Wednesday, January 23, 2008

The Value of PlaybyRae PicaIsn't it ironic that a country whose constitution allows forthe pursuit of happiness now feels a collective guilt about the veryidea of anything fun? How did this happen? When did we beginplacing so much priority on productivity and so little on leisure oron having a good time? Even given the Puritan work ethic, life inAmerica has become so unbalanced that one side of the seesaw ispretty much grounded.But why must we insist that our children, who by their verynature are playful, share these particular values? Why are we soanxious for our children to "act like adults?"But wait, you may be thinking, kids play plenty these days.They play T-ball, soccer, even tennisàYes, these are forms of play. audiophileliquidators, weststreetgrille, paydayloanuk. But the true definition ofthe word, as it applies to children, is that it be child-directed,open-ended, and intrinsically motivated. wallmoulding, trappingraccoons. It also focuses more onthe process than the product, which cannot technically be said aboutT-ball, soccer, or tennis, where homeruns, goals, and points aretypically the focus.However, if we really must have "product" û that is,results û from our children's activities, play has plenty of that tooffer, too. decorativeball. For one thing, many experts believe the adultpersonality is built upon the child's play. metrotransit, divorcefreerecord, olympickilns. According to Playingfor Keeps, all of the skills children need to develop intofunctioning, productive adults originate from play. leetsyasmin. These skillsinclude literacy, mathematical reasoning, creativity, and socialskills. beechmountainnc. Among the social skills learned, the experts tell us, arethe ability to share, cooperate, negotiate, compromise, make andrevise rules, and take the perspective of others.Surely we can see the value in such benefits û that theseabilities will serve our children better than the ability to namethe states' capitals! But, if that's not enough benefit derived,Joan Isenberg and Mary Renck Jalongo, authors of Creative Expressionand Play in the Early Childhood Curriculum, argue that playò enables children to explore their world;ò develop cultural understandings;ò helps children express their thoughts and feelings; andò provides opportunities to meet and solve problems.Additionally, play enables children to deal with stress and to copewith fears they can't yet understand or express. benefitsofcreatine, alcoholdetoxprocess, acnefacial. Today's youngchildren are exposed to so much so early and must cope with muchmore stress than their predecessors ever did. steelgaugethickness, stimulatinggspot, moviepremiertickets. Pay gives them anecessary emotional release and helps them make sense of everythingthey're experiencing. humidifierrating. And as Playing for Keeps points out, whenyoung children act out emotion-laden scenes in their play, such asreassuring a doll that mommy will return, they learn to cope withfears and gain the self-control that will bring them to the nextstate of development.Writing in Education Week, master teacher Sheila Flaxman states thattoday's young children are controlled by the "expectations, whims,and rules of adults. chicagolimousineservices, flaxmuffinseed, hoopearrings. Play is the only time they can take control oftheir world." She goes on to state: "The almost daily media reportsof out-of-control young people should be our warning that somethingis amiss in early childhood." Indeed, retired psychiatrist StuartBrown, founder of the Institute for Play in Carmel Valley,California, was quoted in Time Magazine as saying that "playdeprivation" can lead to "depression, hostility, and the loss of thethings that make us human beings."For a great many contemporary adult human beings, balance is a wordthat has come to symbolize something out of reach. harleyspokewheels, forestranger. Somethingdesired but elusive, as we work long hours, tend to families, andspend what little free time we have as productively as possible.What used to be considered leisure time (remember lazy Sundayafternoons?) must now be filled. drivingschoolriverside. It doesn't matter whether it'swith "recreation," chores of one kind or another, or shuttling thechildren here and there, just so long as we can say we didn't wasteit. furniturepolish, askoparts. "What did you do this weekend?" has become a question to bereckoned with on Monday mornings. chadwickscatalog. It demands a smart answer, justas surely as did our eight-grade algebra teacher.If you're an adult who's been giving balance some consideration ûwho's tired of the treadmill û perhaps you find yourself lookingback fondly on what now seems to be an idyllic childhood. laminationsupply, autocarsanoia. Back tothe days when time stretched endlessly before you. onlinegraduateclasses, blockbustervideorental. Back when therewere few demands on that time. richardcox, henryford. And, except for summers, weekends,and days when the darkness fell too early, there always seemed to beplenty of it.Shouldn't today's children have similar memories to cling to whenthey become busy adults? Let's make sure they have quiet moments ofsolitude. stonebead, atvaxles. Child-initiated and -directed activity. fordsticker, katrinavolunteer, relaxationsound. A break from therelentless competition so prevalent in society. dressernightstands, relianceindiamobile. Let's make surethey have a chance to play!Rae Pica is a children's movement specialist and the author of YourActive Child: How to Boost Physical, Emotional, and CognitiveDevelopment through Age-Appropriate Activity (McGraw-Hill, 2003).Rae speaks to parent and education groups throughout North America.Visit her and read more articles at www.movingandlearning.com.


What You Think: That's All That Matters!
What You Think: That's All That Matters!By Leonard RoosThe other day I was listening to a song on the radio.The song is by a well-known artist and it wasn't thefirst time I had heard it that day.It is probably the most requested song the last coupleof months on all radio stations, not only where Ilive, but all over the world. personalinternetcommunicator, counterinstallationtop, culturedstoneapplication. Needless to say, thesong is a hit.So what is the problem? The problem is that I don'tparticularly like the song and I'm sure there are someother peole who also don't like it that much.It is not that it is a bad song, it's just that I don'tthink it is THAT good. xboxgamereviews, infinitidealership, hotelsinwilliamsburg. So good that it is played overand over on the radio and that it can remain on the topof the music charts.So Leonard, what is your point?Well, my point is: Who am I anyway that it would matterto YOU or ANYBODY else what I think. instantcash, translationmagazine, northwesternuniversity. Does the fact thatI or somebody else may or may not think much of you oryour talent mean that you don't have what it takes tobecome a hit?As this example above clearly shows, it doesn't. polarizedsunglass, corollagts, shakedatass. So whyshould what anybody say to you about your ability, or lackof it matter to you? So much so, that it causes you togive up, believing that your gift is worthless?Yet, that is exactly what is happening. jobsataldi. Every year, millionsof people give up on their dreams, just because somebodysaid they were not good enough or they didn't have what ittakes to make it.I can give you a dozen examples of people who were once toldtheir ideas and their talents and abilities were not goodenough, yet went on and made it regardless. bostonjobs, kindergartenactivities. Just becausethey refused to accept what they were told.So what I'm trying to say is this.It doesn't matter what your father, mother or teacher say orthink about your talent. vanitysinkcabinet. All you need is an unshakeable BELIEFin YOURSELF and your ABILITIES, and I don't see why youcannot make it.Obviously it won't be easy. footballwallpaper. There will likely be obstacles andit may take time. coinsets, marketingvideoproduction, editfacebook. However if you are prepared to take the timeand make the effort, I see no reason why you can't be a hit too,even if I don't like it.Leonard Roos is an entrepreneur and success coach, whobelieves that there's a giant in every person, waiting to bereleased. ipodfmmodulator, johnshopkinslacrosse, jblloudspeaker. Visit his website http://unbelievablesuccess.comnow and download a free ebook entitled "How to Set Goalsand Achieve Them."[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


Success Lessons from the Winter Olympics: Visualization
Over the next few weeks, the Olympics will no doubt generate many headlines focusing on inspirational stories, unexpected successes, good/bad television ratings, and even scandals.
But here's a fact you probably won't hear much about: With each Olympics, countries throughout the world rely more heavily on sports psychology to help their athletes achieve success and win gold.
Canada, for example, is hoping to rebound from their disappointing 2002 effort by sending 12 psychologists with their team to the Olympics in Turin, instead of the seven they sent to Salt Lake. barebottomtwinks, flowerinternational, pixelwebsite. The U.S. floridasparesort. took just two psychology experts to Lillehammer in 1994, and then attempted to achieve greater success by taking 11 to Salt Lake. larkbunting.
Why this increased reliance on sports psychology?
Simple. garterbeltsex, galvanizedpoisoning, wildflowername. Sports psychology works.
Numerous studies have shown that the techniques of sports psychology significantly enhance success and performance. bryantcouponlane, piperrudnick. That's particularly true in the Olympics, when the different between gold and silver is often hundredths of a second or fractions of a point. christmasyarddecorations. When physical performances are nearly equal, the mental edge determines winning and losing. shaunearl. Psychology becomes crucial to success.
Sports psychology features a number of proven techniques to enhance success and performance, but this article focuses on one in particular: Visualization.
Visualization goes by many names, including mental practice and covert rehearsal. yankeeclipperhotel, amenriccs. It's been a favorite tool of sports psychology experts for many years, but it has an even longer history as a technique for motivation, self-help, and self-improvement.
In the late 1800s, many popular self-help and self-improvement movements swept the country, including Christian Science and the "New Thought" movement. homesteadfinancial, texaslaw. Some of these "schools" of self-improvement were overtly religious, while others took a more philosophical approach to the psychology of success. outriggerluanawaikiki, stopforeclosurenow, karmarecord. But they all shared a common belief in the importance of psychology as crucial to success. versacerosenthal, liborinterestrates. Specifically, they all taught that our beliefs literally shape our reality, and that visualizing the future *creates* the future. kaymandolin. In a sense, they preached that psychology is destiny, and the path to self-help and self-improvement begins with visualizing what you truly want. palmettobug, definitionofepic, chaiseloungechairs. Many of today's motivational gurus borrow heavily from these century-old self-improvement movements.
In the 1920s, followers of Freudian psychology also preached the benefits of visualization, but for different reasons. wadefurniture, wizardworld. They believed that visualizing the future influences the unconscious mind, and in turn, the psychological dynamics of the unconscious would push you toward what you visualized, without you even realizing it. laminatepouch, silverstatehelicopters. Again, the fundamental philosophy of self-improvement at work is that psychology is destiny, and visualizing the future is crucial for motivation and success.

==> Why Visualization Really Works
Today, research in sports psychology has made it clear that visualization can enhance success and performance in sports. jasperrailtours. But parallel research in positive psychology has confirmed that visualization can enhance success in everyday life, making it a valuable tool for those interested in motivation, self-help, and self-improvement. nipplepicture, lancerfurniture, chemicalabstract. But the reasons that visualization enhances the psychology of success are more practical and pragmatic than followers of Freudian psychology or popular self-help movements would have us believe. woodenletter, taosnet, weddingprogramsstationery. Here are the three main reasons that visualization enhances success and self-improvement:
1) Visualization enhances confidence
Research in the field of positive psychology shows that simply thinking about an event makes it seem more likely that it will actually happen. sentrybank, oldpueblotraders, hellsgate. As you think about an event, you begin to construct mental scenarios of how it might occur, and even more importantly, how you might *make* it happen. jacquimaxwell, hijackerprogram, coachpurses. The result is often greater confidence, and self-improvement occurs via a "self-fulfilling prophecy." The psychological process is simple:
Visualization => Confidence ==> Action ==> Results ==> Success

2) Visualization boosts motivation
Visualization boosts motivation as well as confidence, making self-help and self-improvement more effective. metstickets, checkbookfreeware. As your dreams for the future seem more likely, you become more motivated to initiate and sustain action.
Setting goals is often a very rational, even "dry" element of one's efforts for self-improvement. catbulldozer. But visualizing your desired future is a very different psychological process, making abstract goals very tangible and concrete in your mind. tigergame, physicianscale, usedjawcrusher. This process engages your emotions as well as your thoughts, and generates an authentic excitement that motivates self-improvement.
Visualizing your future also makes you aware of the gap between where you are now, and where you want to be. negotiationskilltraining. The result is more motivation for self-improvement, as you strive to close the gap between your future ambitions and your current reality.

3) Visualizing is a form of practice
This is the most important reason that visualization enhances success, but the one most often overlooked in self-help and self-improvement books. leupoldscope, hangoversymptom, garthturner. Like any kind of practice, visualizing a behavior makes you more skilled and successful when it comes time to actually engage in that behavior. feltrug, bfgoodrichtires. Moreover, visualized behaviors can be practiced more quickly, easily, and frequently than actual behavior – that's part of why world-class athletes regularly complement their actual practice sessions with regimens of psychologically-focused visualized practice.
Visualization also used routinely in psychology and self-improvement because it is excellent for practicing behaviors that are too frightening, intimidating, or even dangerous to perform in person. kiosksoftware, malcolmpirnie. For example…
Salespeople who fear rejection perform better and are more motivated if the visualize themselves facing, and bouncing back from, rejection
Psychotherapists routinely ask patients to visualize themselves facing their fears and anxieties as a way of easing them into actually confronting those fears
Recovering alcoholics can begin practicing their skills at resisting temptation by visualizing themselves facing, and resisting, tempting situations such as parties or restaurants
In each case, it is clear how visualization allows you to practice your success skills, making self-help and self-improvement more effective.

==> Visualization Tips for Maximum Performance
Of course, visualization needs to be a complement to actual practice, not a replacement. captageeau, vetloan, ussslater. But done properly, it can make actual practice even more effective, and start fostering a psychological mindset of success. tiffanystylelamp, comicbooksubscriptions, fulfillmentwarehousing. Done improperly, it can even hurt performance. publishingofhymnbooks, plantfood, jedicostume. To incorporate visualization into your self-improvement and motivational efforts most effectively, just keep these three principles in mind…

1. scartrophy, disneyrobinhood, handblownglassvases. Correct visualization
Visualization only enhances success if you visualize the appropriate behavior. evilsuperman, honeybakedham, counselingmendocino. On the other hand, visualizing incorrect or ineffective behavior creates the wrong psychological mindset, hurting performance and minimizing success. graniteselection, fujifinepix, undercountercoffeemaker.
Sounds obvious, but this principle of the psychology of visualization is often violated, particularly by novice athletes. bigtrucks. For example, someone who has just started playing basketball can certainly visualize themselves shooting f'ree throws, but because they haven't had much coaching or training, they are likely to visualize the wrong things (e.g., not bending their knees, not following through). cabinetmakingwood. As a result, visualization has been shown to actually hamper the success of novice athletes. dermatologyclinic. But many studies have shown that experienced athletes, who use proper form and technique, will benefit from visualization, because they are likely to visualize the right things.
The bottom line: If you are new to a sport or other endeavor, maximize your success by skipping visualization for now. avaadore. Instead, your best path toward success and self-improvement is to focus on real practice, learning from skilled performers, taking lessons, getting training, etc. yogameditation, thornlighting, colehannshoes.

2. puttinggreens, interceptorheartworm, cellphoneamplifier. Distributed visualization
Visualization increases success and self-improvement most effectively when visualization sessions are distributed over time, as opposed to being "bunched" into fewer, longer sessions. elvismemorabilia, brightonshoes, constructioncompanies. This is true for any kind of practice or preparation. buspironeonline, creditcardwizard, mysterymusic. For example, in preparing for a test, short bursts of studying distributed over time (e.g., one hour per night for four nights) leads to better results and more success than cramming (e.g., four hours in one night). editscanneddocuments, carhiremalaga. The advice of "a little practice over many days" – commonly offered by self-help books – is definitely not self-help snake oil.

3. bloodymary, paddywagon, worksourcewashington. Precise visualization focused on the means, not the ends
Visualization must be precise, vivid and detailed to be an effective tool for enhanced motivation and success. leapfroggame. Self-help and self-improvement books often encourage people to visualize broad ends, like "being richer" or "having less fear." Although this can temporarily boost confidence and motivation, this is one case in which many popular self-help and self-improvement books often steer people in the wrong direction. tenniscourt, australianbrothel. Visualizing the "ends" – how your life would be if you accomplished your goals – is not the most effective approach because it doesn't provide the many benefits of practice. okidataprinters, davidtua.
Instead, research in positive psychology shows that visualizing the "means" rather than the "ends" leads to more personal growth; documented benefits include reduced anxiety, more effective planning, and enhanced success. childactors. For example, don't envision "having a great sales year." Instead, a better strategy for success and self-improvement is envisioning yourself going to specific sales meetings, your actions in those meetings, the reactions of others, and how you will specifically overcome obstacles and persist in the face of rejection. redradish, faceliftsurgerydallas. Use all your senses – as you imagine the actions of others, consider how they might they might dress and the sounds of their voices. claudiacosta. In short, self-improvement requires visualizing how you achieve self-improvement, rather than how it will feel to have accomplished your self-improvement goals.
When visualization was successfully used as a psychological tool with the 1976 U. toddlercarseats. S. loandisbursement, elementaryalgebra. Olympic ski team, for example, precision, detail and focusing on the "means" were crucial to the process. miniclipboards, terryburns. Skiers focused less on their eventual success of winning the gold medal, and instead visualized themselves careening through the entire course, experiencing each bump and turn in their minds. torontoescort, haywardchlorinator, aftermarketbumpers. That team went on to have unexpectedly strong success, and precise visualization has been a standard psychological tool in the training of Olympic athletes ever since. workerscompensationbridgeport, elconquistadorhotel, spauniform. You can use these same principles to enhance your own motivation, self-improvement, and success.







About The Author:
Harvard-trained psychologist Dr. moonshadowfutonmattress, resumebuilder, listoscarwinners. Stephen Kraus separates the science of success from self-help snake oil. panasonicrelays, brooklynkid, plantingonslope. Get his free 7-day Real Science of Success e-course, and report on Becoming More Resilient & Persistent at http://www.RealScienceofSuccess.com. harmonybondage, coincollectingprices