Do you ever feel like you have trouble taking advantage of certain opportunities that present themselves? Do you feel overwhelmed during stressful events? Do you feel powerless at critical moments when you are forced to make important decisions? Then this lesson is for you!

As I write this article, I have yet to read the book entitled: "The Power of Now". I wanted to be sure to have my own thoughts on the topic prior to letting another author's thoughts influence what I wanted to say.

Perhaps the most powerful thing you can do in your lifetime is become a master of using the present to dictate a future of wealth, health, and happiness. However, all too often, we are becoming distracted and weak in our own personal visions and goals.

As a society, we suffer from information overload on a daily basis and it seems that we are so busy processing the information being thrown at us that we can't remove ourselves from the madness to form our own path. Instead we sit in confusion fearing the vast selection of paths we could possibly take.

We also fear the possibility that the path we select may in fact be "the wrong path". And so, we sit paralyzed by the many opportunities that are available in our lives instead of taking what we like and running with it.

The defining moment in history is NOW. Your choice right here, right now, in terms of what you choose to do with your time, will change the coarse of time. You are literally steering the ship of your life with every moment, and so, I say...STEER IT WELL MY FRIEND!

Below I will cover 5 ways you can keep a clear, cool mind when facing the most defining moments in your life. We will explore some deep philosophical theories and my goal...my goal is to help you leave this lesson with a feeling of empowerment. A feeling that YOU absolutely can steer your future in any direction.

These 5 points will be discussed below and I know that they will cause you to think deeper about your interactions with people and how you handle the testing moments that define each and every day.

We all have the same amount of time each day to exercise these principles. I believe that these five points will help you make the best of each day. As a result, you will be improving relationships, tackling tougher tasks with confidence. You will also be given more and more responsibility as a leader in your community, workplace, and entire life.

1. make decisions without emotion

My high school mentor gave me this advice and I never forgot about it.

He always reminded me that decisions should never be made with emotion, especially important decisions. After all, emotion will always cloud your rational thinking.

Therefore, if you are faced with a situation where you have to make an important decision and you know you are in the midst of emotion (anger, jealousy, fear, etc.), then remove yourself from the situation before making a decision.

If you aren't in a life or death situation, remind yourself that it's perfectly fine to take 5 minutes of clarity and make the decision when you are in a better state of mind. This is especially important with business transactions and relationship decisions.

We always pressure ourselves to be thermometers instead of thermostats. Be a thermostat. Control the situation, whatever it may be as much as possible with a slow, methodical thought process. If you can master this principle of never letting the situation dictate your decisions, you will be a powerful negotiator and mediator. You will also find yourself elevated to a position of leadership in many cases.

2. there's power in your tongue

Realize that your words are very powerful.

Your words leave a lasting impression on anyone who hears them. This means that anyone within an earshot will have the ability to label you based on the impression your words make, good or bad.

There truly is both life and death in the tongue. Your speech has the power to encourage or discourage. And...here's the amazing thing, once you speak something you can never take it back. The idea has presented itself and will demand a reaction whether in thought or action.

If you have found yourself speaking with a sharp tongue in the past, you have most likely been met with an argument or resentment. There's no other way to avoid this type of defense by someone unless you speak with positivity and encouragement in all situations. Even situations where speaking kindly may be difficult, you should make it your goal because it will always give you true power over any conversation.

3. treat others well, impress them

What do people think about you at first impression? I am talking about the feelings or thoughts they get at first sight. Do you make others feel welcomed with your smile, or do you repel them with your hard looks or style of dress?

Treating others well starts with the image you project. People will always make assumptions based on your image. So why not give them the best view possible before you even meet them?

Whenever you meet someone you should also set the tone of the conversation by making that person feel "like a million bucks". For lack of a better word, you want to make every person you meet feel interesting and enjoyable. Let them know that you enjoy their company. Remember, most people are reactive, and if you treat them like gold they will have the initial reaction of treating you the exact same way.

Besides building social karma, this lesson is an exercise in patience, salesmanship, and relation building. I might add that these prior three attributes are great assets for any businessman or professional. Treat others well, and you can always be sure that you did all you could to build the relationship bridges required for success in anything.

In essence, treating others well has many definitions stemming from the way you walk, talk, dress, act and much more. The more ways you can make someone feel special the more you will win their favor. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Treat people to a great impression and it will last forever.

4. take opportunities swiftly

Opportunity waits for no one.

This is perhaps the most common idea in regards to success that you have ever heard. The phrase is said frequently by those wise enough to know when an opportunity has fled from them. This ability to recognize opportunity is less common than you would believe it to be. However, successful people, or those in steady pursuit of success, have looked in hindsight and realized how quickly opportunity came and went on numerous occasions.

The successful person identifies opportunity because of their continuous pursuit of wisdom. Their knowledge of worthy subject matter makes it very easy for them to know the exact moment opportunity is knocking, and, on few occasions predict opportunistic moments before they happen. The fool can't even recognize opportunity because he is blinded by his folly.

When an opportunity presents itself, you should almost always take hold of it as swiftly as possible. The very recognition of the opportunity let's you know that it is out of the ordinary and isn't likely to happen for you on a regular basis. Knowledge and discernment will allow you to filter opportunities accompanied by dignity, character, truth, prosperity and other positive qualities. Opportunities that arise with negative qualities will surely come back to bite you!

5. be aggressive when you need to

There is a time to be aggressive, and a time to be cautious.

Excellence is knowing the difference between when to be aggressive and when to be cautious. It's not an easy task, but with constant work in various social settings and circumstances you can master knowing the best time to use each strategy.

Simply put, always being aggressive, or always being cautious will get you in trouble either way. On one hand, you turn people away with your overpowering nature. On the other hand, you never stick your neck out for anything and lead a timid life lacking achievement.

Once again, discernment is an extremely valuable asset. Since discernment is defined as having the skill of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure, it...like all skills can be developed, practiced and refined.

Another thing to consider is that few successful people in any industry or endeavor lack an aggressive personality. You can see this fact in both a historical sense and present day examples.

Think about some examples of this in your own life. Being a go-getter and having an aggressive mentality are usually accomplices in many great efforts. In fact, it's usually the foundation of a worthy, attainable goal that spawns the aggression and gives the individual the ability to excel at faster rates than their peers.

So, the idea is to be very aggressive when the time calls for it, yet very patient when circumstances do not call for aggression. Having this demeanor REALLY is a skill and believe me, you will see how valuable this single skill can be in your life, relationships, workplace...everywhere.

If you have any questions about "The Power Of Now" and the various techniques that can be used, please visit the forums.

Try to place an emphasis on the power of the present moment in your days. Practice your patience as well as your aggression and learn continuously when each should be used.