Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement

How to Shake Up Your Life

heythereshelly — Sat, 25 May 2013 22:32:16 +0000

You step into your empty home after another monotonous day at your 9 to 5 job and all of a sudden, you begin to wonder to yourself: when was the last time I let go and just spent an entire day without following the same, exact routine? Am I ever going to have the chance to seek out quality time for myself? If this situation sounds eerily familiar to you, then have no fear! Sometimes, the key to having an adventurous life is simply to tweak your daily lifestyle. Don't worry, you won't have to get up and move your entire family to the Caribbean (come to think of it, that doesn't sound THAT bad of an idea). Here are just four tips that will help you transform your lackluster life... for the better: Step out of your comfort zone. Okay, I know. It's easier said than done, but you will eventually have to face your fears head on... that is, if you want to move forward in life. So instead of wallowing in self-pity for something that could have been, take action. Go ask that cute guy that you have had your eyes on if he wants to grab a cup of coffee. Tell your best friend that you will go skydiving with her this week. Don't worry about falling flat on your face, or embarrassing yourself in front of all of your friends; we all do that at some point in our lives. Worry about not being able to experience an amazing opportunity because you were too busy fearing the consequences. So long as you don't break the law or risk hurting yourself, then you are good to go! Socialize. You can't gain amazing cultural experiences without first socializing with people from different cultures. Sounds obvious, right? As long as you are open-minded and free to new ideas, you will meet a bunch of individuals from different walks of life who will provide you with a large range of perspectives. Be aware, though, your outlook may change on life radically. Flex your brain muscles. And by that, I mean make time for a class. Anything from healthy cooking to vinyasa yoga will work. Don't limit yourself to a course that you deem "useful" to your career. Chances are, the most interesting hobbies are acquired when you stretch past your boundaries. Have no idea what kind of class you want to take? No worries! Just take a look at the course catalog for your local community college or an online program. You will never know; you very well just may end up learning Pig Latin. Change up your routine. We are all creatures of routine. Can you blame us? From the moment we wake up in the morning to the moment we go to bed at night, we have a certain set of tasks to complete. These tasks may include anything from looking after a pair of middle school teenagers or even taking out the trash for your parents (hey, it's not like you can just neglect your children or your chores anytime soon). So, next time you find yourself dreading your next morning run, go a different route in the evening. Better yet, find an exercise buddy to come with you as you explore your town on foot! Okay, so maybe you're not an avid runner. Just gather your family for a random night of board games, movies, and popcorn. Everyone, including yourself, will thank you later. Just because you have two kids to take care of or homework to finish up every day doesn't necessarily mean that you are doomed to an eternal state of routine. Sometimes, all it takes to add a little spice to your life is to step foot outside your house for once and take the opportunities that are handed to you. Best of luck! Shellin is a new writer who spends much of her free time constantly running, meeting new people, and seeking out new experiences in life.

Stop Giving Your Brain the “Sugar Blues”

Be Brain Fit — Sat, 25 May 2013 07:58:36 +0000

Refined sugar has been called poison, toxic, and the "anti-nutrient". It's said to be more addictive than cocaine. Is it really that bad? How much does sugar really affect your brain? Let's take a look at the somewhat complex relationship between sugar and your brain. Your Brain Needs Glucose, Not Fructose Brain cells need twice as much energy as other cells. After all, there's a lot going on up there! Your brain cells can’t store energy, so they need a steady stream of glucose from your bloodstream. Your brain cells can live only a few minutes without energy supply - it's that critical! The healthiest sources of glucose are from the complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. Glucose is also a building block of the lactose found in dairy products. Unhealthy sources of glucose are sugar and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which are all are roughly half glucose and half fructose. Virtually every cell in the body can metabolize glucose for energy, but only your liver cells metabolize fructose. While honey and maple syrup do contain some nutrients, they are still the same basic composition as refined sugar - half glucose, half fructose. All Fructose Is Not Created Equal A healthy diet contains lots of fruits and vegetables which are sources of dietary fructose. But a diet high in these sources of naturally occurring fructose is not the same as a diet high in fructose from refined sweeteners. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you should skip eating carrots or apples because they contain fructose. It’s the added fructose from refined sweeteners you should be concerned about. So there's no need to pick carrots out of your salad. :) Dangers of a High Fructose Diet Fructose has wrongly been promoted as a healthy sweetener because it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels or spike insulin. Instead it raises blood fructose levels, which is arguably even worse. Here are some of the problems with high fructose diets:

Increases triglycerides, blood pressure, and LDL (bad cholesterol), all markers for cardiovascular disease.
Increases levels of uric acid which can lead to gout and kidney disease.
Increases risk for diabetes. Fructose intake and diabetes rates are directly proportional worldwide.
Causes systemic inflammation.
Contributes to obesity by leading to leptin resistance. Leptin is a “satiety hormone” that lets you register feelings of fullness.
Causes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

A word about agave syrup or nectar. The sugar in agave is virtually all fructose, making it a particularly bad choice of sweetener. I was disappointed when I learned this, too. How Too Much Glucose Gives Your Brain the Blues Just because your brain requires a steady stream of glucose doesn't meant that more is better. Too much glucose reduces the production of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a protein that promotes the formation of new brain cells. Low levels of BDNF can lead to depression and dementia. Poor memory formation, learning disorders, and depression are linked to eating refined sugar. Chronically high blood sugar levels leads to decreased activity in the hippocampus, the part of the brain most associated with memory. Excessive glucose affects your attention span, short-term memory, and mood stability. It increases free radical damage and inflammation of the brain. It can even change your brain wave patterns, making it hard to think clearly. High blood sugar levels trigger the release of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol which can lead to feelings of anxiety and further impair your thought processes. Refined sugar consumption leads to wild swings in blood sugar levels. After a sharp rise comes the crash. Low blood glucose levels lead to mood swings, irritability, tiredness, mental confusion, and impaired judgment. But it gets worse. Consuming too much sugar can lead to insulin resistance in the brain. A insulin becomes less effective in helping the brain take up glucose from the blood, brain cells begin to starve to death. This could be a cause of Alzheimer’s which is now being considered type-3 diabetes. It’s evident even in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s that the brain’s ability to metabolize glucose, it’s only form of energy, is reduced. So stop giving your brain the "sugar blues" by cutting refined sweeteners out of your diet. You'll benefit immediately with clearer thinking, level moods, stable energy, and better judgement. And you'll benefit in years to come by taking a big step towards staying mentally sharp for life.

Deane Alban is co-founder of BeBrainFit.com and author of Brain Gold: The Anti-Alzheimer’s, Anti-Aging Guide for Your Brain. She has taught and written on a wide variety of natural health topics for over 20 years. Her passion is teaching others how to rejuvenate their brains and overcome the common, but avoidable, problem of midlife mental decline.

The Lazy Person’s Guide To Not Being Lazy

Matthew M. McEwan — Fri, 24 May 2013 07:09:11 +0000

Do you feel dead tired after work? Can't wait to sit down in that comfortable sofa of yours? Basically, you feel lazy, right? You see, what I have noticed is how the negative spiral of laziness just takes a big hold of our entire lives and never lets go. Until we really make a change that is. It usually starts with a few nights of postponing reading that book or calling that person. Then before you know it, your entire life project has been put on ice. Why? Simple because laziness is a habit. That's right, it's nothing else than a certain way of living that has been programmed into our brains. But how does this happen, and how can we fight the temptation of being lazy? How can we continue on the road to our dreams? (and not the road to bad health, low energy and future regret) Well, my way when I try to help people is a 4-step approach. So in essence, being lazy is about not having enough energy. But what most people mix up here is what type of energy we're talking about. Both mental and physical energy is equally important and they go hand-in-hand just like I will outline here today.

My 4 Steps to Not Being Lazy

1. Get Motivated

First things first - unless you have something specific that you want to spend your time doing (a hobby project, your own business, mastering a skill, etc.) there's no reason to even have more energy. Everyone has 24 hours per day and you can choose yourself what do with yours. When I talk about laziness I mean "the art of postponing, or avoiding, to do the things that matter the most to you" so step number 1 is to clearly identify what you actually want to do. Doing insignificant things just too keep busy has no self-value so then you might as well just lie on the sofa. So ask yourself:

If I had 1 extra hour each day where I had unlimited amount of energy, what would I spend that time doing?

Whatever answer you come up with, let's call this activity "Your Awesome Activity".

2. Feel Urgent

But unfortunately motivation alone is not enough. Without a strong sense of urgency, you might as well do it tomorrow instead... For me, it wasn't until I started feeling really urgent about setting up my own website that things really happened. Now, 7 months later, I have over 100 articles on the site. And I love writing more and more. So how can you "find" this urgency? Well, that's a very good question and the way I suggest is to do a small imagination exercise. It goes something like this: Imagine that in exactly one year a big change is coming into your life. This big change will completely stop you from being able to spend any more time on "Your Awesome Activity" for the next 24 months after that. Pretty bad, right? So if you want to want to create something, the only time is Now, or else you'll have to wait more than 3 years before you can get started. With this type of mindset, anything can become urgent - learning a language, playing the guitar, building a website, etc.

3. Get Energetic

And in order to be able to really focus on "Your Awesome Activity", of course you need some energy. And I'm not going to go on here about how it's great to eat healthy and exercise plenty - we all know that already. Instead, I'm just going to share with you an insight of mine. You can do whatever you want with it, all I can say is that it works for me and I recommend you to give it a try. It's like this: All time is not created equal. I believe (from experience and theory) that the early morning hours can be much more valuable than the evening hours. Why? Simply because in the morning your mind hasn't been bombarded with information from the outside world yet and is therefore still in a calm, Zen-like state. This focus and ability to be highly productive is something we should cherish deeply and use fully! Previously, I always had problems doing anything meaningful at all after work. My mind was simply too tired and scattered. So take my advice and try to wake up at 5 a.m. for a few days to see if you can get things done. The feeling of peacefulness and the fact that you won't be interrupted at whatever you're doing is truly precious. I guess you worry about feeling tired, but let me tell you that if you manage to keep it up a few weeks, then this habit will make you wake up even more refreshed than you can imagine. It's all about really going for it 100%.

4. Feed it Back

I mentioned in the beginning that laziness is a habit. So if we want to overcome that, we must replace it with a new, even stronger, habit. That's the reason why I want to stress the importance of this point. I'm talking about feeding the results back to yourself and taking the time to reflect on how you're progressing. You don't want to make this life change into just something that you read, tried and then forgot about, right? So the way I suggest for how to keep this at the top of your mind, to avoid falling back into old habits, is to just take 2 minutes every day to write down:

At what times did I overcome my laziness today?
How did I do that? (thought patterns, circumstances, etc.)
At what times did I skip my goal and was being lazy instead?
What happened? (thought patterns, circumstances, etc.)

So with this 4-step approach, I believe many of us can get back on track again. It's so easy to fall back into old patterns and get stuck there. If you just start with some reflection to find out what happened and why you have ended up in a situation where you're not moving forward as much as you want, then that's the best possible start there is. I wish you the best of luck and know that we all can improve. This guest post is contributed by Matthew M. McEwan from Early-Riser.com. His blog is loaded with tips, tricks and strategies for how to sleep well, wake up early, and have an awesome morning.

3 Ways to Harness the Power of Affirmations

Tom Casano — Thu, 23 May 2013 06:50:58 +0000

When I first started using affirmations I didn't really know what I was doing. I figured that if I said a statement enough times, I’d start to believe it and it’d improve my life.

After talking to life coaches, practicing for a few years, studying the subject and seeing what has been most effective, I've honed the use of affirmations. And today I’d like to share their power with you.

What is an affirmation?

Affirmations are statements that affirm something about yourself. For instance, “I am kind.” Generally speaking, an affirmation will start with “I” and then say something about who you are, what you do, what you are like, etc.

Why are affirmations effective?

Affirmations are effective because they harness the power of your mind and of true intention. When you say “I am…”, you are deliberately stating who you are and focusing your mental energy on what follows. You are commanding yourself to be that thing.

Affirmations are effective because they allow you to deliberately train and re-program your subconscious mind. Your subconscious mind is responsible for most of the thought-processes that take place every day in your head. Most of these thoughts are automatic and unconscious.

When you are able to influence which thoughts you think on a subconscious level, you open up an infinite world of possibilities. When you can take hold of your thinking, you can take hold of reality. This is one step to being able to be your own life coach and create your dreams.

What’s the best way to do my affirmations?

Start simply with creating your affirmation. For instance, “I am kind.” If you’re working with a life coach, they might be able to help you come with some good affirmations.

Affirm

Now say this aloud to yourself, “I am kind.” (If you're around people, saying it in your head is okay too.)

How did that feel? Maybe you didn't feel much, or if you’re like me right now at this moment, I was not feeling particularly kind or mean... just neutral. So now I have entered into my conscious mind the FACT that I am kind. We have just shifted the attention and focus of our mind onto our kindness. Beforehand we were not as aware of it.

Feel It!

This is the one part that I overlooked the most, but it is the most important. Words are just words until you actually FEEL them. When you bring your feeling into what you’re saying, it starts to actually create the reality for you.

Be sure that when you’re saying your affirmation, that you FEEL the truth of it inside yourself.

Believe It!

Believing your affirmation might be trickier – depending on how believable you find it. It’s a good idea to start with things that you can have an easy time believing. You might find it hard to believe that you’re going to make a million dollars this year. But you might find it easy to believe that you’re going to make $10,000 more this year than you did last year. You’ll want to stretch your beliefs, but it might be wise to start small so that you can actually believe it.

Consider, what does it feel like to believe something? What is belief? Experiment with saying your affirmation with belief, with conviction, and see what increases your belief, and what causes you to doubt it. To deal with doubts, you may try writing them down, questioning them, journaling them, or talking to your life coach about them.

Repeat It!

Imagine what the effect of saying an affirmation once today is. Now imagine the effect of saying it 10 times today. Now consider the effect of saying it 10 times every day for the next two weeks. AND at the same time feeling it and believing it.

Do you see the difference?

If you really want to harness the power of affirmations, be disciplined, consistent, and repeat them. You may not feel very differently after the first several repetitions, but if you bring your feeling and belief into it, the changes you're looking for will begin to manifest.

Tips

Always keep them in the affirmative. Don’t say "I'm not mean." Instead say, "I am kind."
If you’re around others, you can say them in your head.
Create them with a life coach for maximum effectiveness.
Say them every day, consistently. Working them into your daily routine will make it more automatic.

Your Thoughts

So. What do you think?

Leave a comment and let me know.

Tom Casano is the founder of Life Coach Spotter. Learn about how to get what you really want out of life, what life coaching is, and how to find your coach. Want to live the life of your dreams? Start here.

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5 Steps to Detoxify Your Inner Self

Rob_Leonardo — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:35:12 +0000

Have you ever felt like you were bloated with all the negative thoughts that you have created for yourself? Have you ever been under deep pressure and felt so greasy of trouble and wanted some good shower of relaxation? Have you ever made a decision and ended up with unexpected consequences that you instantly craved to dip yourself in a river to cleanse all the troubles attached to the situation you were in?

It is true that we need to detoxify our bodies with all the junks around in what we eat and what we have in the environment. But there is more truth to our need to cleanse inner self with negativity.

It’s time to get ourselves in to a mini-retreat with 5 steps to healthier inner self.

#1. Compose yourself

Synergistic Psychotherapy recommends a breathing exercise to compose oneself coming from any stressful situation. “Take five deep breaths, holding each one to a count of five before releasing it. Clear your thoughts completely and repeat to yourself “I am relaxed” whenever a stressful thought tries to make its way in to your head.”

I have learned that even one deep breath helps change attitudes. It’s like gaining some courage when you breathe deeply and spewing out fear when you breathe out.

#2. Make a personal inventory.

If you are making a spring cleaning for your house, you must be familiar with the current state of your abode somehow and still, you need to organize yourself to be able to get things done. As with yourself, make a stock tick and see how your inner self account is doing.

You can ask yourself these questions and list them down in a notebook:

What are the things that bother me often?
What are the things that I do well and bring the best in me and in those that are important to me?

Applying this myself, I am always on the lookout for emotions or thoughts that occupy my mind a lot of times. They can be nuances, issues or disappointments that are borne out of my own expectation and not of anyone else.

#3. Explore self-acceptance

There are many facets in our life where we somehow know we perform our worse. Yet, as this is not a pleasant thing to face, we deny it to ourselves. As such, these weak parts of ourselves are often neglected and are not nurtured.

Another expert from Psychology Today, Leon Seltzer suggests his clients to explore on parts of themselves that they have not yet accepted. He says “it’s only when we stop judging ourselves that we can secure a more positive sense of who we are.”

I used to be a lot distanced over my emotions. Perhaps a result of being brought up in an environment where there is less expression of feelings, I unconsciously denied those inner rumblings that shaped some of my subconscious thoughts that included self-criticisms. Only until I have been aware of those inner criticisms that I have learned to accept myself for who I am. And in acceptance, the next step came knocking at my door! #4. Cross-out extra baggage and unnecessary things

As we make our personal inventory and explore self-acceptance, there is a lot of clutter that we carry deep inside of us. These are things that are useless, old and unnecessary. You can start crossing them out of the list if they are trifles. What could they be?

Reminiscing old relationships that turned sour
Regrets and resentments- the what-ifs, what-shouldas and what-couldas.
Personal tastes or inclination that are unnecessary

When I find myself in these situations, I throw them out of the bin once and for all and forget them telling myself gently, “Cut it off, you have better things to do.”

#5. Self-denial

The last step to inner self detox would be setting out oneself back into the real world and practice a pinch of mortification- that is, self-control in small and even trivial matters.

How about choosing to practice this in small but practical exercises such as reducing time spent on Facebook or fitness-related discipline such as going to gym as scheduled?

By doing less trivial matters, I save time finishing my work or chores and thereby give me more time spent on family or personal development such as reading a book!

Moving On

Going through this, I have developed a healthier inner self and enabled me to move higher in the path to self-improvement.

Are you up to the challenge of detoxifying your inner self? Are you tired of desiring to change but not able to do so? Do you need a partner to spur up your self-improvement?

Dispose yourself into a personal improvement project by detoxifying yourself.

***

Rob Leonardo is a researcher, mentor and writer who created ConfidenceCues for everyone who wants to improve and keep their self-confidence alive. In his blog, he challenges his readers to create their own personal projects of Self-Confidence starting with a program called the Manifesto of Confident People Series. Check it out and make a leap of faith!

How to Trick Your Brain to Create a New Healthy Habit

Be Brain Fit — Tue, 21 May 2013 05:14:54 +0000

Have you ever started a diet or exercise program but didn't stick with it? If you are like millions of other people, you've set out with the best intentions but failed to keep the momentum going. I'm going to explain why relying on motivation and willpower doesn't work and what works instead. When you begin any new self-improvement program, you're enthusiasm is high and you're motivated by the pleasure of what you want or the pain of what you don’t want. But motivation naturally diminishes with time. When your motivation wanes, you rely more on willpower. But no one has an endless supply of willpower. It's a resource that gets "used up". Every time you will yourself do something you don't really want to do, you use up some willpower. Every temptation you pass up depletes your willpower reserve. By evening, you may find you have no willpower left. That's why most people blow their diet in the evening after eating healthy all day. If motivation and willpower aren't working for you, there is another way! 95% of our life is dictated by the subconscious mind, the part of our brain that runs our lives on autopilot. This is why you can do everything from brushing your teeth to driving a car without thinking about it. By consciously deciding to create a new habit, you can harness the power of your unconscious to create a new neural pathway. Once a new habit is established it becomes easy to do –motivation and willpower are no longer required! Here are 7 steps to turn any desired new activity into a habit. Once a habit is established you'll find yourself doing effortlessly. These techniques can be used for any habit you want to make or change – diet, exercise, meditation, stress reduction, sleep habits, and more. Set Small Goals Setting big goals is exciting but starting with small boring goals is more likely to lead to success. Some examples of small changes would be to meditate for 10 minutes, replace one unhealthy snack with raw veggies, or walk 15 minutes per day. Taking small actions tricks your brain. Your subconscious likes to be in control - it doesn't like change. A big change often sets up subconscious resistance, but you can sneak a small change by it. Use Triggers A trigger is something that leads you to automatically doing something else. Smokers, for example, are triggered to smoke after a meal. Use triggers to your advantage. If you commit to always meditating after breakfast, after a few weeks you'll automatically think about meditating after your morning meal. Visual triggers work well, too. Lay your workout clothes on the bed in the morning will encourage you to work out when you get home from work. Do it Early Exercise or meditate in the morning when your willpower is high. You'll reap the rewards all day! Make a healthy dinner ahead (I love my crockpot!) so you don't come home starved with nothing to eat. Be Prepared Make sure you have everything you need to ensure your success. If you want to start a walking program, get comfortable walking shoes and a pedometer. People who wear a pedometer walk 27% more than those who don't! Make it Convenient The more difficult and time consuming it is to take an action, the less likely you will do it. This is why so many people who buy gym memberships drop out. It's just not that convenient. Get everything you need ready ahead of time so that when it's time you can, as Nike says, "Just Do It". Make it Fun If you don't enjoy doing something you aren't going to stick with it. Find ways to make your lifestyle change as enjoyable as possible. Exercise with a friend, learn to cook healthy foods that are delicious, or find a meditation program that really resonates with you. Don't Break the Chain When Jerry Seinfeld was an unknown, he created the habit of writing new material daily using a wall calendar and a red marker. Every day he wrote, he put a big red "X" through that day. He didn't want to see any blank days that "broke the chain". Use this technique for one month and you'll find your new habit will largely be formed. By using these steps to create a habit you are tricking your brain to create a new neural pathway. Once the habit is formed you can use it to serve as a gateway to bigger changes that can truly change your life. A journey of a thousand miles really does begin with a single step.

Deane Alban is co-founder of BeBrainFit.com and author of Brain Gold: The Anti-Alzheimer's, Anti-Aging Guide for Your Brain. She has taught and written on a wide variety of natural health topics for over 20 years. Her passion is teaching others how to rejuvenate their brains and overcome the common, but avoidable, problem of midlife mental decline.

How To Know What You Really Want To Do In Life

Amrit Hallan — Sat, 18 May 2013 04:24:17 +0000

For the past month I have been reading a book based on the life of Tulsidas, one of the greatest religious poets of India. He is credited with rewriting the Ramayana in "khadi boli" – the language of the common folks – so that people could easily sing the hymns and awaken the spirit of the great classic. The Ramayana is originally written in Sanskrit. In the book there is a disciple of Tulsidas, named Benimadhav, who himself is trying to write the story of his guru but somehow he is neither able to capture the true spirit of the story he is looking for, nor focus on the divine Rama. He is sulking and depressed all the time and one night while sitting in his hut he totally panics and says to himself, "You are almost 60, your childhood is gone, and so is your youth, what have you achieved so far Benimadhav? Alas! Your entire life has gone waste without even realizing what exactly you have wanted to do." Tulsidas can see through his disciple's mind the next morning and, out of the blues, while they are walking on the bank of Ganga, he says to him, "Beni, do you even know what you want to do in your life? Your problem is you're not even sure what you're trying to achieve. Deep inside your heart you crave for fame and immortality by writing my story and to my face you keep on saying that you want to leave something behind that will show the light to the future generations. You're not even sure whether you should have pursued the life of an ascetic or enjoyed the pleasures of flesh and wealth. Try to know what you want, and then your mind will be at peace." Benimadhav's dilemma over 500 years ago can be anybody's dilemma even today. We get trapped in a rut without knowing what we want to do and how we want to spend our lives. The fast pace of our lives doesn't even afford us with enough luxury to just sit somewhere quietly and then think about ourselves. Just because people around us seem to be happy doing certain things, we force ourselves into thinking that those very same things should make us happy and feel accomplished too. This eventually begins to take its toll in the form of resentment, underperformance, lethargy and dormant as well as active depression. Knowing what you really want to do, what really makes you happy, is the most important realization of your life. Here are a few steps you can take to know what you really want to do in life:

Be conscious of your own needs

Assign at least 10 minutes daily to just think about what you really want to do in life. Make notes if you want. Jot down actions and events throughout the day that make you feel really joyous. The feeling of joy must be positive and not something akin to schadenfreude or something similar (this will be self-defeating). Remaining conscious and note-taking may not directly help you but it will certainly help you build a database of things that make you happy and joyous and consequently, give you an insight into what triggers those positive feelings.

Stop feeling guilty about thinking of yourself

Trying to be happy, trying to think about your own things, doesn't make you selfish. I would like to apply Ayn Rands "rational morality of self-interest" here — if we all try to excel in our individual capacities, the world around us excels too. A client of mine took a two-month break and trecked alone in Nepal just to think about what he actually wants to do in life, six months after his marriage.

Let people around you know what you are trying to achieve

Most of us don't have those soap-opera-type families where every member is scheming and trying to weasle out this or that from each other. Most of us love each other, want to see each other happy, and find our true place in life. Once you let people around you know what you are trying to achieve, they will actively get involved and will also come up with new and innovative suggestions.

Provide yourself positive stimulus

Your state of mind controls your destiny. The bad thing, and the good thing, is, your mind gives you what you give it. We are perhaps the only species on the planet who can think about thinking. This also means we can control our thinking. Read books on the lifes of people who pursued their own goals and succeeded (possibly, without wreaking havoc on their loved ones), watch related movies, join forums and follow blogs such as Pick the Brain. Constantly provide your mind the right stimulus in order to make sure you don't revert to your previous state of being. Remember that half the battle is won once you know what you want to do. Unless you know this perfectly well (even if you have to spend a year actively trying to find it out, it's worth it), you will again get trapped in the same loop of confusion.

3 Effortless Ways to Get More Done

CoachJulieBarnes — Fri, 17 May 2013 05:32:39 +0000

Do you ever wonder how on some days you seem to get so much accomplished, while on others, you barely get a few things checked off your to-do list? I recently noticed how on Saturday's, I get so much done. I'm like a blur... everything from cleaning the house, running errands, grocery shopping, getting some reading and writing in, a little shopping at the mall, and a nice dinner with my hubby. It got me thinking... what is it about Saturday's? After all, it's a day that has the same 24 hours as the other days of the week. Could it be I'm feeling a little more relaxed after a busy week that is scheduled down to the minute. What did I do differently on Saturday's that I could apply to my weekly schedule to get more done in less amount of time. I started taking note of everything I did and here are my top three ways to get more done, effortlessly, any day of the week! 1. It's the Time of Day! I'm one of those people who is full of energy in the morning and ready to make things happen, so I start off by knocking out my least favorite things first, like cleaning the house. During the week, I find like most people, checking email is my least favorite thing to do. So what do I do when I first hit my office? That is right. I check my email and handle anything that needs to be taken care of. One great thing about doing the things you like the least first, is that it eliminates dread and procrastination, which saves you time and energy. How awesome is that! 2. Focus, Focus, Focus! On Saturday's, I check my phone first thing, then I put it up until I have everything around the house done. I love having a smart phone that allows to me check my email, all my social media feeds, text family and friends, video chat and talk, but it's not too smart if starts taking up your time, instead of saving you time. I follow this same rule while in the office. I check voicemails, emails and social media at certain times of the day, then I close them out and get busy. This allows me to get my work done faster and more efficiently, while not getting distracted. 3. Play Some Music! Music energizes me. My favorites are rock n' roll and disco. So on Saturday's after catching up on the news, I shut off the TV, turn on my Sirius Satellite radio and tune into my favorite stations, then I get started on my to-do list. It's just amazing how much faster you get things done when you're jamming out to your favorite songs. While in the office, when I'm not coaching one of my amazing clients, I also listen to my favorite tunes. I used to be a fan of talk radio, but I noticed that it was actually distracting at times. These are just three ways I found to easily be more productive during my week. How could you be more productive? When you have those days where you go... "wow, I got a lot done today"... start writing down what you did during the day and at what times. And then do the same for the days were you feel like you just didn't get anything done. I bet you will start to notice a pattern of ways, you too, can effortlessly get more done... any day of the week. You can find Julie Barnes at ClaimYourShine.com. After experiencing a devastating tragedy, Julie learned how to move beyond her grief and into a brighter future. If you are hurting but ready for your breakthrough, join Julie in Finding Your Phoenix.

10 Reasons Why You’re Lovable

Jo Warwick — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:16:40 +0000

“Where there is love there is life.”~ Mahatma Gandhi Sometimes you may forget and believe you are not good enough. You may not even realize it, but someone else see’s all the amazing things about you and why you are so loveable. So let this be a reminder of how truly magnificent you are … just because you’re YOU. Your smile

~ I don’t care if your teeth aren’t perfectly straight or gleaming white. To me, when you smile and it reaches your eyes which twinkle with delight you show me who you truly are. It’s as though you really see me and you’re offering me a little parcel of your heart. Your capacity to love

~ even though you have felt great pain and hurt, and have at times wanted the world to just swallow you up to stop your heartbreak, and although you sometimes try your hardest to hide it, you just can’t stop loving. It’s who you are. Even though it may take you a little time, you always return to wanting to share love in your life. Your courage

~ you say you’re scared, and sometimes the world seems too big. It can be such a struggle to get out of bed in the morning and you just want to curl up in a ball, but every day you somehow find the strength to carry on and face it with such courage. You take small steps to love those around you, care for yourself and find pleasure in the smallest things; these things all add up to greatness. Your creativity

~ you manage to express how you feel and who you are in so many wondrous ways, sometimes even without words. What astounds me is your clever creativity to hide from and avoid those things you are not ready for; it really does take such great skill. I wonder what you could do if you put all that skill and energy into doing what you do want?

How playful you truly are

~ although you may sometimes forget and need reminding now and then, I’ve seen you let your hair down. When you let yourself forget what others think, I watch you transform into the young girl or boy you once were, alight with laughter, teasing and silliness. Just give you the chance to spend time with a young child and you’ll be right beside them in make-believe, creating magic lands with Lego in your princess dress, or wielding a hero’s sword, or creating magic with a simple ball. How come you never get bored of learning?

Every day you learn something new. It may only be something small, but where do you store all this information? Just when I don’t think you could remember any more, you amaze me by learning to play the piano, taking up a martial art, learning to dance or speak a new language; anything that entertains you. You seem to get most excited when the challenge ahead seems a little daunting. Your compassionate nature

~ even though you’ve been busy working hard and have been stressed at work, somehow when I least expect it, you reach out to help another person who may be suffering and in need. Not only do you donate your hard-earned money to people, but when your neighbour, or friend is sad or wounded by grief, you give them your time and compassion by offering a cup of tea, a listening ear, or warm arms to comfort. You never stop growing

~ although I sometimes see you struggle and want to resist the changing tides of life, I am truly amazed at how you learn to adapt and grow with each ebb and flow to become a little stronger and more confident in who you are. Even though it may take a little while, you always choose to let go of who you were before and grow into who you are today. Your passion and desire are so attractive

~ when all is said and done, I have to tell you how sexy you are: the way you use your whole body to feel the world around you and enjoy the small pleasures of each day; the way you express your soul and what you hold in your heart through your words, actions and energy. It gives me joy to see you on fire with your passion for living and being YOU. Your sense of humour keeps you sane

~ you can see the funny side of life and its ups and downs. You manage to make light of situations that could easily drive you mad. Negative things happen in your life, but somehow you shake them off and laugh your way through. Your laughter is infectious and lifts the mood of those around you, so they don’t take themselves or life so seriously. Please never stop laughing or seeing the humour in the beautiful ridiculousness of life. ********************************************* Jo Warwick: Writer, therapist, healer and believer in the magic of Life… Do you want to fall in love with life again? Rediscover how to bring freedom, fun, joy and love back into your life; www.rediscoverthemagic.com : Download for FREE the guest expert interview collection, or the ‘Seven Simple Steps For Overcoming Fear’

6 Ways To Stop Letting Life’s Pressures Consume You

Justin Harmon — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:20:27 +0000

Do you get tired of having to deal with the seemingly endless pressures going in in your life?

You’re overworked, undervalued, under compensated, stressed to the max, too many bills, you don’t even like your job, and you’re doing it all because??

So that you can live a good life?

So you can just get by?

Being overworked can actually lead to heart attack and stroke, also known as karoshi (death by work) in Japan.

Stress is linked to numerous medical conditions. That doesn’t sound too good.

To provide for your family?

Sure, you may be providing the things that one needs in life, but at what cost?

So you can feel secure? So you feel safe and comfortable?

What about the need for relief?

What about the health problems caused by the pressure of living a lifestyle you can no longer stomach? What about the chance at becoming, I don’t know, happy for a change?

If you’re someone who wants out of the deadly headlock, life’s pressures have got you in--you need some relief. Allow me to offer you a few suggestions.

1.) Be Still

And stop thinking so much. Too much thinking can lead to a depletion of glucose in your brain, which is the brains main power source. Once your glucose drains, it becomes much harder to concentrate and remember.

Quit over analyzing every situation, theory, result, experience in your life and just be present once in awhile.

Dr. Herbert Benson’s relaxation response method suggests that repeating the same word over and over again will help shut down your thought process to stop your mind from wandering and help you become more present. The relaxation response method triggers the parasympathetic nervous system to help you relax.

Practice being still and present for at least 15-20 minutes a day to help lower your stress levels, blood pressure, and other bodily pressures causing you harm.

2.) Get Emotional

On the other side of end of the spectrum, you can do the complete opposite of become calm and still, and end up being present nonetheless.

Those times when everything going on in your life is just spinning your head in circles, you might just as well let it out.

Releasing what is built up inside of you has been known to be an effective therapy for some people. Either that or maybe you got a shot of becoming the next Charlie Baileygates (schizophrenic cop from Me, Myself, and Irene) if you hold it all in.

A good way to “let it all out” is to find a nice quiet area where no one can see or hear you and ball your eyes out like you never had before. Embrace the feelings that your lizard brain is holding back.

It’s ok to cry and truly does have a “soul cleansing” type of benefit. That and it’ll help you clear your mind and focus on the most important things in your life.

You could also go the whole rage route, destroy some stuff, maybe hurt yourself or someone else, and ultimately end up wheeping at the end of it anyway. Either way works. Maybe try not to do anything too rash.

3.) Get Real

“To be yourself is all that you can do”-Audioslave

Don’t be like that other guy or gal that tries to be someone they’re not. Find and be who you are. Start living authentically and honestly. Have the common decency to stick up for what you believe in.

Being real in a world where fake is at every corner is like gold. Live with a sense of purpose and connection--and for the love of all greatness, stop worrying about what others think of you so much.

4.) Create Something Epic

Create something that comes from within you. Let your soul speak and your creativeness flow into something physical. Create something that can be shared. Something that can be appreciated. Something that can be ridiculed. Doesn’t matter. Just create.

I don’t believe there is any better therapeutic tool for depressurizing, than working on something that comes from within. Besides, being a creator of something you’re proud of is a great feeling. That should help take your mind off of things for awhile.

5.) Modify

Clearly, if you’re staggering the line between a ticking time bomb and a pit of doom--it could be an indication you may want to switch things up a little bit. Just sayin.

What’s the point of following the same routine that is causing you so much of your lifeline?

Write down a list of the following in approximate hours (per day)

Time spent watching tv or Browsing the World Wide Web
Time spent thinking about doing work you hate
Hours you spend doing work you hate

Next, write down the following;

Time spent enjoying anothers company (spouse, children, friends, etc.)
Time spent doing work you enjoy
Time spent taking action on doing work you enjoy
Time you spent contributing to something that matters

Now add up the estimated hours from each list. If the first list number is greater than the second, you need to start doing what you can to sway the odds in the other direction.

This will increase your overall well being and lower the negative pressures hold on you. Doesn’t hurt either that doing work you love is scientifically proven to increase your life expectancy, does it?

6.) Simplify

Easier said than done sometimes I know, but simply simplifying things can take the weight of the world off your shoulders.

Remember that you’re alive. Take heed in knowing what that means, but also don’t feel like it’s a rush. You can live deliberately and not be overwhelmed.

Life’s a journey, enjoy the ride. We often make things 10x as more difficult than they really are. So, take a step back, slow things down, and simply move forward--one foot in front of the other.

Justin Harmon helps people escape from the status quo and live a life of freedom, fulfillment, and purpose. To find out more, visit Justin at Unplugged Recreated and find out how you too can follow your dreams. Or if you’d like, you can find Justin on Google+