The Importance of Motivating Children Towards Achievement

By Tobi Miles

The current generation of children have not developed as much achievement motivation as previous generations. This may have begun with the baby boomers and the fact that families were smaller and had more financial security after World War II. However, with each new generation being born, parents have become more protective and thus haven't taken the time to develop self motivation abilities in their children. Parents have become more involved in their children's lives than ever before and thus this has hampered children from developing skills that are needed in order to thrive and become independent.

This situation where children are not especially motivated to master particular things has mostly been created by parents being enablers and negative reinforcement caused by poor parenting methods. The end result is a large number of children who are unmotivated to succeed and to work hard at developing themselves. The message that these kids have been given is that they are highly special and shouldn't have to do anything they don't want to do, and that others are solely in charge of their well-being.

Children who aren't taught achievement motivation will find it more difficult to develop motivation skills when they are older. Parents who do everything for their children and continue to do so as they get older aren't using good parenting skills. This needs to be addressed and parents must begin to make changes. From teaching your child to make their own bed to being supportive as they do homework will aid in their ability to finish a task and improve their motivation. It will also increase their self-esteem.

One other way to boost a child's motivation to achieve targeted goals is by bestowing rewards, yet it is every bit as important to only offer a reward when a specific task has been completed. That way you do not increase motivation so as to get things, but rather to accomplish something and feel good about the effort made. It's imperative that you never give a reward when there was a pledge that wasn't met. All your child will learn from this is that your word can't be relied on, and that it's ok to be mediocre.

If you focus on improving your child's achievement motivation, then you will see a real difference in your child's behavior over time. No longer will they expect something for nothing, and instead they will take more pride in what they try to do, not worrying so much about the results. This is a great motivation technique to give to a child, something that will shape them into a strong adults who don't need someone else to do everything for them.

About the Author:

There isn't a long term goal ever dreamed of that can't be helped along by self motivation. Long term goals would never get accomplished if it were not for people being motivated to do them. Click here to find many useful self motivation tips to help you keep on track.

When You have the Hardest Strike You Hit the home Run!

By Al Case

When you consider the martial arts a knock out is a home run. I don't care if you study kenpo or Mixed Martial Arts or shotokan, if the end result of your strike is that the guy does not go unconscious, then you have not hit a home run. In short, you didn't finish the job.

If you swing and miss with your punch, it is a strike. Enough of these and you're going to strike out, because the other guy is going to come to the plate and get his chance to hit. And you cannot bet that when he gets to bat he is not going to swing for a home run.

If you swing and hit and do no damage, it is a foul ball. If you hit a foul in this manner, you have wasted time, and he is that much closer to taking his own turn at fisting your face. So foul balls are the wrong thing to do in the martial arts.

If you swing and hit him and he is hurt, that is a definite base hit. If he takes a step back or drops his arms you have an advantage strategically, and you get to take another swing. You are standing on first base, and you may, depending on your next swings of the fist, make it all the way around to home plate and knock him out.

If he staggers or shows weakness in any way, then you are solidly on second base. You have hurt him, and lessened the chances of him hitting a home run. Further, you have an advantage, no matter how temporary, and you need to really rock and roll on the guy.

If you swing a big punch and knock him to the ground, you are standing on third base. Now you know he is hurt, you see the frightened look in his eyes, you see the awareness that you might be able to knock him all the way out. Knocking somebody down is awful close to knocking him out, and home base is just a walk and a hop away.

Now, the above being said, getting a base hit is okay in the long run, but they are not the home run, and there is risk of being put out yourself before you make it home. So you have train yourself to knock your opponent all the way out. You have hit him hard, you have to have the hardest punch in the world, and that is the real solution to the real home run.

The truth of the matter is no matter what martial art you happen to prefer, wudan or aikido or isshin ryu, you have to knock him out. If it goes to a decision, then nothing has really been proven. If there is no knock out then the fighters were only dancing, pawing at each other, and not really fighting, and neither fighter was able to get the job done, and they better get back to the dojo and study The True Martial Art.

About the Author:

Al Case has analyzed martial arts for forty++ years. A writer for the magazines, he is the originator of Matrix Martial Arts. You can pick up a free ebook about matrixing at Monster Martial Arts. You can find out about the hardest punch in the world at Punch Em Out.

New Year's Resolutions - It's Not Time To Give Up Yet!

By Mark Walters

There are 3 main types of New Year's resolutions...

Firstly, there are at the last minute resolutions that are typically made whilst slightly drunk on December 31st. These are, inevitably, the ones that are broken a day or two into January, as they were not really meant in the first place.

Then there are the resolutions that are made in 'good faith', that are believed in at the time, but which slip quietly away a few weeks or months in to the year. Anybody who is serious about actually achieving their goals, will know why these wishful fantasies went the way they did - the lack of a plan of action.

The only resolutions that have the potential to last a lifetime are those which we take the time to prepare and plan for. That preparation and planning, along with a real, significant benefit to be gained, are absolutely essential.

The question is then, into which category do the resolutions that you made last December fall within? Another would be, how successful have you been in sticking to them?

Whether you are still going strong with your resolutions, or whether you have broken them already (in which case you can get it right next time around), the following is worth taking note of...

To succeed in achieving your goals, which is what, essentially, a New Year's resolution is, you need to have a system in place. Not just any system will suffice though, that system needs to be both positive and smart, such as the one below...

1: Decide exactly what you want. You should focus one just one or two things, and then set new goals only when you achieved them, or nearly achieved them.

2: Put a timescale on it. Set yourself a realistic timescale to do what you want to do, and have smaller milestones within that too.

3: List the pay value. Always keeping the benefits in mind is the best form of motivation.

4: Consider what you will lose. Anything worth achieving will almost always also take something from your life too, such as time, money or people.

5: Prepare for probable obstacles. Any worthwhile goal will require you to overcome obstacles, so you need to know both what they are and how you will overcome them.

6: Write yourself a plan. Without a plan you will soon find yourself deviating from your original intentions.

7: Create a daily routine. Break your plan down into a day-to-day schedule of things that you need to accomplish.

8: Do not give up. Achieving is not easy, and there will be times when you want to give up, but you will never be successful if you do so.

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Meditation Practice Is An Important Part Of The Daily Lives Of The Religion's Monks.

By Pedro Toledo

Deep Zen Meditation has proliferated around the globe. Just because it's a fringe activity in the U.S., doesn't mean it's not beneficial or worth some of your precious time. I started to think about our different mental states and how varied they are each day. And then it dawned on me that perhaps one of those mental states was a quasi meditative state.

* Disease Sickness of the body is caused by impure and inefficient diet, uncontrolled urges, and lack of physical activities, mental stress and over work. Physical sickness is a great hindrance to the practice of meditation, because the body and the mind are related to each other. Take a simple, light, nutritious and wholesome diet like milk, wheat, barley, fruits and vegetables, dry fruits, low sweet or salt diets etc. Regular exercise, breathing exercise, conservation of energy by controlling different mental and physical urges are necessary for the path of meditation.

* Doubt Doubts are caused by the impurity of mind, which exert resistance from the subconscious mind. Doubts about the certainty of the result, about the impossibility of result and derogative thoughts are common doubts, may produce hindrance to the path of meditation. Hearing or reading sacred texts, company of spiritual people, rigorous meditation technique and concentrating on one owns deity will remove all the doubts. * Craving for Sense Enjoyment Due to the resistance of subconscious mind craving for sense enjoyment arises in the mind.In meditation when the mind begins to raise the upper level of consciousness, the suppressed emotions, feelings and thoughts in the subconscious mind begin to start manifested and expressed in the conscious level. These craving must be neutralize by sense- control and practices of discrimination and by devoting more time regularly in the practice of meditation.

Sometimes we call these "cat naps". Have you ever gone into a meditative state at your desk? Or better, have you been sitting at your desk, your head "bobs" downward. It felt like you may have fallen asleep only for an instant. Sometimes after a "head bob" I feel more alert than if I took a hour nap. What is that? Could it be some form of meditation?

Now over six years later, my life has stabilized and I find my journey has moved into an unexpected, unprecedented wilderness-uncovering, rediscovering, and listening to my long-forgotten, silenced inner voice. Now that I am no longer stuffing my feelings with food or locked into a jam-packed schedule, my inner voice has reemerged. It has always been with me but I've been unable to hear it. Until now. Listening Through Silence For me, the key to listening to my inner voice is meditation. Sitting quietly on a regular basis quiets what I call "monkey chatter"-the constant noise of the conscious mind. This quiet gives a voice me to hear the voice that was hushed years ago. My meditation practice is simple: I set a timer for as much time as I can allow in the morning and then I sit quietly, gently breathing in and out and silently repeating a phrase that is meaningful to me. It's simple, yet it works.

* Sloth The mind is unable to stir; it is caused by weakness of the mind or low energy level of the mind. Strong wills, mental exercises and breathing techniques can overcome the condition of sloth. * Delusion In the path of meditation the person may ignore the aspect of regularity; oversimplify few steps, impressed by unreal psychic impressions, forget the clarity of goal,hence may slip into the state of delusion. Delusion is overcome by following rules of practice, stick to teaching and guidance of the efficient master or teacher.

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The Martial Arts, Zen, and Enlightenment!

By Al Case

The martial arts have long been held up as a means to achieve enlightenment. Indeed, this is the goal at the end of the road for every True Martial Artist. This article is about why this is so, and to enable the reader to reach the end of that road this lifetime.

Enlightenment is when light is emitted from an individual. With that light the enlightened being sees the world with different perception. His perceptions are heightened, and he has a viewpoint that rises above the norm.

If enlightenment happened because of motion, then all motion would result in enlightenment. Gymnastics, ballet, swimming, all would result in an enlightened individual, but they don't, so one must ask oneself, What is different about the Martial Arts that they result in enlightenment?

What is different is that there is fighting, and when one understands what fighting truly is, one becomes enlightened. What is the essence of this thing called fighting? One could sum up the subject by saying that when one finally understands that when he is fighting he is only fighting himself, he becomes enlightened, and a study of the martial arts does result in this realization.

The universe, you see, is a space filled with moving objects. Every object in the universe has a direction that it is going in. It is only in the martial arts that one actually engages in the study of the directions of objects as the one who creates the direction.

A fist flies at you, and you go through a range of emotions. Eventually, you give up emotions so that you can analyze. Thus, you rise above base reaction and become cause.

A person threatens you, he holds a knife and approaches you, and you must divine the direction of the knife before it enters you. You must look at the world the way it exists, and not through some fantasy of how it is supposed to exit, and thus you look at the world you created. Thus, you rise above being the flotsam and jetsam of a universe awash with the shards of random motion, and thus you take control of the motions of the universe.

There would be no motion in this universe, you see, were it not for you. That star shines for you, because of you, if it wasn't for you, there would be no purpose for that star to emit even the faintest of light. And through the tempering of form, the steeling of will, the martial artist engages in fighting, to give up fighting and become what he truly is, an enlightened being free to roam the universe as he wishes.

About the Author:

Al Case has practiced martial arts for 4O++ years. A writer for the magazines, he had his own column in Inside Karate. He is the originator of the church of the martial arts, and you can find out about the path to enlightenment by ordering his free ebook at Monster Martial Arts.

How to Make the Transition from Shaolin to Wudan

By Al Case

One of the oldest martial arts on the planet is Shaolin. It was brought from India by a fellow named Bodhidharma, and has been an inspiration to martial artists the world over. Interestingly, Shaolin evolved into an internal art atop Wudan Mountain.

I know there will be those who disagree with my theory here, but I hold to it, as I have watched students evolve, and the evolution of art from Shaolin to Wudan mirrors what I have seen students go through. Indeed, as students peel layers off the art, so do they peel off the levels of blinders within themselves, and attain the truly miraculous.

The students just starting out in Shaolin learn to expend energy from the tan tan, to spread that energy throughout the body and make the body like a rock. Arms become iron windmills, stances become permanent bolts to the planet. This, however, is all based on concepts of exploding energy, and outward expulsion of energy from the body.

As a student explores the varieties of martial art he may encounter the concept of absorbing energy. The act of guiding a punch, instead of blocking it, brings awareness of the concept of drawing energy in, instead of just putting it out. This progression of art often starts with a hard Shaolin art, goes through a softer art like Wing Chun Kung Fu, and, eventually, ends up with Wudan Tai Chi Chuan.

And, even if the student stays within one art, he will evolve into the soft. The unfortunate fact of aging, of the body no longer being able to expel the tremendous force of some of the hard arts, will draw the student into the softer arts. He will punch so that he doesn't get whiplash, he will use his legs so he doesn't suffer hip injury, and he will become softer in his approach to the art.

As these progressions of art and age occur, students learn to use their minds and their bodies with less and less effort, and and they are surprised tolearn that the abilities they gained in the hard arts grow even greater. Instead of forcing energy through bodies no longer strong enough to handle it, they guide the energy with less effort, and focus it. Thus, awareness becomes a growing factor, and the blinders come off.

Instead of exploding energy brutally through their bodies, the students seep the energy through their bodies. They learn to guide this energy with their awareness, and the smallest of their motions contain ideas of energy. They learn that the crude body energy they used when they were young and robust was...unaware.

Finally, the transition is made in full, and the Shaolin adept becomes the Wudan sage. Instead of reacting with violence, the Wudan master observes his opponent, and moves with him, drawing in whole body energy and transforming it to his needs. Yet, though there is wisdom in the Wudan Gung Fu, there is no disdain, for the true sage knows the need for his early Shaolin, he knows the benefit of understanding energy on low levels if he is to transform it to high levels.

About the Author:

Al Case has taught the martial arts for forty++ years, he began his Wudan training in 1974. You can see how soft he is by picking up a free ebook at Monster Martial Arts.

How to Learn the Martial Arts Ten Times Faster!

By Al Case

It took me seven years to get my black belt in Karate, but it only took my instructor two and one half years to get his black belt. I always wondered at this discrepancy, but it wasn't until I began to take apart martial arts systems that I understood why. It turns out that there are several reasons why it takes people longer and longer to get their black belts, and to truly learn anything in the martial arts.

When I took apart the system I had been taught I found there were two systems. I had not only learned the classical system of ten forms that had originally been taught to my instructor, but I was learning an additional system of seven forms that my instructor had made up. I was also learning several other forms that my instructor had thrown into the mix just because he thought they were valuable.

This is rampant throughout the martial arts. Ed Parker, for instance, of Kenpo fame, started out with simple karate forms. When he ran out of material to teach he started importing vast amounts of kung fu into his teachings.

Now the problem is not one of learning material, there is endless material out there. The real problem is separating the material into logical slices. Each of the slices must represent a logical look at an art.

If we were talking dance, we would be separating hip hop from square dancing from whatever. If we were talking music we would be separating country from bebop from so on. In the martial arts we must actually separate tae kwon do from shaolin from jujitsu from pa kua...and so on.

When you separate the martial arts, you must understand the difference between basics and stylistic differences. You must understand that karate blocks, for instance, go out from the tan tien, and wudan type blocks are rotated off the turning torso, and silat blocks are slipping types of blocks, and so on. If you don't understand these differences the arts remain complex and are difficult to absorb.

If you don't understand these things then you are mixing different arts, and different ways of handling the body, and different ways of using energy, and so on. Thus, a peach becomes indistinguishable from a watermelon from a cantaloup, and so on. Thus, the arts become a mush which the mind finds difficult to absorb.

Understanding these differences, the arts become very easy to understand, and the mind absorbs, aligns and catalogues everything easy as pie. The martial arts, you see, are only illogical because people have created them as such. Separate tai chi into tai chi, or karate into karate, or wing chun into wing chun, and the martial arts can be learned in a matter of months, not years.

About the Author:

Al Case has delved into martial arts for forty+ years. He has written dozens of articles for the magazines, and developed Matrixing Technology. You can find out how to separate arts and make them pure by picking up his free ebook at Monster Martial Arts.