Thursday, December 20, 2007

Free Blogging Course. Mark Joyner Does It Again

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

  • The best blogging techniques.
  • How to get traffic to your blog.
  • How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.

Thursday, January 26, 2006

A Life Worth Living

The true way to soften one's troubles is to solace those of others.

-- Madame De Maintenon

This quote is dedicated to Chandira, a gentle soul full of Hope.

Monday, January 09, 2006

Your Own Potential

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

--Unknown

Enhancing Your Teenage Daughter's Self Esteem

By Anthony White

The teen years are some of the most difficult for both boys and girls. However, studies show that as teen boys enter puberty, their confidence is likely in increase. On the other hand, girls' confidence and feelings of self-esteem are likely to take a downhill slide. The repercussions of this can be damaging at best and destructive at worst. Girls who do not feel good about themselves are more likely to suffer from depression and engage in self-destructive behavior that can range from eating disorders, to cutting, to risky sexual behaviors. Obviously, doing whatever you can to keep your daughter feeling good about herself is a good idea. The following tips are by no means all exhaustive, but they are a starting point.

Be a Good Role Model

Parents have a difficult job with a lot of responsibility. However, one of the best things parents can do for their children is to set a good example. Mothers and fathers are equally important in children's lives, regardless of the family living situation. When fathers have solid relationships with their daughters and show that they love them, girls will be less likely to seek male attention elsewhere. Even though it can be very difficult and trying at times to communicate with your teenage daughter, do your best to constantly let her know that you are available and that you love her. This goes for both fathers and mothers. Mothers' roles are also important. If mothers demonstrate healthy ways of expressing emotions, emotional independence, and other positive attributes, it will demonstrate to teen girls that they can speak up for their needs without having to find destructive ways of getting them met.

Be Available

You've probably heard it time and time again, but research continues to show that teens who feel their parents are interested and involved in their lives are much less likely to engage in dangerous or negative behaviors. Even if it seems your teen is ignoring you, she probably isn't. It's more likely that she is listening, but also trying to assert her independence as she navigates her way through increasing self reliance and the fears that come with this. Teens are at a difficult crossroad between becoming more and more independent, while at the same time having feelings of not wanting to leave home when the time comes, fears of college, fears of making a living, and all the other insecurities that come with the responsibilities of maturity. You can help alleviate these fears by making an ongoing effort to show your daughter that you are available. This way, she can come to you when she is ready. But if she's not getting the message that you are there for her, she will instead turn to her peers, boyfriends, substances, or other methods of dealing with her emotions.

Show Your Daughter that You have Confidence in Her

As appropriate, find means to show your daughter that you have confidence in her abilities, dreams, and achievements. Encourage her in what she does well, and encourage her to try new things. Showing that you have confidence in her ability to take on new challenges will help her feel more confident in herself. She will need to face new situations on a regular basis during the teen and early adult years, and having a support team can make this much easier for her. Also consider teaching or showing her ways she can build her confidence, such as taking a stand against gossip, school bullies, and pressures to do things she doesn't want to do. Peer pressure at this age can be enormous, and when your daughter has the tools and the back-up plan (you) to deal with it, she can start to gain confidence in her successes.

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Anthony White: I am always thirsty for knowledge & eager to share it. Please visit me at http://zenblanco.blogspot.com & http://atraffic.blogspot.com or check out my favorite online earning opportunity at: http://www.CashMoney4You.com/pips.html
You may reprint this article, provided that no changes are made and this resource box is included.
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Friday, January 06, 2006

New Ideas

Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.

--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Do You Have Low Self Esteem?

By Anthony White

Low self esteem can be devastating to an individual's personal, work, and scholastic life. The constant feeling of inadequacy and unworthiness can undermine attempts to succeed at even the smallest things. If you find yourself plagued with such feelings, you may need to ask "Do I have low self esteem?" Self esteem is your own view of yourself, your capabilities, and your attributes. It is impossible to succeed in life if you are constantly second guessing and berating yourself over the tiniest detail. Many individuals suffer from low self esteem, so you are certainly not alone. Some individuals have recently begun to question their self esteem while others have been doing so their entire lives. Whatever your situation, honestly answering these questions will give you a great deal of insight into how you view yourself.

Are you nervous or awkward around other individuals? These people can be coworkers, friends, family members, or even strangers on the street. Do you ever look at anyone and think you are not on the same "level" as they are physically, mentally, or athletically? Do you see yourself as the least important member of your family, group of friends, or office? These persistent feelings can erode your self esteem. Most likely, you are the only one who thinks these things. Ask your friends, coworkers, and family members about your performance, attitude, and personality. More than likely, you will be pleasantly surprised. Remember to rank your own needs up there with the needs of others. Quite often, individuals with low self esteem strive to please everyone but themselves in order to make themselves feel more adequate. This act usually backfires since your focus is on those surrounding you instead of yourself. Dig deep and figure out your own needs. Focusing on yourself for a while will allow you to identify the root cause of your self esteem issues so that you can begin conquering them.

Do you worry or obsess about your physical appearance? Are you constantly trying to change your appearance for what you think is the better? These feelings of inadequacy are quite common, especially among children and women. Often, individuals notice certain qualities about themselves as children due to comments by a friend, family member, or school mate. These feelings harbor themselves inside, making them stronger and deeper-rooted. Some individuals obsess about their weight, height, statue, bone structure, facial features, hair, and any thing else under the sun. These issues can become the root of serious problems, including eating disorders. Even the most beautiful people in the world have some feelings of inadequacy about their outward appearance. The people society deems beautiful or perfect have secret issues about their own appearance or body, so you are definitely not alone. Instead of constantly worrying about those aspects you deem as negative, focus on the positive. If you find yourself slipping into a dangerous or deadly habit, seek professional help as soon as possible. The world has learned to live with you, now you must make the decision to live with yourself. Once you are comfortable in your own skin, your self confidence will soar sky-high.

Do you publicly berate yourself for fun? Is your idea of a good conversation tearing yourself down at the expense of others? Would you rather talk about your failures and weaknesses over your successes and strengths? This is often the case with individuals with low self esteem. Instead of accentuating the positive, they verbalize that constantly criticizing voice they hear in their own heads. Whatever the case, if you find yourself to be suffering from low self esteem, there are ways to rebuild from within. Seek help from friends, family members, colleagues, self-help books, or professionals if necessary. Low self esteem is a problem that should not be ignored.


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Anthony White: I am always thirsty for knowledge & eager to share it. Please visit me at http://zenblanco.blogspot.com & http://atraffic.blogspot.com or check out my favorite online earning opportunity at: http://www.CashMoney4You.com/pips.html
You may reprint this article, provided that no changes are made and this resource box is included.
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Thursday, January 05, 2006

Life's Battles

The most important of life's battles is the one we fight daily in the silent chambers of the soul.

--David O. McKay

Cornerstones of Self-Confidence

By Anthony White

Self-confidence is something that all of us need if we desire to do well in life. It gives us the courage to face the most difficult of situations, something which cannot be said of people who lack self-confidence. They often break down when confronted with a challenge.

The question, however, is how do you achieve self-confidence? You can do so if you define your tasks, and priorities, correctly. You then need to ask yourself as to how you can accomplish these tasks. A good strategy is to break your goals into smaller tasks. This makes the main task seem less daunting. You then need to pat yourself on the back every time you reach a milestone. This increases your self-confidence, and makes it easy for you to achieve your goals.

You also need to look at the image that you have of yourself. If you don't have a good image of yourself, and are always tearing yourself down, then your chances of being successful are reduced. Your self image or what you believe about yourself can be damaged easily if you blame yourself for any setback in your life like a business failure, loss of a job or a divorce. So, avoid self-flagellation. It feeds on your negative thoughts, and can easily become a monster. You need to write off your failures, learn from them, and plan for new challenges. This is a positive approach to adopt, and can shore up your shaky self-confidence.

Those who are close to you play an important role in shaping your self-confidence. If they happen to critical or negative, they will have a negative impact on your self-confidence. Your priority should be to distance yourself from such people, and find friends and supporters who are imbued with a positive outlook. Without your knowing, they will add to your self-confidence.

Another issue that matters is your reaction to the events in your life. You should consider yourself a unique person who has his own special place in the world. This will lead to a development of positive attitudes, beliefs and values, qualities that can give you the self-confidence to succeed against all odds. However, there is an inherent danger in such a world-view. You may become too over-confident, and stop listening to what the others say. Don't allow this to happen. Listen to all criticism, filter out the points that can make you a better individual; disregard the rest. This constant course correction will make you a better individual.

At the same time, you need to monitor your internal dialogue. You must talk yourself into believing that you can take up any reasonable assignment. This will drive away negative attitudes and beliefs, and add to your self-confidence.

In fact, the picture you have of yourself needs constant monitoring and care. You cannot afford to let it take care of itself. Your self-confidence, happiness and success depends on it. You need to guard against selling yourself short. Don't underestimate yourself and prevent feelings of inferiority from creeping in. Aim high and feel that you are capable of achieving anything you choose. Write down how you would like to see yourself five or ten years from now.

Make a list of your strong points, the things you do well and the compliments you receive. Write down a few of the things about yourself, which you think need improvement. Think of yourself as a self-confident person and act as if you are very self-confident, even if you don't feel that way. Try to keep negative attitudes and beliefs away from yourself and maintain a safe distance from negative and destructive people.

If you take responsibility for your life and practice these methods regularly, your self-confidence will rise. What's more, it will remain high.


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Anthony White: I am always thirsty for knowledge & eager to share it. Please visit me at http://zenblanco.blogspot.com & http://atraffic.blogspot.com or check out my favorite online earning opportunity at: http://www.CashMoney4You.com/pips.html
You may reprint this article, provided that no changes are made and this resource box is included.
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Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Look Inward For Your Peace

When a man finds no peace within himself, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.

--L. A. Rouchefolicauld

Check Your Confidence Levels

By Anthony White

Would you like to be confident? Your answer may be - yes; I do want to be confident. However, this answer lacks the impact. It is too generalized. Just like everybody wants to do well in life and be rich but not many ever realize this wish. This is because to actually get somewhere in life, you need to quantify your confidence. You need to define the task for which you need to be confident so that you can execute it successfully. A mere wish to be confident won't take you anywhere. The dream must have a deadline as well!

Self Confidence might mean different things to different people groups. For a child it might mean to be able to recite the poem to her teacher the next morning. For a business executive it might mean to be able to present the business report to the Board of Directors. For a salaried person it may be the ability to be able to make a switch over from his secure job to a new independent venture and so on. To execute their respective tasks, these people need a certain level of confidence, which would see them through. Every task requires a minimum level of confidence to be able to be executed. Do you have a task in your mind to be done? Do you have the level of confidence required? Let us check it out!

Following is a simple questionnaire. Answer these in a the form of YES or NO.


  1. Does it happen too often with you that you cannot make a decision all by yourself and you seem to look for your colleagues, friends, or your spouse to sort the matter for you?
  2. Do you always seem to be in perpetual need of a support system wherein you can feel secure?
  3. Do you just sit and listen all the times in your office meetings?
  4. Do you feel difficulty in reporting a matter to your boss or you have an excellent idea that can improve your company's efficiency but you cannot muster enough courage to go and talk about it to your Boss?
  5. Are you terrified to meet someone new? Is public speaking your worst nightmare?
  6. Do you timidly accept orders from your superior even though you know that you are already overloaded and you need to say no?
  7. Are you excessively concerned about what other people think of you?
  8. Do you fear taking risks?
  9. Do you feel dissatisfied about your appearance?
  10. Are you uncomfortable in social gatherings - being amongst lots of people?

If you happen to answer any of these questions with a Yes, you may to have a confidence crisis that might become an obstacle in successfully executing your tasks. Don't Panic, as it is good that you found out since now you are aware of a potential problem in your life. The very fact that you are aware of your confidence rating makes you ready to take further action and work towards eliminating the negative effects of low confidence levels and work towards building your self confidence.

Here are some more questions you may answer.

  1. Have you accomplished anything in the past?
  2. Are you the one to go ahead and break the ice at a new place or wait for someone else to initiate a discussion?
  3. Do you feel you are well respected by others?
  4. Do you think you have the potential to succeed?
  5. Are you a happy and loving person?
  6. Are you satisfied with your career path?
  7. Are you satisfied with your skills and qualifications?
  8. Do you feel in control of your life?
  9. Do you imagine yourself to be more successful five years from now?
  10. Do you feel that you are a worthwhile person?

If you happen to answer most of these questions with a NO, you have LOW self-confidence levels.

However, a YES need not be decisive and a NO doesn't need to be final. One should strive to constantly maintain the good points and work towards converting bad points into good points. The good news is that it is very much possible. It's important that you honestly answer the questions above, since only when you realize the present status of your self-confidence would you be working towards building self-confidence or maintaining and increasing your present levels.

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Anthony White: I am always thirsty for knowledge & eager to share it. Please visit me at http://zenblanco.blogspot.com & http://atraffic.blogspot.com or check out my favorite online earning opportunity at: http://www.CashMoney4You.com/pips.html
You may reprint this article, provided that no changes are made and this resource box is included.
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Thursday, December 29, 2005

Your Destiny

Your thoughts are the architects of your destiny.

--David O. McKay

Building Your Self-Confidence at Work

By Anthony White

Many people wish they felt more secure about their abilities on the job. In other words, they're looking for increased self-confidence when it comes to performing the work, dealing with coworkers, and handling tough situations. If you're one of these people, you're not alone. What can you do to feel more self-assured about your job?

First, remember that you are not your job. That is, if you make a mistake at work, this does not mean that you are stupid, worthless, or that you're in the wrong position. It's all too easy to take mistakes personally, seeing them as a reflection of your true person rather than for what it is: a mistake. Even though it may not always appear so, everyone makes mistakes from time to time. The best way to deal with a mistake is to own up to it right away and present a solution. This shows that you are honest, and by presenting ways to fix the problem, your boss can send you on your way to deal with the issue. Acting honestly and straightforwardly is best for you--you'll feel better about yourself--and it's best for the company (which again will help you feel better).

Another common issue is feeling insecure when it comes to coworkers. Many people feel that they do not fit in, are unsure how to handle conflict, or have an overbearing coworker or boss that they don't know how to communicate with. Any of these feelings can wear at your self-esteem. You may feel you have nothing to offer the group, whether socially or on projects, you avoid conflict, and may allow others to step on you. If socialization is a problem, it will require you to step out of your comfort zone a bit. This does not mean you need to jump right in with a large company gathering; rather, take it slow by opening conversations with one or two coworkers. Chances are you'll have something in common. Asking questions about the other person is always a great way to proceed; just avoid questions with simple yes or no answers.

When dealing with conflict resolution and difficult employees, learning some proven communication techniques may be necessary. Consider attending a course on conflict resolution and dealing with difficult people. In the meantime, remember that the overbearing person likely has a lot of insecurities as well, and these are what cause the behavior. In the midst of conflict, do your best to avoid being pulled into argumentative situations. Don't reward the other person's behavior by getting upset or immediately backing down. If necessary, say you'll continue the conversation when everyone has had a chance to cool down. Dealing with negative coworkers is never fun. Try and remember that your self worth is not dependent on the coworker's approval, even if that person is your boss.

It could be you're feeling unsure about your skills. This one is pretty easy--learn more! Many companies offer continuing education options, will pay for schooling, or offer professional development in house. Whatever your employer offers, take advantage of it. If your company does not have this option, find some good books on the subject. Ask your colleagues for suggestions, or if you're a member of any type of professional group, seek advice there as well. Many of your peers will have good suggestions on what's worth looking into.

Finally, give yourself some challenges. One great way to build your self confidence at work is to take on a special project or extra work. If you choose something you feel passionate about or something in your specialty area, you can show yourself and your colleagues that you are able to produce results. Even if you fail, you're showing initiative and willingness by taking on special projects. Knowing that you put yourself out there, rather than sitting on the sidelines, can be a great confidence booster. And the same can be said for when it goes well.

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Anthony White: I am always thirsty for knowledge & eager to share it. Please visit me at http://zenblanco.blogspot.com & http://atraffic.blogspot.com or check out my favorite online earning opportunity at: http://www.CashMoney4You.com/pips.html
You may reprint this article, provided that no changes are made and this resource box is included.
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