Awareness is the key. When you examine your beliefs and question where the belief came from, you can then decide whether it is a belief that serves you or one you need to lose.

There are many ways to effectively change a belief. The human brain possesses neural plasticity and is literally physically altered by experience and environment. When a belief is solidified by habit, the brain accepts it as reality. However, the brain has the ability to change (neural plasticity) in response to new experiences or things occurring in your environment.

It IS possible to remove old limiting beliefs and create new beliefs, when you force the new beliefs onto the subconscious through habit and repetition.

Do you believe it is possible to get what you want? If your answer is no, then you will never get what you want because you will not believe it is possible and not even look for it. Our brain will always find a way to validate our beliefs, no matter what they are.

Dreaming is the gateway to realizing the life you want. Believing your dreams will come true is the impetus to their creation. Creating the life you want and realizing the outcome is the key to living a happy life.

Becoming aware of your beliefs and internal dialog is the critical to changing the direction of your thoughts and moving closer to getting what you want.

Take the time to ask yourself what kind of thoughts or questions you are playing and replaying over and over in your head.

Very often fear and doubt are the underlying emotions keeping you from getting what you want.

Let’s look at a few examples of doubting questions:

“There are no jobs out there in this horrible economy, so why even bother?”

Obviously the world has not stopped even though the economy has changed. Businesses have changed the way they operate and many have closed, but nonetheless there are still millions of businesses operating in the world and choices to pursue.

Which will you focus on, the ones that are closed, or the ones that are still operating? What about another option? What about starting your own business? What about going back to college or learning a new trade? There are really endless amounts of possibilities to pursue. Wherever your focus is will determine your outcome.

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We all know people who are so negative we cannot wait to get away from them. Science is now revealing that is exactly what you should do. Get away and stay away! It is actually harmful to your health. Although we all have a bad day every now and then, some people have bad days and drama on such a regular basis it consumes them. If you allow it, being in close contact with them on a regular basis will consume you also.

In addition to negative people bringing you down and affecting your mood, research in the field of neuroscience has discovered others can actually have an effect on the physical structure of your brain! Think about that. The words someone else speaks or the actions they take in your presence can change your brain! How you choose to spend your time and who you choose to allow into your sphere of influence matters greatly.

You may have heard the analogy of the human brain being compared to a computer hard drive. That is actually an excellent analogy because once information in any form is received, it is embedded into the neurons of the brain. Once information is embedded, it can be difficult to remove, just like when trying to remove information from a computer.

Experiencing negative situations or negative people not only changes the structure of the brain, but memories of those interactions get stored in the cells of the body and remain long after the event took place. This occurs at the cellular level when the memory of the event is encoded into the cells at certain regions of the brain and body.

The negative or stressful event creates “neural traffic” to and from the central nervous system and triggers a “fight or flight” response. During this traffic within the cerebral and peripheral nervous system, sensory receptors are either picking up information or carrying it away. Each sensory receptor then encodes the nature, location, intensity and duration of the stimuli.

The best approach for effectively dealing with negative input and managing stress is to be pro-active. Prevention is the key. You can do this through awareness and choice. It is essential to become aware of what is going on around you and within your body and mind.

One of the best and easiest things you can do in a stressful situation is to simply breathe. Remind yourself to take a few deep breaths and continue to control your breathing. Anxiety will begin to diminish. One, because you have redirected your focus, and two because breathing influences the sympathetic nervous system to regulate blood pressure, heart rate, circulation, digestion and other bodily functions.

When you are experiencing emotional stress, the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated and affects a number of physical responses. Muscles tense, breathing becomes either shallow or rapid, the heart rate increases and we begin to perspire. Controlled breathing causes stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system which then results in relaxation and reversal of the stressful responses that were elicited by the sympathetic nervous system.

Breathing also provides oxygen to the circulatory and respiratory systems to purify our blood by removing poisonous waste products that are circulating throughout our blood systems. Irregular breathing will hamper the purification process and cause waste products to remain in circulation. The lack of necessary oxygen leads to the build up of the waste products which in turn causes fatigue and heightened anxiety states.

In just a few minutes you can control your breathing and redirect your thoughts. With practice, simply saying the word “relax” (or any other positive word you choose that represents calmness to you) while you are breathing, your brain and body will react accordingly. Notice which areas of your body are tense and what symptoms you are experiencing while going through the breathing process. As you do, imagine a hand or massage roller easing away the tension in that area. You can also create a scene in your mind of a calm and relaxing place and see yourself in that place relaxing.

Practice the technique on a consistent basis until it becomes a habit. It typically takes anywhere from 30-45 days for new neurons and neural pathways to be formed within the brain. New neurons and neural pathways (connections to other cells) means new information is being encoded in those cells and pathways in the brain. When the new information overrides the old, the brain has a new reference point and a new habit is created. When it becomes a habit, stress management for you will be on autopilot within your subconscious.

Again, prevention is the key. Reduce or eliminate your time with negative people. When stressed, simply breathe.

Using the previous two weeks as your time frame, list all the physical and emotional symptoms of stress you have experienced. Begin by identifying symptoms; the location of where they are occurring in your body; how often they occur; and what your thoughts were just prior to and while you are experiencing them.

As you become aware of what your stress symptoms are, as well as what your thoughts are, you can begin to instantly change them with these two simple techniques. Breath and controlling your internal dialog. It’s really that simple. Few people, however, take the time to do either in a stressful situation nor recognize the need to control both oxygen intake and their thought patterns. Both of which affect the nervous system and it’s coping mechanisms.

One of the best things you can do in a stressful situation is to simply breathe. Remind yourself to take a few deep breaths and continue to control your breathing. Anxiety will begin to diminish because you have redirected your focus. Breathing influences the sympathetic nervous system to regulate blood pressure, heart rate, circulation, digestion and other bodily functions.

When you are experiencing emotional stress, the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated and affects a number of physical responses. Muscles tense, breathing becomes either shallow or rapid, the heart rate increases and we begin to perspire. Breathing causes stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system which then results in relaxation and reversal of the stressful responses that were elicited by the sympathetic nervous system.

Breathing also provides oxygen to the circulatory and respiratory systems to purify our blood by removing poisonous waste products that are circulating throughout our blood systems. Irregular breathing will hamper the purification process and cause waste products to remain in circulation. The lack of necessary oxygen leads to the build up of the waste products which in turn causes fatigue and heightened anxiety states.

The second critical component to managing stress is recognizing the importance of the mind-body connection. Our internal dialog will direct our body and determine our actions. Internal dialog is so powerful it can create stress to the point of bringing on anxiety attacks. Likewise, changing the internal dialog can change your emotional states and eliminate anxiety attacks.

Much of the internal dialog that goes on is so subtle that it occurs on the subconscious level. When stress is occurring at the subconscious level, more cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands and associated with stress, is released with the potential to bring about a host of illnesses.

If your thoughts run rampant and you are telling yourself things like “I don’t have enough time” or “I can’t do this” or “this is just too much for me,” you are creating a snowball effect of spiraling and anxious thoughts. Some degree of hopelessness is involved with this kind of thinking.

“How” questions are much more productive to getting what you want and managing stress. “How do I?” questions want to know a way, an answer, and some knowledge of “how” to accomplish the underlying desire. For example, consider the question “How can I feel at peace?” This question presupposes you are capable of experiencing peace and that there is a way to do it.

The next step is to come up with the ways you can feel at peace. If your internal dialog consists of “why” questions such as “why is this happening to me” or “why can’t I ever get a break,” your brain is in an endless loop of trying to find out why you “can’t” do the thing you wish to do and creates stress and frustration. A better question to ask is “what’s my next step.”

The quality of the questions you are asking yourself has a dramatic impact on your internal state. Ask better questions, breathe and relieve stress.

Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present. -Jim Rohn

I wonder just how many of us can relate to Mr. Rohn’s statement about not having $2.00 to give to the little girl selling Girl Scout cookies.  I certainly can.  I’ve been there and I know exactly how it feels.  That is what I believe made Jim Rohn such an influence to so many.  Mr. Rohn had an uncanny ability to relate his experiences to the rest of the world in ways we could all relate.

The wisdom Jim Rohn shared with the world has touched so many lives and changed so many of us for the better. 

His teachings were profound, his character exemplary, and his life extraordinary.

Mr. Rohn, you will be great missed.

Self-care is an important component to achieving any goal you will ever set.  If you are low on energy, experiencing poor health, and/or depressed, you will have a hard time accomplishing anything you attempt.  Worry and stress will cloud your mind, diverting your focus from what you want.  Additionally, others will tend to gravitate away from you because of your low energy and depressed mood.

Science has proven that everything in the Universe contains energy, and at specific frequencies.  Like frequencies attract other like frequencies.  In other words, if a frequency is low on the energy scale, it will attract a frequency which is also low on the energy scale, and if it is positive it will attract to a positive frequency.

Science has also found that we have the ability to physically alter the brain through behavior and environment.  This ability of the brain to be changed by the environment and experience is called neural plasticity.  The brain can actually create new neural pathways and expand in certain regions.  Through research in the field of neuroscience, it has been discovered that other individuals can have an effect on the physical structure of another person’s brain!  Think about that for just a moment.  The words that someone else speaks or the actions they take in your presence can change the neurons in your brain!

Your environment, your daily routine of how you take care of yourself, the people you interact with, and the thoughts you have, all affect your overall health.  If your overall health is not optimum, you are not in an energetic state sufficient enough to “attract” what you want.

The current state of our economy has wreaked havoc with so many lives, causing drastic changes not only of lifestyles but physical and emotional health.  Many people are feeling devastated and depressed, which leads to a lack of energy.  The lack of energy then creates a snowball effect.  Lack of energy can lead to not being able to carry out even the simplest of activities, which then leads to even more depression.

A large part of emotional health involves being able to control your emotional states.  You probably know someone who flies off the handle at the least little thing or someone who creates drama at every turn.  This is because that person has not learned to control their emotional states.  Controlling your emotional states involves controlling your internal dialog.  It is a choice we can decide to make in order to create different results for ourselves.

Increasing your energy level can be accomplished by focusing on three main areas to begin with and building on them for maximum energy.  The three areas are emotional health, physical health, and nutritional health.

With emotional health, the amount of stress that you are experiencing must be controlled in order to function optimally.  One of the best ways to reduce stress is through meditation and controlling the internal dialog.  Meditation has long been recognized as a way to achieve a deep state of relaxation and heightened awareness.  It is recognized as a component of almost all religions, and with practice, works at the subconscious level to redirect thought processes.  Many of my clients have expressed not being able to sit still long enough to meditate or don’t know how.  I frequently recommend they purchase a meditation CD so they can simply sit for half an hour with the headphones on and zone out.  The idea is to quiet the mind and relax the body.  Taking even a few minutes a day to sit undisturbed and quiet the mind, while affirming that which you want for yourself, will in time, work to create new thought patterns.

Recognizing the importance of the mind-body connection is a crucial component to optimum health.  Our internal dialog will direct our body and determine our actions.  Internal dialog is so powerful it can create stress to the point of bringing on anxiety attacks.  Likewise, changing the internal dialog can eliminate anxiety attacks.

Much of the internal dialog that goes on is so subtle that it occurs on the subconscious level. When stress is occurring at the subconscious level, more cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands and associated with stress, is released with the potential to bring about a host of illnesses.

Another great way to reduce stress is to bring joy into your life by doing things you love.  When you are doing activities that create an experience of joy or happiness, the result is positive change in the physiological and neurological states of your body, thereby increasing energy.

The second area of focus is physical energy being exerted.  Exercise must be factored into every self-care and optimum health program.  Whatever form of exercise you choose, you will experience better results if you create a schedule and mark off 2-3 (or more) days a week for the exercise.  Then adhere to the schedule for a minimum of 21 consistent days to create a new habit.  Exercising can nourish both body and mind.  It allows more oxygen through your system and relieves stress which helps to clear the mind.

The third area of focus is in the area of your nutrition.  Focusing on nutrition can be as simple as beginning to eat better and take vitamin and mineral supplements.  Being deficient in any number of vitamins, minerals, or amino acids can cause a lack of energy.  Not getting enough protein or water during the day can also lead to a lack of energy.  If you feel you are seriously lacking in the area of proper nutrition, and don’t know where to begin, then a qualified nutritionist can design a customized plan for you.

If most of your daily intake consists of fast food, caffeine,  sugar, junk food, sodas, and other processed type foods, then it’s time to change.  Again, the change doesn’t have to be drastic.  Little changes like buying healthy, already prepared foods in advance for a busy lifestyle can make a big difference

The final step in attracting what you desire through optimum health is by taking action.  When you know what you want and have a clear vision of the dream, you have to take action in order to make it a reality.  To realize your emotional and physical health goals you must take action daily.  Knowing how and what kind of action to take involves awareness, self-reflection, searching for the necessary outside resources and having a support system in place.

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