Making Prayer Work - Some Things You Need to Know About Yourself and Your Thoughts

If your prayers seem to go unanswered, you aren't alone. Unanswered prayer is a common complaint among most religions; and it is one of the things that actually turns people away from religion. But the problem of unanswered prayer isn't that prayer doesn't work; the problem is simply a lack of training, awareness, and understanding. If you needed to cross an ocean, an airplane or a ship would get the job done; but, if you didn't know how to operate the airplane or ship, you aren't likely to get where you're going. Prayer is very similar: If you don't know who you are, or how you operate, you aren't likely to render the most effective prayers. In order to make prayer work, you must first, "Know thyself."

If you don't truly understand who you are, what you are, how you operate, or what you are capable of, then you're living life randomly and unconsciously - at the whim of those who tell you what to do and what to think. In order to take control of your life, end suffering, and create or attract the conditions you truly wish to experience in life, you need to learn some things about yourself. For starters, you are capable of anything; so dream big. All things are possible; but they are done to you according to your thoughts and beliefs. And, if you don't understand your own nature, and the nature of thoughts, thinking, and belief, then you may or may not be forming your thoughts and prayers effectively. Here is a list of things you need to know about yourself in order to truly own your birthright as a creator:

-You are much more than you know.
-You are much greater than you can imagine.
-You are much more powerful than you've been told.
-You and I are part of all we see.
-There is no empty space - no space between us - only the essence of what we are made of.
-All things are connected; all things are One.
-We communicate with All by way of this connection; and the All communicates with us in the same way.
-Your thoughts are important; they create.
-Your thoughts generate emotion - which is attractive.
-Your thoughts and emotions determine the nature and quality of your experience.
-You can learn to think more clearly and effectively.
-You can be more creative and make wiser choices.
-You can focus your attention and intention more specifically and directly.

Prayer is thought; specifically, most prayer is thought about how we want the future to be.
Interestingly, all thought is creative; and we tend to think almost all of the time - essentially "praying always."Most of this thinking simply isn't focused or controlled, so our life reflects the chaos of our thoughts. Our prayers are answered; we just can't keep up with all the mundane stuff we ask for by putting our attention on it! We can, however, learn more about thinking; and we can learn to think more effectively. Therefore, we can learn to pray more effectively. By coming to understand the nature of our mind and thoughts, we can learn to become creators of our own lives and masters of our own experience. Consider the greatness of all that is, and how you are connected to that greatness. Then, practice mastering your thoughts. When you have learned to shape and control your thoughts, you will have learned to shape and control your life.

Success - Are We There Yet?

 

What's your perception of success?

Do you see it as ever-elusive? Is it a work in progress? Or is success more of a final destination for you?

No matter what your thoughts on success, one thing is certain: if you don't know where you're headed, you'll never know when you've arrived.

So where are you headed?

Some people see success as the six-figure income, waterfront property, hot car, flashy clothing and all the accouterments that go along with the high profile career and lifestyle. But they forget that success is a subjective term, and the above definition might sound good on paper but it's not without its own set of sacrifices. What will you have to give up in order to maintain such a lifestyle? Peace and quiet? Time? Rest? Family time? A healthy, balanced life? An unassuming, everyman existence?

Some think that they'll wake up one day to "arrive" at success... as though there will be a neon sign blinking over their head, confetti falling from the sky and alarm bells going off that they've hit the jackpot - the be-all, end-all in their life and career. That's hardly realistic.

Success is an evolutionary process that happens in waves. You think you're moving forward with one aspect of your life, and then something unexpected happens that lurches you off the path and puts you temporarily "out for the count." That old expression, "One step forward, two steps back" is often true on the path of your life and happiness. The key is to get back up, shake it off, and keep stepping.

It's safe to say that at the very least, you know when you're "headed" on the path to success. I'ts a feeling that things are gaining momentum - your bank account is growing, your name seems to be on the tip of everyone's tongue. You're outgrowing your old ways of doing things and searching for ways to fit in all the new opportunities that keep coming your way.

No, there may not be an actual finish line with a sign that says "Success stops here." But you can definitely get a sense for when things are going well in your life and when they're about to get even better. In that case, you've likely "arrived" as much as can possibly be realistic.

But this article isn't about arrival so much as it's for people who need help getting their bearings in the first place. For starters, it pays to assess your subjective view of success - what it means to you personally.

Think about how the following might fit into your scheme of personal success:

Income. Do you want to be a top earner? Or is a comfortable living more your speed? Quantify your reach salary. Quantify your attainable salary. Compare with what you're taking home now. What's your action plan for getting there?

Opportunity cost. To some, a six or seven-figure salary can be justified by 80-hour work weeks and 60% business travel. What exactly are you willing to swap in or out in terms of your career and life?

Values. How do your personal values play into the picture? Is it Very Important, Moderately Important, or Not So Important to work for a company that shares your values? If giving to others is important, is there a way to work service into your career plan?

Time frame. Map out a time line for reaching your end goal. Create smaller, stepping stone goals and pace these out chronologically as well.

Work-life balance. Most people strive for a healthy balance between their career and personal life. Have you factored in enough family time and personal time into your plans? What about making time for your community?

Health. Age, physical condition and heredity all play a part as well. As a general rule, those who are able to sustain success do so by taking good care of their bodies and expending stress through physical activity. How do diet and exercise weigh in?

Sometimes, a life coach can be especially helpful when plotting the road map to success in your life.

What is the Difference Between "Law of Gravity" and "Law of Attraction"?

Do you know the difference between laws, "The Law of Gravity" and "The law of Attraction"? If no, the answer is that both laws are universal and works everywhere without any exception.

If you are ready to give prolonged thought to anything in your life, you can draw it in to your life. This is the law of attraction. This law is as accurate as the law of gravity. If somebody falls down from a height, he or she will definitely hit the ground whether he or she is good or bad. The law of gravity has no bias with you or with anybody.

Like the law of gravity, the law of attraction has also no bias. Whether you are thinking a good thought or a bad thought, you will attract in your life.

You can change anything in your life, because we are the one who can think about our thought and can feel about our thought.

Did I mention feeling here?

Yes! One important thing about the law of attraction is that you have to think as well as think about that thing. Feeling is the communication of the universe. If you are feeling good that means you are aligned with the universal energy. If you are feeling bad, it's the communication from universe that it is a warning massage from God or universe to change that thought.

So, to use this amazing law of attraction and you can get or achieve anything into your life like wealth, health and happiness.

Again the key here is, Feel Good. And attract anything in your life.

How to Make Others Like You

 One of the basic needs of man is to feel accepted. Knowing this is the secret to establishing and maintaining great relationships with various types of people.

A number of books, articles and seminars have taken the role of educating people like you on the different ways of associating with people and building lasting relationships with them. There are several things that you can do when associating with other people.

One of these is to make them feel accepted. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, one of man’s basic needs is to feel a sense of belonging to a group. Man feels the sense of belonging in either small groups like a family and small circle of friends, or big groups like clubs, teams, associations, departments and parties.

People have to feel they belong and are needed. One way to convey acceptance of people’s ideas is by simply listening. Listening communicates the message that their thoughts are valued and their inputs are significant. It answers the very basic need to belong and provides a sense of importance.

Have you ever been in any of the following situations?

-                    While sharing an important insight, somebody would finish the sentence for you.

-                    While narrating what happened over the weekend, somebody would butt in and narrate a similar story.

-                    In a meeting, the boss would cut you short while you are still explaining your side.

-                    You ask your child about his day in school and he runs straight to his room.

-                    You wanted to discuss something with your spouse but he is busy watching football.

How did you feel? Not good, right? It’s as if you are taken for granted. It’s as if no one is listening to you and that you do not matter. It signifies that your thoughts, concerns, and ideas are not accepted.

At the onset of life, an infant can feel this sense of acceptance from a mother who touches and caresses him in a loving way. As he grows older, his sense of acceptance and importance now comes from other family members, friends, teachers, peers, bosses, officemates, spouse, children, etc. Every person needs to be accepted. It puts meaning to a person’s existence.

Imagine a life with total absence of acceptance. Envision the life of babies who were abandoned by their mothers. Imagine the effect this will have on the babies’ emotional well-being. It is very possible that these kids will grow up dejected and feeling discriminated. The effects of discrimination can result to resentment and, if uncontrolled, can result to violent tendencies.

The feeling of resentment that is harbored overtime can escalate to anger and hostility. When a person becomes hostile, violence erupts. Resentment is like a forest fire - it can turn wild especially when fanned with more resentments. The mere civil act of accepting a person “can make or break them,” as the saying goes.

Acceptance must be done unconditionally. The giver should not expect anything in return. There should be no “no strings attached” or no commitments to fulfill. To expect something in return defeats the purpose of making others like you. In fact, this may only breed resentment, for it would appear that you are manipulating people by forcing them into a situation they may not like in the future.

Unconditional acceptance of other people’s thoughts, ideas, and concerns can yield favorable outcomes. Acceptance elicits cooperation and this leads to working towards a common goal. Acceptance yields positive and fruitful results. At the same time, you have raised the esteem, importance, and morale of the person whom you have accorded respect and acceptance.

Be willing to accept other people’s ideas, thoughts, and inputs. You will harvest not only good results, but also the admiration and appreciation of others, as well.

Learn to Solve Your Problems

How much percentage in a class of 30 students would agree to you that Mathematics is a great subject? You might answer “around 10 to 35%” and that is all. True, most kids today are not thrilled to solve Mathematical equations not because they do not know the processes involved, but because of the lack of interest in it.

In a similar way, our daily activities do not mean 100% joy and 0% problems. At times, we have more problems than joy. Fortunately, some individual are skilled in handling problems right. Want to know their secrets?

Well, carefree people, as some might call them, have one thing in common: optimism. These kinds of people do not mean they never had problems before. Try remembering a colleague, a relative, a friend, or someone from your community who has the brightest smile at the start until the end of the day. How many times did you see that person frown? Carefree people are fun to be with because their attitude is contagious. Have you tried asking them how they carry their problems lightly? Below are their secrets:

1.      Learn to control your feelings by separating negative feelings from positive thoughts. This is the first step in solving problems. Only after you have cleared your mind with unnecessary thoughts can you start solving your problems accordingly.

2.      Treat each problem as challenge and opportunity for self-improvement.

3.      Free that scapegoat attitude. Are you pointing your finger or blaming others for mishaps? Take responsibilities for your mistakes. No one is perfect, so never put the blames on others.

4.      Use a pen and paper, and rate the depth of the problem and possible answers to your problem. Probability law principle will allow you to evaluate how far you have thought of resolving your problems.

5.      Keep a journal and treat it as a “secret friend” who is always willing to listen to your grievances. Write your feelings freely.

6.      Develop a noteworthy hobby, for this will help you lessen or minimize stress in your life.

7.      Take time off from work and create variations of your daily schedule. Relax and check out the best movies in town. Travel and meet new wonderful people. You will find these activities worthwhile in the long run.

The above tips will help you optimize those positive feelings of yours. Say you are already consumed by some problems. Here are the 1-2-3 steps in doing your problem solving:

1.      Determine the root cause of the problem. If you think it is difficult, ask hundreds of why’s and what’s and you will soon find out the cause.

2.      Think, strategize, and act for resolution.

3.      Develop a strong desire to solve the problem.

4.      Review the situation for you to avoid repeating the same mistakes committed beforehand.

Consider that everybody experiences lowliness many times, but problems are problems. They are there not to annoy you; but problems are created when you cannot accept your limitations. Once you accept your limitations, problem solving is just a 1-2-3 step, hassle-free, and a life-sharpening experience indeed. Hence, never consume or lock yourself in your room when problem strikes. Think that problems are states of your being limited to something you need the most. But if you cannot have that important thing, accept it. Let go and you will free yourself with worries. Remember, less worries mean less problems. If you think that you really want some time out because of problems, consider that there is another room available for you called “improvement.”