Creativity Series

Strategic non-action is a powerful yet under-rated method of influencing worldly affairs. In cultures where action is favoured over inaction, like in many western countries, direct action is considered a virtue while inaction is little more than laziness or cowardice. Let us be more subtle and nuanced in our understanding. There is a time for both action and inaction. Non-action gives access to a deeper intuitive awareness than that gained through action, since knowledge that comes through action is obscured by situation-specific reactions. Non-action can be understood as an aspect of going with the flow, not resisting the larger forces that govern a world of which you are a small part. Non-action acknowledges that events are governed by the laws of Nature, and it is often best to simply allow those laws to operate and play out in their own time, in their own way. Taking action often amounts to interference which creates its own problems. Non-action can help us towards our goals by encouraging patience and taking the long-view. Humanistic Psychology says that it is within our reach to create the life we want for ourselves. As we think and believe, so we create our world. This is indeed true, but only up to a point. We can transform our lives in goal fulfilling ways, but the transformation is relatively slow, its progress measured in months and years. We know that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; at least we know this is true in Physics if we did not sleep through that class in school. Less recognised is the truth of Newton’s Third Law of Physics in human affairs. Just as in the world of inanimate objects, when we do things to people, we get a reaction. This then causes its own reaction, and a pendulum-like cycle is set up. Think of how people and tribes get into feuds with each other. Strategic non-action recognises the danger of this pattern of behavior and offers the only means of avoiding it. Non-action gives others nothing to react against. The ideas in this book derive from the ancient Chinese concept of Wu Wei, as expressed in Lao Tzu’s classic Tao Te Ching*. First published around 2,500 years ago, it is probably the oldest book still in print, a testimony to the force of its message. Wu Wei literally means without effort. It describes natural action that occurs without contrivance or effort. It simply happens. Think of how plants and animals grow, rivers flow and planets orbit. No-one makes them do this, it just happens without effort or control in accordance with the laws of Nature. Such action is what we should strive for, while avoiding the kind of action that causes counter-reactions.

The Tao Te Ching was written 2,500 years ago, making it perhaps the oldest book still in print. Its longevity is due to the power and simplicity of its message. Come to know more of its simple power and allow that to transform your life. The Tao Te Ching has always had the power to transform the reader, but the reader must first be able to understand the underlying message. Phrased, as it was, by its ancient Chinese author, the language and imagery were products of that far off time and place. Not easy for people in the modern world to understand. This edition presents this timeless message in plain English for all to understand. The Tao Te Ching shows you how to create harmony in your life by finding the Middle Path. It describes a force called the Tao that operates uniformly throughout the universe and is the causal agent of everything that happens. It explains how you can develop personal power through being in harmony with the Tao.

It is a rare person in the world today who could not benefit with some help with improving their self-esteem. We are all imperfect, make mistakes, have problems. While it might seem that the people around you are doing so much better than you, the reality is that they are probably just as messed-up and confused. We cannot help but compare ourselves with the people around us. And in the media, we see idealised versions of perfect people. Despite putting on a brave face, most people judge themselves to be inferior. There is one benefit to feeling this way; it can make you take a good hard look at yourself, and motivate you to make some changes. So this eBook is for you if you feel inferior to others, not worthy, flawed, unlovable, unattractive, or just generally a loser. Be encouraged by the certain knowledge that you already have the capabilities to change these negative beliefs into positive ones that will help you find a whole new enjoyment in life. Definition of self-esteem Self-esteem is our evaluation of ourselves; a measure of our perceived worth. It is what we believe and how we feel about ourselves. It is also influenced by what other people think of us. It is a judgment that we make. Being judgmental is helpful up to a point, but as you will read in this eBook, it can be a harmful mental habit when taken too far. It gets in the way of understanding a person or situation clearly because having decided that something is good or bad, we have effectively declared the matter closed. No further investigation required. We judge the people in our lives (I like her, but I don’t like him), and we also judge ourselves (I’m so stupid). We have to lighten up on ourselves and everyone else too by becoming less judgmental.

Genius is an often misunderstood though perennially interesting topic. Down through the ages, researchers have observed and studied the nature of genius in an effort to understand it. This book gives you the essence of that research. The material comes from across many cultures and historical periods. It is the lowest common denominator of this fascinating phenomenon, presented in plain English. The book explains the underlying nature of genius, charisma and leadership and gives you a series of exercises. If you take the time to read, understand and practice the principles outlined here, you will be well on your way to increasing your creative output and your ability to persuade others to listen to your ideas. In today’s globalised economy, we increasingly compete with low-cost workers in the developing world who charge much less for their labour. The labour market has expanded, and the competition has never been greater. The trend will continue well into the foreseeable future. As a knowledge worker, how can you increase your value in the market and future-proof your earning ability? The answer is to be able to generate great ideas that add value to whatever enterprise you work in. Creativity is a very bankable skill, regardless of where you work and what you do. Creativity, or indeed genius, can indeed be learned; it is how you think, rather than what you think that matters. Like leadership, You cannot conjure genius on demand. You can only create the right conditions and wait for it to spontaneously occur. Throughout this book, I use the terms ‘genius’ and ‘highly creative person’ interchangeably. A genius is a highly creative person who has a mind-set that generates creative output. Many people assume genius requires a high IQ, but this is not necessarily the case. It is far more about attitude, and attitude is learn-able. You can learn how to think and act like a genius. Is there a human alive who has reached their fullest potential? Possibly, but he or she is so rare as to be perhaps one in a billion. It is the nature of being human to be imperfect. We all have room for improvement. So what does it mean to be a genius? This book gives you a profile of how geniuses think and act, based on the work of researchers across cultures over time. It gives you the essence of being a genius. If you follow the advice and emulate these practices, you will create the right conditions for genius to manifest in your life. How successful you are will be largely dependent on how much time and effort you are prepared to invest in this most noble of endeavours. Genius can be understood as an aspect of the self-actualised person; someone who is in the process of living and expressing their unique human potential at its fullest. The process of self-actualisation is discussed in detail in this book.

Doing a PhD is no easy thing. It rates as one of the most difficult, yet rewarding things a person will ever do in their life. Much has been written on the process of doing a PhD, as a trawl through a book store will confirm. There have been quite few good books published on the topic. In addition to these, universities generously provide detailed information on doing a PhD. The world does not need another book that goes over that same ground. What the world does need is information about the psychological factors that make a PhD student successful. They are the same factors that make a good researcher, someone who can make a contribution to knowledge in their chosen field. If you are reading this, you probably have an interest in what it takes to get a PhD. Maybe it is a burning desire, maybe more like a passing fancy. In any case, it is a major life-choice, one which you need to be fully informed about before you make it. If you decide to do a PhD, you should know what the success factors are before you start. Many candidates start out confidently but drop out along the way because they were not clear on this important point. So if you are trying to decide whether to do a PhD, or are wondering if you have what it takes, this book is for you. It is a portrait of the successful PhD student. Do you recognise yourself? There has never been a better time to do a PhD. The number of people in the world who have the desire and the access to higher education is rising exponentially. As more people, particularly in the developing world gain access to the Internet more options are now available to people. Few things contribute more to raising the overall standard of living and quality of life in a community than education. The established university model has endured for a thousand years and is still going strong. Long may it prosper. In the 11th Century there were just four universities in the world; Bologna, Salerno, Modena and Paris. In the 21st Century there are around 10,000 universities around the world and the number is rising. The traditional university is now being supplemented by the rise of the on-line university, offering everything from Associate Degrees up to PhDs across a wide range of subject areas. Thankfully, geographic location is now no barrier to getting an education.

Your brain is a truly remarkable thing. Neuroscience tells us that it is the most complex biological structure ever to have existed on this planet. It was made to work and work hard, probably well beyond its current level. You have the potential to raise your cognitive capacity beyond where it is now or where it was in the past. This statement runs counter to the common belief that as we get older, our brains inevitably go into decline. This is not true. There is no shortage of cases where people in their 90’s and beyond have minds that are still sharp and productively creative. In the absence of neurological disease, the decline in brain function as people age has much to do with settling into established and increasingly inflexible ways of thinking that has few new challenges. It is the mental equivalent of spending your days in a comfortable armchair, getting no exercise and watching mind-numbing TV. Sooner or later, your body, like your brain will atrophy through lack of use. Based on the work of the psychologist Howard Gardner, we know that there are no less than nine different kinds of intelligence that we all possess to some degree. Typically, one or two types are more developed in a person, while the remaining types are less developed or dormant. This eBook explains in detail about each of the nine types, and gives you action exercises to help you develop each of them to a higher level. It does promise to make you a genius, but if you follow the advice, it can definitely help you to expand your cognitive repertoire so that you can bring other modalities of intelligence to bear on the challenges that face us all in everyday life. Multiple Intelligences. Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner is well-known for his work on multiple intelligences. Since its emergence in the 1980’s, Gardner’s work is still generates debate, yet many psychologists believe it contributes greatly to a more comprehensive understanding of the nature of intelligence than that offered by the standard IQ test. The nine types include; Naturalistic intelligence, Bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence, Linguistic intelligence, Interpersonal intelligence, Spatial intelligence, Logical-mathematical intelligence, Musical intelligence, Intra-personal intelligence, and Existential intelligence. We possess all nine of these intelligences to a greater or lesser degree. Some remain dormant, while others are expressed more fully. Understanding something of these different modalities of intelligence will be of great help in recognising where your strengths lie. It can give you guidance on which ones might benefit from being enhanced in order to bring about a more balanced profile. Establishing a balanced profile across the nine types of intelligence will make you much more effective at meeting the challenges of life because your ‘cognitive toolkit’ has been greatly expanded. You will be able to use the most appropriate tool for the task, or perhaps a combination of tools might be found to work best. It is a tragedy and a terrible waste of potential that standardised school curriculums and intelligence tests that favour one kind of intelligence over others has produced generation after generation of people who believe they are not very bright. After all, their results at school and the comments from their parents and teachers seem to suggest this. A person who is well-endowed with some types of intelligence may have performed poorly on school curriculums based on the standard IQ assessment methods. A person with high Intra-personal intelligence would probably not engage with set school curriculums, even though they possess highly developed intuitive knowledge that gives them deep insight into people and situations. Arguably such a person is no less ‘smart’ than someone with highly developed mathematical ability.

'Every Moment is the Best Moment' is for anyone seeking a richer, deeper experience of life beyond our pre-occupation with material wealth and consumerism. There is nothing wrong with having a good standard of living, but when wealth and status becomes an end in themselves, we have lost sight of what is most important in life. This eBook is a short how-to guide that can help you to cultivate a higher awareness while continuing to live in the world. The phrase 'every moment is the best moment' is the essence of Enlightenment. It captures the feeling you have when you are so fully engrossed in the moment that you have no thought for anything else. The barriers between your inner and outer worlds dissolve and you feel a sense of connectedness with everything. Every moment is the best moment because it is the only moment. Moments recalled from the past, or anticipated in the future are products of your imagination. They have no substance in the outer world. The challenge is to feel this way about the ordinary things in your life, the things that many would consider mundane or even unpleasant. The enlightened person learns how to take great satisfaction in doing one thing at a time, focussing their full attention upon it and getting into a state of ‘Flow’ (discussed in more detail later). They understand that the virtue is not so much in what you are doing, but how you are doing it.

Do you find it difficult to recognize someone you've been acquainted to earlier? Do you always have to look for your friend’s phone number in your address book before dialing his number? Have you ever experienced forgetting the next few lines to utter in an important speech? Do you have a hard time passing the exams because you just can’t seem to recall the lessons you've studied? If you answered “yes” to any of these above questions, then your memory needs some work. Some might say, “So I have a bad memory. No big deal.” What they might not know is that unless affected by injury or illness... “No One is Born with a Bad Memory. It Just Needs to be Sharpened to Improve Its Efficiency” Contrary to the belief of many people that sharpening your memory takes a lot of time and effort, you don’t have to be a genius to quickly know, understand, and recall what you have read or learned. Can you imagine what your life would be like if you have a sharp memory? You can achieve the following: - Get higher grades by studying more efficiently. - Build good relationships by recalling people’s names, faces, and interests. - Enhance your career by recalling facts and numbers effortlessly. - Never get lost on the road again. - Save lots of time by never having to find lost objects. - Impress your friends with your super memory and be the life of the party. It doesn't matter whether you’re 92 years old or just 12, anyone is capable of memorizing and recalling virtually any information possible. However, you must have the proper lifestyle, attitude, habits, and methods to possess a super memory. Fortunately, an interesting book was written to achieve that purpose. Improving your Memory will teach you practical and creative strategies to refine and sharpen your wonderful memory. It will reveal to you effective techniques on how to maintain your brain in tip-top condition, how to overcome forgetfulness, and how to easily retain data in your mind for immediate retrieval anytime you desire. Best of all, many of the methods are simple, practical, and fun to learn! If you want your mind to memorize numbers, facts, and other information like nothing you've ever seen before, then this book is for you. Take a look at some of the information you’ll find inside: - Why being smart is not necessary to have a good memory. - Foods that allow your brain to operate at its peak performance. - What you should do to improve creativity. - The 3 types of memory. - Helpful techniques in mood conditioning to boost your mental capacities. - The first thing you should do before memorizing anything. - Common causes of a poor memory. - Successful strategies to maintain your focus. - How to keep track of all your thoughts. - Terrific tips to intensify your motivation. - How your subconscious helps you to remember. - Popular techniques of association. - Similarities between the mind and a video camera. - 7 powerful tactics to overcome forgetfulness and absentmindedness. - Why you can better remember a person who owes you some money compared to someone who doesn't. - 11 extraordinary strategies to help you remember names and faces. - How to convert numbers to words. - How to transform numbers to pictures. - Super techniques to remember long strings of numbers. - How to recall an item from a chronological list. - How to easily remember dates, time, and TV channels. - How to develop a keen sense of direction. - How to recall addresses and places with ease.

It has probably happened to you before. A problem arises at the office or in your family, and everyone looks up to you to solve it. You don’t want to hurt feelings or step on anyone’s toes, so you find yourself hedging around the issue. What you really need is a creative solution, one that will soothe everyone’s ruffled feathers. You need something that will appease all parties involved. How do you make everyone happy? Is that even possible? You smiled to yourself thinking that what you really need to be is a genius to solve this dilemma. You wish you’re one of those people who can come up with something amazing, inspiring, and creative, at the drop of a hat. Have you become a creature of habit over the years? Think there’s no way you could ever be creative? Maybe you’ve been stuck in a rut. What if I told you that it is indeed possible for you to become the creative being you’ve always wanted to be? What if you could: - Gain that self-confidence you’ve always desired. - Reduce your stress. - Find some inner peace. - Learn to have better control over your life. - Find unbelievable satisfaction. - Learn to express yourself. - Find some purpose in your life. You will feel so good about yourself, your work will prosper, your family life will improve, and even your relationships will blossom. What if you could look at something everyone else has looked at, but see it in a totally different light? What if you could give it a twist? You could develop your intuition, that special insight that only creative people seem to possess. Think you’re not creative? Think you’re not imaginative? Well, stop thinking. We’re all capable of creativity. It’s in our genes, our very DNA. All human beings are creative. It’s just a matter of developing that creativity. “But how do I do that,” you ask? “I don’t know if I'm smart enough to be a problem solver. “What if I don’t possess enough knowledge to be really good at this?” Well, Albert Einstein said, “Creativity is more powerful than knowledge.” “Want to Creatively Change Your Life?” I stumbled upon the very answer for all those who think they don’t have it in themselves to be creative, imaginative, or inspired. You do have it in you, and one report will teach you exactly how to unleash it. Unleashing the Creative New You! is all you'll ever need to start bringing out that creative person and that imaginative soul that’s inside of you. It’s possible to break free from that monotonous, humdrum existence and start living the creative life you were always meant to live. After reading this report, you will be able to understand what creativity really is, how it can help you live a more fulfilling life, and what you can do right now to wake up that sleeping creative giant within you. What you will find inside Unleashing the Creative New You! - How to conquer procrastination, fear and anxiety. - An awesome way to avoid losing all those marvelous ideas. - The first step to solving any problem. - How creative activities can take away stress and improve your health. - How to achieve a Zen-like state of creativity. - What you need to do to assure yourself of creative success. - How to apply your creative energy to your daily life. - How to develop a higher IQ. - How to counter the dreaded “enemies” of your creativity. - How to be a genius. - The many forms of creativity. - How to know when you have made contact with the creative spirit. - What leaves us too drained to be truly creative. - The biggest difference in our brains and those of so-called geniuses.

For thousands of years people have tried to understand the elusive quality of Leadership. Still no consensus. What it means to be a leader differs according to the circumstances. This book examines the timeless, underlying qualities that must be present in a person if they are to be perceived as a leader by those around them. The distilled the essence of leadership is then formulated into a simple, easy to use process model for anyone to use, whether they be project managers, team members or simply people wishing to become the embodiment of those leadership qualities. Leadership and the Tao is a fresh take on the timeless question of "What is Leadership?" Read what the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu had to say and marvel at how up-to-date is this 2,500 advice when seen in comparison with what modern day experts have to say. Come to understand Leadership as an aspect of the self-actualising person; someone who is in the process of expressing their fullest potential as a human being. This book combines the distilled wisdom of modern day thinkers like Peter Drucker and Warren Bennis with the timeless wisdom of the ancient sages. You might be surprised how useful this book turns out to be.