Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

In Praise Of Praise

If you manage others, one of the most valuable tools you have in your kitbag is Praise. Along with its counterpart, Criticism, these two instruments can make a massive difference to how people feel. And how they feel can make an even bigger difference to how they work. Here are 5 ways to use Praise and Criticism in effective and productive ways.1. Praise in Public, Criticise in Private.While pu. . .

Life Lessons From A Work At Home Father

Even at my age, there are still many things about life I’ve never been able to figure out. One of those things is innocence and exactly when or why we lost it. I remember taking my niece and nephew to one of those fast food places that has this built in playground and it was magical! In that moment in time and it that place, the world was perfect. There was a very wide diversity of cultures, in. . .

Bad Mood Busters

Are you in a bad mood or just unhappy? Don’t worry. There are easy ways to beat a bad mood or even a bad day. Good moods or a peppy personality is not a disposition you are born with or without. And, you’re not doomed to stay unhappy the rest of your life. Your level of happiness is a learned skill. It’s easy to learn. Anyone can learn to bust a bad mood or look at the world through more . . .

Really Useful Time Management Tips from a Cooking Show

In life, there are lessons available to use everywhere. We just have to have our eyes open to spot them. I have picked up some really useful time-management tips from watching a cooking show. Suspend your disbelief and let me explain further.I don’t watch a lot of television because it can be a huge time drain. But I enjoy experimenting and cooking, so I do watch a few cooking shows now and the. . .

The Subconscious Control of Your Diet and Weight Loss

What determines human behavior and in particular your eating behavior? I have yet to come across a psychiatrist, psychologist or physician who can answer this question, yet this is the most fundamental question if you wish to initiate lasting permanent behavior change. If you can not answer this question, how could you possibly expect to help someone make a change in there diet or insure perman. . .

Ethics And Competence - There is nothing new under the sun.

In this article, I want to show you that there is nothing new under the sun, as far as, not being where you want to be in life, dealing with unethical practices in the work place, and the injustices that come about as a result of such things. More than anything, I want to leave you with a sound foundation of hope that you can grow personally, improve upon your unique gifts, and become very com. . .

Hey, It’s Your Reflection, What Are You Going To Do About...

I remember being a midshipman in college during the fall of 1987. It was homecoming and I thought that it would be fun to be on the homecoming court in my last year of college. I remember expressing this to a civilian staff member of the Navy ROTC staff. He told me to forget about trying. That people like me could never be part of the homecoming court at such a major university. What he sa. . .

Ten Critical De-Escalation Skills

Being able to de-escalate one’s own and the anger of others is an important skill to have in business. Hopefully, this is not something the reader deals with on a regular basis but unfortunately most people in business encounter either their own anger or the anger of others more frequently than they would like. In order to be successful at de-escalating anger, a person must understand and becom. . .

There Is No Try

Luke stands before Yoda in the movie, The Empire Strikes Back.Luke’s face is alight. He’s astounded that Yoda was able to lift the spaceship from the swamp, when Luke could barely move it."I don’t believe it," he says in amazement!"That," says Yoda, "is the reason you fail."Simple words. Prophetic too. Because you run into them each day. The only reason you fail is because you don’t believe 100. . .

Lucid Dreams: Take Control of Your Dreams

Most of us fall asleep each night and completely lose sight or awareness into the fact that we are dreaming. One moment we are lying in bed, feeling tired while our eyes are closed, the next moment we are waking up and recounting the dream that we just had.When we were dreaming, we didn’t realize that everything that we saw around us was a dream. We went through the actions in the dream as if i. . .

Life Lessons From Hurricane Katrina

During the past couple of weeks, like many millions of other people around the world I spent a lot of time watching the horrific events taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana, unable and unwilling to believe that what I was seeing was actually taking place in the United States of America. And though we often forget most big disasters after just a few weeks, I think that people will be talking a. . .

Katrina Victims - Learn How To Build A New Life

The initial disaster is over. But chaos remains. Many lives were lost. Perhaps you lost loved ones or still don’t know whether they are still alive. Everything was destroyed—your housing, clothes, all your valued possessions, automobiles, jobs, your friends are scattered, and most importantly your dreams were shattered. Emotions are running wild inside you and everyone around you. Questions go . . .

The Power of Positive Thinking

Although you can see that the glass is half-empty, you chose to see it in a positive way. It is still half-full, anyway. The absence of half of the volume of water didn’t even bother you. What mattered was that it still contains water. If this is how you answered the question above and how you justified your answer, then you have a positive way of thinking.Positive thinking is a way of looking . . .

Drawing on the Energies at Ancient Sites and Areas in Nat...

It’s as though a sixth sense wakes up as you come close to an ancient monument or special area of nature; you can feel the presence in the energies. If you take a few minutes to pause in the daily rush to achieve, and just be still, at one of these areas on our planet, you can feel the deeper connection and get a sense of the history of the site.If it’s a dry day and you can sit on the ground . . .

Balance Your Life, Not Just Your Check Book – Part 1

Many of us get caught up in the business of living. We go to work and put in 8 hours or more at the office, most of the week. Or, we run our own business and work for much longer than 40 hours each week, thinking we can do that little bit more to make a difference today. Saying “I only need to do this….”, or “If only I could finish that…”The sad reality is that this activity leads us deprive. . .

The First Steps to Manifesting the Life You Want

We all want to live the life we imagine for ourselves. The difficulty for many is that they aren't aware of how to turn what they imagine into a physical reality. You already have the tools within you already; it's simply a matter of using those tools on purpose. What are these innate tools? They are our thoughts, our words, and our feelings. Sounds simple, but is it? Yes, it is simple. I. . .

Shifting the Paradigm of Knowledge is Power to Applied Kn...

Much is written about knowledge being power and that is still true. Yet, if individuals and businesses in today’s knowledge driven economy truly wish to be successful a shift is required to being able to apply knowledge. One of the most frequent challenges that I hear from potential and current clients whether they are small business owners or multi-billion dollar corporations is implementati. . .

Working from Home – A Blessing or a Curse?

"It pays to plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark." --AnonymousIf you are among the increasing number of individuals who work from home, you know that it has some wonderful benefits – no traffic and parking hassles, no office politics to drag you down, nobody looking over your shoulder, you can wear your house slippers to work, and you can set flexible work hours. But these same. . .

Basic Relaxation Technique

When you first try this exercise, you may want to begin by lying on the floor or on your bed. However, if you are tired, you may find that you cannot stay awake and you won't be able to develop the skill of conscious relaxation. This is a great exercise to help you sleep better at night, but for purposes of developing an awakened sense of relaxation, consider whether lying down works for you . . .

The Art of Rest

I recently spent four days alone in a rustic cabin on a bluff on the wild Washington coast. I worked on my novel, read, napped, did yoga, ate huge salads, sat in the sunshine, and watched eagles eat crab scavenged from the ocean’s edge. It was one of the most truly restful retreats I’ve ever savored.It wasn’t so long ago, however, that I would have taken this time to rest but instead stayed in . . .

Is The Glass Half-full Or Half-empty?

Keep focusing on the fullness of your life: Keep remembering your dreams, your strengths, your unique talents and skills. Be absolutely, uniquely, fully yourself and you have everything you need to create the life of your dreams. -Marc AllenThe reason you're not living your dream is because not all parts of you are in alignment with your promise.Your dream will not actualize until you have all . . .

How to Change the Leadership Myth

A lot is written about leadership and continues to be written about leadership. Most will agree that leadership is a primary factor in the success of organizations and individuals from small businesses to entrepreneurs. Developing effective leaders is an ongoing goal for many education and training departments both in the public and private sectors.Unfortunately within much of these published . . .

What Do You Really, Really, Want?

ONE I was whining to a friend, asking "What do I want to do?" about my writing and she shot back, "How about asking 'What do I REALLY want?'" TWO I've been watching a dear, dear friend recovering her Self after years and years of serving everyone. She has been living under the most intense of circumstances - years of caring for her ill mother, in-laws dying within months of each other, and most. . .

10 Strategies to Creating More in Less Time

Following is a list-–a menu of options, if you will-–of strategies that will get you on the road to creating more in less time and turbo-charging your productivity! I’ve often said that there is no “one size fits all” recipe to life, but if you try at least one strategy every three weeks, I promise you will see huge improvements in the overall quality of your life after the end of that third we. . .

Four Questions That Will Transform Your Life

No matter where you are in life -- whether we're living in the pit of despair or having everything comin' up roses -- there's always a larger perspective that could produce a quantum shift that leads to a more joyful perspective.To live a life that continuously expands moving into uncharted territories of joy, bliss, and abundance, we must be conscious, awake, and willing to explore. Until we . . .

Ready, Set, Go-Get a Job!

Ready, Set, Go-Get Job Goals What does it take to set a job goal? First, is knowing what you want, job seeker! If you're willing to take anything, that is not a goal. It's a desire, maybe, to NOT think or act upon job goals. Taking any job, too, often is a response made out of desperation. Some times, you, job seeker, don't want to take the time necessary to find out what true values or interes. . .

Considering Becoming A Life Coach?

As life coaching is gaining popularity, so is interest in becoming a life coach. Many people love the idea of working for themselves and being in a profession that helps others. If you are thinking about becoming a life coach, there are several factors you need to consider.First, decide what type of life coach you want to become. The word "life" covers a lot of territory so life coaches tend to. . .

Basic Meditation Technique

In this technique, you will focus on your breath to develop an unconscious connection so the positive feelings of relaxation, peace and well-being will be established within you and you'll be capable of retrieving these feeling whenever you wish. Do not rush this process or hold unrealistic expectations of fast results. It takes time to train your mind to exercise basic control of your thoughts. . .

Why Some People Become Wealthy and Others Don’t

Regardless of whether you watch the Oprah Winfrey show or not, the story of her success is fascinating. You can't say where she is today is the result of any special advantages she had growing up. In fact, she came from a broken family and she was abused as a child. She's also African-American and a woman, so discrimination was likely a factor that counted against her somewhere along the way.So. . .

What To Do When You Feel Stuck In A Life You Don’t Love

When you read the title of this article, did you immediately think, “That is me?” Does your life feel like you have two legs submerged in a pit of quicksand and the more you push and pull and attempt to “get out,” the more submerged you get and the more tired you feel?You are not alone. In fact, the next thing I tell you may sound less than inspiring. But read on, as you will soon find, the mos. . .

Dream the Impossible Dream

To think of riches, when one is in the condition of poverty or lack, requires sustained and concentrated thought; but he who practices this disciplined thinking inevitably becomes rich, and he can have whatever he wants.~Joseph MurphyHow do you seize courage when your whole world is collapsing around you?You do it by picturing the opposite.You ignore what is before you and you focus on what is . . .

How Did I Get Here?

How did I get where I am and how do I get where I want to be—that is the question?Most people at some time in their lives look inward and ask something akin to how did I get here? Sometimes this question is disguised in other forms like, “Why do I get so angry? Or “Why did I say that? Or why does that bother me? or “How did I let myself get so fat? Or “Why do I smoke?” There are so many whys t. . .

Why you Absolutely Must Take Control of Your Subconscious...

From the moment of birth your first emotional experiences establish your subconscious perceptions of the world. There is not a moment of the day or night that you are not affected by your emotions. More often than not it is your programmed emotional states, not logic that control your behavior. Therefore in order to apply the process of Burris MIND/FITNESS you must first understand how your sub. . .

Positive Attitudes, Affirmations & Actions for Overcoming...

Health Challenges like Diabetes, HIV, Heart Disease (mainly heart attacks), Stroke/CVA, COPD/Emphysema/Chronic Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Alzheimers, Kidney Disease, Septicemia/Systemic Infection, Liver Disease/Cirrhosis are diseases and disorders that require all the tools of heaven and earth to fight. The inspirational techniques below are positive attitudes and alternative healing for your mind.. . .

How Five Scientific Laws, 15 Minutes and 17 Days Changed ...

Imagine owning your life and everything in it. What if I told you, you could learn to accomplish anything you’ve ever wanted in only 17 days - would you be interested? Would you believe me if I said you could live the life of your dreams with a special 15 minute-per-day scientific “target praxis?” When I first heard this concept, I didn’t even know what a “target praxis” was. Needless to say, I. . .

Change - The Skill Of Adapting To The Inevitable

Change your thoughts and you change your world. -Norman Vincent PealeNot surprising, one of the core reasons that hinder us from the realization our innermost goals and desires is our inability to be flexible.Sad, but true! We do everything we can to eliminate any type of potential suffering in our lives, yet challenges and pressures do undoubtedly bring out the best in us.If you have been encu. . .

Conquering Public Speaking Anxiety

Making a speech in front, whether the audience number a hundred or just ten, qualifies as one of man’s greatest fears. This is why public speaking is one commodity that is quite rare right now for only a few manage to conquer the anxiety that accompany every speech. But why do people fear public speaking so much? Psychologists believe that it is not actually public speaking that make people fee. . .

Always Do Your Best

“Be Impeccable With Your Words”“Don't Take Anything Personally”“Don't Make Assumptions”“Always Do Your Best”Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements.I recently spent a week in New Orleans. I didn't realize that New Orleans had a lot to teach me during my six-day visit. While there, Hurricane Dennis became a threat. At the outset, New Orleans was thought to be in the path of the storm. We . . .

Attitudes and Gratitude

“Gratitude turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Melody BeattieOnce with a group of women, we were discussing why it is that some children who seem to “have it all” are pleasant and friendly w. . .

Your Journal, Your Journey, Your Story, Keeping a Journal

Everyone has a story. Your experiences, your feelings, ideas, thoughts, and dreams all combine to form your life and your journey, which is your story. A great way to keep a relative reflection of all those things that have happened in your life is to keep a journal. A daily journal, a weekly journal, a month end summary journal, any or all these are ways you can keep track and record your expe. . .

Motivation - The 4 Most Potent Ways To Awaken Your Enthus...

...it is in this whole process of meeting and solving problems that life has its meaning. Problems are the cutting edge that distinguishes between success and failure. Problems call forth our courage and our wisdom; indeed, they create our courage and our wisdom. It is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually...It is through the pain of confronting and resolving problems t. . .

Top Ten Ways to Live Authentically

1. Know your purposeAre you wandering through life with little direction – hoping that you’ll find happiness, health and prosperity? Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your truth north every time.2. Know your valuesWhat do you value most? Make a list of your top 5 values. Some examples are security, freedom, family, sp. . .

The Midas Story Revisited

King Midas made a wish that everything he touched would turn to gold. The wish was granted him with bitter irony: he touched his daughter whom he loved more than his life and she turned into solid gold—flesh turned stone.We might say that the moral of the story is obvious—it teaches us that there is more to life than greed and that making a wish for money can have dire consequences. Most of us . . .

What To Do When Your Fears And Worries Overwhelm You

What do you do when your worries and anxieties overwhelm you? Here is a brief list of techniques that a person can use to help manage their worries and anxieties. Sometimes what we fear may happen can be overly exaggerated. A lot of times, our worrying can make the problem even worse. Remember that all the worrying in the world will not change anything. All you can do is to do your best each da. . .

The Pygmalion Effect

A team does as well as you and the team think they can.This idea is known as “the self-fulfilling prophecy”. When you believe the team will perform well, in some strange, magical way they do. And similarly, when you believe they won’t perform well, they don’t.There is enough experimental data to suggest that the self-fulfilling prophecy is true. One unusual experiment in 1911 concerned a very c. . .

The Power of Beliefs

Your beliefs shape your life. How’s your life right now? Any areas you’d like to change? If there are, you have the key – your beliefs. Even more amazing is that it’s really not that tough to change your beliefs. It can happen in an instant. I know. I’ve changed lots of them. Change your thinking, change your life. I’ve proved it –several times over.Now – while I’m a natural optimisti. . .

Without Faith, it is Impossible to Please God

The Bible says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is God, and a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Therefore, expectation is the key to receiving from God when you pray. Jesus said in Mark 11:24, “Whatsoever things you desire when you pray, believe you receive them and you shall have them.” Believe you receive wh. . .

Destination Freedom

I don't know about you but these days I often hear people using the word 'enlightenment' as if it's a common experience. According to Buddhism enlightenment is the complete cessation of all sufferings and a permanent state of peace and happiness. Not many people there yet then! Everyone wants more freedom. And as you know real freedom comes from within. Our sense of the external reality around . . .

Our Dreams Are Our DNA

Are we paying attention to the right stuff?Take biology for instance. I never took a biology course in my life. I really have no idea how my body works, and yet I remain in good health. But when I visit the doctor, it’s the same as visiting an auto mechanic or a computer technician. They ask a few questions, and then tell me it sounds like a problem with the gobbly-gook. I nod my head, as . . .

Goal Setting:The Magic is in the List

When my first grader came from school, he showed me a piece of paper. It said, “My goal in 2005 is to learn to reed.” The boy needs to work on his spelling too! Jokes aside, setting goals and writing them down on paper is a good practice. It increases our focus and awareness We’re more likely to accomplish things when we write them down, and refer to our list during the day. If you’ve ever re. . .