Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

How To Deal With A Gambling Problem

A gambling problem usually occurs when a person over indulges in gambling, ending up being indebted and having dysfunctional relationships with loved ones.First of all, Gambling is addictive. The risk and the winning can have a psychological effect on a person, making him unreasonable and irrational.The first step to solving a gambling problem is acknowledging it. Gamblers Anonymous have the fo. . .

Retirement or Re-routing?

When I was in my twenties, the idea of retirement seemed a death sentence. Anxious to establish a place for myself in the professional world, I found the prospect of unstructured time terrifying and wasteful.Now, in my fifties, I find the prospect of retirement seductive, even compelling—not something to be pushed to the end of one’s life like an afterthought, but something that must be planned. . .

Not Time Management - Self Management

What does the expression 'time management' really mean? In considering that no one can ever hold time back or force it on or even attempt to make it stand still, the expression is really a misnomer. No one can manage time; it is impossible to manage something over which you have no control whatever. You just cannot win.Can you imagine what utter confusion there would be if we all had the abilit. . .

MetaPrograms Accessing Cues

The credit for inspiring me and giving the idea to work on this goes to Eric Robbie – in July 2005 in Mexico on Master Prac course he only mentioned Meta Programs Accessing Cues and I thought – WOW. It was sort of the feeling psychologists get when they discover fast phobia cure – they go, “Hey!! We can do it in five minutes instead of 10 years!!”I definiately was not the biggest fan of Meta Pr. . .

What Story are you Enacting?

How much of your life is directed from the foundation of unexamined mythology? What if we are all enacting some sort of story in our lives?Now what do I mean by story? I mean that we have some vision, set of ideas, or beliefs about ourselves that define us as a central character, in what could be called a "myth" or "story" that we're living out. All of the elements of the story have been either. . .

Wrapping Up Your Year in Present Time

The end of the year is a natural time for reflection. And depending what frame of mind you're in, the changing year can either feel great-or miserable. Are you counting your blessings or counting your hard luck stories? Before you even think about what New Year's resolutions you'd like to make, it's important to be in acceptance of where you are right now. If you look in the dictionary, you wil. . .

Life is Short - Love What You Do, Do What You Love

Life is short. Are you doing what you love? Are you living your passion? If not, why? I am guessing most people will answer that question with "I have a mortgage, a spouse and three kids to support, and $20,000 in college loans to pay back. In the real world people have responsibilities. They have to make sacrifices. You aren't supposed to be happy with your job but you do it because you have t. . .

The Purpose Of Shame

Many people on a healing path have found it extremely challenging to heal their shame. Yet when you understand the purpose of shame, you will be able to move beyond it. Shame is the feeling that there is something basically wrong with you. Whereas the feeling of guilt is about DOING something wrong, shame is about BEING wrong at the core. The feeling of shame comes from the belief that, “I am b. . .

Three Simple Ways to Dissolve Stress Using Only Paper and...

Twenty-first century life can be defined using one word - stressful! The noise, the deadlines, money, expectations, and time restraints. Sleep deprivation and food cravings, where does it all end? As busy as we are, taking care of all the things that pass our way, the truth is that we create an enormous amount of stress for ourselves. Our minds are stress factories, constantly taking in informa. . .

Little Secrets

Little secrets can be useful. An example is knowing that hotel mattresses are less worn and more comfortable on the side away from the phone. Or knowing that listening to Mozart's sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448 for ten minutes can raise your IQ 9 points. They can also be just interesting. Did you know that the furthest point from the center of the earth isn't Everest, but the top of M. . .

Can You Handle Deferred Success?

Are you willing to fail to the point of success?No! Well you should be.Failure is what leads to success; it is proof of action. All your efforts that lead to failure should be praised and rewarded, for they are moving you in the direction of the success.In all areas of life, the people who are forging ahead with progress are the ones willing to fail, because they know enough failures lead to s. . .

Do you need a new job in 2006?

A lot of people are unhappy in their current jobs. I don’t know whether you’re one of the 25% that are happy. If so, that’s great. Something like 75% of people are dissatisfied with their jobs. There’s a huge pool of wasted talent. Everybody has their own unique skills and experience and it’s not being used properly. Lots of people are just unhappy with where they are. There’s a whole host of r. . .

Secrets of New Year's Resolutions that Work

Don’t get me wrong. New Year’s Resolutions can be a great idea. A new year, a new you. Thinner, fitter, less smokey… It’s all deeply compelling. I've only got one question. Why don't they work?The problem with New Year’s Resolutions is we focus on making the resolution not on keeping it. You get the satisfaction from making the resolution. You’ve succeeded!Not only that, but we tell family, fri. . .

A Better Approach to New Years Resolutions. . .or Any Res...

WHY DON'T RESOLUTIONS WORK?Let's face it: the truth about traditional New Years resolutions (and resolutions in general) is that they don't really work. Here is why: Most resolutions are little more than fancy-sounding "shoulds," or, at most, good intentions.Good intentions by themselves rarely result in lasting change! They merely signify that we wish we had more motivation, readiness or willi. . .

Living From Your Heart ~ Is It Worth It?

What’s in your heart? What’s really in your heart? Do you know? Have you thought about it lately?So many of us live our day-to-day lives simply going through the motions. We just go on doing the things we’ve always done. We talk to the same people about the same things, eat the same food at the same restaurants, watch the same TV programs week after week and think the same thoughts we’ve a. . .

Endurance Leads To Success

One of the greatest virtues of all successful people is the ability to endure. Many of you might have learnt this as perseverance but I rather use the word endurance. What's the difference? Well, perseverance means a constant struggle forwards against opposition, whereas endurance is, well, endurance. With endurance there is no need to struggle forwards. Sometimes it even means moving backwards. . .

Coping With Holiday Stress

The holidays are upon us and instead of leisurely sipping eggnog around the fireplace, we find ourselves in a frenzy trying to get all too many things done in anticipation of that one perfect, albeit elusive holiday moment.Despite expectations, holidays are a time when many of us end up so stressed and overworked, the joy is completely lost. Nonetheless, the holidays really should be about fami. . .

Engaging in the Moment for More Effective Living

So many people seem to be pre-occupied with the past and what is going to happen tomorrow and lose track of right now. This moment is now is so very important for several reasons noted in this article. Learn how to engage in this moment more and how it can lead to much more effective personal and business success.I spend lots of time working with individuals, corporations and businesses to get . . .

The Healing Journey

My life has been in such an incredible mode of shifting and changing; at times it feels like the only constant thing occurring is change. Why is this happening? Why is there such a great need to shift so rapidly? And how do I stay on top of all this change?I am very grateful for the gift of Surrender. I think, in fact I know that without this gift, staying sane and balanced energetically would. . .

Does age matter?

Donald Trump’s television show, The Apprentice, attracted the largest audience the night he was to hire his 4th apprentice. Much about television is a numbers game which prompted us to think about the numbers in the show. Randall is 34, Rebecca is 24. Does age matter? Was it his ten years of maturity that made the difference, or what he chose to do with those ten years - his education and run. . .

Blast Through Barriers to your Goals

One of the reasons we do not face our goals is because when we are faced with an unexpected barrier that we're unsure how to deal with, we shut down. We become discouraged, we start making excuses, and we allow ourselves to back off of our original plan. While this is a human and natural tendency, it's not conducive to success.An important step that you can take to avoid this barrier blunder is. . .

Taking The Coaching From Whence It Comes: TV & The Appren...

One of the things we life coaches do is keep our eyes open for coaching that comes from unusual places, and in this case it was the final episode of the Apprentice. Certainly television can be used to provoke intelligent dialogue about ethics and principles. Did you see The Apprentice the night Randall was hired and Rebecca wasn’t hired? Randall took a stand. He said, “No” when directly ask. . .

The Great Reframe: Musings Using Randall, Rebecca And The...

Do you hear the word, “ruthless” during your daily activities in the last few days? That’s the word being tossed about as folks discuss Randall’s choice on live television Thursday night. As coaches we work with intelligent, well traveled clients who keep tabs on current events. Even the frivolous ones such as the TV show, The Apprentice. The recent concluding segment which resulted in hiri. . .

How to Get Rid of Addiction and Abuse

Tell me, does this describe someone you know?Some people who feel inferior use an addiction to try to overcome weaknesses, especially in times of increased stress or deep inner conflict. A person’s inner inferiority complex reveals itself in his or her actions such as addiction, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, child abuse, compulsive eating, blame and aggression among others.No successful person des. . .

Finding Happiness in Your Treasure Chest

If you haven’t been able to find a lot of happiness in your life, maybe you’re looking in the wrong place. Our level of happiness is based on our thoughts and our thoughts are a reflection of what’s in our minds. We can begin the quest for happiness by separating our memories into three separate chests.The Treasure Chest of the mind is where we put our most cherished memories. We open this ches. . .

Why Planning Your "Re-Fired" Retirement Is Vitally Important

Just about all of us plan to retire one day. You may visualize yourself with plenty of free time on your hands, no commute, and finally with an opportunity to travel with the person you love.But statistics show that golden dream comes true for only a very few of Americans. Some studies reveal less than 10 percent of us ever retire. Even more alarming, other studies show a large percentage die w. . .

5 Tips For Choosing The Right Motivational Posters For Th...

As with choosing any art piece whether it is a print, original painting, sculpture, photograph or collectable, you can make or break a room choosing incorrectly.You can make quite a statement with the correct art piece! It can communicate on many different levels. Have you ever walked into an office for the very first time and while waiting, find yourself looking around, examining everything in. . .

How To Get Your Own "Pocket Guru"!

Whether we are willing to admit it or not, it is natural for human beings to perpetually admire and envy successful people. Throughout our lives, we are constantly exposed to self-confident and successful people, either in person or through the media. We often view them as superhuman creatures or just extremely lucky individuals who seem to always have good fortune at their fingertips. What . . .

How To Recognize Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a devastating disease that effects millions of people every year. Recognizing alcoholism in yourself or someone else can be difficult. Alcoholism is defined as a disease that allows a persons use of alcohol to interfere with their life and the basic functioning of their daily tasks, needs and responsibilities.The clinical way of looking at alcohol is by examining the amount of alc. . .

How to have a happy and productive life.

Living a happy and productive life is nothing more that the sum total of many happy days of doing productive activities. It is about creating as many "Now" moments as possible.How to have a happy and productive life.Know exactly what it is that you want.Decide what happiness means to you. Search for what you want out of life and what you enjoy doing and having. Whatever you are seeking, you wil. . .

Creating the Life You Desire and Deserve

I was talking with a woman who was telling me about her recent work – that she was, for the first time in her life, finally able to do her work the way she’d always wanted to with a client. She then turned and asked me, as a clairvoyant, if I saw that this was going to continue for her. Could she really live the life of her dreams?As I started to tell her she could if she focused her thoughts. . .

How To Memorize The Bible

Every now and then, I get an email that reads something like this one:"I want to learn how to memorize the whole Bible. I read your description of your program and I am still unsure whether it is all that you say it is or some scheme. I was wondering if there are any other details that you can give me to help me?"Is It Really Possible To Memorize The Whole Bible?As you undoubtably know, memoriz. . .

When Your At The End Of Your Rope With Your Anxieties

What do you do when you feel that your at the end of your rope with your anxieties, depression, and fears? During this time, the best thing to do is not to give up and not to lose hope. In the meantime, here is a list of brief techniques that a person can use to overcome your depression, fears, and anxiety.Sometimes we encounter a scary situation that gets us all upset. When encountering these . . .

Over 40? What’s Next With Your Work, Your Life?

What would your perfect life’s work be?In mid-life, it’s a question we seldom ask. It could be the one question that saves you from lackluster jobs, faceless bosses and endless commutes.Are you stuck out of fear?This happens to many people when we pass 40. We get stuck in habit, routines and day to day living.What are you afraid of?Probably the things most of us fear; damage to our relationship. . .

Wealth and Health - 8 Ways to a Longer Life

I’m going to talk to you about a topic that, when closely looked at, actually has a lot to do with living a prosperous, wealthy life.Since this is the time of year when many of us eat more and feel guilty later, here is some inspiring info from the November issue of National Geographic.“The Secrets of Living Longer” focused on several regions where people live significantly longer and healthier. . .

Unhappy at Work? A Change is Coming

We all can’t be astronauts, professional athletes, dolphin trainers or test pilots -- some of us have to work for a living. I’m not implying that the people in those professions don’t actually work, I’m suggesting that some jobs might not seem like work. Unfortunately, I don’t have one of those jobs and I’m guessing you don’t either. For the majority of us, work is a daily grind of repeating th. . .

Dating Red Flag #3: When Good Sex is Bad

Many people have trouble believing that having wonderful sex on the first date can be a dating problem. We've all experienced instant attraction to another person. Or, we believe that what we feel is love at first sight. As a result, some of us give in to our hormones and to our partners. We have sex on the first or second date. Sometimes the sex is so-so, and sometimes it's okay. But SOMETIMES. . .

The Workhorse of Anxiety Treatments

The psychological treatment of choice for anxiety is called Cognitive Behaviour Therapy or CBT. It is a type of talking therapy that is based on the belief that negative emotional states such as depression, anxiety and anger are often started or worsened by habits of thought and behaviour. For example, we become anxious or more anxious when we think about ourselves and the world around us, and. . .

How To Boost Your Self Confidence

When you project self confidence you get further ahead. You feel better about yourself and people like to be around you. More opportunities open up for you naturally. Not everyone is “born” with self confidence but even if your confidence is low, there are some things you can do to improve on it.The first thing you must do to gain self confidence is to accept and love yourself. Remember tha. . .

The Measure of a Man

Since the end of the Industrial Age, men have lacked proper male role models. Pampered by our cushy white-collar jobs, our hands had become soft and our will has turned to mush. We have become the proverbial 'yes man' of the corporate world lacking a spine, slithering around with a knife behind our backs, looking for someone to stab so we can climb the snakes and ladders of financial success.. . .

End Your Fear of Failure

It is dangerous to have your own fears working against you, especially the fear of failure or success. Either can cause you to freeze and create the situation you fear, even causing failure to thrive.Everyone is going to fall short or experience failure. The important question is not “did you experience failure?” Rather the important question is “how did you react to the failure?”Coming up shor. . .

See Me, Hear Me, Feel Me: The Art Of Modern Communication!

In our everyday lives, communication is almost as essential as breathing, whether we like it or not. Modern technologies and the ever growing web are making communication around the world possible in a matter of seconds. Why is interpersonal exchanges so unproductive then? Why is there more misunderstanding and divorces than ever? Part of the answer is that in our stressful, ever rapid changing. . .

I Hope Things Pick Up

“I hope things pick up. It’d be a shame for you to have to get a real job.”As I heard these words come out of the mouth of a woman I had regarded as a friend for over ten years, I felt my heart collapse. Another word spoken, another relationship broken. I had heard so many discounting things from her so many times before. I’d tried to ignore them, thinking that surely she couldn’t mean those. . .

Are You Cursed or Are You First?

I was sitting at a benefit dinner as the speaker was interrupted, the final scores were announced, and everyone cheered. That night the Red Sox made history! In the American League Championship Series they became the first team in Major League baseball to come back from being down 3 games to win the series against the Yankees with 4 straight wins. Then, with another 4 straight wins, they swe. . .

Thought Leadership in Action Series: Asking the Right Que...

True thought leadership requires original thinking. It is a practice that can be learned, or rather rediscovered, reclaimed, with a certain amount of attention and surrender.As with any creative endeavor, originality in thinking, in being, requires a heightened state of alertness, a bridging of the poles, a show of fearlessness and willingness to forfeit the known for the unknown, the learned . . .

Why Self-Love is Critical in Operating a Successful Home ...

When I first married, right before the ceremony, I said to myself: “this is either the best thing I’ve ever done or the worst.” I had so many drugs and hallucinogenics running through my blood stream, I couldn’t think clearly.Yet shortly after the marriage, a friend said to me, “You can only love another to the extent you love yourself. If you don't love yourself, you'll never be happy."I heard. . .

Living A Guilt-Free Christmas

Do you have feelings that you didn’t do something as well as you would have liked this year? With the intention to solve this by the end of the year? Many of us desire to begin the new year in a new light in our relationships. The ultimate motive, however, is that we don’t want to drag our emotional baggage into the coming year.Having Thanksgiving in November and Christmas in December all leadi. . .

Dating in the New Millennium

Are the nightclubs starting to look all the same? Blind dates and set-ups an awkward and unproductive waste of time? The following are some modern, fun, and successful ways of meeting your match without wasting your evening.Online DatingYeah, yeah, you've been there and done that. You go to a chatroom and start exchanging keystrokes with a really nice girl you've just met. Later, you find out t. . .

Discover Practical Steps To Falling In Love

We are meant to live a life of love. . However, no matter how successful some are in other aspects of their lives, they don’t feel it’s possible to have the same success in love. They tell themselves to “be realistic.”Being realistic about relationships” is considered natural as we “grow up” and give up the fantasies, foolishness and dreams of childhood. But nothing could be further from natur. . .

Trying Too Hard To Be A Perfect Woman

You could be setting yourself up for frustration and failure.Six ways to achieve more by doing less. In today’s world, with pressure to do and be everything, who does not want to be Super Women, being a perfect women?Most, if not all, women feel the need to be perfect, but being a perfectionist is debilitating because we feel, each and everyday, like we don’t measure up. Letting go of your ques. . .