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14 Happiness Quotes to Inspire You to Live Your Best Life

Would you agree that life is what we make of it?
If our emotions start from within, then we have the power to change them! So here are 14 happiness quotes to inspire and motivate you to create a life of happiness:
Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it’s something you design for the present. ~ Jim Rohn
Whatever you decide to do, make sure it makes you happy. ~ Paulo Coelho
If you want happiness for an hour – take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day – go fishing.
If you want happiness for a year – inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime – help someone else. ~ Chinese proverb
Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of the mind than on outward circumstances. ~Benjamin Franklin
When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us. ~ Helen Keller
You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events. ~ Joel Osteen
It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes us happy. ~ Charles Spurgeon
If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or objects. ~ Albert Einstein
Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are. ~ Marianne Williamson
Winners make a habit of manufacturing their own positive expectations in advance of the event. ~ Brian Tracey
Be happy with what you have and are, be generous with both, and you won’t have to hunt for happiness. ~ William E. Gladstone
Happiness is a habit – cultivate it. ~ Elbert Hubbard
In order to carry a positive action we must first develop a positive vision. ~ Dalai Lama
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you’re doing, you will be successful. ~ Herman Cain

Which one inspires you the most?

How to Ask Influencers for a Favor (And Actually Get It)

You’ve heard it before: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” It’s an adage as old as the hills, a simple statement that sums up how important the right connections can be. Maybe you want an endorsement for your company from someone influential, maybe you need an investor. Maybe you just need someone popular to get people talking.


Content marketing, publicity, relationship building, whatever you call it, buy-in from “influencers” can make or break your efforts. Connecting with influencers takes time, research and sincerity. The best relationships are rarely formed in the spotlight and are never formed in an instant. It’s not as if your recipients are going to see your content, fall in love with your ability to communicate and trip over themselves to help you out.
Case in point, I asked Rand Fishkin, the founder of Moz, about a time he could recall being impressed by an outreach email.
"I received an email from Larry Kim of Wordstream a few months ago sharing some research their team had done into gender bias,'' he recalled. "Larry's email noted that they had used a bit of data from Moz's industry survey and that the topic was important to him. I was really impressed with the email itself and the piece. I shared it on every social network I use and have included it in some presentations as well.''
This story brings me to my first tip:
Provide real value. When Larry shared his research with Rand, the article was chock full of new, informative analysis. Larry’s outreach went over so well because it was genuinely interesting and useful. Without content that could be of real use to the reader, there’s no way such an email could have elicited the same response.
I also asked Rand about bad experiences he’s had with email outreach.
"Conversely, on a daily basis, I get emails from founders, marketers and those new to web marketing asking for broad, consulting-level advice and assistance,'' he said. "I love helping people but, sadly, a good number of folks who email me do so with an attitude of entitlement, peculiar hostility and the expectation that a simple answer will solve incredibly complex problems like how to attract attention and awareness to their new product/website.''
Top influencers just don’t have hundreds of spare hours to help out everyone who contacts them. Which brings me to my second tip:
Make It Easy. If you’re reaching out to someone, don’t leave him or her wondering, “What does he want me to do?” Boil it down to the essentials and make it easy for them to help you.
The people reaching out to Rand were asking for far more than they could reasonably expect of a stranger. In many cases, their requests were so broad that it would require quite a bit of clarification before he could offer advice, even if he wanted to.
Ann Smarty, the co-founder of ViralContentBuzz, also weighed in on her experiences with bad and good relationship building. She shared this screenshot with me to illustrate one of the most memorable “bad” emails she ever received:


Sadly, poor outreach examples like this are significantly more common than good examples. My third piece of advice is a no brainer:
Do Your Research. Don’t be that guy who starts with “Dear Webmaster…” When you want to build a relationship with someone, at the very least you should know (and use) his or her name.
For even better results, you should do a thorough job searching out this person’s interests, background and goals. Web tools, like the new Buzzsumo app, can help you find what content he or she has shared in the past. When you do reach out, demonstrate that you’ve done your homework.
For an example of outreach done right, Ann told me the story of a guest blogger turned partner.
"As for the wins, all my best contacts come from long-term content relationships,'' she said. "One of the best examples is how Gerald Weber, now my partner at ViralContentBuzz, approached me back in 2008. The article ended up being published here and resulted in many more years of Gerald and me working together on lots of projects. It all started with the guest post but it never ended there. I don't remember his initial pitch but the way he handled that opportunity was awesome. Gerald kept promoting that guest post, he replied to every comment and made it very obvious that he cared about that opportunity. He also made sure we'd keep in touch and now we are partners.''
This leads me to my final piece of advice:
Think Long Term. After Gerald got his foot in the door, he continued to demonstrate the value of a business relationship with Ann. The beauty of building relationships is they have a compounding efficiency. Getting started is the hardest part.
It takes time to get on someone’s radar, build their trust and get them to do something for you. Don’t take that for granted. Continue impressing your contacts long after your initial ask, even during periods when you have very little to gain.
As Warren Buffet said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.”

7 Things You Should Be Saying Every Day



Your thoughts and your attitude do define your day – and your future. The energy they have shapes your reality, and we often tend to forget that. So here’s a little reminder of some things you should be saying daily – to yourself and to others. Just to keep the good vibes flowing.

1. Good Morning, Gorgeous!

This can be your morning mantra, in front of the mirror. We all need to remind ourselves of just how amazing we are – and when you start your day with this, it’ll only get better.

2. I’m So Going to Kick Today!

Whatever it is that you have to do that day, the moment you think about it feel confident that you will do it perfectly. Remove all the negative thoughts, all fears and insecurity, and put a confident smile up!

3. Give Someone a Compliment

A real one! Compliments do two things: apart from making the person you say them to feel great, they also make you realize the good in that person, which is a good thing for both of you. By sincerely complimenting someone else you can instantly become a better person, even if it’s for a moment.

4. Show Your Appreciation to Someone

People in your life may or may not know how much you appreciate them – and sometimes you don’t know that either until you stop to think about it. Every day take a moment and think about someone in your life you’re taking for granted, think about how much they mean to you and let them know. There’s no harm in repeating this with the same person (if this isn’t something you normally do, they may not understand that you’re serious if you show your appreciation to them only once).

5. Let Others Appreciate You – Learn to Say Thank You!

We often tend to “defend” against compliments and other expressions of appreciation that others try to give us – we don’t think we deserve it, so we run to modesty and say things like “oh no, it’s nothing” or “OK, now you’re just kidding”… Stop defending and when someone gives you a compliment, just accept it and say: Thank you! With a huge smile, of course.

6. This Person Loves Me


Yes, we need to be reminded of this as well. Your mom, your boyfriend, your best friend… there’s always someone in your life who truly, deeply loves you and cares for you. Remind yourself of that every day, even when these people aren’t near you. Someone somewhere loves me for me, and I know who that is! Knowing this is such a blessing – and we all should know, really know it.

7. I Am the Master Creator of This Day

This one don’t you ever forget! Each and every single one of your days, today and in the future, is in your hands and yours to make what you want of it. You are the only one who influences it, be it only with the attitude you take towards the situations and people you encounter.
Your attitude has the power to change things for the better, every day of your life – the better you feel, the more good things you’ll be noticing which will in turn give you more things to feel good about… It’s a circle, a snowball actually, and you have the power to start it, right now!

What nice things are you saying to yourself and to others? Share it with us.


Three Keys To Greatness





Recently I was asked to list these three things using one to two sentences for each. Now for your benefit here they are again. 


1) Setting Goals. I call it the view of the future. Most people, including kids, will pay the price if they can see the promise of the future. So we need to help our kids see a well-defined future, so they will be motivated to pay the price today to attain the rewards of tomorrow. Goals help them do this. 

2) Personal Development. Simply making consistent investments in our self-education and knowledge banks pays major dividends throughout our lives. I suggest having a minimum amount of time set aside for reading books, listening to audiocassettes, attending seminars, keeping a journal and spending time with other successful people. Charlie Tremendous Jones says you will be in five years the sum total of the books you read and the people you are around. 

3) Financial Planning. I call it the 70/30 plan. After receiving your paycheck or paying yourself, simply setting aside 10% for saving, 10% for investing and 10% for giving, and over time this will guarantee financial independence for a teenager. 

If a young person, or for that matter an adult, focused on doing these three simple things over a long period of time I believe they will be assured success! 


http://getmotivation.com/jimrohn/jim-rohn-three-keys-greatness.html

20 Places to See Before You Die

If you feel that you should add more stuff to your to-do list, here are a few fantastic suggestions, especially if you got tired of all the noise, stress and city crowd.

1. Antelope Canyon, USA

Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways are eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic ‘flowing’ shapes in the rock.

2. The Phi Phi Islands, Thailand

The Phi Phi Islands are located in Thailand, between the large island of Phuket and the western Andaman Sea coast of the mainland. Classic beaches, stunning rock formations, and vivid turquoise waters teeming with colorful marine life – it’s paradise perfected.

3. Santorini, Greece

Santorini is perhaps the most fascinating and most talked about island of Greece in the Aegean. Only the name of the island is enough to unfold in mind pleasurable connotations, volcanic landscape, gray and red beaches, dazzling white houses, terraces with panoramic sea views , stunning sunsets, wild fun. All this, together with remnants of lost civilizations discovered in the volcanic ash justify the epithets with which visitors identify Santorini and fairly is called, magical, indescribable, astonishing.

4. Maldive Islands

Maldives has deep blue seas, turquoise reefs, white sandy beaches and palm trees. It is also a place full of character, where its people have long spent their days languishing in the very essence of idyll living. While it is the perfect place to sit on a beach and watch a sunset with a cocktail balanced on your hand, it is also a geographical marvel, knowing that there are thousands of fish swimming around the vivid corals just a few feet away from where you sit.

5. Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu stands 2,430 m above sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. It was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height; its giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. The natural setting, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, encompasses the upper Amazon basin with its rich diversity of flora and fauna.
The Incas started building the “estate” around AD 1400, but abandoned it as an official site for the Inca rulers a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Although known locally, it was unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham.

6. The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 8,851.8 kilometers (5,500 miles) from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the sections are now in ruins or have disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.

7. Iceland

Fire and Ice offers a stunning portrait of this island of extremes, where some of Europe’s biggest glaciers cozy up to some of the continent’s hottest volcanic springs. [8] Every season has its own unique charm and there are always opportunities to experience new things, discover beauty and be mesmerized by the freshness and colors of nature.

8. Bora Bora Island

Bora Bora emerged from the waters 3 millions years ago. Like all the other Polynesian islands, this volcanic island slowly sinking in the ocean. It currently presents particular geological characteristics ranging in between a high island and an atoll status. Island has unforgettable turquoise lagoon – where a multi-color aquatic fauna (sting & manta rays, sharks, tropical fishes) can be observed by outrigger canoe, boat or diving explorations. The coral reef includes a string of islets and gorgeous white sand beaches surrounding the main island.

9. The Wave, Arizona, USA

The Wave is a sandstone rock formation located in the United States of America near the Arizona and Utah border on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes, in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, on the Colorado Plateau. Nearly 200 million years ago, this region was a sandy desert where huge dunes migrated across the landscape pushed by seasonal winds. Prevailing winds of that ancient Jurassic time can be determined by examining the cross-bedding (layers) in the sandstone. What we see today are some of the original crossbedded dunes shaped into dramatic landforms and exposed by erosion from eons of runoff. The spectacular ribbons of various colors called Liesegang Bands, were formed by movement and precipitation of oxidizing materials such as iron and manganese by ground water. Thin veins or fins of calcite cut across the sandstone, adding another dimension to the landscape.

10. Petra, Jordan

Petra, the world wonder, is without a doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.

11. The Cave of Crystals, Naica Mine, Mexico

The Naica Mine of the Mexican state of Chihuahua is a working mine that is best known for its extraordinary selenite crystals. The Cave of Crystals (Cueva de los Cristales) is a cave approximately 1,000 feet (300 m) below the surface in the limestone host rock of the mine. The chamber contains giant selenite crystals, some of the largest natural crystals ever found.T he selenite crystals were formed by hydrothermal fluids emanating from the magma chambers below.

12. Moraine Lake, Canada

Moraine Lake is a glacially-fed lake in Banff National Park, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) outside the Village of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. The lake does not reach its crest until mid to late June. When it is full, it reflects a distinct shade of blue. The color is due to the refraction of light off the rock flour deposited in the lake on a continual basis.

13. Grand Canyon, USA

The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. A powerful and inspiring landscape, the Grand Canyon overwhelms our senses through its immense size; 277 river miles (446km) long, up to 18 miles (29km) wide, and a mile (1.6km) deep. Nearly two billion years of the Earth’s geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted.

14. Berry Head Arch, Canada

This magnificent sea arch is located on the Spurwink Trail, along the East Coast Trail. To get to the arch, find the East Coast Trail trailhead at Port Kirwan. From here, it is about a 4.75-mile one way hike to the arch. The hike is moderate but extreme caution is required at points where the trail skirts the edge of some rather high cliffs.

15. Monument Valley, USA

Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. Monument Valley provides perhaps the most enduring and definitive images of the American West. The isolated red mesas and buttes surrounded by empty, sandy desert have been filmed and photographed countless times over the years for movies, adverts and holiday brochures. Because of this, the area may seem quite familiar, even on a first visit, but it is soon evident that the natural colors really are as bright and deep as those in all the pictures. The valley is not a valley in the conventional sense, but rather a wide flat, sometimes desolate landscape, interrupted by the crumbling formations rising hundreds of feet into the air, the last remnants of the sandstone layers that once covered the entire region.

16. Plitvice, Croatia

The stunning Plitvice Lakes National Park lies in the Lika region of Croatia. The park is surrounded by the mountains Plješevica, Mala Kapela, and Medveđak, which are part of the Dinaric Alps. The 16 blue-green Plitvice Lakes, which are separated by natural dams of travertine, are situated on the Plitvice plateau. The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colors, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colors change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.

17. Preikestolen, Norway

Preikestolen or Prekestolen, also known by the English translations of Preacher’s Pulpit or Pulpit Rock, and by the old local name Hyvlatonnå (“the carpenter-plane’s blade”), is a massive cliff 604 meters (1982 feet) above Lysefjorden, opposite the Kjerag plateau, in Forsand, Ryfylke, Norway. The top of the cliff is approximately 25 by 25 meters (82 by 82 feet) square, almost flat, and is a famous tourist attraction in Norway.

18. Pamukkale, Turkey

Pamukkale, meaning “cotton castle” in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. [24] It is Turkey’s foremost mineral-bath spa because of its natural beauty: hot calcium-laden waters spring from the earth and cascade over a cliff. As they cool they form dramatic travertines of hard, brilliantly white calcium that form pools.

19. Socotra Island, Yemen

Socotra is one of the most isolated landforms on Earth of continental origin. Socotra is considered the jewel of biodiversity in the Arabian Sea. The long geological isolation of the Socotra archipelago and its fierce heat and drought have combined to create a unique and spectacular flora. Botanical field surveys led by the Centre for Middle Eastern Plants indicate that 307 out of the 825 (37%) plant species on Socotra are endemic, i.e., they are found nowhere else on Earth.

20. Carerra Lake

Shared by Argentina and Chile the deepest lake in South America is famous for its trout and salmon fishing. The waters of General Carrera Lake are beautiful, a glittering combination of emerald, turquoise, aquamarine and azure. The marble protrusions stretch along a beach side and are around 300 meters in length. The waters of the lake have slowly impacted upon the marble and, in their infinite patience, have created something of enormous, almost bewildering beauty. The rock manifests different tones which are dependent upon the natural impurities within the marble. Although the white banks, of immense purity are predominant blue and pink marble banks can also be seen due to the presence of other minerals within the rock.

Which ones will you put on your vision board? :)