The power of goal setting Part 1

Goal setting! What do I need to focus on? Where do I want to be in 5 years? How much money do I want? I want to be in a loving relationship. I wish I had a job that I enjoyed. We have so many desires and needs that must be met during our lives but we have challenges that take us off our path. What do we need to do to ensure that we are consistently staying focused on the things that we desire? That is one of the main questions that comes to mind when thinking about goal setting. This article will attempt to address the concept of goal setting and how to implement a strategy to focus on during the year.

Let's start with the definition of goal setting. The dictionary meaning for the word goal is the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve. With that being said our goals need to be clearly defined, personal, consistently updated, and realistic. Please see the process for goal setting below:

1. Think about what you want out of life both long and short term
2. Write down your thoughts during this brainstorming process
3. Narrow down your short and long term goals
4. Clearly define your goals both long and short term
5. Write down your specific goals with dates (be descriptive as possible)
6. Read your goals daily and update them as you progress
7. Use strategies to help program your mind to focus on your goals

The above mentioned process is a guideline that requires consistent updating and focus. In order to focus on your goals consistently one must understand the science of the mind and body connection.

The mind has two realms of experience the conscious and subconscious. The socialization that we experience during our lives has shaped our subconscious mind. In some cases it is this part of our mind that needs to be re-programmed to help us focus on the goals we want to attain. There are many simple tips and techniques to implement in order to help the mind focus on the goals you have outlined for your life. Self-limiting beliefs that stem from the subconscious mind need to be addressed through various methods that are taught in our workshops.

One of the easiest things to do to help focus your mind on your goals is meditation. Meditation allows you to clear out the clutter so that you can focus on your goals. When our minds are filled with too many thoughts we become overwhelmed and lose focus of our intentions. Practicing meditation will help you control your thoughts, emotions, and allow you to think clearly. If the concept of meditation is new to you I suggest that you take some time to learn about this ancient tradition. As you learn to meditate you will find it easier to focus on your goals. In North America it is very easy for us to become distracted with all of the stimulants that we are bombarded with on a daily basis. This is one of the main reasons it is important to control our thoughts per second through meditation.

In part 2 of the power of goal setting I will discuss tips and techniques to implement to help you focus on your goals.

Happy New Year and good luck with your goal setting in 2010...

I wish you a prosperous and joy filled 2010!

Michael Joseph

Co-founder

Pillars of Positivity

To learn more about our workshops and lectures please visit www.pillarsofpositivity.com.

The Creative Outlet

Creativity is one of the most powerful traits a human being can demonstrate. Our creative ability has allowed us to transcend barriers to success that a modern society faces on a daily basis. So how do we stay connected with our creative side? How do we keep our right brain functions in tact? Why is it so important for our creative juices to keep flowing? This article will attempt to address the above mentioned questions.

For thousands of years human beings have been demonstrating our powerful creative abilities through art, music, dance, poetry, books, speech, problem solving, games, sports, and so on. The point is creativity is not limited to the arts. Creativity is something that is demonstrated through out of the box thinking. We can achieve higher level capabilities through our ability to connect with our right brain functions. Our minds are divided into two rhealms left and right brain. One side is logic (left brain) and the other side is creative or intuitive (right brain.) The inter-connection of both sides allow the ability of quantum results in all areas of our lives. Specific use of the right brain will allow for creative thoughts to flourish. When we are in the creative flow we are focussed on the present moment which allows us to escape the confines of our limited thinking. We are able to integrate the mind, body, and soul to work as one when we are immersed in creative outlets.

Think about all of the times you are working on a new idea that require creative thinking and abilities. In those moments more often than not you lose track of time and space. You become so immersed in the moment that your ego is completely detached from the situation and you are able to connect to your higher self. This is important because you are able to keep the mind, body, and soul focussed on the positive energy that exists in these moments. While you are focussed on the positive energy your inner self is able to rejuvenate and recharge. This is necessary for those of us who want to be high performers in all areas of our life. The more we are able to connect with our creative flow the more we are connected to our infinite life force. This means that we can tap into this energy whenever we need it.

As part of our creative flow we become inspired to do great things when we setup the right environment for our creative juices to keep flowing. Inspiration (which comes from the latin word inspire which means "in spirit") can come at any time or when you least expect it. The question then becomes how do I become inspired? I have outlined some great tips and techniques below to help you become inspired:

• Add creative visualization to your meditations to set goals
• Burn natural oils such as tangerine or lavendar to put you in the right state of mind
• Take relaxing bathes to ease your mind and allow new ideas to come
• Stay physically active on a regular basis to maintain your confidence
• Eat well balanced meals to keep your energy flowing
• Surround yourself with creative people
• Spend time in nature
• Take a course to upgrade your skills

Everyone has a creative outlet so let your's shine by tapping into your own skill set or natural talent. Some people figure out their creative capabilities easily and others need to give themselves a chance to figure out their unique talent. The point at the end of the day is we all have the power within us to do great things. In order to get to that point we need to let our creative capabilities have a chance to be cultivated. Far too often people give up on their creative outlet and end up believing that they are not creative or have no special talents to share with the world. That is a sad reality for some people so I am here to say that is not true at all. Once again we all have unique talents and capabilities that need to be cultivated in order to shine. Rome was not built in a day so do not expect to figure out your creative outlet overnight. In time when you allow yourself the ability to relax and follow the tips above you will eventually figure out what your creative outlet is.

Until next time let the creative juices start flowing...

Michael Joseph

To learn more about tapping into your creative outlet and being a high performer please go to http://www.pillarsofpositivity.com/

The ego battle!

Ego. What is ego? It is defined in so many ways. For the purposes of this post I am defining ego as our socially conditioned mindset. The part of our mind that reacts following a habitual pattern that we have learned from our social interactions. Ego is based on fear and leads us down the path of lost faith. With that being said our ego is not who we are. We are powerful beings that can bypass the ego in every situation. This power exists through choice.

Everyday we are faced with challenges that require our full attention. Each moment we need to be cognizant of our higher self capabilities. At first this feels like a daunting task because our ego has been allowed to run free for so long. Our ego directs us to feel hurt or offended so that we react with anger or malice. Our ego directs us to be combative with each other. The pattern is simple our ego keeps us rooted in fear so that we react with various emotions such as doubt, worry, anxiety, anger, jealousy, and hate. Dont despair we do have options. We need to let go and detach from the ego and empower the higher self. The natural question is how? Please see some techniques below:

1. Meditate often to bring you back to your internal reference point
2. Awareness
3. Understand that you have the choice moment to moment
4. Think before you react by taking a few deep breaths

Now that we understand how to detach from the ego it is important to understand why we need to focus on this detachment. Our health depends on our ability to detach from the ego because of the immense stress we put on our immune system. The number one killer of human beings is stress. Stress is the common factor in most major dis-ease. We can also attribute stress as a major cause of failure from a health perspective and success in life. When we are consistently stressed out we are unable to make clear decisions and perform in an optimal manner. Stress is not difficult to reduce if we follow a healthy lifestyle that focusses on the following:

• A healthy balanced diet
• Meditation on a regular basis
• A positive circle of influence
• Regular physical activity
• Regular contact with nature
• The power of goal setting

The ego does not control our lives we do. We have the power to choose our direction in every situation. It is time for us to empower our higher self so that we can utilize the powers within to transcend the grip of the egoic mind. Our health and success depend on it...

Michael Joseph

Check out the Pillars of Positivity website to learn more about our workshops, seminars, and lectures:

http://www.pillarsofpositivity.com

Intuition Part 2: Your link to attaining success

In my last post I discussed what Intuition is and how it works at a high level. Of course to understand intuition and its full capabilities I suggest you do your own research on the topic to help you understand it on a deeper level. In this post I want to discuss how intuition can help you attain success in your everyday life. To be honest it starts with an open mind and the understanding that there are powerful connections happening all around us. It is our responsibility to have a clear mind to be able to focus on the details that we need to be successful. With that being said I have outlined some points below to help you connect with your intuitive mind (right brain) often.

Please see the points below:

• Meditate often
• Try to be in a balanced state as often as possible
• Involve nature in your everyday life so that you remain calm
• Surround yourself with intuitive people
• Burn lavender oil from source to bring balance
• Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables
• Walk after every meal to clear your mind
• Think outside the box
• Be patient
• Break through the fear barrier
• Understand the inter-connection of all your 5 senses
• Write down your goals and objectives for all areas of your life
• Take warm baths to relax your muscles
• Avoid negative people (energy vampires)

Now that we understand how to connect with intuition we need to focus on the culture of success. In order to achieve positive results in anything we do we must use insight with action and allow things to fall into place. Along the way when we are connecting the right and left brain with all of our decisions we are allowing the intuitive mind to shine in a way that will achieve success. Your intuitive mind works best when you are calm and in a balanced state. So it is no surprise that intuitive people are very relaxed, calm, and patient individuals.

In order to link intuition with success you need to allow a consistent balanced state to exist in your everyday life. It is difficult to be decisive and trust your gut feeling when you are constantly tired, stressed, and out of focus. This sounds like a tall order but in reality it can be achieved by utilizing the tips above to help bring the balance back to your life. We are all faced with challenging environments that are constantly battling us for our attention. It is our responsibility to manage our time in a way that allows us to fit in "Me time." It is imperative to our success.

Success is a culture that we can all implement in our lives. The best part about this fact is our choice to accept that fact or ignore it. Once you choose to be successful then you must define your goals and objectives. Once you define your goals your intuitive mind goes to work on helping you attain the success you desire. The intuitive mind (right brain) works with the logical mind (left brain) to bring you the balanced decisions you need to be successful. Relying on one or the other is a formula for questionable results. It goes without saying that being in a balanced state is the foundation for success. Now is the time to bring the balance back to our lives because our success depends on it. Success is waiting for all of us. We need to allow the success culture into our lives by accepting the responsibility that comes with it. It begins with each one of us. We cannot blame our lack of success on others because we hold the key to unlocking our infinite potential. That my friends is where our power lies.

Until next time try to maintain a balanced state often...

Michael Joseph

Check out my member profile with the League of Canadian Poets: http://www.poets.ca/linktext/direct/josephm.htm

Pillars of Positivity website: http://www.pillarsofpositivity.com/pillars/HomePage.aspx

Intuition Part 1: Your link to attaining success

Intuition, what is this mysterious experience that so many people talk about? Where does it come from? How can it help me? There are so many questions surrounding this powerful experience. The plan is to help you understand this powerful source of knowledge and wisdom so that you can utilize its omnipotent influence to do good things. First we must define what intuition is. Simply put intuition is the language of the soul. It is our internal compass to help guide us through the various challenges in life. Intuition is a spiritual gift and a practical tool used by many to navigate the modern world. Intuition stimulates our creativity through right brain functioning. We all have different names for intuition such as gut feeling, hunch, sudden knowing, and judgement call. Dr. Emery (author of a great book called "Power Hunch") calls it a "Power Hunch" because of the powerful force within us. Intution can be considered that aha moment that impels you to make a change out of the blue to meet a new friend, choose the right school for your child, solve a problem, etc...

Some benefits of intuition can be seen below:

• enhances relationships
• gives you a sense of timing
• enables you to find a new balance
• reveals hidden symbols in your dreams
• tunes you into your environment to open doors of opportunity
• developed intuition puts you in the flow
• you experience synchronicity
• problem solving becomes easier

The function of intuition allows an individual to marry the right and left brain so that they have a whole brain experience. By utilizing the whole brain to make decisions and navigate the challenges we all expereince we allow ourselves the balance necessary to achieve higher levels of success. Some of the most successful people in the world use intuition to make all of their important decisions. As a matter of fact a lot of these super successful people attribute their success to their ability to connect with their intuitive mind. They follow the intuitive direction through the use of one of their five senses. You can connect with the intuitive mind through all five senses. Once you understand what intuition is you can learn to connect with it through all of your senses which is the most powerful way to connect with this infinite intelligence. Your gut feeling acutally has a scientific background. Scientists have found that the gut feeling scenario involves neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) called peptides in the gut area. They are identical to the brain cell receptors and that means that the active peptides in the gut act in the same manner as the ones in the brain. With that beind said it is not surprising that the gut feeling is a source of getting messages from our intuitive mind.

Intuition is not age or gender based. We all have equal access to this powerful force. Intuition is not a whim, a good guess, or blind luck - it is a real force in every human psyche. Unfortunately we are constantly taught to ignore our intuitive mind and use our logical mind. In order to utilize this internal gift we need to become whole brain advocates so that we apply the principles neccessary to experience our intuitive mind properly. Intuition can be experienced in all areas of our life which include work, family, friends, school, nature, and ourselves. Intuition and logic together lay a powerful foundation to make the right decisions for success. Intuition is omnipresent so that we can utilize its potent force when we become more in tune with its potential.

In Part 2 of Intuition I will be discussing techniques to connect with your intuitive mind and link this to a successful life.

Until next time stay calm, meditate often, and start trusting your gut feelings...

Michael Joseph

Pillars of Positivity website: http://www.pillarsofpositivity.com/

To purchase a copy of Urban Verses: Spiritual Awakening go to: http://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.aspx?bookid=59524

How to be happy in tough times...

We all face challenges in our lives. This is a fact of modern life in the 21st Century. With that being said the question becomes how do we find happiness when we continuously find ourselves bombarded with negativity and reasons to be upset. The 3 steps to quickly adjusting your life to your challenges can be seen below:

1) Acceptance: Once we understand that negativity or challenges are something we will experience from time to time it becomes easier to overcome the hurdles we encounter. When you are faced with a challenge it is a paramount fact that you need to understand that you have the power to choose how you want to react. In my experience it is not the challenges you face that makes a person. It is the way you react.

2) Avoidance: If it is possible to avoid negative people or environments that you are aware of then it is important to steer clear of them at all costs. It is not wrong to avoid situations that you know will end up draining your energy or creating negative situations.

3) Rectify the situation: If you can be the bigger person then do it. We all can lead by example and if someone is tearing you down you can alleviate the situation by using positive language and a mature attitude. Try not to stoop down to somebody elses level. You are a powerful being that can transcend positive energy to any situation. We have that choice to make in every situation. You are powerful.

We are truly remarkable beings with such intricate mind, body, and souls. We have the ability to achieve whatever goals we set for ourselves. We can rebuild in any situation. Human beings have demonstrated how beautiful we are on many occasions. Let's celebrate the powerful things that we have achieved and focus on the moments that are filled with positivity. We do not have to focus on the negative. We can choose the path we want to follow in every situation so why not pick happiness. Why not choose to be happy and find a way to feel this emotion whenever we can. Our goal as human beings is defined by each one of us. Whatever path you want to follow is your choice...

Written by Michael Joseph

Pillars of Positivity

"Unlock your infinite potential"
http://www.pillarsofpositivity.com/
To order a copy of Urban Verses: Spiritual Awakening go to:
http://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.aspx?bookid=59524

Top 10 ways to stay positive

I have experienced so many opportunities to take the path to a negative mental attitude. Every time I am faced with the choice to use PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) or NMA (Negative Mental Attitude) it always becomes apparent which path to follow. The path I am referring to always leads to a positive mental attitude. Using the 10 points below I am able to connect with the positive side of my thinking on a regular basis:

1) Burn essential oils and incense to relax and clear the air
2) Read an inspirational book, poem, or thought daily
3) Surround yourself with positive minded individuals
4) Be physically active for at least 20 minutes everyday
5) Do not sweat the small stuff
6) Daily meditation
7) Take a walk in nature daily (could be something as simple as a walk down a tree lined street)
8) Compliment people as often as possible
9) Smile often (even when you feel angry)
10) Start the day with a saying like "I feel happy, I feel healthy, I feel terrific..."

To help me maintain a positive mental attitude I follow the above 10 points on a daily basis. It is not always easy to maintain a positive state but it takes just as much energy to be in a negative one so you might as well follow the path that feels better. Please feel free to email me the ways you stay in a positive mood on a daily basis. Please email me at michael@pillarsofpositivity.com.

P.S. I just released my first book called Urban Verses: Spiritual Awakening. If you would like to purchase a copy please go to http://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.aspx?bookid=59524.

Written by Michael Joseph
Pillars of Positivity
www.pillarsofpositivity.com

Passion...

Passion is a powerful way to express your true feelings about the life you live. Too many people try to fake passion and become engulfed in the game of trying to prove their worth. Our time in this realm of experience is based on our ability to see beyond the external games that are played in a capitalist society. These games are just illusions of the truth that exist around us. We are constantly given the answers to our passion filled days. However we choose to follow the path that leads to confusion. If we take the time to let our mind-body-soul speak as one then we allow the balanced passion of life to shine bright. If we do not allow this natural body of light to shine then we will become confused and the illusion that we are constantly bombarded with on a daily basis becomes our reality. Our mind will play tricks on us because we allow it to so let your mind be free. Our mind is nothing but a tool of the soul to experience our time on earth. Passion my friends is the key to experiencing life in its true nature.

Check out www.pillarsofpositivity.com to learn more about the science of positive living.

Creativity and life

Life is full of challenges and opportunities to learn. One thing I have realized in my life is the power of creativity and the outlet it creates for me. I am never as content as I am when I am creating music, writing poetry, and speaking at events. I feel totally alive and in the moment when I am writing verses for my new book. I do not feel time pass. It is almost like I am in a trance and the world just stops. The best part about this experience is the ability to escape the mundane trances that everyday life can inflict on an individual. The powerful part about this reality is the fact that we are all creative beings with the capabilitity to achieve higher heights. Each one of us has the ability and talent to create something out of nothing. We just need to tap into that inner knowledge to create...

Check out http://www.pillarsofpositivity/.com to learn more about how you can learn the science of positive living!