Get Your "80/20" in Gear and Have a Blast

There's a fascinating concept in economics called "Pareto's Law," or the "80/20 Rule." In a nutshell, a 19th century economist, Vilfredo Pareto, noticed that 20% of the people owned 80% of the land, and similarly that 20% of his peapods produced 80% of his peas. Much later, Joe Juran, looking to improve factory production during WWII, realized that 20% of the factories were responsible for 80% of all defective parts, and vice-versa: thus the beginning of the quality movement in US business.

What could the "80/20 Rule" possibly have to do with you? Simply put, most of us spend 80% of our time on things that really don't matter all that much to us, and only 20% of our time on the things that really matter. Huh...

Ask yourself, who do you spend the most time with? The people who uplift you, support you, cherish you? Or those who bore you, annoy you, cause you endless irritation or grief? What do you spend most of your time doing? Complaining, blaming, feeling sorry for yourself? Or praising, appreciating, finding value in what you do? How about activities? Do you spend most of your free time in activities that engage you, inspire you, thrill you? Or do you just go with whatever flow happens to, well, flow at the moment? Facebook, TV, surfing the web...

It finally dawned on me, some years ago, that I'd rather work a little longer/harder to earn some extra bucks (given that I really enjoy my work), so I could pay a house-cleaner to clean my home, an activity I truly do not enjoy, much as I appreciate a clean house. And when given the option to get my butt up off the couch to take a dance class, rather than spend another hour watching a TV program I would forget about in the next 10 minutes, dance class won out. Even though there are days I most definitely do not want to get up off that couch. Dance class clearly is in my list of "top things I love."

What's your percent? When you sit down and honestly assess with whom and where you spend your time-which is the same thing as saying "with whom and where do you spend your life?"-what's your 80/20? Deliberately cut out or reduce those things that do not give you joy, so that more and more of your time is spent in the 80% of stuff you really like to do. Take a look at your friends and social life, including your social media life. Deliberately cut out or reduce the time you spend with those who do not rank high in your "things I love" list.

It may sound odd to take such a calculated approach to your life, but time really is all we have. How and with whom we choose to spend it very much defines how happily we romp through this astonishing, challenging, absolutely wonderful journey called "life." Get your "80/20" in gear, and have a blast!

https://ezinearticles.com/?Get-Your-80/20-in-Gear-and-Have-a-Blast&id=9952081

Your Work Is Never Done Because You Are Constantly Evolving

We All Experience Hardship In Different Ways

No matter how hard you try, your work will never be done. How do you feel about this? Does it worry you? You see, working on ourselves is a long and difficult process that may take an entire lifetime but it will never be complete. I don't mean to terrify you so you think the work is not important. In fact, working on yourself is more important than ever, especially given the times we are living. The world longs for strong leadership to stand for what is morally right. We can see this across the globe where citizens are staging protests against governments declaring their rights.

I'm reminded of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus who said: "No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man." He was saying that we are constantly evolving and who we were yesterday is not the same person we are today, nor will be tomorrow. What we know today is built on what we knew earlier and we cannot go back to the same way of living. Personal growth is an evolving process and even if you read one book a year and implement one piece of wisdom, the effects are far reaching. Life presents us with experiences and lessons to become whom we're meant to be. Unfortunately, we don't know who that person is when we experience hardships, challenges and setbacks, yet we trust these experiences are showing up for our highest good.

Knowing this, what life-changing experiences have you endured? What lessons did you learn that transformed your life? Not everyone experiences change, and I recall years ago working with people who had overcome cancer. Several of them were happy to put the experience behind them and go back to living a normal life. Yet, others experienced profound awakenings and realisations that changed their life. Similarly, I have worked with people who were involved in life threatening car accidents and are fortunate to be alive, while other survivors blame the experience for their scars. I'm not condemning these people but showing you we all experience hardship in different ways.

Merging With A Higher Version Of Ourselves

Our work is never done because there is always something to heal, something to transform, something to make peace with and something to learn. I found this to be the case in the last decade with my own personal development. When I thought I had learned forgiveness for example, life will present me with an opportunity to practice it with a person who is hard to forgive. We are always learning and developing insights on our life's journey. The key is to keep moving forward, even though there are times we are drowning in our setbacks and disappointments. I know, I've been there and pleaded for a lifeline. My circumstances didn't change but my inner resolve and capacity to deal with my experiences did.

Are you comfortable with the idea about not cramming your life's lessons into this lifetime? It doesn't mean taking a relaxed approach with our personal growth, it means not being fixated on the goal since there is no destination to get to. The journey and the experiences become the focal point, to become the person you were born to be. Life isn't about arriving at a destination, it is about the evolution of our soul and merging with a higher version of ourselves. Life and Mother Nature are giving in so many ways and it makes sense if we are the expression of life, we must also be of service to others.

With this in mind, I'd like you to give some thought to the areas of your life where you are not evolving. Where you are stagnant? What do you think is holding you back? Is it true or could it be your perception? Sometimes, what we believe is holding us back is not the case and there are other avenues to explore. It means changing our opinion and looking at it through the lens of empowerment instead of victimhood. For example, if your life is not progressing as you like, what is life trying to teach you? Is it patience? Is it appreciating your self-worth? There is always something to learn, even in unfavourable circumstances. When we experience the same experience, it is a message to learn an important insight before the experience is transformed. So try not to bemoan your situation but get curious on what the experience is trying to teach you. After all, your work will never be done as long as you are alive because you are continually evolving into the person you are meant to become.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Your-Work-Is-Never-Done-Because-You-Are-Constantly-Evolving&id=10216297

Are You Recognizing Abundance? (By Rhonda McNett)

Have you noticed that I've gotten a bit off track with my correspondence lately? Hmmm... Yep, busy playing in this long, hot summer and just plain enjoying Life! Now that Fall is (almost) officially here, I'm back at my desk and paying attention once again!

We had a call from our electric company recently, informing us that we'd won $50 since we do e-bill and e-pay and our prize can be credited toward that bill. Wahoo! Feeling like I'd just won the Big Lotto or something, I started really being cognizant of all these little 'prizes' that come our way each and every day:

• Yes, that long, dry summer, and all the gorgeous blue-sky days we enjoyed;
• Even though we're actually ready for some rain, we are not enduring the deluge from myriad hurricanes that our southern and eastern states and various Caribbean islands are;
• Great health, especially compared with the losses and ill health of some of our neighbors, friends and family (and, yes - I can see you now!);
• An abundance of fruits and veggies from various awesome neighbors, along with everyone's willingness to share and plant so we don't have 90 jalapeno plants among us anymore;
• Rain yesterday for the first time in so long I can't remember the last time we had measurable moisture - all our yards and gardens are SO happy for it, all damp and shiny-green-clean now;
• That leads to (finally) a lowering of our irrigation water bill - and none too soon!
• No excess around our house or yard to keep us from appreciating what we do have, use and love - hooray for organizing, right?

Seems all we have to do is just pay a little attention and our Abundance Reality just comes pouring out! Nope - I'm not a 'religious' person, but do believe in being thankful for all that comes my way, and counting blessings along the route. And you know what? It isn't even close to Thanksgiving yet! HA!

Here's to recognizing and cherishing the abundance in your life! Just start making note of the little things - even your nice, even breath - and you're on your way!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-You-Recognizing-Abundance?&id=9797826

Simple Encouragement - How Positive Motivation Can Make a Huge Impact

How about encouraging the people around you a little? How do you do it? How does it help? Read on for answers.

Making others smile and giving them a little joy by appreciating them a little definitely makes you smile and gives you joy. While you forget it in a short while, people remember and savor your compliments for a lifetime.

How about making it a point and visiting kindergarten schools and spending time with the kids taking the teachers' permission and helping the kids to have a great time by finger painting? Simply encouraging them to have a little fun will make them smile and make their day. The teachers will be equally pleased and learn from you.

How about visiting old homes and playing your favorite guitar for the old people? It will be a change for them for a while and encourage them to sing and dance even at old age, forgetting their worries and body disorders. Yes, I would recommend that.

I would also recommend that volunteers go to cancer hospitals and cheer up the ill children and grownups who are suffering from cancer by giving them little gifts plus make them all sing in a chorus. Yes, it would make their hearts smile and help to alleviate their pain.

Who else could you motivate? How about your own spouse and children? Note down all the good qualities you find about them in a journal. After you think you have written enough about them, book a family evening with your family members, have a nice dinner and then read out to them all that you have written about them in your journal.

It will move each and every one of them and even make them cry out of joy. But it's worth doing it. That is because your family bonds get stronger and you all will soon be helping, motivating and encouraging each other even more.

Summing up, those are some of the ways you leave positive imprints in the minds of people whom you have encouraged with motivating words by going the extra mile. I say it's worth it doing something positive for the people around. Blessings and more blessings are bestowed upon you everywhere you go because the Universe acknowledges your good deeds and efforts. You will smile and be blissful.

I would recommend that you continue your mission of encouraging others because a little motivation would have a huge impact on the people and even change their lives for the better.

So do it more often and continue to accept the bountiful gifts of blessings from the Universe.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Simple-Encouragement---How-Positive-Motivation-Can-Make-a-Huge-Impact&id=9728889

Are You A Happy Person, What Do You Say?

What do you say about yourself? Are you a happy person? If your reply is in negative then you need to think over it. All your education, intelligence, money, status and success is meaningless if you are not living a happy life. What is the reason of living if a person is not happy with his life?

I firmly believe that it is the right of every person to live a happy life but most people are not aware how to. Psychologists believe that 90% of our happiness depends on us while 10% depends on external circumstances, on which we have no or little control. If we are not living a happy life then it means that we are depriving ourselves of our 90% happiness due to our own narrow or negative thinking.

Always keep in mind that happiness has nothing to do with money or circumstances. I have seen rich people living unhappy life and poor people living happy life. In fact, it is the inner state of one's mind which keeps a person happy. You need to train your mind to be happy. If you decide to be happy no one can snatch your happiness. Some people are so much determined to be happy that even living in the worst circumstances, they manage to keep themselves happy. I salute such positive people.

I must stress that the top most reason of being unhappy is the negative thinking of a person. Negativity can ruin a person's life beyond imagination. My motto is "Positive Thinking, Happy Living". I am of the view that if you think positively, you can live happily, no matter whatever your circumstances. It is up to you how do you want to spend your life. How do you see, feel and live your life. How do you treat yourself, being a happy or an unhappy person.

It is a painful fact that the number of unhappy people in this world is increasing at a much higher pace than the happy people. On a daily basis, you see unhappy people everywhere, in the streets and in any business or organization, whereas, happy, helpful and cheerful people are rare to find. Because of the unsatisfied human nature, we are not in the habit of appreciating what we have. We have interlinked our happiness with the accumulation of material things and this is our biggest mistake. Things do not give happiness, thinking does.

To be happy is much easier than you think. All that you need is to cultivate the seeds of happiness in your mind. Why depend on others or circumstances? Why not create your own world, your own joy and your own happiness. No one else can make you happy unless you decide to be happy. Be the master of your own fate and the master of your own happiness. Choose to be happy. Bury your worries deep in the soil and start digging out the gems of happiness from there.

Be the master of your own destiny and the torch bearer of your happiness. A happy person gets happiness by giving and sharing. Share your fortunes with the less fortunate people. The more you give the more you get happiness in abundance and that is the beauty of giving. A kind hearted person is a happy person. Be a kind person. Be a helpful person. Appreciate the good qualities of other people.

Start your day with a positive state of mind. Every morning bow your head before God in gratitude for all His blessings. Be grateful to God for being in good health. Spend some time in praying and early morning meditation.

Be the master of your own destiny and the torch bearer of your happiness. Always keep in mind that a happy person:

- fights negativity with full force

- lives a purposeful and meaningful life

- is an honest and hardworking person

- is a kind and helpful person

- is a creative person who can create something out of nothing

- spends some time alone in meditation and establishing a link with God

Not only live your life as a happy person but also spread happiness. Making other people happy is not only a great service of mankind but also a source of seeking inner happiness.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-You-A-Happy-Person,-What-Do-You-Say?&id=9670698

The Underrated Power of a Grateful Heart

Appreciating each other more, research shows, leads to, well, more appreciation.

We don't often enough reflect on the things we are grateful for. So perhaps it's time to focus some attention on the importance of gratitude—specifically, feelings of gratitude in our close, personal relationships.

We typically define gratitude as a positive emotional state we experience when someone else intentionally provides us with some benefit or positive outcome (McCullough, 2001, as cited in Algoe & Zhaoyang, 2015). This could happen when someone does us a favor, says something nice, or simply offers a random act of kindness. Gratitude is, generally put, the swell of warmth and positivity we feel toward that person.

Historically, researchers believe that the evolutionary function of gratitude—the reason it’s something we feel—to be about repayment. We feel gratitude so that, in the future, we will help the person who helped us, thus helping society at large to function smoothly (McCullough, 2001, as cited in Algoe & Zhaoyang, 2015).

However, recent research has determined that gratitude toward our close relationship partners serves the additional purpose of helping to strengthen those bonds (Algoe, 2012). Specifically, gratitude serves to help us notice and attend to the positive, responsive behaviors that our loved ones enact toward us. It could be a time when your romantic partner made dinner because he or she knew you were stressed, or when your sister called to see how you were doing, or a friend sent you a small gift...just because. Any behavior that we perceive as responsive to our needs, which a close other has enacted purposefully, can promote feelings of gratitude (e.g., Algoe, 2012; Algoe, Haidt, & Gable, 2008).

These feeling, in turn, promote the well-being of our relationships. For example, new sorority members (or "Little Sisters") who felt more gratitude toward older sorority mentors' ("Big Sisters") kind actions toward them during an event known as Big Sister Week (i.e., giving small gifts) felt more connected with those mentors both during the event and a month later (Algoe et al., 2008).

In romantic contexts, feelings of gratitude toward a partner predicted individuals feeling more connection and satisfaction in their relationship the next day (Algoe, Gable, & Maisel, 2010). So it seems that an attitude of gratitude (sorry, I couldn’t resist) not only feels good to us individually but may also benefit our relationships.

However, before we run off and start designing interventions to promote gratitude in relationships, we need to better understand how feeling grateful promotes relationship health. What is the mechanism by which this association functions? Further, we need to better understand if promoting gratitude is always associated with positive outcomes—the relationship may be more complex than we realize.

Specifically, a recent, month-long study randomly assigned romantic couples either to actively try to express gratitude for their partner’s actions every day for a month, or not. The researchers found that, in the gratitude group, participants whose partners had been highly responsive to their needs during an intake session showed greater personal and relational well-being at the end of the study, compared to those in the control group. However, participants whose partners had been low in responsiveness during the intake session did not show this benefit (Algoe & Zhaoyang, 2015). Thus, perhaps asking individuals to focus on reasons they are grateful for their partner only confers benefits when their partner is responsive—thus giving them reasons to be grateful.

In sum, as we all deal with our hectic lives, it may do us some good to reflect on those things for which we feel gratitude. If those aspects are also important people in our lives, this reflection may benefit our relationships—as long as those important people have been responsive enough to our needs to deserve our gratitude.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/me-you-us/201512/the-underrated-power-grateful-heart