During a flight between New York and Chi­cago, the captain made this
announcement over the plane's intercom: "Our number four engine has
just been shut off because of mechanical trouble. There is nothing to
worry about, however, and we can still fin­ish the flight with just
three engines. Besides, you will be reassured to know that we have
four bishops on board."

An 86-year-old woman called the flight at­tendant and said, "Would you
please tell the captain that I would rather have four engines and
three bish­ops!" Experience taught her to place her trust in the
aircraft rather than passengers -- even if they're bishops!

Experience, likewise, has taught us to be careful of what and whom we
trust. We learn to be careful trusting risky investments, offers to
make easy money, people we don't know, and anything that seems "too
good to be true." We are sometimes even afraid to trust ourselves!

Helen Keller learned a great deal about trust in her life as one who
was both sightless and deaf. She learned to trust people, upon whom
she was often dependent. She learned to trust herself and lived a
highly productive life in spite of her handi­capping
conditions. As a noted writer and thinker, she taught us that trust is
vital to any happy life.

That great woman believed there are four great things to learn in
life. They are:

   To think clearly without hurry or confusion;
   To love everyone sincerely;
   To act in everything with the highest motives;
   To trust God unhesitatingly.

Trust. It is a small word which can make a big difference.

__________

Steve Goodier Publisher@LifeSupportSystem.com is a professional
speaker, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for
more information, or to sign up for his FREE newsletter of Life, Love
and Laughter at http://LifeSupportSystem.com.

by ADD Management Coach Jennifer Koretsky
© Copyright 2004

When a person is bored or uninterested, certain tasks and
projects can seem like torture! This feeling usually leads
to procrastination, and procrastination often leads to
guilt. Here are some practical ways to avoid these
situations and overcome procrastination:

1. Recharge Daily
Be sure to get enough sleep and rest each day so that you
have the necessary energy you need to accomplish your
tasks.

2. Get a Friend Involved
It's harder to procrastinate when another person is
involved. If you have a task you aren't looking forward to,
invite a friend over to help you out. If you have errands
to run, find a buddy who you can run errands with.

3. Reward Yourself
You're much more likely to complete that boring task if
there is a dinner out or a new CD waiting for you when (and
only when) the task is complete.

4. Do Things in Pieces
Procrastination often comes from feelings of overwhelm.
Break tasks, even small ones, into steps so that they are
manageable and provide you with a sense of direction.

5. Use Music
Turn on some fun and upbeat music and let it pump you up!
80s music and showtunes are often great pick-me-ups that
will give you needed energy to tackle your tasks.

6. Don't Be Afraid to do 2 Things at Once
Don't be afraid to balance routine or monotonous tasks with
something that is more likely to hold your interest. You
can pay bills while you watch TV, or talk on the phone while
cleaning up the house.

7. Delegate
Do you find yourself procrastinating on chores at home like
cleaning and laundry? Or maybe paperwork at the office?
Delegate them! Kids, cleaning people, laundry services,
administrative assistants and more are all available to take
some of those boring tasks off your list and free up your
time for the stuff you'd rather be doing.

8. Prioritize
Perhaps you're procrastinating on a task because it's really
not that important. Maybe you'd love to re-organize your
book shelves, but never get around to it. If it sounds like
a good idea but in the end it's really not that important to
you, don't let it hang over your head.

9. Get in Touch with the End Result
Before you begin a task or project that has high
procrastination potential, get in touch with the outcome.
When the task is finished, what will that mean to you? What
will be better in life as a result?

10. Just Do It!!
Don't think about it too much, just jump in and get it
done!

About the Author:
Jennifer Koretsky is an ADD Management Coach who helps
adults learn how to manage their ADD and move forward in
life. She offers individual and group coaching, workshops,
and skill-building programs. Her work has been featured in
various media, including The New York Times Magazine and The
London Times. Subscribe to Jennifer's free email newsletter,
The ADD Management Guide, by visiting
http://www.ADDmanagement.com/e-newsletter.htm.

Copyright © 2004 Julie Plenty
Life Design newsletter

There was someone I used to work with who, well aware
of their tendency to look at the negative side of things,
used to constantly tell themselves to "think more
positively".

This was said with such a feeling of desperation that I just
knew that not only would they NOT think positively, they
would probably go even further into negative thinking. The
mere fact that they kept pushing themselves to "think
positively" was a sign that this would ultimately be
counterproductive.

So many of us have interpreted the desire to be positive
thinkers in a very narrow and ultimately ineffective way.
The push to be positive often results in ignoring our
true feelings. Instead of recognizing that we don't always
feel positive and learning how to convert and turn round our
feelings, it so often ends up with us denying them
altogether.

The Law of Attraction, as defined by Abraham Hicks states
that "you attract to yourself what you give your attention
and energy to, whether wanted or unwanted".

One reason why positive thinking doesn't work is that our
focus is in the wrong place. So we say "I don't want to be
ill" and believe that this thought will prevent us from
being ill. So where is our focus? On being ill!
Because the Universe doesn't recognize "not" or "don't".
How many times have you told yourself NOT to forget
something and then what happens? Oops you've forgotten it!

Another reason why positive thinking doesn't work is that we
often veil our negative feelings with a positive surface.
positivity. So we say "I want a loving relationship".
Sounds good right? Underneath this is the hidden message
that having a loving relationship wouldn't even be an issue
- unless you'd been in one or a series of not so loving
relationships.

So it's the hidden message and negative feeling around it,
that is still coming through. Ultimately, you're still
pushing against something and it's still
counterproductive. You're likely to attract more unloving
relationships, even though you THINK you've stated
otherwise.

How can you begin to reverse this? Rather than focusing on
your thoughts, focus on your feelings about a given
situation or what you would like the situation to be. Start
to visualise and sense what you truly desire. Focus on
ramping up good, positive, energetic feelings about what
you desire, rather than the thought.

Practically you can do this by building a "creation box" of
pictures, ideas, notes, to stimulate your imagination of how
you'd like things to be. Appreciating lifes abundance in
what you already have by keeping an appreciation journal,
feeling and acting like the prosperous person you actually
are and channelling your good feelings into what you desire.

In fact, instead of being a positive thinker, aim to become
a positive feeler - it's much more visceral and real. Live
your life as though you already have what you desire and
you'll make way for it to come to you.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Julie Plenty helps writers, artists and photographers
prosper in their business by helping them build a strong
personal foundation, because they ARE their business. For
more self growth and personal development articles, and to
sign up for her Life Design newsletter, visit:
http://www.self-help-personal-development.com

by Peter Murphy

Sometimes you just don´t have the energy to get excited,
motivated or inspired enough to do what has to be done.

What can you do on days like these?

There are three simple yet powerful ways to pull yourself
out of a slump. And best of all you can start using these
strategies today.

1. Complete Something

It is very important to start and finish something when you
need to get back on track.

Pick a small task, one that can be done in 5-10 minutes.
Then ignore everything else and devote all of your
attention to completing that task.

When you have finished it you will feel a lot better about
dealing with all of the other jobs that need to be done.
One small success leads to much greater success.

Now, simply the repeat the process with another small task
until you build some momentum.

2. Set Tight Time Deadlines

On days that you feel sluggish work in 30 minute blocks.
Tell yourself you only need to focus for the next 30
minutes and then get started on the next task at hand.

If you feel very unmotivated work for 20 minute or even 15
minute time periods. The key is to get busy and do the best
you can.

Then take a quick break and acknowledge the progress you
are making. One small step after the next will take you to
where you want to go.

3. Read Or Listen To Motivational Material

You need to inspire yourself to greater success on a daily
basis. This is important because of the negativity that
bombards us from other people and the media.

If you don´t take charge of your thinking someone else will
do it for you. Thinking about the positive instead of the
negative requires a daily commitment. It is a choice we all
make each day.

And remember...

You are not expected to be highly motivated and driven on a
empty tank. Give yourself positive fuel each and everyday
and you will be consistently more motivated.

Make a point of feeding your mind with positive input each
and every day and your attitude will become consistently
more positive. You will feel more motivated even on the off
days.

Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently
produced a very popular free report, the 5 Step Motivation
Report. Apply now because it is available for a limited
time only at:
http://www.getmotivatedstaymotivated.com/special.htm