Is It Ever Too Late To Make A Second Impression? (By Tim Connor)

Trust me, standing in front of 1000 people I can assume (I hate assumptions) that at least 10% of the audience doesn't like me before I open my mouth. Never had that experience? Well, how about meeting a blind date for the first time hoping that you don't do or say something stupid? Never had that experience either? OK, how about waiting for an interview for a job you need to get for any number of reasons and you just hope they will approve of you and your resume, experience and yes, the color of your hair, the shoes you are wearing and how tall or short you are?

I know you might think I'm being a bit silly or even paranoid but believe me these and many more experience like this happen every day. Want proof? If you have never read any of my articles or books and are reading this one, I'll guarantee you have already made a judgement - to keep reading or click on something else. Am I right? Well, if you are in the second group you haven't even made it this far.

The basis or foundation of all impressions is simply that a person sees something, meets someone, experiences anything and their first reaction is a - No, Yes or Maybe. In other words, whenever or whatever comes into our life from any source we will on first reactions - resist it, accept it or decide to consider it.

As a global speaker I have watched thousands of people in my audiences have one of these three reactions. Why? Why do we react the way we do? I'll keep it short and sweet. Let me explain.

There are over 300 billion brain cells/nerves in your head. Every one of them has 5000+ neural connections and as a result there are over three trillion chemical reactions/responses every second in your brain. And what are these? Well first do the math - a big number of stuff going on in your head while you jog, read, watch TV, attend a staff meeting etc.

In other words - every thought you have ever had, every experience you have ever had, every memory you have ever had - get it? It's all stored in that small device in your head - everything since your birth.

So, you meet someone new - during the first 10-30 seconds your brain is searching through literally quadrillions of facts and memories trying to decide how to react to this person. And guess what - even if you have never met them before, know nothing about them - whatever - within 20 seconds you will form an opinion and a reaction that is not grounded in the present reality but years of past experiences and memories.

So, your opinion of this new person has nothing to do with them but your interpretation of them based on similar historical events, people or situations.

I know you probably didn't want this much information and I'll bet that if you formed an opinion before you got this far you have no idea what I'm talking about now cause you stopped reading a few paragraphs up - deciding that you didn't like where I was going, you didn't agree with it or it was making you feel uncomfortable or it wasn't what you were expecting based on the title.

In other words, getting a second chance at a first impression is not you giving me another chance to be perceived better by you but you giving you a second chance to change your mind based on new information that is added to the mix of your history, therefore permitting you to see things differently, better or more relevant.

For those of you who want a simpler approach I offer the following.

There are ten primary areas that contribute to first impressions of others and often even lasting ones. They are; your words, your actions, your decisions, your attitudes, your example, your congruence, your consistency, your integrity, your values and your beliefs. I'm not going to delve into each of these - if you want to make better impressions on others - do the research, but I would like to cover briefly what I feel are the five most important ones.

Your congruence - Congruent is simply where two things mean the same thing or are consistent or in harmony with. For example - if you say you will meet me for lunch at noon and you show up at noon - you were being congruent. If you said you would and you got there a half hour late - you weren't congruent.

If you keep saying one thing and keep doing something else - well - sooner or later first impressions will plague you for a long, long time.

Your words - Words matter. When you say I will always and you deviate just once - always means nothing and so your words no longer have value.

Your attitudes - Attitudes are a reflection of beliefs, values and conditioned experiences. We feel and think what we do and then express these with a variety of - yes, no or maybes - attitudes. What's an attitude? It's simply a consistent way of thinking about something and then responding accordingly. For example, if you are a liberal - conservatives get on your nerves because they have bad attitudes and vice versa. If you are twenty and are having a serious discussion with someone in their eighties, I'll guarantee that before the conversation is over sooner or latter one of you will get on the other one's nerves and blame it on - you have an attitude issue dude!

Your consistency - I'm not going to explain this one as I'm sure you know what this word means. All I want to say is that when you lose consistency in serious matters you lose credibility and often respect which contributes to poor impressions. Don't believe me - look up the acceptance level of the average politician.

Your example - Notice how all four of the previous examples are related? Well, they are - deviate or swerve form any one of them and the other four are impacted - therefore your image and the impressions you make or continue to make.

Want to make better impressions - first of all you will never get the same reaction from different people on the same behavior because everyone's mental barometers or expectations are unique. So, stop trying to please everyone - it's a waste of energy, time and life.

The answer is - be who you are not who others want you to be, expect you to be, demand you to be. Period - stop working for other people's approval - again - a waste of time and energy. Yes, we all need to keep getting better, wiser and smarter but until we are perfect we just need to chill, be and let other's attitudes, expectations, rules, needs etc. be them and not us.

I was not put on this earth for your approval so get over it. If you don't like me or approve of me - OK, but I am not going to change me to satisfy your expectations of me and as a result, lose myself in the process.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-It-Ever-Too-Late-To-Make-A-Second-Impression?&id=9855421

How to Use Affirmations to Make Profound Impacts in Your Daily Life

Every morning you wake up, write down an affirmation in your handy notebook and leverage it to make good impacts throughout your day. How would you do that? Read on to find out.

Here are some examples of affirmations and the results they can produce:

1) I strengthen my relationships one level higher both at the home and work fronts

When you write the above affirmation in your notebook, it leaves an imprint in your mind. And it is the very thing that goes about making the affirmation a reality throughout the day. For instance, you pass a good compliment to a co-worker at work. You make her happy and you yourself become happy. Then you get a call from your hubby and you greet him well and also help him solve the problem he is having at hand. And you both become happier in the process. Therefore, the chain of joy and goodness goes on all along.

2) I can figure out the problem of finding my life direction

Once you have it written early in the morning, it gets ingrained in your brain. And it goes about giving you hints and signs about what actions to take to move forward and in what direction. Take little steps. For instance, you meet a friend on the way to shopping and she excitedly tells you that the novel she wrote has become a bestseller on Amazon and New York Times. That gives you an edge. You start wondering if writing is your cup of tea and you finally make a choice and go about taking further little steps until you reach your desired new goal.

2) I can improve the wellness of my family

Once you write the above affirmation after waking up from a good night's sleep, like before, your mind will start to influence the events that take place thereafter. For instance, when you go to pick up your kids from their school, you meet there a nutritionist mother you have talked to before. She starts talking about tips on health and fitness. And you ask if there is a good book you could buy regarding the topic. And in return, she gives you a free copy of her book on your desired topic that she has authored recently. While you benefit from the book, she wants you to promote it in your neighborhood and community. The book is an asset to you because as you read the tips and start applying them to your life directly, you actually improve the wellness of your family.

4) I can solve the puzzle of my complex work project

Again writing the above affirmation in your notebook before heading for work, your mind gropes for ways to help you with your problem. There is something you don't understand about your project. Who could help? While you are still working hard at it at your workplace, a colleague passes by to invite you to her fiftieth birthday party after work at the nearby restaurant. You remember that she had completed a similar work project in the past and you immediately take the opportunity to ask her about a piece of the puzzle in your project. She is able to help you out as she is more knowledgeable and skilled than you. You have a puzzle piece solved and you work on the rest of the pieces in order to integrate them together into a solution. Doing everything by yourself is almost always impossible, you gather and so if the older lady could help you out, you can take a little help from other good cooperative colleagues as well from time to time.

Summing up, affirmations could come to use in the above profound ways and you never know how they will lead you to unlock your problems and open up the mysteries behind them and materialize them through interesting solutions.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Use-Affirmations-to-Make-Profound-Impacts-in-Your-Daily-Life&id=9936283

The Real Magic of Success & Abundance

So how do you breakthrough and release all the deep seated thoughts that won’t let you go when everything else you’ve tried has failed?

Here’s what I learned and I didn’t need to spend hours or years meditating (which, by the way, I’d already tried). You don’t need to interpret dreams, read countless books on attracting and intending, create vision boards, or pay for costly seminars (which I’d also tried).

I was able to bypass all the time-consuming techniques and go straight to the source – the subconscious.

• It only took a few short minutes a day
• I was able to make “corrections” to my subconscious thought patterns so they rejected negative thoughts that were deeply rooted, the thoughts that continued to hide themselves even though I went through all the meditating, mantras, intending and all the rest of the techniques that are popular today
• And I was able to form new, powerful thoughts that will became my reality in the same way the old thoughts did.

I’m sure by now you’re asking the same question I had when I first discovered this incredible program:

How does it work?

Let me explain it in simple terms.

15-Minute Manifestation uses theta brainwave technology to bring your brain into the theta state almost instantly. And this is where the magic happens. This is where the subconscious is most receptive to messages.

You may experience, as I did, vivid imagery, long forgotten memories, and intuition leading to creative ideas. I experienced information that apparently was beyond what I are able to receive during my waking hours.

But I wasn’t asleep and I didn’t forget the thoughts I had, as is so often the case when we dream.

15-Minute Manifestation is the last tool I’ll ever need and it only took 15 minutes a day

• There are no long and tedious books to read, no theories to understand and nothing to memorize
• All you need is a pair of headphones

Why are you still holding on to all those destructive subconscious thoughts? The technology is available NOW!

By utilizing your brains naturally occurring theta waves - the same waves that occur in sleep and deep meditation – you can reprogram your thoughts to get rid of those that have been making you miserable and keeping you from moving forward.

15-Minute Manifestation is easy and inexpensive (thankfully, because I’d already spent a small fortune and a lot of time on books and seminars that didn’t work). And the benefits are enormous. There’s absolutely no risk because the program comes with a 60-day money back guarantee!

Don’t waste any more precious time being frustrated because you’re unable to live a life that’s fulfilling your dreams. Get this program in hand today and discover what I did – that in just 15 minutes a day you can become the person you want to be. It’s easy and quick and you’ll wonder why you lived so long without it! I know I did!

Just click on the link below and start manifesting immediately.

http://hbmut.15manifest.hop.clickbank.net

How to Be Always on Time

Being late for an appointment can be very upsetting and often embarrassing, especially if you miss someone or are being charged for your tardiness. It's a matter of training and both your brain and body must be involved. If the appointment is early then do all the preparations for the meeting or whatever the night before. If you are meeting someone important then you can also shower before bed instead of leaving that to the morning.

In recent times I have had to leave home early and on one of those occasions needed to be at the airport at 5.15 a.m. to catch a flight. Everything was packed and ready the night before right down to the clothes I was to wear being laid out on the spare bed. I aimed to rise by 4 a.m. as the airport is some 30 minutes' drive away and I wanted to eat breakfast before leaving. That meant the latest I could leave home would be around 4.40 a.m.

My training in this regard is self-administered discipline and anyone can accomplish the same by being focused and forcing oneself to follow the orders as if you are directing someone else. You are your own boss, so be one.

There is no way that my arrival is late and to the contrary it is usually always spot on time or close to it, erring on the side of early. That means that anyone can use the same techniques to overcome the bad habit of being late for appointments, or worse - not turning up.

Get the paper-work in order as well, if this is appropriate. If you have to take certificates or other things to a special meeting then get them ready the day before and put them into a nice plastic cover or folder so that you look intelligent and on top of things. Impressions are everything and the best you can be when you arrive at a meeting the more you will enjoy it and overcome any nerves.

My experience with meetings is rather extensive as I am often sent to meet with people on matters of importance. My spirituality took me away from business and it allows many to be healed instantly by the Spirit, with whom I am linked. With memory of my reincarnation and with much to tell others I do public speaking and other things that require punctuality and good presentation.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Be-Always-on-Time&id=9439582

Make A Living And A Difference By Changing Your Thinking

In this day and age there are more opportunities to make money than there ever has been. The problem is that people don't believe this is true and never allow the money to flow. Most of this relates to psychology and people's beliefs surrounding money. The general thinking patterns surrounding money are that it's the root of all evil, it doesn't grow on trees, it's hard to earn, there's not enough of it and so on and so forth. So the real issue is that people are afraid to create money and don't see themselves worthy of receiving it. This is why so few of the world's population control so much of the world's money supply. It's because they're the only ones who believe they can and should have it. In general most people have many well thought out excuse of why they can't make money. They have given up before they have started. They label honest business pyramid schemes and then go work for dishonest companies for next to nothing while a few board members make all the money. This is the real pyramid and it's like quicksand. So the real problem has nothing to do with lack of resources or education it has to do with belief and self-doubt.

So how do we change these thinking patterns and develop belief? The answer is so stupidly simple that you might not hear it. You choose to and you believe that it can happen. The reason this is so important is because when you make the choice the universe responds to that choice. This is when you get the ideas, people, situations and circumstances to help you make money. The only reason they were not available before is because of the lack of belief. The Universe is like a big video game console and it can't give you the tools you need or take you where you want to go until you decide to press the button that gives you access to them and moves you around the game. It's no different with the universe. Your brain transmits a signal and the universe responds to what you're thinking about and believing. Armed with this knowledge you cannot only make money but you can create any reality you desire. So if you don't believe you can be, have or do something than believe something else and wait for the idea, person situation or circumstance to help you move towards your desire.

When enough people start applying this technique then it's going to start affecting other people and the world around them. This is going to cause a major shift in consciousness and start changing things on a massive scale. When one person wakes up and says to themselves that there is plenty of money in the world and believes it I can guarantee it's only a matter of time before somebody else catches that frequency and believes the same thing. After that it's like dominoes. This is why trends pick up so fast. So if you have an idea I would start to believe it will work. This will gravitate others towards it and make you clear on what to do about it. If you don't have an idea then all you have to do is ask the universe and it will give you one. Like ordering food and waiting for it to show up. So I hope you're starting to see that making money has nothing to do with how to make money but everything to do with the attitude and belief about it. I would recommend you start believing that money is good and that there is plenty of it available for you if you ever want it to come in to your life.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Make-A-Living-And-A-Difference-By-Changing-Your-Thinking&id=9340341

Getting Rid of the ANTs in Your Brain for Greater Happiness

Have you noticed that your brain is always "on"? That's what it does-it thinks! Scientists have found we have, on average, 60,000 thoughts a day. 95% of those thoughts are habitual and of those habitual thoughts, about 80% are negative. That's about 45,000 habitual negative thoughts a day. We are actually hard-wired to be alert for danger, so the brain scans for anything that could be a threat. This worked well for our primitive ancestors who lived in harsh conditions and had to be on the lookout for predators, but not so well for modern humans.

Our brains perceive negative thoughts as true and in the present moment-and a threat. So, our bodies respond to the negative thoughts like we are facing a clear and present danger! Perhaps these are familiar thoughts to you:

• I'm worried I won't be able to pay my bills.
• I'm just not good enough.
• I'll never find the love I'm looking for; All the good ones are taken.
• I'm not as talented as she is.
• My boss never notices all the extra effort I put in.
• I'm so stupid.
• That idiot just cut me off in traffic!
• If I blow this presentation I'll lose my job.
• I should have known better.

You can fill in more if you really start to notice your thoughts. You may be surprised at how mean you are to yourself-and possibly others! In her book Happy for No Reason, Marci Shimoff quoted Dr. Daniel Amen, a world-renowned psychiatrist and brain imaging specialist who calls these thoughts ANTs, or automatic negative thoughts. We have downloaded them into our subconscious and they are so habitual, they have formed neural pathways in our brains and become beliefs. Negative thoughts stimulate the areas of the brain that relate to depression and anxiety.

The good news is, you can re-wire your brain for greater happiness by forming new neural pathways. It turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks because our brains have the quality of "experience based neuro-plasticity." In other words, we can form new neural pathways by directing our thoughts in new directions. The saying is, "Neurons that fire together, wire together". You can create new default thinking patterns that serve you better.

So here are some practices to help you change your brain wiring and banish the ANTs for greater happiness:

1. First, notice when you are having negative thoughts. Your body will often let you know by feeling contracted. Congratulate yourself for noticing! In order to change something, you need to recognize where you are now. Ask yourself if this thought is moving you forward or keeping you stuck. Then break up the thought by taking a few deep breaths and looking for a thought that feels just a bit better. What thought can you deliberately offer that is true and comes from a more positive place? It doesn't need to be a big jump-just something that offers relief. Keep heading in the direction of more relief.

2. Practice loving yourself and more self compassion. One way to get started with this step is to think of someone you love and have compassion for. Place your hand on your heart. This actually stimulates the "feel good" chemicals to be released in your body. Wish this person well. You may want to try the Tibetan blessing: "May you be safe, may you be happy, may you be healthy, may you live with ease." When you have gotten in touch with those loving feelings, focus in on yourself with the same message. Speak to yourself like you would if soothing a small child.

3. Meditate: Go gently with yourself if you haven't meditated before. Thoughts will come up in your mind. Find a comfortable and supported position, and breath slowly and deeply. Focus on your breath. The practice of meditation is to simply notice the thoughts non-judgementally and redirect your attention back to your breath or a mantra. I like the practice of saying "Hmmmm" when I notice a thought and then returning to my breath. Meditation has been shown to decrease blood pressure, anxiety, stress and many other conditions. It has also been shown to improve memory and make structural changes to the brain, including new neural pathways and an increase in the immune response.

4. Make a list of positive aspects: What is going right in your life? What can you appreciate? What things are you doing well? Realize you do all you can, then let the rest go. Let the universe take care of the things that are out of your control.

The key to all of this is Practice. Forming new neural pathways means training your brain by deliberately thinking new thoughts until the old pathways disengage and the new ones are created.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Getting-Rid-of-the-ANTs-in-Your-Brain-for-Greater-Happiness&id=9370839

Simple Technique to Instantly Clear Your Mind!

Do you suffer from brain fog, which makes it hard to think clearly, much less to make good decisions? Does the stress of life these days wrap around you like a scratchy wool blanket, suffocating you in an uncomfortable overheated state that makes it impossible to relax? Do you find your mind so cluttered with "To Dos" and "Should Dos" that you just want to escape from it all?

What if your brain is equipped with a special zone where you can go to discover an open, spacious, calm clarity? I'm not talking about going to an imaginary "happy place," though there certainly can be merit in that, too. What I'm talking about is an area in your brain designed to help you let go of stress, clear your mental clutter, and feel refreshed and renewed.

What if I told you that the center of your brain is just such a place?

Deep in the center of your brain, at a point midway between your ears, straight down from the top of your head, and halfway between the center of your forehead and the base of your skull, sits your upper dantian. Your upper dantian or "mind center" is an energy center you can enter and activate to instantly let go of over-thinking and rest in calm clarity.

Why the center of your brain?

First off, because there's no thought there. It's an area related to sensation and feeling, not thinking. Second, your upper dantian is in the neighborhood of your brain stem which regulates your heart-rate and respiration and your limbic brain which regulates your emotions. Because of those structures and functions, focusing into quiet stillness in the center of your brain has a calming effect on your heart-rate, breathing, brainwave activity, and emotional state-as well as a clearing effect on your mind.

Never heard of this spot? Skeptical?

You can check it out for yourself. It's really quite simple.

If you would like to try it now, lightly close your eyes, and take a couple slow, deep breaths. Then, focus your attention into the center of your brain.

Imagine there is a cool, light blue, sphere of energy there. Imagine inside that sphere is a soothing stillness and an open clear spaciousness. Spend a few moments resting there, enjoying that calm spacious stillness. Record that feeling, so you can remember it and return to it whenever you need.

Then, if you'd like to expand that sensation, imagine that calm, quiet, spacious clarity spreading out through your whole brain and then your whole body. Soak in that sensation and really enjoy it.

So, how did that feel?

If you didn't try it, I encourage you to give it a sincere effort. This is a technique I've used in meditation and in countless moments of stress and overwhelm to calm and clear my mind. I've used it in traffic, before presentations, and during heated confrontations. After practicing it often, it's become a reliable cue I can use anytime I need it.

My wife is a singer who has used this technique before and during big performances, such as singing the National Anthem before 50,000 people. She swears by it and has taught it to singing students for years. We have also discovered that this mind center is a gateway to deeper spiritual experiences and intuitive guidance.

Would you like to clear your mind of worry, mental chatter, stress, and overwhelm?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Simple-Technique-to-Instantly-Clear-Your-Mind!&id=9453708

Is It Time To Reformat Your Brain?

Who owns your brain? You do, and since you do, why not format it in such a way that it works best for you? Makes sense doesn't it? Not long ago, an acquaintance asked me why I chose to format my brain, and in giving him an answer, I thought I'd share it with you also, in case you'd like to do the same and reformat your own brain. Let's talk.

First you ask; Is this even possible?

Yes, it is possible to reformat your brain and since you own your own brain and thoughts, at least in the present period perhaps not so much in the future - Arthur C. Clarke "3001" Science Fiction novel - you should optimize your brain to think in the way you'd like to use it, or multiple ways and alternate as appropriate - there are many types of thinking, reasoning, and thought processes - many ways to store and retrieve information.

It's not a matter of thinking inside the box, or around the box, but both and "What If" the box is removed? A person can categorize everything if they wish, but may not then be able to combine information outside the category for which they are observing or thinking in, this does not mean the human brain is not well-served with a "filing system" it certainly can be, but also realize that "everything is related to everything else" merely because it is part of the observable human endeavor, but things outside that observed still exist and we know that because we are continually observing new things and adding to our memory (faithful servant - cite: Einstein), so we know things exist outside our experiences and current observations, and curiosity should be rewarded with a splash of pleasurable brain chemicals when we find something contrary to what we'd have expected.

This isn't hard, the N400 brainwave allows for this tickling of new ironic information and will allow us the "ah ha" moment triggering a hard imprintation. Rejoice in the novelty of hypocrisy, irony, semantic break, humor, and out of place events contrary to expected patterns, this helps narrow down one's probability when judging and interpreting. Just as we should celebrate diversity, yet never force it. Look and search out the unique and nuance as there are hidden clues everywhere, components needed for combination and creativity in problem solving. I can teach an AI machine to be creative, it's not that hard once you become one with creativity. You can too. Think on this.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9518351


http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-It-Time-To-Reformat-Your-Brain?&id=9518351

Top 10 Actions To Increase Your Memory

There are numerous things that contribute to a good memory. The health of your brain is amongst the most crucial. It's natural for memory to decrease with age, however there are numerous ways to slow that decrease. A bad memory can be frustrating for everybody involved. There are simple steps you can take to enhance your memory at any age.

Increase your memory with these simple actions:

1. Change your diet plan. Research recommends that omega-3 fats and an anti-inflammatory diet can enhance memory. Your diet impacts all aspects of your body. Modify your diet and you alter your capability to store and recover memories. There are a number of variations of anti-inflammatory diets. Experiment and see which works best for you.

2. Handle stress. Stress is hard on your body, brain, and memory. Stress has been linked to decreases in memory. Set affordable expectations for your life. Discover how to relax and avoid stress. Ensure that you're getting enough free time.

3. Get enough sleep. Scientists are still puzzled about what occurs while we sleep, but it has actually been discovered that our brains don't work too well when we've been denied adequate sleep. One late night on the town will prove this fact to anyone. Get enough sleep and your memory will be enhanced.

Stick with a routine sleep schedule.

Avoid caffeine.

Try napping for a middle of the day pick-me-up.

4. Use repetition. It's much more effective to expose yourself to something consistently over time than to attempt to learn it in one sitting. If you're trying to learn French vocabulary words for example, six 5-minute sessions will be more advantageous than one 30-minute session. The popular flash card program, Anki, uses spaced repetition to help memory.

5. Keep your mind active. Do something every day that requires a lot of brain activity. Reading, crossword puzzles, chess, and numerous brain teasers work at keeping your mind active and sharp. Avoid depending on just a single activity. Mix it up and hit your brain from every angle.

6. Be creative. Creativity utilizes different parts of the brain than the more analytical functions we normally perform. Paint, draw, discover an instrument, or compose. Anything needing creativity can be beneficial.

7. Workout. Moving blood through your body and brain can boost memory. Obesity can cause blood sugar and circulatory concerns. Both can impair memory. You do not need to pretend you're training for the Olympics, however get your heart pumping for a few minutes each day.

8. Write things down. It's much easier to remember something if you write it down, instead of just hearing or reading it.

9. Say it aloud. Utilize all of your senses. State it so that you can hear it. If you write it, read it aloud, and imagine it, it will be a lot easier to keep in mind. Expose yourself to the information you want to remember in a variety of different ways.

10. Maintain healthy relationships. Some memory specialists think that relationships are the key to keeping your brain healthy and active. It has actually been found that those with the busiest social lives have the slowest decreases in memory.

Invest more time with friends and family.

Make some brand-new friends or join a club.

Volunteer.

Even if you think you've been pestered with a bad memory, it can be easily boosted.

Minimizing tension, challenging your brain on a regular basis, and getting enough sleep are a few of the steps that can be taken to enhance memory function. It's never too late to pay attention to your memory.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-10-Actions-To-Increase-Your-Memory&id=9488273

Complaining Rewires Your Brain for Negativity, Science Says

Steeping yourself in negativity has seriously terrible consequences for your mental and physical health.

Why do people complain? Not to torture others with their negativity, surely. When most of us indulge in a bit of a moan, the idea is to "vent." By getting our emotions out, we reason, we'll feel better.

But science suggests there are a few serious flaws in that reasoning. One, not only does expressing negativity tend not to make us feel better, it's also catching, making listeners feel worse. "People don't break wind in elevators more than they have to. Venting anger is...similar to emotional farting in a closed area. It sounds like a good idea, but it's dead wrong," psychologist Jeffrey Lohr, who has studied venting, memorably explained.

OK, so complaining is bad for your mood and the mood of your friends and colleagues, but that's not all that's wrong with frequent negativity. Apparently, it's also bad for your brain and your health. Yes, really.

On Psych Pedia, Steven Parton, an author and student of human nature, explains how complaining not only alters your brain for the worse but also has serious negative repercussions for your mental health. In fact, he goes so far as to say complaining can literally kill you. Here are three of the ways he claims that complaining harms your health:

1. "Synapses that fire together wire together."

This is one of the first lessons neuroscience students learn, according to Parton. "Throughout your brain there is a collection of synapses separated by empty space called the synaptic cleft. Whenever you have a thought, one synapse shoots a chemical across the cleft to another synapse, thus building a bridge over which an electric signal can cross, carrying along its charge the relevant information you're thinking about," Parton explains.

"Here's the kicker," he continues. "Every time this electrical charge is triggered, the synapses grow closer together in order to decrease the distance the electrical charge has to cross.... The brain is rewiring its own circuitry, physically changing itself, to make it easier and more likely that the proper synapses will share the chemical link and thus spark together--in essence, making it easier for the thought to trigger."    

So let's boil that down--having a thought makes it easier for you to have that thought again. That's not good news for the perpetually gloomy (though happily, it seems gratitude, can work the opposite way, building up your positivity muscles). It gets worse, too. Not only do repeated negative thoughts make it easier to think yet more negative thoughts, they also make it more likely that negative thoughts will occur to you just randomly walking down the street. (Another way to put this is that being consistently negative starts to push your personality towards the negative).

Parton explains how these closer synapses result in a generally more pessimistic outlook: "Through repetition of thought, you've brought the pair of synapses that represent your [negative] proclivities closer and closer together, and when the moment arises for you to form a thought...the thought that wins is the one that has less distance to travel, the one that will create a bridge between synapses fastest." Gloom soon outraces positivity.

2. You are whom you hang out with.

Not only does hanging out with your own negative thoughts rewire your brain for negativity, hanging out with negative people does much the same. Why?

"When we see someone experiencing an emotion (be it anger, sadness, happiness, etc), our brain 'tries out' that same emotion to imagine what the other person is going through. And it does this by attempting to fire the same synapses in your own brain so that you can attempt to relate to the emotion you're observing. This is basically empathy. It is how we get the mob mentality.... It is our shared bliss at music festivals," Parton writes. "But it is also your night at the bar with your friends who love love love to constantly bitch."

The takeaway lesson is, if you want to strengthen your capacity for positivity and weaken your reflex for gloom, "surround yourself with happy people who rewire your brain towards love." If you're looking to deflect others' negativity, here are a few tips.

3. Stress is terrible for your body, too.

All of which sounds like a good argument for staying away from negativity to protect your mental health, but Parton insists that quitting the complaining habit is essential for your physical health, too. "When your brain is firing off these synapses of anger, you're weakening your immune system; you're raising your blood pressure, increasing your risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes, and a plethora of other negative ailments," he says.

The culprit is the stress hormone cortisol. When you're negative, you release it, and elevated levels of the stuff, "interfere with learning and memory, lower immune function and bone density, increase weight gain, blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease.... The list goes on and on," says Parton. 

http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/complaining-rewires-your-brain-for-negativity-science-says.html

How Your Addiction Is Affecting the People Who Love You

The real effects of addiction. Believe it or not, addiction is a disease. Just like other diseases, you will find that addiction will have a number of effects. These effects can make life difficult for you and those around you as well. Keep in mind that while addicts may begin their use in a voluntary manner, it does create chemical changes within your body and brain. Memories and behaviors will be affected as well. One's perception of pleasure and pain is often changed during use and this can also result in continued used, resulting in addiction. This happens because as the drug is introduced within the body it will cause an interference with the normal communication of the brain. When an individual becomes addicted to drugs his or her body will begin to experience cravings. As they continue to use they will experience numerous physical consequences throughout their body. Some of these consequences will not be noticed as the individual continues to use. These may include complications such as cancer, hormone changes and even organ damage. Prolonged use may even result in neurological and emotional changes. Depression is not uncommon as the user will feel remorse related to their actions. They may also feel depressed when they are no longer able to achieve the desired effects of the drug after continual use. Either way, the individual becomes increasingly more depressed and they often use again to deal with these feelings. It simply creates and ongoing cycle of addiction that can be very difficult to break away from. Anxiety, memory loss, aggression and even paranoia are also associated with addiction and the continued use of numerous drugs. Most addicts will report that they feel like law enforcement is always watching, or waiting to arrest them. This could be associated with the fact that they are aware that they engaging in illegal activity.

It may come as no surprise to most people that when, someone is using drugs on a regular basis they may find themselves within situations that are illegal. This may be related to the simple fact that most substances that cause addiction are illegal and banned by the government. However, many addicts will still use these substances, increasing the likelihood of facing legal consequences. A few of the experienced effects may include probation, loss of a driver's license, fines or even spending time in jail.

There are a lot of people that never think about the fact that the risk of injuries may be increased when it comes to addiction. The hurt addiction puts on loved ones. The addict is so caught up in his or her addiction most could careless about how their addiction is affecting their loved ones. As the addict sinks deeper and deeper into active addiction he or she begins losing all concept of emotions, mental clearance and a clear thought process of beginning to understanding the devastating effects addiction has had on their loved ones. Many loved ones family members are caught between a rock and a hard place with not understanding how sick the person has become. This is because the user may be engaged in activities that they would otherwise avoid if they were not using. Unintentional injuries and accidents are more likely when addiction is a factor. These injuries are not always consequences for the user either. In fact, the risk of domestic violence may be increased when there is an addict in the home, resulting in injuries for other family members.

Addiction may result in negative financial consequences as well. It may become difficult for the individual to pay his or her bills, resulting in job loss. Others may find themselves facing missed house payments or late rent payments. Both of these situations increase the risk of losing one's home all together. There are also individuals that struggle to keep their relationships intact and this can result in divorce and loss of a household income, making it even more difficult to remain financially stable. This is just one example of how your entire family can be effected by drug addiction.

A person's social life can also be touched by addiction. It becomes very difficult to hide the addiction and the cravings become more compulsive the more the individual uses. Most individuals will tell you that their loved one's behavior changed and their interests changed as well. These are all consequences that can result in a loss of friends and loved ones. These changes certainly increase the risk of job loss, divorce, and even changes between family members and friends. As previously mentioned, because of emotional problems like depression and anxiety, one's personal life can change in a negative way.

It is easy to see that addiction results in negative effects for the user and those around them. It is no longer acceptable to state that the user is not harming anyone but themselves. Addiction harms everyone and can only have negative consequences for those that are using and those that they love.

https://ezinearticles.com/?How-Your-Addiction-Is-Affecting-the-People-Who-Love-You&id=9106952

Women, Do Not Let Go of Your Dreams

       

Hopes = Dreams. Let me repeat myself, HOPES = DREAMS. Now some people may tell you that dreams are just “illusions” or “pictures you experience in your head while sleeping.” Dreams are real. They are a part of you. They are a part of your destiny. The old adage that you have bad/strange dreams because you ate something that didn’t agree with you before you went to bed is a lie. Come on women!!!! Our bodies are designed far too intricately and with such expertise to listen to unwise sayings and the “they say” sayings. Your brain…your Spirit…are not controlled by the foods you eat before bedtime. Let the “experts” conjure up whatever makes them feel better to explain something away, but I tell you this…since ancient times, dreams were given to lead you, guide you and are a part of who you are. Now, I’m not saying that all dreams are explainable. I will say that ALL dreams play a part, to whatever extent, in your destiny.

Dreams are “devices” given to us to speak to us about our hurts, fears, joys, loves, plans, paths to take and not to take, they are GUIDEPOSTS. The definition of a guidepost is: a sign on a post by a road indicating directions. Since you were a little girl, dreams have given you signs, indications, and most of all have been the Universe/God’s way of leading you along the path of destiny and interweaving in you hopes to manifest at the right moment.

Have you had or still have naysayers in your life that have attempted to kill your dreams? Let me let you in on a little secret…the only one who can kill a dream is the One who gave it to you. The Power from above is not controlled by humans. If a dream was given to you for a purpose (whether known or unknown) and it died, then only one person has the power to do that, no one else. Also, keep this in mind. Only YOU own your dreams. Your hopes/dreams were never given to one other person on this planet…they are entirely owned by you. Think back (maybe you don’t have to think too far back), where you spoke out loud about a hope/dream and immediately darts, arrows, cannon balls and fire just were sent from every direction to put out that light that sparked in your heart. What did you do? Did you let the ammunition penetrate and darken the light? Or did you put up a shield and say no, this/these dreams/hopes are mine! If you did use the shield, then you are to be commended. However, if you are like the millions of women who let even one dart penetrate the light and darken the hope, then the dream has been “asleep”. Not dead, “asleep”.

When I speak of these dreams/hopes, I’m speaking of those that are healthy to you, not dreams/hopes that have manifested from a broken/bitter/revengeful heart. Those dreams/hopes are not healthy to you and that topic is for an entirely different article!! Let’s focus on that one hope/dream that has seemed to follow you your entire life and when you experience something related to it, such as a word, a song, a location, etc., anything that would cause your heart to “leap or twinge”, then know that that dream/hope is not dead. It has been “asleep”.

2015 is the year of Emergence. 2015 is the year for the emergence of dreams that were once thought lost. It is the year of women “emerging” from their sleep and/or “emerging” from the womb of life to enter the Day of Light. Womb of Life to the Day of Light. What does that mean?

In the mother’s womb, all is given to nourish the baby in order to grow, to develop right up to the point where the baby can survive and continue to grow once it “emerges” into the world. A full-term baby is one that has remained in the womb for the proper time in order to be equipped to function once the baby “emerges”. Such is a dream/hope that was given to you at some point in your life that has never left you. This dream/hope that resides within you now, at this moment, that ember that never burned out, this is your life purpose. (For clarification, this dream/hope is not another person in your life.) It was a seed that was sown at a point in your life where the ground was fertile, and through the years it has been watered with rain (maybe hot rain!), but it was encased inside and nourished even when you were not aware of it. It has matured and in 2015, this dream/hope is going to emerge. 

If you are a woman who is serious about pursuing the “vision”, the “dream”, the “hope”, that you were given, then move on what it is that you were given. PURSUE THE VISION. How?

Steps to Pursue the Vision/Dream/Hope:

1. Get a journal and write down the dream/hope that is in your heart that was never quenched. Did you always want to be an author? A teacher? Did you want to be something completely OPPOSITE of where you are now? Have you wanted to travel the world? Write down in a journal your dream/hope no matter how impossible it seems to obtain right now.

2. USE VISUAL SOUND. Our two senses, sight and sound, are two of the most powerful senses we have. Even if your natural eyesight is not good or is not there at all, you always have your “third eye”, your spiritual eye. Your spoken voice is powerful. I say this with the utmost certainty: those who have hard hearts and use their voice for negativity and to harm anyone will ALWAYS have it rebound into their own lives. So I’m speaking to women here whose hearts are ready to enter into their destiny with “clean hands and a pure heart and a right Spirit”…speak out loud the visuals you were given. Speak out loud the dream/hope you were given. Then watch the movement happen.

3. Do not give up. Would a mother stop pushing after seeing the head of her baby? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! EVERY DAY, speak out loud your dream. EVERY DAY. When you see a manifestation happen that is part of your dream, BUILD ON IT. Don’t stop, keep speaking and watch the next one appear.

I speak to you, the women of destiny today, that all naysayers in your lives are REMOVED.

I speak Light into your homes, beauty into your atmosphere and that a determined force to compel you to keep moving enter your life. To whom do I speak:

TO THESE WOMEN:

You were forged in the fire of darkness, you were brought to the threshold of pain, and yet you still kept on. You spoke in anger yet you refused to become bitter. You held love in your heart and it was ripped to pieces, yet you kept on. You removed yourself from all trauma and drama and were cast off to the side because you refused to “join the crowd” in misery. You were secluded and left alone and yet you prospered. You knew how to fight and every muscle ached, yet you kept on. The boundaries you once held so dear were broken and disrespect for your time seemed to abound, yet you kept on. You righted the wrong and you were despised due to your truth you held, you kept on. You stood in the face of anger and betrayal and you did not let it leave a scar, you kept on. You trusted with all your heart and the lies kept coming, you kept on. You removed yourself from bitter company and were rejected by the “social elite”, you kept on.

I say to you THIS DAY…NOTHING is going to keep you from your destiny. NOTHING. Your time in the womb of life is done. Your time to emerge is here. No one who cast a stone your way will remain standing. Your Light will shine in the Universe. YOU were the diamond being forged in the fire. YOU were kept safe and unharmed despite the pain. YOU will stand when others cannot. YOU ARE READY. YOUR destiny is here!

http://www.the-guided-meditation-site.com/women-do-not-let-go-of-your-dreams.html