5 Levels of Faith

Hi there Faith-Seekers!!

Faith is a word that is talked about a lot in personal development. Many of us may conceptually understand what faith is. We may even make conscious efforts to employ faith consistently in our lives. But do we really utilize faith in ALL areas of our lives? We may not. We may have faith in certain areas of our lives, yet unconsciously lack it in other areas. What would your life look like if you had faith in ALL areas of your life? How would you feel, what would you accomplish? Distinguishing some of the areas in which we can employ faith, gives us conscious choice to employ faith in ways we may not think possible.

What is Faith?

Faith is the ability to believe that adversity has a higher meaning than we can realize. Faith is the active process of persevering through challenging circumstances, despite rational or logical judgment.

Here's a situation . . . Let's suppose we've been running a business for two years and haven't turned a profit. In the face of barriers, we choose to keep going. Are we employing faith? That depends. For example, if all our family and friends believe in our inevitable success and encourage us to continue, then we are NOT employing faith. With these circumstances, we are simply using evidence (social proof) to justify our cause. However, if our family and friends were to tell us that it won't work and that we should stop, and we continue anyway - then we would be employing faith. We would be believing and acting upon something without any tangible evidence.

Faith in Ourselves

As humans, we mess up at times. I'm sure all of us can remember moments from our past that we are not proud of or happy about. Having faith in ourselves is knowing that everything from our past has or will serve a purpose. Having faith in ourselves is knowing that every difficult experience we face adds importance to our lives, even if we may not be conscious of it.

Faith in People

We live in a world where we interact with many other people, so having faith in ourselves is not enough. Sure, some people may lack integrity or may be acting in ways that aren't consistent with our values. Having faith in people is knowing that all people do the best they can with the resources they have. Having faith in other people is demonstrated through trust, even when other people may be untrustworthy.

Faith in Our Country

Regardless of the political system we (as a country) choose, there will invariably be times when we disagree with the principles/actions of our leaders. In fact, we may feel that there's no use in even voting. Having faith in our country is feeling the pride of living in the greatest, freest country in the world (if you don't think so, you can always focus on an aspect of your national history/culture that you love). Yes, there may be great ills and obstacles that we have yet to overcome - having faith is the willingness to think and act long-term, seeing ourselves overcoming those obstacles by taking proactive roles in the transformation of that construct.

Faith in Our World

Today, as you are reading this, there are many wars happening around the world. Some people are surprised that we haven't blown ourselves to bits already! Having faith in our world is understanding that change and transformation can take many generations. There may be a few "evil" forces out there . . . Having faith in the world is realizing that the "greater good" will always prevail.

Faith in God

There are so many religions out there, all claiming that they are "the right one." If there was a true and just God, why would He allow all of us to go through the headache of trying to figure who the right God is? Is there a "right" God? Are they really different Gods, or are they all the same God? Having faith in God is trusting in His ways. We are mortal, being conscious only for a fraction of eternal time. Having faith in God is knowing that whatever our current path may be, our current path is perfect just the way it is.

Too Much Faith?

Maybe you've had these thoughts: When I have faith in other people, they take advantage of me! When I have faith in God, I always get disappointed! How do I know WHEN to employ faith?

That's a good question. In fact, I'm not suggesting that we employ faith "all the time" or that we don't use our rational and logical judgment. That would be a little silly. However, every successful person I know or have read about went through many stages in their lives where nothing was going their way. In every area of their life, they had no support. They had to go past the visible evidence around them, and enter into the "unseen." They had to employ faith in all ways.

So the question is, are you at a similar point in your life? Have you tried everything, and nothing has worked? Are you at the end of your rope? If the answer to those questions is "Yes," then ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do I have faith in myself?
2. Do I have faith in people?
3. Do I have faith in my country?
4. Do I have faith in our world?
5. Do I have faith in God?

Let's love the world together...

Love,
[)anish /|hmed, blind visionary

5 Different Ways to Make Volunteering Exciting, Rewarding & Beautiful!

Hi there everyone!!

Personal growth doesn’t just happen when we’re being trained, learning something new, or having a new type of experience. In situations where we give of ourselves unconditionally with love, with no expectations, we strengthen our character, raise our self-image, and positively contribute to our community. Here’s how to make volunteering work for you:

1. Integrate - Do it with friends

This week, I’m doing volunteer work for the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind), working on a door-to-door campaign to raise money. Volunteering can be much more enjoyable when you do it with friends. I’m doing the CNIB campaign with a good friend of mine who I don’t get to see very often. Now, we both get to volunteer and spend time with each other! When you volunteer with a friend or family member, no matter how mundane or uncomfortable the volunteering may seem, you’ll have someone close to share it with. And, you will have helped that particularly organization twofold!

2. Save Time - Do it with your company

You may be thinking that you’re too busy to do any volunteer work. However, you may be the owner of a small business or work in a small company. I’m also in discussions with the CNIB about volunteering my speaking services and workshops. What about volunteering some of your company’s services? For example, if you design web sites, why not volunteer to design a site for a local charity? The value the charity receives (retail) is greater than the value you invest (your labor). Remember, there’s always a way to make a difference.

3. Have Fun - Do it in a community you like

How do you find a volunteer opportunity that excites you? Think of the kinds of people you like. Think about who you like to hang around. Then, think of communities who have those kinds of people. When volunteering, it’s not so much what you will be physically doing - honestly, many volunteer functions have remedial and boring tasks. However, what will make the experience exciting and worthwhile, is to have people working with you that you can relate to, appreciate, and befriend. A great conversation can transform a remedial task into a fulfilling experience.

4. Make it Valuable - Learn and discover

Volunteering can also open a world of new possibilities. I didn’t have a chance to be with any my grandparents. Working with the elderly helps me to capture that unique kind of relationship. I never would have dreamed of planting trees, until I volunteered for the task. Even though I will probably never directly use that experience in my professional life, a diversity of experiences always helps to create a well-rounded personality. Wait a minute! I am using the tree-planting example in this writing, so I am using it in my career! You never know when something will come in handy. :)

5. Feel the Fear - And do it anyway!

Volunteering for the first time can be scary. Volunteering for something new can feel awkward. Yet, these are the situations that get us to stretch outside of our comfort zone. And that’s the reason volunteering falls into the paradigm of personal growth!

Let's love the world together...

Love,
[)anish /|hmed, blind visionary

P.S. Not ready to volunteer?  Try giving in seven different ways!!

4 Simple Steps to Feel the Fear...And Do It Anyway!

Hi Everyone!!

1. Feel It.

This can be the most difficult step. It's natural to want to get past our fear and not feel any anxiety. In our attempts to "overcome" fear, we tend to sometimes ignore it or suppress it... That doesn't always work. All our fears have a specific purpose, and the only way to uncover a fear's purpose is to start by accepting it -- by feeling the fear.

2. Express It.

Talk to someone about your fear. This can be a friend, a colleague, or just someone you trust. You can also talk yourself through it. What's going on? What specifically are you fearful about? Take the time to explore your emotions.

3. Appreciate It.

Perhaps we're not well prepared, and that's why we're fearful. The fear is giving us a signal to prepare. Perhaps we've prepared as much as possible, and the fear is telling us that we simply need to build our confidence around the issue. Believe in yourself -- you have gotten through difficult and challenging situations before. Fear can give us powerful signals that can make a big difference, if we listen and act upon them.

4. Use It.

Fear can make our bodies shake -- smile and look excited. Fear can make our hearts pound -- use the adrenaline rush to boost your passion and determination. Take action! This isn't easy; it just takes remembering and practicing. Soon, you'll love the sensations of fear, because they'll propel you to do the things you once thought impossible.

Are You Taking Action?

Many personal development programs end with an "Action Step." This makes sense because many people learn what to do, but then they don't do what they've learned!

After doing so many programs, I found the action steps to be repetitive or inappropriate for my specific needs at the time. So rather than asking you to do something that may not relate to your present circumstances, I want to ask you to do SOMETHING. You choose. What's going on in your life that you want to move forward on? Is there something that you've been fearful about and haven't taken any action towards?

Now is the time.

Let's love the world together...

Love,
[)anish /|hmed, blind visionary

4 Cornerstones to Doing Any Personal Development Program RIGHT

Hi there everyone!!

Before we begin, let me say that I use the term "personal development" very loosely. Anything that we are doing in life that helps us to grow personally, is personal development. So, taking a new cooking class is personal development . . . Deciding to travel to a new country and experience the native culture is committing to personal development . . . Even if all we're doing is trying out a new Church, we can apply the steps listed here to help us give it everything we've got.

This is a follow-up article to "Three Critical Steps to Starting a Personal Development Program RIGHT". Now, let's talk about what it takes to actually go through the process of a personal development program - successfully.

1. Understand Consistency

What happens if we exercise like crazy for two months and then stop? What happens to a business that gives itself three months to become profitable? It doesn't matter how good the exercise program was or how good the business idea was - the secret to success in every area of life is consistency.

So how do we know when to give-up? Maybe we were committed, passionate, and flexible - all the great characteristics we know - and it still isn't working. What do we do then? Where do we draw the line? The first thing to do is to ask ourselves, were we truly being consistent? Or, were we being "discretionary"? Let's be brutally honest with ourselves.

I do about an hour's worth of morning rituals (meditations, visualizations, exercises) everyday. I usually wake up at 6:30 AM in order to give myself enough time to do these rituals and start my day. One day, I had an early breakfast meeting to attend, requiring me to wake up at 4:00 AM in order to complete my rituals. One of my friends said to me: "You're getting up at 4:00 AM?? Why not make an exception since this is a unique occurrence." I responded, "Unique occurrences seem to happen more often than we'd like to admit. If I make an exception this time, I'm training my mind to think that exceptions are OK. I want to train my mind to be consistent. And this is the first test in being consistent." Exceptions kill consistency. Exceptions are euphemisms for excuses.

2. Acknowledge Yourself

As important as consistency is, we won't be perfect. We're all human and we're going to fall short of our potential and some of our goals. Let's not dwell on what we've missed, instead, let's acknowledge what we've gained. Anthony Robbins says "Sometimes we think we're losing the game of life when we're really winning, simply because we're not keeping score." It's easy to lose perspective and to forget where we've come from. It's important to take a step back and to acknowledge ourselves for what we have accomplished.

Sometimes I get frustrated with myself and my business success (can you believe it?). Then I think. Three Publications, CD with Chicken Soup Co-Author, 1000+ subscribers in fifteen countries, and record sales at Canada's largest book retailer - not bad for fourteen months in business. :)

Take the time to acknowledge yourself. If your life is worth living, it's worth recording. If you haven't written in a journal in a long time, maybe the first thing to do is to list all the things you've done in your life. Don't just make it like a resume; make sure to include the lives you've touched over the years and the difference you have made for your family, friends, and co-workers. Think of how you've changed in your values, your beliefs, and your attitudes. Then, most importantly, read it back to yourself and smile. :)

3. Exercise Patience

It still isn't happening!!! What do we do? In our fast-paced culture, people seem to want miracles in minutes. I know I'm guilty of this sometimes. You might be thinking, "Wait a minute - what about all these programs that claim to change people over a weekend?" Well, that's true. In fact Tony Robbins says "Change happens in an instant." So what we need to do here is define what "change" is.

There's internal change, and there's external change. Internal change has to deal with mentality, attitude, insight, perspective, desire, motivation, values, beliefs, etc. External change deals with the results we're after like relationships, finances, vitality. Internal change causes external change. Internal change happens in an instant (when the student is ready). That's why some people who attend life-changing seminars have their lives consequently go in a noticeable new direction. They look different, they feel different. They have a new energy and a refueled passion about life. These are examples of internal change. How about the external change? When do the attendees see tangible differences in their lifestyle? When will passive acquaintances notice the difference in these people? Sometimes the external change comes quickly. Sometimes, it doesn't. That's life.

And when external change doesn't come quickly, we need to exercise patience. Giving up is not the answer. Having faith and continuing to be consistent in our plans will eventually yield results.

4. Teach What You're Learning

Let's talk with other people about some of the new insights, distinctions, and knowledge we've been learning. This helps us to conceptualize and understand information at a much deeper level. When we are articulating a concept or idea to someone else, our brain tends to believe it and apply it more effectively and more consistently. In the movie "Training Day" we heard a phrase repeated many times: "It's not what you know, it's what you can prove." This is why it's important not only to learn, but then to teach what we've learned to others. This ensures our ability to prove what we know.

You don't have to be a professional speaker or an accomplished author to be able to share your experiences. The operative word in step number four is "learning" not "learned." Before I made my passion of personal development into my career, I was talking to people about it for thirteen years. And I think that's what had helped me to apply the teachings in my own life - and that's what helps me to apply it today. By sharing the education with others, I also get valuable feedback and perspectives from a variety of people with varying personalities and opinions.

We don't just learn from tapes and books - we automatically learn from the people we associate with, whether consciously or unconsciously. Remember that poor minds gossip and talk negatively about other people. Most people talk about places, events, news and activities. Visionaries talk about concepts and ideas.

Personal development programs transform peoples lives. Sometimes, it depends on the program; sometimes it depends on the person's ability to pick a program that is right for them. More often than not, it depends on the person's commitment to understand and follow these four cornerstones. Personal development programs DO transform peoples lives. Personal development can transform your life, too.

(And if you're reading my book, "A Dictionary of Distinctions", remember these four cornerstones as you flip through chapters.)

Let's love the world together...

Love,
[)anish /|hmed, blind visionary

3 Steps to The Art of Conversation

Hi there everyone!!

Do you want to feel more love and connection in your life? One way to accomplish this is to have more conversations! It's that simple.

Think about it... Have you ever been in an elevator with a dozen people and nobody said a word to each other? Why do we sometimes hesitate and stop ourselves from initiating a conversation? We have that voice in our head that says things like, "That person is busy, I don't want to interrupt them," "They won't like talking to me, I have nothing interesting to say," "I don't have time to get into a serious conversation right now," "I'm new here, and everyone will think I'm weird," or "I'll get rejected anyway, why even bother?" The list goes on.

1. How to Start a Conversation with Anybody

Yesterday, when I was sitting on the train, I overheard a couple of women talking. One woman said to the other, "This train is going southbound." I jumped-in and helped, "Actually, it's going northbound." "Oh, that's perfect -- we're going to our yoga class," they responded. I had tried hot-yoga a couple of times so I asked them about it. The conversation progressed, and it turned out that one of the ladies was from Montreal and didn't know exactly how to get to her destination. I walked with her and we had a great conversation and really connected.

Initiating a conversation is all about listening and finding common ground. It doesn't matter if it's a stranger, a co-worker, or a lover -- we are all human beings with many different and many similar experiences. There is always some common ground we can connect with and start our conversation from. If we relax, appreciate, and listen with interest, our brain will find common ground. For example, we could be thinking to ourselves, "That's a great looking sweater," "They remind me of that actor," or "This is not the way to Main Street!" The key is, to take action, jump-in, and express your thoughts to them. That's the beginning of your conversation together.

2. A Conversation is a Natural and Instinctive Process

With so many mediums of communication today, we've forgotten the art of conversation. Most communication mediums are typically results-oriented. That is, if you're sending an e-mail, a fax, or even leaving a voice mail message, chances are you have a specific topic to discuss with a specific purpose. Now, if we have that same mentality with conversations, then those conversations may feel artificial, unnatural, and we certainly won't feel emotionally fulfilled or connected.

Listening. That's the foundation of a natural and instinctive conversation. Conversations flow when we're truly being present to the other person, and not thinking about what we're going to say. But how do you know what to say when it's your turn? Put yourself in the other person's shoes, think about a time you might have felt the same way. How did that feel? You could express this to the other person. This will create relatedness and rapport.

3. Good Conversation Will Lead to Anything, and Everything

There's no logical structure to a conversation. One thought doesn't need to connect perfectly to the previous thought. Say whatever comes into your mind. Haven't you noticed that some of your most interesting conversations are when you jump from one topic to another to another? That's the art of conversation!

Several years ago I got together with a friend for a social lunch. We talked about life and the universe. What's interesting is that towards the end of the conversation, he incidentally told me about his girlfriend's father who is a speaker I may want to connect with. Well, that person is Raymond Aaron, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Canadian Soul, and he later became a mentor, helping me to develop my product line and create my company brand. A simple conversation can lead to something that significantly improves our lives.

Conversations are the juice of life.

Practicing is powerful, and it's a great way to begin. Be out there, go to events, meet with friends and get to know their friends, talk to people, ignore your fears, take risks, just do it!

I wish you a talkative day, living life with full self-expression. You have a lot to share and much to contribute to others.

Let's love the world together...

Love,
[)anish /|hmed, blind visionary

3 Simple Ways to Meet Amazing People & Create Outstanding Relationships

Hey there everyone!!

The people that are part of my community love coming out to my parties, shows, and events. The experience people have is extraordinary, and they rave about it.

Why? What’s so special about the people I know?

I’ve been distinguishing what attributes of people’s being causes a great atmospheric energy. And I’ve distinguished three specific contexts that people in our community employ:

1. Being Proactive.

This means that when you are at an event, you don’t just hang around the people you came with. You are proactive. You make the effort to approach people you do not know, or would like to know more. You initiate interesting conversations. And you take initiatives to laugh, play, and deepen relationships.

2. Being Open.

This means that when you are looking at someone, or talking to someone, that you do not prejudge who they are. You are open to their perspectives, their behaviors, and their lifestyles. You truly consider what the other person has to say, and you allow for a space which has the other person feel accepted.

3. Being Authentic.

This means that when you are sharing with someone, you don’t try to put up an image or hold status. You’re more than honest, you’re vulnerable. You take the time to express yourself completely, so that you can have substance to your connections.

Are you proactive? Are you open? Are you authentic?

The best way to be that way is to be around people who are that way.

That’s why our community is growing so rapidly.
And that’s what this movement is all about.

Toronto is the meeting place, and our community of people from around the world (including US, Europe, Asia) often attend!! See our latest event at http://www.BuddhaGroove.ca

Let's love the world together...

Love,
[)anish /|hmed, Visionary
http://www.DanishAhmed.com

3 Processes For Every Choice

Hi there everyone!!

What has people feel empowered? What has people make things happen?

Choice. We become conscious of the options that are available to us, we pick something, and then we act upon that choice.

It's simple, but it's not easy. Are you with me? Let's take a closer look at what we're talking about.

1. Become Conscious

Did you enjoy the summer? My friends like to be outside in the summer. That doesn't work for me because it's too bright for my eyes and my skin quickly sunburns (due to albinism). Before I did any personal development, I would stay home or I would go to an outdoor activity and mentally complain to myself, enduring the pain. Now, I'm conscious of the choices I have: I can wear appropriate clothing and glasses, I can request my friends to be in a heavily shaded area, I can enroll my friends in doing an indoor activity, etc.

If life can be altered simply by making different choices, then why don't people do it? Most of the time, it's because they think they don't have a choice. They think they are stuck with their circumstances. They believe that life is the way it is, and that it's too difficult to change it.

Andrei Losinski, manager of Customer Learning Services at Royal Bank of Canada says, "Your life is about your choices, and you can only make choices when you're in the moment of distinguishing that you have choices."

Every moment has the possibility of endless choices. You can choose to smile, you can choose to laugh. You can choose to communicate, or you automatically choose not to communicate. You can choose to do something different, or you automatically choose to continue doing what you've always done.

Every moment is choice.

2. Pick Something

The publisher I picked for my first book, "A Dictionary of Distinctions", turned out to be a scam! Some would say I got ripped off. Did I? I picked, and I learned. Then I negotiated a contract for my second edition with a national publisher.

Most people are so afraid of making the wrong decision, that they don't make any decision at all.

Yet they have chosen: They've chosen to allow circumstances to shape their destiny.

We often worry about consequences that we "think" will occur from a wrong decision. How many times have you worried about the consequences of your decision and it turned out better than you thought?

Picking something -- anything -- already puts you in the top 95 percentile.

Seldom are choices permanent. You can change them later.

Picking something gives us momentum. It empowers us. It demonstrates to the world and to ourselves that we are proactive and that we are at cause in our lives.

3. Take Action

Nothing happens without doing.

If you're going to do what you've always done, then you're going to get what you've always got.

It does take something to break out of our routine, to stretch beyond our comfort zone, to do something we perhaps have never done before.

Even if we're in dire circumstances -- a prisoner of war or at the mercy of evil -- we still have choice. We can choose our attitude and we can choose to develop an empowering meaning for our lives.

Is it worth it? Yes, because fulfillment doesn't come from achievement. Fulfillment comes from taking action to overcome the odds.

Choose to overcome your odds.

You can do it! (If you choose it.) It's up to you.

Let's love the world together...

Love,
[)anish /|hmed, blind visionary

3 Powerful Reasons Why You SHOULD Procrastinate Now!

Hi there everyone!!

We are so overloaded with information today that we sometimes tend to generalize everything we learn. From the foundational book, The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peel, some people have generalized personal development to be “thinking positive all the time.” That simply isn’t true. Similarly, the notion that procrastination is to be avoided at all costs, is another glorified fallacy.

Yes, there are many times when procrastination causes us undue stress, prolongs the inevitable, or negatively affects our productivity. There are also times when procrastinating can be a blessing, a productivity-booster, or even a necessity. Yes, you heard me right. Let me explain - here are three scenarios in which it is good to procrastinate.

1. Being in a bad state.

A bad state is a physical or emotional place where you cannot be very effective. That is, we feel over-stressed, overloaded, or physically exhausted. As an example, if we are in a depressed state about our finances, then the last thing we should do is our taxes. In this state, we would do a horrible job! We would naturally be pessimistic and wouldn’t look for all the possible ways we could save money. We should procrastinate until we are in a better mood and can do a better job. It would be better to do a good job later than a bad job now.

2. Having little else to do.

If we’re in a place of completing almost everything on our to-do list or having a pretty empty schedule in the near future, then perhaps we should procrastinate the one or two things that are left. Let’s reward ourselves with procrastination!! You’re probably not in this situation very often, so when you are, feel good about it. Procrastinate now, rather than procrastinating when you have a million things to do. There’s a time and place for everything - and this is a good time for procrastinating.

Why does procrastinating in this situation work? Let’s suppose we complete everything. Now, we feel accomplished for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, our subconscious mind asks “what’s next?” We may then feel unproductive, unnecessarily question our overall direction, or nit-pick at things that have already been done. Instead, if we procrastinate the tasks at hand until we have at least several things to do, then we’ll naturally be more excited, eager, and consequently, effective in completing the tasks.

3. Delegation ability.

Ever wonder how sometimes we procrastinate, and then find that the job got done by someone else, or that it didn’t need to be done at all? That’s because our subconscious knows the universe better than our conscious mind does! The trick is, when to trust our subconscious, and when not to fall pray to its tricks. We naturally want to procrastinate things that we don’t really like doing. So, the question to ask is, “can this task be delegated to someone else?” If so, delegate it! We should strive to do the things we love to do, and not fall into guilt tactics about procrastinating. The procrastination is a sign - and we must learn to use such signs to take appropriate actions. Another question to ask in this scenario is, “What will happen if this task never gets done?” Sometimes, we think we’re procrastinating, when in fact we’re waiting to get more information to make a decision on whether something should be done or not.

There are probably other scenarios in which procrastinating makes sense. The world isn’t black-and-white, and when we live life as if it was black-and white, we find ourselves feeling guilty, unhappy, and unfulfilled. There is a time and place for procrastination. Don’t live by other people’s generalizations. Discover what strategies work for you - and live by your strategies.

Let's love the world together...

Love,
[)anish /|hmed, blind visionary

3 Categorical Distinctions Of Public Speaking

Hi there everyone!!

Why is it important to distinguish the categories of public speaking? At one point or another, we’ll find ourselves present in all three of these possible situations. If we’ve ever thought, “this is so boring,” or “teach me something new,” or “I don’t feel like participating,” then these distinctions are for us.

How we effectively make use of these experiences comes down to realizing which experience we are truly in, and then using the advantages of that particular distinctive experience to enhance the experience. Here are the distinctions:

Lecturing Information

From teachers to professors to technical presenters, this type of public speaking involves researching and conveying information to a captive audience. Lecturing information is important for those who are hungry for knowledge and interested in growing their intelligence.

Inspiring Audiences

This type of public speaking can be associated to the traditional motivational speaker or the sales trainer. This kind of public speaking gets people to think different, or act different. Sometimes, there isn’t any new information presented at all. It’s the new perspective or the new story that gets people at the edge of their seats. Here, it’s all about action. What are you going to do today?

Transforming Communities

Historical heroes such as Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy have contributed to transforming communities. They don’t just get us to think different or act different. They get us to “be” different. They are the catalysts of ethical evolution.

How are communities being transformed today on a local scale? I believe communities are transformed when they become actively involved with a leader. So there isn’t a “presentation,” rather a “conversation.” This is what Landmark Education does. This is what the Sterling Institute of Relationship does. And this is what I attempt to do in my presentations. It’s all about interactivity and getting into the “world” of our audiences.

Note that these three categories aren’t distinguished to pigeon-hole any profession. In fact, quite the contrary. Think of Ministers for example. They have the choice to lecture biblical wisdom, inspire their congregation, or transform their religious community. Each choice has its respective advantages and disadvantages.

So, when we say to ourselves in the middle of a presentation, “When is this guy going to tell me something I don’t know?” let’s ask ourselves which category the presenter is in. If the presenter is attempting to inspire the audience, then they are doing their job. What we may want to consider is whether we are truly applying what we already claim we know in our lives.

Let's love the world together...

Love,
[)anish /|hmed, blind visionary

2 Paradigms of Writing

Hey there everyone!!

Why is it that we write? To record. We write to capture moments. Moments of ideas, of inspiration, of opinions, or of abstract thought. These recorded moments become part of our history. They can be popularized and find themselves in libraries of the future. Or they can be personal diaries that get discovered by archeologists who now have a new found artifact of history.

In every moment there is so much communication that it could take many moments to analyze one particular moment. Therefore, we have no way of analyzing any moment until we have a way of first recording our moments.

There are paradigms kinds of recording - there's recording in the moment, and there's recording for a specific purpose. When we record with a specific purpose, we automatically add a particular filter to the analyzing (that is, we’ve catered our writing to a particular market, hoping to get a particular outcome). And when we record in the moment, we leave the analyzing open to all possibilities.

Writing is art. I've never sat down and said, “Oh, let me think about a distinction!” That never happens; the distinctions have to come to me, and they come mostly in moments of inspiration. I could be on the Subway, in the shower, or almost falling asleep. When writing in the moment, I don’t know where the writing is going to end up. It could go in this article, be the context for a future interview, be in an upcoming book, or it could go in the trash. We don't predetermine where it will go, we allow it to discover its own journey.

We can then add the “purpose” of the writing later. So that’s what I’m going to do now. What’s the intended outcome of this article? To illustrate that anyone can be a good writer. Let’s not sit down and try to write something and wonder why we have “writers’ block.” Rather, let’s carry a recording device (tape recorder ^there`s a smart phone app for that}, or an old-fashioned pen/paper), and record in moments of inspiration. Everyone has a book inside of them. The secret is in discovering the best process to get it out.

Let's love the world together...

Love,
[)anish /|hmed, blind visionary

3 Critical Steps to Starting a Personal Development Program RIGHT

Hi there everyone!!

The multitude of personal development programs available in the market is vast and overwhelming. How do we know which programs are right for us? What can we do to maximize the benefits of a self-improvement course? Here are three steps that I've discovered to be crucial in starting any personal development program:

1. Be Open-Minded

It's easy to look at a program and discard it quickly. There are so many options available that we may tend to be too critical or unintentional in our selection criteria. Remember that in life, answers don't always come from the places that we'd expect them to come from. Often, we are surprised at where we make new discoveries. So don't dismiss a book by its cover and don't dismiss a seminar because one friend had something negative to say about it.

When I was a teenager I came across a program called A Course in Miracles. I wasn't terribly interested because I knew the course had a strong Christian focus, and I wasn't Christian. I was, however, open-minded and took the course. The coursed introduced me to biblical wisdom and opened the door (for me) to personal growth through spirituality. Today, A Course in Miracles is one of my favorite programs that I would highly recommend.

In fact, personal development programs originate from seven distinct roots (see the article, "Distinctions in Personal Development"). Perhaps you've tried personal development programs that have an emphasis on philosophy and psychology. Maybe it's time to try something new. Maybe it's time to explore some of the other paradigms of personal development.

2. Have an Attitude of Expectation

Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can't, you're right." I believe it is also true that, whether you think you WILL, or whether you think you WON'T, you're right. Our minds have the ability to transform our expectations into reality. If we start a new job thinking that it was the worst decision we could make, we'll create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Similarly, we must tart and complete personal development programs with the attitude that they WILL make a difference for us.

3. Take Personal Responsibility

Buying a book or attending a weekend event is simply not enough. We've got to read the book, and we've got to be proactive at the event. More than that, we must do the exercises recommended to us. If a certain activity scares us, that's all the more reason to do it! In fact, let's be courageous - engage the speaker/facilitator, ask questions, and discuss with peers. We must take action and implement what we're learning. Knowledge is power - true - however, it is more like "potential" power. Knowledge is not real power until we learn to put it into action!

There is only so much an author or a speaker can do to motivate us. At some point, we've got to take personal responsibility. If we don't understand something, we must seek out the answer. If something is not working for us, we must talk to others and discover why. Complaining, or even being content with our lack of understanding, produces a life of mediocrity.

As a depressed teenager, seeing a psychiatrist three times a week wasn't working for me. I didn't see any tangible changes occurring. I could have had the attitude: "Well, I'm trying to change, and it's just not happening. I guess there's no hope." Instead, I took personal responsibility for the results I was seeking and sought other means of change . . . and so began my personal-growth journey. I became curious and sought-after alternative forms of education. Some were good, and some were not so good. It was my "personal responsibility" that had me take what worked, and if something didn't work, to move on to something else.

There's no "magical" personal development program available today that will work for everyone. Different programs relate to different people. What makes a program more effective for one person than another is the person's faith, belief, and their ability to recognize the importance of these three steps. These steps may seem simple, yet they are frequently overlooked. Be conscious of them, and may you start your personal development program RIGHT.

Let's love the world together...

Love,
[)anish /|hmed, blind bisionary

P.S. Are you ready for the sequel?

Read 4 Cornerstones to Doing Any Personal Development Program RIGHT

7 Core Distinctions of Personal Development ~ The Bridge Between Theory & Application

Hi there everyone!!

What is Personal Development? There are so many words that we, or other marketers may use to describe what we think personal development is. For example, we may have heard of self-help, self-improvement, or peak-performance. We may have seen the concept targeted to a specific market, such as "professional" development. Or, if we're on the cutting-edge, we may have heard of the new trillion dollar "wellness industry."

Ultimately, personal development is about improving ourselves in any possible way, in any possible aspect of our lives. It doesn't matter if it's health, finances, time management, relationships, communication, or confidence building. For simplicity, we may just want to call various programs non-traditional "educational systems." After all, they all attempt to educate us in varying non-linear methods.

There are lots of educational systems today that we may not realize the kind of impact they can have, or be aware of all the different methodologies of change that are available to us. Let's distinguish some of the roots of personal development.

Philosophy

Our history has had numerous great philosophers, from Aristotle to Socrates. Such philosophers have had significant influence on our modern society. Recently, some people would argue that there's no need for philosophers in our economy today. However, the basis of many personal development programs take the ancient wisdom of philosophers, build upon it, and teach us how to apply it in our daily living. We could even say that some professional speakers are our modern-day philosophers.

Therapy

There are a multitude of different kinds of therapies out there, from Gestalt therapy to Cognitive therapy and even Non-directive therapy. With a similar mission to help better the lives of people, most therapies work at some level to achieve this goal. In fact, the early stage of Anthony Robbins' work was to understand the fundamental principles of all therapies and encapsulate the common denominators that help people to change.

Psychology

Psychology has been used to understand the way we behave, the way we interact with others, and the way we function in society. Dr. Robert Childini wrote a popular book called "Influence" which outlines some of these great discoveries. This book has been used by personal development icons to illustrate to us how our minds think and how we can use this knowledge to better our lives.

Science

Science is the ability to create a hypothesis and find proof that creates a working theory. People have used science to discover ways our bodies and minds work in order to have them work a certain way. This has created abilities in individuals that we would never have thought possible. For example, Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a science that teaches us how to have the ability to condition our bodies. That is, to cause certain emotions and physical characteristics on a whim!

Metaphysics

The study of metaphysics is the study of thought and energy, and how they influence each other in our existence. It is within this non-physical paradigm that we believe our thoughts really do create our reality. This is an area that has historically caused controversy. Now, with people like Dr. Wayne Dyer and Deepak Chopra popularizing it, society is becoming much more enriched by its teachings.

Spirituality

Most religions try to give us a framework to live our lives effectively. Unfortunately, some religions have too much of a righteous connotation to attract every individual. As a result, we now have books like The Celestine Prophecy and Conversations With God that truly take a holistic spiritual approach in helping people lead powerful and productive lives.

Culture

We know what our culture is like from our environments and the modern day media. If we study history, we may also find how culture has been dramatically different over the course of our evolution. What's interesting however, is discovering what elements of culture have remained the same over literally millions of generations. We first started to pass down moments of our history and ancestry through the art of story-telling. These stories would have a common theme, a meaning or moral which would soon transform into what we today call legends or mythology. While some of that may have transformed into modern day religion, the underlining principals of successful life living can be found today in different cultures around the world.

We can find examples of heroic, personal growth stories in many mediums. We can read about it in the story King Arthur or the plot of the Iliad and the Odyssey. We see it in Dante's Divine Comedy, in Ramayana of the East, in Jack and the Beanstalk, and we see it the game Dungeons and Dragons.

Modern day media, though scrutinized by many, is no exception to demonstrating the stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Messages of hope, faith, and inspiration can be found in music like "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby Mcferrin, and in books like the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Star Trek is an example of popular culture that continually demonstrates the great characteristics of being human. And movies like "Pay It Forward" illustrate to the mass populous that, no matter how difficult, we still have dreams and aspirations to create a utopian society.

See more quotes from our culture with a tribute.

Putting It All Together

There may be more roots to the personal development industry. What's certain is that each root has its own unique advantage and relatedness to different types of people. What will cause the explosion in the "wellness" industry is these categories coming together and mutually benefiting each other. In fact, this is already happening to a certain degree. Look at Scientology which combines science and spirituality. Look at Landmark Education Corporation, which uses some of the Eastern philosophies combined with the study of ontology (branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature of being). Look at Dr. Phil McGraw who puts together relationship psychology and personal development in context of a talk show. Look at the popular "Body for Life" program that combines fitness with various aspects of personal development. And, look at the network marketing industry which utilizes psychology, spirituality, and culture.

So what is Personal Development? It is the bringing together of many disciplines that will help us to grow personally, locally, and globally. Martin Luther King Jr. was a real catalyst in helping us to put aside our cultural differences. In his "I Have A Dream" speech, he said, "...where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers." Now I think there's a new dream in the horizon. A dream where we're not just "willing" to work with different people. In fact we are learning to work "effectively" with different people, as we learn to understand ourselves, other personalities and cultures, our relationships, and our place in the universe.

The wellness industry isn't just another big economy. It's an evolutionary process that will transform our society.

Let's love the world together...

Love,
[)anish /|hmed, blind visionary