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Procrastination doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact very often, to procrastinate on purpose can be a very good thing.

The world at large seems to have put out the message that procrastination is to be avoided at all costs.

But just hold on and and think about that for a moment. Now one could say that just thinking about something instead of simply getting on and doing is procrastination. But remember the old saying ‘act in haste, repent at leisure? So in this instance, thinking before acting would be a good thing.

What about speaking out in haste and anger? How many times have you wished you’d counted to ten before making unwise, hurtful remarks in the spur of the moment?

List making could be viewed as procrastination by some people, but what really counts, is not the actual list making, but how you use that list.

For example, after you have written out your ‘to do’ list, do you go back and mark the items on your list in order of priority?
Well done if you do, because you are then in a better position to tackle them accordingly.

This means that you can legitimately procrastinate over the more insignificant items on your list, and concentrate first on what really matters. You will achieve far greater satisfaction and feel so much better in yourself afterwards.

Of all the stress relief techniques available, I believe guided imagery to be the most pleasurable and beneficial.

The many proven health benefits of guided imagery are so well documented, that many hospitals now use the technique to help with treatments.

Guided imagery has no side effects, can be put into practise virtually any where, any place, any time, and the benefits can be felt immediately.

The mind-body connection is a powerful factor in the healing process. This is both greatly enhanced, and reinforced by the suggested images and deep relaxation that takes place during a session.

Think of it as a form of purposeful day dreaming, using relaxation and story telling techniques to create the desired changes in your mind, in your body, and in your spirit.

Apart from the many known health benefits of guided imagery, it can turn fear into faith, boost self confidence, self esteem, completely transform one’s quality of life, assist with creativity, spiritual experiences, and personal growth.

Truly a panacea for modern life. All that is needed is to have an open mind. Just be willing to let yourself go, relax, and be receptive to positive suggestions, you too can receive all the wonderful benefits.

From time to time, I will add an imagery script for you to try. Please feel free to subscribe above to be kept informed of updates.

Deep inside everyone of us lives an inner child. From time to time, this inner child of ours cries out to be healed. Don’t ignore or push aside this plea for help…learn to heal your inner child.

The anguish that can be felt by the inner child, is often the result of an unresolved trauma. As a result, normal emotional development of the child may have been harmed or held back in some way.

How often do we find ourselves and others behaving in a somewhat childish manner? It’s a sign of the inner child needing to be acknowledged, listened to, and understood.

Don’t be harsh with yourself, acknowledge your self worth. You are as important and precious as every other living being. You too, deserve to be loved. Learn to love and accept yourself as the loving being you truly are.

Recognize your strengths, everyone has something worthwhile and lovable within themselves. Sit down and make a list of all your past achievements, no matter how long ago, small or insignificant they may seem. Keep going, try to keep adding more and more little achievements to your list.

Now reward yourself, allow yourself to be a child again, sing, dance, laugh, play. Give thanks for your life, love and accept yourself as the loving being you truly are.

Are you feeling under the weather? Maybe you need to detox your emotions.

Much emphasis is placed on ridding the body of accumulated toxins. A regular detox by cleansing the body with a purifying diet is usually advised. But how do you detox your emotions?

Your body is not only affected by toxins contained in food and chemicals, but also by toxins caused by your thoughts and emotions. Indeed, negative thoughts and emotions can do more harm to your body than you may realize.

Toxic acidic hormones can be triggered and released by negative thoughts, stress and fear. These in turn contribute to all manner of upsets and illness, so it is important to rid yourself of all negative thoughts and emotions.

When you replace your negative thoughts and emotions with pleasant positive ones, you greatly enhance the detoxification process and help with the healing of your body.

Regular exercise and deep restful sleep are also important factors in combating stress. The practice of deep breathing, visualization and mediations will all help you considerably.

I will be gradually adding more posts on helpful techniques that are not difficult to master. Why not subscribe above to receive notifications?

Have you ever lain awake at night desperate to sleep, but find yourself tossing and turning and kept awake by unwanted thoughts?

Maybe you find that certain events of the day try to re-enact themselves in your mind. Perhaps you are tormented by thoughts of something that was said, unsaid, or seen.

At such times, Guided Meditation can be a big help. It is not an arduous difficult procedure, on the contrary, Guided Meditation is one of the most pleasant relaxing experiences, and can help you drift off into a beautiful deep restful sleep.

The first thing to do is to make yourself comfortable. Check that you are not too hot or too cold, adjust the temperature and/or your clothing if need be, then have a little wriggle around and make sure that the whole of your body is at ease.

Now start to breathe slowly and deeply…as you breathe in, say to yourself… ‘I breathe in peace’ …and on the out breath say…’I release all tension’…

As you continue to breathe gently in and out, imagine a soft radiant light entering into your body…feel the soft warmth as the light flows through your being…you are safe, you are loved, you are relaxed…relax…allow yourself to drift into a deep beautiful, relaxing sleep…relax…

It may help you to record the words and play them back to yourself. You may also find that playing gentle soothing music at the same time could enhance the total experience and effect for you.

Persistence pays, it really does. Persistence is probably one of the most important factors in the success of virtually every goal in life

Too often we are tempted to throw in the towel just when success is within reach. It seems all to easy to ditch our efforts if results aren’t immediately forthcoming and to our liking.

But just think for a moment of all the many people both past and present, who have overcome adversity and countless rejections, yet carried on regardless to achieve great success through sheer persistence.

‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’, by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hanson, was rejected over 140 times, yet today along with a whole string of their ‘Chicken Soup’ titles, it is firmly established as one of the best selling inspirational books.

Thomas Edison created the lightbulb after around 10,000 attempts..how’s that for persistence?

Never give up, don’t be afraid of failure, just think of each setback as bringing you one step closer to achieving your goals. Indeed, the more setbacks you experience and overcome, the greater your reward will be when you achieve success.

Remember this, if you can create success in your imagination, you can create success in reality. You can accomplish anything you set your mind to and fully focus your efforts on.

Have you noticed the radiant inner smile of the Dalai lama? Like the smiles
Of Thich Nhat Hanh and Mother Theresa they have an almost magical quality. Smiling really does makes the world a happier place. The practice of inner smiling, or smiling to yourself, transforms negative energy into positive, and gives a mega boost to your health, happiness serenity, and longevity.

Never underestimate the magic of your smile, in a split second, it can wipe away tears, dissolve stress, remove anger, and melt the hardest of hearts.

The medicinal benefits of smiling are many and well documented, but there are some other benefits that are perhaps not so well known.

One little known fact, is that the person on the receiving end of a smile receives far more pleasure than either sex or eating chocolate. In addition, the stimulation of both the brain and the heart is far higher than the effect of having been given money, or smoking a cigarette. No wonder smiles are readily returned.

Did you know, that smiling is a contagious facial expression, second only to yawning? In that case, supposing we were all to make a practice of smiling more often, and make smiling a habit, what magical effect would that have on the world?

Every single month we have a new moon marking a new cycle. As with each New Year, a new moon is viewed as a time of new beginnings, growth, and new opportunities.

Do you realize what that means? It means that we no longer have the excuse to procrastinate, we don’t have to wait for a New Year to put those resolutions into place.

Each new moon offers a new opportunity to make things happen. It is an excellent time to plant seeds for your goals and aspirations. Furthermore, new moon opportunities are based on planetary influences and facts.

An interesting point, is that each New Year can have an entirely different moon phase, and not necessarily be conducive to new beginnings. Small wonder that so many of our New Year resolutions fall by the wayside.

In reality, you can decide, and take steps to change your life for the better at any time and on any day. But why not go with the planetary flow?

Most calendars and diaries list the dates and times of the moon’s different phases, so a quick check will reveal the dates of past, present and future new moons in your part of the world.

There are many times over during our lives, when we must acknowledge and accept that it’s time to move on. Time to leave behind our familiar comfort zone, clear out the clutter, Feng Shui our friends and go forward.

This can often prove difficult. It can be quite a wrench for example, to leave behind old friends. You may feel as though you are somehow being a traitor. But just like clearing out the unwanted clutter from your home, you need to make room in your life for positive changes and opportunities.

Although the majority of friendships are nurturing, unfortunately, it’s possible that some of your old friends may be having a negative effect on you, and actually preventing you from achieving your goals.

Maybe you no longer share the same ideals and don’t have the same needs, or goals in life. If the friendship has become unhealthy for whatever reason, it is time to move on.

Do not allow yourself to feel guilt, there is no reason, you are a free agent, you deserve, and have every right to live own your life and to follow your star.

Acknowledge and give thanks for your past friendship, then let go, make room in your life for new friendships and new opportunities

Sometimes, even with the best will in the world, people find it hard to actually visualize the things and events that they would to materialize in their lives.

One explanation for this, could be the fact that they have not yet experienced the feeling of, or they have forgotten the experience of a similar acheivement.

Fortunately, there are some easy ways to get over this little hurdle.
The trick is to revive a past memory or to establish a new one.

Try thinking back to a time in your life when you experienced the same feeling. The same feeling that achieving your desire would bring. Think of an occasion when you have really experienced happiness. Hold that the feeling in your heart, and the picture firmly in your mind. Now visualize yourself having acheived your goal and having those same feelings.

Maybe you hanker after a new car? Try this little trick. Go to the car showroom and admire the car you wish for, sit in the car, embrace the feeling, smell the uphostery, play with the controls, take a test drive, listen to the sound of the engine. Then take the brochure home with you, look at it often and revive the feeling you had when you sat in the car. Remember the feel of the controls, the smell of the upholstery, the sound of the engine. Can you imagine it being yours now?

Do you wish for peace and tranquility? Try to evoke past memories of a time and place when you felt at peace, maybe of your favourite beach, or a walk in the forest, or perhaps it was listening to a favourite piece of music.

Try the scrapbook trick..paste in images of all the things you desire, hold those images in front of you, put up pictures around your home, put them in your pocket, on your desk, under your pillow, anything to hold the image constantly before you.

Remember, persistence pays.