Imagine yourself preparing for a business meeting. In this meeting, you are scheduled to deliver a business presentation that could either win the major account that will propel your company out of a financial slump, or lose the account and put your company at risk of going down the drain. How would you feel? Will you be excited and confident that you have sufficiently prepared for the big day? Or will you be a nervous wreck on the day itself, believing that the worst can happen at the most importune time?



Usually, our own state of mind can dictate the outcome of a major business event. In the example given above, the more confident one is the more relaxed and natural-sounding his presentation will be. He will also be able to create a positive atmosphere within the group, which will perhaps lead to the kind of camaraderie that the client is looking for; hence, clinching the deal. On the other hand, the nervous wreck will most probably deliver a stilted and awkward presentation which will sound too rehearsed and robotic -- a major turnoff for prospective clients.

Looking at these contrasting examples, therefore, we come to the conclusion that confidence and freedom from stress go a long way towards ensuring our success in the very competitive world of business. So if we want to embark on a new business venture and ensure that the project does not fail, we have to do our best to remove stress and anxiety from our life.

One stress-relieving method that is currently making waves in the global market is the Emotional Freedom Technique created by Gary Craig in the mid 1990's. This technique is a combination of acupuncture, yoga and reflexology. Instead of using needles as in acupuncture, you use your hands. And instead of pressing or putting pressure on the body's energy pathways or "meridian points", EFT only involves gentle tapping with your fingers. The yoga aspect comes in the form of a personal "mantra" that you recite repeatedly during the entire process.

The EFT program is grouped into four basic steps: Setup, Sequence, Gamut, and Sequence. In Setup, one prepares himself and his body's energy field by reciting an affirmation such as, "I fully accept who I am in spite of..." After this preparation stage, one then goes through the process of tapping the various pressure points in the body. The third step in the process is the most complicated and can cause nausea in some people. This is the reason why professionals advise a consultation with your physician before starting on the technique. In the Gamut, you have to tap a pressure point and perform nine moves -- which require eye-rolling, hence the nausea -- at the same time.

The fourth and final step is merely a repetition of step two. This repetition has been found to enhance the level of effectiveness of the EFT. And while you are performing these moves, never forget to recite your mantra, which can be a simple phrase identifying the problem area that needs to be resolved. A good reminder phrase can be, "fear of public speaking" or "lack of self-confidence". It is crucial to chant this phrase throughout the exercise, as this is the concrete way of releasing ourselves from the bondage of the negative emotion that is being addressed.

With this revolutionary method, you can indeed turn your life around and bring it back to the state that it is supposed to be in: healthy, peaceful, and abundant.