Creativity is one characteristic that is very much helpful in life. It includes the invention of something new or the re-invention of something old to make it more useful or interesting.

For some, creativity is innate or inborn. However, for those who are not born with the creative mind, do not fret because creativity can be extracted from your personality. The following are tips to squeeze out the creativity inside you:

1. Consider redefining, substituting, rearranging, reversing, and combining.

Remember to consider all factors that are affected by your problem or your concern. The problem can be broken down into several elements and then shuffled. Think of what would happen if an idea is replaced. This aspect is important in enhancing creativity because it helps you remove possible fixations that may hinder creativity.

2. Think on how other objects or people might adapt to your problem.

Imagine how another person would react if subjected in the same situation. Picture how different situations would continue when dealing with the same problem. Application in different settings can be also be done; and then from there, adapt a solution to the current setting.

3. Let your imagination run wild.

Try to change the things that could be changed. Modification can trigger creativity because you see things in a different light. You can also try to exaggerate or think of the extremes, be it magnification or minimization of something. Thinking of the possible differences between these two situations could produce ideas. This is the ultimate brain exercise.

4. Work in a place where you are comfortable in.

Make sure that your environment is conducive for thinking. Most of the time, people tend to be more creative when they are with people who are doing the same thing. It was also found that if you wish to be more creative, you should try hanging out with creative people.

5. Give yourself enough time.

Hurrying does help in the outflow of ideas. Forcing it out may only lead you to be fixated on just trying to finish. Studies have shown that the majority does not work well under pressure. Best results are produced from activities which have been given ample time.

6. Ask other people; or better yet, engage in brainstorming.

Never be shy to ask. Diversity is very helpful in relation with creativity. New ideas could help in triggering a new perspective. Furthermore, the spontaneous generation of new ideas helps in formulation of more ideas. The products of brainstorming can be the raw material in the construction of the idea.

Remember that in brainstorming, 4 rules are followed for it to be successful:

o There should be no criticisms. Criticism hinders the free flow of ideas. This can be postponed until the session has ended.

o Combining and/or modifying ideas are encouraged.

o Quantity is preferred over quality in brainstorming.

o Weird or strange ideas are encouraged.

All these tips are just suggestions. These tips can be tailored to your personality. Remember that creativity greatly depend on the person’s personality - his ability to think, invent, dream, and think. Creativity is always personalized.

Popularity: 4% [?]

People who want to be freed from fears seek a surefire anti-fear formula. Many books offer many remedies that claim to eliminate fears fast. But here’s shocking news for everyone: Man has been on earth for years and fears still lurk around him. All anti-fear solutions have been made and offered, backed up by the most advanced technology ever, and yet scores of people to this day still look for solutions to conquer fear. This speaks volumes about claims to eliminate fears fast.

Certain techniques have freed some people from their fears. But these techniques are far from bringing “fast” results. Anti-fear techniques require a process. Just look at the Kamikaze pilots of Japan in Second World War and the terrorists in the Middle East. They were trained not to fear death since childhood. The point is, a fearful person doesn’t get suddenly brave just because he read and applied the techniques that a book about fears teaches.

Getting rid of negative fears is not a speedy process. The question is, “what do you do with your fears while you are undergoing the elimination process?”

Fears can be kept away from you while you try to eliminate them. It’s like the paracetamol you take while your antibiotic is eliminating a virus. The paracetamol does not kill the virus. It does not get rid of the fever, but only keeps it away for a while. If you don’t take the antibiotic, the paracetamol can only do so little to cure your fever.

On the other hand, your antibiotic cannot kill the virus immediately. It starts overwhelming the virus after several consumptions. It finishes its job after 5 to 7 days. Now, if you choose to just take the antibiotic without the paracetamol, you would suffer the fever terribly while waiting for the antibiotic to work. Any doctor would advise against this.

You need to take something to control your fears (paracetamol) while you work out for the gradual treatment (antibiotic). The best way to manage fears while they are around during the treatment is to use them to your advantage and make them “user-friendly.” Your “paracetamol” for fears is to enjoy them while they are around. Your “antibiotic” is the new mindset you gradually feed yourself to overcome and conquer fears.

There are ways on actually enjoying and using your fears as you try to gradually get rid of them. You can adjust your behavior when you positively face your worst fears in life. Use this as a sort of amusement — like the kind of thrill you experience when you play to win in computer games. Instead of letting fears cripple your life, treat them as a series of escapades or exciting exploits. Remember, even being healed from a virus-inflicted sickness does not mean you have become immune to it. The virus can strike you again in greater strength.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Emotions are like a roller coaster. Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re dow; sometimes you’re upside down for a minute, then right side up the next. Normally, when people achieve their goals, their outlook on life is bright and cheery. They burst with positive emotions. However, when disappointment and frustration come their way, high enthusiasms dampen in a flash.

Try to remember the last tragedy that happened to you. Reflect on what it was and what your emotions were at that time. How did you feel the following day? How did you feel after a week? After a month? Now repeat the exercise, but think of a wonderful event instead. How long did the happiness from the moment last? Think about this - why do you sulk longer than you glow?

It’s because as we achieve more accomplishments and material possession, we tend to lift our expectations up a notch. We ask for greater accomplishments or more money. We are no longer satisfied with what we have. This applies to the rich and the poor.

Studies show wealth does not equate to happiness. However, being happy is similar to being healthy.

Too much stress can make the person unhealthy. Living in the 21st century led to a technologically advanced way of life, but we still experience stress through our anxieties. We are anxious on petty concerns - financial worries and rush - thus making us eat and sleep less. Sometimes, we are not in the proper mental disposition; this affects our professional and personal lives. When we ourselves our anxious, there is a tendency to be impatient with those around us.

The choices we make each day affect our whole outlook on life. Healthy habits are necessary for good health. Health and happiness are related and can affect each other. Good feelings can come from simple pleasures. Anything you enjoy doing, when done, makes you happy.

Senses of contentment, belonging, and purpose also bring happiness. Our attitude towards life in general, and the satisfaction we get, contribute to our happiness and health. When we are satisfied and are able to accomplish our goals and dreams, then we are happy.

We get an additional boost of confidence when we receive positive feedback on our efforts. Constructive criticism brings into our attention what we should work on for improvement. It is necessary that we receive feedback even if it weren’t given on a regular basis.

As we work hard, we should also play hard. Involve yourself in the community and keep in touch with your network of friends to maintain positive health.

There are some people who possess the “No Worries” attitude when dealing with life. They are usually optimistic and generally see the glass half-full, rather than half-empty. They live in the present, and are not stuck on the past. They accepted that the past couldn’t be changed. Neither do they worry about the future. They do know that the present shapes the future and that is why they seize the day.

With this open attitude, it is easier to meet new people, have new ideas, and gain new experiences. Happiness is all about living for the moment, being optimistic, and accepting the realities of life. From there, one feels healthier and ready to face life’s challenges.

When one finds happiness in his or her life, the whole body chemistry is affected and the bodily systems function well. There’s more time for family and friends, lessening the stress from work. When the person is an animal lover, playing with the pet (dog or cat) can relax him or her more.

He or she can also make time for a holiday. Researches done at the State University of New York at Oswego and the University of Pittsburgh show that those who take annual vacations are 20 percent less likely to die in the next nine years. Vacation is the remedy to stress. Besides, people are more than willing to shell out for experiences.

In a nutshell, doing activities that you enjoy can be the best way to have a fulfilling and healthy life.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Everybody knows the fear of ghosts, but few know the ghost of fear. To understand the ghost of fear, here is a short parable.

Once upon a time, Jake and Fear were friends. Fear was Jake’s constant companion, and Fear helped him a lot. Fear saved him from lots of troubles and dangers, and helped him choose right paths and ways in his life.

Whenever Jake would carelessly go with the wrong company of “friends” or make a very careless decision, Fear would butt in and remind him of his father’s counsels and admonitions. When walking right in danger’s path, Fear would whisper a word of warning to dissuade him from proceeding.

Fear would also tell him the proper behavior when Jake was in front of the elderly and other people in authority. Fear would give him the ability to do and say only the respectful and kind words to people. Fear would also tell him to be polite and humble when there was a conflict with people he was related with. In short, Fear has been helping him to keep out of troubles and dangers. Fear was really a friend. Jake liked Fear’s company.

Then one day, Jake met Doubt. Doubt seemed very concerned and sincere about Jake. Doubt said his closeness to Fear was remarkable — but alarming. Doubt threw lies about Fear, distorting the truth that Jake knew about Fear. Worse, Doubt said Fear was actually taking him to a perilous direction, with Jake being unaware.

Jake asked Fear about the things Doubt told him. They had some discussions that somehow went a bit sour. They parted ways with some misunderstandings.

Then one day, Jake heard that Fear had suddenly died.

Doubt lost no time in scaring Jake about Fear. Doubt said that Fear’s premature death and his unsettled “dispute” with Jake might cause Fear to come back from the dead. Thus, the ghost of fear started to haunt Jake. He would remember the times when Fear accompanied him and warned him of bad things. But this time, he feared the voice of Fear.

The more Jake listened to Doubt, the worse he became afraid of Fear. Fear seemed to be no longer a friend, but a spooky entity that sought his destruction.

The best way to “exorcize” or get rid of the “ghost” of fear is to make fear a friend again. You can only use it to help you if you face the truth about it. Your crazy and negative imagination creates your “ghosts.” A crazy imagination is good if you use it to create a “friendly” ghost.

The book of Proverbs says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

Popularity: 4% [?]

Probably a third of all miseries that trouble humankind are emotional. Psychiatrists mostly discover that their patients are emotionally troubled and mentally feeble. Troubled people have their minds weakened or overwhelmed by strong emotions.

For instance, a paranoid may imagine that people don’t like him. A diagnosis may show that the problem could be a very low self-esteem. “I don’t think I’m a person worthy of anything,” he may insist. Further diagnosis may show that the patient was abused or maltreated as a child. The trauma had impressed a negative emotion that stayed in him, grew, and finally took over his mindset and perceptions.

Let’s take a simpler and more common example. A spirited talk about their child’s birthday party somehow ended up on a sour note. Mary couldn’t figure out why John suddenly became argumentative about what cake to buy. Later on, John admitted that cakes weren’t really that important to him. He told her that any cake would do as long as their child liked it. It’s just that he’s bothered by how his boss has been treating him in the office. His boss has been criticizing everything he decides on. John couldn’t take being opposed anymore, even with a simple decision on what cake to buy.

Everyday, many people are held prisoners by their emotions. They let emotions rule their lives and decide how everything would turn out. They behave as if they have no choice but to yield to their emotions. They let emotions use them.

If you choose to, you can use emotions to your advantage. Instead of letting them take over your life and ruin it too, you can use your emotions to build you up.

The truth is that emotions have no power to control anything or anyone. The only reason they seem to be so overwhelming is that they are usually given power to be so. Emotions are similar to power beggars. They wait to be given power. By themselves, they can do nothing. Once they are given importance, they grab that opportunity and take over. Remember, emotions can grow in power overnight.

The good news is that you can order your emotions to propriety. With the right training, you can enforce a process that submits the emotions to a practical will. A practical will is that which is commanded by a strong and practical mind. If a personality has this operation, it will be a progressively changing personality everyday. When a practical mind decides on what behavior to manifest and how to manifest it, a healthy personality is the result. A healthy personality is one that makes use of its emotions, rather than letting emotions use it.

Popularity: 3% [?]

The employee with the greatest sense of humor is often the most liked person in any office setting. Aside from lightening an otherwise stressful and boring environment, having a sense of humor will also ensure that everybody’s sanity is intact at the end of the day.

Often, the person with the sense of humor is the one who has the most lunch and after-office invitations from colleagues. He or she is the person the staffs turn to when they want to feel at ease or escape for a few minutes from the daily hustle and bustle.

Though a sense of humor is what will make people flock to you and love you more in the office, you should also be wary about the things you say. If you’re not careful with your words, they could all come back to you and backfire. The next thing you know, instead of making people happy, you could be arousing conflict among your workmates, or, worse, your boss.

Here are some recommendations to ensure that your sense of humor does not cross any sensitive line and get you fired.

Accept that you will never be able to please everyone around you. While some of your workmates might find you hilariously funny, there are those who might be sensitive to what you say.

Personal jokes and poking fun at someone’s appearance, intelligence, or whatever, is not funny at all. It is destructive and will not earn you brownie points. Stick to jokes that are general and avoid personal attacks, as they can hamper inter-office relationships and invite resentment.

You have to have good timing when you throw in a joke. Sometimes, the tension in the office is too high that cracking a joke does not really help solve matters. It’s not always appropriate to use your sense of humor in any situation. There’s a time to be serious.

If you really need to crack a joke because you feel it will lighten the mood, start slow and start small. If people respond positively, then that’s when you make another remark. If nobody seems to appreciate a small joke at this time, a huge joke might not be in order.

Don’t get carried away. If you’re the ‘office clown’ it’s really not your responsibility to make people laugh all the time. Don’t pressure yourself.

People tend to give you more credit and respect if you do well in your particular job. So, before you crack a joke about the office environment or about the tension that surrounds you all, make sure first that you’ve done your job well. After all, that’s what you’re at the office for. A person who neglects his duties and only focuses on ‘making people laugh’ is no good at all. Be one and your boss will surely fire you from your post before you can say, “I’m just kidding.”

Remember that the office is a place for work. While a great sense of humor is highly welcome, you must always keep in mind that there are tasks to be done and that merely cracking jokes won’t get the job completed. However, a good, well-time joke will also help motivate your colleagues to doing better. The key here is timing and content. Keep these two to heart.

Popularity: 4% [?]

John grew up to be a fine young man because he was taught early in life to submit to his parents. He feared his parents but also enjoyed being very close to them.

John learned the value of submission. He was disciplined to live within the healthy truth perception of his parents — knowing that his parents lived exemplary lives together. In this way, he developed a healthy fear of his parents — a positive fear born out of respect.

Now let’s take a look at Jerry. His parents lived chaotic lives, always in sharp disagreement and petty quarrels. His mother did not submit to his father, and they often went separate ways. Jerry terribly feared his parents, especially his dad. He feared him not out of respect, but out of anxiety. He worried that his parents might separate and finally abandon him.

John feared his parents but Jerry was afraid of his parents. John feared his parents to please them, but Jerry worried about losing out terribly in the end. John accepted discipline from his parents, but Jerry saw discipline or obedience as a way that might delay the impending separation of his parents. John’s life was simple; Jerry’s life was complicated.

We want the healthy fear of John. This fear leads to true freedom. This fear leads to a quiet life with little worries and uncertainties, if any. It orders your life to propriety, and this is what you want to pass to your descendants. Hence, this fear frees you and the generations after you.

Healthy fears are within you to serve you. They give you warning, discipline, and self-control. They work for you. They do not control you; quite the contrary, you manage them to suit your goals. You use them for your freedom.

When fears control you, your worst nightmare begins. You lose your freedom.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Certainly, there are times when you just feel like you’re “stuck in a rut.” It seems like your mind’s just ran out creative juice, and you’re short of ideas.

Aside from preventing you to finish your work on time, creativity lulls can always put a damper on someone’s mood. It’s always best to develop some creative enhancement techniques; because as much as you want to avoid lack of inspiration in your creative endeavors, it’s something that just naturally occurs. It’s up to you whether you would let these pauses get in the way of things.

This may sound weird, but when you start feeling like you’ve already ran out of good ideas, may it be for an article, a book, a painting or a song that you’re trying to make, drawing out inspiration from your life experiences can actually be a big help. Many people usually turn to their experience treasure chest to help them find a new topic for their projects. It doesn’t matter whether you live an ordinary life or not, just pick out something that you’re very fond of, and use it in the most creative way that you can think of. Some stories usually start on just simple drafts; but the more the story progresses, the better it gets. Once you start to get your creative juices flowing, it would start to pour out in unthinkable amounts.

Another great thing to draw inspiration from are your “insights.” This is just a way to help you rack your brains in trying to come up with little ideas that can help you generate a story or any sort of inspiration. For starters, you might actually want to try coming up with a list to help the insights flowing. Think of a topic, and then just start listing down things that you think are relevant to it. Take for example, the “Top 10 Christmas gifts.” This might be a good start if you’re trying to come up with an idea on a Christmas story for children. Whenever you’re feeling pressured to start coming up with something, the best that you can actually do is to just list things down. It’ll definitely help you get more organized. Before you know it, you’d be able to come up with something solid to work on.

Apart from trying to draw inspiration and ideas from your personal experiences, why not try asking around. You might also get something good out of other people’s experiences –whether it’d be good or not. Always remember that whenever you’re trying to draw some inspiration for something or trying to enhance your creativity, never ever pressure yourself in accomplishing it in a snap; because the more you pressure yourself, the less likely you’ll be able to come up with something genuine and unique.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Everybody loves a clown. A person who knows how to laugh in the midst of various circumstances is more likely to be appreciated by others, compared to the person who always sulks and keeps complaining about the things that happen to him or her. Crowds naturally flock to positive stimuli. If you practice a good, well-timed sense of humor wherever you are, people will eventually gravitate toward you and want to be in your company.

First, a sense of humor is a non-intrusive way of introducing yourself to others. Cracking a joke at the start of the conversation often breaks a greater ice barrier than simply saying, “It’s a sunny day, isn’t it?” While most self-help books will tell you that talking about the weather is a good start to a conversation, a sense of humor (coupled with a light joke) will not only get you introduced, it will also make a more positive impression.

Humor is also often regarded as a means of escape from tense situations. If you’ve been poring over a pile of work for the past few hours, you will find that a sense of humor comes in handy and will help you cope better. If you’re working with a group, it can also lighten the atmosphere and even motivate your workmates to do better.

Appreciating the ridiculous is often what makes a tough situation more digestible. If you know how to laugh at the situation and at yourself, the people around you will follow suit. The next thing you know, you’re all getting the job done in a more positive and cheerful way, much to the delight of your boss who will discover that you have actually performed better that way.

It is important to note, however, that a sense of humor does not always work for any situation. There is a time to joke around; there is a time to be serious. To make this more concrete, you can’t really afford to crack a joke if you’re in a funeral. It’s simply unethical to force people to laugh at a time they choose to grieve. Timing is key, then.

You should also be wary of what you say, because sometimes humor can be hurtful. While several people might be laughing at your joke, there might be someone who is affected by it and does not appreciate it at all.

Thus, you have to be sensitive and time your jokes according to the nature of the people you are talking to. Hurtful humor generates distance and pain. It drives a wedge between relationships and is often difficult to rectify with “hey, I was just kidding”.

So how do you ensure that your jokes are not offensive? Pace yourself. In a delicate situation, take cue to inject your humor after somebody else already has. This is a safe way to insert a joke by first making sure that it doesn’t hurt others. Also, if you really have to make a joke, aim it toward yourself, so that nobody gets offended. Poke fun at general situations, too, instead of at other people.

Having a great sense of humor requires also a great amount of foresight and timing on your part. Again, there is a time for everything. If you feel that your sense of humor is something that people around you will benefit from, then go for it. Everybody deserves a good laugh, after all.

Popularity: 4% [?]

It’s amazing how people simply have great social skills. It’s quite envying to see people who could charm others quite easily and benefit from it. Charisma is a trait that many people desire to have. Many people think that charisma is a hereditary trait that only a few blessed ones can possess at birth. While charisma may not occur as quickly as it may be in some people, it can be developed and enhanced.

Charisma has been used quite frequently in recent years. However, not a lot of people know what it really means. Simply charm is not a complete definition, as charisma involves more than just having a pleasing personality. Charisma is the skill of being able to win people over and connecting to them intellectually, physically, and emotionally. At some point, it can be a form manipulation; but in a more normative situation, it can simply involve reaching others effectively.

Even if you do not seem to have been born with the knack to influence people, you can still develop your charisma. To do this, you must conquer three aspects in human relations – the physical, emotional, and intellectual aspects.

The physical aspect of charisma involves the things that can be seen in a person. For some people, this is inborn. Being tall and having a large built can impose authority upon people, and project charisma. While not all people are gifted with an imposing physique, it is still quite possible to present yourself confidently in a physical manner. This is where impression comes in. The powers of the first impression have been stressed in several conversations and publications simply because presenting yourself is a key factor in commanding an influential presence. Who would be engaged with a sloppily dressed monster? Perhaps nobody, but other monster themselves. To conquer the physical aspect of charisma, you should be able to dress decently and strongly. Flashy clothes may not work for some, but clean cut and elegant apparel is enough. This, with the best accessory – a nice smile – can be quite impressive and will help develop your charisma.

The emotional dimension of charisma involves empathy and compassion. This could be done by training in relational skills. This could also be achieved by practicing good public speaking with persuasion and conviction. You should be a good listener and know how to focus on others. This would make others feel in harmony with you.

To capture people intellectually, you should act with knowledge and wisdom. People like believing in people who are knowledgeable or at least appear to be knowledgeable. Reading pays well. It is useful to be informed in various fields of interests, as this engages people well. This also gives you a sense of credibility. You can also take classes and advanced studies. An ultimate way of showing intellect is by teaching or training others.

Charisma is a very useful trait that can be a great advantage for you. Charisma may not be acquired overnight, but it certainly can be learned in time. Just remember that charisma encompasses the physical, emotional, and intellectual realm, so that you may be able to reach people in and of different levels.

Popularity: 6% [?]