Why You Do NOT Want To Lose Weight!

Losing weight is one of the commonest resolutions that people make every year. Yet obesity and overweight are on the increase.

Makes you wonder what is wrong with that picture.

What makes it such a difficult goal to accomplish or stick to?

Well there are several things, but for now let's talk about the most important reason.

It's the way you state the goal. In other words, it's the command you're giving to your subconscious mind. Your mind  functions to attract and bring about the physical form of what you think about.

You say, 'I want to lose weight'. 

Your subconscious mind reads that statement as 'I have excess weight', or 'I don't have weight loss' because that's what you're implying when you state your goal that way. That's the thought behind that statement.

There are 3 main problems with stating your desire this way.

- Since the predominant thought behind the statement is 'abundant weight' or 'excess weight', that is what you get. Remember, you get what you think about most of the time. You become what you think about - it's the way your mind works, whether you're aware of it or not.

- Since there is also a thought on 'losing weight', there is the danger of your subconscious finding creative ways to help you lose weight, for example you could have an accident and lose a limb or something. Or you could have a horrendous bout of diarrhoea. You'd weigh less then, for sure. Not quite what you had in mind I'll bet.

- Your mind is designed to bring about what's best for you. So it doesn't want you to 'lose' anything. If you talk about losing weight, your mind will do everything to help you find it.

You can see how stating your goal the wrong way can set you up to lose the battle right from the start.

Many 'weight loss' programs fail because they deal with external activities without paying attention to what's going on in your mind. Yet your mind is what decides the results you get, because it dictates the actions you take. The programs that teach you the right way to think are the ones that will help you maintain any weight level you seek. A program that focuses on 'weight loss' is inadvertently focusing on attracting weight because that's the predominant thought throughout the program. You may find you lose weight in the short term, but eventually your actions (based on your current mindset) lead you to gain it right back. I see this very often in practice. How should you state your goal then? First of all you need to understand that 'weight' in itself is not the issue. Health is the issue. What the weighing scale reads, is not the threat you face. Your threat is excess fat.  A healthy body does not hold on to excess fat - it naturally releases it. Muscle weighs more than fat, so if you've got a lot of lean muscle, you'd probably weigh more than someone who has the same amount of fat, yet they're are the ones in greater danger, healthwise. This is one of the flaws of the BMI measurements that are so popular. Body Mass Index measurements measure your weight against your height. They *are* useful indicators of weight-related health risks, but because they do not take account of the source of the weight (fat or muscle), the readings can sometimes be misleading. Case in point. At one point, Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwartzenegger had the same BMI... If you desire to 'lose weight', a better way is to speak in terms of 'releasing fat'. The best way to state a goal is  in the present tense with a deadline. So you could say 'I am releasing at least 500grams of excess fat every week' or you could say 'I weigh....(state your desired weight) of lean muscle and 10% body fat (if that's your desired body fat percentage level) by the 30th of March 2014'. Those are examples - try them on for size. Better yet, come up with ones of your own. Notice how you feel when you rephrase your weight goals that way. Notice the shift in energy behind those words. Paradigm Shift... Now here's a paradigm shift for you: what if your goal statement had *nothing* to do with weight or fat. What if your goal statement focused on 'health'. Do you think you could achieve your ideal weight with that sort of goal statement? Absolutely! This is, in my opinion, the very best way to state a 'weight' goal. Here's the thing: a perfectly healthy body is not over-weight. It's not under-weight either. When you are in perfect, true health, your body *naturally* releases excess fat and holds onto just what it needs to function perfectly. So here's my challenge to you. Don't join the masses who obsess about their body weight. A wise man once said that if you see the majority doing something, you'd better go the other way. Be one of the few people who are truly 'health conscious'. What you are conscious of is what you attract. So state your goal as 'I am perfectly healthy now', and focus on that thought, for that is what you'll attract. When you look in the mirror and what you see doesn't reflect your goal, remind yourself that your statement refers to the  'real' you, not the 'case' you move around in. The good thing about this is that your subconscious will latch onto your predominant thought which is 'I am perfectly healthy now', and guide you to do things that make it your physical reality. It's amazing the way your mind works. Learn to make it work for you, not against you. Upgrade your 'weight' goal today. Focus on perfect health, for the 'ideal weight' is part of the 'perfect health' package. Setting Your Health Goal: Think Health! Let me leave you with an excellent way to state your new and improved 'weight' goal. I learnt this (the 'I am so happy and thankful' bit) from Bob Proctor. Go ahead and say it out loud with me now: "I am so happy and thankful that I am perfectly healthy now". Then you go ahead and set daily or weekly goals such as how many days a week you will work out, what you will eat each day, etc. while remembering the overall, ultimate destination goal. Eg I clock up 10000 steps every day. I drink 1 cup of freshly made vegetable juice each day. I drink 2.5L of water each day. and so forth. Think Health! And the weight will take care of itself, I promise you. Surround yourself with images and thoughts that reflect your stated desired outcome. Surround yourself also with likeminded people so that your mind is bombarded with all things health. Make that your predominant thought and it will become your physical reality in good time, as your actions steer you towards it.

DARE TO DREAM, DARE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Dreams, Visions and Goals are on my mind. Thoughts at the moment - I'll use the word 'dream' to represent Dreams, Visions and Goals:

a) YOU have been given YOUR dream for a reason. It's YOURS. Not someone else's.

b) You came into this world FULLY EQUIPPED with all you could possibly need, to make this vision come to pass. You won't begin to access this until you recognise this truth. You're all that and a bag of something healthy. You've got what it takes to make that dream become real, regardless of your current circumstances.


c) Your dream has been given to YOU by your Creator, for the purpose of serving many. It ain't about you, folks, though you do get to reap the benefits of living your dream, big time.


d) Don't be afraid to have a BHAD (Big, Hairy, Audacious Dream) - the One who's put it in your heart is Bigger than you or it or anyone else. Plus you've got what it takes to make it come to pass. If it's not big enough or audacious enough you ain't seeing the vision clearly yet.


e) This world is run by people who held on tenaciously to **and** took consistent action based on their BHAD.


f) No matter the size of your dream, you WILL have nay sayers. It's ok. Somebody's gotta be them. So let them be, and refuse to let them shift your focus off your dream/vision/goal.

g) Your dream is a seed. Just as a farmer does not agitate about **how** the seed he plants turns into a tree, your job is not to agitate about **how** your dream will become reality. Your job is to plant the seed (get clear on what exactly you desire out of life), then start wherever you are to do the best you can at what you are currently doing, in an attitude of gratitude that no matter what, your dream is coming true. Tis a law of nature - harvest time *MUST* come for you as long as you keep nurturing that dream seed by your thoughts, words and actions.


h) You've gotta SHOW UP for your dream to come true. It is impossible to make excuses and show up at the same time.
SHOW UP on time, wherever you should be, and do the best you can at whatever you should be doing. **Whether or not you feel like it.**

Show up at work on time, do the best you can.

Show up for your workout (wherever you are - home/gym/work ) and put in the time.

Show up in your kitchen and invest time in preparing healthy dishes.

Show up at your desk and study your course material.

Show up in your room or wherever, and rehearse that speech/play/recital etc.

Show up at your choir practice and train that voice best you can.

Show up in your life and study personal development material to better yourself.

Show up in your child's life and be a hands on parent. Take responsibility and don't blame the school or the government for how your child turns out. You were there first in their life.

Show up in your partner's life and give 100% expecting nothing back.

Whatever you desire to be, do or have, you've first gotta SHOW UP!

Your dream and the millions who would benefit from it coming true, depends on you SHOWING UP.

PRESS RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE, NOVEMBER 2013

NIGERIAN DOCTOR BAGS TWO PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS IN LONDON (for campaign to end epidemic of chronic degenerative disease through Healthy Lifestyle) – IN SAME WEEK!

The first EVER medical professional to accomplish this feat!

A Zambian-born Nigerian Doctor based in the United Kingdom, Dr Nkem (Ezeilo) Thompson MBBS, Dip. Performance Coaching, MRCGP, has just achieved a hat-trick of awards this year, having won 2 prestigious awards in London in the same week, after winning one earlier this year.



Dr Nkem, a General Practitioner, Motivational Speaker and Author based in London, won the Gathering of Africa’s Best (GAB) Award for Excellence for contributions in the area of Health, at a ceremony that took place in the Hilton Hotel , Paddington London on the 27th of October 2013.



5 short days later, she was at the Marriot in Bexleyheath, South London, where she won the LifeChangers “Female Personality of The Year 2013″ Award in a glamorous ceremony.



Earlier in the year, in may 2013, the dynamic doctor, dubbed ‘The Motivational Medic’ by the media, had bagged the Women4Africa “Motivational Speaker of The Year 2013″ Award at an event in London also.



These accolades are in recognition of Dr Nkem’s passion and tireless efforts in bringing to the public the message of a Healthy Lifestyle as THE way to reverse and prevent such illnesses as Diabetes and Hypertension, as well as being THE way to maintain and develop your greatest asset (health is the greatest wealth). Her popular ‘Pillars of A Healthy Lifestyle‘ form the foundation for her speeches, coaching programs, and consultations.



A qualified Professional Peak Perfomance Coach, Dr Nkem is a sought-after Keynote Speaker and has spoken to diverse audiences including the general public, Business leaders and most recently spoke at the British House of Parliament as part of the Black History Month celebrations. She was recognised as one of ten Nigerians of note in the diaspora, in the maiden edition of the magazine of the Nigerian House of Representatives, ‘WAZOBIA Diasporan’ in June 2013.

Equipping You To Succeed One Day At A Time!

She is a prolific writer and is widely published online and offline, and has been quoted as the Health Expert in such magazines as Psychologies, Red, Pride magazine. 

She is the author of several books including the popular ‘Inspirational Blueprints of Personal Success for Women’ – the 2nd edition of which is due out early next year. She’s also currently rounding up work on a health-related book due out next year.

TIPS TO HELP YOU FINISH STRONG IN 2013!

FINISH STRONG IN 2013!

Ok so we're about to enter the 'ember months now. 4 months to the end of 2013.

However you have performed up til now, you can still finish strong this year. Here are some tips to help you do this

Now, 80-95% of those reading this won’t do a thing with the information on here.

Why?

Not cos it doesn’t work - it does work, as the numerous clients I and others have worked with can testify.

Not cos it’s hard or difficult. On the contrary it’s very easy to do this stuff.

But they won’t do it because it’s so easy NOT to do. 

Then they will sit around, criticize and complain about the diligent and successful 5-10% who make the effort to do the easy little things that make ALL the difference.

Choice is yours. 
Choose to finish strong, dear reader - you CAN do this! And if it's to be, it's up to you.

If you desire to TAKE ACTION and FINISH STRONG this year, as I do, here’s what to do:

First, go to a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted, get a notebook and GAP (Grab A Pen)!

You’re about to do a lot of writing because
a) Writing forces you to FOCUS on what you are writing about and

b) Writing gives you a certain CLARITY about issues.
c) Writing with pen and paper has a certain POWER about it that is not  quite the same as typing on a computer… but typing it out is ok too so because of (a) and (b) above.

Then:

1. Get clear on your values.
   
   
   Your values are the things that are most important to you, and form the foundation of everything else you do: you feel frustrated and guilty when something you're doing violates your values so get clear of what those values are, then  line up your goals and actions so that they are congruent with them.
   
   Violating your values is for instance, why you feel guilty when you’ve eaten junk food if health is one of your values. If you didn’t give two hoots about health you’d happily indulge in habits that damage your health, with no feeling of guilt. Or if you neglect to phone someone you love because you’ve got a visitor in the house at the time you were meant to call em, you feel guilty and frustrated because you’ve violated the value of quality time with your loved one. If you’re not clear on what your values are though you won’t know why you feel frustrated and stressed all the time.
   
   In addition when you know your values and their order of priority, you find it easy to make decisions and to say no when you mean to say no.
   
   So get clear on your values and write them down now. Write them down in order of priority so that you know which ones it’s ok to swap around if the occasion arises: for instance one of the ladies in the Health Coaching group I run on FB had to choose between spending time with her little one, and going for a workout - both health and family time are important to her but getting clear on which was more important helped her make the decision of which one to do at the moment, without feeling guilty. It also gave her the flexibility to ensure she fitted in the other activity at some point in her week.

2. 
   Re-write/update your goals list. 
   What main goals do you desire to achieve by December 31, 2013? Write them down NOW. 
   
   
   These goals must line up with your stated values. Otherwise you will sabotage yourself along the way. But be clear and specific when writing your goals and be sure to include the 31st of December as your intended date of achievement - that way your mind has something to aim for.
   
   
   Then get into the habit of rewriting this updated list DAILY (daily goal setting) first thing in the morning. This is a powerful way to start you off focused at the start of the day. Easy to do, easy not to do. Your choice.

3. Star In Your Own (Mental) Movie: 
   Write & Act Out Your Screenplay
   What sort of person do you need to be, to have achieved your written goals by the 31st of
   
   December?
   
   
   
   Describe this sort of person clearly - in writing. This here is you writing the screenplay for the rest of your life- least for the next 4 months. 
   
   
   Create a mental image, a mental movie even, of you in the role of this person. Yep write this down too: What do you look like, what behaviours and habits do you have, what do you smell like, how do you feel, in that role?
   
   
   Watch this movie any spare moment you get - this is called "directed daydreaming."
   

   
   

   
   

4. 
   Get Organised & Take Action!
   What ACTIONS do you need to take weekly or daily, to make your goals happen? Write them down. Like the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you're planning to fail. So write out your winning strategy now. At the start of each week, write out your week’s targets/goals and actions. 
   
   
   At the end of each day, write down your TO DO list for the following day. Leave nothing to chance, but be flexible enough to accomodate things that come up in the course of life.
   
   ACTION is where the rubber meets the road. You can think positive until you are blue in the face and you get brain cramps, but if you do not take ACTION, NOTHING happens!
   
   So write down your ACTION PLAN for the next 4 months. 
   Break this down into Weekly Action Plan then your Daily Action Plan list.
   
   
   
   
   Prioritise your list and do the most important items first. Never start a less important task without completing an important one. (See time management below)
   
   Then start ACTING on what you’ve written as soon as you possibly can.

5. 
   Break Free From Limiting Beliefs
   
   
   Weed out limiting beliefs and disempowering "can't do" thoughts - then blast em into smithereens by creatively bombarding your mind with empowering "can-do" thoughts. 
   
   
   Limiting beliefs are those thoughts that lead you to think less of yourself than you are. They are so called because they limit your effectiveness and productivity by creating in your mind, an image of yourself that's less capable than you really are. It's important to overcome them because your beliefs determine your self image, which determines your actions, which determine your results.
   
   
   So if the result you desire is to finish strong this year, then you've gotta start now to replace your limiting beliefs with strong, empowering, "can-do" beliefs about yourself.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   How To Do This:
   1) First you've gotta become aware of what these beliefs are. So get an A4 sheet of paper, and draw a line down the middle of it. 
   
   On one side,  write down a list of negative thoughts you have about yourself such as ‘I’m not clever’ or ‘I’m not good enough’ or whatever thoughts are holding you back. As they occur to you, or at times when you notice yourself feeling low, write down the thoughts in your head at the time.
   
   Then on the other side of the sheet, write down the corresponding opposite (positive) statement/thought to the negative one.
   So for instance to correspond with the examples above you’d write: ‘I am clever’ , ‘I am good enough’ etc.
   
   Flood your mind with images and words/thoughts of success, positivity, power, love, health, all good things. I find the Scriptures (aka ‘old testament’) a powerful repository of words with the qualities described above.
   
   ii) Engage audio sense. If you’ve got a ‘voice memo’ or its equivalent on your phone, record yourself reading out the description you wrote above of the sort of person you are when you’ve achieved your goal, plus the positive thoughts you wrote down on your list above. Play your recording many times each day but at least twice a day.
   
   Repetition got you where you are in terms of your current beliefs - repetition will get you out so long as you’re repeating the right thoughts.
   
   iii) The famous 'rubber band' technique: put on a rubber band around your wrist. Each time you catch yourself saying something bad about yourself or putting yourself down, snap that rubber band and IMMEDIATELY say the opposite to yourself either silently or out loud. Literally snaps you out of that funk of destructive thinking.
   
   
   iv) Dream Board - start collecting images that match your desired end result - use your sense of vision to flood your mind with empowering images and you will remain focused on the right track, and cultivate a healthy esteem of yourself.
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. 
   Believe!
   
   
   Believe without a shadow of doubt that you can and will achieve your goals. 
   
   Even if you’ve never achieved any goal to date, remember that your past DOES NOT EQUAL your future. The fact you messed up does not mean you are bound to mess up again. So quit living in the past. Believe for a better future.
   
   
   Pick up lessons from the past but do like Yah says in Isaiah 43 and “forget the former things, do not dwell on the past, see, I’m doing a NEW thing”. Look ahead and focus on the new thing that's happening.
   
   Dwelling on the past while moving forward is like driving while focusing on your rear view mirror - you’ll soon crash.
   
   Keep your focus on your intended destination and believe you can and will get there.
   
   Then line up your words and your actions with your belief.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

7. Plug Into A Support System

Any life change becomes lasting when you are in an environment that's supportive. Stay away from haters and nay sayers - you need to focus and tune out the noise around you. Surround yourself with forward thinking proactive people, not lazy people whose most active muscle is their tongue.

The right support system will help you stay on track, get back on track when you derail, keep you accountable and give you the chance to give support also.

So choose your friends wisely and stay away from toxic people.

8. Use Your Time Well

Time is a gift that is only here once. Once this moment is gone it's gone forever. So use yours wisely. 

With your being clear on your goals and values, you'll find it easy to use your time well because you'll be careful to spend it doing things that bring you closer to your goals.

Be brutal about protecting your time - don't let others dictate how your time is spent - it's YOUR life you're working on, remember.

Refuse to eat the bread of idleness: be diligent in your use of time. Make it worth it.

Prioritise your to do list on a daily basis, and be sure to complete the most important ones first.

Items in quadrant II in the diagram above should form the bulk of your activities (they've included some examples to give you an idea what should go in there)

Lather, Rinse, Repeat 

(if you are on track, that is - you don't want to be repeating the wrong actions and expecting the right results!)

TOLERATE NO EXCUSES!

THE ALCHEMIST - PAULO COELHO

This book is a must-read/listen-to. Listen and learn.

Thoughts On ... SELF IMAGE

"Self Image" is on my mind. 

Your current self image determines the level of your performance in life.

You ALWAYS act according to the way you see yourself.
Your ACTIONS reveal the way you perceive yourself, what you believe about yourself.

Many people quietly suffer from ''Low self image' or Inferiority Complex'- which stems from comparing yourself with others. If you think about it, that's rather dumb because there's really NO BASIS for comparing yourself with any other human being on earth - each person is unique, different.

Get over the fact that just as others are better than you in certain areas, you are better than others in certain areas. It's a fact of life. Else this would be one boring place to live. We're different so let's stop this madness of comparing ourselves with others.

Let us focus on valuing and appreciating ourselves as we are, on our way to becoming better versions of ourselves (life is a journey and should be one of constant improvement, not stagnation...)

When you have a healthy esteem of yourself, you are confident in all you do, you are free from the fear of making mistakes, fear of criticism, fear of man (what do they think of me), fear of rejection. Life truly becomes FUN! PLUS, your actions (which correspond to your self image), steer you in the direction of your goals, so life is successful too.

How You SHOULD See Yourself
The moment it dawns on you what it means that YOU were created in the image and likeness of God Almighty (YAH), your self image takes a quantum leap.

Matter of fact you should just stop reading right there and think about it for a second.

Say after me "I am made in the image and likeness of God Almighty" - try that statement on for size and let me know it feels, cos it's the TRUTH.

YOU - you were not an accident.
You're not here by mistake.
You are a masterpiece, fearfully and wonderfully made, by the Master Creator of the entire Universe - in HIS IMAGE & LIKENESS.

You're one of a kind - God's kind!

How dare you think little of yourself?
How dare you give a hoot as to what anyone else thinks about you?
How dare you let others belittle you?
Don't you dare forget this TRUTH about yourself, ever again!

You marvel at the wonders of creation, great and small:
- The mighty ocean waves
- The glorious sun as it rises and sets
- The intricate detail on the wings of a butterfly, the wisdom of the ant
- The beauty of the flowers, different types
- The tall proud trees lining the roads
- The majestic lion and other beasts
- And on and on and on - every other work of creation amazes and impresses you...


Yet you do not marvel at the one creation that surpasses ALL of the above - YOU.


YOU are the crowning glory of God's creation.
YOU top everything He ever crafted. I mean, after He made you, He just had to take a break so He could sit back and admire you. Then He said 'yup, they're all that!'
He didn't make any other creature IN HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS, but YOU, He did!

You oughta take a good look at yourself in the mirror and say out loud - I am fearfully and wonderfully made! I am God's masterpiece! I really AM "all that"!

Your old programming will probably squirm and resist this new programming when you start to speak and think this way, but persist in this and it will become habit.


Who Has Fed You Lies About Yourself?
Why have you believed lies about yourself?
What or who has made you FORGET Whose you are?

Regardless of how you have been treated, (and remember, your past DOES NOT EQUAL your future)  regardless of the lies you've grown to believe about yourself - NOTHING changes the fact that YOU ARE made in the IMAGE AND LIKENESS of Yah.

Now of course you need to read The Book (Scripture, aka 'old testament') to find out what it says about you. Cos when you read The Book you will learn what it says about The One in whose image you've been made, see. Then you'll realise that 'hey if He's like that, and I'm made in His image, it means I'm like that too!'

Saturate your mind with the words of Scripture - the greatest 'Personal Development' and 'Success Manual' in existence - and there's just no way you will come out with a poor self image. It's not possible. What you think about, expands and becomes your reality. So think about who you really are, according to the Creator's Manual. Not according to anyone else.

This is not some pollyana-ish nonsense - this is stuff that WORKS.
It's not rah-rah BS. It's real life stuff. Whether or not you believe it doesn't change facts.  So you might as well get with the program and start seeing yourself - not as man says you are, but as your very Maker says you are.

This is the key to unstoppable confidence (not arrogance, mind.)
This is the key to excellence and distinction in every area of your life.


Make No Apologies For Being All That!
You ARE all that and a big salad bowl!
You are NOT your mistakes, so don't beat yourself up - acknowledge them, learn from them, pick yourself up and move the heck on!

Remember, your self image is what determines your behaviour, your level of play in the game of life, and the sort of results you get as a result.  That's just the way things are.

You sabotage yourself when you are not true to yourself.
So if you wish to act differently for the long term, cultivate a self image based on who you really are. Know thyself.
Then to your own self, be true.

When you begin to live up to your true image, the image and likeness of your Maker, when you begin to experience the results of this way of living, when excellence and success begin to chase you down as a result of your (actions based on your new, improved/improving, and authentic) self-image, you're going to attract haters.

That's alright though - folks are entitled to their own opinions (opinions are like noses anyway - everyone's got one, and they all have a couple of holes in them!) - so let the haters continue to hate (though the smart ones will figure that they too are made in Yah's image, and seek to see themselves in that light too, with great results also!)

Don't ever apologise for your success and unstoppable confidence when you begin to walk true to your real self image. Stand tall, be proud of who you are. Better yet be proud of WHOSE you are.


According to Nelson Mandela...
I leave you with a quote from the great Nelson Mandela:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

-- Nelson Mandela"

How To Make It A Great Week!

Make each day a great day and voila - come Saturday you find you've had a great week!
The best way to predict the future is to create it. So here's how to create a great future, one day at a time!

Tips to make today a great day.

• Write out your goals at the start of today. This way you're focused for the rest of the day and less prone to give in to distractions.

• Choose to be happy today (this is the day that Yah has made, I will [choose to] rejoice and be glad in it] said the psalmist. In fact just saying the above verse daily got me through many an otherwise dreadful day back when I worked in the Accident and Emergency department years ago, lol.

• Today, Forgive anyone and everyone who's wronged you. Just release them totally and take no thought as to their payback. Leave that to the just Judge who says 'Vengeance is Mine'. Plus, when you forgive, you begin to heal from emotional scars caused by the thing they've done. So forgive, you're doing this for YOU. Selfish? Not really. It's called 'loving yourself' , for how can you love your neighbour if you don't first love YOU? Forgive yourself also, for the times you've messed up. Learn from past errors then push on.

• Do all you can today, to reach your goals. No excuses. No mediocrity. Give today your all. Life gives you back in the proportion and spirit you give to it.

• Do the best you can with each task you set out to do today. Better to do a few tasks very well than to do many half baked tasks. Be the last one to leave the office. Be the first one in. Refuse to engage in gossip while at work. Have fun with your kids or significant other (if you work hard, you gotta play hard too, yes?)

• Today, make a list of things you are thankful for. And give God (Yah) thanks for each one.  Top of the list - you made it to today!

• Today, make a list of your 'wins' or successes (nothing is too little to go on this list) and give yourself a pat on the back. Come back to this list anytime you feel discouraged or feel you're no good or any such negative thought about yourself. Use this list to enforce your self image of a victorious you.

• Today, make a conscious effort to nourish your body and mind with healthy foods and drinks and snacks. And books and audios and videos and conversations. Just do it for today (as long as the day is 'today'). Don't worry about tomorrow or yesterday.

• Today, SMILE at everyone you come across and inwardly (or outwardly depending...) send out a blessing or greeting or even an 'I love you' their way. Don't be bothered about whether or not they smile back at you. It's YOUR happy hormones that get activated when you smile (so yes it's a rather selfish motive but hey, nobody gets hurt, right? Everybody benefits.)

• Today, get off your backside and do some exercise. No excuses. Even if it's for 10 minutes. Just do it!

• Today, choose to live FREE from fear of criticism, fear of failure, fear of mistakes, fear of rejection- you name it. Choose to live FREE from fear, period! Only then will you start living, see!

• Today: take time out for YOU. Meditate and de-stress. 10-15 minutes of quality you time can do wonders.

• Today: write out your list of tasks for tomorrow before bed...

• Today: go to bed around 10pm if you can... sleep tight..good night... I'm outta here...!