The first self improvement carnival is here. I thought it was about time I give back to the blogosphere so I thought hosting this carnival would be the perfect way to do it.

If you’ve submitted an entry, but can’t find it here, it’s not because I don’t like it. It’s because:

1) It doesn’t fit with the theme of this carnival.
2) The submission was late.
3) You submitted more than one (not fair to the other bloggers). In that event, I listed the one best article among the many you submitted.

I’ve taken the time to read each article and post my comments on it as well. It’s refreshing to see such a wide variety of material and I’m an avid fan of reading so this was great for me.

The articles are posted in no particular order so you can read whatever catches your eye.

Alan presents The Path of the Rebel posted at Made to Be Great.

• This is a good ol’ fashioned kick in the butt type motivational article. It’s written with passion and I think these types of articles are great because it shakes things up and makes you ask yourself some really tough questions.

Alex Shalman presents Now: The Time To Start posted at Alex Shalman . com - Practical Personal Development.

• An article with good advice on starting now. Don’t wait. Like Alex says, do it now and let the momentum carry you - well said.

Andrew Mason presents Chapter 2 - Introducing the GTD Methodology posted at Did I Get Things Done?.

• A good review of the ever so popular GTD methodology.

Gazzali Maidin presents CTC - Cycle posted at beneficial Learning for Outstanding Generation.

• CTC is an acronym for “Cannot, Try, and Can”. It’s an interesting viewpoint on the cycle of goal achievement. When I read the article, the first thing that popped into my head was Roger Bannister, the man who broke the 4 minute mile. “It cannot be done” - that’s what people said regarding running the mile in under 4 minutes, but he tried and he did it with meticulous detail in planning, something that Gazzali emphasizes in the article.

oovs presents 10 Days to a Better Life posted at LifeTraining - Online.

• This is a great article. Well written. Very logical. Gives a good timeline of habit installation and some excellent applicable examples.

Madeline Daniels presents Your Image or Mine? posted at Dr. Madeline Daniels.

• An article with some great insights to our self image. I agree with her on the fact that most of us severely criticize and underestimate ourselves. I particularly like the advice she gives in the last paragraph. Definitely worth doing.

Alvin Soon presents Are You Fighting Yourself? posted at Life Coaches Blog.

• Great article on how to fight self sabotage. Excellent signs on how to identify and solve the problem that plagues many people.

Scott Young presents How to Make Commitments You Will Actually Keep posted at Scott H Young.

• An interesting and unique take on the subject of keeping commitments with your various identities. I’m surprised at how young Scott is to have written this kind of material. Keep up the great work!

Ellesse presents Goal Setting College » Drawing Inspirations from Your Miserable Failures posted at Goal Setting College.

• Good examples to keep in mind when the going gets tough (it will ).

Tupelo Kenyon presents Manifestation Fill-in-the-Blank Affirmation posted at Tupelo Kenyon.

• Here’s a unique idea. Playing relaxing music while reading. It does help. I’ve tried it. And the article? It’s a long read, but very thorough and worth reading.

Raymond David Salas presents How to Have Beginner’s Luck posted at ZenChill.com - Power Tools for Mind, Body, and Soul.

• Interesting analysis and great example of Ashton Kutcher. I love the end of the post and the writing style. Solid post.

Shamelle presents Dale Carnegie Guide To A Happier YOU posted at Enhance Life.

• Ah. Good old Dale Carnegie. I love his books - How to Win Friends and Influence People and How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. Shamelle’s first quote of Dale Carnegie is a good one (one that I’ve never heard of before, but one that a lot of people should read and keep in mind). I like how her article flows with Dale’s quotes. It’s quite refreshing and it reminds us to stop and smell the roses and not always live in the world of tomorrow (something that I have a habit of doing). Great post!

Karen Lynch presents Follow your Own Heart posted at LivethePower.

• Karen makes a great point and she’s preaching to the choir Do what YOU want to do. Live your dreams, not those of others. It’s a great wake up post.

Niels Hoven presents Ask Niels: How do I keep a conversation going? posted at Niels Hoven.

• Celebrity alert. Neils is a contestant on an American show called “Beauty and the Geek”. He’s apparently quit studying engineering at UC Berkeley and is pursuing a career as a dating coach full time instead (he must’ve read Karen’s article too . Neils talks about a very simple technique he uses, which he explains very well visually. It’s a great way to keep the conversation going and make it interesting as well.

Rugjeff presents Self-Improvement Tips Become A Better Blogger posted at Rugjeff, saying, “Self Improvement in all aspects of you life is so important to becoming successful. Learn self improvement tips to bacome a better blogger.”

• Good tips to keep in mind when you start off blogging. Excellent application and oh so true.

Chris presents How to be Cooler | How to get a Social Life posted at How to be Cooler.

• Funny name for a site, but some really good tips on how to get a social life, especially those of you who have just graduated from college.

Galba Bright presents 5 Little Known Ways To Increase Your Emotional Intelligence posted at Tune Up Your EQ.

• Short post on emotional intelligence. I recommend you download the PDF and read it as well. It’s a great quick read. EI is something that I think is definitely worth increasing.

Charles H. Green presents Myers-Briggs and Racism posted at Trust Matters, saying, “To interact with freshness, curiosity and genuine interest, instead of resentment, fear, disgust, anger, expectations, manipulation, hidden agendas, pre-set outcomes, stereotypes or labels—that’s how to build trust-based relationships.”

• Great post. I agree with him that Myer Briggs tends to classify people in boxes and that classification mentality can be extremely harmful. We should keep an open mind FIRST.

Anna Farmery presents Widows Quest Regaining your Family Love posted at Widows Quest.

• A quick good post about family. I think the world would be a much better place if the family unit was well taken care of.

David presents What Matters Are The Results, Not Who Is Right posted at Worldwide Success.

• I read the article and I agree with what David’s saying. A lot of people get so wrapped up with themselves that they fail to look at the big picture and become part of the problem instead of trying to help be part of the solution. Well written article.

John Wesley presents Why the Unmaterialistic Should Have the Greatest Drive to Get Rich posted at Pick the Brain - Wit and Wisdom for Your Inspiration.

• An interesting take on the social perceptions that arise with striving to be rich.

Karl Staib presents I’ve Decided My Job is Now My Hobby posted at 10,000 Swimming Pools Inside Our Minds.

• Karl posts an interesting twist on how to make your job more enjoyable by viewing it as a hobby with some good tips on turning a negative into a positive.

Michael Estep, Ph.D. presents Mike Estep.com - Common Sense Outside the Box posted at Intuitive Feeling-Learning.

• Interesting perspective on a form of learning that’s usually not taught in schools. It’s something that’s not emphasized enough in schools today.

I’ve sent the book to the winners so check your email for that.

Thank you to all the bloggers who participated.