If you are like most people you’re familiar with finally resolving to make a positive change in your life.  Perhaps start a new diet, get a new job, start working out etc.  In the past you started with the best of intentions, determined that this time you would succeed.

If you were/are one of the fortunate few, you succeeded.  However, most likely you were one of the over 95% of the people that studies show are unable to make a positive change through will power alone.  That means that almost 95% of the population is destined to fail.  In fact their is a lot of social pressure to fail, perhaps it has something to do with the saying “misery loves company”.

The 95% to the population who are greatly challenged when it comes to making positive changes in their life, tends to look at the other 5% with a great deal of jealousy and disdain. Its often easier to be a lovable loser than a hated success.

The thing to keep in mind is that there is always a natural resistance to change even if it is a positive change.  In fact the resistance is often likley to be greatest just before you make your break through and succeed.

So then, what if you were to try something different? What if you were to set an intention instead of making a resolution to make a positive change? You may be asking yourself “What’s the difference?”.

The difference is that the way most people make a resolution to make a change in their life is they pick something they believe would be nice if it happened, and then muster all the will power they can until the resistance of their subconscious mind becomes too much and they give up.

Proving once again that they really are all those negative things their conscious mind keeps telling them they are (which by the is absolutely NOT TRUE).

An intention on the other hand is very different. An intention begins with a clear positive image of the change you want to make. You visualize or imagine it as if it had already happened. Instead of straining to muster all your will power, you calmly focus on that image for a minute in the morning, and a minute before you go to bed.

During the day if you find yourself having negative thoughts that are contrary to your image, you simply recall your positive image and allow yourself to experience the positive feelings associated with that image until the negative feelings stop.

If you are consistent and always bring up your positive image every time you are aware of the negative thoughts, you will find that the negative thoughts come up less frequently and with less energy.

Don’t worry that you may not know how you are going to accomplish your intention. Your only concern is to focus on that image in the morning and at night. The positive energy that is created from your image will begin to attract the people and opportunities you need to make your image become a reality in your life.

You simply need to be aware of the opportunities as they present themselves, and take action in spite of the inevitable fear that your conscious mind will be experiencing.

Why not give it a try. Pick an intention, and for the next thirty days commit to focusing on the positive image for one minute in the morning and one minute at night. I guarantee that if you do this at the end of thirty days you will be surprised with the results.

I’d love to receive your comments and feedback.  Until next time take care and be well, and know that i am sending the powerful energy of Spirit to you for you and your dreams.

Namaste.

Mitchell Dahood, Founder of The Champions Heart

With all that’s on your mind these days, it’s easy to to become distracted and lose focus on what is truly important in your life.  Below are five simple keys to staying focused on your heart’s desire/goals and ensure that you are maximizing your time.

1.   Write A Mission Statement.

All successful business’ and people have a mission statement, and you should to.  A mission statement gives you direction, and you’ll know much sooner if you’re straying off course. The mission statement should be simple and concise.  I recommend that you try to keep it under 25 words.  My mission statement is as follows:

To empower people to free themselves from the limiting beliefs of their mind so that they can live fully from their heart.

This mission statement serves as a guide in pulling me and my business forward in fulfilling the mission, and makes it much easier and quicker to make decisions. Whenever I have a choice to make, I ask the following question “Is this choice in alignment with my mission?”.  If not, the answer is no, and I move on.  If it is in alignment, the answer is yes and I take action.  It’s that simple.

2.  Write A Vision Statement.

A Vision Statement is essentially a long affirmation running from a couple of paragraphs to several pages.  It is a statement of where you want to be in three to five years.  Like an affirmation, it is written in the present tense in very vivid and active language. As an example, part of my vision statement reads is as follows:

I am loving waking up every morning fully energized and vibrantly healthy, ready to empower many more people to follow their hearts and their dreams, just as I am following mine.

My book “Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Heart” has been a best seller for the past year…I love sharing the blessings I have received with my family and friends, and the coolest thing is the best is yet to come…”

3.  Create A Vision Board.

A vision board is a visual representation of your vision statement.  You can draw pictures on a poster board using markers or colored pencils, or you can paste  pictures and words from magazines to represent what you want to manifest in your life. The subconscious mind operates in pictures.  By repeatedly seeing the images on your vision board, the subconscious mind begins attracting the people and opportunities to you in order to manifest those images into reality.

4.  Write Your Daily Intentions.

Before going to bed at night read your mission statement, and write down the actions you intend to take the next day in furthering your mission.

5.  Keep These Items In Sight.

All of the items above should be kept in a place where you can see them daily.  Additionally reading your mission statement and vision statement at least once a day will go a long way to keeping you focused on your heart’s desire/goals.

With all the distractions you face on a daily basis, you need to find a way to stay on track toward and maximize your time.  The five keys above are a great start, and may be all you need.

At this time of year it seems we hear and see a lot of ideas of what the “ideal” loving relationship is supposed to be. While it is certainly not my intention to rain on any one’s parade, I do want to offer a few friendly/compassionate reminders. First ask yourself, how many people or couples do you know that are in a truly loving and joy filled relationship?

Most of us if we are lucky perhaps know one, and even then how can we be sure that the face they show in public is truly representative of what goes on behind closed doors.

I believe the reason that there are so many less than joyful loving relationships in the world is that most of us never learned, or perhaps have forgotten one key ingredient to any successful relationship. Before you can truly love another, you have to love yourself first. I know you have probably heard this before, but what have you done about it? I know society would like us to believe that loving ourselves is selfish, self centered, maybe even egotistical.

But let me ask you another question. How has not loving yourself benefited your relationships? How has not loving yourself, and other people not loving themselves benefited relationships around the world. The undeniable truth is it hasn’t, and it is time to do something about it.

Below I have outlined some simple steps to get you going on the path toward loving your self in such a way that ultimately will open up the space inside of yourself to be able to experience the love with another person you have been searching for so long.

1. Stop looking outside of yourself to fulfill your need for love. Start looking within. Start becoming aware of the things you love, admire and respect about yourself. And if you think that there isn’t anything about you worthy of love admiration and respect, remember that you are a child of God.

As a child of God you were created in a perfect way with gifts uniquely your own. If you have yet to discover those gifts yet, then simply start to be aware. By being aware you will start to notice that certain things that you do have a positive impact on others. Acknowledge and appreciate those things.

2. Take Yourself on a date. I am not kidding about this. Come up with a list of at least ten things that you absolutely love or would love to do. This will become your joy list. Pick one thing from your list each week and commit to doing it. This is time just for you, cherish it, guard it, respect it.

3. Stop surrounding yourself with things that are negative. Whether it be people, the news on TV, on the radio, or in the newspapers, simply stop exposing yourself to that negative in put. It is difficult to feel loving toward yourself, let alone someone else when you are being bombarded by negativity.

4. Reinforce the positive. Come up with at least three positive statements/affirmations about yourself. Be sure they are worded in the present tense as if you were experiencing them right now. for example:

I give and receive love easily and gracefully.

Say these statements in the morning and in the evening, and any time that you become aware of negative thoughts coming up in your mind.

5. Laugh Every Day. Stop taking yourself and life so seriously. find a reason or something that makes you laugh; a movie, a book, a joke, something, anything. Just laugh.

Yes everyone has challenges in there life, and I am not suggesting to stick your head in the sand and pretend they don’t exist. However focusing on them will cause them to appear larger than they are, and attract more of the same.

I can positively guarantee you that if you really committed to doing the five simple steps above, it wouldn’t be that long before you became aware that you are more than capable of fulfilling your need for love, happiness and joy in your life.

Now just imagine yourself approaching love with another person from that place. Do you think your relationships would be different if you weren’t looking to, or rather expecting the other person to fulfill those needs for you?

If you’re in a great and loving relationship already, then count your blessings and be grateful.. If not, I have outlined some steps to empower you to make a positive change in your life. Yes it will be uncomfortable at first, and you will probably feel silly doing what I have suggested. But how silly will feel if you choose to do nothing, and you are in exactly the same place at this time next year?