Belief is a funny thing. I used to think that it was entirely objective. The mind receives information, processes it, and creates the appropriate belief. There is no room for choice — your beliefs depend entirely on the information you’ve absorbed. If this were true, it would be ridiculous to judge someone for their beliefs. After all, they have no choice in the matter!

While I still believe that people shouldn’t be judged for beliefs, time and reflection have reversed my opinion on the matter of choice — all belief is rooted in choice. But why? How can something as important as belief be subject entirely to whim?

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Self confidence is the difference between feeling unstoppable and feeling scared out of your wits. Your perception of yourself has an enormous impact on how others perceive you. Perception is reality — the more self confidence you have, the more likely it is you’ll succeed.

Although many of the factors affecting self confidence are beyond your control, there are a number of things you can consciously do to build self confidence. By using these 10 strategies you can get the mental edge you need to reach your potential.

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This is a guest post by Tom O’Leary.

A classroom full of 10-year-old students is asked to solve a problem with children crossing the street on the way to school. The children come up with ideas that have been used successfully in other places: traffic calming devices, overpasses, fluorescent jackets and speed limits. All these ideas are conventional, exactly what the teacher wants to hear.

Except for one. A student recommends that the school board sell the property and move the classroom online. This is not what the teacher was expecting.

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Staying motivated is a struggle — our drive is constantly assaulted by negative thoughts and anxiety about the future. Everyone faces doubt and depression. What separates the highly successful is the ability to keep moving forward.

There is no simple solution for a lack of motivation. Even after beating it, the problem reappears at the first sign of failure. The key is understanding your thoughts and how they drive your emotions. By learning how to nurture motivating thoughts, neutralize negative ones, and focus on the task at hand, you can pull yourself out of a slump before it gains momentum.

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Most of the financial advice you get around the web is based on opportunity. People are always looking for the newest way to earn cash for the least amount of work. It’s no surprise most people struggle to build wealth, jumping from one opportunity to the next, wondering why nothing ever works.

The principles that build wealth haven’t changed for centuries. These 78 maxims, gleaned from Benjamin Franklin’s Way to Wealth, contain all the wisdom needed to amass a fortune. Unfortunately, it’s still going to take hard work, intelligence, and discipline.

Industry (1-39) – Energetic devotion to a task or an endeavor; diligence.

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Meditation is the art of silencing the mind. When the mind is silent, concentration is increased and we experience inner peace in the midst of worldly turmoil. This elusive inner peace is what attracts so many people to meditation and is a quality everyone can benefit from.

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One of the most popular excuses people rely on is a lack of energy. When we feel tired we give up early. It’s impossible to be enthusiastic when you’re exhausted. Energy is the difference between having a fantastic, productive day and merely going through the motions.

For most of my life I considered myself a low energy person. By nature I’m a night person. I’ve always been groggy in the mornings and I assumed there was nothing to be done about it. Recently I’ve come to realize that what you do is far more important than who you are.

By starting off your day with this simple 3 step routine you can create a boost of energy that lasts all day — leading to higher levels of happiness, productivity, and fitness.

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Recently readers have asked me to share my favorite self improvement resources. Most of these sites don’t revolve around classic self improvement topics, but they all contain valuable information you can use to improve your life. Here are 101 online self improvement resources, organized into 5 general categories.

It’s a rather long list, so if you don’t have much time I’d recommend bookmarking it with del.icio.us and coming back later. Feel free to add your own favorites in the comments.

Self Improvement Resources

These resources specialize in helping you make the most of your time.

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“When I learn something new – and it happens every day – I feel a little more at home in this universe, a little more comfortable in the nest.” – Bill Moyers

We often get so entrenched in our daily routines that we forget to learn on a daily basis. Lifehacks, GTD, family, work, and social networking are all great ways to grow and enjoy life. They provide new experience and insight while offering endless opportunites for daily learning.

But learning is best when it’s gained through concerted effort. Here are ten simple ways you can learn something new every day.

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While I was still a boy, I came to the conclusion that there were three grades of thinking; and since I was later to claim thinking as my hobby, I came to an even stranger conclusion — namely, that I myself could not think at all. -William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies

Sometime back reader Sara pointed me to this fascinating essay by William Golding about the nature of critical thinking. Golding explains his intellectual development (including a personal encounter with Albert Einstein) and classifies critical thinking skill in three grades.

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