Embracing Positivity in Darker Days

The turmoil of each day is so overwhelming and hindering us to see the light at the end of tunnel. Imagine how hard it can be to smile when you see your toddler being admitted for a brain surgery operation. Perhaps, how it is so hard to find hope when a loved one lay on a hospital bed and losing hair to chemo. How can you find the reason to face another day when you find yourself in situation like that?

We might all wonder why life can be treating us like that. Sometimes, we just hit rock bottom and it feels like the boat is on its way to sinking. We find ourselves in terrible situations where we feel there is no way out. The question you might ask yourself in such hard times might be " How can I focus on the positives when all hell has broken loose?"

So I wonder how can we find and embrace the positives than focusing on the troubles the day brings. Perhaps, a next-door neighbour comes with a tray of baked flapjacks or cupcakes when you have just lost a loved one. It isn't the cupcakes which you appreciate but the thought of them thinking about you in such a tough time. Let's say your daughter makes you a cardboard card with drawings and stickers of flowers, babies and stars wishing you a speedy recovery as you lay restlessly on your hospital bed.

What am I trying to say?

Embrace the good and positive things that happen everyday. When you in the habit of noticing the small things like receiving a tray of cupcakes from a neighbour and being grateful, you will find yourself in a better state. Those positive things can take you by surprise and has power to wipe the not-so-nice things in your memory. Of course, it won't take away the cancer from your body but when we embrace positivity in the darker times of our life, we can pass through them with hope.

Life will always be filled with horrible things that when we focus on them in our minds, we become depressed. Situations, illnesses or horrific experiences can rob us our happiness. But we can choose to focus on the brighter side, we will find ourselves gaining hope that has been long-lost.

Remember, each day we have to make decisions on whether embrace the good things or focus on the negatives. When you choose to not let the circumstances dictate how you see life, you will find that you will adopt a positive attitude. There is always something to make you smile or make you feel that life is totally worth to live. Choose to embrace the good thing in your live. The gift of life each day can been something to focus on. The family or neighbours can be something you can be grateful of. Life is too short to focus on the negatives.

Hope will be the cornerstone of survival in your darker days. Never underestimate the power of positivity. Every situation has its positives.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Embracing-Positivity-in-Darker-Days&id=9440382

The Cloud With the Gold Lining

I was yelling at everyone, myself, people on road, in family, on job, and even at God. I was screaming even more at things going wrong, at circumstances, on vehicles parked wrongly or ATM machines not responding, at electricity problems in my vicinity. I was angry at life and the lemons it was handing me for no reason, apparently. But above all, I was annoyed on my current job setting and the problems it posed on my nerves.

There was no soft cushion for me amid my emotional turmoil and overwhelming nervousness, being single and alone and tired. There was no financial backup also for me to calm myself my taking a break from the daily rut of the things. Furthermore, my masters' thesis was also heading nowhere with the arbitrary behaviour of my supervisor who wasn't helping me much with it, delaying the attainment of my degree. I was crying inside of me which was only showing as unpredictable bout of despair and verbal battles with everyone around.

Till today morning...

While I was commuting to my workplace, I felt a sharp light overhead. Unlike most oblivious individuals, I place much significance in divine quiet language of nature. People say every cloud has a silver lining, but this one had a gold one. So illumined and bathed in sunlight it was that, it touched my soul on a deep plane. I cannot relate all the feelings it evoked in me in that instant. It was like magic breaking in through all external barriers with a silent communication going on.

In that instant, one thought that had been evolving in my mind for months at end, raised its head once again, as if awakened by that golden light. It happens that you think intrinsically and somehow the connection between your subconscious and conscious worlds breaks. The children of such brain activity, namely thoughts produced during these breakdowns are left orphans until their parents reunite. This reconciliation, as and when it occurs, brings back the memory of the children born back then.

The thought lingered there for months, and it took months to materialize in my understanding. It is something like this: 'life may and may not be beautiful. It may not be up to your liking. But, it is there. It exists. At least you have life. This is not the end of it. There is still time. Things can still be changed to your liking. Beautiful or otherwise, life still exists.'

The above thought may and may not stand as significant solution to you. But it has settled down deep inside me and would perhaps be my guide for the next few days, and might set things straight in my head. Every war and every conflict does not end without its key. Take some time for yourself, not half an hour or fifteen minutes. Just a minute, may be few seconds to look up to that cloud with the gold lining and believe that life may and not be beautiful, but it is still there.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Cloud-With-the-Gold-Lining&id=8721650

Motivation - Starting Is the Hardest Part

Most people on this earth struggle with motivation, maybe even on a daily basis. Sometimes we just don't have the energy. Sometimes tasks seem overwhelming. Sometimes we tell ourselves that we can postpone doing the things we need to do- that they aren't necessary at the moment. Whatever our excuse, it feels SO MUCH BETTER to actually make progress with our goals. Even if it's just the tiniest bit of hedge-way, doing something ALWAYS feels better than doing nothing.

In my years of experience grappling with the motivation/procrastination balance, I've found a few tricks to help me do the things I need to do. Hopefully you'll find these tips as helpful in your life as they have been in mine!

1. Get organized 

Making lists of what you need to do can help you see if there's something you can take care of right away, or if you need to accomplish a few little things before you can tackle a harder task. It also makes your goals more manageable. Crossing something off of my To Do List after I've finished it feels extremely satisfying!

2. Just start something 

Honestly some days after I get home from work, I just don't feel like doing anything productive. The trick for me is to recognize the difference between being tired and being physically exhausted. If I'm exhausted, it's better for me to rest and recuperate. If I'm just tired, then doing something useful actually gives me more energy and boosts my morale. So I try to just start doing things that need done. The other day, for example, I really didn't feel like cleaning up, but my house begged to differ. So I started with something I like doing, and before I knew it I was cleaning things without even thinking about it. I emptied the dishwasher. I wiped off the counters. I organized the pantry. I took out the trash and the recycling. I was actually cleaning on autopilot, lost in my own thoughts and not even noticing how much work I was really accomplishing, when just minutes before I was considering lying down for a quick nap!

3. Acknowledge your accomplishments 

I think this is a really important step that a lot of us are guilty of skipping. Sometimes we get so caught up in what we haven't yet done that we forget to feel good about the things we have done. It's so very important to acknowledge the positive things in our lives, no matter how small they may seem. When we gain confidence from recognizing what we've already done, it can give us the energy and motivation to tackle the harder tasks in our lives.

4. It doesn't hurt to delegate 

We are so centered on ourselves sometimes that we forget that it's OK to ask for help. It's definitely OK to ask your friends and family for assistance, and as long as you aren't asking way too much, I promise you they'll be very likely to want to help out. Don't put the whole burden on yourself if you don't have to!

5. The Twenty-Minute Trick 

There are often times when the last thing in the world I want to do is the one thing I really need to get done. For me, it's usually housework, paperwork, or making important phone calls. Then a friend of mine shared a tip that they found to work wonders for their own motivation- the Twenty Minute Trick. The thing is, it's not all that hard to dedicate twenty minutes to a task. So when you find yourself unable to start on a particular task, set a timer for twenty minutes. When that time is up, feel free to stop. You've worked hard and accomplished a goal! Often times, however, I find myself 'getting into the groove,' and I don't feel like stopping when the timer goes off. This trick has gotten me through a lot of motivation-lacking days!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Motivation---Starting-Is-the-Hardest-Part&id=9759492

Finding Your Sweet Spot

Anything out of balance feels out of whack, feels unpleasant and overwhelming. It just doesn't sit right when you're not in your "sweet spot". Meditating is the same. In the beginning, it would be extremely awkward, even certain levels of discomfort in the physical body caused by the attempt to give the mind new instructions to take it slow. To let it all go. Any kind of environment we were growing up with, be it work or school or even at home, you were conditioned to take in as much as you possibly can. To grow up quickly and learn as fast as you possibly can. To absorb and to digest.

No one in this world ever taught you to let go. To do less and to not do anything at all. To just be present and be in the moment. You would never find it in any "to-do list" because it seems "lazy" to have so little on it. To fathom the concept of doing less yet able to be producing more. In this day and time, quality productivity surpasses any other forms of multi-tasking.

You can be the best multi-task-er in the world but at the end of the day, if you went home and unloaded your "overflowing" cup and drowned everyone else with your workload you have taken on, then you have not succeeded in finding the balance and harmony for yourself. You are simply dumping it off on someone else. A best friend, a lover or a spouse, your poor mother or perhaps even strangers who have no business listening to you ranting on about your day's issues.

This is why we practice mindfulness to find the "sweet spot". It can increase positive emotions and lower negativity and thus counteract stress and prevent depression from "overworking" the mind. It also increases the capacity for attention (to be present) and develops our memory so we may focus on the good things in life that we already have. Of course, being mindful helps to be more solution oriented and getting better at exploring creative strategies for problem-solving. Meditation also helps a person withstand the traumatic effects of the mental state of being and enhance its resiliency.

Mindful living benefits us in a positive way which we are able to experience our bodies and minds differently and we are not so quick in reacting to bad situations and circumstances, instead we will be able to handle it effectively and positively strengthening ties and relationships with every aspect of our lives. It can extend to every aspect of our existence and consistent practice will lead us to benefiting from it in the long-term immensely.

The "sweet spot" equates to "life's satisfaction". Mindfulness cultivates behaviors and attitudes that encourages it and makes the pleasures of life more noticeable and enjoyable, also helps us become more committed to activities in the moment and a greater capacity to deal with life's challenges and curve balls thrown in our way. All of these ultimately leads to greater overall life's satisfaction. So we get more done and feel really good about it which reduces the moments of "default thinking" allowing the mind to wander off carelessly.

Being present in the moment lets us learn to become more flexible in our thinking, less stubborn and resistant to new concepts and ideas. We can observe our thoughts without becoming overly attached to them against our own will, we're able to accept them without the attempt to change them or have it be different. There is a deep sense of well-being that is sturdy and stable, not having to be dependent upon life's circumstances which is ever-changing at an unpredictable rate. We will be able to thrive in the harshest of conditions with a practiced mind, sitting in our "sweet spot".

http://ezinearticles.com/?Finding-Your-Sweet-Spot&id=9493732

10 Creative Ways To Get Yourself Motivated

I believe we are all motivated by something or another. It is said we each have a natural tendency to be motivated in one of two ways: either towards something pleasurable for us or away from something that's painful.

I've noticed that if I have someone visiting me I'm motivated to getting the house in order.

If I have a meeting to attend I'm motivated to getting done whatever I need to prepare for that meeting. I may run out of time. The quality may not always be what it should. But I have a good stab at getting things done.

If I'm criticised by someone about something I've not done I feel shamed into action.

On the positive side, if I'm faced with a project that's exciting, challenging and uplifting in just the right measure for me, and I decide I want to do a great job or reach a certain level of attainment, I'm also motivated to take action - and I often produce good results in this instance.

I have to feel I can achieve, and achieve fairly easily. If I feel in any way overwhelmed I'll be demotivated.

So I suppose the question is how can you turn that which is painful for you into something that appears more pleasurable?

1. Can you change the image you have in your head of that thing you don't want to do? For instance if the image is of pushing a boulder up a hill, could you change the image so that it becomes a pebble being kicked along the ground? Does this change the way you feel about what it is you're tackling? If so how?

2. Can you focus on how you'll feel once you've done what you're dreading? If you keep the end in mind all the time and focus on that feeling of satisfaction this can be a big motivator

3. Can you outline to yourself the benefits (pros) of doing what you don't want to do? Could you devise a pros and cons grid, where the pros are positively encouraging you to act, and the cons are spurring you into action to avoid the discomfort of not doing?

4. Can you break down the project or task into smaller activities that you schedule in to complete over time? We don't always have to do everything in one go - and if we attempt to do so, it can at times feel quite overwhelming.

5.Could you imagine the worst-case scenario for yourself if you don't complete your project or task, and allow this to push you into action? 

6. Could you in some way hold yourself accountable by sharing your objectives with others whom you trust? Can you do a deal with someone: I'll stop smoking if you stop drinking?

7. Can you think of 3 instances where you felt completely demotivated to do something but did it anyway and felt great afterwards? What did you do to get yourself to move in the direction of your project or task? Can you replicate that for this current activity?

8. Could you give yourself a challenging time limit that'll spur you on? Can you make it a race against time? Setting challenging but realistic time limits can help to increase not only your focus but also your overall speed.

9. Could you reduce the amount of time you spend on the project you don't want to tackle (even if you spend just five minutes in the first instance you will have done something - even if it's just to think about the project for five minutes)?

10. Could you delegate the project/task (or part of it)? This could free you up to do the stuff you're best at. Does it make sense for you to do it? Are you the best person for the job? Be honest! If it's going to take you a week to do something you dislike that someone else could do in a day and enjoy, maybe it's time to delegate.

http://ezinearticles.com/?10-Creative-Ways-To-Get-Yourself-Motivated&id=9416610

3 Tips on Getting Your To Do List Completed

One of the most frequently asked questions from my clients is "how do I get my "to do" list completed"? It seems as if the to do list is a never ending list of tasks to be completed. Every day the list stares you in the face or you just plain forget about it. Sometimes I am just sitting outside and realize there is something I need to add to the list. Some of you have home and work to do lists which makes it even more overwhelming.

The first tip and the best and most effective way to complete a task on your "to do " list is to schedule it. Put it on your calendar as you would a doctor's appointment. Start with some easy ones to adjust to doing a task. Do not try to put all of the to do list on the calendar at one time. This will lead to failure and you will be in the same boat as you are now. Start with one task and one day. Make sure you complete it and celebrate the accomplishment. Move on to another task a few days later and continue as time allows. Once you have the hang of scheduling and completing a task on your to do list, prioritize and organize the list so you know the tasks that need completing sooner rather than later.

I know some items are difficult or too big to schedule on a day such as painting your deck or your entire room. Factors such as weather and enough time will hinder this and other tasks. Fortunately, not all tasks on your to do list are hindered by other factors other than that most of us just cannot seem to get them done.

The second tip is to start timing your tasks so you will better understand how long they are taking you. Nothing is more derailing then to have an hour scheduled for something and it takes 2 hours. You need to become more aware of your time. A good exercise is to write down everything you do during the day and how long you do each item. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning, get to work, grocery shop and read the paper. Doing this for a week will really open your eyes to how your time is spent.

The last tip is to review your list weekly to really make sure that all the tasks on the to do list are still relevant and if some can be assigned to someone else. If your to do list is a mile long, the reality is you will never get it completed and this will frustrate you to just not do any of it. Prioritizing them will help in this aspect as you will discover many tasks might be able to be delegate to others.

http://ezinearticles.com/?3-Tips-on-Getting-Your-To-Do-List-Completed&id=9496498