These days, we are bombarded by sound bites and commercial information that is designed to take away our sense of personal thought and replace our thoughts with the wishes of the sender. This is one of the reasons that I am generally anti-television. Even the children’s shows have become thinly veiled promotions for the next wave of action figures or toys of all kinds. When we thoughtlessly allow the noise in our lives to think for us, we lose our focus, our independence, and quite often our ability to think on our own. Please pay attention to the messages that are forced in your direction and take the time to consider their real value and relevance to your life. You might find that many messages are best avoided completely. Think carefully and independently before you make decisions.
We have the opportunity to make each day a new adventure. The most important ingredient is the willingness to do something a little different. When we take the routine out of our daily activities, we leave a space to fill with new thoughts, ideas, and actions. Begin with something simple like taking a different way home and noticing the difference in the scenery. Later, adding new activities like reading, bike riding, photography, or any one of a million other fun hobbies will open new worlds of fun and adventure. Money is not the key to having new adventures. It takes just a little time and a conscious decision to add excitement to your life. Have fun!
We see passion as an intense enthusiasm and zeal for a life activity that helps promote individual excellence and success. Any job or activity that is done with passion is done with the desire to perform with excellence and therefore becomes a strong and positive legacy. Sometimes, passion takes on a life of its own and becomes a consuming activity so careful attention is needed to assure that one doesn’t run amok while acting with passion. In this case, passion can be confused with lust which doesn’t usually carry a positive connotation. When you live and work with passion, you put your mind, body, and soul into your activities in a positive way. People will remember you for your dedication and excellence.
We all make mistakes when dealing with other people and sometimes the mistakes that other people make are hurtful to us. If we remember the golden rule – treating others as we would like to be treated - we will also remember that forgiveness means helping people to move on past a mistake without lingering bad feelings. Sometimes people just need another chance. There is little to be gained by “getting even” with someone who has hurt us by mistake; instead, there is much to be gained by forgiving and making amends. Remember also to forgive yourself for mistakes that you have made and vow to learn from those mistakes with full faith that changes in behavior are possible. Next time, I’ll get it right!
Creating a healthy body, mind, and spirit can be a difficult journey. It is not uncommon to be in good shape in one area but sadly lacking in the others. Attempting to improve all these areas at once can also seem overwhelming to many people. We have a suggestion for success in this area. Starting with the physical body first is often the best approach since goals are easily set and progress can be measured. Also, when your body is in better condition, you will have more energy and therefore more time to work on your mind and spirit. All three elements are important for developing a long life with a good life quality. There are no guarantees of course, but developing your body, mind, and spirit will allow you to live more fully while you are alive on Earth.
Each year, time seems to accelerate. Our favorite seasons seem to get shorter and the things that we want to do in life change with our available time, health, money, and motivation. We are busier than every before and sometimes we forget about (or take for granted) the amazing natural wonders around us. A flower, tree, the wind, or a beautiful sunset can take us to other times and places in our minds if only for a brief moment. Learning to appreciate beauty wherever it exists can bring much joy and it can break up an otherwise boring or routine day. Appreciate natural beauty today and slow the pace of your life because there is no value in hurrying to our final destination here on Earth.
Are you doing the best job that you can do? Do you sometimes do just enough to get by? For most of us, we spend approximately one third of our lives at work. If your work is not fulfilling and you feel stuck in a rut, you might want to try this approach. Consider your work a form of worship; not to your boss or to the company, but to your God. When you show how much you appreciate your life by worshipping with your work, a new and wonderful perspective on work is possible. Remember that we are here for a short time and our legacy will reflect the way we work, play, contribute, and pray. We all have an opportunity to make our work lives into a tribute to our God and in doing so, we become much more valuable as employees, bosses, or employers.
The power of a mastermind group is available to anyone interested in solving problems and expanding horizons. Simply stated, a mastermind group is a gathering of like minded people who concentrate on a single problem for the benefit of one member at a time. The group typically takes turns concentrating on each person’s challenge and may take several sessions to help the entire group. The synergy created by a group like this can be tremendous and issues and problems are solved with great insight, speed, and clarity. Starting a new mastermind group requires some effort. Three to ten people make up a workable size group and all should be interested in mutual benefit.
The real success stories often boil down to a relatively simple idea created by an average person who made an extraordinary effort to make his or her dream a reality. The key to this equation is not the idea or the person, but instead it is the action that takes place to make something happen. Dreaming, planning, and organizing are all important activities, but without concentrated action, the success story that could have been will never be. If you have an idea and it fits with your true passion in life, then start taking action today to make your idea into the next success story. If you don’t know where to start, contact us at Lifesuccess.com and we will guide you. Best wishes – now go Do Something!
Ok, it has been a really hectic day and I’m ready to bite someone’s head off. First I think I’ll count to ten – one . . . two . . . three . . . OK, that didn’t work. I’m wound up and I need to vent my frustrations on someone quick. If you have ever experienced these feelings, congratulations, you are officially human. The bad news is that there is no universal solution but there are some techniques that have been proven quite effective for most people. First, remember just how fortunate you are and be grateful for your family, friends, gifts, and talents. If you can’t appreciate the beauty that is all around you, you need to start there. Good friends, relatives, work associates, etc. are all potential sources of peace and happiness. Meditation and prayer are also great relief exercises. Of course, it is perfectly natural for frustration and anger to find its way into an otherwise wonderful day, but look for the bigger picture and be thankful.
