The Power of Daily Inspirational Messages

Sometimes, we tend to get so wrapped up with the complexities and pressures we are currently experiencing in our lives. During tough times like these, I look forward to my ‘daily inspirational messages’. They help me experience so much more meaning and purpose in my life. I get a new and often higher perspective daily from my motivating and thought provoking messages.

How does a daily inspirational message help me? Before we are able to inspire others, we need to be inspired ourselves. Being able to spend a few minutes a day reading my inspiring messages and quotes allows me to make a difference in my life and others as well. These gentle daily insights add up to larger life shifts. The best part of it is how synchronous and timely they are with something going on in my life. It’s like the light in the sky when I become blinded to my own depressions.

Having a daily inspiration to draw strength from helps me find my purpose and intensify my drive to go on with life and accomplish my objectives. It is a way for me to achieve or experience what I really want in my life. It also motivates me to direct myself to what I really want and need. Then, I am able to take action and persevere until my goals are successfully attained.

Daily inspirational quotes consistently inspire me. The words of wisdom expand my belief system. They speak to me every day and open a door for me that I never truly believed existed. The quotes and messages nourish my mind and soul. They serve as my guide to my life’s journey. An inspirational quote a day gives my life a deeper meaning and offers an enlightened existence to me and others. Every quote and message offers to inspire me in ways I can never imagine. Daily inspirational quotes make my days brighter and are one of the reasons I have a successful and positive day.

The next time that you wake up, make it a habit to spend quiet moments by yourself and read daily inspirational quotes and messages. Mine come every morning in my email inbox. Often you will be able to draw out how the message correlates with your current situation. Priorities can then be laid down without thinking too much of the negativities in life. Control and balance in life increases as the power in every word touches new levels of thinking and awareness.

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Confidence - How to Increase It and Use to Your Advantage

Confidence will improve both your personal and professional life, here you will learn how to increase it, and use it to your advantage. Some people seem as if they have all the confidence in the world, while the rest of us are left to figure out how to muster it, and if we have any reason to be confident at all. Having a clear understanding of the talents you possess will help you understand the value you bring to every situation. In this article, you will learn how to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and how to make improvements. Confidence will improve your self-esteem, your performance and trust in yourself to do even more.

If you want to increase your confidence but are not sure how to do it, follow these simple steps and you'll be on your way to more confidence and a better life.
1. Identify Your Talents (Natural and Learned)
2. Identify Your Weaknesses
3. Commit to Continual Learning
4. Learn to Trust Yourself Through Successful Action

Identify Your Talents
Start with a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle to make two columns. In the left column, write down your natural talents. In the right column, write down your learned talents.

There are two types of talents: natural and learned. A natural talent is one that came effortlessly without any formal training, like a childhood talent. Some people are born with an internal calculator and can calculate numbers easily, while others might be naturally talented at drawing or painting. Your natural talents can be whatever you feel you are naturally good at, including sports and physical activities.

Learned talents are those talents you acquire through education, say an engineering degree or fashion design degree. You might have had natural talents that enhanced your learned talents, but you can't become an engineer without getting an accredited education.

Another great source for identifying your learned talents is in your work experience. Revisit the job duties you've had and find similarities. Maybe you are good with people, so you were typically in positions that utilized your people skills. Or maybe you're a good strategist, so you always found yourself in the planning and strategy departments.

Write down everything you know how to do, natural and learned. This exercise might take a few days to really nail down your talents, so if your list is initially short, don't worry. When you remember something you're really good at, just add it to your list. You can call up friends and family and ask them to help you identify your natural and learned talents.

Identify Your Weaknesses
Everyone has weaknesses, and they do serve the purpose of somewhat balancing out our personalities. Having some weaknesses is perfectly normal, but if you don't know what they are, you will not be able to effectively apply talents in any given situation. The point here is to identify your weaknesses so you can work on concentrating on what you're good at and like to do. If you can lessen your weaknesses, great - but for the most part, just identifying them is enough. Once you have identified them, you can build a team with people who complement your strengths. To be efficient, if there are things that you procrastinate on, or don't like to do - delegate those tasks to someone that has that strength, and can apply it to complete those tasks efficiently. This will save you time and energy.

If you're not sure what your weaknesses are, again, ask friends and family. I even suggest asking your boss and coworkers because they might give you completely different weaknesses that your friends and family will be able to identify. Granted, this is not an opportunity for personal attack. You are looking for honest feedback from the people who know you, so you can improve your personal and professional life. Ask for honest feedback with a kind delivery.

Commit to Continual Learning
The more you know, the better equipped you will be in any challenge. Do whatever you can to learn something new every day. Buy a calendar with daily trivia, read a book a month, go back to school. Learn a new software application, or improve your skills on your current programs. Read a magazine that discusses topics you're interested in. Learn about fitness, health, and nutrition. Research a physical activity you enjoy and would like to do more of. Research charitable organizations you would like to get involved with. Learn to think ‘outside the box’ and create better ways to be even more efficient and productive to produce even better results. The more you know the more confidence you'll have.

Learn to Trust Yourself through Successful Action
Learning from successful actions is the most powerful way to build your confidence. The mind records everything you do and when you successfully complete a task, your mind says, "Wow - that worked!" It literally saves every step you took to complete the task successfully and calls on that memory for successful actions needed for the next task. It's like creating a blueprint for your success. With each success, your mind becomes keener at zeroing in on everything you need to do for success.

Confidence in Business
Applying your confidence in business can make the difference between a sale and a "thanks, but no thanks." Be clear though, confidence is not the same as arrogance. Confidence will get you the business; while arrogance will get you led to the front door. Confidence is being secure in your abilities and expressing how your abilities benefit your client or boss. It really comes down to a perception - the perception of the person facing you. Confidence and the talents to back it up convey that you know what you're doing. And when you know what you're doing, they can trust you to deliver what you say you can do. When you have great strengths and can deliver results, people will want to work with you.

A word of caution; do not up "sell" if you cannot deliver. Over promising and under delivering will damage your credibility and reputation. It's OK to stretch yourself a little, but be honest in all situations. The truth is powerful. It may not always be easy, but is typically appreciated, sooner or later. Concentrate on improving your overall skills, while stepping just far enough outside your comfort zone to learn new things. You will learn to trust yourself and know when you're stretching too far to deliver on your word.

Stretch yourself, rise to each occasion and finish strong. Go get 'em!

Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.
CHINESE PROVERB

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Affirmation - Louise Hay

Dealing With Disappointment – How To Move On Quickly

When you expect something to happen and go your way, and it doesn't, it is so disappointing. You can become upset, stressed, and downright miserable, especially if you have been dealing with many other disappointments as well.

It may feel like you are never going to get over the hurdle and that lump in your throat will never go away but the truth is it will - with a little time. Normally a few hours or a day is all you need, and the bandage of time covers up your pain and hurt.

But is there a way to speed up the recovery process so you don't have to suffer through the pain and anger and instead just be able to skip to the relief and feeling that you can get through it? Yes, in fact there are a few ways.

1. As soon as you get the news hear it, accept it, and get busy doing something else.

If you accept it as fact and get busy doing something else with your time (besides dwelling on it) then you are consciously shifting your thoughts to something that doesn't involve the disappointment. Your mind may still work on the issue in the background, but it won't bring your whole body down with it because there are more pressing thoughts in front of it.

2. Do something that you know will not be a disappointment.

It's best to distract your mind with something that is working out for you already. Whether it is making a new friend, a new business opportunity, or just baking a cake that always turns out great - get busy with it. Focusing on something that is going to work out can help balance your mind with the negative and positive thoughts it is dealing with, and remove that stress that comes with disappointment.

3. Find someone who is dealing with more than you.

If you can find someone who has more on their plate then you, and you see that they are surviving and making it through okay, then you may be able to feel better about yourself and your disappointment. In fact, your struggles may become downright silly when you view it from this angle.

4. Be grateful for what you have in your life.

Instead of focusing on the disappointment try being grateful for what you do have in your life. The legs you use to walk or the clothes you have on your back, or the ability to read and learn. There is something to be grateful for and it may lift your spirits up and make you feel like you really are lucky in life - even without that thing or person you wanted.

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Quote - Dr John Demartini

Let's Change The World

 The world is changing and the speed of changes is increasing every day. With the enormous flow of information and spread of knowledge is changing our society and our lives in an amazing way. Governments and organizations can no longer thrive in secrecy. Today everything is visible and everything can come to the light of day.

In today's society we have more opportunities and possibilities than ever before and our presence, knowledge and influences can have such an amazing impact on the world. Today we can share our knowledge and experience in so many ways. We can easily share it on social media, through status updates, articles, videos and more. We can so easily start a blog, a website, have newsletters and webinars to educate the world.

We can all become a role model for others and having a role model is very important. Having a role model, guide or a mentor that can show us the way to learn new things, how to improve our lives and how to become all that we could ever want to become. Success lies in education, learning new ways to be and do things. Some traditions are good but some are old and outdated. We often need to learn a new way to think to be able to grow into the person we want to be.

We all have the power to change and we all have the power to make an enormous impact on the world. Becoming a good role model and helping others achieve their dreams, helping others make their desire become a reality is something we should all strive for. We all have some unique experience that can help others see a new possibility.

Teamwork is the key to a better society and a better world. When we have found our speciality we should do our best to share what we have, what we have learned from life. There are people who are looking for information and knowledge that can help them take life to the next level. They are searching for something but often do not know exactly what they are looking for.

If we are visible, if we go out there and tell the world what we have to offer, someone, somewhere will tune into what we have. There have been great leaders that have changed and created a new vision for the world. They have impacted and improved the lives of so many just by speaking their truth.

The old Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle that are still remembered and talked about today had something new to offer. In my childhood I looked up to people like Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Dalai Lama. The life and inventions of Nikola Tesla inspired me more than even I can imagine. They shaped me and affected me in so many way. In more modern times I have gotten influence from Jim Rohn, Toni Robbins, Darren Hardy and other great speakers. We have Gary Vaynerchuk, a great leader who is sharing so much knowledge and helping people realise their own power.

They were all regular people like you and me. Still they believed and believe in something bigger. Their vision was so strong and there would be nothing that would stop them from speaking the truth. Galileo stated that the world was round and not flat, he could have withdrawn his claims to save his life but choose death instead. Speaking the truth may not always be popular but we need to speak the truth and we need to seek the truth. Some truths may not always be what we want to hear but the truth is always the best information we get for the long term.

For us who have found the truth or a truth, it does not matter how many people listen or believe what we are saying but we need to stay true to who we are and our vision of the world as we are all different individual, these is someone out there who is looking for exactly what we are sharing.

We all have the power to improve and change the world. Many of us have been silenced and taught to obey, to speak and do what we were taught to speak and do. We all have our unique talents and vision. We all have something extraordinary to share with the world.

The question may arise that the world would become very loud if everybody would start sharing their own truth but that is and will not be the case. We know that as we are different individual, there are leaders and there are followers. I am urging all humankind to follow their own truth and stay true to who they are but there will only be a certain few who will rise up in public to share the knowledge they have found.

We should support and urge the leaders in our midst to stand up and teach, preach. Then we have the followers who share their passion and will learn and apply it to their lives. The followers in their turn will lead a life that will impact the ones they are closest to. The leaders will create big ripples and the followers will create smaller ripples but every ripple is important.

We can see this as the world in whole. First we have our beautiful earth, then we have our continents. We have many countries in every continent and in every country we have many cities and towns. Some people will have the big role and their audience is maybe millions of people. Some have hundreds of thousands, some have tens of thousands, some have hundreds and some have a dousen.

We all have the power to impact the world in a positive way, we should all share the information we have gathered, share the knowledge we have learned to help others improve their way of life. Nothing is impossible and we are all extraordinary. As Dalai Lama said once "If you think you are too small to make an impact, try sleeping in a tent while there is a mosquito in there".

We should all rise to the occasion and be apart of this global change and help make the world a better place through teamwork.

Take care my beautiful friends and I am looking forward to hearing from you speaking and living in a way that has a positive impact on others.



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How to gain control of your free time | Laura Vanderkam

To Risk Or Not To Risk, That Is THE Question!

To live is to risk. Risk-taking is as essential to life as breathing. It is the oxygen of such things as innovation, entrepreneurialism, leadership, wealth creation, and high adventure. Without risk, there can be no scientific progress, economic expansion, or community activism. At a more personal level, remove risk and there is no personal growth, career advancement, or spiritual development (faith, after all, is a big risk). Personally and collectively, all progress, advancement, and momentum depend on risk. Like air, it is both nourishing and life sustaining. And, like change, risk is constant, inescapable, and inevitable.

To risk is to live. As a vehicle to personal progress, taking risks is the surest way to get from where you are to where you want to be. The most fulfilling times in your life-the times you felt most alive-have undoubtedly been when you surprised yourself by doing something you never imagined you could, something hard, something scary. Though most of us have enjoyed the accompanying rewards of an intelligently taken risk, most of us have crashed-'n-burned under an ill-considered one as well. By definition, to face risk is to be vulnerable and exposed to harm. Consequently, we spend a lot of time trying to avoid risk by "playing it safe." Chances are, anytime you have passed up a big opportunity, stayed in an unsatisfying situation, or failed to stick up for yourself, avoiding risk had a lot to do with your behavior.

In a world that continually reminds us about how unsafe it is, it is difficult to maintain a "play it safe" approach. From terrorist threats, to stock market gyrations, to corporate implosions, we are buffeted by the reckless risks of others. In an increasingly compressed and frenetic world, we are like billiard balls being smacked around in somebody else's pool hall hustle.

Ironically, those who play it safe may be in the greatest danger. When we don't take risks we get stuck in a rut of safety. Over time, we become trapped inside our own life, like a pearl confined to its shell. Life becomes stale and boring. We grow resentful at ourselves for letting our grand passions languish. We tell ourselves, there's got to be something more out there for me. But we know we'll never find it unless we take more risks.

Here are a few questions that can be used when you aim to take more risks:

* For the sake of what? In other words, what are you hoping to achieve by taking more risks?
* What are you ready to lose? When you "take" a risk, you have to be prepared to sacrifice something in return. What are you willing to let go of in order to gain something through the risk?
* What if you don't risk? Every risk can be divided into two: the risk of action and the risk of inaction. If you don't take the risk, what negative impacts could result from your inaction.

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How to stay calm when you know you'll be stressed | Daniel Levitin

Quote - life purpose

Why is taking the first step so hard?

If you’re anything like I used to be, you’ve been held back by your current problems for more than a matter of months. You've wanted to be taking the first step. But... How??

We do this for several reasons. Some more evident than others.

For example, if lack of confidence is holding you back, there’s probably several by-problems affecting your entire predicament.

You might feel too tired; stressed; hurt; overwhelmed; too frightened. Or your fear might be an inner, hidden one which manifests as apparent laziness and comfortability.

Maybe you don’t know how to plan your time. Maybe you prioritize wrongly. Or maybe you don’t feel comfortable in making the right choices.

The right choices are different from everyday ones like choosing what to wear, what to eat, when to sleep, what to read, etc.. For the most part, those make but small differences in our lives.

Conversely, making the right choice is the last thing anyone does before permanently changing their life for the better.

The right choice has will and focus behind it. A will to go in a certain direction; a focus on the direction itself.

Now, those things in themselves don’t make any choice "right". (I’m sure a lot of murderers had will and focus too…) But any right choice will necessarily encompass will and focus.

Then, why is making the right choice so hard for people with low confidence?

I’d like to be able to present a simple, yet surprising reason here. But the fact is, people are different, and so are their sources of low confidence, respectively.

Some might not know what they want. Others might, but may then be too scared of failure and humiliation. - Or even of the responsibility and exposure following a successful completion.

Whatever it is, here’s the good news:
While taking the first step might seem hard, the first step matters less than you think.

So what really matters is that no matter how you feel, you go ahead and do it anyway.

Yes, it’s scary. But you can do it.

Consider how great musicians and speakers get nervous before going onstage. Hell, great artists are among the world’s most notoriously depressed people.* But they do it anyway.

I’m not making you feel bad about yourself. I’m saying, whatever you want to do CAN be done.

And if you don’t know what you want, you won’t find out by wallowing in inactivity, but by getting out and gathering new inspiration.

Remember: You can always change directions. If you’re stuck somewhere, you probably won’t evolve. But whatever new place you go, you’ll learn new things to help you further on.

All you gotta do is to be taking that first step to get going.

ACTION ITEM:

1) Write down your three biggest values, your three biggest strengths, and your three biggest interests.
2) Take the biggest one from each category, and write down three possible ways of combining the three into something you’d like to do.
3) Pick one.
4) Write down the three first things you can do to make this happen.
5) For the next three days, do one of these things.
6) Repeat point 4) to 5).

Congratulations: You're taking the first step.

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Luck has nothing to do with it

That’s right: Luck has nothing to do with it, as some allegedly "fortunate" people say. And in this case, "it" doesn’t just mean confidence.

It means life. Life as you'd like it to be. And the life that we see someone leading, when we immediately consider them "lucky".

See, whenever someone seems to reap all the rewards in life, we tend to think of them as "fortunate" or "lucky", yeah?

Well, would you believe me if I told you that ascribing "luck" to anyone or anything is potentially harmful to us?

What exactly is luck anyway? Many people would probably define it as something like, "when things coincidentally fall out to your advantage". But is it really just that?

And more importantly, would we need more than merely coincidence to receive the gifts of life?

(SPOILER ALERT: Yes. Yes it does.)

When Michael Jackson recorded the "Thriller" album, did it sell millions because of "luck"? Or was it because he had spent his entire childhood and adolescence working his derrière off, meticulously honing his craft and gathering a hugely talented team of producers, songwriters and A&R people behind him?

When Steve Jobs released the first iPhone, did it become hugely successful because of "luck"? Or was it because he dared to take chances, push the envelope, fulfil the needs that his customers had -- even ones they didn’t realize they had -- and amass an army of professional developers and marketers behind him?

Sure, Michael Jackson was probably as close to being the proverbial natural talent as they come. And Steve Jobs, according to many, was a natural visionary who simply thought outside the box and dreamt big.

But what good would that have done them if they hadn’t put in the work, insisted upon their dreams, and kept at it for years and years?
Luck has nothing to do with it because "it"doesn’t happen without taking action.

Here’s another thing:

Have you ever seen "Forrest Gump"? If not, it’s a fine movie, and you should see it at least once.*

Forrest Gump, our titular protagonist, is clearly slow-witted, but likeable. And he somehow manages to walk through life and attract all kinds of success and fortune as he cluelessly goes along. Only he never realizes it. Because success and fortune simply doesn’t resonate with his humble mind.

Let’s pause here for a moment. Now, think about your own life.

Have you ever learned a new word, and then in the following days and weeks you saw and heard that word everywhere?

Or have you ever been unemployed and looked for jobs, and all of a sudden job applications are everywhere?

I know, right?

The key word here is awareness.

Forrest Gump doesn’t consciously experience fame and fortune, because his awareness is on a different level. When we’re consciously aware of something, we’re gonna find it.

Not because there’s more of it, but simply because we’ve become aware of it. Like a hunter who deliberately ignores anything but the potential sights and sounds of his prey.
Luck has nothing to do with it, because what good would all the coincidence in the world do us if we weren’t aware of it?

"But wait a minute! What was that thing you said about how ascribing luck to anyone could be "harmful"??"

Yeah, see, that’s because it’s something that non-fident people tend to do. Which is rarely beneficial.

It’s when we’re non-fident that we tend to think in terms of "luck" — and "bad luck". Specifically, we tend to think that other people get all the luck, and that we’re victims of unfortunate circumstances.

This is a conveniently easy way of thinking, because it takes the responsibility for our lives out of our hands. And for the same reason, it’s also a dangerous way of thinking.

But when we allow ourselves to go for the life we want, consistently taking action and raising our awareness will make sure that we get it.

Some people might be born with certain advantages, yes. But imagine how many people never put that advantage to any use. Either because they never see the possibilities and/or because they’re simply too shy to act on it.

And now, think of all the famous media persons who obviously wouldn’t recognize talent even if it came out of nowhere and took away all their limelight.

Think of all the wealthy corporate leaders who got where they are by being uncompromising, cold as ice, playing the game and doing what’s best for the company no matter what.

Think of all the powerful politicians, all the Frank Underwood’s of the world, who got to where they are by lying, manipulating, and probably worse.
Really, luck has nothing to do with it. But being aware of our opportunities, and taking consistent action towards them has everything to do with it.

ACTION ITEM:

This week, take up learning something new. Something you've been wanting to get into, only you couldn't find the time (or whatever excuse you made for yourself).

Set aside 1/2 hour every night, monday through friday, for working on that thing only. Nothing else. This means, turn off your phone. No phone; no social media or other distractions. Just you and your new challenge.

Getting into this sort of habit will eventually prove to us that luck has nothing to do with it. -- And that practice, consistency, and focus are the keys to accomplishing pretty much anything.

* Yes, I know it’s originally a book. So are a lot of great movies.


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How To Generate Ideas For Greatness

How do we generate ideas? This can be classified into two, the ordinary and the extraordinary process. But, first if you are going to get new ideas, it essential that you eradicate negative thinking from your mind. Impossibility thinking must be removed from your mind. You will not be able to produce creative ideas if you think negatively. So the word "impossible" must be deleted from your vocabulary.

All of the body functions, including the brain, are controlled by words. Scientists discovered several years ago that the nerves at the speech center of the brain control the nerves that control all the other parts of the body. So once a word is spoken , the whole body responds accordingly.

Negative speech and negative thinking are the major reasons why some people will not receive the ideas that will launch them into breakthrough because their minds cannot nurture creative ideas. If you want ideas, then prepare your mind for them. Sometimes we do not attempt great things for lack of money. If only we knew that it is the quality of ideas that flow through our minds that matters.

Ideas magnetize resources. We must never say that things are impossible. The great French General, Napoleon was going to carry out an invasion. One young officer came to him and said "Sire, this mission is impossible." The general turned to him and said: "The word ‘impossible’ can only be found in the dictionary of fools." In reality, nothing is impossible. Impossibility only exists in the mind. We must learn to prepare our mind for greatness.
The following steps are recommended for receiving ideas.

Identify A Need
Find a need and fill it. For example, people need to wear clothes, make the clothes. The problem with the average person is that our inner eyes are closed. One ma’s problem is another man’ opportunity. Some people only see the problem and never see the opportunity. We need to get ideas to meet the variety of needs around us. We have needs with respect to housing, transportation, communication, recreation, feeding, information and many more.

Simplify An Existing Process Or Product

For example, cables have been used for telephone but now we do not need cables. Someone got the ideas for a wireless phone system. Sit down in your office and think of how your work can be done in a simpler way. Think of how you can improve on the current methods and equipment employed in your field.

Create A Need
Before, man used water to entertain visitors but now we use soft drinks. Man is not born with the innate desire for soft drink. Its general acceptance by the populace has made a standard requirement for entertainment. The need for soft drinks was created by man.

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Random Acts of Kindness - Ways to Feel Good

Random acts of kindness serve a dual purpose. They not only make other people feel good but they make you feel good as well. There are so many different ways that you can perform a random act of kindness throughout your day, and if you take the time to grab the opportunity you will thank yourself later.

Here are just a few ways you can do random acts of kindness that will have you feeling good from the inside out.

Help someone out - Take the time to help someone carry something that is too heavy, or reach for something in the store that they can’t reach.

Lend an Ear To Someone in Need – Listening is one of the greatest gifts we can offer someone. I mean really listening to what they have to say and understanding their point of view. You will make them feel validated and possibly help them work through a major issue they are having.

Surprise someone – Whether you just call someone you haven’t heard from in a while, or if you go out and buy someone something they wanted, surprising them can make them feel really good. You may even brighten up a gloomy day.

Donate – Try donating to your local food bank or shelter on a regular basis. To donate to people who have less than you will not only make their lives better, but it will also make you appreciate what you have.

Be courteous – Most people will not let you in front of them in line for any reason. People do not want to give up that extra inch they have whether they are standing in line or driving in rush hour. Be a courteous person and let people get ahead of you sometimes. You will shock them, and you will show them there are people out there who think about others first.

Take notice of others – We live in our own bubble, that’s for sure. We can walk down a street and not see anyone even if the street is crowded. Take the time to notice others and appreciate their differences. Say something nice to someone to make them feel noticed. Just a quick hello and smile can brighten someone’s day.

Pick up after someone – Instead of yelling at someone for throwing garbage on the ground, or leaving their shopping cart in the middle of the parking lot, try picking up after them. You will feel better for not yelling and you may even inspire them to start picking up after themselves. People don’t respond well to yelling but kindness is a different story.

Be kind to yourself – Do something you love and something that makes you happy. Buy something you want that will make your life more fun or easier. You owe yourself as much kindness as you give to other people. After all, you are with yourself 24 hours a day, you might as well be good to yourself!

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Motivational quote - Barbara Myerhoff

The Lion Attitude (HEART OF A LION) Motivational Video

5 Tips To Help You Get Out of Your Bad Mood

Sometimes we get into a bad mood that are hard to get out of. In fact, we don't put a lot of effort into getting out of these bad moods but instead just mope and sulk around until we eventually feel better. But sitting around and feeling bad is really a waste of time. We could be doing so many positive things with that time instead. So here are some ideas to help you pull yourself up and start feeling good again.

1. Go For a Walk.

If you are in a bad mood the last thing you want to do is get up and start moving, but a walk may help you feel better and is worth the energy it takes to get out there.

Walking allows us to burn up some energy and therefore take some of our energy focused on the bad things away. Walking also helps us to focus on other things besides our thoughts. We see the dogs joyfully walking, the kids playing, and nature doing its own thing and we start to focus on these things and feel better.

2. Watch Something That Makes You Laugh.

Whether you watch a funny show, movie, stand up comedian, or just your neighbor trying to fix something outside, you will start to feel better immediately. The first reason for this is because your focus leaves your negative thoughts and moves onto other things which will bring you a break from being down. And second of all you will eventually start to laugh. And laughter really is the best medicine for negativity.

3. Do Something About It!

When you feel bad or sad about something it means that it is not something that should be in your life. So if it's something that you can take action on and fix then do it! Once you start taking action to change whatever it is you are upset about you will start to gradually feel better.

For example if you are upset about what you friend said to you then talk to your friend about it. Or if you are upset about not getting a job then start looking for another one. Without taking action nothing is going to change.

4. Put on Some Music.

Studies have shown that music influences are emotional outlook on everything. A good song can lift you up and get your excited for the rest of your day. So if you are in a bad mood do not put on slow and depressing music, but instead try putting on some music that is upbeat and gets your feet moving.

5. Get Up and Exercise.

Exercise will burn off a lot of excess energy and therefore take away some of your negative energy. It also releases mood-lifting hormones that makes us feel better and reduces stress and tension in our bodies. Plus you will feel good after burning off some serious calories.

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Affirmation from Louise Hay

Discover 5 Great Ways To Take Back Your Life

What does Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and positive thinking have to do with one another? Many people that suffer from ADD often develop negative patterns in their thinking process. They might also get frustrated more easily while dealing with certain challenges in life. Having constant thoughts of negativity or a dismal outlook on life only reinforces the difficulty in facing those challenges, which makes it harder to move forward.

However, practicing and utilizing positive thinking will allow individuals with ADD as well as others, to clearly focus on accomplishments and strengths in life, which helps to motivate and generate happiness. Because of this, individuals can devote more time for progress in their life and less time feeling useless and not moving anywhere. Here are 5 simple suggestions that will help you take back your life and put you on a path towards positive thinking.

1. Keep Repeating What You Are Grateful For In Life
Many challenges will not seem as bad when you remind yourself over and over again of the good things in life. Dedicate a few minutes each day and give appreciation to all the goodness that exists. No matter how small things might seem, they can still have a big impact on your life.

2. Get Rid Of The Negative Thoughts
Negative thoughts can grow, and grow fast. But, they can't control you unless you allow them to. Once a negative thought or feeling is in your mind, immediately break away from it and forget about it. The only way you can take back your life is by getting rid of the negative thoughts.

3. Take Your Life Back Simply By Giving Back
One of the best ways to feel good about yourself is simply by helping others. Try volunteering your time or maybe even donating more. Many people have certain skills that can be useful to some charitable organizations such as carpentry work, plumbing, electrical, computer repair, cooking and more. Volunteering your time and effort has a way of generating positive energy in the universe. The more you put out there, the more you will get back.

4. Increase Positive Energy By Being Social
Many people who are lonely, often generate negative feelings and emotions. In order to take back your life, you need to become more involved within social communities. Creating a social atmosphere for yourself and being around others who are positive will help you to generate positive energy for a happier life.

5. Think About Yourself
How can you take back your life? Start by taking better care of yourself. Being positive is a whole lot easier when you feel good about yourself. Get outside and go for walks or a bicycle ride. Start noticing what you are eating and begin eating more foods that will be healthier for you. Start exercising or become involved with activities within your community that will help you to feel better about yourself. Are you getting enough sleep? Make sure you rest enough each day as this can be a powerful boost in energy and positive thinking.

Being more positive about yourself is simple, surround yourself with positive people. Take back your life by letting go of the negative thoughts, emotions and feelings that have been holding you back from being happy, productive and energetic. Learn how to get organized and stay organized, which will help to reduce stress and negativity. But, the most important thing is, learn to move forward from the thoughts that have been keeping you from your own personal success.

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Affirmation from Louise Hay

Building Self Confidence – A Skill You Can Train

This article talks about the importance of confidence and how it heavily influences everything you do. I outline the fundamentals to build confidence.

Confidence is a skill. A skill you can train and learn. You probably heard about the phrase „Fake it till you make it". It is often said but not explained why it’s true.

Confidence is a skill like any other learned trait. You can’t expect to just be confident exactly like you can’t expect to speak french fluently without putting time into learning it. So why is that. Lack of confidence is the result of not having the experience of various situations in life. If I say to you, prepare a presentation and present it in front of 200 people. Most of you will be hesitant and be afraid of the task. That is because so many different unexpected situations can occur in which you mind find yourself lost. Repeating the tasks will lead to you facing every situation possible which will be hard at times and you will often fail but learn so much in the process. There is unfortunately no way around the failing part. But what you can do is minimizing the fail potential. So what can you do?

Confidence Building

Again, think about confidence as a learned skill. What if you have an important exam coming up? You learn for it. The more you learn the more you feel better about the exam and about your confidence concerning the task. So do what you can regarding preparation. Sometimes you can’t prepare and need to improvise. That’s where faking the confidence comes into play.

"Fake it till you make it"

The perception of others of you as a person is always vastly different to your own view of you. Walking straight, eye contact, loud and clear talking makes you look confident. Even if you don’t feel like you are confident, others will think you are. You will notice the different looks people give you and that will boost your confidence. So just get the ball rolling, the confidence will come.

Building self-confidence is a step-by-step progress. I might get a little mathematical here, but it helps getting my point across. You have the following situation. You are new in a city and want to set up your social life but are afraid or not confident enough to approach strangers. There are 2 possibilities.

Talking to a stranger and maybe become friends. There is of course a possibility of failing because he or she might react negatively about your approach. Let’s say there is at least a 50% chance that the encounter will yield positive results and the other half of the time, the stranger won’t react nicely.

The other possibility is simply not approaching. The expected outcome here is 0% progress.

"Failure is the key to confidence."

The first option results in a better outcome since 50% of the time you will have a positive encounter. The question is now if the 50% negative encounters makes you choose the second option of not talking to strangers. Are the negative encounters really negative in the long run? No. Each conversation or approach you learn more and more things. What’s the best approach to a stranger, what questions to ask and so on. If they don’t react nicely, you have valuable information and feedback about your approach.

This is very important in every kind of encounter. You choose how failing affects you. The stranger won’t think about what happened for longer than a minute. Why would you? You have to fail to succeed. If you don’t take initiative you can not win. Even negative results have a positive side. You gain experience and can improve your approach. Take the best out of failure and see it as a positive experience in the long run.

Everything regarding confidence can be viewed with these guidelines. Speaking in public, what will happen if you fail? Will it really affect your life more negatively than not speaking in public at all? It’s all about your own perception. People just do not care if someone makes a mistake in a presentation or if you talk to them. Your audience is there to learn, not to make fun of you. If there are people laughing about something you do, those are the people with opinions you shouldn’t care about at all. In the end the human mind always exaggerates such encounters and makes you over analyze the situation.

The start is definitely the hardest part of all. Only asking someone for the way is a huge deal for some people, but after they’ve done it they are incredibly happy. It’s exactly the same with asking someone out for a date. Ask them with fake confidence, you will be surprised how often they will see your confidence and act upon it. If they say no, who cares? As I’ve said, they won’t think about it for more than a minute, why would you.

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SELF LOVE - Motivational Video

High Performance Habits in 5 Minutes

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The 6 Stages to Plan on When You Want to Change

Way back in 1977, while I was graduating from Simmons College (and wondering how the heck I was going to get a job using what I’d learned), James Prochaska and his colleagues at the University of Rhode Island were developing a revolutionary new theory about how people change. It was called the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), which proposed that people who successfully change their behavior pass through six stages.

* Precontemplation (not ready): You don’t intend to take action anytime soon. You may not even know what the problem is.

* Contemplation (getting ready): You become aware of the problem and start to weigh the pros and cons of changing your behavior.

* Preparation (ready): You intend to take action in the immediate future. You make a plan to change and start taking small steps toward the change.

* Action: You are now making modifications in your behavior.

* Maintenance: You have successfully changed and you’re working to prevent relapse.

* Termination (this stage is optional; not everyone attains it): You are no longer tempted by your former behavior and don’t even consider returning to it.

While Prochaska et. al. focused mainly on how to help people modify unhealthy habits, such as smoking and overeating, his model of change can also apply to the world of business.

Here’s an example of these stages in action:

Stephanie hired me because she was in the process of starting her own marketing firm. She was still working full-time at her day job and spending close to another 40 hours a week building her own company. Understandably, she was getting tired. But she couldn’t begin to consider quitting her old job until she could support herself and her family with her new one.

Stephanie was in the precontemplation stage: she had the feeling something was amiss, but she didn’t know what to do about it.

I gave Stephanie the assignment to imagine what her life and her workday would look like when she could focus exclusively on her new business. How did her behavior represent her values? Was she able to be her authentic self in the new role?

By visualizing what it might be like to focus all her energy on her new business, Stephanie entered the contemplation stage. She had begun to assess the benefits (and the risks) of taking this big step in her career.

Next, I asked Stephanie to figure out what had to happen before she could leave her full-time job. Our following session was devoted to reviewing her vision and creating steps to get her there, including a timeline. With that, Stephanie moved into the preparation stage: she was now ready to move into action.

What I’ve learned from reviewing Prochaska’s model and working with my clients is that there’s a process and an order to change. The actions you need to take depend on what stage you are at in the process. There’s a time to mull over an idea, a time to address whether the change is possible by exploring the pros and cons and reaching out to others for input, a time to put a stake in the ground by committing to dates, and a time to move into action.

As you work toward your goals that require change this year, consider: Where are you in the process? If you can’t make a decision about what to do, maybe the pros of changing don’t outweigh the cons: the pain of staying put has not yet become worse than the discomfort of change. Perhaps the time isn’t quite right. Sometimes you have to go backward a step or two in the process. Sometimes you just have to leap across that barrier.

You can take a more mindful approach to change by being aware of where you are within the process of change, and using that knowledge to support you.

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Quotes - Dr John Demartini

How forgiveness and empathy might harm you

Anyone who has low confidence and self-esteem will know that a lot of one’s energy goes towards forgiveness and empathy. Towards worrying about what others think of you.

When we do this, we give others the opportunity to walk all over us. Partly because we don’t wanna lose the people we happen to have in our lives.

But also because we’re used to thinking of forgiveness and empathy as good things. - In fact, don’t most people raise their kids into thinking like that?

And so, this can easily lead to being a pushover. Being people-pleasing and putting up with way more than you ought to.

Even putting up with being hurt. And even repeatedly.

We might try to justify it. Downplay it. See it from the other person’s perspective. ("He’s probably been having some rough times lately, so it’s only right that he vents, and maybe I can help out a little by letting him take it out on me".)

Ultimately, none of those things help us. In fact, in those situations they only harm us. — By assisting us in neglecting the one thing that should, ideally, matter the most to anyone:

Our own needs.

If we’re not used to asserting ourselves, setting boundaries for ourselves, having standards for ourselves, and saying no, we slowly let our own needs deteriorate. And if you don’t allow yourself what’s vital for yourself, what kind of person do you expect to be??
Now, forgiveness and empathy aren’t bad things in and by themselves. But they don’t necessarily solve anything in and by themselves, either.

And sometimes, forgiveness and empathy might do us more harm than good! This tends to happen when we cultivate them towards other people first, and towards ourselves second.

When you have confidence, you have no problem putting your own needs ahead of others’. Confidence, among other things, means conviction that you deserve whatever you want in life.

"But how can I be convinced of that?? We’re all just people! So how am I "better" than anyone else??"

Nobody said you were. But nobody said you weren’t, either. And if anyone did, what would you expect to gain from listening?

Also, if you please others more than yourself, aren’t you living by something equally as arbitrary, only self-destructive?

Think about it: If you don’t put your own needs first, how do you expect to get anywhere in life??

"But if I put my own needs first, won’t people think I’m being selfish/egotistical/stuck-up/narcissistic/etc.?"

Yeah, notice how that’s still worrying about what other people think.
First and foremost, we need to realize that opinions, whether our own or others’, are simply opinions.

They’re not necessarily true or false, they’re nothing more than different perspectives. So, we need to ask ourselves, "What perspectives can I use? And what perspectives are harmful to me?"

Now often, we do NEED other people’s perspectives. So as not to get stuck in our own, and so as to provide a certain amount of experience when needed. But there’s a world of difference between that, and living by other people’s opinions.

ACTION ITEM:

This week, assert yourself just one more time than you normally do. If that means just once, it’s still better than none. It might mean not taking a certain task upon you even if urgent. It might mean putting some time off for yourself each day. Or it might just mean telling someone to piss off, plain and simple. Turn off your phone and work on something that’s important to you.

Anyone should do that every single day. Because it doesn't make you an asshole; it just makes you self-assertive and confident.



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Affirmation from Louise Hay

We "Grow" Through What we "Go" Through

Sooner or later, everybody experiences a challenge in their life of some sort. These challenges could be health related, financial, or you could be dealing with the loss of a love one, struggling with an addiction, etc.

Although these challenges are inevitable, the fact of the matter is that the majority of us would rather avoid these challenges, if possible. Needless to say, we should avoid and prevent things and events that could cause problems in our lives, if possible.

However, because we know challenges are coming, it is prudent for us to learn how to better handle challenges in our life when they come.

What I will discuss in this article is the importance of challenges in our lives and how to deal with challenges in a way that converts them to being more of an advantage.

The Importance of Challenges

We all know that most challenges causes us pain, hardship and/or discomfort of some kind and because of this, it is very hard for us to appreciate challenges and what they bring to our lives. Have you given much thought to how some of your challenges have resulted in a positive change in your life? They may have caused you to learn something new or develop in a certain area. They may have brought new people into your life. Some people have launched a new business or product or service because of a problem they were facing. Some people have become prominent well known motivational speakers and advocates for a cause because of a challenge they are facing or have overcame. These people are able to positively touch and change the lives of many.

Use Your Challenge to Your Advantage

When facing challenges, we should look for silver linings in them to see what we can learn from them and how we can use our challenges to better our lives and/or the lives of others. Challenges are so much a part of life that there is a good chance that you are facing a challenge of some sort right now. Maybe you should start documenting how you are dealing with your challenge. Keep a record of what things you have learned to make dealing with your challenge easier and what things should be avoided. Maybe even talk about how your current challenge could have been avoided altogether had you been aware of and act on certain information prior to.

There is a very high probability that there are many other people going though the exact same challenge as you. You may be able to help someone by sharing your experience and you may be blessed for doing so.

If you look at your challenge as an opportunity to learn from it, you will deal with it better, resent it a little less and increase the chances of growing from your experience and becoming a better person as a result of it. Your current challenge may be developing you into a person who is knowledgeable and qualified to help others with a similar challenge. At the very least, just as challenges are inevitable in life, it is also inevitable that you will learn and grow from your challenge if you approach them in this manner.

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Motivational video "Change your mind in just 2.50 mins"