Fear of public speaking is a very common form of social anxiety. Fear of public speaking has often been called the ‘Greatest Anxiety,’ due to the large number of people who actually experience this fear. Fear of public speaking doesn’t just mean that you have a fear of making a speech in public. It can mean that you experience stage fright, or even that you have a fear of talking to other people in a social situation. Fear of public speaking often holds people back from many things that they want in their lives. It may be job promotions, or fund raisers for causes that they believe in, but the fear of public speaking will, at some point, stand between you and what you want or need. Symptoms of fear of public speaking include shortness of breath, inability to speak, a shaky voice, shallow breathing, rapid heartbeat, sweating, nausea, dizziness, or lightheadedness. There are many things that can cause fear of public speaking. Social anxiety can cause a fear of public speaking. It may also be caused by an earlier traumatic public speaking experience. There is no one answer as to why some people experience fear of public speaking, but for those who experience it, the fear is quite real – but it can be dealt with. There are many tricks a person can use to get past their fear of public speaking. The first trick is to know exactly what you are going to say, but not to worry about memorizing every word of your speech. Use note cards, and write down your key points – in sentences that make sense. This way, if you freeze up and forget what you were going to say, you can refer to your notes, and pick up where you left off. Use big print on the note cards, and if possible, keep up with where you are on the cards during your speech, so it will be easy to find your place if you need to. Once you’ve prepared and practiced your speech, stop. Put it away, and don’t think about it again, until you are on the stage, ready to deliver the speech. Often people over practice, and this just causes the fear to grow and grow. Remember it is okay to mess up when you are giving a speech. Simply laugh at yourself, the audience will laugh with you – not at you – and you can continue your speech. In fact, most people are much more relaxed after they’ve made that first mistake in the speech and laugh about it. They know, at that point, that they are going to be okay. Speeches do not need to last for hours. You only need three or four main points. Say what needs to be said, accept the applause and say ‘Thank You,’ and go off and enjoy the rest of your day or evening. Another trick that works well is to have someone you know well to look at throughout the speech, and concentrate solely on that person. Give you speech to them, and them alone – even if the room is packed. This means that you bring your spouse along with you, or bring a friend. This must be someone that you are always comfortable talking to. Many people feel that they must include jokes in their speeches. Unfortunately, many of these people fear that they are not funny, or that their joke will flop, and this causes more anxiety and fear. If you are worried about this, omit the jokes from your speech and be serious. The people are there to hear the information, not the jokes. If all else fails – picture everyone in their underwear. This is an old standby that really does work. The point of doing this exercise is that it makes everyone in the room seem less intimidating. You don’t even have to picture them in their underwear. Picture them with hair curlers in their hair, or picture the men with facial cream on their faces. There are a variety of ways that you can envision them in your head. Before you start the speech, simply look out over the room, and get that less intimidating mental picture in your head – but don’t laugh outloud!

Whoever said that learning the German language has to be boring, blunt and completely dry? If you have always given this kind of thought towards learning German, you must have not been too resourceful enough in researching for German materials that gives not only your needed information but an equivalent fun to how learning should be. Before, learning languages of the world can only be done inside a four-cornered classroom with the help of a teacher. Books are the main source of information and if not, activities and trips towards the library for German-related research are done as well. But these days are long gone, although it is still the basic learning pattern for students who are still learning German (or any other language) at school. Nowadays, learning a foreign language is taken to a whole new different level. There are so many options as well as to how an individual can benefit from learning straight from a course or an immersion program and now, even a home-based language learning can be done without any supervision. You are completely on your own. Also, a lot of free write-ups and contribution about the “how-to’s” of learning the German language is distributed throughout the Internet. When it comes to audio materials for pronunciation purposes, these are provided and can be found online. Sometimes, if you just spend extra of your time in finding German materials for language learning, audio files are provided by some websites for free. This way, you never have to pay for something which you think you would not be using too long. Either way, you will be needing audio files for German pronunciation in a long term basis, for sure. Okay, so back to the boring classroom lessons. You really don’t need to be caught up in this type of scenario. If you want to spice up your German lessons, look for German grammar, vocabulary or word games which can all be found online. The best thing about these learning materials is that you can learn while you play games and eventually, assess your knowledge by using the same material.

Do you struggle with a lack of confidence where the Law of Attraction is concerned? It’s a common problem that many people have – especially at the beginning when they’re just learning how to use their power as conscious creators! However, a strong level of confidence is crucial simply because your confidence level is a direct reflection of your inner beliefs. Since the Law of Attraction is guided by your beliefs, low confidence means uncertain results! In order to boost your attraction abilities and create better results, you need to have confidence in three key areas: 1) Self-confidence. Do you believe that you are a powerful creator in your own right? Really? Or do you still see yourself as a victim, at the mercy of both internal and external factors that are out of your control? Do you often feel overwhelmed or frightened by your circumstances? If so, you don’t really believe in your own ability to change them! To turn this around, begin working daily on affirming your own power as a deliberate creator. Remind yourself that your own thoughts, beliefs and emotions are what attract your circumstances, and you have the power to choose those – ALWAYS! 2) Confidence in a loving universe. Do you often feel like the universe is working against you? Do you believe you have “bad luck?” Do you feel like you’re being punished for some forgotten karmic debt? The perception of an angry, judgmental universe (or “God”) is something that many of us received when we were growing up. The problem with this perception is that it keeps us feeling like we have to walk around on eggshells lest we trigger a wrath of punishment and suffering for our transgressions! In order to overcome this limiting perception, begin changing the way you see the universe. Imagine that the universe is kind, loving and supportive of you and your dreams. Affirm that you’ve got a host of angels, enlightened beings, or simply a loving God cheering you on, wanting you to be happy. The more you work at shifting your perception of the universe to one that is loving and kind, the more confidence you will have that you can be, do or have anything you desire. 3) Trust the process. Also important is having confidence that the Law of Attraction really does work. At the beginning of your conscious creation journey, you probably won’t believe this. You may WANT to believe it, but you won’t have a strong level of confidence yet. Once you begin seeing the proof with your own eyes, your confidence level will soar! In the meantime, one good way to begin building greater confidence and trust in the process is to embrace a bit of “active faith.” Simply CHOOSE to believe that the Law of Attraction works. If doubts pop up (and they probably will), simply affirm that you are setting them aside for now and continue to choose to believe anyway. It may take practice, but the more you do this, the more easily you’ll start to TRULY believe. Confidence is really all about believing. It’s about knowing, deep in your heart that you are a powerful creator with the ability to turn your life into anything you desire. The more you believe it, the more you’ll see evidence of it in every area of your life!

One of the major precepts of The Law of Attraction is that everything is fundamentally connected. This means that the transfer of information is in some way possible, regardless of the constraints of space or time. While fascinating in its own right, you may wonder what this means to you in a practical sense. It means that you have help out there if you make a concerted effort to focus your thoughts on the same worthy goal and it doesn’t even matter where you are. An aspect of the Law of Attraction, that should not be underestimated, is the profound impact that an association or gathering of people has upon the force that is at the heart of the Law of Attraction. There are plenty of examples in science (and what is often known as “para-science”) where the power of the mind, when demonstrated, is far greater than the sum of parts when many people concentrate on the very same thing. This effect has been evidenced by the empirical evidence of millions throughout history as well as in scientific studies such as the Princeton thought experiments that began in the 1970s and continue to this day. While there are no instruments that can directly measure the effect of mental energy, random number generators have shown differences in coherence – whether the output was more or less coherent than pure random doesn’t seem to make a difference. That there is a measurable effect, even an indirect one, has been proven to the satisfaction of many who methodically pursue these phenomena. Just like the Law of Attraction as presented in “The Secret,” visualization and focus is the key to making seemingly improbable things happen in demonstrable ways. The evidence suggests that when focusing the minds of others on a given task, key is to be clearly focused on a goal. When the power of thought from just a few dozen people very clearly focused on a very specific action or event, things happen powerfully and often far more rapidly than you may have thought possible from your experience as a solitary practitioner. Conversely, when the concentration is not focused or not very, very specific, the outcome is not coherently influenced and different visions compete with one another. This means that not agreeing on an image and very clearly communicating can sabotage the project even before you start. The timing of such an exercise isn’t nearly as important as the intent behind it. It is very important that everyone involved see the final outcome as clearly as possible. In one memorable thought experiment, a popular late-night talk radio host asked his audience of several million people to concentrate on sending rain to a drought-stricken Texas. The rain did indeed fall, to the point where much flooding occurred, and homes all over the state were ruined or washed away. Sometimes, too much of a good thing is just too much. Moreover, there are benefits beyond the outcome of your own thought experiments. As human beings, we are drawn to friends, associates and co-workers – other members of the pack. As a wise fellow once said, “…no man is an island.” Aside from the necessary assistance of other people, human minds are designed to derive a sense of comfort and peace from interaction with other people. It is at the centre of our emotional well-being. Without this interaction, it is difficult enough to find enough inner peace to give one’s mind over to complete and total visualization on the objects of your desire, even for a few minutes per day. Friends and associates very often share your interests and ideas. Many of the groups around the world that have sprung up to watch and discuss the ideas of, “The Secret,” have found they’re visualizing the same things. Wouldn’t it be a great way to proactive visualization and intent focus by getting together with like-minded individuals and trying to bring about something good for the whole community? Even if the group task you choose to focus on is to benefit only one member of the group, the combined power of several people actively “seeing” such an outcome and really feeling it as real in their minds, can yield remarkable results. Not only should the group discuss very precisely what is is they want to achieve, but also perhaps take some time and do a visualization together, out loud, each person taking turns and contributing to the image. It is also important that each and every member of the group feel and perhaps discuss how grateful they are. Not only for the presence of the other group members, but for the ability to reach out to other people and pool your mental resources together in such a potentially incredible and useful way. This tool, when used wisely, has the ability to make the addition of each mind into such a group greater than the sum of its parts. Your ability to attract that which is useful to you will increase exponentially. By Yu Shan © 2007

You’ve all heard about positive thinking and how it can help us turn our lives around. You may scoff at it and call it a con but deep down you know it’s really the truth. Why? Let me explain. If you really think about we all assume were going to wake up tomorrow morning, right? Or if we’re going through a stressful time we all know and have used the saying there’s light at the end of the tunnel, right? Or when this life is over, you will go on to a better place? Is this not also positive thinking? While you mightn’t believe some of the hype or teachings of a guru that came seem far fetched or airy fairy but deep down you do feel that there is something there working for you and guiding you in your life. Norman Vincent Peale wrote in his book the Power of Positive Thinking that positive thinking is synonymous to faith. “Positive thinking,” as described by Peale could be broken down into a three step process of practicing repeated self-hypnosis, attaining “divine” or God’s power to use for oneself, and eliminating and avoiding all negativity in life. Peale wrote that Positive Thinking was simply how you believed in something, you could make it happen. This power of positive thought is really only the power of faith used in conjunction with your actions. It also makes use of the Law of Attraction which is the most powerful scientific law ever discovered. What you think about you attract into your life. Thoughts are where your power comes from. But the thing is you have to be in control of them instead of then being in charge of you. Even professionals and business people use the power of positive thought to develop personal power or gain a competitive edge over the marketplace. Take example Richard Branson and all the many businesses he has. How would you say he thinks everyday “Positive” or “Negative”? Do you think someone like him just sits in the corner sucking his thumb thinking negatively wondering if his new idea is going to work? Or does he just go for it with a positive attitude? Now you may think that he because he’s successful now he can afford to make mistakes and it won’t matter. But how did he and other people get to the top when they started off with nothing? How? Because all they had in the beginning was positive thinking to get the momentum going. Nothing, but them and their thoughts. You may be thinking that all sounds so easy, so why isn’t everyone doing it. But the thing is when we’re surrounded by TV, movies and other things pumping all the negative things to us. It’s easy to take all this is and think the worlds going to hell in a handcart and start thinking negatively. How can you be more positive today? Try to constantly fill your mind with positive powerful thoughts. The power of thoughts is a mighty power that is always shaping our life whether you want it to or not. Negative thoughts just chip away at your self-esteem leaving you feeling vulnerable, powerless, and susceptible to yet more negative thinking and this brings you further and further down. Remember people always appreciate being around a positive person nobody wants to be around a complainer and a negative thinker. Deep down we know that’s not the way we were meant to be.