Tuesday, June 29, 2010

You Can Dance

Think that you have 2 left feet when it comes to dancing?
Think again.
Try something new. Anything. You need a new perspective, and getting out of your comfort zone to try your hand at something else adds variety and vitality to your life.
And you will find that those areas to which you have a particularly difficult time understanding or relating often offer the most possibilities in terms of expanding your horizons.
Say, for example, that you have very little to no interest in history. But you consciously decide to pick out a history book at the library. Be careful - you may discover a part of yourself that you never knew existed! These are the new-lease-on-life kinds of experiences that bring out the best in you and push you toward happiness, fulfillment and satisfaction.
Gain a new perspective.
Be humbled by your lack of abilities in new areas with which you are unfamiliar.
Realize more fully the infinite possibilities that our world offers.
Gain insight by becoming increasingly more well-rounded.
Never stop trying and learning new things.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Where is Your Smile?

Did you lose it? Is it taking a vacation? Maybe it is just on a temporary leave of absence.
You need to get it back, and quickly!
That smile is really your best friend in the world. It can take you anywhere that you want to go. That's because it is the real "driver" for your positive personality. When you have a smile on your face you automatically take on a bright disposition. And the disposition is extremely contagious.
Others pick up on it.
And people want to be a part of whatever is behind that smile.
Watch what happens when you consciously smile at someone. You will often see that your smile will get "copied" by someone else, who in turn passes it on to someone else - and on and on and on.....
And you started the entire chain of events.
Look at that!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Think it Over

You have a big decision to make. Or it could be a small one. Someone is expecting an answer. You give in by quickly making your choice in a hurried manner. A snap decision. No real thought has gone into it, but there it is - you've given your final answer. Of course, you cannot be terribly surprised if the results of that decision turn out to be less than adequate.
How many times has this happened to you? Better yet, how many times has it happened to you just within the last couple of days on different levels.
The point is that we are constantly making all kinds of decisions.
If you have the "luxury" of having time to consider a particular matter, by all means make use of it. Consider all of the angles. Mull over the potential consequences of various directions. Time is your friend!
When thought is applied to any situation the odds of a high quality outcome increase exponentially. If this appears to you to be a very simple, fundamental rule of thumb - you are right. But it is a rule that we all too easily forget.
Keep it in mind.
Remind yourself about it.
For it can have a tremendously beneficial impact on the quality of your Life.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Don't Sell Yourself Short

Whatever your goal, whatever your dream in Life - don't sell yourself short. You would be amazed at what you are capable of accomplishing. The limits to what you can do are boundless. It is up to you. You must stay focused. There will always be "background noise". The naysayers will say that what you are trying to do is impossible or impractical or out of touch with the times. There will be a long list of reasons presented as to why you should not be able to accomplish your goal. You can take their thoughts and advise into consideration, but do not let this deter you from your ultimate dream.
Those who are successful take the real or imagined roadblocks before them and use those roadblocks to bolster their determination.
Stay focused. Strive. Do not become discouraged.
Be true to yourself.
It will not be easy. Most things that are worthwhile are not easy. All the more reason to hang in there and to persevere.
You can do it!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Look Up

Look Up.
No, we're not talking about the sky. Not about something that you cannot see. Not to some sort of higher power. It's right there in front of you. It's the other people in you life. Look up to them. All of them.
Everyone has something to say to you in some way. Hear them. Watch them. Keep an eye out, for you do not want to miss anything important. From the young child to the teenager to the person experiencing mid-life all the way up to the most senior of citizens. Be on the lookout, because there is something that you can learn from each of them in their various stages.
Do you think that you know it all or that you've got everything figured out? This is a reminder that you don't. Arrogant? Condescending? There can be no room for these traits once you truly realize that you have only scratched the surface - no matter the subject or issue. There is always a new angle. Be open to see it, and seek to understand it.
Keep growing.
Keep learning.
And be open to the possibilities that other people in your life are putting in front of you.
Look up to them.
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Friday, April 23, 2010

The Art of Listening

How many times do we have to listen to someone telling us that it is important to be a good listener?
Very many times. And for a very good and simple reason: because the ability to listen well is extremely important. Did you ever notice that when someone else is speaking to you that you have a tendency to be thinking about your response to them or about something totally unrelated to what they are saying (like, what is the time? I need to end this conversation)? To be able to actually focus on what another individual is trying to communicate is a highly valuable skill. It is a skill that is beneficial for friendships, communication between associates, marriages and virtually any kind of relationship. When you are able to fully understand another person, their feelings and point of view - it is at that point that you are in a position to really help them. And that is really what it is all about isn't it? Helping others.
This does not mean that we can only listen and never speak. Speak your mind. Say what you have to say.
But never discount the value of being a good, attentive listener. People will love you for it.

Make A Mistake

Go ahead.
Make a mistake.
It's OK.
Did you ever notice that the people who are getting a lot of things done, the folks who accomplish a lot are also the ones making periodic mistakes? They go hand in hand. If you are not trying new things, stirring things up, making a difference and putting energy into your efforts then - guess what? You are probably not making any miscues.

A guaranteed fact: Those who do nothing make no mistakes.

Is this to say that you should try to mess things up? Of course not. No one tries for mistakes. But they sometimes just happen. The answer is to make a note of the mistake, move on and try not to make that same mistake twice.
Thomas Edison invented the lighbulb after thousands of "mistakes". When asked about all those "mistakes" which preceeded his invention, he replied "They were experiments. Each experiment proved another way which did not produce the desired outcome. They were not mistakes."
He persevered.
You can do the same with whatever it is that you are doing. Keep at it!
A mistake is by no means the end of the world. In the final analysis, it can be one of your greatest tools of learning. On many levels.

Good Judgement

Most people in today's world are inundated with all kinds of information. TV, internet, radio, magazines, newspapers, cell phones, text messages - the list goes on and on. And quite of bit of this information is helpful to us. But to some extent we do suffer from what is commonly termed as "information overload". It has become extremely important that we use Good Judgement in deciding which sources of information that we should accept. Take a step back and think about it for a moment: is the kind of material that I have been exposing myself to good for me? Do I let violent or pornographic elements into my realm? Have I formed bad habits with regard to the people, places and things that I have allowed to influence me. As the old saying goes "the eyes are the windows to the soul". Pick the best sources that you can find. Find good, uplifting influences. Use Good Judgement. It will make a tremendous difference for you.

Your True Purpose

Never forget that the media and the culture that we live in are in a constant "on" mode. They literally want you to get worked up about something; to become annoyed, exited or emotional. Just so that you will continue paying attention to what they have to say. Then, once they have your attention, you can be given commands, directions, thoughts, ideas, etc. Is it mind control? You can bet on it! But it's not like it is something new. It has been around since the beginning of history. It continues to evolve - at an ever increasingly rapid pace.
Enjoy the ride. But be sure to take a step back every now & then to realize what is really happening on a big picture level. And try not to let it all control you. You actually do have a right to get away to a place where you can appreciate and understand nature. And that leads to a further understanding of your self and of your purpose in this world.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Build Them Up

It sometimes seems as though the easiest thing to do with many of the people with whom we come into contact is to look for the negative aspects about them. Almost seems natural in many cases. And it is extremely easy to do. Because everyone has shortcomings, limitations. Some of their foibles are downright funny. The natural reaction is to pounce on these qualities and to give them more prominence than is their due.
Look for the good traits!
Emphasize them!
Bring them out!
That is the key to making others more happy and self confident about themselves. And it goes a long way toward seeing the good things in others - which allows us to gain as well. Truly a win-win situation.