Astounding Language

If you want to move your life ahead, you should replace the negatives in your life with positives. This article will show you how to take the negative influences in your life away and replace them with positives, so you will have increases in morale, and productivity. Focus on the positive for success and peak performance.

Most of us are not aware of the amount of negative influences in our lives. We are bombarded with negative messages from the media, the people around us, and most damaging of all, ourselves.

The first step in the process in replacing negatives with positives in your life is to make a decision to start looking for the negative messages and ways to replace them with positives. Decide that you will focus on the positive in this world.

Begin to drastically cut down on the amount of news you take in. Most people start their day with the news. And of course most of the news is bad news, fires, floods, etc. Then it is on to traffic and weather, which also stresses the negatives. So by the time you have finished your coffee, you have had enough bad news to last a week. Does all this bad news make you want to throw open the door and greet the new days, no quite the opposite. And how about the way we end the day? Many of us watch the news before going to bed and get a big dose of negative information just before trying to go to sleep. Is it any wonder so many people have trouble sleeping? The mood we are in before we go to sleep carries over to the next morning, so you are setting yourself up for starting the next day in a bad mood. Odds are you don’t need all that negative information you are taking in from the news, and you will function just fine without it.

Replace the news you were taking in with such things as, motivational tapes, uplifting music and sites such as happynews.com, that stress good news. Also reading empowering books helps a great deal. Books can be a fantastic way to recharge your life. Look for success stories, biographies of successful people, etc and see what works for you. You will begin to feel better right away.

Your next step is to limit the amount of TV you watch. A recent study showed that 78% of the people watching TV, are not interested in the program they are watching at any given time. So watching TV is probably making you bored at best, and taking you away from actives that would be more fun. Prime time is the period when most people are watching TV; you can make it your prime time by turning off the TV and using that time to move your life ahead.

Next you need to limit your exposure to negative people. Most people don’t realize how draining it is to be around negative people, but they drain your energy and spirit in many ways. Negative people pull you down, so work to remove them from your life to the extent you can. Never get involved in the office pity party, or complaint sessions that come your way. Seek out people that support you and that you feel good being around and use these people to replace the negative people in your life.

The most damaging source of negativity is ourselves. Most of us generate lots of negative self talk that our minds accept as the truth and results in our being held back in many ways. We focus on our shortcomings, our problems, and spend our time predicting more bad news for ourselves, generating lots of fear and worry, while undercutting our ability to try new things, etc. Begin to focus on the positive aspects of you. What are your unique strengths, what have you accomplished, how are you different and better than other people? Use visualization and affirmations to build images of yourself accomplishing the things you want and use these to replace the negative images. Give yourself lots of credit for everything you do right, so you are getting even more positive news about yourself. Also, set aside three minutes every day to think about all the good things you have in your life right now. The process of thinking of the good things in your life, will generate good feelings for you that will last much of the day.

Don’t forget to take care of your body. Eat healthy, cut out some bad habits, and get regular exercise in order to boost your self-esteem while building your strength and endurance, so you can accomplish more.

Helping others will also help you feel better about yourself. Take time to get involved in a charity, animal shelter, or other activates that help others. You will get good feedback from others and develop a genuine sense that you are a good person. What you put out comes back to you, so make sure it is good that goes out.

By replacing the negatives in your life, with positives, you will make yourself and probably the world a better place. You will feel better mentally and physically, plus accomplish many of the things you wanted to. Nothing is ever accomplished without action, so start now to move your life ahead.

Edward W. Smith is the author of Sixty Seconds To Success, he produces and hosts the Bright Moment cable TV and internet radio show, is president of the Bright Moment Seminars, is a motivational speaker, and publishes the free, daily, email of the One Minute Motivator (quick peak performance tip). His website is http://www.brightmoment.com and his email is edsmith@brightmoment.com.

We all know the classic amusing explanation of why you should not assume, because it makes an “A* * of U and Me”, but assumptions can be much more serious. An assumption can make way for hurt feelings, misconceptions, and resentments. When we make assumptions we completely de-emphasize another person’s feelings for the sake of filling in the blanks that exist in our own minds.

Why do we make assumptions? Assumptions occur when we do not have a clear picture of what the other person is trying to say, or when we do not understand their actions. How can we eliminate the need to make assumptions? The answer is, by fully listening and asking questions. The average person does not “fully” listen when they are being spoken to. They are thinking of what they want to say next, what must be done, the task that they were performing before the person interrupted them, or a multitude of other things. But the fact remains, that they are not fully engaged in a conversation. I’m going to use a classic cliché. The husband is watching a football game on television; his wife walks in and decides to hold a conversation with him. He “Yes Dear’s” her, but in reality his attention is on the game and he has not heard a single word she has said. She realizes that he is not paying her any attention and walks away upset. He was clearly NOT fully engaged in their conversation. He could have asked her nicely to speak with him after the game, he also could have taken his attention away from the game by turning it off for the duration of their conversation, or his wife could have waited to approach him until after the game. Any of these solutions would have helped them avoid hurt feelings.

Why are questions important? Questions allow us to eliminate the assumptions. But if we are not fully listening, we will not know the right questions to ask. Questions help clear up any miscommunication. With all of our differences, it is no wonder that what we mean and what we say may not be what someone else hears. A simple, “Do you mean…?” could help a great deal. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Questions let others know that we really were paying attention while they were speaking. Everyone likes to feel as though they are being valued. One little question could make all the difference in someone’s day.

4 Tips for a Fully Engaged Conversation Free from Assumptions:
1. Just Listen
Don’t think of possible responses or questions while the person is speaking. Don’t interrupt. Never interrupt while they are speaking and don’t try to solve the problem until they are done detailing it.
2. Be Loving
Don’t pass judgment. Listen with love and acceptance. An opinion or behavior that is different is what makes each of us unique.
3. Be Available
Be fully present with your whole heart, mind and spirit. If you cannot do this, wait until you can. You will both benefit.
4. Ask Questions
Once you have finished listening, ask questions to make sure you fully understand the situation. If you “think” that you understand, ask questions until you “know” that you do.

This week, take note of your conversations and see how well you fully listen. Make it a point to only listen when you can be fully engaged, and re-schedule conversations if you have to. Determine if you are asking enough questions to overcome the natural need within to make assumptions. Your conversations will have much more meaning to both participants. You will have all of the information necessary to offer help or advice, and the person that you are conversing with will feel that they were important enough to you to have your full attention. It will be a mutually enlightened conversation.

Eva Gregory, master coach, speaker and author of The Feel Good Guide To Prosperity, http://www.feelgoodguide.com, has instructed thousands on the Laws of Attraction in person, on the radio and in dozens of teleconference training seminars and programs. She is the author of several books and e-books and has co-developed several telephone-based and internet-based training courses on the Laws of Attraction. Her most popular program to date is her Leading Edge Living One Year Success Program. (http://www.leadingedgecoaching.com/Living/index.shtml) Eva is regularly featured on radio and in the media and is a recognized authority on the Laws of Attraction. To learn more about her products and services, visit Leading Edge Coaching, http://www.leadingedgecoaching.com. NOTE: You’re welcome to “reprint” this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the “about the author” info at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint to eva@coacheva.com.

Looking for ways to free your creativity and generate new ideas? Try breaking out of your daily routine and doing things differently.

Do you always work in the same place? Try a new location. Pack up your laptop and head to the coffee shop, the park or the local library. Or just take a pad and pen with you to jot ideas, sketch, or mind map.

Don’t have time to read? Make time! Pick up a book and dig in. It can be a business book, or it can be the bestseller you have been meaning to read, a biography, or anything that interests you. If you are in the habit of reading, pick up a different kind of book.

Take up a new hobby or take a class. Learn ballroom dancing, quilting, or a new language. You will have fun and meet new people while acquiring a skill. Not only that, there are health benefits. Studies suggest that exercising your brain can help to protect you from the effects of Alzheimer’s and other conditions.

Work a different schedule. Do you keep ‘normal’ hours? Try working noon until 8 p.m. for a day or a week. Do you find that your energy is highest at certain times of the day? Adjust your work schedule to include those hours.

Take a new route to get places. Look for interesting places to explore.

Talk to people. Better yet, listen to people. Ask questions and really listen to the answers. People love to talk about themselves, so they will love you! And you will learn things you didn’t know.

Explore the arts. Attend a play, go to the movies, listen to the symphony, tour the museum or go to a favorite gallery.

Take your time. Don’t rush from one thing to another. Savor experiences and absorb them.

As you open your mind and participate in new experiences, you will find yourself coming up with new ideas. Take it from the Idea Lady!

Copyright Cathy Stucker. As the IdeaLady, Cathy Stucker helps authors, entrepreneurs and professionals attract customers and make themselves famous. Get creative ideas about marketing and more at http://www.IdeaLady.com/