Some people make New Year’s resolutions. I make Thanksgiving resolutions. Every year, I resolve to resume my practice of keeping a gratitude journal. And every year, about three weeks later, I lose the journal. Not that this stops me. I just write my entries in some other journal, or a notebook. You may consider this weird, but for me, the act of writing things down seems to be the important part. It’s almost as if the writing action alone does something to the synapses in my brain that helps me process and store the information. Like everybody else, though, I get those warm fuzzies more at the end of November than at any other time of the year. As it turns out, I’m hardly alone with my seasonal preoccupation with gratitude. At Thanksgiving, people all over the country sit around tables filled with turkey, brussels sprouts, candied yams with marshmallow topping, cranberries, and pumpkin pie, and take turns sharing with their loved ones the things they feel grateful for. A wonderful tradition indeed – but what about the rest of the year? Lately, with our growing understanding of the Law of Attraction and especially The Secret, we’ve become so much more aware of the importance of gratitude and appreciation, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day. We know that expressing appreciation lifts our spirits and raises our vibrations. And with that, it seems to change everything around us – we start to draw to us things that we want, people that are friendlier, meetings and plans that go more smoothly. In short, things work. Still, sometimes it can be quite a challenge to feel grateful. Deadlines have a way of getting in the way as does frustration with red tape. Annoying colleagues and bosses do too, as do incompetent or aggressive drivers, infused with road rage. Ultimately, there are simply too many things on everybody’s plate. It has gotten so bad that some people’s idea of a really great time is a good night’s sleep. I dare you to try an experiment. On a day when you’ve gotten up on the wrong side of your bed, and things have gone from bad to worse, take a few minutes to reflect. What is there in your life, right now, for which you are grateful – or could be, if you made an effort, a really hard effort if necessary? Yes, it’s hard to find things to be grateful for when things are scary and not going well. But the happier you can make yourself feel, outward circumstances notwithstanding, the more likely you will be to get a new job, especially a new job is one that will work well for you. Sometimes I think of it as some kind of grateful pill that makes everything better. Of course, that’s when I remember to take it. Here’s where the challenge comes in, though: how to make sure I remember? We don’t seem to have too much trouble with taking prescription drugs or other kinds of medication every day. How do we manage to remember that? Before I started taking the pill for the first time, I was very worried that I’d forget. And you know what? Over those 10 years I took it, I forgot it maybe twice. What helped me then was the same thing that will work here as well: creating a routine. Probably the easiest way to do that is by keeping a daily gratitude journal, with emphasis on daily. Just keep it on your bedside table and write into it every night. That’s how I remembered the pill. That, and a little flower sticker on my bathroom mirror. The important part is this: every time you see it and write in it, it will realign your thinking. And once you do that, your vibes improve, and the Law of Attraction will, once again, begin to attract the things that are in line with what you really want.

Memorization, understanding and remembering important facts are all part of the studying process. Most people have probably dreaded studying and students now are still probably dreading about it or whenever it approaches. It is strenuous indeed, using all your mind’s might to remember the details and important information about a subject. But there are easier, and brain-friendly ways how one can study without experiencing too much pressure. First of all, memorizing what you need to remember doesn’t have to be difficult all the time. It just seems difficult at first, to retain the important information because of the anticipation that we usually go through in getting over with the entire studying process. But we are the ones who make studying and memorization difficult. What you need to always remember is to study enjoyably. If there is anything about your study period that makes you feel uncomfortable in any way possible, stop right away. If you push yourself and your brain to work further, it’ll only make matters worse. You see, the brain works efficiently after a good rest. Since our brain is responsible for every mind activity that we do, studying under pressure doesn’t make anything better. Try to work similar to how your brain works. Study frequently over the same subject matter but in little or short portions of time. Do not force yourself to study if you are already stressed, impatient or tired. You not only cheat yourself with what you should gain but you also put yourself in a difficult situation. As a follow up on your rest period that you should really be doing for every study session that you make, be sure that you don’t think about anything else. Resting and worrying about what you should really be doing isn’t going to help either. Yes, you are resting, but being worried about what you should be doing instead of resting isn’t giving your brain a full rest. So, take a breather and study when you are ready.

Many wine buyers and collectors prefer to go to wineries to ensure that they make the right purchase of fine wines. You may find experts and wine critics where you travel. They know everything about the most popular wine brands, quality fine wines, and the vintage wines. However, there are professional wine critics that have their own personal judgment on the taste and quality of a wine. You may rate it differently according to your preferred flavor and taste. It is important to read wine reviews to serve as your guide in buying quality fine wines. You may also get advice from your friends and local wine traders. Don’t be intimidated to ask for advice and suggestions on what brands and types of wines that will match your taste in collecting and drinking wine. Buying wine online is steadily gaining popularity as everything else on the internet. The internet offers a convenient means to order wine from the comforts of home. However, due to the nature of wine, there are issues you must consider when purchasing wine online. This is especially true if you are new to purchasing anything online. 1. Legal issues. Some states will require you to provide identification as to whether you are of legal age. Some states prohibit the delivery of wine products across different states. Also make sure you read the purchase agreements between you and the online store. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or make your expectations known. Most online stores have support e-addresses to contact in this case. Make sure the seller has a return guarantee on bad wine. 2. Reliability of the online store. Most people, when new to purchasing online, are tentative regarding online payments and orders. For added security, you should make follow up confirmations through phone and fax. If the company you are purchasing wine from doesn’t have numbers regarding such, skip that company and look for others that do. The reason for this is not just to calm your nerves regarding online purchases, but also to promote good business habits. You never know if there has been any technical or clerical errors regarding your order. You may alternately contact business bureaus and similar organizations within your state to make sure that the company you are dealing with is legitimate and in good standing. 3. Shipping. Shipping may add a significant amount to your purchase so make sure you consider the shipping costs of each delivery. If your online store doesn’t mention the price of the shipping, it would be wise for you to find out. 4. Look at auctions. When you get comfortable with the ins and outs of online purchasing – and feel sufficiently secure in you dealing and buying skills, you may want to look at online wine auctions and sales. Although they pose a significant risk to buyers (as do all auctions), they present the greatest chance for you to purchase vintage wines at affordable costs. When doing so, you will have to increase your care ten-fold. However, the payoff for such activities is so big; you might just about find yourself stalking the internet for such deals. Always make sure that the wine you purchase has an undamaged label. You shouldn’t buy those wines that have faded labels. It might mean that the bottle may have been exposed to sunlight and wasn’t properly stored in coolers.

We need greatness in the world more than we need any other single human or natural resource. As we move further into the 21st century perhaps for first time in history, we can think about the possibility of an entire society of great individuals. Anyone who is willing to take command for his or her own greatness is giving the world the best possible gift. We all have dreams of one sort or another, but there are those of us that make excuses for not pursuing them. Often these excuses aren’t overt. It’s more a matter of inertia, of just ignoring the dreams, of maintaining the comfortable status quo. But one can break out of ones comfort zone to get more out of life. You are immensely more creative than you could even begin to imagine. You came fully equipped as a creative being on the day you were born. Along with a beating heart and pumping lungs, came the ability to create. In any capacity. In any realm. The really bad news is in order to use ones creative gifts to their fullest capacity you have to give something up. For many this is something very near and dear to their heart. One has to be willing to give up the belief that they are inessential. You have to behold yourself and all that you are and all that you do with an attitude of absolute love and honor and respect. Our creativity, in whatever form it takes, was given to us as a way to access and express the deepest parts of whom we are. It is connected to our internal guidance system, also known as our intuition, that guides us with nailed down certainty to make positive, optimal life choices. It is a powerful tool for healing on both spiritual and psychological levels. And it keeps us viscerally connected to what is passionate, vital, and meaningful in our lives. Life keeps happening, every day. Just because we don’t name the direction, doesn’t mean that we aren’t going in one. Every day we have the power and opportunity to create and define the lives that we want to live. Remember life is happening right now and it’s up to us to make it all that we want it to be! We cannot move forward in life by sitting on the bench. We have to get into the game. An easy way to get started is to get into the habit of saying ‘yes’. And this includes instances when you’re not sure how you can aptly pull off the pursuit you’ve chosen. One thing is definite for every venture we enter in to; we are destined to grow and flourish just by being a participant. And even if it doesn’t turn out quite the way it was envisioned; we are (always) bestowed invaluable treasures that can be handy in future pursuits. From time to time, ‘No’ can be a fitting response. Particularly when by saying no, we’re really saying yes to something else. Just say, “No” so that you can say “Yes” to the things you really want to do. When we say, “Yes” to something we don’t want to do, we actually say, “No” to what we do want to do. Remember. This is your life. Do you want to spend it doing things you don’t want to do or by doing what brings you joy, happiness and contributes to your overall satisfaction? Wayne Dyer explains it so beautifully when he says; “The answer to how is Yes! When you say Yes to life, you attract divine guidance. This divine guidance shows up as ‘inspiration’. And, when you are inspired, you’re collaborating with fate. Everything starts working for you. The most profound and important thing a person can do to erase fear and access the power of intention is repeating these five key words: I want to feel good!” Your curriculum is your life. Your participation is not optional. The degree of your suffering is. Life Is Good because you say so. When you lose your inspiration and dreams, you wilt. We have so many people walking around who are lifeless and don’t even know it! What is it that inspires you, what do you dream? Or better yet why did you dream and then stop? We do not stop playing and dreaming because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing and dreaming. The welcome mat is waiting for everyone to live that unqualified Yes! There is more than enough love, joy, happiness, and prosperity – all the gifts, all the blessings to go around. The unqualified love of the universe says to us, “Your wish is my command.” The invitation is clear.Give your unqualified Yes to Life. When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It’s to enjoy each step along the way. That’s what life is. There’s no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. It’s what you bring to life.. “Wayne Dyer”

The self help movement really began with the advent of psychiatry and the first revolutionary ideas of Dr. Sigmund Freud. Although Freud’s ideas have been largely supplemented and many of them have been outright replaced, his work concerning the subconscious mind have revolutionized the way we view ourselves and our future. Psychology really began with Dr. Sigmund Freud and his inner circle of students who later went on to establish the science of psychoanalysis and the technique for raising the unconscious to the conscious level of awareness. This process of clinical psychoanalysis was the first rigorous science of the mind which has since been used as the foundation for many other practices and techniques that have spread throughout the Western world. Raising consciousness has always been a great value in spiritual traditions and, as a general rule, is far from being something new in history. As far back as 5000 BC, it is largely believed that Hindu sages practices rituals and techniques of mediation to raise their own subconscious minds to a higher level of consciousness and were monumentally successful in many cases. Even without the very detailed and succinct observations of modern psychiatry, these age old sages were capable of reaching incredible heights of transcendental consciousness all through the use of yoga and meditation. These practices have made a great comeback in recent decades because of the more rigorous discoveries in psychoanalysis which how that increasing your consciousness can actually be proven to bring about greater health and well being among many psychoanalytic patients. The self help movement has also gotten a giant boost from the discoveries of Sigmund Freud and his greatest student Dr. Carl Jung. Dr. Jung eventually broke away from his teacher and pursued a wider application of Freud’s ideas so as to apply the importance of spiritual reality to the discoveries of improving one’s level of consciousness. Freud was widely criticized for placing too much importance on the role of sexuality in our growth as human beings. Dr. Jung saw further than this and recognized that spiritual ideas also play an important role in our development and can be used to raise our consciousness in ways that Freud was never able to see. Dr. Jungs work involving the collective unconscious and archetypes of the mind have contributed to our understanding of the importance of self help and spiritual growth. In fact, it is widely known that Dr. Jung’s clinical practice helped to spark the earliest growth of the twelve step groups today and his specific work with the founders of Alcoholic’s Anonymous was the beginning of a movement which has utterly transformed our modern day society and the self help movement. Psychology has played an integral role in the development of the self help movement and this trend is far from being over. The most modern contributor to this great movement is Dr. David R. Hawkins who has written an even more influential work entitled Power Versus Force which now begins another great wave of contributions to the progress of higher consciousness and spiritual development. Dr. Hawkins discoveries concerning the science of kinesiology prove that consciousness itself can actually be measured according to the internal reactions of the body. This discovery brings great promise to the world of both psychiatry and spiritual growth because it introduces an actual compass for the spiritual seeker. Kinesiology may now be used to determine the level of consciousness of thousands of different spiritual techniques, practices, writings, teachers and even places or things which all carry with them a certain field of power that can be researched and understood directly through the reactions they have on the body’s internal energy meridians. The implications of this recent discovery are only just beginning to be recognized by thousands of people around the world. The future is bright for both psychology and self help as many new discoveries are being made each day that will soon transfer the way we view ourselves and the people around us. It will serve you best to be one of the wise people who gets on the self help bandwagon now while the discoveries are just making their greatest effect they will have ever made before.