Deep within us lies a “voice” our own voice, which has been created based on our past experiences, even the experiences we think we have forgotten about, or we don’t think about on a daily basis are buried deep within us. This inner voice that constantly speaks within you will be repeating those original events and messages to you daily.

If you have spent time building your confidence your inner voice will have very little control over you, it will be positive and reassuring the majority of the time, and you will be able to dismiss any negative messages. For people with low self esteem your inner voice will be your own worst enemy, your saboteur and critic, constantly belittling your efforts, punishing your mistakes and criticizing.

I am a firm believer that everyone needs to have a sense of humor about themselves. I am the first to admit that (at times) I take life WAY too seriously, and I think that’s probably true about many people. My kids need me, my mother needs me, my sister, my friends, my bills, my personal development, my housework, my personal hygiene, my cat, the kids’ schoolwork, the plants…admit it, some days it gets to be overwhelming and you don’t know how much more you can handle.

Imagine you were able to get what you wanted by properly conveying your desires to others simply by speaking to them. Can you imagine if you had the Rasputin touch? Do you think that being able to impact your listeners to see things as you do through only your words would be a valuable asset to have in your personal arsenal? Do you think it would be beneficial to you to be able to use language in a way that really drives home your idea or the meaning that you are wishing to share with someone else?

How To Optimise The Tiny Little Fragments Of Free Time That We Have
By Mohamad Latiff

You have most probably heard of this quotation that goes something like, “If you want to know the value of one second, ask the athlete who came in second place; If you want to know the value of one minute, ask the worker who missed his train to work.”

I have not the memory nor the space nor the time to quote it here fully, but I wish to acknowledge the fact that we do get that occasional amount of precious free time, ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes (depending upon your level of productivity and efficiency in whatever it is that mostly occupies your day).

The Day I Found the Lump
By Alex Blackwell

Part Three in the “Coming Into Your Own” Series

Sometimes in life we are given circumstances and conditions that are unwelcome and unfair. Going through particularly hard times can make us bitter and can cause us to feel victimized. However, there are no accidents without value. What this means is no matter what happens to us, we can find value in the event.

There’s no question it is difficult to find the meaning or value in an uncomfortable situation as you are encountering it, but when you step back and look at the outcome it produces, you can almost always find some measure of value.

The enemy waits and listens for your desperation. When you are at the end of your rope and can no longer see or feel what hope looks like, the enemy of your soul pounces on your confidence, shreds your dreams, and will cast a very dark shadow of doubt over what you want to be or do in your life.

The enemy does not want you to be successful. It delights in breaking you down to the point you surrender and exclaim things like, “What was I thinking, I can’t do something like that,” or “There is no way I will ever be able to [fill in the blank].”

A 7th century Arabian genius once said, “Success is the result of foresight and resolution, foresight depends upon deep thinking and planning, and the most important factor of planning is to keep your secrets to yourself”. The name of this genius was Ali Ibn Abi Thalib, one of the most illustrious, noblest and brilliant leaders of the continent-sweeping Islamic civilisation that was left behind by the Prophet Muhammad.

However, it is not the object of this article to discuss a religious figure or the history of a civilisation. The quote provided above is to set the impetus for the rest of this article.

You’re reading this for a purpose. You want something. You need something. You want to become something. You want to have something. You want to do something.

Two words only - You Want.

Human beings; You and I, are goal-seeking machines. Well, maybe ‘machines’ is too crude a word to use. Our brains are goal-seeking mechanisms.

Now let’s think about this thing called “You Want”-ism. Let’s say you want to be a more confident speaker.

What (effective) questions can you ask yourself that will lead you to the right thinking that in turn will lead you to the right decisions and the right actions, and lastly to your desired goal (becoming a more confident speaker)?

Just as setting small and attainable goals are the building blocks for achieving success; living a lifestyle of making good health choices leads to greater and more sustainable happiness.

The cliché “You are what you eat” does resonate with pieces of truth and common sense. There have been several health and fitness studies over the years that suggest people who are overweight, smoke and drink excessively have a predisposition to experience more bouts of depression than people who live a more moderate lifestyle in these areas.

Every moment in life is precious and not to be taken for granted. Every experience has meaning to be derived from it. I see each moment and each experience as opportunities to learn, grow, develop, and change. With all that happens in our lives, we can learn from whatever seems positive or negative and make new choices to improve ourselves. These are life’s lessons that are gifts if we choose to see them in that light.