Failure is the foundation of success;

success is the lurking place of failure. 

Laozi

 

Affirmation: I win even in the midst of a loss.

Disappointments are a normal part of life and some losses are inevitable. But, negative experiences help make the positive ones even more worthwhile. I work to turn every loss into a win. I may win something other than what I expected, but it is a win nonetheless.

I know what it feels like to lose. I admit to feeling down and disappointed when something I work hard to achieve slips out of my reach. But I also know what it feels like to win.  So I gain knowledge and new perspective from every disappointment that can help me win more often.

Whenever something works out unfavorably, I analyze the sequence of events carefully and look for likely causes of the disappointing result.

I can usually find the culprit in a weakness here or questionable or poor choice there. What I learn from doing this is both enlightening and rewarding!

Experiencing a loss makes future victories and successes all the sweeter to me. I feel more pleased when I win something after suffering a setback. I honestly believe that my losses have helped equip me to succeed, remain humble and look forward in anticipation to future victories.

 

Today, I vow to make the time to enjoy my rewards, even if they are something other than the hoped-for victory.

 

I know that there is another shining moment out there for me. And I commit to making myself ready to seize that moment when it comes.

 

Homework/ Journal Prompts/ Self-Reflective Questions:

1. How can I help teach others how to learn the lessons their experiences bring, even after a disappointing loss?

2. What positive attributes have I gained as a result of experiencing disappointments?

3. In what ways am I better equipped for future battles?

 

Have an awesome week!

– article source : martinamcgowan.com/2013/06/musings-and-affirmations-i-win-even-in-the-midst-of-a-loss

There are quite a lot of people out there that can help you learn more about yourself. There are teachers, therapists, and teachers that can help you understand your thoughts and discuss your feelings.

Use your work time efficiently so you can get more done in a shorter amount of time. This trick involves taking frequent breaks from work. This might sound counterproductive, but the truth is that more breaks give you a chance to relax and recharge yourself; when you return the work at hand, you can be more focused and get many things accomplished.

Always be ready to write down thoughts you may have. Carry paper with you at all times.

You can then focus your self improvement once you accept that you still have a lot to learn and development.

Weight loss should not be the only one reason to exercise. There are countless physical benefits from regular exercise.

Ask other people about their achievements instead of boasting about your own.

Therapy is indicated if you feel you cannot deal with your problems are severe. While self-help books can be helpful, a therapist can propose targeted, targeted interaction with a therapist.Simply talking can assist you in finding motivation. A book simply cannot provide the human interaction afforded by a therapist or counselor.

You should always treat everyone with respect, regardless of their relationship to you or your goals. The way you behave around others is highly indicative of your character.

Do you consume alcohol? Do you make a habit of smoking or engaging in other activities that may be harmful to your health? Your body should be a priority. Eliminating bad habits can be a very essential if you want to improve your life. Take a hard look at your life to see where you can make improvements.

Whatever you might think you need in life, make sure you have one thing. You need to chose to actively engage in your life instead of being a spectator.If you just observe your life as it passes you by, you are not really alive.

If you are never able to meet the goals you set, do not be afraid to stop and make a frank assessment of the problem. Find out how others have similar expectations. You may find the proper information you need to succeed.

Good health simply makes anyone feel happier. Make a goal to make healthy choices.

Taking a few small risks can help you should start on your path towards happiness. Many people do not like to take chances because they don’t want to feel like a failure, or feeling rejected, which often leads to an unfulfilled life. Taking chances shows courage, which will bring you the most happiness.

Decide what you want to do with your life and do it. You need to step up and implement a plan of action in order to realize your goals to make them really happen.

It is important that you understand who you are. Treat yourself kindly and be honest with yourself as the years pass, and enjoy knowing the one person who knows you best.

Check out this website for more information.

Is Yoga the perfect form of exercise and relaxation? Let’s make a list of what our ideal type of exercise would do. Firstly it would be simple enough that anyone could do it, but have enough variations and different methods that it would maintain the interest of someone who had been practicing it for years. It would need to be easy to learn so that people could pick up the basics quickly and stat seeing the benefits as soon as possible. To be a perfect form of exercise it would need to be capable of keep our body in good shape all by itself. It would help with weight loss, circulation and increasing the strength of the muscles. It would stimulate the lymphatic system as well as the blood flow and help the body dispose of waste products, improving the overall immune response system. It would also have benefits that went beyond health – the sharpening of the mind and an increased sense of well being and contentment. Ideally it would be an exercise form that required no expensive equipment and that could be practiced practically anywhere, alone or in a group.

This is quite a demanding set of prerequisites for a perfect form of exercise. Let’s see if Yoga measures up to these standards.

Yoga is a discipline that has it’s routes in India. The documents that modern Yoga is based on are hundreds of years old, and the principles behind these documents were practiced long before that. It is a low impact form of exercise that has been tweaked and customized by literally thousands of different teachers and enthusiasts. The are numerous resulting ‘styles’ of Yoga, but they all have the same core background and beliefs. What we refer to as Yoga in the West is usually the physical component of an entire life philosophy that has it’s own beliefs and code of ethics built in.

The physical focus of Yoga is on poses and slow movements that are low impact and usually use nothing more than our own body. Sometimes props and supports are used to assist the body in achieving and holding a particular pose. The poses can vary greatly in their degree of difficulty and even the same pose can have many different stages or levels. The perfect example is a simple forward stretch. One person may be able to stretch out past their knees, another may be able to reach their ankles and somebody else may be able to touch the floor. This level of progression allows us to see a physical difference in our flexibility level as we practice Yoga more regularly. And because Yoga does not require any special equipment we are not refined to set class times and can practice Yoga anywhere and any time the fancy takes us. We can even do breathing exercises to clear the mind while sitting at a work desk.

Yoga has some incredible health benefits which stem from controlled breathing and increased blood flow. Our bodies organs simply do not operate at peak efficiency unless they are receiving the oxygen and nutrients that they need. The waste products from our muscles and organs are carried away by the lymphatic system. Both systems can develop chokepoints and blockages that different Yoga poses will address and correct. The result is a better more regular blood pressure, a more efficient immunity system and a optimal digestive process.

Because Yoga movements are slow and simple, the focus on correct breathing has a pronounced mental affect on the body. It provides us with an enhanced ability to focus, and to un-clutter our thoughts. This is a valuable edge in modern life and its importance should not be under estimated.

Finally many regular Yoga enthusiasts will tell you that there is a spiritual side to Yoga, how far this affects an individual will probably depend on their beliefs before they begin practicing Yoga, but it can perhaps be thought of most accurately with a greater comfort and connection with your own body. The increased acceptance of yourself, and comfort with your own being results directly in more happy people.

So, it looks like Yoga does indeed check all the boxes and can be thought of as a perfect exercise form.

Check out this website for more information.

Motivation to be happier, healthier and live a better life!

Below are some powerful reminders of how to live a happier, healthier and more satisfying life.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!!  YES!  Many of these have been complied from other sources I have read.

Healthier:

1.Drink plenty of water

2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants

4.  Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy

5.  Make time to relax

6.  Play more games

7.  Read more books than you did last month

8.  Sit in silence for at least 15 minutes each day

9.  Sleep for at least 7 hours a night

10.  Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Happier:

11. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12. Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

13. Don’t over do. Keep your limits.

14. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

15. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip or people who gossip.

16. Dream more while you are awake

17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

18. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.

20. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.

21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

23. Smile and laugh more.

24. You don’t have to win every argument.. Agree to disagree…

Relationships:

25. Call your family often not just on holidays.

26. Each day give something good to others.

27. Forgive everyone for everything.

28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6..

29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

30. What other people think of you is none of your business.  This is SO important.

31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

32. Do the right thing!

33. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

34. Time heals everything

35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..

36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

37. The best is yet to come.. …

38. When you awake alive in the morning, be thankful for the day!

39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Have an incredible first day of summer today and I want to give a special shout out to my dear friends Josh & Jenna Kosnick and wish them a happy 3rd anniversary today!!

Motivational quote of the week:  “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” (John Wooden)

 

Article source : http://thejoesweeney.com/2011/06/21/motivation-to-be-happier-healthier-and-live-a-better-life/

When trying to figure out who you are and develop yourself as a person, you need to be positive that you have all of the helpful information available. Liking yourself comes first. If you use the following advice to better yourself, then the rest of your life will get better too.

Stress is the foe of happiness. When we have to deal with stress, it takes its toll on the body in a physical and mental sense. All of us need to have clear, relaxed thinking to enable us to plan and execute our life’s purpose, and this only happens when we let go of stressful thoughts. Allow yourself a set time during each day that you can relax and empty your mind. This time can help you improve your overall life.

Have a clear understanding of the obstacles between you and your success. Sometimes, this can be a difficult job for you to see on your own. Think of identifying your weakness as the first step in getting rid of them. If you are successful in moving obstacles out of your way, you may find that your life’s path is easier to navigate.

Use your core principals to your advantage. Each person has a set of beliefs that determine who they are. If you have good reason to have these beliefs, you will feel more confident and grow your self esteem by adhering to these beliefs and principles. Maintaining your core foundation allows for consistency in life and builds good character.

In order to properly advance in matters of personal development, it is very important that you declare lowliness. When you realize how insignificant you really are, you will begin to understand you have more to learn. Once this concept is ingrained in your brain, you will be eager to learn new skills and expand your knowledge in order to improve yourself.

Make others feel good by offering them compliments. You can reverse the process, though. Being kind and positive to other people puts you in a good mindset and encourages you to treat yourself right.

Instead of endlessly gloating about your own achievements, why not ask another person to share a story of personal victory? This will enable you to learn about others and to develop a great deal of respect for the people around you.

Consider talking with a counselor or a religious figurehead as it can achieve wonders. These professionals are equipped to discuss very deep, emotional issues and often have many years of experience. They can lend a sympathetic ear and help guide you on the right path. When you can talk out your issues with a licensed professional, you will find your life will be much happier.

If you have paid close attention to the preceding tips, you should know what you need to do next to further your personal development. Be sure to keep an eye out for any new information you can add to these tips so that you can continue to grow as a person.

Visit this website for more information.

A while back I gave a talk at the Britelife Summit on Happiness.  My talk was titled, “The Way of Happiness: 7 Principles for Happiness.”

In my talk, I outlined some of the key happiness strategies and tactics I use, and share with others, to improve happiness.  Happiness really is a skill.  My approach is really a mash up of the things I’ve learned from the school of hard knocks, and from brilliant happiness scientists like Dan Gilbert, Martin Seligman, and Sonja Lyubomirsky, as well as from the happiness artists that adorn my life, with their inner-wisdom, and meaningful mantras.

I kept my talk raw, simple, insightful, and actionable.  At the end of the day, I believe that happiness should not be an elusive thing, or an evasive thing.  It should not be an abstract ideal.  It should be right here, right now, and part of our journey, wherever we go.  Even if we have to work at it, as many of us do, that’s OK, but the key is to know how to bake happiness into our lives.

And thus, the Way of Happiness was born.  (Yeah, I’m a fan of Tao.  Tao is a Chinese word meaning “way”, “path”, or “route.”  I was a fan ever since I read The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, which is, The Way of the Intercepting Fist.)

7 Principles for Happiness

Here are the 7 principles of happiness I identified as the framework:

1. Principle #1: Focus on fulfillment.
2. Principle #2: Spend more time in your values.
3. Principle #3: Set your own happiness level.
4. Principle #4: Drive from happiness.
5. Principle #5: Don’t fall for the “If-then” trap.
6. Principle #6: Raise your frustration tolerance.
7. Principle #7: Point your camera on purpose.

Core Concepts

I think there are fundamental concepts that help with your happiness journey:

1. There are two questions for happiness:  “How happy are you?”, and, “How happy are you with your life?” (See The Two Questions of Happiness)
2. Happiness is a personal thing.  YOUR happiness WAY, is not the WAY of others.
3. Happiness is a verb.  It’s not static.

Bonus Tactics

While strategies are powerful, I always find it helps to have some very practical tactics under your belt:

1. Focus on the greater good.  This is the sure-fire way to life yourself and others.
2. Act “as if” (How would you hold yourself if you felt happy …)
3. Grow happiness under your feet.  (See Happiness is a Skill)
4. Find your favorite happiness quotes (keep them at your finger tips) (See Happiness Quotes)
5. Find a better metaphor (life is a dance, or life is an adventure) (See Use Metaphors to Find Your Motivation.)
6. Change your questions to change your focus. (See Change Your Questions, Change Your Results.)
7. Change your thoughts to change your feelings.

Here is a brief overview of each principle in The Way of Happiness …

Principle #1: Focus on Fulfillment

This is a way to live The Meaningful Life.

When you live a meaningful life, you make your actions, your choices, and your moments count.  You achieve this by deciding who do you want to be, and what experiences do you want to create.

A simple strategy to focus on fulfillment is to focus on “the greater good” and give your best where you have your best to give.  It’s about playing to your unique strengths, and sharing your gifts with the world, or more specifically, YOUR world.  This will help you rise above the trials and tribulations of daily living, and help you find a higher ground.

Do more meaningful things, by making meaning in the things that you already do, and choose to do.  You are the most significant meaning maker in your life.  A simple way to add more meaning is to identify a mission or a cause or a message you believe in.

Principle #2: Spend More Time in Your Values

This is a strategy that helps you live The Good Life.

Living your values is one of the simplest way to add more happiness to every day.  If you spend a lot of time at work, the best way to make the most of it, is to connect your work to your values.  For example, if you like to learn, then master your craft.  If you like to help others, then find a way to contribute and give back, using your skills, experience, and knowledge.  If you value excellence, then make your work about excellence.

When you spend more time in your values, you enjoy the journey more, regardless of the destination.

Principle #3: Set Your Own Happiness Level

We each have our own happiness level.  Some people have an overall happiness of a 8 or 9 out of 10.  For others, it’s more like a 5 or a 6.  Embrace it, and start from where you are.

One of the best things you can do is find simple ways to gradually improve your overall happiness level.  One of the worst things you can do is compare your happiness level to others, or beat yourself up for not being a shiny, happy person.

As simple as it sounds, I know several people that lead happier lives now, simply because they don’t worry about whether they are beaming with sunshine at every waking moment.  They focus more on living their values, and focusing on fulfillment.  The sunshine happens along the way, and in more frequent doses now.  Sometimes they just have to take off their shades to see it.

Principle #4: Drive from Happiness

Decide to drive from happiness.  Happiness is a decision.

This is where you have to look inside, and answer the tough questions.  What do you like to do?  What makes you happy?  What do you want to do more of.

It’s very easy to keep doing the things that we think others expect from us, or want for us. Instead, look inside and find the things that really do make you happy, and do more of that.

Principle #5: Don’t Fall for the “If-Then” Trap

Don’t fall for the “if-then” or “when-then” traps … “I’ll be happy if I get that job,” “I’ll be happy when I get that house,”  “I’ll be happy if I get that relationship,”, etc.

It’s easy to put your happiness “out there” instead of “right here.”

You know what happens when you finally climb to the top of the mountain?  There’s another mountain.  That’s the Happiness Conundrum.

The effective strategy is to enjoy the journey.  Find your happiness now, here, with what you’ve got, from where you are.  You can choose what you focus on.  Focus on the things in your life that lift you.  That’s the happiness way.

Most importantly, remember that it’s the journey and the destination, and sometimes the journey is all we’ve got, so make the most of it.

Principle #6: Raise Your Frustration Tolerance

If you raise your frustration tolerance, you can instantly raise your overall happiness level on a daily basis.

The beauty of this insight is that it works in an instant.  All you have to do is decide not to be frustrated by all the little things that don’t go your way on a daily basis.  There are so many things that can cause frustration in your day to day if you let them.  Don’t get mad at the tree, go around it.  Don’t get frustrated by the traffic, leave earlier.  If it happens, it happens.  Focus on what you control, and let the rest go.  Find the humor in it.  Find the lesson.

Here’s how it worked instantly for me:  The day I found out that your frustration tolerance is a limit to happiness, I raised my bar.  I was letting too many things in my day to day, set me back.
The key is to practice selective intolerance, so you can live your life at a higher qualify, but roll with the punches, and deal with the setbacks, and go with the flow, while living your vision, mission, and values.

Principle #7: Point Your Camera on Purpose

Your the director of your life.  Point your camera at the things that you want more of.

You get what you focus on.  You can point your camera at more pain, or more pleasure.  That’s a powerful choice, and it’s a powerful metaphor.

It’s easy to test.  Simply start pointing your camera at better scenes each day, and watch what unfolds in yourself, and the world around you.

Best wishes on finding YOUR path of happiness … your WAY.

 

Article source by : http://sourcesofinsight.com/the-way-of-happiness-7-principles-for-happiness/

Being mentally healthy is more than a handful.

With our shamelessly erratic lifestyles, stress is always a yes for an RSVP. Eating junk food, irregular sleeping habits and wrong attitude inevitably lead to stress.

Why?

When coping with stress is being such a problem, preventing it completely is absolutely out of question.

If that is what you are thinking, then you could be wrong.

If you’re mentally healthy stress would be scared to get you. However being mentally healthy can seem a herculean task but the fact is, it isn’t.

Here are 8 simple tips that might as well shake up your mental health for good. Very very easy!

1. Be Active – When you’re more active, the brain tries to catch up with the body’s workrate and it starts to function faster and sharper. It’s that simple. When you’re brain is sharp, why would you be stressed in the first place?
2. Eat Well – If you eat well, you will be able to focus better on your work and keep stress far away from you. See more here.
3. Be Good at Work – Be polite to your fellow workers, talk gently and don’t be rude or let anger or frustration get the better of you. If you’re able to keep your negative emotions in check, you’re mentally healthy (knowingly or unknowingly!)
4. Take a Break – Do it periodically say every 30-45 minutes maybe! Chill during the break, play with a four legged pet, listen to your favorite music or do anything that relaxes you.
5. Be good with Family and Relatives – They are the ones who care for you the most, it is time you gave them a token of appreciation, being good and loving is enough.
6. Accept who you are – Yes, because if you are seeing dreams that are practically impossible, then you are just letting yourself get frustrated. Accept who you are and you will work and perform better!
7. Guide Others – If your colleagues too are facing the same problem, help them with these tips. You’ll know how good it feels when you really help someone.
8. Ask for Help – Vice-versa, when you need help ask for it. Don’t let your ego takeover you. It will show people that you too would be ready to help!

What do you think?

It is always rumored that staying healthy is an improbable task. Very few realize that following simple tips as mentioned above can make you both physically and mentally healthy.

See, there’s no stress in there at all. It always seems so hard and yet boils down to something very simple. Follow these and let me know your opinions, lets liven up this conversation.

Article source : http://beingchirpy.com/mentally-healthy/

We can examine our past to find clues as to the work we enjoy. For example if I loved to play with Lincoln Logs as a child, I can bring that enjoyment into my current career. Some people may be saying, “Huh? How can I bring Lincoln Logs into my work?”

You’ve got to get a bit creative. What did you love about playing with the logs? Was it the fact that you got to be creative? Did you like building things and making new plans for the log arrangements? Was it that you enjoyed playing alone or with friends?

Examine what you used to enjoy and pull out the applicable pieces. Let me share some of my story to make this a bit clearer:

• I really loved to play outside as a child. My sister and I spent hours, and I mean HOURS, playing one-on-one football in the front lawn. Who knows how we actually had a “football game” with two one player teams, but we did it! On days off from school or summer vacations, we spent a ton of time playing outside.
• Now, does that mean I wanted to grow up and become a professional athlete? Maybe, but maybe not. I can tell you… one of my favorite jobs in high school was working in my local county park. Here and now- as a nurse- who most likely will never become a professional athlete, I can look back on my experiences and pull out from them what I can use now.
• I loved the activity we were involved in when we played outside. I loved running around. I loved the exercise and movement. Apply this to my current experiences as an adult- I can see that I love being outdoors. I love exercising and being active. I love being part of a team project. Are you starting to get the gist of this?

 

So now- look to your childhood pastimes. Pull out from them the concepts, experiences, and themes that you can apply to your professional life.

Are you are imaginative? Is it that you are social? Are you structured? Is it that you are sensitive? Do you like things fast-paced? Is it that you thrive on activity? Do you enjoy being resourceful?

Examine what you used to love to do as a child and pull from these memories. As you shape your ideal career, full of passion and purpose, your work comes in alignment with your joy. You want to experience things that you love to do as the unique being that you are.

The thing that I love about being a nurse is that nursing has so many facets, so many avenues, and so many paths I can choose. I can work in education, administration, research, clinical practice, or legal. I can be employed in the hospital, in the home, in the school, or in the outpatient setting. Nursing is a diverse career that’s full of creativity, teamwork, and socialization.

No one is “stuck” where they are. Unless they believe that- (our thoughts become our reality) – what do you believe?

If you are happy with where you are at, great! You can only improve it by using this tool. If you’re not pleased with your work and are looking for a new role- I say use this technique as you start your career change.

Choose your next job based on the things that you enjoy. Do something that you love so that each and every day you are skipping to work with glee. Make your career something that you are passionate about so that it never feels a day like work again!

When your work is fun and enjoyable for you; your health can only be enhanced. Being ‘well’ doesn’t just mean that you exercise and eat healthy. Living a life of total wellness touches on all aspects of that which you partake in; ensure a healthy life by enjoying a career that is good for you.

Article source : http://amsdaily.net/2013/07/02/enjoy-your-work/