13 Ways Successful People Improve their Efficiency

There is never an end to the learning process.

Even successful people have the urge to improvise their efficiency on a daily basis.

Though, it takes many years of hard work to become successful, but it is even harder to sustain that success and keep on adding to one’s efficiency.

13 Ways Successful People Improve their Efficiency

Here is the list of some recurring secrets and habits that are often followed by successful people, to improve their efficiency, and which should be pursued by aspiring people as well.


1. Regular Habits Deliver Big Results

Our routine and daily chaos can play a major role. If the routine is something that distracts one from their desired goal, then a shift in regular habits can be the trick towards success.

Though giving up regular habits is not easy, but simultaneously, it is key to produce a better version of oneself.

For e.g. leading writers and novelists, write less or more of material every day. This helps them improve their efficiency to write well.

Secret 1: Keep it standard and don’t break the rhythm or chain, this regular habit will lead to success.


2. Willpower Will Take You Anywhere

A lot of researches and studies claim, that to achieve any goal, anybody and everybody needs to have willpower within them. It is an assured resource for success. Famous psychologists state that making any decision needs willpower.

For e.g. Startups when take the initial entrance in the business world, it takes a lot of willpower to not loose out hope, as a startup takes a lot of time to reach the success bar. Here a good willpower will keep the new entrepreneurs focused to achieve assured success.


Secret 2: Willpower is a must and giving up is out of the question, when aspiring for success.


3. Don’t Run Behind Success, Take It Slow.

Usually, when new people in the race of success develop habits and routine to lead their way to victory, they get really pushy. Any process, habit, routine or even success for that matter, will take some time to fall in your court.

For e.g. Many reputed writers have gone through times, where their write ups were rejected or they failed to offer a bunch of words that failed to impress. But, most of them have said in their interviews or biographies, that what kept them going was their willpower.

Secret 3: Willpower is must, to keep it going towards success.


4. Introspection Is A Must

Self-analysis is the primary form of analysis that every successful person undertakes.

The famous personality, Steve Jobs (Apple), used to strongly support Zen philosophy and meditation practice, as the reason of his success.

In self-analysis one can be completely transparent about what needs to be corrected or what needs to be promoted as a practice.

For e.g. Many leading novelists often suggest out to aspiring writers, that self-editing is a must. If one wants to opt for proofreading by professionals then platforms like Contentmart can be opted, as to become a perfect wordsmith, sometime an introspection by a specialist can be of great importance too.

Secret 4: Introspecting oneself allows in defeating one’s own failures.


5. Sharing Is Gaining

Many successful people give credit to their group sessions or community meetings or talk sessions, for their growth. Talking and sharing thoughts and gaining new insights, is a prerequisite in a session with like minded people.

For e.g. Startups can attend many interactive sessions and meetup, where people with similar business background and thoughts, come to one place and share their ideology or ideas. This can help is grooming the efficiency for many.

Secret 5: Share your thoughts and ideas to gain new ones and get corrected for good.


6. Collaborative Approach Is A Must

A person alone can never achieve success, there are many helping hands who create a successful personality. Having a collaborative approach and taking every person, element and process together ahead, is a quality only successful people enclose.

Secret 6: Every person and element should be dealt and taken ahead in a collaborative approach.


7. Futuristic Approach

Thinking ahead and before time is a common trait witnessed in every winning personality. Having a futuristic approach helps people in developing a well-strategized plan, which can help them overcome challenges.

This advanced approach helps them visualize problems before time and thus, helps in planning in a manner that allows to have a plan B ready.

For e.g. Leading startups that have tasted success, have entrepreneurs that have a futuristic approach and claim their success to such an approach. They plan ahead and thus have a problem-solving strategy towards success.

Secret 7: Future is equally important to plan, as we plan the present.


8. Don’t Think Different, Do Different

Old is gold! But, not always.

To achieve something that no one has ever achieved, one has to do something, that has never been done. New approach, ideology, applications, strategy and what not, to achieve something spectacular; don’t just think differently, do differently.

For e.g. A startup to become successful, needs to introduce a business idea that is never thought of, nor implemented. Anything new and different has been always welcomed and encouraged.

Secret 8: Forget the notions, bring out what’s different in you.


9. Don’t Forget To Reward Yourself On Every Small Win

Don’t limit the rewards for the end goal achievement, take the pride to reward each small victory. To avoid an inevitable fail, celebrate small wins.

For e.g. Don’t wait for a digital marketing plan to reach 1 million, but celebrate those first 10,000 leads or targets that can motivate to prosper even further.

Secret 9: Reward yourself, no matter how small or big the win is.


10. A Failure Is Not The End

There might be many failures on the way to success.

Taking a small failure as a barrier to achieve the bigger goal is strictly a NO! Self motivation against a failure should always be a primary element of success. This motivation makes one to achieve more than desired.

For e.g. A draft idea or a business proposal might get rejected by seniors or investors, here instead of taking the failure as the ultimate decision, instead let it motivate you to work harder and attain that approval.

Secret 10: Failures are temporary, motivation for success is permanent.


11. Enjoy The Process Towards Success

If one doesn’t enjoy what they do, they will fail.

Not enjoying the process, will make it miserable to achieve success and is seen as a setup for failure. Try working on oneself and improve on a daily basis. All successful people enjoy the process more than the goal achieved.

For e.g. A writer might not enjoy the achievement of the final copy as much as he enjoyed the journey of reaching on to that conclusion.

Secret 11: Enjoy the process, it will make the journey to success easier and fruitful.


12. No Involvement In Negative Talks & Thoughts

There are thousands of mouths and even more suggestions or reactions. Some good, some bad. To achieve success, one must not involve in negative talks and thoughts. Whether they come from someone else or from within.

Encourage a positive vibe and avoid getting into negativity.

For e.g. Many entrepreneurs with their startup, face a lot of criticism about their business approach or idea, some from outside, some from within. To avoid them and to work ahead of them is a must.

Secret 12: Don’t let negativity touch or influence your goal.


13. Being Thankful

This is one of the most common qualities that can be witnessed in a successful person. Showing gratitude even with one ‘Thank You’ is more than enough.

Often at times, successful people do share their success with people who supported and helped them in their journey. Showing a humble gesture even in one sentence can do the justice.

For e.g. In books published or any written material for that matter, acknowledgement or thanks page is a must and comes before the actual write-up. This clearly depicts, that a ‘Thanks’ comes first.

Secret 13: Always show gratitude towards people who deserve a share in the success story.


Summary

Here’s a quick recap of the 13 ways successful people improve their efficiency:
Regular habits deliver big results
Willpower will take you anywhere
Don’t run behind success, take it slow
Introspection is a must
Sharing is gaining
Collaborative approach is a must
Futuristic approach
Don’t think different, do different
Don’t forget to reward yourself on every small win
A failure is not the end
Enjoy the process towards success
No involvement in negative talks & thoughts
Being thankful


So, to sum it up, if one is amongst those who chase success, embracing the above qualities can help such people achieve success and also will help in improving the efficiency quotient.
How else do successful people improve their efficiency? Leave a comment below.

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5 Ways to Find Willpower When You Feel Burnt Out and Hopeless

We all experience periods in our lives when we hit a rough patch and Lady Luckno longer seems to support us. We’re left feeling crushed by life itself. Times when unexpected events have happened, often beyond our control, and it’s pushed us to our breaking point. When tough times hit, we often feel our willpower severely waning.

We feel so burnt out and devoid of energy that our viewpoint into our future starts to look bleak and hopeless. When we’ve reached this point, it’s pretty hard to find a reason to push on. But luckily, there are some ways to fight back and regain your inner power.
Here are my favorite ways on how to have willpower when you feel burnt out and hopeless:

1) Gratitude.

Sometimes, when I’m at my lowest points, when I can’t think of anything positive and life just seems completely pointless, I like to take a moment to remember everything that I do have in my life and feel grateful.

Here’s how gratefulness can help you on how to have willpower again.

Remember that:
Your gratitude list can include anything. In fact, when times are super tough and I can’t think of anything one thing to be grateful for, I remember that at least for right now, I have a roof over my head and food in my belly, that there are millions of men, women, and children around the globe who don’t have those basic life necessities available to them on a regular basis.

However, you can also be grateful for your toothbrush, Snickers bars, your pets, or your BMW. It’s your choice and your list so name whatever you want that makes you remember life has great moments – even during the darkest times.
Keep a gratitude journal near your bed. Every morning and/or night, write down a list of 5-20 things that you are grateful for during the day. In time you’ll see that you really do have a lot more to be grateful for than you ever could have imagined. It’s also really beneficial to turn to those lists when you’re feeling down about life.

You’ll remember you have a whole notebook of things that are really great in your life and that will help boost your willpower to keep moving forward.

Gratitude helps take the focus away from whatever isn’t showing up in my life and redirects me to notice what I do have that is so amazing. Using gratitude to boost your willpower can give you a new perspective on what’s really going on. It will help you feel more grounded and resilient, rather than burnt out and hopeless.


2) Volunteer

Being around others who value your service and who need your help – whether that’s the environment, animals, children or other adults in need, it’s a great way for you to feel life is hopeful, not hopeless.

Not only do you get a chance to see that others too, are going through a difficult time, but volunteering will help remind you that no matter what is going on in your life, you can still do some good in the world. What you do matters, and that you make a positive difference to others.

Remember to:
Find a volunteer position or charity that is aligned with your time and energy levels. Ask friends about where they volunteer. Maybe even try out a few before you settle on a specific one. But find one leaves you feeling energized and happy afterwards rather than sad and depleted.

While sometimes you may be witnessing a sad situation, like when I volunteered as a groomer at an animal shelter and saw many cases of abuse, it helped when I focused on how I was helping the animals transition from dirty and alone to happy, healthy and on their way to their new forever homes.
Keep searching – there are tons of volunteer opportunities out there that can fit everyone’s lifestyle, needs, and schedule. You can even find volunteering or mentoring positions that you can do online. So keep searching until you find one you really love. If you don’t see it out there, you can always start your own charity based on needs you see in your own community that aren’t yet being met.

Volunteering your time, money or expertise will get your willpower back up and running in no time as you’ll be reminded that there’s a lot more than just you on this planet and that you’re needed by others.


3) Treat Yourself!

If you have gotten to the point where your willpower is so low that you can barely get out of bed, then this is the time to start treating yourself a whole lot better! We are taught that giving is the greatest thing we can do, but if we do not stop and allow ourselves to receive, it’s possible to give until we are sucked dry.

It doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive or elaborate. Just do something for yourself that makes you feel happy. Do things like that as often as you can. The more you give to yourself, the less hopeless you’ll feel. You’ll be more able to give joyfully and abundantly to others.

Remember that:
Make treating yourself an everyday habit. The more you give to yourself, the more energy you will have, so set aside some time every day to do something kind for yourself. It doesn’t have to take up a lot of time, but it does need to help you remember that life can be and is, good.
Change it up. You don’t have to do the same nice thing for yourself every day. The more you choose to vary your treats, the more you’ll enjoy the process and the more likely you’ll be able to keep up this healthy practice of self love. The more you receive, the more you’ll be able to give.

4) Start Treating Yourself Better

Most of us are running on empty. We have too much going on in our lives. Of course, rather than letting the ball drop in any area we allow our minds, bodies, and spirits to take the brunt and then we wonder while all of a sudden we’re feeling depleted and burnt out.

When we’re short on time, energy and/or personal happiness, it’s really easy to start losing our willpower and feel hopeless. This is where daily self care comes in handy. By daily care I mean getting enough sleep to feel rejuvenated, NOT exhausted when you wake


Remember that:
If you don’t like it, use it or need it anymore, let it go. Holding on to stuff that no longer holds true value to you only weighs you down in body, mind and spirit, so for the sake of your mental and physical health it’s a good idea to purge all the negativity and waste from your life.
This exercise will lead to a great awareness of what really matters in your life – if you do it properly. It will help you realize that keeping positive people and things in your space have a great effect on how you feel and how you make decisions. Do yourself a favor and start getting rid anything negative out of your life. See how wonderful, free, and happy you start feeling.


Whether it’s going on a much needed vacation, making a quick trip to the manicurist or buying yourself a decadent brownie as a rare treat, do something that makes you feel happy and joyful. Giving too much can burn us out and leave us feeling depleted. This is why we need to give to ourselves just as much as we give to others.

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Practicing daily care also means choosing to eat natural, real food rather than products made with salt, sugar, and fat to help you feel good, happy, and healthy from the inside-out. Daily care also means exercising regularly so that you remain strong, healthy and limber.

Remember that:
Little steps can lead to big improvements. Even something small like going to bed at the same time every night can lead to quickly feeling happier and healthier. It’s also important to incorporate these daily care rituals into your schedule so that they become just part of your routine, rather than something you have to squeeze into your day. This will ensure you keep up the practice and actually reap and enjoy their myriad benefits.
Get support. It’s important when you are trying to make positive changes to have the right support system. Whether you hire someone, join a group or get a friend, spouse or relative to help you out, the more you’ll feel encouraged and supported in making positive changes. This makes it easier for you to maintain these changes.

If you’re thinking about how to have willpower, remember that being healthy is what will help you. Treating yourself better will push through those tough, hopeless times with much more ease and grace than you can if you’re not caring for yourself on a regular basis.

Taking care of yourself every day is essential for a happy, healthy, and productive life. You simply cannot allow caring for yourself to go by the wayside, no matter how busy you become or things will start to crumble out of your control.


5) Remove Everything in your Life that Leaves you Feeling Burnt Out and Hopeless.

There are so many decisions we have to make these days. So many choices that can lead us down a variety of different paths. It can become exhausting just trying to figure out the right path for yourself. The more decisions you have to make, the more burnt out you’ll probably feel.

Wondering how to have willpower to gain energy reserves and enjoy feeling like you’re actually in control? It’s important to let go of everything that doesn’t hold any value or meaning in your life.


Be kind to yourself, be grateful, and don’t cling to things of no value. This is how to have willpower again – despite feelings of hopelessness and exhaustion.

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3 Powerful Tips to Help You Have Your Best Year Ever

Here are 3 powerful steps you can take to free yourself from frustration and to start enjoying the good life so many are enjoying right now:

1) Know "where you are." Have you ever been lost in a residential area and no one was around to ask for directions? Now if you are somewhat familiar with the area, it's easy to just turn around here and there and find your way back. But the worst part about being lost is when we are lost and we haven't a clue where we are.

So, where exactly are you on your journey now? Do you know exactly how much money you owe? And how many assets you have? What are your strengths? And what are your weaknesses? Here's a good exercise to help you know "where you are":

Draw a map of your life and make every square a city. Name each square with an aspect of your life. One city can be your family, friends, knowledge of your field, spirituality, work, charity, financial, etc. Then rate each city from one to ten. Ten means you are doing extremely well, and one means it needs immediate help.

What I just shared with you is like having a balance sheet for your life. Put all your weaknesses on one side and your strengths on the other side. Put your strengths to work and strengthen your weaknesses. You can read more books, go back to school or find a mentor. Perhaps you can learn 50 to 100 power words this year in order to get a verbal advantage. Whatever you do, keep in mind that a better year begins with a better you. The readers of No Condition is Permanent know about this.

2) Do an inventory of friends. That's right. Make a list of who your friends are, and how they relate to the direction your life is going in. When companies want to increase their revenue, they get rid of unnecessary employees or ones that are holding them back. So when you are ready to increase your worth, you need to get rid of unnecessary friends. I am talking about those that only cause you grief and are a pain in the "you know what."

If you want to accomplish great things, you need to surround yourself with great people or people who have accomplished great things. You might say, "well, how do I find these great achievers you are talking about?" If you own a copy of No Condition is Permanent, refer to it for the answer.

You and I know fully well that some so-called friends are not worth the aggravation. They are draining, and they sap the life out of you. Consider this: Small people are always talking about things, but great people talk about ideas and concepts. Do you find yourself mentally stimulated when you are with your friends? If you are not, then you should be.

3) Quit killing time. Have you ever heard people say, "I'm just killing time." If they only realized how precious time really is. I have a wealthy friend who once told me that he can make millions of dollars any time he wants. He can purchase more homes, cars, and other luxuries. But the only thing he can never buy himself is more time.

His point is that he values his time more than his money. Wow! People who have little regard for time always find themselves engaging in activities that have nothing to do with improving their lives or that of those around them. They are routine people. They just do the same old things; they are just going through the daily motions. They love to shoot the breeze and just chill.

Listen, you are entering a new year, and you are not getting any younger. You may have lost so many opportunities. As a reader of my newsletter, you are important to me. I can't stand by and watch you squander your time and procrastinate. That's why I am encouraging you to find out "where you are" and start taking action to change your life. Take my advice. Inventory your friends and stop killing time.

I wish you all the best in this year!

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Are You Self-Aware?

Self-awareness is having a high degree of understanding about yourself. It's awareness of your habits, emotional tendencies, needs, desires, strengths, and weak points. Having a high level of self-awareness is a powerful tool. It permits you to alter your life better, given that you know how you tick. Those that do not have self-awareness often find life to be frustrating.

Cultivate your self-awareness:

1. Notice your thoughts. Unless you have actually been practicing meditation for years, your mind is constantly churning through ideas and endlessly offering commentary. You can't simply take a look at a tree and appreciate it, your mind has to comment, "That's a beautiful tree." Then it's off to the races.

Notice your thinking patterns. What are you thinking when you're feeling nervous? Tired? Intrigued? Walking down the street? Notice how comparable circumstances lead to similar idea patterns.

Do you judge people and circumstances? Do you invest a great deal of time considering the past or the future? Do you expect the worst to take place or the very best? Or do you embrace a mindset of, "Let's just see what takes place"?

2. Notice your sensations. Exactly what are you feeling throughout the day? What do you feel while you're eating? Driving to work? Lying in bed? Waiting in line? Once you've noticed your feeling, question it. What am I feeling? Why? Exactly what do I need right now? How do I normally react in this scenario? Is that wise?

3. Understand how you handle frustration or psychological discomfort. A big chunk of your time is invested trying to make yourself feel better. If you feel a little annoyed or uncomfortable, then you might invest a significant quantity of time and energy attempting to alter the scenario or the others around you to fix those negative sensations.

Do you aim to manage others? Do you attempt to sidetrack yourself? Is your very first impulse to leave the scenario? Do you browse the internet or eat a huge bowl of ice cream?

4. Analyze your friendships. Where do you find your good friends? Are most of your relationships long-lasting or short? When your friendships end, exactly what is the typical cause? What types of individuals do you choose to be pals with? What kinds of individuals do you avoid?

5. Analyze your intimate relationships. Do you see a pattern in the type of people that you've been involved with? Exactly what are the unfavorable characteristics they all share? Why do you believe those people interested you?

Exactly what were your drawbacks in your relationships? Are you clingy? Jealous? Too concentrated on work? Cannot communicate your needs? Think about how you contributed to the failure of your relationships.

Have you changed your approach from relationship to relationship, or do you continue to duplicate your errors?

6. Keep a journal. There's no better method to discover yourself than to record your thoughts, feelings, and experiences each day. Research studies have actually shown that we don't remember our past very accurately, so record it while it's still fresh in your mind. Make certain to include your low and high points for the day.

Keep in mind how well you ate and slept, too. You might find some useful details.

Produce a practice of writing in your journal for at least 15 minutes every day.

You'll begin to notice patterns and discover a lot about yourself.

Understanding yourself might be the most important piece of your self-development puzzle. If you don't understand yourself, it's hard to apply all the great info available today. Maintain an awareness of your ideas, feelings, and actions. Examine and question them. You'll be surprised by what you discover.

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4 Components Towards Becoming A Better SELF

How can anyone become the best that he can be, unless and until he commits fully to enhancing his  or her personal persona? Whether one merely wants to take a true, objective, introspective look, or if he wants to perform to the peak of his potential, until one becomes ready, willing and able, to take an honest look at himself, it becomes nearly impossible to perform as well as possible. Far too often, many individuals proceed through life seeking to fool themselves into believing they were someone they were not! If you hope to become the best you can be, these four mnemonic components might help you become a better SELF.

1. The primary objective of maximizing potential is probably doing all we can to maximize our assets, so that we look at options from a position of strength rather than the far - more - often position of compromise and settling for good - enough! When we are strong, it permits us to focus on developing a systematic way to optimize performance. Combined with genuine and sympathetic mindset, we then become capable of developing the best strategy or strategic plan. When we look at things with confidence and expertise, we feel better about our-self because the experiences become far more satisfying.

2. While sympathy might be a genuine, needed emotion, we only grow as individuals when we utilize empathy. This means rather than merely feeling sorry for others (often after the fact), we get to better understand and appreciate their plans, priorities, preferences, and needs (in other words, we see things through their eyes). When we enhance our own education (not solely book - learning but actual expertise and development), everything we do becomes more enriching, which potentiates our energy, and thus produces our best efforts. Yet, it means we begin by committing to better knowing one's self.

3. Learning is the key to achievement. Only when we love what we do (and understand why we are doing it), are we willing to let others in, and thus objectively look deeper within ourselves.

4. Find your inner voice (and motivation), and then fully focus on what is most important and essential to you. Do you know how and what you truly feel? Then fight for your views, and become capable of freeing yourself from the obstacles and limitations created when you begin with pre - conceptions rather than open - mindedness.

How much impact and how good do you really want to be? When was the last time you took a genuine look within? Hopefully, using these four components will help you really, honestly, and objectively, know your SELF.

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4 Ways To Simplify Your Life Right Now

In a period of information overload, there's never been a better time to simplify life.

The raging struggle of modern existence can lead to inner turmoil if we're unaware.

The key to living an inspired life is to simplify it. To gain clarity on what's important, let go of unnecessary conditions and tune into what you value most. Most people chase material possessions believing they'll be happy, only to realise it makes matters worse.

The more clutter in your life, the less capable you are of knowing what's important to you since you are distracted by insignificant issues that vie for your attention. Naturally, you react to what is taking place before you instead of what's essential.

Health, relationships, family and living my purpose are central aspects to my life nowadays. It's taken an entire lifetime to reach this point, yet it's well worth it. That which brings you joy and happiness require the least effort.

I'm drawn to the quote by Henry David Thoreau who said, "As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness."

The Law of Least Effort functions according to the principle of simplicity. Given that we evolve from nature, it makes sense to adopt this way of being in our life.

The following are four valuable points to implement right now. Apply them gradually and don't be discouraged if you don't see results at first. It requires patience and persistence for something of value to yield results. Akin to a plant, the initial stages begin with the seed sprouting beneath the soil, invisible to the naked eye. Yet, with nurturing and time, it grows into a healthy plant and so too with your habits.

1. Surround Yourself With Remarkable People

These include: friends, family, romantic partners, co-workers and those who offer you support and encouragement. Significant people are those who encourage your personal growth. They are your humble ambassadors in times of need and don't desert you through crisis. The company of such people leads to simplified living because your needs are met through close connections.

Great people inspire and strengthen you, not drain your energy. Energy vampires rob you of your vital force, so be aware them. They want to gain something and are unwilling to offer anything in return. Steer away from them, they will deprive you of your long term happiness.

2. Let Go Of What No Longer Serves You

I've written about this in earlier articles. Letting go of what no longer serves you is essential to simplifying life because we free ourselves from what consumes our energy. This includes: people, things, places, relationships, travel, behaviours or habits. If it doesn't bring you joy, remove it from your life or distance yourself from it. However, don't fill the void with something else, simply allow it time to recede, so you have less to focus on. In doing so, you free up mental and emotional resources for more important matters. Create a space for something wonderful to appear and trust it will take its place, since Nature abhors a vacuum.

3. Focus On Experiences, Not Things

The lie that happiness comes from material possessions is one many fall victim to. Sure, it might offer happiness for a short while, although once it wears off you yearn for something more.

Newspapers are filled with stories of people who inherit millions of dollars, only to find themselves more miserable than before. This is not due to money per se, rather the stress associated with managing large sums of money. Accumulating material objects amplifies insecurities already present in a person.

Focus on experiences and surrounding yourself with friends and loved ones. Travel more, perform random acts of kindness, do charity work if that appeals to you. The key is to find fulfilling experiences that embody who you are. For example, I enjoy creative hobbies and feel lively when engaged in these endeavours. Find time for these activities and you'll be happy and content.

4. Be In Tune With Your Nature

When you're in tune with your nature, you connect to your source. I'm not talking about religion or spirituality, yet something greater. You are the expression of Mother Nature in all her glory. Everything from your thoughts to your body reflects the infinite powers of universal intelligence. Stay connected to your source and you'll feel the aliveness of the universe permeate through you.

How do you stay in tune with your nature? Here are steps to consider:

Be kind and compassionate to yourself and others

Think empowering thoughts

Live a healthy life

Eat whole food close to its original state

Balance your giving and receiving

Create fulfilling relationships

Be of value in your local community

Respect Mother Nature

Be of service to others

Be at peace with yourself

Think globally, act locally

We're on the verge of a new way of life, uniting spirit and matter to become conscious creators of our destiny. The old paradigm is gradually falling away to make way for the new. This isn't about a new world order, for it's much simpler than that. It's an expanding of consciousness and fading of primitive thinking, once dictated by our primal urges.

The changes herald a new way of perceiving the world via our sixth sense. People are harnessing their intuition to make sense of the world around them. Be willing to upgrade your model of reality to coincide with the change. Remove preconceived ideas about how life should play out since these concepts keep you trapped in the past.

Simplifying life brings immense joy because we need little to make us happy. Economic studies in Australia suggest households on a combined income of $40k per annum are no happier at this threshold. In the US, the figure is $75k, which confirms we needn't accumulate vast amounts of wealth to be happy.

Mother Nature is more intelligent than we give her credit for. She provides us with the inner wisdom to make sense of our lives, yet we're controlled by our impulses instead of focusing on what's meaningful. Don't succumb to the out-there model that suggests your inner needs originate from outside circumstances.

Make a vow to simplify life and reduce your impact on the environment. Reduce your waste and non-renewable resources.

Strive to live a clean and uncluttered existence.

The reward is a conscious life imbued with simplicity, instead of what you believe will make you happy.

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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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Why A Positive Attitude Is Best For You

Of all things you can adopt for yourself, you would be hard-pressed to find something better than a positive attitude. If you believe you have a realistic approach in life and that is what must prevail above all others, perhaps some thoughts on a positive attitude and the benefits that can bring you, could persuade you to open your mind towards acquiring it.

Sometimes we don't realize why we go towards things that express frustration, anger, ill feelings about people, situations of family life, the government, the wife, the husband, the environment etc. all of which, if we allow them to persevere in our life, can change our perception of what reality is, simply because we see them from one angle alone.

All expressions of this side of seeing things is not a healthy way to be about in life. They can stop us from being resourceful and from seeking solutions to everything we see as problems that upset us. It is not very useful and encouraging for others to see us carrying this kind of 

attitude.

Imagine if instead, we present ourselves with ideas to overcome most things that clutter our judgment and project forward a resourceful way of dealing with things, like talking about other ways to see what is difficult, complex, hurtful, abusive, repulsive or hateful.

And what if we persist on smiling, on focusing our thoughts to find solutions, on giving plenty to others without reservation, especially on treating others in a more loveable way without fear of rejection.

Do you think if you took this way of behaving would attract a different response from others? I believe this other way of being not only will change your life, your health and your financial position but will also make you a more caring person to everyone around you. Even if you don't believe it until you make an effort to deviate from taking the pessimistic side of things in life, and go onto the different side of reasoning, that lies in the resourceful state, the creative state, the solution-seeking state, it is extremely difficult to see gains in your life.

Dwelling in the half empty measures, the negative attitudes, the resentments about all things, on blaming everyone else and everything else for your misfortunes is not going to get anything in your life solved. But you already know that, so, trying the other angle, "the positive way" as many people would call it, seems quite a logical thing to do.

If being resentful, blame full, uncaring, angry, boastful, impolite and provocative do not get us anything truly worthwhile and make us look negative in so many ways to others, why not make an effort to overcome little by little all those traits to start having a positive attitude and seeing a change in how we are perceived by others.

Looks like by eliminating all those traits, you can begin to make small changes in your attitude, small enough steps to build a muscle of gradual improvement to overcome ingrained negativity. If you persist with this new way of behaving and make it sustainable, you will be, eventually, unstoppable. Nothing can resist your new level of positive attitude that is all-conquering, charming and effective in just about any endeavour you care to take.

You will always be welcome by everyone and doors will be open to you because it is the new you with the all-powerful attitude, "the positive attitude" that you so much wanted since the days of the "half empty glass" and the "partially cloudy skies" and the gloomy statistics of doom that you used to believe.

Now you are not sarcastic and nasty and do not have time for sadness, illness, abusive manners and provocation that so much hurt others and got you nothing but rejection. No, you are now totally the opposite, the charming, kind, smiley, courteous, giving, always ready to help kind of person that others love to be with, help and admire.

How beautiful is that? To all those that knew you as a negative, stressful type of person to be with, now they love you and respect you and want to help you because they want to reciprocate your changed positive personality. Great news!

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4 Tips To Improve And Boost Your Self-Confidence

Many people today believe that having self-confidence has something to do with ones accomplishments or societal status. Others think it has something to do with having a certain kind of body, the way one looks or even how popular they are with friends and society in general. The idea of self confidence is perhaps one that women need a lot of clarity on because often times we see promotions on what new thing to get, which make-up to use and which "fix you up" products that are all supposed to magically give you an increased sense of self-worth and greater confidence. But does any of this really work?

Personally I know it doesn't work at all for I started off trying to get rid of my insecurities, self-loathing and criticism by buying all the best things I could find to enhance my beauty and confidence.

What experience has shown me, which numerous researches conducted can now confirm is that nothing can increase your self-esteem and self- confidence. Your happiness, fulfillment and overall well-being is very much limited or expanded by your level of confidence and self-esteem. No external thing therefore can truly bring you joy and fulfillment or that sense of deserving except a belief in your own value, which is always determined by your level of inner confidence, and belief in your own Self.

In our modern and rapidly developing society where material possessions are considered a standard measure of value, more and more people are secretly battling with this idea and try to mask whatever emotions they might have by working harder than ever to get more stuff, bigger accolades and more social recognition in the hopes that this will in some way fill the inner void that continues to brew.

This is the worst way to build your success or your self-esteem because none of the outer possessions no matter how good will ever satisfy you or even last very long. They aren't meant to add or complete you where you feel a lack, when we use them for such, we welcome all the evils that divine teachings have warned us against.

What is self-confidence and where does it come from?

Confidence is defined as the feeling or belief that one can have faith in or rely on something or someone. Self-confidence then is the feeling or belief that you can have faith in and rely on your Self.

It all comes from the Self and the error we have made far too many times is in making our capacity, abilities and sense of worth dependent on something other than self. Which brings me to the first point I wish to drive home, the self is the real, infinite and eternal you. But that self-experiencing your current life is under a certain belief, idea, concept about who and what it is. This idea is called self-image. It is the image of self that your mind has believed and defined as you. If this image is healthy and built or a right foundation then you have a great thriving lifestyle because your confidence is booming which means you're deliberately designing and generating the kind of conditions rolling out in your life. However if for one reason or another you didn't form a healthy and true image of self, then real confidence and belief in yourself is something you struggle with which naturally reflects on the quality of life you get to experience on a daily basis.

For the most part, we see all the erred views on self-confidence and self-esteem stemming out of this false paradigm and approach to the self, which causes people to look to the external rather than to the self for a strong, confident and a high sense of value and worth as human individuals simply from just "being" instead of doing or having a particular thing.

The difference between a person who's got a good healthy self-confidence and one who doesn't isn't about how they physically look, what they have or the kind of accomplishments they've made. It's a deeper more profound knowledge and understanding as well as complete appreciation and embracing of all that they are. One of the question's I get asked the most is: What can I do to increase my level of confidence? Here are a few ways:

1. Disentangle your real Self from your conceptions of self

The great endeavour we all need to frequently do as we often get lazy and get pulled back into mass kind of thinking is to disentangle the real Self from the beliefs attached to the self. The "I" in you is the real Self and is not the idea of you that you've formed throughout your lifetime. Your real Self is independent of all the conditions, labels and attachments you developed while on earth. It is this self that gives you life and makes it possible for you to even read this now.

This same self is the one you must learn to believe in, have faith and rely on implicitly. But since many people have no idea how to access or live from this self, the outside alternatives have continued to be promoted because humanity has long gotten used to the idea of looking for power outside in the world of effects. We find it difficult to trust in what is beyond our intellect and yet we can feel that all things tangible are limited. You self-confidence will increase greatly when you learn to tap into your real Self and live from that authentic and infinitely powerful aspect of your existence.

2. Learn the truth about perfection and imperfection

Mankind has gotten so used to the idea of being imperfect. It's drilled in almost all schools of life and the idea of perfection has been given such a bad humanistic and almost vain taste that stating it here I know will arouse the criticism of the uninitiated minds. But the truth always stands and it is that you are perfect! You were born perfect and that's why you innately feel as though you need to express it.

Because you are spiritually perfect, there is no need to ever believe that something needs to be added or fixed. No need to ever believe that you need to seek it because being already perfect, the process of human living is the progressive unfolding and evolving of that inherent perfection. Start viewing yourself as such and life will show you just how perfect you can be as long as you continue progressively moving forward with ease and confidence in who you really are.

3. Discover the biggest war zone in the world and heal it

This is a big one for most people everywhere. Do you know that one of the biggest and hardest habits to break for the human being is that of self-judgment? Neuroscience found this to be one of the most detrimental habits most people indulge in almost unconsciously.

Within your mind is an ever on-going conversation about everything you are experiencing and especially about yourself. This conversation needs to be guarded and reshaped to reflect the kind of lifestyle you wish to manifest before you can hope to have it as your reality. If that conversation is only fault-finding, blaming, arguing and criticizing it will be very difficult for you to ever feel good enough or worthy of a good life. People spend so much time worried about the outside world while if only they could go quiet and listen in, they would soon discover a similar war going on internally.

4. Learn to embrace

Embrace all of you. Not just the good parts but all of you... Ambiguity is natural to you because you exist as Body - Mind - Spirit. When you discover the kind of image you have attached to your "I", it's probable you'll even feel ashamed that you attached such a disgraceful belief to yourself and let it define who you are. We all experience that - but what you need to know is that it doesn't really matter anymore as long as you're now awake and ready to take action and create an image that truly reflects the kind of person you want to be. Hiding, feeling ashamed or guilty over the things you discover from your old beliefs and mindset does nothing except harm you and keep you stuck.

Don't forget these are just a few tips on a very deep topic that every individual needs to work on intimately because it makes all the difference in the quality of life. I have a lot more on this topic and you can have more access in greater details of ways to help you recreate your self-image.

Above all else, understand that changing yours self-image and improving your confidence requires time and consistent practice because it's a major factor in mastery of self. As with all things, the mastery requires certain consistent effort and practice to be invested before the great harvest can be enjoyed. But every step along the way will already move you closer to your ultimate goal and small manifestations that help you track your progress will always be noted so keep working at it, start with these simple ideas and trust that you are all it takes to be this new you that you want to bring into physical reality.

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How to Find Willpower When You’re Running On Empty

Have you ever tried to notice and track acts of will that you perform throughout your day?

That time when you decide to reject the offer of cigarette that comes from your friend. Maybe that morning you finally took yourself for a work-out routine.

Where do such acts come from?

Why in some cases are you resistant to any kind of temptations and just do what is right/logical/useful while in other cases you just can’t stand up to the seduction?

How to Find Willpower When It’s Running Out

Is there a limited resource of willpower for each of us?

And, if it’s true, can we somehow increase it or should we just stick with it like that chewing gum that has stuck to our shoe sole on the way to work. We can take time and fix that, but we have work to do and we are in a hurry.


Flexing The Muscle

“WILLPOWER IS LIKE A MUSCLE: IT NEEDS TO BE CHALLENGED TO BUILD ITSELF.” – MARTIN GINIS

If neuroscience has taught us something about our brain lately – it’s that it is no different than any other muscle in our body (except it’s unimaginably complex!).

If you have ever been to gym – you know how it works. Weak muscles won’t let you lift decent weights, the same thing basically happens to your brain when it is required to show some willpower.

There is a part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex, it is located just behind your forehead and it’s believed to be responsible for behavior regulation and decision-making.

In easy words, that part of your brain is literally the willpower mission control center, and when you can’t handle the desire to eat one more sausage you know what is it to blame.


But how that does that help?

Well, knowing how an engine works gives you an opportunity to tweak and upgrade it.

According to Kelly McGonigal, Stanford University PhD, and author of The Willpower Instinct, the pre-frontal cortex is like a child that needs to be looked after.


You have to be responsible and fully involved in order to raise it properly, so you won’t feel embarrassed for it. There are things you can do to improve the pre-frontal cortex. Following them will literally increase it by consolidating grey matter around it.

As a result, you will gain a power to control over your desires and to act upon the interest of usefulness and healthiness. Instead of receiving a short-term sense of satisfaction. The basic recommendation break-down is:

1. Sleep well.
It is a well-known fact. Your whole organism restores and gathers power while sleeping and willpower is no different. You are very vulnerable to bad habits and other possible threats when you didn’t get enough sleep.

2. Eat well.

Digestion of proper food will supply your brain with necessary vitamins and minerals. Food is a fuel so be sure to keep the tank properly filled.

3. Exercise.

Physical exercises are proven not only to increase your body condition, but weekly exercise activities are experimentally proven to be a boost to your willpower as well.

4. Meditate.

Just a simple 10-minute breath meditation daily routine has proven to improve your body and mind on a many different levels. From improving your focus level to helping your sleep better, meditation has become a powerful tool to anyone seeking to increase their willpower reserve.

Following basic guidelines will definitely boost your self-awareness and the willpower itself. But what do you do when you seem to be out of the resource?


In Search Of A Willpower Boost Pack

Remember what we talked about earlier? About the comparison of our brain to muscles. Now that we know, it seems clear that we can “work out” and get our brain to consolidate the willpower at the times when it is most needed.

We just need to keep practising and pushing it to the limit.

Well, the truth is, it’s not quite right. The resource of your willpower is never unlimited. Especially on your first steps of mastering your willpower, you can easily find yourself in the situation when you are just out of it.

Once you learned how exactly your mind works when you are eating that caramel cake or passing a gym class you would need to learn how to force yourself doing the right thing.

But the problem is that you might face numerous situations throughout your day that would require you to challenge your power of will in order to motivate yourself.

If you’ll be too hard on that, you might just pass one through. You would think – I woke up early, I am not smoking for three weeks now and I laid out on a training today. So this sweet dessert after supper won’t cross out all my achievements.

And you’re right. You can’t be all-focused and determined non-stop 24/7. In this case, one day you would just have to give it a rest in order to release the tension that is tangling you.


So What Do We Do?

In order to avoid that, you need to carefully examine the level of your willpower. Evaluate how much is left in your willpower bank. That would enable you to plan your decisions and actions ahead of the challenges you face.

Becoming aware of the level of willpower you have gives you a chance to avoid seductions and temptations you might face later. For example, if you know that just can’t fight that social media feed checking habit, maybe you could try leaving the phone somewhere not near your workplace.

The other recommendation I would give is an obvious one, though it is also one of the hardest.

Once you have started working on improving your power of will, never let it go. Keep the focus and determination to fight your nasty habits for quite some time. Until you’ve worked out the manner to deal with them.

For example, at some point of my life I had a serious sleep deprivation problem. It was doing severe damage to my personal and professional life, so I had to do something about it.

Amongst all the solutions I tried, meditation was something that really worked, though I had to wait more than a month to see that. But, at some point, my sleep problems were just gone.

Everything went back to normal. And when everything is normal there is no need to make additional efforts to keep it that way, I thought. So I stopped meditating just to see that the problem came back.

That’s when I realized that I should always be focused and determined to steer my life in the right direction.


Drawing The Bottom Line

There is always a way to go when it comes to self-improvement, for all of us. Willpower is the most effective tool on the forefront of our personal growth and development.

While there are literal ways of improving your willpower, you should never forget that there is a resource that you are spending, especially on your first steps of mastering the power of will.

Are you struggling to find willpower? Leave a comment below.

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