood deserves attention because it is the anchor for your physical and psychological components. I am a firm believer of exercising Christian values for spiritual growth, such as praying, studying the Bible and attending a faith-based church that teaches Biblical principles because it leads to positive change. Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV) states, "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."
Scriptures can be found online or by downloading the free Holy Bible App. The short, daily plans in the Holy Bible App are beneficial and can address many questions you may have about your spiritual and psychological well-being, as well as your life. Attending a church that teaches the Bible in context will also help you to grow spiritually. Change begins with your thinking. Studying the Scriptures daily will change your thinking.
Get a journal and write your thoughts down daily. On my journey to self-discovery, I have found that writing my thoughts down daily in my personal journal to be very helpful. I like the fact that I can refer to them anytime. My father was a doctor, chaplain and author. Writing was his life. He passed along writing as a keepsake to me and many others. He encouraged his patients to journal their thoughts and feelings for reference.
My dad thought it was the best way to monitor his patient's mental, physical and spiritual health. He believed in a holistic approach to health. Therefore, journaling has become a daily practice for me. Journaling is beneficial to you for the three following reasons:
It is an excellent way to monitor your feelings and thoughts about things, yourself, people and relationships for reference or self-correction.
It is also great for jotting down creative ideas that can be of value later in your life.
It is a way to release things that may bother you mentally.
It enhances your memory.
It is also great for jotting down creative ideas that can be of value later in your life.
It is a way to release things that may bother you mentally.
It enhances your memory.
Just to recap, it is important to take time for yourself to really understand your desires in life. You happiness and joy depends on your commitment to yourself. First, your journey of self-discovery can begin with taking charge of your happiness and joy.
Second, a holistic approach to your well-being includes addressing the spiritual well-being. Spiritual growth will lead to positive mental change. Finally, journaling your thoughts and ideas are therapeutic. Your journal will become a great reference for managing your thinking and reflecting. These three strategies helped me to take charge of my happiness and joy, while managing my marriage. Healthy relationships are a result of healthier individuals contributing their best.
References
English Standard Version (ESV). 2001. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Nashville, TN: Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
Sheri E. Ragland, founder and CEO of Buzz About Relationship provides couples with the information they need to address common issues that exist within their relationships through various mediums such as articles, newsletters, blogs and books. We are hoping to expand our product offerings based on feedback from the many diverse and colorful couples we work with.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sheri_E_Ragland/2099318
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Thursday, 29 October 2015
Proven Debt Relief Methods - What Are Proven Methods to Eliminate Debt?
There are a number proven debt relief methods available to deal with the debts. These methods have proved their effectiveness when dealing with the debts. This economic recession that we are passing by has made the life hard to everyone around the globe. Creditors and debtors both have been affected by this recession. Their businesses are running on losses.
What are proven methods to eliminate liability?
Source: http://www.getcreditinformation.com/
There are number of proven relief methods available in the market. Although the numbers of options are high, there are only four effective options available for the debtors. People who have successfully fought with the economic recession have used one of these methods to eliminate their liabilities.
The first proven relief method is the debt management. In here the debtor has to play an isolated role to deal with his debts. He/she will have to make sure that their spending is reduced in order to pay off the debt repayment amount.
Next proven relief method is the debt negotiation. In here the creditor and the debtor get in to an agreement to cut off the debtors debt accounts for a fixed amount. This is done through a series of negotiations. The key feature of this liability negotiation is that the debtor pays a lesser amount than his/her current liability level. Is this possible? Yes is. Because the creditors also in the middle of a hard time. Because of that the creditors will take any opportunity to have some money for their losses.
Other proven relief method is the debt consolidation. In here the creditor gives a debt relief to the debtors. They will reduce the repayment interest rate or will increase the debt repayment time. This will be only done after going through with the debtors situation only. Debtor has to reveal his/her situation to the credit company in order to obtain the debt consolidation method.
Last method of proven relief method is the debt counseling. Debt counseling means that the debtor is getting assistant to select the best proven relief option available for them. This is done by some special relief service providers. These companies will guide their clients towards the elimination of their debts. They will lay the foundation and will guide the debtors with their expert knowledge. This is considered as the best proven method to eliminate liabilities.
Key feature of the debt counseling is the selection of a suitable debt relief service provider.
If you have over $10k in unsecured debt and are currently experiencing a financial hardship then debt settlement can be a viable option to avoid bankruptcy and eliminate unsecured debt. To locate legitimate debt services in your area for free debt help check out the following link:
Free Debt Help [http://www.freedebtsettlementadvice.com]
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Shakya_Geeganage/601954
Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Proven-Debt-Relief-Methods---What-Are-Proven-Methods-to-Eliminate-Debt?&id=4746306Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4746306
Wednesday, 28 October 2015
How To Wake Up Early - The Secret Of Crazy-Successful People
Dark, cold mornings are upon us - how do you push through to get up early?
THE 5 CORE CHARACTERISTICS OF GREAT ENTREPRENEURS
I’ve worked with and mentored a lot of entrepreneurs over the years. And whilst we all love to analyse the theories and strategies that we can learn from others to make things work better in your business as for an entrepreneur, we often forget that there are also character traits that we could look to develop as well. You can read all the books in the world, but theories are useless unless you learn to adopt some of these characteristics:
Source: http://www.shaa.com/entrepreneur-characteristics/
Consistent boldness
Most entrepreneurs are naturally a little ballsy, but it’s not enough just to come up with a great idea or to start a business — you have to be consistently bold enough to stand by your idea, to keep pushing forward even when it seems like you’re making a monumental waste of effort, and when everyone around you just doesn’t see a happy ending. You also need to be bold enough to realise when you are stuck on a dead end road and it’s time to do something different.
You also have to be bold in putting yourself out there. Many people avoid doing this because they don’t want to feel sleazy or like they’re hard selling people, but unless you can get over this, nobody’s going to know about you or care about you.
Finally, you have to be bold in asking for what you want. Of course it’s totally terrifying to ask someone for something that you really want, but you will be amazed by how often people actually do help if you tell them how and if you ask the right way. For instance, Seth Godin had no idea who I was when I emailed him asking him for a testimonial for my book. But because I was bold enough to put myself out there and because I wrote to him in a way that appealed to him, I was able to get an incredibly valuable endorsement. A good sense of humour always helps too!
Speed
I know I’m surprising absolutely no one when I say that things move fast as an entrepreneur. To be a great entrepreneur, you’ve got to be able to work fast and still keep the quality of your output high.
That’s not to say that you can’t do great things if you like to think or act more slowly — but if you are like that, then you’ll probably need to get a partner or a group that will balance you out and force you to act. Otherwise you’ll likely stagnate.
Flexibility
A lot of people mix up being flexible with being flighty. I’m not saying that you should just dabble in things or totally scrap a project at the first sign of trouble. You need to be focused and unshakeable on your big goals, but in parallel with that, you have to be able to be flexible with how things unfold day to day.
Being too rigid will cause you to lose a ton of opportunities that come up along the way, because you will be too focused on following your planned steps instead of recognizing opportunities that could get you to your end goal even better. So learn to pivot, and be flexible when you need to.
Perspective
Having a sense of perspective is absolutely critical, because working as an entrepreneur usually feels a little crazy and because you’re going to fail hideously at least once. If you get so wrapped up in what you’re doing that you can’t take a step back, see the humor in situations, or dispassionately look at your failures to see what you can learn from them, then this probably isn’t the path for you.
Resilience
Finally, you’ve absolutely got to be resilient, certainly in the face of failure, but also just in terms of daily life as an entrepreneur. It can be really hard when you’re working for yourself — people don’t really get what you do every day and sometimes they might even think you’re just ‘messing about’. Resilience is what keeps you going, both when you get hit with a big failure or just the everyday crisis, so it’s essential that you learn how to bounce back.
Tuesday, 27 October 2015
12 Things I Did To Lose 24 Pounds (Without Trying)
It was early 2013 when I got the scare of a lifetime. While on vacation a sharp pain prompted me to do a breast self-exam. I discovered a pea-sized lump.
I immediately made changes to my diet and my lifestyle. I enrolled in the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City. I committed to juicing vegetables, eliminated certain foods, and created healthy recipes, crafted with ingredients touted for their restorative and cancer-fighting properties.
Source: https://www.roswellpark.org
Along the way, something happened. Not only did I take back my health — I am now cancer-free — but I somehow I lost 24 pounds without even trying. I was eating satisfying meals in quantities that never made me feel deprived. What was even more remarkable about this is that I had tried in vain to lose those 24 pounds for years. Now I was eating more than ever before, loving what I was eating, and the excess weight was melting away. At the same time, I had plenty of energy, I slept well, my bowel movements were regular, and my skin glowed. I felt like I had discovered the Fountain of Youth.
Try these 12 ways that I took control of my health once and for all:
1. I start my day with a warm mug of lemon water.
This helps to get my digestive juices flowing and aids in morning hydration. To kick it up another notch, you could add apple cider vinegar for compounded health benefits like improved blood pressure, regulating the pH of your skin, and so much more.
2. Tune in and listen.
Listen to your body and eat only when you feel hungry.
3. Hydrate throughout the day.
I like to drink lemon water with a pinch of cayenne. This will keep you flushing out toxins, and the lemon can inhibit calcifications or stones that might form. Aim to drink half of your body weight in ounces. (For example, if you weight 150 lbs., drink 75 oz.)
4. Have a green smoothie for breakfast, four times a week.
Here's one recipe I like: ¾ cup pineapple, 1 cup spinach or kale, 1 tablespoon hemp, coconut water, and ice. Starting your day with something green is a great way to get nutrients early in the day.
5. Balance your acid-forming foods (proteins like eggs, meat) with green veggies.
For example if you are having eggs, have veggies too, like steamed spinach or broccoli.
6. Try to have a green juice daily (even if it's not for breakfast).
Flooding your body with green juice like cucumber, kale, lemon, and ginger is a terrific way of getting plant chlorophyll into your blood and body, which has detoxing and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Source: http://www.berkeleyside.com/
7. Strictly limit or omit packaged foods.
Try to snack on whole fruits or veggies, seeds, and nuts. Limit nuts and seeds to just about ¼ cup or less per day.
8. Support your thyroid and include iodine-rich sea veggies into your diet.
When making soup, add seaweed, or snack on nori chips.
9. Limit animal-protein intake.
Try swapping animal protein out a few nights a week for avocado, pumpkin seeds, and lentils.
10. Make Sunday a soup day!
Make a big batch of veggie soup on the weekend and freeze leftovers for the nights that you might not have time to cook.
11. Connect with nature on a daily basis.
Try to spend some amount of time outside: If you get your feet on the grass or on the earth, you will positively affect your vibration. This is called earthing. Lying down with your head on the grass is another way to connect to the earth.
12. Dry-brush your skin with a soft skin brush before showering.
This will help remove dead skin cells and toxins that are escaping your body through your largest organ: your skin.
Monday, 26 October 2015
The Money Mindset: How You're Sabotaging Your Start-Up
Ever stopped for a moment to determine your money mindset? If yes, what is it (without any airy fairy stuff) and how can it help or hinder start up success? Are you already into making big purchases just like me? Regardless of whether it's a new condo, a new car or even a really expensive pedigree cat, all these just seem to be dancing to the same tune - "but do I really need to spend all this money?"
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/
What is it?
The first time you hear the words - money mindset - you'll be tempted to assume that it's one of those things that other people do to convince themselves that they'll become successful if they depend on the universe to support them... This sounded too far-fetched for my liking and it wasn't long before I realized that it was less about chanting and more about setting SMART goals, releasing the fears that come with attaining success.
Quite simply, working on your money mindset is basically about analyzing the beliefs that surround your finances; understanding your core beliefs around money, where they come from and setting up ground to challenge your own thoughts to help create a positive mindset that invites success into your business.
What can I do to fix it?
Developing a positive relationship with your finances is all about understanding your own fears and how they relate to money. Some of the most common beliefs that most people have to deal with include "Success has always been difficult to attain", "I have to work extremely hard to attain success" or "only thin, pretty women get successful." Begin by understanding the source of these beliefs to help pave way for challenging them.
Create post-It notes and stick them on the fridge, your computer screen or even the mirror. All of these should say things such as, "I attain my success by offering a valuable service to my client," "My client has more than enough money to pay me" and my all-time favorite, "There is room for improvement." Beliefs and not your skills are keeping you from attaining the so-desired success. Those same beliefs will keep your business from growing. These are the same beliefs that will encourage you to skip precious sales conversions, are responsible for your nervousness about charging the right price for a particular service and will still set you up to fail; if you don't believe in the value of what you offer.
Tips to Help You Deal With Your Money Mindset:
If you are in the process of improving or re-creating your money mindset, there are some tips you'll need to keep in mind:
Take your time to fully assess your finances and financial capabilities let alone your beliefs around money and how the two relate. Are you a natural worrier? Do your emotions change with fluctuations in your finances? Where did you learn this behavior and how can you overcome it?
Source: http://www.vision-framework.com/
Lastly, be kind to yourself. In spite of all the hype, fixing your money mindset doesn't happen overnight. If you're deep in debt, start by creating a repayment plan that helps you focus on your goals. If you're scared of setting up your own start-up because it might take long to recover the money, go out and promote yourself and begin generating revenue. If you need more support, consider speaking to a Business Coach to help you work past your financial blocks and help you put an end to sabotaging your own business before it even takes off.
Swati is a postgraduate in English and an MBA. She writes articles, blogs, web pages, reports, press releases, product descriptions, eBooks, sales letters and newsletters. She is passionate about health & fitness and loves to help people who are on a weight loss journey. Visit Swati's blog now if you would like to receive her FREE report titled "Lose 10 Pounds in 1 Week and Keep It Off".
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Swati_D_Banerjee/617179
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Sunday, 25 October 2015
The Most Powerful Abundance Prayer I've Come Across
Aim high, look up, for an abundance mentality everyday!
How to Attract Abundance Into Our Lives
We all wish to attract an abundance of some sort into our lives. Some of us wish for money or success. Whilst others may wish for an abundance of love and loving. We all inherently know, what we wish to have in abundance. It is essential that we remain true to ourselves, and aim at receiving an abundance of what it is that our heart desires.
Source: http://www.shannonpeck.com/
Below, I have listed 24 tips that can help us bring abundance into our lives. Apart from all of them helping to attract abundance, they are all positive tips, that we should aim at using in our lives on an ongoing basis. The more we live by these rules, and spread them the better the society will be that we live in.
The word abundance means, a very large portion of something. In other words once we have achieved an abundance of something, we will have enough to spread it around with others. Nature surrounds us daily with abundance. We only have to look up at the sky to realise the extent of this. And, if we keep our eyes open, we will be blessed with an abundance of flowers, trees, and animals right in front of us.
1) Think positively.4
2) Use affirmations.
3) Be of service to others.
4) Know what it is, that you want in abundance.
5) Give away what no longer serves you.
6) Have a purpose.
7) Trust the universe.
8) See the world as abundant.
9) Pray.
10) Speak positively.
11) See yourself as abundant.
12) Visualise (vision boards are brilliant).
13) Learn to receive.
14) Meditate.
15) Stay healthy.
16) Give to others.
17) Believe in yourself.
18) Surrender.
19) Be grateful (start a gratitude journal).
20) Set your intentions.
21) Appreciate what you have.
22) Practice selfcare.
23) Be mindful.
24) Perform random acts of kindness.
Source: http://www.yoga-tribe.com/
I personally aim at living a healthy, happy and balanced lifestyle, and as much as I would love an abundance of everything, I am content to have a healthy dose of what makes me happy and content.
But, to be honest, I could do with an abundance of the following, and any excess, I would be happy to spread around.
- To love and be loved. I am at my happiest, when I am surrounded by my special family and friends.
- Health. The older I have got, the more I value living a healthy life
- Money. There is no doubt about it, that if we have enough money it does make life easier.
To read other inspiring lifestyle articles, read more on: http://www.liferetreat.co.za/life-retreat/ Life Retreat is a blog/ website that aims at inspiring it's readers to live healthy, happy and balanced lifestyles.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Trish_Taylor/2119777
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Saturday, 24 October 2015
Strive for the Mountain Top
Source:http://austriaangloalliance.deviantart.com/
Don't walk where everybody else walks, it's a reason it's called the beaten path. There will be many that will offer you their advice as to what is good for you. You separate the good information from the bad. The process is called discernment.
I advise you to first listen to your self. Welcome change with open arms. Resistance to change will hinder your advancement. Nothing avoids change. Your values should never be compromised but enhanced. Your character should be of the utmost but open minded. Your conviction should be strong but also willing.
Our perception of what life is about is based in our values our experiences and our ideology. Some will tell you accepting defeat in some situations is acceptable. You will live to fight another day is a very true and exacting statement. Though this statement is true I disagree with accepting defeat. Life is a learning process and every situation is an opportunity to improve upon that situation. When you settle for defeat that is exactly what you get.
The substances of self consist of experiences beliefs and situations. The substance is invaluable significant and distinctive. How we manage those situations events and circumstances is vital.
Your opportunities to succeed are larger than your opportunities to fail. The magnificent gift of life is a gift that is given only by one. The gift is the reason we all are here. There is no gift bigger than the gift of life. It is not to be wasted or unappreciated. When we strive to make the best of our selves we also strive to make the world better. The pursuit of a better life is measured by the road travel not by arriving at destination.
We will discover who we are by not conforming to others opinions of who are but by conforming to the gifts given to us. The better we manage the lane given to us the wider the lane gets. The more we guard what we say what we do and what we hear the sharper we become. The inner ear is a true source for knowledge. It will never tell you anything but what is good for you. We just have to be willing to listen. The more we listen the more we gain. The more we appreciate our selves the more we appreciate others. The drive to succeed has to be fueled from what's inside you. It will give you conviction a necessary building block needed to reach your pinnacle.
Source: https://www.theselfemployed.com
When we transform instead conform we allow the gifts of life to be utilized. When a gift comes upon and you and you are not ready for it, it will pass you by. Spiritual and fiscal responsibility prepares you for a gift that has already been bestowed upon you.
To most this statement is grammatically incorrect. It talks of the past tense giving to the future tense. It also describes faith. If you truly believe something it will convict you. Conviction is a substance to build upon. When we truly embrace the gifts given to us our perceptions of what matters will change. Your shortcoming will become opportunities.
Once you realize who you are and what you are the opportunities will become more abundant. Your gifts were set aside for you before you ever knew or realized who or what you are. Where there is cause there is effect. When you put forth the effort there will be an effect. The effect is dependent on your effort. The effect of believing in your self raises your expectations that you have for your self. In order to get to the top there has to be more than believing in your self.
Believing in self is good but sometimes self can get in the way. You need to be guided by faith. Opportunities build character and endurance. With intellect you can get through anything if applied correctly. Apply faith and it will produce. Allow your gifts to work for you and you will never fail.
LaMont Campbell of St. Louis, MO has sought to mentor and motivate the under served communities throughout the St.Louis, MO metropolitan area since 2005. He is founder of Stl Empowerment Group Inc. It was established to provide support for the disempowered by offering assistance through empowering others and partnering with social service organizations that serve the particular needs of individuals and groups that offer programs that strive for the betterment of everyone.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/LaMont_Campbell/900844Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9199199
The 10,000-Hour Theory: Does Practice Make Perfect?
Dan McLaughlin set out to test the theory and become a pro golfer—and he learned a lot more than how to drive and putt.
As Dan McLaughlin approached 30, he felt unfulfilled. That’s not uncommon. Many people have strange feelings as they move from 29 to 30, or 39 to 40, and on and on.
Source: Jane Stangel
But few do something as bold as McLaughlin.
His devotion to reshaping his life has been nothing short of remarkable, a once-in-a-lifetime shot. On his 30th birthday, June 27, 2009, McLaughlin joined his brother to play golf. He had set foot on a course only a few times. But soon after, he decided to quit his job as a photographer and pivot in an improbable direction.
Suddenly, despite having almost no background in the game, he decided he wanted to play well enough to join the PGA Tour. Why the change? It wasn’t that McLaughlin disliked his old life but rather that he wanted something more rewarding. He wanted the time and effort he expended daily to be put to use toward a greater goal. Pushing himself became his purpose. “Photography was fun,” McLaughlin says now, “but it was basically shooting a photo and sending it to a client. Golf is more of a personal journey. Everything I get out of it is from what I’ve put in on my own personal time.
“The No. 1 question I get asked is, ‘Why golf?’ But it wasn’t about golf. What I wanted to see was how far you could go if you could dedicate yourself to something completely. It was about fulfilling potential.”
Reinventing
To start as a complete beginner and become a pro, McLaughlin knew he would have to put in a lot of time. Golf is terribly difficult, and insane amounts of deliberate practice would be required. To be precise, the number McLaughlin has shot for from the beginning is 10,000 hours.
This magic number of hours in deliberate practice toward reaching expertise is based on the research of psychologist K. Anders Ericsson and discussed at length in the books Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell explained, for example, how the Beatles played more than 1,200 shows from 1960 to 1964. Their constant practice made them experts in the rock ’n’ roll craft. Instead of practicing guitar riffs, McLaughlin is putting and chipping, but the idea of deliberate practice should work just the same, he reasons.
In the months after his first round, McLaughlin began to chart his course. He had been building up a fund for graduate school to get his MBA. As he continued to ruminate on the idea of total dedication to golf, he realized that he could use his savings to fund this adventure. Finally, in April 2010, McLaughlin went for it. Practicing more than 30 hours a week, he set out to reach the 10,000-hour mark in six years. He dubbed his mission The Dan Plan and launched a blog to document his ups and downs and offer fans the chance to donate to his cause.
Plenty of people pick up golf in adulthood, but rarely does anyone pick it up with the intention of becoming a professional. Because of his unique goals, McLaughlin and his earliest coaches decided to try a unique approach. “It was about being diligent and working away from the hole,” McLaughlin says. He started with mastering 1-foot putts, a simple but vital (and sometimes terrifying) aspect of any round. For the first five months of his mission, he used only a putter. He played no full rounds of golf and didn’t swing a driver or a long iron, the distance clubs. Almost a year and a half passed before he played an entire round with a full bag.
McLaughlin has worked with a number of different coaches as he improves in skill level. His quest has taken him far from his Portland, Ore., home—he spent a month taking lessons in Palm Springs, Calif., and played rounds in Australia and Switzerland. He’s had incredible highs, including a few rounds under par, and incredible lows, like slow-mending injuries that have forced him to withdraw from tournaments and set back his progress, causing slumps and delays in his 10,000-hour schedule. Whereas he once thought he could reach the target in six years, it now may take eight.
“Purposeful Practice”
“Going from a beginner to breaking 80 is quite an accomplishment,” says Bruce Furman, the Palm Springs coach who worked on McLaughlin’s swing. “But going from breaking 80 to tour level is way harder. “
Furman acknowledges that McLaughlin has a long way to go but thinks he has the right work ethic to reach his goal. “You don’t need elite talent,” Furman says. “You need purposeful practice.” But it’s not as simple as working out the math needed to reach 10,000 hours, and hitting that mark doesn’t flip a magical switch.
McLaughlin knows the importance of not focusing on the big picture every day. He breaks everything down into smaller, more attainable goals. “I have daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals,” McLaughlin says. “It helps me to not get ahead of myself. I see what I need to do that day or that month.”
That concentration on immediate concerns came from McLaughlin’s “goal guru,” Stuart Hamilton, a Scotsman in Alexandria, Va., who heard about McLaughlin’s mission and knew his experience in project management for the business world could be helpful. Emailing McLaughlin to offer his advice, Hamilton explained that although the novice golfer knew where he wanted to go, he needed a more precise route.
Hamilton stresses the importance of writing down goals and telling others about those goals to hold yourself accountable. Sometimes the most difficult part is pushing through the drudgery on the way to achieving what you set out to do. “It’s like going to the gym,” Hamilton says. “When you walk through the doors, it’s like your workout is almost over. Just getting yourself to the gym and through the doors is half the battle.”
McLaughlin’s blog keeps him accountable to everyone who follows his journey. But the public arena also makes his failures glaringly obvious.
Source: http://gwclei.com/practice-practice-practice-perfectly/
Fits and Starts
“Everything’s fine as long as you’re meeting your goals, but the tough bit is when you’re not,” Hamilton says. “And around the 4,000-hour mark, Dan started to not meet his goals.” McLaughlin’s handicap has progressed quickly at times, only to give way to a bout of slicing off the tee, a major swing malfunction. He clawed his way toward the scratch level again, but a back injury forced him to forgo full rounds for two months.
“Progress isn’t a linear curve,” McLaughlin says. “There have been a lot of times when I felt like something wasn’t working and I stuck with it and stuck with it and hit a breakthrough and reached a new level.”
It frustrates Hamilton when McLaughlin doesn’t simply stick with the plan and instead searches for (and experiments with) new, more advanced ways of improving instead of the old-fashioned, tried-and-true method of hitting thousands upon thousands of balls. “When you’re ever in any doubt about what it takes to succeed, then you need to look around at other people who have already achieved what you are trying to achieve and just copy them,” Hamilton says. The two no longer work together, but Hamilton is still pulling for his former mentee.
McLaughlin is in the middle of his journey, with a little more than 3,000 hours to go on the 10K countdown. He still enjoys the climb. There is real doubt that he will ever make it to the PGA Tour, but that’s almost beside the point.
For McLaughlin, this exercise was always about changing his trajectory in life. Up to the point he quit photography, he’d been the guy who, in his words, “bounced around a bit,” giving up when things didn’t go well and never sticking to one path for long. In part, McLaughlin wanted to see whether he had the patience and willpower to commit to something and see where it took him.
A New Man
Furman cites a cliché that success in golf is 90 percent mental. That will serve McLaughlin well if he makes the tour.
“No matter how bad the round is, I have this thought of, When are we playing tomorrow?” McLaughlin says. “Everybody goes through highs and lows, but there has never really been a time where I’ve thought about quitting.” In addition to the newfound commitment, McLaughlin is a very different person from the man who started The Dan Plan. His entire life has changed to revolve around golf. It has been a total rebirth.
“A lot of my friends now are people I met through golf,” McLaughlin says. “It’s more than just a sport for me—it’s re-creating my entire life.” Part of the change, he says, has been a new awareness and appreciation for each day, his experiences and his surroundings. He knows to savor how far he has come and the beauty of the places where he gets to spend his time.
McLaughlin grew up just 3 miles from the famed Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta, one of the most beautiful courses in the country. But as a non-golfer, he had never even heard of it. “I didn’t even know there was a golf course there,” says McLaughlin, who admits to feeling a sense of catharsis from playing the great course near his home—emblematic of the possibilities so near to us if we know to look for them. “It’s a very special place. Everything is perfect.”
And with every ball he hits off a frozen Portland driving range, McLaughlin can conjure a memory of the feeling he had on the fairways of Peachtree. To think, he might never have even known of the place.
This article appears in the November 2015 issue of SUCCESS magazine.
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