Personal Growth Cafe – Page 196 – Empowering You to Live Your Inspired Vision!

July 19, 2012

How to Prepare Your Child for Tutoring

More and more parents are seeking tutors for their children in order to achieve academic success in today’s rigorous educational climate. Once you’ve decided that tutoring is right for your child, preparation for that all important first tutoring session begins.

Here are a few essential guidelines for tutoring success:

1. Set up a meeting with the tutor. Your child will have the best possible first tutoring session if he has previously had a positive experience with the tutor. Arrange for the tutor to come to your home for an informal chat or, if you’re going to a tutoring center, drop by when the teachers are free to meet and greet their newest student.

2. Explain the reasons for tutoring to your child. Children perceive the world differently than adults. Your goal is to make the tutoring process go as smoothly as possible in order for your child to receive the maximum benefit.

* There are many reasons you may seek academic help for your child. Your child may be below grade level. Or you may want your child to advance beyond his current grade level. Whatever the reason for searching for a tutor, your child needs to understand the benefits that tutoring will provide.

3. Encourage your child to share feelings. Many children, especially those who may be facing difficulty in school, may be reluctant to share their feelings about the tutor or the tutoring process.

* Spend time to discuss with your child his specific hopes and fears about the area of study or school in general. The more you know about your child’s feelings, the better the whole process will unfold.

4. Buy new notebooks and supplies. Never underestimate how much children love to use new notebooks, pens, and pencils! Find school supplies that have your child’s favorite movie or sports star printed on it. Just having these visual reminders of beloved people or events eases a child’s anxieties and increases receptiveness to learning.

5. Praise your child’s accomplishments in the classroom. Every child loves praise and has achieved some things in the classroom that are worthy of compliments. Tell your child how proud you are of his accomplishments. Explain to your child that tutoring will only increase success.

6. Assure your child of your help. Your child may fear that tutoring will be an unbearable burden. Assure him that you or another knowledgeable adult will always be there to assist him with any problems that may arise.

* Tell your child that, even if you’re unsure of the concept being taught, you’ll help seek out resources to solve the problem together. In this way, your child will be reassured that you’re both in this together!

7. Provide incentives. Teachers use incentives to increase effort and interest in the classroom. This strategy works because the kids love receiving prizes and they get the children to do their best. Think about ways your child is motivated to work toward particular goals.

* Something as simple as a trip to favorite restaurant or an afternoon at the park can provide that extra spark your child needs to succeed at a task. Your child will look forward to each tutoring session with the knowledge that he’s one step closer to that desirable incentive.

By following these easy guidelines, you can enable your child to be fully prepared and ready for tutoring and academic success!

July 19, 2012

How to Make Good Decisions Fast

Do you ever feel like you’re pressured into making decisions before you’re truly ready? It’s always a good idea to weigh your alternatives and make your decision in a calm fashion. Sometimes, though, you may not have a lot of time on your hands, and in these situations you can speed up your decision making skills instead of throwing yourself into a panic.

Try these techniques to help you make good, quick decisions:

1. Calm down. If you’re feeling pressured into making a fast decision, the first thing to do is calm down. If you aren’t in a position where you can think clearly, then it will be more difficult to make a good decision.

* Take a few deep breaths to aid in clarity of thought and help you become less stressed.

2. Avoid running in circles. When time is of the essence, you might find that your mind begins to run in circles. Break you decision down into the vital parts and focus on the benefits of each alternative one at a time.

3. Take the time you need. Most of the time you won’t need to make decisions in a matter of seconds. You may need to make a decision quickly, but allow yourself time to go over your options.

4. Make a list of options and alternatives. You can write the steps down, or keep a list in your head. Do what works for you. Consider the outcomes of the available choices, as well as alternative ideas.

5. Consider your feelings and the feelings of others. Sometimes it’s good to just follow a gut feeling even if you don’t have much to back it up. Explore your initial feelings about the decision. Also, take the time to consider the feelings of the other people involved.

6. Ask for help. Most of the time you don’t have to be alone with your major decisions, and if you need to make a decision quickly, it’ll help to get another pair of eyes on the situation. Ask for help from someone you know and trust.

7. Narrow down your choices. See if you can quickly cross some alternatives off of your list of possibilities. Your decision will be easier if there are fewer choices.

8. Think on your feet. Strengthen your ability to think fast. This takes practice, confidence, and a firm belief in yourself. As you become more accustomed to thinking on your feet, you’ll automatically stop second-guessing yourself in tough situations.

9. Make your decision. If you’ve arrived at a conclusion but you’re still hesitating, then you haven’t made your decision yet. Have confidence and go with whichever alternative seems best based on the information you have.

* Remember, many day-to-day decisions aren’t permanent. If your information changes drastically, or things don’t go as planned with this decision, you may be able to change your decision to a new one based on the new circumstances.

As long as you practice these tips, you’ll improve your decision making skills. It may take some work, but the ability to make quick and wise decisions is just around the corner.

July 19, 2012

How to Eliminate Drama in Your Life

Most people like to keep drama at a minimum in their lives, but sometimes it’s not so easy. During stressful times or when dealing with certain people, you might find drama popping up more than you’d like.

Maybe you’re at a breaking point, and you’re ready to finally eliminate the drama from your life once and for all. Keep in mind that it’s nearly impossible to eliminate it all together, but there are certain strategies you can follow to keep it to a minimum.

Consider adding the following strategies to your drama elimination methods:

1. Keep to yourself whenever possible. It’s almost always best to adopt a “mind your own business” attitude when you’re dealing with other people. When you snoop around in someone’s business, you really never know what can of worms you’re opening. If someone asks or invites you into their life, that’s one thing, but you should avoid the urge to pry.

2. Avoid participating in gossip. Humans are social creatures and they tend to talk about each other. Sometimes you might think that your gossip is good news, so it’s okay, but you never know how someone else might spin what you’re saying. It’s best to avoid it whenever possible.

* If you have issues with someone, have a conversation directly with them. Then they’ll know how you feel without hearing a version of the story from someone else.

3. Make efforts to stop gossip. You’ll no doubt be in situations where you’re not participating in it, but you’re hearing other people gossip. It’s difficult to go against the crowd and take a stand, but you must if you’re serious about eliminating drama.

* You can choose to be silent and that way you won’t be held accountable, but you can also politely say that maybe the subject at hand should be changed to something else.

4. Be cautious when meeting new people. Of course you want to be friendly and inviting when you’re meeting people and making new friends. However, keep your guard up to some extent because you really never know when something you say might be seen as hurtful or offensive, even when you didn’t mean it that way.

* Before sharing personal opinions, ensure you know someone well enough to prevent misunderstandings.

5. Analyze past dramatic situations. Think about the scenarios that led to drama for you in the past. Was it a simple misunderstanding? Is there a topic that always leads to drama and arguments? You can definitely learn from past situations that transpired negatively. Reflection can help you avoid those similar situations in the future.

6. Learn how to release your emotions in a healthy way. Drama can lead you to feel some strong emotions. Even if you’re trying to eliminate drama, you can’t just avoid everything that you’re feeling. It can lead to more upset outbursts, since you’re just bottling up those strong emotions. Instead, learn positive ways to release your emotions.

* If you’re starting to feel upset because things are getting heated, remove yourself from the situation. Grab some fresh air and return to the situation once you’ve found a cool head.

* Exercising is a great way to release emotions and pent-up stress.

* Daily relaxation is also important. Do something that you enjoy each day just for you!

Remember that some people just love drama, and they might be trying to stir some up for you. Refuse to participate in their game. You can choose what you want to allow into your life.

July 18, 2012

Strategies for Raising Self Confident Teens

The teenage years can be hard on both teens and adults. Teens are struggling between childhood and adulthood and finding their true selves. Self confidence can prove to be a major issue as they navigate through this time in their lives.

Just as in other aspects of their life, teens can strengthen their self confidence skills. Some will have tougher situations to overcome, but in the end, everyone can benefit.

Here are some self confidence strategies that you can share with your teen:

1. Start small. You don’t want to expect too much too soon when it comes to making changes in your teen’s life. To say that they must become self confident overnight can prove to be a nearly impossible task, and it might just make your teen pull away from you emotionally.

* Instead, focus on just one small issue and build from there. They could work on standing up to one friend or finding the courage to speak up more in class.

2. Work on forgetting the past. Many times a teen will have self confidence issues because of certain past experiences. Work on those issues first and explain that the past doesn’t have to repeat itself. Tell your teen that, in life, you can’t get too hung up on past issues or you’ll be jeopardizing future opportunities.

3. Remind your teen that they’re not alone. Being a teen can be lonely; sometimes they’re tempted to pull away just because they start to feel uncomfortable talking about their issues.

* Keep an open dialogue with your teen and avoid judging them when they do open up.

* Remind them that you’ll always be there, as well as other family members and friends.

4. Provide encouragement. Teens need lots of encouragement because, as they find themselves, they’ll discover activities that they’re good at in life. Sometimes things work out perfectly for them, and other times they begin to struggle.

* Be there to provide that extra encouragement when they need to get over a hurdle.

5. Allow your teen to try something new. You can provide your teen with a great confidence builder by encouraging them to engage in new things. This gives them extra practice when it comes to confidence and it may help them become more grounded and social.

6. Provide rewards. Use rewards to congratulate your teen when they take a stride toward self confidence. If they take a big step forward, buy them a little something that they’ve been wanting or take them out to dinner at their favorite restaurant.

7. Provide unconditional love. Unconditional love shows your teen that, even if they make a mistake, you’ll be there for them no matter what.

8. Be accepting. Be accepting of others and teach your teen to do the same. Your teen will have the confidence to be himself if you have an accepting nature. This will provide a starting point for feeling accepted out in the world away from home.

Remember that being there for your teen is the most important thing. Sometimes they’ll want to be alone and other times they’ll need your help. Either way, they’ll know that you’re always rooting for them.

July 18, 2012

Using Delegation to Balance Your Life

If you’re like a lot of people today, you’ve got all kinds of things going on in your life: work, school, kids, household duties, and countless other things that can wear you out and bring you down. The good news is you can avoid feeling stressed out and out of balance by delegating some of what you do to others.

Doing it all isn’t necessary! Ensure that you take time for yourself and get the people around you to shoulder their share of the burden. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with working hard and trying to do all you can for your family, but they should give back to you, as well. Love from them is great, but how about some help with the dishes and laundry, too?

Know When to Delegate Chores and Tasks

Whether there are chores around the house or tasks at work, you can hand some of them off to other people so the workload is distributed more evenly. There’s no shame in that, and it’s not the same thing as having someone else do all the work while you sit back and do nothing. Instead, you simply understand that one person should never be expected to do it all.

If you and your spouse both work full time, for example, a system where only one of you do all the household chores is one-sided and can lead to resentment. It puts your life out of balance and can make you angry and irritable. It’s much better to sit down and come to an agreement on who will perform which chores, and then stick to it.

If you have children, they can also take part in chores. Even if they’re young, they can be taught to put their toys away and keep their rooms neat. As they get older, they can be given more responsibility, until the household “runs itself” more efficiently.

Work should be delegated in similar ways throughout an office environment.

What Does Delegation Give You?

The delegation of chores and tasks can bring balance back to your life. If you’re seeking that balance, understand that you can find it right now through delegation. It’s worth it. You’re worth it! Having balance in your life is important for both physical and emotional health, and you aren’t going to achieve balance if you spend all your time doing things for others.

Some of the things you do in life have to be done for you. Take a walk, get some exercise, play a game, or simply sit quietly and read a book or watch a movie. Maybe you just want some extra sleep. No matter what it is you desire, it’s time to get it back and bring your life into balance in the process. Start today, and move forward.

In no time, you’ll see that you feel better physically and your emotional state and outlook on life are both more positive, because you have balance. Just as physical balance is necessary to keep a person walking straight and moving forward, emotional and life balance are needed to stay on the right path toward overcoming problems and finding more joy in everyday things.

You may worry about delegation because you don’t want to upset others or ask too much of them. That’s natural, but it doesn’t have to stop you from feeling better, doing what’s right for you, and fulfilling your goals and dreams. The balance in your life is more important than that. People who really love and respect you will recognize and honor that.

You can be honest with them about what you need, and they will do their best to give it to you, because they see it as important, as well. They know about the power and importance of balance in life. If they don’t know, teach them, so that both of you can be strengthened and empowered to move forward in the future.

July 18, 2012July 18, 2012

How Committed Are You To Excellence? (PersonalGrowthCafe.com “Daily Personal Growth Walk”)

Excellence is a state of mind. It’s doing things with the best that you can and you’re going extra mile on all those things. Some people just give their bare minimum required of them.

Watch this video and get some ideas on how you could further improve yourself.

These are the links mentioned in the video:

Go to https://www.PersonalGrowthCafe.com and begin doing the “Crash Course on Creating Your Ideal Life with The First Covenant” there.

That’s my $197 video training – it’s yours as a gift to thank you for visiting the site.

You’ll also find dozens of other ways to “learn and grow and become a better person” there, as you’ll see when you visit the Personal Growth Cafe. (Go now…. thanks!)

Then go to http://www.PersonalGrowthCommunity.com so I can personally coach you and make sure you’re applying the insights from this video, specifically to what’s happening in your life.

Lastly, join the “Personal Growth Revolution” at http://www.PersonalGrowthRevolution.com and help us blow through our goal of improving the lives of 1 billion people within 1 year!

Joyfully,

Dan Klatt,
“Think And Grow Rich Guy”
Author of “the Daily Personal Success System”
President of the http://www.PersonalGrowthAuthorsAssociation.com

….Serving as Your WealthSensei!

PS. What was most insightful for you from this video?

Let me know in the Comments Section below.

PPS. Who do you know who would benefit from watching this video?

Share it with your Facebook Friends, Twitter followers, email contacts, etc.

July 18, 2012

You’re Important Too! Spring Cleaning Tips for the Mind

When you think of spring cleaning, you may have an image in your mind of family members gathering around with mops in their hands. That’s because spring is a good time to make your home and workspaces sparkling clean and clutter free.

However, there’s something else you should be paying attention to as well, and that’s keeping a clear and happy mindset.

If you find that you’re having trouble dealing with life’s stresses, and you need to sort out your thoughts, it will benefit you to use some of your spring cleaning time on yourself!

Try some of the following tips to reorganize your thoughts:

1. Get rid of anger. There are many negative emotions that you can eliminate during spring cleaning time, and anger is one of those emotions. You need to deal with it and then throw it away.

* Ensure you handle it effectively rather than hide it away. If you try to just push it away, it’ll just grow stronger and cause you more stress. Face your anger and make a plan to find solutions for your issues, or simply let go.

2. Focus on forgiveness. Focus on forgiveness if you’re holding onto negative emotions. You may not feel that the person you need to forgive deserves it, but you deserve to finally be at peace. Think of it as doing something for yourself instead of letting someone off the hook.

3. Make a list of your dreams and goals. Just as you make a list of your chores during cleaning, make a list of some of your short term and long term dreams and goals. When you list them out on paper, it gives you something concrete to look at throughout the day.

* Post your list where you’ll see it often, and cross things off as you accomplish them.

4. Be open to new ideas. When you open yourself to new situations and ideas, you’ll bring a new freshness and more opportunities into your life. It might feel safe to stay closed off, but eventually you’ll feel that things have become stale.

5. Don’t be afraid to have fun. Spring cleaning for your home or mind doesn’t have to be a chore. With the right attitude, it can be fun to bring change into your life. It’s like getting a fresh start and you can focus on your new beginning.

6. Stop to enjoy life and nature. Learn to see the beauty in things that you’ve taken for granted. Take a walk and get some fresh air, or get up early one day to watch the sunrise. These things will give you new perspectives on life.

7. Focus on organization. Just like you would organize your house when it becomes too cluttered, take this opportunity to learn to organize your mind when it becomes cluttered too. Avoid letting jumbled thoughts overpower your thinking process. Learn to use a calm approach and deal with one situation at a time.

* Take some time out of each day to clear your mind. You can accomplish this through meditation, prayer, or anything that relaxes you.

Remember, you’re very important, and more important than those other things you clean every spring. Use these tips to spring clean your mind, and enjoy your new beginning free from stresses and negativity.

July 18, 2012

Calming Your Mind and Lowering Your Stress Levels

More often than not, we tend to focus on too many things every day, leading to confusion, anxiety, and annoyance. This stress can be hard on the mind and body, but the good news is that you can lower your stress levels and calm your mind, helping yourself to feel better each day.

In fact, you can overcome these issues with a few simple techniques!

First, acknowledge that you must take time for yourself. Being all things to all people isn’t realistic, and neither is doing everything and solving all problems or concerns in one day. No one should expect that of you! If they do, you must recognize that it’s not healthy, and you must do what’s right and best for you. Your health and happiness could depend on it.

Ways to Calm Your Mind

Meditation and prayer are two of the biggest ways to calm a restless mind, but they aren’t the only things you can do. There are many other choices to help you feel better and live a stress-free life. You might also consider:

* Volunteering or focusing on helping others
* Exercising
* Listening to music
* Using your mind for joyous pursuits that interest you
* Playing with children or pets

Everyone has different things they enjoy in life, and you should find yours and practice them when you start to feel stressed or your thoughts try to run away from you. Avoid letting your thoughts talk you out of your dreams. Your dreams are yours; embrace them!

Being busy is not the problem when it comes to your mind. Being busy with things that aggravate you and make you feel down is the problem. Instead of dwelling on things that upset you, deal with them, let them go, and move on to things that you enjoy. You can do this with your thoughts, just like you would with a physical task in the workplace or at home.

Lower Your Stress Levels Each Day

Stress begins in your mind as thoughts, but it can manifest itself physically. You may feel tense, anxious, uneasy, angry, or have aches and pains you can’t really find a cause for. If stress continues all the time and becomes chronic, your health could be compromised.

You can let stress go and feel good every day.

Try these strategies to lower your stress:

1. Focus on what matters to you. What’s important in your life? Be proactive about your goals and priorities. When you’re working toward something that you want, it makes you feel good about yourself and your future.

2. Find both physical and mental ways to release your stress. Releasing your stress every day keeps it from building up inside you. Make the conscious choice to start each day fresh, without the stress from the day before.

* What relaxes you? Music? Hobbies? Spending time with your family? Enjoy a healthy dose of relaxation every day.

* Get as much exercise as possible. Exercise refreshes your body with a surge of oxygen and releases endorphins, the “feel good” hormone. Even if there’s no time for an exercise session, take the stairs instead of the elevator, park far away from the building so you can walk, and play with your kids or pets.

3. Practice these strategies consistently. Work on releasing your stress every day, even on days when you don’t feel as much stress, so it won’t be a struggle when you really need it. When you’re feeling good, it’s natural to forget about letting stress go, but it’s important to avoid getting complacent.

* Keep practicing and improving, even when you feel great!

Whichever techniques you choose to calm your mind and lower your levels of stress, ensure it’s the right fit for you and your lifestyle. Only you know what you really need and what makes you feel safe and at peace.

If you practice this peacefulness each day, it won’t be long before you start to feel calmer, even in situations where you would have previously been over the edge. Your thoughts will be clearer, instead of jumbled and racing. Physically, you’ll feel stronger, too, because your body will be free from the affliction of stress and anxiety.

July 18, 2012

Positive Strategies to Conquer Any Challenge

Life has many challenges, but do you think you can get past them? Of course you can!

Avoid letting other people – or your own thoughts – tell you that you can’t do whatever you have in mind. A challenge isn’t a problem, it’s an opportunity to excel and move forward. But you must see your challenge in a positive light or it may not offer you the forward movement you’re really looking for.

Do you tackle challenges by getting stressed out and aggravated? If so, it’s time to learn how to avoid that conflict and deal with stress effectively. Anyone can learn to do it, but the mindset is very important. Most of the struggles you face come from not looking at things through an optimist’s eye.

Seeing your challenges as opportunities will help you make it through with flying colors.

The way a challenge is presented to you might be uncomfortable, but you can take that and turn it around to your advantage. Then, things that try to take you down can actually build you up and be used for your good, instead. You may even begin to look forward to your challenges to move ahead in life and accomplish even more.

The Size of the Challenge Is Irrelevant

Whether the challenge is a serious health issue, a job loss, or something else entirely, you can remain positive about it. No matter what happens in life, there is always joy and beauty that can be found, as well. If you look for the good things, you’re going to find them; they’re hiding in plain sight, just waiting to be discovered!

It can be more of a challenge to stay positive when big things come against you, but step back and give yourself permission to grieve for a little while. Once that’s done, set it aside and move on to something else. Avoid looking backward, because you can’t possibly move forward if you’re fixated on what’s behind you.

See yourself as healthy, employed, happy, and whatever it is you need. There are baby-steps you can take to move in the direction of having what you want. It may seem like it’s taking a long time, but it’ll take even longer if you don’t get started. Make a plan for your challenge, even if you start out slow, and avoid letting setbacks get you down. Everyone has them.

The Critical Key to Conquering Your Challenges

Just as you can get through any size challenge, you can also get through any type of challenge. That’s the key that successful people use to unlock their goals and dreams. They avoid looking at how big or difficult their challenge is. Instead, they look at how big their faith is, and that can be faith in God, or simply faith in themselves and their abilities.

If you look at what you can do, instead of what’s coming against you, you can accomplish great things with what you have available. Take a look at what’s challenging you today. There may be more than one thing, but you only need to work on conquering one of them at a time.

Make a list of your challenges. Choose the challenge that appears to be the easiest, the one you feel best about, or the one you most need to address. Whichever one you choose is fine. The point is that you can get started and be successful, no matter what you’re facing, if you come up with a plan and stick with it. Then use your plan to conquer those challenges one at a time.

Challenges are something you’ll face all your life, just like everyone else. Whether they get you down or build you up will be determined by how you see them. You can’t choose your challenges, in most cases, but you can always choose how you react to them, and that can make all the difference in the world.

July 18, 2012July 18, 2012

Letting Go of Conflict from Your Past

You can learn to let go of the conflict in your life. Everyone has things from their past they aren’t proud of. Perhaps you keep thinking about a situation and wonder how things might have been different. The reality is, wishing things were different isn’t doing you any good! Avoid letting past conflict hold you back.

Instead, release your concerns and focus on the present. Today is what matters and you can use today to make better days ahead. There are many techniques you can use to help you leave the past behind, and it’s good to experiment with different strategies until you find the one that’s right for you.

Release Your Negative Thoughts

Thinking negatively about yourself or past events isn’t productive. Even if you’ve made mistakes, you should see them as learning experiences that brought you to where you are today. They’re teaching moments, where you make a choice and learn from what happens next.

Avoid dwelling on your mistakes. It’s important to take the information you learned and put it to good use. When you find yourself thinking negatively about your past, try a tactic that makes you focus on the present.

Some ways to help you focus on the present include:

* Exercising to raise your endorphin level
* Helping someone else by volunteering or getting involved in the community
* Meditating, praying, or visualizing
* Using affirmations to realize what positive things you currently have in your life

Conquer Your Conflict

Thoughts have power, so make them work for you, not against you. When you look at your experiences in a positive light, you open the door for more positive energy and experiences to come your way. Maybe something happened that you didn’t like, but what did you learn from it? What good things came from it?

There is always good if you look for it.

Most people forget to look for the good that comes in all experiences, so make it a priority to seek joy in the things you’re doing today. You aren’t required to forget about the past, but you can move away from it. Living in memories is no longer necessary. Live in the present, and look toward the future. It’s much easier to see where you’re going that way!

Make corrections on your journey if you need to, but avoid going backwards. Moving forward, into a bright future and away from conflict, should be your focus. When disconcerting thoughts of the past appear, gently urge them away with thoughts of the future. Avoid letting that negative voice get to you, because it isn’t what’s true and real.

You know what’s really important, even if your thoughts sometimes try to tell you otherwise. By focusing on what matters to you in the here-and-now, and seeing how you can extend that into your fabulous future, it becomes easier to shed the conflict that comes from spending too much time in the past.

It’s not possible to change your past, but it is possible to live for today.

That’s something to remind yourself of each day. Why live with regret and conflict when there’s joy and beauty to be found? Live in the light of peace and joy each day, and focus your energies on what you can do to make things better for yourself and the world around you.

You’ll find that you have more happiness and that you also bring more happiness to others. When you’re looking into the past, it’s hard to see the great things on display in the future. By letting go of your past, you’re able to change your focus and outlook onto much brighter things!