Success, Happiness and a More Meaningful Life

Achieving Personal Success

What is an important key to achieving personal success? Before this question can be answered, we must define what we mean by personal success. Many of us equate personal success with power and financial success, and indeed we must have enough self-esteem and enough financial security in our lives to feel confident that we are meeting our necessary responsibilities, but in my definition of personal success we must view our lives in all of its varied aspects. That means attention must be paid not only to our work and our careers, but also to our personal needs--health, recreation, personal relationships and growth. In today's fast paced environment, this takes a special commitment to dedicate ourselves to planning and balance.

Barriers to Success

There are often common barriers that block us from achieving success.Before we can examine these barriers, we must define which type of success we are seeking, because the two separate definitions of success demand different strategies and follow different paths. Financial and career success demand that we learn to work hard, pick ourselves up from our failures and continue to constantly do what is necessary to move forward toward our goals, making success the first priority in our lives and not allowing failure to deter us. If we make this choice then we can be confident that we will eventually succeed. Success in one's personal life has a different path. Our own private needs and our personal relationships must then become part of our decision making process. These more personal decisions may take time and energy away from our drive toward our financial and career success. Each person must make his own decision as how to continue to move forward, but each decision that is made has its consequences. If we choose career success at any cost then the personal side of our lives may suffer. If we choose our personal success path, then we may make less money and feel perhaps a lesser sense of achievement in our careers. Therefore the barrier to achieving success is really our own conflict about these choices, and the difficulty in deciding what our choices should be. Once we make our decisions, we can then move quickly toward our selected goals. Goal Setting Goal setting is an important part of achievement. There are two ways that we set our goals. One is outer driven and one is inner driven. The outer driven goals are the goals that others set for us. They may be set by our friends, our neighbors, the society in which we live or the prevailing values of our time. The second way we discover our goals is inner driven. It is an internal system which show us what we would like to personally achieve. It is this inner voice that whispers to us who we are and how we can achieve our unique potential. Before we can achieve our goals we must know ourselves well enough to know what goals we want to achieve, and be sure they are our own goals and not the goals that others have set for us. When we know what we really want to accomplish, it is then easier to take those steps which help us to achieve those goals. How Can we Live an Extraordinary Life? The extraordinary life is not so much about what a person achieves or what others think of him, but rather how he views his own life and his own achievements in terms of his loving relationships and his competence in adjusting to the difficult demands of living with strength and with dignity, so that he can say when he looks back over the passing years "I have been grateful for the gift of life. I have tried to continue to learn and grow. I have tried to have the courage to follow my internal honesty."This more examined life is an extraordinary life because it leads to more balance, more contentment and to the fulfillment of each individual's personal vision. Leading Happier more Fulfilled Lives Life is a marvelous, continuing journey. Every day is a challenging adventure with opportunities for new insights, growth and change. With thoughtful planning and good decision making skills we are more able to have some control over our days and to achieve that ultimate goal of leading happier, more fulfilled lives.

Success, Happiness and a More Meaningful Life

June Stepansky is a writer and poet who writes books and articles about happiness, self-improvement and social and political issues. Article Source: http://www.articlebiz.com/article/1051650166-1-success-happiness-and-a-more-meaningful-life/

A Success Formula in 10 Easy Steps

A Success Formula in 10 Easy Steps

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." —Winston Churchill We are the consequence of our past and at the same time the cause of our future. This means that right now we are creating our future with our every thought and with our every action. Let's see how. We all accomplish goals in our personal life, in school and on the job. So I have a question for you: "Whose goals are you accomplishing?" Are these really your goals or are they imposed upon you? For, how do we explain that 2% of the population has 90% of the wealth in the world? This is a well-known fact. Another question comes to mind: are you among the 2%? Set your own goals and act to accomplish them or someone else will hire you to accomplish theirs! Be the part of the 2%! What is Your Goal? It doesn't matter where we are coming from. The only thing that matters is where we are going. Do you know where you are going? Do you really, exactly know your way? If you do, I encourage you to proceed! But, if you don't, I must ask you: "What is your goal?" That is a crucial step most people don't take time to consider. Truth is, the answer is in you. Maybe your mind doesn't realize it yet. But your heart does - and you can discover the answer when you are in the Alfa state of mind, which happens during meditation, for example. Only connecting to your inner self can lead you to your true self and help you get an honest, ego-less answer to the question: "What is my goal?" When you manage to "find it out", set is as your priority, make an action plan, decide to accomplish it and do it! Decision Comes First. Decision is just the first step, but actions are every step after that first one. Do you know the story about the three frogs that are standing beside a lake and then one frog decides to jump in? How many frogs are now beside the lake? Three. For one frog decided to jump, but it never did! Don't be that frog. The Missing Key Without Which all Else Crumbles. You can learn verified practical techniques for bettering your own mind, or emotional development techniques, and then techniques to further your intellectual skills; you can even find management tools, problem-solving tools, etc. The Internet is full of instructors. Books about self-development are all around us. But why do many of them not work? Because the most important thing is missing: Until it is explicitly clear exactly where we should apply these techniques and how they will help, how can we know we are on the right track and that the techniques won't just hurt us? Why you aren't satisfied. But first answer this: Have you set your own goals? And if you did, what are you doing to accomplish them? If you want to be successful and satisfied, then the first thing that you must do is to set your goals. Here are 10 points to help you realize whether the goals you've set are the right for you. Success Formula You are the only one who knows what is best for yourself. Find it IN you. Create your own peace and find out what your desires are. Make a connection with your inner self. Transform your desires to goals. Find out what your main goal is! Set your own main goal. Create an action plan, set time limit and do it! Reach it! Live it! Excellence exists in you. Be the excellence. Sense your feelings and listen to them. Do whatever it takes to feel good. Stick to it. Act. Do it! If you fail, do it again and again. Try and try again. No one has succeeded doing something big in their first attempt.

Catherine B. Roy is an author and Founder of "Live from Your Heart and Mind" (LHM) community, Awarded Top 30 Under 30 Young Leaders in the World, Member of MENSA and The Wellness Universe, Award Winning Artist and Scientist, Poet, Philosopher and Published Author whose stimulating, upbeat and inspirational writings have helped countless people in the world. https://www.catherinebroy.com Article Source: http://www.articlebiz.com/article/1051635629-1-a-success-formula-in-10-easy-steps/

Why Forgiveness is Crucial to Your Happiness By: Sonia Devine

Why Forgiveness is Crucial to Your Happiness By: Sonia Devine

Your ability to forgive those who have hurt you in the past is a crucial stepping stone to your spiritual and emotional growth. Throughout the course of our lives, we collect emotional baggage. This is unavoidable, and even though it can cause us a great deal of pain, it helps us to define who we are as people; the result is, we grow even more and learn valuable lessons along the way about ourselves and others.

So there you have it - emotional baggage is an unavoidable part of all of our lives - but it's not actually this that is the real cause of unhappiness in your life. What's really important is how you choose to deal with that baggage, because what you do here will determine the success or failure of your future relationships.. Now, there is another very important point I want to make:

People come into our lives to teach us lessons

It's what you do with these lessons that determines how your future will be. Think of all the people you have encountered in your life. Isn't it funny to look back and think about the last time you saw a particular person; it may have been several years ago, and it's quite possible that you will never again see him/her in this lifetime!The reason? Because this person has served their purpose in your life. So now that you know this, think about this; what did this person teach you? Some relationships or encounters that we have with other people last only a few days, and some last a lifetime. But either way, each experience serves a specific purpose and is extremely relevant to your life!.

Now, given that every experience we have is a lesson for us, think about the people who have hurt you in the past. Have you allowed yourself to forgive them? Or are you still holding into the emotional pain? Do you find yourself conjuring up scenes of "sweet revenge" in your mind, or worse still, acting out those scenes? Are you able to forgive and let go? If you are not, then who holds the power - you or them?

Don't let people who have hurt you in the past have any control over your future!

When you make a choice to forgive others, you are NOT lying down and becoming a doormat, nor are you admitting that person who hurt you is in the right. Forgiveness is about taking back control of your life and not allowing your negative emotions to rule you. And forgiveness is also about letting go of all those debilitating emotions that could be responsible for sabotaging your current relationships! So ask yourself this question: Do you want to feel good? If you are still carrying feelings of resentment and anger towards someone who hurt you, then what are you getting out of it?

Hanging on to feelings of resentment, hatred or anger, will ensure that these destructive feelings WILL spill over into your current life and stop you from enjoying positive, successful relationships with other people.

The fact is, your subconscious mind never ignores negative energy and emotions. It will remind you every day that you need to deal with them, and until you do, it will manifest your unresolved emotional pain through insomnia, chronic physical pain and in extreme cases, through life threatening illness. So there it is; make a decision today to take back your life by practising forgiveness. Your energy is extremely precious so don't allow yourself to give it away to those who don't deserve to have it it! Move on with your life today, and you will experience miracles.

Author Bio
Sonia Devine is a qualified professional hypnotherapist and success coach with a caring and committed approach to healing, who lives in Melbourne, Australia. You can find more of her information on attracting wealth, self image, love, relationships, phobias and much more on her website Manifest Your Success

The Triangle for Success By: John Neyman Jr

The Triangle for Success By John Neyman Jr

Success is a direct result of applying the right principles to your professional life and your personal life. The question is what are the right principles to apply in order to achieve success? Over the years of studying, four primary principles of success continue to surface from the ancient writers. I call these four principles the triangle of success.

The "triangle" of success because one principle is placed at each corner of the triangle and the crucial principle is positioned in the heart of the triangle. The heart of the triangle is what promises success to the other three principles.

The other three principles at the corner of the triangles embody the essence of men and women. You will see what I am talking about as I unfold these three.

Mind
The first corner of the triangle is your thinking process; or in other ! words exercising your mind. Learning is a necessary step towards growing. Growth is imperative to achieve success. Aristotle puts it succinctly, he writes, "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."

Success follows the ability to analyze a subject, make sound judgments while moving toward your objectives. "You are to be a student, not a follower", says Jim Rohn. That is exactly what professionals are, they are students. Success is the goal; therefore, continuous training, instruction, and being mentored is the process.

Those who are successful pay the price. They apply the disciplines of learning. They have placed value on education and training. I, personally, think that if you are a student, always applying the disciplines of learning, that your philosophies of life will be improving, better ideas come to your thinking, which all leads to success.

Education is something that no one can ever take away from you. It helps to develop and define who you are.

"The best of all things is to learn. Money can be lost or stolen, health and strength may fail, but what you have committed to your mind is yours forever."
--Louis L'Amour (1908-1988)

Emotions
Your emotion is the second corner of the triangle. Passionately pursuing after your objectives leads to success. This is not to say that your objectives come before people in your life, but the principle is to be well taken-success is dependent on your inner drive to achieve it.

The truth is, you will do what you want to do. If you want something bad enough you will dwell on it all of the time doing whatever is necessary to reach your goal. That is passion. Kahlil Gibran said, "All that spirits desire, spirits attain."

Perhaps G. W. F. Hegel says is best, "Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion." You see what I mean when I said above that these principles surface every where I studied? These are the principles that made men and women great.

The reasons that they do surface is that these principles are at the core of who and what we are made of inside. You were designed with a purpose and the driving force within you motivates you to accomplish your purpose in life.

"Dwell not upon thy weariness, thy strength shall be according to the measure of thy desire."
Arab Proverb

Will
The third corner of the triangle is your will. Eventually, you have to step out and do what you desire. If you never decide to reach for your dream, you will remain in the stands with the majority of people in life.

Perhaps you have fear, hurt, or insecurity, holding you back; if you permit these or any others to control your actions success stands aloof. A mentor at this point may be more helpful, than, reading a book or two. At times we need someone to hold us accountable so that we will do the necessary follow through.

Depending on your temperament exercising your will towards your objectives may take a lot of courage, but courage is what guarantees that these others will work. If you don't have the courage to start you never will know, now will you?

I can not stress it strong enough that taking action is one of the most important principles to achieving your dreams. Jim Rohn, says, "Some are always picking the fruit, while others are always, examining the roots." Consistent action will produce results. It is the law of sowing and reaping. You reap what you sow, in other words, you get what you deserve, not what you need. Plant enough seeds and you will find growth. It is the law of ratio. Ask enough people and someone will join or buy.

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will."
- Vincent T. Lombardi

Perseverance
Now, what is in the heart or center of the triangle that will enable you to succeed? Every successful person has this. Do you know? I will give you a clue it begins with a P, now you fill in the blank, P__________. It is perseverance! Perseverance is the inner strength to get back into the battle after you have been wounded. As I observe those who succeed and those who don't, it appears to me that the difference is in perseverance.

Those with perseverance don't stop until they reach their goal. They are relentless! Just when you thought they were down and out this time, sure as the world, they manage, some how, to get back up again.

I love to visit Chocolate World. It is located in Hershey, PA. They make, obviously, Hershey's chocolate. You get to take a tour to see how they make all of that chocolate and at the end of the ride you get a piece of free chocolate and/or the opportunity to buy all the chocolate you want. But, the significant part of the tour is reading "bits and pieces" of Milton Hershey's life (the founder). He, like so many others, failed three times in the business world, before he was successful. He had a dream and would not let go of it.

Was he ever discouraged? You know he was. Did he ever want to quit? Who doesn't? Did others talk bad about him? I think some still do. However, those are not the right questions to ask. Better questions are: "Did he quit?" And "What kept him from quitting?" Or, "How did he persevere?"

No, he did not give up. He persevered through the hard times and some unbearable problems. How did he do that? What kept him going? The same way thousand's of others did it. The big "P" was in the center of the triangle. Perseverance was the heart of their passion, attitude, and will.

Napolean Hill captures the three corners of the triangle when he writes, "Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you ready or not, to put this plan into action." As you add perseverance to this success formula it is one sure way to, at least, do your part to succeed. There are never any promises how life will turn out, but one thing for sure, neglect the right principles and you are removing the possibilities of success.

I will conclude with the words of Abraham Lincoln, "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing."

Author Bio
Dr. John E. Neyman, Jr. is a Pastor, author, speaker, and relationship coach. You may contact Dr John at drjohnneyman@gmail.com or visit his site at LeadersExcel.com

Lisa Nichols on Rescuing Yourself, Overcoming Fear, and Finding Success ...

The Importance of Taking Action By: Daniel N Brown

Enjoying a good life is common to us all. We all want the same things, good health, positive relationships, fulfilling career, and enough money to live comfortably. But, there are others that want a life of abundance and prosperity. These are the ones that have dreams of doing great things, having successful businesses, visiting interesting places, meeting extraordinary people, and having the ability to help others financially.

If you are going to enjoy a life of abundance and prosperity it will require some action. This should be obvious. But, sometimes the obvious is frequently overlooked.

You didn't get to where you are today without taking some sort of action. So, it makes sense that if you have a vision in your head about where you would like to be in the future, it will require action.

The problem with most people is, even though they may have the knowledge to do some particular thing, they lack putting the necessary action behind that knowledge.

We often hear that "knowledge is power." But, knowledge is really only power in reserve. It remains useless if it's not tapped into by applying action. Knowledge that is not put to action remains just knowledge in your head and provides no benefit. It's completely wasted.

To accomplish results, we must couple our knowledge with the necessary action to attain results. The formula for achieving results is: Knowledge x Action = Result. If you were to apply massive action to your knowledge, it would have a faster, and even greater impact on your life.

Why is it that most people find it difficult to put the necessary action behind their knowledge? I believe it is nothing more than a lack of belief.

Your belief system is the driving force behind your behaviors and your results. If you can change your beliefs, you will change your behaviors. When you change your behaviors, you will change your results. Then, when you change your results, you will change your life.

It all starts with your belief system. Jesus said, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23).

Now, many things can keep one from believing. But, I think the biggest factor that keeps one from believing is fear. It is a fact that it takes courage to succeed. But, keep in mind that courage isn't the absence of fear, it's the ability to press on despite the presence of fear. Many times, the solution to any fear is simply to do the thing you fear. It's amazing how the fear will disappear!

The smallest of actions, even the ones that seem trivial and insignificant, can lead to great success. It's been said that, "Actions, like pictures, are worth a thousand words."

Without action, you could have the greatest idea and the greatest plan in the world and you would still fail. Whereas a modest idea and an incomplete plan often produces success when accompanied by enough action.

You just got to get moving. Sir Isaac Newton's principle that states a "body at rest tends to remain at rest and a body in motion tends to remain in motion," definitely applies to the action principle. Once you've taken the first step, the next steps seem easier to take.

It's a natural law that if you do nothing, nothing will happen; if you take minimum action, results are going to be minimal; but, if you take massive action, then you will be rewarded with massive results.Hugely successful people, the kind who go from mediocre to millions almost overnight, know that the major key to their success was taking massive action.

If you want to become hugely successful you must start at the beginning. Most beginnings are small, and appear trivial and insignificant, but in reality they are extremely important.

It's not only the right beginning that is important, it's beginning in the first place. It's about applying that powerful little six-letter-word called "action."

Author Bio
Daniel N. Brown is an entrepreneur and teacher of biblical success principles. Get your FREE report entitled, "How to Receive from God" when you sign up for your FREE weekly newsletter. www.SecretPlaceOnline.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.comThe Importance of Taking Action By Daniel N Brown

The Higher Self by Deepak Chopra By Ben Sanderson

The Higher Self by Deepak Chopra By Ben Sanderson

Deepak Chopra Quick Facts

Main Areas: Spirituality; Mind-Body Medicine; Healing
Best Sellers: “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success” (over 2 million copies sold)
Career Focus: Author; Speaker; M.D.; Endocrinologist
Affiliation: Chopra Center for Well Being
Dr. Deepak Chopra is a leader in the field of mind-body medicine. He created the Chopra Center for Well Being in California in 1995 and serves as its director of education. The Center, which offers training programs in mind-body medicine, is a vehicle for expanding his healing approach and integrating the best of western medicine with natural healing traditions.

Dr. Chopra is the former chief of staff at Boston Regional Medical Center and built a successful endocrinology practice in the 1980s. He realized that perfect health is more than just the absence of disease. He has discovered practical skills to ensure perfect health and total well-being that enable people to take control of their lives. In 1992, he served on the National Institutes of Health Ad Hoc Panel on Alternative Medicine.

Dr. Chopra is the author of more than 35 books, including The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, and over 100 audio, video, and CD-ROM titles. He has sold more than 20 million copies of his books worldwide. Dr. Chopra is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.

Recent Articles

Book Review: Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

Get Inspired with 10 Powerful Deepak Chopra Quotes

Articles published on SelfGrowth.com

Get Inspired with 10 Powerful Deepak Chopra Quotes

Free Articles & Book Excerpts

Coming Soon

Free Audio & Video Samples

Coming

Deepak Chopra Audio & Video Programs

Magical Mind, Magical Body

Sacred Verses, Healing Sounds

The Way of the Wizard: Twenty Spiritual Lessons for Creating the Life You Want

Deepak Chopra Books

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams

How to Know God: The Soul’s Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries

The Path to Love: Spiritual Strategies for Healing

Other Programs & Highlights

Dr. Chopra is an international presenter and keynote speaker. Esquire magazine named him as one of the top ten motivational speakers in the country, and in 1995, he joined four others as recipients of the Toastmasters International Top Five Outstanding Speakers award. Dr. Chopra has been a keynote speaker at several academic institutions.

Favorite Quotes & Thoughts from Deepak Chopra

• If you and I are having a single thought of violence or hatred against anyone in the world at this moment, we are contributing to the wounding of the world.

• Most people think that aging is irreversible and we know that there are mechanisms even in the human machinery that allow for the reversal of aging, through correction of diet, through antioxidants, through removal of toxins from the body, through exercise, through yoga and breathing techniques, and through meditation.

• The physical world, including our bodies, is a response of the observer. We create our bodies as we create the experience of our world.

• The way you think, the way you behave, the way you eat, can influence your life by 30 to 50 years.

• There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.

• We are not victims of aging, sickness, and death. These are part of scenery, not the seer, who is immune to any form of change. This seer is the spirit, the expression of eternal being.

• You and I are essentially infinite choice-makers. In every moment of our existence, we are in that field of all possibilities where we have access to an infinity of choices.

• You believe that you live in the world, when in fact the world lives within you.

• Perfect health, pure and invincible, is the state we have lost. Regain it, and we regain a world.

• From a pure heart anything can be accomplished. If you ask what the universe is doing, it is eavesdropping on your every desire.

• Silence is the great teacher, and to learn its lessons you must pay attention to it. There is no substitute for the creative inspiration, knowledge, and stability that come from knowing how to contact your core of inner silence.

• The possibility of stepping into a higher plane is quite real for everyone. It requires no force or effort or sacrifice. It involves little more than changing our ideas about what is normal.

• In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.

Getting Started With Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra has contributed considerably to teaching us about spiritual growth, the mind-body connection, and healing. His impact makes it difficult to decide how to get started. His seminars probably have the greatest impact, his books contain the greatest details, and his audio programs provide a quick, easy way to get a sense of what Dr. Chopra has to say.

Dr. Chopra has a soothing, reassuring voice that instills a sense of well-being in the listener. With all of the information that he provides, I would suggest starting with the The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, in either book or audio form. In it, he discusses natural laws which govern all of creation.

Dr. Chopra teaches us that after we understand our true nature and learn to live in harmony with natural law, we can develop a better sense of good health and improved relationships. We can gain an increased energy and enthusiasm for life. These benefits will then lead us to greater material abundance.

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success contains practical steps that we can start applying immediately to our lives. The seven laws include “The Law of Pure Potentiality,” “The Law of Giving,” “The Law of ‘Karma’ or Cause and Effect,” “The Law of Least Effort,” “The Law of Intention and Desire,” “The Law of Detachment,” and “The Law of ‘Dharma’ or Purpose in Life.”

Some specific suggestions from Dr. Chopra include the following:

• Listen with your heart.
• Evaluate consequences of your choices.
• Take responsibility for actions, not blaming others/things.
• Give something to everyone you meet (i.e.—a compliment, a silent blessing, a gift).
• Be open to receive from others.
• Practice silent meditation.
• Commune with nature—appreciate the beauty.
• Serve others. Ask yourself, “How can I help?”

Deepak Chopra has a unique spiritual quality and a tremendous ability to teach and communicate this spirituality to others.

Contacting Deepak Chopra

ADDRESS: The Chopra Center at La Costa Resort and Spa
2013 Costa del Mar Rd.
Carlsbad, CA 92009
PHONE: 888-424-6772
WEBSITE: www.chopra.com