In order that you can master Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), you will need to be well versed in some of the skills listed below:

1. Calibration: this talk about the skill to be able to read people’s mind. You must had come across situation where people assume that you were unhappy whereas you are actually fine. In these circumstances, you are said to be miscalibrated by these people. Based on your physical actions, these people had assumed otherwise. To be able to read a person mind regardless of their physical actions is known as calibrating that individual. A superb example of where there are a lot of calibrating going on is the World Poker championship. Here the punters are always calibrating each other to see who is really having a strong hand.

2. Detection of Patterns: Patterns actually forms the keystone of NLP. People always get confused regarding the use of this word in NLP. Here in NLP, patterns talks about events that are predicted to come about based on previous observations. An example is this is when a young child who observe his father constantly having his breakfast after reading the morning newspaper. So based on this observation, the child is able to deduce the next set of events whenever his father puts on the newspaper. Therefore, you have to master this skill in order that you will have the ability to make deduction.

3. Proper Questioning: There is a direct relationship on the quality of information that you will received, based on the kind of questions that you ask. Therefore you must be able to ask question that are clear in nature, specific and relevant to the topic that you want to question on. Do not venture questions that are capable of differing meaning. Ensure that the question only communicate the intended meaning to the respondent.

4. Reading the other party’s eyes: Search for “eye accessing cues” on Google if you do not have a fair deal of idea regarding eye accessing cues. As far as my knowledge is concerned, this term - eye accessing cues - is used exclusively in NLP. As you become a master of this skill, you will be able to relate to the other person, and feel what he might be thinking. You also will be able to appreciate what they might be thinking about at the back of their mind.

Please bear in mind that the four skills explained above does not represent the entire list that you have to master. But they are the main skills which are a person need to master if he wish to be a competent NLP practitioner.

What are electronic cigarettes and can they help smokers stop smoking?

Recently when I was asked to write about electronic cigarettes, I must confess I didnt even know what they were! It was interesting to do some research and find out that they are hugely popular at the moment. There were millions of results when i searched for electronic cigarettes on Google.

Many electronic cigarette distributers claim that this interesting item can both allow smokers to smoke much more healthily and also serve as an aid to help stop smoking altogether. They have been on the market for about three years already.

Electronic cigarettes are now in their fourth generation and have become much less cumbersome than some of the earlier ones. Now much smaller and far more user friendly, the mini is the most realistic e cigarette. Just like a conventional cigarette the length of the mini is 100mm.

Containing a taste of tobacco and apparently none of the harmful substances and chemicals found in standard cigarettes, they allow smokers to satisfy their cravings without taking in all those toxins. Is this too good to be true or can the electronic cigarette really deliver on its claims?

A renewable nicotine chamber allows the user to choose between different strengths of nicotine cartridge, so if desired they can incrementaly reduce the amount of nicotine they are absorbing. A smoke like vapour and glowing end when drawn add an extra dose of authenticity to the smoking experience. The battery and internal atomiser helping to produce this effect.

At a time when money is tighter than ever, distributors of electronic cigerattes have estimated that a huge eighty per cent saving can be made compared to smoking normal cigarettes as a typical nicotine cartridge lasts as long as fifteen to twenty normal cigarettes.

The banning of smoking in public has already helped some smokers to quit but for many the thought of having to brave freezing cold temperatures and rain to have a quick cigarette is a pain but still a compulsion. The electronic cigarette contains no known harmful toxins or substances enabling the smoker to remain warm and dry.

None smokers also will benefit, as their worries about passive smoking are rendered null and void by the electronic cigarette. A much more sociable environment then!

Reflecting upon the electronic cigarette it is difficult to imagine them not being a much healthier alternative to their very dangerous real cigarette cousins. If they can genuinely be smoked safely and even help people to quit altogether, then the quicker they catch on the better.