A Gift of Hope - 52 Ways to Live a Better Life by Shadonna Richards - Book Review

Infinity Publishing (2009)

ISBN 9780741451675

Shadonna Richards, a Canadian registered nurse, freelance writer and former newspaper columnist, has put together a simple but concise book on how to live a better life. As a nurse working with terminally ill cancer patients, who are told they have only six months to live, she was inspired to write empowering words of wisdom. Richards also interviewed many individuals for her newspaper columns, thus compiling inspirational stories to encourage us to look at our own lives, makes changes as necessary, and to live a fulfilled life. Although her resources are Canadian, the concept of her book is global and I'm sure readers will find similar resources in their respective countries and areas.

"A Gift of Hope" is designed to be used as a workbook, with each week having an exercise to be done daily. For example, the first week starts with "Stay Mentally Fit." The text talks about the stresses in our lives and then gives exercises. The first exercise for the first week is to "Identify, then rectify." Richards says "A crucial part of any solution is locating the problem. Do worries keep you up at night? Go directly to the source of your tension." The second exercise for the first week is "Detox Your Mind." Richards says "We always have a choice. We can choose to dwell on being hopeless in situations or dwell on having hope."

The second week covers "Dare to Dream: Believe that Anything is Possible" and captures president-elect Barrack Obama's "Yes We Can" powerful slogan. Using his story and his dreams, Richards iterates that our dreams can become reality if we persist and believe.

Other weeks cover topics like: Understand That Money Isn't Everything, Reach out to those in Need, and Be the Friend You Desire to Have. For the purpose of this review I didn't have the opportunity to test the system for a full 52 weeks; however, being a student and teacher of transformation, I know it works. Shadonna Richards has provided a book, "A Gift of Hope," to take us to a higher level of consciousness, a place where we can manage our personal lives with ease and contentment.

http://www.readerviews.com/

30 Days to Creating Super Habits

Creating super habits are easier than you could ever imagine. Most people have something they would like to change in their lives. If you ask anyone, they are usually able to answer this question, "If you could change anything about yourself, what would you change." All the self help and personal development programs and books available today are full of useful information that nobody seems to take advantage of. You've seen the TV commercials and listen to other people tell their stories, about how they lost weight.

Are you one of those skeptics that find these stories hard to believe. Do you think it's possible to create a life changing habit within 30 days? If you don't think it's possible, have you ever tried to change something about yourself you don't like.

If you haven't tried, how do you know it's impossible. If you have tried to create change in your life, did you quit, did you quit shortly after you started. This is often what most people do. They either quit before they start and never even get started, or they quit within a short period of time after they started. Usually these people have an excuse, most of the time their excuse is quite simply, it was harder than I thought.

Creating super habits in 30 days is possible and you don't have to be an over achiever to accomplish this goal. Creating these habits will require some effort on your part but the rewards most of the time are worth the effort.

I challenge you to change something about yourself you don't like within the next 30 days.

Go to the next step for more information.

Finding Something You Don't like about Yourself

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a self help video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

There is No Substitute For Working Your Proverbial Butt Off

Those of us who immerse ourselves in the Self Help industry throw around great-sounding buzz words all day: Action, Achievement, Confidence, Determination, Enthusiasm, Perseverance (we love that one), Wisdom, Zeal, etc. Check it out, I'm so in love with these words, I even capitalize them as though they are proper names.

Just cannot keep my Zeal in check.

However, there is one thing - in our Haste - that we often neglect to touch on. One thing that, if overlooked, will render every capitalized buzz word in our vocabulary ineffective. This one thing is HARD WORK. Good, old fashioned, get down and dirty, hard work.

You can have all the intelligence, education, common sense, self confidence, and, yes, Perseverance, in the world. But if you are not willing to roll up your sleeves and work, it will all be for naught. Things that are worth having seldomly just fall into our laps. Promotions at work, increased traffic on websites, larger paychecks - they are all things we want very much to familiarize ourselves with. Waiting for them to magically materialize, however, will just lead to disappointment.

WRITE IT OUT AND WORK IT OUT:

Think of three things you want in life. Whether they are personal or professional in nature does not matter. In fact, if you are like most of us, you will have a mixture of the two. At the top of a piece of paper, write (in all capital letters), DREAMS, then divide your paper, horizontally, into thirds. Give each third a number, 1 through 3.

Beside each number, write one specific thing you want to bring about in your life. The more specific you can be, the better. You would no't tell your daughter, as she heads out for a date, Sweetie, be home sometime this evening. Heck no! You say, Be back before 11:00. Specific. Definite. No wiggle room. Treat yourself the same way. No wiggle room.

If there is one thing you can say about humans it is this: We know our way around wiggle rooms and can take advantage of them every single time.

Below each specific desire, create a numbered work list of things you need to do to work toward success. For example, if Increased traffic for my blog is one of your three desires, your work list may look something like this:

1. Write and submit 1 article each evening to Ezine Articles.
2. Contact 5 similar blogs each week asking for link exchanges.
3. Visit 3 blogs each morning, before work. Leave related, useful comments, along with my link.
4. Visit 3 different blogs each evening, before bed. Leave related, useful comments, along with my link.

Again, as with the desires themselves, when you are creating your numbered work list, be extremely specific. Our mind responds to specifics much better than it does to generalities.

The Very Important Final Step:

Now, go back to the top and scratch out DREAMS. Write GOALS beside it, and never think of these desires as dreams again. They're GOALS, and they're very much within reach. You just have to work for them.

As someone once said, "Self isn't something one finds, it's something one creates." Self Help Daily would love to help YOU create a masterpiece!

Relationship Self Help - 2 Simple Techniques to Put Your Relationship Back on Track

Relationships between couples can go wrong due to various reasons. In a vast majority of the cases where relationships have completely broken down, couples gradually begin to regret the break up and long to get back their ex. Fortunately though, there are two simple relationship self help techniques that can help you rescue your relationship.

Technique # 1: Share quality time: In today's hectic and competitive world, couples hardly spend quality time with each other. Couples need to remember that with time and other commitments, such as children and career, the initial enthusiasm in their relationship is bound to come down. The first technique involved in relationship self help involves, creating time for both of you. You should let your close friends or family members know that you have allotted a particular time slot on a daily basis for this purpose. Spending time together will help you get to know exactly how your significant other half is feeling. Remember, relationship self help should start with a sincere commitment on your part that you would spend more time with him or her.

Technique #2: Say goodbye to your ego: A lot of times relationships sour due to both the parties involved not agreeing to each other's viewpoint. In many cases, it is purely a case of egos that have been hurt. While in some cases it is the husband who feels that he has been wronged and in a similar number of cases the wife. Couples usually end up accusing each other and further ruining their relationship. In many cases, the ego plays a significant part, with one of the partners not willing to listen to the other's view point. This should not be the case. Remember, a major part of relationship self help starts with understanding this point and not letting ego come in between your relationship. In fact relationship self help is all about adjusting to each other's needs.

Hopping online is the best way to find advice on relationship self help. You can have a look at Magicofmakingup - a virtual treasure house of advice on relationship, can help you patch up with your ex and enjoy a happy life.

Snoring Intensity

Snoring intensity differs from one snorer to another. There are those people who snore quite heavily are advised to seek medical attention because it could actually be a sign of some health problems. Light snorers can seek some self help strategies that would include investing in anti-snoring pillow that makes lying on the back virtually impossible. Remember that sleeping on the back is one of the major reasons for this unhealthy and noisy breathing.

Snoring has gained attention and become a major topic of discussion after some research that was carried out in Oregon Health and Science University and showed that some of the factors that cause snoring are poor muscle tone, long uvula, nose blocks, bulky tissues in the neck area, wrong positioning of the neck during sleeping among other factors. Some of these factors can be cured with some simple self help remedies.

Snoring requires medical cure and should be approached with much care. Taking sedatives or sleeping pills as a cure should be avoided unless it is recommended by a doctor. Your doctor should be the person to decide what is best for your problem. This is because sometimes it is also caused by depression and only a doctor would know best how to handle depression.

Cures for this snoring problem in Oregon include surgery as the Oregon Health and Science University team seems to suggest. The surgery aims at enlarging the throat by removing the tonsils and clearing the nasal passage. The use of a nasal mask will also keep the airway open and prevent distraction of air through its pathway.

Peter Gitundu Researches and Reports on Snoring. For More Information on Oregon Snoring, Visit His Site at Oregon Snoring. You Can Also Add Your Views About Oregon Snoring On My Blog Here Oregon Snoring.

Can You Prevent Depression?

Depression. It can affect anyone of any age. Young, old, male or female, it doesn't play favorites. There is no single cause for depression. It tends to run in families and can be triggered by certain events. Stress is a big factor in the development of depression. But can you prevent depression from happening to you? This article will give you a few suggestions on how to prevent depression.

The best way to prevent depression is to learn to battle your stress. Everyone faces stressors in their lives and we all must learn to deal with them. So when you are faced with a stressful situation, slow down and take a deep breath. Inhale slowly through your nose and exhale out through your mouth. Fill your lungs with as much oxygen as possible, but remember to breathe slow. Deep breathing will help you to relax and can help to lower your blood pressure and pulse rate.

Eat a healthy diet and don't skip meals. Have a healthy snack in between meals. This will keep your body and brain functioning at their best. It is also important that you get plenty of sleep. Most people need at least eight hours a night. Getting enough sleep will help you feel rejuvenated and be ready to tackle almost anything.

Get organized and plan every thing. Have a list of goals and when you want to accomplish them. Plan your week and break it down to what you are going to do each day. Get your finances in order. Take proactive steps to pay off credit card debts and other debts. Spend time with the ones you love by going to a movie or out to dinner. Learn to say no and don't let people take advantage of you. These things can go a long way in relieving stress in your daily life.

Develop a method of meditation. This can be in the form of yoga or prayer. Search for the spiritual side of yourself. Having a spiritual side can make you feel more grounded and relaxed. Meditation can lower your heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormone level.

Stop worrying. This is easier said than done, but do your best to control your worrying. Do not try to be perfect with everything and don't procrastinate. Take care of problems right away. It gets you no where to sit and worry about your problems, when you could be using that time looking for ways to solve your problems.

Finally, start an exercise program. Exercise will release endorphins and other chemicals in your brain that can enhance your mood. Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.

If you follow the above tips you may be able to prevent depression. Everyone is different and some people may still need medication even if they try the above measures. There is no shame in needing to take a medication for your depression and the ones on the market these days are fairly safe. Talk to your doctor and follow his guidance.

For more information about an informative ebook and self help package for anyone suffering Panic Disorder or Depression visit Defeating Depression

Conflict Resolution Skills Can Be Learned

Fear of conflict is common.

We are anxious when we recall past quarrels and disagreements that resulted in personal injury, either physical or emotional. We remember feeling frightened, defeated and powerless.

To avoid repeating the experience, we can become passive, agreeable or accepting. We try to please the challenger, so they do not strike out again. We believe we have some power over the other person's outbursts thinking; "If I change... things will be better."

We may withdraw from the situation, believing the problem will be solved with time. Withdrawal, not talking or avoiding contact can also be a attempt at control. Solutions are not possible with the other person absent.

Acting in these ways will not help the situation improve.

Problems need to be solved to go away. Unresolved power struggles resurface disguised in different situations.

If we verbally and physically beat on others, we have not accepted personal responsibility for our behaviour. We think others control us. Someone else "makes" me angry. We are really saying; "I do not have control over myself."

When we lash out at the ideas others present, we reveal our own anxiety. This insecurity can lead to frightening, overpowering behaviour. Conflict can only be resolved without name calling, hitting, threats of bodily harm and undermining the other person's self esteem. An atmosphere of safety is necessary.

Each person must gain control over their own behaviour. We must choose to accept responsibility for our thoughts, words and deeds. We have the power to change ourselves!

Identifying a specific problem is the first step to solving it.

Resolving a deep problem often means solving smaller superficial differences first.

We must also let go of the idea that there is always a winner and a loser. When we think we know the one "right" way, we limit our ability to negotiate. Gaining suitable results, requires a struggle to find common ground. All parties involved need to commit to solving the problems.

By sticking to the issues, using examples to make our points and communicating our wants clearly, specific areas needing resolution can be pin pointed. A desire to resolve the difference must be honestly present in each person.

Marilyn Barnicke Belleghem M.Ed., is a registered marriage and family therapist and consults to families in business on issues related to workplace relationships. She is the author of books on personal growth through travel. http://www.mbcinc.ca