Stick your right arm out to the side. Start thinking cheerful, positive thoughts. Ask someone to use one finger to push your arm down while you resist. You will find it easy to resist. Your arm will stay out to the side.

Now stick your arm out again and think miserable thoughts. Ask the same person to push your arm down. He or she will be able to do so easily. Your resistance will be much weaker. Your arm will move downwards.

This arm moving drill, which I learned from Ian Fox, the martial artist, demonstrates clearly the power of the mind to influence the body, Positive thoughts about your past and future successes will increase your strength and energy and your power to achieve your goals.

Miserable thoughts about your past failures and present weaknesses will cause your energy and strength to ebb away.

In the example described above, the goal is a simple one - keep your arm out to the side. Tonight I reached another tiny goal through positive thinking.

At first, I thought it was impossible to open a very tight lid on some washing up liquid. I gave up trying as the bottle was nearly empty. On second thoughts, I filled my mind with thoughts of the lid opening and tried again.

The lid opened immediately. Big deal!? Maybe not. But a very small goal had been achieved through positive thinking and positive visualization. Obviously, bigger goals can be attempted using the same method.

Positive thoughts can also make your life much more pleasant and can keep you cheerful. Last Friday, I walked round the neighbourhood twice.

I walk more cheerfully and briskly than usual because of the pleasant thought that England had again beaten the great Australian cricket team in the one day finals of the triangular series with New Zealand!

The English team fielded, batted and bowled brilliantly at times. Their nightmare tour of Australia was turning into a pleasant early morning dream. As a result, a large part of the English nation probably felt stronger, more energetic and better equipped to achieve their own goals!

England went on to win the series!

Postive thoughts, then, can give you the energy to achieve your goals. So can positive habits.

Walking is one positive habit which can help you achieve your goals. For example, I was feeling tired and sluggish an hour or so ago. I went for a walk even though it was raining.

When I returned, I was no longer tired and was able to complete my goal of writing this article. I will also sleep better tonight because of the walk,

Many authorities including the US Executive Health Organization recommend walking as a great exercise:

"Not running, not jogging, but walking is your most efficient exercise and the only one you can safely follow all the years of your life."

The positive habit of walking daily can help people achieve the goal of a healthy and fit body. Being healthy and fit will, in turn, help them achieve their other goals.

According to some studies, walking for 30 minutes a day can help prevent heart disease and can lower the risk of strokes, type two diabetes, some types of cancer and other diseases.

I am no doctor so I can't confirm whether these studies are right or not but I suspect they are. It is also claimed that walking can improve your posture and can help lower blood pressure and help prevent circulatory and heart disorders.

Another benefit of regular walking is that you will look less like a victim. If your posture is improved, you will probably have a straight back and hold your head up so that you will look like a confident person. Muggers will be less keen to attack someone who looks like they might have the energy and confidence to fight back.

Brisk walking is usually recommended but slow walking can help you relax and meditate. I once spent about an hour walking 20 yards when I was at a course for religious study teachers based in a castle near Maidstone in Kent.

You focused your mind on lifting your heel then your whole foot. You then thought about moving it slowly forward and putting it down on the ground. This might take about 30 seconds. You then lifted the other foot and moved it slowly forward focusing your mind on the details of moving your foot.

Because your mind was focused on just one simple thing (moving your foot), it was freed from all the worries and niggles that pester our brains during the average day. Slow walking, then, can relieve stress and clear your mind to think about the important things in life.

This meditative habit can be applied to doing more productive tasks than ultra slow walking. I can, for example, focus on each word I am using to write this article and try to think of a better one.

You can focus on chewing each mouthful of food about 20 times by counting the times you chew. This can help your digestion and general health as well as clearing your mind of worrying thoughts. Of course, your table companions might not be too happy about this habit! They might have to wait a long time for the next course.

Another great habit is to start working hard at any task on your to do list when you are criticized or are depressed. The work takes your mind off the criticisms and depressing thoughts that threaten to overwhelm you and you will feel a sense of achievement when you complete even part of your work.

Working immediately after you are upset will improve your state of mind and help you achieve your goals. Don't wallow in self pity and reflections about the injustice of life and other people. Get busy at once and start taking action on tidying your room or mowing your lawn etc. etc.

Positive thinking and the positive habits described above will help you achieve more of your goals. You may have already given some of the methods suggested a try. If not, have a go and see what happens.

If you are doubtful about the power of your mind to influence your body and your energy, try out the arm drill described at the start of this article. Then focus your mind daily on past and future successes. Visualize them with all your senses and emotions.

Try out the positive habits described above for at least three weeks and take note of any difference they make to your life. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

John Watson
http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php