How to Concentrate in 4 Magic Steps
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One of the main problems that deter a person’s success is their lack of concentration. Lapses encourage disturbances to get in the way and stall progress. If ones wishes to proceed on their road to success, it is imperative they learn how to concentrate. Here, we show you some easy to learn exercises that are easy to implement.
1) Silence or Noise:
Most people cannot concentrate when it is too noisy, but others work better with music or others in the midst of a crowded room. If you are not aware as yet what best suits you, then try out the different environments. How? Take a notepad and a pencil or pen with you and try and write down a letter in all the three circumstances in a set amount of time. Ten minutes. That is all you will need to determine where your source of concentration lies. How? Check not only for length but also for development as that is more important.
2) Focal Point:
Every morning, before you leave for work or on the way, stare at any object for ten minutes. You can do this while in the toilet, car or bus. You will find this difficult, but whatever happens, do not move your gaze away. Hold it. Wait. And then, as the minutes pass you will find yourself deeply meditating about things that happened to you yesterday or challenges you have to face in a few minutes. Congratulations. You have just conquered the art of meditation.
3) Deep Breathing:
In the beginning, you can do this while staring at the object from tip number two, but if you wish to move towards real concentration, do this separetly. Sit down on the floor. If its hard, place a cushion. Close your eyes. Breathe. Count the number of inhales. When you have reached 100, start counting backwards but this time count the exhales. Mastering this will take you a while, but once you do move on to other kinds of mathemathical calculations such as naming the months of the year from December backwards or alphabetically. After that, make up exercises as you like.
4) Movement:
Focus on an animal: cat, dog or even ant or bird. Follow their every movement as if they exist in a vaccumm. Study every tiny spot on their body. The point of this is to learn how to diversify your concentration in such a way that movement does not deter you from your goal.
Conclusion:
Practice the above four tips and like magic, you will start enjoying life to its fullest because you will be able to focus on the things you want to focus on and disregard those that disrupt. Practive the above tips daily and you will be that much more closer to achieving your dreams and goals. Best of Luck!
Guest Writer @ November 4, 2007
7 Habits Of Extremely Unsuccessful People
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WARNING! If you want to have a fantastic life, never engage yourself in these 7 deadly habits that unsuccessful people have.
1. They Think, Say, & Do Negative Things.
They see problems in EVERY opportunity. They cursed the rain for ruining their plans for the day. They blame the wind for ruining their hair. They think that everyone is against them. They see the problems but never the solutions. Every little bit of difficulty is exaggerated to the point of tragedy. They regard failures as catastrophes. They become discouraged easily instead of learning from their mistakes.
They never seem to move forward because they’re always afraid to come out of their comfort zones.
2. They Act Before They Think.
They always act on instinct or impulse. If they see something they like, they buy at once without a second thought. Then they see something better. They regret & curse for not able to take advantage of the bargain.
Then they spend & spend again until nothing’s left. They don’t think about the future. What they’re after is the pleasure they will experience now.
They don’t think about consequences. Those who engage in unsafe sex, criminality, and the like are included in this group.
3. They Talk Much More Than They Listen
They want to be the star of the show. So they always engage in discussions that would make them heroes, even to the point of lying.
When other people advise them, they close their ears because they’re too proud to admit their mistakes. In their mind they’re always correct. They reject suggestions because that will make them feel inferior.
4. They Give Up Easily
Successful people treat failures as stepping stones to success. Unsuccessful ones call it quits upon recognizing the first signs of failure.
At first, they may be excited to start an endeavor. But then they lose interest fairly quickly, especially when they encounter any difficulty.
Then they go & search for a new one. Same story & same results. Unsuccessful people don’t have the persistence to go on and fulfill their dreams.
5. They Try to Bring Others Down To Their Level
Unsuccessful people envy other successful individuals. Instead of working hard to be like them, these unsuccessful ones spread rumors and try dirty tricks to bring them down.
6. They Waste Their Time
They don’t know what to do next. They may just be content with eating, getting drunk, watching TV, and never having thoughts about improving their lives.
It’s perfectly fine to enjoy once in a while. But time should be managed efficiently in order to succeed. There should be a proper balance between work & pleasure.
7. They Take the Easy Way Out
If there are two roads to choose from, unsuccessful people choose the wider road with less rewards than the narrower road with much better rewards at the end.
They want a good life but aren’t willing to suffer any hardship to get it.
What these people don’t know is that you reap what you sow. Extra efforts & action can bring greater rewards. A little sacrifice now can make you better off later.
Successful people made it through trial & error. They never give up. They are willing to do everything necessary to achieve what they want in life.
Guest Writer @ October 3, 2007
5 Fast Stress Busters
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Stress is fast becoming the biggest health problem in modern societies. Financial pressures, work pressures, family pressures – so much to do so little time to do it all! Here’s five quick ways to ease the pressure and relieve stress:
1. Make time to switch off from the daily trials and tribulations and relax for at least one hour every day. Just shut the world out and do something you enjoy. Reading, playing a musical instrument, taking a relaxing bath with music and candles (and maybe a glass of wine) are all great ways to unwind and will be extremely beneficial to your mental health.
2. If you’re dealing with a stressful situation and you have a lot on your plate, then it can be very hard to find solutions. You’re caught up in the midst of a sandstorm, and it is very difficult to see the way out. A good idea is to get some distance from your problems so you can gather your thoughts. If possible, take a day or even a weekend away from your usual surroundings, somewhere peaceful, and relax. Take a journal along so you can jot down any ideas. Distance away from problems can bring clarity and by relaxing, you’ll be calmer and solutions will come far easier than when you’re in the heat of battle.
3. One of the reasons people become stressed is because they are facing a change or even a number of changes to their lives. Change is a constant in life and refusing to accept change can cause stress levels to soar. When you are faced with a change, try to find the positives associated with change and embrace change instead of resisting it. Every change presents an opportunity for you to grow and there are always positives to find in even the most trying of circumstances. Change doesn’t bring stress, it’s all about how you react to change and if you react in a negative way, you will do yourself no end of harm.
4. There always seems to be an endless list of jobs that need doing: repairs around the home, paperwork, car maintenance, throwing out junk, cleaning the patio, weeding the garden – on and on and on! The more we put them off, the more the list grows and the more they contribute to your stress levels. So make a list of all of these chores and then schedule a “Blitz Day”. On this day, you will rise early and spend the whole day sorting out each of these jobs. Take few breaks and only have a quick bite at lunchtime and just blitz through these irritating but necessary tasks. This will get rid of them, you’ll lower the stress they cause but more importantly, you’ll realize just how effective and industrious you can be when you apply the full force of your will to accomplish things.
5. Treat yourself to a pamper day. This is a day where you escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday living and enjoy some stress-free time. You’ll also feel great and give your well being a huge boost. On this day, have a light workout, a swim, a sauna, a Jacuzzi, a steam room. A massage would be nice and if you have access to one, a Turkish baths will give you an invigorating experience. Try to do this at least once a month, it is an excellent stress-buster.
The 5 Tips here will help you to significantly reduce your stress levels but they’ll only work for you if you put them into action. Give them a go – you’ll be amazed at the results!
Guest Writer @ August 3, 2007
5 Fun Easy Ways To Get Out Of A Rut
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I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel less than great. Low, grouchy, fed-up, and bored are all words you could use to describe what I’m like on those days and I’m probably not the best company. The thing is, days like those are part of the deal with being human – it’s not an elective. There will always be off days, and that’s okay.
But what happens when you get a whole string of those off-days, maybe lasting weeks, months or even years? Too many of us say that we’re in a rut, feel stuck, fed-up, or bored and admit that we don’t want things to be that way, but we don’t know what to do to change. That’s the problem, when you’re in a rut, you don’t have the energy or motivation to change things for the better, and it’s tough to find the insight or resources you need to make that jump.
Here are five fun and easy ways you can use right now to climb, or better yet, leap out of the rut and start to get something better for yourself.
1. Do Something Differently
Life tends to run smoothly when we establish systems and routines for things, but the problem comes when things run too smoothly and we become blinded to any ideas or choices that sit outside of our routine. All the stuff we do every day becomes the norm, running on auto-pilot, and it becomes our whole world.
Start with making one or two simple changes to your day – be it at breakfast time, your radio station, gym routine, route to work, lunch routine, etc. Don’t worry about what the changes are or whether they’re right or wrong, just make a couple of simple choices that will serve you well.
Doing something differently or changing parts of your routine, instantly takes you out of the norm and allows you to shake off the things that make you feel confined. Step out of your routine and you’ll be in a position where you’re able to make different choices, see things differently and get a different result.
2. Use your Intuition
Your intuition is a powerful ally, and we all have it even though you might not recognize it. The dictionary says that intuition is:
1.a. The act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes.
1.b. Knowledge gained by the use of this faculty; a perceptive insight.
2. A sense of something not evident or deducible; an impression.
One of the best friends you’ll ever have in life is your intuition, and tuning in to it and learning to trust it is something that can have some truly remarkable effects. Accessing your intuition is a bit like working and developing a muscle, but it can be harder to locate than a bicep or quadricep, which tend to stay in the same place.
Here are some quick tips for accessing and trusting it:
• Practice maintaining an open-minded, playful, experimental, non-judgmental attitude. This is the most fertile ground to tap into your intuition.
• Practice making wild guesses in your everyday life. Guess what a salesperson’s name is, what a new person or place will look like or who’s calling on the phone. Don’t worry about getting it wrong, you’re just working that muscle.
• Try a few simple observation exercises in your daily life. Whether you’re in a restaurant, on a train, in a bar, or out shopping, practice noticing non-verbal behavior in others. Look for shifts in posture, eye movements, vocal tone or tempo, etc. Guess how they’re feeling or what they’re talking about.
3. Nourishment
Imagine you’re walking home from the supermarket with a couple of bags of groceries, but those bags have holes in them. You’re walking along merrily leaving a trail of your things behind you, but when you get home you unpack what’s left and ask, “Didn’t I have more than this?”
Nourishment is about plugging those holes in your life and making sure you have things that keep you feeling nourished – nourished in your head, nourished in your heart, and nourished in your stomach. Remember that you can’t give away what you don’t have, and can’t spend energy you’ve already spent.
It doesn’t have to be the big things in life that nourish you and it’s often the simplest little thing that strikes a chord, makes you feel like yourself again, or makes you smile from ear to ear – calling a friend, talking a walk in the park, or listening to your favorite song, for example. So what keeps you balanced? What relaxes you or makes you feel peaceful? What makes you feel like you again?
The fact is that you’re important enough to spend time taking care of yourself and it doesn’t matter what it is, just take the time to do it. If necessary, go as far as booking time in your diary. You’re the only one of you there is, so it’s your responsibility to make sure you’re okay.
4. Perfect Day
Here’s something to play with – your Perfect Day. This idea came to me a few years ago when a good friend suddenly asked me “What would be your perfect day?” I’d never been asked that before and I found myself spontaneously making up a story – telling her about my Perfect Day from the moment my eyes flickered open to the moment my head hit the pillow.
I went through each part of the day telling her what I was doing, who I was with, where we were, how it felt and what happened next. Bit by bit and without even thinking about it, I’d put together a rich, colorful, exciting, and comforting day, which still holds true as my Perfect Day. The best part is that you can start introducing little bits of your Perfect Day into your real life or working to make some of it happen. For example, in part of my Perfect Day I visit a company where I’m helping the directors and employees to focus on their strengths and to create a environment where people love to work and can be their best – and that was even before I knew that there was such a thing as coaching or that I could be a coach. My Perfect Day has now become like a good friend of mine whom I can call on whenever I want to.
So what’s your Perfect Day? Don’t think too much about it and don’t worry about it sounding silly or too grand. Just shoot from the hip and see what comes out naturally for you. Write down words, ideas, themes or a whole narrative – even draw pictures if you want to. Have fun with it, play with it – it’s your Perfect Day.
5. Get Some Fun, Fulfilment and Freedom
The Three F’s – Fun, Fulfilment, and Freedom – encompass a lot of what people are looking for in life, and also contain the solutions to having, doing and being those things. Here are some definitions,
Fun, n. – A source of enjoyment or pleasure; playful activity.
Fulfilment, n. – A feeling of satisfaction at having achieved your desires.
Freedom, n. – The capacity to exercise choice; the absence of constraint in choice or action.
Where are you in relation to each of the Three F’s? How much of each do you have right now? How much of each do you want? Whatever gap there is, recognize that you can close it. What would things be like if you were to close that gap? What would happen if you climbed a point or two on the Fun scale? What if you could add a point to your level of Fulfilment or Freedom? How would that feel? Pretty good, right? So what one thing can you do right now to help you get more?
By themselves each of the Three F’s are a powerful thing, and can really help to move you forward, enjoy where you are, and feel alive. But when the Three F’s come together . . .well, just hold on to your hat and keys.
Guest Writer @ July 3, 2007
A Starter Guide to Building Your Self Esteem
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How do you stay calm and composed and maintain your self esteem in a rough environment? Here are some tips to consider:
Imagine yourself as a Dart Board. Everything and everyone else around you may become darts at one time or another. These darts will destroy your self esteem and pull you down in ways you won’t even realize. Don’t let them destroy you or get the best of you. So which darts should you avoid?
Dart 1: Negative Work Environment
Beware of “dog eat dog” environment in which everyone else is fighting to get ahead. This is where nonappreciative people usually thrive. No one will appreciate your contributions even if you miss lunch and dinner and stay up late. Most of the time you end up working too much without getting help from the people concerned. Stay out of this situation or it will ruin your self esteem. Competition is at stake everywhere. Be healthy enough to compete, but in a healthy competition. Don’t allow yourself to be overworked.
Dart 2: Other People’s Behavior
Bulldozers, brown nosers, gossipmongers, whiners, backstabbers, snipers, the walking wounded, controllers, naggers, complainers, exploders and patronizers are the kinds of people whose bad vibes hurt your self esteem and plan for self improvement.
Dart 3: Changing Environment
You can’t be a green bug on a brown field. Changes challenge our paradigms. It tests our flexibility, adaptability and alters the way we think. Change might make life difficult for awhile and may cause stress, but it also helps us to find ways to improve ourselves. Change is inevitable and always will be. You must be open to it and accept it. People who cannot accept change get left behind. You don’t have to be one of those people.
Dart 4: Past Experience
It’s okay to cry and say “ouch!” when we experience pain. But don’t let pain transform itself into fear. It might grab you by the tail and swing you around. Treat each failure and mistake as a lesson, because there is always something to be learned from failure. You just have to see it.
Dart 5: Negative World View
Focus on what you’re looking at. Don’t wrap yourself up with all the negativities of the world. In building self esteem, we must learn how to make the best out of worst situations.
Dart 6: Determination Theory
The way you are and your behavioral traits is said to be a mixed end product of your inherited traits (genetics), your upbringing (psychological), and your environment, such as your spouse, the company, the economy or your circle of friends. You have your own identity. If your father is a failure, it doesn’t mean you have to be a failure too. Learn from other people’s experience, so you won’t make the same mistakes.
Sometimes, you may wonder if some people are born leaders or positive thinkers. The answer is NO. Being positive, and staying positive is a choice. Building self esteem and drawing lines for self improvement is a choice, not a rule or a talent. No one’s going to give you permission to build your self esteem. You have to give it to yourself right now.
In life, it’s hard to stay strong, especially when things and people around you keep pulling you down. When we get to the battle field, we should choose the right weapons and armor to use; make sure it’s bulletproof. We have lots of options in life. During the battle, we will get hit and bruised. And wearing bullet proof armor ideally means ‘self change’, the kind of change which comes from within, voluntarily. Armor or self change affects 3 things: your attitude, your behavior and your way of thinking.
Building self esteem will eventually lead to self improvement because you become responsible for who you are, what you have and what you do. It’s like a flame that should gradually spread like a brush fire from inside and out. When we develop self esteem, we take control of our mission, values and discipline. Self esteem brings about self improvement, true assessment, and determination. So how do you start putting up the building blocks of self esteem? Be positive. Be committed and happy. Be appreciative. Never miss an opportunity to compliment others. Embracing a positive way of living will help you build self esteem.
Administrator @ June 1, 2007
10 Questions To Ask Yourself For Self-Improvement
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Are you everything you want to be? Do you have everything you want in life? Most people will say “no” to both questions. If your answer is “yes,” I encourage you to read on just in case you’re mistaken. It’s very easy to be complacent with the way things are in your life. After all, the easiest thing to do is nothing at all. If, however, you aspire for something deeper and more meaningful in life, you need to start by asking yourself these 10 questions:
1. What do I really want?
If you’re like most people, there are lots of things you want but you feel like there’s not enough time to achieve them. All you have to do is pick one thing you want and work on that. Finding something you are good at can help you take small step towards improvement.
2. Should I really change?
Good knows, no one is perfect. There’s bound to be things about yourself that you don’t like that are changeable. You just need to set priorities about what to change.
3. What’s the bright side in all of this?
When a lot is happening around us, there seems to be no time to consider the light at the end of the tunnel. It is possible to look at a bad situation and see the good things that can and will come out of it. So if there’s a train at the end of the tunnel, take it for a ride and see what interesting places it takes you to.
4. Am I comfortable with what I’m doing?
There’s always the easy way and the right way when it comes to deciding what goes with which shoes, or purse, or shirt. It doesn’t take a genius to see yourself as someone unique, or else we’d all be the same in everything we do. Variety makes life more interesting. Is there something different you would rather be doing? Is there some way to work that into your plans?
5. Have I done enough for myself?
Have you, or is there something more you want to do? Discontentment in every aspect can be dangerous in large doses, but in small amounts you’ll be able to see and do stuff you could never imagine doing.
6. Am I happy at where I am today?
Take a survey of the things you enjoy in your life, such as being a mom or dad. Then think about how you could be even better. People expect you to do the same things you’re doing now, so when you take it up a notch, they’ll be pleasantly surprised and impressed.
7. Am I appealing to the opposite sex (or same sex, if that’s the case)?
Listen, even you’re married or dating someone, being considered attractive to others shapes part of our self-esteem. So this is not just a question for someone single. However, if you are single, and you don’t want to be, this question is even more important in changing your situation. You could try exercising more, eating healthier, wearing different clothes or wearing your hair differently to see if you get any reaction.
8. How much could I have?
As far as I’m concerned, there is no such thing as having too much or too little. What’s most important is how badly you want what you don’t have. Most of us would love to have money coming out of our ears, but the question is how much are you willing to work for it?
9. What motivates me?
What motivates you? It’s a question only you can answer. There are so many things that can make a person happy, but to choose the most important one is the hard part. It’s not like you can’t have one serving of your favorite food in a buffet and that’s it. Just try it piece by piece.
10. What Really Makes You Tick?
You can be just about anything you always wanted to be, but to think that achieving something that may seem very difficult is already giving up before you even start that journey. Always remember, that self-improvement is not just about the physical or philosophical change you have to undergo, but it’s something that you really want.
The whole purpose of these questions is to get you thinking about what you want to change. The next step is to start taking steps to achieve the change you want.
Administrator @ May 1, 2007
64 Ways To Relieve Stress
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Everyone faces stress in their life at one time or another. Because it is impossible to avoid stress completely, the best thing to do is to find ways to take your mind off stressful situations. The following is a list of things you can do to help alleviate stress in your life.
1. Identify the real cause of your stress.
2. Events causing stress should be written down and analyzed once a month.
3. You should not react immediately to stressful events. Always take time to think about the best way to respond.
4. Don’t dwell on the past. Concentrate on the future and gather courage and willpower.
5. Don’t dwell on your loss but find out the reason for it and try to solve it or prevent it in the future.
6. Face all situations with confidence.
7. If you are religious, practice your faith.
8. If you are not religious, engage in yoga and meditation.
9. Always hope for the best.
10. Always take a positive approach.
11. Before doing anything, plan a solution to face a negative situation.
12. You shouldn’t live only for money.
13. Help those less fortunate than yourself.
14. Visit the sick and give them moral support.
15. Whenever you are stressed out, take a deep breath and relax.
16. If you are stressed out, count down from 100 to 1.
17. Look at a beautiful picture on a wall or anywhere you can find one.
18. Keep flowers in the room to look at them.
19. Practice breathing exercises regularly.
20. Aromatherapy is good to relax the mind. Buy some fragrant candles to burn when you are stressed.
21. Make a surprise call to an old friend.
22. When you are stressed, think of people who suffer from more serious problems, either people you know or people you’ve seen on television.
23. Keep in close contact with your family and share your problems with them.
24. Go for pleasure trips with your family. It can be just a short drive or a picnic.
25. Avoid sedentary and solitary life. Mingle with others.
26. Laughing and sharing jokes with others will make you relaxed.
27. Watch a movie you like, especially one with a happy ending.
28. Visit a close friend or relative.
29. Discuss a stressful event with your close friend.
30. Spend time with your kids and join in their play.
31. Join in a healthy discussion on any interesting topic.
32. Always approach the people in a polite manner.
33. Maximum attempt should be made to reduce enemies.
34. Keep a regular routine for your activities.
35. Sound and adequate sleep is very important to relax your mind and body.
36. Allow fresh air into your room.
37. Get up early in the morning.
38. After waking, have a nice bath with your favorite shampoo or soap.
39. Use your favorite perfume.
40. Use a room freshener.
41. Have a relaxing body massage.
42. Maintain your personal hygiene.
43. Your health problems should be discussed with your doctor and your doctor’s instructions should be strictly followed.
44. Make a habit of cleaning your home and surroundings.
45. Find an activity to do with your spouse or companion.
46. Take a morning and evening walk to relax.
47. Take a 15-20-minute afternoon nap, but do not fall into a deep sleep.
48. Listen to good music.
49. Go to a movie with a close friend.
50. Reading an interesting book or magazine can reduce stress.
51. Gardening is a good way to relax.
52. Spend a little time with your pets.
53. Play a game, either a card game or board game.
54. Engage in your hobbies.
55. Write an article, poem or story.
56. Eat at regular intervals. Don’t go too long without eating. You need food for energy.
57. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
58. Make your favorite meal and have it with your family.
59. Eating at a reasonably priced restaurant may put you in a good mood.
60. Excessive smoking and drinking should be avoided.
61. Watch a comedy show on TV.
62. Spend half an hour exercising to good music.
63. Alphabetize your collection, including CDs, DVDs, books or videos.
64. Make up your own list of activities you like to do when you are stressed out. Keep it someplace you’ll remember.
Administrator @ April 1, 2007
Four Influential Scientific Views of Personality
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Personality like many things in life is somewhat abstract and can be difficult to define at times. The basic definition of personality is the relatively stable characteristics that are enduring and distinctive. Your personality is what separates people from a crowd.
Psychologists who study personality try to analyze why people act differently in the same situation; for example, they want to know why one person acts shy when they first meet a stranger, while another is natural and funny and has no difficulty being themselves. Some scientists believe this is genetically engraved and that people don’t have much control over it. Other psychologists believe that the environment has a significant influence in the way people act.
The truth is that personality is a multi-dimensional subject that requires pieces from various theories, because everyone is so unique.
One theory is the psychodynamic perspective discovered by Sigmund Freud. This theory states that personality merely exists on the surface and to find the true personality you have to dig deep into the mind. Psychologists who favor this approach believe that personality is an unconscious process, or that the individuals are not aware that they are conceited or confident. Freud was known for his controversial theory that young boys have a sexual attraction to their mother; maybe he was referring to himself regarding his romantic relationship with his mother who was 20 years younger than his father.
Freud also believed that dreams hold important motifs in behavior. In addition, he believed that personality can be divided into layers like an ice berg. The part that is buried far below the water is the id or the unconscious part. A good example is shown by children who frequently act on pleasure without thinking about the end result. If everyone had a strong id personality, the world would be a very scary place to live in because people would be more likely to act on natural impulses rather than conforming to society norms.
The ego is makes people aware of reality and helps them conform to social norms. For example, most people realize they can’t have high and unmanaged levels of sex and aggression or else they will in engage in criminal acts such as rape and physical assault.
Lastly, Freud’s concept of the superego referred to the conscious part of personality which makes moral decisions. Your superego decides what is right and what is wrong.
Many psychologists didn’t agree with Freud’s unconscious theory. One such psychologist was Alfred Adler. Adler believed that people were motivated by purposes and goals to achieve something in life. He also believed that people had the ability to be aware of what’s going on in their life and to consciously monitor their day to day events. He thought one component of personality is a person’s attempt to compensate for things they don’t have. For example, a person who acts superior may being doing it in response to their own insecurities in order to feel better about themselves by bringing other people down. This theory was known as individual psychology, which states that a person’s behavior is motivated by their purposes and goals they want to achieve. Adler created the concept of the inferiority complex. When a person attempts to overcome their insecurities, this is known as compensation.
When psychologists ignore the unconscious mind, they tend to look at the environment more when determining personality, and this is known as the behavior approach. They believe that you can only determine personality by what you see on the outer surface. For an example, if someone is shy, works hard, and is motivated to achieve something, that is all part of their personality. This theory was founded by a psychologist named B.F. Skinner.
He also believed that personality can change due to stress in the environment, so personality didn’t have to always be consistent. As a result, a person who is shy can become aggressive and outgoing; a person who is outgoing can become shy as a result of their environment. If a person is given positive reinforcement for a particular behavior, they are more likely to behave that way in the future.
Different from Freud and Skinner’s theory is the humanistic approach discovered by Carl Rogers. This approach is less pessimistic, and finds the good in humans and believes that humans have the freedom to choose their own destiny. The central theme in Rogers’ approach is self concept which is an individual’s view of their own abilities, behavior, traits, and personality. If a person has a distorted self concept then most likely they will be awkward to hang around and associate with.
When analyzing self concept, Rogers talked about distinguishing between the real self and the ideal self. The ideal self is the type of person that you would like to be. If a person has a great conflict between their real self and the type of person they would like to be, then the more awkward or maladjusted they will act. To correct this, we should try to focus more on our real self and develop a positive view of it and stop caring about what other people want or expect from us and try to have more positive experiences in our everyday lives.
Another way we can help develop a more positive view of our real self is by a concept known as unconditional positive regard. This term can be defined by being accepting of different individuals regardless of their behavior; most people will admit this is difficult to do. When a person is being rude, aggressive, or disrespectful, as strange as it seems, they still need support and love. This doesn’t mean to hug someone after they punch you, but to respond to say “I don’t like the way you are acting but I still care about you and respect you as a person.”
Despite different views on personality, many psychologists find that there is some truth in these different theories. As a result, Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, B. F. Skinner and Carl Rogers are all considered to have been the most influential psychologists of the 20th century.
Administrator @ March 1, 2007
Is your personality the result of past experiences?
Posted in: Self-Help | Comments (0)
Sociologist Herbert Mead developed a theory called social behaviorism, which helped explain why past social experiences help shape an individuals’ personality. Mead did not believe that personality was shaped by biology, but instead by social relations. He stated that the self only developed when people interact with one another. Without interaction with others, a person can’t develop a personality. An example of this is if a child is left in total isolation for a long period of time, then they don’t mature physically or mentally.
By the same token, social experience is crucial, and this includes the exchange of symbols. Only people attach meanings to words and symbols. If you tell a dog to sit and it obeys then you may give it a snack. However, this doesn’t mean it knows why it should sit down; it does so to get food. You can tell a dog to sit for numerous of reasons, such as wanting to impress your friends, or to calm it down because it is running all over the place.
Mead believed that understanding individual intentions is critical. This helps us analyze how an individual will respond even before we act. For example, when driving a car, we all try to anticipate what others may do, because of our experience. If a car behind you is speeding up quickly, then you can assume they are about to switch lanes, or you can assume they are in a hurry to get somewhere. Mead refers to this as taking another individual’s role.
Another important theory that is related to social behaviorism is the looking-glass self. This is basically like mirroring what we think others think of us. If you think others view you as “good looking,” then you will see yourself as being good looking; if you think people think you are fat, then you will have that same image of yourself.
People take on the roles of other people during development. Infants have very little knowledge so they tend to mimic others. Children often have creative minds and take on roles of other significant others or people such as parents that have a special importance in their social development. For example, children will play house in which someone will take the role of a mother, while another takes that of a father. As they grow, children will learn to take various roles and adjust to their surroundings. As we get older, we will continue to see changes in our social life.
There are a lot of critics of Mead’s theories, including those who claim he focuses too much on the society’s role in developing an individual’s behavior.
Another sociologist, Erik H. Erikson, stated that, unlike Freud who believed that personality was pretty much set in stone in the first couple of years of an individual’s life, personality changes in stages and occurs all the way up to death. His theory is not all that accurate as well, because people experience changes in different orders and at different times.
Despite all the disagreements, sociologists generally agree that family has the greatest impact on an individual’s socialization skills. As an infant, you had no control and usually relied on your parents and family members to help nurture you. Through family you learned communication techniques such as trust, culture, and beliefs. However, not all learning comes from your family; Personality can be shaped by the outside environment, as well. That’s where the saying comes that it takes a “village to raise a child.”
It has been observed that different social classes tend to raise their children differently. An interesting survey done in the United States compared what a lower class family would want in a child compared to that of an upper class family. A lower class family would usually favor obedience and conformity while an upper class family would tend to favor creativity and good judgment (NORS, 2003). Wonder why that is? The reason is that working class people tend to have jobs in which they must be very obedient and are highly supervised. Subconsciously they are preparing their children for the same type of job. People in upper classes tend to have jobs that inspire individuality and creativity, and those are the traits they want in their children. School also has a large effect on an individual’s personalities. This should come as no surprise since children spend much of their day and lives attending school. For that reason, if working class parents want their children to have higher paying jobs, they should encourage individualism and creativity in their child.
You may have noticed that children frequently play with people who are the same race and gender, although certainly not always. School is where children discover peer groups or individuals with interests similar to their own. People tend to identify more with their peer groups and can have conversations about things they generally agree on, such as clothes, music, and style. Peer groups are a way for children and teens to escape adult supervision. They are a place where children can be more outspoken.
During adolescence, children tend to identify more with their peer groups and that is also when parents are more concerned about who their children hang with because they know that who they hang around will influence their behavior.
Another heavy influence on children and teens is mass media. Studies have shown that television has made people more passive and even decreased their creativity. In the United States we spend the most time watching television and own the most television sites per household.
The most important lesson to learn from sociology is that although there are other influences on the development of a child’s personality, the role of family is always important and can offset negative influences. If parents spend lots of time away from their children, it is essential to make up for this by setting aside time to spend with children.
Administrator @ February 1, 2007
Some Simple Accounting Terms You Should Know
Posted in: Financial | Comments (0)
If you are interested in running a business, be it a home business or a traditional brick and mortar business, you can hire an accountant to take care of your finances, but it will benefit you to know some basic accounting terms.
A company’s financial position indicates the amount of resources it has, and also the claims against those resources at any given time. Claims can also be referred as equities. So, a company can be known as a combination of economic resources and equities.
Economic Resource = Equities.
Regardless of what type of business you run, your business has two different types of equities. They are creditor’s equity and owner’s equity.
Economic Resources = Creditors Equities + Owner’s Equity.
In accounting terms, the economic resources a company has at any given time is called their assets. On the other hand, the amount of creditor’s equity a company has is referred to as their liabilities. Here is the standard equation of accounting or better known as the accounting equation:
Assets = Liabilities + Owner’s Equity
Just like an algebraic equation, both sides of the equation must be equal. This equation comes in handy when analyzing the financial results of your everyday business activities.
Another important component of any business is their assets. Assets are known as the economic resources that a business has that are expected to generate money in the future. Some examples of assets are real estate and any other property that a business owns that they can rent out to people. Any money owed to a business is known as accounts receivable. However, there are some assets that are not physical, including copyrights, patents and trademarks.
Liabilities are the obligations a business has such, cash it has to pay, future services it has to provide to individuals, or transferring assets to another entity. These are known as company’s debt or the money they owe in the near future. All of these are recorded in the accounts payable. It’s important to note that liabilities and debts are claims that are take seriously by the law. The law gives creditor (People that money is owed to) the right to push the sale of a company’s assets if debt isn’t paid on time. Creditors have many rights over owners and debts have to be paid in full even before the owner’s receive anything. It is very possible for a debt to consume all of a company’s resources.
Owner’s equity refers to the claim that owners of a business make in regards to the assets they have. It is the residual interest or the remaining assets of a company after deducting the amount of liabilities. Here is the equation for owner’s equity:
Owner equity = Assets – Liabilities
The owner’s equity within a corporation (as opposed to a sole proprietorship) is referred to as stockholders equity, so the equation then looks like this:
Assets = Liabilities +Stockholder’s Equity
The stockholders equity has two distinct parts which are the contributed capital and retained earnings.
Stockholder’s Equity = Contributed Capital + Retained Earnings.
The amount an individual stockholder puts into a business is known as the contributed capital. Contributed capital is usually divided into two separate parts known as “par value” and “additional paid in capital.”
The retained earnings are the amount of equity that is earned by stockholders from the income generating activities of a business that are kept for future use. Retained earnings are affected by three types of transactions:
1. Revenues
2. Expenses
3. Dividends
The increase and decrease in a stock are known as revenues and expenses, respectively, and these come from operating any business, whether online or offline.
An online business will have expenses, such as yearly domain name registration fees and monthly hosting fees. An offline business expense will be office rent. Another example is if a customer agrees to pay you in the near future for a service that the company will perform. The money the customer owes is recorded in the accounts receivable (asset account), which increase the asset value but decreases the stock holder’s equity amount, which is an example of revenue. However, if a company promises to provide a service in the future, then this is known as an expense. When this happens, the assets decrease (accounts receivable) and the liabilities (accounts payable) are increased?
When the revenues exceed the expenses, this results in net income, which every business wants to have. On the other hand, if expenses are greater than revenues, there is a net loss. This means you’re losing money because your business costs are more than your business earnings.
Dividends are the distribution of assets to stockholders which refer to the past earnings. Do not confuse expenses with dividends, because they both do reduce the amount of retained earnings. Retained earnings are the collected net income or revenues minus expenses.
Financial statements are the main way to communicate how a business is doing to those who have some type of interest in it.
There are four main financial statements:
1. Income statement
2. Statement of retained earnings
3. The balance sheet
4. The statement of cash flow
What the income statement does is summarize the revenues earned or money made, and the expenses or the money that is deducted from a business. Many accountants consider it the most important financial report because it makes it clear whether a business has met its profitability goal.
The statement of retained earnings shows the retained earnings over a period of time. Retained earnings will be zero when a company is just starting in its’ accounting period. A lot of corporations use the statement of stockholder equity as a substitute for retained earnings. This is a more detailed statement because it displays not only the aspects of retained earnings but also shows the changes in the stockholders equity accounts.
The balance sheet is the financial situation of a business on a particular date, usually at the end of the month or year. The balance sheet displays the value of a business according to their assets and the claims against those assets, which are the liabilities and the stockholders equity.
Lastly, the statement of cash flows is geared towards a company’s liquidity measures. They are basically the flow in and out cash in a company. The net cash flow is the difference between the inflow and outflow of money. The statement of cash flows also displays the money generated by operating a business, and it shows the investing and financing transactions that occur during a particular accounting period.
Keep in mind that you only need to worry about things such as stockholders and dividends if you are running a corporation. For sole proprietorships, it is simpler.
I hope these accounting terms have been helpful. You might need to read through this again before you fully understand it.
Administrator @ January 29, 2007