The Peak Time for Everything

The Peak Time for Everything

Pack More in a Day By Matching Tasks To the Body's Energy; Lung Power at 5 p.m.

By SUE SHELLENBARGER

Could you pack more into each day if you did everything at the optimal time?

A growing body of research suggests that paying attention to the body clock, and its effects on energy and alertness, can help pinpoint the different times of day when most of us perform our best at specific tasks, from resolving conflicts to thinking creatively.

 

Many people are squeezing so much into their days that old-fashioned time management doesn't work, productivity researchers say. Sue Shellenbarger on Lunch Break explains how productivity research is yielding new clues on more ways to be energy-efficient. Photo: Getty Images.

Most people organize their time around everything but the body's natural rhythms. Workday demands, commuting, social events and kids' schedules frequently dominate—inevitably clashing with the body's circadian rhythms of waking and sleeping.

As difficult as it may be to align schedules with the body clock, it may be worth it to try, because of significant potential health benefits. Disruption of circadian rhythms has been linked to such problems as diabetes, depression, dementia and obesity, says Steve Kay, a professor of molecular and computational biology at the University of Southern California. When the body's master clock can synchronize functioning of all its metabolic, cardiovascular and behavioral rhythms in response to light and other natural stimuli, it "gives us an edge in daily life," Dr. Kay says.

When it comes to doing cognitive work, for example, most adults perform best in the late morning, says Dr. Kay. As body temperature starts to rise just before awakening in the morning and continues to increase through midday, working memory, alertness and concentration gradually improve. Taking a warm morning shower can jump-start the process.

Peak Times

The ability to focus and concentrate typically starts to slide soon thereafter. Most people are more easily distracted from noon to 4 p.m., according to recent research led by Robert Matchock, an associate professor of psychology at Pennsylvania State University.

Alertness tends to slump after eating a meal, Dr. Matchock found. Sleepiness also tends to peak around 2 p.m., making that a good time for a nap, says Martin Moore-Ede, chairman and chief executive of Circadian, a Stoneham, Mass., training and consulting firm.

Surprisingly, fatigue may boost creative powers. For most adults, problems that require open-ended thinking are often best tackled in the evening when they are tired, according to a 2011 study in the journal Thinking & Reasoning. When 428 students were asked to solve a series of two types of problems, requiring either analytical or novel thinking, their performance on the second type was best at non-peak times of day when they were tired, according to the study led by Mareike Wieth, an assistant professor of psychological sciences at Albion College in Michigan. (Their performance on analytical problems didn't change over the course of the day.) Fatigue, Dr. Wieth says, may allow the mind to wander more freely to explore alternative solutions.

Work & Family Mailbox

Sue Shellenbarger answers readers' questions

Of course, everyone's body clock isn't the same, making it even harder to synchronize natural rhythms with daily plans. A significant minority of people operate on either of two distinctive chronotypes, research shows: Morning people tend to wake up and go to sleep earlier and to be most productive early in the day. Evening people tend to wake up later, start more slowly and peak in the evening.

Communicating with friends and colleagues online has its own optimal cycles, research shows. Sending emails early in the day helps beat the inbox rush; 6 a.m. messages are most likely to be read, says Dan Zarrella, social-media scientist for HubSpot, a Cambridge, Mass., Web marketing firm, based on a study of billions of emails. "Email is kind of like the newspaper. You check it at the beginning of the day," he says.

Boost your mood with online socializing: Posts made to Facebook at 8 p.m. tend to draw the most 'Likes,' a Hubspot study shows.

Reading Twitter at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. can start your day on a cheery note. That's when users are most likely to tweet upbeat, enthusiastic messages, and least likely to send downbeat tweets steeped in fear, distress, anger or guilt, according to a study of 509 million tweets sent over two years by 2.4 million Twitter users, published last year in Science. One likely factor? "Sleep is refreshing" and leaves people alert and enthusiastic, says Michael Walton Macy, a sociology professor at Cornell University and co-author of the study. The cheeriness peaks about 1-1/2 hours later on weekends—perhaps because people are sleeping in, Dr. Macy says.

Other social networking is better done later in the day. If you want your tweets to be re-tweeted, post them between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., when many people lack energy to share their own tweets and turn to relaying others' instead, Mr. Zarrella says. And posts to Facebook FB +0.44% at about 8 p.m. tend to get the most "likes," after people get home from work or finish dinner. At that time of day, they're likely to turn to Facebook feeling less stressed. "You have less stuff to do and more time to give," says Mr. Zarrella.

Late-night drama can be found on Twitter, where emotions heat up just before bedtime, between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., says Scott Andrew Golder, a Ph.D. candidate at Cornell University and co-author of the Twitter study. At that time, people tended to send more emotion-laden tweets, both positive and negative. Tired out by the workday, but also freed from its stresses and demands, people become "more alert and engaged, but also more agitated," Dr. Macy says.

When choosing a time of day to exercise, paying attention to your body clock can also improve results. Physical performance is usually best, and the risk of injury least, from about 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., says Michael Smolensky, an adjunct professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Texas, Austin, and lead author with Lynne Lamberg of "The Body Clock Guide to Better Health."

Muscle strength tends to peak between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at levels as much as 6% above the day's lows, improving your ability to grip a club or racquet. Another boost for physical strength comes from the lungs, which function 17.6% more efficiently at 5 p.m. than at midday, according to a study of 4,756 patients led by Boris Medarov, an assistant professor of medicine at Albany Medical College in New York.

Eye-hand coordination is best in late afternoon, making that a good time for racquetball or Frisbee. And joints and muscles are as much as 20% more flexible in the evening, lowering the risk of injury, Dr. Smolensky says.

These body rhythms hold true regardless of how much you've slept or how recently you've eaten. In a 2007 study at the University of South Carolina at Columbia, 25 experienced swimmers did six timed trials while sticking to an artificial schedule that controlled for variables like sleep, diet and other factors. The swimmers' performance still varied by time of day, peaking in the evening and hitting bottom at around 5 a.m.

Is there a best time to eat? To keep from packing on pounds, experts say, limit food consumption to your hours of peak activity. A study in Cell Metabolism last May linked disruptions of the body clock to weight gain. Researchers put two groups of mice on the same high-calorie diet. One group was allowed to eat anytime; the other group was restricted to eating only during an eight-hour period when they were normally awake and active. The mice that ate only while active were 40% leaner and had lower cholesterol and blood sugar.

While more research is needed on humans, Dr. Kay says, the research suggests that "we are not only what we eat, we are when we eat."

Brought to you by: Lawyer Asad

How to Read Someone's Mind

How to Read Someone's Mind

 

By Meredith Woerner / Source: io9.com

Impress your friends and terrify your enemies by pretending to read anyone's mind. It's not as hard as it looks — there are some well-worn tricks that can make you appear telepathic. Screw magicians and their lame fire tricks — we're way more impressed with someone who can guess your favorite movie just by staring into your eyes.

We spoke with Las Vegas' resident Mentalist Gerry McCambridge and he broke down the basic steps to wowing people with your powers of telepathy.

McCambridge, who has spent the last 7 years at The Planet Hollywood reading throngs of tourists, doesn't just pull information from your brain — he'll also tell you exactly how he got there as well. So we asked him to break down his methods step by step.

Select the right subject.

You can't just grab any old victim for a good mind sucking off the street. Rather, you should select your prey delicately. McCambridge elaborates:

"Some people want to be the center of attention. So, if I'm asking for people to come up on stage a lot of times it's those type of people. And they tend not to be the best assistants because they want to have their 15 minutes of fame at my expense. So I'm looking for people who may not come up on stage at the drop of a hat, but aren't [so] overly shy that they're going to stay in the audience. The first thing I'm looking for is somebody who is smiling and laughing at the jokes that I'm putting out there. There you have someone who wants to interact. Then you have the over-responders and that's someone I don't want necessarily right away. That's what you look for first, the type person."

Mirror the subject (make them comfortable).

Once you've snared your subject, woo them into a sense of security, by mimicking their ways.

"Make sure you try something that they are comfortable with. Do you have any artistic abilities? Then you can do something where you using drawing. You feel them out based on what you're going to ask them to do. Then you use an NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) technique called mirroring. Where you get them comfortable with you by mirroring the way that they're responding to you. People can pick up on that and they feel more relaxed around someone they feel is close to them. If they're a shy person and you're loud and obnoxious, they're not going to feel comfortable standing next to you. If they are a little shy and you back off and act a little timid yourself, introduce yourself nicely, it puts everybody at ease."

Know the statistics.

Know your stuff. In order to become an excellent Mind Reader, you need to up on the latest trends and tendencies of the mind. McCambridge has spent years documenting his shows, taking notes of the different ages of people in the audience, the cars parked in the parking lots, what kind of event it was. And he makes good use of all this statistical data.

"I know statistically how people are going to respond to certain situations. When I offer you a choice of 4 different objects I know 92% of the time you're going to choose the third one on your own. When you tell someone to think of a number between 1 and 10, statistically they are going to gravitate towards 7. If you ask someone to respond to a question very quickly, that changes the response. If I asked you to think of a colour very quickly 1, 2, 3 — red is the statistical first choice. Blue is the second choice. If you ask for a colour quickly, people go for red. If you ask for a colour and you give someone a three or four second space, they will go for blue, because they will change their mind thinking red is the obvious choice."

Look for signs.

But you've got to be aware of basic responses!

"Look for reactions. For example [something I might try] is instruct the person to respond to what I say with the word no. No matter what I say, you respond with no. Then I'll say think of a number between 1 to 10, and I ask is it the number 1? No. The number 2? No. We go through the entire thing with No and I tell them that it's the number 6 because of the fact that they looked at me different when they were actually lying to me. They couldn't make eye contact [or something similar to that]."

Utilize the body.

Learn the art of muscle reading.

"Without the people realizing it, I'm touching them in a very relaxed way that they don't realize what I'm doing. Based on the questions that I'm asking them, I can tell what the answers are by feeling the difference in their muscles. You body echoes what your brain thinks. And I've learned how to pick up on the echoes. An example is I tell the person to think of a letter in the alphabet, and then the audience sing the Alphabet Song. By the time their finished I can tell what letter they have because the second the audience said their letter, their brain thinks to itself "that's it!" That changes the physiological response in your body and I can pick that up, it's different than the other 25 letters."

Don't be afraid to admit failure.

If you fall flat on your face, pick up and try again. The audience will love you even more for it.

"[If the trick doesn't work] I usually try it a second time. If it's an important part of the show I may send the person back to their seat and say, 'OK let's try something else.' There is no sure-fire way, things go wrong, it actually adds more credibility to the show when the audience sees that sometimes it fails. What a mentalist does, it doesn't always work, and that's OK. "

The easiest trick in the book.

We'll tell you the name of the trick after you do it, because it spoils the reveal!

Pick a number between 1 and 10.

• Multiply it by 9.
• If it's a 2 digit number, add them together.
• Now subtract 5.
• Map the result to a letter of the alphabet, where A=1, B=2 and so on.
• Think of a country which begins with that letter.
• Take the second letter of the country and think of an animal which begins with that letter.
• Think of the colour of that animal.

Are you thinking of a grey elephant from Denmark?

Obviously this is titled the Grey Elephant from Denmark. We tried this on 3 people in the office and, one out of three guessed Grey Elephant. Our suggestion, do it in big group and the odds will be in your favor.

Lie Detection - Trapping a Liar

Lie Detection - Trapping a Liar

Lie detection may start with watching for signs of lying in a person. But sometimes you have to do more than just listen and watch. Sometimes you have to trap a liar. Here is one of the many ways to do that.

Lie Detection - Introduce an Assumption

This is a common trapping technique. Here is the essence of it: When you suspect a person of lying about some activity, you make a statement that assumes some possible fact or facts, so that the person's confirmation of these facts provides evidence of a lie.

For example, suppose that when you ask, your boyfriend says he was at home the previous night. You suspect that he was actually at his favorite bar. You ask and he claims he didn't go out. Knowing which streets he would have to drive on to get there, you say, "But I drove right by you on Second Avenue last night." In other words, you just assume that he was on that street.

If he was out, and he drove that way, he'll probably quickly make an excuse, like "Oh yeah, I did go out to get some groceries." If he was telling the truth all along, he'll just assume you are mistaken, and tell you so. If he guesses that you are unsure, he may just lie again, in which case you might try another lie detecting technique.

The idea here is to think of any facts that fit the scenario which you suspect is the truth. For example, if you think your child snuck out of the house in the night and she denies it, you could say, "But I looked and you weren't in bed last night." If she was in bed, she will say so, and you can cover yourself by saying something like, "I guess you were under the blankets."

Suppose you think an employee is lying about being home sick the previous day. Using this lie detection technique, you might say you drove by his house and noticed his car was gone. If he was lying, and he takes your bait, he'll likely say something like, "Oh. I had to go out for medicine" - a pretty good indication that he was lying (unless it just happens to be true coincidentally). Otherwise, he'll insist that his car was there, and you can say you must have been looking at the wrong house.

You always have to gauge the person's response. An obvious or fumbling attempt to find an excuse obviously indicates a lie. A long pause also likely indicates that the person is trying to find a plausible story to fit the facts which you "obviously" know.

If your "facts" or assumptions are wrong, most people will quickly say so. Of course in that case, it is easy to say that it was a simple mistake on your part. That is one of the advantages of this lie detection technique - you don't risk much by trying it.

Or get it as a free bonus with "You Aren't Supposed To Know - A Book of Secrets." Use the link below for more on that:

Signs of Lying and How to Trap a Liar

Spot a lie, prevent lies from being told, trap a liar and get a confession. Imagine how useful that might be. You'll learn indications of a lie... micro-expressions, and what they mean... how the "implied defense" is used to lie... what to watch for in person's initial reaction to a question... how to spot a "forced" smile... casually introducing false information to catch a liar.

Edited by: Lawyer Asad

Why Solving Puzzles Is Fun?

Why Solving Puzzles Is Fun: Q&A with Consciousness Researcher Daniel Bor

The evolutionary link between acquiring good information and survival may have given rise to both consciousness and the pleasure of problem-solving

By MAIA SZALAVITZ 

Why do people voluntarily spend time struggling with problems like sudoku or crossword puzzles? According to neuroscientist Daniel Bor, a research fellow at the University of Sussex in England and author of the new book The Ravenous Brain: How the New Science of Consciousness Explains Our Insatiable Search for Meaning, it's because we take great pleasure in pattern-finding. What's more, that conclusion has big implications for understanding the brain, consciousness and even neurological disorders like autism. We spoke with Bor recently.

Why do you call the brain "ravenous"?

Human brains have an extreme form of consciousness: they're ravenous for new innovative solutions to problems in the world, ravenous for optimizing our lives, for building pyramids of knowledge. I was trying to capture [the sense of hunger that] extreme forms of consciousness have about searching for knowledge and for understanding.

You posit that evolution selected for organisms that are good information processors, that are able to acquire accurate information about the world in order to guide their behavior.

One view is that of Richard Dawkins, that it's all about the selfish gene and that organisms are merely temporary carriers of genes. I was arguing that that [perspective] might miss something crucial about the process of evolution, which is that genes capture something. On some level, they capture something about the world that's accurate and relevant to [their] own survival: there's an accumulation of knowledge, of implicit information and representation in organisms, but that doesn't mean all organisms are conscious. It means that by this stage, 4 billion years after [life first arose], most creatures are sophisticated information-processing devices.

So what does that mean for animal consciousness?

Some animals may well be conscious because they have an extra layer in their brains that processes information online. When you get to great apes and humans, we have an extreme form of information processing, which I closely link with consciousness when it gets very sophisticated and extensive.

How do you define consciousness?

In terms of the mind, consciousness is the product of attention, so we can focus only on a small subset of the world that's most important to us. It isn't so much about automatic habits, which we are barely conscious of. Instead, it's about trying to solve novel or complex problems. We have a mental space dedicated to complex problem solving. What makes human consciousness unique is our ravenous appetite for these innovative lessons that help us solve these novel or complex problems.

Consciousness is generated primarily by our most densely connected brain regions and related to the fastest brain waves. Every moment of our waking lives, there's a hidden war going on between different populations of neurons [for access to it]. The war involves winning support of active [neurons] and taking over the advanced parts of the cortex, and the victorious neuronal populations control what we attend to — and [that is] what we are conscious of.

Do you think we have any choice in consciousness, any free will?

Choice is a huge separate issue. It can at least appear that we have choice. If I'm in a crowded train station, looking for my wife who is wearing red, I can constrain my attention by looking for red [and the parts of the brain that represent red are more likely to win] than any other bits.

Attention in the standard textbooks is divided into two kinds, one is voluntary, where we set some goal, and the other is extrinsic, where something in the environment takes over what we attend to. A looming animal coming straight at us — we wouldn't have much choice in attending to that.

What made you decide to study neuroscience, rather than philosophy?

As an undergraduate, I studied both philosophy and psychology, mainly neuroscience, as the equivalent of a double major. It was a question of which one to go for. Philosophy I enjoyed for its apparently crisp logic, but it was frustrating because it didn't seem like it was particularly progressing at the time; it seemed vague and not in touch with current neuroscience, which was very progressive and cutting edge.

[And] at the time I was doing my final exams, my father unfortunately had a stroke. That made it very clear that things that are very intimate to us like our personality or even our very consciousness itself can be impaired or changed by some relatively small brain injury. … And that made me side [with] neuroscience as well.

Because it showed you that consciousness depends specifically on the brain?

It's just too obvious. Maybe philosophers would say that I'm missing some subtle points.

You also discuss anesthesia and the question of how we can know when someone is conscious.

There are behavioral measures that you can apply, which have drawbacks. There are experiments done giving varying doses of anesthetics and seeing at what point you stop following commands, at what point do your eyes close, which are reasonably useful. … There are other measures that look at brainwaves and when they take on a certain pattern, it is clear that you are not conscious. That's currently the best way of knowing whether you are truly unconscious.

What about states like coma and minimal consciousness?

There are some people [with brain injuries] that enter a vegetative state and don't recover and others that eventually make a reasonable recovery. You can look at which bits are needed for recovery — not just which parts, but also how they communicate with each other. It's increasingly clear that in order to be able to regain reasonable levels of consciousness, you need at least the thalamus, which is like a relay center in the middle of the brain, and a reasonably intact prefrontal cortex and the back part of the parietal lobe. Those regions map very closely to studies looking at how consciousness changes [under anesthesia]. … It's the thalamus and prefrontal parietal networks that tend to be activated [during consciousness].

So when those regions are offline, you are unconscious?

It depends on how you define offline. [We don't know] exactly what mechanism turns [consciousness off, and these regions aren't simply inactive during unconsciousness]. The prefrontal cortex gets locked into a very tight rhythm with the thalamus, and such tight connection blocks out all communication with the rest of brain; that shuts out long range communication and consciousness as well.

You also write about neurological and psychiatric conditions that can alter consciousness, and suggest that autistic people might actually have more consciousness than others.

Autism is one of those odd-one-out conditions in the literature. The classical assumption was that most severely autistic children are mentally disabled and have low IQs, but that's partly because they weren't tested properly. If you test them on nonverbal IQ, they are normal or slightly better than normal. On other tests, they perform better than average for perceptual tasks. Some people are now suggesting that maybe it isn't a deficit, that they have a different kind of [brain that has certain] advantages. With Asperger's, which probably many prominent scientists have, whether they are diagnosed or not, it seems almost as if they have extra consciousness: they are better able to process information than normal, which I think is a fascinating idea.

The whole idea that autism is [primarily] a social disorder, I don't think that theory is going to last into the next decade because there is increasingly successful treatment that centers on socializing that has turned very withdrawn children into very affectionate socially aware children: I don't see that as fundamental [to autism].

Do you support the "intense world" theory of autism, which suggests that problems result from sensory overload?

I just think [the social issues] are a side effect of the way [people with autism] approach the world. They are searching for patterns and structure in the world — what they obsess over isn't everything; it's mainly structures, stuff like calendars and mathematical patterns.

I worked with the prodigy, Daniel Tammet. [Tammet holds the European record for memorizing the 22,514 digits in pi.] He seemed very extremely autistic as kid and has been officially diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, but if you meet him, he's very socially aware. He maintains eye contact. He decided in his teen years to teach himself [to be social and he did].

In what context did you work with Tammet?

We did a brain scan study [where we looked at his brain after he had memorized short sequences of numbers that were either patterned or random]. It was very striking compared to normal people. He completely failed to spot the external structure [in the nonrandom numbers] and his brain activation was very different from those who were aware of the structure. I make the claim that the prefrontal parietal network is important for consciousness; in my study, the prefrontal parietal network was most active when spotting these patterns and maybe that means a lot about what consciousness is for. For Daniel Tammet, his prefrontal parietal network didn't activate for these sequences because he didn't spot them, but it was generally raised compared to those of normal people.

So what do you think the purpose of consciousness is?

I think the purpose of it is to draw all the relevant information together in a larger space. It's almost as if we can't spot it because we are doing it all the time. Why do we love crossword puzzles and why are people addicted to sudoku? That's what a huge bit of the cortex is primed to do — to spot [patterns] — and once we spot them we can assimilate them into our pyramid of knowledge and build more layers of strategy, and knowing how to do that makes us incredibly successful at controlling the world.

And that's why solving puzzles or finding a useful bit of information feels so good?

We get streams of pleasure when we find something that can really help us understand some deep pattern. Sudoku isn't the most [fun activity], but it sure feels good when you put in that last number. It's why scientists love doing research. The way I approach my job, it's like trying to solve a really big fuzzy crossword puzzle and when you do put in that new clue and see the deeper pattern, that's incredibly pleasurable.

If our brains are hungry for information, then why do we tend to see learning as a chore and fail to recognize it as a huge source of pleasure?

I don't know. Obviously, more intelligent people get more pleasure from spotting these patterns, but I think almost every normal person does this. I think it's a pretty pervasive thing but it's almost as if we can't notice it because it's so pervasive.

Edited by: Lawyer Asad

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Circulated by: Lawyer Asad

Super Brain Yoga - One Simple Move to Make You Smarter

Super Brain Yoga - One Simple Move to Make You Smarter

Source: YogaDork.com

From the book Superbrain Yoga

Superbrain yoga, a no-brainer? Suppose there was a yoga that wouldn't just give you Deepak's calm, Gaga's bod or DDP's pluck, it would actually make you smarter. No, it's not math! (Though you may want to brush up on the 'rithmatic from time to time there.)

That's what this technique called Superbrain Yoga promises, in just 5 minutes a day. We have clearly been wasting our time.

What in the gray matter is Superbrain Yoga? Created by Master Choa Kok Sui, the method is more or less yoga moves and breathing techniques combined with pressing acupressure points to stimulate neuropathways in the brain to synchronize right and left hemispheres. Et voila! We are all Einsteins. Er, kinda.

Check out this CBS video report on SBY where a teacher, a neurobiologist and an occupational therapist all sing the praises of Superbrain Yoga (no fish oil necessary).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSwhpF9iJSs&feature=player_embedded

Via the Superbrain Yoga website:

Pilot studies on the effects of Superbrain Yoga® on school children include children with disabilities such as ADHD/ADD, developmental and cognitive delays, Down syndrome and specific learning disabilities.

Children studied showed significant increase in academic and behavioral performance, greater class participation and improved social skills. In one study, the result of an electroencephalograph showed increased amplitude in the parieto-occipital region of the brain following the Superbrain Yoga®. This indicates increased brain electrical activity following the exercise. More studies on the effects of Superbrain Yoga® are being conducted.

Claims of helping kids with autism,  learning disabilities and emotional issues are hefty statements, but we've seen the benefits of yoga for kids, and we welcome drug-free therapy alternatives that are turning out positive results. Hey, we'd try it. The moves look kooky, but they can't be any kookier than kundalini.

If you're curious and want to learn more there is, of course, a Superbrain Yoga book. If you're looking for us, we'll be squeezing our earlobes, breathing and squatting, then probably solving the global climate crisis. Go go gadget brain power!

Circulated by: Lawyer Asad

How To Be Awesome - A Guide To Powering Up Your Brain

How To Be Awesome - A Guide To Powering Up Your Brain

 

By Adam Dachis / Source: LifeHacker

You're already awesome, but sometimes you're tired, busy, or for some other reason can't be at your best 100% of the time. When you need to be, however, you can manipulate your brain and body to rise to the challenge. Here's how to fool yourself into living up to your full potential in a moment's notice.

Wouldn't it be great if you could absorb a power star or some sort of video-game-style power-up when you needed to overcome an obstacle that you just don't have the energy for? It's an alluring idea, and in ways, it's more possible than you might think.

Look at it this way: your reasons for avoiding everything from work to exercise to social activity are all self-inflicted. We're subconsciously playing tricks on our brains to avoid doing work. In this article, we're going to look at how reverse the behaviors that cause common problems to solve them instead.

Work When You Want to Procrastinate

Because we're so bad at predicting the future and, therefore, almost unaware of the ramifications of our current actions, we're great at procrastinating. Even though you know you'll regret it later, you do it anyway because you can't (yet) feel the inevitable pain that's a direct result of your procrastination — poor work, unfinished work, and compounded stress. Several methods help you beat procrastination, but nothing fools your mind into wanting to work like using procrastination's greatest weapon against itself: emotion.

You procrastinate because you want immediate gratification. When pitted against a murky future that has no associated emotion, you're inclined to choose the happiness you can achieve right now. On top of that, delaying gratification just increased your desire. In order to make work a priority, it needs to feel more gratifying than hopping on Facebook or watching television. You accomplish this by explaining why you want to do something rather than simply knowing what needs to be done.

For example, tell yourself you want to do your laundry right now because your favorite shirt is dirty and you want to look your best tomorrow. Looking good matters to you because you have an important meeting and want to feel confident. When you consider the reasons behind an action you want to take, you inevitably unleash the emotions you've associated with it. This is often enough to convince you to get started, and getting started is everything.

What keeps you working is curiosity. While laundry isn't going to inspire your sense of wonder, you can fool your brain when it comes to grander, less-tedious tasks. They key is providing your brain with cliffhangers or, more specifically, just don't stop working when you're done with a task — stop in the middle. Doing so keeps you thinking about where you'll go next. This not only elicits and eagerness to pick up your work where you left off, but will allow your mind to solve problems when you're not working. By turning procrastination's greatest asset against itself and remaining endlessly curious, you'll have little trouble working despite any distractions.

Socialize More Effectively

Nobody's born with a magnetic personality and impeccable social skills. Sometimes you're capable of charming the room, but sometimes you're tired and don't want to put in the effort. When those times come, just use a couple of simple tasks to push your brain and body to a more social place.

First, exercise is your best friend. It helps get you in the mood for a social situation because of the cognitive benefits it provides, such as an effect similar to antidepressants and lower levels of anxiety. This makes it easier to feel happy and less-inhibited when socializing. In fact, a lack of physical activity makes it harder to think, so you're not only gaining a greater social capacity but countering negative effects as well. The good news is that these basic benefits require very little work. Just 20 pushups or a brisk walk can do the trick.

But socializing is easier when you feel good, and exercise boosts your happiness through the production of chemicals called endorphins. While we don't know everything there is to know about endorphins, we do understand that they play a large role in inciting a pleasure response and blocking the transmission of pain signals. HowStuffWorks explains how physical activity causes this wonderful chemical reaction in your brain:

Exercise stimulates endorphin production as well, but for a different reason. You're probably familiar with the term "runner's high," which refers to the euphoric feeling one sometimes gets when exercising. Researchers have found that light-to-moderate weight training or cardiovascular exercise doesn't produce endorphins, only heavy weights or training that incorporates sprinting or other anaerobic exertion.

The obvious downside is that a tiny bit of exercise isn't going to give you many happy chemicals, so you'll need to work hard to gain that benefit. Nonetheless, exercise is good for you so you'll be improving your health while tricking your brain into feeling like a social butterfly.

In addition to exercise, priming your brain using neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) can put you in the right mindset. This involves reciting a given set of words that are designed to alter the way you're thinking. If this sounds dubious and like something you'd find in a fantasy novel, you're not the first person to think that.

NLP is backed by Yale studies and found its way into one of Malcolm Gladwell's books, The Tipping Point. There's no clear proof that this technique works, but I use it sparingly when I need to convince myself to do something. Perhaps it's the placebo effect taking root in my brain, but either way I'm able to motivate myself by attempting to shift my perspective with words. It doesn't take very much time to try, so give it a shot if you want or just stick to exercise if you don't like it.

So how does it work? You just read a bunch of words (out loud) that are reminiscent of the way you want to feel. While the individual words have no specific value, together they have an associative value that can change your current perspective. In our case, we want a list of words you can recite to prime your brain for social activity. Here's an example:

Smile, enjoy, see, together, go, good, free, shine

This list provides positive associations, but is generic. You'll want to expand it to include other words that have the same effect for you, personally.

Priming your brain with your expanded list will help to put you in a better mindset for social activity. It's no magic trick, and a little recitation isn't going to instantly turn you into the life of a party, but it might alter the way you approach social situations for the better. Personally, I prefer to just talk myself into a social activity I don't feel up to—sort of like a self-pep talk. Any type of talking to yourself may help or may feel like a waste of time. Either way, it only takes a few minutes to find out.

Make Exercise Easier

Many people are blessed with aspirations of great health and fitness, but few with the desire to actually exercise. It's exhausting, hard work that requires a shower afterwards, making it a prime target for excuses. But just as your brain can figure out plenty of ways to keep you off of the treadmill, you can take measures to trick your brain into ignoring them.

As with everything, the key is to take an action to get you started because that will alert your brain that you are actually going to exercise. One of the simplest starting points is to consume a little caffeine. While the substance has numerous effects on your brain and body, in small amounts it can help you ignore muscle fatigue. On top of that, being slightly more alert can help you muster the energy you need to get through that seemingly torturous workout. Tea is an ideal option as it also contains theobromine and theophylline, which can relax your muscles. Taking this small action gives you first step towards exercise and a slight edge when you do.

While getting started is the hardest part, staying motivated can be a challenge at times as well. A study conducted at the Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University found that you'll work harder when listening to uptempo music, meaning you need to get a good playlist in order. All the music you choose should have have a tempo in the range of 120 to 140 beats per minute (BPM). A fast-paced playlist won't necessarily make your exercise feel easier, but it will trick your brain into pushing your body hard enough to complete your routine.

Use These Tricks Sparingly, or They'll Stop Working

Here's the unfortunate catch to this whole idea: If you use these tricks too frequently, they'll start to fail you. Initially, you allow yourself to be fooled because you're hopeful and lured in by potential, but if these techniques become too familiar, you run the risk of reducing their efficacy. Moderation is key. You can help yourself out by using these tricks when you need them, but you'll waste a good thing if you use them too frequently. Think of these methods as a secret weapon, and not as an everyday solution.

Edited by: Lawyer Asad

11 Habits That Exude Success

11 Habits That Exude Success

AskMen  

Consider this: You can polish your mind with knowledge until it is a blinding shine, but if you don't externalize it, no one will recognize it.

Success is all about being noticed. You get noticed by showing the goods.

By adopting the following habits, you'll televise your qualities to the world (discreetly, of course).

Just watch how people react to you.

Brag Discreetly

I cannot emphasize the word discreetly enough.

If you trumpet all your achievements and pricey possessions, you will lose everyone's respect. You want people to know that you're making it without coming off as a boaster; slip things into conversation casually. State your accomplishments as matter-of-factly as possible without the detailed trimmings, or slip them into stories.

For instance, say: "I went to New Zealand on vacation. I had some extra money from the bonus I got for increasing our sales one year." This presentation allows you to stick to the facts and incorporate an achievement into a pertinent story.

But don't make it all about you. Give credit where credit is due. By recognizing success in your peers, you invite praise to be reciprocated in the future.

Be A Good Communicator

Do you ever wonder why companies today spend so much money on PR?

The reason is that effective communication has never been so important. You need to have the right words to communicate the right meaning, and remove any room for misinterpretation by people that are hungry to point out flaws.

The trick?

Choose your words carefully. Be specific and pay attention to context. Words can be warped beyond recognition if used carelessly. Relating only the bare essentials helps in this matter. And if you don't have anything nice to say about people, don't bother saying anything at all.

Listen to others. Really listen. Don't just nod while you wait for them to finish talking. You never know what valuable information could be couched in simple banter. Listen everywhere, even to conversations around the office. Sometimes, there's gold to be found in gossip.

Exit Graciously

Sometimes, you just need to cut a conversation short or leave important company on a dime.

You could just stand there listening politely, but you have better things to do. A successful person knows how to steer conversation with class, and can end one just as gracefully. Don't make excuses for your departure, because you don't have to.

Besides, excuses sound dishonest. Instead, thank the other party for their time and bid them farewell. That's it. It's all about taking command of situations with style.

Know About Life's Finer Things

You may be able to fire off the RBI of every Yankee batter since 1930. Big whoop.

So can a lot of trailer-trash bumpkins.

The successful man is a connoisseur, a bon vivant, a man whose character can only aptly be described by French words. Your knowledge of the finer things shows class and culture. It shows that you can be a peer among statesmen and business leaders. So get some books, hit some museums and get classy.

I recommend that you familiarize yourself with food, wine, cigars, art, and literature. You can't go wrong with this approach, as they comprise the standard set of fine-living goods. Oh, and you're welcome to actually enjoy them, too.

Have Good Manners

Your frat days are over, pal.

Like it or not, good graces still play a big role and go a long way. And I'm not talking about excusing yourself after passing a thunderous burst of gas. I'm referring to old-school manners, such as treating women like ladies and shaking the hands of strangers that you meet.

People do notice these little things and will give you the props you deserve. These are some basic manners to follow:

1. Open doors for women
2. Let others pass first
3. Say "please" and "thank you"
4. Look people in the eye when you talk to them
5. Have proper table etiquette
6. Don't interrupt others
7. Don't swear
8. Don't sleep with your boss' wife (okay, that one's a joke, but it's still strongly discouraged)

Make Public Speeches

It's about time you lost that fear of public speaking.

Very few great men have gotten away with being recluses. Join your local Toastmasters or practice speaking in front of friends. When you can comfortably address a crowd, you gain a new audience to showcase your knowledge to.

Here's another bonus: A good speaker is rare, and therefore always admired for his confidence and ease.

Keep A Network Of Contacts

The more people you know, the more good opportunities will present themselves.

But also think of a network in terms of image: Knowing lots of people shows that you are likable and in high demand. To maintain a pool of contacts, however, takes work. You should return phone calls and e-mails promptly.

Travel

No, getting a tan while watching topless girls in Daytona Beach doesn't count.

This is about broadening your horizons by going someplace different. When you travel, it shows that you're curious about the world and that you want to soak in other cultures.

Have A Positive Attitude

Have you ever spent an afternoon with a total curmudgeon and looked back on it as the best time you ever had?

Of course not. No one likes a wet blanket. You want to radiate positive energy that people can bask in. You want to be a well of inspiration and show that you're confident and in control of your destiny.

Dress Well

Daniel Goodman / Business Insider

Your physical appearance is the first thing people see, and the first thing that they judge you on.

This should be a no-brainer, but the persistence some men put into looking bad is the stuff of marathon athletes.

Be Worldly

The successful man makes the effort to know what's happening in the world around him.

He has informed opinions about current events and can engage intelligent people in friendly discussions. On a globalized planet, no man is an island. So get smart; it's not that hard. Pick up a newspaper and take in the world.

Edited by: Lawyer Asad

Seven Secrets of Naturally Lucky People

Seven Secrets of Naturally Lucky People

 

By Charles Burke, Author of Command More Luck

We've all seen people who are just naturally lucky. They're the ones who manage to sail through life with more unexplainable "lucky breaks" and fewer disappointments than most people get. Success just seems to come easier for them.

Where most folks have to struggle just to get ahead, lucky people regularly have opportunities just plop down in their laps. Of course, they work hard, but that doesn't fully explain the special treatment that life seems to reserve for them.

It almost appears that they were born with the proverbial silver spoon in their mouths. Or born under a luckier star than most mere mortals.

Well, cheer up; neither stars nor spoons are at work here. All they have is seven simple secrets. These secrets are easy little things that you can begin applying in your own life. And when you do, things will start to change for you. Your career will begin to blossom in unexpected ways. And one day you'll realize that now everyone has started calling you naturally lucky, too.

Ready to command more luck in your life? Here are the seven simple secrets of naturally lucky people.

Secret #1 - Lucky People Don't Believe In Luck

I recently interviewed ten unusually successful business people for a book I was writing about the role luck plays in the lives of successes.

Nearly every one of them stated plainly they don't believe in luck.

In the next breath, however, they told about unending streams of "serendipitous" or "synchronistic" events that routinely happen in their daily lives.

I believe they don't like the word "luck" because it implies there's no way to control it. They've learned that there is.

If you prefer to call it serendipity or synchronicity rather than lucky, that's okay. The message here is not which term to use. It's about what you can do to get these kinds of things happening for you. When they do happen, you can call them anything you want.

Secret #2 - "Bad" Stuff Happens to Them Too

There are several ways to have good luck. The most common (and the most useful) is to find opportunities in problems.

Let's say you and I are neighbors, and our whole city has a common problem. Maybe it's infestation with insects. Or it could be a serious pollution problem from a nearby plant.

While almost everyone is griping and complaining about the problem, you might decide: "Hey, if I can solve this problem, it will help my neighbors, and it can also make a profit for me." Your neighbors only saw the problem, but you looked deeper and found an opportunity.

All great fortunes have been built upon solving great problems. That's probably the most common and the most controllable way to generate your own luck.

Secret #3 - More People Quit Than Lose

If you knew ahead of time without a doubt that your success was guaranteed, how much would you go out and do?

Would it make any difference in the kind of things you would attempt? How much higher would you direct your aim?

Well, a funny thing happened to me a few years back. I was sitting and feeling sorry for myself one day because of all the failures that I had been through.

Then it suddenly occurred to me that one particular case hadn't been a real failure. I admitted to myself (reluctantly) that I had simply quit too soon. I had quit before I'd really had a chance to fail.

Then I thought of another non-failure. Then another.

And before long, I was buried under an avalanche of similar cases. In fact, I couldn't think of a single time when I had actually kept on trying long enough to fail. In other words, I had never experienced failure in my entire lifetime.

Only quitting.

A realization like that will realign your reality. After that, it's hard to consider yourself a failure because you've never failed. Who knows what you might really be, down inside?

I began to wonder: what would have happened if I had stuck with even a few of those situations just a little longer? What if I stopped being so ready to throw in the towel and surrender too soon? Would I start seeing the number of clear successes in my life begin to grow?

I started finding a new resourcefulness within myself. My "keeping-on" average began to go up, and my "failure" average started declining.

I count that one realization among the most important in my life. Not because it solved a problem, but because it identified one. Once I could see that the problem wasn't even what I thought it was, I was then able to work on doing something else instead.

And you know what? My luck began improving.

Secret #4 - Betting On Losing Hands Makes Losers

Successful poker players don't play every hand they're dealt.

If you keep count, the hands they fold far outnumber the hands they hold.

That's because a good card player knows the odds for every possible card combination. They know whether a flush beats a full house and which is more likely to occur. Good players don't bet on risk, they bet on probability.

Lucky people are very similar. They know longshots when they see them, and they may bet, but it's a calculated bet.

Lucky people are some of the most tenacious people on earth when it's appropriate. But they're also some of the quickest quitters when the odds don't favor them. In fact, they'll usually opt out of most situations before they even begin because they have learned to recognize and rank opportunities.

What makes a good opportunity? First, does it solve a widespread problem? Second, do the people with the problem have enough money to pay for solving that problem? Third, is it easy to reach the people with the problem? Fourth, is the solution a really good one?

If they don't find all four factors, a lucky person will walk away because they know it's a losing hand, no matter how much they personally love the idea.

So if a lucky person sees he's holding a losing hand, he quits quickly and cuts his losses.

Secret #5 - Most Good Luck Comes Through Other People

Good luck almost never happens in a vacuum.

Several years back I read a book by Max Gunther titled "The Luck Factor." Most of the details in that book have dimmed, but I've never forgotten the core idea: Most lucky breaks are brought to you by other people.

Few people find significant amounts of money on the street or buried in the backyard. Perhaps even fewer win lotteries. Instead, luck comes more often in the form of opportunities.

You're with a group of ladies (or guys) who are sitting around complaining about how it's hard to find respectable men (women) to date. Everybody is really getting into the problem.

The person next to you leans over and whispers, "Don't you wish everyone would just quit whining?" But instead of complaining about all those complaints, a little lightbulb clicks on in your head. You realize a good computerized screening service for romantic introductions would fill a real need here.

You don't say anything, but weeks later, when you announce the new service, and you're flooded with calls from singles all over the city wanting safer introductions, all your friends whisper, "She's so lucky. Where did she get that great idea?"

You know where the idea came from, but you're not telling.

A great deal of "good luck" is manually created out of discomfort often someone else's.

Secret #6 - Good Luck Favors Those Who Are Prepared

Let's say you're appearing in an amateur play in a little theater in your neighborhood. A big-name producer from Hollywood is visiting a sick relative, hears about the play, and for a bit of distraction decides to attend.

She sees a spark of something special in your performance, asks to meet you, and offers you a screen test. Okay, freeze the frame for a second.

Are you prepared for this big break? Have you done all the study and the practice and the foundation work it takes to be a professional? Will you have the technique and the skills necessary to do the job?

Or are you going to try and fake your way through it?

If you're prepared, you're likely to do well. This means a giant step toward your dreams.

And if you're not prepared... well, good luck with your day job.

Secret #7 - You Can Attract Good Things, Too

All this talk about finding opportunities in "bad" events and developing your skills is important, but there's a more sunny side to luck as well.

Internet entrepreneur Joe Vitale terms it his "Magic Escalator through Life," and award-winning author John Harricharan has titled it "The Power Pause."

I interviewed both of these men recently, as well as eight other fascinating people, about how they manage to stay so consistently successful.

Every single one of them has techniques for keeping their mind tuned to the things they want. And they attend to this "mind tuning" every day. They're not casual about this. Oh no, they put regular effort into it. Their successes and their luck are not accidents.

If you're tempted to greet this with a dismissive, "Oh yeah, I've read those positive thinking books," then you need to think again.

The hardest part of Secret #7? Taking responsibility for the bad stuff in your life. If you've got uncomfortable situations right now, you'll never have the power to change them until you accept the fact that you created that mess... exactly as it is right now.

Admit to yourself that you created your own problems, down to the last tiny detail, and only then will you take command of the power to change those problems. Fortunately, it's not as impossible as it sounds at first.

Your mind is like a bucket. If the bucket is filled with muddy water, all you have to do is start a steady flow of clear, fresh water into the bucket.

Soon, the bucket (or your mind) is filled with clear, fresh contents.

Steady daily input of clear, fresh thoughts will change the things that appear in your life, without the need for major renovation. It just happens. You work on the inside, and the outside takes care of itself.

This means you don't fight the old thoughts. You give them minimum energy. You don't resist, you don't struggle. Instead, you put your attention as much as possible on the good things you want to appear in your life.

The lucky things you spend your time thinking about just start happening for you, and one day you wake up and realize, "Hey, I'm a pretty lucky person now. When did that happen?"

Charles Burke is the author of "Command More Luck," a book offering powerful suggestions for getting more cooperation from life, luck, and your own mind. Whether you call it synchronicity, serendipity, or just plain old luck, you CAN become more "naturally lucky."

Edited by: Lawyer Asad

Juggle Balls

Juggle Balls

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends and spirit and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.

How?

* Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

* Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.

* Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

* Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.

* Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

* Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us each together.

* Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

* Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

* Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you are going.

* Don't forget that a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

*Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.

* Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

Brian Dyson

Former CEO of Coca-Cola Company. This was from a speech he gave at the Georgia Tech 172nd Commencement Address on September 6, 1996.

Sent to me as a courtesy of:

Bob Proctor

Circulated by: Lawyer Asad

21 ways rich people think differently

21 ways rich people think differently

World's richest woman Gina Rinehart is enduring a media firestorm over an article in which she takes the "jealous" middle class to task for "drinking, or smoking and socializing" rather than working to earn their own fortune. What if she has a point? 

Steve Siebold, author of "How Rich People Think," spent nearly three decades interviewing millionaires around the world to find out what separates them from everyone else. It had little to do with money itself, he told Business Insider. It was about their mentality. "[The middle class] tells people to be happy with what they have," he said. "And on the whole, most people are steeped in fear when it comes to money."

1. Average people think MONEY is the root of all evil. Rich people believe POVERTY is the root of all evil.

"The average person has been brainwashed to believe rich people are lucky or dishonest," Siebold writes. That's why there's a certain shame that comes along with "getting rich" in lower-income communities.

"The world class knows that while having money doesn't guarantee happiness, it does make your life easier and more enjoyable." 

2. Average people think selfishness is a vice. Rich people think selfishness is a virtue.

"The rich go out there and try to make themselves happy. They don't try to pretend to save the world," Siebold told Business Insider.

The problem is that middle class people see that as a negative––and it's keeping them poor, he writes. "If you're not taking care of you, you're not in a position to help anyone else. You can't give what you don't have."

3. Average people have a lottery mentality. Rich people have an action mentality.

"While the masses are waiting to pick the right numbers and praying for prosperity, the great ones are solving problems," Siebold writes.

"The hero [middle class people] are waiting for may be God, government, their boss or their spouse. It's the average person's level of thinking that breeds this approach to life and living while the clock keeps ticking away."

4. Average people think the road to riches is paved with formal education. Rich people believe in acquiring specific knowledge.

"Many world-class performers have little formal education, and have amassed their wealth through the acquisition and subsequent sale of specific knowledge," he writes. "Meanwhile, the masses are convinced that master's degrees and doctorates are the way to wealth, mostly because they are trapped in the linear line of thought that holds them back from higher levels of consciousness...The wealthy aren't interested in the means, only the end."

5. Average people long for the good old days. Rich people dream of the future.

"Self-made millionaires get rich because they're willing to bet on themselves and project their dreams, goals and ideas into an unknown future," Siebold writes.

"People who believe their best days are behind them rarely got rich, and often struggle with unhappiness and depression."

6. Average people see money through the eyes of emotion. Rich people think about money logically.

"An ordinarily smart, well-educated and otherwise successful person can be instantly transformed into a fear-based, scarcity driven thinker whose greatest financial aspiration is to retire comfortably," he writes.

"The world class sees money for what it is and what it's not, through the eyes of logic. The great ones know money is a critical tool that presents options and opportunities."

7. Average people earn money doing things they don't love. Rich people follow their passion. 

"To the average person, it looks like the rich are working all the time," Siebold says. "But one of the smartest strategies of the world class is doing what they love and finding a way to get paid for it."

On the other hand, middle class take jobs they don't enjoy "because they need the money and they've been trained in school and conditioned by society to live in a linear thinking world that equates earning money with physical or mental effort."

8. Average people set low expectations so they're never disappointed. Rich people are up for the challenge.

"Psychologists and other mental health experts often advise people to set low expectations for their life to ensure they are not disappointed," Siebold writes.

"No one would ever strike it rich and live their dreams without huge expectations."

9. Average people believe you have to DO something to get rich. Rich people believe you have to BE something to get rich.

"That's why people like Donald Trump go from millionaire to nine billion dollars in debt and come back richer than ever," he writes.

"While the masses are fixated on the doing and the immediate results of their actions, the great ones are learning and growing from every experience, whether it's a success or a failure, knowing their true reward is becoming a human success machine that eventually produces outstanding results."

10. Average people believe you need money to make money. Rich people use other people's money.

Linear thought might tell people to make money in order to earn more, but Siebold says the rich aren't afraid to fund their future from other people's pockets.

"Rich people know not being solvent enough to personally afford something is not relevant. The real question is, 'Is this worth buying, investing in, or pursuing?'" he writes.

11. Average people believe the markets are driven by logic and strategy. Rich people know they're driven by emotion and greed.

Investing successfully in the stock market isn't just about a fancy math formula. "The rich know that the primary emotions that drive financial markets are fear and greed, and they factor this into all trades and trends they observe," Siebold writes.

"This knowledge of human nature and its overlapping impact on trading give them strategic advantage in building greater wealth through leverage."

12. Average people live beyond their means. Rich people live below theirs.

"Here's how to live below your means and tap into the secret wealthy people have used for centuries: Get rich so you can afford to," he writes.

"The rich live below their means, not because they're so savvy, but because they make so much money that they can afford to live like royalty while still having a king's ransom socked away for the future."

13. Average people teach their children how to survive. Rich people teach their kids to get rich.

Rich parents teach their kids from an early age about the world of "haves" and "have-nots," Siebold says. Even he admits many people have argued that he's supporting the idea of elitism. He disagrees.

"[People] say parents are teaching their kids to look down on the masses because they're poor. This isn't true," he writes. "What they're teaching their kids is to see the world through the eyes of objective reality––the way society really is." If children understand wealth early on, they'll be more likely to strive for it later in life.

14. Average people let money stress them out. Rich people find peace of mind in wealth.

The reason wealthy people earn more wealth is that they're not afraid to admit that money can solve most problems, Siebold says.

"[The middle class] sees money as a never-ending necessary evil that must be endured as part of life. The world class sees money as the great liberator, and with enough of it, they are able to purchase financial peace of mind." 

15. Average people would rather be entertained than educated. Rich people would rather be educated than entertained.

While the rich don't put much stock in furthering wealth through formal education, they appreciate the power of learning long after college is over, Siebold says.

"Walk into a wealthy person's home and one of the first things you'll see is an extensive library of books they've used to educate themselves on how to become more successful," he writes. "The middle class reads novels, tabloids and entertainment magazines."

16. Average people think rich people are snobs. Rich people just want to surround themselves with like-minded people.

The negative money mentality poisoning the middle class is what keeps the rich hanging out with the rich, he says. "

[Rich people] can't afford the messages of doom and gloom," he writes. "This is often misinterpreted by the masses as snobbery.

Labelling the world class as snobs is another way the middle class finds to feel better about themselves and their chosen path of mediocrity."

17. Average people focus on saving. Rich people focus on earning.

Siebold theorizes that the wealthy focus on what they'll gain by taking risks, rather than how to save what they have. "The masses are so focused on clipping coupons and living frugally they miss major opportunities," he writes.

"Even in the midst of a cash flow crisis, the rich reject the nickle and dime thinking of the masses. They are the masters of focusing their mental energy where it belongs: on the big money."

18. Average people play it safe with money. Rich people know when to take risks.

"Leverage is the watchword of the rich," Siebold writes. "Every investor loses money on occasion, but the world class knows no matter what happens, they will always be able to earn more."

19. Average people love to be comfortable. Rich people find comfort in uncertainty.

For the most part, it takes guts to take the risks necessary to make it as a millionaire––a challenge most middle class thinker isn't comfortable living with.

"Physical, psychological, and emotional comfort is the primary goal of the middle class mind-set," Siebold writes. World class thinkers learn early on that becoming a millionaire isn't easy and the need for comfort can be devastating. They learn to be comfortable while operating in a state of on-going uncertainty."

20. Average people never make the connection between money and health. Rich people know money can save your life.

While the middle class squabbles over the virtues of Obama care and their company's health plan, the super wealthy are enrolled in a super elite "boutique medical care" association, Siebold says. "They pay a substantial yearly membership fee that guarantees them 24-hour access to a private physician who only serves a small group of members," he writes. "Some wealthy neighbourhoods have implemented this strategy and even require the physician to live in the neighbourhood."

21. Average people believe they must choose between a great family and being rich. Rich people know you can have it all.

The idea the wealth must come at the expense of family time is nothing but a "cop-out", Siebold says.

"The masses have been brainwashed to believe it's an either/or equation," he writes. "The rich know you can have anything you want if you approach the challenge with a mind-set rooted in love and abundance."

Edited by: Lawyer Asad

Build Inner Peace with the Third Eye Meditation

Build Inner Peace with the Third Eye Meditation

Source: The 3-Minute Chakra Test

If you really want to build a sense of inner peace that's impervious to most hassles, dramas and even a fair share of traumas, why not try a regular does of third eye meditation? 

This simple meditation technique takes your focus off the monkey mind nonsense that can be a real brain drain, and puts it right where it belongs: within your greater, more expansive awareness. Want to give it a try? It's really simple, here ya go...

Third Eye Meditation

As with any sort of meditation, in order to get the most out of the Third Eye Meditation, you'll want to be sure to have the following:

About 15-20 minutes of time.

• A quiet space where you wont be disturbed.
• A seating position that keeps your spine straight and your body comfortable.
• Patience to keep bringing your focus and attention back to your meditation whenever it wanders.

Once these 4 things are in place, you can begin. Here's what you do...

• Start with three deep breaths. These will help you center and focus yourself.
• Bring your attention to the center of your brow. You can even lift your eyes (underneath closed eyelids) up a little to kind of 'look' at your 3rd eye.
• Use your imagination. Here's where the fun begins :) Use your imagination to perceive (either by feeling or seeing) your breath literally coming in and out of your 3rd eye.
• Keep returning to focus. Every time your attention wanders, simply return your thoughts back to feeling or seeing the breath move in and out of the space between your eyebrows.

Feel the pulsing. Now you're going to really start to feel as if your brow area is pulsing with the rhythm of your breath.

Be with it. Just stay with this sensation as long as you'd like or until you know you have to move on to something else.

When you do the third eye meditation regularly, what you'll notice is that your perception of your life, the circumstances around you, other people and even the experiences of your 5 physical senses will move from ego-based subjectivity to a broader, more detached awareness.

Edited by Lawyer Asad

Four Steps to a Super Attitude

Unexpected circumstances can be thrown at you, but what is the thing that counts most in these situations? What counts most is how you react to what happens to you, especially when you have unexpected problems of any kind. Here are four things you can do to assure that your attitude is the very best it can be, under all circumstances. Focus On the Future First, whatever challenges you face, focus on the future rather than on the past. Instead of worrying about who did what and who is to blame, focus on where you want to be and what you want to do. Get a clear mental image of your ideal successful future, and then take whatever action you can to begin moving in that direction. Get your mind, your thoughts, and your mental images on the future. Think About the Solution Second, whenever you're faced with a difficulty, focus on the solution rather than on the problem. Think and talk about the ideal solution to the obstacle or setback, rather than wasting time rehashing and reflecting on the problem. Solutions are inherently positive, whereas problems are inherently negative. The instant that you begin thinking in terms of solutions, you become a positive and constructive human being. Look For the Good Third, assume that something good is hidden within each difficulty or challenge. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, a major proponent of positive thinking, once said, "Whenever God wants to give us a gift, he wraps it up in a problem." The bigger the gift you have coming, the bigger the problem you will receive. But the wonderful thing is that if you look for the gift, you will always find it. Seek the Valuable Lesson Fourth, assume that whatever situation you are facing at the moment is exactly the right situation you need to ultimately be successful. This situation has been sent to you to help you learn something, to help you become better, to help you expand and grow. Decide to Be Positive A Positive Mental Attitude is indispensable to your success. You can be as positive as you want to be if you will simply think about the future, focus on the solution and look for the good. If you do what other successful people do, if you use your mind to exert mental control over the situation, you will be positive and cheerful most of the time. And you will reap the benefits enjoyed by all successful people. Action Exercises  First, become solution-oriented with every difficulty you face. Make a habit of looking for the answers to your questions, the solutions to your problems.Here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action: Second, seek for the valuable lesson in every adversity. Make a list of every idea or insight you can gain from every setback or difficulty. Third, think on paper. Take some time to write out every detail of the problem, and then take the most logical next step to solve it. Brian Tracy Circulated by: Lawyer Asad

50 Mind Tricks for Weight Loss

50 Mind Tricks for Weight Loss

Source: TotallyZen.com

You know there is no magic way to shed pounds or become fit. The only way to get there is through hard work and eating right. Yet you can give yourself a leg up in the process by changing how you think about food, weight loss and eating healthy. By changing how you think, you'll also change how you act and hopefully impact your health for the better.

Meditation can play a key role in helping you overcome food issues and create the body you want to have now. Awareness, consciousness, focus and concentration  developed through yoga practice and meditation will help you to embody these key points.

Here are 50 tips to help you learn some tricks to get your mind ripe and ready for weight loss.

General

These general tips will help you learn to adapt your thoughts to healthy weight loss.

1. Be patient. Losing weight in any kind of healthy way is going to take time. Give yourself a break and relax, and the weight will come off.

2. Don't stress. Stressing about weight loss will likely only make it harder to lose.

3. Be realistic Setting unrealistic goals for your weight loss isn't healthy for your body or mind. Get your mind set on more realistic accomplishments and you'll be happier and healthier.

4. Create a routine. Success with any weight loss program requires creating a routine and sticking to it in what you eat, when you work out and how you think about your progress.

5. Listen to your body. It will tell you when you aren't eating enough, you're eating too much, or you're pushing yourself too hard.

6. Use your imagination. Our imaginations are powerful things and you can use yours to picture your body and your life the way you really want it to be.

7. Take it slow. You cannot expect to change your mindset or your body overnight. Take the process slow and steady for the best results.

8. Be honest with yourself. Being honest might be more difficult or more painful, but you cannot move forward in changing your body or how you think about it without facing some hard truths about yourself.

9. Find out what you truly want. The reality is that you might not be ready to lose weight or commit yourself to the work that it takes. Find out what you truly want in your life. Knowing that you really, really want to lose weight can be a huge factor in motivating you.

Mindset

Learn how to change your mindset with these tips.

10. Always be accountable. There is no one else who is responsible for you losing weight. You have to be accountable for what you eat and how often you work out.

11. Break the cycle of excuses. We all make excuses to try to justify our behavior, but these kinds of excuses aren't doing you any favors when it comes to weight loss. Force yourself to accept your failures and work to improve them.

12. Deal with your emotions. For many people, food is an emotional thing and a coping mechanism for other things that aren't right in their lives. If you want to change your mindset about your body, you'll first have to deal with these powerful emotions.

13. Make the decision to be thinner. Sometimes all it takes is a firm resolution to make a change in your life. If you want to lose weight, make the choice to do so and let your actions follow suit.

14. Take responsibility. No one is forcing food down your throat or keeping you from the gym. Once you realize that and can take responsibility for your own actions regarding your health and fitness, you'll be one step closer to meeting your goals.

15. Think clearly. Weight loss, body image and personal health can be emotionally charged issues. When you think about these things it it important to separate them as best you can from your emotions and make logical, thoughtful decisions about what is best. For instance, our emotions might tell us we need a piece of cake after a hard day, but our logical thinking would tell us it will only make you feel worse about yourself.

16. Change your programming. Many of us have programmed our brains to think we are fat, unhealthy and will never look or feel like we want to. Thinking this way is often a self-fulfilling prophecy, but by changing your mental programming, you'll change what you're capable of in weight loss.

17. Stay positive. There is no upside to negative thinking when it comes to losing weight. Staying positive will help you feel better about yourself, keep you motivated and reduce stress — all of which will help you lose more weight.

18. Train your mind to think in your best interest. If you want to lose weight, focus on replacing your unhealthy thoughts with healthy ones. After a while, you will think less unhealthy thoughts and be a step ahead in reaching your goals.

Motivation

Give your mind some motivation with these ideas.

19. Pick out a motivational photograph. Whether you want to look more like you did 20 years ago or have the physique of someone else you admire, choose a photograph you can look at when you're struggling to help keep yourself motivated.

20. Set smaller daily goals. While your larger goals are important, focusing on smaller, individual goals will give you more of a sense of accomplishment and change your mindset on a daily basis.

21. Use support from friends. There are few things that can change how you feel about yourself and your progress like motivation from friends around you.

22. Reward yourself. When you've worked really hard for something it's only fair to reward yourself. Give yourself an indulgence, though not a food-related one, that you've really been wanting.

23. Tell yourself you can do it. Change your mindset about weight loss by constantly reminding yourself that no matter how hard it is that you can and will do it.

24. Never stop thinking about your goals. Keeping your goals in mind throughout the day will help motivate you and keep you on the right track.

25. Surround yourself with good role models. You won't do yourself any favors when you're trying to lose weight if you surround yourself with people who practice bad habits and influence you to do so as well. Spend time with friends who motivate you to be healthy instead.

26. Have a mantra. Finding your own personal weight loss mantra can be a great way to help keep yourself positive and focused on your goals.

27. Look at the bright side. Setbacks don't have to ruin your motivation for weight loss. Instead, think of them as a chance to work harder and prove your commitment to your goals.

28. Create a map to your health and happiness. Spending some time laying out your goals, collecting photos that motivate you, and planning out your steps along the way can help make process easier, more real and something you're more motivated to do every day.

Food

Change your relationship with food by changing your thoughts using this advice.

29. Think yourself out of bad habits. Bad habits with food don't have to take down your weight loss goals. Instead, use the power of your mind to fight these bad habits. It will take some doing but you can overcome them.

30. Look at food differently. Food isn't your enemy or your friend — it's neutral. Learn to look at food as a source of nourishment rather than a reward or a way to deal with emotions.

31. Picture what food is doing for your body. When you look at what you're eating, picture what that food can do for your body and how the nutrients will help you feel.

32. Allow yourself to eat when you're hungry. Losing weight should never mean starving yourself. Listen to your body and feed yourself when your body tells you it's hungry. Just make sure it's actually hunger and not boredom or thirst you're giving into. Likewise, stop eating when you are full.

33. Eat foods you crave. You can have foods you crave while you're trying to lose weight if you can do so in moderation. Keeping things totally off limits could cause you to binge.

34. Be conscious. Always be aware of what you're eating. Eating mindlessly while watching TV can lead to a lot of unwanted and unneeded calories.

Self-Image

How you see yourself can make a big impact in how much weight you lose. Try these solutions to feel good about yourself no matter how much you weigh.

35. Change how you think about your body. If you think you are a fat person, you'll likely stay that way. Train your mind to see yourself as attractive at any weight and you'll see more weight loss progress.

36. Get control over your thoughts. When your thoughts are out of control it's easy to think cruel things about yourself and put yourself down. When you start to feel your thoughts heading in that direction, take the wheel and steer them somewhere positive.

37. Stop looking at the numbers. Weight isn't everything when it comes to health. Some people look super skinny and feel healthy at one weight while another person might be totally different. We all have our own comfort zone, so listen to your body, not the scale.

38. Focus on how you feel. You might not have met your goal weight yet, but focusing on changes in how you feel can help keep you motivated and feeling good about yourself.

39. Stop berating yourself. Negative thoughts aren't going to help you lose weight. If you have a misstep or aren't progressing as fast as you'd like, never berate yourself. Simply get up the next day and start again from a positive standpoint.

40. Fill yourself with love. If you want to get the most out of your weight loss journey, make part of the process learning to truly love yourself. No one is perfect so get a handle on accepting and appreciating your faults.

41. Take pride in your appearance.It doesn't matter how much you weigh, you can look good and feel good about yourself. Shower, put on a fragrance, style your hair, and wear your favorite clothes. It will change how you see yourself and how others see you as well.

Meditation

Learn how to turn your meditation practice into a reflection on your personal weight loss goals with these tips.

42. Imagine yourself eating like you should be. The more you imagine it, the more likely it will become reality.

43. Picture yourself thin. If you believe that you can and will be thin, then you give yourself the motivation and drive to actually make it happen.

44. Think about activities you'll do when you're thin. If you're too overweight to do things you love right now, picture yourself doing those things as the new, thinner you.

45. Relax. You can't take control over your thoughts and your mind if you're stressed out and distracted. Simply relax and let go the problems of the day.

46. Picture yourself wearing something you've always wanted to wear. A big reason many people want to lose weight is to fit into the clothes and style that they love and admire. Get a mental picture of how you'll look sporting something you've always wanted to wear to give you some motivation.

47. Imagine that you love to exercise. Rely on the power of imagination to help give yourself the initiative you need to get fit and in shape.

48. Don't let negative thoughts interfere. It's easy to think negative thoughts about yourself when you're tackling a big and difficult obstacle like losing weight, but you have to make sure to keep these kinds of thoughts out during your meditation. Replace them with happy, supportive ones instead.

49. Kick all unhealthy habits and foods out of visualization. Don't let your mental fantasies include unhealthy foods and behaviors. You might really crave them but the purpose is to retrain your mind to let them go.

50. Breathe deeply and calm yourself. Once you're calm, relaxed, and in control of your mind and body, you'll be able to start thinking clearly about who and where you want to be.

Edited by: Lawyer Asad