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Mental & Physical

Live In The Moment

To live in the moment, or now, means being conscious, aware and in the present with all of your senses. It means not dwelling on the past, nor being anxious or worrying about the future. When we concentrate our attention on the present we focus on the task at hand. We give our full attention to what we are doing and we let go of outcomes. Seizing each moment in life allows us to prolong its value and make it more meaningful. Rather than seeking quantity of time, when we live in the moment we enjoy and savor every minute. We don't sacrifice quality for quantity. Of course, this doesn't mean we don't need to plan, set goals or prepare for the future. We can do all of these things and still enjoy each moment as it unfolds. For instance, if we have set a goal to exercise each day, we would carry on with it while enjoying the actual process, or moment, of exercising (or at least be in the moment of it). When we train ourselves to live in each moment, we immerse ourselves in it and begin to discover its beauty and wonder. We learn focus and how to manage our energy. Professional athletes understand and employ this kind of focus very well. They know that accomplishment and success are a result of the skillful management and balancing of energy. To make every moment count we must embrace it. Everything we do and every person we come in contact with deserves our full attention. Even when resting we should savor the moment. It gives us the opportunity to recharge, renew and gain clarity. Quite often we put huge expectations on ourselves and our lives. We rush to do this, hurry up with that, without actually enjoying the process. What's the rush? Where do we think we're going? If we don't stop and think about where we're at, we're probably missing the point. Instead, when we appreciate each moment and garner the lessons from it, we live consciously, purposefully and responsibly. Likewise, when we live in the past and don't let go of painful experiences, perceived wrongs, or difficult times, we condemn ourselves to a present and future of the same. We cannot change the past. We can, however, come to terms with it, know that it's over, and move on. Living in the moment means letting go of the past and trusting in the future. When we are positive and optimistic in the present, we open the possibility of a positive and promising future. We owe it to ourselves to make every moment count - now!

Tips for Living in The Moment:

Train your mind to focus on the current activity. Engage in, and feel what you are doing. Enjoy the process. Learn relaxation techniques in order to be present in each moment. Take notice of your surroundings - sights, sounds, smells, ambiance. Listen attentively to the conversation of others, music, even silence. Savor your food and drink. Taste each morsel.

Benefits of Living in The Moment:

You become more connected with your thoughts and feelings Are more connected to others Feel more gratitude and enjoyment of life If you live in the moment, it won't pass you by Feel more focused, peaceful and alive Feel less anxious and fearful

Like all skills, training yourself to enjoy and live in the moment takes time and practice. Begin now and see life from a fresh, new perspective. Carpe diem!
Written & edited by: Tanbir Rahman; Email: tanbirrahman@live.com; Mobile: 01675464743

Mental & Physical

The Benefits of Regular Exercise

You may have noticed that I extol the benefits of regular exercise as part of living a healthy lifestyle in many of my personal development articles including: 7 Ways to Boost Your Mood, 10 Tips for Maintaining Mental and Emotional Health, and The Importance of Maintaining Balance, among others. Scientific research has shown that people who exercise regularly are healthier physically and mentally, have more energy, think more clearly, and sleep better. Engaging in the habit of regular exercise has also been found to improve your mood, decrease anxiety, decrease the effects of stress and raise self-confidence. Why then do many of us abandon exercise programs so soon after taking them on? How can we maintain the motivation needed to make it an ongoing habit? Read on and discover the enormous benefits that regular exercise provides and you will be more than convinced to integrate it into your daily routine. (If you're thinking about joining a gym so you can exercise regularly, start by checking out reviews of San Diego gyms and health clubs to find one that will suit your preferences and needs.) What is needed to begin an exercise program? Two things not needed to obtain the benefits of exercise are investing in a health club membership, or purchasing extravagant exercise equipment. Likewise, while vigorous and sweat inducing activity is good, psychological well-being does not depend upon the intensity or duration of a workout. More important is the ability to maintain an exercise routine. If you can keep up your program for a minimum of two months, you're on your way to reaping the benefits. Not only will it get easier, but you will probably end up enjoying it and will want to continue.

Benefits of Regular Exercise:

Improves physical health and quality of life - Regular exercise helps reduce the risk of premature death from heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and colon and breast cancers. It increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or good cholesterol) while decreasing triglycerides. This keeps your blood flowing smoothly by lowering the buildup of plaque in your arteries. Overall it Increases resistance to various diseases by bolstering the immune system. Improves psychological well-being - Regular exercise improves your mood and reduces the likelihood of depression and anxiety. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals (endorphins) that usually leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You will not only feel better, but look better when you exercise regularly which, in turn, boosts confidence and self-esteem. You derive self-confidence both from looking great by being toned and fit, and from knowing that you put in the work and effort to get there. Increases your energy levels - Physical Activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. It helps the cardiovascular system work more efficiently by circulating blood through your heart and blood vessels. When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you'll have more energy to do the things you enjoy. Helps you manage your weight - Needless to say, when you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. When you burn more calories than you take in, you lose weight. Even taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking during your lunch break, or just moving around more can help add to your exercise output. Promotes better sleep - Regular exercise helps you fall asleep faster and into a more deep sleep. Sleep is brought on by chemicals released in your body
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Mental & Physical

which are a by-product of your body burning sugar for fuel during the day. The more sugar you burn through exercise and physical activity, the more of these chemicals are released, thus helping you sleep better and deeper. Your transition between the cycles and phases of sleep is also improved by exercise and they become smoother and more regular. When you are well-rested, your concentration, productivity and mood are greatly enhanced.

Other Benefits of Regular Exercise:

Helps maintain and increase muscle strength, improves balance, coordination, reaction time and flexibility; can even improve mental concentration. Prevents muscle decay. Inactive people lose muscle fiber at a rate of 3% to 5% every decade after age 30 which amounts to a loss of 30% of muscle fiber by age 60. Reduces incidence of many illnesses. Research suggests that regular exercise can reduce the risk of colon cancer by as much as 50% and may considerably reduce the risk of breast cancer. Relieves symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and therefore reduces the need for medication. Helps control hypertension, high blood cholesterol and diabetes. Reduces the risk of accidental injury and shortens the recovery period from accident and illness.

Tips for getting Regular Exercise:

Before you begin any exercise routine, especially if you've been inactive for a long time, or are over 40 years old, be sure to consult your doctor. Also, never continue an activity or exercise if you feel persistent or severe muscle or joint pain, chest pain, or if you become exhausted. Again consult your doctor. The type of exercise is not as important as just getting into a consistent routine. It can be comprised of aerobic or strength training, but preferably a combination of the two. Even thirty minutes a day of moderate exercise, such as a brisk walk can be very helpful and provide heath benefits. You can start small and build up to more. A less intense objective will help you build physical activity into your daily routine more easily. Incorporate as much as you can slowly by parking further from the office, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and by walking instead of driving whenever you can. To stay healthy, aim to exercise between four to seven days each week. The total amount of time can be broken down in periods of not less than 10 minutes each. However, the longer the period of physical activity, the more beneficial it is to your health. Keep in mind also that very intense activities burn more calories in a shorter time span than low-intensity activities. Remember to stay hydrated. As we already now know, exercise improves mood, but new research suggests that working out to music, as well as providing fun and motivation, may give exercisers a cognitive boost. Charles Emery, professor of psychology at Ohio State University, has conducted a study on the combination of music and exercise and states: "Listening to music may influence cognitive function through different pathways in the brain. The combination of music and exercise may stimulate and increase cognitive arousal while helping to organize cognitive output." All the wonderful benefits aside, never has it been more important to establish a routine of regular exercise than in today's increasingly sedentary world. Technology is great, but it is not a physical activity!

How to Improve Your Memory

There are many ways in which you can improve your memory and the more you work at it, the better it becomes!

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Mental & Physical

Memory is the mechanism by which we are able to store, retain, and recall information. As simple as it may sound, the process is a complex one which involves many different parts of the brain and serves us in a wide variety of ways. As with so many of our other functions, the saying "use it or lose it" applies as aptly to the brain, as with anything else. The more you exercise your brain and nurture it with a good diet and healthy habits, the better you'll be able to process and remember information. Before we get into how to improve your memory, it would be helpful to understand how it works. For example here are parts of the brain used for memory: The hippocampus is the primitive structure deep in the brain that plays the single largest role in processing information as memory. The amygdale is an almond-shaped area near the hippocampus, which processes emotion and helps imprint memories that involve emotion. he cerebral cortex (the outer layer of the brain), depending on what kind of processing the information involves, such as language, sensory input or problem-solving, stores most long-term memory in its different zones. Memory also entails communication among the brain's network of neurons, which are the millions of cells activated by brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Memory can be short-term or long-term. In short-term memory, your brain stores information for a few seconds or a few minutes. It is capable of holding, on average, about seven items at a time. Long-term memory involves the type of information that requires a conscious effort to retain, and then recall. This would include studying for tests, factual data, or personal events; such as the first time you were able to ride a bike, or recalling your favorite movie. Another type of long-term memory is procedural memory, which involves skills and routines that you perform so frequently that they don't require conscious recall.

Tips on how to Improve Your Memory:

1. Exercise your brain. The best way to exercise your brain is to engage in new experiences or expose it to varied sensory stimulation. When you break with routine or do something that is challenging, you create new brain pathways. An illustration of this would be writing, or dribbling a basketball with your nondominant hand, or taking a totally different route to work. An example of sensory stimulation, would be smelling a particular fragrance while listening to a certain piece of music. To stir up brain activity in yet a different way, you can pick something usually done by rote, or on automatic pilot, and consciously change the way you go about it. It is also a well know fact that people who engage in activities that exercise the brain, such as reading, writing, and playing card games, can delay the rapid memory decline that occurs as we age. 2. Pay attention. It is very difficult to remember something if you've never learned it in the first place. It takes about eight seconds of intent focus to process a piece of information through the hippocampus and direct it to the proper memory center. If you do not concentrate, get distracted easily, or are doing several things at once, your chances of retrieving specific information will be non-existent. 3. Incorporate as many senses as possible. While there are many different learning styles, such as visual, auditory and kinesthetic (touch), no matter which type you are, you can incorporate all of them in the process of trying to remember something. If you're a visual learner you can read out loud, even recite rhythmically to remember better. If you're an auditory learner, create a mental image or look at pictures as
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Mental & Physical

you read out loud. Relating information to colors, textures, smells and tastes is also very helpful. 4. Organize Information. A good way to remember new things is to make associations and connect information to what you already know. Building on what you know helps you remember new material. Also, write important things down in notebooks, calendars and post-it notes, then reorganize the information in a comprehensive way in order to retain it. 5. Review frequently and over-learn. Go over what you've learned the same day you learned it, and review it frequently. When you review and over-learn information, it becomes embedded in your memory and therefore, so much easier to recall. It is also much more effective than trying to cram. 6. Use Mnemonics. Mnemonics are a memory tool or technique used for remembering difficult information. They are clues of any kind that help us remember something, usually by associating it with a visual image, a sentence, or a word. For example, "30 days hath September, April, June and November" is a rhyme for remembering the number of days in each calendar month. Another example of mnemonics would be to "chunk" information. Chunking is when you arrange a long list into smaller units or categories that are easier to remember. To remember a long number, you could chunk it into groups of 2, 3 or 4 for easier retention. You can also code and structure information by using vivid mental images. When you make the images colorful or even unusual, they are much easier to recall when you need them. 7. Practice good health habits. Exercise regularly. It increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk for disorders, such as diabetes and heart disease. Poor health, of any kind, contributes to memory loss. Likewise, get plenty of sleep and eat properly. Sleep is necessary for concentration and clear thinking, while good eating habits supply the nutrients needed to nourish your brain. 8. Stay motivated and maintain a positive attitude. When you are positive about learning and experiencing new things, you automatically improve your memory. On the other hand, if you tell yourself you have a bad memory, you will actually impede your brain's ability to remember. Maintaining a positive attitude sets up expectation of success. By incorporating the above tips and strategies into your routine, you will be able improve your memory significantly. Not only will you learn and retain more in school and at work, you will achieve more satisfaction in your personal and business relationships.

Self-Discipline - The Foundation For Success

No personal success, achievement, or goal, can be realized without selfdiscipline. It is singularly the most important attribute needed to achieve any type of personal excellence, athletic excellence, virtuosity in the arts, or otherwise outstanding performance. What is self-discipline? It is the ability to control one's impulses, emotions, desires and behavior. It is being able to turn down immediate pleasure and instant gratification in favor of gaining the long-term satisfaction and fulfillment from achieving higher and more meaningful goals. To possess it is to be able to make the decisions, take the actions, and execute your game plan regardless of the obstacles, discomfort, or difficulties, that may come your way. Certainly, being disciplined does not mean living a limiting or a restrictive lifestyle. Nor, does not mean giving up everything you enjoy, or, to relinquish fun and relaxation. It does mean learning how to focus your mind and energies on your goals and persevere until they are accomplished. It also means cultivating a mindset
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Mental & Physical

whereby you are ruled by your deliberate choices rather than by your emotions, bad habits, or the sway of others. Self-discipline allows you to reach your goals in a reasonable time frame and to live a more orderly and satisfying life.

How To Develop Self-Discipline:

Start with baby steps. No process takes place overnight. Just as it takes time to build muscle, so does it take time to develop self-discipline. The more you train and build it, the stronger you become. In exercise, if you try to do too much at once, you could injure yourself and have a setback. Likewise, take it one step at a time in building self-discipline. So, begin by making the decision to go forward and learning what it takes to get there. Learn what motivates you and what your bad triggers are. You can begin by learning about yourself! Sometimes it is very difficult to fight off urges and cravings, so know the areas where your resistance is low and how to avoid those situations. If you know you can't resist cake, fries, or other temptations - stay away from them. Do not have them around to lure you in moments of weakness. If you also know that putting pressure on yourself does not work for you, then set yourself up in an environment that encourages the building of self-discipline rather than one that sabotages it. Remove the temptations and surround yourself with soothing and encouraging items such as motivating slogans and pictures of what you want to achieve. Learn also what energizes and motivates you. Your willpower can go up and down with your energy levels so play energetic music to perk you up, move around, laugh. Train yourself to enjoy what you are doing by being energized. This will make it easier to implement desirable and appropriate behaviors into your routine - which is really what self-discipline is all about. Make certain behaviors a routine. Once you have decided what's important to you and which goals to strive for, establish a daily routine that will help you achieve them. For example, if you want to eat healthily or lose weight; resolve to eat several servings of fruits and vegetables each day and exercise for at least half an hour. Make it part of your daily routine and part of your self-discipline building. Likewise, get rid of some of your bad, self-defeating habits, whatever they may be. They can put you in a negative frame of mind and hinder your self-discipline. A poor attitude can also be a bad habit. Practice self-denial. Learn to say no to some of your feelings, impulses and urges. Train yourself to do what you know to be right, even if you don't feel like doing it. Skip dessert some evenings. Limit your TV watching. Resist the urge to yell at someone who has irritated you. Stop and think before you act. Think about consequences. When you practice self-restraint it helps you develop the habit of keeping other things under control. Engage in sports or activities. Sports are an excellent way to enhance selfdiscipline. They train you to set goals, focus your mental and emotional energies, become physically fit, and to get along well with others. Participating in sports provides a situation where you learn to work hard and strive to do your best, which in turn, teaches you to integrate the same the thought processes and disciplines into your everyday life. Learning to play a musical instrument can be another great way to practice selfdiscipline. The focus, repetition, and application required in learning to play an instrument is invaluable. Achieving self-discipline in any one area of your life reprograms your mind to choose what is right, rather than what is easy. Get inspiration from those you admire. Michael Jordan has always maintained that his greatness as a basketball player came as much from his willingness to work hard at his craft, as it did his talent. It was his desire through discipline and focus that made him one of the best basketball players ever. If it worked for him, it could certainly work for the rest of us. Visualize the rewards. There is nothing more gratifying than accomplishing your goals. Practice the technique that high achievers and top athletes do. Project yourself in the future. Visualize your desired outcome. Feel how rewarding it is and the countless benefits you will enjoy. Remind yourself what it takes to get there.

Written & edited by: Tanbir Rahman; Email: tanbirrahman@live.com; Mobile: 01675464743

Mental & Physical

The Benefits

It helps build self-confidence. You accomplish more, and are therefore more productive. You are able to maintain a higher tolerance for frustration, obstacles and negative emotions. Allows you to obtain better health, better finances and a good work ethic. You are able to reach your most difficult goals more efficiently. The more disciplined you become, the easier life gets.

If we are to be masters of our own destiny, we must develop self-discipline and self-control. By focusing on long-term benefits instead of short-term discomfort, we can encourage ourselves to develop of selfdiscipline. Ultimately our health and happiness depend on it.

Forgiveness and Letting Go - How To Achieve It

The ability to achieve forgiveness and let go of past hurts is one of the most critical challenges many of us face on the road to attaining personal peace and happiness. While it certainly isn't easy, it is absolutely necessary for longterm mental and emotional heath. Forgiveness can be defined as the decision to let go of resentment, anger, and thoughts of revenge as a result of a real, or perceived offense, hurt, or wrongdoing against you. Forgiving someone does not mean denying a person's responsibility for hurting you, nor does it mean minimizing, or justifying the act. It does mean willing to forgive someone without condoning or excusing what they did, and then letting it go. According to Dr. Robert Enright, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin and a pioneer in the scientific study of forgiveness - forgiveness is a choice. It is the process of uncovering and letting go of anger, while restoring hope and moving on with life. He writes: "People, upon rationally determining that they have been unfairly treated, forgive when they willfully abandon resentment and related responses (to which they have a right) and endeavor to respond to the wrong doer based on the moral principle of beneficence, which may include compassion, unconditional worth, generosity and moral love (to which the wrong doer by nature of the hurtful act or acts, has no right.)" In other words, while there is no question that we have the right to feel resentment and the desire to respond accordingly, we have the ability to make the choice not to. When we do, we refuse to play the role of the victim and we let go of the control and power that the offending person, or situation, has over us. We choose to not allow grudges, hurt or wrongdoings to define our lives.

How can we attain forgiveness and letting go?

Begin by acknowledging what hurt or offended you. While denying the hurtful offence may be the first thing you may want to do, it is best to admit that it happened. Reflect upon it; take note how you reacted, and what it has done to your health and well-being. Be able to articulate what was unacceptable about the situation. Look for a broader perspective on what took place. Make the attempt to understand the other person. Was the offense deliberate, or merely mindless and insensitive? Perhaps the person had no idea they hurt you, or was suffering from something themselves. Did they do it out of selfishness, recklessness, or were
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Mental & Physical

there other unknown circumstances at play? Sometimes going through the process of trying to understand the situation sheds new light on the matter and may lessen the hurtful response. It is also possible that you may have been oversensitive at the time. Hurt feelings are invariably subjective. Perhaps you were having a bad day; perhaps they were. If you happen to know the hurtful act was deliberate, vicious and intended to harm you, then you may have to 'reframe' the situation. Reframing is a technique whereby you change the conceptual or emotional viewpoint from which you experience an event and put it in a different context or frame of reference. For instance, there are those who do harm to others thinking it will alleviate their own pain and distress. They lash out regardless of whom they are hurting, or how. Your ability to sort through a hurtful occurrence and put it into a different "framework" will prepare you to begin the process of forgiveness and letting it go. Work through the emotions. As well as acknowledging the event, acknowledge the anger, frustration and myriad emotions, but do not get stuck in them. Practice stress management techniques such as exercise, yoga, deep breathing, guided meditations, or anything else you find soothing and relaxing. Using cognitive strategies like writing in a journal, or talking to a wise friend or counselor, is also very beneficial. In recent studies done on forgiveness coping strategies, it was found that men responded positively when it was presented as a challenge to them, and negatively when it involved emotion-focused coping. For women, however, it was found to be positively associated with emotion-focused coping and acceptance, and negatively associated with avoidance. Thus, based on these findings, if you're a man, it is more helpful to approach forgiveness as a challenge, or goal to accomplish. If you're a woman working on acceptance, understanding, and compassion may lead you there more successfully. Commit towards letting go and moving on. Remember first that the act of forgiving is more for your own benefit than anyone else's. Secondly, forgiveness and letting go take time, so be patient with yourself. Certainly, it can be difficult to separate what you feel emotionally with what makes sense to do logically. However, if you commit to putting your energies on focusing on the benefits of forgiveness and letting go, you can more easily move forward with your life. Letting go can be defined as: "A combination of accepting, but not denying; living in the present and looking forward to the future without regret for the past, and a willingness to move on and beyond." Researchers and scientists have been discovering the health benefits of attaining forgiveness. Their studies have shown that serious mental, emotional and physical consequences can result from holding on to grudges and bitterness. Consequences such as depression, anxiety and the feeling that your life lacks meaning and purpose, as well as the loss of valuable connectedness with family and friends become high prices to pay for holding on to resentment. Get Professional Help If You Need It. If you find it too difficult to forgive and let go on your own, especially if the offending acts have been traumatic, or are ongoing, then consider working through your feelings and deeper issues with a good therapist. It would be more than worth your while to gain the peace of mind you seek and to move forward with your life.

The Benefits of Forgiveness and Letting Go:

Increased happiness and health with improved functioning of cardiovascular and nervous systems and less overall illnesses Restored positive thoughts, feelings, behaviors and promotes overall psychological well being Increased compassion, understanding and healing Reduced stress, anxiety, depression and chronic pain Lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse Ability to function better in career, education, work place Increases hope and optimism for the future Ultimately, the act of forgiveness releases us from past hurts, memories and enslavement. Alternatively, to not forgive is to surrender oneself to the control of others and allow the present to be consumed by the past.
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Mental & Physical

If we choose not to forgive, we subject ourselves to the possibility of carrying anger, bitterness and resentment into future situations and relationships, as well as deprive ourselves of the peace of mind, health and happiness we deserve. In the end, the best revenge is a life well lived!

Patience & Tips On How to Develop It

Patience is the ability to tolerate waiting, delay, or frustration without becoming agitated or upset. It's the ability to be able to control your emotions or impulses and proceed calmly when faced with difficulties. It comes from The Latin word pati which means to suffer, to endure, to bear. Needless to say, patience does not come easily to most of us and it's probably harder now to be patient than historically it has ever been. In today's world of 'instant everything', technological advancements and readily available credit have allowed us to obtain, experience, and consume practically anything we want - almost immediately. Do we even need to be patient anymore? Well, if we want to reach our goals, have successful relationships and achieve personal peace, the answer is a resounding yes! Anything worthwhile and of importance cannot take place right away. It takes time, dedication and effort to achieve; so even in this day and age, patience is a virtue.

The Benefits of Developing Patience:

1. Reduces stress levels and makes you a happier, healthier person. When you learn and practice patience you don't get as angry, stressed or overwhelmed. You are more in control of your emotions and in a better position to deal with difficult situations with ease and poise. This promotes longevity and makes you a happier, healthier person. 2. Results in better decision-making. When you're patient you take the time to assess the situation, see the big picture, and weigh any pros and cons. The chances of making a big mistake lessen because you avoid making it in haste. Taking the time to problem solve requires patience and deliberation. 3. Helps develop understanding, empathy and compassion. You are automatically more understanding and compassionate with others when you yourself are patient. Patient people take the time to process what they go through and are able to determine what it takes to overcome obstacles so they are more understanding of others. This results in better, more fulfilling relationships with spouses, friends, children and bosses. 4. Helps you understand and appreciate the process of growth. As mentioned earlier anything worthwhile takes time and effort to achieve. As the old saying goes "Rome wasn't built in a day." Planning, growth, evaluation and measurement all take time, and taking time takes patience.

Tips on How to Develop Patience:

Take a day where you make patience your goal for the entire day. Make a concerted effort to take your time and think about everything you do, be mindful and live in the moment. At the end of the day, observe all the ways in which you've made smarter decisions, got along better with others and actually understood what took place. Learn to do it on a daily basis. Developing patience is much like physical exercise because it requires persistence and effort. Slow down. If you have the tendency to rush around and try to hurry things up, want things done immediately and can't wait for things to take their natural course, STOP. Take several deep breaths before you act or make a move. For example, if you're in a long lineup at the grocery store or in heavy traffic, make the decision to pause and not get worked up. Do some isometrics, listen to the radio, or just enjoy the view. Getting impatient won't make things move along any faster, so why get worked up for nothing?
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Practice delaying gratification. When you want to reach for that dessert, second drink, or buying your tenth pair of red shoes, stop and think about it first. Maybe you don't need or want any of them that badly after all. You can save yourself some money or added calories. Practice thinking before you speak. At times we blurt out the first thought that comes into our heads without considering the consequences. If we're patient, pause and go over what we want to say, we can avoid hurting or offending others.

Situations for which patience is a must:

Reaching most goals Losing weight Having a baby Bodybuilding Becoming a professional career person such as a doctor, lawyer, engineer Becoming a top athlete Becoming a virtuoso in any musical field The healing of any wounds or illnesses Getting over loss or tragedy Patience is definitely a valuable character trait to develop. It may appear to be passive, however it is an active, purposeful and necessary form of self-discipline. Without patience many of our actions would be counter-productive and ultimately much time and energy would be wasted spinning our wheels. Surely, patience is a time-tested virtue.

Motivate Yourself - 5 Tips To Help You

To be able to motive yourself, or self-motivation, occurs when a person has the desire and willingness to do something and is internally motivated to do it. Sometimes it's very difficult to get ourselves moving and achieve what we want to achieve. The natural inclination is to procrastinate. Life just seems to get in the way. There is a job to go to, a house to clean, groceries to do, television to watch whoops! I guess we get pretty good at finding excuses to not get started on an exercise routine, reading a new book or cleaning out that closet. The fact is that we are creatures of routine and habit. However, once we allow ourselves to get into the habit of doing something (especially something we normally resist doing), it's no longer a struggle and we may even end up enjoying it. When we were young most of us probably didn't like bathing or brushing our teeth but as it became habit, we no longer thought about it, we just did it. So what can we do to motivate ourselves to accomplish, or even start working on, our goals? For starters we can do some critical thinking and ask ourselves what will happen if we don't develop a particular habit or routine. What would some of the consequences of neglecting to do so be? An important question, I would think. Many of us don't think far enough ahead when we need get in gear.

Here are some tips to get ourselves going:

1. Decide what you want. It's hard to motivate yourself when you don't have a goal or objective. Set a goal and decide how you are going to go about it. Then break it down into smaller sections so it's easier to tackle and less overwhelming. Do you want to run a marathon, lose 10 pounds, or make enough money for college tuition? Knowing what you want to accomplish is the first step in motivating yourself to get started.
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2. Keep track of your progress. Keep a log or journal where you chart your progress. It can motivate you by gauging how far you have come and how much you have accomplished. Looking at it alone can inspire you to keep pushing ahead, not to mention remind you what actions you need to take to get there. 3. Post motivating pictures or slogans on your fridge or elsewhere. It is always uplifting to see pictures of people who have accomplished what you're striving for. It makes it attainable and realistic. Likewise, little slogans like "go for it" or "just do it" can give you the little boost you need. Be sure to also read inspiring and motivational quotes. 4. Remind yourself why you want this and focus on the end result. If you remind yourself that you want to be healthier, go for that promotion or just better yourself, it will re-establish what you are doing and why. It's not unusual to hit a slump. Sometimes we forget what we set out to do and a little reminder is all we need to get revitalized. Visualize the end result and 'feel' how gratified and triumphant you will be when you've achieved your goal. 5. Make it a habit. Once you have accomplished your goal or objective make it a habit! If it was to exercise or eat properly, keep it up. If it was to work for a promotion or any other one-time event, maintain the habit of self-improvement. Once it becomes a habit, it will be second nature to you and you won't have to think about it anymore. That means you won't be procrastinating, avoiding, or trying to build up motivation to do it yet again. Interesting Tip: There is an interesting point to be aware of if you are too intense or work on a task in the same way for too long. By doing so, you can actually jeopardize your motivation. Who would have thought! Therefore, make it a point to walk away and take breaks every now and then. Change the conditions and timetable you're working under. Doing so will give you renewed energy and a fresh perspective for a project. Not surprisingly, we all have trouble motivating ourselves from time to time. However, if we remember why we want to accomplish something, and how great it will feel when we do, quite often it will serve as the only motivation we need to get on with it.

Overcoming Fear
Whatever it happens to be, overcoming a fear can be challenging, but when conquered, very liberating. Fear is an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger and is usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight. It can be real, or imagined. It is certainly not always a bad thing. When fear serves as a warning signal for impending danger or a lifethreatening situation, it is necessary and life preserving. If we didn't feel it in certain situations we wouldn't react appropriately and we'd put ourselves at great risk. If a fear is imagined or irrational, it can be paralyzing and hold us back from living life fully and productively. Many imagined fears, such as fear of rejection, looking foolish, or of failure are the types of fears we must learn to manage and overcome. If we let them control our lives, we would never venture forth or strive to become all that we can be. There are, of course, some fears that our having them, or not, doesn't affect our lives. For example, if someone has a fear of public speaking, yet has no need, intention, or desire to speak publicly; trying to conquer the fear is of no consequence. There is really no motivation, or need, to work on conquering it.
Written & edited by: Tanbir Rahman; Email: tanbirrahman@live.com; Mobile: 01675464743

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If, on the other hand, the fear of public speaking will hold one back from progressing in their career, or getting ahead in any way, then it's time to work on getting rid of it.

Strategies for Overcoming Fear

1. Acknowledge the fear. Whether it's imagined or real, the first step in overcoming fear is to admit that it exists. We all have fears; it's human nature. Denying or ignoring them doesn't make them go away. 2. Analyze it. Where does it come from? Is it real or imagined? Can it be put in a different context? For instance if you think it through to its logical conclusion, what's the worst that can happen to you? Once you've determined what that might be, ask yourself if you can deal with, or overcome it. More often than not, once you go through the process of analyzing it, the fear isn't as scary as you originally imagined. 3. Face it. Allow yourself to feel it, and then do it anyway. Act in spite of your fear and treat is as a challenge for personal growth and an opportunity to become stronger. 4. Be persistent. Do the thing you fear over and over again. By doing it repeatedly it loses its power over you and you become less vulnerable to it. 5. Develop courage. Sometimes the answer may not be to conquer a particular fear; it may be to develop courage. If you focus too much on any one fear instead of trying to build courage, you may in fact, intensify it. By developing courage you build self-confidence and resilience. You also build a healthy approach towards facing all fear.

As Mark Twain said: "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."

Here is list of top 9 fears according to Forbes.com:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Fear of bugs (especially spiders), mice, snakes, bats Fear of heights Fear of water (drowning) Fear of public transportation Fear of storms Fear of closed spaces Fear of tunnels and bridges Fear of crowds Fear of public speaking

How many on this list can you count as your own? Decide which ones you may want to work on, and then overcome your fears!

Written & edited by: Tanbir Rahman; Email: tanbirrahman@live.com; Mobile: 01675464743