Personal Development Archives - Page 3 of 4 - You can't stop the journey

Posted on November 2, 2023 by Max Herrera

Meditation Gems: Managing your Time

We are used to recur to the time parameter to assess all of our activities. Worse yet, time assesses our own reality. We love to classify life in an orthodox fashion: past, present and future, unyielding frames we can’t live without. Indeed, as humans, we love to classify things, especially when classifying makes us feel special or protected. We classify things as living or not living. Above all, though, we love to classify things according to time. Thanks to this parameter, everything becomes an event. And we are continually struggling to link events, to establish logical relations of cause-effect between them. If we think this over, we’d note our predilection for going to the ends of classification. To classify, after all, is a proof of intelligence.

time meditation

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Max Herrera

On Good Sense

Even to cut a flower requires good sense. Good sense, prudence, sound practical judgment. There is nothing in the world which deprives us of enjoying this quality. Good sense allows us to be excellent managers, professionals, friends, husbands/wives, and especially, it opens the doorway to the most precious gift of human beings: self-confidence. Self-confidence is one of those virtues we frequently don’t know how to handle, or that simply we mistreat.

Good sense is the primary and the conditio sine qua non of a better and longer life. Thanks to it we are able to avoid wars, conflicts, hunger, and getting into troubles in general. It is only a matter of just applying it. The converse, i.e. a bad sense of life balance, turns us into fragile souls, easy preys for evil, envy, and lies. A lack of good sense provides a fake sensation of power… power which indeed is only a cheap mask for selfishness. A lack of good sense separates us from our family, our friends and from the entire world. Moreover, that fake power may lead to an hyperactivity which ultimately will burn us.

Posted on October 23, 2023 by Max Herrera

10 Short Tips for Keeping Anxiety at Bay

Anxiety is a (sometimes annoying) emotional and cognitive state. Emotionally, we recognize it as sensations of fear, grief, worry or general apprehension. The cognitive component entails expectation of a diffuse and uncertain danger. The threat or perspective of danger triggers the body’s defenses: the flow of blood to the muscles is increased, which in turn implies rising blood pressure and heart rate. Needless to say, such alert activation involves a higher consumption of body’s energy, and also other parts, such as the immune system, are inhibited in order to increase energetic reserves and focus for fighting the hypothetical danger.

Posted on October 20, 2023October 20, 2023 by Max Herrera

A Thing that Truly Hurts Self-confidence

A look behind the scenes of work’s misdirections

What do we achieve by thinking of ourselves as “supermen” or “wonder women”? Too little, indeed. Trying to act (and even feel) like fiction heroes, in a frantic rush to enjoy something that really is too tiresome to be enjoyed. There is little reward in demanding ourselves the compliment of being perfect, effective, productive, attractive and winsome people who have no real problems at work or at home, and who always ignite the life of the party. Needless to say, there is no reward in working frenetically until our minds and bodies cannot handle it anymore: we would weaken and become sick. But we already know that time is unstoppable: other people would carry on our duties, and someday, we would be simply forgotten. In other words, no matter how much effort and blood we devote to our jobs, we are always dispensable for the furious wheel of businesses.

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Max Herrera

The Winners’ Mind

What is your relation with your money? Money is a necessary thing, and to have and to win money is not a sin (rhyme intended 🙂 ). On the other hand, to live for money is not only a sin but a stupidity. We, as integral human beings, are of much more value than any material concept. This is something I insist a lot in my business seminars: look for money, but never lend your heart to money. In other words, win money, but don’t let money to win you.

Who are the Winners?

Winners are fortunate people, indeed. But except for rare cases, most of their fortune stems from hard work, and more importantly, from a sound and clear mindset. Winners have no time (nor wish) to be moaning about the “harshness of life.” Winners don’t complain about such things, because they understand that life, like a river, exhibits turbulent episodes in some parts, but caress and nourish the surrounding nature, all the way.

Positive Attitude in The Winners’ Mind

Nevertheless, all these years I’ve known a lot of people who are frequently bitching about their lack of money or general misfortune, but what they are indeed lacking is a positive attitude toward their money. Now, what does this “positive attitude” notion mean? Let’s start by answering a few questions:

What really are the kind of thoughts that flood our minds when we think of our money?
Which are the words we utter when speaking about our money and related things (such as mortgage, bank, expenses, etc.)?
In the past, how much success have we attained by spending and investing our money?

Posted on March 30, 2023 by Max Herrera

What can I say in a motivational speech for a small group of people?

Here are some ideas for a motivational speech for a small group of people:

Start with an inspirational story: Begin your speech with a personal or someone else’s story that inspires and motivates your audience. The story should be relevant to the topic you are addressing.

Be authentic: Speak from the heart and be authentic in your speech. Convey your enthusiasm and passion for your topic.

Set goals: Help your audience set achievable and realistic goals. Encourage them to take concrete steps to achieve their goals and not give up in the face of difficulties.

Encourage collaboration: Encourage your audience to work together and support each other. Emphasize the importance of collaboration and building positive relationships.

End on a positive note: End your speech on a positive note, focusing on the accomplishments they can achieve if they work together and stay motivated.

Remember that your speech should be personalized and tailored to the group you are addressing. Talk about your specific challenges and goals, and provide concrete examples to help your audience visualize your success.

You may also want to take a look at my post The 7 Attributes of Leadership, to delve into the characteristics of a true leader, and get a powerful insight about leadership and some cool ideas for a motivational speech.

Posted on March 30, 2023March 30, 2023 by Max Herrera

More tips to cope with stress

More tips to cope with stress, a topic we previously addressed in this post.

Manage your time: Feeling overwhelmed by tasks and responsibilities can contribute to stress. Make a to-do list and prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency. Break large tasks into smaller, more manageable ones.

Avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms: While it may be tempting to turn to alcohol, drugs, or junk food to cope with stress, these habits can actually make the situation worse. Instead, try healthier coping mechanisms such as exercise or talking to a friend.

Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment and focusing on your thoughts and feelings without judgment. This can help reduce stress and promote relaxation.

Take breaks: It’s important to take breaks throughout the day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Take a walk, stretch, or do something enjoyable to help reduce stress.

Address underlying issues: Sometimes, stress can be a symptom of an underlying issue such as anxiety or depression. If you find that you are struggling to cope with stress, it may be helpful to seek professional help to address these underlying issues.

Remember that coping with stress is a process, and it may take time to find what works best for you. Be patient with yourself and don’t be afraid to seek help if you need it.

Posted on March 30, 2023 by Max Herrera

How to cope with stress?

Stress is a common experience for many people, and it can have negative effects on your physical and mental health if it is not managed effectively. Here are some ways to cope with stress:

Identify the source of your stress: Try to identify the source of your stress and think about how you can address it. Sometimes, simply acknowledging the source of your stress can help you feel more in control.

Practice relaxation techniques: Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or progressive muscle relaxation can help reduce stress and promote relaxation.

Exercise regularly: Physical activity and exercise can help reduce stress by releasing endorphins, which are natural mood boosters.

Stay connected with others: Social support can help reduce stress, so try to stay connected with family and friends.

Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep can make stress worse, so try to get enough sleep each night.

Prioritize self-care: Make time for activities that you enjoy and that help you relax, such as reading, taking a bath, or listening to music.

Seek professional help: If you are still struggling to cope with stress, consider seeking professional help from a therapist or counselor.

Remember that everyone experiences stress at some point in their lives, and it is important to seek help if you need it.

Posted on January 15, 2021January 15, 2021 by Max Herrera

Acquiring the Habits of Highly Successful Students

Acquiring the habits of highly successful students… that’s a truly important topic! We humans are innate learners, as learning is the cornerstone for survival. We must remember, abstract and apply knowledge in diverse (and often harsh) environments in order to develop into and behave as truly intelligent beings. In short, the adaptability and resilience we exhibit stems from learning. Now, a key issue to learning is the driving force behind it, i.e., the motivation or stimuli to learn. We can learn because of fear (we want to learn how to protect ourselves from danger.) We can learn just out of curiosity (our natural inquisitive behavior.) We can learn because we want to reach some social status (approval of others is a potent stimuli to learn.) We can learn simply because we love to learn new things everyday. There are plenty of reasons to learn and yours may easily be a mixture of these. Health and money are important things in life, but learning is the base for using them wisely 🙂 If we are to succeed in life, we must hone our learning skills.

Posted on February 29, 2020 by Max Herrera

10 Exercises for Keeping a Young Mind

Simply put, your mind needs some exercise in order to stay young and healthy. The basis for brain’s life is processing of new data and stimuli. Our minds should be regularly exposed to updated information and new experiences, in order to reach higher levels of creativity, openness, speed, and adaptation. Looking for new ways of thinking is an excellent exercise for being smarter and more sociable. Nevertheless, in the following I detail a neat list of simple exercises for keeping a young mind and improving our minds’ state: