7 Spells To Unstoppable Magnetic Attraction

Beauty holds a golden mirror to the shimmering inner essence. It reflects true self-perception as well as the extent of one's discipline.

Attractiveness indicates a sensitivity to those around us. Just as we shine our shoes, wash our cars or trim our lawns to provide “eye-candy” to passers-by, we keep our bodies in the pink of health to offer delightful icons worthy of emulation.

I believe that beauty is not trivial; it is core to civilized society. Imagine everyone abandoning restraint and shuffling around in tattered clothes, drooping bellies, dishevelled hair, blackened fingernails and breath so foul only a mother could love? No one would be happy- except the mouthwash manufacturers. Those who shun beauty as superficial are probably too lazy to reach for a bar of soap or the jump rope.

But, beautiful people are not necessarily supermodels with Greek-god faces and unreal proportions. That is a myth promulgated by sneaky salesmen of snakeoil creams and dangerous bust implants. Let them slather that muck on their faces 24/7. Then, I’d believe them.

Beautiful people are Normal people who watch their diet, keep their bodies clean, and don tasteful, yet inexpensive clothing. They maintain an empowered lifestyle, indulge in mind-expanding books and engage in varied activity that enriches their awareness.

Beauty, more importantly, is internal. The attractive assert their opinions and fight for convictions. Whether handsome or pretty, bland or plain, the internally beautiful betray an intelligence and burning diligence that reflects their personality. Recall that personality is molded by how we carry ourselves and associate with the world at large.

Finally, beauty is holistic. Magnetic people take effort to be the best that they can be. They understand that they are fusions of body, soul and spirit. Hence, they build up each facet by honing their talents and passions.  They may have ordinary faces but lead extraordinary lives. These exceptional people are the best humanity can offer; they easily outshine the empty-headed Greek Models of the catwalk.

Augmenting beauty simply means caring of the body and the mind. It doesn’t take much effort, just a tad of self regulation. Here’s how to ooze magnetic attraction:

1. Books and periodicals are your best friend. Beef up what’s in your head and rack up more beauty points with your enlightened discussions. Intelligence is attractive.

2. Watch stand-up comedy. You will develop your sense of humour. Wit is a rare and valued commodity.

3. Is that a burger you’re shovelling down your throat? Stop. You are literally what you eat. Want to be a lard bucket? Then chomp that burger.

4. Soap, shampoo and mouthwash are better than all the pheromone sprays, libido enhancers and failed nose lifts. Good hygiene is the honey that attracts the delightful bees.

5. Dress to impress- 24/7. You probably had one of those moments. There you were, in sloppy coveralls at the mall. Then you run into the boss or a beautiful stranger. Say this with me: “NEVER AGAIN.” One more time. “NEVER AGAIN.”

6. Ask and Listen. The most dazzling conversationalists avoid monopolizing conversations. Rather, they ask tons of questions…. And listen for hours on end. Stop and think about that. Isn’t your best friend a great listener?

7. Finally, think sexy. Feel sexy. You are what you think you are. Your body follows what the mind dictates. The $3000 executive coaches like to pass this astounding piece of common sense for a hefty fee. Save the money.

So, get out there and glow. You can be attractive without those creams, lotions and surgeons.

Be bold. Choose beauty.

Secrets of a Positive Attitude

Greetings self help reader,

Are you constantly bombarded by thoughts of negativity? Plagued by feelings of insecurity? Do you see everything in a negative manner? The reason for this lies deep within your heart. You are what you mentally and spiritually eat. If a person drinks alchohol on a daily basis, odds are their body will be affected in some way. They may have liver issues, develop cancer or incur some other type of health problem directly related to the amount of alcohol they have consumed. In the same way, a person who constantly feeds themselves negative thoughts will simply turn into a negative person. 

This is the time to go on a diet. A diet of positive attitude food. You have to literally stop feeding your mind negative things. Ask yourself is this thought negative or positive or negative? What do negative thoughts look like? Well, they start with can't rather than can, no as opposed to yes, will and not won't. The Bible which is the greatest self help book ever written, speaks about taking every thought captive. The problem in our society has become that our thoughts have taken us captive. We have begun to let our thoughts control us.

A great way to know what we are negative about is to ask those people who are closest to us. You can ask your spouse or another person in your life who really knows you how they would rate your attitude on a scale of 1 to 10. 10 being super positive and 1 super negative. Ask this person to be totally honest with you. You will benefit from their honesty even if it causes you pain. Ask this person what it is that you specifically say that they perceive as negative. Write down what they say and look at the actual words. Now is the time to be honest with yourself. Those words are a reflection of what is inside you. They are who you are. The great thing is that you can change. It is as simple as making a choice to do so. You must decide to replace the thoughts of negativity with thoughts of positivity. Decide what words you will change the negative words on your paper to. Once you have done this, make an effort to insert these new positive thoughts in your mind. You will begin to notice a positive change taking place in your life. Your family, friends and co-workers will all notice it as well. They may not know what is different about you. But they will know that you are not the same person that you were.

The items which are causing negativity in your life could very well be the news, movies, constantly replaying tragedy in your mind and the list could go on. These things should be eliminated if you want your new mental health regimen to be a success. The news is very negative and does not help someone who is trying to rid their mind of such thoughts. When you are feeding yourself thoughts of death from a war or gunshot or car accident visually the outcome will be negative. I do believe there is a time to grieve over the death of a loved one. However, if a person constantly replays this negative event in their minds it can lead to depression. The person who has passed away is not coming back and we must close that chapter in our lives and move on to the next chapter. This is a difficult task which can only be done by making a decision to proceed with our own life, no matter how hard this may be. 

You can do it. You can and will have a positive attitude, if you simply take the steps outlined above. You do not have to be what you were in the past. You can be different in the future. The choice is yours. I know you will make a positive one.

Much continued positive attitude success,

The creator of "Positive Attitude Secrets"

7 Surprisingly Quick And Easy Ways To Feel Happier

All of us have days when we're out of sorts. You just wish you were in a better mood.  You've had days like that, haven't you? Perhaps you tried to get yourself into a better state of mind but struggled to achieve it.

Sometimes we get stuck in our own emotional dumps and forget how easy it is to feel happier, so here are seven simple ways to lift your mood. Many people have found them useful. Some of them may surprise you!

1. Go for a walk.

Most people know that going for a short daily walk is one of the best forms of exercise. When you are feeling down it is even more beneficial. If you can, go into a natural environment with plants and birds. Can you think of such a setting not? What do you notice first? The different shades of greenery, the fresh  smell of country air, the sounds of birds, or the sunlight shining through the trees? Make it real by taking a short stroll.

2. Listen to quality music.

Music can shift a listener's state within moments. It's effect can be nearly magical. Dig out that CD you haven't listened to in ages or tune in your radio to something you've never listened to before.

3. Open yourself to discovering something new.

Read something (printed, not on line) different than what you would normally watch. There are a ton of different types of magazines can you get these days. Visit your local library or browse through a magazine rack.  Pick up or buy a magazine you wouldn't normally buy. You may discover something wonderful.

4. Find something to laugh at.

Laughter is one of the best ways to lift your spirits. Find a humorous book, or watch a comedy. Even better, try to learn a few new jokes and tell them to others.  

5. Simple breathing meditation.

Breathing meditation is a great exercise that you can do anywhere.  Simply allow yourself to sit comfortably with your back straight. Now close your eyes and become aware of the flow of air into and out of your nostrils. That's all there is to it. Do this for 10-15 minutes. Notice how pleasantly surprised you can be at how you feel afterward.

6. Doodling for the fun of it.

Most people can remember when they were young and used to doodle for hours. Kids love drawing silly little pictures. Drawing is not just for kids or artists.  Whoever you are get some pens, pencils, crayons or whatever you have and just draw for the fun of it. Notice how your state of mind shifts.

7. Think of others less fortunate.

The fact that you are reading this article suggests that you are probably much better off than most people on this planet. At times this may be hard to believe, but if you can read and have access to the internet, just those two things alone means you are better off than most people in the world.  There are many human beings that barely have access to the basics of survival. There are people in lots of pain. Allow your compassion for them to grow.

These are all pretty simple. There's nothing profound or life changing, but when all you need is a quick pick me up these may be just the thing you need. Putting simple ideas, methods, tools and techniques into action will help you achieve change more quick and easily--surprisingly so at time-- than you imagine.

5 Simple Steps to make 2012 the Best Year Ever!!!

So how was your 2011? Was it by far the best year of your life? I mean over the top, you can’t wait for more?  If you are like most people, you probably answered no. If you had the choice of spending the same 365 days and just surviving it or having the best year of your life, which would you choose? Of course you would choose the best year of your life! You know what you would prefer, you always get the same 365 days each year, so what is getting in the way and how do we get it out of there? 

First, let’s start with the question, how did you do on your Top 3 goals in 2011? Most people don’t even have a top one goal, let alone a history of what they did on their top 3 goals. Well, let’s turn that around right now.

Step 1:  

(Spend only 30 seconds on this. REALLY!)  Pick your number one goal in each of the following categories. Physical, Financial, and Relationship. STOP! Do it now. We are talking only 30 seconds and then write the goals down.

If you had achieved these 3 goals in 2011, do you think 2011 would have been your best year ever? If you answer is anything but YES, redo Step 1 with bigger goals. 

We have done it. In only 30 seconds. Can you believe it? Finally, you are starting your new year off with actual targets that will make your 2011 the best year ever. How much better do you feel knowing you now have clear targets to go after? It kind of takes the anxiety out and allows you to get down to business. You know what you want, now let’s get you there with Steps 2 through 5. Remember, you have only 4 and ½ minutes left.   

Step 2: 

Turn your Top 3 Goals into your Top 3 one year goals. If you can not complete your Top 3 Goals in one year, reduce them down to where you can complete them in one year. Make sure you don’t reduce them down to the point where they don’t inspire you, but just enough to make them one year goals.  

Step 3: 

Choose 3 people to hold you accountable to your top 3 Goals, one person for each goal. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. We jump from goal to goal never achieving any of them.  Once you achieve one of your goals, the new ideas that you will start having will be 1000 times greater then the ideas you are having right now. Just know that these goals you just wrote down ARE the ones that are truly important to you, because you were not given enough time to think about choosing them. They were already there. 

Step 4:  

Get out a blank piece of paper. Choose one of the persons that will be holding you accountable. Write Dear <Their Name> at the top of the paper. Followed by, I, <Your Name> promise to consistently make progress on <The top goal they are supporting you on> for the entire year of 2012 until it is achieved. I will give you monthly updates on my progress. Sign your name on the bottom. Do the same thing with your other 2 goals. 

Step 5: 

Give those papers to the respective persons and post your goals in a location where you can review them daily. Update your new accountability buddies on your progress and look out 2012. 

Congratulations on completing this exercise. I hope it took you 5 minutes or less. It is actually better the quicker you do it. It prevents all the second guessing that naturally takes place. If you skipped over these exercises you will never understand their power. It’s like the difference between imagining you are standing at the edge of a cliff and actually standing at the edge of cliff.  

Once you achieve any of your top 3 goals, you will be flooded by ideas that are 1000’s of times better than before you started on these goals. You can not imagine what you will have access to once you complete just one of these goals. Good luck on your best year ever!

A Gift of Energy

"When attack becomes dance, everything is seen as a gift of energy."

That sounds great, doesn't it?

Couldn't we all use a little more energy from time to time? I know I could. Right now, for instance, as I sit with a blanket over my shoulders, sipping lemon tea and hoping that the next coughing spasm is not as ferocious as the last two, I could use a gift of energy. The tickle that started in my nose and chest a few days ago has blossomed into a full-blown, body-wracking cold, complete with chills and fever.

The martial art Aikido (The Way of Harmony) teaches us to see everything that comes our way as energy to be danced with. By centering and extending our ki (life energy) we connect and blend with the energy of attack, making it a part of us. We redirect it from center, keeping ourselves and our attacker safe from harm.

How this elegant metaphor applies to situations in our personal and professional lives is a continuing source of study and fascination for me. One of the ways I work at integrating Aiki principles into my life is by sharing the philosophy with others. My workshops use physical exercises which help our bodies remember how to do things like center, extend, acknowledge and blend. We begin to dance, flow and move with the energy of conflict instead of blocking it.

So I sit, wondering how I can dance with this attack. Even centering doesn't stop the incessant coughing. I have no ki to extend (it seems to have retreated to the innermost recesses of my system). The only thing I can think to do is to acknowledge and embrace.

But that, at least, is a beginning. In years past, I would not acknowledge being sick. When I was sick, I'd often go to work anyway. I plowed through what needed doing with half a spirit and wore myself out. I probably infected half a dozen others in the process. I was sometimes ill-tempered, depressed and depressing to be around. If I can't acknowledge what's going on, whether it's a cold or a problem at home, I surely can't embrace it. By this I mean make it a part of me, connect with it so that I can begin to look for solutions.

Most of our conflicts, internal or external, would resolve themselves if we would only take this first step - acknowledge them! But because we see them as negative, we immediately resist by fighting or fleeing. If I can see what comes my way as energy, with no positive or negative charge other than what I give it, I can be more curious about it. As unwanted as it may be, there's definitely more power in dancing with it than in resisting it.

As for my cold, I'm still trying to learn if there's a gift here somewhere. Let's see - I've already read a book I've been putting aside for months, started another, and gotten some much needed rest (in between coughs!). I may not always know what the energy offers, but when I can ask the question "Where’s the gift?" I've taken a step in a new direction.