Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

Perfectionism – The Dangerous Trap

Just when I have something figured out, along comes another how-to-article telling me how to be or do something better or even change my entire life. No matter where I turn, I am constantly reminded that I am not good enough in more ways than one. I am not smart enough, not rich enough, not slim enough, not efficient enough, not pretty enough, not powerful enough, not “with it” enough and proba. . .

Take a Chance, Win a Prize

I think that we're all probably familiar with the fairground rant 'take a chance, win a prize'. Whenever I hear this call to action, I immediately break out into a cold sweat. Whether the test is to knock down 6 cans in pyramid formation or to throw a dart at a balloon, I'm there, almost hypnotically, pulling coins out of my pocket. And it doesn't really matter what prizes are on offer either. . . .

Where to Begin?

January is the king of months for those looking to make new beginnings. After the reflections and indulgences of December, the excitement of a new year unfolding brings contemplation of better days ahead. Unfortunately for many, contemplation is where the party ends. As the clock ticks into February and hopes of transformation begin to fade, the habits of old return, together with the routines . . .

SPIRITUALITY: Enlightening Cinema

"Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know, you can't explain. But you feel it. You felt it your entire life. That there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there. Like a splinter in your mind — driving you mad." -Morpheus, The MatrixThis isn't a movie review list and it's not comprehensive. It's just some notes abou. . .

SPIRITUALITY: Blues for Buddha

Being critical of Buddhism isn't easy.Buddhism is the most likable of the major religions, and Buddhists are the perennial good guys of modern spirituality. Beautiful traditions, lovely architecture, inspiring statuary, ancient history, the Dalai Lama — what's not to like?Everything about Buddhsim is just so... nice. No fatwahs or jihads, no inquisitions or crusades, no terrorists or pederasts,. . .

Career Coaching Needs To Stop....When...

(Here are some ideas from the other side of the desk, from the coach's point of view, not the coachee!) 1. The person the coach is working with doesn't do the necessary work on him/herself to find a a reasonable job goal. 2. The coachee lies. 3. The coach lies. 4. Once the coaching process has started, the person being coached changes goals several times. 5. Payment for services is haphazard. 6. . .

How AdSense Ruined My Life

Because I used to work on a crisis line, I've heard a-lot stories of how drugs crept up on people and took over their lives. I once talked to a self-admitted drug dealer who had trafficked in pot for years. It was how this person made most of her living; she even had a state issued medical marijuana card so that she could always be in possession without getting busted. One day a friend introduc. . .

Distance Learning Programs

A convenient yet advanced way to get a batter educated fortune online Hi! Are you seeking a source of making lots of money without going outside of your home by being more qualified and more perfect in your desired career-field? Then join a distance learning program, as distance learning programs are the fastest growing acquisition of education and competence through internet. From accounting t. . .

7 Essential Body Language Tips

The secrets of our body language have been around forever yet people constantly fail to recognize the importance of using body language to their advantage. Did you know that people only pay attention to 7% of what we say? Where does the rest of their attention go? You guessed it right: our body language. Now let me give my 7 BLT's so that you can use your body language much more efficiently whe. . .

How Self-Made Millionaires Overcome Procrastination

Do you want to know how the super successful overcome procrastination? One fascinating hallmark of all highly motivated millionaires is their strongly held conviction that they will succeed. Whatever it takes and despite any challenges that crop up. How do they overcome procrastination? People who are inspired by their dreams believe with certainty they will achieve their goals even if they do . . .

How To Stay Motivated Until You Succeed

For a lot of us our work schedules at home and at our jobs have been a major source of complications in our lives. Our financial well being depends on our paycheck, and our mental and emotional well-being depends in part on having a well-organized life. But a few simple changes in your life can show you how to stay motivated until you succeed. With so many demands being placed upon us, it becom. . .

Stop and Smell the Roses

With so much to do and so little time most of us feel stress out. This can often leave us irritated, tired, unmotivated etc. These symptoms are not good for neither our mental nor physical health. Have you notice that in this day and age people are dying younger and prone to more illnesses such as cancer. Maybe this should be a wake up call for all but, don’t worry you still have time to stop. . .

How To Resign With Style & Get An Awesome Reference

Resigning Can Be ChallengingThe process of resigning and writing a letter of resignation can be quite stressful and intimidating since this is usually very emotionally charged.Do Not Vent Any GrievancesThe key to a successful resignation is to ensure that you do not transfer any of your negative emotions either verbally or in written from. Your objective is to keep it professional business like. . .

7 Tips For Unstoppable Motivation And Enduring Success

1. Success is not achieved accidentally. It is a systematic, deliberate process of deciding what you want to do with your life, what you will do when you get there, and what the steps are to get you where you want to be. One of the most important aspects of success is the ability to visualize your path and stay focused on your goal until you reach it. 2. The sooner you envision your dreams and . . .

How To Quickly And Easily Stop Procrastinating And Get Mo...

Do you spend more time procrastinating than you do accomplishing? The keys to success in overcoming procrastination are to determine the reasons you lack motivation in the first place, to create a plan for success, and follow the plan to the letter. You can follow some practical steps and make permanent changes in your life. Start living up to your true potential by rising to a new level of mot. . .

10 Easy Ways To Stop Procrastinating

The key to learning how to stop procrastinating is to shift your focus toward concentrating on results. Many people work frantically each day and accomplish very little. It is counterproductive to concentrate on so many tasks that you cannot accomplish them and may cost you time and energy with no results. Many people seem to spend a lot of time and energy only to achieve very few results. You . . .

How To Beat Procrastination At Work

Listen. If you don´t beat procrastination at work the long term consequences could be serious. Take this example of how expensive work procrastination can be... The assignment that your boss gave you several days ago still isn't done. The assignment is a report that your boss needs to take to an important meeting, and you may get a big promotion if the meeting goes OK. You've had plenty of time. . .

Get What You Want - Negotiating Skills for the Timid!

OK, I know this title sounds self-serving and a little hard nosed, but the article isn't! Whether it's buying a car, asking for a pay rise, saying 'no' to a friend or renting an apartment - at some stage in our lives we all are going to need to know how to negotiate. Yet, so few of us know the basic skills before embarking on life changing purchases or decisions!This article is written for tho. . .

Conquering Goals: The Battle Plan

“To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.”(Anatole France) While these three items define success, without all of them success would be unattainable. Without a dream, you will be without desire and without desire, you will be without action. If you can unlock the dream, then you can unlock success and make your dream reality.Take a look b. . .

Ambits of a Family

Family, like sex, is a mature word. And like sex, it is word for relations; not physical, but social. And like most social relations, it is reliant on compromises. A compromise forged between men who wish to resign to daring, and those cosigned to it. The compromise is to not to dare at all. However, it is not a truce. The difference is that compromises accompany their reliability and convenien. . .

Think About It

I was very fortunate as a young man growing up. I not only had the opportunity to be around an extra ordinary father but my grandfather also went quite a bit past average. As a male child, the positive encouraging guidance of an adult male is certainly among the most important of all of his life’s influence’s. Of course as a kid I didn’t have any appreciation for the abundant character of those. . .

Priorities: Are You Living Yours?

In the Charles Dickens classic, “The Christmas Story”, Scrooge is given the opportunity to examine his life and his priorities before it is too late. Upon being shown his grave by the ghost of Christmas Future, he asks “Spirit, are these instances of things that will be or are they of things that might be? Is it too late for me?” How long has it been since you have examined your life and its di. . .

Getting Back Into The Flow

With the current challenges our world is faced with, many of my clients have told me they can't seem to get back on track and focused. Their emotions range from fear to anger to mourning. Often, it's a mix of all of these emotions. Several of my clients have told me that they are so distracted by the media around the recent events that they keep focusing on the problems instead of what they can. . .

What Animal Communicators Do

Many people are awakening today to the idea that the animals who live with us are more than child substitutes, more than "pets". The term "pet" means an animal who lives with us for our amusement or as our companion. All animals are, in fact, sentience beings - conscious, intelligent, with life purposes and life goals. They are aware of themselves and of their situations. They make life ch. . .

Five Ways to Stand Out from the Crowd

Some people are content to just to be another face in the crowd. By assuming this attitude, they are saying, in effect, to the rest of the world, I'm just average; there's nothing special about me. For those of us who would rather stand out from the crowd, there are some relatively easy ways in which we can accomplish this mission. None of them require a whole lot of skill or money. They do, ho. . .

Pa-Kua Feng Shui Basics

FENG SHUI BASICSFeng Shui (literally "Wind and Water" in Chinese), is all about balance and harmony between us and our environment. Just like the Yin and Yang energies, Feng Shui is about balance. Where there is light, there will always be darkness; where there is fire, there will always be water; and so forth.Feng Shui teaches that every individual interacts differently to their environment. S. . .

Change Your Inner Conversations to Control Your Anger

Every Holiday season Vicki found herself angry and silently seething at her older sister, Susie, and mother as they were merrily chatting about Susie’s successful life.Thanksgiving was no exception. Vicki had to sit stoically while Mom praised Susie’s new house, her recent promotion at work and how well the grandchildren were doing. Not once did their mother or Susie ask about Vicki’s life in a. . .

5 Steps to Adjusting Your Expectations

Dateline: January 4th. Orange County Anger Management class participants review anger triggers of the week.Jane, age 23, engaged to be married: “My boyfriend openly flirts with other women in front of me.”Jim, age 40, an IT professional: “a work group back East didn’t finish their project on time, which made our progress look bad – I blew up!”Joe, age 46, successful business owner and young gra. . .

Time is Gold

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. Carl Sandburg (1878 - 1967)How do you spend most of your spare time? Do you sit in front of the TV for hours? Do you speak on the phone for long periods of time? Do you sit outside and watch your neighbors come and go? Do you play . . .

Learn to Responding Rather than Reacting To Anger

Think of your brain as a juke box where most of your records – your reactions to different situations – were recorded well before your reached adolescence. Then, as life goes on and every time someone pushes your button, you automatically play the record that fits each situation.Take for instance, being bitten by a big, black dog at age 3. As a normal child your brain would make a record called. . .

Resistance to Loving

I have counseled individuals, couples, families and business partners for the last 35 years, and I am the author/co-author of eight published books on relationships and emotional healing. In the course of my work, I’ve seen thousands of people get stuck in misery, even when they knew how to move into their peace and joy.How often do you get stuck in the anger, anxiety, withdrawal or depression . . .

In the Romance Game, It’s Three Strikes And You’re Out

John walked into the room with a glum expression on his face.“Hi John, “ I said. “What’s the matter with you?”“Oh, nothing,” he mumbled.“Must be a woman,” I laughed. John was my roommate’s brother and his romantic adventures were a source of great amusement at our house. He was always on the make but rarely successful.“Yeah, well…there’s this girl I met at a party and she’s sooooo cute. And . . .

4 Steps to Assertive Communication

“Dr. Fiore,” my 42 year old married patient (Mary) began, “once again my family expects me to host Christmas dinner and I am simply too exhausted; what should I do?” “Why not tell them how you feel?” I asked. “Because I don’t want to hurt their feelings – I always feel guilty if I don’t do what is expected of me.” Lack of communication such as this among family members is the root of much confl. . .

Real Solutions For Combatting Extreme Shyness

Most people experience some degree of shyness from time to time, depending on the situation. In fact, only about 7% of the population claims that they never feel shy. For the rest of us, shyness can range from being an occasional, minor inconvenience, to being a major problem. Some people however, are afflicted with a degree of shyness so severe that it is almost disabling. This type of acu. . .

Real Solutions For Combating Extreme Shyness

Most people experience some degree of shyness from time to time, depending on the situation. In fact, only about 7% of the population claims that they never feel shy. For the rest of us, shyness can range from being an occasional, minor inconvenience, to being a major problem. Some people however, are afflicted with a degree of shyness so severe that it is almost disabling. This type of acu. . .

The Symbolism Of Double Fishes

In feng shui and for oriental traditions, the fish is a very symbolic creature which represents abundance and wealth. Having fishes in the kitchen is a great way of helping abundance and provisions to be always present in the house. Feng shui practitioners recommend having fishes and double fishes in the kitchen or the living room in order to make sure that those who inhabit the house will alwa. . .

New Age & World Government

The New Age or the Aquarian Age & World Government It is generally believed that the Aquarian Age started in the year 2000, 2160 years roughly being the Age of a Sign. The Piscean age started at around 200 BCE ( Before Common Era ). Let us study the symbolisms of the Piscean and the Aquarian Ages. As the Earth's precession is 72 degrees per degree, 2160 years is an Age Cycle. 25920 years ( 12*2. . .

10 Easy Ways to Feel Happier, Be Healthier and Live Longe...

Let’s just say… first thing when you popped out of bed this morning, you woke up and found a little yellow post-it note stuck on the bathroom mirror that could transform your life. You smiled, instantly recognizing this very familiar word. And on the back were instructions on how to incorporate more of it in your life so you’d feel less stress, pain and tension… more carefree, fun and energetic. . .

The Greedy Dragon Of Ambition

The greedy dragon of ambition is a very special dragon; he will always help you taking advantage of any new situation which offers a good opportunity. This dragon would never let an opportunity to be lost or waste, he is always attentive to them and ready to do what it takes. Dragons are one of the most powerful and symbolic creatures for feng shui and oriental cultures, and there are several d. . .

Top 4 Reasons Women Ride The “Emotional Roller-Coaster”

1. Women have learned and are in the habit of being driven by the approval of others. Most women allow the expectations of others to define them and therefore making the approval of others is responsible for their happiness. This pattern gives others’ the power to make and take your happiness at any time. Approval seeking steals your happiness and doesn’t allow you to ever get to know yourself,. . .

Are You a "Right-Fighter"?

Do you find yourself struggling to "win" arguments? Do people ask you why you always have to be right? Does conflict you engage in typically end with you having the last word, but no one feels good about the argument? Do arguments you engage in usually escalate to shouting and anger? If you have said yes to any of these questions, you are likely a right-fighter!What is a "Right-Fighter"A right-. . .

Just Thinking…

…about thinking. Have you ever thought of that? Thinking about thinking I mean. How do we do that? We humans are absolutely amazing. Heck, I think I could even think about thinking about thinking. Wow! I wonder if… nah, I’ll let it go at that…But it is pretty amazing, isn’t it? How we can do so many neat, creative things with our minds? We can think about anything we want to. Want to . . .

“Reboundability”: An Essential Skill for a Successful Life!

Do you have difficulty recovering from mistakes, failure and disappointment? Do you find yourself reliving these setbacks over and over? Do certain life situations or challenges have you stressed to the max?Was that a resounding YES? If so, you may want to invest some time into acquiring the skill of quick “reboundability”. Reboundability is essential to leading a productive, successful and. . .

When It Is Time To Forgive

There eventually comes a time for forgiveness with any painful emotional issue. If that time is now, this process may be of service to you.Arrange a room where you will not be disturbed for a period of time. You will need two chairs for this process. You may find it useful to have a supportive friend to lead you through the process.1. Check how your body is feeling. Notice your general physical. . .

How To Become Bullet Proof From Criticism

If someone has ever wounded you with careless, unkind or sarcastic remarks or criticism then read on!By the end of this article you will be armed with useful and practical ideas to save yourself from internal and external damage.Let me first say that ‘criticism can be useful. In fact, we need to be able to hear and process this kind of feedback in order to progress in life. Otherwise we would b. . .

Only In America

For the longest time America has been a magnet to people from all around the globe. It’s as if an invisible neon sign is flashing in the minds of immigrants with the words: “Welcome to America – what’s your dream? “ America has always been viewed as the Land of Opportunities where dreams can come true. Is it any wonder then why so may immigrants choose to leave their roots elsewhere and even ri. . .

Never Compare And You'll Always Be Happy

‘Never compare and you’ll always be happy’ suggests the old adage. While there is some truth in this statement, we’re not likely to take much notice. We’re always comparing. No big deal, but how often do we do it in a useful way? Women’s magazines are constantly encouraging comparison (with a view to you purchasing something) – usually to an ‘elite’ group of models. We often look at the world’. . .

Leaders "Click It" Into Gear!

Ever wonder how two people can be in the same meeting, hear the same speaker communicate the same message - yet once the meeting is over, each person's perception of the event is totally different? Why the different perception? How can one individual think the meeting was terrific and leave completely inspired and motivated, yet the other person walks away believing the total opposite? Answer: . . .

Who Is Jim Edwards and Why Is He One of My Mentors and He...

Jim is best known in the internet marketing field. I first came across him through his ebook 'Turn Words Into Traffic' and the audio course 'Affiliate Marketing Blueprint', both of which are partly responsible for my site coming into existence!I love Jim's straight talking style and sense of humour, so when he announced that he was launching a program describing how he turned his life around fr. . .

The Mystery Of Your Existence

"Who am I ... and why am I here?" is the ancient mystery of our existence, the spiritual question of the ages, asked by men and women in every generation since Adam and Eve. The question has never been satisfactorily answered. Until now. Having pondered the question for 40 years there is now an answer that makes a lot of sense spiritually. An answer that fits every man and woman. An answer that. . .