All of us have goals, even if we don’t consider them as goals. A goal need not be something big and spectacular. Not everyone wants to become a millionaire, own a company, become a businessman, a politician or a famous actor or singer. Most people want just a happy and comfortable life, and their goals are therefore ordinary and simple ones.

Most people want to find a good job, keep their current job, and be promoted in their current job. There are people whose goal is to go to college and graduate. Others wish to travel abroad or take a vacation. Some desire to find love, and others want to be healthy. Building a muscular body, learning to swim, learning to speak a foreign language, or just the desire look and dress good are also goals.

Even the desire to have enough money to shop, to have fun or make life more comfortable and enjoyable are goals.

Most of these goals are achievable and within reach, and can fill most of our time. When fulfilled, we either try to repeat them again and again, or move to other similar sized goals.

You see, even if you think that you don’t have any goals, you actually have them and work toward achieving them.

How can you increase your chances of success? Planning ahead, using affirmations and visualization, and being focused, open-minded, patient, self disciplined, motivated, ambitious and positive increase your chances of success.

Read also the article:
10 Steps to Achieve Goals

Learn how to make goals and dreams come true:
Read Visualize and Achieve and Affirmations Words of Power! 

We all seek peace of mind in one way or another, in one form or another. All of us desire some degree of alleviation, rest or time out from daily chores and tasks, from stress, problems, the news, people and the rush of daily life. There are many ways to find peace, but most of them are temporary means, bringing temporary inner peace. Going to a movie, spending time doing something we love to do, listening to relaxing music and even sleeping are various ways to experience it.

It is also possible to gain a stable state of inner peace, which is independent of external circumstances, but this requires some inner work and techniques.

Here is an excerpt from my book Peace of Mind in Daily life, in which a teacher asks his pupil, why he is seeking peace of mind: 

“Teacher: Tell me, why are you seeking peace of mind?

Pupil: I have got several good reasons for desiring it:

• I often find my mind jumping from one subject to another or thinking on irrelevant matters, not letting me concentrate or think clearly.
• Worries and anxieties keep coming into my mind, by day and by night.
• Too often I find myself thinking over and over again on a past unpleasant event, reliving it in my mind, and experiencing all the unpleasantness that was associated with it.
• Unpleasant emotions and feelings often rise up, due to external situations or causes, arousing unrest and inner emotional storms.
• Worries, fears and negative thoughts often fill my mind, not giving me a moment of rest.
• Sometimes my thoughts and worries do not let me fall asleep, and when I do sleep, I do not sleep soundly enough because of them.
• There is an inner conversation and inner chatter inside my head that never seems to stop.

All this is tiring, straining and weakening, bringing unhappiness and lack of peace. I believe that peace of mind will free me from all these disturbing and exhausting experiences.”

This is an excerpt from the book Peace of Mind in Daily life

The thoughts you focus on have a great impact on your financial condition and your prospects of obtaining abundance and prosperity.

Though current national or international situations can affect your financial condition, yet, if you choose your thoughts wisely, and focus only on what you really want, you can achieve success and improve your financial conditions even in rough times.

The power that brings you success or failure, prosperity and abundance or poverty resides in your mind, and not in Wall Street or current market conditions.

You can still make money and enjoy life regardless of what’s happening in the economy. All you need is learn to focus your mind unswervingly on your goals, on positive results, and on positive outcome.
 
Sadly, many people waste their time and energy letting their mind be ruled by outside sources, the press, TV, current world conditions, and what other people say and do.

You waste and weaken your mind power, motivation and confidence when you listen too much to the news, especially negative economic news.

I’m not telling you to ignore economic and financial news. That would be an irresponsible act.

I am suggesting that you understand the state of economy and prepare yourself for any condition, but don’t dwell too much on what you hear or read. Listen and read the news, but in a detached manner, without letting them affect your state of mind, and regardless how difficult this might. Stay positively focused on your goals and plans, and what you focus on will eventually grow and come to pass.

Don’t let bad economic news be an excuse to think negatively, complain and get despondent. Be careful with what you think and feed your mind, otherwise you might inadvertently let bad economic news become self-fulfilling prophecy.

It is rather easier to feel positive when everything goes well, but real positive thinking is revealed when you can maintain it difficult times. It is then that you need it most.

In difficult times, when there are problems and the economic condition is tough, it is so easy to get into negative thinking and self-pity, and be sucked into a vicious circle of worries, fears and the expectation of more problems, lack of money or poverty.

You may read books and articles on positive thinking, and believe that you are positive, but when difficulties and rough times appear, you just forget everything and focus on the problems and difficulties, instead of believing in yourself, looking for solutions and seeking and seizing opportunities.

If you have no job, no money and the future looks bleak you might:

• Indulge in self-pity and feel bad and helpless.
• Indulge in worries and fears and expect more problems.
• Become resentful and angry at the world and at successful people.
• Be sad and focus on your problems.

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Do you find lack of concentration and distracting thoughts overwhelming, when you try to concentrate, meditate or follow any personal growth or spiritual growth technique?

Someone has recently asked me the following question:

“I was just wondering if it was common for people in a sense to get “worse” before they get better.  I’ve been doing so much reading and have started meditating and doing affirmations. I feel that I have been having a harder time shutting my mind off and almost feel a bit overwhelmed. Is this a normal part of the process? And when can I expect things to improve?”

When starting with meditation, affirmations or other inner growth methods, people sometimes seem to experience more acutely their lack of control over their mind. They feel more strongly the lack of concentration and are unable shut the mind off. This is a common occurrence, and one should be patient and strong enough not to give up.

Why does this happen?

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