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How To Stay Motivated When Nothing Is Happening

I’m sure you’ve experienced that moment when it seemed you had some amazing insight into another version of reality and became really excited about an idea you had and, for a few moments, or a few days, you fully believed you could change your world. This could be anything from losing a little weight, maybe after seeing a beautiful dress in a shop window; to starting a new business based on your inspirational idea about some new product or service that the world really needed.

You get all excited for a while, maybe buy a few diet books, or books about being self-employed; time passes, the enthusiasm wanes, insurmountable problems appear and in the end you decide it just wasn’t for you and you’d better get used to being fat or working from 9 to 5 in a job you hate for the rest of your life.

Until the next idea pops up and you go through the whole process again.

There is only one problem with this. It’s a method of living that teaches you, at a very profound level, that you are a failure and that success in life is for others – not you.

“Greatness exists in all of us”

Actor Will Smith

The problem, you may be surprised to learn, is not with you, it’s just with the approach you take.

Motivation is a skill and without it, all is lost. The only thing that stops you from being successful is the loss of that excitement you first felt about the project – before the real world got in the way and you found you still had to wash the dishes, cook meals for people who like to be fat, and still generate income.

Here are four steps you can think about that are all it takes to keep you on the track to your dreams and desires.

  1. Begin with that first inspirational moment when you had your desire or your wish. Go back to it frequently. Recall all the good feelings you felt along with it. It will have been the good feelings that made you think it was a good idea at the time, so feel those feelings and allow them to grow. When you cultivate this and forge it into a strong memory, every time you bring it to mind, those good feelings will return and those good feelings will reawaken your desire for success. So after this step, at any time in the future when you are filled with doubt and want to give up, just bring this memory to the forefront of your mind. Re-feel all the good feelings and know that you will succeed.
  2. Use the power of your mind. When you hold the vision of the end result in your mind every morning and every evening you will re-program your subconscious to assist you in creating your vision. But when you do this don’t see the end result as some future event – see it as if it were all around you right now. Think about how your life is different. See the places you are going in your new, slimmer outfits. Notice the admiring glances you are receiving and people asking you how you managed it. See yourself in new places and feel the sense of pride and confidence. Keep your vision alive, real, and as if it already exists, every single day.
  3. Offer no resistance to the process. As you move closer and closer to a total belief within yourself that this will happen; as you move closer and closer to realising that the end result is inevitable, the world around you will shift – doors will open, magical things will happen to assist you. This is the point at which many people get scared and back off. Just go with the flow. When a door opens, step through it. If you don’t like it you can always back out afterwards. But be curious and see where it leads. When the magic happens, give thanks and appreciation for the amazing universe we live in.
  4. Believe in yourself totally. If you thought about it; if it moved you; if you were inspired, excited, or pleased then this is a possibility for you. If the doubts creep in then just remember where you are going and why you want it. Know that you deserve it. Banish any doubt from your mind that you always fail because you don’t deserve enough; because you aren’t good enough, because you aren’t clever enough. Some of the richest people in the world have no academic qualifications. They left school and just started making money. No one told them they couldn’t, so they didn’t know that what they were achieving was impossible. Just give yourself a break this time and let yourself have what you want.

It’s as easy as that.

You can use this for anything you want from something small to something big. It may be an idea to try it out on something small first because there is usually less resistance to small desires. Once you have some successes under your belt move on to bigger things.

Don’t forget if you have any comments or questions post them below.

Good luck

Michael

Categories
Happiness self-help

Keys to Happiness: Self-Appreciation

By Michael Hadfield

Appreciation, or rather the expression of appreciation, is essential for emotional health and well-being. Appreciation is a skill that we can all learn. But it has to start at home. It has to start with appreciation for you.

Appreciation of self may not come easily. I don’t know about you but I grew up with the sense that to ‘blow my own trumpet’ was a bad thing – something I shouldn’t do because I wouldn’t be liked if I did. Being liked was important to me – so I didn’t blow my own trumpet – ever.

I also rarely felt good about myself.

In my seeking to understand me I discovered that a powerful connection exists here.

If you don’t already feel good about yourself, and you seek happiness, then learning the art of self-appreciation is the key to unlocking the good feelings you’d like to feel inside of you. With that in mind I have some exercises for you to complete. I would like you to make a chart of your life. Write down a list of numbers that represent ages from 0 to your current age – one line for each. Then just allow your mind to drift over each of those ages briefly and note down anything significant to you in the way of a success, or an achievement – something you felt good about at the time, or you feel good about now. Things like starting school; passing some exams; getting a job; getting a job you wanted; kissing someone you liked; first-time sex; riding a roller coaster; taking a picture; first pay check; growing a plant from seed; eating something you’d grown; fulfilling a dream; healing. It really doesn’t matter what it is, it definitely doesn’t matter if the rest of world would see it as insignificant, what matters is that it was important to you and made you feel good, or excited, or happy.

Now when you’ve been over the list and filled in all the major events, look at the gaps and see if you can possibly find something to put on every single line. That’s a bit of a challenge I admit, and there is certainly no failure if you have big gaps, but you will find that as you move your mind towards thinking in terms of achievements and successes that more and more memories will come up.

Now, buy an expensive frame, and frame this ‘certificate’ of achievement and hang it on your bedroom wall. If you have a computer and like to play around, type in all the information and turn it into an impressive and attractive certificate and print it on some quality notepaper. As you look at it every morning and every evening and see just what a wonderfully successful person you are, you may find that any gaps will soon be filled as your mind switches its focus from failure to success. Pick one item each day, fetch back the memory, and fully appreciate the importance of that event in your life.

One other activity I’d like you to engage in is another simple exercise. At night, just before you drift off to sleep, I’d like you to wander through your day in your mind and find between 1 and 5 things that happened that day that you appreciate. It doesn’t matter how small these items of appreciation are. There is always something good in a day. If the sun came up this morning then that’s a good thing. If you put food in your mouth, and water in your belly – that’s a good thing. If you enjoyed the food and drink – that’s even better. If you saw a flower, or enjoyed its scent, then make note, if you were lost in its beauty for a moment – then that’s a miracle. If your car started, or your bus turned up; if you have a job, or lots of free time… if you took a breath and were still alive to enjoy breathing it out again… the list of ordinary, mundane, incredible things that happen to us each day, and that we take so totally for granted, is endless. Start to notice them and continue this exercise until you feel that appreciation and sense of wonder at the time you are experiencing the event.

Make this conscious effort to agree to spend a moment or two each day to express sincere appreciation and thanks for the miracles that exist around you and within you. Learn to appreciate the wonder of you, for none of these experiences could exist without you the Experiencer to enjoy and appreciate them. Your experiences are unique to you. When you experience joy the planet has more joy in it. By the simple act of appreciating those simple, yet wonderful, things that you experience, you will change your world for the better.

Michael J. Hadfield MBSCH is a registered clinical hypnotherapist.  Visit http://www.hypnosisiseasy.com/ for a help & support