How to Find Happiness By Accepting Yourself for Who You Are

The single most important key to living a happy and healthy life is our ability to be dedicated to the truth at all costs. This may seem like a simple thing to do but the reality can be very different.

Why? Being honest with ourselves about how we feel and what we want may not be what we were brought believing we should do. We may have put our own thoughts and feelings to one side to fit in with what other people expected of us. Perhaps this is what we are still doing to this day.

We will know that we are not following our heart whenever we are doing something does not feel right for us. That knowing feeling in the pit of your stomach!

"Every time I've done something that doesn't feel right, it's ended up not being right." Mario Cuomo

But what do the majority of people do when they have that dreaded feeling? They carry on regardless, continuing to please others or doing what others expect of them! The thoughts and feelings do not tend to go away so we will find a way to manage them.

We will find a way to suppress the feelings. Some people will give their power away by taking on the belief that they are not in control of how they are feeling. That there is some unexplainable reason why they feel the way they do and the only answer is to take anti-depressant medication.

This is not the only way that we block these emotions! Some people will rely on food or alcohol to get them through the day. Others might appear more "together" but really fill their time so much so that they are never really alone with themselves. They never have to listen to what their mind, body and spirit is communicating a daily basis. We all have our way of avoiding the truth.

In the past I would keep myself very busy jumping from one project or job to another. I never really felt happy and content. I can now see this was a sign that I didn't want to stop for long enough to really listen to myself. I now know that this meant that I would have to change and unravel the mess I had created.

We also avoid the truth of other people in our lives. We avoid talking to other people about their truth! If we can't cope with our own, we certainly can't handle the truth of others. So what we do is we avoid asking questions or we avoid talking about some situations. Rather than opening our ears and LISTENING we project how we feel or our beliefs on to the other person.

Why do we do this? Listening to either ourselves or others can often lead us to change how we are living our lives. This thought terrifies most people so instead it is easier to try and block these feelings. However, this can cost us dearly! The question is whether it is worth the price you are paying. Only you can decide! You have to live with yourself and your choices.

Scott Peck was a famous Psychiatrist and he wrote about people and their maps. He informs that so many of us have mapped out our entire life. We believe we have a certain path to follow and often we stick rigidly to this even when we find out new things about us and others. He very wisely says that for us to have a healthy mind it's "an ongoing process of dedication to reality at all costs".

So, is it worth changing? It may be the road less travelled and it may mean changing that outdated map that you have. But at least you will be able to live with yourself and who knows at the end of the day you may even like yourself!

Kelly Menzies, Change and Personal Development Leader has been working in HR, Change Leadership and Learning and Development for ten years. She is currently working with fitness and nutrition professionals, using personal development techniques to help them attract and retain more clients and build their business. Get started today with her FREE 7 Day Training Series, "Build Your Client Base and Make More Money" http://www.life-is-now.co.uk/

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Educating Yourself About ADHD

ADHD is a developmental disorder whose formal name is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and is characterized by the co-occurring behaviors of attentional problems and hyperactivity. These behaviors normally occur infrequently and separately. The symptoms of ADHD typically appear prior to the age of seven years. This psychiatric disorder affects roughly 3% to 5% of all children on a worldwide basis and is the most commonly diagnosed and researched disorder in children.

The number of school aged children that are affected by ADHD ranges from 2% to 16% depending on what part of the world you are in. As a chronic disorder, once it is diagnosed it can last well into the person's adult years which usually happens in about 30% to 50% of the cases. When the adult or child is diagnosed with ADHD, it is not uncommon for them to develop coping mechanisms to enable them to compensate for some of the impairments. Today, it is estimated that around 5% of all adults and children are living with ADHD.

Facts and statistics regarding ADHD

One of the better screening scales that is oftentimes used to screen for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale developed and standardized by the World Health Organization or WHO. This diagnosis tool is very effective and is more commonly used than other methods to screen for ADHD. It is estimated that the disorder occurs two to four times more frequently in boys than girls although it is felt that there is some bias displayed by the teachers referring these students.

The management of ADHD usually entails some combination of behavior modifications, counseling, lifestyle changes, and medications. At times, the symptoms of the disorder can be hard to differentiate from others, which increases the likelihood of the diagnosis being missed. Unfortunately, most clinicians are not specialists in the disorder and have not received the proper training necessary to assess and treat the disorder, especially in cases involving adults.

Controversies regarding diagnosis and treatment

Since the 1970's, the diagnosis and treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder have been a constant source of numerous controversies. Clinicians, the media, parents, policymakers, and teachers have all been involved in these controversies at one time or another. The controversial topics involved are:

o the actuality of the disorder o the causes of the disorder o the use of certain stimulants for treating the disorder

The majority of the health care professionals and provides do agree that the disorder is indeed genuine although the debate within the scientific community centers primarily around its diagnosis and treatment.

Additionally, in 1998, the AMA (American Medical Association) concluded that the criteria for diagnosis where ADHD is concerned are based in some very extensive research and when they are applied in appropriate fashion, it can lead to a highly reliable diagnosis. The bottom line is that if you suspect that your child or loved one has succumbed to ADHD, it is important that you have them examined and diagnosed as soon as possible.

For the latest videos and training information on child development as well as books and curricula on ADHD children please visit childdevelopmentmedia.com.

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