ScLoHo's Really?: 08/17/08

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Name This Local Website-76

We are up to 76. Click here to go there.

Perspective

Wisdom From Harvey:

Harvey Mackay's Column This Week

The best ship to sail—friendship

Aug. 17-23 is National Friendship Week. I'm amazed that we only have one week to celebrate that, because I appreciate my friends every day!

I've heard this quote many times, including from my good friend Muhammad Ali: "Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything."

I have friends whom I've known since I was a little boy, friends from college, friends who started out as business contacts, golfing friends, friends who share my passion for community service, and friends I met last week. And they all have one thing in common: We like each other for what we are, not what we want each other to be.

Greek philosopher Socrates was asked, "What is the most beneficial thing a person can acquire?" He answered, "A friend who gives sincere advice."

I am fortunate to have friends who aren't afraid to ruffle my feathers when it comes to advice. If I need to adjust my attitude, alter my course, back off or move forward, I have friends who will tell me. And because I value their friendship, I listen. And I will return the favor, if necessary. And we will remain friends because friendship is like a bank account: You cannot continue to draw on it without making deposits.

Friendship must have been a hot topic among the Greek philosophers. A century later, Aristotle viewed friendship among the highest virtues. It was an essential element in a full, virtuous, and worthwhile life. He identified three kinds of friendship:

Friendship of pleasure—two people are wonderfully happy in each other's company.
Friendship of utility—two people assist one another in everyday aspects of life.
Friendship of virtue—two people mutually admire one another and will be on best behavior in order not to jeopardize their relationship.

We need all three kinds of friends. Chances are we have some in each category, as well as friends who meet all the criteria.

Great literature, movies and music lyrics are full of references to friendship. The Beatles got by "with a little help from my friends." James Taylor reminded us that when you need a helping hand, "you've got a friend." Bette Midler gave us a long list of reasons why "You've got to have friends." One of the most successful and longest-running television shows of all time was "Friends," which will probably continue to run in syndication when the stars are old and gray.

And contrary to popular belief, dogs are not man's best friends! However, they are extraordinarily loyal and trustworthy—and one reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue.

We have wonderful opportunities to make friends wherever we go. I jump at those opportunities! I love meeting new people because I get a different view of the world. I may not agree with everything I hear, but what a way to expand your mind.

One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They stayed with a very poor family.

When they returned, the father asked the son what he thought of their trip.

"It was great, Dad."

"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.

"Oh yeah," said the son.

"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are."

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends!

Mackay's Moral: The best vitamin for making friends is B-1.

Miss a column? The last three weeks of Harvey's columns are always archived online.

More information and learning tools can be found online at harveymackay.com.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Name This Local Website-75

Friday night guessing game. Click here for the answer.

100 Research Sources

I found this yesterday. With two of my kids slaving away at college, this list could help them.

Or if you are just curious about something, happy clicking and digging:

100 Extensive University Libraries from Around the World that Anyone Can Access

By Alisa Miller

Universities house an enormous amount of information and their libraries are often the center of it all. You don't have to be affiliated with any university to take advantage of some of what they have to offer. From digital archives, to religious studies, to national libraries, these university libraries from around the world have plenty of information for you.

Digital Libraries

Capturing images of manuscripts, art, and artifacts, digital libraries are an excellent way of both preserving the past and sharing it with everyone.

Harvard University Library. Browse through 24 different collections ranging from cultural images of eastern Asia to 19th century American trade cards.
Yale University Library: Digital Collections. Find ancient manuscripts or read a classic all preserved digitally courtesy of the Yale University Library.
Indiana University Digital Library Program. Download manuscripts from Isaac Newton or view photographs, film literature, and music from the collections at this library.
Michigan State University Digital and Multimedia Center. Find several texts from authors such as Joseph Conrad, Aesop's Fables, cookbooks, and texts on orchids or veterinary medicine in PDF format.
Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections. Browse through one of over 10 different digital collections that range from medieval and early Renaissance manuscripts to architectural drawings or visit the online exhibitions for even more.
Purdue University e-Archives. Find information on Amelia Earhart to Purdue history in the collections at Purdue's digital archives.
Rutgers University Digital Library Projects. Learn about the history of alcohol, New Jersey, Italy's people, and much more in this diverse digital library.
Ohio State University Libraries Collections. See photos of Bird's expedition to the South Pole, learn about the women of Burlesque, and more in these digital archives.
Syracuse University Digital Library. Find interesting information on the history of the New York area as well as recordings of popular WWII songs.
Ohio University Libraries Digital Exhibits. Learn about Ohio history, visits from important people, read WWII papers, and more in these archives.
Brown University Library, Center for Digital Initiatives. This collection includes such interesting topics ranging from Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon, and African American and Yiddish sheet music.
JSU Houston Cole Library Digital Collections. In addition to profiles of several local historical figures, there is a collection of oral histories from people who lived through historic eras of the early to mid 20th century in America.

International Digital Libraries

These digital libraries either have a focus on a culture other than that of the United States or are housed in another country.

The Digital South Asia Library. Sponsored by University of Chicago, this library provides images, reference material, statistics, indexes, and more all focusing on South Asia.
Cambridge University Library Digital Image Collections. Study ancient texts, photographs from the late 19th century through the mid 20th century, Pascal's Treatise on the Arithmetic Triangle, and more.
Nagoya University Library. The manuscripts in these digital databases are in Japanese, as are most of the sites (with some English and French). Whether you know any Japanese or not, if you appreciate the beauty of ancient Japanese manuscripts, you can randomly click through these sites and find some beautiful images.
Ryukoku University Electronic Exhibition. The digital collection from this university in Kyoto, Japan offers glimpses of art and manuscripts with descriptions of each in English.

Texts

These libraries offer books or texts for you to read online and free of charge.

Universal Digital Library. Hosted by Carnegie Mellon University, this site offers one million online texts touching on literature, the arts, and science.
The Perseus Digital Library. Find Greek and Latin classics, English Renaissance, and more on this site. Currently, a newer, more modern version is in testing, so feel free to give that a try too.
The Oxford Text Archive. Scroll through these digitally preserved texts for access to hundreds of classic texts. If the text is available for download, it will be designated "free" to the right of the link.
Kelvin Smith Library eBooks. This listing ranges from links to full-text reference material to style guides to classic dramas. They also have an exclusive collection of early American and British books.
University of Chicago Library EOS. Find image-based electronic texts available to all from the University of Chicago's collection.
The University of Adelaide Library e-Books. This Australian library offers free texts to all. Browse by author, title, chronology, or theme.
Literary Resources on the Net. Hosted by Rutgers University, you can find any number of classic texts here categorized by category.
The Internet Classics Archive. Find major classics, including some Chinese and Persian texts, on this site hosted by MIT.
Renascence Editions. Find English language texts written between 1477 and 1799 at this site hosted by the University of Oregon. Scroll through the alphabetical listing to find texts by author.
The Beck Center for Electronic Collections. This collection of resources hosted by Emory University offers projects such as Women's Genre Fiction, The Belfast Group, and the W.B. Yeats Collection, all of which provide downloadable texts pertaining to each topic.
Carrie: An Electronic Library. Hosted by the University of Kansas, this online library offers several collections with focus mainly on history and social sciences.

Medical Libraries

These libraries offer medical information for both the professional and the lay person.

Welch Medical Library. This library, courtesy of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, offers a search feature for articles published in medical journals and online. They also have Subject Guides under the "eResources" section that offers links to topics ranging from Alternative Medicine to Grants and Funding to Writing and Publishing.
The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Care Center. Each page at this site provides a wealth of information explaining about specific types of cancer as well as topics related to cancer such as pain, fatigue, and genetics.
Duke University Medical Center Library Online. Get databases, journals, tutorials, tools, and more at this medical library.
Lamar Soutter Library. Courtesy of University of Massachusetts, this library offers plenty of information for the general public with access levels clearly labeled on most resources.
Michigan Ear Institute Medical Library. Find several articles about diagnosis and treatment of ear issues in this online library intended for both professionals and laypersons.
South Carolina Department of Mental Health. Geared toward both the professional and clients and their families, this site offers a wealth of information from the diagnostic stage to treatment.
Encyclopedia of Psychology. This site run by Jacksonville State University provides links to anything related to psychology. Read about organizations, learn about the major theories, or find out about a career in the field.
Children's Hospital Boston Interactive Features. Click on these features to make neurons fire, see cell growth as you travel through cancer stages, create red blood cells, and more.
Tufts Open Courseware. Tufts University medical school has put several medical courses online for anyone to access.
Bastyr University. Focusing on natural health medicine, this university library offers a nice database with resources for natural medicine.

Legal Libraries

Whether you are studying the law or are just interested in it, these libraries have information for you.

UCLA Online Institute for Cyberspace Law and Policy. This archive provides a rich resource for all formative laws taking place between 1995 through 2002.
Berkman Center for Internet & Society. A part of Harvard Law, find publications and research that pertain to Internet law.
Emory Law Ready Reference. This site offers links to free primary and secondary research sources. Find an Internet Legal Research Guide among many other guides.
Santa Clara Law Library. Find lots of legal resources available on the Internet as well as legal research guides here.
Cornell University Law School Legal Information Institute. Find procedures, codes, and more at this resource for public legal information.
New Jersey Digital Legal Library. Hosted by Rutgers University Library, you can find papers on New Jersey law and legal history here.
Tarlton Law Library. From the University of Texas School of Law, this library offers access to plenty of information for the general public.
USC Gould School of Law. This library provides users online access to journals, legal resources, and electronic resources.
Wise Law Library. In addition to the databases, this site also offers links to helpful legal websites, research tools, and library tools courtesy of University of Colorado Law.
O'Quinn Law Library. From University of Houston, this library has access to databases as well as a few special collections available online.

National Libraries of Europe

The following libraries are both national libraries that offer a glimpse into the culture and history of the country they represent as well as hold affiliations with universities.

National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This library is open to both those affiliated with the university and general readership, but note that there is not an English version available.
The National and University Library in Zagreb. This library in Croatia offers collections of ancient papers and manuscripts available online.
Copenhagen University Library. In conjunction with the National Library, this site offers a wide range of materials available in both English and Danish.
National and University Library of Iceland. Look at ancient maps of Iceland or explore the multiple databases available on this site. Some areas are restricted to those associated with the university.
National and University Library St. Kliment Ohridski - Skopje. Available in English, this library of the former Yugolslov Republic of Macedonia offers a limited amount of information online, but you can access some databases. Members of the library have access to more sections.
National and University Library of Slovenia. The digital library offers access to many national treasures of Slovenian history. Much of the website can be navigated in English.

Religious Studies

From various types of Christianity to Judaism to Buddhism, these libraries offer an opportunity for religious research.

Hartford Seminary Library. Find books, dissertations, and more on Christian theology here. Some access is restricted to students of the seminary.
Brigham Young University Digital Collections. Click on "Text Collections" for a wide range of available texts including children's literature, sermons of John Donne, and a huge collection of Mormon literature.
The Divinity Library, Vanderbilt University. Get the revised common lectionary, access their many free databases, and read guides on how to do religious research at this library.
University of California Library Religious Studies. Use research tools, use library guides, and browse through the religious studies collection at this library.
Flora Lamson Hewlett Library. Research with the online databases, take advantage of tutorials, and more at this site.
The Catholic University of America Library. Research religious studies, philosophy, and canon laws at this library.
Ostrow Library at American Jewish University. Search databases, take advantage of suggested links, and more at this library focusing on Jewish culture and civilization.
Digital Library and Museum of Buddhist Studies. Hosted by National Taiwan University Library, this site offers scriptures, tools, and more to help your study of Buddhism.

Specialized Selections

From maps to architectural images to information on deafness, these libraries offer a very specialized collection.

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Study topographical maps from around the world at this library.
Texas Tech University Libraries 3D Animation Lab. Learn the basics and find some handy tools to get you started with creating your own 3D animation.
United Nations University Library. Browse through this online library with the mission of solving global concerns and bringing peace worldwide.
News and Newspapers Online. A service of the University Libraries of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, this library will help you find current news anywhere in the world.
SPIRO. Courtesy of University of California, Berkeley, you can find over 270,000 architectural images in both slide and photograph format.
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library. Find two online collections that offer images of ancient Chinese maps.
Documenting the American South. Hosted by the University of North Carolina, you can find full texts by various authors that document the Southern Americana heritage.
University of Minnesota Human Rights Library. Read more than 85,000 human rights documents at this online library.
Gallaudet University Library. This library has an extensive section on deaf research including statistics, deaf people and animals, ways librarians can communicate, and more.
Hargrett Library Rare Map Collection. View more than 800 maps ranging over a 500 year time span in this online collection from University of Georgia Libraries.

Academic Research

Whether you are researching Mark Twain or war in the 20th century, these libraries offer resources to help you.

HighWire Press. Hosted by Stanford University, this free repository holds journals and other academic articles available to the general public.
Mark Twain Project. Co-sponsored by the University of California, you can find texts, documents, and research available online about the life and works of Mark Twain.
Project Euclid. Sponsored by Cornell University, this site offers online resources for math and statistics.
NARCIS. Hosted by Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, this database provides access to scientific papers based out of the Netherlands.
The World of Dante. Study Dante's Inferno online courtesy of the University of Virginia. It has been tagged using SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) to enhance the interface and study of this poem.
Southwestern Writers Collection. Texas State University houses a huge collection of manuscripts and information on southwestern writers. Much of the information is available online in the archives.
Peace and War in the 20th Century. From McMaster University Library in Ontario, this library provides records, case studies, a time line, and more focusing on war and peace around the world in the 20th century.
Internet Public Library. Founded by University of Michigan School of Information and hosted by Drexel University's College of Information Science & Technology, this incredibly comprehensive library has plenty to offer.

American Universities

These American university libraries have plenty to offer to anyone who takes the time to explore what is available.

University of Texas Libraries. Browse through the multiple libraries and museums available on this site. Some access is restricted to those affiliated with the university, but there is plenty of information for the general public.
Georgetown University Library. Search you databases, journals, and special collections at this combination of both the Lauinger Library and the Blommer Science Library.
Princeton University Library . This library offers lots of information for the general public. Be sure to check out their incredible reference database too.
LSU Libraries: Special Collections. While only parts of these special collections are available online, you can learn about the oral history of Louisiana, rare books, and the Civil War.
University of Nevada, Reno Libraries. Find Basque books and films, information on Earth sciences and mining, and maps and history of the Nevada area at this library.
Washington University Libraries. Ask a librarian, find journal articles, and browse through reference sources here.
Howard University Library System. Students and non-students alike can take advantage of the databases, catalog, and faculty papers.
University of Delaware Library. In addition to access to five libraries, you can also view a digital collection, instructional media collection, and other special collections.
University of Virginia Library. This library offers a good selection of labs, such as the digital media lab, which the general public can access portions of online.
J. Willard Marriott Library. From University of Utah, this library offers a good selection of special collections, digital collections, and more.

International Universities

Travel around the world from your computer and learn what these international university libraries have to offer.

The University of Edinburgh. The resources here are available to the general public; however, most licensed electronic resources are not available to non-university people.
The Library at UCD Dublin. While much of the information is restricted to either those associated with the university or visiting scholars, the general public can access electronic resources including eBooks, online reference sources, and more.
University of Oxford Bodleian Library e-Resources. This library offers a good selection of resources available to all ranging from digital archives to research articles written by Oxford authors.
Bibliotheque de la Sorbonne. Check out the electronic resources for the biggest selection available to the general public at this library. The site is completely in French.
Free University of Berlin Universitatsbibliothek. Research 700 databases and 20,000 journals in this university's digital library. The site is available in English, but some of the pages may only be available in German.
Roskilde University Library. Of the open-access services available at this library, there is a good mix of information in both English and Danish.
Stockholm University Library. Search the databases, e-books, and e-journals available at this library. Not all information is accessible by the general public, but what is available is clearly marked.
University Library Ghent. This library in Belgium offers digital databases with historic photographs and more, a section with a five-year focus on architecture, and much more. Some of the site is available in English.
Open University of Catalonia. Search for information in English, Spanish, or Catalan in this library that offers an online collection ranging across many topics including the arts, philosophy, labor sciences, law, marketing, tourism, and more.
University of Zurich. This university has made several libraries and online databases available for use. There is a mix of resources in both English and German.
National University of Singapore Libraries. Get links to information about Singapore from government to statistics as well as the ability to search the university databases.

50 of 50 Things

This is from www.marcandangel.com

Since this is the final day, after giving you # 50, you'll the previous 49.

Self-reliance is a vital key to living a healthy, productive life. To be self-reliant one must master a basic set of skills, more or less making them a jack of all trades. Contrary to what you may have learned in school, a jack of all trades is far more equipped to deal with life than a specialized master of only one.

While not totally comprehensive, here is a list of 50 things everyone should know how to do.

50. Jump Start a Car – It sure beats walking or paying for a tow truck.

1. Build a Fire – Fire produces heat and light, two basic necessities for living. At some point in your life this knowledge may be vital.

2. Operate a Computer – Fundamental computer knowledge is essential these days. Please, help those in need.

3. Use Google Effectively – Google knows everything. If you’re having trouble finding something with Google, it’s you that needs help.

4. Perform CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver – Someday it may be your wife, husband, son or daughter that needs help.

5. Drive a Manual Transmission Vehicle – There will come a time when you’ll be stuck without this knowledge.

6. Do Basic Cooking – If you can’t cook your own steak and eggs, you probably aren’t going to make it.

7. Tell a Story that Captivates People’s Attention – If you can’t captivate their attention, you should probably just save your breath.

8. Win or Avoid a Fistfight – Either way, you win.

9. Deliver Bad News – Somebody has got to do it. Unfortunately, someday that person will be you.

10. Change a Tire – Because tires have air in them, and things with air in them eventually pop.

11. Handle a Job Interview – I promise, sweating yourself into a nervous panic won’t land you the job.

12. Manage Time – Not doing so is called wasting time, which is okay sometimes, but not all the time.

13. Speed Read – Sometimes you just need the basic gist, and you needed it 5 minutes ago.

14. Remember Names – Do you like when someone tries to get your attention by screaming “hey you”?

15. Relocate Living Spaces – Relocating is always a little tougher than you originaly imagined.

16. Travel Light – Bring only the necessities. It’s the cheaper, easier, smarter thing to do.

17. Handle the Police – Because jail isn’t fun… and neither is Bubba.

18. Give Driving Directions – Nobody likes driving around in circles. Get this one right the first time.

19. Perform Basic First Aid – You don’t have to be a doctor, or genius, to properly dress a wound.

20. Swim – 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. Learning to swim might be a good idea.

21. Parallel Park – Parallel parking is a requirement on most standard driver’s license driving tests, yet so many people have no clue how to do it. How could this be?

22. Recognize Personal Alcohol Limits – Otherwise you may wind up like this charming fellow.

23. Select Good Produce – Rotten fruits and vegetables can be an evil tease and an awful surprise.

24. Handle a Hammer, Axe or Handsaw – Carpenters are not the only ones who need tools. Everyone should have a basic understanding of basic hand tools.

25. Make a Simple Budget – Being in debt is not fun. A simple budget is the key.

26. Speak at Least Two Common Languages – Only about 25% of the world’s population speaks English. It would be nice if you could communicate with at least some of the remaining 75%.

27. Do Push-Ups and Sit-Ups Properly – Improper push-ups and sit-ups do nothing but hurt your body and waste your time.

28. Give a Compliment – It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give someone, and it’s free.

29. Negotiate – The better deal is only a question or two away.

30. Listen Carefully to Others – The more you listen and the less you talk, the more you will learn and the less you will miss.

31. Recite Basic Geography – If you don’t know where anything is outside of your own little bubble, most people will assume (and they are probably correct) that you don’t know too much at all.

32. Paint a Room – The true cost of painting is 90% labor. For simple painting jobs it makes no sense to pay someone 9 times what it would cost you to do it yourself.

33. Make a Short, Informative Public Speech – At the next company meeting if your boss asks you to explain what you’ve been working on over the last month, a short, clear, informative response is surely your best bet. “Duhhh…” will not cut it.

34. Smile for the Camera – People that absolutely refuse to smile for the camera suck!

35. Flirt Without Looking Ridiculous – There is a fine line between successful flirting and utter disaster. If you try too hard, you lose. If you don’t try hard enough, you lose.

36. Take Useful Notes – Because useless notes are useless, and not taking notes is a recipe for failure.

37. Be a Respectful House Guest – Otherwise you will be staying in a lot of hotels over the years.

38. Make a Good First Impression – Aristotle once said, “well begun is half done.”

39. Navigate with a Map and Compass – What happens when the GPS craps out and you’re in the middle of nowhere?

40. Sew a Button onto Clothing – It sure is cheaper than buying a new shirt.

41. Hook Up a Basic Home Theater System – This isn’t rocket science. Paying someone to do this shows sheer laziness.

42. Type – Learning to type could save you days worth of time over the course of your lifetime.

43. Protect Personal Identity Information – Personal identity theft is not fun unless you are the thief. Don’t be careless.

44. Implement Basic Computer Security Best Practices – You don’t have to be a computer science major to understand the fundamentals of creating complex passwords and using firewalls. Doing so will surely save you a lot of grief someday.

45. Detect a Lie – People will lie to you. It’s a sad fact of life.

46. End a Date Politely Without Making Promises – There is no excuse for making promises you do not intend to keep. There is also no reason why you should have to make a decision on the spot about someone you hardly know.

47. Remove a Stain – Once again, it’s far cheaper than buying a new one.

48. Keep a Clean House – A clean house is the foundation for a clean, organized lifestyle.

49. Hold a Baby – Trust me, injuring a baby is not what you want to do.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Name This Local Website-74

Check it out before it ends...... Click here!

A Tease and Inspiration

First the Tease:

How would you like this to be said about you in your obituary:

“Dolores had no hobbies, made no contribution to society and rarely shared a kind word or deed in her life. I speak for the majority of her family when I say her presence will not be missed by many, very few tears will be shed and there will be no lamenting over her passing.”

Now the Inspiration:

If you are living the kind of life that will end with an obit like that, stop what you are doing right now and fix things.

Follow up on the Tease:

Click here to go to Joe's blog and read the story behind this obit.

49 of 50 Things

This is from www.marcandangel.com

Self-reliance is a vital key to living a healthy, productive life. To be self-reliant one must master a basic set of skills, more or less making them a jack of all trades. Contrary to what you may have learned in school, a jack of all trades is far more equipped to deal with life than a specialized master of only one.

While not totally comprehensive, here is a list of 50 things everyone should know how to do.

49. Hold a Baby – Trust me, injuring a baby is not what you want to do.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Name This Local Website-73

Starting to wind down this project, but still have a few more. Click here for tonight's site.

Self-Talk

I read this Sunday. You get to read it now. From the DLM Blog:

If I Couldn't Fail, I would...

Posted: 14 Aug 2008 08:48 AM CDT

Written on 8/14/2008 by Elizabeth Day, of edaycafe.com. Photo Credit: where are the joneses

Beliefs are the most powerful force in the world. What we believe to be true about ourselves appears in our lives as our lives.

How do you visualize your world? Do you hold the belief that nothing good happens to you, that you will never win the prize? Our prosperity, or lack of it, reflects our thinking. Would you like to be on the receiving end of prosperity?

Then change your thinking and you’ll change your world! You will become what you think about most.

Erase and Replace
All of us talk to ourselves all the time. We are thinking machines that never shut down. The more you think about anything in a certain way the more you will believe that that

is how it really is. Become aware of what you are thinking. Make a list of your thoughts. Most people are unaware of just how many negative thoughts they think about themselves and the world around them. If you can’t be bothered making a list, have a friend say “negative” every time he or she hears negative self-talk. It will stop you in your tracks. You will be surprised how many negative thoughts you think in a day’s time.

You need to be aware of everything you tell yourself about yourself.

Here are a few examples of negative self-talk:

I’m so clumsy
Just my luck
I never know what to say
I’m too shy
I don’t have talent
It’s just no use
Nobody likes me
I’m too poor
There’s just no way
I hate my job
I just can’t handle this

The human mind will do and believe anything you tell it if you tell it often enough and strongly enough! If you tell it the wrong things about yourself, it will accept and act upon it.

Programming
Our conditioning, from the day we were born, has created and reinforced most of what we believe about ourself. Right or wrong, true or false, the result of it is what we believe to be true. It all starts with programming.

I can’t - Your greatest foe. You say something negative about yourself and accept it.

I need to, I should - Your recognition of your need to change, but don’t.

I never, I no longer - You recognize the need to change and make the decision to do something about it.

When you replace a negative thought or action with I never or I no longer, your mind will eventually accept it. For instance, if you are a smoker, every time you light a cigarette say to yourself and out loud, I have no desire to smoke or I never smoke. Say it to yourself until your subconscious mind accepts its new directive and creates a new non-smoking version of you. You no longer smoke! That’s exactly what you told your subconscious mind; that’s exactly what it will do.

I am - The better you. The most effective thought pattern. It has been used the least and is needed the most. You are telling your subconscious mind, “This is the me I want you to create! I don’t smoke! I am living the life I choose, I do everything I need to do when I need to do it. Your past negative thought patterns are turned around. You are no longer thinking, “I can’t remember names” instead you are thinking “I have a great memory”. Which do you want your subconscious mind to accept?

This is how the brain works