The Clock Is Ticking

Waiting for a promotion? The perfect mate? Win the lottery? A new job or a career? The perfect vacation? Need I go on? Millions of people are just waiting - waiting for their life, career, business, relationship, job or health to get better or change in some way. I am not against patience, effort, planning, hoping etc. but let me ask you - are you doing all those things but still waiting for something, anything to change, improve, disappear, that will improve some aspect of your life?

Let me repeat - millions of people - spend, no - waste - days, months and even years for just the right time to - get married or divorced, retire or start a new career, travel or start a new hobby etc. and why - because they believe that hoping is often enough. Again, I am a big fan of hope but I am also a fan of reality and reality often conflicts with our plans, goals, dreams and wishes. Did this stuff not happen because God doesn't care, your parents let you down, your spouse is an idiot, your boss is insensitive, the weather isn't cooperating - give me a break.

Many people today feel as though they are not on the right road to success or happiness cause:

-it is taking too long

-the journey is too difficult

-there are too many curves, detours, unknowns or bumps in the road

-there is no one on their path willing to help them

Or,

Who is to say which is the right road?

Who can know the future?

Who has the right to dictate outcomes to others in their life?

Who can know the future long term benefits/challenges of present circumstances, choices or opportunities?

I have met hundreds of people in my world travels who:

-were going to begin something when the time or circumstances are right

-were going to stop/end something for the same reasons

-were going to start saving some day.

-some day are going to start their own business

-are going to write a book some day

-are going to change careers or jobs - whenever

-and a million other examples of - I am going to ______________ some day.

Do you know anyone like that? Am I describing you?

Why don't people start or begin something, anything?

-Are they are afraid to fail.

-Are they afraid of what other people might or will think.

-Do they lack confidence, belief in themselves or the will to begin.

-Are they are full of excuses.

-Are they are just trying to impress people with their statements of desire.

-Do they want -whatever - to be perfect, right or acceptable.

-Are they are unwilling to get out of their comfort zones.

-Do they think just by wanting it they will somehow miraculously get it - someday.

-Are they are hopeless dreamers. Nothing wrong with dreams, but you have to begin to make them a reality.

-Can you add any to this list?

One of my favorite questions to ask members of an audience is, "If you knew then, what you know now, would you have lived any area of your life differently?" And the two follow-up questions are always more difficult for many people - if so, "Why?" and "How?" and "When?"

You see, if you knew then what you know now, you wouldn't be where you are now. You wouldn't have what you now have and you wouldn't be with whom you are with now. Not that any of these things are good or bad (they could be either if you choose to see them that way). There is a metaphysical concept that says: each of us is where we are supposed to be - and that we have experienced what we needed to experience to grow and learn. I haven't lost it or gone off the deep end.

Why do people wait? It's called procrastination and it is a thief of time. It steals from the value and essence of your personal life and career. Why do people put things off? We could write a book on this, but I'll give it a try in 25 words or less.

They: fear the future, overestimate their ability to get things done, don't know what to do or how to do it, thrive on pressure, set themselves up for failure, love disappointment, like being a victim, have too much on their plate, fail to set clear priorities, or have poor time management or organizational skills.

What is the cost of procrastination?

1. Missed opportunities.

2. Increased stress.

3. Broken relationships.

4. Failure.

5. Increased anxiety and frustration.

6. The lack of respect of others.

That's enough, don't you think?

So, I'll wager that the clock is ticking for you in some area of your life!

What are you waiting for?

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Clock-Is-Ticking&id=9693147

How to Break Through Regrets in Life

Regrets are all too common. Doesn't it seem like they are just a part of life? Like we will always look back on our lives and regret how we lived it, and if we live a life without regrets we're somehow cheating the system?

I was reading an article on Business Insider on the most common regrets in life and I have to say, that was depressing. I had the feeling that the people who weighed in couldn't get past all of the things they had done wrong and there seemed to be a lack of appreciation for their lives.

It's one thing to say, "I wish I had traveled years ago, but I'm so glad I started when I did." But it's completely another to talk about what we missed out on by not traveling sooner or how traveling would have provided something we think we're missing.

There is a simple fact here and one I try to remember whenever I'm looking back on the past: we can't go back and change the past.

Isn't it silly to allow ourselves to miss out on life while we regret the past? If we're not careful, it can become a never-ending cycle. We keep looking back on our past, regretting the chances we didn't take or the mistakes we made all while doing the same thing in our current lives. When do we start living for today (or our future) and not our past?

The thing is, the way we lived our past created who we are today. That isn't something to take lightly. Our experiences give us an opportunity to learn and grow. Don't miss out on that opportunity by living with regrets. It's okay to say you wished you had done something differently, but work on replacing that with a blessing. What is the positive thing that can come from it? I know it's there somewhere, you just have to look for it.

A lot of people say, "I didn't have a choice." But that's not true. Whether we like it or not, we do have a choice. We don't have to stick with a job that doesn't pay. We don't have to stick with a job we can't stand. We don't have to stick with a job that doesn't give us the kind of lifestyle we want. If the job keeps us away from our family for months at a time and we don't like it, unless we signed a binding contract, we can quit today. If the job doesn't pay well enough for our family's needs, we can start searching for a new job today.

We can choose which things we keep as priorities. If we want to save money, we can choose to cancel cable TV or Netflix. We can choose not to buy that expensive vehicle on the sales lot. We can choose to buy a house that is well below our means rather than overextending ourselves financially. We can choose to relocate if the real estate market in our area has grown beyond a reasonable level. We don't have to rent an apartment for $1,500 a month. We have the choice to move to a less expensive area or state. We always have a choice.

Sadly, it's too easy to believe the lies that we are stuck where we are. Sometimes we need to stay where we are so we can learn the lessons that God has planned for us, but when we focus on those lessons and actually learn from them, He opens new doors. When we learn, we have a chance to grow.

What effect do regrets have on our future? What damage does it do to our beliefs?

Having regrets makes it hard to embrace the life we have right now. It keeps us dwelling on what could have been. If only I had stayed at that job. If only I had bought that house. If only I had avoided that mistake. If only I had said the right thing. If only I had gone after that degree.

Focusing on the shoulda, coulda, wouldas keeps us from enjoying all of the great things that are happening in our lives right now. It keeps us frustrated, irritated, or uninspired. But when we take responsibility for our actions and appreciate the things that we do have, we allow ourselves to experience joy and peace.

How much we enjoy life depends greatly on how we view it and how we see our level of responsibility. It is up to us, and we always have a choice. The choice may not be easy or what we expect, and it may require us to have a strategy (or faith!) and stick with our current situation until the time is right, but we do have a choice. Don't live a life full of regrets. Let go of the past and live for today.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Break-Through-Regrets-in-Life&id=9410375

Spring Cleaning: For Your Head, Not Just Your Home

Spring is here! That means cleaning our homes - but what about our heads?

We clean, organize and beautify our homes; yet we clutter our heads - our most intimate space - with the emotional equivalents of trash, dust and junk. We hold onto anger, resentment and frustration. Why do we make more effort to clean our physical spaces than our heads?

Cleaning our heads starts with understanding how we relate to the world through our relationships with ourselves, with others and with what we do. In terms of ourselves, we listen to our inner chatter more than anything else. It is the voice that drives our decisions, draws our conclusions and makes us believe nonsense: I am not good enough. I am not attractive. I am not smart. Nobody wants me...

There is not much difference between how we relate to ourselves and how we relate to others. We make decisions about them too. Our inner voice finds evidence to condemn them. They are inconsiderate, unreliable, uncaring, uncommitted...

You probably think that's not you - that you always try to find the good in people. But be honest - you must own your darkness as well as your light. You cannot love anyone unless you love yourself, and you cannot love yourself unless you own your humanity wholly - the good, the bad and the ugly.

If we are brave enough to look, we will see all the relationships we have abandoned, the dysfunctional family relationships, the jobs we have left or lost because we couldn't get along with others.

Now let's look at what we think about what we do - about our jobs: Hard. Unfulfilling. We feel unappreciated and misunderstood...

Now consider your relationship to the world itself, to the world we have created. It's a world we've been trying to change for a long time, but that so far has left us unhappy.

We see that world as a place that is unsafe and intimidating, where we're trying to make it, trying to not get hurt; where we're resigned, where there's no possibility...

When we really dig into the inner chatter that consumes our minds, don't you think it's time to pick up a broom and get to work?

You might think, where should I start? It's too hard. It will take a long time. You might be right, but consider your options: Do what you have always done, or choose a new way of being and make a difference in your life, the lives of others and, ultimately, in your experience of life itself.

Neither choice is good or bad, right or wrong. But each will have drastically different consequences.

Change takes time, determination and practice. You already have years of practice becoming who you have become. So it will take practice to master who you want to become next.

What kind of experiences do you want in life? Would you rather merely not fail, or do you strive to succeed? Would you rather settle for just okay, or do you want to go for great? The difference will live in the cleaning you decide to do... or not!

If you are resigned and think you can't get rid of that clutter, think again. Try this approach:

1. Acknowledge that you have dis-empowered yourself and others and that you have been a complainer.

2. Determine the benefit of holding onto those complaints.

3. Contemplate the excuses you use for not letting go of those complaints.

4. Clean up by forgiving yourself, contacting others and "cleaning" with them, and make up your mind about how you will live your life.

When you compare the benefits of letting go of your complaints with the cost, it's obvious that you are holding onto something insignificant, and that you're wasting precious life over it.

You can let sunlight stream through your windows, create surfaces that sparkle and breathe air deeply that is fresh and clean. It's possible if you pick up a broom and tackle the clutter in your head.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Spring-Cleaning:-For-Your-Head,-Not-Just-Your-Home&id=9541255

Best Ways To Start If You Have A General Idea

Everyone learns as they go and some at different rates. Getting too perfect before start-up, fuels problems. This is generally a common dilemma and if care is not taken, it can hold you down to the point that you will never do anything. The task ahead is enormous to perfect before you initiate your ideas. There are many grey areas that stop many people in their tracks. Anxiety is one of them. You might worry about all the things that might go wrong. When ideas are rolling in your head, the problem is you want to be prepared for everything before it happens. Reading tons and tons of information makes you feel confused and lost. Listening to everyone makes the matter worse. It is easy to get depressed when you don't get results. Negative feelings and thoughts can continually lead you astray. Basically, you are on your own but you can steer yourself in the direction you choose. You know what you know and you are the one who must decide where to go and when to start.

In essence, getting started is an important thing to do. The rest is theory until you make it happen. Broadly speaking, when you prepare your mind and begin to do stuffs, all the pieces come together. You will do some bits and pieces that work and some that doesn't. It does not matter because it is part of the learning curve. Learning effectively depends on doing.

Take these steps - you need it to get going

• Release your fear and proceed with clarity, focus and direction
• Just bite the bullet and choose something
• Do stuffs that you can do but do it in chunks so you can get around each task. When it is small enough, you will achieve it in a reasonable time scale..
• After reading for a few months, you have more than enough information to start your journey, make some trials and errors.
• Get yourself in a situation where problems arise and you need to find solutions to overcome it. It is the better way to learn and overcome real problems in real life situations.
• Do not be afraid of failure and mistakes, overcoming them will push you to learn new stuffs that are required. If you keep at it for a long time, the sky is the limit.
• Start with your passion and research to see if it is profitable.

However, if you discover your ideas are not profitable then, you may need to look to different idea. From all my experience, those without passion find it difficult to slick through tough times.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Best-Ways-To-Start-If-You-Have-A-General-Idea&id=9984094

Better Quality of Life: How Having a Positive Attitude Can Help You Achieve It

Usually, the term "quality of life" is used for people who are hurdling towards the finish line of this race we call life. So why am I using it now? Well, ask yourself how much time you have left. You can probably estimate how many years until you reach old age, but, in reality, there is no guarantee you will actually reach it.

Next, I want you to think back to your earliest memory. How long ago was that? I'm not asking for the number of years, I'm asking how far back does it feel? Has your life up until now passed in the blink of an eye or does it feel like an eternity?

My point is, no-one knows how much time they have left, so the term "quality of life" should be used for us all. Moreover, if it affects everyone, everyone should know - or at least want to know - how to improve it. One way to do that, is with a positive attitude. Here's why.

You have control

A lot of the time, people blame the negative events in their life for their reduced quality of life. They have a victim mentality, giving away their control. Sure, bad things that are out of your control may happen from time to time, but it's not these events that dictate your life, it's how you react to them. With a little bit of training, you will be able to control such reactions. However, control isn't all you need, the ability to make the right choice in reactions is just as important.

If you have a negative attitude and think that the whole world is against you, you are more likely to make a bad decision. The opposite happens when you have a positive attitude.

Your perceptions change

Our perceptions are based on our beliefs, which, in-turn, come from our experiences. Ironically, our experiences are based on our perceptions. It goes round and round and round. Hence, people who think bad things are always happening to them, always have bad things happen to them. Luckily, there is a way to alter this pattern. Your attitude.

By applying a positive attitude to focus on the good things in life, the bad things slowly lose their significance. In this way, a bad event may result in a few good things learned. Those few good things reduce the scale of the bad event, which leads to perceived decrease in the effects of the event. Your perception changes, so your experience changes, then your belief changes, creating a better perception for the next event.

Positive Attitude = Positive Quality of Life

Before long, your perception of life will be positive. You will naturally focus on the positive aspects of any events that occur in your life. The ratio of good to bad things that happen to you will increase, therefore, creating the belief that your life is mostly positive. And a positive life is a good quality life.

Learning to have a positive attitude can be hard though. Especially if you are already set in your ways about life giving you lemons. One thing I found that helped me a lot was learning about the power of thoughts.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Better-Quality-of-Life:-How-Having-a-Positive-Attitude-Can-Help-You-Achieve-It&id=9845308

What's More Important: Strategy or Intention?

"However beautiful your strategy, you should occasionally look at the results." - Winston Churchill

Strategy is a means to an end. However, a strategy without a clear vision for what the end game is can lead you to an endless path of doing things that give you no satisfaction. That would be like running in a race without ever knowing where the finish line is. It would be impossible to know if you were running at the correct pace. In your mind, you may think you are winning because you are running at a great pace for the 100-meter dash, except the race is 1 mile. Most likely, your strategy will not take you the distance.

To most, this may sound like common sense. Yet, everyday people take actions without knowing the final outcome they are seeking. As a rule, people ignore the importance of asking themselves what they and others involved want from a situation. People are eternally hopeful that chemistry will magically make it happen; the belief everyone should know.

So let's get this straight. Strategy is a process for achieving the final result. If you do not look up to see where your strategy has gotten you, you may find yourself in a place of unhappiness. Even Charlie Sheen would know that's not "winning."

Get clear about the final outcome you are seeking first. Do so without imposing all the reasons it can't happen. If the outcome you envision is a step to get you somewhere else, you still need to take steps to know the end game. Once you are clear about what you want, your strategy could change dramatically. Even if it doesn't change, still look up to see where you are.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Whats-More-Important:-Strategy-or-Intention?&id=9894268

Message From the Universe: The Origin of Your Thought Process

"Doesn't it happen like that? I mean, isn't your entire life proof?

One day you're scrimping, the next you're in the money.

One day you're lonely, the next you have friends.

Lost, then found. Ill, then well. Low, then high.

Yet with hindsight, it becomes ever so clear that the only thing that ever really changed was your thinking. Even though you were free to think as you pleased the entire time.

History need not repeat itself,

The Universe"

So what came first, the Chicken or the Egg? The negative thinking or the result thereof? Your thoughts are a predominant factor to what will happen to you in the near future, so even though we all know that life is like a roller-coaster, your thoughts do not need to be. No one has any control about how life will come at you, or the challenges you will need to face on a daily basis. No one can control if you will be ill or well, or if you will be rich or poor, regardless on how much you work hard. Life is not racist, nor religiously based. It will hit you whenever it feels like it. Most people will just say: "well, if I am predestined to get sick or be poor, why bother?". This is exactly when YOU should bother and prove that life will not bring you down. You need to really fight for what you believe in. Life is an entity in itself, and it will come and prey on the weak souls. Will you let it prey on you? Show life what you are made of and fight back until your last breath, because if you don't fight hard enough, it might just be. No one really knows what to expect when it comes to your life or anything else that might happen if you don't keep your thoughts under control. More you focus on the bad, more bad will come. The opposite is also true. However, how can you ask someone who is experiencing hell in their lives to think positively? How can that be feasible? My only guess is that you will be feeling lots of pain after getting heavily slapped by that person. No one wants to hear your preaching when they feel hopeless and why life is so vindictive against them. They all ask: "What have I done to deserve all this crap?"

The truth of the matter is that you haven't really done anything to deserve this kind of outcome, but the issue here is not what have you DONE, it's mostly what have you been THINKING. A combination of many negative thoughts coming in regularly can cause your demise. Let's put it this way. If you act upon something in a physical way, the results of your actions are tangible, visible and perceivable. However, your thoughts couldn't be seen or touched, they can ONLY be remembered, if you do recall them. The thoughts you have today will NOT be remembered in a month from now, as their outcome is not YET existent. Nothing really happened to you for your thoughts to be the cause of your existing misfortune. You are not experiencing any issues at this moment for you to recall these negative thoughts. The process (of thinking negatively) keep repeating itself as you don't think that your thoughts have anything to do with what you are dealing with. As time progress, you lose sight to your thinking and totally forget the content of your thoughts. You do not recall that your conscious mind is directly related to the experiences and challenges you are facing today. In retrospect, you are accusing others to being the cause of your misfortune. Sorry to be busting your chops here, but guess what? YOU ARE THE CAUSE. Starting changing your mind so all outcomes will become controllable by you ONLY. You need to change your inner thinking before understanding what can come next.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Message-From-the-Universe:-The-Origin-of-Your-Thought-Process&id=9574732

Shift Into Divine Alignment

Being in divine alignment feels so good because it allows us to freely be who we were meant to be. We don't have to pretend or be inauthentic because of the expectations of others. And we can't worry about who accepts us and who doesn't. Do you want to know something? Not everyone will and that's more than okay! Their acceptance of us can't block our blessings or our path to success. Those things have already been established. But when you worry about the opinions of others, and scale back on your big dreams because of their small mindset, that can hinder you.

Focus on who you were created to be and the change you were born to bring into the world, and the gifts you are meant to share. When you focus on those things the opinions don't matter. Because you don't have the time or energy to invest in that negative nonsense.

So don't hide your gifts and don't be afraid, show up in the world in a big way. You never know what God has on the other side of your leap of faith. Believe in yourself even if nobody else believes in you. You can't control how others feel about you but you can control how you feel about yourself.

Life is too short to live it in the box that others try to put us in. We were made for more and we deserve more. We deserve the amazing and phenomenal life that have been divinely designed for us. So go for it!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Shift-Into-Divine-Alignment&id=10011581

Realizing Your Dreams With The Power of Intention

It's time to change the way we think and speak about our dreams. Transforming a conversation, just like manifesting a dream, begins by setting an intention. Your intentions will assist you in taking greater control of your life.

A working definition for intention is: "to have in mind a purpose or plan, to direct the mind, to aim". Lacking intention, we sometimes stray without meaning or direction. But with it, all the forces of the universe can align to make even the most impossible, possible. My intention is to transform the conversation around dreams from fear and doubt, to hope and possibility, followed by action and results.

Some might say this is not the right time to dream. But it's always a good time to dream and believe and want better for your life. Without our dreams, all we have is our present reality. While our present reality is what's in front of us, the greater challenge is our attitude around "reality" and being "realistic" and what being realistic has cost us. Often that's our passion and joy, our hopes and dreams.

Setting intention allows us to be in the moment of reality by making a conscious choice to shift thinking to what we want. Given the unknowns and sometimes craziness of life, there's never been a more important time to dream and setting your intention is the first step. When should you set an intention? You could set an intention every day. Your intention could be to work less and make more, or to find a new career that you are passionate about. It could be to get healthy and physically fit, or to spend more quality time with loved ones or alone.

How to set your intentions? It does not have to be hard. At oneword365.com, individuals set their intentions by focusing on a single word. Others use journals to capture ideas and write action plans for their goals. My son purchases a desk calendar each year to add his weekly goals for propelling his comedic acting career. Many of my friends use walking apps or their watch to reach daily fitness goals. Others partner with people, like friends or coaches, to encourage and hold themselves accountable for their goals. There is no one way to set and manage your intentions. The best advice I can offer - besides setting your intention - is to do what works best for your lifestyle and personality, and then ACT!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Realizing-Your-Dreams-With-The-Power-of-Intention&id=9870424

Deliberate Practice: Your Key to Mastery

Deliberate practice is a skill that allows you to make the most of your time. It's a path to mastery that we all can follow.

And yet, it may come as news to many... as it did for Performance Psychologist Noa Kageyama, Ph.D., who's written an excellent essay titled "The Most Valuable Lesson I Learned from Playing the Violin." He shares his experience as an aspiring violinist and his interest in learning how much he needed to practice in order to become a master of his craft.

You've all heard the expression "Practice makes perfect." There is truth to this, as repetition trains the body and mind, transforming the new and unfamiliar into something known - something you can do in your sleep. But do you really want to be doing things in your sleep? Is rote repetition truly the way to go?

Here's what Dr. Kageyama learned as he searched for the answer to his guilt-provoking childhood question, "Am I practicing enough?"...

I scoured books and interviews with great artists, looking for a consensus on practice time that would ease my conscience. I read an interview with Rubinstein, in which he stated that nobody should have to practice more than four hours a day. He explained that if you needed that much time, you probably weren't doing it right.
And then there was violinist Nathan Milstein who once asked his teacher Leopold Auer how many hours a day he should be practicing. Auer responded by saying "Practice with your fingers and you need all day. Practice with your mind and you will do as much in 1 1/2 hours."

Deliberate Practice: It's About Focus... But More 

In order to engage in deliberate practice and move toward mastery, finding focus is vital. But I would argue that it takes something more.

It takes a quality of attention that brings your presence as fully and completely as possible to your practice. This quality I would call Mindfulness.

Deliberate, mindful practice is efficient and effective. The irony is, however, that in order to do it, you need to even put the benefits out of your mind and simply bring yourself fully into the moment. Whatever is a barrier - worries, resistance, distractions, even goals - is set aside and you are simply present to what you are doing.

This is mindful and deliberate practice, and you reap powerful rewards when you engage in it.

Mindless practice is the opposite and has the opposite effect, eating up lots of your time and fielding few benefits (and sometimes even leaving you worse off). When you engage in any activity mindlessly you are that much more likely to make mistakes; and when you are repeating those mistakes in mindless practice, you are developing unhelpful habits.

So, if you are looking to learn a skill, how do you go about it?

I highly recommend mindful, deliberate practice as a powerful path to finding time and finding mastery.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Deliberate-Practice:-Your-Key-to-Mastery&id=9936502

How To Use Visualization To Help Others

There is a lot written on the power of the Law of Attraction and the method of visualization to bring forth a better life. It's a great tool for those who believe in it and who use it to improve themselves. But, is it possible to use the same techniques to help others?

If you are a proponent of the Law of Attraction, then you already know that you can take command of your own destiny by declaring your will to the universe. Wherever focus goes, energy flows. Since we are all part of that universe, and we are interconnected via a cosmic channel of sorts, then we should by extension be able to help others.

If you are skilled at using visualization and know specific techniques that you normally apply, then you have the ability to help others.

If someone is having difficulty finding work, why not visualize how you see them in a new job or career? Famous successful people like Will Smith, Jim Carrey and Conor Mcgregor have all mentioned their practice of visualization.

Of course, this begs the question of whether it's possible to use negativity to purposely hurt someone with the Law of Attraction. If you are capable of helping people who you feel deserve it, why not heap a bunch of bad luck on people whom you dislike?

The trouble is that same negative energy will be used to bring about bad situations for you as well. While it may work to bring down your enemies, so to speak, because it is being used in a negative way, the results will not be done well for you. Think about the phrase two wrongs don't make a right.

Here's some food for thought. Why not use your powers for good?

In other words, if there is someone who you are not fond of, why not visualize something wonderful to happen to them? It may even be the factor that turns them around. You never know what people are going through. Your positive visualization can break them from a problem they may be experiencing that is causing their normal and undesired behavior.

Another way to help people with using the Law of Attraction and visualization is to teach them how to do it for themselves. This way, if they run into some kind of trouble in the future, they can help themselves and not have to rely on you. Also, let them know that it can be used to help others. It is paying it forward at its finest.

When you create enough ripple effect in the world, great things are going to come back to you in unexpected ways.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Use-Visualization-To-Help-Others&id=9558989

The Will To Succeed Is Important, But What's More Important Is The Will To Prepare

Your intense desire to succeed cause you to change the status quo. It helps you start and motivates you to endure in the face of obstacles. it's what permits one to beat overwhelming odds. Once you create that burning obsession, you'll do whatever it takes to realize that goal. You'll invest all of your time, energy and self into attaining what you want.

The number one reason why people are stuck and unable to progress is due to fear for failure and not wishing one thing badly enough. Once you wish to succeed as unhealthy as you wish to breathe, then you'll achieve success. Knowing the explanation behind your desire is that the key to understanding however way you'll go.

You heard people achieving bigger success after going through a lot of odds. These people walked aloof from their trials and tribulations understanding what they truly desired because they knew their purpose.

When the going gets rough, the sole factor that keeps you going is your will to succeed. Sometimes people end up quitting the instant they encounter resistance. Conversely, you'll be ready to overcome any obstacle if your desire is strong enough to beat all odds.

When it involves being eminent, success mostly comes right down to fixing time and energy in order that once a chance arises, you are able to give your best. Having the will to organize is as vital as the will to win.If you wish to seek out success, target developing the need for preparation. simply do not let preparation overtake you.

In fact, there's no such issue as failure, there is solely feedback and the feedback we get ultimately verify however prosperous we'll be. When we fail we've got 3 options: opt to quit, that is that the solely real failure; opt to ignore the feedback and check out once more; or we will learn from our failure, adapt our approach, and check out once more.

Every major success is built on a solid bedrock of previous failures. You utilize failure as a stepping stone. Shut the door on the past. It doesn't mean that you attempt to forget the mistakes, however, it means that you do not linger over it. You do not let it drain your energy, or weaken your resolve.

Only those who dare to fail greatly will reap success. If you are not ready to fail, you will ne'er come back up with something.Our greatest glory is, not in ne'er falling, but in rising anytime we tend to fall. A man should be sufficiently big to admit his mistakes, sensible enough to cash in on them, and powerful enough to correct them.

When you take risks, you learn that there'll be times after you succeed, and there'll be times after you fail, and each learning experience is equally vital. It's failure that offers you the correct perspective on success. It's fine to celebrate success however it's necessary to learn from failure. In fact, the most important risk isn't taking any risk. at all. As a matter of fact, the only factor that's bound to fail isn't taking risks.

The more you fail and recover and improve, the higher you become as an individual. The best mistake you'll be able to create in life is the fear you'll create one. Success is staggering from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm. A part of being a person is learning to require responsibility for your successes and for your failures. Do not blame others or be jealous of others accomplishment. Seeing someone else's success as your failure could be a cancerous way to live.

Failure ought to be our teacher, not our funeral director. However our will to succeed should be as important as our will to prepare for committing mistakes along the road to success. Failure are a few things we will avoid solely by nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing. We just have to accept that we cannot always make the right decisions in life.

Acceptance is the key. We need to accept our limitations. We don't always make the right choices but we need to understand that failure is not the opposite of success, rather, it's part of success.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Will-To-Succeed-Is-Important,-But-Whats-More-Important-Is-The-Will-To-Prepare&id=9989155

The Secret to Successful Goal Setting

Stop! Check this out before you make any more goals!

Don't be like everyone else; most people make their goals incorrectly. You know, like the guy down the street with the brand new jogging shoes and suit. You want to bet he doesn't make it from January to March?

The one goal that many people make is to get into shape. (A friend of mine told me, I'm always in shape, sometimes apple shaped, and sometimes pear shaped) Now be honest. How many years have you made that resolution?

With goals in hand, it's off to the gym we go!

You know it's one of those moments where you feel like you've been here before. It's time to clear the mind and hit the weights. You have a lot of toning-up to do so you walk over to the weights. And start your journey to body perfection. And by mid January you're so sore and tired you're ready to give up.

It's really bad when you start looking for excuses not to go to the gym. But hang on; a good excuse will be coming just around the corner! It doesn't matter what it is, like the man said "any old excuse will do." So yours comes and you stop going to the gym.

There's a better way than quitting!

The secret to success is not to set those big goals.

I know... everyone... and I mean everyone will tell you to write down your goals, that one big goal so you can keep it in front of you. You know the drill, put it on the refrigerator, bathroom mirror, beside you bed so it's the first and last thing you see every day.

Tell me the truth. Do you really look at those big goals once you start falling behind? After a few weeks of getting further behind don't you just avoid them like the strange people that live next door?

Are you ready for a better way?

You are!

Great!

Set small, achievable goals!

Don't do like they tell you; set a goal something like "I will lose 40 pounds in three months."

The problem here my friend is when you miss the mark on the goal, you get discouraged and quit. And this is not good. If you aren't careful you will create a habit of quitting. And a habit that is let go for too long is hard to break.

For a goal to be achievable it has to become part of your routine. And to be part of your routine, you must rewire your brain.

So we set small goals, get some victories and start reprogramming the mind.

Start with something like "I will exercise for 10 minutes three days a week."

After you get your brain reprogrammed to the exercise routine, then you make incremental increases to your workout set.

You will add one more rep to a work set, or another exercise routine. A simple progression with proper performance of the exercise and persistence wins in the long run.

Then one day you will look back and be amazed at where you came from... and you will know where you're going.

Just to condense it, start small, then do incremental increases to your workout set that you properly do, and be persistent. Don't give up.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Secret-to-Successful-Goal-Setting&id=9638406

Spirit Inspired Messages - Please, Speak (By Carolyn Molnar)

Imagine this: An old friend or a loved one you haven't heard from in years has stopped by to visit. This person has come from far away, and spent lots of effort to travel and contact you. They appear at your front door and knock loudly, wait patiently, but get no answer. Where are you? They can see lights on in your house, and just knows you're home. Why won't you answer? Frustrated and a little disappointed, your special visitor eventually leaves - with the hope that later, you'll recognize that they've been here. Sound familiar? This is what spirit experiences when it cannot connect with someone on the Earth plane.

It happens occasionally when I'm working at public message events. I describe a spirit person who touches in with me, but no one in the audience claims that spirit. It's sad, because they work so hard to come through, and want so much to connect with you.

That occurred at a recent Spirit Inspired Messages event that was being taped by Slither Productions in Peterborough, ON, for a TV pilot. Three television cameras were trained on my face as I gazed out over the crowd. Beyond the cameras and the lights, about 100 pairs of eyes stared at me, and the silence was so heavy, you couldn't lift it off the floor. I had just given a name that spirit had whispered in my ear - Jim McPherson - and no one in the audience raised a hand to identify him. I repeated the name, and gazed hesitantly over the group.

A moment later, I tasted Listerine - the old fashioned kind that was yellow. With my third eye, I saw a set of perfect teeth and a pair of size 12 black shoes that were polished to a glistening sheen.

"Can anyone take this gentleman?" I asked, after repeating the information.

Silence answered me. Spirit gave me a few more details - he had been a successful businessman, and enjoyed Big Band music. No one spoke up. I felt bad that no one recognized him. His spirit presence was so strong, I just knew he had an important message for someone in the crowd.

Seconds ticked by that felt like hours. In the corner of my eye, I caught the camera person giving me the signal to move on. I suddenly remembered this was TV, and a couple moments of empty air can seem like hours of nothing on the tube. So I mentally thanked the spirit for coming by, then blessed him and let him go.

And wouldn't you know it! After the taping ended, a woman approached me to identify the spirit that had gone unclaimed. The Listerine man was her friend's father, who had been well-known in the community. The woman had kept quiet because she was nervous about what Jim McPherson might say in public. Then she asked me if I could bring Jim back.

I tried linking with Jim's spirit, but he'd gone. "I'm sorry," I told her. She gave a regretful smile, then moved away. I had to wonder if Jim had been something more than a friend.

I feel bad whenever I can't place spirits, because they work so hard to connect with me. Each spirit that goes unclaimed is like a lost opportunity; they come because they have a message - maybe to make some kind of amend, or just to say "I love you." Imagine how you'd feel if you were looking forward to talking with someone you cared for, but had to go away because the door was locked - even though you knew someone was home.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Spirit-Inspired-Messages---Please,-Speak&id=9888922

Message From the Universe: It All Starts With You

                       

"It's not that some people in your life are mean-spirited, shortsighted, and ignorant; it's that they're grand, brilliant, and magnificent. Fellow adventurers who, at the peak of their glory, in worlds before this one, asked to dance with you in time and space, however briefly, so that they might learn a bit faster than otherwise.

And you know how you love healing.

In the presence of greatness,

The Universe"

You will encounter over 10 000 people in your lifetime, and sometimes more. You will come across evil individuals, jealous, vindictive, but also kind and generous and sweet people that will make you forget about the bad ones. No matter what it is, as long as you contribute positively to society and give your time to help others, you will definitely make a change. Unfortunately for us, the good people, many others will take advantage of others kindness to take advantage and benefit from it. Distance yourself from these people and be careful how you trust people. Never give more ammunition until you are 10000% sure you can trust that person. IF your personal details are in the hand of the wrong person, it can be detrimental to you if you stay on the defensive. It is important that you keep all your private information private, AT ALL TIMES. Be smart but stay kind.

The world is not the same as it used to be. With so much violence, riots, terrorism, human trafficking, murders, rapes and so much more, it feels like another Sodom and Gomorrah. just like the two cities in ancient history, and we all know what happened to these cities (Armageddon). Nevertheless, being who you are isn't dependent on others. You are your own person but it is obvious that you need to defend yourself at all cost when facing danger. It is a must to live your life the best possible way so you can feel accomplished. If you want to make changes in the world, you need to look from within. Pay it forward whenever you can and the rest will follow. When dealing with the wrong people, you will end up being cheated, being taken advantage and if you do pay that behavior forward, the next victim will feel like you felt and will do the same to others. This is how the cycle begins. It has to be broken somehow or it will never stop. All of the good can start with you. Make the difference and make that change that we all desperately are looking for.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Message-From-the-Universe:-It-All-Starts-With-You&id=9602811

Separating Failure From Success

What makes someone successful?

Many things help, there's no question. Seeing what other people don't. Being lucky. Having the courage to try things even when they're risky. Money. Connections. Specialised training and all the right certifications.

If you have all of these, you'll probably succeed. Then again, you might not. And if you have none of them? Well, you might just succeed anyway.

How do people do it? How does one person rise above the crowd? Is it really a matter of chance or some mysterious, undefinable X-factor?

Einstein didn't think so. He had a very clear idea on what allowed him to crack some of the greatest physics puzzles in history. And it certainly wasn't his intelligence.

It's resilience - the ability to stick with a problem. If you keep trying after everyone else gives up, you'll find the solution eventually. And when you do, people will call you a genius.

"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer." - Albert Einstein

I'm not saying anything new here. You already know the value of endurance. The athlete who can keep pushing a second longer will win the gold. A businessperson who can tolerate uncertainty a day longer will achieve miracles.

It's only failure when you quit. Everything else is a lesson.

How do you improve your resilience? You keep your body healthy, for a start. Light exercise and eating the right foods will fuel you and stave off illness. But your body is only half the picture. Resilience is as much a mental game.

Meditation is a great way to strengthen your mind. Metta meditation, also known as loving-kindness meditation, is so effective that just ten minutes a day can slash your stress levels. This is why everyone from soldiers to students to healthcare professionals turn to meditation. Many people from these high stress groups swear by it to keep themselves functioning.

For people who struggle with meditation, self-hypnosis is another option. It achieves a similar mental state to meditation, only some people find it easier and more effective. I recommend it - it's done wonders for my health. A paper published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice showed that it reduces stress hormones in the body in just a few weeks.

How do athletes stay focused, even under pressure? Sports psychologists like to encourage visualisations to improve performance, stop stress and even heal from injury.

Even just simple things, like staying optimistic and socialising improve everything from your mood to your immune system and healing rate. And they decrease your risk of getting sick or injured in the first place.

Want to learn how to use these techniques? The March edition of Awakened Thought focuses on resilience. This is just a taste of the techniques you can start today that will improve your resilience. You'll be happier and healthier if you do.

As a side effect, you'll succeed the way Einstein did - by sticking with his problems longer.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Separating-Failure-From-Success&id=9896605

This Is The Reason Why Many People Won't Be Successful, Despite Their Best Intentions

Having The Right Intentions To Succeed Is Not Enough

Occasionally an article comes along and ruffles your feathers. I've come across them many times and felt obliged to share my feelings.

However, when I regain my composure, I realise such articles force me to make adjustments to my life leading to positive change.

I trust this is one of those articles.

I don't intend to affront you, but to awaken you. Something tells me you were drawn to this article for a reason. Whether subtle or otherwise, let's share the journey together over the next five minutes and see where it leads.

Motivational speaker Brendon Burchard says: "A warrior's destiny is greater than his wounds."

If this article unsettles you, let me be the first to say, go with the resistance. Many people want to push against pain and miss out on the vital lessons that growth provides.

Why am I justified to deliver this advice?

I have studied human behaviour and success principles for over a decade while coaching thousands of corporate clients. In short, I appreciate the mindset required to perform at any level whether you're a CEO, a musician, an artist or weekend sporting enthusiast.

Many people's best intentions to succeed are not enough because good intentions do not align with progress. Many people hold the best intentions to exercise, to lose weight, to be committed to their marriage, yet fall short of achieving the results they deserve.

I'm not stating something new, because we are dealing with complex mental and emotional factors, not least of which are our beliefs and childhood conditioning.

Humans are complex beings. It is not new to you that what a person says and does, is different.

To highlight why many fail to attain success, consider the following account. There's a story of a successful entrepreneur running a weekend seminar with audience members paying $1,000 each to hear him talk about wealth creation. The auditorium is filled with close to twenty thousand people.

As he settles in to the talk, he puts forward the question: "Who wants to learn about wealth creation and investing?"

Naturally, everyone raises their hand. The next bit is interesting. He states, 10% of the people present will follow through on their intentions and become wealthy. Moreover, 90% of the audience will not follow the strategies laid out and should go home now.

He says, 10% of the audience who are dedicated to following the strategies know who they are and should fill the seats at the front left behind by those leaving.

Consider what runs through a person's mind who is told to leave a seminar, despite paying $1,000 to learn about wealth creation strategies?

While you may disagree with him, on some level he's right because the numbers don't lie.

Behavioural expert, John Assaraf tells a similar story. John is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker and entrepreneur who has amassed a fortune through various business ventures.

                          

He states, out of one hundred people who claim wanting to make $1 million dollars a year, three to four of them will succeed.

Here's his breakdown:

1. 20% of the 100 people will cite an excuse why they failed.

2. Of the remaining eighty people, 16% will pull out due to various reasons.

3. Of the 67 remaining, 32 people will give up within 6 months when obstacles appear.

4. Of the 35 remaining, 90% will give up since they did it their way, instead of the way taught.

Therefore, out of those 100 people, three to four will follow through and achieve financial success.

According to John, 3% of the population will: listen, learn, apply and make things happen.

I find it fascinating not because I endorse John Assaraf or his teachings. I could narrate a story about Tony Robbins or Brian Tracy for that matter. The statistics cited are compelling on why success remains elusive to many, even the intelligent amongst us.

Pursue Success With Determined Resolve

So, do you have what it takes to be successful, whether financially, career or otherwise?

How do you know?

Napoleon Hill writes in Think and Grow Rich: "Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to burn his ships and cut all sources of retreat. Only by so doing can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a BURNING DESIRE TO WIN, essential to success."

If you read no further than this point, allow me to impress upon you the main reason many people won't succeed despite their best intentions: they lack a burning desire.

Success requires a deep commitment and a compelling desire to succeed. You must want it more than air and water, not because of what it brings to your life but because of whom you become when you are successful.

Jeff Olson explains in The Slight Edge: "Every day, in every moment, you get to exercise choices that will determine whether or not you will become a great person, living a great life. Greatness is not something predetermined, predestined or carved into your fate by forces beyond your control. Greatness is always in the moment of the decision."

What use is success and wealth if your health suffers, your marriage or relationships are in ruins and your character is damaged? I'm certain at the time of writing this Harvey Weinstein and Co can attest to the damage their indiscretions have brought to their lives and others.

"One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat," states Napoleon Hill.

This is the primary reason many won't succeed because they allow their defeats to weaken their commitment to prevail instead of pursuing success with a determined resolve.

Defeat and failure suck.

Ask any entrepreneur or start-up founder. They are soul destroying and can break a person's character. Equally, so is giving up. Nevertheless, if you lack a powerful WHY, failure and setbacks are likely to annoy you until you concede defeat.

Simon Sinek explains in Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action: "Regardless of WHAT we do in our lives, our WHY-our driving purpose, cause or belief-never changes."

Moreover, it was Jim Rohn who said: "We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons."

We mustn't make success nor wealth our primary goal. These are by-products of pursuing excellence and aligning yourself with passion and purpose. If it were, billionaires like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates would hold on to their wealth instead of giving it away.

Sure, I get it, philanthropy is good marketing, but it is also aligned with the pinnacle of achievement where the individual gives back for the good fortune they gained.

Buffett was once quoted saying: "If you're in the luckiest one per cent of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99 per cent." Sadly, not all billionaires share his optimism.

Pursue Something Greater Than Your Capacity To Achieve It

Success accompanies you when you are armed with a strong strength of character, a resolute conviction, and a powerful mind. If you set out to pursue success alone to the detriment of other qualities, you may prosper, but it will come at a price. Many fail to heed this advice and lead sorrowful lives because all they have is money.

There is nothing evil about gaining wealth and it is not the root of all evil. Hoarding and worshiping money while neglecting your character is a crime against the soul because the richest person in the cemetery is there for a reason.

That gives us a clue to what little time you have here must be used wisely and thoughtfully. Yes, be successful and explore your talents, gifts and genius as best you can. Be considerate with your accumulation of wealth, with the intentions to influence other people's lives.

Many people won't succeed because their WHY is not strong enough that when failure and defeat show up, they are likely to retreat. The person with a powerful WHY regards failure and setbacks as obstacles to overcome, not impediments to success. They are narrow minded and focussed on their vision because it is imbued with a greater purpose.

"Until a man selects a definite purpose in life he dissipates his energies and spreads his thoughts over so many subjects and in so many different directions that they lead not to power, but to indecision and weakness," states Napoleon Hill in The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons.

When you pursue a greater cause, you burn into your subconscious mind a commanding reason to never give up. Your WHY becomes your lifeblood; your air and water. Without a WHY tied to your purpose, it becomes a passion or a hobby, not an enduring truth.

With a substantial WHY, you will succeed assuming it is greater than your ability to capitulate to your failures. Setbacks is life playing the bully to find out whether you have the backbone to play big.

Playing big counts, whether you're a blogger, musician, artist, programmer or entrepreneur. The human spirit has a purpose to soar, and this is why many feel stagnant when they sell themselves short.

So, dare to be great.

Dare to be brilliant.

Dare to show the world that failure, setbacks and obstacles are smaller than your WHY.

Show the world you can overcome any impediment beyond measure.

Only then will you succeed, no matter what I or anyone else has to say, because you will have aligned with your best intentions and delivered on your promise to fulfil your greatness.

http://ezinearticles.com/?This-Is-The-Reason-Why-Many-People-Wont-Be-Successful,-Despite-Their-Best-Intentions&id=9840199

Constructive and Destructive Thought

We build or destroy...

Our thoughts are the doorway to the inner sanctum of our psyche. That which is subconscious reveals itself through the channels of our thoughts. Some thoughts are based upon internal stimuli, while others external.

We possess the power to build, or destroy. We can construct mansions in heaven or destroy cities on earth. Our thoughts possess the power of the mental, the key to the unseen realm between physical and the spiritual.

That which is our innermost desire rises through the fog of our thoughts. This fog soon materializes before our eyes within our brain projecting its message to the world through our expressions.

Not all thoughts are constructive. This is a known fact, but what is unknown is how this impacts us in the long run.

The Ability To Destroy

Our brain is a fertile field. It will bear the harvest of the seeds we sown. If we sown good seeds we reap a good harvest, if we sown bad seeds, a bad harvest. The person who cultivates their mind in wisdom reaps the literal fruits of his labor.

However, if the seeds we plant are bad then the crops will poison us and the ground. There are two grounds. There is the upper ground (active mind) and the lower mind (passive mind). The passive mind we know as the subconscious mind. It is where the deepest desire, reaction, and truth resides.

Now the truth in the subconscious mind is relative. It is relative to what you have planted. Your subconscious mind will manifest whatever truth you feed it, first in your mind, then through attraction in your environment.

So, if the seeds you sown are bad, instead of bringing constructive results you will reap destructive forces. This is brought about by the manifestation we programmed in our subconscious mind.

Some example of bad seeds:

• Hate
• Envy
• Jealousy
• Backbiting

All of these are things you don't want in your life. There are a lot more bad seeds, this is by no means an exhaustive list.

Constructive Thought - To Create

However, not all seeds are bad. There are good seeds. These good seeds we plant bring forth a good harvest. I love the analogy of using seeds, and here is why:

• They imply a process
• It's not overnight
• They produce their crop over time

When we intentionally think positive thoughts we are planting our garden with intelligence. Why would you want to grow a crop you despise? Did you know your mind is like a magnet, attracting to it the very things it either loves or loathes?

As you think thoughts seeds are planted from your active mind into your passive mind (subconscious mind). Your subconscious mind will draw to it the things requested by the active mind over a period of time. When you plant positive thoughts reinforced with positive action the universe itself begins to bring forth the very things you seek.

Remember, seek and you shall find! If you are seeking bad you are finding bad. If you are seeking good you are finding good. Ask yourself, which do you want in your life? Bad or good things?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Constructive-and-Destructive-Thought&id=9451473

Strategies on How to Build Resilience in a Stressful World

Being resilient is not about glossing over hard times and pretending they didn't happen, it's coping with them in a way that allows you to bounce back.

Adopting a positive attitude and developing the right skills in the midst of difficulties is important because they help you live a happy life. You'll be able to achieve your personal goals and have a better relationship with others and yourself.

Do you think you need help building resilience? Are you looking to become calmer? Are you struggling with moving on from a heartbreaking, traumatic, or disappointing experience?

I'm here to tell you that you can move forward and be the warrior that you are meant to be. Read on to discover simple yet valuable strategies on becoming resilient below.

1. Focus on what you can control.

You need to understand one thing: You are not in control of every single thing that happens in your life.

More often than not, we think about what we could have or have not done to prevent a negative event. Believe me, there is no use stressing about something you cannot take back.

Remember this: The only thing you can control is yourself. Put all your anxieties aside.

Ask yourself, "What is the next best thing I can do at this moment to make myself better?" Then do it.

2. Practice an attitude of gratitude.

Can you identify at least 5 things that are going well in your life at this moment?

Developing an attitude of gratitude changes your perspective, how you look at certain situations.

Instead of excessively worrying about what's missing, focus on your blessings. Whether you have food on the table, clean air, a loving spouse or friend, or a career, anything that's good is definitely something worth being thankful for.

If you want to become more appreciative of what you have, meditate on these things. Write them down in a journal. Talk about them! The more you do it, the more it becomes you.

3. Exercise regularly.

I know this might sound odd, but yes, making exercise a daily habit actually helps you become more resilient.

Why? In a study mentioned in Time Magazine, physical stress (in exercise) helps you adapt better to the life's stresses.

Imagine yourself sweating, your heart racing, and your respiratory rate going up when you exercise. They simulate real-life hardships. The more you exercise, the stronger you become physically, emotionally, and mentally.

If you are emotionally sensitive in nature, engaging in regular physical activity builds your resilience. Put in mind that you are way stronger than you imagine.

4. Don't forget to love yourself first.

When was the last time you really took good care of yourself? Do you accept yourself for your strengths and flaws or are you being too self-critical?

You are worthy, always keep that in mind. Self-love is deeply appreciating you for who you are and not imposing unrealistic expectations.

Self-love matters more than you think it does. When you love yourself, you are more likely to be happy and authentic. No one can use your weakness against you.

Final Word

These are just some of the best ways for you to develop resilience. However, the strategies here will already put you off to a good start. Resilience takes time and a lot of patience but its benefits for your life are truly worthwhile.

ezinearticles.com/?Strategies-on-How-to-Build-Resilience-in-a-Stressful-World&id=9726555