4 Steps in Managing The Stress of Not Yet Achieving

 

The holiday season is over and it is time to get back to work. We have set goals and made resolutions for the year. Trying to achieve these goals and keeping to the resolutions can input a lot of stress on us. Not managing the stress of not yet achieving your goals can lead to exhaustion, under-productivity and frustration. These are the four steps in managing the stress of not yet achieving.

• Read the 14 Resolutions My Path Guide Wants You To Consider Making For The New Year

 

1.  Dream big and set realistic goals

The first step is to set realistic goals but still dream big. Goals should be set with corresponding times for their completion. Goals help simplify complex tasks into little set of routines which relieves the pressure of not yet achieving and also make you feel relax and in control.

2.  Be consistent and build momentum

Completing a goals out of your set of goals bring confidence. Being consistent and completing other goals brings about self assurance which increases your confidence in your ability therefore reducing the stress caused by not achieving.

3.  Be patient and calm

Every great thing started small. Microsoft Incorporation started with two college boys, Facebook began in the room of some college boys. Patience and time is the key to long time success. We should always keep our calm and stick to the completion of our set goals. Focusing so much on the distance we are still to cover results in unnecessary stress which will have a negative impact on our performance.

4.  Sharpen the saw

Talent without action will eventually lead to regret. The key to long time success is regularly reviewing and correcting our goals and steps until it becomes part of us. No child starts walking at his/her first attempt. Staying dedicated to the course is what creates lasting success.

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Which other method do you use to manage stress of not yet achieving? Share it with us, leave them in the comment section below. We love your comments.

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14 Resolutions To Consider Making For The New Year -Success Guidelines for 2014

Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is a mystery, you are left with today which is a present you can give your future. -My Path Guide

A new year comes with an opportunity for us to start again. For some of us, the year might have been a little below our expectations but we have another chance for us to rewrite our own history. These are 14 resolutions we should consider making in order for us to reposition ourselves to obtain the best for what the new year has to offer.

1.  Never compare myself to others

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy. -Norman Vincent Peale

A grave and costly mistake anyone can ever make is to compare himself/herself to another human being. God created all of us for different purposes. We might look the same, but we are not the same. We all have different tracks set before us to run. Comparing ourselves to others will eventually lead to frustration  because it will only show our inadequacies (Read Putting your self on the Fast Track Part 1).

Comparison brings about jealousy. Instead of comparing ourselves to others, we should focus more on developing ourselves. We most times confuse imitation and comparison. Imitation is not comparison. Imitation is using the success principles an already successful individual used. There is something successful people do differently that makes them successful and likewise unsuccessful people. You can imitate the habits of an already successful individual while acknowledging your own strengths, weakness and abilities.

2.  Never blame others for my problems

Experience is not what happens to you; it's what you do with what happens to you. -Aldous Huxley

Someone might have falsely advised you on an action or you may have followed someone's path which eventually resulted to a problem. The truth remains that you were the one who took the final action. That final decision on that situation was made by you. Someone might have initialized the move but you took the final touch; the final act in creating the problem was carried out by you.

The first important step to any solution is acknowledging the problem. The shorter the time it takes for us to admit that we created the problem either directly or indirectly, the faster we are able to solve the problem. Solving problems,  particularly the ones we created, builds our confidence and gives us courage to solve more problems. 

3.  Never procrastinate

Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later. -Og Mandino

Procrastination is an enemy of success. It is a virus which eats up the future. Time wasted is gone forever. Nothing you can do can bring back wasted time. The one thing you can still do is to make a decision to never procrastinate again and to be discipline. Discipline is sacrificing good for the best. The opposite of discipline is indulgence which is sacrificing the future for the pleasures of the moment.

Part of the resolution we should consider making is to develop the habit of acting when it matters. I strongly believe in this statement: "where there if life, there is hope" and l also believe you can recover all what you have previously lost due to procrastination. A way to recover is to stop procrastinating. A method of stopping it is for us to always think deeply about the negative impact of not carrying out our actions and asking oneself this question: "Is it worth sacrificing the pleasure of the moment for the future". 

4.  Invest more in myself

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First by reflection,which is the noblest; Second by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. -Confucius

The key to personal improvement is knowledge. The Bible talks about people dying for lack of knowledge. The difference between an employer and an employee is the knowledge possessed by the two individuals. For us to experience any significant growth more than we experienced in the previous year in any area of our life; our finances, promotion at work, relationship with family and society e.t.c, we have to increase our knowledge.

We should make a conscious decision to increase our knowledge. The importance of increasing our knowledge is uncountable; the more you know, the more you earn. One method of increasing our knowledge is by reading educational books. We should develop an habit of reading for at least fifteen minutes per day (15minutes).

5.  Always surround myself with people who add value to me

Guide your heart with all diligence for out of it flows the issues of life. -Proverbs

Nothing corrupt good manners than bad company. The kind of people we spend our time with determines the kind of person we will eventually be. A bird if it stays on the ground for so long with chickens will loose its sense of flight.

They best way for us to position ourselves for success in this new year is for us to surround ourselves with people who have already achieved success in our respective field. Habits can easily rub-off. When you spend time with them, you learn their habits and thinking pattern. 

6.  Listen more, talk less

Information is not knowledge. -Albert Einstein

Before talking, we should always ask ourselves these questions:

• Of what importance is what am about to say?
•  How would people react to what am about to say?
• Will what I say question my integrity?

The answer we get should always guard our conversations with people. It's not compulsory for us to talk every time. We learn more when we listen than when we talk. Even when a fool keeps quiet, he/she is thought of as a wise person. We should always seek to understand first, then be understood. By listening effectively during our conversations, we can discover what the person talking to us is actually saying, what's the person's motive behind the conversation, where the person is actually heading to. Those and many more can only be obtained when we listen.

When we listen more during a conversation, we create an impression that we are understanding, caring and that we are sensitive to what the other individual is saying thus making the other individual feel more comfortable talking to us. Listening skill is very essential in families, organizations (for more, Read the 7 habits of highly effective people).

7.  Buy less, save more

If saving money is wrong,I don't want to be right. -William Shatner

The importance of saving cannot be over emphasized. No matter our income, we should develop an habit of saving. It is advised by experts to save 10% of our income as a sacred financial seed. It shouldn't be spent on consumables,  even at our girlfriend's, boyfriend's (husband or wife) gun point (Read 7 Business Facts You Were Not Taught In School).

8.  Forgive more, love more

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is to great a burden to bear. -Martin Luther King, Jr

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Not forgiving holds us back and prevents us from enjoying the present. Holding on to past grudges limits our experience of future happiness and uses up more of our mental resources. Not forgiving ourselves prevents us from maximizing our full potential. When we forgive, we are not helping the person we forgave; we are actually helping ourselves.

Throughout my life in this world, I have discovered that forgiveness is the final form of love. The measurement of how much you love someone is how quick you are able to forgive them. There is no love without forgiveness and there is no forgiveness without love. To forgive is to set a prisoner free only to discover that the prisoner was you (Read Leadership Capacity ( Secrets of Every Successful Leader).

9.  Contribute to our society

All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope. -Winston Churchill

A simple act of kindness goes a long way in both the lives of the receiver and the helper. Through simple acts, lives have been changed and destinies discovered. Not all problems in the society will be solved by government. Great men like Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi and the list continues all discovered their destiny by showing little acts of kindness to the society.

Purpose is discovered in contribution. There is a void in the human heart that can only be filled when contributing.  Life's deepest joy is experienced when we contribute and see the impact our contribution makes even if it is only one life. Contribution gives us psychological energy and confidence to carryout our other life duties. 

10.  Have some me time for reflection

I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity. -Albert Einstein

We often get carried away by the activities and events happening around us that we fail to check up on the activities occurring at the most important venue to us; our life. Time waits for nobody. Time. is the greatest asset in the world. Improper use of time can result to future sorrow (Read 5 Little Things That Take You The Extra Mile).

Reflection allows to tap into our hidden potential. Creating time for reflection enables us to be able to assess our performance and make necessary corrections where necessary towards a successful. It enables us to tap into one of the greatest creative tool which is our mind.

11. Spend quality time with loved ones

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. -Albert Schweitzer

Our loved ones are important part of our lives. We often get so wrapped up with so much activities that we miss out in one of the most important aspect of our life: our loved ones. We spend so much physical and mental energy trying to complete all the tasks on our ever increasing Todo list which eventually leads to us wearing out. Spending quality time with our loved ones help us renew our energy by enabling us to tap into another form of energy in our body; our emotional energy.

A way of increasing the quality time we spend with our loved ones is by setting priority and scheduling. We can set priorities to separate the urgent from the important therefore attending to the important. Another way of solving this is by fixing a regular time in which we spend with your loved ones.

12. Stay Healthy

Physical fitness is not one of the most important keys to healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. -John F. Kennedy

The greatest source of happiness thus not come from our relationship with other people; it comes from our relationship with ourselves. No one can enjoy the fullness of life without good health. Our health affects our relationships, happiness, career and so on. Without good health, life can loose its meaning. 

Part of maintaining good health is by taking proper diet, exercising and resting. Our health needs might vary for different individuals and lifestyles. The health need for a model might differ from the health need of a sport person. It is better to consult a doctor for more advice on your health. 

13. Pray and meditate and give thanks more

Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right. -Abraham Lincoln

Take a deep breath; breathe in and then breathe out. How difficult was that? If you experienced no difficulty in doing that, that is sufficient for you to give thanks to God. If you can read this post, it's sufficient for you to give thanks to God for your sight. The greatest gift is the gift of life. When there is life, there is still an opportunity to a better job, a finer house, beautiful children...God  gave us this gift for free. He only demands one thing from us which is a good relationship with him.

One of the ways in which we can build a better relationship with God is by communing with him through prayer and meditation. We can lodge our requests to God when we pray. God isn't human who gets tired of listening to us or who listens to us without being able to help us. God is able to help us with all his riches and glory. All he wants us to cast all our care upon him because he loves us (Read Experiencing God's hand in your Life).

14. Review my resolution at regular intervals

Everyday is a new beginning take a deep breath and start again. -Anonymous

There is a painful gap between possessing great potential and actually realizing a life of greatness and contribution. That great gap is our consistency. Consistency and time perseveres than talent and passion. Trees rarely fall at the first strike. Most times, you have to sharpen your saw  and then try again. No good thing comes easily; you have to fight for it.

We should always perform a review on our resolution at regular intervals to check our progress. We can make the review monthly, quarterly or at any desired time of your choice. If we fail in one aspect, we shouldn't let it prevent us from carrying on. Famous inventor Thomas Edison who failed thousands of times when inventing the electric bulb but he just saw his failure as another reason why that his method won't work. Winners don't quit and no quitter has ever one at least for now. Finally ending by the words of Ralph Blunt; Nothing is predestined. The obstacles of the past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings.

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3 Tips On How To Spend Your Christmas Holiday

At last Christmas is here again. For some, we finally get that deserved break from work. So how do we make the best out of this holiday we are being given? These are 3 tips on how to spend your Christmas holiday.      

Spend time with loved ones

Due to work or some other activities, we might not have been privileged to spend time with our loved ones.  Christmas is an opportunity for you to show love to people around you, your family, friends, colleagues; or show love to the society, visit an orphanage home, visit people who suffered from a disaster. Spending the holiday showing love to people is a way we can renew our strength or energy by tapping into our least used energy, the voice of our spirit. It can also be a way we can discover life's purpose. Most of the great people the world have celebrated all found their purpose with a little act of love.

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5 Bad Hasty Conclusions People Say That You Must Avoid

"Be miserable or motivate yourself, what ever has to be done, it's always your choice". ----Wayne Dyer.

Often we make hasty conclusions on situations surrounding us without fully weighing the situations. The hasty conclusions are most times due to our emotions or what we hear people say. The hasty conclusions are...

1.  Am Not Good Enough.

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7 Shortcuts You Will Regret Taking in Life

“It shouldn’t be easy to be amazing.  Then everything would be.  It’s the things you fight for and struggle with before earning that have the greatest worth.  When something’s difficult to come by, you’ll do that much more to make sure it’s even harder – or impossible – to lose.”
―Sarah Dessen

There is no shortcut to anywhere worth going.  There is no substitute for doing the work.  Meditate on this every day: “I will do the work.”  As Einstein once said, “Genius is 1% talent and 99% effort.”  You must run to be a runner.  You must write to be a writer.  You must actively attend to your relationships if you want them to flourish.
By all means, find ways to be more efficient.  But make no mistake that it takes diligent effort to build something worthwhile.  There are certainly some success stories out there about people who excelled rather quickly, but you will usually find they had put in years of related work long before anyone was paying attention to their seemingly rapid success.  In other words, their current state of achievement is simply all those years of work coming together flawlessly in the present.
The most effective way to handle what must be done is to do it.  Put in the required labor.  Don’t sell yourself short by taking shortcuts like these:

1.  Taking the easiest route possible.

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5 Little Things That Take You The Extra Mile

Little things are so important but insignificant to take cognizance of. They have great potentials and magnitude to make or mar our lives. If we would have significant success, then it is imperative that we take the knowledge and care of these little things, even though they are little, but carry much weight and have great and lasting consequences.
   There are certain things that must be properly done to ensure that these little things are well taken care of:

1.  Humility

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Every Moment Counts

Often time we hear people say things like "they never told me they won't come back", "if I could just say goodbye". The normal saying is you never know the worth of what you have until you loose it. That saying got me thinking about what those people said and that I should cherish and utilize every seconds of my life with myself and the ones I love.

In life you have to cherish every moment you have with your loved ones because you will never know when the last time you would have or share with them will be. Say what you need to say, and express yourself the way you want to and when you ought to. Procrastination won't do you any good.

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10 Simple Truths Smart People Forget

Some of the smartest people I know continuously struggle to get ahead because they forget to address a few simple truths that collectively govern our potential to make progress.  So here’s a quick reminder:

#1 – Education and intelligence accomplish nothing without action.

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Facing The Enemies Within

We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear.  Maybe some of your fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you've read in the papers. Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two o'clock in the morning. But once you learn to avoid that situation, you won't need to live in fear of it.

Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships. Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives. Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us.

Let me tell you about five of the other enemies we face from within.

The first enemy that you've got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference. What a tragic disease this is. "Ho-hum, let it slide. I'll just drift along." Here's one problem with drifting: you can't drift your way to the top of the mountain.

The second enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal your chances for a better future. Take a sword to this enemy.

The third enemy inside is doubt. Sure, there's room for healthy skepticism. You can't believe everything. But you also can't let doubt take over. Many people doubt the past, doubt the future, doubt each other, doubt the government, doubt the possibilities and doubt the opportunities.  Worse of all, they doubt themselves.  I'm telling you, doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success. It will empty both your bank account and your heart.  Doubt is an enemy.  Go after it. Get rid of it.

The fourth enemy within is worry. We've all got to worry some. Just don't let it conquer you.  Instead, let it alarm you. Worry can be useful. If you step off the curb in New York City and a taxi is coming, you've got to worry. But you can't let worry loose like a mad dog that drives you into a small corner. Here's what you've got to do with your worries: drive them into a small corner. Whatever is out to get you, you've got to get it.  Whatever is pushing on you, you've got to push back.

The fifth interior enemy is over-caution. It is the timid approach to life. Timidity is not a virtue; it's an illness. If you let it go, it'll conquer you. Timid people don't get promoted. They don't advance and grow and become powerful in the marketplace. You've got to avoid over-caution.

Do battle with the enemy. Do battle with your fears. Build your courage to fight what's holding you back, what's keeping you from your goals and dreams. Be courageous in your life and in your pursuit of the things you want and the person you want to become.

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20 Things to Start Doing in Your Relationships

Family isn’t always blood.  They’re the people in your life who appreciate having you in theirs – the ones who encourage you to improve in healthy and exciting ways, and who not only embrace who you are now, but also embrace and embody who you want to be.  These people – your real family – are the ones who truly matter.

Here are twenty tips to help you find and foster these special relationships.

1.   Free yourself from negative people. – Spend time with nice people who are smart, driven and like-minded.  Relationships should help you, not hurt you.  Surround yourself with people who reflect the person you want to be.  Choose friends who you are proud to know, people you admire, who love and respect you – people who make your day a little brighter simply by being in it.  Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  When you free yourself from negative people, you free yourself to be YOU – and being YOU is the only way to truly live.  Read Stumbling on Happiness. 

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12 Things You Should Be Able to Say About Yourself

    You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
    - Mae West

You know you’re on the right track when you can repeat each of the following headlines to yourself, honestly.  (And if you can’t, this list gives you something positive to work on.)

1.  I am following my heart and intuition.

Don’t be pushed by your problems.  Be led by your dreams.  Live the life you want to live.  Be the person you want to remember years from now.  Make decisions and act on them.  Make mistakes, fall and try again.  Even if you fall a thousand times, at least you won’t have to wonder what could have been.  At least you will know in your heart that you gave your dreams your best shot.

Each of us has a fire in our hearts burning for something.  It’s our responsibility in life to find it and keep it lit.  This is your life, and it’s a short one.  Don’t let others extinguish your flame.  Try what you want to try.  Go where you want to go.  Follow your own intuition.  Dream with your eyes open until you know exactly what it looks like.  Then do at least one thing every day to make it a reality.

And as you strive to achieve your goals, you can count on there being some fairly substantial disappointments along the way.  Don’t get discouraged, the road to your dreams may not be an easy one.  Think of these disappointments as challenges – tests of persistence and courage.  At the end of the road, more often than not, we regret what we didn’t do far more than what we did.  Read Quitter.

2.  I am proud of myself.

You are your own best friend and your own biggest critic.  Regardless of the opinions of others, at the end of the day the only reflection staring back at you in the mirror is your own.  Accept everything about yourself – EVERYTHING!  You are you and that is the beginning and the end – no apologies, no regrets.

People who are proud of themselves tend to have passions in life, feel content and set good examples for others.  It requires envisioning the person you would like to become and making your best efforts to grow.

Being proud isn’t bragging about how great you are; it’s more like quietly knowing that you’re worth a lot.  It’s not about thinking you’re perfect – because nobody is – but knowing that you’re worthy of being loved and accepted.  All you have to do is be yourself and live the story that no one else can live – the story of your own unique life.  Be proud, be confident, you never know who has been looking at you wishing they were you.

3.  I am making a difference.

Act as if what you do makes a difference.  It does.

Is it true that we all live to serve?  That by helping others we fulfill our own destiny?  The answer is a simple ‘yes.’  When you make a positive impact in someone else’s life, you also make a positive impact in your own life.  Do something that’s greater than you – something that helps someone else to be happy or to suffer less.

You are only one, but you are one.  You cannot do everything, but you can do something.  Smile and enjoy the fact that you made a difference – one you’ll likely remember forever.

4.  I am happy and grateful.

Happiness is within you, in your way of thinking.  How you view yourself and your world are mindful choices and habits.  The lens you choose to view everything through determines how you feel about yourself and everything that happens around you.

Being grateful will always make you happy.  If you’re finding it hard to be grateful for anything, sit down close your eyes and take a long slow breath and be grateful for oxygen.  Every breath you take is in sync with someone’s last.

5.  I am growing in to the best version of me.

Judy Garland once said, “Always be a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of somebody else.”  Live by this statement.  There is no such thing as living in someone else’s shoes.  The only shoes you can occupy are your own.  If you aren’t being yourself, you aren’t truly living – you’re merely existing.

Remember, trying to be anyone else is a waste of the person you are.  Embrace that individual inside you that has ideas, strengths and beauty like no one else.  Be the person you know yourself to be – the best version of you – on your terms.  Improve continuously, take care of your body and health, and surround yourself with positivity.  Become the best version of you.

6.  I am making my time count.

Time is the most valuable constituent of life.  Make the time for what does matter today.  Really being in the moment, finding passion in your life, seeing the world and traveling, or just seeing the world that’s around you right now, being with great people, doing amazing things, eating amazing food and savoring life’s little pleasures.

Remember, your time is priceless, but it’s free. You can’t own it, but you can use it.  You can spend it, but you can’t keep it.  Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.  You really do only have a short period to live.  So let your dreams be bigger than your fears and your actions louder than your words.  Make your time count!

7.  I am honest with myself.

Be honest about what’s right, as well as what needs to be changed.  Be honest about what you want to achieve and who you want to become.  Be honest with every aspect of your life, always.  Because you are the one person you can forever count on.

Search your soul, for the truth, so that you truly know who you are.  Once you do, you’ll have a better understanding of where you are now and how you got here, and you’ll be better equipped to identify where you want to go and how to get there.  Read The Four Agreements.

8.  I am good to those I care about.

In human relationships distance is not measured in miles, but in affection.  Two people can be right next to each other, yet miles apart.  So don’t ignore someone you care about, because lack of concern hurts more than angry words.  Stay in touch with those who matter to you.  Not because it’s convenient, but because they’re worth the extra effort.

When was the last time you told your family and close personal friends that you loved them?  Just spending a little time with someone shows that you care, shows that they are important enough that you’ve chosen — out of all the things to do on your busy schedule — to find the time for them.  Talk to them.  Listen to them.  Understand them.

Many times it’s our actions, not just our words that really speak what our heart feels for another.

9.  I know what unconditional love feels like.

Whether your love is towards a child, a lover, or another family member, know the feeling of giving love and not expecting anything in return – this is what lies at the heart of unconditional love.  Life through unconditional love is a wondrous adventure that excites the very core of our being and lights our path with delight.  This love is a dynamic and powerful energy that lifts us through the most difficult times.

Love is beautiful and unpredictable.  It begins with ourselves, for without self-love, we cannot know what true love can be.  In loving ourselves, we allow the feeling to generate within us and then we can share it to everyone and everything around us.  When you love unconditionally, it isn’t because the person you love is perfect, it’s because you learn to see an imperfect person perfectly.

10.  I have forgiven those who once hurt me.

We’ve all been hurt by another person at some point or another – we were treated badly, trust was broken, hearts were hurt.  And while this pain is normal, sometimes that pain lingers for too long.  We relive the pain over and over, letting them live rent-free in our head and we have a hard time letting go.

Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness, it causes us to miss out on the beauty of life as it happens.  To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.

11.  I take full accountability for my life.

Own your choices and mistakes, and be willing to take the necessary steps to improve upon them.  Either you take accountability for your life or someone else will.  And when they do, you’ll become a slave to their ideas and dreams instead of a pioneer of your own.

You are the only one who can directly control the outcome of your life.  And no, it won’t always be easy.  Every person has a stack of obstacles in front of them.  But you must take accountability for your situation and overcome these obstacles.  Choosing not to is choosing a lifetime of mere existence.  Read The Road Less Traveled.

12.  I have no regrets.

This one is simply a culmination of the previous eleven…

Follow your heart.  Be true to yourself.  Do what makes you happy.  Be with who makes you smile.  Laugh as much as you breathe.  Love as long as you live.  Say what you need to say.  Offer a helping hand when you’re able.  Appreciate all the things you do have.  Smile.  Celebrate your small victories.  Learn from your mistakes.  Realize that everything is a lesson in disguise.  Forgive and let go of the things you can’t control.

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15 Ways to Live, and Not Merely Exist

As Jack London once said, “The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.”  Far too often we travel through life on autopilot, going through the motions, accepting what is, and having every day pass like the one before it.  Everything seems relatively normal and comfortable, except that constant twitch in the back of your mind that’s saying, “It’s time to make some changes.”
Here are 15 simple suggestions for those who want to break free from the mold and truly live more of their life – to experience it and enjoy it to the fullest, instead of settling for a mere existence.

Appreciate the great people and things in your life. 

Sometimes we don’t notice the things others do for us until they stop doing them.  Don’t be like that.  Be grateful for what you have, who loves you, and who cares for you.  You’ll never know how much they mean to you until the day they’re no longer beside you.  Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you.  Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it to live.

Ignore other people’s negativity. 

If you allow people to make more withdrawals than deposits in your life, you will be out of balance and in the negative before you know it.  Ignore nonconstructive, hurtful commentary.  No one has the right to judge you.  They may have heard your stories, but they didn’t feel what you were going through.  You do not have control over what others say; but you do have control over whether or not you allow them to say these things to you.  You alone can deny their poisonous words from invading your heart and mind.

Forgive those who have hurt you. 

I forgive people, but that doesn’t mean I trust them.  I just don’t have time to hate people who hurt me, because I’m too busy loving people who love me.  The first to apologize is the bravest.  The first to forgive is the strongest.  The first to move forward is the happiest.  Be brave.  Be strong.  Be happy.  Be free.

Be who you really are.  

If you’re lucky enough to have something that makes you different from everybody else, don’t change.  Uniqueness is priceless.  In this crazy world that’s trying to make you like everyone else, find the courage to keep being your awesome self.  And when they laugh at you for being different, laugh back at them for being the same.  It takes a lot of courage to stand alone, but it’s worth it.  Being YOU is worth it!

Choose to listen to your inner voice.

Life is a courageous journey or nothing at all.  We cannot become who we want to be by continuing to do exactly what we’ve been doing.  Choose to listen to your inner voice, not the jumbled opinions of everyone else.  Do what you know in your heart is right for YOU.  It’s your road, and yours alone.  Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.  And be sure to appreciate every day of your life.  Good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience, and the worst days give you the best lessons.

Embrace change and enjoy your life as it unfolds. 

The hardest part about growing is letting go of what you were used to, and moving on with something you’re not.  Sometimes you have to stop worrying, wondering, and doubting, and have faith that things will work out.  Laugh at the confusion, live consciously in the moment, and enjoy your life as it unfolds.  You might not end up exactly where you intended to go, but eventually you will arrive precisely where you need to be.

Choose your relationships wisely. 

The best relationships are not just about the good times you share, they’re also about the obstacles you go through together, and the fact that you still say “I love you” in the end.  And loving someone isn’t just about saying it every day, it’s showing it every day in every way.  Relationships must be chosen wisely.  Don’t rush love.  Wait until you truly find it.  Don’t let loneliness drive you back into the arms of someone you know you don’t belong with.  Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.  A great relationship is worth waiting for.

Recognize those who love you. 

The most memorable people in your life will be the ones who loved you when you weren’t very loveable.  Pay attention to who these people are in your life, and love them back, even when they aren’t acting loveable.

Love yourself too. 

If you can love children, in spite of the messes they make; your mother, in spite of her tendency to nag; your father, even though he’s too opinionated; your sibling, even though she’s always late; your friend, even though he often forgets to return what he borrows, then you know how to love imperfect people, and can surely love yourself.

Do things your future self will thank you for.  

What you do every day matters more than what you do every once in a while.  What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.  Make sure it’s worthwhile.

Be thankful for all the troubles you don’t have. 

There are two ways of being rich: One is to have all you want, the other is to be satisfied with what you have.  Accept and appreciate things now, and you’ll find more happiness in every moment you live.  Happiness comes when we stop complaining about the troubles we have and offer thanks for all the troubles we don’t have.  And remember, you have to fight through some bad days to earn the best days of your life.

Leave enough time for fun. 

Sometimes you need to take a few steps back to see things clearly.  Never let your life become so filled with work, your mind become so crammed with worry, or your heart become so jammed with old hurts or anger, that there’s no room left in them for fun, for awe, or for joy.

Enjoy the little things in life

 The best things in life are free.  There is absolute joy and wonder to be had in the simplest of moments.  Watching the sunset over the horizon or spending time with a family member. Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things.

Accept the fact that the past is not today. 

Don’t let the past steal your present and future from you.  You might not be proud of all the things you’ve done in the past, but that’s okay.  The past is not today.  The past cannot be changed, forgotten, or erased.  It can only be accepted.  We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past.  But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.

Let go when you must. 

It’s not always about trying to fix something that’s broken.  Some relationships and situations just can’t be fixed.  If you try to force them back together, things will only get worse.  Sometimes it’s about starting over and creating something better.  Strength shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over again with a smile on your face and passion in your heart.




Source:  Marc and Angel Hack Life

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