Peace Begins In The Mind

Peace Begins In The Mind

Peace begins in the mind. Anyone who wants to live peacefully has to start working on calming down the mind, thoughts and worries. There are various techniques to do so; one of them is of course meditation.

People subconsciously long for peace, so why do they fight each other? Why are there always groups of people who fight other groups? This kind of situation has been going on from the beginning of the human race. Deep thinking on the subject will bring one to see the absurdity of this situation.

Please set aside a few minutes thinking on the following ideas. What is a human being? There is a machine, the body, which is alive, because of the spirit that animates it. I won't get now into why and how it was created. The bodies of all human beings on the planet Earth are built in the same way, and are made from the same stuff. There are no bodies made from some more precious metal than others.

Then there is the Spirit. There aren't many spirits, but just one indivisible Spirit filling the whole Cosmos. It is the same Spirit filling and activating all the bodies in the Cosmos. There is no one spirit better than another, because it is the same Spirit manifesting through all the bodies.

True, every body looks different from another, but yet they are made of the same stuff. There is a difference in way the brain and nervous system function, which means there is a difference in the way that the Spirit can manifest through each body. Some brains and nervous systems convey through them more easily and smoothly the energy of the Spirit, and others do not convey it so easily. It is the same as electricity. The electric current flows faster and with less hindrance through certain metals than others.

Between the body and the Spirit there is the personality, the ego. It comes into existence between of the Spirit and the body, when these two unite. I won't enter into explanations what it is and how it comes into being, except saying that the pure Spirit manifests and sees the world through this personality. It is like looking at the world through some sort of eyeglasses, and here starts all the trouble in the world.

The personality, which is the ego, is composed of thoughts, ideas, habits and memories. A person living in a certain society grows with this society's ideas and beliefs, no matter whether these ideas are positive or negative, true or false.

People alwaya feel being a part of a certain society, tribe, country, nation or religion, and seldom change their ideas and beliefs. Later, as they grow up, they join certain groups or fraternities, support certain sports teams and join certain societies, political parties or other groups. People with same ideas and beliefs often join and unite with people having the same ideas and beliefs. If their beliefs are positive or harmless, it is all right. The trouble begins when they focus too much on the differences between them, which sometimes lead to problems, clashes and violence. They forget their true indentity as part of the One Spirit, and focus on the personal or group identity

Suppose two babies were born to a certain family, and one of them was taken for adoption by a family in another country or of a different religion. Each baby grows in a different society, with different beliefs, goals and behavior, yet both of them are brothers. They grow to see the world in completely different ways, and might even fight each other one day, as citizens of two countries or members of different religions. Doesn't it seem absurd? This is all due to the way they were brought up, and to the way their minds, thoughts and beliefs were shaped.

The aim of a human being should be to rise above the ego, above thoughts and beliefs. One has to look at the world through the eyes of the Spirit and not through the eyes of the ego. From the point of view of the Spirit, the ego is only an illusion and is temporary. Why should one be enslaved by thoughts that come and go? Why should one harm others because of certain of thought that rule his or her life? Why should one accept certain thoughts and beliefs and reject others? Thoughts ate like clouds that pass through the sky. You are the sky, not the thoughts. You are one with everyone else in the world, an inseparable part of the One Spirit.

Peace and real freedom come from within, when one is able to rise above the mind, above the ego, and to able to live in the Spirit and look at everything from the eyes of this Spirit. You can do that. You can start today. How? By changing the way you think, by making inner changes, by inner work and through meditation. I hope the many articles at www.SuccessConsciousness.com can help in this direction, even if just a little.

Inner Peace and Balance in Daily Life

Inner Peace and Balance in Daily Life

Inner peace and balance are of great importance in everyone's life. They are highly valued by most people, though really few possess them. Yet, everyone can develop them, some more some less.

What do inner peace and inner balance mean? They mean the presence of self control and discipline and the ability not to let outside events influence our emotions, actions and reactions. Their presence mean the possession of common sense and good judgment, and of not letting the outside world shake our inner world.

How many times have you been overwhelmed by emotions, lost your temper and got angry or impatient? How many times have regretted about your reactions or attitude?

Do you shout at your children, spouse, co-workers or employees? Do you get angry with them? Are you happy with this situation? Do you let your work, the weather, other people behavior and attitude, the movies or the newspapers influence the way you feel and think. Do outside events distract your mind and make you think about them, instead of what you choose to think about? This is loss of inner balance and lack of inner peace.

Lack of inner balance causes fluctuations of the emotions, lack of decisiveness and wasting time on unnecessary thoughts, emotions and actions. So what is the remedy?

The moments immediately after awakening are important, and influence the mood of the day. These moments have to be used correctly.

After waking up in the morning, instead of thinking about the difficulties or tasks that are awaiting you, smile and tell yourself what a wonderful day your are going to have. Think about the pleasant things you are going to do or experience, not the about the difficulties. Repeat to yourself several times that today you are going to maintain inner balance, common sense and peace of mind.

From the moment you get up until you go to sleep at night try to maintain some detachment. This does not mean being indifferent or uncaring. It means not reacting immediately to situations, words, emotions or thoughts. It might not be so easy, but if you persevere you will win. Take a few deep breaths or count to 10 before acting. This will to some extent calm you down.

If someone tells you something that you do not like hearing, instead of getting insulted or retorting in anger, hold and delay your reaction. I do not mean fret and boil inside and show nothing outside. This is not healthy. I mean look at the incident in a broader perspective. Is what the other person saying really important? Why do his words mean so much to you? Maybe he is right, and it would be wise to heed his words and opinion, instead of reacting in anger?

Always remember that if you descend into a valley, but keep walking forward, you will arrive to a point where you will start climbing up. No matter what happens, remember that there is always a way out. After every fall there is rising up again. This knowledge will help you restore your inner peace and balance, when encountering difficulties and obstacles.

Developing inner strength and the ability to make the mind quiet, through concentration exercises, meditation, detachment, visualization or affirmations, will take you a long way toward attaining and maintaining inner balance and peace.

The Restless Mind

The Restless Mind - The Constantly Thinking Mind

The natural tendency of the mind is to be restless. Thinking seems to be a continuous and ongoing activity. The restless mind lets thoughts come and go incessantly from morning till night. They give us no rest for a moment. Most of these thoughts are not exactly invited; they just come, occupy our attention for a while, and then disappear.

Our true essence can be likened to the sky, and our thoughts are the clouds. The clouds drift through the sky, hide it for a while and then disappear. They are not permanent. So are thoughts. Because of their incessant movement they hide our essence, our core, and then move away to make room for other thoughts.

Thoughts resemble the waves of the ocean, always in a state of motion, never standing still. These thoughts arise in our mind due to many reasons. There is a tendency on the part of the mind to analyze whatever it contacts. It likes to compare, to reason, and to ask questions. It constantly indulges in these activities.

Everyone's mind has a kind of a filter, which allows it to accept, let in certain thoughts, and reject others. This is the reason why some people occupy their minds with thoughts about a certain subject, while others don't even think about the same subject.

Why some people are attracted to football and others don't? Why some love and admire a certain singer and others don't? Why some people think incessantly about a certain subject, and others never think about it? It is all due to this inner filter.

This is an automatic unconscious filter. We never stop and say to certain thoughts 'come' and to others we say 'go away'. It is an automatic activity. This filter was built during the years. It was and is built constantly by the suggestions and words of people we meet, and as a consequence of our daily experiences.

Every event, happening or word has an affect on the mind, which produces thoughts accordingly. The mind is like a thought factory, working in shifts day and night, producing thoughts.

The mind also gets thoughts directly from the surrounding world. The space around us is full of thoughts, which we constantly pick, let pass through our minds, and then pick up new ones. It is like catching fish in the ocean, throwing them back into the water and then catching a new ones.

This activity of the restless mind occupies our attention all the time. Now our attention is on this thought and then on another one. We pay a lot of energy and attention to these passing thoughts. Most of them are not important. They just waste our time and energy.

This is enslavement. It is as if some outside power is always putting a thought in front of us to pay attention to. It is like a relentless boss constantly giving us a job to do. There is no real freedom. We enjoy freedom only when we are able to still the mind and choose our thoughts. There is freedom, when we are able to decide which thought to think and which one to reject. We live in freedom, when we are able to stop the incessant flow of thoughts.

Stopping the flow of thoughts may look infeasible, but constant training and exercising with concentration exercises and meditation, eventually lead to this condition. The mind is like an untamed animal. It can be taught self-discipline and obedience to a higher power. Concentration and meditation show us in a clear and practical manner that we, the inner true essence, are this controlling power. We are the bosses of our minds.

Serenity of Mind Freedom from Thoughts - Peace of Mind

Serenity of Mind
Freedom from Thoughts - Peace of Mind

We enjoy inner peace and feel happy and satisfied when life flows smoothly, and we have good relationships, good health, a good job and a good financial situation. We are usually at peace when there is nothing to worry about, no tension and no need to hurry.

Everyday life it isn't always like that. There is always something that causes worry, tension or fear, and which does not let us feel peaceful and calm. Nevertheless, we can enjoy peace, regardless of the state of our outer circumstances. Peace of mind is an inner state, and is independent of outer conditions. Why wait for never, for circumstances to be "right"? Why let outside circumstances decide for us the state of our mind?

Inner peace is within reach of everyone. It is not dependent on outer conditions, riches or poverty, health or sickness, physical freedom or lack of it. Everyone possesses the potential to enjoy it here and now. It is independent of outer circumstances, and a trained person can enjoy it even under the most trying circumstances.

Thoughts and Peace of Mind

Thoughts arise in us and we think them. We may choose to ignore them and experience real inner freedom, or we may choose to water them with the power of our attention and make them grow.

When you have to think, choose only positive, happy and uplifting thoughts. Think about and imagine only what you really and truly and desire and that will come to pass. Always remember that life is shaped according to your thoughts.

When the mind is silent there is happiness inside and happiness outside. It is a great asset and advantage to be able to silence the mind when its services are not needed.

The attainment of serenity of mind, which is actually freedom from the compulsion of incessant thinking, is open for everyone, provided the proper training is undertaken. Just reading this article you will not bring you peace of mind. When you understand its value and have a true desire to succeed, nothing can stand in your way. Though this is an inner state, work, time and persistence are required, just like the attainment of any other tangible goal.

Most people are enslaved by their predominant thoughts and habits. It does not occur to them that they can become free from their grasp. From the moment they wake up in the morning, to the moment they fall asleep at night, the chatter of the mind continues incessantly, giving no moment of rest. The habit of constantly thinking futile thoughts that prevnt inner tranquility is very deeply ingrained in the human race. Nevertheless, this habit can be undone. The mind is a great and useful instrument, but it should not be allowed to rule our lives. It has to be obedient to us.

To change or get rid of an undesirable habit, we have to be aware of it, and consciously and attentively act in a different manner. Whatever new skill we develop, we have to train ourselves, until it turns into second nature and becomes easy to use. The same is with control our mind and thoughts.

True control the mind is not just the ability to concentrate on one thought and disregard other thoughts. It is the ability to cleanse the mind completely and make it silent. Sri Ramana Maharshi, the great Indian sage, has said: "Mind is only a bundle of thoughts, stop thinking and show me the mind". When one becomes really free from incessant thinking, he or she becomes free from slavery to the mind, as both thoughts and mind are one and the same thing. One then also comes to see and understand the illusiveness of the mind.

When the clouds hide the sun, it is still there, beyond the clouds. Our Essence, our inner Self, is always here. We only need to remove the sheets and covers that envelope it in order to experience peace and calmness. These sheets and covers are our thoughts, ideas, habits and beliefs. I do not mean to tell you that you have to stop using your mind. You need it in order carry on your life. I mean that it has to be under the control of the Self. It should be your servant to serve you right, and not your master.

Advice for Attaining Inner Serenity and Peace of Mind

You don't have to feel uncomfortable with words such as Self, Inner Self, Inner Essence, Universal Consciousness, etc. They may now seem to you meaningless words, but they are not. They symbolize something very real, not hazy concepts. Concentration and meditation make these words meaningful. Advancing on the spiritual path is not something hazy, imaginative and unpractical as some may imagine. By personal experience you will come to really know what I mean.

Everyone can learn a new language, but not everyone can reach the same level of expertise. Everyone can engage in bodybuilding, painting or writing, but each will reach a different level. It depends on the inner aptitude, the earnestness, and the time devoted to these activities. Yet, everyone will make some progress. So it is with training yourself to become free from the compulsion of incessant thinking and attain peace of mind.

Try to calm your mind when you feel agitated. Mentally, take a step back and watch your mind, as if looking at someone else's mind. This has the tendency to calm and relax it. Develop concentration power and meditate. All these actions calm the mind and make it serene.

Following the suggestions in these pages and using the techniques mentioned in this web site, will start you on a marvelous journey. Practice, read articles and books on the subject and persevere in your training. One day you may meet someone who may teach you personally, as the saying goes: "When the student is ready, the teacher appears".

Try to watch your thoughts during the day, as if they are not yours, without being sucked into them. Become conscious of the fact that you are watching your thoughts. Then this awareness of watching will increase.

You will have to remind yourself incessantly to practice watching your thoughts, as your mind will probably make you forget. Do not give up and you will succeed. If you practice as often as you can, you will be on the way to success. It may take some time, but the effort is more than worthwhile.

You can also increase your peace of mind by developing the power of concentration, by meditation, by physical exercise and by correct breathing.

Remember!
You are not your mind!
You are not your thoughts!
You are not your ideas!
You are not your beliefs!

They may be yours, but they are not you.
They are instruments that you use. Do not let them control you.
What remains after they are rejected, is you, the real "I".

When thoughts cease, you still exist. There is no vacuum. When the emptiness of no thoughts is reached, you begin to feel your existence, your being. This emptiness is filled with something great, wonderful, powerful and sweet. You start living in Peace. You sail on the water of the calm mind.

This is Pure Existence.

When you realize this state you are free from thoughts and worries.
Then you are really free.

In this state nothing can influence you.
You stop acting instinctively on the prompt of each passing thought.
You become a completely conscious being, alive, strong, beyond everything.

Think of serenity of mind as a feasible possibility. Calm your mind with concentration, meditation and affirmations, and start enjoying peace of mind.

The Benefits of Peace of Mind and Tranquility

The Benefits of Peace of Mind and Tranquility

People often associate peace of mind with yogis, hermits or monks, sitting alone in a far off place, in an ashram, cave or monastery, praying or meditating all day long. The truth is that peace of mind can be attained and enjoyed in various degrees by everyone, even while leading a normal, ordinary life, with a job and family.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, says: "Inner peace (or peace of mind) is a colloquialism that refers to a state of being mentally or spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge and understanding to keep oneself strong in the face of discord or stress. Being "at peace" is considered by many to be healthy and the opposite of being stressed or anxious."

WordWeb Online defines this term as: "The absence of mental stress or anxiety".

This shows the importance of peace of mind for overcoming and preventing stress and anxiety. It is actually the antidote for stress and anxiety. Making the mind quiet and calm prevents anxieties, worries, stress and fears and awaken inner strength and confidence.

Peace of mind is an inner condition, and is independent of external conditions and circumstances. Someone well trained in it, and it is a skill that can be learned, can remain calm and in control of himself and of his mind, even in the midst of problems or difficult and unpleasant situations.

Imagine how great it would be to stay calm, focused and undisturbed by circumstances or people!

Instead of getting anxious and fearful, instead of thinking negative thoughts and expecting the worse, instead of getting tense, unsatisfied and unhappy, you can choose to stay emotionally and mentally poised and unshaken. You can experience inner peace and happiness, as well as inner strength and confidence.

Peace of mind, which is inner peace, offers countless benefits. Here is a partial list:

# It strengthens the ability to concentrate.

# It improves the ability to handle efficiently the daily affairs of life.

# It grants you inner strength and inner power.

# Inner peace develops patience, tolerance and tact.

# It enables you not to be affected by what people think or say about you.

# It helps overcome and eliminate stress, anxieties and worries.

# It makes you feel relaxed and free.

# Peace of mind brings inner happiness and bliss.

# It increases self mastery and self discipline.

# It enables you not to be swayed by events, hardships and difficulties, and to maintain inner poise, clear judgement and common sense in every situation.

# It eliminates negative, futile and restless thinking.

# Helps to fall asleep easily and have a good sleep.

# It improves the ability to meditate.

# It is the gateway and requirement for enlightenment and spiritual awakening.

There are various ways and techniques to gain peace, through psychological methods, affirmations, visualization, yoga or meditation. Here, at this website, you can find articles, advice and instructions, and well as an ebook,Peace of Mind in Daily Life , which explains this subject and teaches how to attain it. This ebook contains a full program for acquiring inner peace, written in a way and language everyone can understand and follow.

Attaining Inner Peace and Mental Mastery

Attaining Inner Peace and Mental Mastery

Do you desire to attain inner peace and mental mastery?

What would you prefer, inner peace and mental mastery, or a mind filled with rushing, restless and uncontrolled thoughts?

Who is the master and who is the servant, you or your mind? Do you choose your thoughts, or does the mind choose your thoughts for you?

Does your mind constantly occupy your attention with worries, anxieties and problems?

Can you calm down your mind and impose peace on it?

The mind is a great and useful instrument, but it is greater and more useful, when you possess the ability to accept or reject thoughts at will, and not accept and dwell on every thought that passes through your mind.

It is usual for the mind to be always busy, always thinking, but are all its thoughts useful and necessary? How many of them are just useless or negative thoughts, worries and fears?

Most people are enslaved by their thoughts. It does not occur to them that they can become free from their grasp. The chatter of the mind continues incessantly from the moment they wake up in the morning to the moment they fall asleep at night. The habit of constantly of thinking is very deeply ingrained in the human race. Nevertheless, this habit can be undone. The mind is a great and useful instrument, but it should not be allowed to rule our lives. We should be able to silence it when we want to.

Thoughts constantly come and go. You may choose to ignore them and enjoy inner peace, or you may choose to give them your attention and be constantly occupied with them. It is not so simple and easy to be able to choose which thoughts to accept and which ones to reject, but there are ways to do this.

By reducing the amount of thoughts in your mind, you attain mastery over your mind, and are able to focus it on whatever you want. You will be able to use it in better and more useful ways.

A calm mind is a powerful mind. A peaceful mind brings inner happiness that affects other people. It is a great asset and advantage to be able to silence the mind when its services are not required. A person who is able to silence the inner chatter of the mind is free from worries, anxieties and fears.

Making the mind peaceful and free from the compulsion of incessant thinking is possible, provided the proper training is undertaken. With the proper method and exercises, everyone can attain at least some measure of inner peace and mental mastery.

True control the mind is not just the ability to concentrate on one thought and disregard other thoughts. It is the ability to cleanse the mind completely and make it silent. This silence brings peace, contentment, happiness and bliss.

How can you attain inner peace and mental mastery? By learning to concentrate in accordance with your will, through meditation, and by developing self discipline and inner strength.

Browse the pages of this website, and you will find information and guidance about the power of concentration, meditation, willpower and self discipline. If you approach the subject of inner peace and mental mastery with a positive mental attitude, practise the exercises and follow the advice, you will begin to see improvement and results, and your motivation to attain peace and mastery would grow.

Inner Freedom is Real Freedom

Inner Freedom is Real Freedom

Freedom from the compulsion of constant and endless thinking is real freedom. Your mind thinks from the moment you wake up in the morning until you fall asleep at night. It gives you no moment of rest. It creates thoughts and also receives thoughts from the world around you. This habit is so strong and deeply embedded that nobody even thinks of overcoming it.

In this state you are not free. You may live in a free country and you may have financial independence, yet the mind keeps chaining you to a contant flow of thoughts and mental images, many of which are useless and futile.

The mind is a creator and receiver of thoughts, and it also constantly produces mental movies. We act like spectators with eyes fixed on a screen, watching pictures moving on the screen of the mind. These moving pictures are so real that we never question their validity or whether we need them. Our life, habits, actions and reactions are all strongly affected by what goes inside our mind. It is only by silencing the hectic of the mind that we are able to enjoy true peace and true freedom.

If you were able to watch the activity going on in the minds of people, you would have seen a very interesting spectacle. You would have seen that each and every person is living in a kind of imaginary mental world created by his/her thoughts. You would have seen thoughts created by different minds floating through space and being picked up by other people, who think these are their own thoughts. All these thoughts are constantly programming the mind of the person thinking them, and causing the affected person to behave, act and talk in accordance with them. So where is freedom?

You may live in a free country, yet in your inner life you may not be free. You enjoy real freedom when you are able to accept or reject thoughts in accordance with your will, and being able to impose silence on your mind, when there is nothing to think about. This is of course mastery of the mind.

Only when you are free from the compulsion of constant thinking you become free. You switch off the engine of your car when you arrive to your destination, because there is no necessity for it to keep on running. Why not do the same with your mind? Why let the mind keep thinking uselss, futile or negative thoughts, at times when you don't need to plan, solve problems, study or work? When there is nothing special that you need to think about, why not enjoy inner silence - inner freedom?

Imagine your mind being calm, like a calm lake with no waves or ripples, free from the compulsion of involuntary thinking. In this state of calmness and quietude you become conscious of your inner self, which is usually hidden by the constant flow of thoughts and mental images. In this state you are aware of your inner being - spiritual self, and happiness and bliss emerge from within you.

Turn Peace of Mind Into a Habit

What do you prefer, a restless, agitated mind or peace of mind? Do you enjoy tension and mental unrest or do you prefer a calm and peaceful mind?

Peace of mind is conductive to better emotional and physical health, increased energy, stronger mental powers, improved memory and a better ability to learn and study. It also helps handling more efficiently the daily affairs of life, and stressful and difficult situations and circumstances.

Do you know that a stronger concentration ability brings deeper peace of mind, and a quiet mind strengthens the ability to concentrate? These two abilities are interconnected.

We live in a world where fear, strain and restlessness abound. You might think that there is nothing to do about it, and accept this situation as an inevitable evil, but you don't have to. You can experience inner peace even under stressful conditions and circumstances, but it does not come instantly. It is developed gradually through special training.

Just think how important it is for you. Become convinced of its importance, and decide to do something about it.

Study and practice concentration and meditation on a regular basis, and your inner peace will grow. Repeat affirmations about peace, and eventually your mind will accept them. Visualize peaceful circumstances, and envision yourself acting calmly in situations, which usually make you feel tense and nervous.

Daily practice will calm down your mind. This calmness will influence your inner being, your body, your circumstances and the people you meet. It will transform you into a peacefulness and calmness generator.

If you are afraid that peace of mind might make your life dull, uninteresting and boring, you do not have to worry about that. You can enjoy life with a peaceful mind. In fact you will enjoy it more, because you will experience calmness, happiness and inner strength. You will not feel threatened by anything. You will have constant inner joy.

You might need to give up some activities that agitate your mind, but the rewards are greater than the pleasure these activities cause you. When you start experiencing real peace, you will love and enjoy it. It will become more precious to you, than many other activities you loved and enjoyed until now.

You will be able to enjoy an action movie or a thriller, yet stay calm and relaxed. You will be able to enjoy a football game, while at the same time your mind is calm and unagitated. You will be able to enjoy food, physical exercises, your hobbies or anything else, without stress and strain.

Performing inner work, such as meditation and concentration, will ultimately turn peace of mind into a natural habit.

Think about all the anger, resentment, unhappiness, physical and mental tension, nervousness, strife and the waste of time and energy that results from lack of inner peace, and you will start to appreciate the importance of gaining real peace of mind.

Read the other articles at this website, as well as our books and practice what they teach, and you life will soon start to change for the better.

Peace of Mind Tips and Advice

Peace of Mind Tips and Advice

Most people would be glad to have some peace of mind in their life. They would be happy to forget their troubles, problems and worries, and enjoy a few moments of inner calmness and freedom from obsessing thoughts.

What is peace of mind? It is a state of inner calmness and tranquility, together with a sense of freedom, when thoughts and worries cease, and there is no stress, strain or fear. Such moments are not so rare. They may be experienced while being engaged in some kind of an absorbing or interesting activity, such as while watching an interesting movie or TV program, while being with someone you love, while reading a book or while lying on the sand at the beach.

When you are on vacation, do you experience some sort of mental numbness? At this time the mind becomes calmer, with fewer thoughts and fewer worries. Even while you are deeply asleep, not aware of your thoughts, you are in a state of inner peace.

Such and similar activities take away the mind from its usual thoughts and worries, and bring some temporary inner peace.

The question is, how to bring more peace of mind into our life, and more importantly, how to experience it in times of trouble. You might also ask whether it is possible to make it a habit, and enjoy it always and under all circumstances. First, you need to learn to bring more moments of inner peace into your daily life. Later, you will be able to experience these moments in times of trouble or difficulties too, when you most need inner calmness and tranquility.

You can turn peace of mind into a natural habit, but to do so, special training is required, through concentration exercises, meditation and other means. Browse this website, and you will find articles, advice and techniques for attaining peace of mind, as well as a special book dedicated to this subject.

Here are a few simple things that can help you:

• Reduce the amount of time you read the newspapers or watch the news on TV.

• Stay away from negative conversations and from negative people.

• Don't hold grudges. Learn to forget and forgive. Nurturing ill feelings and grievances hurts you and causes lack of sleep.

• Don't be jealous of others. Being jealous means that you have low self-esteem and consider yourself inferior to others. This again, causes lack of inner peace.

• Accept what cannot be changed. This saves a lot of time, energy and worries.

• Every day we face numerous inconveniences, irritations and situations that are beyond our control. If we can change them, that's fine, but this is not always possible. We must learn to put up with such things and accept them cheerfully.

• Learn to be more patient and tolerant with people and events.

• Don't take everything too personally. Some emotional and mental detachment is desirable. Try to view your life and other people with a little detachment and less involvement. Detachment is not indifference, lack of interest or coldness. It is the ability to think and judge impartially and logically. Don't worry if again and again you fail to manifest detachment. Just keep trying.

• Let bygones be gone. Forget the past and concentrate on the present moment. There is no need to evoke unpleasant memories and immerse yourself in them.

• Practice some concentration exercises. This will help you to reject unpleasant thoughts and worries that steal away your peace of mind.

• Learn to practice meditation. Even a few minutes a day will make a change in your life.

Inner peace ultimately leads to external peace. By creating peace in our inner world, we bring it into the external world, affecting other people too.

Positive Attitude and Thinking

Positive Attitude and Thinking

Positive thinking is a mental attitude that sees the bright side of life.

Positive thinking is a mental attitude and state of mind, which focuses on the full half of the glass and not on the empty half.

It is a mental attitude that expects positive results.

People with a positive frame of mind think about possibilities, growth, expansion and success. They expect happiness, health, love and good relationships. They think in terms of 'I can', 'I am able' and 'I will succeed'.

Positive thinking people are not daunted by failures and obstacles. If things don't turn out well or as expected, they will try again.

True positive thinking is not just saying that everything will be okay, as a lip service, and at the same time think about failure. In order to bring beneficial changes and improvement into your life, positive thinking has to become your predominant mental attitude throughout the day. It has to turn into a way of life.

Real and effective positive thinking requires that you focus on positive thoughts and positive emotions, and also take positive action.

How can you develop this state of mind? You can do so by reading inspiring and motivating literature, and through visualization, affirmations and meditation. Explore this website and you will find many articles, information and guidance about these subjects.

The Power of Positive Attitude

The Power of Positive Attitude

Positive attitude helps to cope more easily with the daily affairs of life. It brings optimism into your life, and makes it easier to avoid worry and negative thinking. If you adopt it as a way of life, it will bring constructive changes into your life, and makes them happier, brighter and more successful. With a positive attitude you see the bright side of life, become optimistic and expect the best to happen. It is certainly a state of mind that is well worth developing and strengthening.

Positive attitude manifests in the following ways:

Positive thinking.

Constructive thinking.

Creative thinking.

Expecting success.

Optimism.

Motivation to accomplish your goals.

Being inspired.

Choosing happiness.

Not giving up.

Looking at failure and problems as blessings in disguise.

Believing in yourself and in your abilities.

Displaying self-esteem and confidence.

Looking for solutions.

Seeing opportunities.

A positive attitude leads to happiness and success and can change your whole life. If you look at the bright side of life, your whole life becomes filled with light. This light affects not only you and the way you look at the world, but also your whole environment and the people around you. If it is strong enough, it becomes contagious.

The benefits of a positive attitude:

Helps achieving goals and attaining success.

Success achieved faster and more easily.

More happiness.

More energy.

Greater inner power and strength.

The ability to inspire and motivate yourself and others.

Fewer difficulties encountered along the way.

The ability to surmount any difficulty.

Life smiles at you.

People respect you.

Negative attitude says: you cannot achieve success.
Positive attitude says: You can achieve success.

If you have been exhibiting a negative attitude and expecting failure and difficulties, it is now the time to change the way you think. It is time to get rid of negative thoughts and behavior and lead a happy and successful life. Why not start today? If you have tried and failed, it only means that you have not tried enough.

Developing a positive attitude that will lead you to happiness and success:

- Choose to be happy.

- Look at the bright side of life.

- Choose to be and stay optimistic.

- Find reasons to smile more often.

- Have faith in yourself and in the Power of the Universe.

- Contemplate upon the futility of negative thinking and worries.

- Associate yourself with happy people.

- Read inspiring stories.

- Read inspiring quotes.

- Repeat affirmations that inspire and motivate you.

- Visualize only what you want to happen.

- Learn to master your thoughts.

- Learn concentration and meditation.

Positive Thinking Your Key to Success

Positive Thinking Your Key to Success

Positive thinking brings inner peace, success, improved relationships, better health, happiness and satisfaction. It also helps the daily affairs of life move more smoothly, and makes life look bright and promising.

Positive thinking is contagious. People around you pick your mental moods and are affected accordingly. Think about happiness, good health and success, and you will cause people to like you and desire to help you, because they enjoy the vibrations that a positive mind emits.

In order to make positive thinking yield results, you need to develop a positive attitude toward life, expect a successful outcome of whatever you do, but also take any necessary actions to ensure your success.

Effective positive thinking that brings results is much more than just repeating a few positive words, or telling yourself that everything is going to be all right. It has to be your predominant mental attitude. It is not enough to think positively for a few moments, and then letting fears and lack of belief enter your mind. Some effort and inner work are necessary.
Are you willing to make a real inner change?
Are you willing to change the way you think?
Are you willing to develop a mental power that can positively affect you, your environment and the people around you?

Here are a few actions and tips to help you develop the power of positive thinking:

Always use only positive words while thinking and while talking. Use words such as, 'I can', 'I am able', 'it is possible', 'it can be done', etc.

Allow into your awareness only feelings of happiness, strength and success.

Try to disregard and ignore negative thoughts. Refuse to think such thoughts, and substitute them with constructive happy thoughts.

In your conversation use words that evoke feelings and mental images of strength, happiness and success.

Before starting with any plan or action, visualize clearly in your mind its successful outcome. If you visualize with concentration and faith, you will be amazed at the results.

Read at least one page of inspiring book every day.

Watch movies that make you feel happy.

Minimize the time you listen to the news and read the papers.

Associate yourself with people who think positively.

Always sit and walk with your back straight. This will strengthen your confidence and inner strength.

Walk, swim or engage in some other physical activity. This helps to develop a more positive attitude.

Think positive and expect only favorable results and situations, even if your current circumstances are not as you wish them to be. In time, your mental attitude will affect your life and circumstances and change them accordingly.

Follow the tips and suggestions in this article, and prove to yourself the reality the power of positive thinking. More advanced and powerful techniques, instructions and exercises can be found in the following books:

The Power of Positive Thinking

The Power of Positive Thinking

Positive thinking is a mental attitude that admits into the mind thoughts, words and images that are conductive to growth, expansion and success. It is a mental attitude that expects good and favorable results. A positive mind anticipates happiness, joy, health and a successful outcome of every situation and action. Whatever the mind expects, it finds.

Not everyone accepts or believes in positive thinking. Some consider the subject as just nonsense, and others scoff at people who believe and accept it. Among the people who accept it, not many know how to use it effectively to get results. Yet, it seems that many are becoming attracted to this subject, as evidenced by the many books, lectures and courses about it. This is a subject that is gaining popularity.

It is quite common to hear people say: "Think positive!", to someone who feels down and worried. Most people do not take these words seriously, as they do not know what they really mean, or do not consider them as useful and effective. How many people do you know, who stop to think what the power of positive thinking means?

The following story illustrates how this power works:
Allan applied for a new job, but as his self-esteem was low, and he considered himself as a failure and unworthy of success, he was sure that he was not going to get the job. He had a negative attitude towards himself, and believed that the other applicants were better and more qualified than him. Allan manifested this attitude, due to his negative past experiences with job interviews.

His mind was filled with negative thoughts and fears concerning the job for the whole week before the job interview. He was sure he would be rejected. On the day of the interview he got up late, and to his horror he discovered that the shirt he had planned to wear was dirty, and the other one needed ironing. As it was already too late, he went out wearing a shirt full of wrinkles.

During the interview he was tense, displayed a negative attitude, worried about his shirt, and felt hungry because he did not have enough time to eat breakfast. All this distracted his mind and made it difficult for him to focus on the interview. His overall behavior made a bad impression, and consequently he materialized his fear and did not get the job.

Jim applied for the same job too, but approached the matter in a different way. He was sure that he was going to get the job. During the week preceding the interview he often visualized himself making a good impression and getting the job.

In the evening before the interview he prepared the clothes he was going to wear, and went to sleep a little earlier. On day of the interview he woke up earlier than usual, and had ample time to eat breakfast, and then to arrive to the interview before the scheduled time.

He got the job because he made a good impression. He had also of course, the proper qualifications for the job, but so had Allan.

What do we learn from these two stories? Is there any magic employed here? No, it is all natural. When the attitude is positive we entertain pleasant feelings and constructive images, and see in our mind's eye what we really want to happen. This brings brightness to the eyes, more energy and happiness. The whole being broadcasts good will, happiness and success. Even the health is affected in a beneficial way. We walk tall and the voice is more powerful. Our body language shows the way you feel inside.

Positive and negative thinking are both contagious.
All of us affect, in one way or another, the people we meet. This happens instinctively and on a subconscious level, through thoughts and feelings transference, and through body language. People sense our aura and are affected by our thoughts, and vice versa. Is it any wonder that we want to be around positive people and avoid negative ones? People are more disposed to help us if we are positive, and they dislike and avoid anyone broadcasting negativity.

Negative thoughts, words and attitude bring up negative and unhappy moods and actions. When the mind is negative, poisons are released into the blood, which cause more unhappiness and negativity. This is the way to failure, frustration and disappointment.

Practical Instructions

In order to turn the mind toward the positive, inner work and training are required. Attitude and thoughts do not change overnight.

Read about this subject, think about its benefits and persuade yourself to try it. The power of thoughts is a mighty power that is always shaping our life. This shaping is usually done subconsciously, but it is possible to make the process a conscious one. Even if the idea seems strange give it a try, as you have nothing to lose, but only to gain. Ignore what others might say or think about you, if they discover that you are changing the way you think.

Always visualize only favorable and beneficial situations. Use positive words in your inner dialogues or when talking with others. Smile a little more, as this helps to think positively. Disregard any feelings of laziness or a desire to quit. If you persevere, you will transform the way your mind thinks.

Once a negative thought enters your mind, you have to be aware of it and endeavor to replace it with a constructive one. The negative thought will try again to enter your mind, and then you have to replace it again with a positive one. It is as if there are two pictures in front of you, and you choose to look at one of them and disregard the other. Persistence will eventually teach your mind to think positively and ignore negative thoughts.

In case you feel any inner resistance when replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, do not give up, but keep looking only at the beneficial, good and happy thoughts in your mind.

It does not matter what your circumstances are at the present moment. Think positively, expect only favorable results and situations, and circumstances will change accordingly. It may take some time for the changes to take place, but eventually they do.

Another method to employ is the repetition of affirmations. It is a method which resembles creative visualization, and which can be used in conjunction with it. It is the subject of another article on this website.

The other articles at this website, about the power of concentration, will power, self-discipline and peace of mind also contribute to the development of a positive mind, and are recommended for reading and practicing.

Attracting a Job with Mind Power

Attracting a Job with Mind Power

You can attract to you the job you desire with the power of your mind, provided of course that you have the proper qualifications. If you don't have the qualifications and your desire is strong, you can learn to develop the necessary qualifications.

Too often, people who seek work accept what they are offered, even if they don't like the job, because they need money. For some, it never occurs at all that they might have a choice.

If you do have a job or you are seeking one, you have a choice. You can attract something better, but you first need to know what do you really want. I am not saying that you can get any job you want, but you can increase your choice and get something better, if you follow certain steps.

Successful people use the power of their minds, though not always consciously. They think in a certain way that puts them above other people. If you intend to be successful, you need to know how to use the power of your mind properly.

What you think about often tends to materialize. What you think about often, with feeling, desire and faith, you can accomplish.

# Think about the kind of job you wish to have. Take account of your qualifications, and whether you really would like to do it. Do not undervalue yourself, but also use your common sense. Even if currently there are no jobs in the field you are seeking, your mind power can create a new one for you.

# At intervals during the day, when you have some free minutes, visualize yourself working at the job of your choice. Make the picture as realistic as possible, with colors, sounds and feelings. Visualize working in harmony with other people, and see yourself loving what you are doing. You may also visualize getting well paid for the job.

# Try to visualize clear mental images, feel positive and successful, and believe that what you are visualizing is already true.

# If you cannot visualize clear mental images, just do your best, use words and put more feeling into your thoughts.

# Repeated thoughts and mental images sink into the subconscious mind, programming it to see and attract opportunities, situations and circumstances that correspond to these thoughts and images.

# Visualization strengthens your ambition and desire, and incites you to take action.

# Repeated thinking about a cerain subject, conditions the mind to see and be aware of relevant opportunities, and awakens the energy and initiative to take advantage of the opportunity.

# Your mind broadcasts your thoughts to the world. They are perceived by other people on the subconscious level, and if these people are in a position to help you, they will. Often, all kinds of "coincidences" happen, just to bring you into contact with the right people at the right time, so that you achieve your desire or aim.

# At the mean time, while looking for a job, don't let thoughts of pessimism, doubts or worries occupy your mind. This might not be so easy, but you need always try to look at the bright side of life, and constantly inspire and motivate yourself to go on feeding your mind with positive mental images.

You have a great power within you. You can use it to help you get a new and better job, and you can use it for almost anything else.

Making The Law of Attraction Work For You

Making The Law of Attraction Work For You

The law of attraction is not a new idea. It has always been here from ancient times, and people have always used it. Hunters, who painted scenes of hunting on the walls of caves thousands of years ago, used the law of attraction, as well as modern businessmen, who visualize what they wish to accomplish. You use it too, whenever you think, make plans or daydream.

Books on this subject started to be popular more than a hundred years ago, but the authors of these books did not use the term "the law of attraction". They called it the law of opulence, mental power, mental magic, the power of thoughts or creative visualization. It is the same law, the same power, only with a different name.

Many years ago, William Walker Atkinson, Richard Ingalese, Opheil and many others, have written books on the power of the mind to attract what one thinks about, and these books are still popular and available nowadays at bookstores. Other known authors are Joseph Murphy, Napoleon Hill and Wallace.D.Wattle. Later, Shakti Gawain wrote a book on the subject and popularized the term "Creative Visualization".

All of these books are about what is now termed "The law of attraction". As you see, it is not a new subject, but due to the media, it became a "hot" subject today. If you look around in bookstores, the Internet, TV and the newspapers, you will find many new books and articles on this subject budding every day. This brings to mind the well-known pharse, "there is nothing new under the sun". It is the same subject with a different name.

The message of all these books is that if you keep thinking upon a certain subject, you will ultimately attract it into your life. Thoughts, mental images and feelings can move the subconscious mind and the Universal Mind to act on your behalf and manifest your desires.

This is a most inspiring and elating idea, but inspiration and feelings of elation are not enough. You need to know what to do and how to proceed; otherwise you will get no results. You need to do more than just daydream for a few moments, once in a while, about what you wish to get or achieve. If you don't put some effort into this project and do not apply certain mental rules, you might not get results, and this can lead to disappointment, discouragement and to losing of faith in the law of attraction and the powers of the mind.

Reading books or articles about the law of attraction awaken a sensation of power. The realization that you can transform your life and create success brings excitement and hope, but these feelings can change into disappointment and frustration, if you don't know what to do next.

If you are told that you can create anything you want, but are not provided with the proper guidance and practical instructions, how can you proceed?

It is not enough just to visualize a goal for a few minutes, and then let doubts and disbelief fill your mind for the rest of the day.

It is not enough just to visualize a few times, and then wait for miracles to happen.

• You need to have a strong desire and motivation, and the commitment to do whatever is necessary to achieve your goal.

• You need persistence, concentration, the ability to visualize, and at least some degree of self-discipline.

• You need to learn to recognize opportunity when it appears, and to be willing and ready to take and use this opportunity.

• You need to be willing to act and take the required steps whenever needed, and not just wait for your desires to materialize from thin air or suddenly drop on you from the sky.

In order to take full advantage of the law of attraction you need to know certain rules and follow them. It is true, some people achieve great success, without knowing much or anything about it, but they intuitively use it correctly.

The law of attraction is not a method for getting rich quickly, without doing anything. It requires mental work, focus and visualization, and also the willingness to follow the mental work with any required actions on the physical plane.

This law can manifest your desires in many ways, sometimes obviously and directly, and sometimes in an indirect way, through various steps. Sometimes you might attain your goal in a sudden or miraculous way, and at other times slowly or indirectly, one thing leading to another. People might help you, a new job might come along, an idea might pop up in your mind, or your intuition might tell you to follow a certain course of action. These are just a few of the many ways, through which this law can help you manifest your desires.

In order to utilize this law consciously and get positive results, you need more than just general information; you need to know exactly how to use it. Some books point the way in a general manner, others are more instructive, and some are detailed. If you search a little and read books on the subject, you will eventually come across a book that offers practical and detailed information and guidance that can really help you.

Will Power and Self-Discipline

Will Power and Self-Discipline

Sometimes, you wish to go for a walk, knowing how good it is for your health and how wonderful you feel afterwards, yet, you feel too lazy, and prefer to watch TV instead. You might be aware of the fact that you need to change your eating habits or stop smoking, yet, you don't have the inner power and persistence to change these habits.

Does this sound familiar? How many times have you said, "I wish I had will power and self discipline"? How many times have you started to do something, only to quit after a short while? We all have had experiences like these.

Everyone possesses some addictions or habits they wish they could overcome, such as smoking, excessive eating, laziness, procrastination or lack of assertiveness. To overcome these habits or addictions, one needs to have will power and self discipline. They make a great difference in everyone's life, and bring inner strength, self mastery and decisiveness.

Definitions of Will Power and Self Discipline

Will power is the ability to overcome laziness and procrastination. It is the ability to control or reject unnecessary or harmful impulses. It is the ability to arrive to a decision and follow it with perseverance until its successful accomplishment. It is the inner power that overcomes the desire to indulge in unnecessary and useless habits, and the inner strength that overcomes inner emotional and mental resistance for taking action. It is one of the corner stones of success, both spiritual and material.

Self-discipline is the companion of will power. It endows with the stamina to persevere in whatever one does. It bestows the ability to withstand hardships and difficulties, whether physical, emotional or mental. It grants the ability to reject immediate satisfaction, in order to gain something better, but which requires effort and time.

Everyone has inner, unconscious, or partly conscious impulses, making them say or do things they later regret saying or doing. On many occasions people do not think before they talk or act. By developing these two powers, one becomes conscious of the inner, subconscious impulses, and gains the ability to reject them when they are not for his/her own good.

Will power and self-discipline help us to choose our behavior and reactions, instead of being ruled by them. Their possesion won't make life dull or boring. On the contrary, you will feel more powerful, in charge of yourself and your surroundings, happy and satisfied.

How many times have you felt too weak, lazy or shy to do something you wanted to do? You can gain inner strength, initiative and the ability to make decisions and follow them. Believe me, it is not difficult to develop these two powers. If you are earnest and are willing to become stronger, you will certainly succeed.

In this article you will find some exercises and techniques for developing these abilities. These simple, but effective exercises, can be performed everywhere and at any time. Go slowly and gradually, and you will see how you get stronger and your life start improving.

There is a misconception in the public mind regarding will power. It is erroneously thought to be something strenuous and difficult, and that one has to exert and tense the body and mind when expressing it. It is a completely wrong concept. This is one of the reasons why people avoid using it, though they are conscious of its benefits. They acknowledge the fact that the employment of will power in their life and affairs will greatly help them, and that they need to strengthen it, yet they do nothing about it.

Will power gets stronger by holding back and not allowing the expression of unimportant, unnecessary and unhealthy thoughts, feelings, actions and reactions. If this saved energy is not allowed expression, it is stored inside you like a battery, and it becomes available at the time of need. By practicing appropriate exercises, you develop your powers the same way, as a person who trains his/her muscles in order to strengthen them.

Developing Will Power and Self Discipline

An effective method for developing and improving these abilities is to perform certain actions or activities, which you would rather avoid doing due to laziness, procrastination, weakeness, shyness, etc. By doing something that you do not like doing or are too lazy to do, you overcome your subconscious resistance, train your mind to obey you, strengthen your inner powers and gain inner strength. Muscles get stronger by resisting the power of the barbells. Inner strength is attained by overcoming inner resistance.

Remember, strengthening one of these abilities, automatically strengthens the other one.

Here are a few exercises:

1) You are sitting in a bus or train and an old man or woman, or a pregnant lady walks in. Stand up and give up your seat even if you prefer to stay seated. Do this not just because it is polite, but because you are doing something that you are reluctant to do. In this way you are overcoming the resistance of your body, mind and feelings.

2) There are dishes in the sink that need washing, and you postpone washing them for later. Get up and wash them now. Do not let your laziness overcome you. When you know that in this way you are developing your will power, and if you are convinced of the importance of will power in your life, it will be easier for you to do whatever you have to do.

3) You come home tired from work and sit in front of the T.V. because you feel too lazy and tired to go and wash. Do not obey the desire to just sit, but go and have a shower

4) You may know your body needs some physical exercise, but instead you keep on sitting doing nothing or watching a movie. Get up and walk, run or do some other physical exercise.

5) Do you like your coffee with sugar? Then for a whole week decide to drink it without sugar. You like to drink three cups of coffee each day? For a week drink only two.

6) Sometimes, when you want to say something that is not important, decide not to say it.

7) Don't read some unimportant gossip in the newspaper, even if you want to.

8) You have a desire to eat something not too healthy. For the sake of the exercise refuse the desire.

9) If you find yourself thinking unimportant, unnecessary, negative thoughts, try to develop lack of interest in them, by thinking about their futility.

10) Overcome your laziness. Convince yourself of the importance of what is to be done. Convince your mind that you gain inner strength when you act and do things, in spite of laziness, reluctancy or senseless inner resistance.

Never say that you cannot follow the above exercises, because you certainly can. Be persistent no matter what. Motivate yourself by thinking about of the importance of performing the exercises, and the inner power and strength you will gain.

Trying to attempt too many exercises when you are still a beginner, might end in disappointment. It is better to start training yourself through easier exercises at first, and gradually increase the number and difficulty of the exercises. Practice will improve and increase your power, giving you a lot of satisfaction.

Most of these exercises can be practiced anywhere, anytime. You do not have to devote special times for them. Believe me, they are very effective. Practicing them enables you to be strong and exercise will power and self-discipline in everything you do. This power would become available whenever needed.

If you practice weight lifting, running or doing aerobics, you strengthen your body. When you need to move something heavy, you have the strength for it. By studying French each day, you will be able to talk French when you travel to France. The same thing happens with will power and self-discipline. By strengthening them, they become available whenever they are needed.

It is important to remember not to choose exercises that might affect adversely your body or health. Deny and give up what is not necessary, futile or is harmful, but not what is vital for your well being. Always use your reason and common sense, so that you do no damage to yourself.

If for the sake of an exercise, you stop doing something that you usually do, and overcome the inner resistance concerning it, you may resume doing it, if it is not harmful. For example, if you love drinking orange juice, and for the sake of an exercise you switch to drinking apple juice, after doing so for some time and after it makes no great difference to you, you may go back to drinking orange juice, if you still like it. The point here is to develop inner strength, not making life difficult for you or continue doing things you don't like to do.

Advantages of Possessing Strong Will Power and Self Discipline

You need both of them in order to rule your thoughts and to be the boss of your mind. The stronger they are, the more control you have over your thoughts, and consequently your powers of concentration get stronger.

When you are the master of your mind you enjoy inner peace and happiness. Outer events do not sway you, and circumstances have no power over your peace of mind. This might sound too unreal for you, but experience will prove to you that all the above is true.

These abilities are essential for self growth, spiritual growth and meditation. They give you control over your daily life, help you improve your habits and behavior, and they are the keys to every success.

Practice the exercises presented here earnestly and persistently, and you will go really far.

The Importance of the Power of Attention

The Importance of the Power of Attention

Developing the Power of Attention

We all know that attention is a very desirable skill, but how many possess it? I don't need to tell you why it is important, and what are its uses and benefits. It is a must for every person who desires to succeed, whether on a minor or a major scale, whether in the material or spiritual world. In order to gain success you need to be able to focus your mind, and to calm down its restlessness and tendency to constantly shift from one subject to another.

Every act needs attention for its successful performance. Working, talking, conversing, studying and playing require attention. Even washing, cleaning the house or cooking require it, in order to be handled efficiently.

People are not born with the power of attention. It has to be developed. Its development and training starts from a very early age. We try to grab the attention of a baby by making strange noises. Later we focus the attention of the child by reading him/her stories. As the children grow up they are required to concentrate on whatever they study or read. All of these activities help to some extent to develop and focus the power of attention, but they are not enough.

There are times when the attention becomes very strong, though involuntarily, and without exercising real control over it. You have certainly experienced a few times a total blankness to the outside world, when you were absorbed in an interesting thriller or while reading a captivating book. This usually happens when we engage in activities that we enjoy and love.

For this ability to be useful, it should be under the control of your will. You have to be able to decide where and when to focus your mind. Real and effective power of attention should be under your control, and you should be able to exercise it whenever you need it.

Every day you are presented with plenty of opportunities to strengthen the power of your attention. Actually, every action can be turned into an exercise. Hold your mind on whatever you do, and try to concentrate without deviating to something else. It is true that special concentration exercises are necessary, but if you cannot find the time and place to perform them, you can turn the whole day into an enjoyable exercise. Focus on whatever you do, and in time your ability would increase.

In this way you will not only strengthen your attention and concentration, but everything you do will be done better, more efficiently, and even faster. In time, as your attention gets stronger, thoughts will lose their power to distract you, and you will find that you can absorb yourself in whatever you do. This will increase your efficiency, and make you enjoy whatever you do.

Here a few suggestions for developing and strengthening the power of attention:
# When reading a book, focus your eyes and mind on the words, and do not to think of anything not connected with what you are reading. Ignore outside noises and any irrelevant thoughts.

# Dress up, and at the same time put your whole attention on your movements.

# While having a shower, pay attention to every part of the body that you are soaping and washing.

# When you clean the house, mow the grass or cook, concentrate on each act and movement, without daydreaming or thinking about something else.

# While working, focus your mind on what you are doing, as if it is the only important thing in the world, even if you do not like your job.

# While working up, walking or engaging in any kind of physical activity, don't daydream or think on whatever enters your mind. Instead, focus your attention on what you are doing.

# While conversing, listen attentively to what people are saying.

# While eating, focus your mind or your food and on enjoying it.

# Always do one thing at a time.

You don't have to do all the above, all the time. Even a few minutes, now and then, will do wonders for you, and develop your powers of attention. Persevere, and you will gain a very useful ability, which will help you on many occasions in your life.

Focusing and Controlling the Mind

Focusing and Controlling the Mind

The mind is the thinking engine that you use for many purposes. Do you have control over it? Can you focus your mind on what you think and do, or does your mind evade control and is disobedient?

Read the following text and find out if your mind is steady:

My mind is stable and I have full control over it.
It is steady and does not waver.
My thoughts are clear and focused.

No, there is no problem with your eyes or computer. If you see the text above vibrating or trembling, it is only a trick to show you how unsteady the mind is (if you do not see the text vibrating, it means that JavaScript is not enabled in your browser).

You use your mind in almost everything you do, and you surely appreciate a mind that is focused. You have probably been in situations where you wished your mind was more focused.

Your thinking becomes clearer and to the point and your memory improves, after you strengthen your control over your mind. You are then in a better position to follow your decisions, goals and ambitions.

When your mind is not focused, it jumps quickly from one thought to another, and shows restlessness and lack of inner peace.

When your mind is focused and concentrated it becomes quieter and more obedient, and you see and understand everything better, faster and more clearly.

Stress Management Tips for Managing Stress

Stress Management Tips for Managing Stress

Stress consumes your time and energy and weakens your immune system. It causes restlessness, unhappiness, impatience and anger. It can harm your life, ambitions, relationships and health. There is no doubt that it would be much better to live without it.

There are various methods to reduce, control and manage stress. Some stress management techniques may suit some people, and other techniques may suit other people.

In my opinion, one of the best methods for stress management is meditation. It exerts a calming effect on the body, nerves and blood pressure, reduces restlessness, and brings peace of mind, detachment and equanimity. To experience the benefits of meditation one needs to meditate everyday, but the problem is that not everyone has the discipline, will and desire to meditate, even when realizing the benefits of meditation.

In this short article I don't intend to analyze the reasons for stress, nor describe programs for stress management and reduction. I only want to suggest some tips to help you reduce stress.

It is not always possible to control or eliminate the reasons of stress, but it is possible to act and behave in certain ways that could reduce or alleviate it. You cannot always control the conditions of your life and circumstances, but you can learn to choose not to be internally influenced by them too much.

The following tips for stress management serve as first aid against stress. They will not prevent it altogether, but they can reduce or alleviate it.

Tips for stress management:

# When you feel stress is building up within you, if possible, stop what you are doing and take a short walk.

# When stressed, drink some water or juice.

# When under stress, take a few slow deep breaths.

# Eat some food you like, because food can calm down restlessness and nervousness.

# Listen to your favorite music.

# Do something that you like doing.

# Watch a funny movie.

# Repeat affirmations to calm you down, such as:
- My mind is getting calm.
- I am relaxed and happy.
- I can meet any situation with calmness and inner strength.
- Everything is going to turn out great.
- I feel how my body, feelings and mind are getting calmer.

# Think, and persuade yourself about the futility of stress, and how much it is better to live without it.

# Exercise your inner freedom, and do not to let other people thoughts, opinions, words and actions affect you.

# Engage in sports or physical activity.

You can manage stress if you put your mind to it. It requires some effort and time on your part, but the rewards are great. Follow the tips, but also remember that the more peaceful your mind becomes, the less stress you experience. The more inner peace you possess, the less anxiety, stress and fear you experience. Browse through the website, and you will find how to take the first steps to inner peace and stress-free life.

What is anger and how to overcome it

What is anger and how to overcome it

Anger comes out as a response to feelings of dissatisfaction, frustration and unhappiness, which usually arise when we dislike a person, an object or a situation.

It usually appears when we are unable to fulfill our wishes and desires, or when we are forced to do something we dislike doing or we would better avoid. In such situations, the mind reacts by feeling unhappy and stressed, which leads to anger.

Day-to-day life confronts us with many situations, which can produce anger. Your partner, children or friends might not do what you expect them to do. You might run out of coffee for your morning coffee. You might arrive late to the station and find that the bus or train has already left. You might need to meet someone you don't like, or someone might criticize you. All these situations, and many similar ones, can cause anger. The question is, do we have to react automatically or can we change our reactions and avoid anger?

Anger is a most negative reaction, and should be avoided as much as possible, if you wish to progress on the path of self improvement. You cannot avoid all the situations that cause anger, however, with some training you can learn to control and change your reactions and attitude. You can teach yourself not to get angry.

You need to be aware of the situations that could lead to anger, and be alert enough when you experience them. Do you want to react automatically, like a robot, or do you want to act consciously and control your reactions? You can overcome anger, but this requires some inner work.

1. When you feel uncomfortable and unhappy, stop what you are doing and visualize some pleasant mental scene from the past. Think of something that made you happy.

2. When you feel that you are getting angry, breathe deeply about 5 deep times. This will delay the anger and calm you down.

3. Count slowly from one to ten. This will delay your angry reaction and weaken it.

4. During your spare time, think about what anger leads to, and how worthwhile it is to avoid it.

5. Drink some water. This has a calming effect on the body.

6. Learn to develop some patience. Take simple tasks and do them slowly. This will develop patience.

7. One of the best remedies to anger is detachment . When you are emotionally and mentally detached, you cannot get angry.

8. The best way to avoid anger is to develop the habit of peace of mind . This of course needs some training and time, but is most worthwhile. Positive thinking, detachment, concentration and meditation, all lead to peace of mind.

12 Tips For Overcoming Anxiety

12 Tips For Overcoming Anxiety

Anxiety in various forms and degrees seems to be a wide spread problem, affecting people of all ages and in every country.

If you are prone to anxiety you have two options:
A) Give in to it. B) Learn to overcome it.

By giving in you will continue to suffer and feel unhappy, stressed and anxious. It is far better to learn to overcome anxiety or at least reduce its power.

Anxiety just wastes your time and energy and weakens you mentally and physically. You help no one and don't solve any problem by being anxious. Our planet will go on revolving, even if you stop worrying and being anxious.

Always know you have a choice - to give in to anxiety, or try to overcome anxiety, at least partially.

Here are 12 tips for alleviating and overcoming anxiety:

1. Lack of control over your thoughts strengthens your anxiety. As negative thoughts get stronger and stronger, your anxiety gets stronger. You need to learn to control your thoughts.

2. Feelings and emotions fuel and strengthen anxiety. You need to learn some self discipline and control over your feelings, and you also need to develop emotional and mental detachment.

3.When you go to bed at night, and first thing when you wake up in the morning, think about the good things that are happening to you. There are always some good things happening, even if small and insignificant.

4. Start the day with several minutes of positive affirmations. Tell yourself how would like your day to be. Use positive, cheering and motivating words.

5. Be busy, do something. By doing something you keep your mind off your anxiety. When you wake up in the morning start doing something right away, and keep busy all day. Cleaning the house, washing the dishes or working in your garden, reading, studying, meditating or exercising your body can help you keep your mind away from anxiety. Just sitting around and thinking about your problems and worries won't make them go away.

6. Set a goal and work everyday to achieve it. This action will direct your thoughts and feelings away from worries and anxieties, toward something more positive.

7. Talk about your anxieties to someone you trust. Talking about your anxieties and feelings often alleviate them and put them in the right proportions, provided you talk objectively, and with a real desire to reduce or get rid of your anxiety.

8. Exercising is a good way to keep from letting your fears overwhelm you. You can walk, do yoga or aerobics or any other sport.

9. Find reasons to laugh. This will bring light and happiness into your life and drive anxiety away. Watch comedies, be with happy and amusing friends or read something that makes you laugh.

10. Use positive words in your conversation and in your inner talk.

11. Affirm and visualize positive situations and events. Visualize a happy and positive solution to your problems.

12. If watching the news fills you with anxiety - turn off the TV! Limit the time you watch the news, and don't watch anything that may upset you before you go to bed.

The information in this article does not replace professional advice.