2013- A Year to Embrace Personal Development

4 Ways to Stay Resilient that I Learned from My Dog

I have never been an easygoing person. Not once has anyone ever described me as laid back. I always assumed it wasn’t in my DNA to be calm and peaceful. When things went wrong, it destroyed me. I had coping skills, but they weren’t effective, unless you consider drowning your sorrows in bottles of wine and pans of brownies healthy. Sad but true, when things didn’t go my way or my expectations weren’t met, I felt desperately inept at holding myself together.

I kept waiting for my life to change–for things to start going my way. And that’s when I finally realized that life doesn’t work that way. It doesn’t simply go the way you want it to, no matter how much you wish or pray about it, and even sometimes no matter how hard you work at it. More often than not, life is simply hard. You don’t often get what you want, and most of us certainly don’t get what we deserve. We just get what we get. It’s how we cope with it, embrace it, and learn from it that makes us whole or broken.
Once I realized this, it was a slow awakening. I didn’t simply understand one day and wake up changed. Just like the reality of the alarm clock in the morning, I tried to deny it. I hit snooze. Pulled the covers over my head. Chased the last bits of darkness and dreams. But eventually, as is always true, I had to wake up and live my life.

Funnily enough, I took my cues on changing the way I lived from my dog. After all, she is happy all the time, so who better to look to for ways to live life? So I started to live like her.

1.     Embrace the morning.
I noticed that every morning, my dog wakes up happy and realized there’s no reason I can’t, too. She’s always snuggly and wagging and excited that it’s a new day. Instead of waking each morning and wishing my life were different, I decided to wake up thinking of it as a new beginning. No matter what has happened the day before, the morning is always a new opportunity—to change your attitude, your mood, your mind. That was a decision I had to make, a practice to put into play. I talked myself through it everyday until I didn’t need reminders anymore. Now, my puppy and I awake to stretch our limbs, get some good snuggles, and go outside for some fresh air. Each morning, regardless of whether it’s cold outside or I’m especially sleepy, is a fresh start.

2.     Use your senses.
Every time I walk the pup, she’s constantly sniffing, listening, alert. I realized that I never paid attention to my surroundings. I was always too busy brooding—looking at my feet or my phone or just lost in negative thoughts. Now, I’m present in each moment of my day. I look up at the sky to notice its blueness and the way the clouds stretch across the horizon. I take deep breaths, inhale the crisp winter air, and give thanks. I listen to the last of the leaves crunching underfoot, and cuddle into the softness of my scarf. It makes me grateful for the small things.

3.     Sing!
Let me preface this by telling you: I am not a singer. But, my dog absolutely adores it when I sing. She wags her whole body when I sing to her each morning and cuddles right up to me during her lullaby each night. I sing Taylor Swift and Queen and Sir Mix-a-lot and butcher every last lyric and note. But guess what? It makes her—and me—happy. You can’t belt out Bohemian Rhapsody and stay in a bad mood. It’s a scientific fact. Ok, maybe not, but it’s true for me.

4.     Show affection.
No matter what has happened in my day, my puppy is always glad to see me. She wags. She jumps. She gives kisses and cuddles. She cuddles up to me when I sit on the couch and sits on my lap when I work from home. While her affection doesn’t exactly translate into my world, I take a cue from her by smiling at people on the street, saying good morning, holding doors open, and paying compliments to friends and strangers alike. Not surprisingly, it makes me feel good to make others feel good. To send my sister a “just because” card, bring my co-worker his favorite snack, pick up the tab when I get coffee with a friend—it all makes me a happier person.

How does this translate into resilience? Well, I’m a happier person. Not because I have the perfect job or family or friends. Not because I have loads of money or my ideal figure or an amazing apartment. Not because I’m dating the man of my dreams or getting married or having a child. I’m happier because I’m grateful. I realize that for all the things I don’t have in my life, there are hundreds, maybe even thousands, more to appreciate.

 When things don’t go the way I’d hoped, it doesn’t destroy me because I can recognize that there’s so much I have that is good, and there are so many reasons to be happy. I allow myself to feel sad or hurt or angry, but it doesn’t consume me. I feel it, and then I move on from it. I wake up to a new day, sing to my puppy, and say hello to my neighbors while the first snowflakes swirl around me.  I can see the bigger picture and realize that these are all small moments in a much greater scene.

 Rather than pursuing happiness, I’m just letting myself be happy.
——–
Melissa Woodson is the community manager for @WashULaw, a Masters of Law in U.S. Law offered through Washington University in St. Louis that is considered a premier LLM degree. In her spare time, she enjoys running, cooking, and making half-baked attempts at training her dog. You may find her personal blog at hungryhealthymj.com or follow her on twitter @hungryhealthyMJ.

The Secret of All High Achievers: Effective Goal Setting

Most people drift through life with vague dreams and ambitions; however, those who go approach life in a purposeful manner are the ones who end up as high achievers. Goal setting is the most effective way of taking control of your life. No matter what you want to do, be it managing your finances, learning a new skill, or modifying a behavior pattern, you will find that using goal setting strategies will make those tasks much easier.
Getting Started
Goal setting is systematic procedure. Usually it comprises the following steps.

1. To begin with, you will need to work out where you want to be in the next ten or fifteen years. These are your long-term, lifetime goals.


2. Once you have this "big picture" in your mind, you need to strategize ways of reaching it. These steps to reach the final goal are your short-term goals. Short-term goals can be for the next six months or a year.


3. And then, you need to chart out daily tasks that need to be accomplished to reach the short-term goals.


4. Finally, every few months you can spend some time reviewing your goals and assessing your progress. Remember, you need to be flexible enough to modify your goals if required.

Effective Goal Setting Strategies
Setting the right goals is essential to maintain motivation and ensure success. You can use the following goal setting strategies to ensure that you succeed in your endeavors.
Set specific and measurable goals: Vague and generalized goals are ambiguous and difficult to achieve, such as "I want to be successful in life." Instead, try to be specific and precise while formulating your goals. If you can measure your goals, then it will be easier for you to know when you have achieved them.
Set smaller goals: Make a short list of goals. It is better to aim for 5 essential tasks in your to-do list for the day and complete all of them than having a long list and quitting after completing one or two tasks. Starting with small and specific goals will boost your confidence.
Opt for performance goals: You have greater control over your performance than over the outcome, thus it is better to set goals around your performance. This will ensure that you are not demotivated if environmental factors prevent you from achieving your goals. This philosophy is to focus on giving your best shot instead of looking only at the result.
Remain realistic: While it is always good to aim high, make sure that your goals are achievable and practical. Overambitious and impractical goals can kill your motivation.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7428821

Start To Finish!

"It's not about finishing; it's about you being there on the starting line" - A tagline I read in the newspaper. How true a statement that none of us actually and truly understand. All we are worried about is the finish, result, future, end, or the final act. This kept me thinking for a while and then I thought, I should pen down a few things that we all know but forget to implement. How important is the end or result? I guess very important. All our actions/ behaviors, thoughts/imaginations etc have only one focus point and that is the finish line. Truly said that "keep your eyes on the goal and you will achieve it", but in the bargain don't we actually miss out on the lovely experiences on the way to the goal.
We are so busy concentrating on the goal that we forget the enormous, small yet beautiful events, people, acts or scenes that help us reach where we want to be. The journey as they call it starts at a point. But we forget to place ourselves firmly and strong at that point. Nor do we prepare in advance or research, neither do we know the start point many a times. Yet we believe, some day our efforts would take us to the goal. Midway through our journey a feeling of being lost creeps in and there is a period when we actually doubt our ability, strength, desire or even the goal. When this feeling sets in we try to alter or give up on a lot of things, the worst one being the task and goal itself. To avoid all these confusions midway, planning, research, setting milestones, listing the stages of work that will enable us to reach the goal, a clear picture of the goal, positive attitude, a willingness to take charge of the situation, persistence, an open-minded attitude to learn at every step is needed.
But the most important is to keep a firm foot on the starting line. A foot that is filled with confidence and is ready to face the challenges One which is ready to take up any responsibility and to strive to reach where it dreams to be.
I have just started off the journey, and I have done my research. Also I have a few guides to help me through. Looking forward to the journey, its experiences and meeting the people who will help me get a step closer to what I want to achieve. Here's wishing all who want to get there and do that or be that, the very best of luck!
And don't forget "It's not about finishing; It's about being there on the starting line"

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7428556

Resolutions for 2013

Every year in December, I start thinking of my resolutions for the New Year. And every year, on January first, I come to the conclusion that there is no point in taking any resolutions because I will probably not keep them. In a sense, this removes any accountability so that no matter whether resolutions are kept or not, it really doesn't matter since it was known from the beginning that they probably wouldn't be kept. Is this the easy way out? So how does one actually manage to keep a resolution throughout the year and manage to achieve the set goals? By focusing on one resolution, setting a specific goal and working to achieve this goal daily.
Too often, people set resolutions for themselves and by the end of January are overwhelmed by the amount of work that it takes to maintain all these resolutions. Losing weight is hard enough on its own, if you add stop smoking and keep in touch with friends more often, chances are that you will not be able to maintain any of those resolutions and you will give up on them before the first quarter is over. Focusing on only one resolution will enhance your chances of succeeding in achieving your goals. Resolutions are not about a radical overnight transformation, but rather a slow and progressive improvement of yourself.
In taking a New Year's resolution, it is important to set a specific goal that you plan to achieve during the coming year. It isn't enough to tell yourself that in 2013 you will lose weight. You will need to be more specific in terms of how much weight and how quickly. Will it be one pound every week or two pounds every month? You will also need to be specific about how you plan on achieving your goal. This is true for any resolution you may have in mind. The more specific you are with regards to who, what, when, where and why; the more likely you will be to develop a plan that will lead you to successfully maintaining your resolution.
It is not uncommon for people to make resolutions in January that they will have completely forgotten about by mid-February. If you are serious about keeping your resolution for the coming year, you will need to be thinking about it on a daily basis. Address the progress you are making on a daily basis. A journal is an excellent way to keep your resolution in mind and will allow you to keep track of the progress you are making, as well as take note of the setbacks and improve on them in upcoming days.
New Year resolutions have been around since the dawn of time. Unfortunately, very few people are able to take and maintain their resolutions and will be able to honestly say that they achieved their goals for the year by the time the next year comes around. Focusing on one resolution will prevent you from juggling too much. Having specific goals with a specific plan will ensure that you have a path to follow to help you achieve those goals. Finally, touching base with your resolution progress on a daily basis will help keep that resolution at the top of your priority list so that you may keep your goals in sight. Resolutions are easy to take and harder to keep. Will you be keeping yours this year?

Life doesn't come with an instruction manual. You do the best with what you have and what you know. The more you know, the better you can do and the more you can have. We empower women (and men) to take charge of their lives and live on their own terms, not on someone else's watch.

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Take Off Your Mask

Do you ever feel like you are wearing a mask? Hiding a part of yourself you want so very much to show and express - yet you constantly stop yourself from doing so? You want to be that lean person wearing the hip and now fashions, even a pair of skinny jeans may fit the bill. Or how about the clothes you've already got? You want to be fit and trim and have your arms stop waving when you yell out hello to your neighbors across the street.
Or maybe, like me, you want to be more like Diane Keaton in "Something's Gotta Give" - one of my favorite movies. I just love Diane's character Erica's lifestyle in the movie. She's got it all - the beach home, the apartment in the city, a fantastic, successful career, a vibrant social life, a loving family and an ensuring romance brewing and most importantly a great sense of humor. Sounds ideal doesn't it? Well you may say: "only in the movies"... well hold on now - maybe it's possible to have some of your fantasies come true in real life, too.
We all want meaningful spiritual connection with others that's a given. We want the physical body of our dreams, too. Oh and how about the great relationship thrown in as well. But what about the roles we already have - the masks we already wear? Do they perhaps hold some of our dreams as well? We have the wife mask, the professional mask, the mom mask - giving you the genes you need in order to make the perfect cupcake. Talk about pressure if don't have the cupcake genes and you're a mom! You probably have more that one mask - we all do. It's time to take off the masks that aren't right for you and stop doing what you think you should and start doing what you'd love to. Irresponsible? Not really it's actually very responsible and very honoring to you and everyone in your life.
At the beginning of a new year I always suggest you give yourself time to rest and heal from the last 12 months. Give yourself the opportunity to discover what you like about your self and your present life. It's vital you do so. It's when you don't take the time that things start to fall apart. You stop taking good care of the important things - like eating well, exercising, getting enough quality sleep and tolerating relationships that may not be all that healthy for you. When you slow down you get to figure out - often by listening to your gut feelings what's right and what's not. If you are running around too much or trying everything you can to avoid being with yourself you will never re-discover what excites you and makes your heart sing.
Believe it or not your food choices and healthy habits are directly related to the things that really matter in your life like your healthy relationships, healthy professional life, and your ability to express yourself creatively. You need to be more transparent, more honest with yourself to be fully healthy. When you strip away irrelevant masks (or roles) any health or weight challenges you may have will begin to disappear. So simply wear the beautiful masks that enhance you and are fun to wear - and wear them confidently.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7410277

Tis The Season To Be Jolly, Sober and Clean

Holiday times can be challenging for families and for someone in recovery.
For the families, there is that dreaded fear that the planned occasions will not go as planned. They want the family celebrate, but are fearful of those who do not know when enough is enough. In some families, there is good old Uncle Jack who gets belligerent after a few and causes a scene, or cousin Patty who just makes a total fool out of herself at every family get together as she is either drunk or stoned, and then there is the beloved elephant in the room... someone hasn't shown up for the festivities again, but no one wants to say anything about it, or it might draw attention to their absence.
For the one in recovery, it may be the same scenario, however his/her motivation, is to make it through the holidays still in recovery with no relapses under his/her belt and therefore they want to avoid these types of situations without looking like they are anti-social, judging others and acting holier than thou.
Either way, it can be tough. Either way, my suggestion would be to protect you first and foremost. SELF CARE is so important. It is the one gift you can give yourself.
When you practice self-care, you essentially become better mothers, fathers, brothers, daughters, spouses, and better company. When you surround yourself with like minded people, you can breathe over the holidays and actually enjoy the festivities. The food will taste better, the music will sound nicer, and you will relax about what might or could happen.
You are now in control of what you will allow to happen. You will dictate who you want to be with and who you do not want to be with. If someone else has an issue with that decision, then it is their issue, not yours. If you are truly practicing good self-care, you will be doing your best to ensure that you are creating an environment that supports your well being too.
Look for support around the holidays. Part of good self -care is surrounding yourself with good people, who understand your concerns and your commitment to your self.
Go to functions that support your self-care too or organize your own party and include the people who are dear to you and make you feel comfortable and relaxed.

Good company, good food, good belly laughs and good memories.
Remember: Tis the season to be Jolly... Falalalalalala!

You can have a great Holiday season, if you plan to have a great holiday season. The choice is yours.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7412495

Does Wealth Equal Success?

We have been trained in this country to believe that how much money one has is equal to how successful they have become. We equate the big house, the large income as to one being successful. Look how successful they are they have such a nice house. He (she) is successful they have a job where they earn a six figure income.
Money, money, money, that is what people think they need and desire. As it says in the bible the Love of money is the root of all evil.
I know we need money to survive in this world, and there is no problem with having money or being rich. The question is tough, is having all of that money or money in general mean success in life? Are the money that we have and the goods we posses in life what makes us successful?
I do not think so, and I will tell you why in this blog. First here is one of my favorite songs, though it can be a bit depressing as I get older in life. But it speaks to our possessions, and one of the verses in the song says all the money that you have will not another moment buy. There is much more to success than money.
Kansas Dust in the Wind
Here is some interesting information that I found in Inc Magazine
If you believe success is simply making (or having) a lot of money, you may be setting yourself up for failure.
I'm often amazed at how many people define success as making (or having) a lot of money. It's very strange, because many of the people who think this way are harried, stressed and, frankly, pretty miserable.

The way I see it, everybody's definition of success can be mapped on a simple grid, with one axis being the amount of money that you have and the other being the amount of happiness in your life, like so:
Here is some more information:
In one of my most popular articles, 30 Fundamentals of a Wonderful Life, I stressed the importance of forming your own definition of success. If you don't, there is a good chance you will waste a lot of time and energy chasing someone else's version of the word. To help you, I have found 10 quotes that each, in my opinion, give a key insight into what success really means... The Change Blog What is Success
One more
Now here's a personal question, what is success? You see, personal success comes in many different forms and your concept of being successful might not be the same as mine. If you want to be successful in your life, then the very first thing you should do is to take the time to decide exactly what that means to you. Never mind what it means to anyone else, what does it mean to you?... Advance Life Skills Blog
Now as was asked, what is success to you?
What is my view of success?
If you have read some of my previous blogs you know some of my story. I was successful, had the big house, good job, great wife and kids, so I was successful. One thing lead to another and I lost it all. But what was it that made me a success?
I had thought that if we had that big house with all the trimmings of wealth ans success that we would be happy and successful.
I was wrong
Those items in life are just an illusion in life.
My true success was with my family, my wife and kids and out time together. The mistake that I made was with buying the house and the trappings and then working and working so I could have the money to pay for it. The stress that it gave me then took away from those things that were truly meaningful and were the true success that I had and wanted.
In the end, those things that I thought were my symbols of success actually stole from me those things that were my real success in life.
I knew better in my heart of hearts that what I was doing would lead to disaster, but I followed anyway.
Now I'm on the road back to success, a better success, a self staining one. One based on the truth of what success actually is, not the illusion of success that so many have, and that I once had.
Success
So what is success? It is not how much money you have, how much wealth you have in the bank. It is not your house, and all the mundane goods of the world. It is not the fancy or anything that the media tries to portray as success.
Success is a good home, not house, a good partner in life, great kids who you spend time with and that want to spend time with you.. It is being good to others and to yourself, helping where you can. Enjoying yourself, in whatever situation that you find yourself in. Success is in what good things people say about you when you are gone. Not stressing over the little things in life. Success is being who and what you are, and not trying to conform into an image that someone else has for you or thinks you should be. Remember that in the end we are all just dust in the wind.
Life is too short, passes by to fast, do not ever forget that.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7413721

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7413721

Being Grateful for What You Have

We take electricity for granted. We had a power failure today for three hours and started realising all the things that use electricity. Making coffee or tea became a problem. Thankfully, we still had gas and were able to put a kettle on the stove. Everything came to a standstill, even the computers didn't work. How did we ever manage without the internet? When trying to look for an emergency number, my daughter said, "Look it up on the internet!" After a pause she said sadly, "we don't have internet!" What a golden opportunity to talk to each other.
There are good things that can happen when there is no power. This can only strengthen us for difficult times. When using a broom I realised that I don't need electricity to do this. I can also read books with a torch, without the need for electricity. These are also ways of saving energy. Having said that, I'm glad the power was restored, but I will now appreciate it more.
Another thing we take for granted is our vision. I cannot imagine how someone born blind can live and still be happy. They have never seen flowers or trees and don't even know what their loved ones look like. They have an increased sensitivity in their hands and can feel more of the world around them. We take the light for granted too. It was only when I realised how difficult it was to thread the sewing machine needle that I had to do the mending in the daylight hours. There is truth in the saying, 'make hay while the sun shines.'
Light shows us where to go especially in the dark hours in winter. We flick a light switch without thinking and use torches and other forms of instant lighting. Where there is no light, we would all go to bed a lot earlier and wake earlier to get all our tasks done. We need to be grateful for all the things we take for granted and save energy where we can, sparing a thought for those people who don't have all the good things we have.
We all take things for granted. We jump out of bed in the morning and expect our legs to hold us up. After all they have done that all our lives so why shouldn't they now? It's only when there is a change that we sit up and realise the value of what we have. If our bodies have worked well, we may take them for granted. This is more so in people who have never been ill and seldom been to the doctor or hospital. It seems as we get older we're reminded of the frailty of the human body. To have to actively perform all the involuntary actions that the body does, would give us a major problem. Imagine remembering to contract your heart muscle on a regular basis - I don't think I'd survive long at all.

We all need help in maintaining healthy bodies. By giving our bodies some love, care and attention, we can achieve more than we realize.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7406279

Tips to Make a Relationship Last

An English poet named John Donne once said "no man is an island" which means that human beings do not thrive when isolated from others. True enough, we need to have a companion, to love and be loved until we get old. Relationships such as that of friends, lovers, or families will only be meaningful if the parties involved will continue to value the bond among them.
In a romantic relationship for instance, it's very easy for a boy and a girl to have affection for each other. But keeping it is indeed a challenge. There are many obstacles along the way. Good thing is that you are not alone to face whatever the problem is because you have a partner. What a great feeling it is if you both survived the trials in your relationship!
But it's not that easy. Both parties must exert an effort so that their relationship will last. Perhaps the following tips will help especially to those who are struggling with their relationships.
1. Work it out. Since both of you agreed to enter in a relationship, then see to it that you will work it out come what may. None of you are forced to do it, so you are responsible of your actions. There may be ups and downs along the way but it's certainly manageable. Expect that your relationship is not always a bed of roses. Therefore, learn how to deal with it and do everything to succeed with your relationship; after all it's a collaborative effort.
2. Do not dominate your partner. Sometimes a problem will arise when one dominates the other. In this case, the other party will start to think that his or her feelings do not really matter because the domineering partner has always the final say on everything. This is a big NO in a relationship.
3. Share secrets. Your partner will surely love you even more if you do so. Know even the little things about your partner. It doesn't matter if such things are nonsense as long as both of you enjoy each other's company.
4. Spend quality time together. Doing this will make your relationship even stronger as you will know each other better. Perhaps a dinner date, a walk along the beach, or hanging around in plaza or whatever you have in mind that you can spend quality time together. That would be great!
5. Always show your affection. See to it that your partner will feel your genuine affection everything you do. Little things such as giving flowers, chocolates, and greetings will do. But on top of this, don't forget to say "I love you" and you really mean it.
6. Say sorry. Whoever commits mistakes, don't hesitate to say sorry. After all, we are imperfect. Learn to accept that truth. Both of you should learn how to be humble so that your relationship will not be jeopardized. Do not be swallowed up with your pride.
If you will only take your relationship seriously, without a doubt you will succeed. Your relationship will last if both of you will take part by heart. As much as possible do everything


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7418771

Luck?

I believe in luck because luck does, in fact, exist. Luck is nothing special really as most imagine it to be. Being lucky is merely your preparedness and your readiness coming into contact with an opportunity to shine almost entirely by way of your hard work before making a conscious decision to fulfill the opportunity that lies before you. As you can already tell by now, my luck is totally different from the mistaken notion of luck being some esoteric thing that automatically advances a person. Some of you may be thinking that if luck requires hard work, then how do some people win millions of dollars just by playing the lottery or by stumbling upon a lot of money by chance? My brazen answer to that question is that winning the lottery is not luck because it is gambling and stumbling upon a bunch of money is an occurrence. Gambling and occurrences are not luck because, unlike luck, those things do not allow you to play an active role in your destiny.
Being lucky involves living like a lucky person. Living like a lucky person is simply doing something every day or frequently that makes you a better person or puts you in a better state of mind. Writing just as with my exercising is one of those activities that I frequent. I cannot speak for other writers and bloggers, but the beauty of writing is that it makes all of my problems in life feel as if they are nonexistent. I simply redirect all of my attention and energy to my writing and my anxiousness and my worrying simply diminishes as I do what I love. As you can tell, in my case, to express myself through writing is to live like a lucky person (well writing, and many, many other things of course). The lucky person is the person who can contribute betterment to himself and to others and enjoy what he or she does.
To keep the idea of being lucky even more simplistic, I will posit that being lucky is doing what is liberating and doing a lot of it. The funny thing about being lucky is that being lucky isn’t really being lucky because we understand that we have the ability to cause ourselves to be lucky people by our thoughts and our actions. What do you think about luck? I would love to read what you have to say in the comments section.

Dealing With Stress by Learning to Give Up Control of the Uncontrollable

The root of so much of our stress lies in our attempt to have CONTROL over the uncontrollable!
It started with a simple question posed by my 4 year old daughter:  ”Why can’t I have this TV show right now?”, she asked pleading with me to magically make her favorite episode of her favorite TV show appear instantly.  It’s not that I couldn’t do it.  I mean I could if I navigated the menu items on the OnDemand function of my cable provider.  It’s just that I didn’t want to do it.  She had watched enough TV that day and that was that.
But it was her insistence on the mere fact that she could get whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted INSTANTLY in the comfort of her own living room that created some angst in my mind.  It was this notion of INSTANTLY, that got me thinking.  Not only do our kids have access to the latest and greatest ‘things’ instantly but so do we adults.  And what got me even more uncomfortable with all of the speed and complexity of technology today is that throughout this chaos we live in, we are creating so many filters in our lives to tailor our world around us.
Technology is enabling us to have things our way
Guilty as charged!  As I look at my own life in a world of dealing with uncertainty and chaos, I realize that what I’ve done is that I’ve somehow unknowingly created an artificial environment around myself with all these filters.  From being selective to the friends I hang out with to the parking spot where I like to park to the place I buy my morning coffee to the path I take to work.  It all seems as though I have been training myself to get into a comfortable groove of familiarity with…a predictable, orderly state of affairs that has become my own little universe cut off from the chaos of reality outside the bubble.  I don’t want hassles in life…so I avoid them!
And technology makes it so easy for us!  You press a button and pop – instantly you get what you want!  We decide which seat we sit on when flying on a plane.  We select the the ring tone, the music that comes on when someone calls. We select the time, place and device to suit our TV viewing experience. We select the restaurant based on our strict preference and criteria and reviews online.
“Have it your way” (remember the Burger King slogan?) has become our rallying cry and we have won.
Now what?
Real life happens.  Something you never expected, happens in your life.  Chaos at work.  Complexity of managing a career.  Uncertainty in a relationship.
No app on your IPhone for handling life that you cannot control.  So you freeze.  You get stuck.  Frozen by the over thinking.  Overwhelmed by the chaos.  WE GET UPSET.  FRUSTRATED.  STRESSED.
What do you do?
As I learn to deal with uncertainty in life and chaos at work, I feel as though that striking the root of stress – this concept of CONTROL – is the place where I need to focus.  Because for me, trying to navigate this chaos – dealing with uncertainty, dealing with chaos at work, trying to control the unpredictability of life…that’s where my stress comes from:  my feeble attempt to think that just because technology has allowed me the ability to have some comfort controls in life, doesn’t mean that I can control the uncontrollable, which is real and unpredictable.  
I can’t control the way my kids will horse around when they’re supposed to be in bed.  I can’t control the way my boss will perceive my performance at work.  I cannot control the way my customers will make decisions.  So I have to learn to stop trying so hard to control the uncontrollable.  Instead, start focusing on the one thing that can be controlled:  Me.
I control my actions. I control my thoughts.  These are things I ought to be worried about – not trying to control the way life will revolve around me.
I believe that in order to reduce the stress and anxiety that comes with my attempt to deal with uncertainty in life and the complex and unpredicatable nature of work, I need to give up the desire to control the chaos.  Because chaos will not bow down to me. 
Doing Ju-Jitsu to the stress
I can only embrace the chaos by redirecting that desire of control and order…onto myself, my work and my purpose.  Channeling that effort towards my goal in life or the task I’m working is doing ju-jitsu to stress.  By working deep, hard and dedicating myself to whatever I want to achieve, I can begin to feel like I actually have control of my own life.
Controlling the way I look at the world and the pro-active actions I take to strive towards my purpose, I can become a little less stressed, a little more relaxed.   And instead of fighting with my daughter about the TV show, I am slowly learning to go with the flow…and jump on the sofa and watch with her.
   |   Bob Miglani

4 Ways to Kickstart a Positive Day

“Seriously?”, I thought to myself sarcastically as I read the morning paper riding the bus to work the other day.
I listened to talk radio on my phone and “Oh, boy” I thought again as I heard a commentator use the word, “uncertainty” about a dozen times. The more I read, listened and absorbed the news, the more anxious and stressed I became.
By the time I walked into work, I had fueled my morning anxiety just enough to turn the rest of the day into an awful one.  Surprise, surprise.
As I went through my day, I made a realization:
THE MIND WILL EAT WHATEVER YOU FEED IT.  
And I was feeding my mind a Big Mac for breakfast.  It looks harmless enough but you pay for it later in the day. 
The real problem with negative, reactive stimuli or what I call “Big Macs” in the morning is that they make us self doubt actions we intend on taking during the day.  Instead of moving forward to do something meaningful, the Big Mac drains our momentum and you end up asking yourself, “What’s the point?”.  We feel emotionally crippled due to all the uncertainty we hear or read.  Uncertainty in the world economy, uncertainty at work, unpredictability of life, uncertainty in my job, uncertainty in relationships and uncertainty in our life.
I realized that eating “Big Macs” in the morning create unconscious threads of thought which boil up anxiety and stress, adding the salt of our complicated world, creating a stew of paralysis that makes you freeze from all the thinking…that someone else is putting in your head!
I HAVE TO STOP! I said to myself.  My morning habits needed improving to help me deal with uncertainty all around.  So, I’ve come up with four things I have started to do each morning to help me be more productive and positive, throughout the day.
4 Ways I learned to stop morning anxiety and kickstart a positive day:
1. Stop reading the NEWS…in the morning.
It’s become one of those habits that I can’t seem to break but increasingly I’m realizing that reading the news in the morning is just not helpful…because it makes me more nervous about all the problems we have in this world. By learning to accept that I’m really not missing anything “NEWSY”, I am getting more comfortable with not reading the news in the morning.  And while I do accept that I have to remain an informed and well read, I don’t necessarily need to know everything that happens in Greece, the middle east or anywhere else.  Because there’s always so much news and frankly, I can’t do anything about it anyway!
Listening to all the gossip on Facebook or on the political radio can also be debilitating because you get wrapped up in anger and frustration.  By accepting that you can’t solve the world’s problems, you begin to start moving forward to do something about your own. Deferring my need to absorb the news to the afternoon, I have started to feel better and am less anxious about the uncertainty around the world and am more focused on the kind of things that are in my control…my own actions.
2. Connect. Laugh. Talk…with anyone!
Much of my work these days is on emails, texts and web teleconferences that I miss out on speaking with people face to face.  And I’ve found that the lack of human contact often contributes to my feeling of anxiety and furthers my stress.  What I have started to do is to reach out to a friend or colleague in the morning by sending an email, a text, calling or simply talking with someone even a total stranger.  Every now and then, when I’m standing in line at the bus stop in the morning, I try to say something funny to the person in line next to me.  It could be something silly as the weather, the football game the night before or asking a question I know the answer to.  Even my ‘coffee guy’ gets a “Hey, how you doin?”
3. Feed the Mind a Positive Story.
Many years ago when I was selling, this was one of the most important things to do because when you’re out there selling, you get a lot of rejection.  One of the ways to prepare for a job like that, especially if you want to be a great sales person is to feed the mind a positive seed, that you harvest all day long.  Back then, I did this by having a sales call with a customer who would always smile and tell me a good story.  Today, I do this by listening to a podcast or an audio book or reading a blog post.  Whether it’s reading a book of your faith or listening to a podcast, there are lots of positive stories that can make you laugh, give you inspiration and to help you feel positive.
4. Create.  Work on my craft.
I started taking index cards in my pocket for each morning’s long commute to work.  On it, I write an idea or a to do list of the things I need to get done that day.  Sometimes I write a thought or a question I want to share with my kids.  Often, I find the idea of putting pen to paper almost therapeutic because I’m focusing my thoughts on the here and now and not on tomorrow’s uncertainty.  By creating and working on your new ideas for your job, your business, or educating your kids you are allowing the mind to focus on something useful.  This healthy seeds start blossoming into other creative thought and moves your mind away from trying to figure out all the problems of life.
Just like the body, the mind needs a good breakfast.  Feed it something good or something bad.  It’s your choice.  
I believe that for me to deal with the uncertainty of life, I need to stop feeding my mind “Big Macs” in the morning and start sowing seeds of possiblities.
The idea is to create and focus on what you can do something about – YOURSELF – rather than world problems and the big macs. Because ultimately, just like healthy eating habits, healthy mind habits begin from inside each of us and can lead to a new and transformed you!  And while my waist line may not shrink, what grows is the ability of my mind to deal with the uncertainties of life and feel more prepared to embrace the chaos that is inevitable during the rest of the day!
 Bob Miglani

How to Live in the Moment

Life today seems to move at an ever-increasing pace, and shows no sign of slowing down. Mobile devices make it easier than ever for your boss to expect to contact you outside of work, and many of us can’t even disconnect long enough to get a real vacation.
Unfortunately, stress like this can wear you down and make you much less productive.
Living in the moment seems like a pipe-dream, but it can be the exact prescription you need to regain your motivation and work productivity. Simply slowing down throughout your day to enjoy small moments can help you remember what it is you’re
working for in the first place. Here are 6 tips to help you do just that.

• Pay Attention to Your Body. The knot in your stomach, the tension in your shoulders, and the ache in your neck are all telling you something important. Take a moment to pay close attention to your body. Feel what’s there, and find out what it’s telling you. Do you need a break? A stretch? When you meet your body’s physical needs, you’ll be far more successful in your work.

• Forget Multitasking. The idea that you can actually do multiple things at once is a myth. Studies have shown that what happens is your mind simply changes focus very rapidly between tasks. This tires the mind and dramatically reduces productivity. Choose one task and be fully present doing it. Then move on. You’ll make fewer mistakes while getting more done.

• Practice Gratitude. If there’s anything we lack in our advanced society, its thankfulness. Take some time to think about and be truly thankful for the good things in your life. Even write them down. Studies have shown that gratitude will improve your mood, your motivation, and your performance. It will also help you enjoy the present moment more.

• Breathe. Nothing helps slow down a stressful day than taking a few minutes to focus on breathing. Just close your eyes, take deep, full breaths, and think about how it feels. You’ll become more present in your body and in your environment. In addition, your stress will drop dramatically.

• Observe. Many mistakes we make are simply due to not paying attention. We walk by people and don’t even see them, or miss a turn because we were thinking about something else. Take a day and fully observe everything around you as you work and play. You’ll find amazing things you never saw before, and you may even come up with solutions to some tough problems!

• Unplug. Technology is often our Achilles heel when it comes to slowing down and enjoying the moment. Whether it’s our boss, a friend, or our spouse, it seems like everyone wants to reach us at a moment’s notice. Take some time for a technology vacation. Turn off the phone, the television, and the computer. Enjoy games and talk and fun with family or friends instead. These are the moments you’ll remember and cherish.

Being in the moment in our busy world is not an easy task, but it’s incredibly rewarding. Be patient with your attempts – your mind will often wander. However, the benefit you’ll gain from these six easy tips will enhance your life and your work in incredible ways. Be present!

About the Author: Steph Potter is a mother of two, an avid runner, and a freelance writer. In her spare time, she enjoys meditating to find her center

Work: What’s it all about?

I absolutely love my work! I say that frequently, but also, people say it right back. They say, for example, that they can TELL I love my work. Great! To me: that’s what it’s all about. It keeps me looking for better ways to do what I do. It challenges me to turn my passion into a value proposition for people and organizations out there. I don’t know how I could do it (my work) otherwise. But, of course, I am an entrepreneur and fashioned my company to my own expectations, right?
Well, I can remember back when I had a job. It seems so long ago and…No, I didn’t hate my job. I didn’t think of starting my company to get away from an awful boss or dreary to-do lists. It was still a labor of love. I enjoyed each and every day there and look back to those times with joy and pride. I contributed in ways that can still be felt there, though nobody might know that but me! But I always felt a sense of worth, a way of making a difference in every aspect of the job. I went through a few bosses in the seven years I worked there. And some were much better than others. Times got good and times got tough. I cannot say that there weren’t things there I hated doing, people I had difficulty dealing with and aspects I was challenged to contribute to. But all in all, I felt I was expressing my mission. I was learning and helping to learn. I was creating possibilities and making sure that I left a mark. Those things are important to me.
Chances are, they are important to you as well. Wherever you work and whatever your situation is there, making sure that you work with purpose, regardless of the activity, will keep you sane, connected and interested in life. After all, too much of your time is spent there for it to be a pause in your living. Meaningful work is exactly what you deserve to find and it is the best way of contributing to the world. And it’s not about the activity you do, either. I have seen people make a significant difference and find purpose in just about anything. And waste the opportunity, too! Even in the coolest of jobs.
So, while job fit is great to have, while you make that move or find that dream job or start your own company, there are things to find at work right now:
Meaningful relationships. With clients, with colleagues, with bosses or mentors. Find the people that you would like to learn more from, or that you want to connect to and use the time wisely. Do it AS you work, in the act of working together.
Meaningful execution. Don’t just do. Do with gusto! Understand what you do and how it contributes to the end result. Perfect, innovate, take pride. And, it you can, improve continuously until your activity is natural and simple to execute well. Then, leave crumbs so others can follow suit.
Meaningful transformation. See what your current activity teaches you that you can use in life. Does it make you more patient? Will it move you away from shyness? Does it give you structure, or demand creativity? Make sure you put yourself where you learn and grow. It is everywhere to be found, if you stay open to finding that space.
Meaningful experience. The other day I was telling one of my colleagues that everything we did before prepared us for this moment. We had taken on a project that was bigger than ever and just outside our comfort zone. But we were able to do it because of what those little jobs of the past left us with. We were suddenly grateful for the tough years when we earned our chops doing various things that were needed at the time.
So, tell me… what is YOUR work all about?

The Power of Intention – 10 Steps

“Everything that is created in the universe is here already. We are not really creators as much as we are re-combiners of everything.”
“All of us have the capacity to attract to ourselves what seems to be missing in our lives.”
“If you think about shortages, you’re going to attract more shortage! If you think about what’s missing, you’re going to attract more of what’s missing in your life.”
Wayne Dyer

Let me start with an example of what Wayne Dyer is speaking of in his last quote above, as this is a very important concept to grasp. A few months ago I woke up feeling shear dread about going to the office. I felt I could not go in and face the day. I said to myself “If I were sick with a cold or flu I wouldn’t have to go to work.” What do you know! Five minutes later I was displaying symptoms of the flu. I was coughing, sneezing and a headache and nausea had set in. Going to work was out of the question. This is how powerful intention setting can be. Even though it had a negative outcome it still gave me the result I wanted at that time.
We each have the power to manifest into our lives the things we want and need. The only puzzle piece that is missing, in most cases, is the strength of the belief that we can. Like in my story above I really believed that I would be better off sick than going to work healthy. By now we have all heard the phrase “It is not about seeing and then believing, it is about believing and then seeing.”  The ability to manifest is innate in our being. We have the connection to source. Like a golfer we just need to hone our skill through practice.
We always receive some result to any intention we set. However, in many cases the person awaiting the result can miss the actual realization of their desire altogether. They just do not see the manifestation of the intention because they may be looking in the wrong place or just not seeing at all because they are expecting something different.  For example, someone has set the intention to have a new “perfect” love interest come into their life. They set all the parameters of the person and no one shows up. Yet the person can be someone they are already in some sort of relationship with at the present time. Someone who was not available prior or they didn’t see the individual for who they truly are and they miss the opportunity altogether.
One example I like to use that really explains this well is when I was in the market for a new, previously owned, vehicle. I shopped around on car lots. I browsed the regular spots online. I even read through the car sales magazines. Finally after many weeks of searching I finally found the vehicle I was looking for. It was just missing a couple of features that I wanted.  So I purchased the car.  The second person I showed my new car to let me know very quickly that a friend at the office just sold the exact same vehicle except it had all the features I had been looking for and at a better price. What is worse is she had actually told me about it two weeks prior. I just had not been paying attention.
So I have given you examples of both positive manifestation and negative as well. The question you are probably asking at this point is “How is it done?” “What is system that I find works?”  It is very simple:
1. Choose something for yourself that would be for your greater good. Remember that what you intend to manifest will come to fruition. As the old adage goes “Be careful what you ask for. You may just receive it.”
2. Be very clear about what you want to manifest. Write it down. Make it reasonable though. The more unbelievable the description the harder it will be for you yourself to truly belief it. Example: I am 5 foot 3 inches tall and my intention is that I am 5 foot 10 inches tall. Probably not going to happen!
3. State the intention in a positive way. No no’s or not’s.  Negatives are not recognized by the Universe. For instance “I don’t want my husband to leave his socks on the living room floor” could rather read “My husband picks up his clothes from the living room floor and puts them away.”
4. State it in the present, as if it has already occurred or you have received it as in the example above.
5. Set it in emotions. Feel that you have already received fulfillment. Be happy about. Celebrate!
6. Send it out to the Universe with thanks and appreciation.
7. Be thankful!!! Be grateful!!!
8. Let it go so that the universe can bring it back to you fully formed. If you hang on, especially with expectations of how it must come to you, you will be placing limits on how the Universe can deliver it.
9. Share your intention with other positive individuals that will support you with their thought. You can even start an intention circle that has like minded people get together on a regular basis to share your intentions and most importantly verbally support each other.
10. Every morning re-visit your intentions and gratitudes. This is important. Keep your intentions somewhere you can see them. You can even make a vision board that pictorially represents your intentions and keep it in a prominent place in your home. As mentioned above revisiting your intentions does not mean hanging on to them. Let them go and manifest themselves. If you try to keep control of the manifestation process guess what, you will be in control and where has that gotten you so far.
I have found that all the best manifestations that have occurred in my life were when I followed the above process and then completely letting go of any control whatsoever. Amazing things happened. That is how I met my current partner who is everything I hoped for. It is how my new book The Midas Tree was born and many more wonderful things and experiences.
I know, without a shadow of a doubt that setting intentions works and it can for everyone. If you truly believe and are willing to see it when it arrives then you too can have your dreams come true.

How to Improve Your Life: Are You in Your Right Mind?

Do You Survive or Thrive?
This is a difficult question in this day and age. Few of you remain untouched by economic loss in an unpredictable economy and many have suffered lost homes, jobs, income and retirement. Add to that the increased stress of holding the jobs you already have that have become increasingly swollen with responsibility. The same numbers of tasks need to be completed with fewer employees.
So although it is definitely a blessing to have retained your job, the stress of balancing family and work can be overwhelming. On the flip side, you know you have a regular paycheck, and possibly benefits like health coverage, and paid sick days and vacation.
If you work at what you love, however, you could be thriving! Imagine being able to control your own time, schedule, and choice of tasks, and make an income? While this may sound ideal, some of you are just not suited to 'self-direction.' To run your own business and doing what you've always been passionate about also has its pros and cons.
The Human Survival Tool
So how do you live in this world with manageable stress and make a living wage? This is a question that many of you struggle with, or ignore completely because you feel there just isn't an acceptable answer. One answer is to design your own solution and identify just what it is that keeps you from living a fulfilling life. After all, each of you is given only one.
What if I told you the first step towards living a happier, less stressful life lies within yourself? It is something everyone is born with but your education may have discounted. The answer may lie in the right hemisphere of what has been shown to be the most under utilized super computer on Earth, your brain.
Humans are given a brain with two hemispheres that each have their own functions for a reason. Most jobs require an overwhelming amount of left-brain activity, including fact-based, organizational, detail-oriented, and deadline-driven tasks, and in the U.S. these tasks are driven by the economy. Right-brain tasks, including intuitive, imaginative, big-picture, project-oriented tasks, don't seem to be rewarded nearly as much. The goal would be to use both hemispheres equally, and augment left-brain activities with more creative thinking.
This is a uniquely human ability and the potential to live and think creatively, with imagination, is what makes you human. It is your survival tool for living in an insecure and ever-changing world. The more challenging the world is to live in, the more imagination is needed to meet that challenge.
How can you strengthen your right-brain creative thinking muscle? The answer is to add more right-brain tasks into your life by pursuing whatever makes you happy, whatever you are passionate about, whatever you do well - in your spare time. These are the activities that place you 'in the zone' - activities that you enjoy so much that you are unaware of time or place. These are the activities that spark imagination. And if you could make an income, a 'living,' with what you love, imagine how much happier you would be. Some of you have already turned your art or hobby into a partial income, which is the first step towards working at what you love!

I am Wendy Fallon and a professional writer, artist and author of two e-publications.
Learn to creatively re-evaluate your personal resources and knowledge and change the direction of your life. Make Art, Be Happy - How to Live Well by Increasing Creativity & Improving Your Life, a 120-page E-Book, provides you with step-by-step guidance and creative thinking exercises, inspiration, motivation and suggestions that can spark your imagination.
Not only a fun activity, hand drawing is also a right-brain exercise that can strengthen creative thought and decrease stress. Learn how in this 20-page E-Tutorial, Beginning Drawing for Adults Who Think They Can't.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7292907

When Creativity Runs Out

Social media platforms have been a great help for most entrepreneurs when it comes to improving and refining their creativity. The new innovations these platforms regularly present somehow give entrepreneurs ideas on what people expect. Through other people and company's feedback, they gather information on improvements they can do to make their platforms more interesting. And if your company has also been taking advantage of these free social media platforms, which most businesses today do, you can also share the same benefit that others have. Brainstorming for new ideas to market your products could be draining and may not prove to be effective all the time. If you learn to manipulate and use the advantages of these social media platforms to your advantage, you could just be saving your company and creative team some mind-numbing work.
Aside from keeping your company updated through all these social media sites, you may also take a little sneak peek from your competitors. The aim is not to copy what their company has but to make it as an evaluation tool for your own company. Are you using several tools to your company's advantage? Is your company website up-to-date in terms of website content? Perhaps you could do a little improvement to your own business website?
The key to keep creativity coming is constant evaluation of where your business currently stands today. New improvisations may the stepping stones to turning simple ideas into more creative ones. The more you open your eyes to what is happening around you and your business, the more ideas you'll likely acquire that could be very helpful to your line of business.

Bonnie Dell Doguiles is a registered nurse with a Masters Degree. She has practiced her profession as a college professor in one of the well-known universities in the Philippines. She writes various informative articles on different niches like health and wellness and web development.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7331405

How Important Is Creativity to Every Day Life?

You may not think of yourself as a creative person. Grade school water colors may be the last time you picked up a paint brush - other than when you painted the bedroom. You might be lucky to call yourself creative when you match the towels hanging in your bathroom. Is it really a big deal if you are not creative? It can be.
Creativity does not mean you have to paint like Monet or write like Charles Dickens. Creativity shows itself in many ways. The arrangement of family photographs hung on the living room wall or the elaborately laid out dining room table at Christmas time could all be examples of creativity at work. Creativity can be anything in which you express yourself and which creates happiness for you.
Lives which are lacking creativity share common characteristics. A lack of creativity in your life may leave you feeling as though you are stuck or unappreciated. If everything feels same old-same old, it probably is. While it is not unusual for everyone to go through periods like this, it can be problematic if it drags on.
Not using your creativity to perk up everyday things in your life can leave Jack a pretty dull boy. Creativity is after all a form of play, a release. Whether you like to garden, cook gourmet meals or photograph landscapes and sunsets, those activities add spice to your life. They give it meaning and purpose. To deprive yourself of these activities, many of them simple, is to deny yourself joy. Constant monotony in your life can lead to listlessness, depression, even health issues.
Find an activity or two that you think you would enjoy and throw yourself into them. Challenge yourself to give your living room a makeover for less than $50. Pledge to read 10 books in three months. Teach yourself to cook Italian fare like an old Italian woman. Grab your camera and take random pictures on your walk.
Once you pick up the gauntlet and dare yourself, you will be surprised at the other opportunities that present themselves. Conquering one new skill will lead to a desire to conquer others. Your creativity will emerge and you will find yourself looking for more opportunities to grow as a human being. Your outlook and demeanor will be happier, too. We are born creators, we must create in order to feel alive


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7394744

Increase Your Creativity: Three Easy Techniques

Are you bored? Do you feel stalled-out in your work? Does it seem like you do the same old things every day? Could "writer's block" be the name of the street where you live?
Fortunately, it doesn't take a huge change in your life to break free of usual patterns and find yourself feeling more creative.
Try one or two small exercises in creativity. You might spend ten minutes on an exercise every day for a week-or just start with ten minutes a week and build from there. The idea is to experience the power of small changes, so it's counterproductive if you feel like you're really pushing yourself.
Here are three ideas to get you started:
Visit the Library. Check out a book (or several books) on a topic you love but seldom have time to read about. Explore a hobby you've neglected. Pick up a stack of art books or cookbooks-something you can page through for inspiration. Check out a stack of magazines, maybe National Geographic for its evocative photos, or a DIY magazine like ReadyMade.
Change Your Daily Routine. Experiment with different tiny changes. Pack a tortilla wrap for lunch instead of a cheese sandwich. Walk a different route to the bus stop. Make a phone call instead of watching your usual TV show. Visit a couple of different websites instead of the ones you always check. Wear a color you don't often wear. Get up ten minutes earlier. Drive a different route to the grocery store (or try a new grocery store).
Try Visual Journaling. Rather than (or in addition to) keeping a traditional diary, check out some websites and/or books on "visual journaling." (You'll find several resources if you look up the term in a search engine.) The idea is that you incorporate visual elements in a notebook or sketchbook, using any media you enjoy and/or find close at hand. Sketch a picture from your day. Print out a copy of a photo you took on your cell phone and paste it into your journal. Empty your pockets at the end of the day, and glue various bits of paper into your journal (a parking receipt, a movie ticket stub, a grocery list, etc).
To keep the creativity going, jot down your own list of small ways to encourage creativity by experimenting with small changes in your everyday life. Keep adding to your list, and keep incorporating small changes every week.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7396191

Tips To Getting Your Life In Order

Personal development can do a lot for a person, one thing being to establish order from chaos in a life that seems to have gotten completely out of control. Many things can pull you in different directions and get your life off-track; it's all up to you to get it going in the right direction again, and the following tips will help you to do that.

1. List things that are not going right. If there are toxic people in your life, bad habits holding you back, or you've just been dealt a few hard blows from fate, write about them. Writing will help you put them in perspective and brainstorm solutions. Identify everything you are not pleased with, no matter how long your list gets.


2. Counteract every problem with a solution. What are you going to do about each of these things holding you back and causing you problems? Map out a plan to throw a counter-punch back at everything. Reorganize your time to compensate for the extra work ahead of you, and make a point of resolving issues; you will never get anywhere if you don't.


3. List your priorities. Aside from things weighing you down at the moment, what is most important to you in life? What are you hoping more than anything to achieve? This is your list of ideal goals and where you truly want your program of personal development to take you. The sky is the limit if you are prepared and if you believe you can do it.


4. Write out strategies toward achievement. Do you need extra courses in business to reach your goals? Maybe a life-coach who can talk you up and into the lifestyle you've always wanted? Whatever will facilitate your success, write it out like a simple "to-do" list and place it in a highly visible location.


5. Reward yourself along the way. After the first few accomplishments, you have a lot to be proud of. Getting a life back in order is no easy task, nor is sticking to your life's plan! Provide yourself with small rewards like a weekend spa trip or that entertainment system you've been wanting. If a budget is involved, give yourself the gift of "me time" or guilt-less enjoyment of something that serves no other purpose than rejuvenating and exhilarating you.


6. Rinse and repeat. Once you are on track with life's goals, you've got to set new ones. As you reach each one, think about the next accomplishment you should be reaching for, and set yourself up for success with it. Again, writing things down can give you a very good perspective and means of formulating a plan. If ever you find yourself losing control of life, quickly re-examine everything and fight to get it back!

When life is out of control, we just can't be happy or really accomplish much of anything outside of the basic eating and sleeping routine. Get your life back in order and take control over your destiny; the longer you put if off, the harder it will be!

Personal development is used to achieve different types of goals in life, some personal and some professional and career development internship can help you in professional life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7386214

Be Positive! Live Longer!

Each new day brings its own problems, situations, and worries that could alter our peaceful lives but not everybody has the ability to bear it. Some of us will see it as a heavy burden to carry and others will see it as an opportunity to obtain something positive out of it. The difference between these two types of persons is called positive thinking or positive attitude against an unpleasant situation!

If you feel that you are one of those persons who lack of positive thinking, the good news is that you can achieve it and master it. It's not an easy task, but it is possible. Drop by drop.
Even though positive thinking is associated with self-control, in this article we'll focus our attention on how to create a positive thinking and the benefits it brings about.
Positive Thinking
Our mind has been compared to a big stage where good or bad characters (thoughts) could come to be the main characters in each play. Even though, as a stage director, you prefer the good and positive characters in the scene, sometimes you'll notice that unexpectedly bad personages will also appear capturing your attention and getting over the good ones if an immediate action is not taken. So, what could you do?
- Always remember that everything "IS" in your mind and you can control it no matter how difficult you think this is. After all, you are the stage director, aren't you? This is not about climbing a wall o jumping over a river. This is about controlling your thoughts; the foundation of your feelings and the engine of your acts.
- Identify and write down on a paper a list of the areas of your life that you typically think in a negative way and start analyzing in which way you could approach them in a positive way. Organize that list by putting in first place the easy ones. Don't try to change all of them in one shot or one day. This is a new habit for you. You need to adapt your mind to this new concept or way of thinking. Once you have conquered the first one on the list, you will probably be more confident about yourself to overcome the second one, and so on.
- Check your thoughts periodically. Evaluate them. If you feel that you are improving them, this is excellent! Keep going and don't stop! But, if you feel they are still in square one, don't give-up, don't lower your arms, just try harder. You can do it!
- Change the way of approaching different situations.
Instead of saying "It's too complicated," you could say "I'll deal with it from a different point of view."
Instead of saying "No one bothers communicating with me," you could say "I'll see if I can open the channels of communications."
As we mentioned before, this is new habit for you, so practice, practice, practice until your brain get used to it.
- Smile! Show your teeth! You surely have a beautiful smile.
- Be open to humor. Remember that a happy face is always contagious. You are helping not only yourself but also those who are around you. You never know who could be in your same situation.
- Eat healthy. Engage in physical activities. Go to bed early and get up early. These simple rules we'll give you all the energy you need to go throughout the day with a positive mind.
- Get involved with positive people even though it means changing your social life. Don't take the risk of having to start all over again.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7383113

The Power of Focusing on the Good Things

Focusing on the good things in your life is something simple to do, but to do it consistently is the hard part. What are you focusing on today? Is there anything positive that you can think of that happened to you? This is not going to be about just a simple gratitude list. This article will focus on really looking at all the good things that you have in your life now. It is difficult to focus on the good things if you are too busy complaining about your life. As you complain, you will attract more things to complain about. But if you came here to read this, you are in the right place. Especially since the end of 2012 is approaching as I write this, the goal is to finish off the year in a positive and productive way.
If you can think of anything positive that happened to you today, you are off to a good start. But if you continually focus on the negative things or why things don't work out then I've got good news for you. You can change these thoughts so that they become more positive. I'm not saying that you can succeed at this 100% of the time. But you can be positive most of the time. The late John Wooden once said "Things turn out the best for the people that make the best out of the way things turn out." This quote is one of his most famous and it is so true. The happiest people don't necessarily have everything. They just make the best out of what they have. Maybe you enjoy working in your garden at home. If that's the case then you have another good thing to focus on.
I am not a life and wellness coach but I have read extensively about this topic and I am here to help you out. When we are in school no one really teaches us how to accomplish goals that we put our mind to. We have to figure them out. The way to figure out how to accomplish goals differs from person to person. No one does it the same way as everybody else. But as long as you have goals to meet you have a purpose for living. There is no point in just living life to exist for the majority of it and be depressed. Life is a gift that we have all been blessed with. We have been given our own talents, skills, and abilities and we have to use them. You are using the full power of your brain when you put your potential to good use.
Focusing on what is good in your life is what is going to make you feel better. It will also give your mind, body, and spirit reasons to enjoy your life now. Focusing on the good things that you have creates a vibration that sends signals out into the Universe.
These signals send back to you whatever your predominant thoughts and feelings are. So if your thoughts or feelings are about negative things, then that is what you will attract more of into your life. Because that is the vibration you would be on so the Universe would have no choice but to respond that way.
Some of you may say "Ara, I can't think of anything positive that happened to me today. I have too many issues in my life." Every person has their issues from time to time. Our lives are not total bliss all the time. Even my life isn't always total bliss. This is particularly true when you have mood swings or depression. It seems like you are fighting an uphill battle to calm your nerves. I speak from personal experience because I'm having some anxiety too. But too much anxiety paralyzes you and stops you in your tracks. Don't deny that you may be experiencing anxiety. Instead, acknowledge it and if it's severe enough, seek professional help as soon as possible.
I have had my struggles having to deal with a non-existent job market along with millions of other people. Let's admit the reality that the labor market in many parts of the world has been affected by the worldwide economic slowdown. If you are currently out of work and feeling hopeless, you are not alone. It may be many years before we see any recovery in the labor market.
My point is that you have to try and come up with positive things that happen to you each day. They are in this world and positive things do happen to us. If you are able to read this, consider that a positive thing. If you have a roof over your head, that is a positive thing. If you had a nice and relaxed conversation with a friend, that is also a positive thing. If someone smiled at you and asked you how your day was, that is a positive thing right there. If you have the arms to hug a loved one, that is another positive thing there. If you have the ability to swim at the beach with your legs, that is a blessing. Every day can be a blessing if we see it that way. But if you want to get more specific, every day presents an adventure for us. We can either make it a good adventure or we can make it bad if we focus on the wrong things.
Chances are that your life is better than what you think it is. You are wealthier and better off than at least 1.6 billion people who do not have enough food to eat. If you are living in a developed country with fewer social problems then you are very blessed. You are wealthy compared to many other people around the world. Doesn't that make you feel better? I know you may not have what you want right now but no one has everything they could want. If they did, then there would be nothing to look forward to. You have a very good life especially if you have an Internet connection and you can read this. You also have a good life if you can properly clothe and feed yourself. Isn't your life good?
I don't have all the answers to everything. But I do know that a positive attitude is your best line of defense. I know it is hard sometimes to focus on the good when there is so much negativity in the world. Times are tough right now for many people. But if all that you are focusing on is how hard everything is then you will create a harder life for yourself. In spite of the troubles with the economy, you do have things to look forward to. Think about those things and I suggest that you write them down. Think of as many good things as you can. They don't even need to be big or significant things. Try to appreciate everything down to the smallest detail. That's what I try to focus on. I also try to focus on the things that I can control and not on the things that I cannot control. We spend so much time and effort worrying over things that we have no control over. For instance, as a writer, you can control what content that you choose to write about but you cannot control how your work will be received. The audience you are writing for may enjoy the work or they may not enjoy the work. All you can do is to put your best foot forward and do the best that you can to create good content and leave the rest up to your higher powers.
The more that you focus on the good things in life, the more good things will come to you. Your subconscious mind is one of the most powerful things that you have. As you focus on something good, your mind goes to work and brings to you similar good things. The Buddha once said: "All that we are is the result of what we have thought." Use your mental powers to create positive change in your life. I know that I will strive for positive changes. Will you do the same?
The above quote is a complex quote and it was said over 2,000 years ago but it is actually true. The more that you think about something, the more energy that you feed it. So if you think about how bad your life is, then you will create more situations and circumstances that will make you feel bad. Our subconscious mind creates our life based on how we think, feel and believe. So start focusing on the good things consistently and you will see how your life will change.
You may not get a job tomorrow but if you hang in there and be positive, things will get better. We would like to think that the economy in the United States will get better but there are some of you that may feel like you have no hope and that there is nowhere to go. All of these anxieties and fears are understandable. Results take time to manifest. Remember that many things will change with time. Our beliefs, interests, and attitudes change because we change. That is part of the life cycle. I find my musical interests are changing and I cannot tolerate music with angry, depressing or bad lyrics anymore. Everything on this Earth that we possess is impermanent. They do not last.
The jobs we have, the money we make and the car that we drive don't last forever. But how we live this life helps us to establish a good legacy that we can pass on to future generations. I haven't had a real job in five years but I know that I am not alone. I try to focus on what I can control. I choose to focus on the good things and I don't like to complain. I love to appreciate what I have now. Try as much as you can to focus on what is good in life. You will feel better if you do that. This can also be known as a frequency shifter.
A negative frequency leads to a negative or bad future so make sure to be on a positive frequency always. Express gratitude for the ones that love you and the ones that you love. Love as many people as you can, treat them with kindness and respect and leave the rest up to the universe, God or your guardian angel. They will take care of the rest for you. Try this concept. It may work for you because it has worked for me.
So the answer is a simple yet profound one. If you focus on the good, your life will get better. There are many people out there that think this is not the advice that will work for them. They may feel that they have tried everything in their power to make things work out. But in reality, what they have done is tried to outsmart the universe and to try and prove that they are more knowledgeable than the universe. The truth is that none of us are smarter than the universe. The universe always knows more than we do. So you have to trust the universe. It always knows what it is doing if you have given it the right instructions beforehand. Never underestimate the power of focusing on the good things in life. There are many good things out there if we focus on them. I was talking to a friend of mine about this. I know that you may have lots of stuff going on in your life but you have to make a choice. And that choice is whether you want to continue to be miserable and focus on all that is wrong in your life or whether you want to change that line of thinking and focus on what is good around you. So what is it going to be? I'm sure that if you got to this article that you want to focus on all that is good around you and you should be proud of yourself. Good Luck!!

Developing Winning Attitude

Everything you get in life is about attitude. Life gives to you exactly what you feel about it. If you believe money only goes to those it likes, or feels you are among those it hates, you will never have it because your attitude is rejecting it. Your attitude determines what get attracted to you.
The difference between success and failure, wealth and poverty, and attraction and rejection is attitude. You will be happy to know that you can dump negative attitude and develop positive attitude in many areas.
Your attitude towards life
There was a story of two people who were told to give their assessment of water a glass cup filled to have. One saw it as half-filled while the other saw it as half-down. The difference between the two of them is attitude. The first person's attitude is positive; he believed the water is going up. But the second person's attitude is negative; he saw the water going down (almost finished).
Like the water in the glass cup, life presents equal opportunities to everyone. Its individuals that determine what you get out of it.
You've got to develop the right attitude by creating your own environment emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually.
Communicate to your mind daily, telling yourself the best is prepared for you in life, and you will get nothing but the best.
2. Your attitude towards people
Having right attitude towards other people is very important because you need good relationship to get the best out of life.
It has been said often that, "no man is an island". That is, you can never go far in life by keeping to yourself.
Research carried out by some relationship experts revealed that; the money you make in any endeavor is determined only 12.5% by knowledge and 87.5% by your ability to deal with people.
Don't be hostile to people, be friendly and you will be surprised how much you are loved.
3. Your attitude towards money.
Money has eyes and wings. This is the reason it goes only those who have receptive attitude towards it, and move away from those who have hatred for it. (Not because they don't like money but because they feel money didn't like them). Could that be the reason money has not come to you?
Before you can be rich, you must have it in your belief system that you can be. Not thinking about being rich alone, you must also think of how much of it you want to acquire within a targeted period of time, and pursue it honourably.
4. Your attitude towards starting a project.
Another area you have to develop a positive attitude is on your approach to starting new things. Some people never start anything in life because they feel they cannot complete it if they start. That is their belief.
If you see any task or project as insurmountable it will remain so. But if you see yourself having the ability to face it you will achieve great success on it. After all, some people might have done that kind of project before, that should be a clue that you too can do it. No matter how difficult a task might appear to be, tell yourself, if others can do it I can do it too and you will be surprise at how much success you will achieve.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7367101

Developing Winning Attitude

Everything you get in life is about attitude. Life gives to you exactly what you feel about it. If you believe money only goes to those it likes, or feels you are among those it hates, you will never have it because your attitude is rejecting it. Your attitude determines what get attracted to you.
The difference between success and failure, wealth and poverty, and attraction and rejection is attitude. You will be happy to know that you can dump negative attitude and develop positive attitude in many areas.
Your attitude towards life
There was a story of two people who were told to give their assessment of water a glass cup filled to have. One saw it as half-filled while the other saw it as half-down. The difference between the two of them is attitude. The first person's attitude is positive; he believed the water is going up. But the second person's attitude is negative; he saw the water going down (almost finished).
Like the water in the glass cup, life presents equal opportunities to everyone. Its individuals that determine what you get out of it.
You've got to develop the right attitude by creating your own environment emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually.
Communicate to your mind daily, telling yourself the best is prepared for you in life, and you will get nothing but the best.
2. Your attitude towards people
Having right attitude towards other people is very important because you need good relationship to get the best out of life.
It has been said often that, "no man is an island". That is, you can never go far in life by keeping to yourself.
Research carried out by some relationship experts revealed that; the money you make in any endeavor is determined only 12.5% by knowledge and 87.5% by your ability to deal with people.
Don't be hostile to people, be friendly and you will be surprised how much you are loved.
3. Your attitude towards money.
Money has eyes and wings. This is the reason it goes only those who have receptive attitude towards it, and move away from those who have hatred for it. (Not because they don't like money but because they feel money didn't like them). Could that be the reason money has not come to you?
Before you can be rich, you must have it in your belief system that you can be. Not thinking about being rich alone, you must also think of how much of it you want to acquire within a targeted period of time, and pursue it honourably.
4. Your attitude towards starting a project.
Another area you have to develop a positive attitude is on your approach to starting new things. Some people never start anything in life because they feel they cannot complete it if they start. That is their belief.
If you see any task or project as insurmountable it will remain so. But if you see yourself having the ability to face it you will achieve great success on it. After all, some people might have done that kind of project before, that should be a clue that you too can do it. No matter how difficult a task might appear to be, tell yourself, if others can do it I can do it too and you will be surprise at how much success you will achieve.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7367101

Simple Ways to Live Happy

They say that the mind is a very powerful tool; and indeed this has been proven in countless occasions in our lives. The truth is, the power of the mind is limitless- as our thoughts indirectly, and yet undeniably, affects our careers, our relationships- our lives. The life we live every day is set into motion by our thoughts. Our attitude, our reaction are reflections, if not manifestations of what we think: what we think we want; what we think is right, what we think we deserve.
So how do we take control of our days with our thoughts and how do we set the direction of our lives to the pace and direction we want? Here are 3 simple ways to start and go through your day right.
1. Think positive. This can mean a couple of things and this generally differs on the circumstance. Take for example case 1: when something bad happened the previous night, we have this tendency to dwell on it, sleep on it and carry the negativity of yesterday to the morning after. In this case, thinking positive would mean waking up and thinking how today could be the day where things will work out or that today could be the day when you will figure out a way to solve something that has been bothering you. Case 2: when you have had a good time the previous day, carry over that feeling of fulfillment, that lighthearted state of being to the day ahead of you.
2. Learn the art of turning lemons to lemonade. This principle applies to our thoughts as well. Of course, we can't help but have negative thoughts. The trick is to learn how to convert these negative thoughts into positive ones. Take for example case 3: You have found a job in a good company. You are being compensated and the benefits are really attractive. Then after a few days into your job, you realize that you have a bi polar boss who seems to enjoy yelling at everyone at all hours of the day. Instead of cussing and feeling very negative about it, think of it as a learning experience wherein you will learn how to successfully deal and communicate with these type of people.
3. Learn to express negative feelings in a productive way. A negative state of being is caused by an emotion: it may be anger, discontent, annoyance or hate. But since all emotions can be channeled, learn to direct your emotions in ways that can help you become a better person. Take for example case 4: You are feeling very discontented by the way your financial state of living is. Instead of dwelling on how sad you are thinking about all the things you cannot afford, think of the countless of ways you can change your finances. Take a second job, do online work, learn a new skill, learn a new language- become more than you already are and do all that you can to change the cause of your discontent.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7374874