Motivational materials usually have to be read with some degree of circumspect. Even as a coach and motivational trainer, I have caught myself saying things in my exuberance that later needed to be modified. Take our quote today which comes to us from the Reverend Robert Schuler. I am always built up listening to what he has to say. In today’s quote he says “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” My knee jerk reaction was “Wow! Isn’t that the truth?” But in thinking it through a bit, I pondered on things like American black slavery. Those tough times lasted over 400 years for some as did the slavery of the Israelites by the Egyptians around 1300 B.C.E. If you were a slave living in those tough times there was little truth found in Reverend Schuler’s words. The truth is there are tough times that do last a life time for some of us. However If you were to look at your life you would see that tough times rarely do last forever. They are cyclical. They come and they go. It is with this inference in mind that Schuler speaks. Of course, every individual experiences life differently and if one lives life unwisely, they will suffer more than the next. Though external circumstances play a role, we have a lot to do with how tough life becomes for us. For example, life would surely be tough if one were sick all the time with influenza and bleeding body sores and waves of nausea and vomiting – yet one could bring these conditions upon themselves by contracting the HIV virus through living promiscuous lives. One could live in and out of terrible jail cells and half-way-houses for living a life of crime. One could suffer the terrible affects of lung cancer by choosing to smoke. In fact there is a lot of research that indicates that most diseases that we suffer are traceable to life-style choices that we ourselves make. The second half of Schuler’s statement says that tough people last. Well no one last forever, so what Schuler is inferring is that tough people last longer than most. The reason for that are tough people, self-disciplined people, make life choices that lead to better health, better living habitations, better finances, better relationships, and so on. By tough, Robert Schuler is not talking about street-wise tough, or gangster-tough. He is referring to a toughness born in wisdom; a toughness that means strength of character. This is a character that chooses the right; a character that learns the actions that lead to good outcomes. This is a character molded through hard work and ethical behavior; a character that shows respect to elders; charity towards the weak and poor; and courage to stand up for what is right against the evil doer. This character endures trials by being patient and suffering with dignity when one must suffer. The reason why life fairs better for those described here is because they live in harmony with the laws of the universe. Instead of rebelling against law, they submit to it. Tough people can endure a great deal in their lives. In fact that is the crux of Schuler’s entire statement isn’t it? It’s all about endurance. Tough people endure the tough times. They act as if they know something more than the rest. They seem to have a deeper appreciation for what is at the end of the suffering. Tough people walk through tough times like fire-walkers who walk over hot coals without sensing the pain. There is a glow about them that comes from someplace familiar but distant to the rest. The tough know the meaning of the words “Press On”. It means keep marching through the hard times for there is a time coming when tears and sadness will be no more. Neither will death nor sickness even exist. They are able to press on because they know this is certain and any tough times that are hurled upon them through no accord of their own shall pass away as certain as the sun rises and sets each day. If you meet upon tough times today remember that there is a better tomorrow. Your suffering will be for a time and then it will be gone. You will find as you look back that you too are in that special group of tough ones that is able to endure the worst. Until tomorrow comes, press on!

This world is like a dog’s curly tail, and people have been striving to straighten it out for hundreds of years; but when they let it go, it has curled up again. How could it be otherwise? One must first know how to work without attachment, then one will not be a fanatic. When we know that this world is like a dog’s curly tail and will never get straightened, we shall not become fanatics. If there were no fanaticism in the world, it would make much more progress than it does now. It is a mistake to think that fanaticism can make for the progress of mankind. On the contrary, it is a retarding element creating hatred and anger, and causing people to fight each other, and making them unsympathetic. We think that whatever we do or possess is the best in the world, and what we do not do or possess is of no value. So, always remember the instance of the curly tail of the dog whenever you have a tendency to become a fanatic. You need not worry or make yourself sleepless about the world; it will go on without you. When you have avoided fanaticism, then alone will you work well. It is the level – headed man, the calm man, of good judgment and cool nerves, of great sympathy and love, who does good work and so does good to himself. The fanatic is foolish and has no sympathy; he can never straighten the world, nor himself become pure and perfect. To recapitulate the chief points in today’s lecture: First, we have to bear in mind that we are all debtors to the world and the world does not owe us anything. It is a great privilege for all of us to be allowed to do anything for the world. In helping the world we really help ourselves. The second point is that there is a God in this universe. It is not true that this universe is drifting and stands in need of help from you and me. God is ever present therein, He is undying and eternally active and infinitely watchful. When the whole universe sleeps, He sleeps not; He is working incessantly; all the changes and manifestations of the world are His. Thirdly, we ought not to hate anyone. This world will always continue to be a mixture of good and evil. Our duty is to sympathise with the weak and to love even the wrongdoer. The world is a grand moral gymnasium wherein we have all to take exercise so as to become stronger and stronger spiritually. Fourthly, we ought not to be fanatics of any kind, because fanaticism is opposed to love. You hear fanatics glibly saying, “I do not hate the sinner. I hate the sin,” but I am prepared to go any distance to see the face of that man who can really make a distinction between the sin and the sinner. It is easy to say so. If we can distinguish well between quality and substance, we may become perfect men. It is not easy to do this. And further,the calmer we are and the less disturbed our nerves, the more shall we love and the better will our work be. To get more information visit : http://www.spiritual-simplicity.com

Being able to quit smoking can be accomplished by merely the power of suggestion with a hypnotherapy stop smoking programme. For smokers, cigarettes are very important. Even with the rising costs and numerous health warnings, smokers still do not ever leave home without them. Most smokers do want to quit, some have even made several failed attempts, and others go to successfully quit but trade the smoking health related problems for an extra 40 or 50 pounds. Smoking is an emotional and psychological/habitual issue, so when a person quits and claims that the main reason that they quit was because of health issues or expenses, that is the wrong approach as they should focus on quitting as a positive reinforcement and plan to look to the future. Hypnotherapy for quit smoking has been very successful in helping people stop smoking. Chances are that you would quit smoking if you knew it would be an easy task. Especially if you knew you would not fail. Think of yourself in the near future as a non smoker and all of the benefits that non smokers get to enjoy. Imagine how proud you will be once you have kicked the habit. Hypnosis is nothing more than a state of mind that a therapist assists you in getting into. In order to get to that state, you need to be completely relaxed both physically and mentally. Most therapists will take you to a happy time as your focal point before they take you to the bleak issue of quitting smoking. The process that is then used is called desensitization and that is basically replacing a bad experience or habit with a good one. Usually the good experience that replaces the bad feeling or in this case, the quitting of cigarettes, would be replaced with the positive thought that you held onto while under hypnosis. This concept is for the hypnotists to put you in a trance in order to access your sub conscious mind, which is at that point completely vulnerable. The higher the patient’s motivation and desire is to quit smoking, the more successful the outcome will be. The right side of the brain is the side that is responsible for emotion and creativeness while the left side is responsible for logic. Yet, during hypnosis, the right side is generally more stimulated. The left side of the brain during hypnosis has a higher level cognitive processing and behavior. In order for a therapist to put someone into a hypnotic state or a trance, there has to be the right conditions such as intense concentration, extreme relaxation and high suggestibility. While the subject is in this state, which is very similar to that of dreaming, the hypnotist is able to incorporate on the power of suggestion to influence the mind of the patient. If a person enters a clinic for the purpose of being hypnotized and they believe the hypnosis will work they will have a much better chance than if they come in believing otherwise and the reason for that again is the power of suggestion. For the purpose of quitting smoking, a person that decides to utilize hypnosis with a positive attitude will allow the hypnotist to replace the need to smoke with a more positive action or memory, making the urge to light up again a distant memory.

Malcolm Gladwell has a long history as a news reporter, but in his book, “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” Gladwell helps readers understand something most of us have only felt was true – life has a tipping point. In virtually every aspect of our lives there is a point when something either very good or very bad happens. The choices we make will ultimately lead us to that tipping point. A long series of bad choices will lead to a tipping point that can cause long-term problems for us and, potentially, for others. On the other hand good choices or even a series of positive, yet unexplained events can be a tipping point that will lead us to a point of one or more successes. There’s a lot to be said for active marketing, but sometimes we must anticipate and identify a tipping point to help us determine if we will actually make it in our business pursuits. Marketing can certainly help move your business to a tipping point, but the truth is many people with really good ideas don’t recognize them as such until they pass beyond an invisible, yet highly identifiable (in retrospect) tipping point. This whole notion that there is an almost imperceptible movement that results in the tipping of the scales is reason enough to believe in the financial success of your online company. You need to conduct research and set aside funds to give you a positive start. Consistently market your idea and watch for indicators of a tipping point. It will happen and you will need to recognize when to stop moving forward and when your business is moving beyond the startup phase to something more established – or even trendy. The truth is a positive tipping point can be made possible be a relatively small number of people. A small, but motivated contingent of satisfied customers can do much more for your proverbial tipping point that a larger number of passive consumers. Passion isn’t just something that is an asset in business; it is also an asset in satisfied customers. There are many online businesses that simply exist on the hope that something good might happen today, but the owners often are afraid to admit they don’t actually believe the hope they cling to. The ones who understand the idea of the tipping point also understand that they need to consistently look for opportunities to direct people to their product. These individuals further recognize there are very few insignificant opportunities. The very thing that may seem insignificant to you at this moment may well be the very thing that provides a significant boost to your business. Be careful when turning down opportunities. It can be hard when you are busy doing the business of business to recognize opportunity (it’s often disguised as something else). While this is true it may also be incredibly difficult to recognize negative tipping points. In the end you may not be able to determine how it happened, but in virtually every aspect of life you will ultimately discover a tipping point.

Vampire Tasks Everyone has at least one of them. Something you hate to do. Something you dread. You procrastinate about it or do your best to avoid it. When you have to do it you get crabby about it. What is it for you? Your staff meeting? Traveling for business? Working with a particular client or co-worker? Dealing with computer problems? Doing your expense report? Performance reviews? Whatever it is, it’s a “vampire task” — something that drains your energy. But You Have to Do It Most of the time my focus with clients is on the fun stuff –what lights them up, what they love, what they want, what energizes and enlivens them and how to do more of that. When we do identify a task that’s draining them, we look long and creatively about how they could stop doing it, delegate it, or hire it out. Sometimes though there are tasks they choose to keep doing,at least for now. It could be temporary. Like a woman starting her own business who dislikes accounting. As soon as she has enough income she’ll hire a part-time accountant. In the meantime, she is the accountant, whether or not she enjoys it. It could be something longer lasting. For instance, in most companies if you’re a manager you’ll need to do performance reviews, whether or not you enjoy them. Taxes Wiped Me out Yep, for me taxes were a big energy drain. I hated doing them. Just the anticipation of doing them made me unhappy. Even though Dave, our accountant, did all the work of preparing our taxes, I still dreaded pulling together the information for him. Each year it took me two or three days and a lot of misery. I do recognize we always have choices. And I did have choices about the taxes. I could have just stopped doing them. But I wasn’t too keen about the IRS knocking on my door looking for those unpaid taxes. I could have asked my husband to do our taxes. But I thought he might be even unhappier than I was about doing this task. Yes, I did have other choices. And doing it myself seemed my best choice. Now you might think I was doomed. Forever chained to miserable days in my office gathering information for my accountant. But you might also realize if that were the case there wouldn’t be much of a point to this story. And the point is I found a way to ease my tax misery. Solution: The Taxes Strategy A few months after I learned about making choices based on my lights — what energizes and enlivens me — tax season rolled around once again. This time I was determined to find a way to do the taxes without draining my energy. So I looked at what I knew about what lit me up and I added some of that to my tax task. I put on music I loved. I lit a candle that had a delicious fragrance. Depending on the time of day, I sipped a glass of wine. I asked my husband to bring something to do and just sit in my office while I worked on the taxes. I also spent just a couple of hours at a time on them, rather than powering my way through as I’d done in the past. And it worked! Now I must admit taxes still aren’t the most fun thing I do. And they don’t drain my energy in the way they used to. You can apply my “taxes strategy” to your own draining tasks: incorporate things that light you up. Do this before, during, and/or after the task. My clients tell me this simple strategy makes a significant difference in their energy. Some Ways to Brighten Up a Dull Task Here are a few ways my clients have created more energy around the tasks that drain them: *** Bookending the task: doing something fun before and after. *** Changing the location: going to some place they love to do the task *** Changing the conditions: music, candles, food, drink, lighting *** Involving other people: to be with them, to do the task with them One story I can’t resist sharing: a client, unhappy doing the bills, asked her husband to join her and then paid the bills topless! I’m not saying I recommend this and she says it worked for them! In Your Life If you’d like to brighten up your dreaded task, here’s what I recommend. 1) Pick something that drains and de-energizes you. 2) Ask yourself if it’s something you can stop doing, delegate, or hire someone to do. If so, great! Do whichever one of those strategies will work. If not, go to step #3. 3) Experiment with doing two or three things that light you up (before, during and/or after that draining task) until you find what will make your experience less draining and more enjoyable. The examples above of what my clients have done may give you some ideas. The key is choosing things that light YOU up, that YOU love, that are energizing and enlivening for YOU. Enjoy!