Its times like these when positive thoughts seem to be hard to come by. For those Chilean people who are fighting for survival and searching for family members they need to be held up with the belief that in the end it will all be ok.  These thoughts, even if they are from people on the other side of the globe, can truly be a saving grace.

In addition, any tragedy whether it be big or small, can be a catalyst in bringing people together.  I truly believe that every breakdown leads to a breakthrough.  Anyone that has seen the campaign of support for Haiti has surely felt this idea in action and was no doubt moved by the massive amounts of support this country received.   If you have the means to help alleviate some of the financial burden felt by Chile and/or you simply want to hold those in need in your thoughts and prayers you’ll be making a difference.

My heart goes out to those that suffered through this horrific event and I hope each of them receives the help they so desperately need.  I too will be keeping them in my thoughts.

If you would like to read more about the tragedy in Chile you can click here:

http://bit.ly/d53q8s

Read more about this topic and many related topics on our blog at:

http://bit.ly/PersonalGrowth

In our day to day lives we often pay little attention to how our actions are impacting those around us.  Recognizing where our own consciousness lies may be the missing link in making a more positive impact on the world and moving forward towards a more fulfilling life.

The concept of spiritual consciousness can be attributed to a ladder.  Those whose main concern is their own basic survival without any notice to those around them would be on a lower rung on that ladder.  Those who are so spiritually enlightened that they have overcome their own obstacles in order to serve others would be on towards the top of the ladder.  In between these polar opposites lies the vast majority of the population.

Our ability to move upwards on this ladder and towards a better life depends greatly on how we interact with others.  How would you answer these questions:

• Are you able to see the good in even the most difficult of people?

• Do you go out of your way to help those who need it the most?

• Do you have the ability to recognize when your words or actions have negatively impacted those around you?

By addressing these issues we are able to move into a place of greater spiritual awareness and overall contentment with the world we live in.  Most people find that after abandoning judgment of those around them and embracing the positive they are able to reconnect with the positive in themselves and in their own lives.

Start small.  Reach out to the coworker with whom you have always had negative interactions with.  Check in with a friend that has been going through a rough time.  Make a list of how you could make your spouses’ life easier or more enjoyable.  Take the time to read a book with your child.  Not only will these small things brighten the day of those around you, but they will increase your spiritual consciousness and overall awareness of the world.

While the world may seem like a massive place, each of us alone has the power to touch those around us. If your level of spiritual consciousness has kept you from doing so in a positive way then reach for something better.  Move up the ladder to higher spiritual awareness and watch the way your life can change.

If you would like to read more about the various levels of spiritual consciousness you can do so here:

http://bit.ly/c0ks0n

Read more about this topic and many related topics on our blog at:

http://bit.ly/PersonalGrowth

At every moment in our lives we have something, no matter how small, to be grateful for.  It may be a warm house to live in, family to call our own, or even the simple gift of eyesight.  If we’re able to continually shift our focus back to these things that make life even that much more enjoyable, we are simultaneously attracting more of that good into our lives.

Think of the most horrible aspect of your life right now.  Perhaps you have lost your job, financial security, or a loved one.  When dwelling on this particular situation your body has most likely tensed, and you may be feeling anxiety.

Now think of one thing in your life that you are extremely grateful for: a spouse, your health, a new promotion.  Feel the difference in your body.  Many would say that staying with this positive thought for even a small amount of time lessens their stress and increases their hope for the future.

If you felt even a tiny shift in your attitude from this brief exercise imagine the effects you would have if you made it into a daily practice.  Don’t wait for the new job, house, or relationship in order to find your gratitude.  Look for the little things in everyday life- a hot shower, a home cooked meal, a hug from your child- and you’ll find that you have a multitude of things to be grateful for.

Robert Eamons of the University of California at Davis, has performed studies that suggest practicing gratitude on a daily basis has the ability to increase a person’s level of happiness by up to 25%.  While happiness levels tend to fluctuate according to outside circumstances, a person with a higher level overall will naturally return there after a negative event occurs.  Eamons also found that those that practice gratitude on a regular basis tend to be healthier, more creative, and have stronger relationships.

Create an attitude of gratitude today.  Make a list or keep a journal of every little thing that you are grateful for and the results will surprise you. This shift in your focus will make you a magnet for stronger relationships, better health, and a more fulfilling work life.

Here is an article that gives an in-depth look into the practice of gratitude:

http://bit.ly/betrYF

Please join the conversation by clicking on the “Comments” button and let us know what you are grateful for.  Thank you.

If you knew that every thought you had throughout the course of the day turned into reality would you change the way you think?

Most people would say yes.

Imagine your mind as a garden.  Every time you focus your energy on a certain feeling or thought you’re planting a seed in that garden.  The longer you spend with that thought the larger the plant grows.  Planting positive thoughts will sprout beautiful flowers.  Planting negative thoughts will sprout weeds- a nuisance that will not only hinder the beauty of the existing flowers but will prove to be extremely difficult to get rid of.

By paying attention to the seeds that we are planting on a daily basis we are claiming control over our own life experience.  Many times this can be achieved by recognizing outside circumstances as neutral and only our reactions to them as positively or negatively charged.  Things happen outside of our control every day- a snow storm, the loss of a job, an inconvenient traffic jam.  Instead of seeing each one of these situations as negative, start thinking of them in a different light.

Perhaps a snow storm gives you the chance to spend some much needed time with your family at home.  Losing a job could open up a door to a career field you hadn’t even thought of pursuing.  A traffic jam could give you time to decompress and listen to music before getting to work or returning home.  Each one of these situations is only a hurdle if we see it as such.

In recognizing the correlation between our thoughts and our reality we are able to do away with the mentality that we are victims to our outside circumstances.  Maybe you have experienced a drop in income or a change in health.  By adjusting your thoughts to abundance and overall vitality and well-being you are doing your part to attract those things into your life.

Where your thoughts go, energy flows and results follow.

Have you noticed that when one seemingly negative event occurs then inevitably more negative events follow?  This is because with our tendency to label the first event as “bad” we allowed our attitude and thought pattern to change with it.  So in turn we are attracting more negative events into our reality.

Instead of getting caught up in the drama of your circumstances, stop.  Breathe.  Re-center your thoughts around how you want your reality to be and you will reclaim your control over your life experience.

Begin today by recognizing the power you have over your thoughts.  Plant only the seeds that you wish to see bloom in the future and see how doing away with labels brings joy back into your life.

You can read more about how your thoughts have the power to create your reality at:

http://bit.ly/dvDjIx

Which one tip are you willing to take on today? Please share your commitment with us by leaving a Comment below. Thank you

We’re facilitating a free live teleseminar Tues, March 2^nd for you and your loved ones on how to stay positive regardless on what’s happening around you.

Being positive and focusing on what I want has been the catalyst for me to now be respectively winning in every area of my life, when just a few years ago I was clearly losing in all areas of my life.

To learn more and register for our call, go to:

www.mrpositive.com/manny.htm

1. Turn off the negative news!

If something really important happens you’ll find out.

2. Learn to always see the glass as half full.

Look for solutions/opportunities where others see problems.

3. Exercise Daily /Eat Better

You must move your body even if it’s just a 20 min walk.

4. Bombard your mind with positive books, quotes, music & self talk.

5. Fall In Love

Start with yourself, if that’s hard try a pet, then move to people.

6. Associate with Positive People.

Fire your flaky/negative friends.

7. Keep a feel good/gratitude journal

Write about all the good in your day/week/life.

8. Find and indulge in your passions.

Ask yourself ‘What brings me joy?’ Then dig in!

9. Serve others

Find a cause you can support and give your time.

10. Find a Spiritual path that resonates with you and practice it.

Connect with God.

Bonus Tip:

Get on our call or listen to the replay to discover the secrets to being and staying happy in a chaotic world.

Join us live or register for the replay at:

www.mrpositive.com/manny.htm

Which one tip are you willing to take on today? Please share your commitment with us by Leaving a Comment below. Thank you

And as someone who strives to learn all he can about every aspect of Personal Growth, self-improvement, self-help, and personal development, you may be surprised that I’m not a big fan of reading although I appreciate the medium to compile decades and even centuries of wisdom in a concise and easy to digest format.

I thought I would take a moment and share some of my favorite books from the early twentieth century across the spectrum of Personal Growth.

As I always say, success leaves clues, and nowhere is that more apparent than with these seminal books—they never lose their timeliness:

1. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill: This book is inspired by Andrew Carnegie’s formula for success, and in a simple, straightforward, yet in a profound way will teach you how to strike it rich and attain lasting success. A must-read for any entrepreneur or self-starter.

Learn more at:

http://bit.ly/g8S3o

2. The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles: Still going strong after its first publication 100 years ago, this book is the basis for the wildly popular hit book and movie The Secret. Bottom line: your state of mind (ideally one that’s positive) dictates success in all areas of your life.

Read it for free at:

http://bit.ly/8zGivf

3. As A Man Thinketh by James Allen: Another classic, this one also provides the basis for everything we know in Personal Growth about the power of our thoughts. It’s about taking responsibility and inspired action—your thoughts alone aren’t going to get you there.

Download it for free at:

http://bit.ly/WOnbO

4. The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale: This is a great addition to the list because it’s actually an audio book, helpful for people who aren’t big readers. The message is just as powerful and even radical: you become what you think about.

Download it for free at:

http://bit.ly/t3dIN

5. Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl: One of the most inspiring and heartrending books I have ever read. Frankl was a Jewish academic and psychologist living in Vienna when the Nazis started taking over Europe and sending Jewish people to concentration camps.

He could have escaped to America, but instead chose to stay with his parents, who were too old and sick to leave the country. He was sent to a camp, where he saw unimaginable horrors. Instead of giving in to despair, he formulated a philosophical and psychological response to tragedy, which has endured all these decades later:

There is absolutely nothing we can do about the circumstances we find ourselves in—except control our reactions to them. That reaction is often all we have left, but it’s incredibly potent, even in the face of undeniable atrocity.

Buy it here:

http://bit.ly/5AkWnh

If you’ve read these books, please share your thoughts on them. Also, share a few of your favorite books? Please click the “Post Your Comments” button and tell us today.

That said, I don’t think James Ray should be considered a con man, or that his entire career in helping people achieve personal and business success should be slammed because of what happened. So, for now, let’s leave Ray himself out of it—whether he was in the wrong is up to the people investigating the case to decide. More than that, it bothers me that an entire industry is being pilloried based on one (admittedly horribly sad) event.

The Personal Growth (also known as Personal Development, Self Help, Self Improvement and more) industry produces overwhelmingly positive and tangible results for a wide array of people, plain and simple.

Take it from me. I grew up in an affluent area, but my parents struggled financially. I couldn’t help attaching my self worth to my parents’ net worth (or lack thereof), and at the same time, started to overeat to compensate for my feelings of inadequacy.

I wasn’t exactly a happy kid, and no one in the medical or education systems seemed to be able to light on the right words (or prescriptions) to help me. I learned later that unlike standard medicine and/or education, Personal Growth encompasses a holistic approach, and deals with root issues of problems, not just symptoms.

As I got older, I got in with the wrong crowd, which for me meant drinking, drugs, and other unhealthy behavior. I was arrested four times before graduating high school, and then ended up dropping out of college to take over my father’s business and start others.

Entrepreneurial spirit aside, the businesses failed, and I found myself hitting rock bottom a short time later. I’d ballooned to 245 pounds, been clinically depressed for more than ten years, and I was $100,000 in debt. At the young age of twenty-four, in addition to failing at all the commercial ventures I’d undertaken, I’d also already failed in six intimate relationships. I even contemplated suicide as the only solution I thought was possible for a world I couldn’t figure out.

Looking back, I realize I was just never given an “owner’s manual” of how to be successful in my life, whether that meant to be healthy, make a decent living, or just to be happy.

I was introduced to Personal Growth by reading about it and hearing about it, and to be honest, I was skeptical. Up until that point, everything I attempted to better my life had failed. But I suppose I felt I had nothing more to lose, and maybe even something to gain. So I made the decision, and signed up for a four-day seminar that promised to unleash my “Power Within.”

Over the course of the seminar’s four days, I learned more about my life than I had in the previous twenty-four years. My transformation began then and there. With the help of the seminar’s instructor, I came up with a plan to turn my life around and stuck to it (with more help from mentors and coaches). In eleven short months, I lost fifty pounds, got myself out of the six-figure debt, began my first lasting and healthy relationship (with my now-wife), and discovered a satisfying and lucrative career path.

The Personal Growth industry has given millions of people from all over the world the same opportunity. It might manifest differently for each and every one of them, because “Personal Growth” can mean a lot of different things. And as my journey demonstrated, it certainly doesn’t just include spiritualism, sweat lodges, or other esoteric practices. In fact, there isn’t much that’s “mystical,” or mystifying, about it.

Though some critics might suggest otherwise, the truth is, we human beings do have the ability to transcend our limitations, be they emotional, physical, or even spiritual. But please—none of us who truly understand Personal Growth is suggesting that only visualization and positive thinking will get you there.

A positive attitude is important, but taking real action is even more important. So at its core, Personal Growth is a synonym for personal responsibility and the understanding that we create our own reality. We are the referee and judge of our own life. We create the meaning and purpose of our life.

Similarly, if we insert ourselves into an environment where somebody is leading us, it’s still imperative that we take charge of ourselves—if Personal Growth teaches anything, it’s that. But of course, there are people who might follow an expert in the field too far and do things that go beyond their core beliefs, values and capabilities.

In other words, extreme elements—and major mistakes—unfortunately show up in just about everything, and I know that what happened in that sweat lodge was a true anomaly in the bigger picture of Personal Growth. To knock down an entire industry that does a lot of good for a lot of people because of one incident is unfair. Instead, let’s keep a positive perspective, and allow people to see for themselves what Personal Growth can do.

What are your thoughts about this industry and movement? Please click the “Post Your Comments” button below to share your thoughts.

Spirituality in my mind is a connection with a higher power, whatever you call it—God, the universe, your guardian angels, a positive life force, etc.

Religion is typically organized and follows a relatively specific path of ideas and beliefs. Catholicism is a religion. Islam is a religion. Judaism is a religion.

Where it all gets blurry is in our culture.

There are so many books out there fueling the debate. God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens is a perfect example of how misleading this whole discussion is. If you read the book, you’ll realize actually what he is criticizing is organized religion, not necessarily or primarily God/the universe/a higher power/spirituality.

Of course, spirituality and religion can and do intermingle in a lot of people. While my personal beliefs stray away from organized religion and more toward the spiritual end of things, I think embracing religion is wonderful, as along as it only involves love (the true basis for all religious belief) and not extremism.

The bottom line is this: I’d like to see more people unite and work together rather than have hate and wars because of conflicting religious—or spiritual—beliefs.

What’s your take on spirituality versus religion? Please click the “Post Your Comments” link to participate in the conversation.

Sure, it’s easy to write a check—but it’s beyond rewarding to be in the trenches with the people helping underserved communities.

Most recently, we visited The Metropolitan Community Church of New York (MCCNY). This isn’t just any church—it’s a progressive congregation devoted in particular to assisting people who are typically not accepted by their community, but reaches out a hand to anyone in need.

There’s a strong emphasis on social action, and MCCNY serves as a shelter for homeless youth, and provides a food pantry and meals to anyone in need several times a day.

The PersonalGrowth.com team spent the day making sandwiches and meals and passing them out to clients, and along the way learned about the real spirit of giving back.

Far too often, volunteering and other good social-action oriented work is overshadowed by fundraising galas and the pomp and circumstance given to large donations.

I was so gratified to see that nearly every single dollar given to MCCNY is transferred directly to clients in need for food and other services like shelter, counseling, and referrals.

If there is one thing we can encourage you to do, it is to get involved, somewhere and some way.

If you’re in the NYC area, and would like to volunteer or donate to the The Metropolitan Community Church of New York, please visit:

http://www.mccny.org

Otherwise, the United Way is a great umbrella organization to contact about volunteering across a wide variety of organizations:

http://www.liveunited.org/

What are some great organizations that you’re involved with? Please tell us by clicking the “Post Your Comments” link. Thank you.

I am devastated by what happened in Haiti. It’s astounding how one 35 second earthquake can cause so much pain, fear, and destruction. Things like this sometimes leave even the most “enlightened” people uncomprehending.

First, I want to say that my heart goes out to all of those who are in Haiti right now living through this (or the many who didn’t survive) and also those who have loved ones living with the situation.

You are in my heart and prayers.

The bigger question is…What good will come from this? What’s possible? I believe that from every breakdown, even horrific ones like what happened with the Haiti earthquake, there’s potential for a breakthrough.

When disasters happen it’s common and natural to dwell on the scope of the tragedy. However, I happen to believe that true mastery is taking what happens and finding the lesson and new opportunities in it, as hard as they may be to unearth in the moment.

The bottom line is, life is full of change and opportunities. Maybe Haiti now has an opportunity to band together and build a stronger nation.

I think this article affirms the points I am making:

http://bit.ly/5T7YkY

Please join the conversation and let us know what good can come from this tragedy by clicking the “Post Your Comments” button. Thank you.