Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

Should I End This Relationship?

In the 35 years I’ve been counseling, thousands of couples have come to me wondering if they should end their relationship. Most of these people were in love at one point but are now really miserable with each other, or one partner is miserable with the other. Generally, they don’t know what the real problem is. They know what they don’t like about the other person. They know they can’t communi. . .

Liar Liar … Your Dream’s On Fire! What ‘lies’ beneath tha...

We all tell ourselves lies, about ourselves. I cringed when I first thought about it. But we all do it. Tell ourselves things about ourselves that aren’t true. You know the voice that says, ‘I’m insecure’ or ‘I don’t know how to handle money’ or ‘I’m no good at making friends’ or ‘I’ll never be successful’ or ‘I’m a loser.’ We make up lies about ourselves and the problem is those thoughts – lie. . .

Realistic Life Solutions For The Young And Young At Heart

Life 101 makes the assumption that everyone is seeking practical solutions to life’s daily problems. Author Caren Adams has taken the most basic goals—not blaming others for our shortcomings; living life for the moment; never giving up; simplifying our daily lives—and, using her own life experiences, has outlined practical solutions designed to guide us toward those goals. While all of our exp. . .

What if...You Could Have it All? 6 Steps to Living Your ...

Simply put, people want more out of life. The 80’s were a time of wanting more money, the 90’s more time and now it is more fulfillment. Statistics Canada (Sept., 2004) reported “only 32.6% of Canadians surveyed report being very satisfied with life” So, how does one achieve fulfillment while also juggling the responsibilities and demands of life; career, family, health, money, relationships. . .

Dating Site Review: Match.com

Match.com is BIG!Match.com is a huge diverse site, perhaps reflecting it's parent company IAC InterActiveCorp. IAC's online businesses include Expedia, Hotels.com, Ticketmaster, Match.com, Citysearch, LendingTree, RealEstate.com... lets just say they are really BIG and have created an enourmous option filled dating site!Winks, Emails and MessengerMatch.com is not lacking in ways you can send "o. . .

Sex and New Relationships

Brad was just completing his divorce after having been married for over 25 years. He had not dated in what seemed like forever to him, and had no idea how to start. “How do you start a new relationship?” he asked me in our counseling session.“What are you most concerned about?” I asked.“Sex,” he answered.“What about sex?” I asked.Pause…. “Well…performance. What if I can’t perform? What if I’m t. . .

Addiction to Spirituality

Lian had been meditating for many years before consulting with me for his depression. He had been part of a spiritual community that encouraged their members to turn to God through prayer and meditation whenever they were feeling any difficult or painful feelings such as anger, hurt, anxiety, or depression. He had been taught that Spirit would transmute his feelings for him and bring him the pe. . .

Are You Famous Or Are You Focused?

Let’s start with “famous”. When people look at you, what do they say that you are famous for? Are you famous for procrastination…negative words…poor time management…What are you famous for? Let me share with you what I am famous for. I am famous for consistent,structured, focused daily strategies and techniques to live a victorious life. I know…that is a pretty strong statement! You. . .

Dating Site Review: Christian MatchUp

Is Christianity important to your relationship? If so you may want to consider Christian MatchUp. They have created a simple yet effective christian friendly site.The sign-upInitial signup just covers the basic information and goes quickly. Age range options are “exact”, “no restrictions” or “plus or minus 2-15 years of my age”. An interesting result is if you accept someone 15 years younger.... . .

How to Triple Your Productivity in 28 days - Part I

The quickest and easiest way to boost your productivity is to develop your concentration. Developing your concentration directly affects your self-discipline, perseverance, and the ability to accomplish the goals you set. Why is this so? Because concentration is a form of self-discipline, just over a shorter time span. When you focus your attention over a short time span, it's called concentrat. . .

Three Tips to Forgiveness: A Key Factor in Anger Management

Elizabeth, 32, cried during anger management class as she told how one year ago - her 19-month-old girl was permanently brain-damaged as the result of a medical error at the hospital in which she was delivered.Elizabeth had a legitimate grievance toward the hospital and medical staff, and felt that she could never forgive them for what she saw as theri incompetence. She clearly was not yet read. . .

Special Delivery! Tips for Improving Your Humor

Delivering humorous speeches involves a lot more than simply having good material. Take some time to incorporate these tips into your presentations and watch the fun and laughter factors rise.In FunSigmund Freud wrote: "The most favorable condition for comic pleasure is a generally happy disposition in which one is in the mood for laughter."This concept is called "in fun." If you want your audi. . .

Miracles Are Your Responsibility!

What does that mean? Simple… You have a responsibility to create miracles in your own life. The responsibility lies on your shoulders. You cannot blame anyone else,and you can’t look outside of yourself for someone else to create the miracles for you. In this article, I’m going to break down the word “Miracle”, because each of you have a responsibility. As you know, my Why is to impact others, . . .

'5' Secrets on How to be the *BIGGEST LOSER*-Revealed!

I am a “Loser”. You’re going to learn from this writing today the reason why you too must be a “Loser”. In all seriousness, let me share with you why I am writing this. Over twenty million Americans watched the evolution of a winner in a reality show called “The Biggest Loser”. This particular show involved severely overweight and obese contestants that had simply lost all control of their weig. . .

Trustworthy Snakes...

Here’s a true story for y’all to think about...Several years ago, down in South America, two women went out late one night to do a little fishing. They put their small canoe into a tiny tributary of the mighty Amazon River and began slowly floating along. The roles the two women were to play in their quest for fish were simple - one held a flashlight, and the other held a stick with a spike on . . .

Do We Really Need God?

The human being is endowed with ability. We have the capacity to do things. However, our ability is inherently limited. The human being is not almighty and so cannot accomplish all things. Because human capability is finite we find that a person cannot by his own powers alone ensure the success of all his pursuits and undertakings in life. A human being is not able to ensure his good health and. . .

5 Smart Ways to Unleash Your Potential

1. Be honest with yourself about your skills and abilities. Most of us underestimate how many things we do well. Figure out your skills & abilities, and look for ways to incorporate them into your life & work.2. Listen to compliments. Use the feedback to help you identify your strengths and abilities. If it’s tough for you to recognize your strengths on your own, let others help you.3. Exercise. . .

We´re Trying To...........

How many times have you heard this in your life. Perhaps you have said it yourself. We are trying to accomplish something here. We are trying to complete this programme. We are trying to change the attitudes of our employees. We are trying to finish so we can go on holiday. We are trying to get fit. We are trying to diet. We are trying to give up smoking/drinking/eating donuts or whatever.These. . .

From Desperation to Dedication: The Strength to Believe

For over 15 years, Troy Evans pursued a career as a self-employed Addict, Drug Dealer, Gambler and Thief. Evans risked his life and sacrificed his family to satisfy his need for money, attention and independence. Ultimately, his disregard of values and discipline resulted in a 13 year Federal Prison sentence. Following a six-month crime spree, which included five armed bank robberies in thre. . .

Who Makes You Better?

Commit to spending time only with people who are working to have a good life. Negative or lazy people will discourage you and bring you down to their level. As an old English saying goes, “Keep company with those make you better.”Who makes you better? In other words: Who helps you to see what’s great about yourself? Who motivates you to get the kind of results they achieve? Who has truly orien. . .

How to Turn Grief into Joy

I was with my daddy when he died. Excuse me, I was with my daddy when his spirit left his body. I drove him to the emergency room because he was having chest pains. He said that they weren’t too bad, and his color was good. He was still walking. In fact, Daddy walked into the cubicle in the ER and hopped up on the gurney. Almost as quickly, he hopped off saying, “Whew, doggie! Feels like somebo. . .

The Key To Overcoming Shyness

For some people, overcoming shyness is a difficult and often unimaginable task. Everyone has felt various degrees of shyness and insecurity but there are few who experience the real horror of it. I won’t go into detail because I’m not here to discourage you. I’m here to offer you a new approach.The key to overcoming shyness can be long, discouraging and difficult yet at the same time it can be . . .

Drug Addiction Treatment Centers: A Fresh Start

Half a decade ago, I started working on a hotline to help addicts and their families find drug addiction treatment centers. Thousands of calls later, I still remember the first time I picked up the line. I could hardly make out what the woman on the other end was saying to me. Shelly (not her real name) was sobbing. She had just arrived at her father’s apartment and had found him pa. . .

What Is The Value In Wanting To Accomplish Something?

When I listen to people tell me about some of the things they want to do, I pause for two reasons. One is the fact that I’m listening and watching them to see if they are serious within themselves. Secondly, if it’s something they really believe that they can accomplish.Can dreams come true? You better believe they can. But life is much more than dreaming. It’s about desire and believing. What . . .

How's Your Self-Talk?

You know, what are you saying to yourself? There's always something going on in there. Do you make positive statements about yourself to yourself or are you beating yourself up with your own words?"Know thyself" is a statement that comes to mind. Know what it's going to take to get and keep you moving onward and upward.You know one of the most telling things about Jesus was that he knew he had . . .

Dowsing In Feng Shui

Dowsing is a feng shui technique used in order to complement the harmonization of the relationship between an environment and those who inhabit in it. Although dowsing is not part of traditional feng shui, it is often recognized by feng shui practitioners as an addition to the search for balance within spaces.The procedure of dowsing consists on detecting energy flows within spaces by using spe. . .

Unclutter Your Life And Get On With It

When using feng shui and thus creating holy spaces around you, you are about to create more than just a comfortable home or an inspiring working place. It all comes down to being in a constant flow of universal energy. It will increase your own ability to give and receive love, attract positive things happening to you, enlarge your passion for life itself. And that surely comes with a new persp. . .

The Universal Connection

Do you believe in random coincidence? Or, do you think that there is some destiny involved when things magically 'come together'? I believe in a phenomenon I have been known to call a 'Universal connection'. Yesterday one of these destined occurrences deeply affected the mood I was in and took me from feeling pretty low and depressed to feeling a joyous epiphany. Let me tell you about what happ. . .

The Four Pillars Of Destiny

The four pillars of destiny is one of the main feng shui techniques used by some of its classical schools in order to learn useful information regarding people and their relationship with their environment. The four pillars of destiny is somehow similar to the occidental birth chart since it provides personal information based on the person's time and place of birth.This technique allows us to . . .

The Pledge

You know kids, one of the things I've learned by letting more people know what's going on inside my head is that once you do people expect you to live up to what you've put out there. I've sort of learned on the fly here that using this knowledge as a burr under the saddle that is my life accelerates my growth. Where I used to piddle (piddle's a FUN word to say...) around on things that I wa. . .

What Rules!

There are things that we do automatically internally that we don't even realize are the things that make us who we are. Our own rules for living that we hardly ever question, and even less frequently examine.A few months ago I made a statement in a small group of co-workers concerning the fact that somewhere along the way, as a mechanism (as in "clear the... " (from the movie 'For the Love of t. . .

Got Purpose? – Part 2

I guess I found some hot buttons last week eh? Thanks for a week full of real good feedback.That being the case I’d like to follow along with last weeks theme of Living your purpose. Getting into one of the key elements to doing just that.Living with Courage.I believe living a life of Purpose begins and ends with Courage. It takes courage to open up and face your truth, to be honest with yourse. . .

Problems or Opportunities?

As best I can tell here’s how it breaks down.Some people see problems as opportunities. Understanding that getting through each opportunity puts them closer to the next one. Kind of going through life with a stair step mentality. Excited to get to the next round of new opportunities because they are seen as ‘steps’ along a pathway. They feel like the bigger the opportunity (problem) the better . . .

How to Build Rock Solid Self Confidence

You have probably noticed those people at work, school, and in your daily life that always appear to be self confident and on top of world. Everything seems to go right for these people and they always seem to present themselves as calm, collected and successful in everything they do. If you are paying attention you have probably noticed that these self confident people usually are successful i. . .

Overcoming Shyness

Overcoming shyness can't be that hard. All you need to do is just go start talking to people. Ready? Here we go! Any second now. It's coming. Just start talking and… right now! Yeah. Okay, maybe it's not so easy.Unfortunately, overcoming shyness is rather difficult. You want to meet people, mingle at parties, ask out that certain someone. However, the closer you get to talking to some. . .

Overcoming Procrastination with Hypnosis

Overcoming procrastination isn't that hard. So I guess we can get to that tomorrow. Well, therein lies the problem. You keep putting things off to a tomorrow that never comes. Eventually, you either forget about it, or you find yourself facing up against an impossibly close deadline where you will need to either pull an all-nighter or work 16 hour days to just get it in on time. More than . . .

Finding Motivation at Work

Having trouble finding motivation at work? It can be tough. With boring projects and long days, it is sometimes hard to get excited about showing up for work every day. Let's face it, if work were fun, they wouldn't have to pay us for it. However, if you want to get ahead, you need to be motivated, be able to complete projects, and impress the higher-ups. All you need is the drive to get y. . .

Curing Exam Nerves

There is nothing on earth worse than exam nerves. For those who suffer from them, it can be downright debilitating. That crippling muddle of fear, confusion, and self-doubt that can make turn the easiest questions into mind-bending exercises of memory and thought. These crushing anxieties seem like they will turn your brain inside out right when you need it to stay clear and focused on the t. . .

Leadership Training Seminar - What makes a great leader?

At one point or another, we have all been either a leader or a follower. While both roles are equally important, a leader plays an instrumental role in providing direction for his/her followers. A good way to identify an effective leader is to see if his/her followers are able to support and accomplish what their leader is asking of their team. In order to be a great leader, one must possess. . .

In Defence of Moralizing High Technology

Modern societies are more and more becoming technical. The revolution in computer usage is a major contributor to this state of affairs. But this technicality has its demerits despite its huge advantages. While technical societies confer the enormous benefits of modernity and admirable sophistication on life, they also bring about the doubtful benefit of restructuring individual and group psych. . .

Get Rid of Migraines through Hypnosis

For those who suffer from migraine headaches, their highest ideal is a way to get rid of migraines. These nagging, horrible aches that can leave you unable to think, see, or move can be enough to leave you paralyzed. The simple act of seeing a light can send shots of pain through your entire skull. And the worst part about them is the simple fact that they are still something of a mystery. . . .

Cure Your Bird Phobia with Hypnosis

One of the hardest phobias, both to deal with and explain to your friends, is a bird phobia. Sure, everyone thinks they're pretty. They sing their little songs, the have the lovely plumage, and they look nice on tree branches. But they've also got those talons, those beaks, and a set of nasty wings that they put to use in the most bizarre ways. A bird phobia is not uncommon, but it is very . . .

Get Over a Relationship

Try as you might, you can't get over a relationship. You know its over, but you can't stop thinking about that certain someone. Whatever that person was like, they just never leave your mind for some reason. You find yourself in a spiral of hope and hopelessness that wraps you up and consumes you to the point where you can't seem to think straight. You don't need to continue beating yoursel. . .

Does Insecurity Halt Your Personal Growth?

Everyone big or small, old or young would love to feel a sense of security and well being all of the time in such a seemingly short life. However, through life’s trials of inevitable ups and downs, we sometimes believe that our self worth is supposed to be sub-par, as if the world saw that if we were strong inside, it wouldn’t function properly. Earth’s axis would go into some unhealthy tilt an. . .

How to Give Yourself a Raise with an Online College Degree

If you look around you, it doesn't take long before you can begin to notice others around you engaging in some kind of self improvement activity. If we want to look younger, we diet. If we want to feel younger, we exercise. To add culture to our lives, we might learn a second language or listen to classical music. These are all worth while self improvement activities we can participate in; . . .

101 Principles Of Winning

Personal missions statements (PMS) are just nothing but the winning choices. Our mind can program us in such a way that success ratio in personal, social & professional life changes drastically.PMS or winning choices are exactly similar to that programming. It enables, focuses you on changing your habits, behavior, attitudes & shapes your character to develop & increase success with achievement. . .

Why Do We Need Our Addictions?

If money is considered to be the root of all evil, then what would we classify as our addictions? The psychology of the human mind is ultra complex when compared to any other species on earth, so why does it love to tangle itself up in a destructive mode? Once more, why would it seemingly feel right to be in this place in life? Let’s drill down and put addictions in a separate folder. Psycholog. . .

Dream Interpretation

Hello I am Amber Rose..and I would like to mention a few words on dreams. What do you dream of? CARS? HOUSES? BABIES? They all indicate messages from the subconcious mind, and can give you an insight to your future direction. However, be aware that they come in disguised forms. For example, dreaming of babies does not mean that you will be getting pregnant... sorry to all would be Mums.. But in. . .

Solve Your Spider Phobia

It is not too uncommon to find a person with a spider phobia. If you are reading this page, you probably include yourself amongst the number of people who have a dread fear of those creepy, eight-legged beasties.It's pretty easy to understand why you would be afraid of spiders. They creep around with their fat bodies and hairy legs, spinning webs to snare prey and suck the life out of them. . . .

What Are You Resisting?

If you are stuck somewhere in your life, the chances are you are stuck because you are resisting something. Many people grew up with one or two controlling parents or caregivers, and therefore learned numerous ways of overtly or covertly resisting being controlled. Who or what are you resisting? RESISTING BEING CONTROLLED BY ANOTHER PERSONNoah fell madly in love with Celia. It had been a long t. . .