5 Key Ways To Change the Way You Think

Here’s a link to a great post by John Assaraf entitled ‘How to Make Affirmations Work” :

http://www.johnassaraf.com/law-of-attraction-2/how-to-make-affirmations-work-for-you/

In it he summarizes key ways to recondition your brain. They are:

1) Create a new, powerful, physical and mental vision. Make your goals emotionally rich and crystal clear.

2) Create powerful declarations and affirmations in each category—health, wealth, relationships, business and spirituality—that support your new vision.

3) Use material, which may include written, auditory, visual and subliminal pieces. Through repetition—affirmations on audio, visualization and meditation—you will begin to replace your old beliefs and habits with new ones.

4) Maintain a daily routine of reconditioning techniques: For five to seven minutes, three times a day, use photos, vision boards, mental movies, self-guided imagery, real-life movies, and recorded and laminated affirmations.

5) Practice meditation daily. Meditation can increase your focus and concentration, increase your power of concentration and attune the brain to receive the answers, tools and resources needed to fulfill that vision.

We need a vision for our lives, or else nothing we do means anything. No matter what your current circumstances, if you can imagine something better for yourself, you can create it.

My Favorite Affirmation

Charles F. Haanel wrote The Master Key System in 1912 as a correspondence course and later published it as a book in 1917. In that work, he has created a step by step guide to tapping the power of thought as the means of achieving success. The principles he presents are the building blocks of utilizing the Law of Attraction.

In this book he presents an affirmation which I have used many times with great success. It calms me when I'm stressed and helps me to overcome my fears and anxieties. I don't know why this affirmation has such power for me, but it does work!

Here it is:

I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious and happy. That's it. Commit it to memory and recite when you need a boost.

Using Social Media for Positive Health Behavior Change

I’m the founder of a company called Mambo Health Gaming, which I founded six months ago to help people make positive health and wellness changes in their lives. As a veteran healthcare investment banker, I am well aware of the challenges facing our healthcare system. Many of these problems are associated with poor lifestyle decisions, accounting for over 50% of all health costs! These health behaviors can be positively altered, significantly reducing the need for costly treatments and substantially improving the quality of life of those who embrace healthy living. I also know from personal experience that it is possible to make dramatic changes in lifestyle and habits. Health change is not about willpower and incredible discipline. It all starts with a belief that change is possible, likely and achievable. Belief that you will be successful is the most important determinant of change. If someone thinks that they can’t do it, that they don’t have the ability, that it’s too hard, that for some reason they are genetically predisposed to failure, they will fail. We are designing health and wellness applications the encourage people to believe change is possible.

I started MamboHG because I believe that the solution to our healthcare crisis lies with the individual. It’s not about the next new drug or procedure. It’s not about all about cutting reimbursement or designing new devices or streamlining the administrative costs or adding more IT. We are getting fatter and sicker. It’s a fact. But I don’t think it’s because we are lazy or undisciplined. Health behavior change is complicated and well researched. There is no silver bullet. It’s a combination of factors. At MamboHg we are designing products using the tools and concepts that have helped people make positive changes in their health for decades.  What is different is that we are taking advantage of changes in the way people interact using social media and gaming.

Our applications incorporate key components of health behavior change drawn from a number of well-established theories:

1.            Health Belief Model

2.            Stages of Change Model or Transtheoretical Model

3.            Consumer Information Processing Model

4.            Theory of Reasoned Action

5.            Social Learning Theory or Social Cognitive Theory

6.            Social Network and Support Theories

In particular our applications incorporate the following features to effect positive health change:

1.            Recognize the need for change and that change is possible

2.            A plan of action consisting of small daily actions creating new healthy habits and eliminating unwanted habits

3.            Accountability and responsibility for one’s actions

4.            Realistic and sequential goals

5.            Encouragement and peer support

6.            Celebration of  milestones

7.            Rewards

8.            Competition

9.            Fun, engaging and entertaining

10.          Service to others

Our first product is MamboWalk, an everyday walkathon designed to encourage people to increase their daily step count while raising money for their favorite charity. Participants join teams and recruit friends to help them achieve their goals while earning points for prizes.

Please check our website: www.mambowalk.com and register to receive more information.

Eight Gifts That Don't Cost A Cent

by Author Unknown

1. THE GIFT OF LISTENING... - But, you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listen.

2. THE GIFT OF AFFECTION... - Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

3. THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER... - Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."

4. THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE... - It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

5. THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT... - A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job", or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.

6. THE GIFT OF A FAVOR... - Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.

7. THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE... - There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

8. THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION... - The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it's not that hard, to say, "Hello" or "Thank You".

We give and receive gifts each and every day. Gifts do not have to be monetary in value, the thoughts above brings out this point. How many gifts can you give this week?

Just letting someone know that you are thinking of them is truly a gift. Find quotes at thinking of you quotes to share with someone you are thinking of.

 

 

Achieve Health Benefits Simply - Measure Your Steps and Set Daily Step Goals

 

10000 STEP CHALLENGE

Health and fitness researchers are finding that people can achieve health benefits by exercising at a less intense level than previously thought. In other words, who is sedentary most of the day but who jogs over the lunch hour may expend as much cumulative energy as someone who is active the entire day.

Two studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association have confirmed that this lifestyle approach can be as effective as a traditional exercise program. Many doctors and researchers have found that wearing a pedometer is a great way to track your daily activity and inspire you to move more on days you have been sedentary.

To achieve good health, strive to take 10000 steps a day (the equivalent of walking roughly five miles). A person who walks 10,000 steps a day will burn between 2000 and 3500 extra Calories per week, which will result in achieving a vastly better health profile and longer lifespan.

If your goal is to lose weight, start slow and gradually work yourself up to walking 12000 to 15000 steps a day. Walking is a great way to lose weight—and keep it off.

Whether your goal is to achieve good health or to lose weight, put your pedometer on when you dress in the morning, and don't take it off until bedtime (unless, of course, you take a shower somewhere in between). Every step you take throughout your day counts!

 

 

10 Rules for Maintaining a Loving Relationship (for Men)

Thanks to my friend Charlie for this excellent advice learned from his Dad:

1. Compliment her everyday - whether you want to or not; if you forget you owe her two the next day 2. Acknowledge that house cleaning is horrible - do some of the house cleaning - for me I try to do the dishes when I am around and help keep things organized in the house 3. Don t avoid an argument - she doesn t want to be married to a wimp but at the same time let her win at least some of the time 4. Make her laugh often 5. Touch her affectionately everyday 6. Fix something in the abode every week - big projects on the weekend go along way 7. Demand to be treated like a king as long as you can demonstrate you are her slave 8. Watch your waistline - this is particularly true if you were a serious athlete 9. Be a doting father to the children but in a fire get her out first 10. Make a tremendous effort with the in laws

Why Being a Gentleman Matters

We all have a sense of right and wrong. What is unknown is whether or not this sense is innate or learned. It is clear that there are universal standards of behavior that transcend cultures and epochs. These universal principles of virtuous behavior are played out in the stories, myths, heroes and legends of cultures across the globe serving to reinforce an idealized standard of conduct. We, as members of the human race, know in our hearts what is right and what is wrong. In our society there are laws designed to ensure that our citizens adhere to a minimum threshold of acceptable behavior towards others consistent with general societal norms of right behavior. If we violate these laws and are caught and convicted we suffer the consequences as determined by society.

But what about those minor infractions against our inner moral compass that do not violate any laws on the books? What about those negative thoughts of ill will towards others? Or how about those short cuts we take and those selfish actions we initiate? What happens when we are guilty of greed, envy, gluttony, lust and those other deadly sins? Only we are truly aware of the thoughts and behaviors we exhibit that violate our inner sense of right and wrong. Therefore there are no real consequences that follow, right?

Well unfortunately the law of cause and effect is always at work. We have been conditioned throughout our lives to have an idealized image of ourselves and how we should behave. Our idealized image is unique to us. It reflects our individual temperament, our distinct strengths and interests and accentuates the qualities with which we resonate, but it also contains the universal virtuous qualities which are common to all human beings. When we fall far short of our idealized version of ourselves we suffer. When we make conscious decisions that lead us away from where we truly want to be, we become discouraged and hopeless. We are off course.

In choosing to act as gentlemen, we define our ideal and we monitor our progress on a daily basis. We chart a new course towards fulfillment and hope. We learn to deal with the obstacles that have tripped us up in the past. We acknowledge our shortcomings and mistakes. We strive to be better men. We choose to be open and honest. We inspire others and treat everyone with respect. We walk with poise and confidence, knowing we are making the right choices and have nothing to hide. We realize that we will continue to veer off course and will make poor decisions, but we take comfort in knowing that with the proper intentions and support from others we can always get back on track.