Motivation, The Heart Of Self Improvement

Pain may sometimes be the reason why people change. Getting flunked grades make us realize that we need to study. Debts remind us of our inability to look for a source of income. Being humiliated gives us the ‘push’ to speak up and fight for ourselves to save our face from the next embarrassments. It may be a bitter experience, a friend’s tragic story, a great movie, or an inspiring book that will help us get up and get just the right amount of motivation we need in order to improve ourselves.

With the countless negativities the world brings about, how do we keep motivated?
Try on the tips I prepared from A to Z…

A - Achieve your dreams. Avoid negative people, things and places. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

B - Believe in your self, and in what you can do.

C – Consider things on every angle and aspect. Motivation comes from determination. To be able to understand life, you should feel the sun from both sides.

D – Don’t give up and don’t give in. Thomas Edison failed once, twice, more than thrice before he came up with his invention and perfected the incandescent light bulb. Make motivation as your steering wheel.

E – Enjoy. Work as if you don’t need money. Dance as if nobody’s watching. Love as if you never cried. Learn as if you’ll live forever. Motivation takes place when people are happy.

F – Family and Friends – are life’s greatest ‘F’ treasures. Don’t loose sight of them.

G – Give more than what is enough. Where does motivation and self improvement take place at work? At home? At school? When you exert extra effort in doing things.

H – Hang on to your dreams. They may dangle in there for a moment, but these little stars will be your driving force.

I – Ignore those who try to destroy you. Don’t let other people to get the best of you. Stay out of toxic people – the kind of friends who hates to hear about your success.

J – Just be yourself. The key to success is to be yourself. And the key to failure is to try to please everyone.

K – keep trying no matter how hard life may seem. When a person is motivated, eventually he sees a harsh life finally clearing out, paving the way to self improvement.

L – Learn to love your self. Now isn’t that easy?

M – Make things happen. Motivation is when your dreams are put into work clothes.

N – Never lie, cheat or steal. Always play a fair game.

O – Open your eyes. People should learn the horse attitude and horse sense. They see things in 2 ways – how they want things to be, and how they should be.

P – Practice makes perfect. Practice is about motivation. It lets us learn repertoire and ways on how can we recover from our mistakes.

Q – Quitters never win. And winners never quit. So, choose your fate – are you going to be a quitter? Or a winner?

R – Ready yourself. Motivation is also about preparation. We must hear the little voice within us telling us to get started before others will get on their feet and try to push us around. Remember, it wasn’t raining when Noah build the ark.

S – Stop procrastinating.

T – Take control of your life. Discipline or self control jives synonymously with motivation. Both are key factors in self improvement.

U – Understand others. If you know very well how to talk, you should also learn how to listen. Yearn to understand first, and to be understood the second.

V – Visualize it. Motivation without vision is like a boat on a dry land.

W – Want it more than anything. Dreaming means believing. And to believe is something that is rooted out from the roots of motivation and self improvement.

X – X Factor is what will make you different from the others. When you are motivated, you tend to put on “extras” on your life like extra time for family, extra help at work, extra care for friends, and so on.

Y – You are unique. No one in this world looks, acts, or talks like you. Value your life and existence, because you’re just going to spend it once.

Z – Zero in on your dreams and go for it!!!

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Is Christmas only about Christmas trees and Christmas gifts?

Are You Ready For Christmas?

Let kids tell you what they think of Christmas and they will speak of images full of snow, caroling, putting up Christmas tree ornaments, Christmas gifts and the irresistible magic and wonderment. For everyone else, Christmas is a whole 30 days (even more for some) of headaches and stress.

This doesn't have to be so. Who says you can't enjoy the yuletide season like kids can? This article will give you a few tips on how to celebrate Christmas with less of the stress and more of the ho, ho, holiday fun.

I bet you've heard this a gazillion times, but I guess once more doesn't hurt until you take it to heart: do your Christmas shopping early. Beat the mad rush and escape your kid's heartbreak when you find out that the very last (insert name of their wanted toy] that sells like hotcakes here) has been won in a duel by another overzealous parent. So Shop early and avoid the scuffle.

And no, Christmas doesn't mean you have to be a Stepford wife whipping up delicious Christmas goodies from scratch. Doing this will definitely eat up time on your hands to actually enjoy the things you cooked or baked. Order your food ready-made, pop it in the oven for a few minutes, and no one will ever know. It's your little secret, everyone's happy, and Christmas will be full of merrymaking from then on.

If you need help with your holiday preparations, then by all means, ask for it. Is Christmas not a season of goodwill to all men? (And Women?) More often than not, you will come out with better relationships, a long overdue chat, or discovering kindred hearts. There's no better time of the year.

Learn to let loose and let the small things go. Trust me, no one will care about whether the food's a little late as long as they're enjoying each other's company. Hey, it's Christmas. In fact, you might get carried away by the excellent time spent with each other yourself. Just don't forget, there's still food cooking back in the kitchen. I mean, Christmas will cause you to be a little more cheerful and forgiving than most other days. Your guests are really there for the joy of your company - not just for the food.

K.I.S.S. works real well. In other words, keep it simple, sweetheart. Sure, your guests will no doubt be impressed by excellent Christmas decorations, but the whole point of Christmas is to enjoy each other, and pretty soon, after some interesting conversations, they won't even notice the Christmas tree is not a real tree. Don't go overboard on the decorations and preparations. Simple pine-tree scented candles can do wonders to your Christmas-inspired ambience.

Lastly, keep in mind what Christmas is all about, it's all about giving and caring, it's all about the season of happiness and delight, it's all about magic in the winter air. It's about innocent kids secretly staying up all night so they may have a glimpse of Santa and his reindeer. Remembering what this season is all about will keep you from going overboard and from going crazy with endless preparation. Christmas is about each other, not about competition. It's the memories of each other that last in our minds, not the Christmas decorations.

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The Link Between Inspiration, Success And Happiness

"Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success."

Dr. Joyce Brothers

Finding inspiration will successfully lead one through a voyage of happiness, hope and complete sense of one’s individuality. Lacking or absence of inspiration will result to exactly the opposite.

When one is inspired, it brings a certain feeling of enthusiasm about one’s life.

Inspiration to each and every individual is different. Where some find inspiration from those that have attained a certain level of success and happiness their lives, others are inspired by nature and its wonder. For most, inspiration is key to a life of living meaningfully.

When one is just drifting and wandering around, with no direction as to where to go and what goal to pursue, one becomes more and more less motivated, loosing his inner self purpose and in time, become depressed.

One’s inspiration is very much determined by ones personal or career goals, and the direction that one wishes to live his life. When wanting to live an abundant life, then the inspiration will be easily found in life stories of those who have achieved success.

Definitely, one needs to acquire intelligence, to study and learn, to collect knowledge, and the skill to manage your time; however all this will be useless without motivation. And inspiration is a chief motivator and so is the craving to learn. These will be your driving force to success. Success in an undertaking leads one to gaining more pursuit and a much greater yearning to learn, resulting in growth of motivation directing towards the goal that you have set.

From inspiration springs enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is one’s attitude of confidence, curiosity and expectation, with fragments of daring and risk.

It is a very strong force that brings vigor to one’s day and draws people. Note that pessimism, negativity, anxiety and apprehension drain the energy within you. So focus only on the positive side in every situation that you encounter; this way, things get done more easily.

So to sustain motivation, it requires rationalization that is anchored on positive outcome from endeavors.

Finding inspiration, developing enthusiasm

“Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed.”  

Abraham Lincoln

Know in your mind and your heart what you are capable of accomplishing. When uncertain, then you loose the game right there and then. You can not ever accomplish anything when you first do not believe that you can.

Keep in mind that every act begins with either a positive or negative thought, whereby positive thoughts gains positive results. Be very certain on what you want to do, to achieve and to become and concentrate on those thoughts each day.

Be enthusiastic in everything that you, small or big things and remember that little things when put together, become one big thing.

Act on your goals! Take the necessary steps towards achieving it and begin now. Each day, set up a plan of action and then work on it. At the end of the day, review what you have done and record it. Then return to your journal each week to see how well you are progressing, or if there are certain acts that needs revising or if you need to take another route.

Look at your goals each day and get inspiration from it. Never allow negative thoughts to invade your mind. Even when you see that you are not progressing, continue and be patient. Never let it discourage you. Remember, as they often say “when there is a will, there is always a way”. So stand firm and continue your struggle. Remember that each one encounters problems along the way; successful individuals however kept on going when others have quit.

Enhance your knowledge by indulging in inspirational and positive books, talk to successful people and never stop learning. Keep on focusing on success, on your goals. Minimize spending time with people of negative outlook in life as they will often drain you and bring you down.

Success is built on the inspiration of all your little dreams and decisions that you have made for a certain period. Note that it will not come overnight instead, stone by stone; it is built, carefully, but surely. So be patient, your time will come.

Make that decision to succeed now. Look into yourself and see that fire burning, ready to be ignited by inspiration’s strength and ready to soar. Take some actions now, or else, nothing will happen and they will just remain to be a dream.

As an inspiration watch the following videos:

Oprah's Secret to Success
In this video Oprah opens up to the audience about her secret to success and what it really means to be famous.

Secret To Success
Eric Thomas speaks to young college students at Michigan Student University about having a desire for success

The Resident: Defining Success
What is your definition of Success?

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Price Tag, It's Not About The Money

A very inspirational song, Price Tag from Jessie J. Although money is necessary in our daily lives but money cannot buy everything, like happiness and love. Yes, money can secure a better home and future but the song is implying that we need to enjoy life, take it easy and live with simplicity.

I hope you enjoy this song, I have put 4 versions on the mixpod and lyrics below.

Price Tag Lyrics:

[Verse 1:]
Seems like everybodys got a price,
I wonder how they sleep at night.
When the tale comes first,
And the truth comes second,
Just stop, for a minute and
Smile
Why is everybody so serious!
Acting so damn mysterious
You got your shades on your eyes
And your heels so high
That you can't even have a good
Time.

[Pre-Chorus:]
Everybody look to their left (yeah)
Everybody look to their right (ha)
Can you feel that (yeah)
Well pay them with love tonight...

[Chorus:]
It's not about the money, money, money
We don't need your money, money, money
We just wanna make the world change,
Forget about the Price Tag.
Ain't about the (ha) Ka-Ching Ka-Ching.
Aint about the (yeah) Ba-Bling Ba-Bling
Wanna make the world change,
Forget about the Price Tag.

[Verse 2:]
(Listen, Okay.)
We need to take it back in time,
When music made us all UNITE!
And it wasn't low blows and video Hoes,
Am I the only one gettin... tired?
Why is everybody so obsessed?
Money can't buy us happiness.
If we all slow down and enjoy right now
Gurantee we'll be feelin
All right.

[Pre-Chorus:]
Everybody look to their left (yeah)
Everybody look to their right (ha)
Can you feel that (yeah)
Well pay them with love tonight...

[Chorus:]
It's not about the money, money, money
We don't need your money, money, money
We just wanna make the world change,
Forget about the Price Tag
Ain't about the (ha) Ka-Ching Ka-Ching.
Aint about the (yeah) Ba-Bling Ba-Bling
Wanna make the world change,
Forget about the Price Tag.

[Bridge:]
Lala-Lala-Lalala ay!
Lala-Lala-Lalala ay!
Lala-Lala-Lalala ay!
Price Tag!
Lala-Lala-Lalala ay!
Lala-Lala-Lalala ay!
Lala-Lala-Lalala ay!
Price Tag!

[Chorus:]
It's ain't about the money, money, money
We don't need your money, money, money
We just wanna make the world, world, world, world, world world change,
OooOOoooooOOOOh! Yeah!
Ba-Bling Ba-Bling
Aint abouth the uh. Cha-Ching Cha-Ching
Wanna make the world change,
Forget about the Price
Break it Down.
Money, money, money, uh
Money, money, money
Wanna make the world change
Forget about the Price (yeah)
Aint about the money, money, money
Aint about the mah-money, mah-money, mah-money
We just wanna make the world change
Forget about the Price Tag
Aint about the uh Cha-ching, cha- ching
Aint about the yeah Ba-Bling Ba-Bling
Wanna make the world cha-ange, ch-ange, cha-ange ange
Yeah, yeah, yeaaaaaahh

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Our Children Our Hopes

This is actually an advertisement from Singapore Ministry of Education for teaching career. What I love about this video is that it has a very good story (based on true events) that we all can relate.

I believe that anyone can be a teacher, not necessary academically but a teacher that can guide spiritually and with inspiration. Anyone, I mean as parents, brothers, sisters, friends, relatives, teachers, seniors and adults.

The video showed Edwin, a teenager, living in a family with low income. He has to do odd jobs after school just to help out with the family financial issues. Edwin has to struggle between school and work and as a result effect his school grades. He felt like giving up but luckily, his teacher Mrs Chong came to the rescue. With Mrs Chong care and extra lessons, Edwin is confident to do well in school. However, his confidence soon shattered when he was arrested by police selling pirated videos. He shunned himself from society and continue to work odd jobs for the family. Being a diligent teacher, Mrs Chong did not give up and due to her persistence, Edwin realised that he has to change if he wants a better future.

I truly admire Mrs Chong courage and care towards her students. However, parents should not let this be 100% burden to the teacher. No matter what family background, rich, poor, broken families, single moms or dads, make sure we do not ignore our children, especially teenagers. These youngsters need to be reached out, understand and most importantly to be loved.

Parents are the best teachers for the children. We are the closest to them and when we see problems in their school grades, behaviour and conduct, we should not hesitate to approach and talk to them. Sometimes, listening is also the best good thing to these youngsters. It shows that we care and support them no matter what. They do not need to be reprimanded for their wrong doings but a gentle nudge and advice is great. Also, do not give up on them. Imagine if we loose hope, where can our children get their hopes from? They might end up looking in the wrong direction with the wrong company. Instead, show by example that everybody makes mistakes and there is always room for improvement and BIG dreams.

Parents, we too were children and teenagers once, but our children do not need to be reminded just so to compare now and then. They really hate those sentiments especially when we tend to repeat again and again. However, just take those memories as an example of being in their shoes and understand that being teenagers is a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. Just hang in there and be with them and make sure that we guide and lead them the right track to their dreams.

I end here with my favourite quote of all time. Hope you enjoy the video. To all mothers out there, Happy Mothers Day.

While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.

-Angela Schwindt



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When You Give, You Succeed

From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.
Arthur Ashe

A very powerful act one can do in order to attract success and create an abundant life is to realize and acknowledge “the power of giving”, by way of giving unconditionally.  It is a tremendously intense force magnetizing in you and your life; it will instantaneously take place at the mental, physical and spiritual platform of existence.

The universal laws that are in control over “giving and receiving” are spiritual as well as it is scientific.
Spiritual, that of whatever one will sow so those will he reap.   Scientific, that of Isaac Newton’s motion theory which affirms that for each action there will always be an equal or opposite response or reaction.

Meaning to say, when these laws will be implemented into one’s daily life, one attracts and creates the abundance or success which he/she desires.

Most individuals often associate giving, as about offering money. Although donating in terms of money comprises a great component, always know that the meaning of giving extends beyond money. When one thinks of giving in monetary terms, then one falls to the sentiment of scarcity, with the thought of what he has to give. The very act of sharing challenges directly one’s crooked beliefs and perceptions about inadequacy.

Giving is a power which stems from a very selfless act, that of simply giving from the heart.  Wherein the act is not at all connected to any special occasion, such as Christmas, a birthday or any holiday celebration, rather it is “anytime”, primarily for one reason that is wanting to share what it is that you have, showing your gratitude and showing how you actually care. There must be no other reason behind it. Keep in mind that you do not give because you expect nothing in return.

Giving from your heart signals positive reactions to the universe, ignites your inner powers and sends out positive energy that will be picked up by others; this message that you transmit results in positive reactions that you will also pick up in time.

The response will be very overwhelming, often, as if thousands of helping hands come to offer help and stay with you in times when you need help, even without asking. Things will definitely fall into the proper place, because those that willingly give will get back what they had given a thousand fold.

We believe we are hurt when we don’t receive love. But that is not what hurts us. Our pain comes when we do not give love. We were born to love. You might say that we are divinely created love machines. We function most powerfully when we are giving love. The world has led us to believe that our well being is dependent on other people loving us. But this is kind of upside down thinking that has caused so many of our problems. The truth is our well being is dependent on our giving love. It is not about what comes back; it is about what goes out!

Alan Cohen

This simple act of sharing unconditionally with full understanding and recognition that one has plenty and trust that he/she will continually have sufficient supply of all his needs produces a bond or connection between him and his higher power, universe, spirit, God or whoever one considers his higher supreme authority that is over him.

That connection is called trust in that higher power, which one declares that he, will always have plentiful, more than his needs and more to share with others, mainly because he trusts God.

One will earn the love and respect of the recipients of his act. One is always confident that there will always be someone who will protect and help him because of their gratitude, because humans will always have that need and impulse to give back any act of compassion that one has demonstrated.

Keep in mind though that, this does not imply that you should expect those that you have helped to do something for you in return. Just share and do not worry about the rewards. Give and share primarily because you feel a great source of happiness by doing it. The universe, that superior outside force will bring you back so many blessings at the right time, in its unique way, beyond your understanding.

The very act of sharing and giving will summon joy’s spirit to fill your heart. That feeling of overwhelming joy you experience when you have helped someone, when that someone thanked you, that itself is already true success.

Likewise, giving is a very healthy habit. It can prolong life when one feels that sense of inner accomplishment and peace.

Let fear and selfishness not be your source for giving. Always give from the heart and be aware of the little miracles that will start to arrive instantaneously.

There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.
John Andrew Holmes, Jr.

Giving is truly a part of one’s human nature. That is the reason why when one does it one finds fulfillment and joy, as well as attracting so much blessings that can truly lead to success in all forms.

Related Tools / Resources:
The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
 In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving
On Human Nature: Revised Edition
Even Happier: A Gratitude Journal for Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment


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Earth Hour 2011, Go Beyond The Hour

Earth Hour is a global event organized by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature, also known as World Wildlife Fund) and is held on the last Saturday of March annually, asking households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change. Earth Hour was conceived by WWF and The Sydney Morning Herald in 2007, when 2.2 million residents of Sydney participated by turning off all non-essential lights. Following Sydney's lead, many other cities around the world adopted the event in 2008. You can also visit Earth Hour official site to learn more, http://www.earthhour.org/Homepage.aspx.

Earth Hour 2011 will take place on March 26, 2011 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., at participants' respective local time. To know your respective local time go here.

Earth Hour has called a Worldwide Meetup Day. Switch off your lights for one hour to celebrate Earth Hour. Organise a meet up to share this Earth Hour with your friends and family. It can be large or small, a dinner party with some close friends or a street party for the whole neighbourhood. Together our actions add up.

The participating channels in the Philippines, ABS-CBN will cease transmission during lights out and Cartoon Network and National Geographic Channel Asia will halt transmissions during lights out.


With Earth Hour almost upon us, our thoughts are with the people of Japan during this incredibly challenging and sad time for their country.

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Couple overcomes groom's illness with Skype wedding

Source: By Alex Dobuzinskis, Reuters

LOS ANGELES - A California couple whose wedding plans appeared thwarted when a lung infection landed the groom in the isolation ward of a hospital got married anyway over the weekend, in a ceremony conducted over Skype.

Samuel Kim and Helen Oh, both 27, had friends and family members traveling from as far away as their native Korea and from New York to their planned wedding ceremony in the southern California city of Fullerton on Saturday.

So when Kim began spitting up blood last week, he was initially too nervous to tell his bride for fear of causing her grief, he told Reuters.

When he finally did tell Oh later in the week, the couple improvised a solution by holding the wedding via the
Web video conferencing system.

"Guests said it was inspirational, they really admired my fiance for being able to stand at the altar in the manner that she did, alone and not crying the whole time," Kim told Reuters from his bed at UCI Medical Center in Orange.

"She was able to hold her ground and I was able to hold my ground, not crying or anything," he said.

Oh said the Skype wedding was not the perfect way to have a ceremony, but that guests were happy.

"He said he will make up for it, he promised me he's going to be the best husband in the world," Oh said. "He felt really terrible that he wasn't there."

The Saturday afternoon wedding utilized five live cameramen at the couple's high-tech Korean church capturing the ceremony for guests watching on jumbo screens, and for Kim himself watching on a laptop in the hospital's isolation ward.

Kim's hospital is less than 10 miles from the church, and he said he did not feel distant from the ceremony and the 500 guests there.

The professional-style presentation included split-screen images and an audio crew that gave Kim his cue, before his face was to appear on screen.

Kim's hospital room was decorated with flowers that nurses bought with their own money, he said.

Oh said that she does not credit Web technology alone for making the wedding a success. "I couldn't have done it without God," she said.

Up next for the couple: the honeymoon. Kim surprised Oh with plane tickets to Europe, where they will visit Paris and Prague, after he recovers from his lung infection.

Kim said that he expects to leave the hospital this week.

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Online campaign spurs China kidnap crackdown

 BEIJING (AFP) - – China's government has ordered a renewed crackdown on child abductions after an online effort to reunite parents with their lost children spotlighted the festering problem.
In a notice issued late Thursday, the Public Security Ministry said it ordered police nationwide to step up efforts to "resolutely prevent such crimes from occurring".

Earlier this week, a Chinese microblog account made waves by successfully helping a young father find his six-year-old son, who was kidnapped three years earlier. At least six other children have been similarly rescued, reports said.

The microblog, set up on leading portal Sina.com by a professor known for championing the rights of China's huge underclass, encourages people to snap pictures of child beggars and orphans and upload them to the site.

Chinese microblogging services allow users to send 140-character messages similar to those seen on Twitter, which is blocked in China by government censors.

Unlike Twitter, however, microblog users in China also can embed photos in a posting.

The episode has underlined the rapidly growing power of the online community to influence government actions in areas such as abductions, a problem that state media say is linked to China's "one-child" policy.
The traditional preference for a male heir to carry on the family name remains strong in China, and the population-control policy has contributed to kidnappings by families desperate for boys, reports say.

The police ministry ordered law-enforcement officials around the country to work closely with other government agencies in a "concerted and multi-pronged approach to step up the crackdown and rescue work, and protect the legal rights and interests of minors".

It also told police to obtain DNA samples of young beggars on the street whose origins were unknown and enter them into a nationwide database.

Hopeful parents of missing children have seized on the microblog, which had more than 200,000 followers as of Friday -- up from 150,000 just a day before.

The account was set up in late January by Yu Jianrong, a professor of rural development, and a frequent critic of government indifference to the needs of China's huge poor working class and rural farmers.
Abductions and human trafficking have become serious public concerns after a string of revelations, including a shocking 2007 scandal in which thousands were forced into slave labour in brick yards and mines across the nation.

Mounting outrage led to a government crackdown but the problem persists.

The police ministry order acknowledged the value of public efforts to aid police in the fight, but did not specifically mention the microblog account.

Online campaign spurs China kidnap crackdown - Yahoo! Singapore News

My 2 cents: An inspiring and motivating story. I really praise and admire the community vigilance and hard work in helping the victims’ families. If there is still some love in the world, I believe there is still hope cracking down those kidnappers. Hopefully this story will give inspiration to the family effected to be reunited with their love ones. I pray for these families and hope that they persevere and never to loose hope and faith.

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2011 Countdown - Reinventing A New Self

Ready for 2011 countdown? Check out the following list to spark off your New Year!

Review Your Life, Identify Goals
Now is the time to take charge of your life and chart the progress you desire. Losing weight, going on a long trip or taking up a hobby, these require planning, execution and the determination to see it through. Want to loose weight? Go on a strict diet, enrol in a beauty salon or go to the gym. Whatever it is, act on it today!

Count Your Blessings
Personally, I believe the happiest people are constantly thankful for what they have. There will always be someone who is better or worse off than you. Choose to see the positive, not the negative.

Assume Personal Accountability

You are responsible for yourself. You hold the power to create the life you desire in your hands. Do not blame others when things go wrong.

Banish Time Stealers Out Of Your Life
Be it a mindless television programme, a toxic friend who is bitter about everyone or engaging in meaningless social activities. Better manage your time, weed out the things that do not matter to you.

Practise Random Acts of Kindness
Ever received a random smile? Had someone hold the lift door for you or a gracious fellow commuter letting you alight the train first? Don't wait for others to be kind towards you. Beat them to it and initiate the first kind act.

Do Something Different Each Day
Experiment with new colours, make-up techniques or taking a different route to work; add a little bits of creativity into your life and live life passionately!

Declutter

Who says spring cleaning can only be done once a year? Physically clearing out the things you no longer need allows you to declutter your physical space, life and mind.  Whether at work or at home, hoarding is a serious problem that needs to reined in.

  

Go Green. Reduce, Recycle, Reuse

We are devouring Earth's resources faster than Mother Nature can replenish. Segregate your trash. Donate your old books, old but usable clothes and appliances. Your junk may be someone else's treasure.

Increase Your Wellness Literacy
Acquaint yourself with knowledge towards a healthier you. the Internet has an endless supply of information ranging from household tips, healthy recipes, articles on losing weight and many more with a mere click of the mouse.

Be The Best That You Can Be

The way you present yourself to the world will inadvertently affect how others respond to you. Respect yourself by exercising, eating right, sleeping well and taking care of your appearance. Make full of your own qualities and live up to your full potential!

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Getting Older Doesn't Have To Mean Feeling Old!

How you age depends on hereditary factors, life experiences and lifestyle choice. You cannot change heredity but by making certain lifestyle choices you can soften the effects of life experiences. How rapidly you age is under more control than you may realise.

The earlier you adopt a healthy lifestyle the greater the chance that by the time you get to your 50's, you will feel no different from how you felt in your 20's and 30's. If, however, you are already over 50, it is not too late to start. A healthy diet and a programme of regular exercise will make a younger person of you.

One good example is Valerie Ramsey,  a 70 year old runway model. She talks about her book, "Gracefully", and looking great at any age! Learn more about Valerie Ramsey in the following video.

Related Tools / Resources:

Gracefully: Looking and Being Your Best at Any Age
Raquel: Beyond the Cleavage

Brazilian Sexy: Secrets to Living a Gorgeous and Confident Life

Aging Gracefully with Dignity, Integrity & Spunk Intact: Aging Defiantly: Including Ten Tips to Keep People Off Your Back
The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully

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How To Practice Positive Thinking

What were your thoughts for the past few hours? Would you label them as positive, or negative?

Although people around you will not be able to tell exactly what you think, they will more or less have an idea of how you are feeling.

Thoughts are very powerful. They affect your general attitude. The attitude you carry reflects on your appearance, unless of course, you are a great actor. Your attitude can also affect people around you.

The type of attitude you carry depends on you. It can be either positive or negative.

Positive thoughts have a filling effect. They are admittedly invigorating. Plus, the people around the person carrying positive thoughts are usually energized by this type of attitude.

Negative thoughts on the other hand have a sapping effect on other people. Aside from making you look gloomy and sad, negative thoughts can turn a festive gathering into a funeral wake.

A positive attitude attracts people, while a negative attitude repels them. People tend to shy away from those who carry a negative attitude.

We can also define attitude as the way of looking at the world. If you choose to focus on the negative things in the world, more or less you have a negative attitude brewing up. However, if you choose to focus on the positive things, you are more likely carry a positive attitude.

You have much to gain from a very positive attitude. For one, studies have shown that a positive attitude promotes better health. Those with this kind of attitude also have more friends. projecting a positive attitude also helps one to handle stress and problems better than those who have a negative attitude.

A positive attitude begins with a healthy self-image. If you will love the way you are and are satisfied, confident, and self-assured, you also make others around you feel the same way.

A negative attitude, on the other hand, has, of course, an opposite effect. So, carrying a negative attitude has a twofold drawback. You feel bad about yourself, and you make others feel the same way.

If you want to have a positive attitude, you have to feature healthy thoughts. This is probably very hard to do nowadays since, all around us, the media feeds us nothing but negative thoughts. A study shows that for every 14 things a parent says to his or her child, only one is positive. This is truly a saddening thought.

If you want a healthier outlook in life, you need to think happy thoughts, and you have to hear positive things as well. So, what can you do? Well, for starters, you could see a funny movie, you could play with children, spend some time telling jokes with friends. All these activities fill you with positive stimuli, which in turn promotes positive attitude.

Although it is impossible to keep ourselves from the negative things around us, you can still carry a positive attitude by focusing on the good things, the positive things in life.

And this positive attitude you now carry can be of benefit to other people. Sometimes when other people feel down, the thing people mostly do is try to give them advice. But sometimes, all they need is somebody to sit by them, and listen to them. If you have a positive attitude you may be able to cheer them up without even having to say anything.

If positive attitude is really great, why do people choose to adopt a negative attitude instead? One who carries a negative attitude may be actually sending a signal for attention. Before you get me wrong, feeling sad, angry, or gloomy is not wrong itself. But dwelling on these thoughts for far too long is not healthy either. There is a time to mourn.

As always, if you are beset by troubles, even in your darkest hour, focus on the good things in life, you will always have hope. Problems become something you can overcome.

You do not have much to lose by adopting a healthy, positive attitude. Studies show that such an attitude actually retards aging, makes you healthier, helps you develop a better stress coping mechanism, and has a very positive effect on all the people you meet every day.

So, what's not to like about a positive attitude? Adopt one today.

A few simple attitude adjustments can make you happier and healthier. Here's how to harness the power of positivity with the following  How To Practice Positive Thinking video .

How To Practice Positive Thinking on Howcast

Related Tools / Resourses:

The Power of Positive Thinking

Beyond Positive Thinking: A No-Nonsense Formula for Getting the Results You Want

Learn How To Think Positively 

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive: 101 Inspirational Stories about Counting Your Blessings and Having a Positive Attitude

No More Stinking Thinking: A Workbook for Teaching Children Positive Thinking

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Happy as You Want to Be

Almost everyone have heard the hit single 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' by Bobby McFerrin. The song has a very catchy way of conveying its message of being happy to everyone. Bobby Mcferiin's simple message surely made a lot of people feel good by telling them not to worry.

Living a happy, resilient and optimistic life is wonderful, and is also good for your health. Being happy actually protects you from the stresses of life. Stress is linked to top causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.

One of the better things ever said is - 'The only thing in life that will always remain the same is change', and in our life we have the power to make the necessary changes if we want to. Even if we find ourselves in an unbearable situation we can always find solace in the knowledge that it too would change.

Social networks or relationships are essential to happiness. People are different, accept people for who or what they are, avoid clashes, constant arguments, and let go of all kinds of resentments. If arguments seem unavoidable, try and make an effort to understand the situation and you might just get along well with people.

Happiness is actually found in everyone, increasing it is a way to make a life more wonderful and also more healthy.

To be happy is relatively easy, just decide to be a happy person. Abraham Lincoln observed that most people for most of the time can choose how happy or stressed, how relaxed or troubled, how bright or dull their outlook to be. The choice is simple really, choose to be happy.

There are several ways by which you can do this.

Being grateful is a great attitude. We have so much to be thankful for. Thank the taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank the cook for a wonderful dinner and thank the guy who cleans your windows. Also thank the mailman for bringing you your mails, thank the policeman for making your place safe and thank God for being alive.

News is stressful. Get less of it. Some people just can't start their day without their daily dose of news. Try and think about it, 99% of the news we hear or read is bad news. Starting the day with bad news does not seem to be a sensible thing to do.

A religious connection is also recommended. Being part of a religious group with its singing, sacraments, chanting, prayers and meditations foster inner peace.

Manage your time. Time is invaluable and too important to waste. Time management can be viewed as a list of rules that involves scheduling, setting goals, planning, creating lists of things to do and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the results you desire.

Laugh and laugh heartily everyday. Heard a good joke? Tell your friends or family about it. As they also say -'Laughter is the best medicine'.

Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to people around you. They will most likely reciprocate your actions. Try not to keep pent up anger of frustrations, this is bad for your health. Instead find ways of expressing them in a way that will not cause more injury or hurt to anyone.

Working hard brings tremendous personal satisfaction. It gives a feeling of being competent in finishing our tasks. Accomplishments are necessary for all of us, they give us a sense of value. Work on things that you feel worthy of your time.

Learning is a joyful exercise. Try and learn something new everyday. Learning also makes us expand and broaden our horizons. And could also give us more opportunities in the future.

Run, jog, walk and do other things that your body was made for. Feel alive.

Avoid exposure to negative elements like loud noises, toxins and hazardous places.

These are the few simple things you can do everyday to be happy.

And always remember the quote from Abraham Lincoln, he says that, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

I am not going to tell you money can't buy you happiness. But you can be just as happy with a lot less than you have now. Really. Watch the following How To Be Happy With Less video.

How To Be Happy With Less on Howcast

Related Tools / Resourses:

Be Happy Without Being Perfect: How to Worry Less and Enjoy Life More
How to Be Happy, Dammit: A Cynic's Guide to Spiritual Happiness
Learning to Love Yourself: Finding Your Self-Worth
Feel Good Thoughts
Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out

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