Who, at some point in his or her life, hasn’t been deathly afraid of doing something? Who hasn’t felt the heart-stopping, paralyzing agony of tackling something that looms as an insurmountable barrier?

I’ve been afraid of heights my whole life. My earliest memory of this dates back to third grade. My school’s third through sixth grade classrooms were on the second floor of an 1890’s era building in the Midwest with a basement that rose several feet above ground level. For an eight-year-old, those two-and-a-half stories seemed as high as the Empire State Building. Fire drills were done on a regular basis. The fire drill route from this classroom was down the two-and-a-half floors on a wrought iron fire escape on the outside of the building.

I still remember the terror I felt at the anticipation of taking that first step out the window onto the fire escape. I tried as hard as I could to not look down through the iron bars, but the fear of falling down the stairs forced me to look. My legs shook the entire way down, and by the time I reached the bottom, I could barely stand. Even worse was the climb back up when the fire drill was over. I was too shy to admit to anyone how afraid I was, so I suffered in silence, dreading the next drill. How happy I was when I graduated to the seventh grade and a classroom on the first floor.

Fear is a funny thing. In its best form, it keeps you safe by making you alert to danger. In its worst, it keeps you from doing things, sometimes very important things. Fear can cloud your judgment; enabling you to talk yourself out of anything you have a fear of by employing any number of seemingly rational and logical reasons. It’s kept me from roller coasters, parasailing, and any other such activity that has any chance of lifting me far off the ground.

But I’ve become convinced that fear will only keep you from doing things you don’t want to do badly enough to overcome the fear. In other words, if you find a reason to avoid doing something because you’re afraid, you don’t want to do it badly enough to work through the fear and do it anyway.

This “ah ha moment” came to me as I stood on top of the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacán, Mexico. I’m a big history buff, and have always been interested in the Aztec, Inca and Maya cultures. While reading an article about the pyramids several years before, I told myself that if I ever went there, I would climb one of those dad-gum pyramids, no matter how high it was. My opportunity came a few years later when a friend organized a group tour to Mexico, and Teotihuacán was on the itinerary.

Finally there, I surveyed Teotihuacán, wondering which of the two large pyramids I would climb. I determined that if I were going to go through the combination of agony and exhilaration of climbing one, it would be the tallest – the Pyramid of the Sun – the third largest pyramid in the world at over 200 feet.

As I began the ascent, I thought back to that fire escape, my shaky legs and the internal torment I was sure to go through. Would I really be able to do it?

The Pyramid of the Sun is built in levels. At each level on the way up I could stop to catch my breath, renew my energy and stamina, and have time to encourage myself to go on. Each step up made my already-shaky legs even weaker. I found if I only looked up, I could make it from level to level with the least amount of agony.

When I finally stepped onto the top ledge, I felt a rare sense of accomplishment. I walked around the pyramid, taking in the view, recording the moment with my camera. I had really done it – climbed one of the tallest pyramids in the world and lived to tell about it. Even though I’d felt the fear in every step, I had wanted to do it badly enough that I continued anyway, no matter what.

Recalling my childhood fears and struggles, I wrote a children’s book about a baby robin that never learns to fly because of his fear of heights. In Flying Lessons, Robbie struggles to overcome the fear that keeps him from being the bird he was meant to be.

How many of us do this every day – let our fears keep us from being who we’re meant to be, or from achieving our dreams?

Tackling something so full of emotion is difficult to do all at once. Scaling a pyramid seems a daunting task when it’s viewed from the ground. Climbing it was easier when done level by level, one step at a time, with time to rest and reflect.

I learned to always look up. Never look down. The future is ahead, and looking back only makes you want to retreat to the comfort zone that kept you imprisoned for so long. It’s all right to be afraid. It makes the accomplishment that much sweeter. And if you slip, regain your footing and keep going.

As Robbie the robin learned, sometimes you have to take a few nosedives on the way to soaring. It’s a lesson for adults and children alike.

What’s your dream? Does your fear keep you from achieving it, or do you want it so badly you can charge ahead anyway in spite of it, step by step?

The advantage of living is not measured by length, but by use; some men have lived long, and lived little; attend to it while you are in it. It lies in your will, not in the number of years, for you to have lived enough.
- Michel de Montaigne

When all is done, human life is, at the greatest, and the best, but like a froward child, that must be played with and humored a little to keep it quiet till it falls asleep, and then the care is over.
- William Temple

I will either find a way, or make one.
- Latin Proverb

The Stone Age did not end because humans ran out of stones. It ended because it was time for a re-think about how we live.
- William McDonaugh

Building self-confidence is an inside job. To build a real solid foundation in your self-confidence you want to experience yourself in a way that is new or different from past experiences.

This isn’t always easy, but it is very simple. You have to act.

Seeing I can’t work with each of you individually, I’ve got three super tips for building self-confidence. If you take each exercise and act on them daily over the next 5 days - I guarantee you won’t even recognize yourself next week. Your self-confidence will skyrocket.

3 Tips to Build Self-Confidence

Here are 3 tips to build your self-confidence:

1. Release Your Trigger

If you want to build self-confidence quickly, then look for a trigger; an emotional trigger.

What is a trigger?

A trigger is an area in your life where there is a lot of pain and discomfort. When you resolve the pain or discomfort you have pulled the trigger. And this resolution opens up a whole new world of expansion and growth.

I’ll be honest with you. You have to be courageous to pull the trigger and resolve conflict, but when you do - you’ll get access to more power than you ever had before. It’s the release of these triggers that helps you make the largest strides forward ….in the shortest period of time.

One of the most influential triggers I’ve released was in my relationship with my dad. See my Personal Growth Series: 3 of 5 to learn more.

Exercise #1: Identify & Release Triggers

Where is an area in your life where you are experiencing a lot of pain and discomfort? Here are some to consider:

* Relationships?
* Financial?
* Health?
* Spiritual Connection or Life Purpose?

Identify the greatest area of pain or discomfort. Become aware of how you are creating the problem - YES, you heard me right. You’re creating the problem. It may not have ever occurred that way to you, but once you take ownership for your experience, you gain the power. And once you take responsibility for your creation, you can release the emotional trigger.

2. Make Unreasonable Requests

You are only as big as your requests. Big people make big requests. The more you ask them, the easier it gets. Like anything it takes practice, but there is a science to it.

I’m going to pick on my dad (for just a minute). He doesn’t think he’s getting paid enough in his job, but he also doesn’t ask for a raise. And I’m going to tell you, if you don’t ask, you will never receive.

People cannot read your mind so this means actually saying something to someone - you have to be willing to express yourself and make a request.

In 2007 (when I was working as an engineer) I asked my employer for a $10,000 raise. That was an unreasonable request. I was extremely nervous but I asked them anyways.

Well, I didn’t get the raise in that first meeting. You might be thinking it was a failure right? Not exactly. One year after I made this request I received the $10,000 raise. I was pretty shocked that it worked, but it does.

Exercise #2: Unreasonable Requests

Have you been making unreasonable requests? I’m guessing that if you don’t feel that surge that comes from doing what you love, then you aren’t. Get in the habit of making unreasonable requests. Make at least 5 today. Start by asking this question:

What are 5 unreasonable requests I can make today?

Write them out and act on them. Get on the phone, go visit people and make requests - you’ll be so glad you did; by the way, email does not count for making unreasonable requests.

3. Create A List

This isn’t brain surgery. It’s really simple but it works. I’ve been creating a daily list consistently for the past year and it has changed my world - it will change yours. It helps if you have a target or objective but not required.

Exercise #3: Start Your List

Do you have a list of priority actions you need to take today? And I’m not talking about a shopping list or vacuuming the house; those aren’t priorities. I’m talking about a real list of priorities that will move you towards your target. Actions that you’ve been putting off for a very long time. Your list should include 5-10 high priority items. These are your MUST-DO’s. Actions that will get you real results.

“How about you? Could making up lists be the mind awakener, mind sharpener, mind builder to lift you to a new dimension - to revitalize your life?” ~ Frank Tibolt

Have you created your list? If not, why not? I love this. People will pay thousands of dollars on courses, products and services but they won’t do the simple things - like making a list, and then doing what’s on that list. Do it and it will change your life.

There's nothing bad to be last-placed, if you are with dignity.
- Zdenek Zeman

All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much.
- George Harrison

During times of challenge, it is easy to fall prey to a negative mindset. The fastest way to turn around hard times is to change your attitude—your perspective is where all your power lies. Inspiration and optimism are infectious. Try the ten tips below to empower yourself with a positive mindset:

1. Get an attitude of gratitude: Gratitude is one of the fastest ways to become inspired and increase your happiness. Make giving thanks a regular practice in your life and watch your inspiration soar. Try making a gratitude list before bed, encouraging your family to name things they are grateful for at the dinner table, or taking a ten-minute+ gratitude walk, where you spend the walk noticing things to be grateful for like the flowers in bloom, the adorable dog strutting his stuff or the friendly neighbor waving hello.

2. Up your endorphin levels: In case you need another reason to get your cardio in, do it for your mindset. Studies show that your brain gets marinated in powerful, positive endorphins when you get your heart rate up. I know, I know, it can be the last thing on your list when you’re stressed out, but make a commitment to get yourself to the gym, go for a hike, clean off the home workout machine and feel the power of your body’s natural stress reduction system.

3. Practice radical self-care: Stressful times often mean that you put yourself last on the list. I encourage my coaching clients to practice radical self-care and make themselves a top priority. Begin by making a list of five things you know refuel you (they don’t have to cost a dime). Is it a hot bath by candlelight? A walk around the block? Morning meditation? A foot rub from your spouse? Do at least one thing a week to recharge your batteries. When you are in a place of well-being, you’ll be able to give more to those around you.

4. Give back: There has never been a more important time to give back than now. Donating your time, energy, ideas, unused items and/or money to others who are less fortunate gives you a valuable perspective on your own life and encourages a state of gratitude. You don’t need to make a huge monetary donation to contribute—volunteer your time and make giving back a regular practice. Even just taking the time to smile to a stranger can be a blessing to both of you.

5. Experiment with affirmations: Affirmations are a powerful way to program your subconscious mind with positivity. They take very little time and are easy to do. To begin, write down five positive statements in the present tense. These statements are meant to be an antidote to negativity, so they should make you smile, feel optimistic and encourage a cheerful attitude. For example:
• I am a master at creating money.
• It is easy for me to attract great team members.
• The Universe is conspiring in my favor.
• I have vibrant health.
Say your affirmations aloud three times per day and see how your attitude shifts. I know that affirmations can sometimes conjure up images of the SNL skit with Stuart Smally, saying, “Gosh darn it, people like me!” Don’t let feeling silly stop you from this powerful practice. It truly will make a positive difference in your life.

6. Do a news fast: When my clients are overwhelmed with negativity, one of the first “prescriptions” I write for them is to do a news fast—to literally stop reading and watching the news. The media can bombard us with negative messaging and catastrophic thinking. With tools on the internet like ticker tapes and IM and cable equipped with 24 hour news channels; it is easy to allow news to interrupt you throughout the day. Take a break for one week from all media and see the difference it makes in your life. If your job requires you to watch the news, see how much you can limit your intake. You may just discover that you’ve been needlessly reacting to every bit of new information, causing undue stress and inner turmoil.

7. Stop complaining: During tough times it is easier than ever to complain, magnifying what you don’t want and creating more of it, because “misery loves company.” Instead, make the decision to be a positive light that shines brightly. Be a leader. Make a commitment to stop complaining and you’ll notice how your quality of life improves. Notice how much more goodness you attract to your own life, despite the prevailing challenging circumstances.

8. Focus on what you want: What we focus on grows. In brain science terms, this phenomenon is due to your Reticular Activation System (RAS). This is the area of your brain that determines what is important. You’ve seen it in action when you buy a new car—all of a sudden you notice how many other people own the same car. It is not that your model of a car wasn’t on the road before, it is that you decided it wasn’t important information to focus on until you owned one. We are always collecting evidence to prove our point and contribute to our story. So if we focus on what we don’t want, like the poor economy, our RAS will find evidence to support how poor the economy is. If however, you make a deliberate conscious decision to focus on what you want, you’ll put your RAS to work for the good of your life.

9. Surround yourself with positive people: Now is the time to be vigilant about the people you surround yourself with. Say goodbye to the “energy vampires” in your life and spend your time with positive, inspiring people. If you have a co-worker or family member that drains you, limit your interaction as much as possible and make a conscious effort to protect yourself from their negativity. Lead the conversation with questions and topics that evoke a positive conversation.

10. Take advantage of free inspirational resources: There are so many programs and offers of free daily inspiring quotes (I especially love http://tut.com/ and http://www.gotvision.com/), why not allow your day to be interrupted with positive thoughts? My company, Wake-Up Call Coaching, is pleased to be offering a FREE Tele-Seminar featuring high-profile woman experts called The Women Masters. Register for free now at www.TheWomenMasters.com. You’ll be glad you did!

With enough courage, you can do without a reputation.
- Rhett Butler

Simple, clear purpose and principles give rise to complex and intelligent behavior. Complex rules and regulations give rise to simple and stupid behavior.
- Dee Hock

*** Daily Motivational Quotes ***

There will always be people who are ahead of the curve and people who are behind the curve. But knowledge moves the curve.
- Bill James

The greatest danger we face is not any particular kind of thought. The greatest danger we face is absence of thought.
- Henry Steele Commager

There is in the worst of fortune the best of chances for a happy change.There is in the worst of fortune the best of chances for a happy change.
- Euripides

The best mind-altering drug is the truth. - Lily Tomlin

The two creativity tips that follow suggest two of the dozens of basic questions you can ask to increase the creativeness of your thinking. Ask these as you work on something, and you can see more creative results today.

1. A Question Of Purpose

Asking certain questions can lead to more creative ideas. These questions don't include "How is everyone else doing this?" or "What is the usual approach to this problem?" Here is a better one: "What is the important goal here, and how could that be accomplished differently?"

The idea is to look past the form to the function, and find new ways to achieve that. For example, when you consider your job, the most creative approach is not to ask where you can find a better one, but to ask why you have one, and what alternatives there are. Is the purpose to make money, pay the bills, or work up to a better job?

Consider how you might accomplish each of these in other ways. Can you make a business of what you do? Can you write a book about the characters you work with? Can you get someone else to pay the bills (manage an apartment complex in exchange for rent and utilities?)? Can you design the position you want and then convince an employer that they need to create it just for you?

2. The Basic "What If" Question

This is a fun way to have more creative ideas. Just start asking crazy "what if" questions, and then find a way to make them not so crazy. Eventually you'll refine a few of your ideas into something useful.

For example, if you run a college and want to develop more creative ways to educate people and increase enrollment, you could start by asking, "What if we made a drive-though window for students, instead of another classroom?" That seems crazy enough, so you start looking for ways to make sense of it - to create something useful from it.

The first thing that pops into your head is a drive through window for the bookstore - that seems like something which might work. Taking classes at such a window just seems too crazy, though, until you consider the window as just the place the student gets his or her assignments. What kind of assignments? That's when you have your "breakthrough idea."

The name "audio college" enters your mind, and you imagine classes on CDs. People spend so many hours in there cars, so why not use that time? A student could listen to class lectures while traveling or just driving to work or to the store. This isn't appropriate for all classes, and on-site testing might be necessary, but perhaps as much as a third of the students credits could be accomplished in this form, and at a lower cost. Enrollment might go up with a system like this.

The key is to ask any "what if" question that comes to mind and play with it for a few minutes without criticizing any ideas that come to mind. Critical analysis should be done after this "brainstorming" session, so you don't discourage your creativity. Many bad ideas will lead to good ones if they are allowed to develop and change.

The two creativity tips here cover just a couple of many dozens of creative thinking techniques, but they are powerful enough to get you thinking in new ways. Why not try them out today?

If you've got a big mouth and you're controversial, you're going to get attention.
- Simon Cowell

Good parenting creates an adult, not a perfect child.
- Russ Nelson

*** Article: Live More Positively - By Aurelia Williams ***
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You're having a good day. Your child comes home from school and whines about the bad day they had. Then your spouse comes home from work and complains about the day they had at work. Everyone is in a bad mood, and pretty soon so are you. Does this sound like a situation you have quite often?

It happens a lot for most people. The problem is that this type of situation can escalate, and the negative vibes start spreading to others around you until you manage to have pushed them all away. It doesn't make for a very good relationship all around.

The good news to this is that it can be changed. You can stop those negative vibes from taking control of your lives and start living the way you should. In a more positive manner. Here are some ways you can take back control:

* Set up a money jug:
Every time someone says something negative, they have to contribute a set amount of money, like a nickel, to the jar each time. To help everyone be more willing to participate, set it up as a contest. Have the person who has the least amount of money in their jar win the amount in the other jars.

* Keep a chart:
If you don't want to use money, then you can try using a chart. Use the same contest idea and figure out what the reward will be for having a better attitude. You could even award bonus points if they are positive despite something disappointing happening, like failing a test at school.

* Giving thanks:
This is not just something that people do at Thanksgiving. It's something that can be done year around. You could set up some family time every week and have everyone say what they are thankful for. By being thankful more often, you're instilling a positive environment to live in.

* A praise board
Set up a bulletin board in a place where everyone will see it. Give each family member a section of it, or maybe even use small, separate ones for each person. You can have people tack up notes on each other's boards or section of the main board, expressing something positive about them. When their boards are full, the notes can be put away for later when they're having a bad day and need a pick-me-up.

It will take time for everyone to adjust to this new idea, but by just making a few changes, the household's mood can change for the better. The little things can really mean a lot. Once your family starts being more positive with each other, take it a step further and share your good mood with your family and friends.

*** Article: Why Traditional Time Management Techniques Are Not Enough -- and What You Can Do to Find More Time - By Michael Erwin ***
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Thousands of people all round the modern world struggle to manage their time each day. Why? Why is it that we are always running out of time, running late, and unable to find time? I suggest it is because traditional time management techniques don't work anymore.

In my first year of coaching, ALL my clients and many other potential clients complained about not having enough time. I changed my business name to Time Creation, and I focused on the niche of helping people create more time.

Everyone I work with finds more time. Some people work 20% less per week. Some reduce their stress from 9.9/10 to 3/10. Others improve their productivity by 50%.

What was happening in my programs that made so much difference to these people when all the time management tools they tried didn't help? I believe there are three main reasons:

* Responsibility
* Personalization
* Letting Go

This was the starting point for the Time Management from the Heart principles.

THE TRADITIONAL TIME MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES ARE NOT ENOUGH

The time management techniques that are being taught now have essentially been based on the same principles for nearly 100 years.

The BIG question to ask is "Are these techniques effective today, in the 21st century?"

Let's have a look and see. Here are some of the most popular techniques that form the basis of most time management courses:

* Daily to-do lists
* Prioritized lists
* Allocating specific times for tasks

Let's see how these approaches really work. Many, many people use daily to-do lists. You ask yourself, "What do I need to do today?" and then write it on your to-do list. In my experience, this does improve most people's use of time, initially. Brian Tracy (author of "Maximum Achievement") suggests that a to-do list can improve your effectiveness by up to 25%. I have seen this happen for a short time.

Rhonda is a great example. She wanted to stop reacting to everything that came her way, both at work and in her personal life, and to feel more in control. She tried using a to-do list and felt better.

THEN things started to change. Her to-do list got longer and longer. The list continued to grow. The list got so long that looking at it made her feel stressed and under time pressure. Rhonda actually felt overwhelmed by her to-do list -- the very tool that was supposed to help her. Rhonda gave up on her have-to-do lists. Her stress levels came down by not using a to-do list.

Rhonda's story is very similar to many hundreds of people who have been through our coaching or DIY programs.

The simple fact is that in the 21st century, there are too many tasks to do. You can't do them all. You will never catch up. Each day the list grows, the stress builds and you feel worse.

Some people who have this experience then try prioritizing the list. Like Glen. Glen used the A, B, C, D method for prioritizing. At the end of the day, Glen had added more tasks to his list than he had completed. Glen didn't feel this was working, but he decided to try it for a full week. By the end of the week, he had gone past 100 tasks; nearly 50% were 'A-priority.' Glen considered using A1, A2, A3, but he decided it was too complex.

Prioritizing tasks does NOT help you get things done. And it seems to create more stress and time pressure because you see a growing list of A-priority tasks that are not getting done.

A to-do list does not help you get more done or manage your time. A to-do list only lets you know all the things that you think you need to do and haven't done. It is really a have-to-do list. How do you feel about a task when you are told you have to do it?

Another method that many people use is to allocate a time to do a task. David is one client who used this approach. He would look at his to-do list and then pick a time to do the next task on the list.

Well, what do you think happened? The same thing that happens to almost all people who try this. He did NOT do the task at the time allocated. Why? Because "stuff" came up, and David didn't remember the task, or he didn't remember to look in his diary, or it just didn't fit in to do the task at that time anymore.

It was very clear to me that the majority of people are not able to use these systems to help them improve their time management. The other factor is that most people have far too much to do than they can actually do in the time available.

I did some research and uncovered that most time-effective people have a simple time management system that takes an hour or so a week to update, rather than a complicated system that takes hours to keep up to date each week.

All of these people have a system they had worked out for themselves. The systems had some similarities but many differences.

The BIGGEST factor I noticed was their use of what I initially called intuitive time management -- and this became a major part of Time Management from the Heart.

Here are Time Management from the Heart principles. These principles are the foundation for the Time Management from the Heart system.

1. Let Go - You can't get everything done. You need to accept this is true.

2. Responsibility - Take full responsibility for how you spend your time.

3. Whole Life - Whole in one.
a. Structure - Use a structure and your intuition.
b. Capacity - Know your capacity.

4. Personalize - Develop your personal version of the approach.
a. Style - Recognize your thinking style and adapt your approach to suit your style.
b. Values - Get clear on your top 5 values and the behaviors that reflect these values.

5. Instincts - Trust your instincts.

6. Feel Success - Success is about how you feel, NOT how much you get done.

7. Build Your Personal Time Management System.

Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things. - Marcus T. Cicero, 106-43 B.C., Great Roman Orator and Politician

Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear. - Albert Camus, 1913-1960, French Author and Philosopher

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. - Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962, American Humanitarian and Former First Lady of the United States

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination.
- Tommy Lasorda

If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.
- Vince Lombardi

It's hard for many people to believe that there are extraordinary things inside themselves, as well as others. I hope you can keep an open mind.
- Elijah Price

Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.
- Leo Tolstoy

An artist's only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else's.
- J. D. Salinger

The character of every act depends upon the circumstances in which it is done.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.