The Four-Letter Word That Kills

We all know that just as there are words which uplift and enthrall us, there are words which can hurt and demean us. But did you know that there is one four-letter word that actually kills?!

No, it's not that four-letter word, it's the word "can't." The word "can't" kills dreams, hopes, aspirations, opportunities, love - the list goes on. "Can't" puts a stop, a halt, an immediate end to all effort, to all forward movement. "I can't do that." "I can't go there." "I can't attract a mate/make friends." "I can't get a job/promotion/raise/better position." "I can't act/sing/dance/run/play the guitar." You fill in the blank. We all have or have had "can'ts" in our lives, always to our detriment.

What would have happened to Jennifer Bricker if she'd bought into the word "can't"? At all of 11 years of age, Jennifer placed fourth in power tumbling in the AAU Junior Olympics, and at 22, was a featured performer on "Britney Spears' Circus Tour." Before you shake your head and say "What's the big deal about that," let me add that Jennifer was born without legs. You read that correctly. No legs. Zip. Nada. Jennifer became an award-winning gymnast using her buttocks, hips and arms. She also played baseball and basketball in high school without the benefit of prosthetics or a wheelchair, and was the first handicapped high school tumbling champion in the entire state of Illinois.

What led to these remarkable feats? Adoptive parents who simply did not allow Jennifer to use the word "can't." Ever. Nor did they. Her adoptive parents supported and encouraged Jennifer in whatever she decided to pursue. Her mantra, learned early on, was "I can."

Try it. Eliminate the word "can't" from your vocabulary and watch what happens. You can substitute the word "won't" or the phrase "don't want to." Both "won't" or "don't want to" imply that you've made a conscious choice about the matter. That it's a matter of personal preference, not a factual impossibility. Which opens up all sorts of new possibilities. If you say, for example, "I won't get a job/promotion/raise/better position," it invariably begs the question "Well, why not?" Which now obliges you to take a closer look at why you think you won't - whatever it is. Which can more easily lead to reasons why you could get the job/promotion/raise/better position.

Don't kill your dreams. You deserve better than that. Eliminate the killer word "can't" from your mind and heart, and watch your life soar with the power of "I can!"

https://ezinearticles.com/?The-Four-Letter-Word-That-Kills&id=10348237

Not Doing What You Say: How It Cripples You

Not doing what you say you're gonna do is a habit. - A habit that is unsupportive of your success.

That's what my old group coach used to say. In every single session.

Of course, we're not just talking about not taking out the trash when you said you would, or not buying milk when you said you would. (Although those things might be symptoms of a bigger problem).

We're talking never getting around to writing that novel. We're talking friendships dying because you never took each other up on those empty words of "we should totally hang out".

This is level not-having-the-guts-to-go-up-and-talk-to-that-someone-who-might-just-turn-out-to-be-the-love-of-your-life here.

The whole thing about not doing what you say is actually fairly simple, and I'm not gonna wait 'till the end to say it:

Doing what you say feels natural. You say something, you do it. Fair, square and simple.

But NOT doing what you say you're gonna do causes, as I love putting it, a disturbance in The Force. We feel a certain discomfort. A dissonance. A discrepancy.

In one of my former articles, I've written about how the one source of unhappiness in the world really comes down to a discrepancy between how things ARE vs. how we WANT them to be. And it's basically the same mechanism at play here.

Think about it. If someone claims the Earth is flat and you happen to know what 2nd graders know about astronomy, you probably want to call them out on it. Because there's a discrepancy between what you KNOW, and what someone else THINKS, which makes them questionable.

And if someone says they're gonna do something and then don't, at least you're gonna notice, if nothing more. Because there's a discrepancy between what they SAY and what they DO, which makes them questionable.

So when you notice this discrepancy in yourself, you're the one who's questionable - to yourself.

Not exactly a nice feeling.

In fact, if you keep on not doing what you say you're gonna do, it becomes the rule rather than the exception. This means, you will effectively make a habit out of something harmful, like with any toxic addiction.

And yes, I deliberately use the word "toxic" here. Because eventually, you'll either be incapable of carrying out anything important you say, or you'll care so little that you'll have exactly zero aspirations towards your entire life.

Think I'm kidding? Go ahead: Try and prove me wrong; see for yourself how it plays out in 10 to 20 years from now.

(In fact: Don't!)

Okay, so ideally, doing what you say should be practiced by everyone. And NOT doing what you say should be practiced by no one. Big whoop.

... But yes, I deliberately use the word "ideally" here.

Because we've all been there. We've all said we were gonna do something and then didn't. For whatever reason.

We might have postponed it until we forgot. Maybe we just didn't feel like doing it any longer.

Or maybe we deliberately procrastinated. Because deep down, we knew that doing it would take us to the next step. - Which could mean responsibility for our lives, other people getting expectations towards us, or rewards of which we basically felt unworthy.

While not doing what you say you're gonna do is fairly common, these last mentioned fears are especially common amongst people with low confidence and self-esteem.

To confident people, doing what you say comes just as natural as thinking it and saying it. Confident people do what they say, say what they mean, and think before they say it. Confident people aren't afraid of responsibility or expectations.

In fact, they gladly take responsibility, and, in addition to what other people might expect, they set expectations for themselves. And they don't consider themselves unworthy of any kind of reward. They accept it gladly, gracefully, and gratefully.

Just to make it clear: It's not that confident people never have any slip-ups or problems with balancing what they say and do. It's the fact that they want to improve at it, and are therefore willing to accept and learn from these slip-ups and problems which makes them good at keeping that consistency.

Want confidence? Doing what you say you're gonna do is mandatory.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Not-Doing-What-You-Say:-How-It-Cripples-You&id=9762825

Success Comes When We Make Innovation As a Habit

When I heard the phrase, fast fish eating slow fish, I thought about the importance of how alert an entrepreneur should be to stay afloat in the era of technology obsolescence and evolving economic dynamics. In fact, the earlier scenario where traditional people like us confronted was big fish eating small fish. In politics as well as in business this has been a common phenomenon. We live in an era where fast fish eats slow fish where entrepreneurs who closely follow the trends and respond to them with agility will survive at the expense of slow decision makers.

As new challenges are emerging, there is nothing like 100% sure shot ways to make businesses profitable or careers enriching. But when I observed 90% of the start-ups fail due to lack of innovation, I have decided to pen down my views to cultivate the habit of innovation among students or youth who have high aspirations.

Innovation Applicable to Families Also!

Leave businesses, if one is not innovative one finds it difficult to lead even family lives also. If the wife is a continuous learner, risk taker, and productive she will overtake her husband in finances as well as intellect. This will lead to the inferiority complex in the mind of husband, lack of respect from children, relatives leading to complications in relationships. To avoid this, start from families the habit of innovation. This will give children the right message.

Creating Future?

Changes make many perplexed. Market scenario constantly changes and that is one of the reasons the courses students learn suddenly becomes irrelevant. Youth may wonder, what is in store for them? The answer to this question is uncertainty. Then another question may arise, does this mean we give up? I will suggest no, as management guru Peter Drucker has answered this, "The best way to predict future is to create it." Now, let us consider how we can predict the future. The answer lies in ideating with the help of relevant research.

Identify a Mission

Dr. Kalam further stated, "To succeed in your mission, you must have single-minded devotion to your goal." You may be a student or an aspiring entrepreneur intending to launch a start-up. For that first of all, you need to ideate with the help of research.

Be Thinkers, Research, Make Clear Presentation

Ideating doesn't come easily. For that one has to think. Let us turn to Dr. Kalam who exhorted, "Have an aim in life, continuously acquire knowledge."

Let us stop job seeking, have career trying instead where you put your heart and soul into knowledge and its applications. To realize your career dream, you need to acquire specialized knowledge in your career stream. Not all, but some may ask, how? Suppose your goal is to be a structural engineer, research on the job description of that position. There you can find specialization like making calculations about loads and stresses.

If you have a fair knowledge about the excess load that may cause structural failure, you can show your value proposition to your employer. But do this with a case study approach. Case studies are substitutes for ancient storytelling. Therefore, have an eye on case studies that appear in websites. Develop knowledge, observe structures, ask questions, observe failures, and create your niche knowledge and see whether you can add more value to the processes. This is one case you can find a career.

To find a career in any domain, the procedure is same. Specialise in one core area that matches your aptitude.

Execute Ideas after Consideration

Awareness, consideration, and conversion - that is the rule in marketing. Whatever you ideate you need to execute or convert into action. If you have a strategy of learning lessons from failure analysis, you can execute a plan with low risk. Today, the recipients of products and services have high expectations. The only way to survive in the market is by offering goods and services of superior quality. Apply the same approach to education also. The thrust here is there should be a mechanism to regularly connect with the businesses and understand niche requirements and develop custom content to make students employable. There should be a constant emphasis on the expectation of quality of product and services. This will make them prepared to meet uncertainties with ease.

Role of Institutes

Finally, product knowledge or specialization alone will not fetch result. Knowledge of marketing alone will bring the desired results. My point is marketing should not be confined to MBA students. Students should get a crash course in marketing, how or why companies advertise and for whom. Education institutes should inform their students clearly that the purpose of a business is to create a customer.

Educational institutes should have a policy to encourage students on career-related content development networking with companies and industry thought leaders. They should invite industry thought leaders to conduct seminars on skill requirements to make students ready for the career. Be it arts, science, engineering, or technology; education institutes can create effective executives for India Inc., along with the steps mentioned above.

Let Us Together Foster Excellence

Let me come back to the key theme - fast fish will consume slow fish. You may be a student or an entrepreneur. But you need to understand time is premium and redeeming the time with specialized knowledge, tailored communication, and efficient execution to become fast fish and be relevant to the markets. Finally, remember the advice of Bharat Ratna Dr. Kalam, "Excellence is a continuous process." Have a strong determination to be successful by remembering the vision of Dr. Kalam.

One can be successful with making innovation as a habit

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Never Let What You Can't Do Interfere With What You Can Do

It's it difficult to keep our focus. I think it has something to do with things or events that we allow into our lives to distract us. Not all of these things are bad in nature, but they become a problem when we allow them to distract us from viewing at life.

There are various things that competes with our time. The moment we allow them to take too much; we lose our focus. We don't have to cut these distractions out entirely, we just need to keep them in check.

No one can serve two masters at the same because the tendency is either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. Do one thing at a time and try to manage your time efficiently.

We should not dwell on regrets. It's important to understand that it's normal to commit mistakes and failures. What's important is how we learn from them. Stop looking back, forgive and forget and then compile all those lessons you've learned to move on with life. Never let regrets or disappointments distract you from reaching your dreams and aspirations in life.

Becoming complacent is also important in doing what you want. It's one thing to experience happiness and be content with yourself but never let yourself get so comfortable that you're no longer hungry for change. You don't need to change anything especially in your personality. Do not do something just to please others. Make sure that it makes you feel good and secure. I am sure, you would already be wildly successful.

What you're doing today can always be improved on and enhanced if you allow yourself a room for improvement. But still do it for yourself not for others. Keep your drive strong. You can always afford to learn something new from your everyday experience and even from the people that surrounds you. They might criticize you but in the end, you alone, can decide for yourself. Don't allow their words to affect you. Never let anyone define who you are.

Though, I am willing to bet that there's at least one part of your life you'd like to change or improve, but you might not know how. Maybe you know what to do but don't have the energy or motivation to even start. Just be open for change.

Don't let what you can't do interfere what you can do. Those things are just one per cent of your total being. You can learn from those negative comments and do better as long as you are willing to give a try. In other words, we don't get a choice about living our lives if we allow our circumstance to affect us.

Bottom line is the fact that we need to know what matters most to each of us.

Most of us live in a life defined by other people who believe we need to know or who we need to be. But honestly, what we do is nobody's business. It is ours alone to make.

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Reasons Why People Don't Accomplish Their Goals

The number 1 reason why people don't achieve their goals is not writing down their goals. Do you know that if goals are not written down they remain to be dreams? Yes, they become something that you wish for. For you to be able to accomplish your dreams, you need to write them down.

Something extraordinary happens when you write down your aspirations on a piece of paper; you begin to believe that you can achieve them. So the first step is for you to take a piece of paper and write down what you want out of life.

The other reason is setting vague goals. Vague goals produce vague results. You need to provide clarity on why you want to achieve the goal in the first place. An example of a vague goal is losing weight. This is not a goal because it does not provide clarity. A goal should follow the S.M.A.R.T formula.

S- Specific; Your goals need to be specific.

M- Measurable

A-Achievable; you need to be able to achieve the goals that you set

R- Realistic; Do not set unrealistic goals because you will lose the motivation before you get to the finish line.

T- Time-bound; it is important for you to give your goals a timeline.

For example; I want to lose 10 pounds by March 2017.

Be clear as possible when you are writing your goals. It is also recommended for you to attach a reason why you want to achieve the goal. Why do you want to lose weight? When you attach a reason, you will be motivated to accomplish the goal.

One great way of setting goals is attaching a positive and a negative result with the goal. That means you need to know what you stand to gain when you accomplish your goal and what you stand to lose when you don't. Knowing the results will help you to settle for nothing less than what you want.

Procrastination is the other reason why people don't achieve their goals. Tomorrow is the only day that appeals to a lazy man. If you can do it today, just do it. You will have more time to go after your goals if you do what needs to be done.

Not having a daily routine is another reason. You can't achieve much if you don't know what to do with your time. It is important to have a routine.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Reasons-Why-People-Dont-Accomplish-Their-Goals&id=9603249

LIFE IS A JOURNEY - Enjoy Your Journey (By Lorie Ann Jermoune)

Enjoy your own life path and even appreciate the shifts and turns that your own life choices present to you. Bring friends, family or your audience joy, by retelling your tales and adventures, read or write an article, book, or teach others that are eager to learn. Retell your life discoveries and adventures. Attempt to do something on your bucket list, while you are young and physically fit! Satisfy your inner nomad that lives inside of everyone, and is wanting to discover new people, places or events.

As a small, town child, my expectations wild; though tangible, conceivable, and all- powerful, when I laid down at night to dream, in my dreams I entertained many possibilities, granting myself numerous life choices to meet or surpass my goals and aspirations.

As a young adult, I dared to dream, to allow myself to believe that what my mind could conceive; I could achieve- I could accomplish anything with desire, focus and intention; I believed that I could weave the chances that went way beyond my humble circumstances.

As an adult, my expectations and dreams remained untamed, wild with the desire for movement and adventure, I got my wish and traveled, on way too many planes, and drove many, many miles, often times calling where I laid my boots home. All of the traveling; almost led to my unraveling, As I listened to the judgmental whispers, and murmurs of family and friends, that flooded my ears; until I became aware, that they only spoke from their own fears. I listened, without responding, and lovingly let them speak their minds as I remained calm and unaffected.

We've called many places home from apartments, to townhouses, even taking ownership of our dwellings; as entrepreneurs we traveled with ease. From coast to coast; state to state; I called all of them home; Texas; Florida; Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Oregon, I knew an international move, to a foreign location, was imminent, though with the goal, to come back full circle to Florida; my favorite state.

Eventually we moved to a kingdom; I knew we would, though the day came sooner than I'd expected. I would finally know what it meant to be immersed, in the confusion of being true, to my own customs, ideology and identity. I was born in a large country, with many states, and then suddenly immersed in a totally foreign way of living. I was an American, living an expanded life, in a beautiful, old, kingdom; complete with old castles, large palaces, cobblestone streets that were over 400 years old, and the most beautiful people you could ever imagine on earth! The best part is that what made them so beautiful was that they knew their complete history and stayed true to their own identity and self-worth.

I learned a lot as I taught; employed as a teacher, which was also one of my dreams; I also kept my dream alive of returning to live back in the U.S.A. eventually coming back to my favorite state: FLORIDA!

Another adventure added to my list; I'm back in the states with a grounded, expanded, privileged bliss, for having the opportunity, afforded to me, to live unspeakable dreams living and learning about diversity, while immersed in a different culture, and enjoying a new life overseas, on another continent, on the opposite side of the Atlantic Ocean,

We are all nomads that came to settle in our current country from different regions and continents, and have learned by the tried-and true art form of communication and unbridled discovery how to live productively. Enjoy your life, discover something new about yourself everyday! Often times, the traveling was exhausting, but I got myself together again and again to see what new adventure life would be teaching me next. Everyone is so blessed, and lucky; Enjoy your life journey...

I enjoy learning from you and from others offering me knowledge continuously!

http://ezinearticles.com/?LIFE-IS-A-JOURNEY---Enjoy-Your-Journey&id=9496633

In the Pursuit of Happiness

Happiness is like the elusive butterfly that we all chase; the more we chase it, the more it flits away.

This truth is based on a quote attributed to Henry David Thoreau.

However, a growing number of psychologists are of the opinion that today people can 'chase after the elusive butterfly and make it sit on their shoulder'. This metaphorical statement implies that by monitoring the workings of the mind, anything can be made possible. David T.Lykken, author of the book "Happiness: Its nature and nurture says that happiness is determined by our genes to a large extent. Every person has a 'happiness set point' and there are only slight deviations.

But extensive research is now showing that happiness can be pursued; in fact the key to happiness is knowing where to look for it. A University of Texas professor who has done considerable research on the subject concludes that even intelligent and successful people don't always make life choices that bring happiness. There are five key areas that he has identified which directly affect our wellbeing and all these are within our control.

1. Not running after happiness - obsessing about feeling happy is best avoided; instead, increasing the odds of feeling happy in any situation without sacrificing it for other things is crucial. Recognizing what makes us happy and prioritizing to find the right balance is a must.

2. Taking responsibility - the ability and power to control our feeling and thoughts is in our hands and blaming others for unhappy outcomes leads to unhappiness.

3. Comparisons bring misery - doing the catch-up game with colleagues, friends, relatives and others in relating happiness to feeling a sense of superiority over others can only make us keep running all the time. Less comparison with other people brings more happiness.

4. Following the flow - Goals and aspirations keep changing constantly and happiness may remain elusive forever. 'Being in the moment' makes us realize how much happiness we can gain.

5. Trusting people more, even strangers - the perception of trust makes people happier. Distrust causes constant irritation and happiness; even a little bit of faith in strangers is a strong indication of a happy mind.

Psychologists who have studied happy people in communities around the world share the reasons why some people are happier than others.

• Choosing to be happy and not worrying - consciously choosing attitudes and behaviors that bring happiness is the right decision 

• Cultivating gratitude - being thankful and grateful moves people away from despair and bitterness 

• Fostering forgiveness - nursing grievances and grudges affects physical and mental health; forgiveness reduces the effects of bad events that create resentment 

• Learning to recognize and counteracting negative feeling and thoughts - promotes serenity and dispels anxiety 

• Understanding that money cannot buy happiness - the more the money, less the happiness. No matter what is achieved in the pursuit of our goals, it will never bring about a lasting state of happiness.

http://ezinearticles.com/?In-the-Pursuit-of-Happiness&id=9545803

How to Appreciate Your Life - Writing Your Own Eulogy (By Rosina S Khan)

Everyone has dreams and aspirations. This is what keeps them going. Will challenges on the way deviate you from reaching the destination? Have you ever thought what your eulogy would be like? Wouldn't you like to see yourself as a winner of all dreams, materializing them to your heart's content and including how much you have appreciated all of that in your eulogy? What do you say? For further insights, read on.

For instance, I have had an amazing career, teaching students in a private university. I have appreciated every moment with them. Now wouldn't I like to include it in my eulogy? For sure, yes!

I have gone for higher studies abroad and kept myself in one piece, struggling through hurdles, making it a point to earn my higher degree. Surely, I would like to mention this in my eulogy as well, the experience being very invigorating.

I have made bonds with people all along. Some got lost and broken and some stayed. Wouldn't I like to include this in my eulogy, appreciating the strength and beauty of these bonds?

I have fallen ill and taken up writing as the prime way to spend time and express my thoughts and ideas. I have written fiction stories, self-help eBooks, blogs and articles. I have integrated all of these beautifully in a website. Am I not happy to include this in my eulogy?

I have further dreams and aspirations. So my eulogy doesn't end yet. I have a vision for further higher education and continuing my academic career abroad until I finally retire. I want to retain my writing passion as a hobby where I would continue to voice my thoughts, ideas and knowledge. For these dreams to come to fruition, I don't have to take anybody's permission because the question is not who is going to let me but who is going to stop me. Once I have achieved my dreams, they will joyfully be a part of my eulogy.

Last but not the least, I would like to donate to charity - an orphanage, an old home, a cancer hospital, or some other cause that would appeal to me before I retire. Having helped a good many people, I will find myself at peace and include it in my eulogy happily as well.

So it would be a life well lived which I would appreciate a lot. You can do similar stuff to appreciate your life and therefore, help yourself to write down a worthy and remarkable eulogy when the time feels right.

                              Download 25 Most Powerful Motivational Quotes

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In This Life You Make Your Own Success

There is a strong possibility that you are reading this article, expecting a miracle answer to why your dreams of "success" are still just dreams, and it might not become a reality anytime soon. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix solution to your dilemma. While you have high hopes and aspirations of some amazing future success, in the light of reality, such high hopes and aspirations will never come true magically. I have to add, that this is not to suggest, that your high hopes and aspirations will never come true at all. Some of you might be familiar with the phrase, "in this life you make your own success", and for those of you who are not, you better familiarize yourself with it pretty quickly, because it is absolutely true.

We all have dreams of a great future success, such as a better career, a loving family, a profitable business, or some personal goals. These dreams remain just that, dreams, because most of us do not bother to make an effort to make them become a reality. All too often people expect their dreams of success to somehow just happen at some point in the future, and then end up disappointed and frustrated, when nothing happens, and life just trudges along unchanged. We have to realize, that in order to achieve our dreams of success, we have to work for it.

If you are wondering right now why you have not had any success in your life, or you are just drifting through the years, hoping that "things will sort themselves out in the end", it is time to stop feeling as if life has dealt you a bad hand. Now is the time to take action and make your own success. While for some of us this new "take action" attitude might be a bit scary, you will soon come to the realization, that it is also incredibly liberating. By grasping this new reality that you have to work for that "elusive" future success, you also regain control of your own destiny. Life can be hard, tough, and often somewhat cruel. Some people seemingly land on their feet, and get all the success they could ever dream of, while others have to work so very hard to achieve a mediocre success, that pales in comparison. But, then again, that is life. Remember, life owes no one any favors. Rather than feeling sorry for yourself, and deluding yourself into thinking that some sort of invisible glass ceiling prevents you from achieving your dreams, adopt a completely new positive approach of "anything is possible if you work hard enough for it". Rather than handcuffing yourself to a safe life of little or no success, make the decision to take the action necessary, and work towards your life goals, dreams and aspirations. You quickly will be on the road to a better, more successful life, full of satisfaction and joyous achievements. So, what are you waiting for? It is time for you to take the reins of your life, work hard, and make your own success.

Your imagination gives you the power to find the means you require to design the life of your dreams. Keep your focus on the desired outcome, your dream lifestyle. The road to your destination will not be a straight line, like logic would suggest, but a series of zigs and zags. It is your imagination that will lead you anywhere you want to go. Dare to dream big, and follow your dreams in order to make the best out of your life.

http://ezinearticles.com/?In-This-Life-You-Make-Your-Own-Success&id=9380450

Possessing The Success Mindset

The Success Mindset | Decision

Although I strive to be positive most of the time, I am NOT a naturally optimistic person, nor am I a negative person. I think I am like most people. I believe the word that best describes me is reasonable. In fact, optimism is not something that comes naturally to many of us. The reality is, because of all the burdens and pressures of life, people have to decide to become optimistic OR they need to see an over-abundance of good things happen in the present moment to remain optimistic. So, in order to be optimistic about life, it really does come down to the simple choice of what we will focus on.

We can choose to focus on the burdens, or we can choose to focus on goals, blessings, aspirations, or any other positive aspect of our lives.

Motivational teacher Tony Robbins said, "More than anything else, I believe it is our decisions, not the conditions of our lives that determine our destiny." I could not agree more with him. There is great power in deciding what we will and will not do with the brief and precious moments of our lives. The problem with so many people is that they know what they want (or think they do) but rarely make the decision to take meaningful action to make their dreams a reality. Others make the wrong decisions because they buy the hype without conducting appropriate research. Most people seemingly choose to focus on the burdens. This practice can be devastating to our attitudes of success when we launch out to do anything new in our lives.

The Success Mindset | No Excuses

Many of us are defeated by one of the worst mental diseases of all time: EXCUSITIS!

Excusitis is the process of creating and voicing every conceivable excuse for why we cannot or should not move forward with an idea; even those ideas that will better our lives. Many of us tend to talk ourselves out of something even before we make any concerted effort. I used to be that way. Then I started reading some great books that motivated me to understand that our lives are not dress rehearsals and that this ONE PHYSICAL LIFE is it. If things are going to go the way I want them to go then I have to make the decision and take the necessary action(s) to make it happen.

Some of the books I read include

- the Bible

- Success God's Way

- The Search for Significance

- The Magic of Thinking Big

- See You at the Top

- Rich Dad Poor Dad

- How to Win Friends and Influence People.

I have read How to Win Friends and Influence People many times. There are many other books I have read as well. From this reading I have discovered there are some principles that NEVER FAIL if we actually DECIDE to live by them and not allow excuses to hold us back. I will be sharing more about this in future posts.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Possessing-The-Success-Mindset&id=9337005

Persisting Through Resistance

The story of Nelson Mandela's fight for freedom is a great example of the quality of persistence. Born on the 18 July 1918 in Mvezo, a small village in South Africa to Nonqaphi Noskeni and Nkosi Mandela, he was originally named Rolihlahla Mandela.

Nelson Mandela took keen interest in the apartheid rule dominant in South Africa upon hearing his elders recount stories of his ancestors' bravery during the wars of resistance. He was determined to contribute to the liberation of his people. The years that followed saw him sacrifice more than twenty-seven years, fighting relentlessly for racial equality in South Africa. Although the journey was full of bumps - betrayals, defeat, trials and even convictions, his efforts finally paid off, as generations to come will still feel the impact of his legacy.

Now, while striving towards building a global business, a career or fighting a cause, throughout your journey there will be resistance, sometimes from external sources and at other times from internal sources. This could appear in form of fear, defeat or low self-esteem. How do you persist through them? Here are three suggestions to guide you.

Set your eyes on the prize

The prize is synonymous with the motivations for your aspirations. Simply put, what do you stand to gain after you have attained that goal? All Nelson Mandela wanted was for racial discrimination to end in South Africa. This quote from his Dock speech at the Rivonia trial of 1964 provides insight into his motivation.

"I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and equal opportunities. It's an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it's an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

Setting your eyes on the prize helps you to endure and also propels you to go the extra mile in your endeavors.

Learn from your mistakes

You will make a lot of mistakes along the way, but a mindset that failure is part of the process will help you move forward. Hence, focus more on learning from them and moving on quickly, and remaining resolute. The Harvard Business Review recommends that business leaders should study causes when analysing a failure event. They should create an environment that counteracts the blame game and encourages employees to feel more comfortable with learning from their failures. The result of this, in the long term, is strong controls and secured processes.

Shut out Negativity

Psychologists agree that people are likely to remember unpleasant memories than they will pleasant ones. It is OK to agree that you are not getting your expected results if that's your reality. You can always review your methods and devise new strategies to meet your goals. Look out for constructive criticisms and try to resist the urge to dwell on the negativities.

Your focus should be on the goal at all times. Whenever you are stuck, remember the popular Nelson Mandela quote: "It always seems impossible until it's done."

http://ezinearticles.com/?Persisting-Through-Resistance&id=9378545

The 7 Worst Mistakes People Make In Their 30s

           

Your 30s are typically a time for settling down after using your 20s to take risks and find yourself.

Many 30-somethings are busy raising a family and rising through the hierarchy at work.

Those who have already been through that decade say that as their responsibilities accumulated, it became easier to neglect relationships and ignore opportunities that they would never get again.

Quora users discussed lessons they learned in the thread: "What is the biggest mistake you made in your 30s and what did you learn from it?"

We've collected some of the best responses:

They abandon their loftier aspirations.

Twenty-somethings are often willing to settle for a job they are not passionate about, but before they know it, that job turns into their career. An anonymous poster writes that his or her biggest mistake of his or her 30s was to become "addicted to a monthly salary," in the sense that he or she settled for job security over career satisfaction.

If you've ever wanted to start a business or pursue a side project, it will only get more difficult as your responsibilities increase.

They put their career ahead of family and friends.

"Don't just work. Make memories. The older you get, the harder it is to make meaningful relationships. Foster those while you're young," writes Microsoft product designer Michael Dorian Bach, who is now in his late 30s.

They neglect their health.

Bach writes that the pursuit of a career can also be a drain on one's health. "Be healthy. That is priority 1. Don't get into your 30s being slow and tired all the time. It sucks," he says. Develop an exercise routine, and enjoy your mobility while you're still young.

They miss the chance to have kids.

CEO coach Alison Whitmire shares a personal story about how she took getting pregnant for granted in her 30s and chose to pursue a new career opportunity instead of trying to have a child. Years later, after a failed pregnancy and then a failed marriage, she remarried and had a baby at 43. She realizes now that no one is ever adequately prepared to have a child, and if you want one, it's best to do so before it's too late.

They don't spend enough time with their aging parents.

Entrepreneur and blogger James Altucher, who is now 46, writes about a particularly difficult memory for him: "When I was 34 I hung up the phone on my dad in an argument and never returned his calls. Six months later he had a stroke and died. A week before that he had emailed me to say hello but I didn't return the email. I'm sorry, Dad."

It can be easy to forget that your parents grow older as you do. Don't take them for granted.

They don't set up a financial foundation for the future.

Altucher writes about the many times in his 30s he bet practically all of his money on a business venture and then lost all of it. Altucher is doing well now, but he looks back on his failures as the result of recklessness. 

As your responsibilities grow, it can seem like what you put into savings won't amount to much come retirement, but it will only become harder to start saving in your 40s.

They stop having fun.

Just because you're not in your 20s anymore doesn't mean you need to give up enjoying life. Bach says he spent the early half of his adult life chasing money, and it only made him unhappy and more cynical about life.

Go on dates with your significant other. Take your kids on trips. Go to concerts with your best friends. Just don't forget that the money you work to make is useless if you're miserable.

http://www.businessinsider.com/worst-mistakes-people-make-in-their-30s-2014-8