My-Introspective-Blog

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.” – William James

As huge of a discovery this was to the acclaimed American psychologist and philosopher, so it was to me at about age eighteen. Like a light bulb that went off in my head, I realized for the first time with distinct clarity that I could actually alter my life; and boy did my life need altering. I was a troubled teen stuck in the wrong crowd and carrying a bad attitude.

Some people go through life never knowing this eternal truth that they can change their lives. Some are persuaded to believe that destiny has been written for them and there is no changing it. To some that belief is systemically bound up within their religious beliefs. Some are trapped by their own fears and circumstances. Many born into lives of poverty believe they can never change their circumstances. I have witnessed families within the welfare system caught in this tragic belief passed down through three generations and sometimes more. They believe they simply cannot change their circumstances and they go through life stubbornly clinging to this self defeating belief.

What is your belief? Can you really change your life by altering your attitudes? In the fields of psychology and self-help, the belief is held to be a fact. Still, large segments of our population still believe that destiny has been written for them.

I have found that the way one believes on this has much to do with their circumstances. Sure it is easy to believe that you can change your life when you are wealthy and many of life’s negative barriers have been removed from your path. If you are among the lower classes of earth’s population, barriers of all kinds prevent you from doing much of anything. However within this very paradox lies the truth if we are courageous enough to seek the answer. Perhaps it takes an upper class of free and wealthy persons to prove the point that one can change their lives.

Given the proposition that you are totally free to do what you want and you are wealthy enough to buy what you need to alter your circumstances, isn’t it clear that you can alter not only your life, but the lives of others as well?

But isn’t it true that there are those among the wealthy and free that have been hindered in altering their lives? Absolutely! In fact it may surprise you to find that a good number of persons of well-to-do status have been hindered by the same belief that destiny controls their lives and they are utterly helpless in altering their circumstances. With this said, it sort of evens the playing field as far as using freedom and wealth as an excuse for changing ones life.

It is here that I find the greatest exhilaration in believing that I can alter my life by altering my attitudes. It is because the biggest barrier that hinders our ability to change our lives is belief. There is no doubt that circumstances play a large role in hindering an individual from changing their lives for the better. There is no doubt that wealth and freedom play large roles; but there has been a large pool of evidence among human beings that despite one’s station in life, one can make a difference and change their life. There has been story upon story of poor and unlikely candidates that have believed and worked on their circumstances to change their lives for the better.

And here is the greatest joy of all – knowing that you and I can also change our circumstances if we change our minds. William James said it and it is true. You can alter your life by altering your attitudes of mind. The first attitude to change is to believe that it is possible. Belief is strong; stronger than we can imagine. Belief can move mountains. Through my work with the welfare-to-work programs, I have seen people in terrible circumstances change their lives within a few short months by believing that they can and then doing something positive to change. I have witnessed the power of this belief face to face but also in the many stories I have read of successful people who started out in terrible circumstances.

You too can change your life. You must believe it. Change your mind. Then find a good coach, one who like Oprah Winfrey went from rags to riches. You would be surprised how many there are out there that are willing to help you overcome disbelief. Today as you take on the world, believe that you can control your circumstances and you too can change your life for the better as so many others have. Change your mind and change your life. Begin today!

John Cyr is a retired workforce development trainer and motivational consultant who writes articles and editorials under the pen-name Johnny Cyreous, or Cyreous. He maintains a website of quotes by famous people and advocates his method of teaching at www.cyreousquotes.com

Meditation is a group of mental training techniques .You can use meditation to improve mental health and capacities, and also to help improve the physical health. Some of these techniques are very simple, so you can learn them from a book or an article; others require guidance by a qualified meditation teacher.

WHAT IS MEDITATION

Most techniques called meditation include these components:

1. You sit or lie in a relaxed position.

2. You breathe regularly. You breathe in deep enough to get enough oxygen. When you breathe out, you relax your muscles so that your lungs are well emptied, but without straining.

3. You stop thinking about everyday problems and matters.

4. You concentrate your thoughts upon some sound, some word you repeat, some image, some abstract concept or some feeling. Your whole attention should be pointed at the object you have chosen to concentrate upon.

6. If some foreign thoughts creep in, you just stop this foreign thought, and go back to the object of meditation.

The different meditation techniques differ according to the degree of concentration, and how foreign thoughts are handled. By some techniques, the objective is to concentrate so intensely that no foreign thoughts occur at all.

In other techniques, the concentration is more relaxed so that foreign thoughts easily pop up. When these foreign thoughts are discovered, one stops these and goes back to the pure meditation in a relaxed manner. Thoughts coming up, will often be about things you have forgotten or suppressed, and allow you to rediscover hidden memory material. This rediscovery will have a psychotherapeutic effect.

THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION

Meditation has the following effects:

1. Meditation will give you rest and recreation.
2. You learn to relax.
3. You learn to concentrate better on problem solving.
4. Meditation often has a good effect upon the blood pressure.
5. Meditation has beneficial effects upon inner body processes, like circulation, respiration and digestion
6. Regular meditation will have a psychotherapeutically effect.
7. Regular meditation will facilitate the immune system
8. Meditation is usually pleacent.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HYPNOSIS AND MEDITATION

Hypnosis may have some of the same relaxing and psychotherapeutic effects as meditation. However, when you meditate you are in control yourself; by hypnosis you let some other person or some mechanical device control you. Also hypnosis will not have a training effect upon the ability to concentrate.

A SIMPLE FORM OF MEDITATION

Here is a simple form of meditation:

1. Sit in a good chair in a comfortable position.
2. Relax all your muscles as well as you can.
3. Stop thinking about anything, or at least try not to think about anything
4. Breath out, relaxing all the muscles in your breathing apparatus.
5. Repeat the following in 10 - 20 minutes:

– Breath in so deep that you feel you get enough oxygen.
– Breath out, relaxing your chest and diaphragm completely.
– Every time you breathe out, think the word “one” or another simple word inside yourself. You should think the word in a prolonged manner, and so that you hear it inside you, but you should try to avoid using your mouth or voice.

6. If foreign thoughts come in, just stop these thoughts in a relaxed manner, and keep on concentrating upon the breathing and the word you repeat.

As you proceed through this meditation, you should feel steadily more relaxed in your mind and body, feel that you breathe steadily more effectively, and that the blood circulation throughout your body gets more efficient. You may also feel an increasing mental pleasure throughout the meditation.

THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION UPON DISEASES

As any kind of training, meditation may be exaggerated so that you get tired and worn out. Therefore you should not meditate so long or so concentrated that you feel tired or mentally emptied.

Meditation may sometimes give problems for people suffering from mental diseases, epilepsy, serious heart problems or neurological diseases. On the other hand, meditation may be of help in the treatment of these and other conditions.

People suffering from such conditions should check out what effects the different kinds of meditation have on their own kind of health problems, before beginning to practise meditation, and be cautious if they choose to begin to meditate. It may be wise to learn meditation from an experienced teacher, psychologist or health worker that use meditation as a treatment module for the actual disease.

Knut Holt is an internet consultant and marketer focusing on health items. Please go here to find anti-aging supplements, medicines against acne, eczema, scars, wrinkles, other skin problems and natural medicines against many common diseases.—- http://www.abicana.com —–Free to reprint and reformat with the author’s name and his link.

Once Western scientists first began studying the personal effects of speculation in the 1970s, they noticed that heart rate, perspiration, and other signs of emphasis decreased as the meditator relaxed. Scientists, like Richard Davidson, PhD (University of Badger State), have besides been considering the long-term of . In 1992, Davidson received an invitation from the 14th Dalai Lama to come to northern Republic of India and sketch the brains of Buddhistic monks, the foremost meditators in the world. Davidson traveled to Bharat with laptop computers, generators, and EEG recording equipment, thus initiating an ongoing work. Now, monks travel to his WI lab wherever they chew over while in a magnetic imaging machine or they watch disturbing visual images as EEGs record their responses to understand how they regulate aroused reactions.

Any activeness–including –will create new pathways and strengthen certain areas of the mind. “This fits into the whole neuroscience literature of expertise,” says Stephen Kosslyn, a Harvard neuroscientist, in a New York Times article (14 September 2003), ” taxi drivers deliberate for their spatial memory and concert musicians for their sense of pitch. If you do something, anything, even play Ping-Pong, for 20 years, eight hours a Day, there’s going to be something in your head that’s different from someone WHO didn’t do that. It’s just got to be.” monks pattern three forms of : 1) focused attention on a single object for long time periods 2) cultivating pity by thinking about angercausing situations and transforming the negative emotion into compassionateness and 3) ‘open presence,’ “a Department of State of being acutely aware of whatever thought, emotion or sensation is present without reacting to it.” Knowing the that has on the monks’ brains, Davidson decided to realize what effect has on neophytes. He set up a cogitation with 41 employees at a nearby biotech company in Wisconsin River (Psychosomatic Medicine 65: 564-570, 2003). Twenty-five of the participants enlightened ‘mindfulness ,’ a accent-reducing form that promotes nonjudgmental awareness of the present and is taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

They knowing the praxis during a 7-hr retreat and weekly classes. During that 8-calendar week period, these participants were asked to think over for I 60 minutes each Clarence Day, six days a hebdomad. Brain measurements were taken before instruction, at the remainder of the eight weeks, and four months later. Measurements showed that increased bodily process in the left field frontal region of the nous, “an area linked to reduced anxiety and a positive excited State Department.” Also, at the remnant of the 8 weeks, the participants and 16 controls did not ponder received flu shots to test immune responses. researchers took blood samples from them ace month and two months after the injections, they found that the meditators had More antibodies against the flu virus than the non-meditators.

Harold Lederer http://my-searcher.net

Meditation can be defined as the science of paying attention to an object that will help us further unfold the finer aspects of our own self. The art of meditating was brought into our western world in the sixties by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi when he taught The Beatles to meditate trancendentaly. The essential skill of this meditating technique is learning to concentrate, condense and compress your awareness to be totally focused on the very subtle object you are meditating on. As your entire being becomes absorbed in your meditating activity, every stress and strain of daily life will fall from your shoulders. In a few short minutes you will become mentally and physically rested and refreshed.

This is the immediate benefit after you have meditated. Using the meditating method, you don’t see the deeper mental changes immediately. But if you execute a little patience and meditate every day, you’ll soon see a positive change in your mental health as well as improvement in other areas…

What are the benefits?

- if you meditate regularly you’ll attain a more positive and compassionate attitude

- people around you will soon see the benefits of your meditating exercise

- meditating can help you make better decisions

- meditating can increase your creativity

- meditating can make it easier to manage the daily challenges

- meditating can increase your self acceptance

- meditating can even increase your social acceptance

- meditating regularly can create order out of the chaos of stress

- you will obtain increased clairity if you meditate every day

- plus much more.

There has to be a reason why thousands of modern people all over the world are meditating every day. If meditating wasn’t a powerful shortcut to feeling good, we wouldn’t have so many meditating people. Many who start to meditate for the first time are amazed at the mental insights they gain that seemed to have been completely lost to them in all the mental stress they had allowed themselves to build up in their mind.

If you start to meditate you will come into a position where you can remove the restrictions that stress places on your mind and personal growth. You’ll gradually expand your mental and spiritual horizons and move towards reaching your full potential as a human being.

When you exercise your daily meditations, this should be done in a quiet, restful and clean place. It is important to create a serene atmosphere with no sense of hurriedness or interruptions.

Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and Sociologist who runs http://www.1st-self-improvement.net/. He writes about self improvement issues like self esteem improvement, see http://www.1st-self-improvement.net/self_esteem_improvement.htm and financial independence, see http://www.1st-self-improvement.net/financial_freedom.htm

In its’ simplest description, meditation can be described as a process of quieting your mind so that you can come into contact with quiet and peace that is always available to you inside.

A regular practice of meditation offers many benefits including: overall stress reduction, activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (relaxation response), clearer thinking, more creative thinking, helps to quiet the mind, fosters an increased sense of peace and contentment, helps to balance the emotions, provides a connection to your Spirit. An ongoing practice of meditation also helps to provide a context for observing thinking patterns and emotions as well as an opportunity to cultivate peace and relaxation. Hundreds of modern research studies now confirm what the yogis new 5000 years ago!

There are various ways to meditate and they usually involve as point of focus such as your breath, a mantra or visualization. A variety of techniques are explained below.

Before you try them there are a few guidelines that are helpful to be aware of. The first has to do with time and place. It is ideal to meditate at the same time and the same place each time you meditate. In this way you create an association of meditating and peacefulness with the space you have chosen. Each time you come back to this space, you will anticipate the experience of meditation. Additionally, by using the same time and space, you will be developing a habit. This is important to nurture as the consistency of your practice is most important, even if it is just ten minutes a day. Dawn and dusk are traditional times to meditate, but anytime can work. Begin with ten to twenty minutes and work up to forty-five minutes if possible.

Another consideration regarding time is knowing when to stop. Some people just let their inner clock guide them while others prefer to use and alarm clock so they don’t have to be concerned about the time. If you practice regularly, you will most likely find that your sense of time becomes exquisite, and you will automatically know when it is time to stop meditating.

A comfortable and stable sitting position is also important. The classic meditation posture is the lotus position. The reason for this is that is quite stable and the spine held erect. However most people in the West are not comfortable in this position. The truth is that any stable seated posture can work – even sitting in a chair. Placing a folded blanket or meditation cushion under your sitz bones also makes sitting more comfortable. Some people find that their back muscles aren’t strong enough and begin to ache when they sit in one position for more than a few minutes. If this is happening to you then sit near a wall and when you feel you can no longer hold your back upright comfortably then move against the wall and you will get the support you need. Whichever way you chose to sit just make sure it is stable, comfortable, and that your head neck and spine are in one line, and erect.

As you begin meditate it is common to have any or all of the following experiences:

1.You mind wonders. This is quite natural and expected. Just bring yourself back to your point of focus.

2.You are not sure if you are doing it right. You are most likely doing it right. Meditation is pretty simple to do – more challenging to stay with.

3.You will have memories, images or thoughts that you may have not thought about in years. Just acknowledge them and bring your awareness back to your point of focus.

4.You start to analyze yourself. Remember this is a time for meditation not for psychotherapy. Analyze later, meditate now.

5.You have certain revelations. Again, acknowledge these and then bring yourself back to your point of focus.

6.A body part is sore or itchy. The first time you feel something in your body, just acknowledge it and bring your awarness back to your point of focus. Often, it will go away. If it continues to irritate you then change your body positions.

Meditation Techniques

Below are two classic meditation techniques. Feel free to try both and see which works best for you. Ideally you will want to start with ten to twenty minutes and overtime you can work up to forty-five minutes if you like. A daily practice yields the most benefit and progress. It is better to practice for fifteen minutes every day than to practice for one hour once a week.Your mind is like any other muscle - the more your exercise it the stronger it becomes!

Focusing on a sound or mantra

In this method a sound or “mantra” is repeated over and over and over again, either silently or outloud. The mantra becomes a point of focus or “object”. A universal mantra is “Om” which is said to be the sound of creation. Another is “Ham (pronounced “hung”) “Sa” which means “I am that” - referring to spirit. Ham is said as you inhale and Sa as you exhale. The breathing is relaxed and easy through your nostrils Just keep bringing your awarness back to the mantra as you find your mind wondering. Remember, there is no need to beat yourself up for this as it is a natural phenomenon . Overtime you will find that mind wonders less and less. Some people like to use their own words such as “peace”, “love” or “let go”. If you have a special word or short group of words that has meaning for you, try using it.

Focusing on your breath:

Breathing in through your nostrils and though your nostrils, notice the feeling of the breath at the very point it enters your nose and follow the feelings of the air moving into your nasal passage to appoint where it ends. As you begin to exhale, notice where in your nasal passages you first notice your breath again and trace the feeling of your breath to the point where it exits your nostrils. Continue to notice your breath in this way, gently bringing your attention back to your breath when you catch your mind wondering. Another version of this technique is focus on the feeling of your torso moving in and out as your inhale and exhale.

One last point. It is sometimes very helpful to practice with others. Consider finding a meditation class at a nearby yoga studio or parks and recreation department. Practicing with like minded people and a good instructor can be very inspiring!

Howard VanEs, M.A. has been studying and practicing yoga for over thirteen years and is a certified yoga instructor teaching in the East Bay area of San Francisco. He is author of “Beginning Yoga: A Practice Manual”, co-creator of the audio CD “Shavasana/DeepRelaxation. Howard is also a former pscyhotherapist. http://www.letsdoyoga.com info@letsdoyoga.com

It isn’t always necessary to sit in silence with crossed legs in order to meditate or benefit from the meditation. Walking meditation is an excellent example of this. Walking meditation requires the use of focus much in the same way as other types of meditation. The difference is that the focus is placed upon the walking experience.

With walking meditation therefore, we are mindful of the experience of walking; the movement of our legs, the movement of our arms. We focus upon the rhythmic motions of walking. Walking meditation also differs from traditional meditation in that we are aware of and participating in our surroundings. Whereas with the usual types of meditation, one withdraws into silence and closes the eyes. Obviously we can’t do that with walking meditation because we need the eyes open to see where we are going and to watch for dangers and obstacles. So while we are focusing on the rhythm of our walking movement, we are also aware of the sights, sounds, and sensations around us.

It is actually easier for many people to focus and meditate in this environment, and therefore are more successful with walking meditation than with the more traditional sitting forms of meditation. It is easier to be aware of and focus upon your body while it is in motion; the experience can be powerful and a source of deep enjoyment.

A few different types of walking meditation have evolved; however walking outdoors is the most common. To give walking meditation a try, find an open space like a park or empty parking lot where you can walk safely for about 20 minutes without the worry of encountering traffic or crossing busy streets.

How to do walking meditation

Once you have selected the ideal location for your walking meditation, follow the guidelines below:

Begin by Standing

Begin to focus upon your body with the simple act of standing. Notice how your body feels and be aware of the constant little adjustments your body makes in order to maintain balance. Feel the weight of your body pressing through your feet and onto the earth.

Walk and Focus

Once you have placed your full awareness onto your body, begin the walk. Walk with your usual stride and pace, not too hurriedly. There is no need to try and change the way you walk, all you need to do is be aware of your body walking. Keep your focus upon your body and feel it moving. Be aware of your feet as one raises and then the other. Become aware of all the tiny little sensations in your body from the feeling of your feet inside of the shoes, to your knee as it bends to lift your leg. Stay relaxed, relax your eyes and just let the scenery flow past you. Your goal is to be relaxed and bring your focus onto your body.

Become Aware of Feelings

Once you are fully aware of your body, switch your focus onto the feelings or sensations that pass through your body; not necessarily emotional problems, but rather the overall tone of your feeling of the moment. Are you happy? Bored? In a hurry? Pass no judgment on the feeling and don’t analyze it. Your goal is to just become aware of it and then move your awareness on.

Balance the Inner and Outer

Alternate your awareness between the inner, your feelings, and the outer, your body. Play with the awareness, and focus upon them in equal balance. When you are able to do this, your mind reaches a state of stillness and clarity. Your mind becomes calm. Your goal is to balance your awareness of the inner with the outer.

End by Standing

After you have completed the above steps and brought your awareness into a balance of the inner and outer, bring your body to a natural stop and once again experience yourself standing. Bring your awareness to the feelings in your body as you stand in place. When you are ready, bring the walking meditation to a close.

Selecting the appropriate location for your walking meditation will be an important consideration as you can imagine. It is not necessary to find a place of solitude, but you do need to find a location where you will be safe if your full awareness is not upon the environment around you.

Sarah Thomas is an established freelance writer. You can find more of her writings at meditationteam.com and anxietysos.com.

Many people may have had glimpses of meditation unconsciously. For example whilst walking through nature and being awed by its beauty and magnitude. Others may have been moved by sublime music. At such moments our mind becomes still and we feel a sense there is something greater beyond our usual perceptions. As mysteriously as it came, such experiences may leave, giving only a fleeting glimpse of a feeling that is hard to describe. Meditation is an attempt to make such experiences permanent and also deepen and expand our own consciousness.

People may take up meditation for a variety of reasons which could just be curiosity, a desire for more relaxation, peace of mind, or help in sleeping. Others may take to meditation from a feeling of disenchantment with the outer life. If practised with sincerity and regularity, meditation can give us relaxation and peace of mind but it can also offer more than we ever expected. Through meditation we can expedite our soul’s inner journey and we can become more aware of our own spiritual dimension.

“Meditation is absolutely necessary for those who want to have a better and more fulfilling life. If you feel that you are satisfied with what you have and what you are then you need not enter into the field of meditation. But if you feel that there is a barren desert deep inside your heart, then meditation is the answer. Meditation will give you inner joy and peace of mind.”

- Sri Chinmoy

To begin meditation we need to learn the art of concentration. Here concentration is different to mental concentration. Concentration for meditation means the ability to be aware of only one thing at a time. We need to keep the mind one pointed and focused only on our meditation exercise. If you try sitting still for 5 minutes and observe your own thoughts you will realise how difficult this is at first. However spiritual teachers who have mastered the art of meditation have offered a variety of techniques to help control the mind. If practised these can change the inherent tendency of the mind to wander and we can enter to silent meditation.

Meditation has significant benefits, these do not materialise in one or two sessions, they are slowly accumulated over time as we deepen our own meditation practise. These benefits will include a more focused and calm mind, greater dynamism and better sleep. In addition we will find ourselves less worried by minor irritants because we can more easily detach ourselves from these negative thoughts.

Some people associate meditation with the Kundalini energies, and psychic powers, however these are really like diversions on the path. The real goal of meditation is peace of mind and positive changes to our inner life.

To start meditation is very easy. Just take 5 or 10 minutes somewhere quiet. Begin by focusing on your breathing and let your thoughts drift away, if thoughts come pay no attention to them. Next try to feel yourself diving deep within away from the mind. If you like you can visualise a beautiful garden or vast ocean. Then for 10 minutes try to hold this awareness with one pointed concentration. If external noises come do not let them distract you, they will always be there. Just concentrate on your breathing. Even if this first experience is not fruitful keep persevering for with each try we will be able to add to our capacity and gradually learn the art of meditation.

By Richard Pettinger. Richard is a member of the Sri Chinmoy centre in Oxford. http://www.meditationworkshop.org/

Wealth creation involves a slew of different concepts that can only contribute positively to your life. In the hustle and bustle of a fast lifestyle, people seem to forget the different methods that make individuals successful. For some people, they just lose the perspective to apply the different success methods. When people lose focus and tend to view the small details as part of their success pattern, then the goal loses its value. That is why it is important not to forget the different personal concepts that govern wealth creation.

Having a Wealthy View

Financial abundance and wealth creation is a real and tangible idea. But there is a critical condition to it. In order to grasp the ideas of wealth creation, one must take the view of the rich and the wealthy. To have a wealthy view is to have the mindset of a millionaire.

Wealth creating mindset sees the world in a different light. That fundamental principle allows successful people to adapt to different problems while finding fresh methods to attack the blocks that hinders them from achieving their financial goals. They find optimism when an ordinary optimist says no. They also find encouragement in defeats. Most importantly, they find opportunities when it is most invisible. The key to create wealth is therefore to master personal concepts to develop a wealthy perspective.

Where most people find nothing, wealth creation entails finding value in things. However, the most successful wealth creators not only find value. Instead, they create it! In order to create or increase one’s value, wealth creators increase their own individual value first. Wealth creators realize that in order to succeed, one must always exceed even their own expectations. An adaptive mindset that creates value wherever he goes will find himself very important element in a successful enterprise. .

Wealth creation also entails seizing opportunities. In leadership terms, we call it initiative. Individually, we can call it being proactive. A proactive person finds things to do when others see it as free time. They do not wait for opportunities to bite them. Instead, they come biting at opportunities. Once you become a proactive person, you will suddenly find that opportunities come at you at a much faster rate, giving you way to create more wealth.

If you do not follow your passion, wealth creation is not fun. Wealth creation is hard enough of a process. If you feel that these activities are routine and boring, you will be gasping for air before you get halfway there. The most successful people will usually tell you that they love what they are doing. They will even go far as saying that they will do the things that they love even though they won’t get paid for it. Once we find our passion, everything becomes easy and you will be on the top of the wealth creation chain in no time.

Saving is involved in wealth creation and money making, and that means foregoing what we can spend now for later. While the concept of “delayed gratification” seems easy, only a few people can heartily apply it. Delaying gratification allows us to see into the future and believe that there is a better value for happiness if you save gratification. With the savings compounded over time, wealth is created. Removing instant gratification from our habits will ensure that money always goes wherever they need to go.

Finally, creating wealth involves moving forward. Improving oneself in every aspect and knowing that are different ways to be a better person is a mindset that will help people in the long run. As they say, Rome is not built in a day. We must learn to account each small action and find ways to improve ourselves.

Wealth Creation is not an exercise or a method. Instead, it is a revamp of your current lifestyle to a life that produces a sense of accomplishment. This way we are able to move forward feeling very confident. Wealth Creation is a journey not only of our economic standing but also of our overall happiness.

Steven Miller is a freelance writer and educator. He is passionate about learning wealth creation strategies to achieve financial freedom. Visit the Wealth Creation Academy website for a Free DVD and ebook.

The Wealth Formula succinctly depicts the components that are necessary for you to create real wealth. The Wealth Formula is shown below:

M+K+P+A=W

It identifies four essential wealth creation stages and the relationship between them. These are:

Wealth Mindset
Wealth Knowledge
Wealth Planning
Wealth Action

It links each of these four component through the plus sign, +, which signifies that each of the four components are necessary for you to create wealth. In other words, missing one or more of the four wealth components will dramatically impact your ability to generate wealth.

For example, you could mentally prepare yourself, learn everything you need to make enormous wealth and create the most detailed plan to achieve your desired level of wealth, but if you don’t action it then all that preparation is worthless.

Similarly, if you mentally prepare yourself, learn everything you need to make enormous wealth and run off actioning your newfound mindset and knowledge but fail to make a plan it is like setting off in your car to go somewhere you’ve never been without taking a map. What’s your wealth destination? How will you know if you’ve achieved what you wanted to achieve? How do you know your using the right investment vehicle? How do you know if you’re on track or not to reach your target? Are you surpassing or underachieving against realistic milestones? All of these questions would be easily answered with proper planning.

So let’s look at each of the four wealth creation categories in turn.

Wealth mindset:

Wealth Mindset is the first of the four wealth creation categories and examines the importance of the correct mindset to creating wealth, money making  and financial freedom. Wealth mindset covers the interaction between you and your environment and the process of adjusting your thought process to think like the wealthy.

For example, the poor and middle class generally think that money is scarce and hard to come by. Saying such as “Money doesn’t grow on trees” and “I can’t afford that” spring to mind. The wealthy see a world of opportunity and abundance. They see money as little more than a concept and simply the by-product of providing value to others. They also know that offering value to others is only limited by their imagination and thus money must too only be limited by their imagination. The wealthiest people of the planet simply understand this and have incredible imaginations that create amazing value to others.

For example, Jeff Bezos realised that bookstores were severely limited in the amount of books they could offer their customers due to geographic and physical constraints. In other words bookstores could only service customers that lived near them and could only offer a limited amount of books, which fit in their store. He saw an amazing opportunity to solve these two problems by giving access to anyone anywhere via the Internet and offering a catalogue that is 40 times the size of a large bookstore. Jeff founded the multi-billion dollar company Amazon!

Wealth Knowledge:

Wealth knowledge is the second of the four wealth creation categories and examines the financial knowledge that is essential to create wealth and financial freedom. It is essential for wealth creation that you are knowledgeable about your own personal finances, the economy, the psychology of markets, compound interest and the asset classes and investment products available to you. Further, you need to understand how to interpret financial statements, investment strategies and risk management all from the wealth creation perspective.

Wealth Planning:

Wealth planning is the third of the four wealth creation categories and examines the essential component of planning to create wealth and financial freedom. Wealth planning is absolutely essential, yet on 3% of the population has clearly written goals and plans. A Harvard Business School study found that this 3% earned 10 times the average of the other 97% and they accumulated 98% of the wealth.

Wealth Action:

Wealth Action is the forth and final wealth creation category and examines the element of action in your wealth journey to create wealth and financial freedom. The importance of action to achieving wealth is obvious. Nothing can be achieved without action.

By using the wealth formula you can easily learn where your wealth creation strengths and weaknesses are and where you need to concentrate your efforts at improving.

Emlyn Scott is the founder of Rich1Percent, investor and wealth creation author. He is a wealth creation and finance expert with 4 post graduate qualifications and has amassed a multi-million dollar investment portfolio.