Getting What You Want and Need In Relationships

There is a saying I love I heard years ago which I believe is an Al-Anon slogan:

DON'T GO TO THE HARDWARE STORE FOR BREAD

I say it to my clients on a regular basis when they are trying to find love in all the wrong places. I thought it would make the basis for a good article so I will expand upon it here. Hopefully, you will recognize where you are 'going to the hardware store for bread', the reasons why you keep doing that, and then lastly, will gather some new tools for going straight to the 'emotional bakery' when it's 'bread' you're needing.

Let me give you an example of how this works:

A client of mine (let's call her Sue) has a really difficult relationship with her mother. Sue is quiet, introverted and soft-spoken and extremely thoughtful. Her mother, on the other hand, is loud, extroverted, and blunt when she speaks- so blunt in fact, that she often makes others cry with her harsh words.

Sue and I have been working together for two years and she has made great strides in coming to terms with the fact that her mother is not the soft, warm and fuzzy kind that she had hoped for and that she doesn't get the nurturing she wants from her. For the past year, she has done a lot of grieving over the fact that she and her mother are not good "matches" in terms of personality. I used the 'hardware store/bread' analogy with Sue and she really liked it and has used it a lot lately.

In this case, Sue wants and seeks warmth and nurturing ("bread"), and yet she keeps going to the 'hardware store' to buy it. In this scenario, Sue's mother is the 'hardware store'. When Sue tells me another story of trying to get nurturing from her mother I gently ask, "Which store did you go to this time?" She often smiles in quick recognition and answers, "The hardware store". I usually respond with something like, "That's funny- I thought you were shopping for bread, not nails... "

It's not that Sue is lacking in intelligence, nor common sense. It's just that she can't get her emotional needs met from someone who is supposedly in a position to meet them (in this case, her mother). This is the case for many of us who come from dysfunctional families. Oftentimes, one or both parents are unable to meet our emotional needs. This can cause much bigger problems later on when we become adults and start dating. In Sue's case, she picked a partner who was harsh and critical towards her; just like her mother. Although what she wanted and needed was softness, kindness, and nurturing, she instead went with what felt 'familiar' when choosing a partner- someone harsh and critical. Even though she didn't like being treated that way, because it was a family pattern and was familiar, it felt 'like home' to be with someone who treated her like her mother did.

For Sue, even though she loved everything she experienced when she walked into a bakery- the warmth coming from the ovens, the delicious smell of baking bread, the sight of fresh new loaves right out of the oven, and the taste of freshly baked bread- metaphorically speaking, it wasn't the first place she stepped into when she was hungry. You see, growing up in Sue's family was like living in a hardware store- no warmth, no alluring smells to tempt the palate- just rows and rows of screws and nails and power tools. Let's face it- a hardware store is a great place to go when your toilet needs fixing and they have just the part that will make it stop making that non-stop swishing sound... But when it comes to finding a warm and loving pair of arms to wrap around you when you're having a bad day, it will always come up short.

Another reason Sue entered therapy was because she recognized a long-held pattern of dating emotionally unavailable men and was sick of it. She wanted to figure out why she kept meeting 'the same guy' over and over again; even though hair colour varied from man to man- all of these men had one major thing in common- they were emotionally unavailable and cold. As you're reading this, you're probably thinking to yourself, "I've figured out the riddle for Sue's pattern!" and are eagerly waving your hand in the air hoping that the teacher picks YOU to shout out the answer...

Well, here's the answer you most probably figured out already:

When Sue was able to make the connection in therapy between the kind of men she kept picking to be in relationships with, and the pattern she experienced throughout her lifetime with her own mother, a big light bulb went off inside her head where she experienced a life-changing "aha moment". For the first time in her adult life, she was able to make sense of a confounding pattern she found herself repeating, even though she was totally aware that it was not helping her.

Sadly for Sue, she had learned from her experiences in her family-of-origin to go looking for bread at the hardware store. In Sue's case, it was her mother who became the proverbial 'hardware store' who could never supply her with the love, warmth, and affection she craved and needed. Metaphorically speaking, Sue didn't even know there was such a thing as a 'bakery' and that she could go there in the first place when she needed some 'bread'.

The next part of Sue's journey was to familiarize herself with the concept of a 'bakery' when it came to other people- her starting point was to learn that there actually were people out there (including datable men her age) who were warm, compassionate, and nurturing. For this phase of therapy, I often invite clients to conjure up positive memories of people they have known in the past or present who exhibit the qualities they are seeking in a mate. This task was very emotional for Sue as she immediately recognized that all four of her grandparents had showered her with warmth, tenderness, and nurturing when she was growing up. I asked her to expand on these memories by telling me stories of when she experienced this warmth and nurturing from them and she had so many that she decided to continue when she got home by writing down as many of these memories as she could.

She came back to our next session and excitedly read me story after story of receiving 'countless loaves of bread' from 'real bakeries' she had visited as a child. She increasingly came to realize that while her mother had been, and still was, a 'hardware store' for her emotionally; that she had experienced FOUR emotional 'bakeries' with her grandparents and had therefore been shown what she should be looking for in relationships with men in her life today.

She has also done a lot of work grieving the loss of getting the love and nurturing she always wanted from her mother, and is slowly coming to peace with whom her mother is and what she can and cannot give her. In fact, she has even developed an appreciation for 'hardware stores' through knowing her mother and finds they can be very useful when you need to make a business decision or when choosing paint colours and goes to her mother for this sort of concrete advice. But when it comes to choosing whom to date, she is now relying on the memories and felt experience of being loved and nurtured by her grandparents. In fact, she's even gone on a couple of dates with men who can bake!

https://ezinearticles.com/?Getting-What-You-Want-and-Need-In-Relationships&id=9696141

The Ultimate Secret to Self-Confidence!

Do you have a habit of undervaluing yourself and underestimating your own worth? Do you get stuck in fear of doing or saying the wrong thing? Do you wonder what it would be like to feel relaxed, strong, and capable in the face of any challenge? Or, do you find yourself resigned to just getting through the day because you lack the confidence to dare much more?

In this article, you'll discover the secret to where self-confidence comes from and how you can use this secret to break-through to an empowered life of greater success, meaning, and purpose.

Moments of Competence

Now, most likely, you have certain areas of your life in which you feel fairly competent and sure of yourself. You have some degree of self-confidence in these areas.

For example, you might feel confident in your personal style-knowing the clothes, food, or music you like. You may have a skill you've developed, or a specific area of knowledge or expertise. You may have family, friendship, or work relationships in which you feel comfortable and secure.

There have been times, even if they were brief, in which you felt confident in who you are, what you were doing, and your place in the world. Even if it's a fleeting memory, you can build on that.

Take a moment now, and recall a time when you felt confident in who you are, what you were doing, or your place in the world...

Go ahead and jot that down. If more than one moment comes to you-great. Write down one to three of these self-confident moments...

Notice how you feel in your body as you remember one of these high self-confidence moments...

Make note of any sensations and the location of those sensations in your body...

Moments of Failure

Now, on the other hand, you have had moments that made you doubt who you are, your worth, or your place in the world. In the extreme, you may have doubted your very reason for being. It's okay. Don't worry. We've all had those moments. It's important to learn from them, so we can move forward with greater insight about what doesn't work.

Take a moment now to bring to mind at least one moment when your self-confidence hit a low. Maybe you failed at a task, or were criticized for something you said or did. Maybe you were made to feel like an outsider-like you were strange, different, or just didn't fit in.

Go ahead now and write down one to three of those low confidence moments...

Notice how you feel in your body when you remember those low confidence moments...

Notice any sensations and the location of those sensations...

O.K. good. Now that you have a feeling for the contrasting sensations of self-confidence and self-doubt, let's use that experience to go a bit deeper.

Where Confidence Comes From

What if I told you that the secret to deeper self-confidence resides in your gut?

Does that sound crazy?

Let's try a little experiment, so you can begin to see and feel what I mean.

If you would, place your hands on your lower abdomen, focus your attention there, and take a few slow, deep breaths. Feel the gentle rise and fall of your hands in rhythm with your breathing.

Now, as you inhale, imagine that your belly is filling with Life Energy, with the Life-Force from the Source of your being. As you exhale, imagine that Life-Force is spreading outward through your whole body, infusing every cell. Go ahead and do this for ten, slow, deep breaths...

Notice how you feel...

Notice any sensations in your body and where they are located...

Do you feel a little more relaxed and empowered?

Now, that you have a taste of that feeling, here's that little-known secret to self-confidence.

The Ultimate Source of Self-Confidence

The deeper basis of self-confidence is knowing and Trusting in the Greater Power that dwells inside you and is the Source of your life and purpose. This Greater Power endows each of us with gifts for the good of the Whole.

Self-confidence is a feeling that comes from acknowledging and fulfilling "who you are" and "what you are here to do." It is a feeling that comes from acknowledging and fulfilling the qualities, skills, and resources that you have been given. It comes from knowing that you were sent here on purpose to fulfill certain tasks for the good of those around you. It is a feeling of opening to the Greater Life-Force flowing through you.

In our little experiment, you got a small taste of that feeling. I hope you enjoyed that.

https://ezinearticles.com/?The-Ultimate-Secret-to-Self-Confidence!&id=9401468

Don't Let Anyone Kill Your Inner Child

The concept of Creativity and Killing are total opposite ends of the spectrum but many artists and people alike put them together.

So what does creativity and killing have to do with killing the inner child? Everything. See many times we get great ideas such as I'm going to take some clothes and paint them a certain way and offer them for sale to help a charity. The first couple of minutes your full of energy ready to put your wonderful, brand-new, life changing idea out into the world. Next you don't like most people do and say to a friend. Hey, I have this idea to put paint on clothes and sell it. The friend usually says oh, that's a good idea but so and so tried it and failed or it' has already been done before. Then what most people do is take that great idea and throw it in the trash can.

It doesn't matter how many good ideas came before your idea or are similar to your idea. You still have to do you idea. Just because someone puts paint on clothes and offers them to charity maybe your clothes will be different or your clothes will support different charitable causes. Most people don't think like this they say to themselves this idea is no good just like all my other failed ideas. The key to remember is any idea not given life will die. Which brings me back to my original point of not allowing anyone to kill your inner child.

When you were a kid if you got the idea to put mustard on apple pie you did it. If you got the idea to take your toy or doll and paint it whatever color you wanted you did it. But as you got older you learned what was important. You learned what was considered acceptable standards for your profession or art. Slowly but surely the spontaneity in you dies and withers away until you are a mechanical robot, with others putting in input and you spurting out the same contrived and manufactured answers. Now this isn't a call to do whatever you want, but I reminder to listen to the inner child. That small still voice that tells you to like at the problem from the non traditional way. Next time you have a problem look at it the way a child would. Remember don't let anyone kill your inner child.

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One Life Changing Question

One of the most beautiful and powerful questions comes from an ancient source. It is a question that will get you out of bed in the morning, push you to live with passion, to care more, love more and be more. It will drive you to pursue your goals, go the gym, and to be a better spouse, parent, and friend.

When you look at the world around you and see the many challenges, asking this question will give you new insight, courage, and motivation to walk in faith, hope, and love.

During the Crimean war, hundreds of soldiers died every day. Before long more were dying in the hospitals than on the battlefield. The medical staffs were often untrained, simply people pulled off the street and forced to work in a seemingly hopeless job. That was all about to change.

Florence Nightingale had a deep and personal spiritual experience when she was 17. From then on she lived with a deep faith in God. She learned to speak 5 languages, one of which was Greek, a skill she used to study the New Testament. At 34 she entered the hospital as a nurse. With her extensive education, she quickly made a number of changes, foremost among them was sanitizing the rooms, and giving compassionate care to wounded soldiers.

Her efforts changed hospitals, and today she is known as the founder of modern nursing. So great was her impact that the soldiers wrote songs to memorialize her.

Which brings us back to our question, one Florence asked and answered a number of times.

Before he faced Goliath, David asked his brothers why no one was answering the challenge of the giant who was mocking the army of Israel. Rather than embrace David's courage, his brothers were angry at his boldness. Their response was to tell David to return home and leave them alone, as they believed no one could defeat the giant.

David then asked, "Is there not a cause?" (1 Samuel 17:29). His question was met with silence from his brothers. He however knew the answer, and went on to defeat Goliath, and become a legend in the making.

"Is there not a cause?" David's question is for each of us. What he was asking was, "Is there not a reason to fight? Is there not something more at stake than our comfort? Is there not a compelling reason to risk everything?" David did, Florence did, and we should, giving ourselves to causes greater than our own lives.

What giants do you see around you? Broken marriages? Division? Addictions? Depression? Health issues? Financial challenges? The list of giants is long. Each Goliath needs a David to stand up and be the example, the warrior who won't back down.

Feel like giving up at times? Just utter the question, "Is there not a cause?"; then get up, live with passion, and fight the giants!

https://ezinearticles.com/?One-Life-Changing-Question&id=9987592

Impossible Dreams Do Come True (By Sergei VanBellinghen)

While some of us still believe that impossible dreams do come true, countless others gave up this right. Over the years, various people tell us to be realistic. Even society says that we all have limits and reaching beyond these limitations is not possible. But I am firmly against that popular belief.

So, how can you overcome your limits? What is being realistic anyway? Can dreams become real?

The thing you must understand is that virtually everything and anything is possible for you to create. If you believe and take the time required to form the necessary skills, whatever you want, do come true. However, you must also collect the essential resources to bring you there.

But the most important elements for impossible dreams to come into existence are the belief in yourself and your abilities to learn. Your beliefs determine your actions which in turn determine your results. So, if you do not believe you can succeed, then you will not reach your visions. Quite simple!

Realistic and Unrealistic

And when people tell you to be realistic, ignore them. In this world, all progress depends on those being unrealistic. The only reference people with limits have is some event or person that achieved something in the past. Those limitations were impossible dreams years before, yet someone realized them.

However, could you imagine what would happen if everyone only tries to achieve what others have already accomplished? I believe the human race would still be at the Stone Age.

So, it is a fact that you and I, all of us are born to brilliance and that success is achievable by anyone. If you read their biographies, most successful people or greatest performers are self-made and not born with a gift. Therefore, the only problem for most people is that, for some reason, they do not believe in themselves enough or for their dreams to come true.

Impossible Dreams Are Possible

If history teaches us anything, it is that when people assumed things are not achievable, some others preserve the impossible dreams alive. Those are the ones who still dreamed, making things possible so that it may come true over time. These pioneers did not listen to anyone who told them to be realistic. If they did, the world today would still be living in caves.

So, regardless of whether society considers it unrealistic, it is the pioneers, the misfits, and the mavericks who make it happen. They are the ones who follow their heart, stand up for an idea and go after it. It is these brave men and women who persistently push the limits of what the world believes possible. As a result, they are the people who end up remembered in history.

"Dream the impossible because dreams do come true." - Elijah Wood

All Can Come True

Playing it safe will bring you nowhere; it is only out of fear and ignorance that people do. In some situations, it may be good to do so. But most successful people will also tell you that you have to take some uneasy risks at times.

And so you have to make a choice, with incontestable belief. You need to give your impossible dreams a 'go,' or things will never happen, or even come true. Sometimes you have to take uncalculated risks to have what you want. You need to see it in your mind and work it into your reality.

And yes, life is like the art of drawing without an eraser. But life has lessons that no one teaches you in school. Instead, the education system makes you learn history by memorizing dates or events but never the real lesson.

A Story about Impossible Dreams

In November 1989, I told my mother that I was leaving for an international competition in the USA, but that this time I will not come back. The day after, I left my mother and my grandparents behind me, not knowing what lay ahead. Waving as I went, I saw her cry for me for the first time.

As we landed on the tarmac in New York, I could see, from the window of the plane, the Twin towers standing out in downtown. The horse vaulting competition took place but right after, taking advantage of a window of opportunity, I defected.

Being from the Soviet Union, I did not know anyone in this new country, had no place to stay or even a job to rely on. I only had a city name on a piece of paper and fifty dollars hidden in my pocket. And I did not even speak English. Impossible dreams you say. Yet I felt my gut tell me: hunt your dream!

Taking the Risk

And yes, I guess I was taking a high risk to make things come true, but I had nothing to lose. Instead, I had maybe a lot to gain. I soon took a bus to Atlanta, Georgia, then another one going south of the country. We were a Sunday, 5.30 in the morning, when I arrived at the little Greyhound station in Camden, South Carolina.

Outside in the cold, I said to myself "What should I do now?" So I decided to walk down the long street I was on called 'Fair Street.' As I was looking at the houses, my eyes flashed on a big white one, with two columns in front of it.

I felt my intuition telling me "Maybe you should knock at the door and ask for help." So after a minute of hesitation, following my feelings, I mustered my courage, went to the door and knocked. A girl wearing jeans came down the stairs. I could see her through the small glass windows of the front door where I was standing.

When Things Come True

She did not open the door right away but just asked me what I wanted. I could not speak English, so I got my Russian-English dictionary to find the words I desired to express. After a few minutes, I finally succeeded to make her understand that I wanted a job and a place to live. She seemed not surprised at my request.

Afterwards, the door opened, she let me in the hallway with my suitcase and asked me if I had different clothes to put on. But I could not understand her, so she opened my bag to find a pair of jeans. And when she saw them, she gave them to me saying that I had to wear them.

After changing my clothes, she told me to follow her. She asked me the line of work I was in. I said to her that I worked with horses and was a rider. Her face lit and explained to me that she was a horse farm manager. Suddenly, it all made sense. Impossible dreams do come true! I was at the right place at the right time.

A Life Changing Opportunity

We got in her car and during the ride to the horse farm where she worked; she tried to speak to me but without real success. Finally we arrived at a horse farm called "Sandy Dubose Farm." It was a very big and beautiful place where horses grew for horse racing.

My new friend named Mary Smith told me to wait. Then she left to talk to the owner to see if she could get me a job. She came back after fifteen minutes later, announcing to me that I was hired as an exercise boy, a morning jockey if you will. My work was to ride and train horses each morning.

The Horse farm owner loved European horse riders and was glad to have me on her team. My impossible dreams had led me to a life-changing opportunity. Yet, there was more to come. Mary told me that after work, we would look for a place to live, and she had a good idea of where.

Impossible Dreams Do Come True

The house where Mary was living in on Fair Street divided into four apartments. She lived on the second floor but there was no room for me as it was too small. But that across the hall from her lived another girl, Bridget. And as she had a two bedrooms apartment, she maybe needed a roommate to share the rent with her.

So we finished my first day at work, the horses being cleaned and fed, we went to another horse farm. It was where the other girl worked. We found her riding. Bridget was a pretty blonde with green eyes. After telling her my story, Mary asked her if she was interested in having a roommate, and she agreed.

And that is how, in a few hours' time, I got a job and a place to live in the United States. So never give up on your dreams because impossible dreams do come true if you want them hard enough.

You Can Do Anything

People often forget that life gives them countless of possibilities and choices. They are too busy in their day-to-day routine that they lose sight of what they can do if they put their minds to it. Understand that a vegetable seed has no other choice than to become a vegetable. Its fate is locked into that one reality. But you have infinite potential at your disposal. You can do anything you want.

• Think any thought you desire.
• Change careers.
• Learn any language.
• Travel to any country.
• Learn any craft or skill.
• Start any business.
• Begin any project.

So, do not be afraid to have impossible dreams others think are unimaginable. Start working towards them. Be crazy in your dreams. Plan when you can. But remember that you have to take risks when you can't. To discover your true limits and what can come true, you do need to challenge your own beliefs about what is real or not.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Impossible-Dreams-Do-Come-True&id=9892630

Top 3 Books for Inspiration on How To Work Smarter, Not Harder (By Bianca Z)

Working smarter, not harder! So what else is out there but college, job, debt and working until you die? What other kind of lifestyle is possible?

I love working smarter. And I know this because I started my professional life working HARD. And yes, I got burned out. I "managed" to develop the chronic fatigue syndrome before turning 30. This is why I love working smarter, not harder. And by smarter, I also mean being honest, legal and with respect and dedication for what you do.

So how is that even possible? Where to start?

I was studying for my BA in business in economics, when I was thinking what to do with my life. Pursuing good grades, so I can keep my scholarship. I wanted to be a good student, so I can have good recommendations. Those would help me get a good job, and once I had my own income and not be supported by parents, my life could actually begin. Sounds familiar?

At age 19, I was searching for information on a project I had to finish in the university library. As I was wandering around the isles, I stumbled upon a title that sounded not at all academic. It said "Rich dad, poor dad" by Robert Kiyosaki. Hm! That made me curious. I picked it up and read the back cover. I took it with me and read it in the following days.

Wow! That was the turning point! I was so grateful to have found it so early in life! And a bit sad I hadn't read it at about 12! I dare to say it was life changing! It showed me what else out there would be possible, how to do something else in life, to earn a good living, and not be an employee for the rest of my life! In an honest way, again! After that, I started looking for alternatives. Wondering what else is out there that I haven't heard of. And now of course, simply reading that book didn't mean I read it, snapped my fingers and turned into a millionaire. But I know I am making considerably better life decisions than not having those information.

I will put below a summary of the books that I found so far and have a tremendous effect on me. Specifically those books that teach and show something else than being a good employee.

1. Robert Kiyosaki: Rich Dad, Poor Dad: A book which is worth its weight in gold, for each copy that is being read by someone who has had no financial education. How can I summarize it so you can understand you need to read this word by word, by yourself? Let's see if I can succeed.

Chances are, you were born in a family where one or both income providers (parents, grandparents, older brothers) were employees. We too, have learnt, by imitation, the same thinking habits: get a job, work for others, be there on time, leave on time, get a paycheck (and live paycheck to paycheck). Also think about how wonderful would be if you had another job, with a bigger salary and more perks. This is what the author calls the rat race. Robert Kiyosaki explains very well how people who become wealthy think differently. They educate themselves (financially), take educated, calculated risks, learn what is necessary, not mandatory. Also, they develop a habit of saving, then LEARN to invest. And LEARN how to make money work for them. And all those concepts are very well explained.

On the other side, if I am to notice something that I dislike about this resource, is the fact that it tends to be a bit outdated in offering real-life examples; the business world and entrepreneurial opportunities have multiplied massively with the Internet and his work doesn't cover that area. Of course, the mindset and principles are still applicable, but the examples are of the old economy, primarily regarding physical products and real estate.

2. Choose Yourself by James Altucher. James Altucher is the kind of author that writes a lot about his personal experiences, very bluntly. And very openly, especially about his failures. He writes in blog style; unusual for a book but you'll appreciate his openness. Also, his personal blog is the main source of information and inspiration, because it's always keeping up with developments in the real business world (which is online-integrated).

Specifically in the mentioned book, James Altucher explains that the economy (and society) have already changed. We are now in an idea economy.That is, what is most valuable, unable to copy, unable to outsource to China and always in demand is your own creativity. Working smarter is necessary, working harder is no longer a winning formula. And the ability to reinvent what you do, what you have to offer to the world and the skills you mostly use in your daily life. James Altucher has a radical approach in his views. But we need to hear this, rather sooner than later.

The time of the employee is passing, the time of the artist-entrepreneur is coming. He shows that if you choose to be an employee and to work for a company, you must be aware that businesses change very, very, very fast. And not only that, but their focus is not people (as I'm sure all corporations state on their office walls) but PROFIT. And once the primary business purpose for which you were employed is no longer producing the desired profitability rate, the corporation will change. It will change the product offering, the processes, the assignments of people, they will change people, and the amount of people working.

The alternative proposed by James Altucher, both in his book, and in recurrent material he is creating on his blog, is the following: The momentum for being an employee has passed; now is the time of the artist entrepreneur. That means choosing yourself: doing what you love, something you love so much that you don't even feel like making an effort when you're working at it. I don't quote much, but I simply need to add this so you'll understand why you need to read this: "Success comes from continually expanding your frontiers in every direction-creatively, financially, spiritually, and physically. Always ask yourself, what can I improve? Who else can I talk to? Where else can I look?". Working smarter means, in this case, doing what you love so that you don't even feel like working!

What I didn't like very much about this author's approach is the sometimes overly personal references. At least, I find he shares too much of his own doubts, negative views or personal experiences. Sometimes this is depressing. That makes me say his content is useful through advocating for originality and entrepreneurship. Still the way he takes one side on some topics doesn't make me feel he offers the wisest advice.

For example, he wrote on why he believes young people should not go to college: investing tens of thousands of dollars, four years and getting a diploma in a field that will soon be outdated. Instead offers 40 different ideas on what to do for really pushing your life forward and gaining business experience. While this might seem like a balanced approach from him, it becomes balanced merely for adults who already have the knowledge and discipline for many years of work. For young people graduating from high school - coming across this kind of advice, I believe it can be causing serious limitation, because an 18 year old doesn't usually have the discipline, sense of reality and work ethic that comes with persisting in achieving something: like a degree, or working to make a living while also studying. Having been through that stage myself not so long ago, I can say that has helped me a lot to build resilience and motivation!

To conclude on this one, I do recommend following James Altucher with his online resources, he offers many different materials on various topics, with a definitely original content. As always, personal judgement is needed to make the best decisions for yourself, irrespective of where you find inspiration.

At the time I'm writing this, I just came back with my feet on Earth after being in the cloud listening to an amazing audiobook that made me every 9 to 10 minutes or so ask myself: "Why didn't I think about this earlier?" or "Wow! I believed common folks didn't have access to such things" or "Why didn't I try this earlier?" and especially "I HAVE HAD THIS EBOOK ON MY COMPUTER FOR MORE THAN 3 YEARS! Why didn't I read it by now?". I believe this is the best resource I've found so far on the topic of working smarter. So here it is:

3. The 4 Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. This is full of incredible tools for a freedom-loving lifestyle. This is full of exact, step by step indications on how to use some tools that you believed are reserved only to the lucky few, born rich. Tim Ferriss is talking about: personal assistants and how to find incredibly educated, dedicated and effective people for a very affordable price (yes, such things do exist!). Also, he is talking about how to make money with you business in the developed markets (like the US) and spend it where they have much more value - like in Thailand, while living on a beach.

It's something you probably haven't heard much until now. A kind of book that hasn't been written before. It is the roadmap from being overworked and overstressed to becoming one of the New Rich. In this decade, this means: having a passive source of income, working a few hours a week and dedicating your time to what matters most to you: your family? Your children? Travelling? Sports? Social volunteering? Talk about working smarter!

If this is to have a downside, it's the following: the information here is not for everybody. Although employees also would find value in it, this is mainly a praise of the entrepreneur turned investor. This is a book full of tools for the courageous ones. So if your personal values are security, predictability and risk avoidance - don't try this; it will only frustrate you and make you believe that like such things don't exist.

For getting inspiration, I do recommend reading this book. eBook, audiobook, you'll want it all in the end, so you can track your progress. Tim is also a former Princeton student and a "rebellious" who has turned his back to the old system of living. He went through the established path of raising a successful young man and he invented his own way.

To sum up all the above, I hope you'll find inspiration in the resources I've mentioned. Each and every one of us is unique, so everything I've mentioned will impress you and apply to you in a different way. However, I hope you'll select valuable ideas to enhance what you already are mixing to create a better life for yourself!

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A Creative Dent Allows You to Think Outside the Box

            

To think outside the box, and see things differently, is a farce. You are told to comply, and by no means given a framework.

To begin with, creativity is a superpower, which allows the mind to tap into and explore, an unchartered land of emotion, hope, sacrifice, and wisdom.

Although, it is paramount to establish a mechanism to understand how your creative juices begin to flow. The most expedient form of the method is "self-exploration" or an online assessment test. The two sections of your cognitive brain include a logical and an emotional hemisphere. Further, self-analysis is a handy tool to increase your productivity, the end result makes it an incalculable asset. Consequently, this may ensue in an efficacious time management regime or a life changing experience.

The possibilities are limitless, you can be a videographer, artistic director, brand manager, graphic designer, a website designer, or an uninteresting person. The prime focus here is to force a holistic "Dent" on an object, create a unique picture in the mind, and discover the magic of solving complex problems.

Moreover, to create a framework, you will invest time, resources, and efforts into creating a pattern that works for you. For instance, if you are more productive in the morning, you may assign tasks which require a fresh perspective to finish.

Remember, "The steps are pivotal, and lead you to a solution." Creativity is just an extension to the momentous affairs in your routine.

Creativity is a non decrepit terminology, and if you define it in simple words "creativity is anything that differentiates you from others", it even has the potential to monetize your ideas.

The decision makers of today use critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving together, to find solutions that otherwise do not exist. It is the essence of all things, and success depends on your finest creative resolution. Creativity ranges anywhere from an intellectually stimulating article, to a blog post which depicts the raw emotions of a writer. To warn the audience, once hit from a creative enlightenment, and you can never return to your prior reflections and the way of doing things. The key word here is an underlying curiosity, a desire to discover things. To unleash your true potential, it is suggested to analyze the bent, formulate a framework, and start working on things that you love doing. Even if your outcome is not at 100%, you can tweak the process and the results. Finally, wasting a beautiful mind is a soft mental crime.

I leave you with an innocent question, "Would you like to deprive the world from the magic of a capable mind?"

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Making Your Life Choices

There are times in our lives where we sometimes wish we had never said something or when we made an action we later regretted. "If only I had kept my big mouth shut or not done that... Everything would have been OK."

The choices we make can land others and us in deep trouble. They can be life changing. Why do we do it? It's not as if it's always a surprise to us.

Our partner says something to us in the morning, we snap back, they retaliate and snap back louder, before we know it a slanging match is in full swing and when we leave to go to work, we don't leave on good terms, we rush off, slam the door behind us and drive the car as if we were on a race track.

Can you recall the self-talk (speaking to ourselves in our mind), still having the argument in your head, going over it again and again, and thinking of even better ways to put your partner in her or his place!

Wow, aren't we cool! What a great way to treat one another.

Actually, it gets even worse. Let's play out the scenario...

We'll say the driver of the car is Tony, and his partner left behind in tears is Helen.

Tony, still driving like crazy eventually gets to work and makes himself a cup of coffee to help to calm himself down. A colleague asks how he is today and Tony grumbles about his wife. Amazingly, a couple of hours later we find Tony laughing and joking with his work mates and forgotten all about Helen left at home in tears.

Tony is happy, working away, seemingly not a worry in the world.

5pm and it's time to go home. Tony says cheerio to his work mates, with a few laughs on the way out. Tony jumps into his car and heads off to home, radio on and believe it or not is singing away. Then all of a sudden the mood starts to change. It's as if a dark cloud of depression has clouded Tony's mind. He starts to reflect on what happened in the morning, and going over the words exchanged between Helen and himself.

Tony starts to drive more erratically, switches the radio off, and is cursing under his breath.

On arriving home, Helen has also returned from work. Tony goes into the house, slams the door, throws his car keys on the table, and goes to the lounge-room to put on the TV. Walking past Helen, who still looks quite sad. I'm sure Helen has not had a good day.

What has happened?

I'm going to stay with Tony here. What has he done? Well, for starters he made choices. When Helen snapped at him in the morning it might have been because she was frustrated with things going on in their lives at the moment. After all, Tony is not the easiest person to live with.

Tony, whether he thinks so or not made a decision, a choice, and not a very good one. He decided to retaliate.

One thing we all have in common is the ability to make choices. These may be good or bad ones, but nevertheless, a choice. The only thing missing sometimes is the wisdom to know which way to go. There are times we need to stand up for others, and ourselves and it could get heated, but it could be the right decision depending on the circumstances.

Getting back to Tony. What sort of decision do you think he made? Good or bad? Right or wrong?

Tony made a bad decision, not only for his wife, but also for himself. Let's explain...

By Tony snapping back at Helen and maintaining his mental disharmony (for want of a better word) he can set the scene for the day for not only his wife, but also himself. But wait; half way through the day Tony is laughing and joking with his work mates. OK he is not at home with his wife, but he has changed his demeanor. Why? He made a choice to. Whether subconscious or deliberate, he changed from his angry mood on arrival, to now a happy one. He made a choice. But wait again; on Tony's way home he starts to revert back to his morning's temperament.

Why? Whether subconscious or deliberate, he made a choice.

I know sometimes people can be in bad moods all day, and again they choose to. There has to come a time when we draw a line in the sand and make a quality decision. And by quality decision, I mean one that you have determined not to back down from.

We all have alternatives to choose from. Tony at the beginning of the day could have stifled out Helen's anger by making a quality decision to try to understand why Helen is in such a state. And if it's because of Tony's attitude, we need to be man enough to take it on the chin, broaden our shoulders, and show Helen the real man she lives with.

When you are confronted with an undesirable situation, step back, assess, draw that line in the sand and determine to make a quality decision not to cross it, but find an alternative that will be a blessing to all concerned. So what, if at times you might have egg on your face, won't it be worth it?

Can we do it? Yes we can!

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7 Easy Steps to Think Positive and Change Your Life

Positive thinking can add so much to your life - and now we know that positive thinking can add years to your life. When you think positive you get rid of stress and tend to live a healthier life and make better choices. If you're naturally a negative thinker, there are ways you can change that thinking and get on the path to a life-changing way of thinking.

If you really want to begin to think positively and change your life for the better, look at the following steps you can incorporate into your own lifestyle:

1. Be responsible for your thoughts. No one can tell you what to think or controls how you react to your thinking. When you begin to take responsibility for your thoughts, you'll face the reality of what they're doing to or for you and be more able to change those negative thoughts.

2. Plan to think positively. So many of our thoughts come from the subconscious mind. When you plan to think positively, you won't be as apt to take what you're thinking as reality. Instead, you have the time and opportunity to think it over and come to the conclusion that reflects the reality of the situation.

3. Avoid negative people. Negative people can ruin your best laid plans to think positively. They can feed the fire of self-doubt and anxiety. It can sometimes be classified as a crowd-mentality, so don't fall prey to it. Think for yourself.

4. Write down your thoughts. It's helpful if you can see at the end of the day what your thoughts have been. For awhile, take the time to write them down. You'll see what went wrong with your thoughts and be able to improve them.

5. Consider the repercussions. For example, if you have a deadline for an assignment and it becomes clear that you're not going to meet it, consider what might happen. If you finish it on time, it won't be as good as you wanted. If you take more time, it may cause other problems. Also, consider solutions. For example, you could ask for an extension to the deadline.

6. Minimise catastrophic thinking. Rather than thinking the worst about a situation, try to minimize it and lower your anxiety level by being practical about it. If you're susceptible to those thoughts, avoid situations (such as television news) that might cause of anxious thinking.

7. Live for the moment. When you spend too much time trying to guess or analyze the future, you'll convince yourself of failure - especially if you've failed in the past. If you think you'll fail, you probably will.

Accept the reality that you can control your thoughts. You'll become more empowered to face stressful situations in your life and to change the way you think. It will become easier to maintain a positive attitude the more you practice thinking positively.

However, if you want a life without doubt and fear and where neither anxiety nor emotional imbalance is affecting your life's outcomes; where your life is giving you:-

• Complete balance and harmony in your love life and your professional life.
• Emotional Freedom to feel at peace, calm and in control embracing who you are.
• Claiming and owning your personal power and;
• Believing and trusting in a future where you feel unlimited in what you can achieve.

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Developing the Habit of Abundant Thinking

You're a big dreamer. People who aren't like us don't understand our pie-in-the-sky dreams, but we wouldn't feel like us without them. You want to change your life, financially and otherwise.

You know that you're going to make it big someday. You repeat this belief to your spouse, your parents, and your kids. But, there's always something getting in your way. Why hasn't it happened yet?

You think:

"If only I buy this product, my life is totally going to change."

"If only I get a hold of this tool, it will all come together."

"If only I could get rid of this problem in my life, I could have made it big already!"

"If only I had more money, I could really succeed in earning a good income."

"If only I had more time, I could make more money."

These are thoughts you repeat to yourself to mask what's really going on. Do you, deep down, think things are going to change on their own? Can you really see yourself becoming one of the ones who make it big with your dream?

If you've been at this for a while and you're still dreaming instead of doing, or if you're doing and not getting anywhere, then you might have a scarcity mindset and it's holding you back.

I like to use the visual of "treading water" because that's really what it's like. Your feet are kicking away like crazy and you're dead-tired from all the work and effort you're putting in. But you're not getting anywhere because you're too scared and the current is working against you. The observers standing on shore can tell you're not getting anywhere.

You mean well and you work hard, so why isn't it coming together? You know you'd much rather be swimming through life with ease but something is holding you back.

That something is you... and believe me, I've been where you are.

You have a scarcity mindset that tells you that you can't achieve your dreams-- that you may not even deserve to achieve your dreams. This mindset mocks you and torments you but it does it in a silent way so you don't even realize it's invaded your brain.

It's time to stare the scarcity monster in the face and take control. It's time to develop a mindset of abundance so you can change your life in incredible and measurable ways.

The Backwards Power of a Scarcity Mindset

                                 

How is it that these subconscious thoughts can have so much control over your life? To understand that, it's helpful to understand how I'm defining "scarcity mindset."

A scarcity mindset boils down to the belief that wealth, achievement, and happiness are meant for other people. This mindset may be so encoded in your mind that it's never even occurred to you that it's there. You might have an ingrained belief that money is bad, that striving to earn more is bad, and that you're bad if you don't stick to what's expected of you.

You may believe, deep down, that money is the root of all evil (the more accurate saying is that the love of money is the root of all evil, but many people believe the first version). You may believe that it's impossible, immoral even, to earn money if it didn't come from the result of blood, sweat, and tears.

In your heart, you may believe that your life is going to change in so many scary and unpredictable ways if you do achieve your goals that it's definitely safer to stay in the situation you're in right now, even if that means living a life of financial hardship and self-perceived failure.

There's a social aspect to this as well. People love to complain about how hard life is and they take pleasure in finding similar misery in others. People at work love to gather around the water cooler and talk about how hard everything is and how much their job stinks. It's expected in our society that we go to work, attempt to climb some arbitrary ladder of success, and hate every minute of it. It's expected that a certain number of people will earn a ton of money but the rest of us will fight for the leftovers. That's just how it is, and who are you to rock the boat?

You're you, that's who.

You've felt a calling to do something different and more. This calling might make you feel guilty, particularly if no one in your life really understands. Work for yourself? Strive to earn more? The concept seems completely nuts to a lot of people. Their perception can make you feel completely nuts.

But then, you start to meet people who are making it big. Or, you see their stories in the news. These people are earning a ton of money and they make it seem so easy. You know there are scams out there, but the people you've met seem to be completely legit. People spend an incredible amount of money, you reason, so there has to be someone at the other end of that.

You start digging into the various business models and see stars and dollar signs in your eyes. It's a complete rush-- the endorphins are going and you're energized, happy, and sure your life is about to change in a major way.

You buy a ton of stuff, tell everyone you know about it, and try to get it to work. But it doesn't work. The money doesn't start rolling in, after all. You spend all this time in panic and desperation, you've spent all this time trying these different methods, you've spent bucket loads of money, but it's not working.

And again, I can empathize with you. I've been there, done that, and survived to talk about it.

You know it's possible to achieve your dreams. You know there are dozens of viable profit models within and you've tried so many of them. But you're still stuck at your old job or with no job at all, except now you have credit card bills on top of it all. You've wasted time and you just feel completely crushed. You were dreaming and hoping so big and look at you now.

                               

What if I told you this is one of the most common stories among those who are ready for more? What if I also told you that I have the cure?

It doesn't come in the form of a pill or a bottle or a push-button course that's going to "put piles of money into your bank account." Everything you need is what you're reading right in front of you. If you're feeling lost and frustrated and terrified that you'll never reach your goals, never earn enough money, and never feel good about your business or life again, stay tuned. The answers are here and I know these revelations are going to be very life changing for a lot of people...

... including, hopefully, you.

How to Develop an Abundance Mindset

Now that you recognize the possibility that you have a scarcity mindset, it's time to figure out how to change things. I don't write about having a scarcity mindset to make people feel bad or to feel like there's no hope. There absolutely is hope that you can ditch that mindset and attract abundance in your life. This is true even if you think certain patterns in your childhood brought you to this point or you feel like you're totally stuck.

Have you heard of "The Secret," a very popular book from several years ago? Don't worry; I'm not going to get into too much of some of the more controversial airy-fairy content from that book and movie. But I am going to talk about the Law of Attraction.

Whether you believe in its more mystical qualities or not, it's indisputable that, on average, people who are positive, seek positive opportunities, and have a mindset of success tend to find success. Those who are negative, turn down new opportunities, and have a mindset of scarcity do not tend to find success.

You can find a lot of material about The Law of Attraction if you're curious about that more mystical side, but I'm going to distill it down to the above, for the purposes of this content. Think positively and actively seek positivity in your life, and you will find it. If you actively look for problems and why things can't or won't work, you'll attract negativity in your life.

It's sort of like when I was driving down the highway, and my wife said to me that most of the cars we were encountering were white. I hadn't noticed that, but as soon as she said it, my senses were tuned into car colors, and sure enough, there were more white cars than silver or red or blue or black.

I'm not saying that the fact that I was noticing this made them suddenly turn white, but what I'm saying is that expecting positive things to happen to you in your life can easily tune you into opportunities that you'd otherwise miss.

If you think things won't work, they won't. If you come up with all the reasons why you won't succeed, you won't. If you think your customers won't buy, they won't, or at least they won't in the numbers that you want.

Unfortunately, even if you become aware of these patterns and thoughts, your subconscious mind can sneak into the background and will make you revert back to old patterns. This is true even if you've made a decision to develop a new habit or make changes to reach a goal.

You'll self-sabotage so you don't reach your goals because your subconscious feels its job is to make you stick to what's "true" about you. If you don't believe you deserve to have money, your subconscious will sabotage you. That's why it's time to change your internal beliefs and mindset. You need to have an abundance mindset so your subconscious will not sabotage you, rather it will aid you in ways you won't even realize.

                                       

Think of This in a Whole New Way

We were born to be creative, smart thinkers. We are designed to use our minds to make our lives and the lives of others better. If you go through life with a scarcity mindset, you won't just be holding yourself back; you'll be preventing others from benefiting from the great things you're going to do with your life.

When you think of it like that, it almost seems selfish to stick to your old patterns and have a scarcity mindset. There are wonderful things waiting for you, you just have to tap into them. Your outcomes and success can be anything you want them to be. Commit yourself to changing your life and the lives of others and you just might be more motivated to follow through.

Consider how you feel about yourself. Do you feel you're worthy of finding success? You have to think of yourself in a positive way. You're a good person who is going to do wonderful things. If you believe you're bad or unworthy, you're not going to get very far.

The classic and beloved Winnie The Pooh stories feature an Eyeore character that is always gloomy. He's negative and expects that bad things will happen to him. So, bad things happen to him. He doesn't live in a nice house like his friends, though they are always trying to help him build one.

Don't be an Eyeore. Life really isn't that serious or bad. The money is out there, you deserve it, you can help a lot of people, and you live in a fantastic time where you can create your success, and quickly. There is literally nothing standing in your way.

By the way, having an abundance mindset doesn't mean everything will run smoothly all the time. You will make mistakes and bad things will happen in life and in business. But when you have an abundance mindset, you'll be able to bounce back very quickly. Nothing will hold you down for very long. You'll know that as long as you're alive, you're going to live life on your own terms and you are going to succeed.

Your Abundance Mindset Will Determine Your Outcomes

What do you believe success means? It's important to define this for yourself so you can work toward that. You might find that your concept of "success" changes when your mindset changes. In order to achieve your goals, they have to be measurable and realistic. But what you believe is realistic and achievable right now might be different after you've read this content and applied its concepts.

You have to believe that you are an intelligent, kind, creative, and quick-thinking individual. That will come across in everything you do in your business and in your life. If you think badly of yourself, you're going to hold yourself back. You won't take the bull by the horns and do what it takes, because you won't believe you have what it takes.

It doesn't matter what you're going through right now, or how much money you do or don't have right now. You can change. It doesn't matter how old or young you are, you'll see the positive changes you want to see in your life if you develop an abundance mindset.

If you think abundantly, you'll find abundance. If you believe you can do amazing things, you will do amazing things. If you believe that you can live life on your own terms, find success, and help people along the way, you will.

The Power of Opportunity

Think back to the past year or so. Did you take every great opportunity that came your way? Or, were you too scared or worried or totally ignored the opportunity? Reflect on this and really be honest with yourself as you consider whether you've truly taken every opportunity that was presented to you.

Successful people with a mindset of abundance are always on the lookout for new opportunities. They want to try new things (that are in line with their goals), work with new people, and take risks others aren't willing to take.

If you want to be more successful, and develop a mindset of abundance, it's time to seize the opportunities that present themselves to you. Take some risks-- it's scary, but it's how success stories are made.

Right now, the opportunities might not be very clear. It might feel like every door is closed to you. Reflect on why this is and start to brainstorm where these opportunities might be lurking. They will quickly come out of the shadows so you can seize them to work in your life.

One story I love to tell is about when I owned a retail store. We sold collectibles, and mostly to boys and their fathers. At one point I sensed an opportunity to get into a new line of merchandise, whose main customer base was girls and mothers. I'm talking about Beanie Babies (back in the 1990's).

So when I proposed this new product line to my wife, she was against the idea, but I convinced her that the initial inventory cost would be modest, and we should just try it for a while.

Long story short, that decision totally changed my life. Because of that, I got into an entirely different line of merchandise that I could sell not only in my store, but on the Internet. I first sold on eBay, and then set up my own web site, and things just exploded from there.

I saw possibilities rather than problems, and that path has led me to where I am today.

Creating a New View of Yourself and Living a Life of Abundance

                                 

You want to develop a mindset of abundance, so you have to change the way you view yourself. Let's do an exercise that can help you see an instant new view. Create a list of 10 things you believe to be true about yourself as a person and a businessperson.

Now, create a list of 10 things you think others believe to be true about you.

Then, ask close friends and family members to list the top 10 things they think of when they think of you.

This is an interesting exercise. The three lists might be fairly closely aligned, or you might find some major surprises in your answers and in the answers of others. Either way, the way you feel and present yourself to the world will be made clear. That can be eye opening in a way that can help you get unstuck and come closer to the person you want to be with the mindset you want to have.

Awareness is the first step. Then, it's changing your views and patterns. You can become conscious of some of your more negative thoughts so you can take steps to change them. Studies show that it takes around 21 to 30 days to create a new habit. I recommend working on just one thing at a time.

For instance, do you tend to complain that you don't have enough time to work on your business? That's a scarcity mindset. You have 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour a day. You can get a lot done in that time. Every little bit helps, and someone with an abundance mindset would see that right away and would chip away at their larger projects until the success started rolling in more quickly than they expected. Focus on changing your view and habit that you don't have enough time.

Or, maybe you're not willing to invest anything into your business. You hate the idea of spending any money at all, even if you know you're likely to turn that money into huge profits, very soon. You think something will happen, or that the money will disappear, or something else terrible will happen. Turn that pessimism into optimism. You don't have to spend money you don't have, but giving up a few bucks for a method or tool or advertising strategy that can give you major returns is just smart business. If this is an issue for you, focus on changing this habit and this mindset issue this month.

As you can see, habits help form our beliefs about ourselves. We have well worn patterns in our lives. We do the same things and think the same things and always will, even if we set lofty goals, until we break down the habits, thoughts, and beliefs that are causing the problems and take steps to change them to form a life and business of abundance.



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Learn The Best Way To Be Happy And How To Do Better Through Increased Self-Worth

I'm calling you out and issuing a life changing challenge. Unravel and unwind! Yes, it's not anything quite that remarkable or complicated.

Here's what I'm thinking...

The thought occurred to me which turned into an idea how much better the whole world would be if I, in my own ways, was able to begin living with increased self-worth, and by turns get 10 others to focus on themselves and do the same.

There are reasons and examples all around us so that those people with any understanding at all need to be able to recognize we have got to do better.

We need to do better at getting in relating with one another through genuine connection.

The Course in Miracles states, "When you meet anyone, remember it is a holy encounter. As you see him you will see yourself."

When another human fails to reach their full potential or gets drawn into one of life's numerous black holes, our interconnectedness makes and weakens humanity more separated.

All of us know it is.

We think to ourselves, "How may I make my life better?"

You can do better and live with increased self-worth by understanding that we are more whole and alike than we are different and separated.

We all want to live a happy life. Doesn't it just make good sense then that we should be helping one another more as a way to live a happy life and moving on individually?

The Course in Miracles teaches us that, "This is perfect creation by the perfectly created, in union with the Perfect Creator."

Having increased self-worth is in recognizing that we are all interconnected.

To do better is recognizing that those few zones where we do vary is due to cause and effect working to bring us closer together and lead us to increased self-worth and wholeness.

My being able to listen to and share your experiences with you and vice versa is a favorable.

Wouldn't you agree?

To do better is taking the time to comprehend the point of view of the individual you feel you have conflict with. Why do they feel that way about the point in question?

Feel it with them.

We have actually got to do better. If we don't who's going to?

And so the underlying difficulty is this:

Do better. Be much better, and live a happy life.

Look to be open and honest with those you are presented an opportunity to get better acquainted.

Discover what you may be able to do to help them get to where they want to be, then help them get there. That would be doing much better.

Life is about connection. Focus on connection and better relationships.

To your increased self-worth!

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10 Motivational Blogs That Will Change Your Life

Addicted2Success

Addicted2Success seeks to empower and educate their following using educational materials, positive messaging and life changing stories from around the world. In just four and a half years, Addicted2Success' content has garnered 54 million views.

Tiny Buddha

Tiny Buddha combines a motivational blog, community discussion board, and an abundant supply of inspirational quotes. Tiny Buddha is a great place to get your fix of inspiration and connect with like-minded people.

The Utopian Life

The Utopian Life was created by Thai Nguyen to share bits of wisdom, the latest research, and unique ideas. The Utopian Life provides their content to serve as a tool to help motivate readers to make positive growth.

Planet of Success

Planet of Success, unlike many other blogs, focuses on quality over quantity. Steve Mueller writes and curates Planet of Success with a model that focuses on quality over quantity. While there may not be new content uploaded every day, the content that gets published is relevant and based on real experience.

Everyday Power

Everyday Power takes a more in-depth approach to motivation and focuses on long-term strategies for personal growth, rather than simple "tips" and "tricks. The blog features hundreds of influential authors from around the world.

Positively Positive

Positively Positive is... well, positive. They have broadcasted posts from over one million people that relate to living a positive life and getting motivated to make the change you desire.

The Daily Motivator

The Daily Motivator is a great way to start each day off on a positive note. Ralph Marston authors this blog which posts daily positive reminders and inspirational anecdotes to help you get motivated.

The Change Blog

The Change Blog is a unique community of 50,000+ people, sharing their own experiences. The articles vary immensely so you will be able to find anything you are looking for.

Motivation Grid

Motivation Grid covers a variety of topics. Promoting their message through authentic stories, tips, quotes, and motivational videos.

PickTheBrain

PickTheBrain was established in 2006 and have since become a leader in online self-improvement. PickTheBrain provides articles on a broad spectrum of topics related to self-improvement and motivation.

That's all!

We hope you found our list helpful! Our mission is to help enable people to reach their goals and quite often the biggest obstacle to achieving your goals can be finding a way to stay motivated.

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How to Manifest Your Wealth - Your Wish Is Your Command

We are making decisions all the time. From the most trivial to the life changing, we all need to decide what to say, how to behave and how to respond to the people and situations that cross our path. Ultimately, our decisions determine what we attract into our lives.

How do you make these decisions? What do you base your decision-making on? For many, it is something external, such as a religious belief system. Most people, however - even those with strong religious beliefs - make decisions based on those around them. When we are still very young, we learned that the approval of our parents was vital for getting what we wanted and, as we got older, our education system reinforced the idea that the approval of other people is important. We were taught that 'making a good impression' and presenting ourselves well in front of others is the key to a successful life.

The sad thing is that we never get over this, and it often turns into a real problem. How other people perceive us becomes so important that our behavior is completely dominated by worrying about what we look like to others. In effect, we are letting other people 'pull our strings.' We allow ourselves to become puppets, dancing to the changing tune of other people's beliefs and moods.

Our tendency to let other people pull our strings means, however, that we lose touch with our connection to what could be called our 'higher self' or our 'inner wisdom.' I believe that we are all connected the same source - we all come from the same place, and a connection to this 'life source' is essential to getting life to work for us. We cannot be in the driving seat unless we are in touch with our source or, if you prefer, our inner guide.

Being in touch with source doesn't mean meditating for hours each day. It isn't esoteric, but it does require a shift in our mentality. Instead of looking outward, to other people, for our guidance, we need to look inward.

... we are all connected the same source - we all come from the same place, and a connection to this 'life source' is essential to getting life to work for us.

It may be hard for us to trust ourselves - maybe we've been told for decades that making decisions without reference to the outside world is selfish or even dangerous. I've even heard someone say that without an external code of conduct such as a religious belief system, she would lie, cheat, steal and do all sorts of other wicked things! I think it is very sad when someone loses sight of his own inner guidance to such an extent, but it is not uncommon.

Regaining a connection to our source, or 'inner wisdom' isn't hard, but it takes a little time and gentle persistence. Try spending a few moments each day, perhaps before you go to sleep, speaking to your inner guide. Share yourself with your guide; share your problems and concerns; ask him or her any questions you have. Over time, your connection to this inner guide will become stronger - you'll get to know who s/he is. Your inner wisdom will, if listened to, become a great friend and will enable you to make good choices.

I guess the Law of Attraction needs no introduction! I'm sure you've heard about it, and maybe you've seen 'The Secret.' Let me clear - I think that a lot of the movies, the books and the products you are bombarded with on the Internet are of little value - hyped up, slick, well marketed and packaged, with one purpose - to relieve you of your money.

But that doesn't mean there's nothing in it at all. Far from it. I was reading about the so called 'Law of Attraction' for many years before 'The Secret,' and I stared using some of the stuff that's now so over-hyped in my own life. Let's go through the basic ideas. This comes from Ester Hicks, the author of a number of books on this subject which I do think are worthwhile.

'Nothing merely shows up in your experience. You attract it - all of it. No exceptions.'

But how do we 'attract' these things? Abraham explains that it's all to do with thought: 'You get what you think about; whether you want it or not.'

Ester goes on to explain that there is a foolproof way you can tell whether what you're thinking about is something you want to experience or not. This is simply the way you feel.

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