I recently had a conversation with one of my former students. She has been out of school for a few years now but isn’t satisfied with the direction her career has taken. In fact, she’s not too happy with her personal life either. Her voice developed more than a touch of whine as she said: “I don’t know what to do.”

So I asked her about her goals. Her response was a rather slack-jawed look of surprise. “Goals?” Well at least she wasn’t whining anymore.

I asked her what she would like to see her career in a few years. I asked her where she’d like to see her life in a few years. She knew the answers to those questions and quickly became animated as she discussed her desire to start her own business. We talked about what she would need to accomplish her goal and what she would have to change.

When we parted ways she felt a lot better about her job because she knew that she wasn’t trapped in it. She was taking a necessary step to prepare herself for a long-term goal. She had her eye on the prize and that focus energized her.

That is the power of goals. What are your goals? There are seven reasons why you need to have goals.

~ To give direction to life
~ To make sure we are the one choosing the direction of our life — not others, not fate, not the media, etc.
~ To motivate
~ To make sure we get what we want from life
~ To save time
~ To reduce stress
~ To give a sense of accomplishment

While it can be fun to live without direction in the short-term, in the long-term human beings are wired to need a purpose and direction. Goals give a sense of direction and purpose to life.

It is often easy to let others set our direction for us. We take a job because family or friends point us in that direction and then we follow the dictates of our bosses. We move in other directions because popular culture or the media tells us to do so. The simple truth is that if we do not set our own goals then we will find it too easy to follow a path set by others. This can lead to stress and unhappiness. We have a greater chance of happiness and fulfillment following our own path and pursuing our own goals.

While goals certainly give our lives direction, they also provide the motivation to get us through difficult times and choices. Perhaps going to college at night while working full-time may be stressful and difficult in the short-term, but in the long run being able to pursue the professional goals we desire will make it worthwhile.

Goals also serve as the destination for what we really want out of life. For some people, goals are measured in money or material goods, while for others goals are measured in time or freedom. If we do not have goals outlined that suit our unique perspective on life it is easy to become sidetracked by life and others.

Goals can also help save time. When your “To Do” list becomes too long and your calendar too full, then you can simply compare your goals to the list. What items help you achieve your goal? What items are necessary to your goal? Scratch off the rest as unimportant.

Just as goals save time they also reduce stress because using your goals to focus your life and choices makes it easier to make those choices. Should you take that new position at work? How does it match your goals?

Finally, goals give you a measurable sense of accomplishment. Every goal you achieve, in fact every step you make toward that goal, can give you a boost of energy and momentum to keep going. Each success powers you toward the next level of success.

Now go out and set your goals!

Three Steps to Achieving Happiness by Beth Banning & Neill Gibson

Do you hear the phrases “self-love” or “loving yourself” and wonder what that really means or how to go about doing it? Are there things about yourself that you’re not sure you even like, never mind think that you could love? No matter where you are in your life, or what you may think about yourself, read on to find self love techniques that will bring more happiness and satisfaction to your life.

Whether you’re single, married, or divorced, the sooner you start loving yourself, the faster all of your other relationships will be filled with fun, closeness, caring and happiness. Why? Because what you focus your attention on grows. When you start noticing all the wonderful things about yourself, other people will have no choice but to see them too.

In this article, we will focus on the three beginning steps toward self-love and achieving true happiness.

Step one: Investigate your thinking. Believe it or not, the things that you think a/bout determine how you feel about yourself and everything else in your life. We are raised in a culture that teaches us to focus on what’s right and what’s wrong. When you’re always focusing on what’s wrong with yourself, you’re bound to feel bad. Practice investigating your thoughts by using your feelings as an alarm. The next time you feel uncomfortable in any way, try to identify what you were thinking about just before you started feeling uncomfortable.

Step two: Know what’s deeply important to you. The fastest way to achieve life-changing results is by discovering what’s most important to us. These things are hidden beneath the storm of feelings that we experience every day. Using step one, you have now identified what you were thinking about just before you started feeling uncomfortable. At this point, you could start asking yourself questions such as: “What is so important to me in this situation that makes me feel this way?”

For example, underneath profound sadness, there might be the regret of a dream lost. Hidden within confusion could be a strong desire for understanding. Beneath anger, there could be a need for effectiveness. When you can get beyond your feelings to what you value—what’s deeply important to you—you will start to notice wonderful qualities about yourself that you can enjoy and can easily learn to love.

Step three: Remember that you’re never alone. Although at times you may feel very lonely, once you learn to pause when you start to feel uncomfortable and identify what is most important to you beneath your feelings, you will find that you always have YOU. Using these self-love techniques you are guaranteed to find the best friend you’ve ever had and will be well on your way to mastering the true art of happiness.

Finding authentic happiness isn’t as impossible as it may sometimes seem. If you’d really like to boost your self-confidence and learn to consciously raise your self-esteem, sign up for our thought-provoking and motivational Weekly Action Tips eMail series at: http://www.FocusedAttention.com/cmd.php?ad=081030

Or visit us at: http://www.FocusedAttention.com

Article Source: Self Improvement Articles from PositiveArticles.Com

Achieving and maintaining mental wellbeing is very important, for both mind and body. However, around one in four people suffers from some kind of mental issue during their lifetime, but many do not seek the help they need to manage or overcome the problem.

Awareness of mental health problems is constantly rising, making it easier for people to recognize the signs and know what help is available. Counselling is regarded as an effective form of treatment for many mental health issues.

The initial decision to take the plunge and accept help is undoubtedly one of the hardest parts of the whole process. However after this decision had been taken, a whole new set of questions can arise with regards to actually finding the counselor.

There are numerous issues to consider – practical and otherwise. What about, for example, location? Despite counsellors’ assured complete confidentiality people may prefer to see a counsellor that is perhaps outside their local area, but still in surroundings they are comfortable in.

And what guarantees that the counsellor is the real deal? There are no laws in the UK that govern counselling, so what’s to stop anyone setting up shop to listen to people’s problems? There are qualifications and professional bodies, but these can often be confusing and over-whelming.

Counselling can take many different approaches – from person-based to psychoanalytic, and it’s important to choose a counsellor with an approach the person will be comfortable with and respond to well.

Counselling Directory was set up to provide a simple, easy, and most importantly un-daunting way of connecting people that need help with the people that provide it. A comprehensive searching tool, the site allows postcode, town and country searches, and produces a list of counsellors registered in this area. Each counsellor has a profile, listing a bit about themselves, their approaches, what areas they deal with, and all their training, qualification and experience and fees.

The site shows which counsellors are registered/accredited with a professional body, and full profiles are only displayed after insurance and qualification documents are checked or membership with a professional body has been verified.

The site has also become a huge information bank – there are articles written by the counsellors, as well as comprehensive information on all kinds of distress – from depression to eating disorders to abuse, to help people identify their problems and become informed, not scared.

http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk

Feng Shui (pronounced “fung shway”) is an ancient Chinese art whose name translates from the Chinese as “wind and water.” Feng Shui is a lyrical phrase that poetically evokes the heart of this ancient practice.

Wind and water are, first and foremost, natural elements (two of the five elements that comprise all of nature). Wind is the earth’s breath, and water is the invigorating lifeblood of everything that exists on our planet.

Both wind and water have tremendous energy that drives Feng Shui’s practices and techniques to fill your life with positive energies. Feng Shui, at its very core is a means of arranging the basic elements of life—and all the things that you surround yourself with on a daily basis— to create the optimal and harmonious flow of vital life energy, just like the flow of water and wind.

How Feng Shui works

Feng Shui is no magic. It is a collection of practical, time-tested solutions based on the fundamental properties of elements that are used to change the negative aspects and introduce the positive aspects of each element to your living environment—and change your life for the better.

Feng Shui has had a huge impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the globe—and you can have its benefits work for you! By simply changing the interior of your home, changing the colors of your walls, or relocating the furniture in your bedroom, you can enjoy the positive effects of Feng Shui.

Feng Shui information – some Key Points

Good Feng Shui requires an open mind, heart and spirit.
Feng Shui releases negativity from your house and life. It opens up a whole new space within you for positive thoughts, love, contentment and prosperity. Don’t let negativity enter when you practice Feng Shui.
Holding onto negative emotions and past anger can only hinder you from making progress through Feng Shui and creating a wonderful future for yourself.

Practicing good karma is a cornerstone of Feng Shui. Be generous and give of yourself in order to receive in kind from the universe and others around you.
You are living a life that is ill-suited to you, your personality, your dreams, your family, your essential self…and your home is symbolic of this.

Feng Shui helps you to enhance your living space by changing one or more elements in the room. As you learn more about Feng Shui, you will begin to understand the significance of each and every practice that is related to Feng Shui.

By embracing Feng Shui, you embrace the fact that you deserve balance, harmony, and spiritual fulfillment. You deserve empowerment and clarity. So, let Feng Shui help you reach out and take hold of all those things—you, your life, and your future all stand to benefit immensely if you do!

Remember that Feng Shui is not only about changing your physical surroundings, but it is also about changing yourself from within. The Spiritual Feng Shui is a spiritual technique that transforms you at both physical and metaphysical level.

Be careful what you believe because that is what you will experience. Your belief system is a mechanism which is uniquely yours. It is powered by your desire and controlled by your thoughts and actions. In other words, your success is measured by the strength of your belief.

What is it that you desire? Often people do not have a clue what it is they want, they just know what they do not want. Now is a good time to evaluate your goals and determine the end result you want to achieve. Put your goals in writing and place them where you can see them throughout the day. Read them frequently to keep them fresh on your mind.

• Be inquisitive. Research and learn as much as you can on how you can achieve your goal. Use all possible resources such as books, CDs, courses and people. Yes, people. Talk to as many people as possible who are already successful in what you want to achieve. Ask, ask and ask some more about what they did to reach success. Do not limit your contacts to only the people you already know. Introduce yourself by phone or mail, explain your purpose for contacting them and ask for a tip. The worst thing that can happen is that they ignore you. The best thing that can happen is that they become your mentor and offer support and encouragement. Chances are you will receive at least one great tip from many of the people you contact. This method is the least expensive and most rewarding.

• Be unique. Next, take the ideas you learn, embellish them and come up with your own creative process. Think of how you can approach your goal in a way that no one else has. Dare to be different. Don’t be afraid to take risks. What do you have to loose? Write out a list showing the worst things that could happen and then list all of the best possible outcomes. Always maintain your concentration on your desired result.

• Be better than your competition. When you were a child and saw your older siblings or friends riding a bike (without training wheels), you didn’t look at their scraped knees and elbows and say, “Whoa, I could get hurt doing that.” Instead, you begged to try it for yourself. With a great deal of practice and often pain, you gradually learned how to maintain your balance. Before long you were trying to “out do” your friends with your speed or fancy tricks. When you fell, you would get back on and try again with even greater determination. From your very first effort, you believed in your mind that if you got back on, you would eventually learn to ride. I bet you even knew in your mind you would be the best in the neighborhood, in your school, in the state, in the world!

• Be positive. If you see obstacles before you, then you will also only see problems. If you have hesitations that you plan will not work, then it will not work. If you are influenced by the power of negative people, then you will never be any better than they are. Believe in yourself and what you are capable of achieving.

When your desire to succeed is stronger than the pain, fear or frustration of failing, there is no turning back. I challenge you to view your goals just like you did when you were a child before you learned about self doubt and negative criticism. Remember, anything is possible as long as you believe. Make a commitment that you will not let anything or anyone, including yourself stand in your way of reaching your goals.