1. How To Become A Completely New You

    October 25, 2013

    How To Become A Completely New You

    Have you ever felt a bit like life is on top of you? Like you always wake up tired? Like you have no energy and look worse because you’ve let yourself go? Have you ever wondered what it would be like not to be stressed?

    If you want your life to change then simply the change has to start with you. As Jackie Chan says: ‘don’t let your circumstances change you, change your circumstances’. For this you need a fresh start and a new leaf. Let’s look at how to create a new you who will be more confident, more energetic, more disciplined and more efficient.

    Step One – Your Attitude

    Now you’ve probably tried to create a ‘new you’ in the past at some point. Perhaps you’ve attempted a new training program and failed to stick at it, or maybe you made a decision to look for a different job then gave up. What was the problem that prevented these things from working?

    Well most likely your failure will have come down to two things: your mental attitude towards the challenge, and your energy/lifestyle. These two are very closely linked and you can’t really fix one without fixing the other.

    To start with then, you need to start prioritizing yourself and you need to start putting your health and wellbeing above everything else. You can’t just ‘start’ a new training routine you see: if you didn’t have the time or energy before then you won’t suddenly have it now. Instead you need to find a way to make room for it in your life by removing something else, or just getting up a little earlier. Perhaps make a pact with yourself to stop staying late at work, or maybe quit those classes that you weren’t really enjoying anyway.

    Then you need to find more ways to give yourself more energy. Look to see if your sleeping environment could be improved, start eating more fruit and veg, and schedule yourself in some time to rest and relax.

    Step Two – Your Look

    To make these changes though, you are also going to need enthusiasm and that will essentially come from your self-esteem. This is why it’s important to change the way you look and to improve your appearance as part of your all-over transformation. Start by getting a haircut which always makes everyone feel better about themselves, but then look at the other things that are holding you back. Are you unhappy with your teeth? Then perhaps now is the time to get some cosmetic dentistry. And how about changing up your wardrobe and getting help from a friend? This might seem like expensive vanity, but it’s not: when you feel better about yourself you will hold your head up higher and you will have infinitely more enthusiasm and energy for improving yourself in every other way too. This is a great catalyst for a new you.

    Step Three – Workout

    Now you should have more time and energy and you should be more confident with your looks. You’ll be brimming with enthusiasm hopefully to capitalize on your improved looks and your higher energy, so now’s the time to add a new workout to your routine.

    Make a workout then that works with your lifestyle as it is and then make a commitment to stick to it. Don’t think about long term goals for how you want to look or how much weight you want to lose by a certain time frame – instead make your goal to do the workout X number of times every week. That’s a goal that is directly within your control and it will put your focus where it should be. Then one day you will catch yourself in the mirror and notice that you’ve transformed your body. And that you’re more energetic, and more confident, and smarter, and stronger…

    That said, a little inspiration doesn’t hurt and the best source of inspiration for this is old pictures: old pictures of yourself when you were in your prime.

    Step Four – The Rest

    Now you have built a better you, it’s time to start changing your circumstances. Identify sources of stress in your life such as money or relationships and think about ways to combat them: often it just means scaling things back – focusing more on a few important relationships, or spending less on a monthly basis so you can save more.

    Then make a plan for your career and the way you want your life to be in the future. You have the power now to see it through, so the sky is the limit!

    Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/federicoravassard/8568683430

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  2. Breaking mental barriers with a positive outlook

    October 23, 2013

    Breaking mental barriers with a positive outlook

    by Dr. David Kulla

    We’ve all been there. We’ve all had times where we felt lost, weak, and ineffectual. It just seems like we can’t get going in the right direction. It’s tough to break through those mental barriers and allow ourselves to be the people we want to be. It can create vicious cycles of procrastination, submission, and even depression. But, there are ways to break through these mental barriers. Sometimes, it’s just as simple as pretending to have a more positive outlook. You would be surprised at quickly a drop of optimism turns into a deluge of positive emotions. Here are some tips for breaking through mental barriers with a positive outlook.

    Don’t waste time worrying. If you have a problem, there is either something you can do about it, or nothing you can do about it. Those are the only two options. Either you can fix it or you can’t, so why waste time and energy worrying? If you can fix it, do it. If you can’t, ignore it and move on. So many other things in life demand your time, energy, and attention. Useless worrying isn’t one of them.

    Celebrate small victories. Our lives are so full of inboxes, to-do lists, voicemails, etc. It’s easy to feel like we’ll never get everything done. This leads to analysis paralysis and second-guessing, which in turn lead to blown deadlines and more worry. Don’t let that happen to you. Allow yourself to feel good about accomplishments, no matter how small. You responded to an email. Good job! You’ve made a dent in your wall of work. Felt good, didn’t it? Let’s see if we can get that feeling, only better! Before you know it, you’ll have a full outbox and an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment.

    Picture where you want to be. A lot has been written about vision boards, Pinterest, and the power of images to inspire people. And it’s true. Pictures (even mental ones) can cause vague ideas or notions to coalesce into actions. Instead of fretting about paying off debts, picture yourself debt-free. What would that be like, what could you direct your energy toward instead? What good could you do with the extra money? This exercise will make you feel positive about yourself and your abilities, inspiring you to work hard and achieve your goals.

    Perfection is the enemy of the good. Sometimes, when we’re working on a project, we get bogged down in minute details and try to make sure every little thing is exactly as it should be. And, when it invariably is not perfect and needs more work, we start getting down on ourselves and our ability to finish. We’re not measuring up to our own impossible ideals. Step back for a moment and realize that nothing is ever perfect. There could always be more tweaks, more brushstrokes, more bells and whistles. However, we can quickly reach the point of diminishing returns. Spending one hour on a report will make it good. Spending two hours will only make it a little better than good. We spent twice the time and worry on only a marginal gain in quality. Try to allow yourself to be merely great, instead of absolutely perfect.

    Realize that others feel the same way you do. Too often we feel like the protagonist of a movie, where every event and decision is designed to impact us directly and every other person is there to help or hinder our journey. What we must realize is that everyone is on their own journey and they all have their own sets of worries, fears, and aspirations. Your boss isn’t giving you more work because she is mean; she recognizes your value and needs your help to meet her own responsibilities. Recognize your value and the value of others, and you will be on the way to being truly happy.

    Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nwardez/3353883167

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  3. Forcing Yourself Away from Depression

    October 19, 2013

    Force Yourself Away from Depression

    by Jacob Gross

    No matter what anyone says, depression is not something that can be toughed out. No amount of white-knuckling and teeth-gritting can cure depression. Even positive thinking fails when faced with a powerful depressive episode. This is not to say that a good attitude and positive thinking does not help, but depression is a big thing. I will give this disclaimer a few times because it is important: if you are depressed, go see a psychologist, psychiatrist or other specialist. It is not something to deal with on your own without help. However, if you are a depressive person or if you have recently come out of a depressive episode, positive thinking, a good attitude and hard work can help stave off the depression.

    Depression is not an impossible enemy

    Depression is not a black hole that sucks up all the light around it instantaneously. It is not an all-consuming monster; it is not the abyss. Depression is a sink drain, a leak in the pipes, a hole in the pocket. The harder a depressive episode comes on, the less you want to fight it. It slowly drains you of desire for anything, let alone putting in an effort to stay happy. At some point, when a full blown depression sets in, it is unlikely that any amount of happy thoughts will put you in a better mood. If you are not yet fully depressed but are worried you are heading that direction, forcing yourself to be happy is the best possible decision.

    Forcing is the key word here. When depression starts to put its claws in you, it becomes harder to engage the world in a positive way. You have to force yourself to go out and do the things you love or find new things to love. There is nothing as conducive to depression as inaction. Likewise, a great way of battling a creeping depression is to stay active. New activities excite your mind and keep you from dwelling on the same old thoughts and feelings. Furthermore, staying indoors in the dark is a recipe for depression, so anything you can do to get yourself outside will help. There is a reason Seasonal Affective Disorder is a thing. Lack of sunlight and staying inside makes people depressed. Get out and do things.

    Trick your mind

    Another part of forcing yourself to be happy involves some neat psychological/neurological tricks. Your mind is not a computer with perfect programming that follows clear rules. Your mind is more like, well, a broken computer. Sometimes things work exactly how they are supposed to and sometimes they don’t. Depression is one way that things go wrong. However, another way that your brain malfunctions can help relieve the symptoms of depression. Your brain has an interesting feedback loop with emotions. If you feel an emotion – say, happiness – you will smile and act like a happy person. Strangely, if you act like a happy person and smile, you will start to feel happy. It’s your body confusing your brain.  Strange as it sounds, it is incredibly effective.

    When depression starts to set in, it is hard to stay positive. Well, here’s a news flash: everything worth doing or being is hard. It’s worth the effort to be happy. Even if you feel like the sky is pressing down on you and trying to crush your very being, force yourself to think about teddy bears or the Wizard of Oz or anything that makes you happy. Push those negative thoughts and feelings as far out of your mind as you can. Focus on something bright, even if you really are not feeling it. A funny thing will happen – you’ll start to feel a bit better.

    Remember – this is advice for how to keep depression away and at bay. If you are suffering from a serious depression, go seek immediate help. Depression is a serious mental illness and nothing to be ashamed off. Often times, serious depression has nothing to do with attitude or outlook and everything to do with a chemical imbalance. There are some great drugs out there to help people with these imbalances. If you seek help and your physician or psychiatrist recognizes the symptoms of clinical depression, they can put you on these drugs. It can make a life infinitely better.

    If, however, you are trying to keep away from a depressive episode, be positive. Force yourself to be positive. You will stop faking the happiness and start feeling it faster than you think.

    Image Credit: Ashley Webb – http://www.flickr.com/photos/xlordashx/8619562772

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  4. Getting Fit Using Alternate Exercise

    October 17, 2013

    by Laura Green

    Well, age 34 is just a few months away (much fewer than I would like). The days when I would jog or swim a couple of miles a day are distant, dusty memories. Now, I get out of breath climbing the stairs out of the basement. But, I would like to get back into the healthy department, the question is, where should I start?

    Yoga

    Yeah, I always thought this was an “old lady’s” way of pretending to be in shape. Boy, was I wrong? I first became acquainted with yoga a few years ago when a middle-aged woman I knew – a breast cancer survivor – told me about the flexibility she had gained through yoga. I have never been flexible.

    Another exposure to this form of exercise was when I saw a 93 year old man reach down and touch his toes – with no trouble. He said that he was flexible enough for that because of yoga.

    Let me tell you, yoga is not “sitting funny” and chanting weird stuff. This non-impact exercise regimen has stretched parts of my body that I never thought could bend. It is ability based, so that old back injury from a car wreck is not in the least aggravated by my exercise. Regardless of your physical ability, size, age, and even inclination, you will find that yoga can build your core strength and improve muscle tone. All of this helps your circulation and lowers stress levels, too.

    Yoga doesn’t have to be overexertion, you work your muscles fairly hard and as a result you’re increasing the blood flow through your body. Pranayama, a breathing exercise can increase your heart rate and help supply nutrients and oxygen to your muscles. It all helps to boost your metabolism and everyone knows that a healthy metabolism contributes to the burning of excess weight and in turn will make you fitter.

    Tai Chi

    Tai Chi is a form of fitness more or less a moving type of yoga, You could refer to it as a sort of meditation in motion. The movements are adapted from martial arts and the movements of animals and birds in nature. The movements are arranged in “sets”. The movement is slow and graceful, and meditation is a key part in the exercise, or vital force in the body, to Taoism. But even if you don’t subscribe to the mysticism, Tai Chi is a great way to build your sense of balance and strengthen muscle groups.

    Tai Chi also features breathing exercises, “Qigong” can be practiced sitting, standing or lying down and can help mobilize and relax the body. Tai chi is a great way to reduce stress and increase circulation and muscle tone, a great way to get back into fitness.

    Fitness Retreats

    This is a bit of a different one, I would say the least popular most likely. But when you just don’t have the willpower to get youself doing the previous methods, or even just standard exercise, this is a great way to get fit again. The negative moniker greatly underestimates the good done by spas and camps. A day, a week, or a month at a weight loss clinic or spa can be the jump start for your weight loss and fitness regimen. There are reality shows based on this premise, with coaches that “urge” people to perform physical feats they never before would have attempted.

    However, not all weight loss camps and spas are like that. You’ll find that extreme exercise and dieting is not necessary when you have a little encouragement from a skilled coach and trainer. While the extreme features of televised fat camps may appeal to some, to others, weight loss and fitness just seem further away.

    Alternative exercise can be the perfect way to get back in shape if you haven’t already tried it. Just remember, it’s all about sticking with it, Perhaps getting older won’t be so bad, after all.

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  5. Your Mind, Body, and Spirit

    October 17, 2013

    by Joanna Hughes

    Does the power of positive thinking have the ability to heal the human body? What about religious belief, or the commitment to spiritual wholeness? In all cases, an increasing amount of scientific research point in the direction of “yes.”

    Scientists from all over the world are discovering what many ancient cultures have known since the beginning of time: enabling balance between mind, body and soul promotes comprehensive wellness and improved quality of life.

     

    Meditate for Better Health
    While spirituality is often associated with religious practice, it can also be derived from secular sources, such as meditation. A recent study conducted collaboratively between Milwaukee’s Medical College of Wisconsin and Fairfield and Iowa’s Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention of the Maharishi University of Management suggests that people with coronary artery disease reap significant therapeutic value from transcendental meditation.

    Total peace
    It’s not just relaxing, meditation is good for your physical health!

    Participants in the study experienced a 50% decrease in risk of heart attack and stroke compared to the placebo group. Presented at the American Heart Association meeting, this study joins a wealth of other results connecting spirituality to overall well-being. In fact, the establishment of a meditative practice has been linked to everything from decreased blood pressure to lessening chemotherapy-related nausea to reducing chronic pain.

    Religion, too, has been scientifically linked to better physical health, with studies demonstrating fewer emergency room visits as well as faster recovery from heart surgery by patients who profess strong religious beliefs.

     

    Mind Control
    Other research results–evaluating everything from group therapy’s influence on breast cancer survival rates to the effects of biofeedback on migraine headaches in children–demonstrate the power of mind over matter when it comes to health. Unfortunately, the relationship can also work in reverse: for example, chronic illness is a major cause of depression.

     

    So Now What?
    Now that the connection has been established, the next step is applying this information in a meaningful way. Proper nutrition and healthy eating are cure-alls for a number of physical ailments, and can lead to improved mental energy as well as a heightened sense of fulfillment. If you are religious, attending services or becoming involved with your church or synagogue can have a beneficial bearing on your well-being. Non-secular programs which integrate the mind and the body include meditation, yoga, and group therapy.

    Hippocrates himself was a believer in the connection between mind, body and soul. Considered the father of modern medicine, he promoted balance as an important component of ideal health.


    Hippocrates figured it out thousands of years ago.

    Today’s physicians are increasingly accepting this ancient wisdom, which forms the basis for contemporary integrative medicine. After all, we can acknowledge that the body and mind are biologically programmed to communicate with each other. It is not a far reach to conclude, therefore, that one’s positive or negative state has direct bearing on the other. It is a complex system of connectedness, and one which we are only beginning to comprehend.

     

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  6. Making a Commitment to Your Positive Mental Health

    October 15, 2013

    Making a Commitment to Your Positive Mental Health

    by Kari Lloyd

    No matter what your current life circumstances are, it is essential to maintain your mental health. After all, many of mental health problems can be caused by issues from your past, and this makes it imperative to consciously take steps to improve your overall sense of well-being. Fortunately, there are several things that you can do to gain control over your mental health, and placing an emphasis on these techniques will make it much easier to remain positive during every aspect of your life.

    Six Tips for Improving Your Mental Health

    1) Counseling – Everyone needs to talk about their problems, and it is not always beneficial enough to discuss everything with a friend. Instead, you can utilize the services of a trained counselor to work through all of your issues in a safe environment. As an added bonus, a counselor can introduce you to coping techniques that will make it easier to deal with all of the aspects of your daily life that cause you to feel stressed out or depressed.

    2) Exercise – One of the best ways to achieve and maintain a more upbeat outlook on life is to exercise on a regular basis. Although it can be difficult to get motivated to work out if you are feeling depressed, you will quickly begin to experience the positive mental benefits that accompany even the most simplistic exercise routine. Therefore, even if you do not feel up to it, you should force yourself to take a walk at least three or four times a week in order to help regulate your mood.

    3) Socialize – Anyone who has ever dealt with depression knows how easy it is to lose touch with your friends and loved ones. However, allowing yourself to become socially disconnected is a huge mistake that will only exacerbate your depression. In order to avoid this problem, you should make social commitments at least once a week to ensure that you get out of the house on a regular basis.

    4) Express Yourself Creatively – Whether you are interested in drawing, writing, making music or scrapbooking, you should definitely enable yourself to release your emotions through a creative outlet. This will give you a positive way to channel your negative emotions, and it will also help you improve your self-esteem.

    5) Make a Promise To Yourself – You might have heard of couples making promises to care and support each other with rings, so why not make the same commitment to yourself? A promise ring or small token can motivate to remember that you’re important to and keep you focused when you feel you’re going off the tracks.

    6) Join a Support Group – If you are dealing with a specific issue such as a serious illness or abuse, you should consider joining a support group. This will give you another opportunity to express your feelings in a safe environment, and it can also be very comforting to speak with other people who have had the same experiences.

    As long as you remain committed to improving your mental health, you should begin seeing positive results relatively quickly. Keep in mind that you are still going to have ups and downs, but you should be able to manage them more effectively by giving yourself at least one proven outlet for dealing with your feelings.

    Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22498741@N02/2425844539

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  7. Relationship Counselling Can Bring Back Happiness

    October 13, 2013

    Relationship Counselling

    by Jacques Tombazian

    There are times when your relationship can go through a major upheaval. Such situations may arise due to a host of factors ranging from misunderstanding, confusion and indifference to each other’s needs. Whenever there is a discord in the relationship both the individuals tend to suffer. When the suffering increases many couples seek for divorce or separation. Discord in relationship is though common among couples, isn’t restricted to only between husband and wife or lovers. It can be between two friends, a parent and the child or even among business partners. When a fault line develops in a relationship it is worth a try strengthen the bond back to normal. It is famously said sick relationships should be healed rather than abandoned. This is where relationship counselling is of great help.

    Discord in relationship cannot be treated with medication and it needs to be treated with internal healing. It is important for both the parties in a troubled relationship to gain control over their mind and activities and come to terms for a common cause. While healing a relationship one of the first things that the counselor would try and do countering the miscommunication and misinterpretation that lead to problems in the relationship. Individuals often feel suffocated and accuse the other of not accommodating their thoughts and views. Thus when you go for a counseling session they would encourage you to open up and share your side of the story. It might often seem that there is a healthy and sick partner in the relationship. In such cases it is the moral responsibility of the healthy partner to standby the sick partner through the trying times in the relationship.

    One of the things that healing services stress on when it comes to rekindling a relationship is to accept what the other individual has to say about him or herself. You need to accept the fact that their perception might be truer than yours. Often the major reason being discord in any relationship is ego. This tends to make our judgements bias and prevents us from seeing what is obvious. For healthy relationships the counsellor would also need to involve change and transformation in both the individuals and the relationship itself. Since discord arises due to certain activities and traits in the individuals it is important for both the parties to shed some of those activities and traits. The degree of change may differ from case to case.

    Thousands of individuals have benefited from relationship counselling and found happiness again. Alchemy healing practices some of the advanced healing techniques for relationships and leads individuals to an improved physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.  Jacques Tombazian is an experienced counsellor who has devised some advanced healing techniques that helps individuals gain back the trust and understanding that often eludes them when there is a discord in the relationship. Alchemy provides energetic support and coaching through hands on healing sessions and distant healing sessions. Many individuals and couples have benefited from this internal healing technique that helps the mind along with the relationship.

    Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51014621@N00/7448673886

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  8. Escaping Depression: A Middle Class Kid’s Guide

    October 11, 2013

    dealing with depression

    by Tyler Fleck

    I feel like a ton of people have this kind of story, the success story that is supposed to be uplifting, and drag how many readers out of a dark hole just on the merit of its ideals and noble notions. But, though I truly hope this can help, this is more of a story of how I dealt with a very dark time in my life, rather than a cure all. I hold no illusions of grandeur, no misappropriated ideals of myself—I know I’m no psychologist or therapist—but, I do know what worked for me, and maybe it can help some of you who might be dealing with a similar issue to work through it. At the least, perhaps it can give you another angle to work from. Anyways, here’s my story of how I was able to defeat depression.

    Background

    When I was younger, I went through a period of time where I felt literally nothing can go right. My friends had all moved away—save a loyal few—I couldn’t catch a break in the dating world, and my family life was crumbling as my favorite relatives left one by one, and my parents divorced. Waking up in the mornings was harder and harder every day, and it came to a point—after one of my best friends and mentors died in a car crash—that I started feeling like the darkness was never going to end.

    I felt depressed, lonely, and sometimes I just wondered what the point was. It was hard, to say the least.

    And yet, at the time, I had this strange dichotomy underscoring my life. It wasn’t really apparent at the time, but I was doing well in school, the bullies—who had marred my life before this difficult time—had all moved on to different targets (or different schools) and I still had those aforementioned loyal friends who always seemed to be there for me, even when we had our differences. But, still, I had my problems, and I had to deal with them, which I did in the only way I knew how—by throwing myself into my passions.

    Escaping the Darkness

    I remember, as a younger kid, when things got really bad, I would retreat into my books and my video games to get away from it all. With all the news as of late, many of you might think that’s wrong, that this would just open up a path for me to become some psycho serial-killer; but, for me, I truly needed the escape. Video games and movies and books gave me a whole separate land to go to that I could be king. Nothing was truly impossible, and I had a chance to get out of my head for a while, and just enjoy life. It’s strange to hear, but I think these fantasy lands actually gave me a strange sort of self-confidence; it was just easier to be me while I was playing/reading, and that transferred into the real world after a while. Even more importantly, I started gaining new friends just through common interests in these medias, which really helped me throughout Jr. High and High school, the period of time when I was rebuilding my life.

    Friends and Therapy

    But, with all this said, I don’t want to promote escapism as the only way to fix your problems. I loved playing video games, reading, and throwing myself into projects that would take my mind off of everything else, but that was only part of what I did to save my mental health. I talked to the people close to me (though there weren’t many), pried the minds of whoever would listen (of which there were even fewer), and did the same for others who needed it. Yeah, at the end of the day, those conversations only lasted a few minutes—and sometimes I would go weeks without anyone to talk about where I was in life—but, those few, fleeting moments of true human connection kept me feeling happy, alive even. It was in those moments that I knew I wasn’t completely alone, and I clung to those as hard as I could. I allowed them to drag me out of the dark place I lived in, and it got me where I am today; a perfectly functioning, outgoing individual.

    I also gained a major appreciation for therapy out of this period of time, as I found a wonderful therapist—a family friend—who was really able to connect to me on an emotional level, and kind of help me through all the bad parts of my life. Honestly, I was really lucky in finding someone who could, in conjunction with my friends, help me see the things that I wasn’t seeing, which I now think is probably the hardest part of getting out of a depressed state. It really was so difficult to appreciate the better parts of my life, when everything else seemed so bad. This is kind of why I have such a high appreciation for therapy now, and is precisely why I it makes me happy to see therapy becoming a much more integral part of our society. I really think that, though it doesn’t work for everyone, just having someone to talk to is the key to getting around the darkness in your life, and a therapist gives you that person if you don’t really have anyone else.

    No Regrets

    The strange thing is, I don’t look back on those moments of darkness and wish they never happened—not anymore at least. I mean, I have no doubt life would have been better then without them, and who knows, maybe it would be better now. But, I honestly feel stronger now because of it. I can see my weaknesses for what they were, and I can push myself as far away from them as possible, which has garnered me a rather large social circle, and an even closer relationship with my friends and family, who stuck with me through thick and thin.

    I know that my story probably isn’t as sad, or as hardship-filled, as many who share here on this blog; but I also know that there are a lot of people out there who do have it good, who have loving friends and family and yet cannot see how great things are because of an unnamed inner turmoil. This story is for you, because sometimes it’s hardest to see that light when it’s everywhere but right in front of you. Just take it from me, someone who has also gone through what you have; you just have to look around a bit to find it.

    Image Credit: Daniel Horacio Agostini at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dhammza/94194086

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  9. Set Goals Regularly to Live a More Meaningful Life

    October 9, 2013

    meaningful life

    by Adrienne Erin

    The importance of goal setting for a happy, productive life cannot be understated. The pleasure of working towards and attaining a goal brings happiness, satisfaction and pride. Too often, however, people think goal setting only applies to “big ticket” desires such as finishing school, saving for a vacation or finding true love.

    We tend to forget how helpful goal setting is on a daily basis. Plus, the more we use goal setting for small, daily tasks, the more skilled we become at planning, working towards and attaining goals of any size.

    Daily Goal Setting

    Every evening before I go to bed, I write down five small goals for the next day. They could relate to anything: work, volunteering experiences, enriching my relationships with loved ones, what I’ll cook for dinner or anything else. I organize these five goals in order of importance and when I’ll have time to do them.

    When I get up, I glance at the first item of my to-do list, and work towards its completion. I go down the list, completing each item and ticking it off as I go. At the end of the day, I brainstorm five new goals for the next day.

    More Than a To-Do List

    If you think this sounds like a daily to-do list, you’re right – up to a point. More importantly than a daily list of accomplishments, my daily to-do list is also a training tool. I practice the essentials of goal setting every day: brainstorming goals, prioritizing goals and working towards their completion. My daily to-do list is the foundation for attaining larger goals.

    In addition to my daily list, I make a weekly goal list at the start of every week, listing one or two goals I want to attain that week. I do the same for each month, every six months, each year, and five years. My goal schedule may look something like this:

    • Daily goals: Clean the bathroom, drop off son at karate practice, write four blog entries, surprise husband with supper, and weed front flower bed.
    • Week-long Goals: spend a day with parents, collect items for local food drive, clean out garage.
    • Monthly Goals: Paint living room, try five new recipes, use coupons more frequently to save money, find time to help at the local library.
    • Six-Month Goal: Save $150 a month for Christmas and $50 a month to donate to a charity.
    • Year-long Goal: Pay off car loan early by adding $50 a month to payments, spend more time for self-development and inspirational reading
    • Five-year Goal: Plan, save and prepare for Costa Rica hiking vacation with my family, learn Spanish.

    Your goal list will probably look quite different. What are the small tasks that just never seem to get done? It can help to start tackling those. If you’ve been dreaming for months now to repaint the living room, break the goal down into smaller tasks and incorporate them into your to-do list, like so:

    • Today: Stop by hardware store and pick up paint chips, choose a color.
    • This week: Return to store and purchase paint and dropcloths.
    • This month: Set aside several hours to move furniture away from walls, put down dropcloths, tape borders, and paint the walls.

    If you’re raising money for a local charity drive, your to-do list might look more like this:

    • Today: Post on Facebook about the charity, email coworkers about the charity.
    • This week: Raise $100 from friends, family, and other contacts
    • This month: Reach my $400 fundraising goal.

    The task was probably overwhelming until you actually took the time to plan out all of the steps you would need to take and when they need to get done.

    Start Small, Dream Big

    Goal setting can overwhelm people if they start with large, long-term goals. This is especially true if you’re coming out of a significant life change, such as divorce, the death of a loved one, or a long-term hospital stay.

    Start small, with daily goals. As you become more confident in your ability to set and attain goals, move on to weekly goals, then monthly and so on. While at first it may seem intimidating, coming up with six-month, year-long, and five-year goals, over time it will become more freeing. These will probably change little from week to week, but if you get a new idea for a long-term goal, add it to your list! A long-term goal can be almost anything, from “learn Russian” to “quit drinking.”

    Before you know it, you’ll be setting goals for five years down the road. With those in mind, what can you do to prepare for, save for, or start accomplishing those goals today? Mapping out your life with short- and long-term goals is immensely satisfying, and helps you identify how you really want to live.

    Image Credit: Mark Sebastian – http://www.flickr.com/photos/markjsebastian/3028568109

    Category Motivational | Tags: ,,,,,,, | Comments Off on Set Goals Regularly to Live a More Meaningful Life

  10. You Are the Creator of Your Destiny

    October 7, 2013

    creator of your destiny

    Many people have the view that karma is the doer of everything. It is destiny that makes and does things. Such people believe they are fated by their karma to be like they are and there is nothing that can change them.

    For an intelligent person it is all deceptive, such a person will never put restrictions on his ability. An intellectual man believes that he has to make his own destiny with his thoughts and actions. By saying ‘it’s my destiny and I cannot change it’, a person is only limiting is abilities and is creating walls around him that will not break until the person wants to break them down with power of his thoughts and actions.

    Do we control our destiny?

    It is a simple question, but very difficult to answer – Do we control our own destiny? Majority of people act as if their destiny is pre-created. There are only a few who believe they have the capacity to change, and only these few plan, execute and dream of a better future despite the challenges they face in life.

    Almost all of us lead our lives according to desires, personal bonds, duties, family obligations, planning and accidental happenings. In such a scenario believing that you create your own destiny, you can take your own decisions and make your own choices in life and make the best efforts to shape existence the way you want it to be. Positive frame of mind and belief aren’t the only things that make your destiny, hard work and destiny go hand in hand.

    Listed below are a few ways about how you can work on your life and be the creator of your own destiny.

    • Dream and share in your network

    Dream about your goals, dream about what you want to be and don’t limit your dreams to yourself. Share your dreams with other like-minded individuals in your network because you never know when someone would show up in life and help you achieve your dreams.

    • Focus on health to make your destiny

    You must have heard – health is wealth, so it is, there is nothing that you can do without good health. It is important for you to focus on good health and nutrition. Without health you cannot labor and without hard work you cannot make your own destiny.

    • Plan as much as possible and then work in a focused direction

    In the process of creating your own destiny, it is important to examine and discuss all the aspects of your life – personal and professional – and then plan accordingly to achieve happiness and success. Without a plan you don’t know where you are going, so plan towards making your own destiny. It is however important to be pragmatic in planning. Your plans should reflect what is physically possible (keeping the available resources and limitations in mind) only then you will be inclined at working hard to fulfill your plans.

    • Pursue your goals

    There is no point planning if you are not going to work in order to execute your plans. Your actions are directly proportional to the results, thus the best way to pursue your goals is to do a little bit (towards the goal) every single day of your life to pursue your destiny.

    • Do not limit your belief and fear

    There are a couple of things that can hold you back from fulfilling your destiny – your self-limitations and fear are a few of them. Do not let your belief be limited, and never fear anything, do what you fear and your fear will certainly disappear.

    • Aim for the impossible and get the best possible

    You have the ability to make your own destiny, so make decisions and act upon them whether you realize it or not. Never limit your goals, set high standards for yourself. Setting high goals will let you see the invisible and those who can see the invisible can achieve the impossible and create their own destiny.

     

    This post was provided by MTSRoller: Headquartered in New York, MTSRoller.com is an online store specializing in skincare products such as derma rollers & high end Korean skin creams. The company has a strong presence in the United States and Canada. Authentic products sourced from leading brands at a discounted price are shipped overnight by MTSRoller to its customers all over the world. You can follow MTSRoller on Twitter: @MTSRollercom.

    Image Credit: Hilde Skjølberg – http://www.flickr.com/photos/hebe/2575732319/

    Category Love and Spirituality, Motivational | Tags: ,,,,,,, | Comments Off on You Are the Creator of Your Destiny

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