7 Techniques for Dealing With Stress That People Often Ignore

Ever struggled in dealing with stress?

Being successful and constantly improving yourself while striving to be the best is hard work and very often it comes with a fair bit of stress.

While having a constant state of urgency and alertness might be quite beneficial while perusing your ambitious goals, it can really wear you down unless you combat the effects of stress on your body.

7 Techniques for Dealing With Stress

It’s really important that you take care of both your body and mind and not allow the strain of working hard to chip away at your health.

These are 7 techniques for anyone dealing with stress:

1. Stop Doing Things You Hate

This may seem obvious; but jobs are the biggest cause of stress for people.

Is this because they’re tough and pressuring?

Maybe, somewhat. However, the big difference linking jobs to stress, is that the people who regularly get stressed out by their career don’t really enjoy their job.

You can quote me on that.

The logical first step to dealing with stress, and completely ridding yourself from it, is to look at the source. What’s giving you all your stress? Is it a side effect from an activity you love? Or is it coming from your boring career choices?


2. Exercise In-between Work

We all know that exercise is important, and yes, some people do still neglect it.

Although, have you ever tried exercising in-between workloads? Say, in your lunch hour?

If you’re self-employed, it’s probably a lot easier for you to exercise during the day. If you’re employed working 9-5, then maybe you could squeeze a quick workout during your lunch hour.

The idea behind this is that you’re resetting yourself for the afternoon ahead, and not allowing any stress to build up. Give it a try, and see how different it is to simply exercising before or after work instead.


3. Meditating on Your Thoughts

One of the keys to staying healthy, especially when you are under a lot of stress, is keeping your mind healthy. One of the most beneficial practices to help maintain mental health, stability and happiness is meditation.

Despite the fact that some goal-oriented people might not have a positive outlook on it, meditation can be extremely beneficial and can reduce the effects of stress on your mind and body to a great extent.

Clearing your mind with it on regular basis helps people become calmer, more relaxed and less prone to stress.


4. Switching Up Your Pattern

Gary Vaynerchuk says that switching up the regular pattern is often the way to break out of plateaus; in business and in life. Plateaus often cause stress, because you start to get fed up of flat-lining, and not making any progress.

Switch up your pattern. Do something different. Go somewhere new. Introduce a new feature into your business. Change your fitness routine. It could be anything.

As long as it breaks your normal pattern of living.


5. Take Care of Your Stomach

While constant high stress levels affect our whole body quite adversely, there are some organs that suffer more than others. One of the first body parts that might start suffering when we are under a lot of stress is our stomach.

When we are under a lot of pressure or when we are in an unpleasant situation, our body’s natural reaction for some reason is to start contracting our stomach into a ball.

This makes it especially vulnerable so people with a lot of ambition that are working hard towards their goals in today’s busy and tiring world, should take special care of their stomachs.

Many herbs and plants can have a soothing and stimulating effect on our stomachs and one of the most effective ways to take advantage of this is through essential oils.

The best place to look for suitable ones to help battle the effects of stress on your stomach is essential oil for vomiting or for an upset stomach.

There are multiple essential oils you could use like lemon, lavender or peppermint and there are a number of different blends you can prepare.


6. Get Both A High Quantity & Quality of Sleep

While striving for maximum productivity, many of us push ourselves too hard and forget about the importance of sleep.

Our body needs to get a constant amount of sleep and if we don’t get the sufficient amount on regular basis, your health, productivity and creativity will quickly start deteriorating.

Sleep is a natural mechanism that allows our body to restore its energy reserves and is also a natural way for us to deal with stress. When you don’t get enough sleep, stress starts to accumulate and maintain a healthy mind and body quickly starts to become increasingly difficult.

But if we get enough sleep every night, our tolerance for stress becomes much higher and our alertness during the day manages to remain heightened. In other words, you will be able to achieve more if you don’t skimp on the sleep.

7. Take A Natural Stress Supplement

On top of everything else, multi-vitamins and various natural ingredients can make a huge difference to your overall health and well-being. In fact, it’s surprising just how much difference taking a supplement can make to the way you feel.

If you’d like to add a stress/health supplement to your arsenal, and I highly recommend you do, then check out some of these awesome supplements:

Plus-You Can Now Join Our FREE Mastering Success Facebook Community at www.masteringsuccess.group

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How to Start Getting Better Sleep & Adjust Your Patterns

It is easy to think that in order to be successful, we should limit the overall amount of time we spend lying down in bed. After all, that time sleeping could instead be used to work a little bit more, right?

Well, it can, but there is also something to be said for more sleep equalling better productivity.

In the high-paced entrepreneurial world, it’s easy to get caught up in the culture of listening to others bragging about how little they sleep, which in turn may make you feel like you need to do the same.

However, “slow and steady wins the race” is a proverb you should connect with, as those who pace themselves can avoid being burnt out later on.

Sure, there is no denying that some successful people thrive on unusual sleeping patterns, but what works for them may not necessarily work for you.

If you’re utterly exhausted each day but convinced that less sleep means you can do more work, then you’re only fooling yourself. Ultimately it can be counterproductive to sleep fewer hours simply to keep up with the Joneses, so to speak.

How to Start Getting Better Sleep

Along with the knowledge that you are preventing fatigue later down the line, there are many great reasons why more sleep can help boost your body and mind, including becoming less distracted, making better decisions over the day, improved memory, and fewer mistakes.

Furthermore, more sleep will make you far less likely to reach for coffee or energy drinks simply to keep you focused. And don’t even think that you can simply “catch up” on sleep over the weekend after a busy week, as this method won’t work at all

Human beings need a regular sleeping pattern.

So, if you’re a busy person but have always felt that you never have the time to get a decent amount of quality sleep, then consider the following points:


1. Incorporate it into your schedule

Although it might seem odd to write “go to sleep” into your diary as part of your schedule, marking out a point in a 24-hour day when you can lie down and forget your worries is hugely important.

Of course, many people work on different timetables over the day, so stating that 11 pm should be your bedtime isn’t realistic for everyone.

However, planning out your day so you can make time for at 6-8 hours of sleep is a good habit to start. Is 2 am to 10 am the only viable option?

That’s fine, but as long as that’s a schedule you can stick to, then do it.

2. Have the best sleep that you can possibly get

It might be tempting to leave your phone on when you sleep “in case of business emergencies,” but if people are aware that they can contact you 24/7, then how can you ever truly relax?

Your mind needs to be in a state of rest at some point of the day, so try to make it a rule that when you sleep, your phone does as well.

This goes for checking emails and all manner of work communication before bed too, as this should be unwinding time, and any work news isn’t likely to make you unwind!

In general, your sleeping environment should be as close to perfect as you can get.

A memory foam mattress is often considered a great option to ensure a comfortable sleep, but make sure to read the pros and cons so you can make up your own mind before committing.

As for other sleep accessories, eye masks and white noise machines are also worthwhile to help getting the best sleep possible. This is your time to focus on anything but work, so switch off that part of your brain and simply relax.


3. Tactical naps

This is really a day-by-day scenario, but when there are a spare 20 minutes over the course of your work time, then by all means, take a 10 to 20-minute nap.

Any longer can kick your brain into a deep REM sleep, which may make you feel groggy when you wake up.

Short naps have long been associated with improved cognitive functions, so if you feel your eyes start to droop and concentration slipping, there is every reason to power down for at least 20 minutes.

Some major companies even urge their employees to take a quick nap over the working day, including Google, Zappos, Uber, and Ben & Jerry’s.

Mary Gresham, a clinical psychologist in Atlanta, says:


“MORE AND MORE, WE ARE RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP AS A MECHANISM OF CONSOLIDATING INFORMATION, DEALING WITH THE EVENTS OF THE DAY, AND RECHARGING OUR ENERGY.”

Stefan Camenzind, CEO of Evolution Design, also adds:


“MOST PEOPLE ARE TOLD THAT THE HARDER YOU WORK, THE LONGER YOU WORK, THE BETTER IT IS. THAT’S NOT SUSTAINABLE, AND THAT’S PROBABLY ALSO NOT TRUE. IT’S ABOUT SMART WORKING, AND THAT MEANS YOU NEED TO RECHARGE. IN THIS CONTEXT, NAP ROOMS BECOME MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT.”


Final thoughts

In the end, being successful is something that is built over time.

But although many entrepreneurs will make the point that hard work and dedication are the tools for accomplishment, they are not the only means.

Along with the many great ways to reduce stress, good sleep lets us remain focused on the tasks ahead and allows us to unwind.

“Sleep on it” is yet another proverb that you’ll be familiar, but it certainly holds true, as often that “Eureka” moment first thing in the morning.

Work is important, no doubt, but it isn’t our whole life.

Do you really want to sacrifice your social and family life simply to tell others how hard you’re working?

Think about the long-term. So, if you are feeling beyond tired and believe that you need to work longer in order to keep up with your competitors, think again. Take the time to genuinely rest your body and mind and you will be far better off in the future.
Are you getting better sleep after reading this article? Leave a comment below
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Turn Your Negative Mindset into a Positive Mindset

Negative thinking seems to be easier than positive thinking. Many people seem to believe that positive thinking requires effort while negative thinking is easier because it’s something that seems to “naturally” occur.

Your predominant mental attitude reflects how you view the world. If your mental attitude is negative, you’ll be running into many problems because your life, and the situations that occur to you every day, will be mirroring the attitude you carry around with you.
The Negative Mindset

Individuals with a negative outlook on life constantly repel positive things. Not because they want to, but because the human mind does not “judge” whether something is positive or negative, so what it sees, hears and feels is constantly negative. It just accepts this as the norm. This is really evident when there is something new to try or a new way of doing something. Often, one would rather stay with the status-quo. Things are fine the way they are, so why improve them? This part summed up things for me.

Are things really fine the way they are? Of course, not. But that is the negative mindset doing what it does best. It is like having a wall between the negative and positive mentality. As soon as the positive starts climbing the wall, the negative reinforcements arrive. What if I fail? What if it takes too much of my time? What if others think I am crazy for trying this? These are the first few questions that come to mind when deciding whether or not to go ahead with a plan, strategy or goal—like starting a career in internet marketing.

Society has a way of contributing to the negative mindset. We feel safe when we do not have to change the daily routine. Remember that old phrase, “Got to keep up with the Jones’?” Guess what I realized? The Jones’ were in a bad financial shape as the rest of us. They were not trying something new; they were settling for a negative status quo. And that, my friend, was the moment that the proverbial light went off in my head.

I thought of a crazy concept: What if you actually try something new? And what if you do really, really well at it?

These were the next questions I asked myself right before I decided to try something new with internet marketing. For the first time in my entire career, I let the positive mind break down that negative wall.
The Positive or Open Mindset

Individuals with a positive outlook on life are aware that the mind has energy. It is not a good or bad type of energy, but our thoughts develop whether good or bad things will or will not happen.

If you have a negative mindset, you need to learn how to replace it with a positive one. If you don’t believe you can, you are still a victim of your own mind. Believe that you will succeed at something new.

Don’t let your mind hold you back because you’re using it wrong. The human mind has power—the power that you can control everything in your life. Will there be setbacks? Sure. But, your positive mindset prepares you for handling those moments. Internet marketing is a challenging career, to say the least. Come to think of it, for every three setbacks, there is one really big success. And that success tastes very, very good my friend. So, be positive.

What is even more surprising is that you can control that power within you. The negative outlook you have, if you actively work on it, you can change it.

One surefire way to shift your negativity into positivity is by learning the art of replacement.

Every time you think about failing, replace that thought by thinking about how you can succeed. Visualize success instead of failure. After all, they are only thoughts, so why not make them fun ones that make you feel good instead of bad?

Start being your own best friend. Think about it, if you have a good friend telling you the same things you tell yourself all the time, would the two of you still be friends? Probably not! Start thinking this way, start being kind to yourself. There really is no point in constantly criticizing yourself or always telling yourself that you can’t do certain things. Always remember to ask yourself what you would think of your friend if they said the same thing. If you’d dump them, then dump that thought!

Let those Jones’ go about their same ways, that’s fine. But, do not stay the same way they did. You deserve better. Why not try something new? After all, you might even do very well and before you know it, people will be saying, “Got to keep up with the (insert your last name here)!”

Your positive mindset is there, just let it start coming to the surface. Let go of all that negativity because you really don’t need it!

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10 Most Important Things You Should Do To Simplify Your Life

There seems to be a general consensus these days that we live in a world where consumption is at an all time high. More seems to be better and somehow reflects our place in society. Success is measured by more money, a big house full of countless gadgets, cars, phones, and even by how many friends we have.

So what happened? Is the world more happy now than it was when we led more simple lives? Has the introduction of consumerism really increased our mental well-being?

The answer is NO. Everyone knows the benefits of having a good clear out – throwing out unnecessary and unwanted items can not only free up literal space around us but also frees us of much-needed space in our minds. Living a more simplified life can improve how we think, feel and move around in the world. Here are 10 ways to simplify your life while creating space for happiness and well-being.

1. Abandon Your Negative Thoughts

As humans, we spend a lot of our time caught up in negative thoughts that brings nothing good into our lives. While we should deal with negative emotions and not shy away from them, negative thoughts are much more dangerous as they can grow rapidly and cause unhappiness and do nothing to improve our quality of life. Negative thoughts such as bitterness, resentment, jealousy and hate do absolutely nothing for us except ultimately make us miserable.

We have great control of our thoughts so choose to cut down the amount of negative thoughts and feelings you have. Learn to forgive and choose to think and see the positives in life.

2. Reduce The Amount of Screen Time

We spend so much time either staring at a computer screen or the TV. With binge-watching shows the latest addiction, we can often end up spending hours of our day with square eyes especially if, like most people, we use a computer for work as well. While TV, watching endless YouTube videos or playing computer games can be a nice form of escapism, too much can have a negative impact on your outlook and attitude. You don’t realise the amount of time you’re robbing yourself of that could be spent doing more beneficial and productive activities.

3. Use Fewer Empty Words

This isn’t to say stop talking! However, note the types of words you utter. Are they positive? Honest? Meaningful? Or are they purely coming out of your mouth in the form of gossip, hate or jealousy? Take note of what you say – we’re not perfect and most of us have a tendency to indulge in words we know we shouldn’t use. Eliminate the empty words that bring no real meaning to what you think or want to say. Quality is always better than quantity.

4. Cut Down On Social Media

Social media is so present in our lives that there’s rarely anyone who doesn’t have a Facebook, Instagram or Twitter profile. But despite there being positive aspects to social media, being constantly bombarded with ‘friend’s’ lives can take its toll on us. Sometimes when life isn’t quite going our way we compare ourselves to others but we often forget that we’re basically looking at people’s highlight reels. We never really get to see the full picture and this can cause us to feel dissatisfaction and unhappiness.

Simplify your life by cutting down on social media – not only for your own sanity but to stop the endless checking every five minutes. Getting those notifications may make us feel important but it’s fleeting and empty importance that doesn’t actually add anything to our lives. You can gain a whole lot more time by having a break once in a while.

5. De-Clutter Your Possessions

The amount of material possessions we own can have a detrimental effect on our lives. They distract you from the people in your lives and allows you to ignore the world around you and even your values. Being surrounded by stuff and having the need for the latest gadgets can often be a sign that we are focusing our happiness in the wrong way. In reality, they take away our energy and attention (and not to mention our money) that could be directed in more beneficial ways. Having less things creates more appreciation for the things we do have and cultivates a happier mindset.

6. Eliminate Your Debt

Money creates so many problems for a lot of us. Our relationship with money defines how we end up in debt, rich or poor and many of us don’t have a healthy relationship with it. If you’re in debt, start to make steps to get yourself out of it. Set up a monthly payment plan no matter how little it is. Any actions towards reducing debt, despite how small, will bring a sense of financial freedom for the next day, month or year.

7. Eat Fewer Unhealthy Foods

It’s really important to be aware of what we put into our bodies. Make a conscious effort to eliminate constant bad foods from your diet. Foods high in refined sugar, salt, trans fats, artificial flavourings, and refined grains can be toxic for us if we eat them on a regular basis. Leading a healthy life can rapidly bring down the amount of illnesses we encounter especially as we enter old age. Cutting down on bad foods will not only help you feel much better and give you more energy but it will also simplify your life in the long run.

8. Reduce The Number Of Goals You Set Yourself

In the effort to make ourselves better people and improve ourselves we often set goals – which is great – but having too many goals can prevent us from achieving them because our focus is spread too thinly. By only having one or two important goals, your focus can be more concentrated and your success rate higher. Once you’ve accomplished your goal then start the next one – this will stop any stress and give you a sense of order and a greater sense of accomplishment once it’s done because you know you put 100% attention and effort into it.

9. Stop Multitasking and Eliminate The Need To Be Busy

Like setting too many goals, multitasking in everyday life can cause unwanted stress and anxiety. Don’t take on too much and feel that being busy means you’re leading a full life. By being busy and taking on too much, we rob ourselves of our present moment and it’s really important to be aware of our present moment to be happy. Multitasking can also lead to burn-out if we’re running around trying to do too many things at once. Simplify your life by completing one thing at a time and maybe actually sit and relax in the moments in between. This way of doing things will do wonders for your physical and mental well-being.

10. Release Yourself From Time Commitments

We often hold on to the concept of time – time is running out, the hours and days seem to pass far too quickly. We live our lives around time commitments and everything needs to be done by this or that time. Try to let go of the need to complete tasks, activities or goals in a specific time limit. Not only does this free your mind from the pressure but allows you to do things at your own pace – a pace that’ll make you feel more happy.

Remember, findings small ways to simplify your life can make a huge difference to your mindset and outlook on life. Simplification means freeing up more time to appreciate and live in the present moment that will lead to a more free and happy mind.




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10 Tips to Overcome Negative Thoughts: Positive Thinking Made Easy

“See the positive side, the potential, and make an effort.” ~Dalai Lama

Even though I’m a yoga teacher, I still find it’s easy to fall prey to negative thinking. Having negative thoughts play out like a movie can only bring you pain, something that I’ve experienced many times throughout my life.

Negative thoughts drain you of energy and keep you from being in the present moment. The more you give in to your negative thoughts, the stronger they become. I like the imagery of a small ball rolling along the ground, and as it rolls, it becomes bigger and faster.

That’s what one small negative thought can turn into: a huge, speeding ball of ugliness. On the contrary, a small positive thought can have the same effect blossoming into a beautiful outcome.

I’d like to share with you an example of how one small thought can turn into a very negative experience.

I have lived on my own for the last ten years. Obviously, during this time I’ve grown accustomed to living in a particular way; I have my routines with cooking, cleaning, and living happily in my place.

My boyfriend of two years, who I have had a long distance relationship with, will soon be moving here and we will be living together. Lately I’ve had negative thoughts of moving in with him knowing that my living routine will have to change and we will have to create a new routine together.

Unfortunately, I’ve already jumped into the future and have had thoughts that we will not be able to come up with a living arrangement that will make us both happy. In my mind I have seen myself already getting angry about our cooking and cleaning situation.

He came for a surprise visit this past weekend, and boy, was it a surprise for him. We had a miserable weekend together.

I did not enjoy his company because I was already angry with him, and he was confused and equally frustrated with me. What could have been a really fabulous weekend ended up being a painful and heavy weekend.

When we start to have negative thoughts, it’s hard to stop them. And it’s much easier said than done to shift your focus to positive thoughts. But it’s the only way, especially if you want to avoid going down a path that is painful and unnecessary.

Here are ten things I did to help overcome my negative thoughts that you can also try:

1. Meditate or do yoga.

One of the first things I did was head to a yoga class. It took my focus away from my thoughts and brought my attention to my breath. Yoga is also very relaxing, which helped ease my mind. Yoga helped me stay present to my experience so instead of jumping to what could happen, it brought me back to the now—the only moment, the most important moment.

2. Smile.

I didn’t do much of this during the weekend, so I literally had to bring myself in front of a mirror and force myself to smile. It really does help change your mood and relieve stress. I also felt lighter because it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown.

3. Surround yourself with positive people.

I called a friend who I knew could give me constructive yet loving feedback. When you’re stuck in a negative spiral, talk to people who can put things into perspective and won’t feed your negative thinking.

4. Change the tone of your thoughts from negative to positive.

For example, instead of thinking, “We are going to have a hard time adjusting to our living situation,” think, “We will face some challenges in our living situation, but we will come up with solutions that we will both be happy with.”

5. Don’t play the victim. You create your life—take responsibility.

The way I was thinking and acting, you would think I was stuck. Even if our living situation becomes unbearable, there is always a way out. I will always have the choice to make change happen, if need be.

6. Help someone.

Take the focus away from you and do something nice for another person. I decided to make a tray of food and donate it to the Salvation Army. It took my mind off of things and I felt better for helping someone else.

7. Remember that no one is perfect and let yourself move forward.

It’s easy to dwell on your mistakes. I felt terrible that I acted this way and that I wasted our weekend. The only thing I can do now is learn from my mistakes and move forward. I definitely don’t want to have a weekend like that again.

8. Sing.

I don’t remember lyrics very well and it’s probably the reason that I don’t enjoy singing, but every time I do sing I always feel better. When we sing, we show our feelings and this provides an amazing stress relief.

9. List five things that you are grateful for right now.

Being grateful helps appreciate what you already have. Here’s my list: my cats, health, a six-week trip to Asia, a new yoga class that I’ll be teaching, and for my mom’s biopsy coming out clean.

10. Read positive quotes.

I like to place Post-It notes with positive quotes on my computer, fridge door, and mirror as reminders to stay positive. Also, I’d like to share with you a quote by an unknown author that was shared in a meditation class that I attended:

Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

Happy positive thinking!

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9 Powerful Tips to Help You Turn a Bad Day Around

“To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.”
Henry David Thoreau

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”
Robert Louis Stevenson

Some days are great, better than you would have expected when you rolled out of the bed in the morning.

Quite a few days are just good and OK days.

And then we have the other ones. The days that just wind up being bad.

What do you do then? I used to let them drag me down and I often wound up having not just one but a couple of bad days because of whatever happened.

Nowadays I do things a bit differently. And this week I’d like to share how I do that.

This is 9 tips and habits that help me to turn a bad day around. Most of the time I use more than one of these habits to do that.

1. Breathe.

I usually start turning my day around with shaking things up by using my body in some way.

The first thing I almost always do is to just breathe. I breathe deeply through my nose by using my belly. I focus only on the air going in and out for 1-2 minutes.

This calms my body and mind.

2. Do a power pose.

Then I sometimes follow that up by striking what Amy Cuddy calls a power pose for about 2 minutes (check out her TED talk, it’s really good).

The simplest way to strike a power pose is to stand up confidently like Wonder Woman or Superman with your legs apart, head up and your hands on your hips.

It might sound odd but it can really change how you feel in a quick and positive way.

3. Work out.

Another habit I use several times a week to shake things up by using my body is to lift free weights in my home. I do this for about 30-40 minutes and it helps me to release tensions and worry.

And after I am done I feel more powerful, focused and energetic.

4. Hug.

Just by hugging someone quickly you can feel safer and more optimistic again. And an embrace that lasts 30 seconds or a minute or more can recharge your your batteries and release an unexpectedly large amount of stress and tensions.

5. Pet an animal.

If I don’t have anyone close by to hug during a bad day I usually just pet our cat for a few minutes. It has a very similar calming and stress reliving effect.

And it makes him very happy and that in turn boosts my mood.

6. Find a new viewpoint.

The body tips above often work well to change my perspective by altering my emotional state and energy level.

Sometimes something more is needed though.

So I start looking more actively for a better and more helpful viewpoint by asking myself a couple of questions.

Three of my most commonly used questions that help me with that are:
Will this matter 5 years from now?
Who cares?
What is one small action, one small and practical step I can take to start turning this day or situation around?

7. Go out into nature and enjoy the spring.

Leave your couch or workspace for a little while. Talk a walk and just soak in the spring sun and warmth. Enjoy the birds singing and the nature starting to blossom after the cold winter.

Just being out there in nature tends to make it easier to think optimistically again and to start looking for practical solutions or upsides. Or you can simply be there in the moment fully and let your thoughts about for example work rest for a while (and then later on you can return to that with fresh eyes and a calmer mind).

Another upside is that the sunshine and exercise during this 20-30 minute pause in my day also recharges my energy.

8. Accept what is.

One thing that sometimes work better than just about anything is simply to accept what is at this moment.

To not deny or try to push away negative feelings or thoughts that show up. Even though you may feel an impulse to do so.

Instead, just accept what is right now. The thoughts and feelings within you. And just be with them fully and observe them flowing through you.

By doing so you are not giving up.

No, because when you accept what is then you stop feeding the negative thoughts in your mind with more energy. And so they become weaker.

They start to lose their grip on you after a while and then they float away. And so you feel more open and are able to think more clearly again.

9. Remember: sometimes a bad day will just be a bad day.

Now, from time to time, even if you use several of the techniques above – one after the other – you won’t be able to turn a bad day around. That has been my experience at least.

Because no matter what habits you adopt, life will never be perfect, positive or awesome all the time.

And this website was never about living some kind of life that only exists in a perfect dream anyway.

This website is about replacing unhelpful habits with better ones. It is about raising the percentages of times where you can handle things in a better way. In your regular, everyday life. And when bigger things happen.

Because that will make a huge difference.

But still, life will have natural valleys.

And a bad day will sometimes just be a bad day. And that’s OK. That’s life.

But the interesting thing is this: if you accept that life is like this sometimes – and let go of the dream of perfection – then you’ll create less suffering for yourself and life will become lighter, simpler and happier.

So in the long run there is an upside even to a bad day that you may not be able to turn around.

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10 Habits That Lower Self-Esteem and Cause Depression

When our self-esteem is low, which is typical of codependency, we're at greater risk for depression. Codependency is learned, and so are self-esteem and the beliefs and habits that cause both low self-esteem and codependency. Self-esteem is what we think about ourselves. It includes positive and negative self-evaluations. Good self-esteem is a realistic, positive self-concept. It reflects self-respect and implies a feeling of worth that's not determined by comparison to, or approval from, others. Self-acceptance (which some writers include as part of self-esteem) is even deeper. It's a feeling of being good enough, neither perfect, nor inadequate. We feel we have worth and are lovable, not merely because of beauty, talent, achievement, intelligence, status, or popularity. It's a sense of inner contentment.

We each have intrinsic value, not based on how we perform or what we do or give. Just as every baby and breed of animal are unique and worthy of love, so are we. Unfortunately, as codependents, many of us grew up in families where love was nonexistent, conditional, or had to be earned. We believed that we had to earn or win the love of a parent. As a result, we're afraid to be authentic for fear we may be disliked. We may pursue people who cannot love and reject those who love us. We "over-do" or "over-give" in relationships and at work, and end up feeling resentful, used, or exploited.

Habits that Damage Self-Esteem

If you conclude that self-esteem is essential to enjoying your life and enjoying enduring, healthy relationships, you're right! The following bad habits, typical of codependents, can make you feel insecure, ashamed, anxious, sad, and hopeless:

Negatively compare yourself to others

Find fault with yourself

Tyrannize yourself with "Should's"

Project self-criticism onto others and imagine they're judging you

Don't try new things to avoid failing

Procrastinate

Doubt your instincts and decisions

Ignore your needs and wants

Don't set boundaries and allow abuse, criticism, or exploitation

Refuse to forgive yourself

When we compare ourselves to someone else, whether favorably or unfavorably, we are measuring ourselves by an external standard. Feeling "better than" someone is really a means to compensate for underlying shame and low self-esteem. The lift we get is false. It would be more helpful to wonder why we need to compare ourselves to someone else. When we compare ourselves negatively, it's self-shaming. We feel inferior, lose confidence, and like ourselves less. It depresses our mood and discourages us.

An active "inner critic" besieges us with what we should and should not do and second-guesses what we've already done. Habitual fault-finding can cause us to assume others see us as we see ourselves. In this way, we project our critic onto others and anticipate and feel the effects of criticism or judgment that we imagine, even when none occurs.

Lowered self-confidence causes us to fear making mistakes, looking foolish, or failing. Our self-esteem is always on the line, so it's safer not to try anything new to avoid appearing incompetent or not succeeding. This is another reason we procrastinate tasks or experiences that are new or challenging. At the same time, we nag and criticize ourselves for failure to accomplish our goals. Rather than take a chance, we make ourselves wrong for not trying, which ensures "failure" and low self-esteem.

Accommodating others from an early age leaves us unsure of our values and beliefs and encourages reliance on others. Decision-making becomes difficult, even paralyzing. Low self-esteem and shame heighten our fear of making mistakes, leading to self-doubt, insecurity, and indecision. Instead, we procrastinate or look to others for validation, opinions, and answers, which further undermines our self-trust and self-esteem.

Accommodating others also alienates us from our needs and wants. By not acknowledging, expressing, and meeting our needs and wants, we're admitting to ourselves and others that they're not important; ergo, that we're not important. On the other hand, taking responsibility to meet our needs and/or ask for them (such as asking for a raise) builds self-esteem. When we don't, we feel helpless and a victim of circumstances and other people.

Not feeling worthy of love and respect - which we deny to ourselves - makes us vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. We don't feel worthy of being treated well, and deny, excuse, or rationalize being abused or disrespected. Dependent upon others' approval, we're afraid to set boundaries lest we alienate those we love or need. We're quick to blame ourselves and readily accept blame from others, because we're guilt-ridden due to shame. Although we forgive the mistakes of others, especially if we receive an apology, we're not as kind to ourselves. Apologies to ourselves don't count. In fact, we can punish ourselves or hold a grudge against ourselves for years over past mistakes.

Treatment for Low Self-Esteem and Depression 

Fortunately, we can grow our self-esteem and increase our capacity for self-fulfillment. It will enhance our creativity, ambition, physical and emotional health, loving relationships, and resilience in the face of adversity. It is the key to success.

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Throw Out Your Negative Thoughts

Did you know that negative thinking is the cause of most of our problems? It causes us to focus on life with a negative perspective and dwell on the problems we have. We think about all the bad things that are going to happen to us and we can't even see the possibility of anything good happening. We defeat ourselves with our negative thoughts that quickly turn into negative words and actions.

If negative thoughts are constantly coming into our head, we should try to throw them out and replace them with positive thoughts. You may be thinking that this isn't possible but of course it is. Many people have been able to change their thinking with a lot of effort and patience, including myself.

How do you throw out your negative thoughts? First you need to consciously be aware of what you are thinking, then stop yourself and replace the thought with something positive.

Let's look at some examples:

What would you do if a fly flew in your face? Just ignore it and let it crawl around or would you shoo it away?

What would you do if a car drove by you in a rainstorm and splashed mud on your pants? Just leave the dirt on your clothes or try to wipe it off?

What would you do if you tried on an outfit in a clothing store and it didn't fit? Just leave it on and buy it or take it off and try on something else?

The answers are pretty obvious. You would do something about the problem. You would shoo away the fly, try to wipe off your pants and try on other clothing until you found something that looked good. You wouldn't accept the problem and not take action.

So why would you allow negative thoughts to remain in your mind when they are causing problems for you? Start taking action and get rid of them! You can't have a positive life with a negative mind, so work at throwing out those negative thoughts.

Try to be consciously aware of what you are thinking and make positive changes before those negative thoughts take root in your mind. Create a new habit of positive thinking! It really changes your life and you CAN actually be happy MOST of the time if you continually work at it. 

Happy thinking!

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How To Use Positive Re-framing To Turn Things Around

When it comes to being positive and optimistic, it's easy to be reminded of the old adage of whether you see the glass as half empty or half full. This cliché is used more often or not to show how the same situation may be looked at either positively or negatively.

One tool that is often used to help people begin to think more positively or to become more optimistic is called positive re-framing.

Re-framing basically means that you take a situation that could be deemed negative and turning that experience into one that is a more objective, positive and empowering manner.

There are plenty of examples of how you can use positive re-framing.

Let's say that you are working at a new job and you want to make a good impression.

However, on your first day you send out an email that is only supposed to go to your supervisor, but instead it is sent to all of your co-workers. This email happens to contain some personal information about your current financial situation and is rather embarrassing.

So what can you do about this blunder? There are several ways that you can handle this situation.

A positive way to handle it is to turn this stupid mistake into a joke, perhaps replying to the email stating that at least it wasn't a naked picture or an adult website link. This response will likely make your co-workers laugh and have a more positive, funny, intelligent impression of you.

The other option is to become embarrassed, too apologetic or to avoid contact entirely. This overreaction will likely lead to a negative impression from co-workers because you've taken things too seriously and have made the work environment not as light and friendly.

When considering positive re-framing, it is important to note that it does not change what had actually happened. In the above example you cannot change the fact that you sent out personal information to your new co-workers.

While the situation cannot be changed, the way that you respond to the situation can be changed.

Using humor is a wonderful way to diffuse tension and make a difference in a situation that could otherwise be difficult, awkward and self-sabotaging.

All in all, optimistic people tend to look for the good in all things.

It is crucial to remind yourself that bad things are going to inevitably happen in your life. Positive re-framing is a fantastic way to make things a lot better when something embarrassing or bad comes up.

Take the time to look at all situations carefully and determine how you can re-frame the situation to make it more optimistic, fun and interesting. This will definitely make a huge improvement in the quality of your life.

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7 Tips on Motivation to Gain Momentum

Sometimes because of situations people tend to worry but worry leads to fear and discouragement, but instead of putting your face to the ground, one must raise up in faith and find solutions to the things that worry them. Worrying serves no purpose it only gets us down and makes us lose focus. We need to get up and take action, by acting, we are taking control of our lives and circumstances. We are NEVER hopeless and anything is better than worrying.

Tip 1. Stop Listening to Negative Thoughts

Many times because of bad experiences, we tend to listen to that inner voice, the negative thoughts, the hurts and pains. These negativity discourages us from achieving anything in life. Make up your mind to be positive about life, envision yourself in the place and position you want to be in, like financially stability, establishing your business or even owning your dream home, whatever you choose to accomplish keep this in the forefront of your mind and work towards it.

Tip 2. Change Your Environment

Remove yourself from any negative environment or circumstances that do not encourage your success. You cannot do the same things over and over and expect different results. You must re-position yourself in order to move forward.

Tip 3. Prioritize Your Life

Ask yourself how important the situations are around you and set your priorities in order, this would help you to cope, then work on the most important ones first.

Tip 4. Associate Yourself with Like-Minded People

Find people who have the same or similar vision and share your vision with them get new ideas and encouragement. Also learn to encourage yourself by encouraging others and get excited about it.

Tip 5. Set Realistic Goals

Set goals that you know that you can accomplish within a specific time-frame, put a plan in place, envision your goal, see it, touch it, taste it in your heart and challenge yourself to meet those goals.

Tip 6.Gain Knowledge

There are a community of resources out there like internet, books, networking events, talking with others in your niche and more..that you can tap into to bring you encouragement and help you gain momentum to keep you moving forward. These resources would influence your motivation.

Tip 7. Take Risks

Learn to take risks you will never gain anything by doing nothing! Choose to live life to the fullest, it's up to you! Be willing to fail before you can even begin to succeed at anything. Failure should motive you to succeed and not to get you down. Never quit, there is a saying, "a quitter always loses", keep trying until something great happens. Never see yourself defeated, instead, see yourself with real potential and get busy moving forward!

To many times people depend on others to push them to achieve, what if we don't have that someone, would you just give up in life. No, we were all created with great potential, talents and abilities within, we need to tap in and put away negative thoughts and start believing that you can do anything that you put your mind to do. Yes we all need encouragement, but motivation comes from within is an act of your will and desire, you have to get up and decide to move forward.

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Why Reinvent Yourself?

What does reinvent yourself mean, and why would you do it? First of all, you are here now, already invented. Who are you, and what are you all about? You must answer this question before you can begin to take charge of your life, plan, and implement your plan to take your life in a different direction. Also, by spending time to define and understand your life as it is, you can think about how it turned out that way.

For some folks, the reinvention is to find a new job. Others want a change of scenery. They choose to live somewhere else. It is heartbreaking for everyone involved, but some decide to leave their family to start over, and in rarer instances, they leave their name, their heritage, and even their beliefs behind in order to start with a blank sheet of paper. Of course, none of these actions guarantee a rise in your happiness. Things will be different. Perhaps, it is better to test drive before you make a drastic change in your life.

One of my favorite sayings is, "Just because you thought of it, does not make that a good idea." Perhaps you need the counsel of a wise person who is a trusted friend. Wise means level-headed, experienced, and someone who must be convinced. It does you no good to take a thought to a friend who always agrees with everything that you want to do. Also, should you confide in social media freak, that person may broadcast your thought widely, which could compel you to reinvent before you were ready to make that decision.

There is another side to this. Do you have family responsibilities, moral obligations, or will people suffer because you choose to abandon them? Many people look back on the tragedies in their lives in order to self-analyze how they handled them. The ones who say that they did the best they could to "right the ship," can justifiably take pride as they identify themselves to be among the heart and soul of humanity. But, if you decide to reinvent, to walk away from everyone and everything important in your life, then you will have to be satisfied with your "it's all about me above everything else" decision. If no one else could count on you, then why does anyone anywhere need you around? That is harsh, but this is why you should be careful, consult with a trusted friend, and plan your reinvention to be least hurtful to others. Guilt is a poor substitute for unhappiness.

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7 Behaviors That Are Keeping You Stuck

If you are feeling really stuck in life, one thing to look at is what payoff, or secondary gain, you may be getting from staying in struggle, illness, lack of success, being in a job or relationship that you don't like, or not creating the love you desire. Payoffs are about hanging out in our comfort zone telling ourselves why we can't move forward in life. We become attached to the secondary gain out of misunderstanding, habit or fear. When you can identify the payoffs you are attached to, real change can begin to happen, both internally and then in your external environment. Please note that this isn't about blame. It's about growth and we all have opted for the payoff at one time or another.

So how do we understand what the payoff is and begin to change?

The first thing is to acknowledge that you are creating your reality and take responsibility for it. This is a Law of Attraction principle and is actually very empowering. It frees you from victim mentality.

Then, you must forgive yourself! Only through forgiveness can you release the problems. Everything is happening for our highest good and growth. These are all just experiences for us to aid our expansion into being more than we were. Now you are in a position to choose to create what you REALLY want! To assist you in this process, here are some payoffs that are commonly held. Sometimes you will have more than one payoff keeping you stuck.

See if you recognize yourself in any of these!


What do I get to avoid? Struggle can allow you to avoid responsibility, success, being vulnerable, love, being visible, or feeling your feelings.

Who do I get to punish or love? This can be very subtle. We punish by refusing to be happy or successful in order to prove that life is unfair, Mom and Dad were bad parents, or God let us down. Others didn't love you enough or were not good enough. We fail so someone will come to save us and apologize. The ego gets a sense of power by manipulating others in this way. The love aspect is when we don't succeed or be happy because we don't want to do better than our parents or others we care about because succeeding, especially succeeding easily, would demonstrate that all of their struggle and suffering was based on a flawed premise and we don't want them to feel bad.

Am I feeling righteous and dishonest emotions or real feelings? This happens when we try to act "spiritual" and "positive" rather than acknowledging our real feelings so we can release them. Instead, we hold on to the feelings and depress them. What often happens is that we end up complaining to everyone except the person involved who could actually do something about working through them with us. The other extreme is when someone exhibits what they consider to be "righteous anger," or exaggerated hurt or burden. It's basically a blame game and won't move you forward.

What guarantee am I holding out for? This is asking for a promise of the love, money, healing or success you want before you take action. No one can make that guarantee!

Am I manipulating with self-pity? The victim wants an audience to feel sorry for him/her. The martyr is the "silent sufferer". Martyrs expect everyone to know what is wrong and fix it. They secretly want everyone to save them and make their life work. Again, this really leaves you helpless! You are giving up your power.

Am I feeling better-than or less-than? If you feel better than others, or less than others, you are feeling entitled. You feel that you deserve special treatment. This is another subtle one, especially the "less-than" feeling.

What am I afraid of losing if I succeed? You fear you might lose friends, attention, excuses, invisibility, or the safety of mediocrity.



Some of these payoffs can be really hard to look at and acknowledge. Remember the step of self forgiveness and love yourself enough to take the bold step of facing your payoff. Once you realize what is holding you back you can let it move through you and replace it with the excitement of your vision for what you really do want. You step out of victim-hood and into your power. The rewards of doing so will be great!





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Essence of Self Confidence

Have you ever observed how people pay more attention to what things look like than what purpose these things actually exist for? For example, there are two bars of the same chocolate in two different boxes. The other is covered in beautiful and shiny paper. The latter is placed in a plain box on top a hidden shelf. Obviously, you know which one will get picked by people who pass by, even though the contents are the same. Believe it or not, this is the very same case when it comes to people and confidence. In fact, it happens to people every second of the day, every day of the year. Whenever people mingle, there's just no room for the absence of assessment. Although there are a few people on earth who do not mind what their peers think of, chances are there are billions more who actually care and get terribly affected by negative remarks. The sad part is that most of these people are often misjudged due to how they look, act and other shallow standards. From never looking anyone straight in the eye, excessively fumbling and even murmuring instead if talking... all these barriers to personal growth are actually manifestations of low self esteem.

You see, having self confidence is the trigger which pulls off every positive aspect of life. It is the overall aura you exude for people to notice you. It is the element which lessens other people's doubts about what you are actually worth. This is the element you often see in models when they strut on the catwalk. This is the silencing power you sense in CEO's. It is the soundless air you feel whenever you meet someone which leaves you impressed for no apparent reason at all.

High levels of self-confidence give anyone, including you, more potential to do what has to be done in order to achieve your dreams and ambitions. Professionally, you can use confidence to take your career a notch higher than where it usually is. When you look confident, people will stop looking at you as a fumbling fool. They will get interested in what you are capable of doing. As such, you can seize every opportunity to exert extra effort so that you can show how good you are at your field. Your confidence will assure you of an audience. Your peers and bosses will watch in anticipation as they try to see what you can accomplish. After that, appreciation will follow and you are almost set for the next big step.

Even your personal life is highly affected by confidence. When it comes to relationships, confident people always seem to establish steady emotional bonds with ease and resilience. Confidence is often equated to honesty. It's a character only people who have nothing to hide can truly possess. As you might have observed, people love the absence of pretense. When you're confident, you are actually giving yourself a chance to be what it is no matter how lame it may be according to the world. With this kind of attitude, it will be just a matter of time before you meet people who share common passions with you. By utilizing confidence you can establish these similarities without awkwardness, thus strengthening your personal ties with people.

Most importantly, a steady sense of self confidence can make you feel better as an individual. With it, you can love yourself for who you really are. You can sleep at night knowing the positive and negative aspects of your life, thus giving yourself a chance to make things right. Without insecurity, you can look every problem straight in the eye. You will never have to flee from belittling remarks and violent reactions simply because you believe and know what you are truly capable of. This is the power only pure non amalgamated confidence can make you possess.

Ways to Give Your Self-Confidence a Quick Boost

1. Stay Prepared

No matter how you feel, get up, get dressed and act like you know it's going to be a good day. Why is this one of the best confidence boosters? Because you can be sure that when you are prepared for success, it will find you.

2. Order Dessert

This one here is not so much a question of putting your complex carbohydrates before your protein; it's more about doing something that goes against the "norm". Besides the quick boost you'll get from the sugars, breaking some of life's little rules can be quite liberating and can nurture your fearless inner diva.

3. Check Yourself

Checking in with your thoughts and feelings about yourself may be one of the single most important things you can do throughout the day. Most of us tend to be our own worst critics. Left unchecked, that persistently annoying voice that tells us we aren't doing enough or we aren't good enough, will only grow louder and eventually dominate our thoughts.

4. Value Yourself

Because from one fabulous lady to another, paying a deserving compliment goes a long way toward making us feel better about ourselves and unfortunately, we don't do it enough. Contrary to popular belief, criticizing others actually does not make us feel better. Showing that you genuinely appreciate the excellence in another, not only demonstrates the value of your own self worth, but it can be motivation to look around for things that are positive.






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Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

Sometimes we have to do things that make us feel uncomfortable so that we can grow. As individuals we often stay in our "safe places" because we don't want to stretch ourselves to think bigger and do bigger. So we just stay in a place of comfort, even though that place of comfort is no longer bringing us life satisfaction. But to grow and go to the next level you have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. That means you have to become comfortable with change.

Transformation can seem scary, but if you want to experience something different in your life then it is going to take you doing something different. When we are divinely being led to do things often they seem bigger than us, and that makes us hesitant to pursue those goals and dreams. But it is important to remember that God will never lead you to do anything that is too big for you to conquer.

Moving forward with faith makes all of the difference. When you stretch your faith it can give you the confidence to move forward in a powerful way. Faith can also minimize any fear or uncomfortable feelings. Faith might not get rid of them all, but faith can surely make you feel less uncomfortable.

Many of us can look back and see that there were times when we were extremely uncomfortable with change because of the unknown. But in the end many times we were glad that we decided to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Sometimes things in our lives will only change with change.

Plan your next steps of action carefully and don't be afraid to get out of the box, don't just think out of the box, but get out of the box and just go for it. That doesn't mean that you do things that will cause you financial hardship, but what it does mean is that you begin to start expecting more out of your life. Life is too short not too.








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7 Tiny Things You Can Do To Feel Confident In Any Situation

Feeling a little jittery about an upcoming appointment or interview? Nerves can get the better of even the best among us, and therefore having a simple and effective strategy to find your way around them can be very helpful. Here are 7 simple and tiny things you can do to feel more confident in a situation.

Take a Moment before Stepping In

Before stepping into a meeting, interview or even a social gathering, right at the door take a brief pause to collect yourself and your thoughts, reaffirm your poise and gracefully move forth into the experience before you. Realigning yourself helps make sure you are more integrated and focused to meet whatever it is that lies ahead of you, no matter how expected or unexpected.

Establish Eye Contact
Body language doesn't just give hints to the confidence levels of a person, but can actually be used to reaffirm these as well. Establishing eye contact is a pivotal aspect of being self-assured and confident. Make sure to meet everyone with a bright, confident and composed look, and to maintain the eye contact through your engagement.

Smile with Your Heart

A wonderful and beaming smile can help you find your way into the heart and favors of practically anyone you meet- whether in a work situation or otherwise. But not any smile will do; only a genuine smile helps you appear calm, confident and appealing. So smile with your heart, and smile wide.

Breathe Deeply

Shallow breath usually accompanies the most panicky and challenging situations. Therefore if you are not breathing right- that is deep into your torso- then your body is bound to stay a little on edge, if not in panic. To appear more confident, relax your body and consequently your body by breathing properly.

Uncross Your Arms

Crossed arms are a clear defensive stance; but they don't just put off the other person, they also hold you back from the situation or challenge at hand. Uncross your arms and really open up to your experience and you will not only look more confident, but feel more confident as well.

Appreciate Your Self

A lot of our doubts anchor in our own self- criticism, slowly eroding away our self-esteem, confidence and belief. To perk your confidence levels up, take some time to appreciate your self- not just for the successes and results you may have enjoyed, but also for the efforts and passion you pour into your every day.

Don't Lose Perspective

It is easy to get carried away by the momentum of a moment, and to forget the bigger picture. Just how much someone else's opinion matters in the long run, or just how crucial a meeting is to the bigger picture can go a long way to making you feel more relaxed and therefore focused. Remember no matter how big it might seem today, there is always greater to accomplish and more to enjoy.






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How To Gain The Confidence To Live A Remarkable Life

How To Gain The Confidence To Live A Remarkable Life

On A Wing And Prayer


A remarkable life begins with the intention to cast away the bowline on your former life, in exchange for new beginnings.

Whilst you may not know the steps required, you recognise your current experience is not what you want.

Once you state your intention to change your circumstances, the pieces of the puzzle will come together.

Most journeys are lined with detours, dead ends and eventual success. Our voyage comprises peaks and turning points where we confront our demons, only to rise above them.

"Your attitude and how you respond to both opportunity and setbacks are critical to pivoting. You need to develop habits that help you foster a positive mind-set, help you understand yourself, and increase your sense of control over your life," affirms author Adam Markel in Pivot: The Art and Science of Reinventing Your Career and Life.

We must assume responsibility for our future which means accepting everything that arises along the way.

Nothing is gained overnight. Where success comes fast, it can be easily squandered, so don't be in a haste to upgrade your life sooner. It's not how fast you reach your destination, but the lessons and experiences that matter.

The Value Of Connections

We cannot create a remarkable life without the help of others. As social creatures, valued relationships can propel us to new heights.

My greatest life experiences resulted from connecting with people whom I thought had little to offer. However, they imparted precious wisdom and knowledge when I needed it most.

Similarly, it's vital you surround yourself with people who sympathise with your cause and don't sabotage your plans.

The world is full of detractors and cynics, unable to pursue their dreams. They may have failed and will insist you cannot succeed either.

Steer clear away from them. Grave diggers, as I call them, will find every excuse to convince you it can't be done.

"The truth, in spite of what we might believe about remarkable people, is that you cannot master a skill on your own. Finding your calling will not happen without the aid and assistance of others. Every story of success is, in fact, a story of community," states author Jeff Goins in The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do.

Humility and kindness will take you far because you never know when your circumstances will change. To repay the services of those who help you or by paying it forward, is something we must take into account.

Unearth your innate confidence, irrespective of the reality you face. This leads to a resolute conviction because you discover the essence of your nature in moments of determination.

Failure and rejection become your allies since anything of value requires: commitment, dedication and time.

Fear vs Faith

Don't allow your fears and insecurities to cripple you.

Ninety percent of the world's population don't take action on their dreams because their fears overpower them. Gradually, the years slip away and they've achieved little, much to their regret.

They entertain dis-empowering thoughts that keep them safe within their comfort zone.

Yet, a safe refuge will seldom award you a remarkable life. It's the assurance of an average life which I'm sure is not what you want.

"Who we are and where we want to go determine what we do and what we accomplish. A life lived on purpose is the most powerful of all- and the happiest," state authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan in The One Thing: The surprisingly simple truth behind extraordinary results.

An extraordinary life is created by conceding parts of our life that are not working while attaining something greater.

To discover your calling is essential if you seek to align with purpose. Hidden in these treasures lies your passion, instead of a career or a job you loathe.

Those who pursue their purpose have an unwavering commitment to serve others and are pulled by the exuberance for life.

"You're either remarkable or invisible," declares author Seth Godin in his bestselling book, Purple Cow.

Follow Your Calling

I appreciate the notion to answer our calling since it's grounded in purpose and intention, key aspects of universal wisdom. A calling can be as minor as writing poetry for family and friends or as grand as humanitarian efforts in third world countries.

Don't succumb to those who advocate your calling is less than glamorous because if it resonates with you, there's a good chance you're following it.

There's talk nowadays of pursuing happiness, that it's now become a first world problem. At least we've reached the consensus, material possessions do not equate to fulfillment.

The greatest source of happiness arises from a focused purpose. It entails attending to big picture issues instead of trivial ones that occupy your time and energy.

You must trade the familiar for the uncertain and be guided by the appeal of the journey. For when you jump, the net will appear, but not a moment sooner until you take the plunge.

The promise of a remarkable life is a journey of self-discovery. It sets the intention and the seed of opportunity for the next phase of your life. You won't know what the imminent future holds until you start out on the path.

Author Michael Neill reminds us of a wonderful message in his book The Inside-Out Revolution: The Only Thing You Need to Know to Change Your Life Forever, "How things ultimately turn out isn't up to us. It never was. But if we do our bit and play our part, it's remarkable how far we can go."

You Have What It Takes

Don't despair, you're well adapted to surmount any circumstances life presents. All your needs have served you from birth until now and will continue to serve you as long as you maintain trust.

It's not important what a remarkable life looks like, however we must believe it's attainable. We should allow life to show us how to merge into this future and be willing to embrace what arises.

Don't become a bystander, waiting for circumstances to change or improve. Enter the arena as a gladiator and assuage your fears while silencing your doubts.

To the victor goes the spoils.

Spectators are self-imposed critics who sit on the side-lines, while others take massive action to create extraordinary circumstances.

Life is too precious to be an onlooker.

Author Jeff Goins reminds us again that the luck is something we create, "What makes a person successful, then, is not the luck, but what he or she does with it. Opportunities come. The question is what will you do when they arrive? Successful people are just as "lucky" as the unsuccessful. The difference is they do something remarkable with their lucky moment while the rest of the world sits around, waiting for the next lucky streak to come."

To live a remarkable life entails immense personal growth and self-improvement. The person you are now, is not the person you will become.

For success is a by-product of inspired action.

So, cast away the bowline and set your sail to navigate towards a prosperous future.

You never know where it will take you and that's the greatest adventure we can embark on - trusting in ourselves and living to serve our needs.

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