Official Blog for www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

Le it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2010-01-09T13:08:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of faith.

We all know that there is one creator of this world and his creation is an absolute joyous one. If we view this creation in a positive light we can definitely see the wonder of it all. But we do have to see it positively. Unfortunately so many people have a negative view of the world and then their view of the world appears to be full of misery and of bad happenings. It does so often seem that only bad news makes news. If we count the headlines in a news program, ninety percent will be depressive or highlighting somebody’s indiscretions. Very rarely does a success story feature as the top headline of a news bulletin.

Is it any wonder then that so many people have such a negative picture of God’s creation?

This last week has seen much, if not all of the United Kingdom covered in snow. There have been record low temperatures, deeper drifts of snow than can be remembered and travelling conditions fraught with danger. Salt to grit the roads are now in short supply and the country is criticized for not being able to cope when such weather conditions arise.

All negative view points.

Today the snow came down heavier than ever. It could have been so easy to lie in bed, stay in front of the fire and basically vegetate. But I didn’t want to do this. Despite the protests of my oldest son Dale, my wife Tonya, Dale, Charlie (my youngest boy) and I donned our thick coats, Wellington boots, hats and gloves and walked into town choosing the scenic route for our walk. We snowballed each other, rolled in the snow and warmed ourselves in one of the cafes in town. Along the way we met numerous people that we knew, all of them enjoying the abundance of the season that is part of God’s creation. The local hillsides were crammed with children sledging and having fun. To crown the day, inspired by the many we had seen on our walk, we all pulled together to make a huge snowman in our garden.

To me, this was seeing and experiencing the wonderful creation of the world. It was such a simple pleasure yet so wonderful a way to spend the day. We could have stayed in doors and bemoaned the bad weather and written off the day. But making the most of what had been put before us was the positive way to spend the day.

If we really want to we can look beyond the bad news that seems to be thrust upon us regularly through the course of a day. Open our eyes and we can see the good things. We take for granted the courteous actions that so many people deliver each day. If we stopped for just one minute we could all recognize these actions and appreciate that this is God’s good grace coming forth. It is hard to remember the good because we take it for granted but when the bad happens it centres on our minds.

I appreciated so much today the wonders of God’s creation. It was with immense gratitude that I had such a joyous time with my family too. Sometimes all it takes is the simple things to appreciate the good in this world.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Faith? Where is the Evidence for Faith?

2009-12-29T14:41:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of faith?

One of the great conundrums of life which places a huge question mark against faith is the phenomenon of natural disasters. Earthquakes, hurricanes and tidal waves seem to be so indiscriminate in their occurrence, causing so much tragedy and human suffering.

Surely a loving, merciful God would not allow such suffering of his people?

With the many thousands of people who die and suffer from such events surely not all these are sinful enough to warrant the consequences of such unforeseen catastrophes?

Questions like these have exercised the minds of many intellectuals over the centuries and undoubtedly their answers have fallen at both ends of the spectrum, proving or disproving the existence of God.

It would be so easy to use natural disasters as indisputable evidence as to the fact that there is no God. A God who truly cares about his creation would not allow for such cataclysms, would not oversee the sufferings from destruction and famine. This surely is not the work of a loving, merciful Father?

Yet there are many scientists, particularly geologists who see the world as a work in progress. The crust of the earth is a movable, floating surface. Plate tectonics proves that there is movement of the different areas of this crust, and friction develops as the plates either rub against each other or slide one under the other, eventually releasing the energy in the form of earthquakes. Constant transference of energy from one part of the globe to another comes in the form of wind, with hurricanes and tornados at the extremities of this process. The conclusion of said scientists is that these are the inevitable changes occurring in the world as Mother Nature heads towards her ultimate creation.

The Tsunami of Boxing Day 2004 would surely be another nail in the coffin of faith?

With many thousands dead in the coastal areas of India, Thailand and Malaysia one would expect the faith of the surviving people to be destroyed.

On the contrary.

Despite the loss of loved ones, despite the loss of homes and property and despite the tremendous suffering after such an awesome display of destructive power, the faith of the survivors was, and still is, remarkably strong. Many saw this as a challenge set by God to test their abilities, to prove the strength of their faith. Others saw it as punishment for the misdemeanors of themselves or their people proving that they still believed in God their creator.

The compassion showed by so many people in the aftermath of this destruction was seen as a demonstration of God’s love with mercy missions coming from all over the globe, desperate to offer aid in whatever capacity they could provide.

We could be forgiven for thinking that negativity would prevail. But as time wore on people became more positive as communities started to rebuild; phoenixes from the ashes. Almost unbelievably it was the religious centres that seemed to stand steadfast against the onslaught of water and today remain the focal point as these villages overcome disaster.

The problem that exists when trying to reason as to why God allows natural disasters to occur is that the arguments are set by the human mind. Taking into account the greatest of minds in the scientific, political and theological fields, the human mind is still limited. The intellect can only go so far. In searching for the answers to the universe we always come up with more questions. We are trying to drain the oceans using a spoon. If computers could understand their creator then the world would surely be in trouble. Likewise it is impossible to understand the intelligence of our creator.

It is not hard for any of us to see back through our lives, that when we believe in God he is there for us. And even when times appeared hard, when we could so easily have questioned our faith, God saw us through the darkness until the light shone again. There is a reason for the pain and suffering that we all experience at different points in our lives; they are just not always apparent at the time. Don’t try to reason it because the human mind has frailties, it is limited in comparison to the truth that is God. Just know that God is there and have absolute faith that he will guide us through to the good times.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Decorate Your Life with Faith

2009-12-17T14:31:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of faith?

The last two or three weeks I have been taken away from my love of blogging about faith and personal development by other rather pressing issues, including that of decorating the landing, stairs and hallway ( at my wife’s insistence ). Decorating is a chore that I neither love nor hate; I just kind of do it. Yet there is a wonderful sense of achievement as one gets towards the end and it all comes together.

When decorating, I have the image in my head of the final product; what the room will look like when my work is finished. It is this image that drives me on during the grotty phase of preparation, the stripping of wallpaper and the sanding of the paintwork. But the preparation is so important, creating strong foundation for the finished work. Although it isn’t always appreciated, each step is a step closer to that ultimate design. Then there comes a phase when it all starts to take shape; as the image becomes reality. The motivation to carry on to the finishing line is high as the fruits of labour become evident.

To create a bonsai tree, its creator goes through the same process, forming bold images of how he wants the tree to look at the end of his efforts. He nurtures the plant, making cuts here and snips there, giving it the right amount of water to thrive. Eventually his creation takes shape, in the form of the image he has so strongly held in his mind.

When we strive for success at whichever endeavour we choose, we need to have strong mental images; bold pictures of the successful end result. These positive paintings we create in our minds give us the drive to succeed and we can then formulate a plan and set goals as we begin to create and achieve that dream.

We reap what we sow; if we have negative thoughts we are planting seeds that become
the weeds that nobody wants. If we think positive thoughts we plant the seeds of fruitfulness and our tree flourishes with an abundance of that fruit, the fruit for which we so strive for.

God helps us achieve those dreams. He holds our hand as we take each step. Sometimes the dream seems far away as the drought sets in and the plant seems to lack water. But God guides us through these difficult patches and he also provide times of plenty with water to spare, creating the opportunity for the seed to grow and develop into the wonderful plant we had so brightly visualized at the start of the dream.

The Law of Attraction states that if we want something then we have to believe; totally believe that we already have what it is that we desire. If we pray to God for his help, then we have to have absolute, unwavering faith that he will provide. When we know that God is by our side, granting us his unconditional help and love, we can rest easy and our mental images of success our so much easier to harvest.

Any one of us can change our thought patterns from negative to positive ones. We all have the ability to control our thoughts if we so desire. Having an unflappable faith in God though makes thinking positively so much easier.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Who Yer Gonna Call? God

2009-11-19T14:31:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of faith?

When we have a problem the first person we turn to is ourselves. We face up to the issues and try to find a solution. For the most, this is normally sufficient and we create independence by sorting out our own problems. It also helps in building self confidence and self esteem.

If a solution doesn’t come forth through our own efforts then we normally turn to friends, family or a professional; an expert in the field in which our problem lies. Two heads are better than one so the saying goes, and particular with regards to the expert, their wealth of experience will usually guide us in the direction we need to go.

There are times though when despite our best efforts, despite the efforts of others, an answer to our problem doesn’t seem to be readily available. For every problem there is a solution but when it just doesn’t seem obvious “who are we gonna call?”

God.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. But when we have a deep rooted faith, God becomes our strength. We can face up to any challenge if we believe and trust that God will see us through.

So in the event of a crisis we have three levels at which we operate.

1. We look for the answers ourselves. We do a bit of research and apply the grey matter a little bit harder and if that fails we revert to plan 2.
2. We ask somebody. Hopefully there is an answer out there amongst the people we know.
3. Plan 3 is to ask God. By having faith, asking God for his help and being patient, the answer will come.

So what happens to those non-believers? What do they do when they get to level 3. Emotions normally take over. Panic and quite often depression, and when anybody gets to this state it can be a downward spiral. When negative emotions cloud thinking the problem becomes the sole focus of attention, blinkering any thoughts of a solution.

I once had a boss who would say to me “don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions”. Easier to do when God walks by our side and we can think positive thoughts. Nowhere near so easy when negative thoughts run through the mind.

When we have the joy of knowing Gods love, when we have absolute faith in God helping us to find the answers, we think positively and the solutions surely emerge.

Perhaps I should have added another level between 2 and 3. “If all else fails read the instructions”. The bible.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

What Do You See?

2009-11-17T14:58:00.000-08:00

What is the Meaning of Life?

A candle burns gently, giving a warm glow to dark surroundings. Then a slight breeze blows out that enchanting flame.

Do we see that breeze?

No we don’t. But we may feel the cool softness of the air as the breeze brushes our faces.

The operation of a switch brings light to a room in a fraction of a second. The miracle of physics determines that electricity illuminates darkness through that single light bulb.

Do we see the electricity?

No we don’t. But we see the results of its work.

A television sitting in the corner of a room beams out a mass movement of light. Radio waves carrying digital information through many miles of space creates that picture on the screen.

Do we see those radio waves?

No we don’t. But we can enjoy the stories that they create.

There are so many things that we cannot see yet we feel, see and enjoy the results of.

People doubt God’s existence.

Why?

Because they cannot see him. This means that there is no proof that he exists. Scientists can tell us how energy creates a breeze, causes electricity to flow and allows radio waves to carry signals through the air. But scientists cannot explain Gods love and the energy that this provides to anybody who opens up their hearts to him.

So he can’t exist, can he?

So you want proof!! Look around you.

How did this wonderful creation ever come into being?

Oh!! The whole universe was created by a massive nuclear explosion derived from one small atom. The “Big Bang” theory the scientists call it.

But where did that atom come from?

A mathematician once calculated the odds on life being created on a planet with all the chemicals and atmosphere to sustain that life plus putting the sun, moon and stars in all their corresponding places. It worked out at 1 to the power of billions. Personally I have better things to do with my time, but at least he concluded that life, the world and the universe is too orderly to have been created by such chance.

For those of us in the know, those with faith; we have the knowledge and the wisdom. There is a creator of this beautiful world and all that surrounds it and that creator is God.

We may not be able to see him but we can most definitely feel his presence, see his work and enjoy his love.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

The Beauty of Serenity

2009-11-16T13:43:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of faith?

Serenity and Spiritual Beauty
Beauty comes with self acceptance, self love and self awareness. Self knowledge is equivalent to truth which brings serenity and spiritual beauty.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Losing Faith in God

2009-11-15T15:07:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of faith?

I’ve lost my faith in God.
Why didn’t God help me?
I really don’t believe that he will save me.

Although people may not out rightly say these phrases, very often their dejected words and actions prove evidence that this is what is going on in their minds. Through times of strife they appear to lose all faith in God.

I once had a friend who was extremely successful. He had a fantastic career, a loving wife and family and a great circle of friends. His faith in God was strong; or so he thought.

One day this friend had a major disagreement with his bosses at work and ended up quitting his job. About the same time some of his friends emigrated to different parts of the world. His mood deepened and as he fell into depression his wife struggled to cope with the situation and finally left him.

I could see the troubled questions going through his mind.

What’s happening to me?
Why does God give me all these troubles?
Shouldn’t God have mercy?
Maybe there is no God?

Now at rock bottom, he firmly believed that his faith in God was lost. He stopped thinking about faith and just tried to live his life as best as he could.

A few years later, he found another job and made great progress, re-establishing a career. Some of those friends that had travelled abroad returned home, preferring the British way of life. He re-built a good relationship with another women and life became as wonderful as he had previous known. As the good life returned, so did my friends faith in God. He believed that his faith had been restored.

The truth is that his faith in God hadn’t been restored because he had never lost it. In fact he had never had a faith in God, just a faith in his life’s conditions.

Why did he lose his faith?

When life was good and full of happiness he trusted in this life style. Psychologically he believed it would last forever. In the stock market world, when the price of a stock goes up, investors believe the price will go up forever in complete ignorance of what economics are actually telling them. The price of that stock becomes exaggerated. Reality then sets in when the price of the stock starts to fall. It is then assumed that the price will continue to fall forever and that stock is sold cheaply. Here we can label the economy as being “faith in God” whilst the direction of the stock price can be called “faith in a lifestyle”.
My friend, when life turned bad asked the question,

Where is God?

His faith was never in God but in his work, his family and his friends. When he lost them, he lost his faith.

When we are at our lowest ebb, this is when God is truly by our side. For those of us who absolutely believe in God, this is when our faith is strongest. We do not have a “fair weather” faith in God. Inevitably we find a path through our troubles and strife thus proving God will always be there for us. This is absolute faith which provides such hope, inspiration and optimism for us all.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

The Faith of Children

2009-11-14T14:55:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of faith?

On occasions our faith can be in need of strengthening. Life has a habit of sometimes throwing doubt at us when things don’t quite go as smoothly as we would like.

So where can we gain our inspiration from?

Where can we turn to regain that absolute faith that we have so relied on before?

The answer is quite simply all around us. For a start Gods creation is wonderfully inspiring. Despite the scientist great efforts to explain the origins of the universe, there are always more questions than answers and one can only conclude that some kind of super force is the creator of our world and the planets and stars beyond.

But just by purely observing nature we can see how creatures rely on faith to progress. Imagine being a chick in a birds nest. Eventually, one day that chick will have to flee the comforts of that nest to make its own way in the world. But first it must learn to fly.

But how does a bird learn to fly?

It’s not exactly one of those skills that can be practiced before hand. That chick has to take one almighty leap of faith and jump. Instantaneously that chick becomes a fully fledged bird with the instinct to fly.

Mother Nature provides many other instances of faith, but we can also see this happening naturally in our own children.

My son Charlie was up on his feet quite early; about seven months. He practically skipped the crawling stage. However once he was on his feet he would hold on to every piece of furniture to guide himself around the room. This he did for about another nine months until one day we were sitting on the patio at my parents’ house. My wife and I were sitting on one side on a concrete bench linked to the patio table and my mum and dad were sitting on a wooden bench on the other side of the patio. Charlie was eager for his grandparents’ attention and was stretching out for them to come and get him. I made to take him over to them but after a couple of steps I let go of his hand. He was left stranded in the middle of the patio.

What should he do?

For a second we could see the bemusement on his face. But he looked at my mum and dad and then went for it. His faith became instantaneous as he toddled over to nanny. From that point on there was no stopping him. His faith had provided him with a new found confidence and freedom.

We can see this faith and self confidence naturally and unquestioning in children.

But what happens to us as we grow older and our faith tends to weaken?

With life’s many ups and downs, the downsides can test our faith and self confidence if we let it. But if we take the trouble and time to look around us we can see the miracles of God all the time, and we should easily be able to recall the many times that God has helped us in our lives.

In children faith is unquestioned. They don’t think about it, they just practice it, even if they are unaware of it. This is how our faith in God should be; unquestionable.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Give Me Joy in My Heart

2009-11-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of faith?

In visiting other countries doing charitable there are always plenty of opportunities to see Gods work and better understand him. This was much the case when visiting Romania on behalf of the charity Cry in the Dark where, for one week at the end of August through the beginning of September, fourteen of us from Tenterden and the North-East of England faced up to “The Hard Hat Challenge”.

Our task was to help in the building of an extension to Casa Lumina, an orphanage for children with learning difficulties and life limiting illnesses situated in Comanesti. The extension will accommodate the growing needs of the children as they develop into adults.

The sheer fact that a Christian organisation such as Cry in the Dark has achieved so much is just one unbelievable testimony to Gods work.

Throughout our work we had many opportunities to interact with the orphans and it was remarkable, even emotional as to how much love they have and wanted to give. Alan Clover, who in his seventies, was the oldest member of our party had been to Casa Lumina before albeit some two years ago. Yet one of the girls remembered him from his previous visit and embraced him so lovingly. The tears of joy that welled up in him was quite infectious as many of us struggled not to weep alongside him. At the end of the week, Nicholas Cooper, a curate from St. Mildreds Church in Tenterden, offered a communion service on a makeshift alter created from one of the work benches. Two of the orphans attended this service with such quiet respect and dignity that we all felt humbled by their presence. Where we thought we would be ministering to them, in fact truthfully they were ministering to us.

On the Sunday of our week in Romania, we spent the morning in worship at the Biserica Sfanta Trieme Church, a free Christian church in the city of Bacau. This church is a modern, white walled building hidden away behind some houses in one of the back streets. The service was conducted from a stage on the first floor of the church which was back dropped by a magnificent wooden cross. A welcoming warmth and love from the entire Romanian congregation soothed any apprehensions that we may have been feeling.

Lyviu, an operational director for Cry in the Dark in Romania conducted the music and singing along with his wife Anna. The words to the songs were projected onto a screen on the stage, karaoke style, and I’m sure it was with some amusement that we British folk were trying to sing along evangelically in Romanian.

Pastor Marion gave the sermon. Fortunately we had a few very clever members of the congregation who thankfully translated for us. His subject was joy.

Joy comes in many forms. Entertainment gives us joy, so does our favourite football team when it is winning. Such joy is short lived (particularly if you support Gillingham) and we have to keep searching for it time and again. There is a longer lasting joy that comes from things like a loving relationship, marriage and family.

Once discovered though, the joy found through God is everlasting. In order to find this joy we have to repent of all our sins. Sin creates an enormous barrier between us and the joy of knowing God. Therefore we need to seek forgiveness and once given, the hurdles and barriers are removed and we can experience the joy given by God, forever.

During the blessing there were a couple of the congregation who cried. These were not tears of sadness but of gladness, realising that they had come to God and he had spoken to them. Indeed, as I found out later, there was one young, debonair looking lad who had not that long ago been out on the streets, getting into trouble, committing crime. This church had saved him and turned his life around.

Towards the end of the service Lyviu and Anna’s little boy - who must have been two or three years old – made an impromptu and unannounced appearance on the stage. His innocence of face and his unrestricted actions seemed to poignantly demonstrate the presence of joy without barriers.

There were three messages that I took away from this wonderful Sunday morning service.

1. Nicholas Cooper, the curate, offered a prayer which was translated for the benefit of the Romanian congregation. In it he pointed out that language and culture doesn’t have to be a wall built between us. The wooden cross mounted magnificently above the stage unites us all in one common good.
2. As was demonstrated so effectively throughout the service by Pastor Marion, the joy of God is eternal, once we have sought forgiveness from all our sins.
3. During the service some of the children sang a song with the self assurance that only children have. The motif on the tee-shirt of one of the little boys read “Pick noses, not fights”.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Absolute Faith

2009-11-10T14:21:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of faith?

There is no doubt that helping others or doing something charitable can give a tremendous sense of pride and fulfilment. Whether it be fundraising, helping at a charity function or devoting time to work voluntarily in a charity shop; these all provide that sense of purpose.

Occasionally there comes an opportunity to help charities by working at “the coalface”, so to speak. For fourteen of us this opportunity was presented in the form of “The Hard Hat Challenge” as set up by the charity Cry in the Dark. Cry in the Dark was established twelve years ago by Steve Cooper. At that time he was repairing a ladies cooker and she related the horrendous plight of thousands of orphans in Romania. Steve was compelled to go and look for himself and from that visit the charity was formed.

Two years later Casa Lumina was completed. This is an orphanage in Comanesti housing twenty three orphaned children all with learning difficulties or life limiting illnesses. Casa Albert became the next project for Cry in the Dark. Initially intended to be a hospice for sick children from the poorer regions around the city of Bacau it has become an outreach centre to enable a team of dedicated nurses to visit these children in their homes. Whilst Casa Albert remains the base for this outreach team, it will also be opened as a Day-care centre once the final finishing touches are complete.

Ten years on, many of the orphans at Casa Lumina have, physically at least, developed into adults. Cry in the Dark have pledged to provide a home for these young people for the rest of their lives, so “The Hard Hat Challenge” was the project created to build an extension to Casa Lumina in order to cater for the orphans through their adult lives. Primarily the work was to be undertaken by volunteers hence, on Saturday 29th August 2009 eight of us from two churches across Tenterden plus six from Geordie land (one wee lassie from Edinburgh also included in that party) arrived in Romania for one week to help with the task.

It was hard work in some hot conditions but we achieved a lot, developed some new DIY skills, created fellowship amongst the team and yet felt extremely humbled by the experience.

So what have I gained personally from this trip?

How have I changed as a person and what has it taught me?

Certainly I am more grateful for the things that I have; my family, my friends and my home.

But I bring back from Romania one extremely valuable lesson.

On the Sunday, Steve Cooper explained how Cry in the Dark came about. He described how he was inspired to come to Romania to see for himself the dreadful conditions which orphans were having to endure; the cramped and loveless conditions which tugged at the heart strings.

God spoke to him and he knew he had to do something.

We can look back now at what has been achieved with the development of Casa Lumina and Casa Albert. In the beginning though this must have seemed like a daunting challenge.

Where does one start?

How do you even know where to start?

These were questions I put to Steve.

He answered. “I didn’t know where to start. I just turned to God, prayed for the answers and he showed me the way.”

WOW

This is true faith in God…in action.

I can recall tales, particularly in Nigeria, where my faith in God saw me through some sticky encounters.

One offs.

For twelve years God has been by Steves’ side. The creation of the Cry in the Dark team, the building of Casa Lumina, Casa Albert and now the extension at Casa Lumina.

Steve and the team at Cry in the Dark have been the sole reason why twenty three children with learning difficulties and varying illnesses have made it happily through to adulthood.

All this through his faith in God.

WOW

I believe in God, obviously.

But can I say my faith is as resolute as that of Steve Coopers’?

Probably not, or at least, not up until now.

As I’ve said, I’ve had my encounters where I believed God would pull me through…and he did. But I still worried about the bills, job, family etc., wanting to know step by step the path of my future.

I can see now the effects of an absolute belief and trust in God. By praying, and listening to his answers and believing that he WILL look after me, I can worry less about the future and open my eyes to the present.

If Steve Cooper has ever doubted his faith, it never showed, and I will be eternally grateful for this priceless lesson.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Why Do We Question the Lord?

2009-11-06T14:28:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of faith?

I had a cousin, Stephen, who was a larger than life character. He was the proverbial gentle giant. Always full of laughter, always full of stories. He was loved by everybody.

He was a lorry driver and revelled in the open roads. He eventually found his soul mate and settled down to become a step-dad to five children who all adored him. Through his new family he was introduced to God. You could not find a more enthusiastic follower of Christ through his local Baptist church. He really had faith; the deep faith that meant he could enjoy life, make the most of God’s creation without any signs of worry or woe.

Stephen could always exercise a childlike quality and he really took great pleasure in bringing the other love of his life, his lorry, and parking outside the front of the church. I guess the congregation always new when he was about.

As I said he was a larger than life character.

So why do I refer to him in the past tense?

Unfortunately he never made it to his fortieth birthday. One night his next door neighbour was playing his music aloud at 1.00a.m in the morning. Stephen knocked on that neighbours door to kindly ask to turn the noise down. That neighbour saw fit to draw a knife on Stephen and he was killed.

So why did God allow this to happen?

Why did God let one of his true faithfuls die in such a way?

Perhaps God recognised Stephen’s devotion and decided he wanted him near to him. Perhaps Stephen was ready to experience heaven.

The truth is that whilst we are here on earth we will never know the answers to questions like this. Many times we hear the dissenters ask the question, “If God is so good, if God is so mighty, why does he let all the atrocities happen in this world?”

As it is said, God moves in mysterious ways. Us humans create machinery, develop computers. The inventors, the computer programmers understand how these pieces of equipment work. If computers could understand how we humans work, how we think and how we behave, we’d be in a whole host of trouble. Computers and robots would then have the upper hand and would be able to control us.

Likewise, as our creator we are not supposed to understand the workings of God. We accept and believe that everything he does is for the benefit of the greater good and we all play our part in the progress of God’s universe. There isn’t the need to question why things happen, why tragedies strike; we just have to have faith that God hears our prayers and provides us with the tools to live a good and wholesome life.

At Stephen’s funeral, one of his life long friends commented that he would act his shoe size not his age. That child like innocence was the evidence that he enjoyed life and could trust in the lord. With a deep and absolute faith in God we know that God will look after us and guide us along the right path through our journey in life, however long or short that journey may be.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.com

Give Thanks

2009-11-04T13:05:00.000-08:00

What is the Meaning of Faith?

It’s that time of year again to give thanks. The church was full today as the people brought in their gifts of fresh fruit, vegetables, bread and many other types of food. Yes it was the harvest festival. Being also in conjunction with the family service my two boys took up our gifts of a packet of rice and biscuits. I’m sure someone somewhere in our community will be enjoying a chocolate digestive curry anytime soon.

It got me thinking though about how grateful we are for the good things we have in life. How many of us appreciate all the good we have in life and give thanks for that?

Do you see life as a glass half full or half empty? Do you see this world as being a wonderful place, a true gift from god, or somewhere filled with doom, fear and misery?

If you view the world as the latter you are likely not to see anything worth being thankful for. You cannot see passed the next day, never knowing where the next penny is coming from.

On the other hand, if the glass is half full, it is seen to be half filled with champagne. This in its self is worth being thankful for; a positive outlook on life. Despite all the doom and gloom that goes on you see and smell the roses, appreciate the food on the table, enjoy the company of good friends and family.
Even if finances are hard, having faith, trusting in god will see you through to the next day and the next harvest.

After the church service I took my wife and two boys over to my parents. Every two or three weeks we visit and they are generous enough to cook the Sunday lunch, again for which we are truly grateful. My father particularly is deeply interested in politics and will create heavy debates based upon his points of view.

Today he rambled on about the credit crunch and the financial mess that most parts of the world seem to be experiencing. He complained about the banks and bankers that reportedly have conjured up this situation. A downcast picture was painted which could very easily depress any of us. My stance however was to ask what he could do about the situation to make it better? The answer of course was nothing. Other than to vote for the other lot cometh the next general election and even then they probably won’t do any better.

Having now made him understand he could not personally do anything about the current circumstances I asked him why he was worrying about it? My point was that we all should be concerned with the things we can control and not the things we can’t. Given where we are we need to be looking at how we can progress forward, making the most of our lives and continue to grow and achieve our ambitions. It is so easy to fall into the negative trap of bad news that is constantly dished out by the media that focussing on the good becomes very difficult.

Life is full of wonderful things. Observe these and view these with gratitude.

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Good News is Here to Stay

2009-11-03T13:47:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of faith?

I find myself getting more and more deeply into my faith. I have always believed in God and in dark times he has helped me through. But these days I am getting far more involved in the church, doing more charity work and studying faith and personal development with a great deal more intensity.

As I write my blogs I try hard to research faith and personal development thoroughly and also try to put into practice much of what I learn. It is a wonderful fact that there is so much in the way of resources out there for me to call upon.

Of course the internet is one of the largest of these resources. Although we have to be careful to disseminate between what is quality information and what is poor, we can all be guided into so many different directions. One such direction is towards Christian radio. Much of my day is spent travelling in the car and listening to the traditional news based radio programmes can be somewhat depressing. Granted, we need to be in touch with what goes on in the world, but do we need to be constantly bombarded with misery after misery?

Many TV programmes focus on portraying all that is bad in the world. For some reason production companies believe that people’s disasters make for entertainment. They assume that we wallow in other people’s misery. On news programmes, bad news is the only type of news that people are interested in. Even if there is good news, they will still hunt out the negative slant to the story.

The fact is there is so much that is beautiful in this world. Despite the world’s imperfections, there is so much joy we can obtain from this world. God has created so much abundance for us to enjoy if we choose to open our eyes, trust in God and grab those opportunities that he puts before us.

The vast majority of people in this world conduct their lives with good intent. Yes there are some little parts of our make-up that bring out the worst in us but these are well and truly over shadowed by everything that is good inside. Therefore we should be far more uplifted, far more entertained by all the good that happens in the world.

This is why it is so refreshing to come across media such as Christian radio and television. To hear some tremendous lectures, speeches, programmes and music lifts up the heart. There are quite a few out there that can be connected to via the internet. I am currently experimenting with a couple that are of interest to me which are primarily geographically relevant.

If every body was to search for good news perhaps our broadcasters would have to re-evaluate what constitutes news and entertainment. Perhaps then we can live in a world of happiness. The good news is that we don’t have to put up with bad news any longer.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org.com

Nightmares

2009-11-01T14:49:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of faith?

The most recent book that I have just finished reading was Rachel Elnaugh’s “Business Nightmares”. http://www.businessnightmares.co.uk. In this book she at first describes how she took the concept of packaging days out and experiences of a life time into gifts and creating the company Red Letter Days. She worked extremely hard to build this company into a multi-million pound business and became a celebrity as one of the first “Dragons” in the hugely popular British TV show “Dragons Den”. Unfortunately her fortunes took a downturn and Red Letter Days eventually went into administration.

Despite losing everything she had worked hard for over many years she is still positive about her future which includes much demand for her to speak publicly about business and business motivation plus, obviously she has now written the book. The whole idea of the book is to highlight the fact that life can carry on after business failures and disasters of which some can be very publicly announced.

The book recounts many other successful entrepreneurs, all who have suffered their personal business nightmares and yet have managed to rise again like the phoenix from the ashes. Indeed despite the appearance of a Midas touch where everything turns to gold, all the entrepreneurs interviewed had experienced life in the doldrums, periods when finances were tight and in some cases bankruptcy loomed. What appears to many people as failure is really just part of the learning curve in the apprenticeship of entrepreneurship.

Each chapter focuses on a different type of problem which can occur whilst building and sustaining a successful business. In each of these chapters she gives a case study of somebody who has stared that particular problem in the face. At the end of each chapter she also gives a summary of how in her opinion these obstacles can be avoided. The advice given at the end of chapter eleven was of great relevance in my eyes. Subtitled “Here are my observations of being in deep problems in business and dealing with a mountain of debt:” this is my interpretation of her words.

Fear

This emotion is tremendously restrictive. It will lead to panic which in turn makes for bad decision making. Other negative emotions such as anger and resentment cloud judgement and when displayed, can alienate clients and colleagues affected by these emotions. It is much better to try to remain positive, hopeful and optimistic.

Challenges

A positive attitude to any difficult situation will help view this situation not as a problem but as a challenge. By rising to this challenge, strength is gained and valuable lessons can be learned.

Faith

The paragraph on faith really hits home to me. She advises that even if somebody is not particularly religious it helps to call on a “higher power” in order to give strength during crisis. Having absolute faith (the experience is like having a deep sense of calm) creates the opportunities to meet people and recognise the answers as they unfold. At this point keeping an open mind is essential so that every opportunity can be explored.

Life’s Journey

It is good to remember that we are all on a life’s journey. Change is inevitable and is often sent to push us onto the next phase of our journey. Even though this can be downright unpleasant and things don’t go well, this change is likely to be paving the way to something better.

Rachel Elnaugh ends this summary with the poem Desiderata.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labours and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace
with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
It is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

The Lion, The Hedgehog and The Case of Missing Self Confidence

2009-10-29T14:49:00.000-07:00

Self confidence at times can be a fragile quality. Many other people can destroy our self confidence particularly if our actions are driven by the desire to please them at the expense of what we believe to be true.

Here is the tale of the lion and the hedgehogs.

Once upon a time there was a lion living in the jungle with all his lion friends. One day he grew adventurous and decided to go and see the wider world. He stumbled on the home of the hedgehogs. This was a nice place; a place he liked very much. He asked the head hedgehog if he could stay with them.

“Sorry, you can’t stay here you are too different. Cut off your tail and become like us” said head hedgehog.

With some deep reservations the lion took the advice and cut off his tail. On his return to head hedgehog he was told

“No, still too different. Shave off your hair and come back to me.”

Although he thought this rather drastic, he was eager to please so he shaved off his hair.

“Your claws are too long” retorted the head hedgehog. “You’ll have too chop them off”.

Desperate to gain the acceptance of the hedgehogs he clipped his claws back to nothing and returned to the head hedgehog once more.

“No still not right. Look no matter what you change about yourself, you are still different. It must be your personality. It’s in your nature to be a lion. You will never be a hedgehog so please go away and leave us alone”.

The lion set off to find his old lion friends in the jungle. But once there he found more rejection.

“You’ve lost your identity” cried out one of the others. “You’re no longer a lion”.

No longer a lion and didn’t get to make it to hedgehog status either, whom or what had he become?

The lion had sold his identity in exchange for acceptance by the hedgehogs. He had sold his true self for the approval of others. People can be like this lion too. Perhaps we change the way we dress or do things that other people want despite this going against our better judgement, purely to gain acceptance. This results in either acceptance but no self confidence or rejection and a loss of identity.

Sometimes it’s hard to appreciate but other people do respect others with differing opinions, ideas and interests. By discarding our identity for the acceptance of others we lose our true selves. Yes we can change ourselves for the better but we should do it for ourselves and not for other people.

Although I believe that believing in God is becoming fashionable again it was not that long ago that having a faith deemed us as not conforming. It was not “cool” to declare our belief in God. Yet having our faith, no matter how we choose to follow that faith, forms part of our personality. We must never deny God just to appear to be “cool” in the eyes of others.

Unto thine own self be true.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

The Wonderful World of Faith and Creativity

2009-10-27T14:58:00.000-07:00

What is the meaning of faith?

Very often we can be bogged down with a problem and really struggle to find a solution. The creative juices fail to flow and we become totally frustrated at our total lack of creativity.

So do we resign ourselves to the fact that we are obviously not the creative sort?

Or can we train ourselves to think with creative spirit?

Firstly let’s define creativity. Creativity is the ability to solve problems with new methods to accomplish daily tasks. This can also lead to new insights and visions to help achieve goals and obtain success.

So is creativity inherited?

If we look at children at play we can see tremendous examples of creativity. They can take every day objects and create totally new games to play. The playground is full of wild imagination and creativity.

So where did we loose it all?

Routine

As we have seen, children have an inexhaustible ability for creativity. But as we get older life becomes full of instruction. Restrictions are placed upon us and we lose a lot of the ability to think for ourselves. Creativity flies out of the window. Systems and repetitiveness stifle creativity. Strict time tables, daily routines, working in closed areas and desk jobs all hamper our imaginations.

Free time

It is virtually impossible to avoid all routine but what we do need is to develop some free time. Put aside one day per week where nothing is planned. Just let the day unfold and “go with the flow”. Spend time going to places like the seaside or strolling through the woods; places of natural interest with open spaces. At work create a few minutes of free time. There are some people who spend their free time alone and then spend that time thinking of work. They even take that work to bed and dwell on work issues as they fall asleep. These people need to develop free time un-associated with work for the sake of creativity and also for the sake of their sanity.

Left brain – Right brain

Our brains are divided into two hemispheres- the left brain and the right brain. The left side deals with our logical and reasoning thought patterns. Our right side of the brain handles intuition and creativity. Much of our work life today asks us to use logic and reasoning and therefore our right side of the brain becomes somewhat redundant. Ideally we need to exercise both sides of the brain to get the most of our cerebral abilities.

How’s best to develop creative thinking?

1. Understand that there is no exact solution to a problem, but there will always be more than one solution to that problem.
2. Don’t give in to false beliefs. If we believe there is no solution to our problem then there won’t be. Have faith.
3. Never restrict or dismiss thoughts. Two silly thoughts may well lead to a third good thought.
4. Break away from routine when thinking of solutions. This allows for a better flow of creative thoughts.
5. Brainstorm. Ask others. Again two ideas that may seem ridiculous may lead to a third, sensible idea.
6. Take time occasionally to do something not done before.
7. Put aside some time as free time.
8. Spend time with creative people. Creativity is infectious and we may be pleasantly surprised as to how creative we really are when we compare ourselves to these people.

We needn’t be restricted to a path of logical thinking. We all have that wonderful ability to be creative. Breaking away from routine and giving ourselves time to think will stimulate creative thinking and then we will find that no problem will ever be without a solution.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Knock Knock

2009-10-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

What is the meaning of faith?

How can we measure true faith?

How can we tell when our faith in god is truly justified?

When the chips are down and we our facing real adversity and our situation seems completely hopeless do we turn to god?

There will be many times in our lives when doors keep shutting in front of us. The dreaded “no” keeps being thrown in our face when we go knocking on those doors. Somehow we still believe in our ideas but it seems impossible to get anybody else to be interested. This is the moment that the really strong will switch into overdrive. The tough keep going.

There are so many examples in history of successful people who have found the going sticky at times. Just about every single successful person did not start out being successful. They had to endure hardship and persevered in the project that they believed in. They kept knocking on doors because they never knew whether that next door might be the one that led to the road of success. They continued with hope and faith. Thomas Edison tried nearly one thousand different patents before he finally created the model light bulb that worked. Each one that did not work wasn’t considered a failure but more of a learning curve. He learned that that one wasn’t the correct way and he was one step closer to finding the right way.

A tremendously positive example of focussing on the solution, not the problem.

So how can one stay strong during extreme times of adversity?

One way is to have faith in God. By turning to God and asking him for guidance he will listen to our prayers and provide us with answers. And sometimes the answer lies in a completely different format to what we expected. There can be no greater example of this than that of “The Virgin Birth”.

Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem with Mary just about ready to give birth. Mary knew that she was giving birth to God’s child but did he have to make life so difficult? Did that census have to come right now?

They knocked on door after door only to be told that there was no room at the inn. But they had faith in God. So they kept trying and eventually they were given shelter in a stable. Jesus was born in that stable.

Now the obvious answer to their dilemma would have been for God to have found a spare room in one of the inns. A room with a comfortable bed. But it was extremely fortuitous that they ended up in that stable. Firstly, the inn keepers would have been obliged to have provided them with a room each as men and women weren’t allowed to share rooms in those days. Joseph, being Mary’s only travelling companion would have missed out at being present at the birth. Secondly all those visitors they had wouldn’t have been able to find them and they wouldn’t have gone home loaded up with Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

Mary and Joseph’s faith in God eventually provided them with a solution to their problem, even though it was in the most unexpected of ways.

Likewise for all of us, in the mitts of adversity we can turn in faith and hope to God to gain our strength. Strength to see us through to the bitter end. But don’t be surprised if his ideas are somewhat different to our own.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

How to be Unsuccessful

2009-10-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

What is the meaning of faith?

What do we want to be successful for?

Waking up in the morning feeling great, feeling in control, feeling victorious.

Who wants that?

It gives you energy, then that means you have to get involved with things to burn that energy off. It would mean we’d have to be constructive and make positive contributions to the world, have things in life we really want.

Is that really how we want our lives to be?

Do we rally want loads of friends, a happy family with laughing children around our feet?

Isn’t it better to have false beliefs?

At least with false beliefs we can limit our potential, limit our abilities. If we really can’t have happiness and success we can wallow in our misery, not have to live up to expectations, watching everybody else have what they want knowing we couldn’t possibly have that.

External influences. This is a great one. We can blame other things, other people for us not making our lives better. Yes, then that takes the pressure off and we can then live with our consciences because it wasn’t our fault. It wasn’t our fault the exam board set the exams so hard that we failed. Yeh, forget the fact we couldn’t be bothered to revise.

No perseverance.

How does the saying go?

“If at first you don’t succeed, give up”. Sounds like a good motto to live our lives by to me.

Why should we be bothered to exhaust all avenues to live our dream?

That sounds to much like hard work to me. If we fall over and hurt ourselves that’s a good enough reason to give up, isn’t it?

Be flexible?

Why?

If something doesn’t work, surely there isn’t another method to get the same result. That means being adaptable, having to think a little deeper, study a bit harder to find away around obstacles. We might have to start talking to people to see if they have solutions, and find out what they might think. We know what they will think. They will think we are stupid.

It isn’t worth it is it?

Then there’s the bit about planning, setting goals. Look, if we don’t plan to get ahead, well, somebody else will. If we don’t plan to get that highly paid job, somebody else will. If we don’t plan to get that fantastic house, somebody else will. We don’t want to set goals. That might put pressure on us to achieve them.

No it’s much better not to plan, isn’t it?

Self-confidence. Wow now, surely we’re better off being the shy one. All said and done, we’re protected if we live up to our belief that we cannot do it. Our feelings are protected. Let’s face it, if we start taking risks we’re only going to fail.

And then what will people think?

No, it’s much more comfortable to have no self-confidence. If we want self-confidence we need to practice all that self-confidence stuff, and we might feel inclined to get off our backsides and get on with things.

Besides we’re frightened. We’re frightened of stepping into the dark. We don’t know every step to take even if God is there to show us the way.

And what if we do become successful?

How do we handle success?

We’re only used to failure aren’t we chaps? ….. Chaps……Hello…..Where are you?

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.cryinthedark.org

Aborigines Part 2

2009-10-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

What is the meaning of faith?

Throughout the world, spread across the continents, there are many so called “primitive” tribes. These tribes live off the land, hunt for their food and generally live day to day. Yet they have tremendous faith; faith that their creator will look after them and provide.

These tribes view the world far differently than the chaotic, competitive existence of the developed world. In the capitalist society the dollar, pound or euro is king. The idea of success is about how much money one can acquire, whether we have more material possessions than the person next door. Our brains function on logic, formulas and ideas that can be proved.

Tribes like the Aborigines exist by being more in tune with the environment and don’t depend on things tangible. They observe and learn from what nature teaches them. They endeavour to improve their situation by constantly increasing their knowledge and then passing that information on to the next generation in their tribe. Initiation ceremonies are a passage that everybody goes through but this is about learning the Laws of Living and the skills that go with it.

The tribe will have at their head Wirinuns which are wise men, shamans, medicine men and magicians. They will guide the tribe, help them over come hardship and teach the skills that help the drive to achieve and improve. Rock paintings and more recently bark paintings are some of the ways in which Aborigines record their lessons and great events so that they can be passed down the generations without losing clarity through interpretation.

There is much mystery surrounding the magical powers of The Aboriginal Culture.
Extra sensory perception, faith healing and the remarkable ability to conduct surgery by inserting their hands into a sick person’s body without leaving a trace or scar are all part of the fascinating world of the Aborigine. Although there have been many attempts to discredit these amazing skills, to my knowledge none have been proved or disproved as yet.

The Aborigines have a phenomenal belief in the spirits. Every spirit has their own vibrational thought frequency. Remember, Aborigines believe that everything comes from a thought yet not everything is physical. So by tuning into the frequency of the spirit they can communicate with that spirit. In practicing Totemism they also believe that everything has a frequency including animals and physical objects. They will spend part of their lives searching for the Totem that has the closest vibrational thought frequency to their own and once found brings about some peace and harmony to their lives.

Although any Aborigine can communicate with the spirits if they develop the skills, it is generally the Wirinuns that contact them and the very skilled will be able to do this at will. Much of their communication will be with ancestral spirits who can provide answers gained from their greater experiences. In order to reach into the realms of the spirit world they will alter their moods to align their frequencies with that of the spirits. Even then thoughts aren’t easily transmitted to the spirits. Thoughts will be much clearer if accompanied by emotion.

A Wirinun may well be able to convey emotion by himself but rituals, dances and chanting enhance the emotional state and the transference of thought becomes much easier.

Compare this then to our prayers. When we speak to God our words can very easily be lost if we aren’t focussed on what we have to say. If our moods distract us we don’t concentrate on the words. Creating emotion helps God understand our prayers better. In the high churches of the Anglican community a lot of the prayers are sung. Other denominations and faiths will chant to get their message through. Is it any wonder then the increased popularity of gospel worship. The entertainingly enthusiastic approach to prayer and worship enlivens the congregation promoting a tremendous sense of wellbeing. Emotion plays a big part in this style of prayer.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.com

World Peace

2009-10-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

What is the meaning of faith?

One of the comments that frustrate me, and I heard it said just the other day, is that religion is the cause of so many wars and problems in the world.

Whilst on the surface this may appear true, it is my argument that it is not religions that are the cause of these problems but people. Wars and terrorist attacks are created by people in the name of religion. These are people with fundamentalist views, intolerant to how anybody else thinks, unmoved but what others believe in.

Any study into the main religions of the world will reveal the peaceful qualities of these religions. Correct following of the words of God, whether it be through the bible, the Qur’an or any other gospel should provide us with the laws to follow harmonious existences with each other. Religions actively promote peace and anybody who commits atrocities in the name of religion in my view has totally missed the point.

It maybe that some people are intent on causing trouble and latch onto religion to justify their actions. This is not the fault of religion or faith; more the result of disturbed minds.

Whilst I consider myself a Christian and feel very comfortable practicing my faith through an Anglican church, I have come to appreciate the fact that everybody has the right to worship the lord in which ever manner they feel most at ease with. Whichever way we practice our faith, there is one undisputable fact; we all recognise that there is a creator. Whatever name we give him, whatever images we have in our heads as to how he may appear, we all have that one common link; a belief and faith in our creator.

This should be the link between us all, the bond that draws us all together. A healthy respect towards each other, a tolerance of faith, race and culture should and can result in world peace if everybody can be of the same mind.

There are other issues with immigration that make it difficult to accept mass migration into different countries. Over population and financial burdens render it difficult to accommodate everybody into any one area. Also, unfortunately, history shows that different ethnic groups cannot live in harmony with their neighbour.

But why not?

Why can’t different tribes, races and religions co-exist next door to each other?

Why does there have to be “no-go” areas?

With tolerance it should be more than possible to love thy neighbour whatever their colour of skin, no matter the way they decide to follow their faith. It’s not rocket science, it just takes the will of the people to live peaceful lives.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

Aborigines Part 1

2009-10-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

What is the meaning of faith?

When anybody talks about faith the obvious assumption is that the conversation will be religious. Indeed the great religions of the world base faith at the heart of their teachings and understandings but even the smaller religions, cults and cultures all still have their faiths. Even atheists will have faith in something even if that faith is in themselves and their abilities to accomplish a goal.

Tribes’ people of the world have their individual cultures with their own type of religion revolving around beliefs and faith. Typical is the Aborigines of Australia which is arguably the oldest continual culture on this planet. As Australia urbanises around the coastal areas, Aborigines are constantly drawn to or consumed by the Western way of life and much of their sacred lands have been taken over. Consequently the Native Aborigines are dwindling in numbers.

In the 1970’s when carbon dating was the best way of dating historical artefacts, history could only have a date set upon it to 40,000 years ago. Carbon dating could only take us back that far and Aboriginal Culture was proved to have existed then. Today it is thought that Aborigines were in existence 60,000 years ago and possibly 100,000 years ago.

With such a long history it is safe to assume that they have learned something during that time. Although collectively the Aborigines share similar beliefs, the culture is still very much tribal and thus there are variances in beliefs and customs between the differing tribes. Ceremonies, rituals and customs are shrouded in secrecy so their meanings will not be totally understood by the next tribe. However there are some common stories, beliefs and faith shared by all.

The Creation Period

Many religions are characterised by having a god or gods who in their wisdom created the universe. Baiame is the Great Spirit. It was he who dreamed of creating the world and along with the other spirits Nungeena (Mother Nature), Punjel (the Architect of the Universe) and Yhi (Sun Goddess) they set about making this dream come true.

Punjel, being the Architect of the Universe, took multi-million portions from the Supreme Intelligence of Baiame and created Yowies (souls). These Yowies were given three strong drives; the need for nutrition to sustain a physical body, the desire for reproduction and a will to achieve. These Yowies were then collectively swirled around in an anti-clockwise direction and thrust towards Tya (earth) which created the gravitational force of earth.

Because of their desire to achieve, the Yowies started to mould Tya and eventually a solid mass was formed. The Spirits decided that the Yowies needed memory so they gave them a spirit body called the Dowie; a memory bank to retain all previous experiences and the Mullowill; a sheath like protection to guard the Yowies from psychic and emotional influences and also to protect the Dowie.

The next stage of the creation period was to introduce plant life so Nungeema was called upon to create her magic. The Yowies creative abilities were somewhat lacking, plant life was merely in the form of mosses, so Yhi was asked to warm up Tya. The sun created steam caps and the ice encapsulating Tya began to melt.

Their next problem was that the plant life was now drowning in the flood of water so Uluru, The Intelligent Snake from within the higher spirits of the universe was summonsed. He burrowed holes into the solid mass creating the seas, lakes and rivers with the spoils creating mountains. His work created an imbalance and Tya began to wobble as it span through space.

In digging the holes, Uluru had thrown masses of soil into the air and as Yhi didn’t want this contamination ruining her work of sunlight, she took this soil to create Bahloo (the moon).

Plant life was now starting to overgrow due to the three main drives. More action was needed so the spirits decided to introduce animal life. Advanced Yowies were selected because of their memory banks, their desire to achieve and creative abilities. These Yowies became animals. Jelly fish were the first of the animal kingdom and as the rains came and ponds overflowed many of these jelly fish were left stranded upon the rocks once the flood waters subsided. The Strongest and most creative Yowies survived and evolved to create different species.

The next part of the jigsaw was to create an advanced intelligence; the human being. Baiame descended to Tya with three hundred men and woman to introduce them to all the previous experiences and intelligence of mineral, plant and animal life. These men and woman became the first tribe and Baiame taught them the Laws of Living and the Laws of the Universe with the magic, art and healing contained within them. Elders and wise men and women were chosen to ensure that these lessons were interpreted correctly and handed down through the generations.

This is just a brief summary of the Creation Period as understood by the Aborigines. Yet through the haze of the myth there are some remarkable resemblances with how modern day science depicts the creation of the universe.
The order and time span are notably similar, indeed the aboriginal version of creation with regards to time is much nearer to modern day thinking than the bible, if the idea that the world was created in seven days is to be taken literally.
And these ideas came many thousands of years before modern science.

At the beginning Baiame had a dream and with the aid of the other spirits his thoughts and dreams became a reality. Today we have ideas and theories such as the Law of Attraction which helps us understand that everything created in this world started with a thought in somebody’s head. If we believe in our thoughts hard enough, desire it great enough, these thoughts will manifest themselves into reality soon enough. Have faith.

How fantastic is that?

Much of this information came from the following sources: Understanding Aboriginal Culture by Cyril Havecker which can be obtained at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-aboriginal-culture-Cyril-Havecker/, http://www.aboriginalculture.com.au/religion.shtml and http://www.indigenousaustralia.info/culture.html.

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

The Battle is Not Ours

2009-10-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

What is the meaning of Faith?

So many times in life things get on top of us. Things don't seem to go right and other people demand so much that we wonder how we can cope with it all. We brood over our problems and dispair at the magnitude of everything. At this point our faith in God can very much be tested.

Amongst all our problems we can easily forget to turn to God. The hussle and bussle of everyday life creates no time to sit and allow God to give us answers.

Yet amazingly, if we can just switch off for a few minutes, think about God and re-affirm our faith and belief in him, suddenly a peace of mind washes over us. This allows us to see the problems from another perspective and helps us to prioritise the things that are really important.

If we turn to God and ask for the help that accomplishes good works, we get answers. To do good works is not our battle but that of God. We are merely the tools for which God's work can be completed. God will take on the burdens and relieve us of the pressure if we allow him to.

Heb. 11 : 1 Faith means that we have the full confidence in the things that we hope for, it means being certain of things we cannot see.

Joshua 1 Verses 2 and 5. Arise, go over this Jordan...I will not leave you or forsake you.

2 Chronicles 20 : 15 Do not be afraid nor dismayedbecause of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com/

A Christian's Look at Islam 2

2009-09-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

What is the meaning of faith?

In part one we looked at how the Christian faith and that of Muslims were very similar. We also explored the differences between Christianity and Islam. Much of this information was sourced from www.geocities.com/mikailtariq/index.htm and trust that the facts have justly been interpreted.

It is reckoned that Christians look for their rewards or punishment in the next life, whilst Muslims believe that by conducting themselves correctly every day heaven can be created here on earth. However through the teachings of James in the bible, this isn’t necessarily a true interpretation of Christian philosophy.

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” – James 1:22

“What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him?” – James 2:14

“So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” - James 2:17

These verses obviously demonstrate the need to place action behind beliefs and faith.

A Muslim will conduct himself with dignity and honour. Not to do so is disrespectful to the Islamic faith. Likewise, cleanliness is a very important aspect of their day to day conduct. It is their belief that being unclean offends God. Being dirty through honest toil is acceptable; at any other time it is not. It has to be said that from my experience of people following the Islamic faith, their cleanliness is wholly commendable as cleanliness doesn’t seem to be at the heart of Christian faith.

Whilst bodily cleanliness ranks high in a Muslims conduct, so also does internal cleanliness. This is why they do not partake in alcohol and illicit drugs. As a pig is seen as an unclean animal, eating filth, the consumption of pork is also forbidden.

The Qur’an is obviously the book by which the words must be followed, but a Muslim will also abide by the laws of the land in which they reside. They are lawful and responsible citizens that abhor sin. To make a mistake and sin once is forgivable but to continue to live in sin is wrong and shows contempt of God.

How does this compare to the Christian notion of forgiveness?

The religion of Islam acknowledges that everybody is a brother or sister. A practitioner of Islam must not discriminate between race and ethnic origin.
They must not contribute to the downfall of another. This too, is best practice of the Christian faith.

Islam decrees that a follower should observe the following five points:-

To say the creed several times a day.
To undertake daily prayer – at dawn, midday, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall. Cleansing must be undertaken prior to prayer and they must face Mecca during prayer.
Give alms – give money to the poor in the community.
Fast during the month of Ramadan. Fasting during day-light hours is a reminder of the gift of God’s revelation to Muhammed, ie. The Qur’an.
Undertake a pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca once in a lifetime.

By sticking to a disciplined regime a Muslim obviously remains in touch with God many times during the course of the day. A Christian daily routine would be more flexible and consequently perhaps doesn’t retain his/her thoughts on God so much during the day. Grace at meal times and a once per day offering of prayer doesn’t strike as being quite so devout as that of a Muslim.

Although some of the differences between Islam and Christianity may appear to be divisive, there is a lot of common ground. The shear fact that both religions share a belief in one God should be THE uniting factor. Ultimately demonstrating ones faith in God is an individual choice. By living our lives through him and creating a quality in life that is in harmony with fairness, kindness and morality means we can have that freedom of choice and should be able to live peacefully together.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

A Christian's Look at Islam

2009-09-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

What is the meaning of faith?

As a Christian I practice my faith in God in a manner that feels the most comfortable to me. Perhaps this has evolved from my upbringing, the teachings that have been presented to me through the course of my life and from what I have encountered myself during my life.

Ultimately how I allow my faith and beliefs to affect my life is down to me. The rules that I obey through Christianity allow me to live a clean and happy life with a well developed sense of morality and fairness.

But do we need to be a Christian to have a faith in God and live a decent life?

At www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com it is the aim to look at all aspects of faith. In the first of two articles we shall look at the very basic beliefs of Islam as practiced by its Muslim followers.

The major source of information for this article has come from www.geocities.com/mikailtariq/index.htm and it is sincerely hoped that the interpretation is factually correct and in no way offensive.

The Islamic faith and Christianity agree in many things and as is also common with other faiths such as the Jewish faith, they all believe in one God. Perhaps the confusion comes with the fact that Muslims refer to Allah, which is a contraction of Al Ilah (The God).

A true Christian will follow the teachings of Jesus as presented in their one book, The Bible. A Muslim will accept the teachings of the great prophets Jesus, Moses and Abraham, but practice their faith through the words of The Qur’an. This, they believe is the most complete and reliable source of God’s revelations as presented through the prophet Muhammed, and as he was the last of the great prophets, this must be the most up to date account of God’s wisdom.

So Christians and Muslims have common ground in the belief of one God and a desire to live good, clean and honest lives. So where are the differences?

Muslims are taught to be proud and to conduct themselves with dignity and honour. They believe that Christianity teaches meekness, which is true although it could be argued that modesty doesn’t have to obscure self esteem. Assertiveness is viewed as inline with Muslim thinking.

Muslims place tremendous store on education. They place great reverence on schools and books and encourage efforts to acquire great knowledge. It certainly could be said that those that sit on the fringes of Christianity are not so disciplined in their attempts to gain a better education.

The Islamic faith encourages commerce and the accumulation of wealth whilst it believes that a good Christian will shun riches and depend on God for sustenance. Muslims have an immense work ethic and although they aren’t against benefits handed out by governments and charitable organisations they have the belief that they should work where at all possible. In defence of Christians, the bible implies that it is the desire for wealth that is the root of all evil. The earning of money to enjoy God’s abundance and perhaps to help others is no sin at all.

Christians are certainly encouraged to turn the other cheek. A follower of Islam on the other hand will defend his family, his faith and himself. Although not advocating violence they would not be subjected to humiliation by submitting to evil. The difficulty may come in respect to the interpretation of who or what is evil.

This is the first of two articles on a Christians view of Islam through www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com. So far we can see that there is a lot of common ground between these two major religions and perhaps the differences aren’t really that great a divide. Accepting the common denominators of the two should surely mean that we can live in harmony with each other.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

A Valuable Lesson in Faith

2009-09-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

What is the Meaning of Faith?

As I have mentioned in many a blog, I have recently returned from a trip to Romania doing some charity work. I was part of a team that spent a week helping with the construction of an extension to an orphanage in Comanesti.

Steve Cooper and his Cry in the Dark charity had created Casa Lumina ten years ago to provide a loving home for children who suffered appallingly under the Caucesceau regime. They also established Casa Albert, an outreach centre and soon to be day centre for children with life limiting illnesses. The extension is being added to Casa Lumina to support the children as they now progress into adulthood.

So what have I gained personally from this trip?

How have I changed as a person and what has it taught me?

Certainly I am more grateful for the things that I have; my family, my friends and my home.

But I bring back from Romania one extremely valuable lesson.

On the Sunday, Steve Cooper explained how Cry in the Dark came about. He described how he was inspired to come to Romania to see for himself the dreadful conditions which orphans were having to endure; the cramped and loveless conditions which tugged at the heart strings.

God spoke to him and he knew he had to do something.

We can look back now at what has been achieved with the development of Casa Lumina and Casa Albert. In the beginning though this must have seemed like a daunting challenge.

Where does one start?

How do you even know where to start?

These were questions I put to Steve.

He answered. “I didn’t know where to start. I just turned to God, prayed for the answers and he showed me the way.”

WOW

This is true faith in God…in action.

I can recall tales, particularly in Nigeria, where my faith in God saw me through some sticky encounters.

One offs.

For twelve years God has been by Steves’ side. The creation of the Cry in the Dark team, the building of Casa Lumina, Casa Albert and now the extension at Casa Lumina.

Steve and the team at Cry in the Dark have been the sole reason why twenty three children with learning difficulties and varying illnesses have made it happily through to adulthood.

All this through his faith in God.

WOW

I believe in God, obviously.

But can I say my faith is as resolute as that of Steve Coopers’?

Probably not, or at least, not up until now.

As I’ve said, I’ve had my encounters where I believed God would pull me through…and he did. But I still worried about the bills, job, family etc., wanting to know step by step the path of my future.

I can see now the effects of an absolute belief and trust in God. By praying, and listening to his answers and believing that he WILL look after me, I can worry less about the future and open my eyes to the present.

If Steve Cooper has ever doubted his faith, it never showed, and I will be eternally grateful for this priceless lesson.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

A Cry in the Dark

2009-09-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

What is the meaning of faith?

Most people have something or somebody that they believe in. Having that faith gives us hope for the future. When we walk through a storm, we must hold our heads up high. Then we will never walk alone.

Recently I have had the immense privilege of witnessing the power of faith in action. A deep rooted faith in God.

It was with great pleasure that I visited Romania along with seven others from two churches in the town that I live. The Zion Baptist church had been supporting Cry in the Dark for several years now and through them our church became involved.

The charity Cry in the Dark was created by Steve Cooper. He was inspired to visit Romania after hearing the harrowing stories of neglect in orphanages around the country. Unfortunately he found the stories covered only a fraction of the true atrocities that had been allowed to develop in these cramped, dark and loveless places. He knew that God was calling when out of the darkness he could hear the disturbing sounds of crying.

This was over twelve years ago. Two years later Casa Lumina was created in Comanesti. This is an orphanage built by Cry in the Dark to house twenty three children with learning difficulties and various other disabilities and illnesses. Through the extreme dedication of Steve Cooper and the Cry in the Dark team Casa Lumina has become a home of love, life and laughter provided by an immensely caring team of care workers.

It didn’t stop there. Inspired by the death of one little boy – Albert – Casa Albert was developed amongst much red tape from local government in Romania. This was initially intended to be a hospice for children with life limiting illnesses but has developed into an outreach centre so that medical care can be administered to the children within their own homes. Once the finishing touches have been completed, Casa Albert will also become a day centre for the children it has always intended to support.

Our visit to Comanesti was to help in the construction of an extension to Casa Lumina. Cry in the Dark has pledged a home to these orphans for the rest of their lives and for this reason the extension was being added to cater for their adult requirements.

I have always been intrigued to know how one ever gets started on such a daunting project, particularly if one starts from a background of no experience whatsoever. Whilst I was out there and in his company, I asked him the question.

He answered,

“I have never known what to do. I have just prayed to God and believe that God will show me the way. And he always has”

It is hard for me to recollect having ever personally coming across such absolute faith. Steve never walks alone, always has hope in his heart and god never lets him down. His motives are without question. He acts selflessly and God recognises this.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

How to be a Great Leader

2009-04-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

Self confidence is required in so many fields of life but another quality that is a must in business is leadership. If you run your own business or head a department, even manage a large organisation, the people beneath you in the chain of command will look to you for leadership, inspiration and self confidence.

So what must we have to be a great, inspiring leader?

1. An extraordinary vision is definitely required. A leader has big dreams and motivates his team with those dreams. His communication skills convey emotion, continuously accentuating the positives to drive forward the business or project. Leaders are forward thinkers, seeing what doesn’t exist at present and then visualising it as existing with the sole aim of making it a reality. Their dreams will always be larger than those of the rest of the team; they have to be to create that magical inspiration and self confidence of the team.

2. A leader will have an attitude far more positive than those that he leads. They continuously have powerful thoughts and his manner is always upbeat with self confidence. It is so necessary to always show positivism and self confidence. Both positive and negative thoughts can be contagious yet negativity can spread so much more easily than positive ness. It is therefore so essential to remain positive, never allowing yourself to make criticism about the company, management or product. An organisation can so easily be weakened or destroyed by one critical remark (remember the Gerald Ratner effect).

3. How approachable are you for your team if you are always right, never ready to admit mistakes. Nobody is ever likely to make suggestions if they think that they are not going to make a difference. And when things go wrong, where should the buck stop? With the leader of course; the leader is responsible for the success of the organisation or project. A great leader will see the harm that can be caused by shifting blame onto others and will instead place him/herself in the firing line for criticism. Learning from your mistakes builds self confidence plus admitting them earns the respect of those around you

4. A leader has to be a decision maker. Lacking decisiveness and self confidence can be so frustrating for a team. They need to depend on those that can make a decision so they in turn can have a direction to follow. A manager is always concerned about doing things correctly whilst a leader is more concerned about doing the correct thing. It is impossible to always make the right choices but the important thing is that you are making them and making them for the right reasons. As long as lessons are learned, experience combined with self confidence will determine that more and more correct decisions are made in the future.

5. Those that lead will always put those that they lead first. By putting others before your own interest, will gain the trust and confidence of the team. By looking out for their best interests, your crew will work harder knowing that you want them to succeed. This in turn will build your self confidence as a great leader.

6. The best way to be a leader is to show how it can be done. To prove that you have the skills necessary will really gain the respect of your team. Yes, if the team is particularly large you will most likely not have the skills required in every department, but you should certainly have enough wherewithal to demonstrate to the people immediately beneath you. There has been recently a programme on British television where the owners or Managing Directors of organisations go back to the shop floor to tackle and see for themselves the tasks undertaken by the productive staff. This exercise usually demonstrates their lack of abilities in this field, but being involved and showing a willingness to understand the needs of their workers nearly always gains them respect. It also helps build their self confidence in order to run the business more effectively.

7. By doing the right thing and having pride in your team, confidence in you as a leader will be built in your team at every level. Upon you, all the hopes and desires of your team will be on your shoulders. As a leader you must show a hundred percent commitment to honesty and truthfulness. By being honest and true you know that everything you do and every decision you make is entirely for the right reasons and does wonders for your self confidence in the process. A leader must seriously consider making this his/hers number one priority.

8. There is no place for inferior workmanship or performance from a leader. Your attitude to appearance and courtesy plus a total dedication to excellence will mark you down for success or failure. Your team will only look up to you if this attitude is at a level above theirs. If you can only mark yourself as an 8 in this area, only the people whose attitude is 7 or below will look up to you as a leader. By striving for a perfect 10 not only gives you the respect of all your team members it creates the desire to do everything to the best of your ability and enhances your self confidence in the process.

9. Self confidence is a part of personal growth. But so is the need to understand your business and constantly keep on top of new developments within your industry. The University of Life teaches us something new every day and if we are not prepared to learn the lessons, how can you expect your team to. The business, like your knowledge, will fail to grow. It is so necessary to grow personally as nobody likes to be around a leader who is just prepared to stand still. That would be a sure fire way of loosing some valuable members of your crew. Be positive and be prepared to learn and you along with your self confidence will grow enormously.

Whilst it is said that many great leaders are born, many more can develop the self confidence and skills for leadership. If you have the strong desire to succeed and you need a highly motivated body of men and women behind you, you can and must create those leadership qualities. Self confidence is an extremely important attribute required for success, but also is leadership, the power and ability to lead and inspire others to greatness.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.com/index.htm#terryn1

Stand Tall with Self Confidence

2009-04-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

Communication applies to us all. To provide inspiration and motivation to others we must be able to communicate and communicate with self confidence. Most of us will consider the most important part of our communication to be speech. The ability to express our words certainly will be an inspiration and motivation to others particularly if delivered in an enthusiastic and engaging way.

Yet the truth is that only 45% of effective communication is verbal. Although others hear your words, they also receive signals generated by our body language. It is body language that provides the other 55% of effective communication. Thus when we are trying to convey a message to somebody else, we must be conscious that our body is telling the same story as our voice.

Most people, except perhaps the really insecure, find self confidence to be an attractive quality and the body will demonstrate a great deal about whether someone possess that fantastic quality called self confidence.

So what are the posturing signals that give off self confidence vibrations?

Standing with hands behind our backs demonstrates a naturally self confident person or at least somebody who is on top of a situation.
Clasping hands in front of our stomachs is a stance that you will normally see being taken by world leaders during press conferences and speeches.
Finger tips of both hands touching each other
Standing upright with both feet firmly placed upon the ground.
Walking with long strides shows somebody with purpose, someone who is ready to take on new challenges.
Being someone who refuses to panic when mistakes happen.

Sitting with one leg crossed over the other and hands clasped behind our heads tends to show an air of superiority and over confidence. We do use this posture sometimes when we have completed a difficult task of finished a hard exam but care has to be taken as others may consider this to be impolite.

That great quality of self confidence can be seen by all and attracts many people to those that possess it. Inspiration and motivation radiate from these people providing optimism that everybody can attain this quality too.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

Meaning of Success

2009-04-10T16:07:00.000-07:00

There seems to be some people who are blessed. They are vibrant and happy; the glowing companion linked to their arm and abundance seems to flow into their lives. So why does life always appear good for them yet for others misery seems to follow with every step they take?

I was with two colleagues today; Sid and Steve. Sid is happy go lucky, a colourful character who has experienced a lot of life’s ups and downs. He is a great example of the phrase “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. He lives off of his wits and always seems to find that extra buck or two. Despite being obviously very street wise, he does attend church and appreciates a spiritual side within himself.

Steve is a worker. He does work hard yet always seems to be just keeping his head above the financial waters. Although he doesn’t constantly moan about his problems there are many hints and signs that he is tremendously concerned about his money situation.

We had two conversations of note during the course of the day; the first was when Steve stated that “I can’t see the point in religion. It only causes all the troubles in the world. It seems that people who don’t believe, like atheists, are the ones that are peaceful”.

The first thing that I pointed out was that the troubles are caused in the name of religion. It isn’t the religions themselves that cause the issues. Fundamentalists; people with such a deep beliefs in their teachings that they cannot accept other faiths, races and points of views seem to be at the heart of the troubles. The mainstream religions of this world have one common theme. They all believe in one creator. We may have differing guidelines on how to worship our creator and how to practice our religions but that one common link should be what binds us together and allow us to live in harmony with each other.

Secondly, I focussed on the Islamic faith. I don’t profess to know much about the religion but I hear many times that this is a very peaceful religion that denounces any form of violence. Any atrocity caused in the name of Islam is really so far removed from their teachings. Unfortunately within any race or creed; even amongst the atheists, there are good people and there are bad. It is a sign of the times that the world’s media only focuses on the bad.

It is an indication of Steve’s thought patterns that he had chosen to start a conversation on a real negative. This was even more noticeable with the statement he made later on in the day.

“I’ll be glad when this year is over”.

Considering that, at the time of writing we are only into the third week of January, this took Sid and me a little by surprise.

“Why’s that then?” I asked

He went on to point out that we were doing a horrible job (his words were a bit more flavoursome than that), and that the recession was really getting him down.

Admittedly the job wasn’t likely to be classified as our favourite, but I felt the need to express the notion that sometimes we need to experience the rough to truly enjoy the smooth.
With regards to the credit crunch I asked him

“What can you do about it?”

“Well nothing” he replied.

“Exactly” I countered. “So why keep thinking about it. Concentrate on what you can do to work around it”.

I then highlighted that the world is a beautiful place. Continuously seeing it as a dark, horribly place; one full of misery will lead to his world being one of misery. Conversely, choosing to see it for what it really is, a wonderful place full of abundance will mean a life that god wants us to experience, full of the abundances that he has put here for us to enjoy.

Undoubtedly there will be harder times than others. If we decide to see the world in its full glory, those harder times will be so much easier to handle, obstacles so much easier to overcome.

Sid pointed out that if we visualise life like a steeplechase race, we have hurdles to straddle. If we view the world with tremendous optimism and confidence we will jump the hurdles. If we see our planet as a world full of darkness we are going to clip those hurdles and fall over. Worst still, we will probably run straight into them.

Sid obviously had a better grasp on how to view his world and consequently experiences a lot more of the good that is out there.

We can all decide to see the world in a positive light; full of hope and optimism. It is our choice and we don’t have to let other people’s negativity cloud our vision. It doesn’t come easy, but catching ourselves thinking negative thoughts is a start. Substituting those thoughts with ones of vibrancy, abundance, happiness and tranquillity and then truly believing that we deserve these riches, will, eventually, develop us into those that have and not those that have not.

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index#terryn1

Decisions, Decisions. How to Make the Right Choice with Self Confidence

2009-04-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

Making decisions comes naturally to some and not to others. Self confidence plays a major part in somebody’s ability to make quick decisions. Once made, a decision will provide energy and motivation to make that decision the right one.

But how do we know if we have made the right decision?

Ultimately, nobody has a crystal ball. But there are several things that we can call upon to make the best decision possible.

Information
To the best of our ability we need to do our homework about a subject. Find out as much about the problem or answer that you need to make as possible. This may take time and sometimes we don’t have the time we would like to research the point in question. Fortunately with the aid of today’s technology, finding answers to our queries can be a lot quicker and easier. Although it may not be easy, if we can push for as much time as possible to do our homework, the decision is more likely to be an informed one.

Experience
Quick decisions can be made if we have experienced the situation before. We know the pitfalls and the likely outcomes because we have seen similar circumstances in the past. Experience is a wonderful thing because it often means we can do things on auto pilot. We make decisions daily and even hourly yet we probably don’t realise it because they are decisions we make without giving a second thought, based on the fact that we have been along this road many times before.

Seek Advice
Along with doing our homework comes seeking advice. Making milestone decisions on a particular point which we have no experience will work out much more in our favour if we speak to people who are expert in the field or at least have experience of the point in question. Some advice may come at a price. Legal or financial advice will probably cost but will be worth it in the long run if it points us in the right direction. It’s surprising how so many people will not ask for advice. It dents their pride to think that they don’t know all the answers or cannot work the answer out for themselves. Others just don’t like to burden folk with their problems believing that they have enough of their own. Yet we all like to be needed. We all like to think that we have something valuable to contribute, so are very often happy to give our advice, and for free.

Gut Instinct
Sometimes a decision just feels right. That new house we are after, we can’t put our finger on why, but it just feels like the right place. It’s giving off the right vibrations. That business deal we are trying to clinch, it just seems like the right decision to make. Unfortunately, when speed is of the essence, we need to make a decision straight away and we don’t have time to do the homework. We may just have to go on gut instinct. But if it doesn’t feel right, if there are any doubts, do not go through with it. Experience can provide a terrific grounding for gut instinct. Deep in the subconscious mind we may be recalling a previous similar situation and although the clarity isn’t there, the feelings are coming through via our subconscious mind.

The hard part of using gut instinct is appreciating when it is saying “no”. We can be left with the question, are we saying “no” because our gut instinct is saying so or is the answer “no” coming from fear, fear of stepping outside our comfort zone?
This is when homework, experience and seeking advice will help determine whether it is gut instinct or fear that is holding us back.

Entrepreneurs and business people are extremely good at making quick decisions. As they become more experienced the right decisions are made more frequently. We all make mistakes and if we make the wrong choice, we have to view it is part of the learning process. Making the correct choice will become easier as we learn and absorb more. Then we will have the self confidence, inspiration and optimism to go forward believing that we are making the right decisions.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

Assertiveness and Self Confidence. The Perfect Win-Win Situation

2009-04-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

Assertiveness is a fantastic quality to have and really enhances self confidence which in turn provides motivation to achieve the goals in life we most desire. Assertiveness is very much a word that is heard from people coaching personal development and is a subject that is preached in many a sales training course.

So what is this great attribute called assertiveness?

Can it be learned?

Answering the second question first; yes definitely it can be learned, if that person so desires to learn this skill.

The answer to the first question is slightly longer. Assertiveness is the ability to express upon others your emotions, principles and desires without treading on the other persons toes; infringing their rights and desires. This must be done without being aggressive. The opposite end of the scale is to be passive, where we would constantly say “yes” to others just to please and as a consequence we violate our own rights. Some people have explained assertiveness as the art of saying “no”. http://www.2knowmyself.com/

Assertiveness is about being in control, not showing anger when explaining what we want. It is the middle ground between aggression and passiveness. The relationship between aggression, passiveness and assertiveness was once explained as

Aggression – I win , you lose
Passiveness – I lose, you win
Assertiveness – I win, you win

A lack of assertiveness is a behavioural trait that has been learned to help deal with others, to earn their love or at the very least not to be spurned by them. For this we let go of our rights and create a fear of standing up for ourselves. A feeling of worthlessness comes from saying “yes” when we really want to say “no”. Self confidence can seriously be damaged in the process. But this can change if we make that decision to be assertive.

Unless we are dealing with an over sensitive person, in which case we do need to tread with care, people will admire assertiveness and self confidence. So how do we develop that great quality of assertiveness?

Let’s start with the techniques,

Whenever a favour is asked of us, ask the question, does this request contravene my interests, principles or obligations? If the answer is “yes”, say “no”.
Whenever our rights are trodden on we must stand up for ourselves. It matters not how small the infringement may be, letting an incident go will encourage the subconscious mind to behave the same way next time, and this may well be a greater betrayal of our rights. Constantly practice assertiveness will eventually make it second nature.
Use assertive body language. Body language can either support or contradict assertive behaviour. Standing erect with shoulders back, both feet firmly on the ground with no arms folded and using positive eye contact demonstrates assertiveness and self confidence.
Avoid aggressive behaviour. This will lead others to be resistive and hateful.

It also helps to remember some of these rules.

We all have the right to our own values, beliefs, emotions and opinions.
We have the right to justify and explain our actions to others.
We have the right to tell others how we wish to be treated.
We have the right to say “I don’t know”, “I don’t understand” and in particular, “no”.
We have the right to take the time required to develop our ideas before expressing them.
We have the right to make mistakes (although I hope we learn from them).
We have the right to stand up for ourselves and for what we want.
Particularly, we have the right to be treated with respect. http://www.2kowmyself.com/

Assertiveness is really about communication, in a fashion that is neither aggressive nor passive using both body language and carefully chosen words. Creating a win – win situation develops our own self confidence and motivation and instils inspiration and optimism in others. This is a sign of great leadership.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

You Need Inspiration and Motivation? Get a Mentor

2009-03-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

Motivation, inspiration and self confidence are fantastic attributes to have but they can elude even the most successful people from time to time. So who does the budding entrepreneur turn to when they need some inspiration?

Do they need anybody to turn to at all?

Mentors. Who are these mysterious people that have the answer to all our problems?

Well in fact they don’t. This is why we need more than one. It is why they are also not that mysterious. They are likely to have expertise in one field. As an entrepreneur just starting on the road to success we are going to need advice in many areas of our business. This advice could be financial, legal, technical or educational so we need the experience of several people.
http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

Some of this advice is going to cost money. A good account or solicitor doesn’t come cheap unless we have them amongst our circle of friends. However, many will offer start up advice for free believing that you will use there services once you are up and running. If you can get this type of advice then it is ethical practice to use their services once you need your accounts looked after or a contract drawn up.

Friends or members of our family quite often provide valuable sources of advice and invariably this will also be free. It is great if friends or family become mentors because they are so much more approachable. However, be careful that you don’t offend if you don’t take their advice onboard. Sometimes you end up with conflicting advice from more than one individual and you then have to decide which course of action you are going to take.

It may come as a surprise to many that we can have the rich and successful as mentors too.

How?

So many have published books, set up courses or perform seminars. We can easily, normally for a small fee, discover how they create their success. This is a fantastic way of educating ourselves and tapping into the mindset of the experts. So many books sit on my bookshelves which I take down from time to time to refresh my memory over a tactic or purely just to provide inspiration.

To have mentors such as Richard Branson or Paul McKenna to guide and inspire is a tremendous facility that we all can have. Obviously the choice of successful people will depend on the individual but none the less these people are there for us to follow and emulate.

Another form of mentor is a coach. Very much thought of in the past as the domain of the sporting world, we can get a coach for almost any area of our lives now. Personal trainers, life style coaches, business coaches are all forms of mentors if we need them. At the beginning of an enterprise these types of coaches may not be required, but as a business expands we may need to consider whether we need to hire life style and business coaches to help personnel to grow and fulfil their potential. http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

As we can see, mentors are a necessity if an enterprise is going to succeed. It is virtually impossible to be successful on our own. Along with advice, they provide motivation, optimism, inspiration and self confidence.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com/

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

Optimism and Motivation. The Skills of a Great Leader

2009-03-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

To be a leader requires many attributes and abilities; qualities such as self confidence, self belief, motivation, optimism and enthusiasm. Having charisma – that charm and personality, also helps particularly in line with the ability to be engaging. To help your team to focus on the goals and fully understand their roles is a must if any task is to be truly successful.

As a commissioning engineer I have had to train many personnel on equipment before handing over for them to maintain. It is extremely rewarding when your audience have fully participated in the training programme and you can see that they have really appreciated the knowledge that has been passed to them.

Back in 2003 I had two visits to Nigeria to commission some water treatment equipment at a tobacco factory in the city of Ibadan. On the second visit, one of my remits was to perform the training not only on the plant that I had been commissioning but also on another companys system to. As I wasn’t overly familiar with this equipment, I felt very apprehensive about conducting the training.

The organisation that I had been sub-contracted to were Yugoslavian and the engineers that I had been reporting to had said

“Don’t worry, these Nigerians won’t ask any questions, the training will soon be over”

These Yugoslavian engineers were conducting some training of their own after my session was over. Tuesday afternoon at 1.00p.m. my time came to perform my training. Gathered around the plant were ten Nigerian guys that at first glance looked totally uninterested.

“Lets go for it” I thought and proceeded to introduce myself.

Now my style was to be light-hearted, not taking myself too seriously. I would obviously go systematically over the equipment but I would throw questions back at them to make sure that they were taking in the information that I was imparting. By the time I had finished talking about the system that I was less familiar with I really felt that I had gotten these Nigerian maintenance staff on my side. I had them then ask me questions and these questions were very intelligent ones. They were interested and I was pleased that my style seemed to be working.

I was becoming more at ease now and when I went on to explain about my “baby”; the piece of equipment that I had commissioned I was in my element. The enthusiasm flowed out and by the end of my training session all these Nigerian maintenance engineers were gathering around me to ask questions about me. I honestly felt that they had taken me to their hearts. It was 4.00p.m.; some three hours later. This had hardly been a short training course and my Yugoslavian friends had still to conduct their training.

In comparison their method was far more serious. They didn’t ask questions of the students and didn’t invite questions back. It was plain to see the Nigerian staff “switching off” and loosing interest. These people were bright, intelligent people who could very easily take in the lessons providing the training was interesting and engaging.

Despite my nervousness at the beginning, I had the self confidence and self belief to get me through the training and win these people over. With the qualities of enthusiasm and optimism I was able to find the ability to provide motivation and inspiration to these Nigerian people.

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

Never Fear Success is Here

2009-03-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

To become a success, there are certain personality traits such as motivation, self confidence, inspiration and leadership skills that are almost certainly a must to reach our dreams. But are these all that are required or are there other attributes needed?

Are these traits the privilege of a fortunate few or can these fantastic skills be learned?

Let’s first consider what the definition of success is. Although the definition of success can be as broad as there are numbers of people, it can be narrowed to the fulfilment of dreams, the achieving of goals and the pursuit of happiness.

Success is very seldom created overnight. It can require patience, time, effort and very often, hard work. Despite all our efforts, midway through a project, when all seems lost and our hopes are dashed, disappointment sets in and the desire to quit becomes strong. Successful people resist the temptation to give up and find something easier to tackle because they have the personality traits to help them through such difficult times. http://www.2knowmyself.com/

These attributes are behavioural traits and they are definitely traits that aren’t confined to a fortunate few but ones that can be learned and developed. It requires a certain strength to reach the desired goals for success. During the journey it is likely that we will encounter rejection, disappointment, pain, regret, sacrifice and perhaps occasionally, depression.

So how do we find the motivation, optimism, inspiration and self confidence to carry on?

Smile in the face of adversity. Failure is a normal fact of life and if we learn to accept failure in a positive light as being part of our education, then we can move on knowing that we have learned a valuable lesson and are less likely to make that mistake again.
Get used to rejection. Some of the most successful ideas have been rejected by people in their early stages of development. Even the Beatles, one of the most successful bands of the 1960s, were rejected by managers and record labels in the early part of their careers. When it is considered that sales people may only convert 1 in 10 of their leads that is still a 90% rejection rate. If we can truly believe in our product and our abilities we can smile at rejection and move on.
Disappointment hits the people with ambition far harder than most. When we are stricken with disappointment we need to rally the troops, take counter measures, change strategy and move on. If something isn’t working we must change the way we are doing it. http://www.2knowmyself.com/

Success requires that we must face and relish the challenges that lie ahead. Adversity should be considered a normal pattern to life and not an unwanted catastrophe. Consider these as a sign that we must reform or change tactics and not that “I tried hard, didn’t succeed so I gave up”.

It becomes obvious that not only are motivation, inspiration, self confidence and optimism required to become that successful entrepreneur but resilience plays a very big part on that journey to success as well.

Fortunately these are personality traits that can be learned and developed and there is hope and optimism for us all.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

Love is in the Air

2009-03-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

Love and our relationships are very precious and sometimes extremely fragile. At the beginning of a relationship we are walking on air. All seems right with the world and we seem invincible. But sooner or later that honeymoon period ends as familiarity sets in and the relationship becomes comfortable. This leads to taking our partner for granted which in turn causes resentment. Along with those annoying little things that our partner does, the relationship starts to head on a downward slope.

Does this sound familiar?

Are you taking the other half for granted or are you the one being taken for granted?

How can the downward slope be turned into the fantastic climb up the mountain of dreams?

At the beginning we would have observed all the positive attributes about her/him. Those gorgeous eyes, that fit body or the amazing sense of humour. The likelihood is there are still many of those positive attributes still present in our partner. Granted the bum may start to “look big in this” or the belly might be hanging over the belt but personality wise there remains many beautiful traits that first attracted us to our partners and some hidden ones will have emerged as well.

The little things that niggles us, how bad are they really?

Unless our partner has turned into a real life monster, those negative aspects can be ignored with the focus on the many great attributes our partner possesses. Realising that the significant other has some fantastic qualities enables us to focus on the good. Remembering the good times and the fact that you can still have those good times because you still have a lot in common with shared interests, will help the love to grow back into the relationship.

Being positive about our partner doesn’t just amount to what we view. Speak positively in their company. We have to compliment each other and talk about our hopes, our dreams and our aspirations. Focussing on where we want to go and how to achieve this creates fantastic energy and a desire to reach those goals together. As in any other aspect of personal development, being positive ultimately ends with positive results. The Law of Attraction dictates that.

Remember to take an interest in our partners. Finding out about how their day has been and really listening increases their respect for you. Ask them questions and truly listen to the response. Everybody loves to feel that their ideas and opinions mean something to somebody even if their interests revolve around Gillingham Football Club and you haven’t got the faintest interest in football.

Asking questions of our partner and devoutly listening to the answers could actually teach us something about them that we didn’t know. Our interests do change as we move on in life and our opinions do also change. Listening to what our partners have to say and understanding those opinions helps the relationship to evolve. This doesn’t mean to say that you have to agree with everything they say. Having a mind of our own and being able to think for ourselves is a healthy situation.

Both our partners and ourselves have strengths and weaknesses. These strengths and weaknesses will be different yet combining our strengths will provide for a stronger entity. Despite having the odd disagreements and slight difference of opinions we should never try to compete with each other. Trying to outdo the other and point score is a very damaging activity to follow. Playing mind games determines that somebody will be the winner and a partnership should be a win-win situation.

Practice gratitude. Being grateful for all we have is a very noble action but to express gratitude for all the good things in our relationships will again help the relationship to blossom. It enables us to focus on the positive and all good things come to those who believe that they can have them.

We mustn’t stifle our partners. As much as we are looking for the positives in our relationship, being with our partners night and day can prove suffocating. Every person needs the space to be themselves, this is healthy, but sharing some activities is also healthy for the relationship too.

A healthy, loving relationship creates self confidence and self esteem in us. It provides motivation and inspiration, optimism and hope and together we can face the world together.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index#htm.terryn1

Self Confidence and Inspiration. Help is Close at Hand

2009-03-21T03:17:00.000-07:00

One of the most rewarding ways of create success is to help other people become successful too. It is amazing how the joy of helping others gives you motivation, inspiration and energy.

Currently I am involved in a project to help people in Nigeria become successful by educating them in the personal development, a topic so dear to my heart. As much as our education system teaches us wonderful subjects for us to develop in life, the one subject it generally fails to address is teaching the knowledge to be successful. http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

Self confidence, motivation, optimism, inspiration, self esteem and belief are not only attributes to create success; they are also fantastic qualities for life in general. They help to live life with contentment and happiness rather than fear and worry.

As I have slowly learned to develop my self confidence and create success so I am now keen to show others too. Many people in Nigeria suffer poverty yet have so much potential. They have dreams and aspirations to have so much more. This is a great catalyst to develop hope, optimism and inspiration. But this education isn’t for Nigerian people alone. Every one of us can develop personally, benefit from greater self confidence and create the success that we only dream of.

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com/

http://www.whitedovebooks.com/index.htm#terryn1

Your Dreams Can Come True With a Penny of Self Confidence

2009-03-20T16:57:00.000-07:00

People who are successful appear to have that air of self confidence. They have tremendous motivation, optimism and energy. Successful entrepreneurs seem to have lady luck on their side; or is this strictly true?

Are these people really lucky?

Is that self confidence and self esteem just a façade?

Can anybody achieve success?

It has been said that successful entrepreneurs create their own luck. Throughout their venture they have the heart and bravery to try anything to see if it will work. Many of these do not work but they are not disheartened. They disregard the ideas that do not work and concentrate on those that do work. Failure is not viewed as a bad thing but as a learning curve. Learning happens all of the time. We don’t have to go to university or college to be educated; although these institutions do provide an extremely beneficial part of the education curriculum. Life provides education and making mistakes are part of that education as viewed by entrepreneurs and successful business people. http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

Once the ideas that do not work are out of the way, this leaves the ones that do work, creating a system for success. Is that luck or being smart?

Successful people have the self confidence in their ability to sort out the successful ideas from the non-workable ideas. They retain faith when things go awry. Some of them have natural self confidence or have been brought up by parents who remain positive or talk in a positive manner. However many others have to work on their self confidence using self confidence techniques to build up their self esteem. http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

Thinking and talking positively is a necessary tool for creating success. The phrase “self fulfilling prophecy” is such a true term. Thinking negative thoughts will result in those negative thoughts becoming true. Positive thinking therefore brings forth successful results.

Self confidence will come from positive thinking and success will follow that. We have to be aware of the things that can go wrong so that we can guide ourselves around them. But the focus has to be on the positive ideas and to work on these in order to develop success.

No matter what situation we find ourselves in, no matter how low we can get, we can turn things around. History is full of truly inspirational rags to riches stories.

These stories are not one offs, just for the lucky few. These successful people believe in themselves and this faith along with self confidence provides them with the drive to get on in life. http://whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

This same faith and self confidence will provide us all with the motivation, optimism and inspiration to succeed.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com/

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

Make Love Not War

2009-03-15T16:27:00.002-07:00

Every second or third Sunday I, my wife and two boys visit my mother and father for the afternoon and we have our Sunday lunch there as well; although it is almost evening by the time we sit down to eat. My father thinks he is Gordon Ramsay in the kitchen organising the cooking and the dishing up with order and authority. Woe be tide my mother or brother if they put a foot wrong when helping to get the food to the table.

Both my father and brother partake in the old tradition of the Sunday lunch drink down the local pub. Amongst their friends they debate politics, the economy and generally put the world to right whilst the alcohol slowly takes its effect.

Sometimes these weekly debates spill over to the dinner table as did happen recently. Religion was the subject of conversation and it was expressed that religion was the cause of the majority of the wars. Now I tend to jump right in with the defence of religion.

My argument is that wars are not caused by religion but by people; people who declare that they are fighting in the name of their religion. These people in my view do not grasp the basic principle of their religion, and that is one of peace.

Islam is a very peaceful religion that totally opposes violence as does Christianity.
Wars tend to be started because of somebody’s greed, lust for power or the fundamental idea that a culture or religion is the only way that nations should live their lives by and will not rest until the world falls into line. Fundamentalism, the fight for their religion or culture to reign over all others is the reason that wars are fought - in the name of religion.

Stating that religion causes war is like saying that Football Clubs cause football hooliganism. Yobs gather to fight in the name of Millwall or Birmingham City but it is not Millwall or Birmingham City Football Clubs that cause the riots; it’s the people doing so in the name of their Football Club. And in truth, are these hooligans really football supporters?

Many of them wouldn’t know the offside rule anyway.

Everybody is entitled to live and let live. Everybody is entitled to their own point of view. Forcing a way of life and beliefs onto other people is a huge reason why wars are started. Fundamentalism exists amongst all religions and yet these people refuse to see the harm they are doing to their religion, home and country.

How much motivation, inspiration and self belief is needed to create a world of peace? To be in a world where all religions, cultures and individuals can live side by side without disturbance would be an ideal dream.

How fantastic would that be?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

Be A Successful Entrepreneur With That Self Confidence Factor.

2009-03-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

Is self confidence the be all and end all of success?

How great a part does self confidence play in being successful?

Self confidence certainly plays a major part in success. Self confidence is the belief that you can handle certain situations when they arise. You have that resounding self belief that you have the skills necessary to tackle any task required or that you can develop them when needed, which in turn provides the motivation to see any objective through to the end. http://www.2knowmyself.com/

Self confidence is beneficial in both social and professional spheres. Without it you will more than likely miss out on many opportunities to be successful. A lack of self confidence in the social arena could very well mean missing out on the love of your life. That attractive young lady or the dashingly handsome fellow goes off with somebody else because you hadn’t had the courage to go up to them and talk. Professionally how many job interviews could you be failing in because your lack of self confidence has been picked up or sensed by the interviewer.

Listed here are some very interesting facts about self confidence:-

Self confidence is learned and not inherited. For the most naturally self confident person this has still been learned from their parents or the environment in which they are submerged. And for those where self confidence doesn’t come naturally, it can be learned using many different self confidence techniques.
Amongst every individual the level of self confidence will vary dependant on the task being performed. A burly weightlifter will probably have grave doubts about his ability to ballet dance.
Levels of self confidence will vary dependant on events. In times of grief self confidence may well be lacking along with the will to perform certain tasks.
External factors will have a strong bearing on levels of self confidence. If you are rich or if somebody truly loves you, you will have far more self confident than if you are first starting to acquire wealth or looking for that first love.

Lack of self confidence may seem to stem from many varied reasons. In fact the root cause is a common thread. That thread is of having irrational ideas about yourself.

Why do you think you are ugly?

Why do you think you are worthless?

If you evaluate these questions you will probably see that you are not ugly and definitely not worthless. The ideas have come from somebody else, a source of which you have trusted. In your adult years you can rationally see that these ideas hold no real rationale but yet it seems hard to eradicate these beliefs. Other peoples judgements have become your own.

Hypnosis is a wonderful tool to help you overcome irrational ideas and beliefs. Positive ideas about yourself and your abilities will help you become that self confident person. When you are in a state of relaxed concentration (trance like state), the subconscious mind is more receptive to new ideas and suggestions making it easier to install the belief that you can be more confident. http://www.2knowmyself.com/

A very simple three step hypnosis programme can soon create far greater self confidence.

Identify irrational beliefs causing you to suffer from a lack of self confidence.
Use a trusted hypnotist or practice self hypnosis to install new more confident suggestions and beliefs into the subconscious mind.
Repeat each day and monitor progress until self confidence sets in. http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/nlp/hypnosis-mp3.htm#terryn1

Without doubt self confidence is a master quality to have for entrepreneurs who are striving for success. With it you will have motivation, inspiration and optimism to build the life of your dreams.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm~terryn1

GOAL!! Yes You Need Them If You Want The Motivation To Be Successful.

2009-03-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

Many people appear to be happy just taking each day as it comes without any great desire or motivation to improve their lives. They are contented with their lot and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that attitude. For others though, they want to progress in life, build success and make things happen.

For every entrepreneur that sets out to create a successful business they need to set goals. Without goals the venture becomes like a ship without a rudder; directionless. By setting goals and doing our utmost to keep them we are creating a path for the business to follow.

Goals should be long term, medium term and short term. In the long term you visualise how big you want the business to grow to, the amount of staff you would like to employ, the type of business premises you would like and its location. Medium term goals are a little more specific, painting a picture of where your business will be in six months time, a year or three years.

Short term goals are the ones that you aim to achieve daily and weekly. These set out all the detailed things that require to be done to help the business grow and fulfil the medium and long term dreams. Every time a short term goal is reached it strengthens our self confidence and self belief that we can achieve success. There is nothing like a little bit of success to provide the motivation to create even more success.

Goals don’t have to be just about creating a business. If we want to be successful in any walk of life, goals help us reach our dreams more effectively and quickly. Sportsmen and women in particular use goals to continuously improve and reach their pinnacle of performance.

Setting goals and achieving them is a success that should be celebrated. By celebrating success you have the motivation, inspiration and self confidence to push on further.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

How to Keep Yor Optimism and Motivation When Your World is Falling Apart

2009-03-10T16:22:00.000-07:00

When times are hard do you loose that sense of motivation and optimism?

Does your self confidence and self esteem disappear when the unexpected happens?

When your expectations aren’t met do you feel despair?

Although these are the feelings of many in times of trouble, by re-aligning our point of view about setbacks we can start to appreciate that we are receiving feedback. From this feedback we can learn and change our strategies. http://www.2knowmyself.com/success/adapting_to_unwanted_unexpected_situations

Accept change.
We all like stability in our lives. But to expect the boat never to rock or our expectations to always be met is rather unrealistic. Changing circumstances are a normal fact of life and we have to accept the inevitable; that change happens.
Feeling depressed or sorry for ourselves is a negative emotion that will slow us down and cloud any vision that we might need to change our position. Accepting change as part of life builds self confidence to handle the ups and downs of life and provides the inspiration to cope with any new situation.

What happens to the mind.
Whenever we are faced with difficult situations our subconscious minds searches through the database for various options and solutions. Once found these options are applied whether they are negative as in depression or positive as in taking action. We have to remove the negative options and decide to be positive the next time things don’t go our way.

Once negative options are erased, our subconscious mind delves for new ideas. It is surprising how new and positive options are now free to surface.

Be prepared.
It does help to be prepared for changes. Expect the unexpected. Taking this attitude means less disappointment when difficult times occur. This is not about taking a pessimistic stance; more the fact that facing up to change means we are less likely to panic in times of adversity.

Company managers and directors face unexpected circumstances on a daily basis. Yet they find solutions, they do not panic and never despair. Feeling bad is never an option.

We are the bosses of our own lives. When change occurs we mustn’t feel blue but instead we need to alter our approach, be flexible, work harder or even simply start all over again. Just don’t feel bad.

A couple of analogies.
Water changes shape to fit its container. Likewise we need to change to fit the situation or our environment.

If we are sitting in a room when all of a sudden the lights go out, we very soon start to see through the darkness. Our eyes adjust accordingly. When faced with our own personal darkness, there is no need to panic or feel sad. Just adjust accordingly and look for the light switch. This will restore our self esteem, inspiration, optimism, motivation and self confidence.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

Don't Get Angry. Stay in Control of Your Life and Your Optimism.

2009-03-07T14:49:00.000-08:00

We all get angry from time to time. It can lower our self esteem and drain us of energy and inspiration. How many of us feel guilty when the red mist forms?

If anger makes us act irrationally, later regretting our words or actions then anger can be perceived as being destructive. But if anger can be controlled and channelled it can be a useful and productive emotion.

So what are the things that make us angry and sap us of all motivation?

The list is enormous but can include some of the following:-

People jumping ahead of us in queues.
Too much work being placed upon us and getting stressed in the process.
Being told off by our superiors at work especially when it is unjustified.
Team members not pulling their weight.
Things going wrong when you have the least time for it.
Being poked fun of.
Being afraid. Anger can be caused by fear.

Some if not all of these will have been experienced at some point or other. http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/audio/anger/index.html#terryn1

Anger is a mechanism stemming from the subconscious mind when defending our rights, things going unexpectedly wrong or we are frightened. The emotion of anger is launched to help us try and regain control of a situation.

Uncontrolled anger can be destructive. Who remembers the episode of “Fawlty Towers” when Basil Fawlty beats his car with a tree branch when it breaks down?

However, suppressing anger can lead to depression. One definition of depression is “anger turned inward”. Suppressed anger will come out in one way or another eventually. This may be in the form of bad dreams, unexplained moodiness or bursts of unexplained anger. Rather than being angry with the boss and going home and taking out on the cat, here are some great techniques that have proved invaluable for controlling anger and regaining some self control and self esteem:-

Control self talk. On the way to work we can be having thoughts like “my boss is going to give me a shed load of work today”. As this thought goes over and over in our minds, the anger grows and by the time we get to work we can be fuming. We need to be practicing positive self talk to keep us calm. Also, after a period of anger, positive self talk can help us to calm down and focus on the present again.
Assertiveness. This is the art of communication that allows us to stand up for our rights without being violent or aggressive. There are many articles and publications that lecture on the subject of assertiveness. http://www.2knowmyself.com/directory/31
Washing Our Face. This may sound odd, but if you are near a wash basin next time you feel angry, give it ago.
Changing our position. If we are standing up when we feel angry, sit down. If we are sitting down then lie down.
Relaxation techniques. By learning to relax we can let go of anger almost at will if relaxation techniques have been practiced often enough that it becomes automatic.
Workout or Run. By working out or running any anger is released without taking it out on the wrong people. We very often find that are performance when working out or running is greatly improved if we are venting off some anger at the same time. http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/audio/anger/index.html#terryn1

Anger can be constructive or destructive. Controlling anger can actually be very beneficial and won’t cause lack of self esteem, self confidence, motivation or optimism. We won’t feel guilty either.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

Are You After Money, Rewards and Abundance? Read On!!!

2009-03-03T14:56:00.000-08:00

Many people consider success to be purely financial. For some the creation of a healthy bank balance gives them self esteem, self confidence and pride. Money talks. Undoubtedly having money can provide peace of mind and security but the love of money above anything else can lead to a very shallow life.

The abundance that is there for everybody to obtain doesn’t come from money alone; it come from having a fulfilling life, taking on adventures and living your dreams. The word “reward” conjures up images of money; money earned or money gained from passing on information. But the rewards in life can be so much greater. Giving and helping others breeds contentment and satisfaction to a degree that many other activities fail to achieve.

Obviously raising money for charity is a noble thing to do. Even charities need money to survive. I can remember as a schoolboy doing events like sponsored swims and sponsored silences (yes I did manage to do this). At such a tender age I can still recall the pride that I felt having given my time selflessly.

In my adult years, doing walks for childrens’ charities was my “thing” for a little while. Not only did I feel that sense of joy and self esteem again, I also felt that I had achieved by pushing myself to complete the course. Come November time BBC Television and Radio presents a bonanza of fund raising events all in aid of childrens’ causes. Two years on the trot I was able to participate by manning the phones at our local BBC Radio Station collecting all the pledges as they came rolling in. I really felt a tremendous buzz as I had contributed to such a fantastic fund raiser as BBC Children in Need.

Doing good works for others doesn’t necessarily have to come in the name of charity. We can do good deeds every day. Even our work can provide a sense of satisfaction when we are able to help to provide a service for someone. Going that extra mile, doing that little bit more for somebody beyond what we are paid for can provide enormous rewards, and yes, sometimes that can mean financially as well.

Paul, a good friend of mine used to be a project manager in the IT industry. He earned good money but unfortunately he ended up being made redundant. Because the computer world was inundated with a wealth of talented people he found it very difficult to get another job in IT. Eventually he took a job teaching unemployed people literacy and numeracy and helping them to get job placements. Some of these people could be difficult to handle as they didn’t really want to be there, only being on the course because of the threat of withdrawal of their benefits. But occasionally he would get the one person who made it into the job market and was extremely grateful for the help they have received. This was the jewel in the crown for Paul which made his job so rewarding. The pay was poor in comparison to his previous work but he still teaches literacy and numeracy today, albeit for a supermarket chain where his students are more willing, thus the rewards of satisfaction come thicker and faster.

I have tremendous pleasure in referring back to some work I did in Nigeria in 2003. Having commissioned some Water Treatment Equipment I had to train the maintenance staff on the operation and maintenance of the equipment. It was so visible in their faces that my presentation had gotten through to them and that it had been of great interest and relevance. At the end of my training they were asking lots of questions, not just about the equipment but about me. Again the rewards were so deeply gratifying.

This year I am hoping to do more charitable work. It is my intention to sign up for a project for which I will spend a week in Rumania, along with other like minded people, constructing extensions to an orphanage for children with learning difficulties. http://www.cryinthedark.co.uk/

Helping others to better their lives is a reward in its self. It’s surprising how doing things selflessly for others without striving for money can provide inspiration and motivation for others to do the same. It also does wonders for your self confidence and self esteem too.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

How to Provide Motivation to Persuade People to Come Around to Your Way of Thinking

2009-03-01T15:21:00.000-08:00

Some people seem to be naturally gifted with the power of persuasion. Optimism, inspiration and self confidence radiates with every word they say. Their personality is adorned with charisma and others trust implicitly every word they speak.

So what techniques are these people using that make their points of view so compelling?

One mistake that many people make when trying to convince somebody to do something or believe in something, is to present their reasoning without due regard to the other persons existing points of views.

It becomes necessary to try to think of all the opposing arguments so that you can tackle each one by one. Usually people are hard to convince because they have many reasons to oppose what you are trying to say. If you can answer all their arguments effectively you can more easily start to programme their subconscious mind into believing what you want them to believe. You will know when an argument has been countered effectively when the person moves onto the next point without returning back to the previous one. http://www.2knowmyself.com/

There are at least three reasons why somebody may be initially opposed to what you have to say.

Belief Conflict

Somebodys’ beliefs are opposed to your own despite the fact that these beliefs may not even be backed up by hard evidence. For many centuries people believed that the world was flat and that there was a point where we could all fall off. It took a lot of hard persuading and much evidence to change that belief system.

Greater Knowledge

Someone has a greater knowledge on the subject on which you are trying to have your say. Try to convince an astronomer that the sun is nearer to the earth than the moon and you task is nigh on impossible because he knows differently.

Sceptics

These types of people will doubt almost anything. They have to be absolutely convinced about a point before accepting it, usually needing to see facts and evidence first.

So how do you go about persuading these hard to convince people of your point of view or command?

Shaking Beliefs

Talk assertively and with confidence about your subject matter. If their beliefs are not founded on sound knowledge, a manner of authority will cause doubts about their beliefs.

Undermining Knowledge

The idea is to convince the person that you are an authority on their subject. This is far more important than trying to convince them of a specific idea. By doing this you become a trusted source in the minds of their subconscious which in turn becomes easier to programme. In order to prove your authority on their subject matter, you will probably need to highlight documents and point out clues in order to support your thinking.

Convincing a Sceptic

Sceptics can be persuaded of a new idea provided that again, evidence can support your words. The more clues that can be provided the easier your task becomes. http://www.2knowmyself.com/

Now that all initial arguments have been overcome the programming of their subconscious mind starts. List all the benefits of your idea or command that you want the other person to take on board. Be assertive when delivering these benefits and repeat them over and over again. Constant repetition will shake any belief system as long as the conscious mind can be by-passed or you have become a trusted source.

It really helps if you truly believe in what it is you are trying to sell. A totally belief in your idea gives you self confidence and you will sound far more convincing to the other person. It is the entrepreneur who really believes in his product that becomes the success.

It may sound like the advice is to manipulate people into believing in your idea or doing what you want them to do. The word “programming” possibly makes people seem like computers. The whole point is to understand the mechanics of the techniques. These techniques are being used on us inadvertently many times a day. Conversations express points of views that are conveyed to all involved and these words are stored in our minds at a subconscious level. It is just a natural process.

Once opposition to your idea can be overcome, your idea expressed with optimism, self confidence and inspiration can be much more easily sold.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

How to Practice Forgiveness and Experience That Wonderful Sense of Well Being

2009-02-27T15:04:00.000-08:00

Forgiveness is a truly inspirational quality to have, admired by many, the examples of which should provide motivation to us all to practice forgiveness ourselves. Those wonderful reports of people who have lost loved ones under murderous circumstances, yet have still found it in their hearts to forgive the perpetrators.

How easy is it to forgive though, when hurt has penetrated deep inside and the feelings of revenge or justice are upper most in the heart? http://www.2knowmyself.com/

There are hundreds of articles written about forgiveness. Many of the great religions are founded upon forgiveness. They promise the feel good factor and experiences of inner peace if forgiveness is practiced. So words of forgiveness are expressed, wanting that calm to materialise inside, yet still, there is a little part that won’t let go of the hurt that is being felt.

Reading articles and opinions about forgiveness provides motivation in the short term but soon the old way of thinking starts to creep back in as the emotional pain rears its ugly head again.

The fact is we must try to unravel the underlying reasons for the feelings that prevent us practicing forgiveness. We must deal with our ego issues as these are the reasons for our bad feelings and the pain that we feel. http://www.2knowmyself.com/

Jealousy is a tremendously negative emotion that blocks the ability to forgive. Somebody gets the job you have tried so hard to get or that fantastic looking girl has gone off with another guy. It is so difficult to forgive the opposition when the green eyed monster of jealousy masks the truth.

Forgiveness is associated with strength and self confidence. People with self esteem and confidence crack on with their own lives and don’t get bogged down with what other people are doing. A lack of self confidence tends to make someone look for the faults in others and when somebody commits a crime against their moral judgement, this gives them a feeling of strength, believing that the perpetrator is a lesser person than they. Practicing forgiveness then relinquishes that position of strength.

When trying out a new venture there is normally some insecurity involved as one is learning the ropes and perhaps lacks the self belief that success can be achieved. So any criticism at this point can harbour much resentment. As time goes on and the venture becomes successful, self confidence and self esteem are far stronger and it is easier to look back at the criticism and forgive the person that has made the comments. They may even be viewed as actually having a point. http://2knowmyself.com/

To practice forgiveness we need to understand the real emotions that surround our pain. Jealousy, insecurity and a lack of self confidence will always sap our strength and thus our ability to forgive. By building up our emotional strength and self esteem we are far more able to practice that admirable quality of forgiveness and get on with our lives with hope, optimism and motivation.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

There's Nothing Like Being Stuck in the Toilet to Sink Your Self Esteem

2009-02-24T14:22:00.000-08:00

There are probably many times when things go wrong and a lack of self esteem creeps in. Sometimes the problem can be so severe that you have your doubts about God being by our side helping us through the turmoil’s in life. God however does carry us through and we always come out the other end being the stronger for it.

I am about to introduce literally some toilet humour into this writing. It’s not intended to offend so please turn away now if this is not your thing.

I was using a public convenience the other day and it reminded me of a time some while ago when I was caught out. Now I know this will resonate with more than a few of you when I say that I was desperate to use the toilet on this particular occasion and rushed into a public convenience. After doing my business I went for the toilet paper. None there!!!

What do you do?

Well some of the alternatives would be:-

Search to see how much tissue you have in your pockets.
Wait until there is nobody about and then dart into another cubicle with your trousers around your ankles.
Call for help to see if somebody can get you some paper from another cubicle or an attendant.
Wait until you get home.

I’m sure there are hundreds of answers to this problem. In my case I did have enough tissue in my pockets to get me out of the mire. At times like this, panic could easily set in and we could end up wondering where the help is at this particular moment. But the truth is, answers are given, we do get ourselves out of sticky situations and two days later we are laughing about these with our friends.

As with all awkward and difficult situations there are lessons to be learned. There is no doubt that I will use public conveniences again in the future but the lesson that I have learned; CHECK TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY PAPER FIRST.

This is a light hearted look at problems. But so many problems in life are far more serious than this. Our self confidence, inspiration, optimism and hope can be knocked for six and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. At first, there is desperation; absolutely hating to be in this dark, horrible place, wanting more than anything to get out of this tunnel. But after a while you start treading carefully, feeling your way along the walls. Occasionally we may stumble over a bolder but our self confidence starts to grow now. The darkness seems to be more bearable as our eyes get accustomed to it and we can even make out some silhouettes of obstacles in our way.

God is on this journey with us, guiding us and holding our hand. Eventually he shows us the light, his light at the end of this particular tunnel.

And we have learned from this experience, so that we are not so afraid to take another trip along this tunnel, but we are wiser now, we recognise the barriers along the way and we can get to the end a lot faster.

If we believe in God, we never walk alone. We have hope in our hearts which creates optimism and motivation, inspiration and self confidence and the ability to overcome the most dire of circumstances.
How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

See How Easily you Can Enjoy Your Evening with Self Confidence

2009-02-21T13:29:00.001-08:00

Do you know who you are?

This may sound like a really peculiar question, but are you truly the person that you portray to the rest of the world. When you are out with friends do you try to be the life and soul of the party, always cracking jokes and making people laugh, appearing to be have extreme self confidence.

Perhaps you always act like the supremely tough person with self confidence, hoping to make others respect you by allowing them to think that you are somebody not to be messed with.

But is this your true nature or are you attempting to portray a false image?

It is human nature to be liked by everybody else. Very few people like to be hated or have others think ill of them. We prefer to have others think highly of us and act in a way that is going to promote a positive image of ourselves. This gives us self confidence and self esteem albeit temporarily while our friends play along with our acting.

Once you are away from the crowd you probably start to ask questions of yourself.

Did you make a fool of yourself?

Did you go over the top and make comments that offended someone?

Was you really true to yourself?

Perhaps your self confidence and image of yourself isn’t yet as highly developed as you would like. If it was you would have the belief that you are a decent person and your friends will accept you for the way you are.

How often before meeting friends for the evening do you rehearse the things you are likely to say?

How many jokes do you practice in your head just so you can spread some hilarity amongst the crowd?

Do you go over the tough sounding sound bytes to make your acquaintances look up to you?

All this can be quite emotionally draining and does nothing for your self confidence especially if things don’t go according to plan. Your evening could be ruined all for the sake of impressing others.

You need to be yourself. Deep down you know you are a good person. Have the self confidence and belief in yourself to be yourself. Others will respect you for it. By going out in the evening with the only plan being to be yourself you may actually start to enjoy yourself. It’s surprising how spontaneity can give you the quick and funny one liners without having to rehearse any lines. Getting into debates can be very interesting without having to plan them or make them come up in conversation. Just let them happen. By the end of the evening your friends will have seen the real you and they will be the happier for it because they are likely to have been more relaxed in your company; not having had to compete to keep up with you. Your self confidence will have been boosted to.

O.K. you may naturally be the witty guy full of the wise cracks. You may well be the hard man with the self confidence to be able to handle yourself. That is perfectly fine if that is the real you. But you decide. If you act in a way that is done only to impress others then stop.

Who is the most important person for you to impress?

It’s yourself. And you can only do this if you are true to yourself. We cannot be everything to everybody.

So why even try?

Although you can try to influence what others think, you cannot control what others think. What you can control is what you think. Concentrate on yourself. Look at what your principles are; the principles by which you try to live your life. Have the self confidence and belief that these principles are good ones. By acting according to these principles others will see the real you and this is what will gain their respect most of all.

It is not being said here that you can’t have a laugh and a joke, but don’t go out of your way to force it to happen. Let it happen naturally with spontaneity. It is much more fun that way.

Living your life according to what you believe in should be practiced twenty four hours a day. It isn’t difficult because this is the way you are naturally. Going against your principles is where the hard work is.

Study your principles. Have the self confidence that these principles are good and then be yourself living as best as you can according to these principles.

This is who you really are.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

How You Can Walk Through a Storm with Hope and Optimism in Your Heart

2009-02-19T14:31:00.000-08:00

There are many times when life gets us down. Life is hard, finances are tight or a relationship breaks up. We’ve all been there and we are left wondering where God was throughout these difficult times. Why did God not help us in our hour of need?

I find the verse “Footprints in the Sand” by Mary Stevenson such a poignant piece of work. For those that have never read it, I feel inspired to copy it for you here.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I had a dream.
I dreamed that I was walking along the beach with the Lord,
and across the sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints,
One belonged to me and the other to the lord.
When the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that many times along the path of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times in my life.
This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it
“Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
you would walk with me all the way,
but I noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life
there is only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why in my times when I needed you most,
you should leave me.”
The Lord replied “My precious, precious child,
I love you and would never, never leave you
during your times of trial and suffering.
When you saw only one set of footprints
it was then that I carried you.”

The truth is that God is always there by our sides and watches over us “for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health”. He is there for the good times as well as the bad. Whatever situation we find ourselves in, we come through it eventually and it is Gods guidance, his desire to carry us that brings us safely to the end of that particular journey in our lives.

Knowing that God holds our hands when we need him most helps us to walk through the storm with hope in our hearts believing that we will never walk alone.
We can always have motivation, inspiration, optimism, self confidence and self esteem when there is help by our sides.

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

Flippin' Heck That's a Big 'Un. What Is? Your Ego

2009-02-17T14:42:00.000-08:00

Why is it that people start fights?

Possibly because of somebodys ego. That somebody will have probably thought that they didn’t get the respect that they deserved. This welled up anger inside them enough to thump the other person. Their ego provides the motivation for a fight.

Some people spend a good part of their lives in fights purely because others don’t have the same high regard for them as they have of themselves. Their ego is inflated, becoming so large it becomes fragile. Others around them cannot possibly keep providing the fuel to keep this ego so well inflated. http://www.2knowmyself.com/

Egos can also be deflated, particularly when a person believes that they aren’t as successful as they ought to be. This can bring on the onset of depression. We all have a sense of worthiness, even those who suffer from an inferiority complex. The problem comes when an ego is so great that life just becomes one of pain and mental suffering.

Why do some companies have such a tremendous desire to build huge, tall buildings?

Do they really use all that space in these skyscrapers?

Well some do, but others are built to satisfy the egos of the company directors. The skyscraper is a symbol of how demanding an ego can be. We all try, in our own way, to build skyscrapers. In a positive manner, some of us look to become leaders or build financial success which in turn boosts our self confidence and self esteem. On the negative front, a minority will cause wars and tremendous suffering, all in the name of power and a desire to boost an ego.

Unfortunately skyscrapers sometimes fail to get built or come crashing down. As was mentioned earlier, this failure can lead to depression. How deep and severe the depression can be equates to the difference between ambition driven by ego and the current level of achievement.

How many people remain in unhealthy relationships because of their ego?

They continue to put up a front, creating to the world an impression that life is perfectly rosy in their relationship. Despite the underlying unhappiness, these people refuse to remove themselves from the relationship because of what others might think of them. Frightened perhaps that others may not see them as being normal because they are not part of a couple.

So how do we let go of this gremlin called an ego?

Despite not trying to preach religion, a belief in God certainly can help. God ultimately controls everything and in a roundabout way that includes us. Yes we make choices, but it is God who provides these choices, those opportunities and the tools with which to use to reach our goals. Take away some of these tools and we wouldn’t be the person we are today.

God doesn’t just give us everything we desire directly; he doesn’t plant that tree in our gardens that money grows on (despite what my wife and kids might think). But he does give us the tools to create the things that we desire. He gives us our minds, produces opportunities and creates those chance meetings with people who provide us with knowledge and inspiration.

These tools are responsible for our current identity and achievements. If we find that our egos are as inflated as a hot air balloon, we shouldn’t knock ourselves for it; just ask God to provide the tools that we need to develop the motivation, optimism and self confidence to achieve our dreams.

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

How the Law of Attraction Can Create Great Wealth and Abundance

2009-02-15T14:59:00.000-08:00

Jason was the bloke that everybody liked to criticise. He was naturally self confident, with plenty of self esteem and optimism. He had the gift of the gab and always had a gorgeous girl on his arm. A natural salesman he had great abundance in his life. When he went to the “bookies” he nearly always came out on top, with more money than he went in with. Yet everybody knocked him, trying to pick holes in every trait of his personality.

Why?

Envy probably. People just didn’t like to see someone having a quality of life that really they wanted for themselves. It was far easier to criticise than to create the self confidence and self esteem that Jason had. Fortunately, what people thought and said mattered not one jot to Jason. He was way to busy producing and enjoying the riches that he had discovered.

We can all enjoy abundance and great riches too. Just like Jason we need that self belief that we can have, and will have riches. That fantastic natural law of attraction will bring those riches to those who wholeheartedly believe they can have them. Just about every great, successful person has that self belief that firstly, they can achieve success, and secondly, that once they have it, they deserve their success and can keep it. Some of these people may not be aware of their self confidence; it is something they have inherited. But for many others they have removed the barrier of natural pessimism using self confidence techniques and creating tremendous self esteem to orchestrate their success. http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

If you naturally think the worst, think that if you prepare yourself for the worst, then you won’t be disappointed, then guess what? You will not be disappointed. The worst WILL indeed happen. That again is this Law of Attraction. To attract great abundance you must clearly visualise abundance. Visualise and dream of all the things you want in life. See them as a clear image in your mind. Believe you CAN have them and don’t allow this vision to fade. Allowing negative thoughts to crawl their way back in will only restrict the flow of riches to you. I know this is easier said than done but you must be alert to those old thoughts worming their way back into your subconscious mind.

When formulating positive images to improve self confidence and magnetically attract abundance, concentrate on yourself and everything you want to achieve. Refrain from visualising harm being inflicted onto others or imagining others failing. To create true richness, harmony needs to prevail between you and all people you encounter in life. With this type of attitude we can all live in a world where a spirit of co-operation exists, where each person is willing to help the next.

Willing ill on your neighbour very seldom hurts that neighbour. Instead you end up hurting yourself, draining energy from within with the bitter emotions that have built up inside. Be a “Jason”. Look to enrich your life and concern yourself with what you can do to improve your lot. Develop your self esteem, optimism, motivation and inspiration and help yourself to achieve great abundance and wealth.

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com/

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

Become a Great Leader Using Your Optimism and Motivation

2009-02-12T14:45:00.000-08:00

To be a leader requires many qualities and abilities; qualities such as self confidence, motivation, optimism and enthusiasm. Having charisma also helps particularly in line with the ability to be engaging. To help you team to focus on the goals or project and fully understand their roles is a necessity for any task to be truly successful.

As a commissioning engineer I have had to train many personnel on equipment before handing over for them to maintain. It is extremely rewarding when your audience have fully participated in the training programme and you can see that they have really appreciated the knowledge that has been passed to them.

Back in 2003 I had two visits to Nigeria to commission some water treatment equipment at a tobacco factory in the city of Ibadan. On the second visit, one of my remits was to perform the training not only on the plant that I had been commissioning but also on another companys system to. As I wasn’t overly familiar with this equipment, I felt very apprehensive about conducting the training.

The organisation that I had been sub-contracted to were Yugoslavian and the engineers that I had been reporting to had said

“Don’t worry, these Nigerians won’t ask any questions, the training will soon be over”

These Yugoslavian engineers were conducting some training of their own after my session was over. Tuesday afternoon at 1.00p.m. my time came to perform my training. Gathered around the plant were ten Nigerian guys that at first glance looked totally uninterested.

“Lets go for it” I thought and proceeded to introduce myself.

Now my style was to be light-hearted, not taking myself too seriously. I would obviously go systematically over the equipment but I would throw questions back at them to make sure that they were taking in the information that I was imparting. By the time I had finished talking about the system that I was less familiar with I really felt that I had gotten these Nigerian maintenance staff on my side. I had them then ask me questions and these questions were very intelligent ones. They were interested and I was pleased that my style seemed to be working.

I was becoming more at ease now and when I went on to explain about my “baby”; the piece of equipment that I had commissioned I was in my element. The enthusiasm flowed out and by the end of my training session all these Nigerian maintenance engineers were gathering around me to ask questions about me. I honestly felt that they had taken me to their hearts. It was 4.00p.m.; some three hours later. This had hardly been a short training course and my Yugoslavian friends had still to conduct their training.

In comparison their method was far more serious. They didn’t ask questions of the students and didn’t invite questions back. It was plain to see the Nigerian staff “switching off” and loosing interest. These people were bright, intelligent people who could very easily take in the lessons providing the training was interesting and engaging.

Despite my nervousness at the beginning, I had the self confidence and self belief to get me through the training and win these people over. With the qualities of enthusiasm and optimism I was able to find the ability to provide motivation and inspiration to these Nigerian people.

Terry Norrington

http://www.alleluiasuccessishere.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

http://www.getselfconfident.com

http://140020.successuniversity.com

Through My Faith and Optimism, God Looked After Me

2009-02-10T14:37:00.000-08:00

In 2003, working as a Water Treatment Engineer, I was asked if I fancied a trip to Nigeria to commission some equipment. Having a certain spirit of adventure and wanderlust, it took me about ……. ten seconds to make up my mind. I had never visited an African state before and experiencing a culture completely different to my own, at first, seemed daunting yet exciting. I have always had a good amount of self confidence in my ability to adapt and a belief that God would always look after me.

It took two trips in the end to commission the water treatment equipment which amounted to about fifteen days in all. During that time I can easily say that I had more experiences than in the rest of my life, but that said, I have never regretted making those visits to Nigeria as I have tremendous memories despite quite a few dubious moments.

One of these precarious moments involved the journey home at the end of my second visit. The water treatment equipment that I had been commissioning had been installed at a tobacco plant being constructed for British American Tobacco in Ibadan, approximately ninety minutes drive north-east of Lagos – Lagos being Nigeria’s largest and most populated city. The Lagos to Ibadan Highway was a dual carriageway that consisted of two stretches of tarmac that carved its way through the jungle. There were no road markings and road users drove on any part of the lane they fancied and the usual, almost obligatory driving at eighty m.p.h. was made even more hazardous by the numerous pot-holes in the road.

Gabriel was my driver – a well built Nigerian gentleman who seemed full of self confidence and very at ease with the world; until he got behind the wheel of a car.

The car he chauffeured me around in was a beige coloured Mercedes. The first time I had visited it had been relatively luxurious, but now it seemed to be in need of a good service. The engine sounded very rough, the radio didn’t work and neither did the air conditioning. It didn’t provide me with much optimism.

We left Ibadan with what we thought was plenty of time to spare to travel back to the airport at Lagos. The weather was extremely hot and humid and the non existent air conditioning made for a very uncomfortable journey. There were two sets of tolls between Ibadan and Lagos, the first being five or six miles outside of Ibadan. Just after the first set of booths we were beckoned to pull over at a police check point. There were many of these check points on the roads around the big cities. A policeman, dressed in his burgundy uniform looked at me and asked Gabriel,

“Is he French?”

Although I am not, Gabriels reply was.

“Yes”

“Move on” the policeman ordered and gestured for us to go. Gabriel obligingly drove on.

A few miles further down the road one of the tyres developed a puncture. Gabriel pulled the Mercedes onto the dusty roadside. We both got out of the car and Gabriel proceeded to swap over the wheel with the spare.

“No good” he proclaimed.

“You mean the spare’s got a flat as well?” I asked in amazement.

“Look after these” Gabriel said. I was dumbfounded as he shoved the keys to the car into my hand.

I was totally bemused as Gabriel wheeled the two flat tyres over to an old, beat up, yellow recovery truck parked some fifty yards behind us. I watched as they drove off down the road, leaving me to look after the car. I checked my mobile phone. Surprise, surprise there was no signal available for me to be able to phone anybody. My only choice was to sit and wait, praying for Gabriel’s return.

Sitting in the boot of the car was my suitcase crammed with my clothes, my tool bag and a rucksack storing my paperwork. I couldn’t have cared less about the suitcase and tools but I wanted to protect the paperwork which basically consisted of my flight ticket and my passport. I took the rucksack and positioned it in the foot well behind my seat. Then I locked the doors.

Whilst I was nervously waiting, suddenly from across the other side of the highway came a family of four Nigerian girls, with what I assume to be the mother at the head, going down in age through the daughters, with the youngest at the rear. She looked to be about eight years old. They were all dressed in colourful tops and sarongs and carried baskets on their heads. Patiently they waited for gaps in the fast moving traffic, before making their way across the road and disappearing down a track into the jungle.

Forty minutes later I was absolutely relieved to see Gabriel returning in the yellow recovery truck with one repaired tyre. He quickly fitted this and we sped off to find a ram shackled shed by the side of the road that was equipped with an air compressor. This apparently was the road side tyre repair service. The young man there repaired the second tyre. Now that I realised what they were I noted many of these sheds spread along the highway between Ibadan and Lagos.

“Great” I thought, “now let’s just get to the airport.”

The second set of toll booths were situated half way between Ibadan and Lagos. As we approached these the traffic came to a grinding halt. It took ages but when we finally reached the booths Gabriel asked the attendant why we were held-up.

“Highway robbery. Gun men just appeared from the trees, fired their guns at one of the cars and looted both the car and the people they had killed.”

Gabriel glanced over at me and said,

“Good job we had puncture”

Surely nothing else could go wrong between here and the airport.

It was June, the rainy season in Nigeria, and as we were closing in on Lagos, dark, heavy clouds loomed up in the sky. The thunderstorms in that part of the world were very spectacular and the continuous display of lightning was totally enthralling. The rain that came with it was spectacular to. With the failure of the air conditioning, the windows misted over rapidly. The windscreen wipers were going at full speed and, even with all the windows down, it was still difficult to get good view ahead. I was getting soaked through and yet Gabriel was still driving at eighty m.p.h. around the holes in the road. All I wanted now was to get to Lagos and off the dual carriageway so that we could experience some calm.

When we did finally leave the highway the scenery became one of poverty. Market stalls lined both sides of the road, selling a large variety of fruit and vegetables and yet surrounded by waste. The traffic slowed and people darted between the vehicles prompting the customary sound of car horns that seemed to fill the air in all built up areas. By now the progress of the traffic had become painfully slow. Eventually we could see why. A river of water cascaded across the road. The traffic was stop-start through the stream of water and I dreaded the point when we would be driving through. In the middle of the stream the dodgy sounding engine stalled. Amazingly Gabriel turned the ignition key and got the car started again. It stalled a second time but he managed to start it again. Suddenly I felt a wet sensation on my feet. As I looked down I was greeted with the sight of water flooding into the foot well. Quickly I raised my feet onto the seat. Then it dawned on me,

“My paperwork and my rucksack are behind my seat”

I grabbed the rucksack and despairingly rummaged through my paperwork for my passport and flight ticket.

Sopping wet.

Fortunately my ticket and passport weren’t seriously damaged and still legible. The rest of the journey to the airport was spent waving my papers in the air in a desperate attempt to dry them out.

What should have been an hour and a half journey took over five hours. Although it was fraught with much anxiety, I can honestly say that there was no point where I doubted my survival. My optimism, self confidence, and belief in God helped me see positively through each incident. There wasn’t a need to panic at any time. Experiences like these, difficult though they were, creates personal growth, making me a stronger person, knowing that I have the self confidence to see me through other obstacles and challenges that life may present.

For someone like me, brought up in a secure environment, experiences like these seem very dramatic. I would imagine that for the average Nigerian this would be commonplace. This provides Nigerian people with a deep hunger to improve their circumstances. There are opportunities for them, and I dream of returning one day to help them create the success that they so crave for. http://www.alleluiasuccessishere.com

Terry Norrington

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

http://www.getselfconfident.com

http://www.alleluiasuccessishere.com

Your Life is Filled with Great Hope and Optimism. Why Not Share it with the World.

2009-02-08T14:35:00.001-08:00

One of the greatest attributes we can possess is optimism. Optimism provides hope and motivation, plus it is a great supporter of self esteem and self confidence. For those that have it, it can provide tremendous inspiration for those that recognise it.

If you are blessed with optimism or you have re-invented yourself to view life optimistically, there is no doubt that to secrete some of your optimism into others is a satisfying and rewarding thing to do. Helping somebody with a negative outlook on a particular subject by gently and patiently getting them to view the positive side can really set the heart aglow.

So how do you get somebody to re-frame their outlook?
www.alleluiasuccessishere.com

Firstly you must listen. Barging in with positive comments straight away will show a total lack of empathy. To be told right at the beginning “never mind, it could be worse” will make the recipient believe that his/her feelings are worthless and pointless and less likely to turn to you for advice in the future.

There is a place where “never mind, it could be worse” fits in but this is more appropriate when you are turning the situation around. You must also have examples as to how “it could be worse”

Try to show understanding about the persons feelings. A correctly placed “that must be really hard for you” will start to win you over. Don’t knock the persons point of view or fault them for feeling the way they do.

Explore the worst case scenario with them.

What is the worst that is likely to happen if the situation is indeed that bad?

It is going to be an extreme disaster zone if they are not going to be O.K. at the end of it.

Then explore some of the more positive aspects of the situation. With just a little prompting, the person is quite possibly going to suggest these to you. By doing this they are automatically developing a more positive mind set. They start to smile and you can see some sparkle and energy in their eyes.
www.alleluiasuccessishere.com

Sometimes, no matter how much you try to help somebody see things in a different and more positive light, that person doesn’t seem to be taking on board your words. As much as resilience is another admirable quality to have, there is no point in “flogging a dead horse”. Some people are content to wallow in their misery and negativity. If, after three attempts you haven’t been able to instil a bit of hope in that person, perhaps you need to leave this one alone. This may sound unkind but there is a distinct possibility that they will pass on their negative feelings to you and you end up loosing your motivation and inspiration.

Optimism and hope provides a great deal of motivation, inspiration, self esteem and self confidence. Share this with others and reap the rewards.

Terry Norrington

http://140020.successuniversity.com/new

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

www.getselfconfident.com

www.2knowmyself.com

Don't Re-Invent the Wheel, Re-Invent Yourself for Great Self Esteem

2009-02-06T14:12:00.000-08:00

We all have an image of ourselves. If that image is a positive one, our self esteem will be good. We will have motivation to achieve, combined with optimism and hope for the future. Certainly the most successful people in life have a great, positive self image that attracts success. These men and women will hold themselves with confidence and poise, exuding a successful lifestyle.

For so many others, that image of themselves isn’t so good. They see themselves as being fat or unsuccessful, their vision being of a person with no confidence or deserving of no worth at all. These beliefs are embedded deep within their subconscious mind and it becomes so difficult to turn their lives around. Their self image is turned into a “self fulfilling prophecy” and they are then that fat person or the unsuccessful one.

The identity we create for ourselves come from three sources,

The experiences we have had in our lives and how we have perceived them.
Outside programming; in other words what people say or have said about us.
What we say and think about ourselves.

In order to change the circumstances, the individual must first want to change their situation. The desire to change must also be strong. Half hearted attempts at remodelling their lives will more than likely end up in failure. http://140020.successuniversity.com/new

The next step is to re-think the person they are. Re-invent themselves. One reason that so many diets fail is because the person sees themselves as being fat. They may well be carrying to much weight but having the self image of a fat person makes the subconscious mind do all it can to keep the body fat. The diet becomes extremely difficult to stick to and cravings for high calorie food are then hard to resist.

A self image of a slim person needs to be created in the mind for dieting to stand a better chance of being successful. Re-invent that self image. By making affirmations that they are slim and beautiful and acting likewise will get the subconscious mind working to create that desired shape, the body they so want.

It is exactly the same with abundance. An image of poverty and a life lacking success will bring exactly that; a lack of abundance and success. To alter the situation one most first re-invent themselves: change the self imagery to one of abundance and success which will develop a greater self esteem. http://140020.successuniversity.com/new

The story that people tell about themselves must change. It is all very well being self deprecating but if those words are being believed then the image one has of themselves will be poor. It doesn’t mean that people should start bragging and tell others that they are thin when they have obviously still got some weight to lose. But to themselves, the self talk must be positive and the story should be saying that they are already the person they want to be.

Being surrounded by people who can only criticise is the most demoralising of situations. Constructive criticism from informed people is obviously necessary for progress to be made but this needs to be outweighed by encouragement and praise for self image and self esteem to be boosted. For those that find themselves in the company of people who seem to always express negative opinions, the time has probably come to change the people they mix with. One must set the standards for outside programming, determining what level of criticism they can accept without affecting their positive self image.

For those that suffer a negative self image, re-inventing themselves will do amazing things for their self esteem, motivation, inspiration and self confidence.

Terry Norrington

http://140020.successuniversity.com/new

http://whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

www.getselfconfident.com

www.2knowmyself.com

How Powerful Hypnosis Can Greatly Improve Your Self Esteem and Optimism

2009-02-03T14:50:00.000-08:00

Hypnosis is such a powerful method for improving self confidence, self image, motivation and optimism yet it is shrouded in myths, mystery and images of the occult.

So what is hypnosis?

Can we dispel some of the myths that surround it?

How can we use it to improve our lives?

Hypnosis is?

Hypnosis is a scientifically proven and powerfully effective technique that can help in cases as

changing behaviour
improving mental health
breaking bad habits
improving optimism, motivation and self esteem
setting goals
quitting smoking
losing weight.

The process involves getting the subject into a very relaxed state of relaxation. At this point the subconscious mind becomes extremely receptive to suggestions. As one of the functions of the subconscious mind is to control our beliefs and emotions, it can now be seen how beliefs and thoughts can easily be altered using hypnosis. This may at first appear to be a frightening prospect but as we shall demonstrate there shouldn’t be anything to fear. http://www.alleluiasuccessishere.com

So what are the myths?

The media are very hot on portraying subjects under the influence of hypnosis as being asleep. Many a stage act has produced people performing what seems like absurd routines.

On the contrary, hypnosis is an approved scientifically based method of therapy which is many centuries old. Under hypnosis the subject remains aware of his/her surroundings. The conscious mind becomes a little dormant and the subconscious mind takes more control but the subject cannot be forced to do or say anything that they do not want to. Such participants in any stage performance are likely to be very extrovert by nature and enjoy performing in public anyway.

Being under hypnosis is to be in a state of deep relaxation, receptive to suggestions yet still being aware of the surroundings. It’s like being half awake, that short period before falling asleep. It is sometimes referred to as “the trance state” where the conscious mind is slightly dormant so does not perform its normal function of filtering suggestions.

The conscious mind filters out what it does not like or will not accept. Tell somebody that is lacking in confidence that they are a confident person and their conscious mind will likely block that idea. Under hypnosis though, the conscious mind is less capable of blocking suggestions, so the suggestion of confidence now by-passes the conscious mind and sinks into the subconscious mind. Further repetition of this suggestion under hypnosis will deepen the belief.

Commercials on television have little effect on us unless they catch us in a state of deep relaxation. Sometimes if we are fully engrossed in a television programme the interruption of that programme can catch us in an almost hypnotic state. Subliminal advertising where messages were flashed onto the screen so quickly that the eye didn’t see it were very affective many decades ago. Despite the eye not catching it, the subconscious mind did and subsequently many people developed the desire to have that product. Needless to say, this practice has no been abolished on our T.V. sets now. http://www.alleluiasuccessishere.com

What can hypnosis do for us?

In the deep relaxed state where the subconscious mind is more in control, it becomes easier to program. Thus new beliefs can be installed and old ones strengthened. As the subconscious mind controls behaviour, so new patterns of behaviour can be installed.

Inferiority complexes can be removed, self images greatly improved and self confidence, motivation and optimism strongly boosted. All tremendous qualities to create success.

Terry Norrington

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

http://www.getselfconfident.com

http://www.2knowmyself.com

http://www.alleluiasuccessishere.com

Get Rid of That Debilitating Inferiority Complex and Develop Great Self Esteem

2009-02-01T15:46:00.000-08:00

There is nothing like an inferiority complex to destroy motivation, inspiration and self confidence. Self esteem can greatly be affected by feelings of inferiority too, so what is an inferiority complex and how do we overcome it?

The causes of inferiority complex.

Unfortunate or even catastrophic events of the past which have lead to you labelling yourself as inadequate or unworthy are the most common reasons that an inferiority complex has developed. Such events could be:-
Coming from a different race to your peers and being ridiculed for it.
Mocked by your teachers or peers by calling you lazy or stupid.
Being handicapped.
Feeling ugly compared to your peers.
Not being skilled at a popular sport.
Parents continuously putting you down.
Coming from a lower social level than your peers.

Sometimes it is very hard to get to the root cause of your inferiority complex. Childhood memories can be deeply locked away in the memory. Hypnosis is a very powerful way of unlocking from your subconscious mind, those hidden memories that may well be creating feelings of inferiority.
http://www.mckenna-direct.com/cgi-bin/at.cgi?a=456791

You feel different from others which give feelings of being disadvantaged. If you aren’t particularly clever but had the fortune to be surrounded by encouraging teachers and loving parents you would have, more likely than not, grown up with no feelings of inferiority and a self esteem fully balanced.

Some people compensate for their inferiority complex by striving to achieve in other areas such as sport or their studies. Many high achievers can attribute their success to an inferiority complex which, to some degree, isn’t a bad thing.

Other people will mask their feelings of inferiority by acting superior to everybody else thus developing a superiority complex.

Overcoming an inferiority complex and low self esteem.

As mentioned earlier, the root cause of the inferiority complex needs to be discovered. Hypnosis may well help this process.
http://www.mckenna-direct.com/cgi-bin/at.cgi?a=456791
Don’t associate your inferiority complex with current external conditions. Not achieving your grades, driving high performance cars or generally not being successful are current external factors. Inferiority comes from within. There are many people who spend their lives achieving great wealth and power and yet still never conquer those inferior feelings.

Self talk in the positive. By catching all those negative thoughts and comments and replacing them with positive ones about yourself, and then repeating this over and over again will eventually allow you to think positively automatically.
Remove those labels that you have allowed to develop through your lifes journey. Those labels such as “fool” or “idiot” that you some how associate with yourself need to be challenged and erased to greatly improve your self esteem and confidence.
The use of hypnosis under professional guidance is an extremely powerful tool to banish an inferiority complex. http://www.mckenna-direct.com/cgi-bin/at.cgi?a=456791
Rebuild your self confidence. Remember you are not your behaviour or your looks. You don’t have to have everything in life or be perfect at everything to feel worthy.

Removing an inferiority complex will greatly improve self confidence, self esteem, motivation and inspiration whilst allowing you to live your life with tremendous optimism.

Terry Norrington

http://140020.successuniversity.com

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1

http://www.mckenna-direct.com/cgi-bin/at.cgi?a=456791

www.getselfconfident.com

www.2knowmyself.com

How to Find Motivation From the Most Dramatic Situations

2009-01-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

Despite the severity of any given circumstance, finding the positive angle in these situations does wonders for our self confidence, creates tremendous self esteem and provides the necessary motivation for us to overcome the hurdle. This aids us in gaining control of the situation thus reducing stress and helping to form a sense of well-being.

How then are we able to take anything positive from a dire event?

There is a technique called “reframing”.

Try removing the frame from a much loved picture. Now place a completely different style of frame around that picture. Although the picture is still the same it appears different. Perhaps another part of the picture stands out more or maybe the mood created by the image changes in some way. Whatever it may be, it is not the same picture. The likelihood is that we will have created a greater appreciation of the original frame.

In any given situation, altering the frame of reference gives us a realisation of the negative aspects and armed with this new realisation, we are able build a more positive and confident attitude to a difficult problem.

There are two steps to reframing that we should follow if we want to view a negative circumstance with greater optimism.

Understand the original frame. Ask ourselves, how do we feel about the situation we find ourselves in? Are we angry or desperate, frustrated even? What do we feel like doing about the position we find ourselves in?
Create a new frame to find positive aspects of where we find ourselves so we can vastly improve our motivation and change the situation.

We can use the example of having missed the train. The negative stance would be something like,

“What an idiot I am. I should have walked faster then I wouldn’t have missed it. Now I’m going to be really late home”.

Reframing it to give the situation the positive view point could be,

“Hey ho, never mind. Now I’ve got time to buy the wife’s birthday card and then grab a coffee and chill out”.

Always try to look for the blessings in disguise and this will enhance our self esteem so much. The way of looking at the more dramatic circumstance of losing our jobs with more optimism maybe,

“Well at least I will have more time to spend with my family. I can even use the time to retrain for a different career”.

Concentrating on a solution rather than the problem is another terrific way of reframing a situation. Take the example of a roof leaking.

The negative stance is,

“My roof leaks, now I’m going to get water everywhere”.

“Replace the tile and the leak is mended”, is the positive view and is also finding the solution.
By saying,

“My job is really stressful, I don’t know how I’m going to get over all these problems”, is looking at the problem.

“My job is really interesting. Overcome all these problems and I can really prove my worth”, is trying to find solutions and really helps to provide the motivation to take on what has now become a challenge.

Using common phrases helps to create positive ness and confidence.

“It could be worse”.

“Everything happens for a reason”.

“It’s only money. Other people have far greater problems”.

These are typical illustrations of phrases that we can use to promote optimism in hard times.

To take something positive from traumatic events such as a life threatening illness or bereavement may seem like a tall order. But salvaging something positive from such difficult times creates the inspiration to carry on and get on with life. To see these events as being part of the bigger picture gives us a reason to move forward. Having a deep conviction in faith and religion, thus holding on to our spirituality can certainly be another reassuring quality that helps get us through the most trying of circumstances.

Reframing may not necessarily make every picture seem like an image of roses, but it will provide acceptance. It also helps us to learn from the most traumatic of experiences.

Optimism, self esteem, confidence, motivation and inspiration can certainly be drawn from viewing situations in a positive light.

Terry Norrington

www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index#terryn1

www.getselfconfident.com

Greatly Improve Your Self Esteem Through Your Subconscious Mind

2009-01-20T15:09:00.000-08:00

All our emotions such as optimism, self esteem, motivation, inspiration and confidence are triggered from our subconscious mind. This mysterious and magical part of the brain has so much effect on our everyday lives and yet we hardly know much about it and how it works.

So what is the subconscious mind and how does it affect us, our optimism and self confidence so much?

The subconscious mind could be viewed as the storage space for everything not currently taking space in the conscious mind. It stores memories, life experiences, skills, our belief system and all images ever seen.

When faced with any given situation, the subconscious mind triggers appropriate emotions based upon previous life experiences. Upon placing ourselves in danger, fear and anxiety kick in, triggered from the subconscious mind.

Learning to drive is a terrific example of learned skills being stored in the subconscious mind. When first learning to drive and confidence is in short supply, the conscious mind forces us to concentrate with every gear change, turn of the steering wheel and application of the brakes being a deliberate action. Once the driving test is out of the way these actions are passed from the conscious mind to the subconscious part of the brain and confidence and self esteem make driving an automatic process. The conscious mind is free to focus on other things. How many times have we driven from A to B and not been able to remember the journey?

Through the conscious mind we are able to control logic, thought and calculation. The subconscious mind however controls automatic, life sustaining processes such as the heart beat and breathing. Try concentrating for one minute on our breathing. This proves relatively easy as we control the depth and frequencies of each breath. Remove the focus and still we find that we breathe quite naturally.

When we learn a skill such as driving it is like programming a computer. Our subconscious mind is the computer and the driving skill is the software. Emotions are equally like software. If somebody shouts at us aggressively, our subconscious mind reaches for the anger software. Yet this particular computer can be reprogrammed to accept different software so long as the subconscious mind is still protecting our emotional well-being. In the face of aggressive action the subconscious can be programmed to respond calmly yet focussed in order to deal with the situation in the most rational manner possible.

Reprogramming the subconscious mind can be done through hypnosis and constant repetition without logic ever playing a part. Constant repetition of an argument can alter somebody’s point of view despite the absence of logic.

As the body defends against physical wounds and injuries, so the subconscious mind protects against emotional shocks and wounds. This ego defence mechanism protects emotional well-being and helps overcome emotional shocks.

In essence the conscious and subconscious minds work as a team. The conscious mind deals with current tasks and then assigns them to the subconscious mind. The subconscious on the other hand, sends feedback in the form of emotions to the conscious mind. Being aware of the link between conscious and subconscious mind can greatly improve skills and mastery of emotions.

Awareness of the function of the subconscious mind gives us the ability to master such emotions as optimism, self esteem, confidence, inspiration and motivation; all positive emotions that greatly improve the chances of success and happiness.

Terry Norrington

www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index#terryn1

www.getselfconfident.com

Get Out of the Rat Race. How Inspiration Can Give You the Life of Your Dreams

2009-01-17T13:49:00.000-08:00

Does there seem to be a lack of inspiration and motivation in your life?

Is your self esteem suffering because you wonder if this is all there is to life?

Perhaps your self confidence is suffering as your daily life drags you from one task to another.

These questions and comments resonate amongst many millions of people the world over. You ask yourself,

“What is life about?”

Your confidence is shattered as you wake up early in the morning already feeling completely worn out, as the thought of another day of fighting your way to work immediately drains your energies. Rushing through one laborious task just to get to the next and then the next before making that arduous journey back home just in time to see the kids being snugly tucked up in bed.

“Is this all my life will ever consist of?” you keep asking yourself without really looking for a way out of this trap. Optimism and hope are feelings that are long gone as the demands of mortgages and bills are the only motivation for getting out of bed in the mornings.

This is the rat race, all these people’s lives being used as the wheels to drive industry and commerce forward to greater and greater profits, although at present, some of those wheels seem to be falling off.

Does life have to be like this?

Is there another way?

Well, yes there is. Life really can be so much better than hurrying from one job just to tackle the next. To be able to enjoy the experience of every moment, every task we do, is a truly rewarding goal to aim for. Admittedly it is unlikely to be achieved in its entirety as taking the rough with the smooth makes us appreciate the smooth so much more. But if we have the correct attitude then even the hard times will be viewed as a learning curve that is well worth the effort of working through. And to aim to get something from every moment gives our lives hope, inspiration and motivation.

“What is life if full of care, we take no time to stand and stare?”

This famous line is so true. There is so much around us that is so beautiful, yet we barely notice. God has created a world so full of abundance yet very few people appreciate it. Although this is the world of our creator, he has given it for all of us to enjoy. We all can have the lives that we want if we dream big and totally believe and have the confidence that we can achieve this.

Life is not a dress rehearsal. We only have one life on this earth (as far as we know) so why not make the most of it?

So many people have fear; the fear to dream and take action to achieve those dreams. It takes belief, self confidence and a great desire to go for those dreams.
That belief may be in your self; the total confidence that you have the ability to reach the pinnacle of your personal mountain. Others have the absolute faith that God will help create the lives that they want and deserve. With complete gratitude, they know that God will show them the way to experience all the abundance that he has placed on this earth.

Wherever the belief comes from lives can change dramatically for the better. It won’t happen over night. Packing in a job that pays the mortgage and the bills before creating a better path will be considered by most to be foolhardy; although some have taken that drastic action and gotten away with it. Having the self confidence or the belief that god will shine a light on the path to follow will eventually lead to the life that is dreamed of.

Belief, optimism, confidence, self esteem, inspiration and motivation are all positive qualities that will lead to a life of abundance.

Terry Norrington

www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index#terryn1

www.getselfconfident.com

How to See The World in All It's Glory

2009-01-16T15:09:00.000-08:00

There seems to be some people who are blessed. They are vibrant and happy; the glowing companion linked to their arm and abundance seems to flow into their lives. So why does life always appear good for them yet for others misery seems to follow with every step they take?

I was with two colleagues today; Sid and Steve. Sid is happy go lucky, a colourful character who has experienced a lot of life’s ups and downs. He is a great example of the phrase “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. He lives off of his wits and always seems to find that extra buck or two. Despite being obviously very street wise, he does attend church and appreciates a spiritual side within himself.

Steve is a worker. He does work hard yet always seems to be just keeping his head above the financial waters. Although he doesn’t constantly moan about his problems there are many hints and signs that he is tremendously concerned about his money situation.

We had two conversations of note during the course of the day; the first was when Steve stated that “I can’t see the point in religion. It only causes all the troubles in the world. It seems that people who don’t believe, like atheists, are the ones that are peaceful”.

The first thing that I pointed out was that the troubles are caused in the name of religion. It isn’t the religions themselves that cause the issues. Fundamentalists; people with such a deep beliefs in their teachings that they cannot accept other faiths, races and points of views seem to be at the heart of the troubles. The mainstream religions of this world have one common theme. They all believe in one creator. We may have differing guidelines on how to worship our creator and how to practice our religions but that one common link should be what binds us together and allow us to live in harmony with each other.

Secondly, I focussed on the Islamic faith. I don’t profess to know much about the religion but I hear many times that this is a very peaceful religion that denounces any form of violence. Any atrocity caused in the name of Islam is really so far removed from their teachings. Unfortunately within any race or creed; even amongst the atheists, there are good people and there are bad. It is a sign of the times that the world’s media only focuses on the bad.

It is an indication of Steve’s thought patterns that he had chosen to start a conversation on a real negative. This was even more noticeable with the statement he made later on in the day.

“I’ll be glad when this year is over”.

Considering that, at the time of writing we are only into the third week of January, this took Sid and me a little by surprise.

“Why’s that then?” I asked

He went on to point out that we were doing a horrible job (his words were a bit more flavoursome than that), and that the recession was really getting him down.

Admittedly the job wasn’t likely to be classified as our favourite, but I felt the need to express the notion that sometimes we need to experience the rough to truly enjoy the smooth.
With regards to the credit crunch I asked him

“What can you do about it?”

“Well nothing” he replied.

“Exactly” I countered. “So why keep thinking about it. Concentrate on what you can do to work around it”.

I then highlighted that the world is a beautiful place. Continuously seeing it as a dark, horribly place; one full of misery will lead to his world being one of misery. Conversely, choosing to see it for what it really is, a wonderful place full of abundance will mean a life that god wants us to experience, full of the abundances that he has put here for us to enjoy.

Undoubtedly there will be harder times than others. If we decide to see the world in its full glory, those harder times will be so much easier to handle, obstacles so much easier to overcome.

Sid pointed out that if we visualise life like a steeplechase race, we have hurdles to straddle. If we view the world with tremendous optimism and confidence we will jump the hurdles. If we see our planet as a world full of darkness we are going to clip those hurdles and fall over. Worst still, we will probably run straight into them.

Sid obviously had a better grasp on how to view his world and consequently experiences a lot more of the good that is out there.

We can all decide to see the world in a positive light; full of hope and optimism. It is our choice and we don’t have to let other people’s negativity cloud our vision. It doesn’t come easy, but catching ourselves thinking negative thoughts is a start. Substituting those thoughts with ones of vibrancy, abundance, happiness and tranquillity and then truly believing that we deserve these riches, will, eventually, develop us into those that have and not those that have not.

Terry Norrington

www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index#terryn1

www.getselfconfident.co.uk

Get Happy and Live a Life Full of Motivation and Inspiration

2009-01-09T15:20:00.000-08:00

Are you feeling full of inspiration and motivation?

No!! Then perhaps you aren’t happy.

What is happiness?

What makes us happy, confident and bubbling with self esteem?

How can we be happy?

Happiness is the feeling we get when the body releases the hormone Serotonin. This hormone helps to prevent depression, raises our spirits and provides us with energy. Exposure to sunlight is a great way of increasing levels of Serotonin which is why so many people feel bright and happy during the hot, sunny days of summer and consequently feel far more miserable during the cold, dark days of winter. Many people comfort eat to make them selves feel happier. This is not surprising when it is known that carbohydrates, protein and famously chocolate raises levels of Serotonin within the body.

With regards to nutrition and a healthy way of living, vitamins B and C plus exercise all increase the “happy hormone”, which probably explains why exercise can sometimes feel like a chore but after completing a workout there is an overwhelming mood of exhilaration.

Do you deserve to be happy?

If the answer is no, your belief system is telling you that you and happiness don’t belong together.

But why should anybody feel this way?

This belief needs to be challenged. Look around you at all those successful and happy people. Do they deserve to be happy?

They, like us all, have made mistakes and probably make many cock ups on a daily basis. Without a doubt some will have cheated, lied or even broken the law. So why should these people deserve happiness any more than you?

Are they really any better a person than you?

If these people believe that they deserve happiness than so should you. God created us to experience joy and abundance and to live our lives to the full. Being depressed and miserable was not his intention.

So what is the definition of happiness?

This has been a question open for debate among many a philosopher. Some believe this is a feeling one gets when everything in life is as it should be. Others express it as the feeling you get when you achieve a goal. The problem with viewing it this way is that happiness can be very short lived. Once a goal has been reached the feeling of happiness wears off when the next target presents itself.

My favourite definition is that of inner peace. Once inner peace has been experienced, it can last forever despite all the problems that manifest themselves as time goes on. The word contentment springs to mind at this point.

Happiness is a perspective dependant on ones emotion. What makes one person happy will not necessarily make the next man happy. So how can we make ourselves happy?

The mind can only experience one emotion at a time. If we are stressed we cannot be happy. If we are depressed we cannot be full of motivation and inspiration. Happiness is the absence of bad emotions. Identify the bad emotions we feel and try to substitute them with feelings of self confidence and positive ness. Happiness and self esteem will shortly follow.
Know what it is that makes you happy. Once this has been identified, visualise it, believe that you can have it and make great strides to achieve it.
Strive to create a feeling of optimism. When problems and obstacles have to be overcome, self confidence, positive thinking and optimism are fantastic tools to help you hurdle over those barriers.
Without getting to deep, religion is a tremendous source of happiness. The belief in a higher power that is there to assist in all our problems gives great strength to our optimism, hope and happiness.
Have a purpose in life. By having something to get up for in the mornings, and then achieving our purposes, again boosts self esteem, confidence and happiness.
Undoubtedly having deep and meaningful relationships is a great source of happiness. We all have the need to be wanted and finding a loving partner and family provides so much joy. And when there are times of trouble, sharing these woes with another certainly halves the burden.
Ultimately happiness comes from within. If you can be happy and contented despite all life’s problems then you have truly found happiness. If you can enjoy everything that surrounds you then congratulations, you are a happy and contented man (woman).

Finding happiness is a great target to aim for. Happiness lies at the heart of inspiration, motivation, self esteem and self confidence.

Terry Norrington

www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index#terryn1

www.getselfconfident.com

Improve Your Life by Being an Inspiration to Others Using Optimism

2009-01-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

How many people can be described as optimistic?

What is optimism and how can it play an important role in our thoughts and successes?

Can optimism increase our self esteem, confidence and improve our motivation?

Optimism can be defined as a positive approach to life, always having an upbeat attitude that places us in the right position to achieve success. An optimist will believe that things will always turn out great despite the tough times that life throws up from time to time. Optimism cushions us from despair and hopelessness when the going gets tough.

Optimism has been defined by Martin Seligman, author of many books on this subject, by how we see events, using the three dimensions internal/external, permanent/temporary and pervasive/specific. An optimist will credit him/herself for the good times (internal), believing the good times will last (permanent) and these will affect other parts of their lives (pervasive). When the going does get tough, an optimist puts this down to circumstances outside of their control (external), the problems won’t last (temporary) and they only affect this particular situation (specific).

The pessimist on the other hand will see things in totally the reverse.

An optimist will see a life full of abundance. They will see a glass as being half full whilst the pessimist will see it as being half empty.

Self esteem can very much determine whether or not we are optimists. If we truly believe we are worthwhile people who deserve happiness and abundance we will see the world in a positive light. We will view ourselves positively as well.
If we fail to get that promotion we were after we say to ourselves,

“I don’t have the skills that they were looking for yet, but I know that if I study and practice I will develop those skills and be better placed next time.”

By saying “I’m not good enough, perhaps I’m not cut out for promotion” is very much the attitude of the pessimist. Pessimists blame themselves when things don’t happen the way they would like and then give up when the hard times come around.

Like many traits in our personality, optimism/pessimism is determined in our early years by our temperament and how we react to events as we go through life, influenced by our environment, family, peers and our education. However, optimism can be learned and a tendency towards pessimism can be overturned.

Just one technique is to catch ourselves when thinking negatively and focus on a more positive view.

“I’m rubbish at playing squash, I’m going to give up playing” can be turned into “I can easily enjoy squash without having to be perfect at it”.

Many of the most successful people are optimists, achieving great things because they have confidence in themselves and believe that they deserve happiness and abundance. Optimism gives them the motivation to go out and succeed and their optimism is an inspiration to so many others.

Terry Norrington

www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index#terryn1

www.getselfconfident.com

It in the Eyes You Know

2009-01-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

In the last article the eyes were mentioned as being a possible give away if somebody is being less than honest with you. So what are the tell tale signs that the eyes may give?

There are links between the way somebody might be thinking and the direction their eyes will go. There are six directions in which the eyes will move whilst that person is in thought. Upper left, upper right, middle left, middle right, lower left and lower right.

So what do the differing directions indicate?

The following is an illustration for a right handed person.

Upper left is for visual construction. This indicates that a person is constructing a visual image.
Upper right is for visual memory. This indicates that a person is remembering a visual image.
Middle left is for auditory construction. This is an indication that our person being observed is constructing a sound.
Middle right is for auditory memory. This indicates that the person is remembering a sound.
Lower left is for Kinetics. This will mean that our person is remembering feelings.
Lower right is for auditory digital. Our person in question is talking to him/herself.

To give an example. A person can be asked the colour of their car. The eyes should go to the upper right, remembering the colour of that car. If the eyes go to the upper left then they are constructing a colour rather than remembering it therefore could quite possibly be making up an answer.

Now for the caution. Having described all this, it is not the most reliable of methods. These are some of the reasons why this method could let you down.

The person is left handed. If this is the case the eye direction should be reversed.
There are some people when trying to remember will manage to keep their eye direction in the middle.
Other people may focus and refocus their eyes when remembering and their eyes will move in any direction.
The mind is a superior device with hundreds of thoughts passing through at any one time. The eyes could therefore move in any direction dependant on the thoughts.

Although not fool proof, this method of detecting if you are getting the truth from someone is a worthwhile exercise and may be able to help you read that persons mind.

Terry Norrington

www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index#terryn1

www.getselfconfident.com

How to Confidently Spot the Untruths

2009-01-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

Being lied to or somebody not telling the whole truth is not very pleasant and can land us into a whole heap of trouble in the worse case scenario. So wouldn’t it be helpful if we could tell the lies from the truths?

How much help would it be if we could back up our gut feelings that we aren’t getting the truth with some evidence?

It must be stressed here that the following are rough guidelines only and do not provide concrete evidence. If only one sign is detected there is no proof of a lie. Two signals may be an indication. Three or more strengthens the case that you may be being lied to.

Negative Evaluation Postures

The touching of the ears or nose whilst answering a question. In a negative situation the blood capillaries of the nose contract thus giving an urge to scratch it. Somebody who is lying and feels uncomfortable about it will feel in a negative situation.

The palms of the hands are rarely shown when somebody is not telling the truth. Open palms indicate honesty and truthfulness so palms facing down or placed in pockets are likely to show the opposite.

The back is likely to be bent or slouched when accompanying a lie. A confident person stands and walks with a straight back and head held high. To a person unused to lying, this negative situation is probably going to drain the confidence from him/her.

Inconsistencies in the Story

The more often a story is asked to be relayed the more likely a lie will be exposed. The adding or subtracting of elements of the story is an indication of fabrication of the truth. A story can sometimes dramatically change when there is something to be covered up.

Feeling Anxious

Although not conclusive evidence, feeling anxious when answering a question could be a sign that the truth is not being told. Signs that somebody is feeling anxious are biting of finger nails, fidgeting, tapping heels repeatedly or nervously on the floor, tapping fingers or hands on lap, sweating, whistling and jiggling things in pockets.

Eye Contact

Eye contact is normally much weaker. Eye contact shows interest in what is being heard. It also shows respect. 100% eye contact normally proves uncomfortable to both people involved in a conversation. Normal eye contact happens for about 70 – 80 % of a conversation. Sometimes looking directly into somebody’s eyes is a little disconcerting. Looking at the nose or the middle of the mouth still gives the impression of looking into the eyes. Looking just above the eyes when giving an order shows authority and leadership.

Somebody who looks around rather than into your eyes may be holding back the truth.

Eye Accessing Clue

This is a very interesting area of study which needs a whole article by itself to give it justice. But briefly the direction of the eyes give clues as to how a person may be thinking and if the direction of the eye conflicts with an answer this could be saying something about the validity of that answer. This is not an exact science and a lot of caution has to be used with this method but an article at a later date would prove very useful.

Other Clues

Avoiding the Subject. Somebody who has something to hide will invariably avoid the subject in any given conversation. Skirt around the subject in conversation and notice if the other person tries to move away from the subject completely.

Lack of Assertiveness. This usually manifests itself in a lower voice tone and an appearance of low self confidence in somebody not used to lying.

Speaking Slowly. Somebody who is lying will quite possibly speak slower than usual. If they are making things up as they go along, speaking more slowly gives them greater time to think.

These are some of the indications that somebody may not be being totally honest with you. Although it will not provide hard evidence it could well give you the idea that you should be wary of what is being said.

Terry Norrington

www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index#terryn1

www.getselfconfident.com

Unleash That Belief in Your Self and Create the Magic of Self Confidence

2008-12-29T14:40:00.000-08:00

Why is it that some seem to have limited potential?

Why is “the sky’s the limit” for some people and not for others?

Why do some people struggle to get on in life?

Largely it is down to belief. Our core beliefs about ourselves and our confidence determine how we react to life and the circumstances that arise. For many years animals used to be a major attraction in circuses (not so much now thank goodness). The elephant was a star attraction at many of these performances having been tamed from birth. An animal the size of an elephant has the potential to cause chaos if it was able to escape. But as babies they were chained to heavy iron balls making it almost impossible to break free. As time goes on the elephant begins to believe that it is incapable of escaping even once it is released from the burden of that heavy iron ball. The belief system of the elephant is now one of captivity.

Human beings are very much like that baby elephant, weighed down by their false beliefs, beliefs that have been created by unwitting comments of trustworthy people.

We’re too old to learn a new sport. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
I can’t get a decent job. I’m no good for the jobs market.
Nobody gets everything in life.
You have no time for activities once you’re married.
I can’t quit smoking.
I’m never lucky.

Do some of these phrases sound familiar?

Robert and Charles used to play football together. Robert was brought up to believe that you can’t have everything in life that you want. By coincidence they both had an interview for the same job. The job entailed working 12 hours per day, 6 days per week. Robert, believing that he couldn’t have everything in life, took the job and quitted his regular game of football. Charles, on the other hand, decided to decline the job, believing that a position that better suited his schedule would soon come along. Robert gradually became depressed with the situation, and all motivation and inspiration drifted away. He felt that there was something missing in his life and after a year he quit the job.

So many people are held back by false beliefs. They think that they are fine as they are even though they have the ability to advance in life. These people don’t bother to learn new skills’ thinking that this is all life has to offer.

Many others will quit sport or a favourite leisure activity believing that marriage and a career is life consuming; like Robert believing that it is impossible to have everything in life that they want.

How many people do we know that won’t start new relationships, their self confidence destroyed by a previous broken relationship? They somehow believe that they have lost their “soul mate” and will not be suitable for anybody else.

So how does one break away from these false beliefs that are anchoring us down and preventing us from sailing to the port of success?

We must test the opinions of others. If we find ourselves failing to take an exam because someone has said it is too hard, take that exam for yourself. After all, that person is unlikely to have the same skill set as us.

If you are told that a box is too heavy to lift, don’t take that person’s word for it. Go and try it yourself (but be careful not to strain your back in the process. I don’t want the Health and Safety Executive coming down on me).

Henry Ford once said,

“If you think you can do a thing or think that you can’t do a thing, you are right”.

Your beliefs and self confidence will make you the person you want to be. Believe it.

Terry Norrington

www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index#terryn1

www.getselfconfident.com

How Our Beliefs Can Provide Self Confidence and a Better Life

2008-12-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

Self confidence derives from a belief in ourselves and our belief systems. But what are the things that we believe in that give us self confidence and hope?

For some, it is enough to believe in our own abilities, confident that we can find our way over any obstacle and drive on down the road to success. Many more draw comfort from their faiths and religion.

What follows next is not in any way intended to offend but to provide thought and debate. These are my thoughts which have been banded about among friends and I encourage anybody to comment and provide their own thoughts.

I attend church and am actively involved by helping with communion and occasionally conducting readings. I consider myself to be Christian, trying to live my life according to a code of morals that I believe most devout followers of all the main religions would follow too.

Yet there are some elements of the old testament that I struggle to get my head around. The idea that God has created us in his own image fails to resonate with me. I truly believe that a greater force has created us but in his own likeness?

It is easy for me to understand a greater power, our creator. If the big bang theory is to be believed, ie. the whole universe was created by a massive nuclear explosion generated from one single atom, well who or what put that atom there in the first place?

I also struggle to see how the world was created in seven days (six really, as on the seventh day God put his feet up). I have heard it said that each day represents a period of time in the earth’s massive history. One day equals so many millions or billions of years. Yet other Christian religions follow the bible word for word. Where does the truth lie?

Does it really matter?

The fact is that a belief in any religion gives us strength, it gives us hope and it gives us a set of rules by which to lead our lives upon. If we gain self confidence and a belief that we can succeed and rise above all uncertainties and yet still remain true to ourselves, religion must be a good thing mustn’t it?

I feel the danger comes from believing that our religion is right and true above all others. Then it can lead to fundamentalism. The belief that everybody should believe exactly what we believe and condemn those that don’t is surely a recipe for trouble.

In the small town where I live I am proud of the Churches Together initiative. Like minded people gather and talk freely together and work for the benefit of the community. Yet we are free to believe the way in which we want to believe. I don’t proclaim to know much about every main religion but if we all have a belief and a set of moral guidelines on which to follow, there is no reason on earth why we all cannot live in peace with each other.

These are some of my beliefs, beliefs that give me the self confidence and the desire to drive forward on a journey through life that provides success and immense satisfaction. I remember my grandmother saying in her last days.

“I’ve lived a great life and I’m ready to go now”

My intention is to be able to say exactly the same. Through my beliefs, self confidence and energy, I know I will.

Terry Norrington

www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index#terryn1

http://www.getselfconfident.com/

How to Have a Stress Free Life and Regain Your Self Confidence

2008-12-12T15:11:00.000-08:00

Stress is very much the big buzz word of today and has been for many years now. It can destroy self confidence and can very much damage our health. Everybody has at some stage suffered from stress and to a small degree it can be a good thing; keeping us on our toes and helping us to progress rather than stagnate.

So what is stress and how do we cope with the excessiveness of it?

I can give you a personal example which shows that I am still fallible despite all my practicing of self confidence techniques.

Just yesterday I had a job to do that didn’t go according to plan. As a water treatment engineer by day I had a part to fit on a plant in Swindon. I had ordered the part but as this was not a retrofit there was some differences which I had not anticipated. Using my many years of engineering experience I managed to overcome the various difficulties despite not getting away from site until 9.30 in the evening and having to return today to finish; time that wasn’t in the budget for the job. Finishing late last night was not a problem, I have worked those hours before. Finishing late today was a problem; I had to be home by 6.00p.m. in order to look after my two boys whilst my wife went off to work.

The M25 was my source of stress like it has been for thousands of poor souls who use that infamous motorway as a regular commute. Miles and then tens of miles of speed restrictions, delays and stop-start traffic slowly but surely boiled my brain until it exploded with a barrage of cussing and swearing pointed in the direction of the heavens. I would like to point out that I regularly go to church so my reaction is definitely something I am not proud of. This lack of control is not a regular occurrence but with the problems of the last two days it just got on top of me. The fact that I am powerless to control the circumstances that I found my self in and the temporary destruction of self confidence just added to the frustration.

When suffering from stress the resources of the mind get locked up and the creative thoughts that are more likely to help any given stressful situation keep themselves buried deep in the mind.

Lots of work or tasks that have to be completed in a short space of time add greatly to the stress levels as does working under pressure for long periods of time. Under conditions like these the smallest of external influences blows that shortening fuse. The kids playing up or screaming in the background get a taste of our sharp tongue (does it sound like I’ve been there and got the tee-shirt?). Then we feel bad about what we have done and this dampens our self confidence.

The answer to this is what then?

A few little tips for you which after today’s experience perhaps I need to practice a little harder with.

Eliminate as much as possible the bad external influences. Noise, an untidy workspace and bad lighting are just some examples.
Time manage where possible. Not always easy I know particularly when emergencies crop up.
On the back of time management, try not to commit to too many things. This allows much better control over our time.
Exercise regularly. Taking the strain off of the mind and placing it on the body does wonders for the mind. The release can be quite noticeable after a good workout or sporting activity, especially if we’ve won. People who exercise regularly suffer less stress as long as they don’t over do it.
Eat healthily. Plenty of fruit and vegetables and no alcohol (I might have a problem with the alcohol bit).
Cut out smoking. Despite what people say, smoking increases stress levels. It is the way in which people breathe when smoking that causes a temporary relaxed state.
This may seem difficult to comprehend but we, in a round about way, choose to be stressed. This is brought about by our subconscious minds. Training our subconscious minds through visualisation and images of being stress free will soon help us cope with life in a far more relaxed manner.
Laughter is said to be one of life’s best medicines. By finding our chuckle buttons and taking life a little less seriously is one of the greatest ways to keep healthy.
Using relaxation techniques as can be found at www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index#terryn1 allows as more time in the relaxation zone.

Stress in small doses is actually good for us but in larger quantities can be a serious health problem and damaging to self confidence and that all important positive attitude.

For those that are interested, I was 15 minute late and my wife had gotten one of our neighbours to baby-sit for that brief time. Perhaps I should add a good wife to the list of stress relievers above.

Terry Norrington

www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index#terryn1

www.getselfconfident.com

How Self Confidence Can Be Born From Science And Religion

2008-11-27T14:22:00.000-08:00

Religion and science. Are they at odds with each other?

As science explains more of the working of nature, does this dispel the beliefs around religions and the self confidence they give to millions of people?

Are scientists devoid of faith themselves?

I was at a men’s breakfast not so long ago. This is a meeting of men folk who attend the different Christian churches around the town. Promoting churches together and organising such events allows like minded people to experience the many viewpoints of the differing denominations within a friendly and informal forum. At these men’s breakfasts there is always a talk delivered by somebody who, with self confidence, offer some teachings of the benefits of their religion through their life’s experiences.

This particular talk was by a physicist entitled “An atheist who found religion”. He explained that in his early years as a scientist he was so enveloped by his work that he felt his work had all the answers. Along with all the scientific explanations of how the world functions, his career offered all the trappings of a comfortable lifestyle, and with his self confidence, he had no room in his head or heart for god.

He read and studied a great deal and eventually came across a couple of books that argued the case for “the selfish gene”. The point in these books was that our cells predominant reason for existence is to reproduce and in order to perform this function they will do and fight against anything. This consequently makes them “selfish and evil” by nature. The books also claim that we have to develop artificially the concept of “good” to overcome this natural selfishness. To our lecturing physicist this wasn’t very satisfactory reasoning so looked for an answer that was more satisfying to his mind.

His answer eventually came via his daughter. She was full of self confidence, a self confidence born from a total belief in god. She invited her father to attend “An Alpha Course” and from this he really took to the concept that God is one. No having a division between an artificial good and a selfish gene, but a god who can point us in the path of good and righteousness and we only have to look at one idea to see the truth.

He went on to say that a mathematician (I didn’t take in his name) had calculated that for life to be created with the planet having all the right chemicals and atmosphere to sustain life plus the sun, moon and stars to be in their corresponding places, the odds are 1 with billions of zeros after it. The conclusion was that the world and life is too orderly to be created by such chance. The more obvious answer is that a greater force, god created this world and the universe.

He has obviously now become a Christian, following the faith wholeheartedly. Our physicist was also under the impression that such great scientists as Darwin and Isaac Newton were actually religious men too.

I don’t pretend to understand science and the creation of the world, but my understanding of “The Big Bang Theory” of the creation of the universe is that the stars, the planets, the sun and galaxies were all created from a massive nuclear explosion originating from one single atom. My question is, who put the atom there?

Now I’m sure there are many clever people out there who would like to answer that question but even if they can answer it satisfactorily you can still keep asking the “who provided that” question. Eventually there is no logical answer other than god.

I’m sorry if this is all sounding rather heavy. I must admit that I struggled to keep up with a lot of the science bit.

Ultimately a belief in god or a belief and self confidence in oneself is somewhat irrelevant. It is a belief system and a belief in success that will provide the achievements and abundance that we all crave for.

Terry Norrington

www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index#terryn1

http://140020.successuniversity.com

www.getselfconfident.com