Scientific studies have shown that our thoughts, feelings and beliefs lead the way in we choose to see the world. These thoughts, feelings and beliefs play a huge role in the development of both our perceptions as well as our misperceptions. Personalization is a perfect example of this.

When you take the time to pay close attention to how you process the data coming in to you, you will see how fast your thoughts in nearly every experience you have lead straight back to you. You begin to worry about what other people think of you. You work diligently to plan your actions in order to keep the peace. This even gets taken to the point where place an emphasis on doing what you think will make others like you, or love you, more.

This is something we all do. You, me, everyone does it. However, when we choose to take things to personally it can be a very slippery slope.

This might be a where we can take a look at Dr. Daniel Amen’s 18/40/60 Rule. His rule offers us a clear, thoughtful insight into how we view ourselves and others. It states:

"When you’re 18, you worry about what everybody is thinking of you; when you’re 40, you don’t give a darn what anybody thinks of you; when you’re 60, you realize nobody’s been thinking about you at all."

Let’s face it, there is only so much emotional stress you are capable of handling before you begin your temper begins to flair. The fact is that when your energy level is low it becomes even easier for you to give way to fear and negativity. I know that is the case for me.

When you make the choice to have positive daily routines in your life that strengthen your energy, you will find that your mood will be enhanced and stress levels lowered. All of this, of course, will help to refill your emotional reserves and have your ready for a great day. I believe it is very important to make a daily routine for yourself that will help you to provide more positive energy into every day.

Choose to experience how much smoother life becomes when you invest in yourself and make the choice to feel good. So, stop putting off your daily happiness and create your new routine today. One thing is for sure. When you take action in your own life, instead of sitting on the sidelines, you will feel stronger, more secure and ready to tackle another day. Hey, it’s football season!

• Start with daily exercise. Studies have shown that just 20 minutes of exercise can lift your spirits for up to 12 hours, and who wouldn’t want that? 
• Show gratitude for what you have. Showing gratitude helps to create positive emotions and thoughts that will strengthen your overall attitude, increase your motivation, and make you more resilient in your day to day dealings. 
• I put this one in just for me. Feel free to use it. When I need a lift I simply turn up the volume on my favorite radio station and sing out loud (thankfully I am in my car and nobody else can hear me). They say that music tames the savage beast. I believe that goes for the beast that lives within us as well. Listening to inspirational and upbeat music can quickly change your mood. It can also help to change your overall outlook on life at that moment. So TURN UP THE VOLUME and live!

Remember, life can ALWAYS BE BETTER!

Good or bad, we live in an achievement focused society. A world where success becomes so expected that our accomplishments many times get overlooked. We have been trained to set the bar high and then make sure we hit the mark time and time again.

One thing we have not learned to do as often as we should is to take the time to celebrate our successes, which means we lose out on the opportunity to boost our creativity, ride the energy and build confidence in what we do. While it is very important to recognize our successes most of the time we choose not to do so.

I am not talking about ego overkill, but instead a strong confidence that we generate within ourselves. We do not need to brag for others, but instead we simply need to make sure that we know what we have done is good. So…clear that high bar and then take the time to let your success sink in. After all, you deserve it!

Here is one simple solution. Make the choice to recognize your accomplishments – each and every day.

When you choose to recognize those achievements you will feel more satisfied, strengthen your motivation and build momentum. Take time today to make a difference in your own life.

• Start by capturing your daily achievements
• Make sure to write them down. I strongly believe in having a journal just to follow my accomplishments. When times seem tough, I can go back and look at all the things I have achieved.
• Then, and most importantly, recognize your success and take time to celebrate!

Remember, life can ALWAYS BE BETTER!

One of the great purposes in life is to be alive, to grow and bring more of your natural and even sometimes unnatural gifts into the world. As a child, you naturally explored your world. You reached for more and developed new skills, new strengths. Some of those skills came naturally while others took more work to achieve. As an adult, you need to be more deliberate about growth.

You are actually equipped to keep growing. It is your natural state. That is why if you stay too long where it feels painless and comfortable you start to feel a little bored by your life. Here is a simple reminder to assist you in keeping inspired, eager and involved in life.

Be willing to work outside of your comfort zone and experience what more is out there for you. Then, look for ways to expand the boundaries in your life. One of the ways I do this is by working on my fear of heights. Whenever I have a chance to grow, one step at a time, I will take that chance. It might not be easy, but it is always rewarding. Last, you will need to teach yourself to live in the state of mind that will strengthen and stimulate you to keep growing. 

• Find areas where you have chosen to stop growing and recognize where you feel excited to broaden your horizons.
• Commit to develop those areas and make the time to invest in your growth.
• Next, make a list of actions you agree to take for your growth.
• Then, get started. Remember, YOU CAN DO IT!

Remember, life can ALWAYS BE BETTER!

re-posted from 11/18/2013

How many times has someone just told you to be yourself? For me, it seems infinite. The real question should be, how would you know if you are really becoming yourself?

When I ask myself that question, there are several questions that come to mind.

• How do I act when I am with the people who I am most comfortable with?
• Do I smile more often when I am with them?
• Do I laugh more when I choose to be around them?
• Do I choose to show them kindness even when I know they cannot or will not give me the same courtesy?
• When am I most comfortable? When I am by myself, with friends, with family or even with strangers?
• When I am with others, how do I feel?
  

Maybe you ask yourself these same questions.

I think my comfort zone is being around friends. I can be myself when I am with them. In fact, while my friends are always honest with me (even when it hurts) I almost always seem to have the same groups of feelings. I never feel inferior but I do feel at peace, a certain sense of stability. My friends never make me feel awkward or try to intimidate me, but instead show me love, kindness and always seem to put a smile on my face. Maybe, just maybe it is because I am choosing to be myself and do not feel like I have to react to them.

Most of us struggle with a little thing called personal growth. After all, exactly what is that invisible force that can cause so much stress and frustration in our lives? If we break it down to its most simple form, the problem is called resistance. Resistance is like one of those State Fair Rides. You know…the one where you sit in something that resembles a slingshot and then get hurled towards space, only to be pulled back to Earth time and time again. Resistance is like that ride, trying to pull us back whenever we stray too far from the norm. Many people call this fear, which fits to some extent, but fear is a conscious choice whereas resistance is an unconscious process. You may not actually be able to see it, but you can certainly feel it when the time arises for it to show its power over us.

Resistance makes change difficult in any area of our lives where we want to advance. So, why is it so difficult to stick to a healthy diet, exercise regularly, or even get up and go to church on Sunday morning? It is challenging to change those negative habits and harmful behavior patterns? For me, this list seems to go on forever, and the answer is the same every time, resistance!

We need to learn to let go. Trust me; I have learned that by letting go I feel so much more liberated and available for what life has to offer. Here are just three small ways to let go and start living a more progressive and available lifestyle.

·         Let go of the CONTROL. Yes, I know, this seems almost impossible, but you can do it! When we choose to control too many things in our lives, we become preoccupied with hanging on to our own agenda. When we actually choose to let others make decisions in our lives we get to take a rest. Try it, let someone else drive the car for a while and see how it feels.·        

Most people give their inner critic far too much time. They brain spins over the errors, relives the past failures and focuses far too much on what “HAS NOT” been achieved. These self-destructing thoughts do nothing but empty our enthusiasm, dampen our attitudes and destroy our desire to self-motivate.

It is far more invigorating to focus on all that is beneficial in life. There are always things you can be thankful for in your life. By simply framing the experiences you find in your life you can greatly change everything. You live and you learn. You choose to look ahead with confidence, and you celebrate your achievements.

This is how you renew your attitude, increase your understanding and create new possibilities. Make it a DAILY routine to see the best in who you are.

• Acknowledge your improvement – each and every day
• Write down three areas that you have seen improvement
• Appreciate how you have grown and take notice of the changes your life shows

Remember, life can ALWAYS BE BETTER!

Original Post Date 11/25/2013

I know that that for years in my life I found it far too easy to believe that being busy somehow generates productivity. When you take the time look at it from the outside, keeping yourself busy often gives the false impression of improvement, intent, strength of mind and importance. The facts are that being busy really has no fundamental value.

If you are not busy taking action toward the life you wish for yourself, it is more than likely you are spending this time distracting yourself instead. I know that is what I have done in the past. I still catch myself doing pursuing busy over productivity from time to time. Many times, we keep ourselves so busy that we don't even have the time to see that we are entirely avoiding the situation.

However, when you are serious about taking the necessary steps to move your life in the right direction you will choose to make time to reflect, learn and apply. The first step is to take an honest look at whether your actions, time and energy are in alignment with the vision you have for your life. Then, you will need to “look under the hood” to see what's really driving you. When was the last time you gave your life and oil change? Or, perhaps it is time for a complete overhaul. Either way it starts with small, steady simple steps. Like an infant we need to teach ourselves to walk all over again. Remember, slow and steady always wins the race!

Here are five steps to success in this area are:

• Begin by taking time daily to do a personal check-in for 5 minutes.
• Ask yourself: Were the actions you chose actions in line with your life you desire?
• Then ask yourself: Were your actions you chose the best use of your time?
• Next, take your own advice. After all who knows you better than you? Continue to do more of what works and do less of what does not work!
• Finally, enjoy your new life!

Remember, life can ALWAYS BE BETTER!

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to get things done when you feel inspired? In fact, studies have shown that when you feel inspired it is actually easier to see more clearly what can be done. It is the positive emotions, those that raise your courage, fuel the fires within and vastly increase your idea making.
Truth be told, the more you make the choice to actively build your excitement for life, the easier life tends to flow. This is one reason that it is so important to make positive inspiration an essential part of your daily routines.

Positive inspiration provides that surge of energy that helps you to focus and look inside yourself for those inspired thoughts and ideas. That positive inspiration literally breathes life into your vision, with a positive and enriching new energy. It not only connects you to what is possible, it helps to even the weight and allow for the thoughts to flow in a more “easy to handle” manner. Like with any life changing routine, the more you develop it the easier it is to find.

• Start today by making a list (make it thorough) of who and what inspires you.
• Re-read the list and see how you can make use of that positive inspiration. Take notes and write down any inspired thought that comes to mind, no matter how trivial you might think it is.
• Take action on one inspired thought at a time. Remember these are to be positive uplifting actions that benefit you and your internal psyche.
• Then, choose to make use of these positively inspired actions every day!
• Finally, watch the difference you make in your life and in others!!
  

Remember, life can ALWAYS BE BETTER!

One thing I know from experience, carrying a grudge is a places a lot of stress and weight on my shoulders. How about you?

Just one simple thought of past pain and frustration triggers a physiological and psychological response that drags down energy like a lead balloon. This downward spiral affects everything you do and how you treat the people around you. There is one easy way to set yourself free from this draining cycle and move forward in a positive direction. That is forgiveness!

When you make the choice to turn the other cheek, you also choose to grow as a person. By letting go of the anger, frustration, bitterness and discontent that is weighing you down you are choosing to be free. Start today, begin to feel how life can be when you make the conscious choice to release those negative thought patterns and live renewed.

Trust me; there is great comfort in forgiveness!!

• Start by identifying just one of the areas from your past that is holding you back.
• Then, write down everything you believe you are gaining and/or losing by holding on to your resentment.
• Next, and I know this might not be easy, make the choice to release the past. Just let it go! It cannot be changed, but your future can. Make a new future for yourself today!
• Repeat as necessary until you are living a life free of resentment, hatred and anger. This might take time, but it will be worth the effort!
  

Remember, life can ALWAYS BE BETTER!