A great tip from Chris Gardner!

Hello everyone! I hope that you are enjoying a great start to a new month! We are already in August and for those of you who still have unfulfilled aspirations, well, it's about time that you took a small step towards achieving whatever it is that you set out to achieve.

Today I would like to share a simple yet brilliant advice mentioned by Chris Gardner, the highly successful entrepreneur that the movie 'The pursuit of happyness' was based on. It is a very simple advice but yet a lot of us do not really do this and as a result, we get overwhelmed by a lot of the problems and obstacles and we never really take the action step required in order to move us closer towards achieving your goals.

Chris Gardner's advice was 'Always take baby steps towards the accomplishment of your goals. If you are moving forward, you are doing great.'

Such a simple piece of advice but a lot of us simply do not take action because we only focus the problems and not the joy and happiness that accomplishing our goals could bring us and our loved ones.

Always keep Chris Gardner's advice in mind whenever you feel too stressed out or just not 'feeling it'. Remember, this is a guy who had worked his way up from  seemingly overwhleming odds to accomplishing not just financial abundance, but wonderful achievements in other areas of his life as well. For those of you who have not watched the movie, 'The pursuit of happyness' I highly recommend that you watch it and remember the priceless lessons that you will learn from it.

So, remember, just take a small step towards achieving your goal. No matter how small it might seem, it is still a step forward! Cheers!

Please feel free to email all comments/enquiries to me at bodypulse@ymail.com. Looking forward to your mails!

Great ways to strike a conversation

Hi everyone! As usual, I had an extremely busy June and my apologies for not being able to reply to some of your email question. I will definitely do so within the next few days. For today, I thought that I should go through some simple conversation starters. I decided to write about this topics becasuse a lot of people have been going to the outdoor screenings of the World Cup matches and sometimes if you go alone, it would be a great opportunity to strike up a conversation with someone just to make friends(and also keep you and your new friend entertained in case teams decide to play boring football!).

Coming up with friendly conversation on the spot isn’t always easy. But here are some tips/topics that might get the other party talking:

1.) Ask them open ended question but give your own opinion as well.
Avoid question that invite a 'Yes' or 'No' response. Ask them how they feel about a particular situation. Open ended questions allow people to elaborate and this creates conversation. For example, if it is at a World Cup screening, ask them after a goal, 'Hey why do you think the team is playing with one attacker today?'. However, also give your own ideas/opinion. Asking too many questions too quickly will almost always make the other person feel uncomfortable and leave them looking for a way to leave the conversation before it has really started. Ask question but give them some space as well.


2.) Prepare a few topics in mind to chat about.
Read up on current affairs to start some simple chat about some interesting latest news.


3.) Bring up a very popular event/topic that almost everyone can talk about.
This would depend on the crowd. For example, if you are at a networking sessions attended by business executives, you could talk about the recent rise in price of a certain stock. If its a gathering of old friends, you could talk about an unusual career/hobby that one of your friends have decided to pursue.

But of course, one of the best tip in order to begin anykind of conversation?

Smile! Why? When you smile the whole world smiles with you. And they would most likely want to talk with you too! Research has found that we find people who smile and look directly at us more attractive. And people are 86% more likely to strike up conversations with strangers in the street if they are smiling.

Have a great week!

Please email me your questions/feedback at bodypulse@ymail.com.

The difference between the concious and subconscious mind

I conducted a sports psychology programme for student athletes recently and many of them did not realise the superb powers of the subconscious mind and ways to use these powers to their advantage in various situations, be it their sporting aspirations or even their schoolwork. Here's a very simple yet clear description on the difference between the conscious and subconscious mind.

The human brain possesses two very distinctive functional characteristics – the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. The two are separated by specific attributes and abilities, yet work harmoniously together to achieve a common goal. Some people are familiar with these terms, but many are confused about the individual roles they play.

The conscious mind is your rational thinking mind that acknowledges the outside world and everything around you. Its primary function is to process and validate the accuracy (or truthfulness) of new information that's continually being received from all your bodily senses, whether external senses (i.e. sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing) or internal senses (e.g. stomach butterflies, chills etc.). The conscious mind does this by comparing the new information against all your stored facts, beliefs and memories from past experiences. Once a true or false perception of the new information is reached, it’s passed to the subconscious to be actioned - and it all happens in just milliseconds.

The subconscious mind on the other hand has no reasoning ability, but is purely goal orientated. It regulates and controls all of your body's involuntary physical and emotional processes according to your mental database of facts, beliefs and memories. When new validated information is received, the subconscious takes two primary actions. It updates that information as a new fact or belief, and then it generates the body's physical and emotional response to that new fact.

A champion athlete using sports psychology, Tennis Legend Roger Federer

Review of the improvement experienced by the participants
- 90% saw an improvement in their timing/distance in their sports event after just 4 weeks(6 days a week, 20 minutes each day) of mental imagery!


For the other 10%, they would probably need a little bit more time as certain people might have a lot of 'hidden problems/ideas' that would take time to eliminate.


Please feel free to email me at bodypulse@ymail.com for any enquiries/feedback. Enjoy your weekend!

Improve your energy levels

Most of us are enjoying the World Cup matches. However, for some of us(especially here in Asia!), the matches are shown in the early hours of the morning and thus I know of a lot of friend who sacrifice their sleep to catch the action. As a result, they might feel a lack of energy and enthusiasm during the next day at work(unless of course their favourite team wins, then there's a magical surge of energy!). So, I thought that I should re-emophasize some techniques that you could use to improve energy levels, especially those who are unable to get a good nights' rest. Here's a simple but powerful breathing exercise to energize your day:

Important notes
•If you feel dizzy when practicing this breathing technique, you should stop and substitute normal breathing. If you suffer from vertigo, you should use caution in practicing this breathing exercise.


•You should be careful practicing these exercises if you have high blood pressure, heart disease or suffer from stroke or epilepsy.
 
Steps
•To practice this breathing exercise sit up in a comfortable position.

•Elongate your spine upwards, lengthen your neck and subtly bring your chin back and in like a soldier at attention. This will align the spine with the back of your head.

•Close your eyes.

•Bring the palms of your hands together at sternum level but have them 2-4 inches away from your chest. Your elbows should be up such that your forearms are parallel to the ground.

•Press the palms of your hands together applying equal pressure to both sides. The pressure should be firm but not excessive.

•Relax your diaphragm and stomach muscles.

•Then you should begin with Diaphragmatic Breathing. Which means to breathe into the abdomen. Also called Abdominal Breathing.


•To do this, as you inhale allow your diaphragm to move down and stomach move out (expand). Try to only use your abdomen, not allowing the chest to rise (or fall) as best you can. On the exhalation, let the diaphragm move up and he stomach move in towards the spine. So only your stomach region is rising and falling on inhalation and exhalation. Continue on for 3-5 minutes, just using your stomach/diaphragm to breathe.  

Please feel free to email any question/comments to bodypulse@ymail.com. Enjoy the World Cup action! For non-football fans, have a fabulous week as well!

Tips for effective Teambuilding sessions

It is the middle of the year and lots of companies and schools are organizing staff and student teambuilding retreat with the view of strengthening bonds between members that would ultimately result in a more efficient and effective teamwork and results. For student activities, it would be geared more towards motivation and self discovery. But whatever the target group, you should take note of a few pointers in order to get the most return on investment from your teambuilding sessions. Here are some tips:

1.) Have a session at least once a month
Some companies would try to save cost by having it only twice a year perhaps vee once a year. But they do not realise that the long term benefits of having regular monthly sessions far outweigh the short term cost involved. There is no need for an overnight session. Even a two or three hour programme would be sufficient. Especially if you work in a highly stressful environment. Regular sessions of fun activities help to de-stress.Try it and see the difference in your employees attitudes.

2.) Use your participants' feedback to imrove subsequent sessions
Always make sure that you get your participants to fill out the evaluation form and use the collated results to help improve future sessions. You could have a short question where you ask what they feel is the most enjoyable part of the session and which might require improvements. Remember that these will be the participants for the next session so it is improtant that you show them that you value their feedback.

3.) Have 'out of the box' activities
Do not limit yourself to overnight BBQ sessions, sports meet and wine and dine sessions. Have something that is unusual, for example a balloon twisting workshop, a juggling teambuilding session or even a cross cultural trip where you learn about a culture that is not very well known to your part of the world. By having sessions that are unique, you keep your participants enthusiasm levels at a high and always looking forward to actively participating in the next session/s.

Please feel free to email all comments/enquiries to bodypulse@ymail.com. Have a great day!

Upcoming programme June 2010-Introduction to Hypnotherapy

Here's more details regarding our upcoming hypnotherapy workshop:

Hypnotherapy is often applied in order to modify a subject's behavior, emotional content, and attitudes. It is also used for a wide range of conditions including dysfunctional habits, anxiety, stress-related illness, pain management, and personal development. This beginner’s level workshop is open to anyone from the age of 21. No previous experience in hypnosis or hypnotherapy is required. Participants will learn the instant self-hypnosis technique and basic applications of self-hypnosis. They will also get to try out simple hypnotherapy techniques to hypnotize others.

Title: Hypnotherapy Workshop for Beginners

Venue: Club CSC @ Tessensohn
Date: Thursday, 24 Jun 10

Time: 7.30pm – 9pm
Fee: Member $18, Public Officer/Guest $22 (Inclusive of notes)

Registration Contact: Gek Cheng at 63915624 of kua_gek_cheng@csc.gov.sg

Please register by 17th Jun 10

Please feel free to email me at bodypulse@ymail.com for enquiries. Have a great week!

Panic/Anxiety Attacks and Treatments

Hi everyone!

I do hope that you are all enjoying yourselves. Working hard as well as playing hard! My apologies for not publishing any new updates for the past 3 weeks. I have been very busy filming a new reality show and did not have a chance to update this blog. I have tried to reply to as many emails as possible the past couple of days. I do hope to reply to every one of them within the next few days.

Anyway, I recently had a few questions with regarding panic attacks. For those who are suffering or have suffered from it, you would know that it is such an unpleasent and even frightening experience. About 10 years ago I witnessed someone getting a panic attack. It seemed like an asthma attack but it's not. Here's some info about panic attack that I hope you would find useful and interesting.

General Info

Panic attacks are sudden feelings of terror that strike without warning. These episodes can occur at any time, even during sleep. A person experiencing a panic attack may believe that he or she is having a heart attack or that death is imminent.

Most people with panic attacks experience several of the following symptoms:


-"Racing" heart
-Feeling weak, faint, or dizzy
-Tingling or numbness in the hands and fingers
-Sense of terror, of impending doom or death
-Feeling sweaty or having chills
-Chest pains
-Breathing difficulties
-Feeling a loss of control

Panic attacks are generally brief, lasting less than ten minutes, although some of the symptoms may persist for a longer time. It is not clear what causes Panic Disorder. In many people, its symptoms develop in association with major life changes (such as getting married, having a child, starting a first job, etc.) and major lifestyle stressors.

Best Ways to Ease Anxiety Disorders- I shall describe each method in detail in my future posts.
1.) Medication- One might required medication initially to reduce the number of attacks if you experience frequent attacks (a few attacks per day)
2.) Hypnosis or hypnotherapy
3.) Meditation and Other Relaxation Techniques
4.) Good Night’s Sleep
5.) Laughing/Laughter Therapy
6.) Avoid Places Where You Have Had an Attack

As always, although the alternative therapies are extremely powerful and effective, please check with a physician if you require medication to curb the initial phase of the attacks.

Please feel free to email me your comments at bodypulse@ymail.com. Have a fabulous week!

Upcoming course- Breaking the Chains Preview

                             Breaking the Chains Preview

I am pleased to announce that we would be organizing a group workshop style for our 'Breaking the Chains' one-to-one session. We had a lot of request from participants who wanted to have a preview before signing up for the actual one-to-one session, which is the actual format for the course. So, as requested, I came up with a preview to the programme. Here are the details of the preview as well as the actual programme:

Preview details
Date: 1st June 2010
Time: 6pm-8pm
Venue: 221 Henderson Road, Henderson Building, #02-06
Fees: $8 per pax (Inclusive of notes and subliminal CD)
Participants would learn:
- Basic self hypnosis techniques to aid in personal development
- Real life case studies and how problems were solved
- How and why subliminal music can help/has helped people in different circumstances
Please email me at bodypulse@ymail.com for registration details and/or enquiries. Thank you.

Here are the full details of the actual one-on-one sessions:

                     Breaking the Chains

One-on-one/group Hypnotherapy incorporating techniques such as EFT and other holistic therapies.


Do you often feel:
- Stressed
- Overwhelmed with emotions
- Anger at the point of it being destructive
- Tired/Fatigued
- Sad and lonely
- Depressed

Are you often struggling to improve your relationships? Do you feel that a phobia or addiction is ruining your life/hindering you from achieving your dreams? Tried many therapy methods without success?

Then we might have the solution for you. Join our exclusive ‘Breaking the chains’ course. This course could help you with overcome many obstacles including:

- Addictions (including smoking, sex, drugs etc)
- Anger Management
- Anxiety
- Grief
- Fears and Phobias (crowded places, birds, snakes, public speaking, blood etc)
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Lack of Confidence / Lack of self-esteem
- Negative thoughts / attitude
- Stress
Each session is usually 1 hour.

Child participants must be 8 years and older.

As always, please register your interest/email enquiries at bodypulse@ymail.com. Thank you very much!

Sleep positions and your personality-any links?

I came across this very interesting report/study done by reviewing the sleep patterns of 1000 people. They matched the sleep positions with similar matching personalities. As with all surveys and study reports, there were plenty of discussions and questions on the results of the study/report. Here's the report findings.

Six most common sleeping positions (Graphic from bbc.com)


Foetus position: A whopping 41% of participants sleep in this curled-up manner. Women are twice as likely to rest like this and it is listed as the most common position. These sleepers are said to have a tough exterior but are still sensitive and may appear to be shy but warm up quickly.


Log position – If you sleep on your side with both arms down, you are a social, easy-going person who is trusting, sometimes to the point of being gullible. The study showed 15% of people sleep like a log.

Yearner position - A close third is the side-lying position with both arms out in front of the body, with 13% of partipants sleeping like this. Yearners are noted to be open-minded and still cynical, suspicious, and stubborn about sticking to decisions once they are made.

Soldier position - These sleepers lie on their backs with arms down and kept close to the body. This 8% study is said to be reserved, quiet, without fuss, and hold themselves and others to a high standard. Soldier sleepers have a higher likelihood for snoring due to the flat-back position, which may not cause them to wake up often but may result in a less restful night’s sleep.

Freefall position - Those people who lie on their bellies with arms under or wrapped around a pillow with head turned to the side, make up 7% of the population studied. Freefallers are brash, outgoing, and are very uncomfortable with criticism.

Starfish position - Sleepers who lie on their backs with arms up near their head or the pillow account for 5% of participants. These people are good listeners, helpful, and are uncomfortable being the center of attention. People who sleep in starfish position are more likely to snore and to suffer from a poor night’s sleep more often.

 
There are some very interesting questions that arise after reading and analysing the study. Some questions that you might ask are:
 
1.) I do not know my sleeping position. I am asleep, after all.
2.) What happens if throughout the night I go through at least 3 or perhaps all of the sleeping positions?
3.) What if I change my personality? Will my sleep position also be changed? Or can changing my sleep position 'alter' my personality?
 
Let's go through each question:
 
1.) Obviously you will not know your sleep positions throughout the night but generally, the position that you wake up in should be taken as your most comfortable and therefore, the position that you spend majority of the night in. Please take note that this is just a general rule.
 
2.) Once again, take the position that you wake up in as the one that you spend the most comfortable and therefore your favourite.
 
3.) This is a very good question. Just take note that the link between the sleep position and personality might just be the results of a majority and not exclusively to each group/position. Just like your personality traits/characteristics in a horoscope, not all people born in the year of the Tiger are aggressive go-getters, as most experts predict them to be. The same thing applies to this particular study/report. So while your sleep position and personality might be strikingly similar to the report, pleased do not be alarmed if it isn't. With regards to whether you change your sleep postion if you change your personality, well, I guess there should be another study and research done on this. What about changing your sleep position to change your personality? Good one, but once you are asleep, your body alters its position naturally so there is no way that you can 'force' your body to sleeping in a particular position. What if you hypnotize yourself to do so? Still, if you naturally feel comfortable in a particular position, your body would still adopt that position even though you might start in your desired position. So its better to use hypnosis to change your unwanted personality traits rather than your sleep position!
 
 
Please email your questions/comments to bodypulse@ymail.com. Have a good night!

Money, money, money

It isn't enough for you to love money— it's also necessary that money should love you.

The safest way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket.

Kin Hubbard

Yes, money can help everyone get the experience that they desire, be it further your education, travel to your favourite countries, eat your favourite foods or simply live comfortably in your dream home. Its always great to be in control of money to make sure that it comes back you. As they say, money can be a great servant but a not so good master! Here's some tips on saving money:


Simple tips on saving/making money
1.) Give up expensive habits (like cigarettes, alcohol and drugs).
Those habits cause money to flow away from you with nothing in return. Replace these expensive habits with ones that are cheaper and cause less harm. For example, if you drink alcohol because it makes you feel more relaxed, try something else, such as reading a good book or breathing exercises. You might say that you only have drinks and cigarettes on weekends but these things add up. If you do the maths you'll be surprise how much you could save(not including the non monetary ways as well!).

2.) Try getting some passive income.
Yes, the key is to work smarter. Passive income allows you to get money while you are doing other activities besides work. Some examples of ways to build a steady stream of passive income are investing in stocks and shares, writing a book and setting up a blogsphot/e-commerce website.

3.) Sell things that you do not need
One man's junk is another man's treasure. So, look around the house for things that you do not need. You'll be surprise at some of the things that you might find because you might not have touched it in months or perhaps even years! Someone else might find the need for it so put it up on Ebay or other auction sites and you never know, your trash might become cash!

4.) Make your own items instead of buying them.
Whether its birthday gifts, breakfast or simple cleaning devices, making your own instead of buying a ready made product could save you plenty of money! Pus you might have fun doing it as well.

5.) Seek more affordable means of transportation.
Transportation cost a lot for most people. So, cut dowb unecessary expenses in this area by:
•Carpooling with a co-worker or someone who works nearby.

•Taking a bus or other public transportation. You may enjoy the time alone to read or listen to music.
•Cycling or walking to work. You'll drop pounds from your waist as well as your wallet.

Please feel free to email me any questions/comments at bodypulse@ymail.com. Have a fabulous week!

Tips to improve your memory

Since I have been receiving a lot of emails with regards to memory improvement(I guess its mainly because most students are in the midst of their mid year examinations) I have decided to compile some great ways to improve your memory. A lot of students find that they have plenty of facts and figures to memorize. Please remember to use some stress management skills as well because you tend to recall information more easily when you are under less stress. Here are some tips:

1.) Eat food that improve brain function.
The best way to protect and improve your memory is to eat plenty of antioxidants and nutrients commonly found in fruits and vegetables.
Try taking more plant foods like walnuts, flaxseeds, cold water fish like salmon, and oils like olive oil, because the types of fat contained in these foods help keep your blood vessels and nerve healthy. Among these fats is a group called omega-3 fatty acids, which assist in improving brain and eye function. B-complex vitamins are another particularly important category of nutrient when it comes to brain function and memory. Many of the nervous system messengers that send signals back and forth between our nerves (called neurotransmitters) cannot be synthesized without the presence of B vitamins and Choline. Liver, egg yolk, soybeans and whole grains are significant sources of choline. Lecithin is another beneficial form of choline found in both eggs and soybeans.


2.) Use Acronyms and Other Mnemonic Devices

Mnemonics are essentially tricks for remembering information. Some tricks are so effective that proper application will let you recall loads of mundane information years later. A very popular example is the colours of the rainbow. When trying to recall, we can use the first alphabet of each colour to spell out a name, ROY G BIV(Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet). When trying to remember facts and figures, we can convert the information we need to recall by making a memorable story out of the list.

3. Sleep Well

Consistently sleeping 7-8 hours a night will drastically increase your memory. During sleep, the brain appears to firm up memories of newly acquired information. When you get your regular hours of sleep, your brain experience the full spectrum of nocturnal cycles, and relaxation techniques before bed time can help really help your cognitive (and memory) capacity.

4. Do some brain gymnastics
Mental gymnastics are as important as physical ones to preserving brainpower.

Take up word games like crossword puzzles. Memorize poems, lines from movies, songs, read challenging books or articles that encourage you to expand your interests. Any activity that requires you to think and concentrate -- from keeping a journal or learning a new language to taking music lessons -- will challenge your brain.


As always, please feel free to email me any questions/comments at bodypulse@ymail.com. Have a great day!

Tips on effective Work-Life balance

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it”

Some people wonder why their colleagues seem to enjoy everything about their work; from mingling with their colleagues to completing simple tasks. Even stressful situations do not seem to faze these people. Well, the plain and simple fact is that these people are exposed to the exact same environment and thus have to cope with the same stressors and work situations as you. But what makes a difference in their behaviour? Simple. They do not let circumstances affect the way that THEY feel. This is one key to enjoying your work and life in general.

Many people and workplaces focus all their efforts on changing the external circumstances at work – stuff like salaries, bonuses, promotions, careers, perks, etc and end up putting a lot of unnecessary pressure and burden on their shoulders. And they are vulnerable to many physical and emotional/mental problems such as depression, insomnia, burnout and headaches/migraines, just to name a few.

So I have compiledd some tips on how you can effectively maintain a great work-life balance:

1.) Reserve quality time with family/friends.
Yes, sounds simple but how many times have you gone on vacation with your family but yet spend an hour or so clearing your emails/taking business calls? This is not a very good nethod to clear your mind away from your business/work. After all, that is why you decided to take a vacation, right? So remember to really take no business calls/answer no business emails. Or better yet, do not bring a laptop or go near a PC! When you decide to spend time with your loved ones, do just that! Give them your undivided atteention.

2.) Learn better time management.
One great way to do this is to avoid procrastination. Once you decide to put something off, you waste that little bit of time delaying the completion of a task. And believe me, time adds up very quickly and before you know it, you have a pile of uncompleted task. And this in turn would limit the amount of free time that you could have had you complete the task in the first place. So, as that very famous slogan says, 'Just do it!'

3.) Learn to say 'NO'
Yes, this can be very difficult if you the the type who values relationship. But think of it this way, if you do commit yourself to too many assignments/projects/errands/gatherings, you risk suffering from burnout which could result in your friends not enjoying your company later on. So, if you think an event /project/assignment will have a positive impact on your productivity, career, and networking without disrupting your non-work schedule, go for it. If you think your personal life will suffer because of it, say no. You can always modify your work schedule if you find that you underestimated your ability and you completed an assignment sooner than expected.

Please fee free to email me your questions/comments at bodypulse@ymail.com . Have a great week!

A great tip from Yoda

Do, or do not. There is no "try". – Yoda (The Empire Strikes Back)

Life requires action, boldness and decisiveness. Arguably one of the most motivational phrases to come out from a movie, this quote from Yoda really does teaches us important lessons about self motivation. A lot of people say 'let me try' whenever they think about taking steps to achieve a goal. The problem about saying 'I will try to do it' rather than 'ok, I will do it' is sometimes it will sink into your subconcious that you might not be capable(for a variety of reasons such as fear, lack of a certain skill, pressure from external environment etc) of accomplishing whatever that you are 'trying' to do and you end up giving a half hearted effort in the action required to accomplish the goal. And there is a much higher chance of you not accomplishing the goal.

Here are some tips to improve self motivation:

1.) Remember your positive skills.
It can be tempting to ve too hard on yourself when you’re struggling but keep your head up by remembering all the things you actually are good at instead. Think of all the times where you overcame seemingly tough situations.

2.) Make sure that you always get excited when you visualize/think about your goals.
It is very important that you feel the excitement once you think about your goals/aspirations. This is because once you start to feel less enthusiastic about them, you will start to lose energy and in turn you might take less action in pursuit of those goals. So always re-evaluate your goals in case you start to feel less excited at the thought of accomplishing them. Imagine how happy you will feel in the future when you achieved your goal

3.) Practise positive self talk.
We encounter negative people throughout our day as well and these people will say things to plant seeds of doubt into our heads. They might be nice people but because they are not aware of how to react when they are feeling stressed, they tend to pass these stressed up emotions to other by giving negative comments. So, in order to counter this, always practise positive self talk. You do not have to necessarily say it out loud although saying it aloud would have a very powerful effect. Just whispering to yourself a few times per day would be sufficient. For example, if you are tired but still need to run an errand for someone, just say to yourself, 'I will be able to do this easily'. You might still struggle with the task because of physical exhaustion but you give yourself a better chance of completing the task.

I hope that everyone is enjoying yourselves as we come to the end of another month. How time flies! Habe a great day and please feel free to email me your questions/comments anytime. Cheers!

Tips on building rapport with others

I recently bumped into an old friend who was telling me about how things have been going in her life. From what I knew about her personality, I always thought that she was one who would do very well in terms of building relationship with people, be it professionally or personally. And true enough, she was promoted within a year to Human Resource Manager in a top firm and is in a wonderful relationship with the man of her dreams.

People who find it diffcult to build strong and meaningful realtionship with people would find it puzzling how others seem to do it so well. They might be wondering if there are any secret formula or steps that they could take to improve relationship on all fronts to get ahead in their lives, because let's face it, no matter how good your are at performing in your career on your own, everyone needs that human touch or human relationship to lead more meaningful lives. It is just the way we humans are made. Great news. No matter how shy you might be or how diffcult your colleagues might seem to be, there are always some techniques that you could use to help build rapport with someone.

So for today I thought that it would be great to provide some tips on building rapport with people, be it your colleagues or that special someone.

1.) Be a good listener
Yes, it's a simple tip but people often forget to do it! People like others that listen to them. One very good way to show people that you are listening to them is to paraphrase what they had just said. Another way is to nod occasionally and/or say 'I see' or 'That's great'. Show people that you care about what they say and they will in turn care about what you have to say as well.

2.) Mirror their body language

Mirroring is a very powerful subconscious technique to build rapport with anyone. When communicating with someone, wait 10 seconds, and then copy the body language gesture of the other person. For example, use the same hand gestures they use, but only when it’s your turn to talk. Match their facial expressions instantly. If they raise their eyebrows, raise yours to acknowledge their emotion.When they nod their head, nod yours instantly to signal agreement or affirmation.

3.) Match their speed and tone of voice
This is a great way to build rapport with someone over the phone. If you are a talking to someone that speaks faster and louder than you, speed up your speech and increase the volume of your voice a little to at least come closer to matching theirs.

4.) Smile
Yes, everyone looks their best when they smile. Smiling makes you look more approachable and friendly. Perhaps if you are dealing with someone that you do not really like but need to put on a friendly, smiling face, take some time and think fo something funny first before going to interact with this person. 
 
 
Please feel free to email me any questions and comments at bodypulse@ymail.com. Have a great day!

Eliminating limiting beliefs through affirmations

                                I can do it!

I conducted a few mental skills trainings for student athletes since the beginning of the year. And I realised that these teens are a very talented lot with great skill in their respective sports but they just have some limiting beliefs that hinder their progress. They do not realise the importance of the mental aspect of their game.

Similarly, for non athletes, limiting beliefs can himedr one from making progress in many ways. For example, you might have the fear of making an all important speech that could land you that promotion. Or you have a fear of asking that wonderful person out on a date or an outing. These limiting beliefs occur due to past incidents that programme our mind. They programme our mind in such a way that whenever we experience such a situation again, our mind is 'used to' the results being delievered in a certain manner. For example, if your Art Teacher use to tell you that you are 'hopeless in art', you would be less confident of producing a good artpiece due to this previous 'negative programming'.

So, in order to counter this, always try to use positive statements or affirmations to re-programme your mind to thinking positively. This would enable you to overcome any limiting beliefs and eventually, you will start seeing positive results from your actions.

A few tips on using affirmations in order for it to work effectively:

- Use 'I am' and 'I can' statements
For example, 'I am able to produce great art work' or 'I can complete my math assignments easily and quickly'.
- Repeat the affirmations regularly.
You might be asking, how regularly is 'regularly'? Well, it differs from person to person. Some people feel 10 times might be sufficient while others might feel 80 times works better for them. See what works best for you.
- Do it just before you go to bed and just after waking up.
This si to help lock it into your subconscious.
- Try to be as relaxed as possible before stating your affirmations.
Again, this helps it to be locked into your subconscious more easily.
- You could also make a poster of your affirmation. Just write down your affirmation and colour and decorate the entire piece of paper/cardboard. Put it up where you can see it everyday or most of the days.
This reminds and re-enforces the positive statements/actions.

By practising self affirmations you are continually verbalizing & visualizing what you desire. When done with intensity and repetition, your mind will treat it as reality and you will begin to develop a new belief.


So go ahead! Believe and achieve! Have a great day!

Upcoming programmes- April 2010

Hello everyone! Here's an update of upcoming programmes/courses for members of the public:


1.) For students aged 12-25.
1.1- Beat Exam Anxiety
Stress is an increasing problem facing teenagers and their parents at exam time. Each year more cases of student stress, depression and even suicide are recorded which directly link to the pressure of exams.


Students will learn:
- Powerful methods to improve motivation for study and revision
- Developing useful revision and study skills strategies
- Building self confidence and self belief to overcome exam anxiety
- Quick fire ways of staying calm during the xams itself!
and much more!


Date: 24th April 2010, Saturday
Time: 9am-5pm
Venue: 37A, Hong Kong Street, Singapore 059676
Fees: $50 (Inclusive of course notes/training materials and lunch/tea break snacks)
Inclusive of 6 months after course email support/coaching

2.) For both adults as well as students.

2.1- Overcoming depression

Depression is more than the normal, everyday ups and downs. When that "down" mood, along with other symptoms, lasts for more than a couple of weeks, the condition may be clinical depression, Clinical depression is a serious health problem that affects the total person. In addition to feelings, it can change behaviour, physical health and appearance, academic performance, social activity and the ability to handle everyday decisions and pressures.


Participants will learn:
• Tools to regain control of your moods fast!
• Powerful methods to dissolve sadness/negative emotions.
• Self-help approaches that combine unique methods of therapies!
• Techniques to help you feel more energized
• Ways to motivate yourself

Date: 30th April 2010
Venue: 37A,Hong Kong Street, Singapore 059676

Fees: $100 (Inclusive of course notes/training materials, lunch and tea break snacks)
Time:9am-5pm

For registration and/or enquiries, please either email me at bodypulse@ymail.com or send a text message to
+65 98466950. We look forward to your participation in these exciting programmes! Have a great day!

Reader's email- Dealing with difficult people

Hi everyone! Today we shall look at an email with regards to dealing with a difficult person. Most of us can relate to such a situation, be it at your workplace, in your school or even at home. There might be alot of people that you might consider difficult. But before we go through the email, have you ever asked yourself, 'what makes a person difficult'? Is it because he/she is rude? Is it because he/she does not give into your demands? Is it because you fell he/she is not respecting you?  There might be various reasons why someone might be classified as a 'difficult person'. But remember that what might be a difficult person to you might be someone very nice to another. So, in short, the most impotant lesson that you should know for today; Everyone deserves respect. 

So, just respect everyone, no matter how 'difficult' they might seem. You might not 'like' them and they might not be your friend, but at least respect them as a human being. You never know, you might seem to be a 'difficult' person to someone else during certain situation/s. Now, on to the email:


Dear Naz,

I just got a job as a service crew in a fast food restaurant. I have been working here for only about 2 weeks but it feels like I'm working in a pressure cooker! Everyone here is so mean! My boss is so rude and my fellow co-workers are so selfish. I am naturally a very friendly girl and I get along very well in school with the rest of my classmates. But over here, it's as if I am transported into a different dimension. Why are all these people trying to be difficult? Is it because of my looks? The way I speak? I am hesitant to leave because I need the money and being under 18, there is only a limited umber of jobs that I could try out. What should I do? Thank you.

Susanna, Service crew, Singapore


Dear Susanna,

Well, you have to decide for yourself which is more important to you; the money or freedom from dealing with these 'difficult people'. You could be in an unfortunate situation where you just happen to be gropued with people you find hard to get along with. Let's face it, some personalities just do not get along at all! Here are a two options that you could consider to resolve this situation:

- Give yourself more time to try to get along with your colleagues. You may never know, some of them might take a longer time than 2 weeks in making friends.
- While trying to give them more time, continue to search for other jobs and if you get another one, you might want to consider leaving this one if you really feel that it might not be of any help working in an environment any longer.

Susanna, please also remember to try not to argue with your colleagues/boss even though they might seem difficult. This is because when you argue with someone you perceive as being difficult they would argue back and the result is a never ending conflict between the both of you. And you would end up having lots of frustration and anger, which in turn might affect your mood for the day. So do not allow other people's reaction/s affect you. Just go ahead and continue to be the fun and friendly girl that you are to all your classmates.

Don't worry, just be happy! All the best!

Yours sincerely,
Naz


If you would like to send an email question/s, please send all emails to me at bodypulse@ymail.com. Thank you.

Have a great day!

Make your own 'feel good' mental movie

Let's face it, everyone has a day when we feel a bit under the weather and for some people, these days happen very often. That is very unfortunate because when you tend to have 'off days' or days whne you are off colour, you tend to keep a lot of the stress and anxiety inside of you and this in turn could accumulate and lead to more serious problems such as depression.

Wheen we feel that it might be difficult to get motivated or is just having a bad day, some of us would try to get over this by chatting with friends and family or just doing some things that you enjoy. That is great but a lot of times, some of us would like to be left alone and try to cope with it the best way that they can.

Recently, a client of mine did a creative visualization technique that helped her get through these bad days. And she realised that it worked so well that these off days started apprearing less often. Well here's what she did with her creative visualization:

- Picture a time when you are counselling a friend or just talking to a friend/family memeber to make them feel good.
- Remember to use all the tips to make the visualization effective, i.e in colour, make use of all five senses, see yourself smiling etc.
- Make this whole 'mind motivational movie' about 5 minutes or so.
- Keep repeating this movie about 5-10 times at first until this movie gets so familiar with your mind that you can 'see' more and more clearly each time you visualize it.
- Once you have done this, use this movie the moment you feel like you are having a bad day.

Remember to choose an occasion whe you are really at the top of your game for your 'feel good' anchor mind movie. This technique works very well over time, once your mind gets used to the occasion that you are trying to visualize. Try it! make your own 'feel good' movie today!

Ok, have yourselves a great day ahead! Happy 'movie making'!

The truth about meditation

During a lot of my programmes, there are lots of questions relating to meditation and one of the most common myths about meditation is that it has a lot to do with religion, or is primarily religious in nature. This is not true.

Firstly, what exactly is meditation?
Meditation is a practice of concentrated focus upon a sound, object, visualization, the breath, movement, or attention itself in order to increase awareness of the present moment, reduce stress, promote relaxation, and enhance personal and spiritual growth.

So although meditation is very popular when it comes to religion because people use it to focus on spiritual growth, it is not the only aim of meditation. We can all use meditation in our daily lives to reap lots of great benefits. The best part of all is that the steps are very simple and all that is required is an enthusiastic you and a space where you can sit comfortably.

There are lots of websites that list plenty of different steps for meditation but generally the steps of meditation are as follows:

Step One: Find a quiet place.


Step Two: Get in a comfortable position. If you prefer to rest your back on a wall, please do so. A lot of people I know are afraid to do meditation because they have a picture in their heads of people sitting crossed legged with their backs straight. Do not worry, as long as you are comfortable, remain in that position for your meditation session.

Step Three: Practice deep breathing. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Slow and deep breaths.

Step Four: Keep practicing. Try to meditate at least once a day. But do not stress yourself out trying to fit your meditation into your schedule. Remember, meditation should make you feel less stressed, not stressed! Do not force anything, just go with the flow. If you feel that you can only commit 5 minutes of meditation per day for only 4 days, then let it be.


The only problem that beginners might find challenging is the need to empty your thoughts for the period that you are performing the meditation. For this reason, I would advise beginners to keep your meditation session to about 5 minutes. It might seem like a very short time but it is best to start simple and work your way from there. Once you feel more comfortable, you can proceed to meditate for about 30 minutes or so. Its best to progress o a weekly basis. Try 5 minutes for a week and if you feel comfortable with that, move on to 10 minutes the following week. 

Should you have any questions on this or any of my other posts, please feel free to email me at bodypulse@ymail.com. I will be glad to entertain any questions/comments.

Have a great day!

Stress Management for students

Hello everyone! As we approach the start of a new month, students in most parts of the world might be gearing up for major mid year/mid term examinations. I spoke to a group of University students last week and some of them feel that although they have been taught plenty of examination strategies, almost 80%  of them felt that they have not been armed with effective stress management techniques to see them through the busy exam period.

Statistics on the stress levels of students reveal that 25% of students are poor at managing stress, while 58% report feeling worried about their grades. Additionally, 71% state that their grades have a direct affect on their level of stress.

Students usually have stress from:


• Their own feelings on how they are fitting in socially and academically. For many students living in a hostel this is the first time away from home.

• Expectations placed on them whether real or perceived from parents or loved ones to perform and succeed.

• Relationship stressors from dating and also from building social networks.

• Financial stressors cause excess worry and anxiety. Many students wonder how they are going to pay for their studies and some even work fulltime to help support themselves. Students are also being hurt by economic slowdowns and realize that they may not get the job of their dreams out of school.

It is very important to adopt some stress management techniques to help cope with challenges and obstacles. Like they say, prevention is far better than cure. So, I would like to recommend that everyone do at least one stress managemnet technique per day (even if it's for just 10 minutes) in order for you to be able to cope better with everyday stressful situations. 

I know what some of you might be saying. Where can I find the time for a 15 minute meditation? Even 5 minutes is precious to me. Well, sure, time is precious to everyone. But here are some very simple methods that you could easily fit into your daily scehdule:

- Adapting your Progressive Muscle Relaxation technque while sitting in the Train/Bus
You could do this while simply closfing your eyes and clenching and then unclenching your fist. Focus on simple deep breathing and after your ten minute journey, guess what? You have completed a powerful stress management technique!

- Have a quick bite for breakfast
I know that lots of people do not take breakfast due to the fact that they might be rushing for their first lession for the day or rushing off to work. But take note that missing breakfast makes it more difficult to maintain blood sugar levels, which can lead to greater irritability, frustration and stress. So at least snack on some crackers or muesli bar to give you that energy needed to cope with the daily stressors.

- While with your friends, crack a few jokes.
Yes, we go back to the old saying that laughter is the best medicine. So, while you are in the canteen or food court during your break, instead of chatting what you 'could have answered differently' for a term test, make a few jokes about the latest news or stories. Have a chuckle about funny incidents at a ball game. Just joke and laugh.

Ok, I hope that you continue to enjoy your studies. And for working people, enjoy your work. But hey, it's the Easter weekend so to all those who celebrate this occasion, Happy Easter!

Enjoy!

Anger Management-Readers' emails

Hi everyone! I have received plenty of emails during my month long break. My apologies for not being able to reply to everyone promptly. But I still do hope to respond to everyone's questions and comments very soon. For today, I have selected one email. It is a common problem faced by lots of people; dealing with anger. Here is the email:

Dear Naz,

I have been feeling very stressed lately over something. In the past month or so, I have been losing my temper more frequently than normal. And to make matters worse, I have been expressing my anger and frustrations in ways that I have never ever done in my life. This has affected my relationship with my family, friends and colleagues. When I get angry, I used to be able to get over it after having some 'time out'. But nowadays, the cooling off period does not seem to work. After two or three days, I still feel angry and frustrated with a particular person or incident. And I have tried meditation and other relaxation techniques but there have been little improvements. I feel that if I do not cope with this situation effectively, I might explode one day and I fear even causing physical harm to people because I do feel extremely angry. Why is this suddenly happening to me? Is this just a phase that would disappear? Could you please advise me on any methods that I could to cope with this? Thank you very much.

Lin, Waitress, Singapore



Dear Lin,

From what you have described, it does seem like you might have many months or perhaps even years of anger and frustration kept inside of you and have reached a breaking point. That could probably be the reason why you always feel angry and are not having much success controlling your anger at thsi point in time. When minor and routine everyday situations where anger is not necessary make you angry then it is an indication that you need to reduce your anger and work on managing your anger in a positive and constructive way. You have a right to be concerned and worried because when anger is expressed in a negative way it can come out as being very aggressive, by becoming violent and in threatening others. This is anger which is out of control which can quickly lead to all kinds of trouble for yourself and a breakdown in relationships. However, please also remember that if and whenever you feel angry you have every right to express it in a healthy/appropriate way/s.

Sometimes people have a lot of anger inside them as a result of things which have happened to them in their past - business failure, abuse, broken relationships, employability problems, etc. Sometimes when you do not release anger appropriately, it remains deep in your subconcious and when there is finally no more room for this so called 'storage', you would suddenly explode over a minor matter. It's like a balloon bursting after being over inflated. That is why I would always advise people that prevention is far better than cure. Even on days that you are not feeling stressed out and/or angry, try to have your own 'quiet time' or do things that you really enjoy.

So, the question now is what can you do at this point in time to cope with your current situation? Before I answer that, let me answer your other question. Is this just a 'phase' that wuld disappear? It could be. It all depends on various factors such as what triggered the first anger outburst that started this chain of feeling angry and frustrated. Were there any major changes in your life? For example, did you relocate? Did you switch jobs? Did you have a very bad incident with someone you loved? Your sudden outburst of anger could disppear once you are able to accept whatever situation that started the reaction that you are now experiencing. Like I mentioned earlier, it could also be a result of many months or perhaps even years of keeping anger ad frustration inside of you.

At this point in time, it would be good for you to take some time off from work or your regular routine just to keep your mind away from potential stressors. You might not be able to figure out what the stressors are as there has already been so many things that has happened over the past month so it might be good to just take things easy for a while to get your mind away from the environment that is triggering your negative response to anger. So here's what you can do right now:

- Take a short break(it can be just a couple of days)
- Do at least 1 thing that you truly enjoy that you have been putting off for quite some time.
- Continue doing your meditation as it might take more than a month to see some improvement.
- Once you get back to work, place a photograph of yourself in the environment that you were in during your 'time off'. This would act like an achor to get your mind into thinking of feeling great whenever you tend to start feeling angry/frustrated.

I do hope that you find the advice useful. Please feel free to email me and let me know how things are going. All the best.

Yours sincerely,
Naz


If you would like to email a question, please send it to bodypulse@ymail.com. Thank you very much.

Happy Easter to all our Christian friends!

Breaking the chains

Hello everyone! My apologies for the short break. I was busy completing my first full length movie script but I am back with more great new programmes and courses! Here's the latest one coming up at the end of April:

One-on-one/group Hypnotherapy incorporating techniques such as EFT and other holistic therapies.

Do you often feel:

- Stressed
- Overwhelmed with emotions
- Anger at the point of it being destructive
- Tired/Fatigued
- Sad and lonely
- Depressed

Are you often struggling to improve your relationships? Do you feel that a phobia or addiction is ruining your life/hindering you from achieving your dreams? Tried many therapy methods without success?

Then we might have the solution for you. Join our exclusive ‘Breaking the chains’ course. This course could help you with overcome many obstacles including:
- Addictions (including smoking, sex, drugs etc)
- Anger Management
- Anxiety
- Grief
- Fears and Phobias (crowded places, birds, snakes, public speaking, blood etc)
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Lack of Confidence / Lack of self-esteem
- Negative thoughts / attitude
- Stress

Each session is usually 1 hour.

Child participants must be 8 years and older.

As always, please register your interest at bodypulse@ymail.com. Thank you very much!

Breathe your way to better health!

When I conduct my stress and anger management programmes, one of the very first techniques that I usually teach are the different breathing techniques and how the different technique helps in different situations. For example, if you are trying to relax and would like to get the maximum amount of oxygen into your body, I would advise people to do 'belly breathing'(or Diaphragmatic Breathing).

So today, I shall go through how you could do belly breathing to achieve a wonderful state of relaxation. And once your practice this breathing method often, your body would get used to breathing in this manner that it would come to you naturally that you do not have to practice it.

The benefits of doing deep belly breathing
- It draws energy into the body, providing the body with oxygen and calming the muscles and organs.
- It is a natural way to relax and spread more oxygen to the body.
- It releases endorphins-the bodies own painkillers, into the system hence it is also useful in treating migraines, stress headaches, depression, and insomnia.
- It is a great rejuvenated method to use every time a person feels fatigue/stressed out.
- Great to detoxify our inner organs, promote blood flow and pump the lymph more efficiently through our lymphatic system.
- It strengthens weak abdominal and intestinal muscles


More about belly breathing
- This is the natural breathing pattern all humans. A new born baby breathes in this manner.
- When used with pursed-lip breathing and practiced regularly, you can increase your exercise tolerance and feel better.

How to do belly breathing

Step 1: Place the palm of your hand on your lower abdomen, right under the navel. Make sure that your palm is centered there, and not to one side of your belly.


Step 2: Inhale through your nose, in such a way that your belly pushes on your hand.

Step 3: Exhale through your mouth – also so that your belly pushes on your hand. At both inhalation and exhalation, your belly seems to be expanding.

Step 4: When you fell that you are getting used to the belly rising and falling at eaxh inhalation amnd exhalation, take away your hand, but continue with the same breathing. 

Step 5: Do about 3-5 minutes of belly breathing.

Additional tips
- While you inhale and exhale, simultaneously count in your mind 4 seconds for each inhale and exhale.
- After inhaling, try to hole your breathe for a total of 4 seconds as well.
- Take deep breaths.

Enjoy!

Reader's email-It's great to keep a pet!

The Singapore Zoo has a new programme in aid of raising funds. For $28, you are welcome to get a closeup view (1.5m) of a training session with Omar the White Tiger. It is availble on certain dates in February. Please check out the Singapore Zoo's website at http://www.zoo.com.sg/ for further details. It is a great opportunity to catch this beautiful animal up close. Don't miss this chance! Plus you are also playing a part in the conservation of wildlife as the funds would go to helping endangered animals.

Anyway, while on the topic of animals, I have received an email requesting for more info about pet therapy and its benefits. Here's what a reader had to say:

Dear Naz,

I have a close friend who sometimes feel very sad and lonely. I have been thinking of ways to help him out. I have read some reports that pet therapy can help people life their spirits,especially those suffering from depression. Is this true? How does this work? Could you please let me know if you have any success stories on this type of therapy?

Shermaine, clerk, Singapore



Dear Shermaine,

Yes, pet therapy is gaining popularity from all over the world because people are seeing its amazing healing qualities. Animals are very special; theyprovide a form of socialism for humans. A study done by a hospice has shown that over 90% of people in the nursing home who cared for a pet suffered less physical and emotional pain as compared to those who did not. In another study, heart failure patients who spent 12 minutes with a dog or cat had lower stress hormone levels, lower blood pressure levels, and a general brighter outlook about their recovery. Pet therapy may benefit both patients and caregiving staff in a hospice setting. In one study, the presence of a dog was found to encourage staff-patient interactions, ease patient-visitor relations, and improve staff and patient morale. The preferred interactions with the dog were those that had a relaxing or comforting effect on the human.

So, what is it about the animals that make a difference? Some researchers suggest dogs and other pets have a calming effect on people in every age group. Petting your pet can lower your pulse and blood pressure. One most important fact is that pets give you unconditional love. It does not matter if you are having a bad hair day, have 'panda' eyes or have bad colour coordination, your little furry buddies would come running over to you when you get back from work and school to greet you! Pets help people feel good about themselves. This is why the benefits of pet therapy is so strong.They are true friends! Tell your friend to enjoy caring for his pet!

Naz

Fengshui Tips

Since we are nearing the start of the year of the Tiger (for those following the
Chinese Lunar calendar), I thought that it might be a good idea to explore the Chinese Zodiac and the spotlight on the animal for this year; The Tiger!

Plus I would like to provide you with some Fengshui tips as well(for those who follow these very closely, there are lots of great things to come).

Before we learn more about the traits of the Tiger, here's more about the Chinese Zodiac in general:

The Chinese Zodiac is thousands of years old and easily predates its Western counterpart. Even today, millions of believers across the globe consult the Chinese Zodiac regularly. Chinese Astrology is based upon a twelve year lunar cycle. Your sign is determined by the year in which you were born (under the Chinese calendar, of course). Each sign and those born under it, are represented by one of twelve animals, and are ascribed a set of attributes the Chinese believe comprise the nature of each particular animal.

Characteristics of the Tiger:
Assertive, Adventurous, Independent, Inventive, Generous, Restless and Impulsive.
 
They:
- make great leaders
- are very passionate, spontaneous, well-liked, charismatic and self-assured
- tend to be moody and/or overly emotional
- independent
 
Fengshui
What is Fengshui?
Feng Shui (pronounced “fung shway”) is an ancient Chinese art whose name translates from the Chinese as “wind and water”.
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.

Fengshui Tips
1.) Make sure there are no large trees or power poles as they block beneficial chi(energy) from entering your front door.

2.) Used furniture, especially beds and sofas may carry with them residual energies of past experiences. Don't let other peoples problems become yours. Find other ways to recycle.

3.) Open your windows and let fresh air in daily. This will allow beneficial chi to circulate and stagnant chi to dissolve.

4.) Clutter is bad feng shui. Piles of books, magazines, clothes and ‘oldd stuff' should not be lying around your home. It should be put into a closet or a cabinet. Clutter is full of stagnant chi, and no matter how many feng shui cures you use in your home, having clutter around will negate all their effects.

5.) Arrange your bed or desk so you are supported by a wall behind you and you face into the room or office. Your position should provide a full view of the room and the door into the room. When your view is expansive, so are your opportunities!

6.) Animals are an excellent sources of Yang energy. They help by keeping energy moving regularly in your home, therefore keeping it from being too stagnant. Just make sure these non-human companions are clean, well-kept, and healthy.
 
7.) Keep all the bedroom doors, closet doors, bathroom doors closed at night, as it helps you to have a healthy relationship as well as helps strengthen your health.

8.) You should choose images wisely for the room, as they carry a lot of chi. The best option to use would be to keep images of something you want to achieve.

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 too! By simply taking some simple steps, you can enjoy the positive effects of Feng Shui.

Stallone's inspiring story

No matter how bad a situation might seem, when you are truly passionate about something, you can overcome any obstacle that comes your way. I have been speaking to a few of my clients after my workshops and most of them find it difficult to stick to their goals and aspirations. This could be due to a combination of factors such as not really knowing what you want, setting goals that are too easy/too difficult and the external environment. While it is true that sometimes external situations might affect our own goal pursuits, if you truly are passionate about a particular goal/ambition, your mind would be able to 'see' a solution somewhere no matter how huge the obstacle. Here's a truly inspiring story about Hollywood Actor, Sylvester Stallone. Before he became a superstar with his movie, Rocky, he was just like any regular person; someone with lots of passion and a huge dream but facing lots of obstacles. Read his tale of how persistence truly does pay off!

Stallone's Story

Stallone attended school in suburban Philadelphia where he first started acting. He then spent two years instructing at the American college of Switzerland in Geneva. When he arrived back in the United States he became a drama major at the University of Miami where he also began to write. He left college before graduation and moved to New York to pursue his acting career.

He auditioned for almost every casting agent in town with no success. He decided to turn more towards writing and wrote many screenplays while waiting for his acting career to blossom. In 1974 he got a break as one of the leads in "The Lords of Flatbush". He also received his first writing credit for additional dialogue on this film. Despite this small break he struggled to build momentum. He kept auditioning with one rejection after the next. He started writing more screenplays and received similar rejection. Stallone had run out of money and was living in a desperate situation. He could barely even feed his family. Then one day he was walking through the streets of New York and he wandered into the library to keep warm. This became a regular habit for him during the colder months. During his time at the library he began reading books from writers such as Tolstoy and Edgar Allan Poe.

He resorted to many regrettable things like selling his wife's jewellery. As a result, his wife actually left him! One day Stallone was sitting at home watching a fight between Chuck Wepner and Ali. Wepner was getting absolutely slaughtered but kept holding his ground and coming back for more. This underdog was really fighting for it despite the slim chance he would even get close to winning. This inspired Stallone to begin writing based on his inspiration from this fighter. He wrote for over 3 days straight and after this time he had written the entire script to Rocky.

He began trying to sell the screenplay to many producers with enormous numbers of rejections. This went on for months. He was so poor by this time that he decided he had to sell his best friend, his dog. Stallone waited outside of a local liquor store asking people if they would buy his dog. Eventually someone bought the dog for around $50. He was devastated to have to do this.
It was the most humiliating and depressing moment in his life!

He kept pursuing this story that he had written. Eventually someone loved it and they agreed to do the movie. He was wrapped and told them that he wanted to play the part of Rocky. They declined and told him he was a writer not an actor. Stallone disagreed and told them he was an actor. He declined there offer of over $100 000 despite his current poverty. A couple of weeks later they contacted him with an even higher offer and Stallone still insisted that he play Rocky. The once again declined. The offer kept rising just so he would sell them the film without playing the part. The price eventually got to around $400 000 and still he declined. He was certain that he was actor and that was it, there was no compromise. Eventually they offered Stallone a measly $25000 plus a share of the profits by having him as the lead role. He accepted. Then the first thing he did was go back to the liquor store to buy back his dog. He waited 3 days for the guy to come by and finally there he was with his dog. He offered the guy $150 to buy back the dog, the man declined. The offer kept rising, but again, Stallone knew his outcome and kept pursuing his goal. It ended up costing him $15000 and a part in the movie to buy back his dog. The guy and the dog are in Rocky.

Of course we all know what happened with the Rocky movie. It won Academy Award for best picture in 1976. It cost 1 million dollars to produce but made more than $200 million dollars at the box office!

His story shows you that you can achieve your dreams if you have:
- Persistence
- A true passion for something
- Self confidence and belief

So no matter how negative your situation might seem, always keep your goals and dreams in mind. And in time, your dreams would become a reality!
Cheers!