Archives for February 2012

Define Success

Quick! What do happiness and success have in common?

Both are a matter of perspective. This point was driven home to me in an article I read in “The Toastmaster” magazine. A teenager sat next to Albert Einstein at a public gathering. The teenager asked Einstein what he did for a living. He replied that he studied physics.

The astonished teenager said, “At your age! I finished physics two years ago!”

Think about what you do for a living, for hobbies, for your family, etc. How do you describe what you do? More important, how does your own description about it make you feel? If your description does not sound like you are a success, maybe it is time to find a new description.

Why not share this thought with some of your close friends? You could have fun brainstorming together about how to redefine your job or your role as a parent, coach, worshiper, goddess, explorer or whatever else you might happen to be.

The Purpose of Regret

I love this quote by George Eliot:

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”

As we get older, regret starts becoming a more frequent emotion. And although we sometimes regret things we have done, it is more those things we have not done that we regret the most (yes, there have been studies that show this is true).

What might you have been? A scholar? A hero? A concert pianist?

What might you have done?  Gotten a university diploma?  Traveled around the world? Given more to charity?

Whatever it is, it is never too late to be that person, to do what you wish you had done — to live that dream.  That is the purpose of regret.  My mother went back to school and earned a university degree – graduating with my youngest brother!

Go out and live that dream now, because regrets of the past are useless if they don’t propel you to a better future.

The Four Candles

The Four Candles burned slowly in the empty room. Their ambiance was so soft you could hear them speak. Their words were sad…

The first candle said, “I Am Peace, but these days, nobody wants to keep me lit.” Then Peace’s flame slowly diminished and went out completely.

The second candle said, “I Am Faith, but these days, I am no longer indispensable.” Then Faith’s flame slowly diminished and went out completely.

Sadly the third candle spoke, “I Am Love and I haven’t the strength to stay lit any longer. People put me aside and don’t understand my importance. They even forget to love those who are nearest to them.” And waiting no longer, Love went out completely.

Suddenly…

A child entered the room and saw the three candles no longer burning. The child began to cry, “Why are you not burning? You are supposed to stay lit until the end. What shall I do with no peace, no faith and no love”

Then the Fourth Candle spoke gently to the child, “Don’t be afraid, for I Am Hope, and while I still burn, we can re-light the other candles. Let’s relight them now. Together.”

With shining eyes, the child took the Candle of Hope and lit the other three candles. And you might see them go out from time to time. But as long as Hope shines on, the other three will always be with us.

READ ALSO: OZ: the fantasy or the reality
READ ALSO: The fable of the Porcupine family

Why You Don’t Have to Try to Be Unique

This is a guest post from Josh Monk

As a musician and photographer, I often encounter people who are trying too hard to be different or unique. In these creative fields especially, people often feel the need to stand out from the crowd in order to be successful. They follow the philosophy that their audience will equate uniqueness with talent, and attempt to adjust how people perceive them accordingly. This is a very misguided way of looking at things. By making a special effort to be unique or different, what these people are actually saying to their audience is “don’t look at the real me.”

Everybody on the planet – the whole 7 billion of us – is unique already, without even trying. Each one of us has a different set of mannerisms, facial expressions, patterns of speech, outward physical appearance, choice of clothing – even the way we choose to style our hair makes us different from the next person. And when people are faced with similar problems, they tackle them in very different ways. I could go on. Simply put, people are interesting just because they’re people.

So why do we find it so hard to just accept this fact and embrace our own individuality? Unfortunately, people have a tendency to think their lives are less interesting than other people’s. It’s human nature. A point that is so often forgotten, though, is that by simply embracing the fact that you are unique without even trying, you are allowing people to see you for who you are. However you decide to present yourself, people are far more likely to enjoy your company and respect your opinion if they can see that you are not putting on a façade.

There is certainly a place for people who innovate or push the envelope, (Lady Gaga, for example, has built an entire career on her unique brand of strangeness), but many people don’t see that they can do that by simply being themselves. The next time you find yourself putting on an act for a certain group of people, stop, take a breath, and just be yourself. It’s far less work!

From the film Life of Brian: “You’re all different.” “I’m not.”


Josh Monk is a writer at DailyPath.com.

Here’s What’s So Good About Being Debt Free

Why should you aim to be free of debt? Having debt alters the way that you spend your money. Instead of spending money on the things you want, you have to spend money paying your creditors back. Not only can it be disheartening to see your hard earned money going out the window, but you can fall even further in debt if you are not able to make the payments on time. Aiming to be free of your debt has many benefits.

Keep Your Money In Your Pocket

You work hard for that paycheck that you get every week. Why should some credit card company get a slice of that money? While it might seem easier to purchase something and pay back later, the consequences of making payments with credit aren’t always apparent at the time. Before making any purchase with a credit card, you should think about the interest rate that you are paying to spend your money. Unless you can pay back that balance in the next 30 days, you are just paying someone to tempt you into spending more than you can afford.

Stress Out Less About Your Finances

What would you do if you ever lost your job? If you have no debt, you can ride out a job loss for a longer period of time. Making a large cash purchase won’t be as much of a strain on your finances if you are working just to replenish your bank account. Creditors will not be calling your house all day if there is no debt to collect. Living a life that is free from debt allows you to worry less about your cash flow.

More Freedom To Live Your Life

Most people have a job in order to make money. If you have no debts, you have more of a say in where you work. If you don’t like your job, you can quit because you don’t need the money right away. Sleeping in every morning is viable if you don’t need to work so many hours to stay ahead financially. You can take a vacation on a whim if you have enough money in your bank account. Without debt, you are free to live your life as you see fit.

Ensure A Secure Future

The ability to put your money directly into savings accounts comes in handy. There will be a time when you cannot work anymore, and you will need to rely on the money that you were able to save. Having a higher level of savings will enable you to have a more secure retirement. Having that safety net will also help you pay for health care and other necessities that seem to become more expensive over time. Your savings could also help your kids pay for college and ensure that they start their lives as free from debt as possible.

To Conclude…

A life that is free from debt offers so many advantages. You will stress over your finances a lot less while avoiding the other pitfalls of debt. Keeping your money in your pocket allows you to determine where and when you spend it. Having the ability to make choices in your life is liberating and allows you to enjoy your life that much more.

Andy co-founded Credit Card Compare, an Australian comparison website where consumers can review and rate the best credit cards from across the whole market. If you are in debt and want to live a debt free life, he recommends using a 0% balance transfer in conjunction with the debt snowball method, a proven strategy for getting out of debt.

The Secret to Motivation

What is the single best way to become a truly motivated person?  Yes, this is a trick question.

Motivate others.

That’s right, if you keep lighting sparks of enthusiasm under friends, family, colleagues and neighbors, you will notice an awe-inspiring transformation in your own attitude.  Sparks of enthusiasm will ignite on you, as well.  You, too, will be motivated.

It is virtually impossible to encourage people around you to shoot for their dreams, to go for goal, to reach for the brass ring without getting excited about your own.  The more you encourage others, the more the excitement carries you with it.

Think about all the people you know, or at least those you know well enough.  What are their dreams?  What are their goals?  Make an effort to find out.  Then make an effort to help out.  I guarantee that your life will be richer for your efforts.

Want to help motivate people starting right now, pass along this blog post on Twitter or FaceBook or Pinterest (buttons to the right).

READ ALSO: Zig Ziglar motivational quotes

A New Spiritual Technique – Could We Change The World?

“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”
– Albert Einstein

Anybody can look out at the world these days and see some that wild times are happening, with more on the way. We could have a very chaotic time in our near future.

And with the gigantic scale of events, many of us seem be crawling back into our turtle shells, trying to be safe from the melee storming outside the window. Others wail and protest, trying to wake up the sheep to our coming peril, like the proverbial Noah whilst building his ark.

The spiritual technique that switches things around.

So what SHOULD we do about it all? What if the wildest part was, just like Dorthy and her ruby slippers, we already have inside of us an inherent spiritual technique that can change the basic situation, but we never realized it before? Not to change the entire world immediately, but to shift perspectives, to let go of the methods and ways that we have been entrenched in, but were so ubiquitous, that it was like fish breathing water.

If we look around, even inside our own lives, haven’t most of been trained to think in ways that don’t serve us? Aren’t our habits rather ineffective? And aren’t most of us rather complacent, and try to make our lives as comfortable as possible? And because of this, if we WERE to try to follow the dictate from old Einstein, wouldn’t our efforts be more like simply flailing ourselves around?

The spiritual technique that inspires us.

Just sit back now, and imagine that you had a calling, a unique purpose that opened you up. Imagine that that was possible for you, and that you had a way to connect to it. That you had a way to KNOW what it was, and then you also had a way to know the best way to make it come alive in the world.

You might find that you have to take a moment now, to imagine this, but if you could, what would that feel like? Do any spiritual techniques or practices from past centuries or current times make us feel this way? Could anything be more motivational?

So now I must ask, for I want to get feedback from you, dear reader. Do you think it would be great to discover that we are all hardwired to connect to a higher source of wisdom and guidance, but that we didn’t know how to do it before? Do you think that it is possible, and then could you see the ways you’d like your life to change?

To help answer these questions, and to read the rest of the story, go to this link:
http://spiritualhealingmethods.com/a-new-spiritual-technique/


This is a guest post by Andrew James Batha of http://www.spiritualhealingmethods.com

Save for something that makes you happy

This is a guest post from Money Supermarket:

Many people have the goal of saving enough money so that they can enjoy themselves when they retire. This is certainly a worthy goal to have, but it also means that there are a lot of people who are missing out on the joys of life in the here and now.

People often spend their whole lives pinching pennies and saving for the future when that future may not look all that bright. A growing number of people are now realizing that while saving for the future is a good idea, it is certainly just as important to enjoy yourself now while you can. Some are now looking at financial products to help them plan those shorter-term goals that make them happy.

Planning a vacation is a great way for someone to spend enjoyable hours thinking about the upcoming getaway. Going on a holiday allows you to break the monotony of everyday life and come back relaxed and rejuvenated.

Regular vacations add interest and enjoyment to life. It is possible to experience other parts of the world and enjoy the diverse cultures that make up this planet, but what makes one person happy is different from what makes another person happy.

Saving money for goals is all about aiming for something that will bring you joy. There is no point in saving for something that someone else may want for you when you think it’s a waste of money. In order to get value from saving for something, it must truly be something you want. Saving for a new car is great for someone who loves driving and will truly benefit from this, but not so great for someone who only gets a new car to impress his friends.

Enjoyable goals that are worth saving for bring a bounce to the step and a smile to the face. If you do not have a good idea what makes you happy, just think of things you have done in the past that you have really enjoyed. It may be fun to do this again or buy items that allow you to experience the happy experience again.

A good goal is going to be something that you look forward to when it happens and makes you feel excited and alive. Saving for this kind of goal is easy because it involves the pleasure principle. It is far easier to save for something that brings true pleasure than something that is not what you really want.

Life Lessons Spelled with a W

Sorry if my spelling is off, but today we will spell “life lessons” with a “W”.