Three Inspirations for Happiness
 by: David Leonhardt

The following three inspirations were adapted from A Daily Dose of Happiness, and they represent three key ways to increase our happiness.

1. FORGIVING FOR HAPPINESS

We like to think we are better than our friends below us in the food chain, such as the octopus and the snail. After all, we have love. We feel happiness. We have empathy. We have a conscience. We can reason.

We can also hold onto grudges.

Grudges are, in fact, prickly little creatures that worm their way into our hearts. Holding onto them is a self-defeating exercise.

Fortunately, forgiveness is also uniquely human. Forgiveness cleanses the spirit. Forgiveness let's us get on with enjoying our lives instead of being preoccupied with someone else's. Forgiveness opens the door to happiness.

2. SUPPORTING FOR HAPPINESS

When things seem to be very bleak, it does not take much to lift someone's spirits. Sometimes all it takes is to let somebody know they are not alone.

That is why it is so important to smile at people, especially if they look down. And if you know what is weighing the person down, let them know they are not alone. Don't go burdening them with all your miseries, but let them know you have been there.

Guess what? You will feel happiness for having helped them, too.

3. ACCEPTING FOR HAPPINESS

There is no such thing as happiness if you are not at peace with yourself. Too many people just don't know how to make peace with themselves.

Peace begins with acceptance. Whether we agree with everything we do (like the environmentalist who sometimes throws out a recyclable container), it is important to accept what we do.

Do we always make the best choices? No. But they are the choices we make.

Do we always treat people with the most respect? No. But it is how we treat people.

Can we improve? Yes, and we should. But that is a project for the future. First we must accept who we are now, rather than condemning ourselves. Then we can move to improve the person we will be tomorrow. Both acceptance today and improvements tomorrow will increase our happiness.

About The Author

This inspiration first appeared in A Daily Dose of Happiness: http://thehappyguy.com/daily-happiness-free-ezine.html Get the best Daily Doses in a free ebook: http://www.thehappyguy.com/l/daily-motivation-inspiration.php , or visit David Leonhardt's home page on happiness: http://www.thehappyguy.com.
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Unguided Men
 by: Tushar Jain

Humanity - the sole endeavor of sanctity in every man, the moribund symphony serenading in all perceptions, the extinct deference suggestive of life—humanity. Something already sold to that trait of the individual defined as war.

War is never introduced but is in the presence of man as in birth, it is left to man to either seek its vice or pertain himself to the fountainhead of life – humanity. Self is the greatest, yet the most malicious proposition of existence introduced to man. We are men - of flesh, blood and avarice. The flesh is of self, the blood is for self and the voracious avarice is self. And just to promote this very self – the audacious euthanasia steps forth onto the threshold of existence.

We are mortals, mortals to whom the commandments of life are to tread only on those roads that commence and conclude in us. We encroach the realms of life and intervene the capricious horizons with prospects that are concerned only for the likes of the me and the I. In us lies the yearning that teaches the ever-dubious laws of life - To live for self, to cheat for self, to slaughter for self and self-alone. Fidelity to ourselves, deference for our existence and a narcissist approach to life is the only erudition, we actually do attain. We lead ourselves by the hand in a world of darkness following a path paved not for any man to trudge upon and claiming all that which wasn’t destined to us because in a world where men seek the visions of greatness they stand blinded to the paths taken to immortality.

We want to rule this human because for us this human is senile, meager and impotent. We want to slay the living because we believe that the human is a race that runs the world but in itself is even dubious of its own existence. Our adamant urge to never be one of the many, our defiance of all truths of veracity and our ideals to annihilate the existent verity made us what we are today – men.

But what about the man? Not men. But the man. The destitute man with his insipid life, monotonous definitions of every concept ideal to living and the man to whom dawn is as impertinent as dusk. What about him? He will writhe, suffer and die. For where only the profound, the sublime, the infallible, the potent – the men survive the magnitude of the man is and shall ever be just demise.

We lie ensnared in this division of the humanitarian and the capitalist side of the human soul, where one end is engrossed in the emancipation of existence, the other prepares the elixir to cure the plague that runs the world — human. They say the end is approaching, cloaked, disguised, incognito, yet encroaching, this might sound incredibly sickening but I believe that this is not the end, only the beginning of a beginning.

About The Author

I'm a desperate author sincerely trying hard to get puiblished and i really hope that if i'm found worthy of it, i will be provided an oppurtunity.

Seven Steps To Change Your Life
 by: Kimberly Fulcher

The quality of your life is directly related to your standards.  A standard is a personal rule or expectation about the level of excellence you require in something, and when you raise your standards you change your life.

In my work as a professional coach, I've found that most people haven't taken time to define their standards.  Invariably, they've inherited rules from others, leading them to live their lives using someone else's game plan!  If you'd like to improve the quality of your life, consider increasing your standards.

Your Model of InteractionYour Model of Interaction dictates how you engage with people, and is related to who you believe you are.  If you identify yourself an impatient person, you'll treat others with impatience.  If you identify yourself as kind, you'll interact with others in a kind manner.

The law of reciprocity dictates that you will receive what you put out into the world.  If you find yourself on the receiving end of uncooperative, negative behavior, it might be time to take a look in the mirror.  If you already treat the people in your life with warmth and kindness, then you're ahead of the game.  Take a moment to define standards for how you'll interact with others.

Your Ability to Keep Your WordYour personal integrity is related to your ability to do what you say you'll do.   When you make a commitment, then you fail to follow through, you diminish your credibility and undermine your self confidence.  When you follow through on your commitments, your credibility and self esteem increases.

The level of faith you have in your own ability to follow through on commitments will directly impact the quality of your life.  You'll be much more prepared to take risks when you have a high level of belief in yourself, and your willingness to risk is integral to your ability to tap into your potential.

Before you commit to something, make sure it fits within the framework of your life.  If it doesn't, don't commit.  If you commit, follow through.  Set yourself up to win, and believe in your ability to keep your word.

The White Space in Your LifeWhite space is an open playing field.  It's uncommitted time.  When you define standards to govern how you'll spend your time, the quality of your life increases exponentially.  When you include a requirement to schedule uncommitted time, your stress level will decrease exponentially.  This supports you in embracing your responsibilities, rather than resenting them.  Spend a few moments defining a standard to create white space in your life.

Your Physical Health and VitalityDo you like the way that you look and feel?  Realize that whatever you might be dissatisfied with is the result of the behavioral standard you've set for yourself.

If you want to change your appearance or energy level, it's imperative to define standards of behavior that support your aspirations.  Set some standards that guide how you'll care for yourself!  Your Financial Position Your financial reality is directly related to your financial standards.  Wealthy people have a different set of behavioral standards than people who struggle financially.  What financial realities do you find acceptable?  Do you think it's okay to have credit card debt?  Do you require yourself to save?  Have you established spending norms, or a process to use when making buying decisions?  Take a few moments to define your financial standards.

Your AttitudeYour attitude is your disposition or frame of mind.  It's how you see the world.  In order to create the reality of your dreams, you must believe your dreams are possible.  How are you going to approach your life?  Will you allow yourself to honestly assess your reality?  Will you believe you can impact your life?  Will you require yourself to make the improvements required to develop the life of your dreams?  Set those standards now.

Your CommunityNothing will sabotage your efforts to live a quality life more conclusively than surrounding yourself with people who don't support your standards.  The most difficult course you'll navigate as you make life improvements will be terminating relationships with people who aren't equipped to grow with you, and reassuring those who are.

Your relationships have the capacity to tear you down or lift you up.  Surrounding yourself with people who share similar standards is an incredibly powerful way to create a lifestyle that pulls you toward your highest potential.  Surrounding yourself with people who don't support your standards will almost surely degenerate the quality of your life.

Take a moment to consider the key people in your life.  Do they conduct themselves in ways you respect?  Do they support you and celebrate your successes?  These are the people you should treasure and invest in.

If they don't, you may want to reconsider sharing your life with them.

What standard will you hold for the people in your life?

Your standards act as the framework for your life.  Increase your standards, improve your life!

Interested in reading more, or in finding out about our programs and services?  Join our FREE newsletter community at www.compasslifedesigns.com.

This material is excerpted from "Life Fitness - Nine Steps to a Balanced

Life", written by Kimberly Fulcher.  Copyright 2003.  All rights reserved.

About The Author

Kimberly Fulcher is a professional coach, author and speaker, with twelve years of experience in human development. Her professional experience includes the co-founding and $ 38 million dollar sale of SkillsVillage.com, and her leadership of a leading Silicon Valley consulting firm, where she grew revenues from $3M to $25M in four short years. Kimberly sits on the board of directors for The Silicon Valley Coach Federation, and actively supports non-profit organizations that benefit underprivileged women and primary education initiatives. Kimberly offers group and individual coaching programs, speaks throughout The United States, and will publish her first book “Life Fitness – Nine Steps to a Balanced Life” in 2004.
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Simplifying Simple
 by: Eliza Bloom

I have a 440-page guide on how to simplify my life, but I haven't found the time to read it.

Like you perhaps, my once-quiet world now clatters with the joy of a large family. Amid the din, I've had to simplify my quest for the simple.

The advent of a simpler life can be launched with a concept so simple it takes only a few words, yet its implications and manifestations have given birth to entire institutions and provided intellectual fodder for philosophers for centuries.

Still, it is better, more accessible, easier to implement - at least for me - if I can keep the message simple.

Too much interpretation waters down the message. Too much debate strips it of its power. Too much explanation distracts us from its essence, and gives us an excuse to avoid getting down to the business of doing it, of living it. And to live it is to change our lives in sweeping, everyday ways.

It is this: Live in love. Whatever contributes to the love in the world, do it.

I suppose I've taken the risk of sounding airy-fairy and hippie-dippie. But just for a moment, allow yourself to recognize that love is the only gift you will always have in abundance.

Recognize how different you feel when you extend it to others. Recognize how its unrestricted sharing infuses you with new energy in your own everyday life. And allow yourself to see how such recognition could change your life. If, just for today, you made it your simple goal to wholeheartedly extend yourself in love and kindness. To love lavishly. Haphazardly. To smear it all over the place.

Once as a junior in college, I found myself in a bar with a group of graduate students. I was the only underclassman in the bunch and they were debating ethics, lobbing names of dead philosophers like bocce balls with not a small dose of intellectual pride.

I was quiet, soaking in all of the ideas and insights, when someone who had too much to drink asked the underclassman what she thought. "Whatever contributes to the love in the world, do that," I said.

Silence followed as they waited for me to expand, to elaborate, to offer proof. "That's pretty much it." I said.

It's not new advice, but it's certainly simple. For me, simplifying your life is not to add another "should." It's simply to recognize that your degree of happiness equals your degree of compassion.

If someone curses you, hold her in your mind and bless her. If you feel like cursing someone, bless her, too. Recognize that the feeling of overwhelming compassion is available to you any time you wish to call upon it.

Leading the simple life is to witness how extending love brings you joy in a fundamental down-to-the-marrow sense. A joy you can feel in your belly. And then to surrender the rest. To surrender anything that takes way from that - whether it's an activity, a possession, a relationship, a feeling, or a simple thought.

Ghandi said, "Renounce and rejoice." It doesn't get much simpler than that.

About The Author

Eliza Bloom's new book, The Bloom Method, is now online, and you can read it--in its entirety--for free: http://www.momscape.com/elizabloom/thebloommethod. Eliza also invites you to join her private mailing list, where you'll receive an uplifting message each week. To join, visit http://www.momscape.com/subscribe.htm

A Bad Hairdresser Day
 by: David Leonhardt

"Hey everybody!" Hairdresser Lady called out. "It's The Happy Guy."

"Don't try buttering me up, Hairdresser Lady," I warned. "It's not going to work."

"What's not going to work?" she demanded.

"You can't cover up your gross incompetence with a 'Hey everybody' cheer."

"Gross incompetence?"

"That's right. Just look at my head. Go ahead, take a real close look."

"Why, it's a family of sparrows. What a lovely nest," she grinned.

"No, over here."

"My, my. If it isn't a bald spot," she giggled. "Should I give it a shine?"

"That's just what I mean, Hairdresser Lady. Ever since I've been coming to you this past couple years, I've been losing hair. What have you been doing to it?"

"Er, nothing. Just a little growth formula."

"Growth?!? My hair isn't growing. It's falling out."

"The growth formula is not for your hair, silly. It's for your scalp," Hairdresser Lady responded.

"Growth formula for my scalp?"

"To make you look taller," Hairdresser Lady explained. "You do look kind of short, you know."

"How will growth formula on my scalp make me look taller?"

"Just look in the mirror. Already your head is starting to stick up out of your hair," Hairdresser Lady pointed out. "You look taller already."

She was right. I did look taller. "That stuff really works?"

"It works wonders on my petunias," Hairdresser Lady asserted.

Saaaaay, wait a minute. That's not a growing scalp. That's a receding hairline! "I don't believe it. You are NOT putting growth formula on my scalp. I am just losing my hair."

By this time, Hairdresser Lady was rolling on the floor with laughter. And I still had no idea what she was doing to make my hair fall out.

"I'll bet this is a secret trick to reduce your workload. The more hair falls out, the less you have to cut."

"Less hair to cut, but more face to wash," she chirped as she dunked my head under water. Deep under water. "Actually, you don't look too bad. Your hair is just getting thin here and there, and you have a lot more vacant real estate above your eyes. But most of your hair is clinging on...for now."

It was that last "for now" that sent shivers down my spine. Already I could see how much hair I had lost since she became my hairdresser. What diabolical anti-hair plot could she be preparing to unleash upon my head? I feared all my questions would soon be answered when she brought a new tray to the counter in front of me.

"What's all that stuff? I demanded.

"These are your new hairdressing supplies: tar, a very large black brush, and a cheese grater," she smiled as she opened the tar lid.

"What's in that?" I was panicking.

"Don't worry," Hairdresser Lady whispered. "Nobody will know that it's not really...hair."

I lunged toward the exit. As the door swung closed behind me, I heard her call out, "Don't you even want to know what the cheese grater is for?"

Looking back, the whole situation seems ludicrous. My hair was not falling out because of Hairdresser Lady. It was falling out because of middle age. After all, they didn't have hairdressers in the Middle Ages.

Yesterday, my wife asked me when I last got my hair cut. I told her it had been a while. "Why do you ask?"

"Because," she puzzled. "Your hair seems to be growing quite long."

I think I shocked her when I began jumping up and down, shouting, "Yes. It works. Yes. Yes. Yes. No more hairdressers! No miracle petunias! No growing scalps!"

Still, every now and then, I wonder -- just what was the cheese grater for.

About The Author

The author is David Leonhardt. Sign up for his weekly satire column up at http://www.TheHappyGuy.com/positive-thinking-free-ezine.html or read more columns at http://www.TheHappyGuy.com/self-actualization-articles.html. Or join in the happiness at http://www.thehappyguy.com.
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Constructive Tips About Retrenchment
 by: Colin Ong TS

This article provides constructive tips about facing retrenchment and moving on with new career opportunities.

1) Don’t take it personally.

Your retrenchment should not lower your self-esteem. You have to pick up your confidence as your family needs your financial contribution. A job does not define the true worth of a person.

2) Find out more about the industry.

Do some research and learn about new developments within the industry of your competencies.

3) Improve your skills.

After researching, you should find out more the available courses to upgrade yourself. It is never to late to improve.

4) Pick up new skills.

If you want to switch to a different industry, you can use the retrenchment exercise as an opportunity to make the switch.

5) Taking a part-time job.

In the midst of searching for a full-time job, you can take on a part-time job. It will help in your current cash-flow.

6) Manage your finances.

The time-lag to your new job may pose a strain for your expenses. Get your family together and have an open communication about the situation. It is advisable to plan a family budget and eliminate non-essential items.

7) Call up your friends.

Your friends may provide fresh information about new job openings.

Join online communities.

There are a number of HR online communities that advertise job-openings.

9) Exercise regularly.

Job-seeking in this current climate needs a lot of stamina. Don’t neglect regular exercise and healthy eating.

10) Volunteer.

Helping other people who may be more needy than yourself will help you put things in perspective and dispel constant self-pitying. You will be more confident when you approach the job-market.

11) Improve your communication skills.

Use your spare time to improve your communication skills. This will help in your next job interview.

About The Author

Colin Ong TS is the Managing Director of MR=MC Consulting ( http://www.mrmc.com.sg ) and the Founder of the 12n Professional Networking Community ( http://www.mrmc.com.sg/12n )
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Resolutions? Try this!
 by: Miami Phillips

Several articles and newsletters with the message that New Year’s resolutions are a worthless exercise and a poorly disguised setup for failure have passed across my desk this last week, and the year before, and the year before that.

I do not believe in failure! There is always something good to be found in any learning experience. Besides, if we always succeeded at everything we did, we would not know we succeeded because there would be nothing to measure success against! Certainly, the normal statements along the lines of losing weight, quitting smoking, etc. are normally an invitation to be unsuccessful. The reason being that if you could not find the power before to achieve this, what would be different about now?

However, here are some ideas for you to consider that could possibly have a huge impact on your life this coming year.

1. Define your Self. Who are you? What do you stand for? What are the values that make you whole? Begin this task immediately and put it in writing. Refer to it often. Refine it continually as you discover things about your Self you did not know. Start with the following premise, which many of us have. You are not your work, your family or anything else external. You are internal. You are you.

2. What is your dream for the future? This is your intent. If it remains undefined and unrecognized, it will most likely never be created into reality. The reason for this is that you have to create your own reality. If you do not begin with this first step of intent to create, nothing can happen. Everything that ever is, was first a thought; then spoken, then acted upon. Of course this concept is much easier said than done. May I suggest that you not concern yourself with the HOW and only concern yourself with the intent? The HOW is not really in your power at this time. You need help with that.

3. Live your life as if each minute were your last. This has been said so many times that we normally brush the thought aside. Why do we do this? It is a crucial part of happiness and joy. We have a tremendous power within us to change our world. I believe strongly that we create our own world by making each choice that is offered to us every second of the day. That is the ONLY power we have; but it is an incredible power! When we decide to consciously choose to make each and every decision, then we are creating our world on a minute-by-minute basis. Making our choices becomes easier! Simply follow the guidelines as you defined who you are in step 1!

4. Let it go. We have no power over the future! You can worry, fret, get ulcers, scream, shout, and go down kicking, but you will not alter the future one bit and more importantly, while you are making that fuss about the future, you might miss making a couple of crucial, conscious choices in the here and now that allow you to create your future!

As always,

Your online Coach and Friend,

Miami Phillips www.creativemasterminds.com
I help you find your path and stay on it.
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Quotation of the Week

Life is just a mirror, and what you see out there, you must first see inside of you.

Wally 'Famous' Amos (1936 - )

Free teleclass! Join me January 11 and January 18, the next two Sunday evenings, at 9pm eastern on a telephone teleclass as we talk about the steps in this article and how you can implement them. To get the bridge number, send an email to [email protected]. See you there!

About The Author

Miami Phillips is an ANSIR Certified Personal Coach and the founder of Creative MasterMinds who believes personal growth is an essential ingredient to being happy and contributing to this world. While his main focus is affordable personal and business coaching, he also offers motivational teleclasses, ebooks, reading recommendations and much more. To find out more visit his site at http://www.creativemasterminds.com or send him an email at [email protected]

Conspiracy of Silence
 by: Wayne and Tamara

Direct Answers - Column for the week of January 12, 2004

I'm hoping you can help me with a moral problem that crops up every now and then in my personal and professional life. Sometimes I find myself being blamed for an error or lack of judgment that actually occurred on someone else's part. For example, I asked someone at work about using a certain location for a display, was given the go-ahead, then chastised for using that location.

When the only way I can defend myself involves pointing the finger at someone else, I'm in a real quandary. I am rarely prepared to defend myself if it means making someone else look bad. I handle the problem by saying nothing. I simply don't know what to say.

There is usually ample opportunity for the person responsible to come forward, but I find that hardly ever happens. How can I handle this type of problem without taking the low road of attacking others? What is the moral or ethical thing to do?

Karla

Karla, each of us has principles of behavior rattling around in our head. These principles range from the Golden Rule to Miss Manners' etiquette to the Boy Scout Creed. Often we are not sure which principle to apply.

The principle you are applying here is the playground and schoolyard rule which says one shouldn't snitch to a parent or teacher. It is not an ethical rule so much as a rule children employ in play. A much more basic rule applies. That is the rule which says, in simple justice, each of us deserves to be known for the person we are.

Your lack of explanations makes you look guilty. Coming forward and explaining why you acted as you did should not be a moral or ethical problem for you. It is simply a matter of fact. If you acted because Sheila told you to do it that way, or the employee handbook says to do it that way, or you have always done it that way and no one told you otherwise, you are simply reporting a fact.

You should look at this as an impersonal matter, much as if you are reporting the time or the weather. When you report facts in these situations, there are three rules to remember. The three rules are: don't apologize, don't apologize, and don't apologize. An apology is due when you have done something wrong; no apology is called for when stating the reality of a situation.

Karla, you don't have an ethical problem here, but the people who know the truth and remain silent do.

Wayne

Missing Holiday Spirit

This Christmas I went to a lot of trouble to find special gifts for my grandchildren. I have some health challenges, and it was a stretch physically to shop for these gifts. Since I was in their neighborhood the week before Christmas, I left my presents under the tree ahead of time.

They expected me Christmas morning, and I called ahead to say I was on my way. When I arrived carrying two grocery bags with food, my grandson met me at the door saying he really liked the books. I couldn't believe my ears. They had opened my gifts without me!

I told my daughter I was disappointed, and she said she was "sorry" I hadn't left "instructions." Her husband told me they have a rule in their house: no whining. What should I do? Skip Christmas for them? Forgive and forget? Move?

Clara

Clara, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it still make a sound? If a child receives a gift and you are not there, is he still filled with joy?

Don't skip Christmas with your family. Next year take the gifts with you on Christmas morning, and be grateful for a son-in-law with such a wise rule for his household.

Tamara

About The Author

Authors and columnists Wayne and Tamara Mitchell can be reached at www.WayneAndTamara.com.

Send letters to: Direct Answers, PO Box 964, Springfield, MO 65801 or email: [email protected].

The S.W.P.D. Recipe for Success
 by: Steve Brunkhorst

A wonderful quote by author and scholar William A. Ward relates a time-tested recipe for success. Think of it as the S.W.P.D. success recipe. This simple and powerful formula has brought success to many men and women who have put it to use. S.W.P.D stands for studying, working, preparing, and dreaming.

"Recipe for success: Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing." – William A. Ward

Move Beyond Limitations and See the Outcome

We each define success differently. We also have different limitations. Yet limitations need not stop us from living our purpose and achieving our objectives.

We will be guided by powerful helping hands when we commit ourselves to success, and follow it's laws. Success begins by requiring that we keep our minds focused on our desired outcome, not our limitations.

Mr. Ward also said, "If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it."

The success we envision can seem far away. The preparations necessary may take time and effort. There may be temptations to quit with the finish line years in the distance. Mentally zoom in and look at it! Experience your future success internally today.

Take Small Steps for Big Results

Instead of trying to leap from the starting line to the finish line, we can begin by taking one small step - doing what we are capable of doing - today. Success results from small disciplined actions repeated each day. Small purposeful steps will eventually get us to the finish line.

Prepare and Move Forward to Succeed

Some skip planning and preparation, want the work done for them, and want the payoff; they will never succeed. We need to take a stand for what we want, commit to it, and then start building our own doors to knock on. Commitment holds power, and moves us to take the actions necessary to reach our goals and objectives.

Keep Learning and Get Fired Up

Success does not exist inside books. Yet books are valuable in that they catalyze the abilities already inside us. Books wake us up, and provide necessary inspiration, motivation, and education. They nourish and fire up our potential. Then it is up to us to put that knowledge into action, and develop discipline and skills. Good books work... if we work.

Success is Within You

The Creator placed the seeds of success in the exact place they would be needed; they live inside of us, waiting to germinate, grow, and blossom. When we stay focused on our objectives, and follow time-tested recipes for success, those seeds will grow to bring rewarding accomplishments in the years to come.

Begin dreaming, studying, planning, and working for what you want today. Your gifts will make room for the achievements of your dreams. Your success will bring value and joy to you and all those you serve!

About The Author

(C) Copyright 2004 by Steve Brunkhorst. Steve is a life success coach, and the creator of Achieve! 60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration, a popular mini-zine bringing great stories, motivational nuggets, and inspiring thoughts to achievers the world over. Subscribe today, and find many great achievement resources by visiting Steve’s site at http://www.AchieveEzine.com

Top Ten Ways to Achieve Your Goals
 by: Norma Reid

1) Write them down! Statistics show people who write down their goals have over an 80% higher success rate of achieving them. Start a Goals journal. Make sure they are SMART goals- specific, measurable, achievable, results-oriented and time-limited.

2) Create a plan made of small doable steps to get you where you want to be, with timelines. Review your plan monthly.

3) Write down your compelling reason for wanting the goal. Write it with passion, with feeling, with energy.

4) Create 3 to 5 believable positive power statements that will keep you on track. Make them juicy enough to excite you and keep you motivated. Use the present tense.

5) Visualize what it is like having achieved your goal. Visualize you are living it- taste it, feel it, smell it, see it, revel in it.

6) Start a daily routine. Each morning review your goals, your compelling reasons and say aloud your powerful positive statements. Visualize your goal already obtained. Write out one step you can take today to achieve your goal. Then do it! No excuses- make your goal a priority! Repeat your power statements throughout the day.

7) Replace negative self-talk/beliefs with life-enhancing ones. Know that you are the creator of your thoughts and beliefs, and choose ones that are life-enhancing rather than limiting.

Journal daily- your thoughts, emotions, barriers, possible solutions/alternatives, daily successes, your gratitudes.

9) Enlist support to keep you accountable! Find a buddy, join a group, hire a coach. Make sure your buddy is in tune with your goal, and will support you in a positive way.

10) Celebrate your successes! Set up small milestones in your journey, and when you reach them, celebrate! And at the end, celebrate some more!

About The Author

Norma Reid is a Certified Executive Coach and the owner of From Dreams to Reality Success Coaching. She is passionate about empowering others to make their rofessional and personal dreams a reality. For more info: http://www.fromdreamstoreality.ca or email her at [email protected]

Going Seamless: Dissolving the Brain Divide
 by: Maya Talisman Frost

Are you a right-brainer or a left-brainer?

The greatest thinkers are at a loss when it comes to answering that question.

Just as we admire athletes who are able to hit a tennis ball or throw a javelin with either arm, we should emulate thinkers who engage fully in all kinds of activities without regard to whether or not it suits their specified brain orientation.

Labeling yourself as a certain kind of thinker is extremely limiting. Once we've established an idea about our preferences, we tend to veer in that direction every chance we get. We strengthen the image of ourselves as creative or analytical by repeatedly choosing activities that reinforce our concept of who we are. We forget about our infinite possibilities.

Perhaps you've had this very common dream: You're roaming around your house and suddenly discover a whole room you never knew existed. The thrill of learning about this brand new space to explore, decorate, and enjoy is palpable--especially if you live in a smallish house with four teenagers, as I do! It's disappointing to wake up and realize we don't really have that extra room. We become resigned to staying within the known walls of our home.

We experience something similar when it comes to the "rooms" in our mind. We close off the math, computer, science, investing and research rooms. We seal the doorways to the painting, drawing, poetry, design and music rooms. We lock up entire wings, believing that we can't really "go there", and before we know it, we forget the spaces were there at all.

We all know people who amaze us with their seemingly disparate skills--an accountant who paints beautiful landscapes, a chemical engineer who writes daring poetry, a surgeon with a passion for songwriting. We find it surprising only because we've put people in boxes based on their work. It's tempting to label ourselves and others according to our jobs, but one facet of our lives can never tell the whole story.

Be glad. Be very glad.

We love to see people making dramatic career changes in order to explore a newly discovered talent. It helps us believe that we have the potential to do something that will astound us.

Well, believe it. You are the one locking yourself into that mental image of yourself as a left-brain or right-brain person. The rest of us believe in your limitless talents, so why don't you?

My hero, Leonardo Da Vinci, was fortunate that nobody pegged him early on as an accountant (he planned to become one, but alas, as an illegitimate child, he was not considered suitable for that career). It's lucky for all of us that he ended up dabbling--in art, engineering, music, geology, and everything else he encountered. He was free to dive into many subjects because he never labeled himself as a certain type.

Keep in mind that thoughts become things. Whatever you tell yourself you can't do, you won't be able to do--either because you have convinced yourself you have no skill or because you never give yourself the opportunity to try. You’ve put deadbolts on your own doors!

Go seamless. Erase that line between left and right. Visualize wholeness and all that it implies. Stop with the labels, and start with the lessons, the rekindled interests, the tentative new directions.

Explore those rooms in your mind, and you'll be on your way to becoming the fully integrated human you were born to be.

Now if only I could find that extra room in my house.

About The Author

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 70 countries around the world. She serves up a satisfying blend of clarity, comfort and comic relief in her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage. To subscribe, visit http://www.massageyourmind.com.
[email protected]

Five Surprisingly Hip Politicial Ideas From Plato
 by: Maya Talisman Frost

Don't you love politics?

Me, neither. But I do like thinking about politics. And wouldn't you know it? Just when you think you've come up with a dazzling opinion, you find out someone else had that same idea hundreds of years ago. So much for being original.

Still, it's delightful to discover that you share opinions with great thinkers.

Political pundits have a fabulous time skewering politicians and demanding accountability. Talking heads analyze failing policies and discuss alternatives in every form of the media.

Me? I take it all in, and then I go back to my man, Plato. It's surprising how little has changed in politics. You'd think there would be a little more enlightenment in our leadership after more than 2000 years.

Plato made some observations regarding politics that are amazingly relevant today. Political columnists are simply rehashing the same ideas Plato discussed with his cronies in Athens.

Don't believe me? Take a look at what Plato had to say back in the second century B.C.

#1 "One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."

The smartest people take one look at political office and run the other way. Well, that may be smart, but it doesn't do much good when it comes to changing the world. We end up with leaders who have the power and money and ego required to win an election. That's way too much like running for student body president in high school, if you ask me. The really smart kids laughed at the whole process, rolling their eyes and shaking their heads in disgust. Okay, that's fun, but it doesn't help. We need to figure out how to get our best thinkers in leadership positions, and we need to develop a system that rewards integrity.

#2 "The curse of me and my nation is that we always think things can be bettered by immediate action of some sort, any sort rather than no sort." This is standard fare. In virtually every paper in the world, you'll find an editorial bashing the "Act now, think later" approach.

I love to see truly thoughtful leaders. You know--those who refrain from knee-jerk reactions. Those who take the time to think. It is thinking--not planetary alignment--that will change the course of mankind and launch us into an era of consciousness.

Oh, wait. Plato thought of that, too. He said:

#3 "There will be no end to the troubles of states, or of humanity itself, until philosophers become kings in this world, or until those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands."

Philosophy needs to become an integral part of our culture--in politics, law, business, art and entertainment. What will it take for us to value thinking? More of it.

#4 "Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."

Ah, yes. This one is hauled out every time a new measure is proposed. So much time is spent on legislation aimed at a tiny percentage of people who are bound and determined to get around the system. What if we spent our time and money on building better people? This is a perennial theme, and one worth pondering.

#5 "When the tyrant has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty, and there is nothing more to fear from them, then he is always stirring up some war or other in order that the people may require a leader."

Sound familiar? If not, you haven't seen the movie, "Wag The Dog". Real, choreographed or simply imagined, conflicts tend to stir up a hornet's nest of controversy. This idea is the foundation for all conspiracy theorists.

Plato isn't my only political guru. There are plenty of great thinkers whose opinions are shared by newsmakers and newswatchers today.

"Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind."

Albert Einstein said that, but you don't have to be a genius to see that rabid patriotism leads to conflict.

Socrates agreed. He said:

"I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world."

We need more of that Big Picture thinking. It's critical that we develop the ability to think beyond ourselves, our backyards, and our nation's political borders.

But most of all, we simply need to think. Of all the quotes about politics, here's the one that really stops me in my tracks:

"What luck for rulers that men do not think."

Who said it? Adolf Hitler.

Enough said.

About The Author

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 70 countries around the world. She serves up a satisfying blend of clarity, comfort and comic relief in her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage. To subscribe, visit http://www.massageyourmind.com.
[email protected]

Becoming Excellent: Outsmarting Racism
 by: Maya Talisman Frost

Thinkers know better than to be racist. It's generally understood that racists are, well, not thinkers. It's not that racists are necessarily stupid--it's that they are ignorant.

We like to think that racists are choosing to hang on to their bias because they don't know any better. Those of us who are educated--or who think--can overcome any bias through information and intention. Right?

Tell that to our brains.

A recent study done at Dartmouth College presents some interesting ideas about racism and the brain. According to the widely published results of this research, racism can actually cause stupidity. Even professors from esteemed universities like Stanford are quoted as saying such things as "Racism really does make people stupid."

Well, that makes for an interesting sound bite, but it's a bit misleading. Here's what happened: white test subjects with a bias against black faces performed poorly on a cognitive skills test after being interviewed by an African American person. The more biased the subjects were (based on their scores on the Harvard implicit association test), the worse they did.

What's fascinating about this study is that it is the first to show through magnetic resonance imaging that there is a particular area of the brain associated with efforts to say or do the right thing. This "executive control" portion of the brain showed increased activity during both the implicit association test and the interview. Those who had scores indicating a greater bias showed the most activity in their brains in this area as they struggled to refrain from making racist choices or offensive remarks. As this poor little section of the brain was overloaded, subjects were temporarily unable to perform thinking tasks.

So, really, the compelling notion here isn't simply that racism makes you stupid. It's that the presence of someone about whom we feel a bias affects our ability to think. If you live in a fairly homogenous community, your bias--and the "executive control" part of your brain--isn't really tested. However, if on a daily basis you interact with people toward whom you have a racial bias, your thinking becomes impaired, at least temporarily.

What does this mean long term? Are racist individuals in integrated communities "dumbed down" because their overtaxed brains can't cope? Is there a cumulative effect? A whole lot more research needs to be done to learn more about this.

No intelligent person wants to acknowledge that they may have a bias in terms of race. We know in our minds that it is unfair, unwarranted, and detrimental to have a negative view of someone on the basis of race. We also know it's politically incorrect. We like to think we're smart enough to outwit any insidious form of racism that may be lurking in the back of our brains.

Well, our brains don't know that. These tests measure what's going on in our brains, not what we want to have going on. The results can be quite shocking.

The good news is that there's a part of our brains that is trying to behave properly! This study was done with educated, intelligent, fairly progressive white students at Dartmouth College. Though it isn't mentioned in the report, it's likely that these students didn't consider themselves racist. What happens if the same study is conducted with those who readily admit their prejudice?

If we know better, and we want to avoid being racist, how do we go about doing so? We assume that more contact with individuals of other races will help us overcome our prejudices, but that sometimes backfires. Integrated communities are rarely racism-free. Contact doesn't eliminate racism--greater understanding and positive relationships do.

Think about your brain and your own bias regarding race. The first step is to be honest: virtually every single person on the planet has a racial bias of some kind. The next step is to take a test to find out for yourself where you stand.

And then? What next?

We learn racism. We know enough about the brain and how it works to recognize that whatever we learn we can also unlearn.

Absorb everything you can about other ethnicities and cultures. Read, travel, see movies, listen to music, try new foods--do everything possible to develop a voracious curiosity and robust enthusiasm for people of all races. Stimulate your brain in an effort to render that "executive control" area irrelevant.

Train your mind while building relationships with individuals of other races. Outsmart your brain's racism by becoming colorblind.

Thinkers know better than to be racist. The challenge is to free our brains of lingering doubts. Immerse yourself in the richness of the world. It'll make you smarter--and more excellent--in every way.

About The Author

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 70 countries around the world. She serves up a satisfying blend of clarity, comfort and comic relief in her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage. To subscribe, visit http://www.massageyourmind.com.
[email protected]

Overcoming Seductive Sadness
 by: Maria Boers Morris

Unhappy moods can be like comfortable sweaters, those old ones: familiar, worn and with the right kind of smell. When we're in a sad place, or actually with any dissatisfied feelings, we want that comfy sweater. We actually can feel really safe wearing it. It's dark and cozy. Choosing to feel the full feeling of those emotions are powerful. In some way wrapping that sweater tight, we are powerful.

Bad moods are seductive this way. When our sorrows claim us, then we demand attention, and sympathy. We're the object of our friend's attention. And when the universe makes sure no one is home when you call, there's that cozy sweater again, that old sweatshirt, or those bed covers. The lure is even stronger.

The problem is that when we're ruled by these emotions—oh yes. We're not really in control here—we're not happy. That is not to say those feelings are not important. There are reasons to be angry, to sorrow, and to grieve. We need those emotions as much as laughter, but it is easy to let those emotions seduce us into lingering there long after the fight or the crying is done.

You know what happens if you wear an article of clothing too long? You don't wash it, you don't let it air out in the warm breeze and touched by the warmth of the sun? Yeah. It gets smelly and unpleasant. Ich.

You really cannot stay that way. So when that fusty sweater gets too cozy, it's time to take a deep breath and find some other article of clothing to wear. Literally. Or you could make yourself a scrumptious brunch, or read a funny story, or watch a funny move. Even better call a friend over for dinner. This can be tough. Why? Because you don't want to indulge in more angst. You took off the sweater. Focus on cooking or ordering in some fabulous meal to share; light candles. Talk about something different. Find out what's going on with them.

Choose a change of pace.

There are times happiness is an act of will. When those blue feelings become familiar, it's hard work to look for contentment. If the sad feelings trap you, beyond their natural course, you have to decide you want a different emotion. It does not have to be a sudden switch. Our emotions do not really work like that. It isn't like turning a light on. Sometimes it means taking several moments during the day and take a few deep breaths and just look outside, or think of something positive.

After a while, that change of pace, those moments of deep breath and stillness and you find that the warm breeze is running its fingers through your hair and the warm sun is caressing your face. And the true gift of sorrow is revealed. We know how much this joy is worth.

About The Author

Maria Boers Morris has published short stories, one at www.writershood.com, and an e-book on Creating Positive Thought, at www.ebookad.com. More motivational e-books will be available through www.jwrites.com in the near future.