 'Independence is for the very few; it is a privilege of the strong. And whoever attempts it even with the best right but without inner constraint proves that he is probably not only strong, but also daring to the point of recklessness. He enters into a labyrinth, he multiplies a thousandfold the dangers which life brings with it in any case, not the least of which is that no one can see how and where he loses his way, becomes lonely, and is torn piecemeal by some minotaur of conscience. Supposing one like that comes to grief, this happens so far from the comprehension of men that they neither feel it nor sympathise. And he cannot go back any longer. Nor can he go back to the pity of men.' ~ Friedrich Nietzsche I do not pretend for one second to be an expert in psychology or understand fully the genius of Friedrich Nietzsche. But I do understand the strength and discipline required to build a company and in taking calculated risks. Unfortunately I also know the loneliness when the walls crumble around you and you are left high and dry by the endeavours of the unscrupulous! Nietzsche may not of had the entrepreneur spirit in mind when he composed the masterful piece above, but when I first read them they struck a chord so deep within me that I knew others would surely relate to them too; especially those that have already trodden the narrow path and once more find themselves carving a new path in life. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint hearted, you have to take certain level of risks; there’s no way to success by playing it too safe. After all, if you find a path with no obstacles it probably doesn’t lead anywhere. Yet once we take a few risks and then a few more on top of that we gain some sort of momentum, and life is fine. But little did we know controlling every outside force; be it banks, recessions, competitors, suppliers or even the minds of our employees, is beyond us all. But when a little success and money finally arrives it bolsters our egos beyond recognition; suddenly we believe our IQ’s exceed those of others and that with a little more daring effort we will ride any storm. After all we did it before we’ll do it again. The problems come when assumptions and recklessness undermines the whole structure of your business. And when the time comes that you believe your assumptions are the truths and your recklessness calculated, it may be too late to turn back. I hope the time has not yet arrived for you where your ego determines your attitude because my following five observations really could help you avoid falling into your own labyrinth of recklessness. 1. Study others failures. A successful man is always asked, ‘What is the secret of your success?’ People never ask a man who is a failure, ‘What is the secret of your failure?’ It’s quite easy to see they are not interested. Yet to study the failures of others is as important, if not more so, than studying others successes. 2. Choose your influencers wisely. Create your own support group. You simply cannot do everything yourself, you will just run yourself ragged and burnout. And once your mind starts to burn out you take advice from others who have neither the experience of such matters or try to manipulate your fragile ego into believing they have your best intentions to hand. You need people who knew you before you were successful. You also need mentors who have trodden the path before and whose success to date outshines yours, you need people who will tell you that you're being an idiot, and most importantly you need YOU to put your ego to one side, step outside of yourself and dissociate yourself with everything around you. This is far easier to write down than to do. As it takes years of meditation and self-reflection to achieve, so you had better start today! Nothing remains static, everything must change. You are either on an upward spiral or a downward spiral. And the same holds true of your influencers. Make it your duty to read signals in their own lives, of course this is easier with spouses and very close friends, but when it comes to your managers and fellow directors it is less so; and can cause even greater disruption than you can imagine. Keep in mind mood swings, employees irritability, drinking habits, sexual habits and their marriage. It pays to be nosey, but try to be subtle Sherlock! It is an ongoing pursuit to ensure your support group is worthy of you; whilst dissociating your ego! Yet from personal experience I know this is both a priority and your duty not to make assumptions about the lives of those whose influence carries your business in the balance. The downward spiral of others is like a vortex that has the ability to violently pull your dreams, life and business into, leaving you to ponder; #WTF happened then!!! 3. Cross the bridges and let them burn. How poetic! It has always been said that by giving yourself no escape route then you must survive. Surviving is not the issue, surviving whilst paying the mortgage is. You need a contingency plan for a contingency plan. Let the bridge burn and master the theatrics to inspire the minds of your followers, but down the river have several rafts built, hidden and protected. Whilst retreating from Russia in the winter of 1812, Napoleon ordered all of the pontoon bridge materials to be destroyed; used for firewood and lighten the loads through the heavy snow. The younger Napoleon of Austerlitz would never have dreamed of such a thing. Dramatically the Grande Army were forced to change directions of their retreat; through the constant pressure and vigilance of fresh Russian troops. Now Napoleon faced crossing the Berezina or annihilation of the remnants of the greatest army ever to be formed. Luckily for Napoleon, a wily old engineer did not carry out the instructions of the Emperor and saved enough equipment to create two ‘rickety’ bridges over the freezing waters. The battle of Berezina was fought and the Grande Army forced their way back to Poland with heroic fortitude. Your to do list as an entrepreneur is never ending, but hand this over to your sub-conscious mind and a never ending list of contingencies will emerge; no idea is ridiculous, just keep notes and be creative with the suggestions your subconscious sends to you. 4. When is enough enough? I detest the word hindsight. People will say if I had the hindsight for this or for that my life would be so different. Your ‘hindsight’ consists of educating your mind to listen to ‘everything’, as simple as that. Hindsight = Regrets, and life’s too short for regrets. As you make your way through life you must determine future cut off points; all of which reassess what is working or not working or even envelopes a complete exit strategy. Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle choice, that operates 24/7, enough is enough incorporates every single detail in your life, be it relationships, exercise routine, pastimes or cash flow, you are your brand. Power is such a potent mixture that you can easily fall into the belief your importance and being is critical to the lives of others. Breaking news… The world does not revolve around you, you are not a gravy train! To lift others higher and help them create a true purpose for themselves is honourable, but to believe the power of your own myth in that you are indispensable is a crock of crap. Life goes on with or without you; sure it’s tough for loved ones, but as for employees or work partners, they will adapt and overcome. Pre-set a cut off point today; be it 100k in the bank, your house paid for or settle for a cool million. Just do it and stay disciplined and true to you. And finally… 5. Paralysis by over analysis. Over thinking to the point of not acting is just as dangerous as not thinking in the first place. My personal philosophy is dedicated to ‘leadership within’, no one knows you better than you do, no one knows the conversations you have with yourself; unless you talk out loud and you should really stop doing that! We can’t rush discipline and our futures, as Warren Buffet says, ‘You can’t make a baby in a month by getting nine women pregnant, some things just take time.’ But the most important thing is to get in the game, discipline yourself and then date nine women at once. (Just seeing if you were paying attention still). Remember the old school dances when you and your friends would line up against the wall and eye up the talent lining up on the other side of the hall; who were pretending not to be watching you. You would be fretting and over analysing your own weaknesses and not playing to your strengths. Before you knew it the night was over, the lights come on and you didn’t get the dance and kiss you dreamed of the night before. You edge your way out of the door as fast as you can, whilst avoiding all eye contact with the other sex. Well now you’re older and a little wiser, yet the lessons still remain the same… YOU MUST DANCE! You must get into the action to get the action. And on the days you are rejected and not successful you must practice some more and get on another dance floor. You can never go back to those still standing with their backs against the wall. They’ll have no sympathy or pity for something they have no courage for. It only highlights their own weaknesses. They will never feel the music like you, you have the soul of an entrepreneur and only people like you will truly understand you. Conclusion… Keep an open mind, stay alert, don’t become complacent after a little victory and stay in the thick of the action, whilst dancing your little socks off, of course :) By Mark Weeks – Creator of Azuni World and URConqueror  By Anniina Koski | Submitted On February 01, 2017 Yin Yoga is now a common practice by persons targeting deep tissues including ligaments, tendons and joints. This involves limited movements where a person stays in one position for an extended period of time, usually between 3 and 5 minutes. The poses involved work great for parts of the body with more connective including thighs, pelvis, spine and hips among others. Most of the poses involved are practiced when lying or sitting on the floor, and these are usually held for around three to five minutes. It is, therefore, important to wear comfortable clothing. As a beginner, you should not aim to hold the poses for long, but you should start with what you can handle without overstretching your limits. It will only be a matter of time before you start noticing some improvements. The major benefits that you will enjoy when practicing Yin Yoga include: 1. Strengthening connective tissues: There are numerous functions associated with the body's connective tissues with some good examples being promoting mobility, maintaining posture and promoting the proper function of blood vessels among others. By practicing Yin Yoga, you will be strengthening these tissues, and they will be performing their functions more efficiently. This will also help to reduce cases of injuries. 2. Improved energy flow: You can rely on Yin yoga to enhance the flow of energy through various body channels and this helps to boost the health functions of different organs. These exercises are also known for boosting the body's immunity and slowing some signs of aging like wrinkles and receding vision among others. 3. Improved flexibility: Most people only come to learn of connective tissues after being involved in injuries like a blown out knee, strained spine and sprained ankles among others. Yin yoga helps to gently stretch the limits of tissues like tendons and joint ligaments, therefore, helping to improve flexibility in such areas. This means that your body will now be prepared for more challenging situations. 4. Reducing stress: Due to our current lifestyle, most of us are stressful which greatly affects our performance, feelings and even thoughts. These leads to health problems like hypertension, heart ailments and diabetes among others. You can reduce stress by practicing Yin Yoga since the deep exercises are known to calm the mind. This prepares the body to handle even more stressful situations. 5. Increased circulation: Poor blood and fluid circulation in the body can contribute to numbness and tingling in various parts like hands and toes among others. Holding some of the poses involved in Yin yoga will greatly help you to improve circulation in vital body organs like the spine and glands. This also promotes better flow of synovial fluids thus improving mobility in joints like knees and pelvis. You should take the time to find reputable Yin yoga trainers to ensure that all poses involved are safe and that these are practiced the right way. This will help to enhance effectiveness and limit cases of injuries. One of the most popular Yoga School in India, Abhinam School, focuses on teaching correct alignment for injury free practice. The school organizes teacher training courses, retreats and workshops all year around for students of all levels.The yoga teacher training in Dharamsala focuses on Yin Yoga and other styles which is suited for practitioners of all levels who are looking for the right course to start their teaching journey. For more articles by Anniina please visit http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Anniina_Koski/2169108  By Mark Weeks ‘We create stress for ourselves because you feel like you have to do it. You have to. I don’t feel like that anymore.’ ~ Oprah Winfrey (Come on, don’t be cynical, her millions of dollars may help, but they weren’t there when she first changed her mind-set.) So what self-imposed stresses are you dumping on yourself at this moment in time? And maybe more to the point, why put yourself through being a martyr? You may not believe it for now, but you really can limit the negative stresses of life if you would only give yourself a flipping break and listen to the person who knows you best, YOU. And what’s more these changes can last. Okay you might not be in the mood right now to agree, but lets ask a few probing questions and see how you respond inside… ready? Why are you continuing to do what you’ve always done and expect different results to miraculously appear? Why are you doing work you no longer enjoy but feel compelled to do it? Why are you stuck in an unloving relationship that makes you feel like a second class citizen? Why are you putting up with the frosty silence, rejection after rejection and constant put downs? Are you waiting for a sudden glimpse of love to string you along for another week; for now and then it does it appear. It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me anything, I’m just pleased you’re still reading, after all, the mirror says more than enough every time you dare to make eye contact with yourself. Unfortunately you feel alone and even more unfortunate you are not ready to change a damn thing with your life. You will continue to tolerate, endure and hope life will improve eventually; that job you want, the pay rise and loving relationship will all turn up if you just endure the stress for a few more months, that’s all it will take… just a few more months! You know you’re lying to yourself, and that’s fine if it helps, all it means is that you simply haven’t reached rock bottom, yet. You still feel you have to keep up the pretence of being happy, after all everyone else is right? The continuing barrage of ‘happy selfies and happy couples’ pics on social media prove it! Let me just state the bloody obvious, you really are kidding yourself if you believe denying yourself happiness and enduring a poor quality of life is the key to future happiness. I am living proof that major life changes can work out for the best, though it represents the most painful of experiences you will have to face. Personally I am a great believer in deferring instant gratification and enduring a little more hardship for a bigger return. But sometimes we simply have to face the truth, and that is, if after years of working at a job, relationship or certain skill you’re still undervalued, unappreciated and incompetent, then it’s time to call it a day! 
The sad truth is… you’ve conformed, you’re suffering from ‘have-to-itis’, there I’ve said it, someone had to tell you! You feel you have to do this you have to do that and you have to endure years of unhappiness. And so the pattern continues; the stress builds and builds, the debts mount and mount, alcohol feels like a solution and becomes a crutch to lean on, though it eases the pain for another day of conformity. Yet the martyr in you remains justified and resilient. I started writing this piece to lift your spirits and fill your day with my usual positive vibe, but as I type I seemed to have strayed from my earlier preparation as I feel the nagging pain of those still stuck in a life they feel compelled to live, one where tiptoeing safely to death seems to be the only viable option. So what is the solution? I think I hear you mutter under your breath. Well, my diagnosis at this moment in time is… there isn’t one for you. Sorry. But come on did you really I think I can help you find your own truth. Only you know YOU. Let’s face it, you’ve yet to reach rock bottom and more frustratingly YOU probably enjoy the wanting of a new life far more than having one. As strange as it may sound you seem to prefer the rush of endorphins – the internal drug cocktail – that is released when you want something, to the set which is released when you achieve something! Which I guess is understandable, as change is bloody scary and your little martyr voice urges you to persist! Of course there is hope, there always is. But you have to be ready mentally and you have to want it more than anything else in life. And until that moment when you recognise the martyr in you is actually crying out for help, and wants nothing more than to hand over responsibility and ownership of your life back to YOU, things won’t change. Now maybe you will continue your day as much as you did yesterday and the day before. But lets just say, that maybe together we have scratched a scar that has started itching. And that itch needs a itching, right? Well if that’s the case please reach out to my friend Joe Barnes, author, speaker and life coach, he is far more qualified than me to guide you away from the path of martyrdom and onto freedom. Either dip straight into his book, Escape The System, sign up to his newsletter or join him on FaceBook. Whatever you do please do something today, that’s the key, do it now! You will never know where one little itch can lead And finally… remember always, you are not on this earth to be the torturer of your own mind, you are not here to merely exist, you have as much right as anyone else to be what you want to be. You are Conqueror of your world. Now listen to your heart. By Mark Weeks |
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