Psychology Self-Help | Self Help

When I think of a knight in the middle ages, words come to me, like chivalry, honor, grace, justice, compassion--the spirit to fight your enemy modify when you know you will lose. But can you ever really retrograde if you've helped someone else out in the process? People like this man are this centuries knights, exhibiting spirit and honor.

All of us hit the possibleness to be this centuries knights. All of us hit the possibleness to rise above our possess fears and limitations and draw together in community. Every person has the choice to opt a path of light - of compassion, of empathy and honesty.

Luckily, I am entertained to report to you that my readers are all knights too. In this century, knights can be men or women, of some vie and of some sexuality. The digit abstract that matters in being a knight of this century is courage. The spirit to share the most difficult parts of your possess self to support added is a unmerciful effort that may always be undervalued by those who don't understand. However, for those who do understand, your empathy and spirit are beyond measure.

“Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with status and forgiveness. Your willingness to grappling with your demons will drive your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.” August Wilson (thinkexist.com)

I don't have much time this morning, but I wanted to write briefly about this. Although there are many sites on this subject, from this site, the traits of highly sensitive people are as such:

If you think you are a highly sensitive person, try not to beat yourself up too much. Not everyone will understand, and you may feel beaten up by all the things that happen around you.

You are not alone. Although being an HSP may feel like you're in the minority, you're not. There are many of us who share this 'label.' Being an HSP may just mean that you have a lot of depth and insight. See the blessings that you have because of being an HSP. You are most likely an insightful person, with a lot of depth. Learn to stop feeling so attacked in life, and let your HSP shine.

All best,

Rose

It’s a New Year and a new set of resolutions. But how many will you actually see through to the end? And how many will fall by the wayside because of one simple four lettered word . . . FEAR.

Fear gets to the best of us, whether it is fear of failure, fear of success or even fear of fear. All of us have experienced fear at some point in our lives and it can be a real stumbling block that holds us back from being truly successful.

But don’t panic, there is a way to conquer these fears, and what better time to start than this New Year.

Here are my top 10 fast acting tips for you to conquer your fear this year:

1. SEPARATE REALITY FROM PERCEPTION

See the reality of the situation for what it is. Be rational and get clear on the facts. Soul search and explore your perception of the situation at hand.

2. IDENTIFY THE TRIGGER

Isolate the specific aspects of the situation that trigger your fearful thoughts. What’s the worst that could happen? Change the way you look at these triggers and you will immediately change the way you react.

3. KNOW WHERE FEAR LIVES IN YOUR BODY

Be in tune with where your fear lives in your body. Use it as an indicator to tell you when something needs to be addressed. What you are aware of you can act on.

4. BECOME AN OBSERVER

When you observe something, you do it from a detached place. So if you become an observer of your fear, then you’re not in it and reacting instinctively.

5. LISTEN TO YOUR INNER TALK

Monitor your inner conversations. When you hear negative self-talk, stop and change the script to positive talk. Keep repeating it.

6. CREATE A NEW ASSOCIATION

When you feel fear, conjure up a picture of something or someone you love. Keep repeating this and soon your brain will associate your fear trigger with something much more pleasurable.

7. CONSIDER THE WORST

Imagine the worst that can happen and come up with strategies that avoid or lessen the likelihood of it happening. What can you put in place to ensure that the worst-case scenario never happens?

8. LOOK AT THE GLASS HALF FULL
Perception is a very powerful thing. And how you feel about your situation dictates how you respond. So think positively and you’ll give yourself a much better chance of success.

9. LEARN HOW TO CREATE SPACE

Because fear happens in the emotional part of the brain, it’s natural to act instinctively. So when fear rises, break the fear cycle by stopping, creating space and breathing. This will give you time to calm down and allow your rational brain time to catch up.

10: MAKE IT SAFE

When you feel safe, there is no need for fear. One of the best ways to overcome fear is to create the safest environment possible. And that’s why it’s important to practice, practice and practice again.

Finally don’t let fear hold you back from reaching your goals and highest potential this year. If you’d like some extra support and inspiration to stay motivated and on track, why not sign up for my free downloadable One Big Gulp! Kit, which you will find at www.onebiggulp.com. Remember, it’s your life, your choice, so live your greatest life!

It’s a New Year and a new set of resolutions. But how many will you actually see through to the end? And how many will fall by the wayside because of one simple four lettered word . . . FEAR. Fear gets to the best of us, whether it is fear of failure, fear of success or even fear of fear. All of us have experienced fear at some point in our lives and it can be a real stumbling block that holds us back from being truly successful. But don’t panic, there is a way to conqu...

By Gabriella Goddard

What are you afraid of? There is plenty to fear - whether you are a child, a teenager or an adult. Fears come in all shapes and sizes from the Boogieman to the Taxman. You can be afraid of speaking in front of a crowd, growing old, getting a bad grade on a test, losing friends, looking bad, embarrassing yourself. The list can go on and on. Everybody is afraid of something and to different degrees.

Are fears only as big as we make them?

Let's take a look. Let's say that you have a new boyfriend, and you really, really like him. You're afraid that now that he has claimed to like you, he will wake up some morning only to like your best friend better. You're so worried that you start asking him questions about how he feels about your friend, such as "Do you like the way she looks?" and so on.

Your fear of losing your boyfriend gets so big and out of control that every time you're with him that's all you talk about. Guess what? He might like your best friend better one day. And he might not. But I can guarantee that talking about it with your boyfriend day in and day out is only going to make your boyfriend think about it - and get bored with your relationship.

So let's say he does wake up some morning and decides that he likes your girlfriend. Was there anything you could have done about it? Did worrying and having all of that fear stop him? No!

Now, let say he never decides that he likes your girlfriend. Did you waste a lot of time worrying and being afraid about it? Yes! Either way it was a waste of time, and it prevented you from being close to your boyfriend and sharing special moments with him.

Some fears can ruin a relationship and keep us from being in the now. If your boyfriend is with you right now that has to be good enough.

Another thing fears can do is to prevent us from doing things and experiencing situations that would make our life fuller. For instance, suppose you want to join a certain club at school, but you know that it requires you to speak in public. Speaking in public has always made you sick to your stomach, so you don't join. What if you joined and walked through those fears and eventually you could speak in public without getting sick? What if you even started to enjoy it?

We all have many fears, and we have to take a look at each of them individually. We need to make a list of our fears. We need to ask: Is this a fear that is holding me back? Is this a fear that is ruining my relationship? Or is this a valid fear? A valid fear, for example, would be getting into a car with a drunk driver.

The more we get to know our fears, the better we will be at deciding how to handle them. We do not want to be controlled by our fears. We do not want our fears running our life.

I have noticed that when we face our fears and walk through them, we become empowered. When we do the opposite and allow our fears to control our life, we empower our fears.

What are you afraid of? There is plenty to fear - whether you are a child, a teenager or an adult. Fears come in all shapes and sizes from the Boogieman to the Taxman. You can be afraid of speaking in front of a crowd, growing old, getting a bad grade on a test, losing friends, looking bad, embarrassing yourself. The list can go on and on. Everybody is afraid of something and to different degrees. Are fears only as big as we make them? Let's take a look. Let's say that ...

For 15 years, Debra Beck has mentored teenage girls, doing workshops with Girl Power, as well as creating and facilitating Spirited Youth. She drew upon her own life experiences for her book, My Feet Aren't Ugly.

Is your "anxiety" a serious disorder or just a normal reaction to the stress of living? How can you know if you need professional help? There is an Anxiety Checklist available for free.

According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, anxiety is the most common mental illness in America, with nearly 20% of the adult population affected. Woman are twice as likely than men to experience life disrupting general anxiety disorder or GAD.

When generalized anxiety disorder is professionally diagnosed, the usual treatment involes antidepressants and anxiolytic agents used in conjunction with other forms of therapy. However, in some people, medication can stop working because the body begins to adapt to the lower levels usually prescribed in the initial stages of treatment. This can result in periods of clinical depression and can affect general health. Doctors are challenged with finding the correct balance of medication dosage and therapuedic treatment. It is difficult as each person is an individual with inidivual needs.

There are many symptoms associated with anxiety, anxiety attacks, panic attacks, anxiety disorders, stress disorders, sleep disorders, and depression. And, because we are all unique, based upon physical and mental history, the symptoms and their intensity will vary from person to person.

If generalized anxiety disorder is particular severe, patients might find themselves with a life that has been completely sidelined. In this case, deep fears about money, work, and health overshadow everything else. Before too long, a sufferer might find him or herself unable to function in everyday activities.

Symptoms of anxiety attack include shortness of breath, chest discomfort, dizziness, fear of death, or going crazy, nausea or stomach distress, just to mention the most serious symptoms. Not all these symptoms will be present for everyone at any given time because we are all different in our mental and physical makeup.

For example, when preparing to give a speech, a normal anxiety reaction or an abnormal anxiety attack may occur. The normal person may get "butterflies in the stomach" or experience an intense fear of failure. The normal person pushes through the symptoms and gives the speech.

On the other hand, the person who experiences an anxiety attack is unable to give the speech. They are paralyzed by fear and panic. In fact, just the thought of giving a speech would cause them to refuse to even attempt it. Thus, an anxiety "reaction" is normal for ninety-five-percent of us. An anxiety attack is not for the five-percent among us.

When basic daily functioning is impacted by the anxiety disorder, and the ability to enjoy life is disrupted, a family member may need to seek advice on how to best encourage their loved one to obtain necessary help. The need for this intervention is a vital one. An anxiety disorder left untreated can easily escalate to include other mental health concerns, including depression and suicidal thoughts.

Is your "anxiety" a serious disorder or just a normal reaction to the stress of living? How can you know if you need professional help? There is an Anxiety Checklist available for free.

By: Jim DeSantis

Hope you all had an awesome week. I have a brilliant time down at the YoMo national youth conference. There was so much energy and passion for helping young people during the conference it was unbelievable. On my journey home from the conference I started thinking about this blog that I wanted to share with you.

In this week’s blog I want to talk about a term which I find is banded about very wrongly and that is the term ‘at risk.’ It’s a term which is a buzz word when it comes to young people and working with young people. So today I want to tell you all about what I feel the true meaning of ‘at risk’ is.

The one problem I have with many people is that they only see areas with huge crime levels and social problem as the areas to help. We need to start getting proactive. Youth work needs to be the prevention business not the cure. Just because you live in a nice area now doesn’t mean that it is going to be a nice area in a year’s time.

You never know what is going to happen if you don’t do something to help young people in the area and I want to keep it that way I don’t want to find out what would have happened if I didn’t do something. You know just because a young kid is doing great today and achieving many great things you don’t know what the future is going to hold for them unless you help them.

I hate it when people use the term at-risk for young people when the government says this demographic or kids in these situations are at risk. Every young person is at risk every day in this country if we don’t help them. Just because some young people’s problems are more obvious than others it doesn’t mean they don’t have any or that there problems are less important.

It’s like a few weeks ago I was watching the pride of Britain awards. Anyone catch it? I love that programme as it reminds us all that there are amazing young people doing amazing things all over Britain everyday that we never know bout. But the only way we are going to find these amazing young people or to help young people become amazing is by looking for them and supporting them. There are amazing kids in every city, town and village it’s just up for us to help them and find them.

The youth of today is at risk and it is up to us to make it a safer environment for young people and an environment which gives them the confidence and the motivation to succeed and achieve in life.

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation

In this week’s blog I want to talk about a term which I find is banded about very wrongly and that is the term ‘at risk.’ It’s a term which is a buzz word when it comes to young people and working with young people. So today I want to tell you all about what I feel the true meaning of ‘at risk’ is.

By: Adam Sibley