10 New Ways to Make Money Online

As you know I have been making money online for the last 9 years, some years successfully other years not so much.  However in September of 2012 I was able to give up my full time job as an addiction worker, working with people with alcohol and drug issues, to go full time online.

Since then I have never looked back and the business has grown from strength to strength with last years sales at $128,000 and this year I want to double that.  That includes income from all income streams from products, google adsense, affiliate commissions, solo ads, services, membership sites etc.

Making-money-online

I truly believe that anyone with a huge dollop of determination and a passion to help others can make money online, but there are a few things required to do this:

  • Determination
  • The right mindset
  • Belief
  • A plan
  • A willingness to learn

When you have all of the above I think anyone can make it.  One of the most important is the willingness to learn as there is a huge learning curve involved in making products and the subsequent marketing of those products.  Buy courses to help speed up the learning curve and attending masterminds or seminars can be a huge help and is one of the things that got me from $10k per year in sales to $100k per year in sales.  One of the courses I would recommend is Anik Singal’s course Profit Academy (affiliate link), but there are many great courses out there, so have a look around and search for reviews on the products you’re thinking about buying.

Here are 10 New Ways to make Money Online

1. Independent publishing

The traditional world of publishing has almost gone forever.  No longer do authors have to accept poultry royalties from their publishing house.  The biggest ebook self-publishing platform is Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) program. If you upload your manuscript to KDP, it will appear for sale on Amazon.com, where readers can download it to their Kindles. KDP is free to use, and KDP authors keep up to 70% of revenue from the sales of their books. Similar self-publishing services are offered by Barnes & Noble (through Nook Press), Apple (through iTunes Connect) and others, but Amazon’s is one of the most widely available platforms and is easy to use.

2. Selling a product

If you have an idea for a product and you can write, or record video or make an mp3 you can have a quality product set up ready for sale on your website or blog.  This includes ebooks, downloadable mp3s, software, memberships sites, and selling your teaching.  One of the products that set me on the path of becoming an online entrepreneur was an ebook called Advanced Early Riser

This one ebook has brought in sales of over $15,000 over the last few years, and it gave me the confidence to go on to do bigger things.

3. Selling your services

If you have a particular skill such as being a prolific writer, good at admin work, life coaching, programming, web design and a host of other talents, you can sell your services online for an hourly rate.  Places such as elance.com, odesk.com, freelancer.com, fiverr.com are good places to start looking to see what is available.

4. Your blog with adsense

This is how I got started online and is one of the best ways to monetise your passion.  If you have something you really care about and have a lot to say on the subject you can start a blog.  It’s almost impossible to think of a topic that you couldn’t blog about and for you to become an authority in your niche.

I have seen blogs on knitting, on scrap collecting, baseball cards, book collecting, anything you have a passion for I am guessing you can write about it and make money form it using the likes of google adsense, or placing ads on your site.  You might think you’re only paid a pittance from adsense, but if you become an authority you can earn some good money.  At the moment this blog and another blog of mine http://ift.tt/1FccJ6I brings in around $6000 per month, that’s $72,000 per year passive income.

On the back of this, if you stick at building your blog, there are huge opportunities for interviews, speaking at seminars, running your own workshops, and of course making your own products.

5. Advertising

Advertising on your website is a good way to bring in money from your site, but I would start your own advertising program instead of letting a company take half your earnings.  There’s a host of great plugins to help you manage your advertising program, but it’s best to do a search for an updated list.

6. Membership sites

There’s nothing better than running a membership site which has the beauty of giving you recurring income.  If you have a subject that a lot of people need and want to know more about, and your niche is constantly being updated you can run a membership site to satisfy the hunger of your crowd.

7. Selling solo ads

You can make a lot of money selling solo ads, which is basically advertising a free or paid product to your email list.  The thing to do here is make sure all the products you are promoting are quality and not just any old crap, as it can be tempting to take the money and just send out anything to your list.  remember your reputation is on the line as well.

If you are going to do this it is best to build a list which is separate from your regular readers e.g. your blog subscribers.

I have to admit to falling foul of this and have sent out a lot of emails to all of my lists instead of limiting it to just a list for people who want free stuff.

8. Become a teacher

If you are great at teaching a particular topic sites such as udemy.com can be great for beginners to make money online, indeed there are some full time udemy teachers out there who make a lot of money on the site.  I have tested Udemy, but not in any great depth, but know a few good friends who make a regular income from sites like this.

9. Affiliate marketing

If you find a great product that you like and it aligns with your niche you can start to promote it by placing ads on your site, or to your email list.  If you are regularly promoting one product and champion it, becoming a raving fan, you might actually get better affiliate commissions because of it.

10. Becoming a virtual assistant

A lot of people are now making money online by becoming virtual assistants.  I have a great assistant who helps me with a whole host of things online and she is brilliant.  The beauty of this is you can become a virtual assistant and work around your home schedule, or even use it as part time income if you have another job.  It’s quite difficult to find really good virtual assistants, so being good at what you do and really treating it like a business will help you stand out from the crowd.

A great place to learn about this for hiring and becoming a virtual assistant is Virtualstafffinder.com run by a great guy Chris Ducker.  Chris has taken the hassle out of the whole process and goes into detail about the ins and outs of hiring a VA.

I hope this gives you some ideas about how to make money online and the potential earnings that can be made.  If you are looking for inspiration there is a great site by Jonny Nastor called HackTheEntrepreneur where Jonny interviews some great entrepreneurs.

I truly believe the world is changing and we no longer need employers, and poor working conditions.  I think we are seeing a major shift and there is an entrepreneurial revolution taking place right now, and you can be a part of the revolution.

The post 10 New Ways to Make Money Online appeared first on Change your thoughts.

http://ift.tt/1CGbqx4

5 Loving Ways to Care for Yourself when Your Ex has Moved on

~If someone makes you miserable more than they make you happy it doesn’t matter how much you love them, it’s time to let them go.~ Author Unknown

We’ve all been there. The dreaded break up. We loved, we lost, we cried, we laughed, we got dumped, we dumped them and life goes on. Sounds so cut and dry doesn’t it? Why can’t it ever be that easy?  Why do we continue to hang on to anger, hurt, resentment and any other life sucking, positive energy sapping emotions?  And why oh why do we still hold that grudge? There’s the million dollar question.

5_loving_waysWe’ve moved on, it’s over and, good grief, he’s dating again. You have GOT to be kidding me? How dare he? I mean we JUST broke up! And all those horrible emotions kick in, again.  This happened to me and I was utterly devastated. My whole world spun around like I was on some crazy amusement park ride, but not the fun one, the behemoth one that makes you want to throw up and you can’t wait for it to stop so you can get off. Yup. I was there.

When I left my husband after almost 7 years I was pretty happy. I finally found some freedom and life was good. I wanted him to find happiness too, but deep down I really just wanted him to be miserable. Feel the misery I felt for the last few years of our relationship. It was a battle. I want him to be happy, I want him to be miserable and rot in Hell. (don’t judge, even kind, loving spiritual people sometimes think these things too). I wanted him to move on, I didn’t want him to move on. When I discovered he had, in fact, moved on, I was shocked. The biggest shocker? It was only 2 months after I walked out.

And I cried.  I spent the whole day sobbing my heart out. Stereo blaring so my neighbours couldn’t hear my screams, rants and expletives, I sobbed hysterically. All day long. Clutching my pillow tightly to my face with my box of Kleenex attached to my hip. It truly was pathetic.

The next day I woke up exhausted, mentally and physically, my eyes swollen so bad I looked like I stepped out of a boxing ring and spent the morning analyzing this whole situation. You’re a pretty strong person, Iva. Snap out of it. You didn’t want him anyway, right?

And the self talk, self care and self love began. How can I possibly make the best out of this situation? This has never happened to me before so how do I deal with it in the most effective and loving way? I sat quietly, centered myself and my thoughts, and came up with these 5 ways that helped me get through this heart breaking phase in my life.

1. Cry. Well I clearly did that. All damn day long. And it felt good. Real good. (I cried for a few days after as well) Don’t hold your tears in and try to be strong, big and brave and act like it’s no big deal. It IS a big deal and you know it is! So just cry. I call it detoxifying. Flushing out the bad jujubes. Cleansing the heart and soul, so to speak.

2. Laugh. Ok I know I just told you to cry so how are you supposed to laugh, right? Just try it. Watch a comedy, go to a comedy club, go check out a funny page on Facebook or the Internet, do whatever you have to do that makes you laugh and  just do it. Go hang with funny friends that could care less about your loser ex. (and you shouldn’t care about him either for that matter)

3. Meditate. I’ve always had a really hard time with meditating and I get that it’s not for everyone. A good friend of mine gave me tips on how to do it without taking an hour. She called them “mini meditations” and they totally worked for me. I can meditate for 2-4 minutes and feel awesome after I’m done. You take however long you have to but definitely try it. My mini med goes something like this: I close my eyes and envision God (though you can envision whatever spirit or Angel you would like to). I imagine He is blowing soft pink love dust to me, sort of like fairy sprinkles, and I breathe it all in. As I blow out, I imagine I am blowing out a dark grey cloud of hurt, anger, and any other negative emotion trapped inside of me. I do this until I am calm again. Please try it. It truly is soothing.

4.Write a truth letter. This is one of my all time favorite things to do anytime anyone pisses me off. Grab your pen and paper and write down every single solitary thing you are feeling. I mean EVERYTHING! Address it to your ex. Dear John: bla bla bla and just let it rip! Don’t hold back anything. Write until your hand hurts or you’re out of emotions. Get it all out. This is the time to release everything that is deep inside of you. When you are done, read it out loud as many times as you want and then burn it, shred it, bury it or simply throw it out (did you think I was going to tell you to mail it?). You want to talk about a liberating exercise, try this. Trust me on that.

5. Send the new happy couple love. Oh trust me, this one is NOT easy but it’s a must. Muster up all the love you can and send it to them. Wish them nothing but happiness and love for the rest of their lives. Send them a little prayer if you want to. (your ex’s new partner is gonna need all the prayers they can get anyway :).haha.) A little practice I was taught years ago was to sit quietly, close my eyes, and pass them a red rose as a symbol of love, forgiveness and peace. Remember you need to feel love and peace within yourself in order to move on, right?

Breaking up is never easy. It doesn’t matter who ended the relationship, it’s still hard. Holding onto anger and negative emotions isn’t good for anyone. Wouldn’t you rather move on in peace and love? It’s not going to be easy, but it’s definitely going to be worth it.

The post 5 Loving Ways to Care for Yourself when Your Ex has Moved on appeared first on Change your thoughts.

http://ift.tt/1EadOOx

21 Ways to Live a More Conscious Life

You’re not going to give up your home and leave the country.

There are no orange robes in your future, no major move to Nepal.

No Boddhi trees, begging for alms or early morning monastery chanting.

You don’t have to be a Himalayan monk or the Buddha to live a conscious life.

21_ways_to_live_a_more_conscious_lifeWhat is a conscious life?

A conscious life is a deliberate and thought-out life. It’s listening to yourself and then making choices.

It’s asking yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing: looking at the reasons behind the actions you take.

It’s not wandering adrift in the stream of life, but taking purposeful and intentional action.

Imagine going to a grocery store without knowing what you’re going to buy. Living consciously means thinking about a grocery list and knowing what you’re going to cook for dinner this week.

Living consciously is like buying a plane ticket before you get to the airport and knowing which airline you’re going to take and to what destination.

Surprisingly, most people don’t live this way. They are guided by tradition or their families, or do what society tells them to do.

What do you get out of living consciously?

When you live a conscious life, you’re more likely to live a life filled with happiness and joy.

Living a conscious life means you’re actively evaluating your activities, decisions and options. You’re making deliberate choices based on your values and your truth.

We often don’t have a chance to live consciously. From the day we are born until we die, we are told what to do.

Our parents push us to be a certain kind of person, to like certain foods, to pick certain career paths. Society tells us that success comes from living in a certain neighborhood, attaining a professional degree, buying a specific type of house or driving a particular car.

On top of family and society, the world’s corporations are after our spending dollars so they can sell us stuff and meet shareholder expectations.

When you choose to live consciously, you can question and challenge everything.

You can do what feel right to you and reject the things that don’t resonate.

What do I know about consciousness?

Well, one way to discover the light is to live in darkness.

I lived in darkness for a good portion of my life–believing that everything my family and society told me was true.

I chose a career based on what pays.

I chose a relationship based partly on culture and traditions.

I chose a job based on how prestigious it was.

I bought a house based on society telling me to do so.

Then each of these things began to crumble, and I began to question if all the things I had been told were true.

Maybe no one really knows what’s best for us?

What may have worked for one person, for one family or even a generation of people may not be what’s right for us.

Instead of doing whatever it was that society told me was right or going with the crowd, I started observing each and every part of my life.

Consciousness, for me, was making my own decisions in life, based on my experiences and my truth, listening less to the chatter and the crowds.

I’d like to share with you some ways that you too can start living a conscious life.

Ask yourself what you want.

How often do you NOT take a stand? NOT have a preference?

Don’t know where you want to go out to eat? Not sure what you want off the menu?

Not have an opinion? Not know which policy or politician you want representing you?

How about asking yourself what you truly want? What is your say? What are you hungry for?

It’s ok to have an opinion and a preference. You will not be judged for it.

Do what makes you happy.

Instead of spending much of your life doing things out of obligation and expectation, why not try doing things that make you happy?
If you hate visiting a certain group of friends, don’t.

If your monthly get-together with your workmates bores you to death, stop going.

If you hate the gym, find another way to exercise that makes you happy.

Spend more time on everyday activities that bring you happiness.

Live in alignment with your truth.

Often society and our families shape the way we think and how we live our lives.

What do you think? Who are you? What do you believe in?

What do you know to be true in your life based on your experiences?

Living your truth means being honest with yourself and choosing those things that resonate with you.

It’s also being honest with others – expressing yourself and being who you are. Not hiding behind masks.

Accept yourself for who you are.

You may have shortcomings and inadequacies. You may not believe you’re as smart or as talented or as able as your co-worker or your sister.

Most of these false beliefs have accumulated from a lifetime of being told you’re inadequate or incomplete.

You are whole. Even with your imperfections or perceived inadequacies, you are enough. No matter what anyone else has led you to believe.

You don’t have to be any thinner, taller, smarter, able to cook better or earn more.

The people around you will try to compare you to others to make you feel worse about yourself. Don’t fall for that.

You will try to feel better about yourself by judging others. Don’t condition your acceptance by having to feel superior to others.

Do work that’s in tune with your being.

If you are doing unfulfilling or passionless work, try to find a way out of it. You can transition out of your career. Here’s an entire post on how to do it.

If your work doesn’t reflect who you are, you are not able to make your greatest contribution to the world.

Take small steps to get out of your day job and do work that is a reflection of who you are. You have after-work hours and weekends to work on your next career or business.

Ignore society’s guidance and demands.

You are going to be bombarded with a lot of advice and guidance from society, which will tell you what it takes for you to be happy.

Get a job, get a house, get a husband, get a baby, etc etc. Have a retirement account, invest in property, get more education.

Society’s way is one way – not the only way. You can choose the life you want to make for yourself depending on what’s important to you.

Spend wisely.

Be careful how you spend your money. Don’t waste it unnecessarily on material things or spend it mindlessly.

Do you really need whatever it is you’re going to purchase?

Is it a conscious purchase that will really add value to your life, or will it be just one more piece of junk you’re collecting for a garage sale down the road?

Ask yourself, “Can I live without making this purchase? Is this purchase absolutely necessary?”

Along the same lines, be mindful of how you spend something far more valuable: your time.

Ask the same questions about your time that you ask about money.

Eliminate wasting your time on mindless and unfulfilling activities.

Walk with courage.

While we simply cannot eliminate fear, we can learn to walk with more courage in our lives.

Acknowledge fear for what it is, and then question it.

Is the fear real? Is the worst case scenario likely? What would happen if the worst happened?

Once you acknowledge fear, you can go about your life aware of it, but keeping it on the back burner.

You can exercise courage whenever fear crops up.

Say “no” more.

A conscious life allows you to gravitate towards a life that you want to live and places the power of choice in your hand.

The greatest weapon you have for living a conscious life is to say “no” more. You say no more by saying more “noes” to small things. If you don’t want to eat a particular dish or attend a particular event, say no.

Continue building up your “no” muscle until you can say “no” to the things that matter.

Until you can say “no” to that boss, “no” to that relationship, “no” to that unhealthy lifestyle.

Be picky.

Be more careful in choosing your friends. You become more like the people you surround yourself with. Let go of the negative people in your life.

Your clothes. You make a statement when you purchase a brand. Be more aware of whom your money is going to and what interests your money supports.

Your food.  The food you buy also makes a statement. Buy food that is farmed safely and is good for your body.

Your entertainment. Know that the sights and sounds can inspire your creativity and stir your soul. Be more aware of what you’re watching and listening to.

Go within.

Again, the world loves to give you advice and has many paved routes for you to take your life journey.

If you chose to live consciously and create your own path, be cognizant of what people tell you to do, but ultimately go within to find the answers. Go within to listen to yourself. Trust your inner voice.

Let go.

Society wants you to hold on tight to whatever it is you have.

But there are a lot of things that are worth giving up. It’s worth giving up your negativity and judgment towards people and circumstances. Both don’t serve you well.

It’s also worth giving up attachment. Release the need to be attached to your desires, goals, dreams and ambitions.

Work towards what you would like to accomplish in life, but let go in the process. You don’t have to have a tight grip and tie your self-worth to your ability to achieve something.

Treasure the moment.

You are likely living in a moment that has passed or one that is not yet here.

Will you be here now?

As Eckhart Tolle reminds us, “Whatever the moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.”

No need to repeat your past mistakes and bad experiences and relive the pain over and over again in your mind. Nor do you need to get anxious about events that have yet to unfold.

Live in this moment. Focus on the task at hand.

Practice daily acts of forgiveness.

We hold onto grudges and wrongdoings, grasping tightly onto the coal of justice in our palms.

When we hold onto resentment that tightly and refuse to let go of trespasses against us, the hot coal burns our own hands.

Forgive daily and pardon people for all the small trespasses against you.

Focus on what you have.  

Wouldn’t it be more fun if we thought about the achievements and experiences we had in life as opposed to the ones we were seeking and searching for?

The more we focus on what we have and show appreciation for it, the less we will be operating from a place of lack or want.

Focusing on what we have leads to contentment.

Give freely.

The one place where you can afford to share selflessly is when giving. If you want to serve, do it.

No need to think much about helping others who are in need.

You almost can’t go wrong when helping someone else. Look for more opportunities to help someone daily.

Practice compassion.

Practice compassion on yourself and others. Let go of your perfectionist tendencies and don’t hold yourself to such a high standard. Vibrate love from within and be willing to release any negativity.

Extend that same compassion to others. Instead of scorn and judgment, feel empathy and seek to understand the plights of others.

Capture the silence.  

The world is noisy like a bazaar. So is your mind.

The way to slow down your mind and your life is to slow down your thoughts.

Seek and practice silence so you can be more mindful of your thoughts. Being more mindful allows you to live more purposefully.

Awareness leads to clarity and intentional action.

Be ok when the television is off and you don’t hear any music blaring.

Be observant of the ego.

Our egos like to sit in the driver’s seat and rule our lives unless and until you call them out for what they are.

You stop the ego from taking over by recognizing it.

Your ego wants to dominate a room, dominate a conversation, feel superior and own your identity.

Know that acts of superiority, judgment and resentment stem from the ego.

Watch for hints of the ego throughout your day so you can try to infuse the crafty creature with love.

Be mindful of your words.

Be sparse and intentional with your words.

Know that words can hurt. If there’s an alternative way to say it that will be softer on someone’s eyes and heart, say it in a nicer way.

If there’s a way to speak that hurts less and inspires more, do that.

If the words are not necessary for the situation, opt for silence instead.

Words have meaning and consequences. Acknowledge the words that you use.

Wash anger with love.

When anger erupts like a volcano, be willing to see it. Watch it erupt repeatedly to catch the pattern that leads to your anger.

Have a plan for simmering your anger so you can learn to soothe it.

Anger flows when you don’t get your way. Or when someone doesn’t live up to your expectations or disappoints you.

Come to realize that no one can trigger your anger. Only you can recognize the triggers that make you angry.

Do you think that you have to become an enlightened spiritual being to live a conscious life? No.

You can strive each and every day to work on living a more conscious life. Living consciously starts with a simple intention to live more deliberately.

To choose to live more consciously is to gift yourself more joy and happiness in your life.

The post 21 Ways to Live a More Conscious Life appeared first on Change your thoughts.

http://ift.tt/1GsxiO5

A 5 Minute Test That Will Reveal Your Innermost Thoughts

I read a great article over at Oliver Pemberton’s Blog He wrote an article about how to reveal your innermost thoughts in the space of 5 minutes.

I think this game highlights just how much we live in our subconscious minds and how the subconscious controls us without us ever realising it.  However there are ways to reach the subconscious mind, which I’ll discuss over the coming weeks.

I thought this was really interesting and would be great to share here on the blog, so here goes with this interesting game:

Innermost-thoughts

The 5 Minute Game

I want you to imagine a desert, stretching out as far as your eyes can see. In this desert is a cube.

Your first task is to describe the cube. What does it look like? How large is it? What is it made of? Where exactly is it?

There are no right answers here, only your answers.  Take a moment before you continue – the detail is important.

As you look at the desert and your cube, you notice there is also a ladder. Your second task (there are just five) is to describe the ladder. What is it made of? How big is it? Where is it, in relation to the cube?

Now imagine that in the scene there is a horse. (Yes, horse. I didn’t say this desert made sense). Your third task: describe the horse. Most importantly: where is the horse, and what is it doing? Where, if anywhere, is it going?

We’re nearly there now. In the scene before you are flowers. Your penultimate task: describe the flowers. How many are there? What do they look like? Where are they, in relation to the horse, cube, ladder and sand?

Final question. In the desert there is a storm. Describe the storm. What type of storm is it? Is it near, or far? What direction is it headed? Does it affect the horse, flowers, cube or ladder?

If you’ve been playing along, this is going to be fun. If you didn’t, I must warn you: the next part ruins your ability to play this game ever again. If you won’t want to ruin it forever, go back now. Trust me.

Ready? There’s no going back.

What the symbols represent

The Cube – Your Ego

The size is ostensibly your ego: a large cube means you’re pretty sure of yourself, a small cube less so.

The vertical placement of the cube is how grounded you are. Resting on the sand? You’re probably pretty down to earth. Floating in the sky? Your head is in the clouds.

The cube’s material conveys how open you are: transparent cubes belong to transparent people, opaque cubes are more protective of their minds. Glowing? You’re likely a positive person, who aims to raise the spirits of others. Made of granite? You’re likely protective and resilient.

The trick here is that when asked to describe a blank, abstract entity – a cube – your imagination will tend to project its own identity onto it. This trick is as old as time, but it’s about to get more interesting.

The Ladder – Your Friends

Are your friends leaning on the cube? Your friends depend on you, and are close. Is the ladder frail, or robust? Tall or short? Does it lead inside the cube? Or is it cast to one side, lying unloved on the sand? By now you should be able to draw your own conclusions.

The Horse – Your Dream Partner

The type of horse reveals a lot about what you yearn for in a partner. Some people see a steady brown workhorse, others a shining pegasus or unicorn. Make of these people what you will.

Is your horse nuzzling your cube affectionately, or taking a bite out of it? Is it far from your cube, or walking away? This can represent a current partner, or an aspirational one, but the results are often a mix of touching and hilarious.

The Flowers – Your Children

The number of flowers relates to how many you imagine having. Some people see just a single, withered daisy; others a resplendent garden covering the cube and desert beneath. (Guys: watch out for those).

The colour and vitality of the flowers can speak to their health and presumed prosperity. The placement – particularly in relation to the cube – can reveal interesting relations; I met one woman whose horse was eating their flowers.

The Storm – Threat

This speaks to the current state of the person, and how they perceive risk in their life. Some may see a distant storm, on the lip of the horizon, fading from sight. Others may view themselves in the midst of a thunderous apocalypse, hailstones the size of tennis balls pelting their fragile cube and horse. Chances are those people have some immediate trauma in their life.

Obviously this is just a little bit of fun and is not a true psychological tests, but it is interesting nonetheless.

How did you get on? leave a comment below and let us know.

Source:
http://ift.tt/1aobsbB

The post A 5 Minute Test That Will Reveal Your Innermost Thoughts appeared first on Change your thoughts.

http://ift.tt/1CUGvz5

Feng Fu Point – A Surprising Trick to Feel Good

There is a point in our body which, when stimulated, acupuncturists believe promotes overall well being.

The point is called Feng Fu (Translated into English as ‘Wind Mansion’).  It’s a pressure point found at the base of the skull just below the bottom ridge of the skull cap at the top of the neck.

Feng-Fu

Feng Fu Ice Cube Method

What I found really surprising is that when an ice cube is placed at the Feng Fu point once or twice per day for twenty minutes it is supposed to help with the following:

  • Improve your sleep;
  • Improve the digestive system;
  • Eliminate frequent colds;
  • Decrease headache, toothache and joint pain;
  • Improve your breathing, cardiovascular system;
  • Manage neurological disorders, degenerative changes in the spine;
  • Cure gastrointestinal and sexually transmitted infections;
  • Manage disorders of the thyroid gland;
  • Help with arthritis, hypertension and hypotension;
  • Help with asthma;
  • Manage disorders in the gastrointestinal tract, obesity and malnutrition;
  • Reduces Cellulites;
  • Manage menstrual disorders, impotence, frigidity, endocrine, infertility;
  • Manage psycho-emotional disorders, stress, chronic fatigue, depression, insomnia;

I first read about the Feng Fu Point in an article at BeautifulMind but kind of dismissed it at the time.  But, the next time I had a headache I thought I would try it, not expecting much to happen apart from getting a cold neck. However after about 15 minutes my headache was gone.  It might have gone of it’s own accord, so I tried the ice cube method for a week to see if I felt any different overall.

I actually did feel as if I had more energy and felt ‘lighter’ somehow, and didn’t have any headaches in the mornings which I am prone to.  I thought it was worth telling you about it here so you could do your own research on it.

According to Chinese traditional medicine, the Feng Fu Point method does not treat. In fact, it brings the entire body back to its natural physiological balance, provides strong life impulse and rejuvenates the entire body.

Note:

This method should be avoided if you are pregnant or you suffer from schizophrenia or have a pacemaker.

The post Feng Fu Point – A Surprising Trick to Feel Good appeared first on Change your thoughts.

http://ift.tt/1DNoZwo

7 Incredibly Simple Productivity Hacks For Insanely Busy People

We all live in a busy world, but, let’s face it, some of us slightly more than others. You know the feeling: it’s like you’re thirsty and you crave for a glass of water and, all of a sudden, instead of a glass of water you get a river. A huge river rushing towards you, forcing you to adjust your intake of whatever you’re doing to this insane flow.

7_incredibly_simple_productivity_hacks_for_insanely_busy_peopleWhether it’s managing your own startup or trying to take care of twins (as a single mother), the symptoms are all the same: stuff must be done and stuff must be done now. And stuff must be done correctly, otherwise it will come back to you and hunt you until you get it done right.

During the last year I’ve been involved in a real life business which forced me to experience all of the above (except the twins, though). I started a co-working place and event venue, called Connect Hub, a real place where entrepreneurs and freelancers could work, meet likewise people, learn new stuff and have fun.

In this process I learned a few things that are worth sharing and I’m going to do this in the list below. I’m sharing them with the goal of supporting you, if life will ever put you in a similar situation. And life, you know, has this habit of putting you in all sorts of difficult situations.

1. Breathe

Like, literally. In this carousel of things happening around, you will find yourself at times breathing heavily, like if you’re carrying a huge weight on your shoulders. And, although it’s invisible, this weight is real.

Every time you’re in a stressful situation, your brain enters into what is called “fight or flight” state, in which control is given from the neocortex to the limbic brain. Your muscle will get tense without even realizing, because, deep down, you’re facing the perceived danger of not coping with everything that’s on your plate by either running, or fighting.

In both situations you’ll have to be physical. And you actually are, you are walking around tense and ready to fight. In these moments, breathing helps. A lot. It’s so simple, yet so overlooked. Just count to three before any decision you have to make and breathe.

2. Find (And Respect) An Alternative Physical Activity

I run. I run a lot. And I respect this activity a lot. For me it’s not just a hobby, I run marathons and ultra-marathons. You don’t have to do it at this level, if you don’t like it, but it’s crucial to find something that will balance your body after all the stress you experienced during the day.

You may go to the gym, or swim or just take long walks in the evening. Whatever the activity, the fact that you’re doing it constantly will support you when the going gets rough. It will help you detach your mind from the problems and find clarity.

If you add a dash of competition to it, something very interesting will happen. The psychological reward you get only by participating in those competitions (like popular races, for instance) will act like a magic healing power when something goes crazy at the work. It will give you mental strength.

3. Use The Best Tools

Whatever you’re doing, you have to use tools. Our capacity of manipulating reality, as human beings, is based on the usage of tools. So, if you’re managing a business, by all means, identify all the processes around you and find the right tool to use for each of them.

If you’re communicating a lot, for instance, try to find the best tool: it’s web-based email, it’s Evernote, it’s something on your smartphone? Try them all, confront them with the worst situations and see who wins. Do your homework. Research.

In the beginning, this research phase, in which you’re actually doing more than you’re supposed to do (because you’re trying new stuff to see if it fits in) will feel tedious. Don’t give up. The rewards you get by automating vast parts of your activity are huge.

4. Keep A Clean Tomorrow

When you have a lot to do, a clear mind is crucial. But, as we already agreed, no mater if your mind is clear or not, the unexpected will creep in and, as Mike Tyson said: “everybody has a plan, until they get punched in the face”. And then hell breaks loose.

There is this misconception that you could actually control this flow of events and escape the unexpected. In my experience, you can’t. But what you can do, is to keep a consistent agenda of what you have to do, with “a clean tomorrow”. A clean tomorrow is something that you could see from today.

It has a structure, a plan attached. Maybe the plan will blow up at the first hour in the morning, but that’s irrelevant. When the unexpected creeps in, put it on your agenda and sort it out. But always have a clean tomorrow, that will give you clarity and strength,

5. Rest Correctly

Any prolonged activity will create long term effects, it’s obvious. That’s why is very important not only to rest, but to rest correctly. It doesn’t help if you sleep 8 hours per night, if your sleep is of poor quality. This is a very important aspect and it’s often overlooked.

In my experience, rest has to cover at least 3 main areas: intellectual, physical and emotional. It doesn’t really matter if your work is mainly intellectual, I think we should cover all of them.

For mental rest, I use old school reading. I find it very comforting. Emotional, I choose to spend time with people who are uplifting and supporting (my partner, or my kids, or some carefully picked friends). And for physical, I regularly do yoga, or, like I said before, I run (it may sound counterintuitive to say that I’m actually resting when I’m run, but it’s true).

6. Get (And Give) Feedback

In the startup I talked about, we were a very small team and stuff was happening at the speed of light. It was crucial to get feedback all the time. I used to call my colleagues and inform them about my decisions or about the latest changes and listened to their feedback.

Sometimes the feedback was not what I expected, sometimes the feedback contained very useful ideas and sometimes the feedback was simply absent (see point number 7 below about that case). But the mere act of asking for feedback was creating a sort of energy that was very useful.

And it also goes the other way around too. You should state your case every time you have something to say. Sometimes it may be perceived as rough or not polite, but it has to be done this way. When you’re facing a huge river coming at you, do whatever it takes to survive.

7. Pick The Right Partners

One of the most surprising insights I had after this year was that, productivity-wise, the people you work with are sometimes more important than your own experience, or skills, or vision. Because, if you work in a team, you can only advance with the speed of the slowest guy in that team. That’s a fact.

So, if you want your ship to sail, make sure you have the right crew for that type of trip. Make sure they understand you, they’re able to do what you ask for them and you’re able to do what you promise to them. If any of these 3 power lines of your connection are broken, the ship will stop.

But if you happen to pick the right partners, your productivity will sky-rocket. And, from an insanely busy person, you will become just a normal guy, creating a lot of value for other people and enjoying the results.

The post 7 Incredibly Simple Productivity Hacks For Insanely Busy People appeared first on Change your thoughts.

http://ift.tt/1LzoM49

4 Unusual Steps To Attract More Money Into Your Life

Are you struggling to attract money? I did, until I started following 4 unusual steps that have changed my financial and personal life.

Since then, I’ve been experiencing one success after another.

A reputable publisher asked me to write a book. Ideas flow effortlessly to me. The right people, information, and solution come up unexpectedly when any challenge arise.

4_unusual_steps_to_attract_more_money_into_your_lifeI’ve become a human magnet for wealth, wonderful opportunities, creative ideas, and good luck. And now, I want to share these 4 steps with you so you too can experience the same.

Step 1: Have A Big Enough “Why.”

Imagine for a moment that you’re earning $2000 a month from your day job. Then one day, your mom (who has no savings) called to tell you that she has a serious illness; but it can be cured through medical treatments worth $3000 monthly.

If you love your mom, would you be able to find a way to pay for her medical expenses along with your personal expenses? Absolutely!

If you have a big enough “why”, you would do anything to achieve what you want.

So let me ask you…

Why do you want more wealth or prosperity? The reason must have a strong emotional attachment to you.

The pleasure you want to attain must be so gratifying – or the pain you want to avoid must be so agonizing – that you would put 100% of your focus and efforts to accomplish your financial goals.

If for example, you’re stuck in a dead end job but you want to operate your own business, your “why” (as it relates to pain) could be something like… you want to stop waking up depressed every morning, avoid hours of traffic, and stop worrying about whether you could pay for emergencies and other expenses.

Your “why” (as it relates to pleasure) could be something like… you want to work and earn massively on what you truly love to do, be with your family more often, and enjoy your life to the fullest.

Step 2: Change Your Limiting Wealth Beliefs.

Okay, so you said you want to be rich. But deep inside, do you believe that…

– Rich people are greedy or dishonest?
– Your friends and relatives would take advantage of you if you’re wealthy?
– Having plenty of money makes you spiritually poor?
– Money can’t buy happiness?
– Getting wealthy is not your destiny?
– You’re too old (or too young or too uneducated, etc.) to get rich?
And the classic…
– Money is the root of all evil?

If you answered “yes” to any one or more of the above, then you have to change those limiting beliefs pronto!

You can’t expect to attract money if you’re repelling it at the same time.

Mingle with wealthy people and you will realize they’re among the most generous and honest individuals you could meet.

Realize that by being rich, you could help a lot of people (and still have more than enough for yourself and loved ones).

By tithing or contributing to a worthy cause, you could boost your happiness and spiritual well-being at the same time. (After all, God loves cheerful givers.)

Your destiny is in your own hands. And it’s never too late nor too early to start accumulating wealth. Stop making excuses!

As Bill Gates said, “If you are born poor, it’s not your mistake. But if you die poor, it’s your mistake.”

Step 3: Surround Yourself With Wealthy, Optimistic People.

If you’re serious in attracting wealth, you have to be around rich and successful people as much as possible.

The best thing you could do is find one or more mentors who are already successful in the field you want to enter. You could leverage from their knowledge, experience, and connections. By modeling their system and getting access to their network, you could get a head start and gain momentum in the process.

The next best thing is to attend their seminars, read their books or watch their videos (if they have any). That way, you can adopt their positive mindset, beliefs, and attitude.

On the contrary, beware those people in your life who always complain, discourage you from achieving your goals, drain your energy, or simply make you feel bad. Avoid them at all cost!

Associate and surround yourself only with the right people, so their “aura” can rub off on you. Your financial destiny depends on it!

Step 4: Immerse Yourself With “Wealth Reminders”.

“Wealth Reminders” are stuffs that remind you of wealth and other things that you want to be, do, or have.

They will program your mind to be conscious of abundance and prosperity.

Here are some ideas:

– Create a vision board where you paste images of money and other things you desire (such as a mansion, a luxury car, etc.). Put it in a place where you could see it often. Mentally and emotionally put yourself in those images and let your imagination go wild for a few minutes.

– Create a video (aka mind movies) filled with images and affirmations that support your financial goals. Watch it as often as you can. (If you don’t know how to create a video, hire a video creator from Fiverr.com for just 5 bucks.)

– Write million dollar checks payable to yourself. Put them in your ceiling, in your bathroom mirror, in your wallet, and any other possible spots you can think of.

– Choose a desktop wallpaper or background that depicts stacks of $100 bills or other things that remind you of money.

– Use everyday things with designs that represent wealth and abundance. It could be anything – clothes, blankets, pens, notebooks, plates… the sky’s the limit.

On the other hand, eliminating negative influences and things is just as important. Throw or give away stuffs that make you feel down. Avoid watching the news and stop reading gossip magazines.

Follow these 4 unusual ways and you’ll soon find yourself getting more wealth opportunities, creating more profitable ideas, and simply having more “lucky” experiences than you’ve ever had in your life.

The post 4 Unusual Steps To Attract More Money Into Your Life appeared first on Change your thoughts.

http://ift.tt/1GoYWJE