How I conquer my fear of climbing a mountain

Does climbing a mountain sound daunting? That’s what I thought before taking the plunge to climb Mt Snowdon. I decide not to give in to my fears about height, worries about whether my legs can carry me and I am glad I did that. It was not as difficult as I thought it would be and the views were simply breathtaking. Every corner and turns reveal a different scene and its picture perfect most of the time.

Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa in Welsh) which stands at 3,560 ft (1,085m) is the highest mountain in Wales and the second highest in Britain. The mountain is situated within Snowdonia National Park in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales.

There are many ways to explore Mt Snowdon. The easiest ways to get to the top is with the Snowdon Mountain Railway. It’s a single carriage hauled either by a diesel or steam locomotive on the narrow gauge rack and pinion railway. We did consider taking the train but the price of £25 for a return ticket changes our mind.

Armed with determination and spirit of challenge, we begin our route using the Llanberis path. The path runs parallel with the Snowdon Mountain Rail track and as I found out later, it is one of the easiest but longest paths to the summit. Its sounds quite misleading to call it a path, the initial road towards the gate are tarmac and it’s pretty steep. After which, the path are made up of rocks, sand and rock debris.

We decide to walk towards the grassland where the sheep were grazing. As we do not know where we were going, there was a feeling of adventure. As we trudge past the staring eyes of the sheep and their lambs, sounds of laughter and water came up in the distance. It was a low lying rocky stream and a family enjoying the sun on a big rock boulder. It was a pleasant and relaxing sight.

Our walk finally brought us in the view of an oncoming steam train and we were able to capture a few photo shots of the steam puffing train. The Llanberis path becomes clearer as we head uphill and much to our amazement, it have so far been easy and we congratulate ourselves on the distance and the height we have surmount.

The rest of the path was gradual, a little bit of a steep climb at times but nothing that I can’t handle. Stopping occasionally to catch my breath and the scenery makes the walk pleasant. There was no rush and we even have time to chat with fellows walkers about their adventure.

As we reach the halfway point, a quaint stone cottage appears before us. It is also a cafe, which is simply delightful. Dusk is upon us and after 3 hours of walking, we decide to head downhill as it was getting dark.
We may not have reach the summit this time but the experience of being able to climb half way up Mt Snowdon makes us determined to come back for the summit. It was an exhilarating time for me as a novice mountain climber. I would never thought that I can make it this far and the admiring look from people in the train as they pass is pretty satisfying.

I have learned that I should not allow my fears to control my life. When nothing is venture, nothing‘s gain and what I gained from this walking experience is it isn’t as bad as what I thought it would be.

Hillwalking in Snowdonia: Glyders, Carneddau and Outlying Areas (Cicerone British Mountains)
Walk Snowdonia and North Wales (Walks Guide)

Can positive thinking solve your problems?

Have we been fooled by all the theories of positive thinking? When I saw the interview with Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Smile or Die: How Positive Thinking Fooled America and the Worldon News Night, my first thought was ‘At last someone is coming out to disprove the positive thinking hype’.

I agree with her that it’s no point telling a person who is suffering, in this case, she has breast cancer, and that she needs to be positive to get well. That’s not empathy, that’s dismissing her feelings of fear, anger and sadness.

Many of us are told that our problems will be solved if we think positively. Some of us are even made to feel that it’s our negative thoughts that are making our life miserable. Is this true? Can positive thinking solve problems?

As I thought further on the truth about positive thinking, I realised that I cannot dismiss the fact that positive thinking have in some point of my life help me overcome problems. The positive thoughts and positive changes I have made to my life have worked well for me. For those things that have not come into fruition, I accept that it is probably not right for me. I know this cannot be compared to someone who has a terminal illness and there is not much they can do to change their predicament.

The interview with the Smile or Die author have led me to realise that perhaps the truth about positive thinking is not about psyching ourselves into believing that saying daily affirmations and ignoring negative feelings is going to solve our problems. Positive thinking is about acknowledging and accepting that there is a problem; understand why we have negative thoughts and making a decision to make positive changes to our life.

Positive thinking can’t solve your problem; it wouldn’t heal you or keep you away from dreaded illnesses. Positive thinking can however help you decide on how you can make your life better in the midst of your problem.

Positive thinking can’t solve your problems. It wouldn’t shield you from negative feelings and life’s obstacles. It can however help you face your problems, make improvements to your life and keep you motivated in achieving your goals.
Positive thinking can’t solve your problem but having positive attitude can help make your life better. Believing in yourself and your capabilities whilst acknowledging your weaknesses prepares you for life challenges.

There is no doubt that having a positive attitude is healthy. You find a purpose in your life and you feel more fulfilled as you start to do the things that make you happy.

More self improvement articles can be read at Learning Curve

Discovering your life purpose

The first step to discover your life purpose is to look inside us. Our life is like an onion, it has many layers of experience, influence and habits. As human, we react to situation and conditioned ourselves with the environment, as such sometimes we lose track of our core value and beliefs.

Reflect on your thoughts, feelings, beliefs and motivations. Examine your attitude towards certain people and situation. Do you feel happy with your action or the decision you have made.

Peel away the layers of negative emotions and habits that are stifling your progress and creativity. Uncover the real you, the person you are comfortable with, your real motivation and what makes you happy.

The second step is to ensure that you conscientiously stay away from the stumbling blocks of your life. They are your negative emotions, your fear, anger and self doubt. It is not going to be easy; they are your mountains to climb. But the advantage is you know what they are and what you should do.

The third step is to find out what makes you happy. Have you ever feel your creativity soar when you are not restricted by your own fears? This is the first sign of you realising your life purpose.

To find out more about how to discover your life purpose, here is an extract from the book The Life You Were Born to Live: Finding Your Life Purpose by Dan Millman

“...many of us don’t consciously recognise or acknowledge that we even have a specific life purpose, our subconscious knows what we are her to do; reaches out to us, sending messages through our dreams, intuitions and innermost longs. The call of our destiny manifest as our deepest drives and abilities – the hidden forces behind our personality. This drives shape our career and our relationship and influence the quality and direction of our life.

Source : Learning Curve

Secrets to looking younger

Someone once said, " I don't believe in doing things to make myself younger, I should accept what I am now" It's true, acceptance of oneself is important. But somehow, I have a sneaky feeling that some of us say that because we don't know what to do. We look at ourselves in the mirror and probably wish we could look better or feel healthier. Some of us even become resigned and uses the line " I don't need to make myself look younger or better" as a coverup for our true feelings.

Taking care of our body, our looks and our health need not mean spending lots of money. I came across the following article on a look younger program, its called 'Five Rituals' and the program help us work towards looking younger from within us. Not a bad idea as I do believe that changing ourselves from within us is longer lasting than any cosmetic and artificial correction.

The article:

Can you imagine looking THIRTY YEARS YOUNGER...

... In just TEN WEEKS from now?

It sounds hard to believe.

But that's precisely what can happen to YOU - when you begin to follow a long-lost series of FIVE SECRET RITUALS every day.

The "Five Rituals" are a series of simple, yet precise body movements. They were discovered back in the 1930's - inside a remote Tibetan monastery, high up in the Himalayas.

They were brought back to the West by a retired British army colonel - who began workshops, helping people to look THIRTY years younger, in just TEN short weeks.

But that was then.

Today, the Five Rituals are almost forgotten.

Only a handful of individuals know about the Five Rituals -- and use them daily to keep their eternal youth. Individuals such as actor Martin Sheen, author John Gray, and self-development expert, Bradley Thompson.

So.... Would YOU like to discover how to look THIRTY years younger, in just TEN minutes a day?

Discover the secret behind the Five Rituals and learn how.

Click on this link to discover more at the official site:

Five Rituals

Highly recommended!

I will be finding out more about this Five Ritual program. something that can help me look younger and feel healthier starting from inside me should be easy to follow and adapt.


If you like to find more of such self improvement programs, visit Self Help Street here

Source: Learning Curve

Have you never been mellow

I would like to share a favourite song of mine, Have you never been mellow, recorded by Olivia Newton John and written by John Farrar. Whenever, I feel lost and stress, I would hummed the words of this song, kind of like a reminder that I should slow down and enjoy life's beauty.

Enjoy the words and let me know what you think!

Have You Never Been Mellow

There was a time when I was in a hurry as you are
I was like you
There was a day when I just had to tell my point of view
I was like you
Now I don't mean to make you frown
No, I just want you to slow down

Have you never been mellow?
Have you never tried to find a comfort from inside you?
Have you never been happy just to hear your song?
Have you never let someone else be strong?

Running around as you do with your head up in the clouds
I was like you
Never had time to lay back, kick your shoes off, close your eyes
I was like you
Now you're not hard to understand
You need someone to take your hand

Have you never been mellow?
Have you never tried to find a comfort from inside you?
Have you never been happy just to hear your song?
Have you never let someone else be strong?

How negativity can impact your efforts

Many of us know the harmful effect of negativity. Attitude make or break us as in the words of Napolean Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich; "There is very little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it's positive or negative."
It is probably easier to be negative than positive. It is easy to slide into a blaming culture, the poor little old me mindset. We all know the importance of being positive and usually, things that are good needs a little more effort initially or they can slide quickly into negativity.

What are the negativity forces in our life? The negative forces in our life can be ourselves and the people around us. Though, it might seem negative even to talk about negativity, it is important to identify what negativity is and how it can impact our efforts.

Personal negativity could come in the form of suspicion and mistrust. It is also has the inner connotation of self doubt and lack of confidence. Sometimes we allow negativity to invade our thoughts, for example, doubting the possibility that things are going smoothly, believing that there is a catch somewhere, always wary about being taken for a ride and being jealous of another person’s achievements. As we are the master of our own destiny and our thoughts can make or break us, such negativity will hinder our progress and even destroy something that is going well.

Negativity forces from people could be our colleagues, our friends and family. Negativity examples are; when they say things to cast doubts in your mind, they complain about almost everything and whatever other people are doing. They live in fear and worries too much. They can’t control their emotions and can have a quick temper. Being around negative people can drain your energy. Their negativity can mislead you to making wrong judgement.

You know you are becoming a negative person when your venture start failing and your progress get stifled. You will notice that positive people stay away from you and you are surrounded by people who are constantly negative. Eventually, you will become an angry and depressed person.

We can get out of negativity. It all begins with a positive attitude, believing that the cup is half full and not half empty. Sometimes, it may not be possible to stay away from negative people especially if they are family members. However, it is possible to walk away from a negative conversation. Stay away from people who make you doubt yourself or your progress. Remember, nothing gets solved being negative and it will only make worsened our life.

Visit Success Guide for books on self improvement, positive thinking and how not to be a negative person.

Serendipity- Look for something, find something else

In the past year, I have been bugged by a thought. It seems that the things that I am doing now like writing, gardening and creating a new home in another country is the sum of all my past effort and experience.

It's serendipity. I have never thought that my brief exposure to gardening ( I did it for networking ) several years ago is my preparation to creating a herb and vegetable garden now. My lifelong interest in the Victorian era, British and Europe history serve me well as I make UK my home now. I am an academically qualified marketeer but I have never been able to completely utilised my knowledge. Little did I know that my skills are now useful to me.

I didn't set out to seek a life in UK or had great interest in gardening in my early years. Somehow, it feels that the knowledge I have acquired and experiences I had, be it good or bad, is preparing me for the life I was born to live. It is never in vain.

There is definitely a purpose in life. Something will happen and it's up to us to make the outcome positive. Hence, make your every life experience a learning process, believed that any obstacles and success served a purpose in our life. Most importantly, always strive to be postitive, have good intentions in your actions and believe in yourself.

What is Serendipity?

Serendipity is the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while looking for something else entirely.

The word derives from Serendip, the old Arabic and Persian name for Sri Lanka and was coined by Horace Walpole on 28 January 1754 in a letter he wrote to his friend Horace Mann, an Englishman then living in Florence. The letter read,

"It was once when I read a silly fairy tale, called The Three Princes of Serendip: as their highnesses traveled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of: for instance, one of them discovered that a camel blind of the right eye had traveled the same road lately, because the grass was eaten only on the left side, where it was worse than on the right—now do you understand serendipity..." extract from Wikipedia

Famous Serenditpity Quotes:

"Serendipity. Look for something, find something else, and realize that what you've found is more suited to your needs than what you thought you were looking for." Lawrence Block

Recommended reading:

The Life You Were Born to Live: Finding Your Life Purpose

Learning Success from others

I often ponder on the question about how I should look upon other people's success or failure. It's easy to fall into the negativity of envy and 'they are just lucky' mentality. I found this interesting article whilst surfing on the net and it confirm my thoughts that one of the main criteria for sucess is about learning from other people's achievements and failures. I have pasted the article here and I hope you will find it useful as I have:

When you're trying to make improvements to your life in a certain area, it can be difficult to look around and see others who have already achieved what you're still trying to achieve. If you're starting a business, you may feel twinges of jealousy or envy pop up when you read about someone who already owns an extremely successful business in the field you're attempting to break into. Maybe you're an artist and have yet to sell a painting, whereas other artists you know seem to sell their products by barely lifting a finger! Or maybe you just don't feel as happy or energetic as you'd like, but it seems like everyone around you always has that extra spring in their step.

Here's my advice for this: Instead of feeding into your twinges of jealousy or envy (yep, I get 'em too!), strive to learn as much as you can about how to achieve success from that person who has already achieved success in that area. The individual who is already accomplished in what you're hoping to make happen can serve as a great resource or mentor for you along your path to success! Not to mention, if someone else has already achieved your goal, that's a great thing for you because that is positive proof that it can be done. Hey, if they can do it, so can you!

If the person has written a book, read it! If the person lives in your area, ask to grab coffee with them and pick their brain about how they achieved their results. Don't worry, they will be extremely flattered if you tell them why you want to meet with them. If the person is a good friend of yours, then you have no excuses not to learn from them! Even just spending time with them and observing how they treat others or how they get things done on their to-do list can teach you a lot about success. Say you have a friend who is great with relationships and you're only so-so. The next time you hang out with your friend and her spouse, notice how she treats her spouse and see if it's any different than the way you treat potential suitors.

My point is, it can be easy to get frustrated when you've hit a roadblock or two and you see others around you who seem to be sailing through their goals with flying colors. Rather than feeling despair, however, a more productive thing to do is figure out what makes the other person successful and implement those techniques in your own life. This keeps you in action (learning and implementing new strategies) rather than staying stuck and feeling sorry for yourself, which is a much lower vibration. Remember, your external world cannot change until your internal world does. Therefore, if you are carrying around thoughts and feelings of, "Poor me, I will never get anywhere...", that is exactly what will keep happening in your life! To shift this to a more positive vibration, focus instead on the fact that someone else has succeeded and therefore, so can you. And your first step to success is observing how they have created their own success and seeing if you can replicate any of that yourself.

This is one reason why I love attending personal growth seminars put on by others who have already achieved what I'm trying to achieve. By observing how they carry themselves, how they interact with others, how they conduct their business, etc., I get a lot of great insight into how I can create similar results to them. Even if you can't attend a seminar, visit that person's website or sign up for their monthly newsletter to see if you can get any insights into how they have created their results. You don't even have to replicate what they do, but just open yourself up to some of the possibilities that are out there.

I recently met someone who has achieved several of the goals that are on my vision board and I felt myself starting to get down on myself for not having already achieved the same results. Then I realized what an amazing resource this person could be for me in realizing my dreams, and I started asking her a ton of questions and arranging to be around her as much as I could. I encourage you to try the same technique in your own life and watch as your results start to soar overnight! :-)

Mary Knebel is known as the Self Help Goddess, because she loves reading and finding the best self help books and resources to help others create their ideal life. She believes that everyone should be living their dream life, every single day. Check out her website at http://www.selfhelpgoddess.com to discover the best self help resources she has found over the years, and start living a life that is meaningful, fulfilling, and satisfying in every way possible!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Knebel

Recommended reading:
Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur
What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How successful people become even more successful

7 Life Skill Tips on attitude and success

There are so many factors around us that very often influence our capability to succeed or signal our route to failure. You have ideas, ambition and yet success seems to be evading you. What has gone wrong?

Our progress and success in life often lies in simply knowing what lies beneath us. Sometimes, we do not need to do a lot to succeed. Going back to basic and re discovering our strengths, redefining our attitudes are simple life skills that will help us find success.

You can add more value to your life simply by applying these life skills:

1. Know your strengths. When you recognised your capabilities, you are on your way to success. Think about the best times of your life, the times when you were enjoying what you were doing and the times where you make something good happen. Your strengths could be creativity, people management, organising or even being knowledgeable on a certain topic. Know your strengths, use them, they are your key to success and personal fulfillment.
2. Do one thing at a time. Have you ever feel overwhelmed with the thought of having to do many things and not knowing when and how to accomplish it? Write all the outstanding things you have to accomplish on a piece of paper and prioritise them. You will be surprised that the list isn’t that long and it looks achievable. Try not to do too many things at one time. Start from the top of your list and work your way down. Persevere and you will get the satisfaction of a diminishing list.
3. Communicate effectively and communicate well. Communicate well to be understood. The fundamental rules of good communication are
   - Be interested in the other person
   - Be a good listener
   - Putting your points across effectively, it's the quality of words not quantity that matters.
4. Prejudice is negative. Prejudice exudes negative energy. Instead of bringing or holding people together, prejudices push them apart. Prejudice is prejudgment that is making a decision about someone, a place or an event before becoming aware of the relevant facts. Prejudice blinds our ability to make sound decisions. Prejudice narrows our perspective of the event or person disallowing us to see the big picture. Prejudice could prevent us from taking chances in life and it could stifle our creativity.
5. Take Action. We may have the greatest vision, biggest wishlists, we may read many self help books, listen to leading motivational speakers with passionate and inspiring ideas, it will mean nothing if no action is taken. Action brings vision and ideas to life. Action requires energy and sacrifice, action like change gives initial discomfort, effort and energy. We must not give in to insecurity and self doubt, we should not rely on signs or permission to act, we should just do it!
6. Deal or no Deal. Follow your intuition or your gut feeling..... Set out what you want to achieve, if you have little control with the outcome, follow your intuition. The worst thing that could happen is realising that you have failed because you didn't trust your intuition.
7. Perseverance succeeds only with clear goals in mind. Feel like giving up? It is difficult to perservere when things don't seems to be moving or not moving the right direction. However, when you state your goals clearly on a piece of paper, when you reaffirm your goals, obstacles will not stop you from achieving it. When you are clear about what you want, how you are going to achieve it, your perserverance will help you succeed in achieving your goals.

'Vision isn't enough unlesss combined with venture. It's not enough to stare up the steps unless we also step up the stairs.- Vance Havner'

Time to consolidate your energy

Recession is likened to winter season, plants die or stop growing, the garden looks dull and lifeless. However, just like a change in the season, as spring approaches, the garden will slowly revive with new shoots and hence a revival of life in the garden, recession will pass and the economy will slowly revive again.

In this week's Times magazine, someone said that there could be a good opportunity in bad time. I believe that this is the time to consolidate your energy and your resources. It is a good time to retrain and to improve your skills. The opportunity could be that you will be ready when the economy picks up and you are there to reap the profits.

I believe this is our Learning Curve. This is the time to learn from the experience of others, this is the time to improve our knowledge, our skills and enhanced our wisdom.

Extract from the Learning Curve
"You can add more value to your life simply by doing one right thing, one right action and one right attitude...."