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Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
The KEY to Endless Success!
We all want success in life. We want success in our home life, business life, and in our relationships with others. The most important single factor that guarantees our success in every aspect of our lives is having a positive attitude. Without a positive attitude success is not possible. Earl Nightingale called attitude "the magic word."
You will never attract positive things into your life if all of your thoughts are negative. Just as a magnet attracts anything metal our minds attract the things we think about most. Your mind will always seek to turn the things you think about most into physical reality. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "A man becomes what he thinks about, most of the time."
Everyone of us has two different minds, the conscious and the subconscious. The conscious mind is our thinking, which uses logic, deduction, reason, and sound judgment to make its decisions.
Your choices in life are made by the conscious mind.
The subconscious mind lies outside your conscious mind. It has access to data, information, and ideas outside your own experience. Your subconscious mind works 24 hours a day and it is the source of all examples of pure creativity, problem solving, and goal achievement. It is a magical part of your mind. The part of your mind where GENIUS lies.
Our subconscious mind is not able to distinguish between positive and negative thoughts. So, if you tell yourself something often enough your subconscious will eventually come to believe it. If you repeat something often enough whether it be positive or negative it will become your reality. This is because your subconscious mind constantly strives to attract the material equivalent of your most frequent and prominent thoughts.
It's all a matter of conditioning. You can train your mind to think positive thoughts the same way you can learn anything else. The way to do this, is to remove any negative thoughts one at a time until there are none left. And for each negative thought that you remove, you then plant a new and positive thought in its place. You then nurture those positive thoughts until there is no room for any negative thoughts to grow.
Positive thoughts will lead you to financial success and it will help you find the true riches of life for yourself and your family. So whatever it is in life that you want, you must begin today to become a "Positive Thinker." Once you do this your future success will be UNLIMITED!
You will never attract positive things into your life if all of your thoughts are negative. Just as a magnet attracts anything metal our minds attract the things we think about most. Your mind will always seek to turn the things you think about most into physical reality. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "A man becomes what he thinks about, most of the time."
Everyone of us has two different minds, the conscious and the subconscious. The conscious mind is our thinking, which uses logic, deduction, reason, and sound judgment to make its decisions.
Your choices in life are made by the conscious mind.
The subconscious mind lies outside your conscious mind. It has access to data, information, and ideas outside your own experience. Your subconscious mind works 24 hours a day and it is the source of all examples of pure creativity, problem solving, and goal achievement. It is a magical part of your mind. The part of your mind where GENIUS lies.
Our subconscious mind is not able to distinguish between positive and negative thoughts. So, if you tell yourself something often enough your subconscious will eventually come to believe it. If you repeat something often enough whether it be positive or negative it will become your reality. This is because your subconscious mind constantly strives to attract the material equivalent of your most frequent and prominent thoughts.
It's all a matter of conditioning. You can train your mind to think positive thoughts the same way you can learn anything else. The way to do this, is to remove any negative thoughts one at a time until there are none left. And for each negative thought that you remove, you then plant a new and positive thought in its place. You then nurture those positive thoughts until there is no room for any negative thoughts to grow.
Positive thoughts will lead you to financial success and it will help you find the true riches of life for yourself and your family. So whatever it is in life that you want, you must begin today to become a "Positive Thinker." Once you do this your future success will be UNLIMITED!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Dealing With Fear Is Simpler Than You Think!
We fear things that may, or will, happen to us (such as dying, looking old, being alone, etc..) and we fear many things we have to do (such as making a public speech, learning to drive, passing exams, making decisions, sticking up for ourselves.
These fears may all appear to be very different. But they aren't. The common theme which links these separate fears is a fear of rejection, disapproval, failure and, rather more commonly than you might think, a fear of success. And the underlying fear behind all these emotions is the simple fear of not being able to deal with things - of not being able to cope with rejection, with disapproval, with failure or with success. It is that - the fear of not being able to cope - which is the fundamental fear which affects us all. We worry about things which may (or may not) happen because we worry that we will not be able to cope with the consequences.
Two Ways that I've found to conquer fear is to first build up your inner strength so that you are better able to cope - and so that you know that you will be better able to cope with any fear you have to confront.
The second is to identify, isolate and study your fears. Our greatest fears involve the unknown. Know your fears and you will move a long way towards emasculating them. Everyone is afraid when confronting something new. Fear leads to helplessness and paralysis. To defeat that, and to take back the power over your life, you must take action.
Fear will never go away. It will always be there. The only way to defeat the fear is to go out and do it (whatever it is that you are afraid of). When you do it you will feel better and more capable. Going through the fear - and realizing that you can come out safely on the other side - is, in the long-term, far less frightening than staying fearful and helpless. Living with the fear of being helpless is far worse than doing or confronting whatever it is that you are afraid of. When you know that you can handle whatever comes your way, you can take risks and you can get far more out of life. Decide what you want and go for it. List your choices and make one. Then live with it!
These fears may all appear to be very different. But they aren't. The common theme which links these separate fears is a fear of rejection, disapproval, failure and, rather more commonly than you might think, a fear of success. And the underlying fear behind all these emotions is the simple fear of not being able to deal with things - of not being able to cope with rejection, with disapproval, with failure or with success. It is that - the fear of not being able to cope - which is the fundamental fear which affects us all. We worry about things which may (or may not) happen because we worry that we will not be able to cope with the consequences.
Two Ways that I've found to conquer fear is to first build up your inner strength so that you are better able to cope - and so that you know that you will be better able to cope with any fear you have to confront.
The second is to identify, isolate and study your fears. Our greatest fears involve the unknown. Know your fears and you will move a long way towards emasculating them. Everyone is afraid when confronting something new. Fear leads to helplessness and paralysis. To defeat that, and to take back the power over your life, you must take action.
Fear will never go away. It will always be there. The only way to defeat the fear is to go out and do it (whatever it is that you are afraid of). When you do it you will feel better and more capable. Going through the fear - and realizing that you can come out safely on the other side - is, in the long-term, far less frightening than staying fearful and helpless. Living with the fear of being helpless is far worse than doing or confronting whatever it is that you are afraid of. When you know that you can handle whatever comes your way, you can take risks and you can get far more out of life. Decide what you want and go for it. List your choices and make one. Then live with it!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
You As a Brand
Check out my new article: http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Shannon-Lavenia-689/shannon-lavenia-18273.php
Monday, November 10, 2008
STAYING MOTIVATED
It is hardly a secret that the key to successfully accomplishing one goal after another is staying motivated. There are, of course, tasks which you may not like at all, yet you find motivation to complete even them because you recognize how each particular task serves a greater goal. How exactly do some of us manage to stay motivated most of the time? Here are just a few ideas you can try: 1) Find the Good Reasons: Anything you do, no matter how simple, has a number of good reasons behind it. Not all the tasks have the good reasons to do them seen at first sight, but if you take just a few moments to analyze them, you will easily spot something good. We also have many tasks which don’t need any reasoning at all - we’ve been doing them for so long that they feel natural. But if you’re ever stuck with some task you hate and there seems to be no motivation to complete it whatsoever, here’s what you need to do: find your good reasons. They may not be obvious, but stay at it until you see some, as this will bring your motivation back and will help you finish the task. 2) Make it Fun: When it comes to motivation, attitude is everything. Different people may have completely opposite feelings towards the same task: some will hate it, others will love it. Why do you think this happens? It’s simple: some of us find ways to make any task interesting and fun to do! Depending on how you look at it, you can have fun doing just about anything! Just look for ways of having fun, and you’ll find them! 3) Take different approach: When something doesn’t feel right, it’s always a good time to take a moment and look at the whole task looking for a different approach. You may be doing everything correctly and most efficiently, but such an approach isn’t necessarily the most motivating one. Quite often you can find a number of obvious tweaks to your current approach which will both change your experience and open up new possibilities. That’s why saying “one way or another” is so common: if you really want to accomplish your goal, there is always a way. And most likely, there’s more than one way. If a certain approach doesn’t work for you, find another one, and keep trying until you find the one which will both keep you motivated and get you the desired results! 4) Recognize Your Progress: Everything you may be working on can be easily split into smaller parts and stages. For most goals, it is quite natural to split the process of accomplishing them into smaller tasks and milestones. There are a few reasons behind doing this, and one of them is tracking your progress. We track our progress automatically with most activities. But to stay motivated, you need to recognize your progress, not merely track it. Somehow, it is in a human nature to always want things to happen at once. Even though we split complex tasks into simpler actions, we don’t quite feel the satisfaction until all is done and the task is fully complete. For many scenarios though, the task is so vast that such an approach will drain all the motivation out of you long before you have a chance to reach your goal. That’s why it is important to always take small steps and recognize the positive different and progress made. 5) Reward Yourself: This is a trick everyone likes: rewarding yourself is always pleasant. I’m happy to confirm that this is also one of the easiest and at the same time most powerful ways to stay motivated! Feeling down about doing something? Dread the idea of working on some task? You’re not alone in that, I’m telling you! Right from the beginning, agree on some deliverables which will justify yourself getting rewarded. As soon as you get one of the agreed results, take time to reward yourself in some way.Your progress may not seem to others like anything worth celebrating - but take time and do it anyway! It is your task and your reward, so any ways to stay motivated are good. The more you reward yourself for the honestly made progress, the more motivated you will feel about reaching new milestones thus finally accomplishing your goal!
Saturday, November 01, 2008
HERE'S TO A FITTER, BETTER YOU!
Expect Success! Prior planning leads to higher levels of compliance. Greater levels of compliance lead to better results and the cycle continues. Short term goals are great, but what type of lifestyle are you hoping to create for yourself? These are some of the thoughts you should have swirling around in your mind as you are dedicating yourself to your goals of shaping up.
Today’s living gives us so many options that we may or may not need. Too many of us succumb to the yo-yo dieting effect and leave ourselves open to repeating mistakes of the past.
Sometimes people do this either because of a lack of education, poor information, or the fact that they only want to go half-way with their plan to lose weight. In order to get the most out of your weight loss program, you should incorporate both a healthy diet plan, as well as a well balanced exercise program.
You have to really want this change and you definitely need to be thinking of this in terms of a long-term solution. Never stop investing in your education and continually update your knowledge by reading reputable health and fitness sources. Use your high levels of motivation now to set up better nutrition, exercise, and healthy lifestyle journal that not only outlines the steps you will take but also to keep yourself accountable for your actions. Remember, True success lies in checks and balances! Let TODAY be the first day to building the new YOU.
- Shannon Lavenia
Today’s living gives us so many options that we may or may not need. Too many of us succumb to the yo-yo dieting effect and leave ourselves open to repeating mistakes of the past.
Sometimes people do this either because of a lack of education, poor information, or the fact that they only want to go half-way with their plan to lose weight. In order to get the most out of your weight loss program, you should incorporate both a healthy diet plan, as well as a well balanced exercise program.
You have to really want this change and you definitely need to be thinking of this in terms of a long-term solution. Never stop investing in your education and continually update your knowledge by reading reputable health and fitness sources. Use your high levels of motivation now to set up better nutrition, exercise, and healthy lifestyle journal that not only outlines the steps you will take but also to keep yourself accountable for your actions. Remember, True success lies in checks and balances! Let TODAY be the first day to building the new YOU.
- Shannon Lavenia
Saturday, October 25, 2008
I Converted....Finally!
For years, I've head true to Microsoft, buying PC after PC. Admittedly, I loved some of the functionality of Windows.
Just about every year I purchased a new Laptop or PC, upgrading to whatever was new and exciting form Microsoft.
And then came Vista. It looked so cool in all the pre-launch info. I eagerly anticipated it and shortly after it came out, I ran to BestBuy and purchased a new fully loaded HP Vista machine. Top of the Line of course!
And then my love affair with Microsoft ended. Problem after Problem. Hours of upgrades, lost network connections, confusing changes. I dreaded sitting in front of my computer, dreaded the HP Updates, Microsoft Updates, never ending Norton updates. It seemed my computer wanted to spend more time with itself than it did with me!
To top it all off, I had to go spend another $1000.00 to buy the new versions of many of the programs I was currently using b/c, of course, they weren't Vista compatible. Even some of my peripherals had to go!
Not that I don't like spending money, but a new pair of shoes, or a Prada bag would be much preferred over the latest editions of Adobe and Microsoft Office.
All the while my friends and business partners taunted me with tales of fun and ease, they snuggled with their MAC's, telling me how easy they were to use.
NO! I said, PC's are so much more advanced! There's so much more capability! There's so much...pain and agony!
Sometimes I feel like I need a PhD in computer tech to run the damn thing. Even more often, I feel like taking a baseball bat to my computer and just sending it back to Microsoft with a letter that says "User friendly my ass!"
Maybe I'm some kind of computer sado-masachist. Who knows. But after a week in the Bahamas, and my futile attempts to use GotoMyPC, have my Sony Microsoft Laptop function correctly and connect to the web right and returning to no less than 3 hours of mandatory updates needed to keep my machine functioning right, I hopped in my Bentley and John and I eagerly walked into the Apple Store.
We saw the genius at the door and when he asked if he could help us, we explained how frustrated we were with our Vista machines.
"I hear that often" he said.
"Show me what you've got", I said.
As he showed me the functionality of the MAC I was in awe. Could it really be this easy? I watched some of the kids on the little kid machines they had set up and there were 3 year-olds navigating and using the machine with ease.
Try that with a Vista machine. Crash and burn baby!
Was I willing to spend the time learning a new system? You bet...anything but torture myself any longer with Vista. What was Microsoft thinking? Sure, I'm not a big corporation spending millions on computers, but I spend about $10,000 a year on equipment and new machines. And...it totally wasn't worth it. Networking on Vista is like trying to pull your own teeth...lost connections and slow connections, security flaws...
I bought the New MacBook Pro to get started, and when I got home and opened the box it took me about 5 minutes to set up. Yep! 5 minutes.
"No updates?" I thought. And..where are all the little stickers all over the laptop telling me about every manufacturer of every part of the system. I had my little razor blade and Goo Gone ready to go...but no! Mac doesn't torture you with that.
I was able to use the computer right out of the box...and transferring my files, a piece of cake.
I had a question...get this. I called the Apple store, and they answered it...FOR FREE! No hours on hold, no providing a hundred different serial numbers, no forwarding and then getting disconnected, no trying to hear through the heavy Indian accent to get an answer. What typically would take me over an hour to accomplish with Microsoft, took me 3 minutes with Apple.
And this week, I've been loving my computer. John has been drooling on the machine...he doth covet my MAC.
Looks like we'll be heading back to the MAC store for him as well.
And, what am I doing with all the free time I've acquired in my life since I no longer have to re-boot or wait patiently for updates?
Have fun!
Just about every year I purchased a new Laptop or PC, upgrading to whatever was new and exciting form Microsoft.
And then came Vista. It looked so cool in all the pre-launch info. I eagerly anticipated it and shortly after it came out, I ran to BestBuy and purchased a new fully loaded HP Vista machine. Top of the Line of course!
And then my love affair with Microsoft ended. Problem after Problem. Hours of upgrades, lost network connections, confusing changes. I dreaded sitting in front of my computer, dreaded the HP Updates, Microsoft Updates, never ending Norton updates. It seemed my computer wanted to spend more time with itself than it did with me!
To top it all off, I had to go spend another $1000.00 to buy the new versions of many of the programs I was currently using b/c, of course, they weren't Vista compatible. Even some of my peripherals had to go!
Not that I don't like spending money, but a new pair of shoes, or a Prada bag would be much preferred over the latest editions of Adobe and Microsoft Office.
All the while my friends and business partners taunted me with tales of fun and ease, they snuggled with their MAC's, telling me how easy they were to use.
NO! I said, PC's are so much more advanced! There's so much more capability! There's so much...pain and agony!
Sometimes I feel like I need a PhD in computer tech to run the damn thing. Even more often, I feel like taking a baseball bat to my computer and just sending it back to Microsoft with a letter that says "User friendly my ass!"
Maybe I'm some kind of computer sado-masachist. Who knows. But after a week in the Bahamas, and my futile attempts to use GotoMyPC, have my Sony Microsoft Laptop function correctly and connect to the web right and returning to no less than 3 hours of mandatory updates needed to keep my machine functioning right, I hopped in my Bentley and John and I eagerly walked into the Apple Store.
We saw the genius at the door and when he asked if he could help us, we explained how frustrated we were with our Vista machines.
"I hear that often" he said.
"Show me what you've got", I said.
As he showed me the functionality of the MAC I was in awe. Could it really be this easy? I watched some of the kids on the little kid machines they had set up and there were 3 year-olds navigating and using the machine with ease.
Try that with a Vista machine. Crash and burn baby!
Was I willing to spend the time learning a new system? You bet...anything but torture myself any longer with Vista. What was Microsoft thinking? Sure, I'm not a big corporation spending millions on computers, but I spend about $10,000 a year on equipment and new machines. And...it totally wasn't worth it. Networking on Vista is like trying to pull your own teeth...lost connections and slow connections, security flaws...
I bought the New MacBook Pro to get started, and when I got home and opened the box it took me about 5 minutes to set up. Yep! 5 minutes.
"No updates?" I thought. And..where are all the little stickers all over the laptop telling me about every manufacturer of every part of the system. I had my little razor blade and Goo Gone ready to go...but no! Mac doesn't torture you with that.
I was able to use the computer right out of the box...and transferring my files, a piece of cake.
I had a question...get this. I called the Apple store, and they answered it...FOR FREE! No hours on hold, no providing a hundred different serial numbers, no forwarding and then getting disconnected, no trying to hear through the heavy Indian accent to get an answer. What typically would take me over an hour to accomplish with Microsoft, took me 3 minutes with Apple.
And this week, I've been loving my computer. John has been drooling on the machine...he doth covet my MAC.
Looks like we'll be heading back to the MAC store for him as well.
And, what am I doing with all the free time I've acquired in my life since I no longer have to re-boot or wait patiently for updates?
Have fun!
Friday, October 24, 2008
START MAKING BETTER CHOICES TODAY!
Your career is made up of choices. You choose what you want to do, where you will do it, and what type of education will get you there. Some of your choices empower you and others hold us back. Either way, we have power over what we choose in our career. The challenges in our career, in most cases, arise not by accident, but from the choices that hold us back. No surprises. So why are we so surprised when things go off course, or when we are faced with a major problem in our career? We do not intentionally make bad choices. We make choices based on the information we have at the time. We weigh our options and believe that our choices will turn out for the best. But what about the choices we are making today that we know are not good for us? Or, when you know in your gut that it’s time to make new choices and we do not?
I realized that you can change your choices if a person really wanted to keeping the following in mind: 1. Make Peace With Your Past Choices: We’ve all made dreadful choices. It’s part of life. Sometimes, in order to make a good choice, you have to know what it feels like to make a bad one. The consequences of a bad choice can be a good motivator reminding you to not make that choice again. It’s important to make peace with the past choices so you can move forward. By closing the door to your past, a new door can open to a brighter future. 2. Look For A Pattern: If your career is not all you think it can be, ask yourself what choices brought to where you are today. Subtract from your thinking everything that other people “did” to you. Subtract your “bad luck.” Focus simply on the choices that you’ve made. Then, look for a pattern in your choices. Identify the recurring theme that holds you back. 3. Decide To Make Better Choices: Until you decide to make better choices, your choices will continue to work against you. Resolving to make better choices is crucial. It is the first step towards having focus and determination. Can you make better choices simply by saying you will make them? Why not? Your thoughts and words are powerful and career changing…Remember that! 4. Start Making Better Choices: Start today with a single act. Stop yourself when you are about to slip into your familiar pattern of bad choices. Replace that choice with a more positive action. One action leads to another, which leads to another. Before you know it, you are making better choices. The one small choice you make right now, that you have no proof will make a difference, and are afraid to take, is the action that done over time will lead to better choices and a more fulfilling career.
And Lastly, Ask For Help: I’ve noticed that the people who are suffering the most in their career are> the ones that are working on their careers by themselves. You are not meant to> work on your career challenges by yourself. Yes, you may want to begin alone (Most people do.) But when you find that days, weeks, months, and years are going by and you still have the same problem, make a promise to yourself that you will reach out to someone who can help you. So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!
- SHANNON LAVENIA
I realized that you can change your choices if a person really wanted to keeping the following in mind: 1. Make Peace With Your Past Choices: We’ve all made dreadful choices. It’s part of life. Sometimes, in order to make a good choice, you have to know what it feels like to make a bad one. The consequences of a bad choice can be a good motivator reminding you to not make that choice again. It’s important to make peace with the past choices so you can move forward. By closing the door to your past, a new door can open to a brighter future. 2. Look For A Pattern: If your career is not all you think it can be, ask yourself what choices brought to where you are today. Subtract from your thinking everything that other people “did” to you. Subtract your “bad luck.” Focus simply on the choices that you’ve made. Then, look for a pattern in your choices. Identify the recurring theme that holds you back. 3. Decide To Make Better Choices: Until you decide to make better choices, your choices will continue to work against you. Resolving to make better choices is crucial. It is the first step towards having focus and determination. Can you make better choices simply by saying you will make them? Why not? Your thoughts and words are powerful and career changing…Remember that! 4. Start Making Better Choices: Start today with a single act. Stop yourself when you are about to slip into your familiar pattern of bad choices. Replace that choice with a more positive action. One action leads to another, which leads to another. Before you know it, you are making better choices. The one small choice you make right now, that you have no proof will make a difference, and are afraid to take, is the action that done over time will lead to better choices and a more fulfilling career.
And Lastly, Ask For Help: I’ve noticed that the people who are suffering the most in their career are> the ones that are working on their careers by themselves. You are not meant to> work on your career challenges by yourself. Yes, you may want to begin alone (Most people do.) But when you find that days, weeks, months, and years are going by and you still have the same problem, make a promise to yourself that you will reach out to someone who can help you. So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!
- SHANNON LAVENIA
Sunday, October 19, 2008
GOOD THINGS AWAIT YOU!
I just read this great new book, Why Good Things Happen to Good People (Random House) that I had to share with you all. In it, Dr. Stephen Post and journalist Jill Neimark weave the growing new science of love and giving with moving real-life stories to show how giving unlocks the doors to health, happiness, and a longer life. "This book represents a dream come true for me," said Post. "It's dream that began when I was 16 years old. Most of my life has been focused on the science and philosophy of positive emotions and giving behaviors." Post has devoted much of his adult life to scientific research that sets out to prove the life-enhancing benefits of giving behavior and this book lays it all out. He serves as president of the Institute for Research> on Unlimited Love, which conducts and funds research on altruism, compassion and service.> His research shows that when we give of ourselves, especially if we start young, everything from life satisfaction to self-realization and physical health is significantly improved. Mortality is delayed. Depression is reduced.Well-being and good fortune are increased. If you're looking for something inspiring to read, please check out this book.. It will change how you think from the first 10 pages!
- Shannon Lavenia
- Shannon Lavenia
Thursday, October 16, 2008
LOVING YOU.....
Before we can have a truly successful relationship, we must first learn to feel love for ourselves. Loving Yourself is Relationship 101. It is a required course.We all know this. But knowing it and actualizing it are two different things.To live with and accept yourself, you need to open your heart and listen to what it is telling you inside. Your heart will never lie to you because it only tells the truth. You must have the courage to ask your heart why you refuse to love yourself the way you are. Usually when we are unhappy with ourselves, it is because we are embarrassed about whatever we are trying to hide. You need to help yourself by accepting yourself and loving yourself for who you are. This is the first step in order to heal yourself and feel good about you. You must realize that in order to change and strengthen yourself, you must accept yourself and learn how to live with ourselves in a productive manner. You need to look at life in a positive way. You need to say to yourself, "OK, I'm not happy with the person, I have become. I need to change and this is what I am going to do about it."This is the first step to healing and strengthening our souls and self-esteem. Be proud in who you are. Be thankful each morning that you can wake up and feel the warmth of the sun and the beauty that surrounds us all.
-Shannon Lavenia
-Shannon Lavenia
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