It is far too easy to fall into the belief that being busy somehow creates productivity. When you look at it from the outside, keeping yourself busy often gives the false impression of advancement, intention, determination and emphasis. The facts are that being busy has no inherent value.

If you are not busy taking action toward the life you desire for yourself, more than likely you are spending this time distracting yourself. I know that is what I have done in the past. I even catch myself doing it now from time to time. We keep ourselves so busy that we don't even have the time to see that we are avoiding the situation all together.

However, when you are serious about taking the steps to move your life in the right direction you WILL 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.

Four keys to success in this area are:

• Make time daily to  do a personal check-in for 5 minutes.

• Were your actions in line with your vision?

• Were your actions the best use of your time?

• Finally, take your own advice and keep doing more of what works and do less of what does not work!

Remember, life can ALWAYS BE BETTER!

originally posted October 7, 2013

Life's encounters are not usually welcomed with an open door. Yet, the truth is that every problem we face presents an opportunity for us to grow through. Certainly, it is easy to overlook the gift within when problems first arrive. That is why it is so important to think about and look for the understanding that is associated with these hardships.

Sometimes we need a little space in order to learn from life's little challenges. It is much easier to work a little change, and transform discomfort into wisdom, once we are on the other side of the problem. Best of all, is that the more you practice looking for the reward within the challenge, the faster you will see it the next time around.

There is an old saying, Eric Butter worth once said, "Don’t go through life, grow through life." It is important to learn to look for the value within each experience to gain the understanding. Then you can use insights to make better choices as you move toward the goal.

• Look at the challenges you've faced in your life and make a list of all of the gifts you received by experiencing them them.
• Then remind yourself of these gifts the next time a hardship brings you down.

Remember, life can ALWAYS BE BETTER!

originally posted October 14, 2013

Whenever you are looking for a fast, easy way to recharge your overall state happiness, simply take a walk. Take the time to visit God’s Creation and spend time with Mother Nature. There is a natural energy that accompanies the unique and soothing feeling of the world we live in.
But, can being in nature really make a difference?

There are several studies in the Journal of Environmental Psychology that have explained the positive effects that accompany spending time with nature. Personally, I believe that all Creation was designed to work together. We take the time to keep our world in the best shape that we can while nature itself helps to reset our psyche. So the answer to the question above is this: Yes, with the right attitude, simply being in the presence of nature will help us to connect or re-connect with us to our world. And believe me, it just does not get any easier than taking a walk in a park.

Simply put, when you take the time to spend in nature, even for just 30 minutes, will increase your feelings of energy and overall health. Additionally, spending time in nature will also leave you feeling more feeling and giving. The fact is you will thrive when you choose to stay linked to Mother Nature.

Best of all, Fall brings us a beautiful collage of colors that can excite the senses and make even he manliest of men see the world in a new and fresh way.

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of
the strong.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

When you choose to carry a grudge it heavily weighs you down. Many times one small simple thought of how you were hurt in the past triggers a new physiological response that drags your energy level into a downward spiral. This can be very hard to overcome, or is it?

There is a way for you to free yourself from this unnecessary downward turn and continue to move forward for success. That solution is forgiveness.

Many times it can be difficult to turn over the proverbial new leaf so that it can be pruned and grow back new and refreshed. The first step it to let go of the incident that is causing you pain. It is in the past and cannot be changed. The anger, frustration, resentment, sadness and discontent that is weighing you down will be released when you make the conscious choice to forgive. Is it easy? Many times not. But I can tell you from my own life that when I choose to forgive I feel much, much better. Start today and see how freeing it is to release those negative thought patterns and just let go.

Here are five steps to freedom from pain:

• Start by recognizing the past pains that are holding you back.
• Then, write down each are where you benefit and suffer from hanging on to the negative thoughts that are causing you pain.
• Follow this by making the choice to let it go.
• Finally, write a positive commitment to replace those negative thought patterns with an action of forgiveness. Also, write the benefits you will receive when you forgive.
• Repeat as necessary for any people or events that are holding you back!

Remember, life can ALWAYS BE BETTER!