Stress relief during difficult times

Stress! What and where does it come from? Well this is a broad question that requires pages and pages of detail. To make a long story short stress is the body's reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental or emotional adjustment or response. Stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, nervous, or anxious. Stress is normally caused by an external stressor or situation like a death in the family, loss of job, or critical illness. Of course stress can be created by something as simple as stubbing your toe. At the end of the day stress can come from anywhere at any given time. As I always say it is not about the stressful situation you are experiencing its all about how you react. That is where I begin my thought on how to manage our daily stressors effectively.

I recently experienced a situation where I developed heart palpitations for the first time in my life. At first glance I thought I was developing symptoms of a more serious nature related to my heart. I followed the traditional path to western medicine to figure out what was happening with my heart. After a month of tests, hospital visits, and meetings with cardiologists we figured out that my heart was not only healthy but in athletic shape. So I asked the simple question why do I have these heart palpitations and how do I get rid of them. It came down to stress and how I was managing it. Subtle stressors were so immersed in my experience of daily life that I forgot to tap into the same thing I teach in my programs which is daily stress management. As amazed as I was that stress could become such an integral part of your experience through your daily routine it still took me by surprise and embedded its nasty nature into my physical health.

After some introspection, daily meditation using aromatherapy and music, regular exercise, and diet enhancement I was able to get the heart palpitations under control. The main items I added to my diet were banana's, vitamin B, vitamin C, green tea, and an influx of green leafy vegetables. Bear in mind nutritional changes to your diet require visits with your medical advisers to ensure your following a plan that suits your needs. With a daily focus on managing the subtle stressors in my life I was able to control my anxious thoughts related to my daily routine.

The strange part  about this whole experience was how immersed the subtle stressors were in my daily routine. Without realizing how these stressors were affecting me made it difficult to manage them properly. The point is do not take for granted the role that subtle stressors from your environment have on your balance in life. The exciting part about this experience was the ability to transcend this stressful experience and bring balance back to my everyday life. When all is said and done I am able to take this experience to relay the fact that daily stress management is imperative in modern life for our health, quality of life, and longevity from attaining success in all areas of life.

Please do not take stress for granted and ensure that you are managing your subtle stressors by eating a vitamin enriched diet, meditating often, and exercising daily.

Until the next time stay positive and always think out of the box!

Michael Joseph
www.pillarsofpositivity.com

The art of communication

The art of communication is taking for granted far too often. We spend too much time on our needs instead of focusing on the whole picture. The most powerful action human beings take part in on a daily basis is communicating with each other. At the end of the day we need to communicate effectively in order to find success in our lives. However we tend to handle communication like we do everything else and for most of us that means the message is lost in translation.

We have been communicating with each other for thousands of years in many different forms. In modern life we use language to communicate on a daily basis but 7% of what say is actually verbal. The other 93% is made up of body language (facial expressions, postures, and gestures.)

What does this mean? Well this is the part of communication that we take for granted. Not only do we get misunderstood with the language we use but we also become unaware of how people are reading our body language. Body language is important to understand due to the fact that it is what our sub-conscious mind uses to communicate what we really mean. That's right our conscious mind may be communicating a message using our verbal capabilities however we may be sending a completely different message to those who understand the subtle nuances of body language. The truth is we all read body language without knowing it. The simple way to overcome the body language challenge is to become more aware of the way you communicate to others.

Another factor that we tend to overlook in our communication process is the personality type of the person we are speaking to. There are so many instances when our message is blocked due to the way we communicate with the people we interact with on a daily basis. People are as unique as a snowflake so we need to keep this in mind when we approach others. Obviously it is difficult to read strangers in the first 5 minutes of our interaction. However it is not difficult to ask some open ended questions to try to understand the personality of the person you are speaking to.

Aside from strangers we can learn the personality types of the people we interact with regularly. This is very important so that you are able to communicate in the most optimal way. This is even more powerful in our work relationships because our success depends on it. If you need to learn about personality types I suggest that you study Carl Jung's personality archetypes or take a course online. It is in your best interest to become well versed with the various personality types if you plan on building powerful relationships in the future.

The art of communication is not just about using eloquent language and saying the right thing. It is based on many factors that require self-discovery, education, and personal development.

Until next time... Pick up some skills related to the art of communication and take your relationships to the next level.

Michael Joseph
Website: www.pillarsofpositivity.com
Email: michael@pillarsofpositivity.com

The power of self-expression

Self expression allows an individual the ability to channel emotions, thoughts, and feelings to overcome negative experiences on a daily basis. Why do so many people block this type of experience when the benefits are overwhelming?

One of the challenges of modern life is our lack of focus on the self. We have become disconnected with our creative outlet and our ability to express our thoughts, feelings, and emotions in positive ways. Instead we are choosing to react with our ego which leads on a path to destruction. There are so many examples of the ego working its way into the arguments and constant battles in our lives.

The problem with this incessant need to control others is two fold. One we get lost in the constant need to control the situation. Two we create a cycle of negativity that is difficult to break when we are so focused on trying to please our ego. So, how do we break this cycle when it is so involved with our everyday experience? Simply put we need to utilize our creative outlet so that we can follow the path of self expression.

Our daily experience with the ego can be controlled through channeling your negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions through your creative outlet. Some examples of an individual utilizing their creative outlet is painting pictures, producing music, playing an instrument, writing poetry, performing spoken word, meditation, solving complex problems, sharing love with a partner, taking long walks in nature, or attending a show.

The point is all of us have the ability to connect with our creative outlet so that we can channel our negative experience into a positive one. We all have the ability to utilize the gifts that we were born with to experience life in a positive way. At the end of the day the choice is ours to follow the path of self expression or allow your ego to control your experience. Many social psychologists have studied this phenomenon for years. There are countless studies that discuss the benefits of painting, playing music, meditating, and being in nature.

The truth is it is up to us to focus on the creative outlet that drives us to channel our negative experience into a positive one. If we choose to let our ego control the situation then we will end up in a cycle of negativity that will spin our lives into a realm of chaos. The time is now to start searching out the positive ways for you to self express your negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions into a creative outlet. Here is some food for thought; some of the greatest creations were made because the individual involved figured out how to channel the negativity energy into a creative outlet.

Many blessings,

Michael Joseph
Managing Partner
Pillars of Positivity

Website: http://www.pillarsofpositivity.com/
Email: michael@pillarsofpositivity.com

The definition of true wealth!

How do you define true wealth? Is it measured by the number of 0's in your bank account? Have you ever thought about wealth in other areas of your life? Well I have some thoughts on this topic and want to share some insight that may help you define wealth in a whole new way.

As I was growing up I thought wealth was measured solely on how much money you had. My father always told me that you are much more than just the material things you own. He always used to say that wealth is in your heart, your health, your relationships, and the way you view the world. Of course at the time I thought he was crazy. I used to say dad we can barely rub two nickels together but yet you are telling me that wealth exists in so many ways other than financial gain.

Now that I have been around long enough I completely understand what my father was talking about. Our experience in this world is not based on the material pleasures alone. I believe it is based on our ability to balance our physical, mental, and spiritual experiences so that we find the wealth in all areas of our life which include financial gain.

To be blunt I believe we achieve true wealth when we are able to find happiness in having great relationship with others, ourselves, and the contentment with the climb to success. If we are able to define great wealth by including our health and stable relationships then I believe we are going to achieve a fundamental difference in the way we define this experience overall. At the same time our interpretation of this experience also has some foundation in the money we accumulate over time. I am not implying that we neglect financial wealth at all. I am merely stating a need to include our physical, mental, and spiritual experience in the definition of true wealth.

If we take the time to focus on the other areas of wealth then we will be able to achieve a balance in our experience. Think about a pendulum when you stack too many marbles on one side it leans too far to the left or right. Well the definition of true wealth works the same way. If we focus too much on financial gain then other areas of our wealth quotient suffer. With that being said there are easy ways to ensure that we are focused on all areas of our life. The easy ones are our physical health and mental state of mind. The more difficult area is our spirituality.

I believe the definition of spirituality is a challenge in the 21st century due to many reasons. The main one being confusion over the conflicting messages we have received over the years. Depending on your upbringing many of us have had a definition that has been pushed on us. At the end of the day our spirituality is defined by the individual. Our spiritual wealth is dependant on our ability to transcend the mundane messages we have endured to find a deeper meaning into something that remains mysterious to us all. It is our responsibility to ensure that we are in tune with our spiritual side without compromising our experience in other areas of our life. This process is very personal and requires deep thought away from the everyday challenges of life. The point is as we get older certain realities will become clear. With that in mind I hope we allow our experience to include the many facets that define true wealth. The focus my friend is about our ability to balance our physical, mental, and spiritual experience.

Many blessings,

Michael Joseph

Motivating others...

Motivation is the psychological feature that arouses one to take action towards a desired goal. That is the official definition of motivation. What does motivation mean to you? How can you motivate others and yourself? These are the types of challenging questions we face on a daily basis when we try to inspire others to strive for the stars.

People are motivated by two major motivations the desire for gain and the fear of loss. From a psychological perspective the key to persuading others is through motivation. It is a consistent challenge to motivate others to attain their own goals and help you attain yours along the way. It is important to understand that human wants are only limited by our own imagination. As an inspiring individual it is up to you to figure out what motivates others to achieve their goals and help you with yours. When you can show a person how he or she can get more of the things he or she wants by helping you achieve your goals, you can motivate them to act on your behalf.

In Maslow's hierarchy of needs he focused on the fact that human beings need to satisfy their general needs (physiological, safety, love, and esteem) before they can act unselfishly. This is an interesting concept to understand when you are trying to motivate others to not only achieve their goals but also help you along the path to your desired outcome. The most successful leaders in the world have figured out how to motivate others to achieve higher level goals. They understand that every interaction between human beings involves some degree of persuasion and influence. This is why great leaders take the time to figure out what others really want by asking questions before they act. When you take the time to understand what others really want it will allow you the ability to help others get motivated by showing them how you can help them achieve their goals. Remember people are motivated by their reasons not yours.

The reality of motivating others lies in your ability to figure out what others really want. In addition to that you also need to understand the art of persuasion. Persuasion is not a negative thing if you have the intention to help others achieve their goals while soliciting their help to aid you on your path. The best leaders know that every human action is motivated by something. It's our job to find out what motivates others and then provide that motivation.

Most neurologists believe that we only use up to 10% of our brain power. The question is, how do we utilize the 90% that we do not typically use? The answer to that intriguing question lies in your ability to think out of the box and take every human interaction strategically. Stop thinking with an automatic response and start utilizing all of your interactions with others as a step to motivate.

In my next article I will be discussing self-mastery... Until then enjoy the beautiful weather!

Michael Joseph
Website: www.pillarsofpositivity.com
Email: michael@pillarsofpositivity.com

Perseverance and patience!

As we enter the spring season we begin to experience feelings of relaxation. However, we also have goals to reach and things to do. The spring time is all about revitalization where we shed our winter sluggishness. During the spring period it is important to continue along the path of our goals for the year. The spring season is a critical point in the goal attainment process. Spring is the time to plant our seeds of success for the fall. If we follow the right plan during the spring we are able to relax and enjoy the beautiful summer weather.

What do we need to do in the spring to be successful in the fall? First, we need to align our goals and ensure that they are in synch with our daily routine. Second, we need to persevere and demonstrate patience. We will experience challenges and roadblocks during the goal attainment process so use the spring season to tweak your plan.

Spring is challenging due to the fact that we tend to lose focus of the goals we set in January. For many reasons people tend to drift from their original goals and start a new focus. This is dangerous due to the fact that drifting from your original intention means you are becoming impatient with the current process. It is at this time when daily discipline is needed to stay on course. As part of the goal attainment process we are always using checkpoints to monitor our progress.

Spring is the perfect time to perform a health check on your goal attainment. If the progress has stagnated we can easily make adjustments so that the success we desire is waiting for us in the fall. However, if we fail to make the changes necessary in the spring we run the risk of repeating the same mistakes over and over again.

The spring season is a powerful time of year for all of us. With that being said please try to utilize this new energy to ensure that your plans are on the right course for success in the fall. Of course if you have not set your goals for the year then no time is better than now. The point is it is never too late to set your sights on success. However the lack of a goal attainment plan will definitely create a barrier to success in the fall.

Many blessings,

Michael Joseph

For more information on Pillars of Positivity check out: www.pillarsofpositivity.com

Finding Positivity through Poetry!

Poetry is one of the most powerful ways we can express ourselves on a daily basis. The written word allows us to tap into the inner-self in so many ways. We have so many thoughts and feelings that can be expressed through writing our thoughts down on paper. Poetry over the years has become a powerful creative outlet for me when I am in need of a deeper experience with the self and has allowed me to express myself in a way that helps me to grow every time I write a new verse. Writing poetry is a self healing experience that allows the individual to express emotions that one may not have realized resides deep inside. It can provide an escape from the dungeons of modern day life and enable one to go deep within the self to express feelings that are swirling around the mind. Deep down we all need the ability to express ourselves to help clear out the clutter from our mind.

Writing poetry is meditative and expressive so it helps you to balance your mind-body-soul connection. Through the poetic process you will relieve your stress by bringing attention to the power of now, and turning a negative situation into a positive one. When you are feeling full of negativity you should take time to write down your thoughts in the form of a verse so that you can express your thoughts and release the stress. By allowing your poetic verse to shine you are also opening up a channel to focus on the power of now. When we live in the now we allow ourselves the chance to stop and smell the roses. If our minds are caught up in a negative experience we tend to focus on the past and let disturbing experiences from our past consume our thoughts. The poetic process brings you into the now so that you can write about your feelings to organize them into cohesive thoughts that you can express holistically. When you allow the poetic process the chance to shine you bring out the best quality we were all born with, creativity. When we are creative we are able to turn negative situations into positive ones by expressing our emotions through verse instead of physical aggression.

As a member of the League of Canadian Poets I have the unique ability to teach poetry in the classroom along with the art of positive living. As we work with the kids to help them understand the concepts of positive living we teach them how to express this experience through the power of free verse. This allows the children to express themselves from the inside and bring out all of the thoughts/feelings that may be causing a negative experience. Through the freedom of poetry children are able to process thoughts about positive living in a creative way. This creates an environment of fun and interaction between the children. The children will be able to share their experience with each other in a way that is non- threatening and filled with fun. Of course the most powerful way to get children involved with the learning process is to make it fun and interactive. In addition to that the children get to be expressive like the musicians they hear on the radio. By tying the concepts of positive living with the poetic process we are able to get the children to interact with the group and themselves in the most powerful way possible.

Overall the poetic process has opened up so many possibilities to teach the art of positive living to both adults and children. The unique experience that poetry allows one to divulge in is self healing and expression. It is one of the many ways we can allow ourselves the unique ability to achieve self-actualization on a daily basis. Poetry is a creative outlet that each one of us can utilize to help manage stress and turn negative emotions into positive ones.

Many blessings,

Michael Joseph
Co-founder
Pillars of Positivity
Email: michael@pillarsofpositivity.com

For more information related to our programs check out: www.pillarsofpositivity.com