Lose your fear and look after those pearly whites

If you asked most people to make a list of the things that they dread, many of them would put “going to the dentist” up near the top. Though dentists actually do work that relieves pain and makes a person healthier, they are some of the most feared and loathed workers on the planet. People simply hate everything about going to the dentist. This fear is quite common, though. Because dentist’s offices are probably places where people have had bad experiences in youth, they are locations where we don’t want to go as adults. This deep seated fear goes way back and in order for it to stop, the issues behind the fear must be addressed.

Maybe you broke a tooth as a child and you had a very painful experience at the dentist. Maybe you were like most people who ate too much candy and you suffered many cavities that required painful drilling. Many people hate going to the dentist because they associate the smells and sounds with pain. This is completely normal. As a hypnotherapist, I have seen clients come to me who get a chill up their spine when talking about their fear of going to the dentist. In the end, it is a fear that must be conquered, though. You will eventually have to go to the dentist for some reason and you won’t be able to squirm around in your chair like you did as a child.

Hypnotherapy is not just something you see mocked in the movies. Though it is true that Las Vegas magic shows use hypnosis in some of their tricks, it isn’t simply a magic trick. Hypnosis is a real solution to very real problems. People are often treated for things like smoking, slimming, and stress related issues with hypnotherapy treatment. People who suffer from fear of the dentist can be treated using hypnosis, as well.

If you are a person who just can’t stand that dentist’s chair, then you should read up on hypnotherapy and figure out if it is right for you. A complete change in mindset could be what you need in order to fight your problem. I have seen people make a complete turn around on their fears when they come in for hypnotherapy treatment. It really is a solution that could impact your life positively from this day forward. Grab information on a self-hypnosis kit or read up on hypnotherapy. This will allow you to make permanent changes in your life.

How to maximize personal development by instantly stopping mental spam

Did you know that the one solitary reason why people fail in their personal development efforts is because they allow their own belief systems to get in the way?

You will find people who say that there were circumstances beyond their control that made them have to step away from their self improvement efforts, but that is very rarely the truth of the matter.

Yes, it is possible for life to throw up roadblocks that you have to hurdle, but if you are truly dedicated to making improvements in your life, you will find a way to get over, under, or around any roadblock that is put in your way.

However, since the most powerful gift that any human being has is their mind, that power can be used to trip you up just as easily as it can be used to lift you to new heights.

In fact, in a society that is filled with a seemingly never-ending supply of negativity, an increasing lack of free time, and a continually growing list of tasks that any given person is called upon to do, it is no surprise that people have trouble staying on track with their personal development efforts.

The trick to breaking out of that vicious cycle is to recognize that it is your own mind that is allowing you to believe that the circumstances of your life have the power to get in your way, and then redirecting your mind whenever that happens.

Let’s say for example that you are in the process of becoming financially secure. You are focusing on that goal, and you are inspired to take action on business ventures, create new products, or offer new services.

The normal course of the human thought process is to then immediately start to think about all of the things that are going to stand in the way of your success.

Maybe the business venture that you want to get involved with will require resources that you don’t have easy access to. Maybe the products that you want to create will require a large expenditure of time. Perhaps you don’t see an easy way to offer the new service that you have been thinking of.

Another example could be that of weight loss. You decide that you are finally going to buckle down and start exercising and eating right, and you get excited about the more healthy (and smaller) person that you are going to become.

Once again, your mental roadblocks jump in the way. You start to think about how much time it is going to take you to workout every day. You give thought to how much more difficult it is going to be to prepare and have access to healthy foods. You start to think about how physically and mentally busy you already are, and how cleaning up your health is going to cause even more strain on your life.

There are endless examples just like the two that were listed with regard to finances and health, but the process is always the same. You decide to make some positive changes in your life, but then you talk yourself right out of doing it.

The simple way to stop this process is to come up with a word or a phrase that you can use to immediately sweep away the negative and disempowering thoughts that come to mind when you are considering your personal development efforts.

It could be a simple power word like “Next!” or something more in-depth such as “I am in control of my ability to accomplish _________________, and nothing is going to stand in my way!”

You can come up with any word or phrase that works for you on a personal level, but the key to achieving success with this method is to consistently use it – especially in the first 30 days of your personal development efforts.

It is a well-known fact that it takes anywhere from 3 to 4 weeks for a new habit to become fully ingrained into our lifestyle, and that fact applies to mental thought processes as well as the actual tasks that are involved in your self improvement efforts.

This method seems simplistic, which is exactly why many people will think that it is not effective. Another negative human habit is that we tend to only give value to something if we have to spend a lot of money for it, or if it is something that is going to require a huge effort on our part.

This simple but effective self improvement technique does not fit either of those descriptions. Rather it is amazingly powerful, yet ridiculously simple.

Whenever you have a disempowering thought, you immediately dismiss it. Whether those thoughts come out at random intervals, or if they are constantly popping up on a frequent basis, the solution is the same. Dismiss every disempowering thought with your power word or phrase every single time that such a thought crosses your mind.

Before you know it, not only will you have consistently taken action on whatever your initial goal was, but you will have simply and easily reprogrammed yourself for continued success in the future as well. You will also have built a rock-solid base of self-confidence that you will be able to rely on for the rest of your life!

How to set achieve goals while enjoying the journey learning something that can serve you - long-term

As you can see from the title, I've set myself a big writing challenge today!

Have you ever set a goal and felt disappointed because you didn't achieve it? Or set a goal and felt out of alignment with it immediately - or felt bad even if you did achieve it? Or have you ever set a goal and felt like a fraud or laughed at yourself when you said it and said, no way?

My hand is up. I've done all of those at different times in my life - maybe more than once! Arrrgh!

In the past goal setting set me up for failure in one way or another, either because I didn't achieve the goal or didn't like myself while working towards the goal.

Wikipedia define traditional goal setting. They says "Goal setting involves setting specific, measurable and time targeted objectives. On a personal level, setting goals is a process that allows people to specify, then work towards their own objectives - most commonly with financial or career - based goals.

Wikipedia goes on to say, "To be most effective goals should be tangible, specific, realistic and have a time targeted for completion."

Excuse my yawn!

What Wikipedia says is however accurate with what I understand most goal setting to be. But I'm left asking, "Where's the heart in it?"

In the past, when I set goals, I was always told to set tangible outcomes - what specifically by when. But I'm sorry, I got fed up with it. It was too mechanical, didn't allow for flow, didn't ignite my passion and left me feeling set for failure.

The Magical Formula

A short time ago, two things fell into place. As a result I'm now setting my goals in a very different manner.

And what's happening is that my big dreams are moving closer to reality every day. This means that my small goals happen quicker. As these small goals happen quicker, something else happens that makes me more daring, which means I take bigger steps, which means my goal happens quicker.

Fantastic, isn't it?

So I shared what was happening with a handful of clients who had a few things they wanted to achieve. I got them to enjoy the magical formula with me and guess what?

They saw a profound change in what occurred to them. Great things began to happen - quickly.

So this got me thinking, how can I help more people, do what I'm doing and start to have the results I'm having.

Now I'll be honest, what I'm doing isn't stuff you'll see in the Secret. It's also not lighting candles and hoping or chanting a mantra until you look like a Smurf, (though there's nothing wrong with that, if you like mantras and Smurfs!).

What I'm doing is effective, practical and fun. So, do you want to know the formula so you can start achieving what you want?

All you have to do is click here

With love and good wishes

Neil

How to survive losing a spouse

One of the worst things that can happen in life is losing a spouse. How do I know? It happened to me—and in the prime of my life…

When it happens, many thoughts and emotions whiz through your mind…

Only four months earlier, my husband and I had completed a Christian counseling course. One of the major topics addressed was how to deal with grief…

Now I was living it.

It is true that there are natural steps we go through in the grief process. The timing and length of each step is different for each person.

The good news is that you can and will get through this sad time in your life. Here are some practical tips to help you adjust:

* You just lost the one person who cared most for your personal needs. Therefore, even if you are a person who puts others’ needs ahead of your own, this is the one time in your life to put your needs at the forefront.

* Specifically, that means getting enough rest, exercise and eating healthy.

* You may find that you have no appetite—eat anyway. Instead, you may find that you want to drown your sorrow by overeating, taking alcohol or drugs, etc.—don’t. They are not the solution. You will only end up in deeper pain.

* Walking is a great exercise, which adds beneficial fresh air and sunshine to boost your mood. It also helps you feel reconnected to life; don’t ask me how, it just does. And studies have shown it is the best therapy for sleep disturbances (which you may experience).

* You may feel like declining invitations to go out with family and friends. I recommend outings with just one person at first, which is easier to handle.

* Gatherings with couples and larger groups of family and friends will naturally intensify your feeling of loss. However, as you face these situations one at a time, at your own pace, you’ll grow stronger and be on your way to healing.

* Sometimes you will take three steps forward, and one or two back. That’s OK.

* Find one person that allows you to talk freely about your spouse as much as you need to. And/or journal your memories of your loved one and express the pain you are going through from losing them.

* Acknowledge the pain of not being a couple. Being suddenly single is the pits!

* Realize that no one can replace your spouse.

* At the same time there is a tendency to put your spouse on a pedestal. It is helpful to remember his/her flaws too. In spite of that fact, they were a person worth receiving your love. Therefore, there remain other people or other causes worth your time, attention, and love.

* Acknowledge that things will never be the same again…and that you will always miss your spouse. Doing so, frees you up to live a new life and love again, if you chose.

Sadly, death is a difficult part of life. Some people’s attempt to comfort you may be quite feeble.

But if you can see their effort as a way of reaching out to you, instead of being hurt you will be grateful.

Following these steps will help you cope in the days ahead, and they will help you heal.

Age new spirituality - inspirational stories part 62

The next question for consideration is what we mean by law being universal. Our universe is that portion of existence which is characterised by what the Sanskrit psychologists call Desha - kala - nimitta, or what is known to European psychology as space, time, and causation. This universe is only a part of infinite existence, thrown into a peculiar mould, composed of space, time, and causation. It necessarily follows that law is possible only within this conditioned universe; beyond it there cannot be any law. When we speak of the universe, we only mean that portion of existence which is limited by our mind -- the universe of the senses, which we can see, feel, touch, hear, think of, imagine. This alone is under law; but beyond it existence cannot be subject to law, because causation does not extend beyond the world of our minds.

Anything beyond the range of our mind and our senses is not bound by the law of causation, as there is no mental association of things in the region beyond the senses, and no causation without association of ideas. It is only when "being" or existence gets moulded into name and form that it obeys the law of causation, and is said to be under law; because all law has its essence in causation. Therefore we see at once that there cannot be any such thing as free will; the very words are a contradiction, because will is what we know and everything that we know is within our universe, and everything within our universe is mouled by the conditions of space, time, and causation.

Everything that we know, or can possibly know, must be subject to causation, and that which obeys the law of causation cannot be free. It is acted upon by other agents, and becomes a cause in its turn. But that which has become converted into the will, which was not the will before, but which, when it fell into this mould of space, time, and causation, became converted into the human will, is free; and when this will gets out of this mould of space, time, and causation, it will be free again. From freedom it comes, and becomes moulded into this bondage, and it gets out and goes back to freedom again.

To get more information visit : spiritual-simplicity. com

Do you have what it takes to get the body of your dreams

While the toned men and slender women of the world put on their skin-tastic summer gear and proudly put themselves on display, those with jiggles and dimples would rather opt for a cover up and hang out under an umbrella.

So why haven't you met your fitness goals?

Why must you go through another agonizing summer, turning your head as you pass by a dozen magazines showcasing skinny celebrities in bikinis? You should be enjoying your summer days without wondering which pair of shorts covers the most.

The truth is that anyone can get the body of their dreams...even you. And wouldn't it feel great to pull on your bathing suit without bracing yourself before looking in the mirror?

You can turn your fitness dreams into reality-read on for the three things you need to begin achieving amazing results.

1. Your Mind

You may be wondering what your mind has to do with getting your body into great shape. In a single word, your mind has everything to do with getting the body of your dreams. Your mind will single handedly make or break your success.

How? Well, your mind works hard to reinforce the beliefs that you hold about yourself. If you think of yourself as a fat person, or an out-of-shape person, or just an average person then your subconscious mind will do everything in its power to keep you that way.

It's like self-sabotage.

However, if you begin to think of yourself as fit, healthy and attractive, then your mind will do everything it can to make your belief a reality.

*Take time everyday to visualize your new body and to focus on your goals.

2. Your Plan

Everyone who successfully sets out to lose body fat and achieve results does so by implementing a plan. Your plan is crucial to your success, picture it as a guiding map needed to find a new destination. Without it you are lost.

Here are the 2 major parts to your plan:

1. Diet: They say you are what you eat, and that is never truer than while losing weight. Cut junk food from your diet and stick with fresh healthy foods instead. Eat small meals throughout the day containing protein, carbohydrates and minimal fat.

2. Exercise: Yes, you will have to break a sweat, but the good news is that once you make exercise a habit you will likely find it to be enjoyable - In fact, I know you will. It is important that you make exercise a part of your lifestyle, and not something that you do on random occasions. For maximal results exercise 4-5 times each week doing both cardiovascular and resistance training.

*Stick with your healthy eating plan and exercise routine-these are the building blocks to your success.

3. Your Determination

Determination is the one thing that will guarantee that you will lose weight, tone your body and feel better than ever. You have to want it-that's it. Thinking about it is not enough. Now it's time for action!

You have to want your dream body...more than you want that burger and fries.

more than you want to skip your workout.

more than you want that chocolate cookie.

more than you want to sit on the couch.

The shape and size of your body is in your hands, and your hands only. I believe that you possess the kind of determination that it takes to change your body-you simply need to dig down deep enough within yourself to find it.

Fuel your fire by building a network of support in your life. Enlist friends, family and loved ones to encourage your efforts and to keep tabs on your progress. In fact, I would love to be a key player in your network of support-don't hesitate to call me or reply to this email to get me onboard. Fitness is my passion and I can help make it yours too!

* Surround yourself with support and don't give up.

I get excited when talking about getting you the body of your dreams-this is what I do everyday for my clients. Making the decision to transform your body is something to celebrate.

3 ways to help overcome the fear of success

Imagine telling a significant role model in your life something new and exciting. An idea or event that has stimulated you both mentally and physically. It can be anything from trying out for a dramatic play, joining a sports team, beginning a new career, starting a new marriage, losing weight, developing a new outlook, changing your image, or continuing your education. Instead of receiving an encouraging comment, what you hear instead is: “That’s ridiculous,” “You’re always daydreaming,” or “You’ll never make anything out of yourself.”

Negative statements such as the ones mentioned above can create fear of failure and fear of rejection within a person. This situation can leave an individual on the receiving end feeling helpless. Negative attitudes create barriers toward individual accomplishment. The implicit, or unspoken message, is: “Whatever gave you the idea that you are motivated enough?.”

Do you remember a time when you or a friend finally made the team but the coach left you sitting on the bench? What kinds of feelings did you experience? Humiliation? Insecurity? What will it take for you to get off of the bench and become the athlete, the person, you truly want to become. What’s preventing you from speaking up and letting the coach know that you’re one terrific person, and given the chance you’ll prove just how unstoppable you really can become.

Sitting on the bench, and not asserting yourself, is like being in a play without acting out the part. Do you go through life without getting involved one-hundred percent? Maybe it’s because you believe you might fail, or even succeed, at what you set out to accomplish. Do you set yourself up for failure and sabotage your success by telling yourself that you can’t perform well? Is it possible that you allow unproductive and negative vocabulary to dominate your thoughts? Negative self-talk takes away your motivation and is an inner barrier that must be eliminated.

Here are three ways to overcome fear of success:

1. Continually tell yourself that you welcome challenges. Stand ready and willing to challenge yourself to your maximum capacity. Move forward in your communication by deleting all negative self-talk.

2. Believe that whatever you set out to accomplish, you will give it one-hundred percent. Stop providing excuses to blame yourself, becoming disempowered from achieving your goals and increasing your self-esteem. Believe that your “pride of accomplishment” motivates you to eliminate all the “shoulds,” “oughts,” and “musts,” from your vocabulary.

3. Be the best you can. Continually “see” yourself in an evolving way. Stretch every mental, emotional, and physical fiber within you. Believe and feel that you are one dynamite, ecstatic, and powerful person. Remember, your beliefs impact the way you feel and act.

Are you allowing depression to take control of you

Feeling sad is very normal for human beings. You feel it when you break-up, lost a job or someone dies. After feeling down, you should soon recover from the sadness and move on with your life. Unfortunately not everyone can do this. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, people get sad for long periods of time. This is considered to be depression.

Depression is considered to be a psychological disorder that can be very harmful. Mild cases of depression would make a person cry for no reason and feel inconsolably sad. People, who have extreme depression, find themselves unable to function normally. They stay at home, do not sleep and even refuse to sleep. The worst depression is when you begin contemplating ending your life because you find no reason to be alive.

Some women, after giving birth, feel depressed because of the enormity of their new responsibility and the sudden changes in their lives. In this case, the condition is referred to as post-partum depression. Other people prone to depression are those who have lost someone suddenly, those who have very poor coping mechanism and those who actually find pleasure in feeling depressed.

If you have been feeling sad for no reasons at all, you should speak with a professional to determine whether or not you have an obsessive compulsive disorder. A psychiatrist would be qualified to diagnose you and even prescribe ant-depressant if you require one. Many depressed patients, unfortunately, become addicted to the medication and find it difficult to feel better without the prescription drug. Basically this can increase your risks of being drug-dependent.

Other less harmful treatment involves hypnotism. The relatively new hypnotherapy works by targeting your subconscious and embedding anti-depression ideas. Since the subconscious actually dictates about 90 percent of the brain’s activity, it is not surprising that hypnotherapy has become effective in treating psychoses like phobias and addiction. Depending on the level of depression, a person can feel its effects after one to five sessions. The treatment is safer, less expensive and less probing.

For people who are depressed, you should first admit that you have the disorder for the treatments to be effective. You should also make sure that your commitment does not waver. Life is too short and too beautiful to be sad all the time. By getting help, you are giving yourself a new lease in life. It will also free you permanently from depression’s bad effects.

Saving after securing no money down loans

You have waited all year for this day. Today, you will empty every coin left in the bank to get what you want. Your victim lies beneath you, unmoving and unable to stop or delay your actions. The creature is completely helpless against your will. From the way you see it, you have worked hard in life, so you deserve to get what you want. Nothing and nobody is going to stop you! You steady your weapon in the air and then bring it crashing down upon your victim. Crack! Your victim - your plastic piggybank - splits, revealing a pile of coins large enough to buy the new sneakers you have been saving for. As we become adults, coins are not enough to buy the houses that we want. For those who have been unable to save enough before purchasing one, no money down loans are ideal.

Piggybacking Loan

Few people are able to buy houses in cash, but many are also unable to make a down payment before buying one. For them, no money down loans is the solution. These are perfect for the recent college graduate who has a good job and good credit, but has been unable to save up much money. Recent college graduates typically rent an apartment for the same cost as a house payment. It seems to make more sense to shift the rent money to mortgage money. Without money to put down, however, a standard loan cannot be availed of. You may need to get a piggyback loan. It equals 20% of the home's cost, while the first loan equals 80% of that value.

Pygg and Pig

Even if you must search for no money down loans to purchase a house, it is never too late to start saving. Perhaps nothing symbolizes the act of saving more than the piggy bank. But have you ever wondered how the piggy bank got its name? Near the 1400s, the term "pygg" referred to a form of orange clay. Then by the 1700s or so, the word "pygg" sounded the same as the animal known as a "pig." So somehow, someone had the idea to create a "pygg" jar that was shaped to look like the animal.

Saving after Piggy Banks

After taking out no money down loans, adults usually start saving in accounts rather than in piggy banks. Still, with the added expense of paying off a mortgage, it is wise to engage in practices that will increase how much one is able to save. Here are some tips to achieve that goal.

* Stop trying to always have the biggest and the best products. We often spend more money to buy products that are more extravagant than what we need and can truly afford. If you stop and think about what you are spending money on, you can surely find ways to save a few bucks here and there. This will definitely help to pay off no money down loans.

* Try before you buy. If you are planning to buy something with a big price tag, try, borrow, or rent one first before you open your wallet. For example, after buying a pair of self-shaking salt and pepper shakers, you may realize that the product is either boring or unnecessary.

* Carefully define what you want and need. You need things such as shelter, clothing, transportation, and food. You want a mansion, a designer suit, an SUV, and steak dinners.

For those who have not been able to save much, no money down loans are ideal. However, after securing the loan, it is never too late to start saving.

Fears are they as big as they feel

What are you afraid of? There is plenty to fear - whether you are a child, a teenager or an adult. Fears come in all shapes and sizes from the Boogieman to the Taxman. You can be afraid of speaking in front of a crowd, growing old, getting a bad grade on a test, losing friends, looking bad, embarrassing yourself. The list can go on and on. Everybody is afraid of something and to different degrees.

Are fears only as big as we make them?

Let's take a look. Let's say that you have a new boyfriend, and you really, really like him. You're afraid that now that he has claimed to like you, he will wake up some morning only to like your best friend better. You're so worried that you start asking him questions about how he feels about your friend, such as "Do you like the way she looks?" and so on.

Your fear of losing your boyfriend gets so big and out of control that every time you're with him that's all you talk about. Guess what? He might like your best friend better one day. And he might not. But I can guarantee that talking about it with your boyfriend day in and day out is only going to make your boyfriend think about it - and get bored with your relationship.

So let's say he does wake up some morning and decides that he likes your girlfriend. Was there anything you could have done about it? Did worrying and having all of that fear stop him? No!

Now, let say he never decides that he likes your girlfriend. Did you waste a lot of time worrying and being afraid about it? Yes! Either way it was a waste of time, and it prevented you from being close to your boyfriend and sharing special moments with him.

Some fears can ruin a relationship and keep us from being in the now. If your boyfriend is with you right now that has to be good enough.

Another thing fears can do is to prevent us from doing things and experiencing situations that would make our life fuller. For instance, suppose you want to join a certain club at school, but you know that it requires you to speak in public. Speaking in public has always made you sick to your stomach, so you don't join. What if you joined and walked through those fears and eventually you could speak in public without getting sick? What if you even started to enjoy it?

We all have many fears, and we have to take a look at each of them individually. We need to make a list of our fears. We need to ask: Is this a fear that is holding me back? Is this a fear that is ruining my relationship? Or is this a valid fear? A valid fear, for example, would be getting into a car with a drunk driver.

The more we get to know our fears, the better we will be at deciding how to handle them. We do not want to be controlled by our fears. We do not want our fears running our life.

I have noticed that when we face our fears and walk through them, we become empowered. When we do the opposite and allow our fears to control our life, we empower our fears.

Adult add the end of sticky messes

You have attention deficit disorder or someone close to you does, or you probably wouldn't be reading this article, right? Let's talk a bit about organization, ADD, and how you can avoid the dreaded "stuff everywhere" syndrome.

The most notorious place for attention deficit induced clutter is in your bedroom. Clothes are probably scattered over most of it, shoes may be piled sky-high, and what's a laundry hamper? Right? We know how this feels, and had the same kind of problems, but we learned that if you can create an ADD-friendly system to handle the clutter, life will be much smoother for you and for your loved ones.

If your bedroom is large enough, buy three big trash cans, about the 30 gallon size. If you can buy them in different colors, that would be ideal, but in lieu of that, what if you just spray one white; one a dark color, like navy blue or black; and one red?

Every day when you take off your clothes, decide whether they should go into the bin for white clothes, the bin for dark clothes, or the bin for colored clothes and then, just throw your stuff into the appropriate bin. How cool is that? They'll already be separated when it comes time to wash them. Plus, there's the added benefit of not walking into your bedroom and tripping over a pair of underpants.

For shoes, you can do the same kind of thing. Buy open-ended (veggie-type) bins so the shoes are easier to see, maybe one black, one brown, one colored, or just one, period. (It depends on how many shoes you have, but we ADD people are always collecting.) Here, it's the same principle. You'll be able to just toss your shoes into the bins, instead of leaving them all around.

Let's move to our ADD-littered office. What's everywhere, even on the floor? Books? Papers? Are there sticky notes all over the computer monitor or the hutch above your desk? How do you help your attention deficit brain remember your appointments?

Books need bookshelves, and people with ADD need plenty of space in them to store their books. Have one as close to your desk as possible and be sure not to overload the shelves. If a book won't fit, get rid of another so that it will and don't let your attention deficit get in the way. ADD people tend to the pack rat syndrome, too. If you haven't used the book about the joys of cooking blowfish in 6 months, you probably won't. Get rid of it, or get another bookcase.

Then, tackle those sticky papers. Get a small notebook that will fit on your desk beside you. You can buy inexpensive books or whatever you like. If you really like the book, your ADD brain will use it. But any note that you have to make during the day should go into that book--everything. Telephone numbers, quick notes to yourself, addresses. So make sure it can open flat and that pages can be turned back. Your attention deficit may drive you to that purple suede journal, but if it's like a hardback book, it won't work well. Get something that's more ADD convenient.

Then, either at the end of the day or the next morning--whatever works, but make it a routine--transfer what needs to go into your address book to your address book. Use a desk calendar, too. Write all of your appointments into the calendar and keep it directly in front of you every day. You can't make any mistakes that way, and all of your notes will be in one place if you need to refer to them later on. No more ADD panic over where you put that important phone number!

As for the papers. Gather all of them, and you'll have to take time to sort them into piles: important, not quite as important, and throw away. Because your attention deficit won't do well with the boredom this will create, get yourself a timer. Set it for 5 minutes. Go through your papers for 5 minutes every morning, then stop. Don't go one minute over. Take 5 minutes a day to file your papers in hanging files in a file cabinet or box. You'll be amazed at how much you get done in that short time. Before you know it, your paper stack will be gone.

But you'll be adding to the piles every day. Get three file bins for papers and just toss papers into one of the bins as they're received. After a while doing this, it will take less than 5 minutes to clear things up each day. How great will that be?

People with attention deficit really don't like clutter, they just have trouble dealing with boring things like filing, hanging, and putting away. Give yourself an ADD-friendly system and follow an ADD-simple routine. You'll be a much happier person for it, and your non-ADD family members will love you.

Motivational wisdom from a chef rat - part ii

Welcome to Part II of "Motivational Wisdom from a Chef Rat" where Disney movie Ratatouille's star and uber management guru, Remy the Rat, shares his motivational wisdom and inspirational insights:

> BE REAL - BE YOURSELF

When Anton Ego, France's most notorious food critic who can make or break a restaurant with a single review, makes his appearance at Gusteau's, Remy's culinary talents are finally put to the test.

But instead of preparing a fancy delicacy worthy of Gusteau's esteemed patrons, Remy chooses to make a homily Ratatouille (a vegetable stew made of eggplant, tomatoes, green peppers, and squash). It's a common folk meal fit "for peasants" the assistant cook declares.

Remy ignores this slight and goes with his heart. It's genuinely him and what he knows. He prepares an exquisitely rapturous, mouth-watering Ratatouille dish that just blows away the critic. As Ego takes his first bite, his cold exterior immediately melts in delight as he is brought back to sweet memories of his Mom's home-cooking.

This was an emotional scene for me as well. In my case, it brought back sweet memories of my father's home-cooking. My father passed away in a car accident eighteen years ago, and yet, I can still fondly remember savoring his Ratatouille. It was one of my father's favorites and he used to brag all the time about knowing how to make this French specialty. My brothers and I used to laugh as kids at the funny sounding name and how my father would roll the word off his tongue with such relish.

Bottom line: be yourself and ignore the critics.

> TALENT CAN COME FROM ANYWHERE

When Linguini (I don't come up with these names), the supposed up-and-coming star boy chef at Gusteau's, reveals that the real inspiration behind his cooking is Remy the Rat, the entire staff thinks he's lost his mind and promptly leave the establishment.

Lesson: the best talent and ideas can come from anywhere and sometimes do come from the most unexpected places.

Don't pre-judge people. Just because someone's a rat doesn't mean they can't cook!

Likewise, don't be easily impressed by degrees, pedigrees, fancy titles, wealth, or so called experts. You have to carefully evaluate whether their talent or ideas will help move YOUR career or business forward. Sometimes that means seeking a second or third opinion.

> CHECK YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR

When famed critic, Anton Ego, asks to personally speak with the head chef of Gusteau's, he is told to wait.

Check your ego at the door and tell it to wait. Don't let success get to your head. And give credit where credit is due.

When Linguini steals all the limelight and attributes Gusteau's new found success all to himself and his love interest, it breeds sour resentment in Remy who eventually leaves Linguini to his own devices.

You decide what's more important to you: your ego or your career. An effective leader always shares the limelight and generously gives credit, while a poor leader hogs up all the accolades creating resentment and unwanted enemies.

f you want to fast-track your success, go out of your way to catch people doing something right and give them the credit they crave so desperately and rightfully deserve!

> ASK FOR A NEW PERSPECTIVE

When Anton Ego makes his grand appearance at Gusteau's to put the final nail in the coffin, he literally asks for a new perspective. "Surprise me!" he demands asking for something new off-the-menu.

We don't always have to go with the canned selection that's offered us - whether it's provided in a menu, business proposal, job offer, meeting agenda, or course curriculum. We can ask for a new perspective.

I suspect Ego was a management guru in his past life as this is great advice for managers as well. The next time you hold a meeting, ask for a new perspective. Or ask in advance of the meeting that each person come prepared to attend the meeting with at least one new idea or new way of doing things.

Ask them to surprise you. The results may indeed surprise you - and hopefully for the better! (For added emphasis or just for fun and humor, take your team out to see Ratatouille or play clips from the movie at your meeting once it comes out in DVD).

Speaking of management gurus, I'm thinking of co-authoring a follow-up to Dr. Spencer Johnson's "Who Moved My Cheese." I think I'll call it: "Who Made My Ratatouille: Motivational Wisdom from Remy the Rat."

Giving it your all in the fall

Fall is in the air! The dog days of Summer are long gone. The leaves are changing and falling, football is in full swing and pumpkins and gourds abound. Houses and tables are decorated with lovely fall colors. It is a season of beauty, energy and a time of change.

As I was walking around the block today I was struck by all the vibrant colors of the leaves and the crunching sound they made under my feet. It brought back childhood memories. I remembered as a kid running full blast into a giant pile of leaves and picking them up and trying to throw them. There is also a nip in the air during this time of year that energizes and awakens the senses and renews the spirit.

The change in seasons is a good time to reflect on what changes we want to make in our lives. So now that you have changed the clocks back in your home think about what other changes you may want to make as you strive to give it your “all” this Fall.

Here are some things to think about:

1. What can you do to show your vibrant self this Fall? What do you want right now? How can you be more true to yourself? How can you surround yourself with more beauty?

2. What routine would you like to fall back into? Any old habits or hobbies you should bring back into your life? What do you miss?

3. What is getting in your way? What do you keep tripping over or is making you fall? What out dated beliefs are you holding on to? What clutter can be cleared?

4. What are you ready to jump into this Fall? What changes have you been putting off? What steps can you take towards greater fulfillment? Harness your childhood energy to start something new.

5. What do you need to start saying "no" to? What is zapping your energy? What do you want to stop doing?

Start giving it your “all” this fall by reflecting and making changes in your life. Get yourself in a relax state. Look out your window or close your eyes. What color are the leaves? Are they red, yellow? How long does it take them to drop to the ground? Can you see them blowing around? Take a breath.

Next grab a pen and a piece of paper and start writing down your thoughts.

Do not edit yourself. By pondering the above questions you are taking the first step towards change and getting closer to something you want. Big or small strides it doesn’t matter. What is jumping out at you?

A greater awareness of what we want, what we miss and what we are tolerating is a start. Celebrate this new season by identifying changes you would like to see in your everyday life. Here’s to: getting energized, living a more fulfilling life and to new beginnings. Give it your “all” to get the most out of this Fall.

Go for it! You deserve it all.