Govind...........: How to Reach Your Hardest Goals

In your daily life, you always have things you want to achieve; things you think that you could never ever achieve. But you shouldn't think like that and give up... that is just going to make you feel like a big loser! Remember that nothing is impossible, if you try your best you'll be happy with your efforts.

EditSteps

1
Write your goal down, and post it in a spot you will see several times a day. Read your goal when you wake up, and before you go to sleep. This will increase the chance of you achieving your goal by 1000.
2
Get a daily planner. Write down small daily goals that will help you achieve your main goal.
3
Write down 50 things that will help you reach your goal. After you complete one, cross it off and write a new one.
4
Get help from the experience of others. Other people have had a goal that is the same or similar to yours. Draw on their experience by reading what they have written, taking a class that they are teaching, or talking with them personally.
5
Make it known to your family and friends what you are trying to accomplish. This will give you a sense of needing to complete what you've started.
6
Create a schedule if you have a deadline. Make time for breaks, and remember to eat a good breakfast in the morning. You will get much more done if you start when you are feeling fresh and awake. Remember to get plenty of sleep.
7
Try to get some people to help you or who are interested in your cause. It has been proven that people who have group support are more likely to reach their goal, than people who go solo.
8
Keep a daily journal and write a paragraph or two every night talking about your goal (what you've done to get closer to accomplishing it) and what you can do.
9
Find inspirational quotes like, "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened."
10
Do Not get discouraged. Put negative thoughts out of mind as soon as you become aware of them. Change negative things like, "I can never do it," into, "How can I do it?"
11
Seek answers to your questions.
12
Work hard and don't give up. People accomplish amazing things when they kick the negative thinking habit.

EditTips

Until you've tried something, don't let descriptions of impossibility stop you.
Never say you can't until you try.
Get calendars and write down small daily goals. This is a great habit to develop. Start with one a day, move on to three a day, etc.
Get a day planner and make a daily schedule. Stick to it.
Read information that will help you achieve your goals.
Get an index card and write down your goal. Write on the back, "Ask and you shall receive, Seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened onto you." Read it every day and night for 30 days.
Set up motivation in your environment. If you're trying to shape up for a marathon, put up a flyer in your bedroom, refrigerator, etc.
How to Be YourselfBe yourself is a sentence that is quite possibly the most commonly used phrase in the history of advice: Be yourself. It's such a vague adage. What do they really mean when they tell you to be yourself? And is it really as easy as it sounds?

EditSteps
1. 1
  Find yourself and define yourself on your terms. Oscar Wilde once said with his usual wit: Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. As humorous as this might seem, it's a basic summation of the truth. Yet, you can't be yourself if you don't know, understand, andaccept yourself first. It should be your primary goal to find this out. Find the time to dwell upon what you value and take time to consider what makes up the essence of who you are. As part of this, contemplate your life and choices. Try to think about what kinds of things you would or wouldn't like to do, and act accordingly; finding out through trial and error helps more than you might think it does. You can even take personality tests, but be careful to only take what you want from them so that you do not let such tests define you. Instead, ensure that the defining you do is based on your own terms and is something you feel absolutely comfortable with. You may feel self-conscious, but over time if you are around the right type of people for you, they will accept you for who you are. And love and start to look at the real you.
  - In finding your values, don't be surprised if some of them seem to conflict. This is a natural result of taking on broad values from a variety of sources, including culture, religion, mentors, inspiring people, educational sources, etc. What does matter is that you continue working through these conflicts to resolve what values feel most true to yourself.
2. 2
  Avoid fixating on the past and not letting yourself grow. One of the most unhealthy approaches to being oneself is to make a decision that who you are is defined by a moment or period of time, after which you spend the rest of your life trying to still be that person from the past rather than someone who is still you but grows with the passing of each season and decade. Allow yourself this space to grow, to improve, to become wiser. And allow yourself to forgive past errors and past behaviors you're not so proud of. Work on accepting mistakes and choices you've made; they're done and in the past. You had your reasons for them and the decision made sense at the time, so instead of harnessing yourself to past mistakes, allow yourself to learn their lessons and continue to grow.
  - Look for people around you who proudly proclaim they are no different than they were the day they turned 16 or 26 or 36, or whatever. Do these people seem flexible,easygoing, happy people? Often they are not because they are so busy insisting that nothing has changed for them ever, that they're incapable of taking on new ideas, learning from others, or growing. They might believe adamantly that they are "being themselves" but in reality they are often enslaved by the past and a particular image of themselves that they would have done better to have released long ago. Growth into every new age and stage of our lives is an essential part of being true to ourselves and to being emotionally healthy and whole.
3. 3
  Stop caring about how people perceive you. Some of them will like you and some of them won't. Either attitude is as likely to be right or wrong. It's next-to-impossible to be yourself when you're caught up in constantly wondering "Do they think I'm funny? Does she think I'm fat? Do they think I'm stupid? Am I good/clever/popular enough to be a part of their group of friends?" To be yourself, you've got to let go of these concerns and just let your behavior flow, with only your consideration of others as a filter — not theirconsideration of you. Besides, if you change yourself for one person or group, another person or group may not like you, and you could go on forever in a vicious cycle trying to please people instead of focusing on building up your talents and strengths; being apeople-pleaser or always wanting everyone's love and respect is a totally pointless exercise in the end that can harm your personal development and confidence. Who cares what other people say? As Eleanor Roosevelt said once, "no one can make you feel inferior without your consent" and what matters most is that you listen to your own inner confidence and if it's missing, that you start developing it!
  - Does this mean no one's opinion in life matters? No. It hurts if you're socially rejected. If you're forced into a situation where you must spend most or all of your time among people who can't stand you for reasons of their own, it's dangerous to internalize their negative ideas of who you are. What you can do is exercise some choice in whose opinions you value more than others. It's much healthier to pay attention to people who genuinely mean you well and who agree with you about what you want to do with your life.
  - Be careful though, an individual can mean you well, but it may be only on their own terms. This could steer you down the wrong path, and with all the passion of true consideration for your well being.
  - Don't trivialize it if you face negative social pressure or bullying. It's easier to withstand it if you are aware of it as pressure and build healthy defenses. Building up a circle of trusted friends and people who share your views and beliefs in life is a good way to help reduce the impact of hostile people. You can tell yourself their opinions don't matter, and they shouldn't, but that's a lot easier when there are others who agree with you and stand by you. If you are alone that is fine, just think about how the people in your life who care about you. Then compare them to whoever the bully is; suddenly you can realize that their opinion of you, your family or your lifestyle, is worthless. We inherently care about the opinions of those we respect and look up to. This works both ways; if someone has no respect for you, then what they say about you is just empty words coming from someone who is one step above being a total stranger.
  - Learn the difference between intimidating, sarcastic, conniving, or thoughtless comments from others and constructive criticism which is well intended. It will focus on real faults that you don't know about, and could do with remedying. In the latter case, people such as parents, mentors, teachers, coaches, etc., might well be telling you things that you need to digest and mull over at your own pace, to make self-improvements for the better. The difference is that their critique of you is intended to be helpful. They care about you and are interested in how you grow as a person, and are respectful. Learn how to spot the difference and you will live well, dismissing pointless negative critiques, and learning from the constructive critique.
4. 4
  Be honest and open. What have you got to hide? We're all imperfect, growing, learning human beings. If you feel ashamed or insecure about any aspect of yourself — and you feel that you have to hide those parts of you, whether physically or emotionally — then you have to come to terms with that and learn to convert your so-called flaws into individualistic quirks or simply as basic, down-to-earth acknowledgments of your own imperfections. Be honest with yourself, but don't beat yourself up; apply this philosophy to others, as well. There is a difference between being critical and being honest; learn to watch the way you say things to yourself and others when being honest.
  - Try the tactic of owning up to your imperfections mid-argument with someone. You will often discover that suddenly you've removed the very reason for stubbornly holding the line of argument, which is often about preserving face and not giving in. The moment you say, "Yeah, look I get really irritable when the room's in a mess too. And I acknowledge that I shouldn't leave my clothes in a pile on the floor and yet, I do it because that's a lazy part of myself I'm still trying to train out of the habit. I'm sorry. I know I could do better, and I will try.", you suddenly infuse an argument with genuine self-honesty that disarms the entire point of the argument, which in this case is messy habits but could apply to anything about your own behavior.
5. 5
  Relax. Stop worrying about the worst that could happen, especially in social situations. So what if you fall flat on your face? Or get spinach stuck in your teeth? Or accidentally head butt your date when leaning in for a kiss? Learn to laugh at yourself both when it happens and afterward. Turn it into a funny story that you can share with others. It lets them know that you're not perfect and makes you feel more at ease, too. It's also an attractive quality for someone to be able to laugh at themselves and not take themselves too seriously!
6. 6
  Treat yourself as you'd treat your own best friend. You value your friends and those close to you; well, who is closer to you than you are? Give yourself the same kind, thoughtful, and respectful treatment that you give to other people you care about. If you had to hang out with yourself for a day, what is the most fun/enjoyable/fulfilled/calm/contented type of person you could be, while still being yourself? What is the best version of you? Believe in this idea and use that as your starting point. Love and accept yourself as you are now, just as you do for your close ones.
  - Be responsible for yourself and for boosting your self-esteem. If others aren't telling you you're great, don't let it get to you. Instead, tell yourself you're special, wonderful, and worthwhile. When you believe these things about yourself, others will recognize that glow of self-confidence and begin confirming your self-affirmations in no time!
7. 7
  Develop and express your individuality. Whether it's your sense of style, or even your manner of speaking, if your preferred way of doing something strays from the mainstream and produces positive outcomes, then be proud of it. Be a character, not a type. Learn to communicate well - the better you can express yourself, the easier it is for the people who like you as you are to find you and the ones who don't to just steer clear.
8. 8
  Stop comparing yourself to others. If you're always striving to be someone you're not already, you'll never be a happy person. This comes about through comparing yourself to others and finding yourself wanting in certain ways. This is a slippery slope to tread, though. You can always see the appearances others wish to portray publicly but you won't ever see what's really going on behind their façades in their apparently perfect world. By comparing yourself to others, you give their image-portrayal way too much power and reduce your own worth based on a mirage. It's a useless activity that only brings harm. Instead, value the person you are, love your personality, and embrace your flaws; we all have them, and as explained earlier, being honest is better than running from them.
  - Avoid being unfair to yourself. Sometimes comparison causes us to compare apples with pears. We'd like to be a top movie producer in Hollywood when we're a lowly, aspiring scriptwriter. To see that top producer's lifestyle and find yourself wanting as a result is an unfair comparison – that person has years of experience and hobnobbing behind them, while you're just starting out, testing the waters with writing skills that may one day prove to be exceptional. Be realistic in your comparisons and only look to other people as inspiration and as sources of motivation, not as a means to belittling yourself.
  - Never stop looking for your own strengths. Over time, these may change and thus, so may your definition of yourself, but never let up in focusing and refocusing on them. They more than adequately balance out your flaws and are the principal reason for not comparing yourself to others.
  - Comparison leads to resentment. A person filled with resentment cannot focus on the mantra of "be yourself" because they are too busy hankering after someone else!
  - Comparison leads also to criticism of others. A life filled with criticizing others stems from low self-esteem and a need to pull others off their perches that you've placed them on. That's both a way to lose friends and respect, and it's also a way of never being yourself because you're envy-struck and spending too much time on admiring others for their characteristics and not on yourself.
9. 9
  Follow your own style. The common thing a lot of people do is copy others' actions because it seems like the better route to fit in, but really, shouldn't you stand out? Standing out is very hard, yes, but you need to try avoid assuming other people's perspectives of you, even if it's not something you would normally do; that's what being yourself is all about. Maybe you like to sit outside on the deck under an umbrella in the middle of the rain, maybe you have different ideas of things, rather than other people, maybe you likestrawberry cake instead of the common chocolate cake, whatever you are, accept it. Being different is absolutely beautiful and it attracts people to you. Don't let people change you!
10. 10
  Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and that some days you are the statue. People might raise eyebrows and even make fun, but as long as you can shrug and say "Hey, that's just me" and leave it at that, people will ultimately respect you for it, and you'll respect yourself. Yes, sometimes it will hurt when you're teased. Just learn to ignore it. While this can be very difficult, and far easier said than done, try your best to flick it off your shoulder.
EditVideo

EditTips
- Fads and trends are a personal decision. While some people avoid them like the plague in the name of "individualism", it doesn't mean you're not being yourself when you choose to follow trend. It's all about what you want.
- Change is a constant. So changing who you are over time is inevitable, and is always likely to be a good thing if you've been stayed informed, relevant, and clued in to the world around you and have allowed your personal development to be a top priority in your life.
- Know when going with the flow is more beneficial than digging your heels in on something. Example: Sometimes it's better to agree to going to a rock concert for a band you don't enjoy to spend time and have fun with your friends, than it is to take a stand for your own personal views on the quality of the band's music and miss out on the fun and time spent with good friends. That's about compromising... and being respectful of others' preferences, rather than about soiling your own.
- Striving to be something you're not can be healthy when it involves improving academic, sport, and social interactions skills. It can be highly harmful when you're striving to "be like" someone else just to have their popularity, appearance, and attitudes rub off on you. Keep unique by keeping your perspective focused on building your strengths through the inspiration of others, not through becoming like them.
- Just because someone says they don't like something about you doesn't mean it's bad or you need to change it. Depending on what it is often it's a matter of preference.
EditWarnings
- Respect others as much as you respect yourself. While being yourself means expressing yourself and your opinions, dreams, and preferences, it certainly doesn't mean ramming these down other people's throats! Everyone has needs, dreams, and wants that are equally deserving and it's up to each one of us to acknowledge the other's value as much as our own. Therefore, avoid being rude, thoughtless, or egotistical in your journey to being yourself.
- Not caring about how others perceive you doesn't mean letting go of the grooming and etiquette. Basic respect for yourself and others is founded in the rules of etiquette to ensure that we can all live together in harmony and with a basic level of expectation for how we will interact with one another politely. The less manners we use, the less we respect others, and ultimately, ourselves because we're trying to be domineering and arrogant rather than cooperative and considerate. Use your manners widely, and be thoughtful of others.
- It doesn't always pay to "be yourself". Sometimes to get ahead in life you need to fulfill what a company, a school, a powerful person wants from you. Sometimes you may need to be what they seek for a short time just to reach goals of your own choosing. You could stand on principle and thumb your nose at the situation and lose out as a result, or you could temporarily swallow your pride and fake it till you make it, nurturing your real self outside the particular context (at home, with friends, etc.) until your own authority is more powerful. It's not always a dastardly deed to submerge your real self until your time comes; you need to be the best judge of that in the path you've chosen in life.
- How to MeditateMeditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned, "thinking" mind into a deeper state of self awareness. To free one's awareness from associating solely with the mind and its soul. There are many different meditation methods.
  
  At the core of meditation is the goal to focus and eventually quiet your mind, thus freeing your awareness. As you progress, you will find that you can meditate anywhere and at any time, accessing an inner calm no matter what's going on around you. You will also find that you can better control your reactions to things as you become increasingly aware of your thoughts (letting go of anger, for example). But first, you have to learn to tame your mind and control your breathing.
  
  EditSteps
  1. 1
    Make time to meditate. Set aside enough time in your daily routine for meditating; early morning and in the evening are often most preferable. The steadiness of mind meditationis most noticeable when you do it regularly; some people like to end the day by clearing their mind, and some prefer to find refuge in meditation in the middle of a busy day. The easiest time to meditate is in the morning, before the day tires your body out and gives your mind more to think about. Just take care to avoid spending too long meditating––start with around 5 to 15 minutes a day.
  2. 2
    Find or create a quiet, relaxing environment. For the beginner, it's especially important to avoid any obstacles to attention. Turn off TV sets, the phone or other noisy appliances. If you play music, choose calm, repetitive and gentle tunes, so as not to break your concentration.
    
    Meditating outside works for many meditators. As long as you don't sit near a busy roadway or another source of loud noise, you can find peace under a tree or sitting upon some lush grass in a favorite corner of the garden.
  3. 3
    Sit on level ground. Sit on a cushion if the ground is uncomfortable. You don't have to twist your limbs into the half lotus or full lotus position or adopt any unusual postures. The important thing is to keep your back straight, as this will help with breathing later on.
    
    Tilt your pelvis forward by sitting on the forward edge of a thick cushion, or on a chair that has its back legs lifted off the ground 8 to 10cm (3 or 4 inches).
    
    Starting from your bottom, stack up the vertebrae in your spine, so that they are balanced one on top of another and support the whole weight of your torso, neck, and head. Done correctly, it feels as if no effort is required to hold your torso up. (A small amount of effort is in fact required, but with the right posture, it is so small and evenly distributed you don't notice it.)
    
    Relax your arms and legs. They don't need to be in any special position, just as long as they are relaxed and don't interfere with balancing your torso. You can put your hands on your thighs, but it might be easier at first to let your arms hang at your sides––the hanging weight helps reveal where things are out of alignment.
  4. 4
    Relax everything. Keep searching for parts of your body that aren't relaxed. When you find them, (and you will), consciously relax them. You may find that you can't relax them unless you adjust your posture so that you are better aligned, and that place doesn't need to work anymore. This commonly happens with muscles near your spine. You may also notice that you are twisted a little and need to straighten out. Little muscles in your face often keep getting tense, too.
  5. 5
    Let your attention rest on the flow of your breath. Listen to it, follow it, but make no judgments on it (such as "It sounds a little raspy... maybe I'm getting a cold?"). The goal is to allow the "chattering" in your mind to gradually fade away. Find an "anchor" to settle your mind.
    
    Try reciting a mantra (repetition of a sacred word). A single word like "om" uttered at a steady rhythm is best. You can recite it verbally or just with the voice in your mind. Beginners may find it easier to count their breaths. Try counting your breath from 1 through 10, then simply start again at 1.
    
    To circumvent images that keep intruding on your thoughts, visualize a place that calms you. It can be real or imaginary. Imagine you are at the top of a staircase leading to a peaceful place. Count your way down the steps until you are peaceful and relaxed.
  6. 6
    Silence your mind. Once you've trained your mind to focus on just one thing at a time, the next step is focus on nothing at all, essentially "clearing" your mind. This requires tremendous discipline but it is the pinnacle of meditation. After focusing on a single point as described in the previous step, you can either cast it away, or observe it impartially and let it come and then go, without labeling it as "good" or "bad". Take the same approach to any thoughts which return to your mind until silence perseveres.
  EditTips
  - It is easy to lose track of time while meditating. Being concerned about time can be distracting to meditation. Some people find it liberating to set a timer and let it be concerned about how long you have to meditate. Choose a gentle timer. If it is too jarring, the anticipation of the alarm can be distracting.
  - Some other benefits that are less observable for most people include: falling asleep more easily, more ease in fighting addictions, altered states of mind (which are most prominent in people who have spent over 1,000 hours meditating such as Buddhist monks, more likely Buddha), and most recently discovered is that meditation on the concepts of calmness and relaxation can turn off genes within every cell in the body that cause cells to become inflamed when you are under a lot of stress.
  - If you find it difficult to meditate for the length of time you have chosen, try a shorter time for a while. Almost anyone can meditate for a minute or two without experiencing intrusive thoughts. Then, as the ocean of the mind calms, you gradually lengthen your meditation session until you have achieved the desired length of time.
  - With good posture, it will be easier to breathe as your lungs will have more space. In fact, you may notice how most of the muscles in your torso work to help you breathe, from the muscles in the base of your pelvis to the ones in your neck, centered on the main breathing muscle, the diaphragm. They work just a little, assisting the diaphragm. If you notice this, it's a good sign you have established a good posture. The right posture is easy and comfortable. You almost feel like you are floating.
  - You should be comfortable enough to concentrate, but not so comfortable that you feel the urge to fall asleep.
  - Set aside a specific time each day for meditation, but don't overdo it. If 20-30 minutes in the morning isn't enough, add another session later in the day instead of trying for a single, longer session.
  - Make some effort to be mindful of your mood and thoughts when not meditating. You may notice that you feel calmer, happier, and sharper on days when you have meditated, and notice a decrease in these qualities when you have not.
  - Meditation practiced over a long term period of time have been shown to have many beneficial results and is well worth continued practice. Benefits include: Increased mindfulness and awareness, reduced stress, calmer and more relaxed moods, improved memory and focus, and increased in grey matter (brain cells) in various parts of the brain.
  - It may be beneficial to mentally review or replay the previous day at the start of your sessions, if you can do so in a relaxed, passive way. This often happens naturally, and sometimes it's best to allow this to happen, as long as you don't get emotionally wrapped up or let it go on too long before beginning meditation. This procedure is known as "processing" of recent events, and becoming skilled at performing a non-judgmental review of events does much to increase awareness and emotional well-being.
  - Do what works best for you. What works for some people might have other techniques that might not work for you. Don't let that get you down. Remember to relax!
  - The benefits of meditation can be experienced long before the practitioner has been successful in maintaining focus or clearing the mind, simply as a result of the practice.
  - What you do with a silent mind is up to you. Some people find that it is a good time to introduce an intention or a desired outcome to the subconscious mind. Others prefer to "rest" in the rare silence that meditation offers. For religious people, meditation is often used to connect with their God(s) and receive visions.
  - For some people, focusing attention on a point or object does exactly the opposite of what meditation is all about. It takes you back to the life of focus, concentration, strain. In this case, as an alternative to the above techniques, some meditators recommend un-focusing your attention. Instead of focusing attention on a point or an object, this type of meditation is achieved by attaining a state of zero. Take your attention above all thoughts to a point where you lose all attention and all thoughts.
  - Do not force yourself to meditate. You should want to meditate before think about trying.
  - When trying to keep your back straight, if it hurts, slowly concentrate on.
  EditWarnings
  - Don't expect immediate results. The purpose of meditation is not to turn you into a Zen master overnight. Meditation works best when it is done for its own sake, without becoming attached to results.
  - If you find your mind is wandering, try not to scold or beat up on yourself about it. Wandering restlessly is the normal state of the conditioned mind. This is the first lesson many people learn in meditation and it is a valuable one. Simply, gently, invite your attention back to your breath, remembering that you've just had a small but precious "awakening." Becoming aware of your wandering mind is a success, not a failure.
  - Some people find it's difficult to meditate immediately before bedtime. If you're very sleepy, you may find yourself nodding off. Conversely, meditating may energize your mind, making it more difficult to fall asleep.
  - If your posture is good, you will almost certainly feel a stretch on the back of your neck, and possibly in your shoulders. Just relax. If the stretch is so pronounced that it is painful, work on stretching and relaxing that area when you aren't meditating.
  - As you meet other people who meditate, you may encounter a few who will boast about their endurance for long meditation sessions, even hours and hours at a sitting. Don't be tempted to change your practice to "keep up." Meditation is not a competition––it's a way of life.
  - How to Meditate on Breath
    
    One of the simplest and most fruitful meditation techniques.
    
    EditSteps
    
    1
    Preparation
    
    2
    Minimize distractions in your environment.
    
    Tell people in your household to not disturb you.
    
    Turn off phone,TV, radio.
    
    Choose a technique and time period (avoid using a timer with a jarring alarm).
    
    3
    Pick a Position (Balance comfort and relaxation with alertness.)
    
    Sitting
    
    Standing
    
    Supine
    
    Tilt table…
    
    4
    Eyes
    
    Closed facilitates relaxation.
    
    Open with soft focus facilitates alertness.
    
    5
    Scan the body (especially the head, neck and shoulders) to relax obvious unnecessary muscle tension.
    
    6
    Meditation
    
    7
    Condensed version:
    
    Bring your attention to the breath in nose, belly, chest, back or pelvis.
    
    When the mind wanders from sensation of breath, gently bring it back.
    
    8
    Evaluation – When awareness of the sensation of breath is reasonably consistent, we can begin the practice of evaluation. This step includes:
    
    Noticing the quality of the in and out breath … is the breath long or short? Deep or shallow? Smooth or rough? Slow or fast?
    
    9
    Discover the ease in the breath. In this stage we’re not forcing or creating the ease, we’re being aware of the natural ease in the breath, we’re attending to it, and allowing it to unfold. We are allowing the breath to gravitate in this direction of ease. This process may include loosening any tightness and finding the “most comfortable” way to breath. Here we’re allowing a pleasant quality to arise.
    
    10
    Spreading - As breath becomes established in ease, we begin to notice ease in the body. At this point we change the object of meditation to include the entire body. We’re mindful of the entire body with the breathing. At this point, we are practicing a “full body awareness” and “full body breathing.” It may feel as though the entire body is breathing. The quality of the body is pleasant.
    
    11
    One Pointedness– In this step we shift the object of meditation to the sensation of the breath at one point (usually the nostrils or navel). The attention is focused on the single point. Awareness of the body is in the background. If we check in with the body we may notice that it feels very light and that the “energy” is smooth, refined and bright. This is a very pleasant state.
    
    12
    These are the basic steps for developing concentration.
    
    EditVideo
    
    EditTips
    
    Try for 5-10 minutes daily
    
    EditWarnings
    
    Don't over do it.
    
    Be gentle with the mind.
    
    Distractions are part of the practice.
    
    How to Meditate in Sahaja YogaThis is a very easy meditation to feel the connection with ourselves. To achieve Self-Realization is something Yogi's have strived their whole lives meditating in caves to achieve, but with this meditation we can achieve it in a matter of days. We are all spiritual people, but knowing how to connect is something we can learn. This meditation is taught by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi who has worked her whole life to transform the whole world.
    
    EditSteps
    
    1
    Learn that inside all of us we have a spiritual energy which loves us very much and is like our own mother. We will be asking her for the connection to ourselves.
    
    2
    Take off your shoes and sit comfortably in a chair, with your feet flat on the ground, not touching each other.
    
    3
    Put your left hand on your lap or leg with your palm facing up.
    
    4
    Put your right hand on the left side of your heart, covering the pectoral. Ask inside "Mother, am I the pure eternal spirit?" (name any power/deity you feel comfortable with) Repeat 3x.
    
    5
    Take your right hand and place it one hand-width down, level with your solar-plexus but still on the left side of your chest. Ask inside, "Mother, am I my own Master?" Repeat 3x.
    
    6
    Take your right hand and place it one hand-width down, just above your hip. Say inside, "Mother, please give me Pure Knowledge." Repeat 6x.
    
    7
    Move your right hand back up one hand-width, and say inside, full of belief, "Mother, I AM my own Master!" Repeat 10x.
    
    8
    Move your right hand back up one hand-width so it is level with your heart again, and say inside full of belief, "Mother I AM the Spirit!" Repeat 12x.
    
    9
    Turn your head all the way to the right and place your right hand on the left side of your neck/shoulder and say inside, "Mother, I am guiltless." Repeat 16x.
    
    10
    Put your right hand on your forehead, fingers together, and squeeze your temples (even if your fingers don't reach try to squeeze) Say sincerely from your heart, "Mother, I forgive everyone." Repeat as many times as necessary until you feel you forgive everyone, generally. Don't think of individuals you need to forgive.
    
    11
    We also ask forgiveness from the divine power. All we have to do is ask. So take your right hand and put it on the back of your head & tilt your head back. Ask from your heart, "Mother, If I have done anything wrong, please forgive me." Again, repeat as many times as you need to.
    
    12
    Now when you are ready take your right hand and put the center of your palm on very top of your head. Spread your fingers wide, and face them backward, so they are going down the back of your head. Push down with some pressure and as you rotate clockwise (to the left and down) ask from your heart, "Mother, please give me the connection to my true self and let me feel that within myself, or (Mother, please give me my Self-Realization)." Repeat 7x.
    
    13
    Take down your hand and let it rest on your lap with the palm facing up. Now close your eyes and sit for as long as you like.
    
    EditTips
    
    Breathe deeply and regularly during this process.
    
    In general, push hard with your right hand, though near your heart avoid too much pressure.
    
    You can listen to peaceful meditation music if outside noise distracts you.
    
    Take your time with this and repeat! I like to go through it 3x per sitting.
    
    Its best to be undisturbed (no cell phone, distractions, interruptions)
    
    The best times for meditation are: Sunrise (5-8), Noon (11-2), Sunset (5-8), and Midnight (11-2). Meditate 1-2, or as many as four times a day.
    
    EditWarnings
    
    You may feel strong emotions during this meditation, this is natural as you come in contact with your true self, allow these emotions to arise and fall away naturally, accept them and don't judge them.
    
    If you feel very disturbed by any emotions, please contact a professional counselor, they will help you more fully understand yourself.
    
    EditRelated wikiHows
    
    How to Do Abdominal Breathing
    
    How to Breathe Like a Yoga Master
    
    How to Sit Cross Legged in Lotus Posture
    
    How to Perform Mantra Meditation
    
    How to Meditate to Get to Sleep
    
    Getting to sleep might be a problem for you, but the following steps should help anyone who views the article to meditate to get to sleep. Give it a try when you next lie in bed. It is pleasant and comforting, and should work every time!
    
    EditSteps
    
    1
    As you lay comfortably on your bed imagine the sensation of slowly and calmly rising out of your body. Now imagine gently rising to the ceiling. Observe what the room looks like from this perspective. Now imagine turning around to view yourself lying in bed. Take notice of how you look, how your bed looks and how the room looks.
    
    2
    When you are ready, visualize yourself floating out of your house. Take notice of how your house and street look from this view point. Now you may float off to somewhere you find relaxing and calming. It could be a beach, a garden, somewhere you have visited before, a "happy place". Notice the trees, lakes or sea as you travel.
    
    3
    When you get to your destination, try to really experience the delights of your tranquil place. Use your senses of taste, touch, smell, sound and sight. Enjoy!
    
    EditTips
    
    Do not 'try' to get to sleep. The secret is to just allow it to happen when the time is right. Sometimes it may be beneficial to go to bed later when you are more tired. Don't worry if you are not falling to sleep. Just lying there resting is almost as beneficial anyway.
    
    How to Keep a Book Journal
    
    Keeping Your Own Book Journal
    
    1
    Decide how you want to keep your journal: on your computer, or longhand in a diary or notebook. Have fun with this! Experiment with computer fonts and graphics, or buy a snazzy blank book and pen. Choose a striking ink color.
    
    2
    Add stick-on tabs to your blank book or create different files in your computer directory if you want to organize your reactions to different types of reading material.
    
    3
    Don't be afraid to add doodles or paste in collage art or scan in photos for your computer files. Illustrations give your text a big energy boost.
    
    4
    Start with a basic reaction: what the book was about? How did you feel about finishing it? Sorry it ended? Inspired to change your life? Disgruntled at the waste of your time?
    
    5
    Add concrete details. How many pages was the book, and how long did it take you to read it?
    
    6
    Describe how you acquired each book: from your book group? Recommended by your mother? Assigned in school? Found in the seat pocket on the last airline trip you took? Rescued from a "free bin" at a coffee shop?
    
    7
    Add personal details. What was going on in your life while you were reading this? Possibly you were going through a dark and hard time, and you loved this book for providing escapism. Or maybe something in this book gave you an insight on a conflict with a family member. Books become a part of our lives, and it can be interesting to read back on how.
    
    Artists, describe the cover art: good or bad? Science fiction novels are often burdened with the silliest cover art imaginable. Draw your own improved version. Sketch what you think the characters looked like. Create a map of the book's setting.
    
    Writers, comment on the story's pacing. Did it drag anywhere? Could certain chapters have been cut out? What event formed the high-point or climax of the novel's action? How did you like the dialogue?
    
    Critics, analyze the author's intent. What genre or literary influence did the book reflect? How consistent or different was the book in regards to the author's previous body of work?
    
    Amateur psychologists, did you believe the actions of the characters? What do you think would have been more realistic? Which characters had what type of personality disorder, and which could have benefited from therapy?
    
    Researchers, especially for non-fiction, did the author get her facts straight? What sources did she draw upon, contradict, or corroborate?
    
    Film fans, how would you cast the movie version of the book? How would you adapt it to a feature film or mini-series? How faithful would you be to the source material, and where do you think you can improve it for a visual audience?
    
    8
    Write in your book journal whenever you feel like it, and never get discouraged because you've let some days pass between entries. Only you can set the rules for your journal, and anything you choose to do in it is valid. For increased fun, get a book group started and share your book journals!
    
    EditTips
    
    Have fun with this! Be proud of yourself for doing something creative.
    
    Glue/tape your library receipts in it if you get most of your books from the library. Not only does this help you with dates and titles and authors if you forget them, but it's a nice memory.
    
    Always date your entries! You're going to want to track the passing of time, and the changes in your outlook.
    
    If you don't have time to write, just note down the title of the book, and get back to it later.
    
    How to Create a Diary
    
    Do you want to start a diary from scratch? Feeling creative? Well, let's get started!
    
    EditSteps
    
    1
    Get the materials (which you'll probably find at home) and get started. You'll need a pencil too, for the basic structure of your diary. Read the TIPS SECTION before starting doing the diary.
    
    2
    Join all the normal sheets and compact them with your hand. If you have someone to help you, better. If not though, that's okay. You have to apply a lot of compression to the sheets—consider holding them down with a textbook or dictionary.
    
    3
    Pick up the white glue, or liquid glue. Spread a thick layer of glue on the side of the compressed sheets you think the spine of the diary will be. Don't worry if some glue spreads beneath some sheets. The important thing is that there is a lot of glue in the spine so the sheets won't be loose. The worst part is: you have to compress the sheets until the glue is dried, so the sheets won't be hanging out.
    
    4
    Now that the glue in the spine of the book is dry, cut a straight piece of paper, and glue it to the glued spine of the book. You have to remember that you need at least a 3cm border to each side. These 3 cm of normal paper will be glued on the first and last normal sheets of the inside of the book.
    
    5
    Take the cardboard paper and with the white/liquid glue, glue firmly each piece of cardboard to the first and last normal sheet pages of the notebook. Your diary will be more resistant now. These cardboard pieces, glued to the last and first page will be thecover.
    
    6
    Reinforce the spine of the book with the half piece of cardboard. This will have to be measured previously with a ruler, to be neat. Right now, your book should look like a sad, uncoloured book, but still a book, with cover, sheets and spine.
    
    7
    Unleash your imagination! Start to decorate the cover of your diary! Cut old magazines and glue the cuttings to the cover of your diary! Draw in the cover, spell out your name or glue cute and fun stickers in it! It's all up to you!
    
    8
    Start writing in your diary. Put the date on the top of the page and start telling your feelings. Draw, glue, be imaginative! Specially: Have fun!
    
    Alternate Method
    
    1
    Stack and then line-up 20-25 sheets of paper.
    
    2
    Staple the pages together on the left (4-7 staples).
    
    3
    Decorate the front cover however you wish. Write phrases, draw pictures, etc. Do the same on the back, but use less wording. Use markers, crayons, stickers, or colored pencil.
    
    4
    Open the diary. You'll uncover the first page of the diary. Draw a circle in the middle of one page with crayons. Color outside the circle.
    
    In the circle, write "This diary belongs to:" and then write your name under it.
    
    5
    On each corner of each following pages draw little doodles (example: roses, butterflies, or pumpkins).
    
    6
    Tape one end of the strip to the front cover by the staples. Do the same on the back.
    
    7
    Write and draw anything you want in it with the pencil and have a blast!
    
    EditTips
    
    To make the diary more colorful and more enjoyable for your use, don't stick with the white sheets! Buy some color paper. These can be light tones or electric shocking colours. Make a colour pattern of the sheets (example: white sheet, red sheet, pink sheet, blue sheet and all over again.)
    
    Reinforce your book with transparent, adhesive paper. Your diary will be more resistant to water and your cover won't be all messed up, after a while.
    
    To make a neat book spine, cover the finished spine with a piece of beautiful cloth or flexible paper with a border of 3cm or plus. (like the way you used in the primary stage). This way, you won't see any fissures between the spine and the cover.
    
    Try to do a professional diary by doing specific sheets for your use. For example, you can use the computer to create a very neat time-table using Microsoft Excel or a presentation sheet with your name, phone number, address... if you have enough time and patience, you can print the number of the day/week/month (according to a calendar) to the top of the page. You can put a favourites page, a top-10 page of everything, a table with your tests and exams results, etc.
    
    Have imagination decorating the cover. Find anything and everything that can be usable. Maybe those old coloured pens you thought you didn't like? Or those old stickers inside a box that you forgot? You can even cover your notebook with a beautiful cloth pattern!
    
    If you have someone who can possibly disturb your privacy, and read you diary, buy a small locker with the key, and improvise a locker in the cover. Try to put a strap of felt till it crosses the cover and find a way to put the locker there. If you don't think this is enough, remember: someone curious may open an unprotected diary, but if someone destroys it to see what's in it, that's not curiosity, it's something else.
    
    EditWarnings
    
    Be careful with your fingers if using strong glue.
    
    If you have privacy problems, hide your key in a place where no one can find it.
    
    EditThings You'll Need
    
    A4/A5 sheets of paper. (you decide the number of sheets, depending on the size of the diary you want).
    
    glue stick
    
    white glue (or another kind of liquid glue)
    
    scissor
    
    ruler
    
    2 and a half pieces of paper carton A4/A5
    
    E