It Could Have Been Me (By Dave Harm)

He who is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her - John 8:7

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? - Matthew 7:3-5

I make some extra money working in the security field at a major transportation hub in the United Kingdom. As such I meet people from all sorts of life. And many of these lives I have lived. I can walk down the road from one location to another and see a dozen homeless people. Holding a cup begging for loose change.

It is hard not to look and see the loss of a will to live. Eyes that are dead. Bodies that are well underweight. Faces that are sunk in. Workers at homeless shelters say it is not wise to give these folks money because it keeps their lifestyle going. If they don't receive any money than they may go to a shelter to get the help they need.

I can't judge these folks. I have been homeless. I was homeless because I lost a job. Why did I lose a job? Because I was a drunk and an addict. When you get to that point it is hard to get away from it. I'm not sure what the answer is but giving them your pennies is not the answer.

In the city of Manchester (England) they have started a charity to raise funds for the homeless. This is a start. If the majority of the money is used for the sheltering, feeding, medical care, and helping these folks become part of society again then it is well worth it. Time will tell.

Another group of people I see a lot. Are women of the night. Prostitutes. Like it or not it is a profession. It is a service. I am on a talking basis with a couple of these ladies. Most of the time, I see them late at night - after their work is done. I see them carrying their backpacks with what I assume is their "work uniforms." They are dressed in plain clothes, jeans and a loose top just wanting to get home. We see each other and say hello and then I wish them a good day, which always rewards me with a smile and a thank you.

It wasn't until just recently I saw one of these ladies on her way to work. She had on her outfit, which left little to the imagination. Just by looking at her and our very light conversations, I believe she isn't an addict or an alcoholic. She is a lady who is trying to earn money. Whether it is right or wrong doesn't matter. She is working, she is earning a living. She isn't stealing from anyone. She is not robbing some store for money.

What I found sad about it was seeing her basically with nothing on. She was all business, as in she didn't try to cover anything up, nor did she break eye contact with me. Without saying a word, she was telling me that she was still the same person that I say hi too. The same person whose chest and ass was exposed for any customer to see, is the same person I chat with who wears jeans and plain trainers.

When I started this job, I was told that I can't be nice with "them" or they will walk all over me. I never really separated them from me. Who are "them"? I can't judge. I have been homeless and there is no doubt in my mind that if I could have made money selling my body I would have done that as well. The only difference between me and these ladies that I have met is that they are doing it to keep a roof over their heads, while I would have done it to feed my addiction.

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What Is Holding You Back From Being a Success

Given all the discussions we have, books being written, and seminars being taught on success you would imagine that we are living in a generation of exceptional successful people. But is that really the case? Have we been overtaken by a tsunami of people living the dream and being successful?

Far from it. Certainly, the rich are getting richer given how our laws are tilted towards making that so. And there are those who rise up to become successful, but they are in the minority. Overall a lot of people feel stuck in the mire of mediocrity unsure of what their next steps should be.

It is possible that there is something holding you back from embracing a lifestyle of success you are so worthy of achieving. Sadly, there are not many sources out there to help you get unstuck. There are a few things under your control which may help you to come out of the mud and step into the lifestyle and benefits of being successful;

• What is your personal definition of success - before you can begin any journey you must know the destination you are seeking to arrive at. Success means different things to different people. For some its finishing college, getting married, moving into a new house or landing that dream job. Whatever your definition is you should write it down, so you can be very clear about what success means to you.

• Review your past - take a good look at how you were raised. What environment did you grow up in? Was it accepting or demanding? Did you feel like you were loved or that you had to prove that you were worthy of being loved? Even if you grew up in a performance driven environment but knew you were loved it can help you to strive towards being successful today.

• Examine your present situation - are you surrounded by people who are pushing towards success or are you around people who could care less about success? Show me your friends and I can predict what your future will probably look like. Hang around people who are looking to be successful and those who have already attained a certain level of success.

• What are you willing to sacrifice - you cannot be successful doing what you are doing when what you are doing has not produced success. If you always do what you have always done you will always have what you already have now. You must step out of the box and take a chance at being great. See yourself living the life you deserve to live and ask yourself "what must I do to become this person I envision?

https://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-Holding-You-Back-From-Being-a-Success&id=10352974

How to Get Rid of Your Drinking Habit

Certainly drinking is a part of our lifestyle now, from business meetings to even family gatherings, an occasion is incomplete with quaffing a little. To be honest, little quantity of alcohol is good for your brain to relax and good sleep. It can even help you with a lot of infections if taken within a certain threshold. What happens is that people begin to depend on it, in other words, become alcohol addicts. Why does that happen? They simply tend to cross the threshold. Our body cannot handle too much amount of liquor, it takes on the liver and thus a healthy body turns into a diseased one. Getting a recovery from drinking habit is also tough but there's nothing to lose hopes for. One can do that with some patience and dedication. Here are some tips to help you combat this habit:

1. Know the triggers and avoid them:

For the starters, ask yourself, what triggers you to alcohol? Why do you find an escape? Is it some stress at your workplace or personal life? There must be a reason that triggers you to have it. Acknowledge it and make yourself understand that alcohol cannot be a solution to your problems. Don't be afraid to take support from others in helping you out. The key is to know yourself better and work on your limitations.

2. Develop a healthy lifestyle:

Ever thought of joining a gym or getting that perfect body you have always desired? Do it now. Join a gym, eat healthy and begin a healthy routine. If there are time limitations then you can start with simple morning walk. It is refreshing and will keep you positive the entire day. Avoid junks, cherish your body and take well care of it. Soon your urge to drink will fade away.

3. Avoid peer pressure:

The basic reason one drinks is because of peer pressure. It might be your colleagues or your school friends meeting after ages asking you to enjoy. Avoid them for a while. Avoid any person or group that can distract you. It might be difficult for you but not impossible. Keep reminding yourself of a recovery.

4. Join a support group:

Don't hesitate to join a support group. It won't make you any less from others rather help you miraculously. Talking to people, sharing stories, listening to theirs can be really motivating.

This is your journey and many will accompany you but no one can walk it for you. You have to fight with your craving by keeping a reminder in the back of your mind. This is not going to be easy but you can still do it. Have patience, don't lose hope and start towards a healthy routine.

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Things Everyone Needs to Understand About Work Related Stress

With so many companies around the world downsizing right now, more employees are finding themselves facing work related stress by trying to complete too much or being forced to take on too much when one of their colleagues leaves. There are things you need to know about this condition, it is very real and something seeking the help of an experienced and qualified work stress counsellor can giving you the coping techniques you need to manage each day effectively.

The first thing you are going to want to ensure is that you know the signs of work related stress, so you can see when you need to take action, possibly getting some professional help. Many companies will understand that you are facing stress related to your work, but most people want to keep it quiet and find a qualified work stress counsellor who will work with them in confidence moving forward.

The signs of this condition include everything from constantly feeling anxious to being irritable. Some people find that they lose interest in their jobs and their productivity levels drop, while others suffer with concentration and find that they have severe stomach problems. Sleep deprivation is another problem, being tired all the time and just wanting to get home and crawl back into bed.

It is imperative when you are being overloaded at work and you think you may be suffering from work stress that you take the time to take care of yourself. Ensure you start to exercise and move. If you tend to sit at your desk for hours on end, take a few minutes and walk around the office, get moving. You will also want to pay very close attention to your diet, incorporating a healthy eating plan into your busy lifestyle. The final thing to do to care for yourself is to make sure you get enough sleep. Go to bed early and get at least eight hours of sleep to recharge you for the next day.

Learn to be organised and prioritise. This can help you put together a balanced schedule that you can manage with ease. You must also learn the art of saying "no" without hurting feelings and take regular breaks throughout the day. Being organised and putting a priority list together at the beginning of each day and then focusing on your list to ensure all your duties are done will help you work in a methodical manner and reduce the stress relating to your work. It will also ensure you don't overload yourself, which will only increase your stress levels.

Get to know the signs that you may be stressed. This is important. So many people will start their day relaxed and then get busier and eventually they find that they are tired, they haven't stopped and they don't want to get out of bed the next day because they know what is waiting for them.

It is worthwhile if you are suffering from work stress to find a local counsellor who can work with you, identify the cause of your stress and provide you with coping techniques, such as relaxation and breathing techniques to help you manage your stress a little easier.

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7 Ways to Motivate Yourself to a Good Workout

1. Chuck all those fashion magazines away

First things first, you are not striving to achieve a healthy and active lifestyle to look a certain way or to become a certain body size. Nobody is made from the same mold - everyone's physique and genes differ. Whatever body features you have, embrace them and be proud of them. Stop reading magazines where every model has photoshopped images and have unrealistic beauty standards. Grab yourself some health related magazines or books to read on to know how you can make better health choices.

2. Get a workout buddy

It is always great to have a workout partner with you whether it is a friend, spouse, family member etc. Having a workout partner is a good idea because you can pump each other up and stay motivated if either one of you does not feel like working out.

3. Load your iPod with motivational songs and lectures

Make a separate playlist of motivational and inspiring songs that would pump you up for an awesome workout. YouTube is full of motivational speeches related to workouts that can keep you running on the treadmill for hours or jogging in the park early in the morning.

4. Build rapport with your trainer

It is always best to build a good relationship with your trainer. Your trainer will push you harder and motivate you to finish that last rep of squats or a 30kg bench press. There are many people who go to the gym and never bother to even have a conversation with their trainers and just do half hearted workouts and leave. You will be twice as likely to stay motivated in the gym knowing that there is someone watching over your exercises.

5. Workout as soon as you can

Head to the gym directly from work instead of going home because once you are home you will feel lazy and won't feel like going to the gym. Most companies have their own gym, so take full advantage of that as well.

6. Set an alarm

Set a workout alarm and reminder on your phone so that you don't have any excuses of "forgetting" to workout.

7. Find something that you love and substitute it for a workout

Gyms are not for everyone and that's OK because there are other options that you can take such as yoga, Zumba or swimming etc. All these are body toning activities and you end up feeling more energized after doing them.

Bonus tip:

It's a given that having a healthy diet goes hand in hand with an active lifestyle but every now and then if you miss a day of a workout or eat something unhealthy, don't let it make you feel guilty and give up. Everybody slips up, you just have to be persistent. And who said, a few cheat meals here and there aren't allowed?

https://ezinearticles.com/?7-Ways-to-Motivate-Yourself-to-a-Good-Workout&id=9820704

Less Stress, More Living

Stress is a real issue in these modern days. It is reported that people who regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress is 77%. We all experience stress in our lives but how do we handle it? Is it pharmaceuticals? Alcohol? Or do some of us, most of us just live with it. The thing is, living day by day with stress can have a serious impact in our lives over time. I have personally experience this by just not thinking about it and lock it deep inside a locked chess, beneath the deepest parts of my sea of thoughts. Whenever another event takes place that causes stress, I will just place it in there too. Days turn into weeks, weeks to months and before we know it, stress seems to creep out of this overflowing chest of unknowing results. I have never resolved these thoughts that cause these stress levels to climb higher and higher. Some of us are like bombs, one event triggers the mind and before you know it all those thoughts in this chest explodes out uncontrollably, over flooding our minds to where we can't seem to function or breath. This is what most would say is a panic attack. I have been there and it is the worse timing when it happens. So here are some simple ways in dealing with stress and resolve your thoughts instead of hiding them in this chest.

When enough, is enough!

1) Breath...

We all know how to do it! We have been doing it since the first breaths we have taken as an infant. Overtime are technique in breathing does get sloppy. Technique is everything. Sit down, close your eyes and breath. Focus on just your breathing, tune into your body and just focus on that. Slow it down and take deeper breaths, and remember! have good posture as you are sitting. Posture is key to breathing, it helps us gain more oxygen into our lungs. As you breath you will notice that your belly fills up with air first. But have you noticed? That you have more room underneath and on each side. Focus on breathing just a little deeper as you concentrate on breathing AND good posture. Slow down and take the time to take some deeper breaths and you will notice a change in your own conscious mind. It allows us to take this moment to really be present. Not the past, nor the future, but present.

Sam Harris has an amazing podcast that I heard his technique for breathing.

He truly explains in more in depth in this YouTube video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzMhLmErz5Q

2) Diet

Your diet can have an effect on your own personality. Eating unhealthy foods everyday can cause bloating. Overdoing your portions in your meals will leave you with plenty of extra calories that you end up storing away. Feeling bloated because you know you over ate, or over complicating your meal can have this affect. Just pay attention to your choices everyday. Do you really need sugary drinks at every meal? Mixing up all these complex carbs can definitely make your body harder to process everything and end up with an unhealthy feeling. Eating healthier can be a little challenging, but it is so much simpler than you think!

3) Exercise

We as humans were meant to move! push ourselves and overcome challenges and obstacles within our lives. Exercising in the morning, before work or anything you do allows us to wake up, get the blood moving and take anything that might come at us in our every day lives. Yoga is perfect for starting the day, you are already learning to breath better, have better technique sitting, take it to the next level! This is just the beginning, from yoga you will be more active and more inclined to try new things. Being active is the key though, through breathing, good posture and your new choice of activity, you will want to experience active things that you thought you could not do before. I have been there trust me on this. Joe Rogan has an amazing motivational video on exercise. Click http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=e_eJRDl2J6Y

Very simply put, Breathing, Diet and Exercise can help you battle the long struggles of stress. Take these steps when you have had enough! You don't need pharmaceutical prescriptions to help with your own conscious thoughts, or your bloating, weight loss or even depression. It all starts with saying enough is enough! Breath, look into your diet, and exercise. You will be surrounded with people who do the same and those communities are an amazing way to support you into your new life style. Wake up and truly live again.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Less-Stress,-More-Living&id=9817710

How I Fell In Love With My Quiet, Boring Life (By Faye Bishop)

Life was loud, chaotic and downright noisy at times. But, it as also fun, carefree and full of predictability. There was always lots of alcohol, lots of people, lots of chatter, lots of late nights and early mornings. Every week I went out. Somewhere. Anywhere. I knew tons of people and we went lots of places. If I wanted something, I went out and bought it. I was young. I had lots of money and tons of time to waste. And, although, I had everything, I still yearned for more. Truthfully, all I had were things. Stuff. I possessed hardly any memories or real experiences. I was just out doing whatever felt good. I was about 70 pounds overweight, drunk all of the time, careless and recklessly in love. Think of the movie National Lampoon's Animal House mixed with Coyote Ugly. Yeah, that was me. Every other day. While most people usually wait until weekends to have their fun, I was getting lit Monday through Friday utilizing Saturday to sleep it all off. On Sundays, I would take a break but only to set up to do it all over again the next day. My hangovers weren't just from the alcohol fueled nights. I was hungover from a high lifestyle. I was always on the go and hardly ever slowed down. I was constantly in search of a good time. When I wasn't having a good time I came down from my highs to a very exhausting low. It's how I concluded that this chase wasn't good for me. In fact, it's safe to say it was all an escape from a life that I hated. I'll never forget one day contemplating if I even wanted to go home. I remember looking down at my watch while still at the office, logging online to look up flights to book to get the hell out of town, leaving everything and never looking back. What stopped me was our son. I loved him more than life and absolutely had to go home to him. But I knew something had to give. I knew that the only way life could get better for me was if I simply began walking towards who I was meant to be instead of continuously drifting away from it, losing myself.

I can't exactly pinpoint the actual day when I got fed up. I just remember there was a fire that lit up in me one day that told me to turn down the volume on my spirit because the turn up wasn't working for me anymore. The man I had thought I'd die with and I officially decided to split after 19 years together. It needed to happen. It was either split up or die. We stopped having anything in common. We were already on the verge of the inevitable for years, we just needed to admit to it out loud. We spent several years lying to our family and friends about what was really happening between us, but we knew what was coming. Spending money, buying things, drinking and partying and consuming anything we could get our hands only kept us distracted from our dysfunction. It didn't change it. It only kept us distracted long enough to keep from having to face the reality. This happens a lot in marriages whether many of us want to own it or not. Ignoring the truth doesn't make it go away. It just hides it. But this was only part of the problem. Things in my life were always so damn loud, active and noisy. I feared boredom but needed peace.

After our split, I knew that my next steps were going to hard to adapt to but necessary. Imagine spending 19 years with someone and then one day, not. I had to start a new journey in my life didn't include someone else all the time. Literally. I knew that I could do it but I needed a starting point. Here's what I did to make the process easier.

Doing Things Alone - I started by making sure I slept alone. Every night. I hadn't slept or done anything alone since the year 1999 so this move was very important. I needed to be unaccompanied with everything I did. Everything! I went out daily alone. I made sure to go to places that were filled with lots of people. I would just hang out or eat alone. I went to the movies and screenings alone. I didn't date. I sat in parks alone. I traveled alone. Yes, even to remote places and cities. I'd people watch. I'd read. I'd write. I made sure no one knew where I was headed off to. I'd just leave. The goal for me was to learn how to enjoy my own company. I adapted pretty quickly. I don't know why doing things alone is seen as a anomaly in this day and age but I fell in love with it. I also learned that someone out and about on their own does not equate to him or her being lonely, or having no friends. It just means that they aren't up to entertaining company or socializing at the time. This was perfectly fine for me. I felt more pushed to try new things without the extra background noise. It's made me far more focused than I had ever been.

Eliminated Clutter - I cleaned out my house. I stripped the walls. I bought a brand new bed. I gave a lot of old furniture away and threw the rest in the trash. I took all but one of my credit cards out of my wallet, called up the companies, paid the balances, closed the accounts and cut them up! I gave away most of my clothes to my mom and sister-in-law and kept about ten outfits. I own about four pairs of shoes and maybe a pair of boots. It might be less than that. I buy according to season and it's never actually what's in season so I don't know. I had way too much stuff and I am positive that I had it around me because I attached my happiness to it. Most of these items carried very little meaning. It clogged my house, left very little space and I was tired of looking at it. I even sold my car. What was the use for it? I live in the city. I take the train or car-share like Uber or Lyft everywhere I go, which is often not many places. I've become quite the minimalist. My house is big but now bare, filled with nothing but books, two couches, plants, my son's instruments, a few laptops and food. I hate clutter and excess. Living without it has become my new normal.

Got Rid of Distractions - I unfollowed every single celebrity on social media (with exception of the small handful I actually know) and other people I share no close personal connection with. I then deleted all social media apps. I don't care to keep up with trends or people I don't know. A lot of the people in my life were some of my biggest distractions. There is a such thing as knowing too many people. It's not because they are bad people, but because the friendships were based on superficial ideals and weren't leading me anywhere. Unless there was something to go out and gossip about and take some selfies over drinks we barely had two words to say to one another. These relationships became like stock that needed to be sold off quick because the value had fell tremendously from the initial purchase price. They knew it. I knew it. The distance grew wider and as things began changing for me, within months we stopped talking. Friendships are beautiful to have. They can be fruitful but they can also be draining. No one likes a loss. It's an admission that something went wrong or you made a mistake. But cutting your losses can prevent you from suffering a devastating fall that's too steep to recover from later on. Most of us are wrong about something 3 out of 5 times a day. We still live to see another day. I still know lots of people but I only have a small handful of real friends. Trust me, there is a difference. Alcohol was the biggest distraction of all for me so I stopped drinking. I quit cold turkey. Alcohol not only kept me drunk all of the time, it also kept me fat and sick. Eating out, too. I changed my relationship with food because I was consuming too much of it for no damn reason. Since then, I've lost the 70 lbs I gained plus 20 more and I've never felt better.

In a nutshell, doing things alone helped me to take better control of my thoughts so that I can de-clutter and get rid of all of the distractions. The reward is my having been able to reap the benefits of simplifying my lifestyle. I've gained so much by getting rid of nearly everything. It's taught me so much about myself over the last few years such as how much I abhor accumulating things and molding my happiness around objects and people. I loathe doing things in excess. I've realized the idea that I don't need to be around people all of the time to be happy and aroused. I've learned how to set boundaries. I've learned to stop spreading myself so thin and to take extra care of myself more. My relationship with money has even changed. Drastically. I've learned that the value is in the respect one should have for the dollar. I never had respect for money before. All I knew how to do was spend it. I realized all that I've ever wanted and needed I'd had all along and everything else was a matter of social currency rather than a happy life.

We live in an era where social status is the new currency. It's why we take photos of everything we do and pimp our lifestyles on social media in a "get like me" fashion. Social media and current culture has it where our pedigree and class is now based strictly on social engagement and how much we receive rather than how much of ourselves we give. To an extent this has always been the case but never to this magnitude. An environment has now been created where we feel the perceived need to perform our ambitions in a publicly documented format in order to keep pace with our peers and it has become a soul sucking trap. Many of us are deathly afraid of living unfiltered lifestyles because it goes against social norms and is seen as a risk.

But, it's not who we truly are nor is it what we really want. Trust me, if everyone were as well off and happy as they photograph themselves to be the world wouldn't be in such chaos. We go out of our way to hurt each other often and are always seemingly stuck in a perpetual cycle of constant confusion. This is why depression is increasing and more people are dying younger. You don't realize these things as they are happening because we are socially conditioned to keep up appearances. We've grown to staple our personalities around the idea that nothing we have or do is worth anything unless others approve. It's such a shame that every single decision we make has to do with making sure someone either knows about it or will see it, somehow. Sun up to sun down. Everyday. All of the time.

I'm the happiest I've ever been since since I stopped bothering with all of that crap. It did nothing for me anyway. It added nothing to my life. Literally, nothing. I once avoided boredom and quiet rooms like they were infectious diseases. Now, I can't get enough of either. I divorced the turn up in exchange for staying home, snacking on sour patch kids, playing interactive games, cooking and reading with my kid. As it turns out, I have a lot more fun! My sleep habits are better. My attitude got much better. I'm much more focused. My hair started growing again, my skin is glowing, my house is quiet and my heart is full.

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How to Create a Vision Board That Manifests

One of my favorite ways to start the new year s with a vision board. Creating a vision board is a form of manifesting that is extremely powerful. A good vision board holds the "essence" of your future self and lifestyle. The most common mistake people make when creating a vision board is making it a "to do" list or a goal sheet. Refrain from putting up jobs or goals, as those are the means to the quality and outcome of your vision, not the essence of who you will be. This does not mean we don't have work or career goals it simply puts the focus on how the work you do today is the vehicle to build our vision. They both align but for the purpose of our vision we are unattached to the how and connecting to the WHY!

For the purpose of this vision work I am presenting, we acknowledge it is the work of the heart and soul and therefore needs to be void of reason and thinking. The goal of your vision board is to create the story of the future self. The board can serve as a process or pathway to creating goals but does not require you include them.

Often as a result of creating a vision board you will find the sub conscious dreams are brought into the conscious mind and in turn, your reality by way of experiences and opportunities. At this point we have the ability to choose what path we take. Therefore it is very important to be open-minded and mindful of what may be coming into your reality.

The energy that emanates from your vision is of your higher self and therefore may challenge you to be out of your comfort zone in any area that requires growth. This is now the time to set goals to meet the challenges. Opportunities may look like seeing a course that interests you, a job or an event. They may ask you to give of your time, energy or money and cause you to reconsider and say no. But often it is a matter of prioritizing our daily tasks and finances to serve this new direction. Ultimately the things we set out to achieve evolve us into the person of our vision board story and they will be worth the investment.

Vision board exercise:

1. Choose magazines because you like the cover. Don't look through them just simply pick them up. (I often go to thrift stores and purchase used ones if I don't have enough lying around my house.)
2. Choose words or phrases to cut out that resonate with who you are aspiring to be or who you are would like to become.
3. Choose photos because you like the color, the look, the idea, not because it says who you think you currently are or what you now do. Simply cut pictures out of magazines without judgment.
4. Once all your photos are clipped, arrange them in "categories" to create mini stories. Stories can be my love life, my journeys, my adventures, my dreams, my future, my aspirations, my health and wellness, my vitality, etc..
5. You can use your word and phrase clippings to paste to each grouping or you can write your own words.
6. If you find your pictures agitate you, create tension, anxiety or even a fraction of stress, eliminate them. Its most likely a goal not a vision.
7. Once you like your stories and they "feel" right glue them onto your vision board.
8. Hang your vision board somewhere you can take time to reflect on it that's in a space personal to you.

Vision Board Meditation:

• To start a vision board meditation simply allow yourself a few minutes of time.
• Set your focus to your heart area and ask that your mind stills while your heart "sees" the board.
• Take a moment in each story or category to name how this makes you feel. Not sure yet? Just ask that you become aware. Once you have a feeling, amplify it by seeing yourself in this story. What attributes, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually have you attained by bringing this story into your life. Daydream till it "FEELS" good in every cell of your body.
• If you feel your thoughts judging or questioning you can write them down and choose to work on this later. Or, you can simply thank them for showing up and bringing awareness but that you are choosing to enjoy this story.
• You can choose one category at a time or continue with your whole vision board till complete. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Once I'm finished envisioning I like to close my quest with a deep breath and as I release it I put a smile on my face, love and joy in my heart and say... And so it is.

The vision you put forth IS manifesting and so it is very important to stay open, non judgmental and pass experiences and opportunities through the heart when they arise. Try saying yes more often and see where it leads!

https://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Create-a-Vision-Board-That-Manifests&id=10230746

"This Is Why You're TIRED All The Time!" (How To Get Out Of A RUT) | Marisa Peer

Colour Me Calm

Stress has become part of people's everyday lives, due to an increasingly demanding world. You have to deal with the pressure of work, the demands of your partner, the children and make time for your social obligations. While meditation, or Yoga has become a popular way for people to combat the effects of stress, many have turned to the basic de-stress technique of colouring in. This is why it works:

Stress affects your mental, and physical health. Long-term stress affects can cause health decay, mood swings, and even decreases your concentration. It affects everyone, from workaholics to stay at home parents and you need some form of de-stressing method to be incorporated into your lifestyle.

Colouring is a form of meditation. It has been known to have a therapeutic effect on people suffering from Cancer, and other conditions such as depression, anxiety and lack of concentration.

If you think back to the last time you sat down with some colouring pens, and book full of drawings, can you remember what that felt like? Can you remember how you could sit there for hours on end, and just get lost in your own creativity?

Like mediation, colouring in allows your brain to switch off from other thoughts. It clears your mind, and focus you on the moment. When the mind is in this meditative-like state, it helps concentrate your focus on the task at hand and gives you a sense of calmness, and clarity.

When you do any form of craft such as cutting and pasting, decorating, painting, and even colouring in pictures, that concentration tends to replace the negative thoughts and images running through your mind, with positive ones. Thus occupying the same space of the brain with any anxiety-related mental imagery, helping you to divert your attention and in turn streamlines your focus to this single activity.

While you sit and colour in the drawing in front of you, your brain is busy making basic connections such as 'which colour goes together', which is also why this technique is used to improve memory because it increases the connectivity between the right and left brain, stimulating the growth of new brain cells. Any form of art is a form of self-expression which can benefit your brain and mental health to make you a happier, healthier person.

A person has about 60,000 thoughts per day of which 95% of them are actually the same couple of thoughts repeating themselves daily. This is why the most basic activity such as colouring or knitting, which doesn't require the brain to do all this thinking, and helps your mind to relax. You will find yourself 'zoning out' when you get completely immersed in your own creative activity.

Art helps boost your self-esteem, providing you with a sense of accomplishment and pride when you look at your creation.

Helps to relieve feelings of agitation, anxiety, depression, aggression, and for some, it can help you fall into a deeper state of sleep.

Put aside about 30 min of your day to go to a quite space, where you can take out your colouring pens and just get lost in the moment. Forget about the rest of the worlds and focus on one simple task as hand. It really works. Go on just try it!

https://ezinearticles.com/?Colour-Me-Calm&id=9316349

How To Reprogram Your Mind

Chances are there are various things you would like to change about either yourself or your life. I'm here to tell you change is possible and the results can be incredible when you learn how to reprogram your mind.

We all can think of someone whose life or lifestyle seems to be all in tact. They appear to be so confident and happy. They seem to have everything going for them in both the business world and their personal world. People look at them with eyes of adoration and we sometimes find ourselves saying quietly "I wish I could be more like that person."

The good news is you can be like other successful people. It all starts with taking the steps to reprogram your mind. The very thought of reprogramming may sound like a hard task itself but once you understand the steps to making changes, you will find the process sounds far worst than it actually is.

In order to get the change you want, you must first become aware that change is necessary. Awareness is the first step to reprogramming the mind.

So you finally realize you are unhappy with certain areas of your life and you know for a fact if you don't change something about it, things will remain the same, that is awareness.

Success is a vibration and the right vibration is crucial to reprogram your mind. You've heard that everything is energy before, I'm sure. That's a true statement. Everything has an energy and if you want a certain thing, you will need to match your vibration with the energy of the thing you are seeking.

Exactly what does it require you to do you may be asking. The answer is to work on having more good positive energy than you do negative energy.

We live in a world of attraction. Like attracts like, remember? If it is your desire to attract more good into your life, then you must make it a point to experience more good feelings or vibrations on a daily basis.

A simple exercise to experience good emotions is to recall a time in your life when you really felt good about you or something you accomplished and were just absolutely proud of yourself.

Do you remember what it felt like, how confident, smart or even bold you felt at that time?

Now those are the feelings you will want to remind yourself of daily. Preferably the first thing in the mornings before you start your day, as well as throughout the day. By doing this you'll be putting your mind and body in the right vibrational state to attract more good unto you.

Another step is called Acknowledge. Here you will think about everything you like about you. All the things you are good at, as well as the things others say you are good at doing or being.

Next, make a list of the top ten or twelve of those characteristics then close your eyes and think about how those attributes make you feel. Really feel the good energy in your body for at least 5 minutes.

Each day think about the person you want to become by visualizing it in your mind as if it has already happened. Feel the emotions of what it would feel like to be the person or have the thing you want. Feel it in every cell of your being!

Each time you do this you are reprogramming your mind with the vibrations to make it a reality. When you repeat these steps for at least a good ninety days, you should start noticing some good results.

First, you become aware, then acknowledge, and your daily visualization with strong emotions and good feelings are the exact steps to take to reprogram your mind to become the person, have the things you are wanting, by matching its energy to make it a reality.

https://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Reprogram-Your-Mind&id=9614712

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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Follow Your Dreams - Don't Delay

Most of us have had dreams for our future, dreams are what gives life-blood to our desires; but how many or us let them dwindle away without fulfilling them?

You may be saying- I'm too busy right now, or I'm to young, too old or too tired, or every other excuse you can think of. You may be feeling too tired or despondent because your life has become dull. It's time to change. Usually we only change direction when something causes us to re-evaluate our lives.

Why are most of us such self-doubters, disbelieving our abilities or doubting our courage.

Hold on to those dreams, don't let them escape, they can fill your days with delight, strengthen your resolve and develop you as a person. They can force you to learn new things and stretch you to limits you didn't know existed.

They will give you frustrating moments, as you strive to accomplish your goals, but also untold satisfaction if you just step out of your comfort zone and experience true living. Don't accept second best just because its easy, strive for what you believe in. Be passionate about your aims. Just do it!

You might be in a boring job, or wishing you could change your career, wishing you could travel the world, or learn to play music or paint. Whatever your dream find a way to pursue it, incorporate it into your life, see what is possible and make plans to include it.

Anthony Robbins suggests the reason people are depressed is because their dream lifestyle, or life plan and reality are poles apart. Try and bring yours closer for a happier future, Maybe you have to re-consider your lifestyle, is it really what you want how can you improve it.

People who live their dreams and fill their days with work they enjoy, don't consider it work, think of actors, sports people, artists, and many others. Believe in yourself and pursue your dreams. Freedom to follow your own path is a desire that many would like to tread. Freedom to make decisions and follow them through.

What would you like to do that you are not doing, search your soul for your true delight. Would you travel, change your career, look for a new job, take up a new sport or hobby. Spice up your life.

Maybe you need extra cash to take the plunge or maybe it is a desire to set up a business or invent something. If you make a plan it may be possible to incorporate it into your life without hurting your loved ones. Talk it through and see what is possible, you may find much of your dream is can be achieved.

Make this an exciting year!

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10 Ways to Be the Best Version of Yourself

How important are you? Do you feature on your own list of priorities? If you're a parent you no doubt regard your children as your number one priority. If you work as a manager or business owner with staff or targets to consider you'll justifiably treat work as vital. It's important to look after your staff and customers, earn a living and be in a stimulating environment that sustains you.

Family and friends are important too. They're often the reason we work so hard; to provide them with a comfortable home and lifestyle, good schooling and fun times together.

The big question is, where do you fit into all of this? If you went to a restaurant or consulted a specialist and saw that they were stressed, irritable and overworked you'd probably wonder why they'd agreed to take your booking. The same applies if you're being pulled in all directions and not feeling able to cope. Irritability, frustration and resentment can start to surface. No one benefits.

Achieving some balance in life, where you recognise your limits and boundaries, allows you to be the best version of yourself. Then everyone, including you, has a better experience and quality of life.

Here are 10 ways to be the best version of yourself:

- Practise positive self talk. Start to notice those automatic 'I'm so stupid' responses that can so easily surface when you're stressed. Yes, something you did may have been a mistake, but that doesn't mean you're stupid. We often talk to ourselves more harshly than we ever would to anyone else. Learn to be kinder to yourself and recognise your early warning signs of stress.

- Schedule time for things you know you do well. It's especially important in the midst of tough or difficult times to remind yourself of your skills, talents and abilities. Allow time for the things you enjoy and are good at. Sport, DIY, playing an instrument, volunteering can be ways to bring a positive mindset into your life.

- 'Broadcast' what you've done. Household chores, chauffeuring duties, the errands that go unnoticed are often taken for granted. There's no need to be heavy-handed, but occasionally remind others that you've stocked the cupboards with food, the clean laundry and towels don't get replenished by magic. Solicit appreciation for those efforts that support the smooth running of their lives.

- Smile and accept compliments and praise. Don't shrug them off in an 'it's nothing' way. Acknowledge, say 'thank you' and let them know that good manners and appreciation are important to you.

- Pace yourself. Being the best version of yourself means being able to manage stress. Learn to recognise what you can and can't do each day. There's no merit in being invincible or feeling that you've failed if you don't manage to do everything. It's okay to tackle big jobs in stages.

- Let others help. If you're working long hours or have many demands on your time why not engage help with cleaning, gardening, ironing or with business tasks like PR, accounts and social media. The time freed up can be used elsewhere and is often money well spent. Delegate tasks to staff and encourage them to blossom and become more enthusiastic about their work. Let your children help. Even if their efforts are clumsy it's good to encourage them to become more independent.

- 'No' can be the most positive word in your vocabulary when used well. 'Yes' can become a negative habit if you automatically take on too much by way of work, social engagements or family responsibilities. We may be eager to please others, appear efficient and successful. But saying 'no' in an appropriate way allows you to use your time well, focus on your priorities and become the best version of yourself.

- Nurture your relationships. Our partners, families, colleagues, friends cannot be expected to be psychic but will often be understanding and supportive if told what's going on and asked for help. Let them in and they may even come up with great ideas and suggestions.

- Have regular breaks. It may seem counter-intuitive to stop work for a time, but regular breaks allow you to better manage stress and return to work with a fresh perspective and new insights. Being the best version of yourself means looking after yourself and pausing from time to time. Have a healthy snack, plenty of water and switch off for an hour or so before bed.

- Accept invitations and offers that take you out of your comfort zone. Scare yourself a little every day, even if it's simply by choosing a different lunch, speaking to someone new, accepting a challenge. Allow your confidence and self belief to grow by expanding your horizons. Keep a journal and log those mini-successes to sustain you during difficult times.

Becoming the best version of yourself means shaking off old, unhelpful patterns that may have once worked well for you. And interestingly, once we become receptive to positive changes other factors often work to motivate and sustain us.

http://ezinearticles.com/?10-Ways-to-Be-the-Best-Version-of-Yourself&id=9756912

Are You Picking The Right Signal?

      

Do you know the working principle of radio that we use in daily life? I guess you know. Still, let me tell you that each station sends some signals of some specific frequency. And the receiver in your radio receives them. There are signals of all sorts roaming around. The frequency, to which your receiver is tuned, is received by the receiver. I think we all know that.

Now let's imagine all the humans on earth are receivers - that radio. And all the events are those stations - signal. Being a receiver, a variety of signal roams around you. Isn't it? Now, it's up to you to which frequency you tune yourself. Right? And accordingly, you can enjoy all those signals. This may seem a bit hypothetical. But don't you think it's a very practical way of thinking?

Though it seems simple - I mean you are a radio and all the events are stations. That simple... But is it so? Don't you think there's a lot more to this radio-station relationship? Can't we change our life just by tuning to the proper frequency as we do so in the case of real radios? What I'm going to discuss is much crucial to your life.

Each day a lot of things happen to us. You may get promoted in your job, your children may get good grades in school, your spouse may be happy with you, your health may not be that good, your friends may betray you. So on and so forth. Our daily events decide our lifestyle. Sometimes we are happy about them, sometimes sad. But the thing is that you only consider those events which happen to you or to persons close to you. Isn't it? But in a day, within 24 hours, billions of things happen to billions of people around the globe. Do you know about them? If in a day, you have bought a new car, may be that day, someone might have lost their loved ones. Are you concerned about them? No. Right? But still those events happened without your knowledge. You like it or not, but a billion things happen in a minute without your knowledge. It's only that you know about those events which happen to you or to people you know. But you're not concerned about other events. And you needn't be.

In this world a lot of such events, such signals roam around. We all tune in some particular frequencies. And that's why we all receive different frequencies. Everyone's life is different. Some tune into the optimism mode. Those are the guys who only receive signals that are productive. Meaning to say, they only respond to events that are productive for them. And discard other non-productive events. Yet, some people tune into the negative mode. These are the guys who always lament. They can't see positivity behind anything. In reality; both good and bad, positive and negative, productive and worthless events keep happening. Sometimes with you. Sometimes with others. But it's up to you to which frequency you tune your receiver. And it's a matter of experience and inspiration that decide to which frequency you tune into.

Though all good and bad keep happening, it's nothing to worry about, because as I told you, there're billions of events that keep happening that you don't even know. Then why can't you ignore those negative events that happen to you? Can't you tune in to a positive frequency? It may be funnier to consider yourself a radio and the events the stations. But isn't that a powerful way of representing our relation with events of our life? Only when you respond, an event takes its form. You ignore it, it's simply nothing.

Let's say in your workplace, a colleague of yours mocked you for something or your boss is dissatisfied with you. Now if you give importance to that event, it keeps on dominating your mind and with time it'll turn to a scar. May be with time, you feel yourself inferior to your colleagues and may be that your productivity goes down. Now, if instead you ignore those events, you can focus on other productive stuffs and maybe someday those colleagues or your boss appreciates you. Everything depends upon your tuning capacity.

Sharing my personal experience, I had been suffering from a bit of anxiety disorder since my childhood. It was not serious. But still, every time, I'm asked to do something new, I get anxious. One day our science teacher asked us for a lecture presentation in the class. He asked us to prepare a topic and we had to explain that to our classmates. As I just heard him saying that, it gave me a faster heartbeat. I mean I was dead. Still, I decided to do that and prepared a lecture on 'Gravitational Force.' It was a page long. I had to memorize that and explain to my classmates. I couldn't carry that paper. I memorized and next day went to the class. Believe me from the very first class, I got so anxious that I couldn't concentrate well.

And then came the science class. My roll number was in the middle (alphabetical order). So I could relax for some time. As my name was approaching, my heart started throbbing faster. And then he called out my name. I was dead in the water. Still with great hope and confidence I went to the teacher and started... In the middle of my lecture, I got so nervous that my hands started shivering holding the pencil. And then, just in the middle, I stopped and said - 'Thank you' and went to my seat. It was a bad lecture. First, I was not explaining it well and second I stopped in the middle. Now let me tell you the reality. In that class of some 40 students, I had studied astrophysics and cosmology books like no one else. I knew about gravitational force the best. I had even read some academic books on General Relativity. But just because, I was anxious I did terribly bad. That teacher knew me and later suggested me to work on my speaking skills.

But it had nothing to do with my speaking skills. It had to do with my capacity to tune in to positive signals. Even before the lecture presentation, I was so afraid. I had been thinking about all possible bad things that could have happened to me. If you also do that, you can never perform well. That character also made me average in math in the beginning because I was afraid of making mistakes. I was picking all the wrong signals.

Though with time, I improved and today I can boast of my math to a lot extent. I've not given any public speech yet, still I'm confident enough to do so. Things improved just because I started picking the right signals. In any sphere of life, it's very important that you pick the right signal. Only then, you can be successful. There are criticisms, discouragements, trolls, fears in this world. Everyone realizes that. But for you to be audacious, you need to start discarding those signals and instead pick signals that are lifting your life for good.

So again, I'm asking you - 'Are you picking the right signal?'

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What Are Your Margins? (By Chris Atley)

I enjoyed a fabulous week quasi off with the kids for spring break and quasi working. It was a nice combination. I especially loved retreating for the night with my business women's group I personally belong to for my own business growth and development. We were at a fellow member's property where she runs retreats, and it is such a spiritual spot tucked away in the mountains from all of the busy-ness. Here is a picture of the hillside surrounding the retreat center.There is a lot of talk in the personal development marketplace these days about how much people are making, and it can be really discouraging for the folks that aren't there yet. There is a lot of judgement and comparison. In today's article I talk about what is really important and how to move away from the judgement and do what is best for you. Read on below.

Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Easter to those of you celebrating with family and friends. We don't have family in town this year, and are looking forward to an Easter egg hunt with the kids tomorrow morning and to the beach in the afternoon with friends. Our theme this year is about being thankful for what we have and the people in our lives.

First, I want to start of this week's article with us focusing on what is really important to you in terms of profit. Have you taken the time to look at what type of lifestyle you are really wanting? If it's been awhile, go ahead and do it again. Things shift, people change.

What do you really want? What is important to you? We want to be really mindful of not falling into comparisons and "shoulds" here. What is important to you in life and business? What type of business do you ultimately want to run, what support do you need and what does it look like cost wise? Do the same in your personal life. What lifestyle do you want and what is important to you? Is it travel, experiences with your family, savings, college funds, etc.? What is it for YOU?

Get clear on this first and drop the judgment and comparisons from there. This is about you living life to the fullest on your terms and no one else's.

Second, take what others are saying with a grain of salt. When a business owner talks about how much their company did in a given month or year, this is typically gross, not net. It's not a criticism, but something to keep in mind when you hear this info. so that it doesn't bring you down and make you feel bad for not being where you want to be. You could be earning way less, but keeping way more. It's all relative. A better determination of success is looking at your profit margin. How much are you earning versus how much you are keeping over a given period of time. That is a better indicator and most small businesses don't look at that percentage.

* You can calculate your profit margin by taking your total revenue and subtracting your total expenses, and then taking that number and dividing it by your total revenue to get the percentage. The percentage is your profit margin.

Start looking at this for your own company and determining what you would like to see happen. The average standard for a healthy business is having a profit margin of 25% or over, generally speaking to give you an idea. Once you figure out your own profit margin, you can then use your own business results to compare to and not others going forward. Let's get you to where you want to be in your business and what feels good for you, and not for someone else.

Happy calculating and planning!

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How to Break Through Regrets in Life

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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