7 Obsessions Guaranteed to Improve your Life
“Obsession led me to write. It’s been that way with every book I’ve ever written. I become completely consumed by a theme, by characters, by a desire to meet a challenge.” ~ Anne Rice
An obsession is consuming. It often pushes other activities into the background. It compels and fills your thoughts and impassions your soul with desire. It becomes the beat of your heart and the pulse of your being. It drives you ever forward toward its object.
And while obsessive behavior can destroy and corrupt happiness, robbing it of a sense of freedom and will and sometimes even land you in prison, certain kinds of controlled obsessions can enhance the quality of your life. I recommend the following … Read the Rest of This Article »
What to Change in 2012
It’s fair to say that most people reading this will want 2012 to be better than 2011. This isn’t necessarily negative nor am I talking recession, gloom and downturn. It’s simply in our nature to want to grow and develop – we’re designed to want to reach beyond our grasp and make things better.
It’s also fair to say most people don’t keep their New Year’s Resolutions to be better, do more to have more (and again this is in all areas: spiritual, material, relationships etc.)
Obviously, there are reasons for this (and drunkenly promising to love your dog more at 11.59pm is only one of them). The main reason is that on Jan 1st 12:01am you are actually no different to what you were a few minutes ago. (You may, of course, be drunker though.) As a result, by Jan 20th you have probably given up trying to change. Read the Rest of This Article »
Compassionate Self Observation: A Key to Overcoming Destructive Habits
I’ve discovered a powerful remedy for self-destructive habits that is so simple I wondered how I missed it over the years. My self-destructive habit involved eating junk food late at night, yet my discovery will work for any chronic, self-defeating behavior.
Do you do things every day that you wish you didn’t? Read the Rest of This Article »
Goodbye New Year’s Resolutions, Hello Monthly Habits
If you’re like most people, you don’t even think about making New Year’s resolutions anymore. It’s just too depressing to feel like a failure when you can’t stay on that diet, or continue that exercise program. Maybe you’re motivated for the first week or two, but then there’s the Superbowl party when you blow it by pigging out on nachos and beer. And who the heck wants to go running when it’s freezing outside? Well, here’s a way to have resolutions that stick. Say goodbye to New Year’s resolutions and hello to monthly habits. Read the Rest of This Article »
How To Break Bad Habits
Do you talk over people during conversations?
Do you bite your nails when you are nervous?
Do you drink like a fish or pop pills like a pharmacist?
Have you ever told a lie to get a point across?
Have you ever ignored the people you were with for a better conversation with someone on your cell phone?
Has your recent predicament made you so worried that you can’t focus on anything?
Good, you are human. Each and every person on this earth has habits rather good or bad. There are just some things that we tend to do automatically. They have become so repetitive that they almost seem natural. Habits are inherently neutral but speaking for myself I seem to have more bad ones than good and I think I would greatly benefit from turning the tables. So how do you break bad habits? Read the Rest of This Article »
50 Creative (and Crazy) Ways to Quit Smoking Once and for All
This article was first published by NursingSchools.net courtesy of Ken Martin.
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Everyone knows that smoking is one of the most unhealthy things you can do to yourself, but still, many people continue to smoke because they simply can’t quit. If you’re struggling to quit smoking, you may be ready to do some crazy things to kick the habit, and we’ve got just the thing for you. These are 50 creative and crazy ways to finally put out the smoke monster.
Health
Here are several healthy things you can do to stop smoking.
- Have a heart attack: A smoking-induced heart attack might be just the ticket to finally scare you into quitting.
- Get your teeth cleaned: Invest in a good cleaning so that you’ll be sorry to mess up your pearly whites with smoke.
- Eat booster foods: Garlic and ginger are good for pulling smoking chemicals out of your body.
- Brush your teeth when you want to smoke: Any time you have a craving, just brush your teeth or swish with mouthwash to enjoy a clean feeling instead of smoke.
- Become pregnant: Once you are carrying an unborn child who depends on you for its health, you will feel too guilty to light up.
- Take up mountain biking: There’s no way you can bike up a mountain as a smoker! Read the Rest of This Article »
How To Break Any Bad Habit
Why do people have bad habits?
Do you know that some people smoke only to control anxiety?
The automatic movement that the person does while smoking makes the person believe that he is in control of his environment and that’s why most smokers smoke when they feel anxious. It is in fact, one of the main reasons people start to smoke in the first place!
Do you know that some shopping addicts only buy things to improve their moods and not because they really want any thing they are buying? Those people go for quick fixes such as shopping to improve their bad moods or ease their stress. Ironically, these quick fixes actually worsen their moods and increase their stress (when they realize how much they’ve spent) when the high has faded. Read the Rest of This Article »
How to Create the Habit of Daily Meditation
Someone e-mailed me the other day with the following question, they said:
“I would love to start meditating daily, but I can never seem to find the time. After I get home from work, I have dinner, one thing leads to another, and I never get to meditate; any suggestions?”
I want to answer the above question in this particular article. However, let me begin by defining “meditation.” After I define meditation, I’ll explain the benefits of daily meditation as well as how you can easily form this very important habit.
What does it mean to meditate?
To meditate means to purposely engage in “thought” or “contemplation,” it means to think, especially in a calm and deliberate manner. My favorite definition of the word “meditate” is to plan in the mind, or to intend. I like that, to plan in the mind, or to intend something; to lay a blueprint in your imagination.
The Benefits of Meditation
“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.” – Buddha
Meditation is a way of clearing your mind; it offers you the ability to enter new levels of relaxation, it’s also a technique that can help you conceive new ideas.
I believe everyone should practice meditation daily in order to recharge their body and reignite their focus. Meditation is a way to get clear on what you really want from life, and if you meditate on your desires long enough, you will discover a way to manifest them. Read the Rest of This Article »
8 Reasons We Don’t Do Things We Should and How To Break the Mould
Our lives are full of things we “should” do but for a range of reasons we don’t do them. Whatever it is – exercise, healthy eating, saving money – most of the time we choose to take the easier road, the road well traveled.
While I’m certainly not immune to this, there are plenty of things I don’t do that I know I should, I feel that understand the why is the first step to making real progress.
1. Being Comfortable (and Lack of a Burning Desire)
It all starts with how we feel about our life. How we feel greatly affects our motivations. Most people are in some form of comfort, but it’s a negative comfort. It’s a comfort where you’re not making progress towards your dreams but you’re not in that much pain either.
Don’t be in this space.
I’ve been comfortable. I live in a great area, there’s food on the table and I have shelter, and it’s this very reason that a bunch of my income dried up over the past couple of years. I’d been making great progress, which was motivating but then de-motivational forces (mainly school) and my own lethargy brought me into a false form of comfort. And now I have to work my way back to where I was.
The best motivators are pain and progress. Read the Rest of This Article »
10 Very Common Stupid Tricks That Wreck A Good Life
Many people go through life acting like trained circus animals. They repeat the same antics they observed their neighbors, parents and family performing. What they often don’t realize is that they are wrecking their lives.
Do you know someone that performs these tricks?
Understanding that these tricks change good lives into a zoo is the first step to freedom. So, let’s take a look at the most common traps people fall into.
10 Very Common Stupid Tricks That Wreck A Good Life
I’d bet we’ve all witnessed at least some of these stupid tricks. Unfortunately, they plague many people and are incredibly common. Read over the list and let me know which one you think is the worst or most prevalent.
1. Performing the starring role in a never-ending drama
It seems that some people want the days of their lives to mirror a soap opera. They constantly behave badly and then wonder why their lives are so freaking crazy. It is almost as if they are addicted to chaos! These folks usually fail to see that they are their own worst enemy! Do you know someone that is the big star in their own perpetual drama? Read the Rest of This Article »
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