Polish Up Your People Skills - Every Day of the Week

Are you a people person? It may surprise you, but there is only one answer: Yes you are! You need people skills in every aspect of your life, from personal or professional relationships and networking, to getting along with your in-laws during the holidays. How you use these skills is what sets you apart, or not! If you want to let the light shine on you in the office, at meetings, or during the annual dinner, you need to develop great people skills now.

Improving your people skills has endless personal and professional benefits, making it one of the most important assets you can develop. So here are five techniques for improving your people skills, one for each day of the week:

Monday: Smile and be positive. It's so simple yet, for some, so difficult. Remember Peter Pan's 'happy thought'? Well, come up with your own. It may be an upcoming holiday, goals you are working for, maybe your kids or your cat. Think your 'happy thought' when ever you need a pick-me-up to keep you smiling, energetic and in a positive mindset.

Tuesday: Use people's names. When speaking with someone, whether it is a long-standing colleague or potential client, use their first name in a casual way. For example, instead of saying "that's a great idea," try "that's a great idea, Bob." It acknowledges what the person said and makes the conversation more personal. It will also help you remember new names!

Wednesday. Use eye contact. Now this is a tricky one that most people want to skip over. But please don't. It one of the most basic and important social interactions. For starters, I suggest picking one eye and focus on it for a few seconds. Then the other one. Do this in a comfortable, casual manner. It may feel weird to you, but it has a big, positive impact on the other person.

Thursday. Listen! It's true that people love talking about themselves. And part of great people skills is learning to listen. Try to go through an entire conversation without talking about yourself. It is odd how challenging this can be. Instead, ask the speaker questions and show a keen interest. You will walk away from the conversation richer for having got to know someone better. And you'll also make their day because they will feel you truly listened to them.

Friday. Practice. The saying is that practice makes perfect, but perfection is rare. Practice does make a difference though. Get out there and interact. Meeting new people can be enlightening and invigorating. Conversations can be memorable and life-changing. Start a conversation with the taxi driver or the new neighbour who just moved in. With people come opportunities, so just get out there and enjoy connecting with your fellow humans.

So there you have it - people skills for every day of the week - well I've skipped Saturday and Sunday, so this is time for you to consolidate what you've learned! And the days are only a guide, so feel free to practice them all on any day!

You should find that each skill gets easier and more natural with time. And remember to relax and breathe! The ability to interact, communicate and connect is one of the greatest joys on this earth, so enjoy it.

Good luck on your path to developing positive people skills.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shirley_Taylor

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Success Factors: Possess a Burning Desire for Success

A BURNING desire is one of the most important success factors. To have desire is one thing, but to have a burning desire is another thing entirely. All success stories begin with a burning desire. The extent to which you succeed in any endeavour is largely influenced by certain success factors, and in this case - the intensity of your desire. Your desire for what you want to achieve must be so strong that you would find it hard to sleep at night; you literally lose sleep over it. It becomes such an obsession that it dominates your thinking, making it difficult to concentrate on anything else. If you can't get that wound up about something, it's only lukewarm - not really a burning desire.

A burning desire is intense and urgent as opposed to something that is nice to have, like desiring an ice cream. It is to success what rocket propellant is to a rocket engine. It is a burning desire that propels a person into action. A burning desire is creative power that HAS to manifest or express itself in the external world. It is an emotional force that attracts. The emotion attached to your desire moves you towards your desired outcome and magnetically draws your desired outcome towards you. A burning desire has a sense of desperation to it and, as an ingredient of success, it is comparable to air, the most basic element for life's sustenance.

A Student's Quest for Success

A student went to his spiritual teacher and said, 'Guru, I want to experience success. How can I become successful quickly?' The teacher smiled and said, 'All right, I'll teach you the secret of success. Meet me at the Ganges River at 5:00 am tomorrow.'

The next morning the student showed up at 5:00 am at the appointed place only to find his teacher already bathing in the river. The teacher beckoned the student to come into the water and join him. Keen to learn the secret of success, the student obeyed the teacher without question.

The teacher then put his hand on the student's head and firmly held it under the water. Gasping for air, the student struggled to get out, but the teacher maintained his grip keeping him under the water for more than a minute. The teacher knew the precise moment he had to release his grip on the student. Coughing up water that he had swallowed, the student angrily demanded, 'Why did you do that?'

The teacher then said, 'Before I answer your question, tell me: what were you thinking of under the water? What was it that you were looking for? Success? Status? Wealth?'

'None of that, sir. I desperately wanted air. Nothing, but air.'

The teacher then said, 'If you want success in your life as desperately as you wanted that breath of air, then you will have it - and as quickly as you want.'

Whatever it is you want, it must be personal; it must be something that you really, really want for yourself, not for anybody else. It is said that the hand will not reach for what the heart does not long for.

Ultimately, your want will come down to a feeling, a feeling that will 'turn you on' and motivate you to take effective action the moment you get up in the morning. If it does not do that for you, then as soon as you encounter a significant challenge, you will say it is too hard and give up on your dream. To be regarded as a burning desire, on a scale of 1 to 100, your goal or desired outcome must be ranked at 100. A ranking of 80 or 90 on the scale just won't cut it. Even a goal that is ranked 99 on the scale is not good enough.

It must be 100!

Let's use an analogy. If you heated water to 99° C, you could make a great cup of tea. But, if you heated that water just one more degree to 100° C, it will boil and generate steam, and you know what you can do with enough steam: move a steamship or a locomotive. That one degree makes a huge difference.

For you to achieve your goal, you must literally be steaming with emotion to:

- Learn whatever you need to learn!

- Become whatever you need to become!

- Do whatever you need to do!

- Have whatever you want to have!

You can tell how badly you want to achieve your goal by observing your actions each day. When you have a burning desire for something, you will do whatever it takes to make it happen. If you don't have a "Damn the torpedoes, Full speed ahead!" attitude, it's an indication you haven't hit 100 on the scale.

Achieving your goal has little to do with your ability or intellect. It has to do with HEARTFELT DESIRE! Genuine desire is powerful! As mentioned before it is one of the most important success factors. It focuses attention, establishes commitment and empowers you to deal with any challenge you might encounter as you move towards your goal.

As you are driven forward by your desire, you'll hardly notice the effort. You'll develop new skills and abilities, new beliefs, new attitudes and behaviours, and a new sense of self - in fact, a whole new consciousness!

You are what your deep driving desire is;

As your deep driving desire is, so is your will;

As your will is so is your deed;

As your deed is so is your destiny.

~ Maitri Upanishads

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Verusha_Singh

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Things That Determine Success Or Failure

It's your life. Have you ever heard that? I think we all have at some point. But let's make no mistake about the point being made here. The SUCCESS or FAILURE of your life and your life's experiences, whether in relationships, business, finances, family, etc. will be based on three things.

1 - The people you meet - whether positive or negative, successful or barely getting by, will impact your life one way or the other. Not only the people you meet, but more so the people you associate with will have a direct, sometimes powerful impact on your life. This may include your friends, your business associates, or maybe even a significant other or spouse. But make no mistake here, we tend to emulate the people we associate with. This can be a very good thing in your life or a very bad thing.

Did your mother ever tell you 'You better watch out who you were hanging out with?' I know my mom surely did. And wow, Moms are always right. If you have great people in your life that support you, and truly care for you, then I say congratulations. If you have people in your life that are holding you back, always in need, keeping you from your destiny, then I say love them from a distance. Stop the madness. Stop associating with those type people daily.

2 - The information we process - the information we process go hand in hand with #1 above, the people we associate with. But it also includes other information we process such as the books we read, the TV we watch, the music we listen to, the audio we take in, etc...

Have you ever heard the 'ole saying that "You are what you think you are?" I wonder where we get these thoughts? It's from the information you process. If you are not where you want to be in life, or with the person you want to be with, or have the job you would like to have, then take a look at what you are processing. Then CHANGE IT.

3 - The HABITS we have - We develop our habits differently. Some people let the world around them, their environment dictate their daily habits. They live their life somewhat with a 'VICTIM' mentality. Others develop their habits proactively.

Here's what I mean. For example, do you get up before work daily for a workout? If not, are you overweight? Do you eat the same foods knowing they are harmful to your body? Do you spend money on frivolous items you know you don't need and at the end of the month complain about a lack of money?

To some extent, we all do. However, if you want to have more, then you have to learn great habits to get more. You have to take control of your daily habits. DO IT NOW.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Doe_Ford

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How to Have the Mindset of a Successful Entrepreneur!

The mindset of a successful entrepreneur is distinctly unlike the rest. Successful entrepreneurs think and act differently. They consistently defy conformity, doing things that others WILL NOT do so that they can achieve results that others BELIEVE they cannot. What seems like the right thing to do for most people is actually NOT the norm for the 1% at the top. To be the best, it is imperative to go against the grain of conventional wisdom.

To recreate a new reality, reinvent yourself. It's not possible to change your current life with the same thinking that created it. You might be familiar with Einstein's famous quote:

"We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them."

Eradicate the mindset that created your present circumstance to open the way for a success mindset, the mindset of a successful entrepreneur. Success in life requires a single shift in mindset, from a position of powerlessness to a position of true power.

So how does one begin this shift?

Change from...

- Thinking lack and limited supply TO thinking abundance and unlimited supply

- Short term, immediate gratifi cation thinking TO long-term, delayed-gratification thinking

- Win-lose thinking TO win-win thinking

- Security thinking TO opportunity thinking

- Survival consciousness TO prosperity consciousness

- Competing and cloning TO collaborating and creating

- Focusing on getting TO focusing on giving

- Making an impression TO making a difference.

Throughout history, the strong-willed have constantly tried to dominate, imposing their practised ways upon others, especially their beliefs about life and how it should be lived. Those who are submissive are taught to fit in; to adapt; to conform; to go along to get along. It may seem easier to adapt to their ideas of what is best for you rather than work things out yourself. However, your meek or forced acceptance of other people's ideas can seriously disadvantage you, suppress your individuality, hamper your progress and stunt your growth.

While it is important to learn from the accumulated wisdom of others as you evolve and grow, your instincts may tell you to take a different path - a path less travelled. It's a choice only you can make, that is, whether to take the beaten trail or follow your instincts - and there's nothing more exciting!

If you're feeling frustrated with your life, you probably have relinquished your freedom to consciously create your own life experiences, the very things that ultimately bring you joy. Often a frustrated life means you've chosen the path of least resistance. Effectively, you're stuck. To move forward, it's time to get 'unstuck'.

Each of us has our personal desires or goals. The achievement of our personal goals generates deep personal happiness. When we fail to embrace our true passions, it's harder to achieve genuine, lasting success. For a successful entrepreneur, success comes faster when we do the things we enjoy and WANT to do. Doing the things that give us no personal satisfaction is exhausting, demotivating and soul destroying.

When you consider the many elements that have influenced and shaped your current reality, you may realise that there is much to undo and reprogram. However, when you understand your divine nature and the unfaltering natural Laws of the Universe, you see that everything you've done has brought you to this; you can now consciously choose more empowering thoughts and actions. Such a realisation releases you from a victim mentality. Understanding how your past created your present empowers you to recreate your future by confronting your greatest challenge - your comfort zone!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Verusha_Singh

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No Success Unless You START!

How often have you noticed someone discussing their desire to be successful, or to achieve some degree of success? However, while it is certainly laudable and desirable to want to be a success, it doesn't just happen! Rarely do these individuals even approach this concept by first defining what it means to them, because each individual determines this for themselves, according to a balance between his principles, goals, attitudes, vision, and the actions he inevitable takes. Too often, the same people who discuss this, often fixate on the discussion, while procrastinating on doing what they need to do. Most importantly, each of us must recognize that nothing impactful or meaningful will ever happen unless you actually START!

1. The process must begin with focusing on, understanding, knowing clearly, and the ability to see the needs, and what needs to be done. One cannot sit back and hope someone else will do it, but rather must commit to being proactive and motivating others to share the vision!

2. Take the necessary steps and responsibilities that will potentiate your ability to achieve what you believe needs to be addressed, and actually persistently going forth in a meaningful manner. There must be a commitment to eliminate the often - convenient tendency to fall back on blaming others. Nothing positive and enduring is ever achieved by playing the blame game!

3. Success stems from the synergistic combination of a positive and can - do attitude, combined with the take - charge type of behavior that focuses on the actions that are needed, and a willingness to effectively plan so that you can create an agenda that is based on your action plan. This means that we must avoid the easy alternative of procrastination, and replace it with proactivity and focus!

4. Are your goals both responsible and relevant? Are you attempting to be responsive to reasonable necessities, and addressing areas that are in need of updating and enhancement? Will your plan help bring forth an improvement that will create a longer term sustainability, looking long - term rather than merely on placing a bandage on a wound without addressing the cause?

5. Take the time to use techniques that truly work effectively, and have a plan in place that you focus on, and believe in. When someone understands their personal definition of success, while taking the needed and appropriate action in a timely manner, they potentiate their effectiveness and impact.

Never simply anticipate that you will automatically succeed. Rather, understand that nothing meaningful ever happens unless you first START!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Brody

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Reasons Why Failing Is Good And Necessary For Success!

The fear of failure can stop you from taking on new challenges and stepping outside of your comfort zone. We tend to see failure as a bad thing, as though we let ourselves down but, in reality the opposite is true! I mean what is failure really? Perhaps the most generalized answer for this could be - when we fail to get something right.

However, it's impossible to get everything right all the time! Therefore, failure is necessary and simply a part of the learning cycle. A necessary stepping stone on the path to success so to speak. Once you make this switch in perspective and see failure as an opportunity for you to learn and grow, you can take on seemingly difficult challenges with renewed confidence.

Imagine if you were to look at failing as a positive outcome instead of a negative outcome. Then imagine the ways that this could benefit you. You'll soon realize that no goal is too ridiculous or obstacle too big. If this sounds like a mindset you desire then read on to learn 3 ways you can enrich your life failure.

Gain More Knowledge

What does failing teach us? That we done something wrong. Therefore we have learned how not to do something when we fail. The inventor Thomas A. Edison is a great example here. He was the inventor behind the electric bulb which took him no less than 10,000 attempts to get right. He meticulously repeated his experiment time after time only to be met with "failure". However, each time he failed he gained new knowledge on how not to do it. Of course he was persistent and finally he made the breakthrough, bringing light into the homes of millions across the globe.

Resourcefulness and Reliance

As you meet with failure and overcome new challenges, you'll slowly become more resourceful and resilient. As you come to realize that failure is good thing and necessary for learning and growth you can build upon this and gain self-esteem with a renewed sense of confidence to push you forwards. If you've ever heard the story of the red paper clip guy then you'll know how resourceful and resilient he was in his quest of "trading". This is a true reflection of learning to accept failure as a learning curve and to plough forwards regardless.

Develop The Winners Mindset

The more resourceful and more resilient you become, the more your mind will be programmed for success. Although you'll never be an expert at everything it wont stop you trying. Even if you don't fair as well as you liked at whatever it is you tried, you'll walk away knowing you gained knowledge and further heightened your self-development. You can literally apply this mindset to anything, whether it be health, finances, personal life, or work life, you can rest assured knowing that with enough consistent effort you will meet your goal.

Wrapping It Up

In today's article we've discussed 3 ways that failure can enrich your life. Remember, failing is nothing more than a stepping stone on the path to success. It provides us with valuable knowledge to make better informed decisions in the future. Next time you beat yourself up for failing at something take a moment to reflect and remind yourself that your previous mistakes will bear greater returns in the future.

Do you know the 5 secrets of the winners mindset?

Learn the 5 crucial steps to developing the winners mindset and turning failure into success every-time.

http://pathtoenlightenment.co/mind-power/winners-mindset/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ricky_P_O'_Shea

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Success Quotes to Inspire You Every Day

Success would be the ultimate price for working at something nonstop. It's the only thing that gets us up every morning to do what we expect of ourselves. As Thomas Edison said, "Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits." This is mirrored by Frank Lloyd Wright's own words when he said, "I know the price of success: dedication, hard work and a devotion to the things you want to see happen." Therefore, Sir Winston Churchill was right when he declared that "Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." Nobody wants to be a failure in life. All that we could hope for is that the things we do now can lead us to our goals. Vincent Lombardi was quoted in saying, "The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will."

Why People Don't Become Successful

There are no unsuccessful people, just lazy ones who aren't willing to work intelligently. "If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work." - Thomas J. Watson. People don't realize that dreaming and getting there are two different things. That's why "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison. As someone once said, "Some people dream of great accomplishments, while others stay awake and do them."

To become really successful also means accepting defeat. These quotes would reflect exactly that. "Failure defeats losers, failure inspires winners." - Robert T. Kiyosaki and "The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same." - Colin R. Davis. The mistake people often make is to give up easily thinking that hard work doesn't pay big rewards in the end, so why even bother? Little do they know that "Big pay and little responsibility are circumstances seldom found together." - Napoleon Hill. It's important that we understand the real value of success. "The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." - Vidal Sassoon. The truth is, "Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great." - Niccolo Macchiavelli. If you let fear get in the way, you'll never achieve your goals. "Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." - John Wayne.

If your heart isn't in the right place, you'll have a ton of excuses not to pursue your dreams. However, Deepak Chopra recommends that, "If you focus on success, you'll have stress. But if you pursue excellence, success will be guaranteed." Therefore, it's also equally important to put your heart into what you do. After all, "Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it." Maya Angelou. Stress would be a thing of the past if you love what you do. Trust Martha Stewart when she said, "I find that when you have a real interest in life and a curious life, that sleep is not the most important thing."

What Success Truly Means

Be the kind of success that inspires greatness in other people and don't just ignore others because you've reached your own success ladder. "When your life flashes before your eyes, make sure you've got plenty to watch." - Anonymous. Don't be the kind of person who only lives for his own success because "As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others." Bill Gates. Remember Clint Eastwood's own magnificent words, "You take the work seriously, you don't take yourself seriously. You keep that straight and you'll do well the rest of your life." When you're finally at the epitome of success and greatness, be humble. As parting words, here's one of the history's successful leaders Napoleon Bonaparte - "Success is the most convincing talker in the world." Indeed it is.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rob_Mitsui

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Open Minded - Definition of Success

One of the most important aspects of life that determines one's level of success is being open minded. Now what is the real definition of success? What is the definition of being open minded? They go hand in hand with each other along with growing off one another. Here is a simple example. Someone who is a closed minded person pursues fewer opportunities that can lead them to be a successful person. Someone who is always open to hear new ideas and opportunities is more likely to stumble upon something that may change their life for the better. The unfortunate aspect of this is that being closed minded seems to be the popular outlook these days. People are afraid to get out of their comfort zone or try something new things because they fear failure. They need to understand that failure is an excellent natural thing! It allows you to learn from your mistakes and get a step closer to reaching your goals. A very important fact of life to understand is that you must be willing to fail in order to succeed. There is almost no avoiding of that law of the universe. Once you can accept being able to fail you can then start the path to wealth.

Now let's talk about the true definition of success in the eyes of a very successful entrepreneur. It is when you have achieved financial freedom and no longer worry about the necessities of life. It is when you are your own boss and do whatever you want at any time. You no longer need a fixed schedule because your time is controlled by yourself. Instead of going to work every day you are living your dream or spending quality time with quality people. This is the lifestyle to strive for! I promise you that all these things are not achievable if you are close minded. Opening your mind and believing in yourself are two things that I strongly suggest you do. This is so you can improve as a person on all levels of living.

Please understand that being open minded to benefit your success does not mean you will instantly become successful. But, if you have the right mind sets the opportunities and achievements will be endless. If you have the mindset you can do anything you will be able to do it. Everything starts with the power of the mind yet that power can only be unlocked through action.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryan_Mueller

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Beyond Success to Significance

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no lack of enthusiasm". Winston Churchill

I have had my share of successes and failures in my life. In fact, failure seems to be a rite of passage to success. I don't want to give young people the wrong idea - if you can go straight to success and skip the failures by all means... do that. The point is - don't fear the failures, embrace them, because they make the successes all that much sweeter.

I took a management seminar early in my career and the speaker referred to a progression we move through in our professional lives from Survival to Stability to Success to Significance.

This model of progressive movement through these stages of existence identifies, not only the growth we experience as Humans, but also that success is not an end in itself but a step on a journey towards Significance. Significance is where we use lessons learned in Survival and Stability and the resources we acquired through our Successes to give back and help others.

We move though this process with varying speed and efficiency. Significance will mean something different to each of us - it will also have different meaning at different times in our lives. For the most part it has to do with giving back that which we have received so abundantly; however, the metrics by which we guage Significance is based on our own internal moral compass.

The critical point here is that we ought to always move through our lives with the understanding and deep belief that we are capable of Significance. By acknowledging this we save ourselves from settling for the dram of Survival the mediocracy of Stability or the indulgence of Success - all states that have value in their own right.

Even when we believe we are headed towards Significance, most of us have little or no idea of how this will manifest itself in our lives. An orientation toward goals or a vision based on our internal compass is important. If we narrow it down much more than that we run the risk of selling ourselves short or missing it altogether. It has been my experience that I really don't know what's good for me. My successes have mostly involved me getting out of the way and working hard.

If we are true to our beliefs and put 100% of our attention into doing "the next right thing" in our day to day lives we will move through this process in the most effortless and efficient manner. Conversely the harder we try to project and bend events to our will the harder we will work and the end result will be watered down.

As you move though the rest of the day, week, month, year and so on apply 100% of your attention and energy on the task at hand. Focus on those things that support you in your efforts to get more of the things you want in your life. If you find yourself doing something that is working against this end - STOP. Regroup quickly and do something else.

As you look back and take inventory you will see that Significance has manifested in ways far more fulfilling and substantial than you could have ever engineered. This is my experience and has worked for me in a all circumstance over the last thirty years.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_L_Edge

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Success Occupies The Space Between Your Ears

Define What Your Success Looks Like

Every person's success is a product of their own imagination. What is my definition of success will not and cannot be yours. My definition of success is as individual as my own finger prints. Defining what is your success is a process that takes you sitting down alone and writing out your dreams. If money were no object what would your life look like. Define what is really at the core of your happiness. Don't just think about it from a monetary point of view. Try to conceive in your mind, what your perfect life would look like.

Success Is Not an End Product

Now that you know what your success and happiness looks like, you have to choose a path that is congruent with your definition. Success and happiness are not end products. Your life is not lived after you achieve success. So find a path that brings you happiness on your daily walk through life. Choose your career path based on your passions. Don't choose a career based on the traditional sense of the word. A career is not defined by going to work for a large corporation for the rest of your life. Your career path may be in writing the next great American novel. It may be through the Arts. It could be in science or mathematics. The point is you have to think about your life as a progression of choices that lead to a continuous melody that is your life's song.

Create Your Goals With Your Happiness In Mind

Short term, longterm and day-to-day goals must be made based on your definition of success and happiness. You need to script your life and create habits of what you define as success. If you want to write, then make a goal of writing daily. If you want to paint, then create a goal of painting daily. Fill your days with what you want and who you want to be by doing those things that define you.

Surround Yourself With People That Share Your Passion

Surround yourself with people who represent what and who you want to be. These people may not be in your current social circles. Sometimes the people you want to be like have risen to a different level. Sometimes the best way to surround yourself by successful people is by listening to positive influences through audio and through the written word. There are thousands of books written by various writers out there today. I suggest going online to the library or Amazon. Download a few and find an author that best represents who you want to be. Read their work everyday and listen to their audio everyday. That way you can keep a steady stream of positive influences to ward off the attacks of negative influences we encounter from day-to-day. Another way is to join groups of people who best represent who you want to be. There are tons out there as well. There are networking groups, business groups, social groups, and philanthropic groups. These groups can support you and help you achieve your beautiful life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Wynn_Smith_Jr.

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The Journey From Fear to Faith

"Promise me something Katie, you'll take a lot of pictures and only regret the ones that you didn't take." 
~ From Safe Haven (2013)

Many moments in this dear life, 
Are shrouded in mystery threatening strife, 
It's easy to shy away in fear, 
But then we miss out on what's terribly dear. 
Each precious moment comes burgeoning in hope, 
Hope flush and plenteous giving us power to cope, 
By faith to repel fear there's no regret, 
By faith our fear has no debt.

There are two ways life is to be lived - by fear and by faith. Fear is the stuff of hesitancy, regret, resentment, and anger. Faith has about it properties of patience to succeed despite the fear. Faith is a patient and reserved courage.

Life can be either a frightening venture packed with hidden threats or a thrilling adventure promising eventual delight.

By faith our fear is brought under control. By faith our fear makes less sense. By faith we have the courage to make the right steps forward. By faith we enable a life of empowered joy.

By faith we have the ability, with a confident finality, to stride into the cool morning day, from the darkness that descended over us with graphic suddenness.

When we come at life with the thought that we cannot regret what we actively do, when those things we do are born in love and hope and kindness and compassion, we aren't liable to regret for those things that our fear would stop us from doing. Sometimes faith will stop us from doing something foolish - a wisdom-laden faith. But most times faith enables us to act where fear would stop us in the midst of something otherwise good. Fear can lead us into what is irrational from a hindsight perspective.

Regret seems to have a lot of influence over our lives - either from regrets of past or the anxiety of possible future regret. Once we begin to understand the negative power of regret we can begin to push past it.

Faith is the best ally against fear, when all sorts of fears come disguised as allies of us who wish to live 'safe' lives. Without fear controlling us so much, there is a clearer journey to joy and the peace that comes provident of that.

By faith our fear is brought under control. When we accept such a powerful truth God opens all sorts of doors in our minds and hearts. By faith we have hope - the ability to truly live.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Wickham

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You Get What You Worry About

What do you do when you lose everything?

You probably start to worry and ask yourself questions like: "How will I now make a living?", "What if it's all over?", "Why did this happen to me?". Worry becomes the dominant emotion that you experience.

When you worry, do things get better? I don't know about you but whenever I worry, things just get worse, it's as if I'm attracting even more of what I don't want.

Let me share with you a story that I'm sure you're somewhat familiar with. As a student in school I would always do my homework, study and basically always be prepared for the next lesson. That is why I never had to worry about being called out by the teacher because I knew that I would be able to give the right answer.

However, this one time I did not do my homework, did not study and did not prepare. As I was sitting there in the classroom I was thinking to myself "Please, please ask somebody else, please don't ask me". And what did the teacher say? You're right, she said: "Lukasz, why don't you tell us about what we did last time."

If you've ever been in school, I'm sure you've experienced or witnessed similar situations countless times. For a very long time I couldn't understand why it was that the very thing that we don't want to happen to us, actually happens. A few weeks ago I began a deep study of the Law of Attraction and that's where I got the answer.

Are you ready for it? That's what I thought, let's get right down to it.

The Law of Attraction says: That which is like unto itself, is drawn. Basically, you get what you think about most of the time, no matter if you want it or not. You cannot feel unhappy and attract happiness. You cannot feel bored and attract fun. You cannot feel poor and attract money. And you cannot worry and attract peace of mind. That's the Law.

What causes you to attract people, circumstances and events into your life is your focus. When you look at something and say "I don't want that", you're actually saying to your mind "Come to me, the thing I don't want." I know what you're thinking, it sounded crazy to me too, but as I kept looking around, I eventually accepted it as truth.

Let's say you have an important exam ahead of you and you keep saying to yourself "I don't want to make a mistake, I don't want to fail. What if I fail? I don't want to fail." Chances are, something will go wrong. Can you remember a time when things did go wrong? What were you thinking then?

As unbelievable as it may sound, there is no such thing as "No". When you consciously say "Yes" to a thing you're saying "Come to me, the thing that I want". But, when you say "No", what you're actually saying is "Come to me, the thing that I don't want". In this world there is no exclusion.

Try not to think about the color blue. Don't think about blue. Don't think about blue. Don't think about blue. Don't think about blue. Don't think about blue. Don't think about blue. 
What do you think about as you try not to think about blue? - Blue!

The same thing applies to worry. When you think about all the terrible things that could happen, you bring them to reality, because your mind doesn't care if you want it or not. It only cares about what you give your focus and attention to. Focus on what you want, you get it. Focus on what you don't want, you get it as well.

Have you ever seen a flower? What happens when you water it? It grows, right? Well, what happens when you don't water it? It dies. The same applies to everything else with the difference that water is your attention.

Now, I'm not telling you to just go out and pretend that everything is perfect and you don't have any problems. That's delusion. What I'm saying is that you won't make things better by focusing on what is wrong. Remember, you get what you focus on. If you look at one thing that is wrong for too long, you'll find more things that are wrong.

Have you ever been upset with somebody? And when you focused on one thing they did that you didn't like, wasn't it that all of a sudden you could remember everything that you didn't like about them and just exploded with all that frustration?

Here's what you can do. See what is wrong and say "OK, I know that this is something I don't want. What do I want?" When you ask that question, you'll get an answer. If there is a question, there must be an answer.

When you discover what it is that you do want, focus 100% of your attention on it. That's it. No need to worry. If you focus on what you want, if you focus on the solution, you will get it. And you will get it because you were focused on what you did want rather than what you did not want.

How do you get rid of darkness? It's simple. You just turn on the light.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lukasz_Lokiec

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The Definition of Happiness

The word happy is continuously used to describe the quality of what we want in our lives. The interesting thing is that when asked to outline our terms of happiness, we struggle to provide actual DETAILS. Why? Because the term happiness is used as a generic ideal, a concept or quality that we believe we can construct out of external circumstances.

Happiness is NOT a concept or quality. Happiness IS an emotional state. Certainly external circumstances can elicit the emotional state of happiness, but the idea that our external circumstances will give us a quality of life called "happiness" is counterintuitive. In fact, more often than not we are our own barriers to this very healthy and positive emotion.

This could be because our day-to-day emotional baseline may be residing primarily in the negative. Our baseline can best be described as the state we are most familiar and comfortable with emotionally. We are creatures of adaptation and even emotional states become habitual patterns. So naturally if our experiences elicit a more positive or "happier" state, our subconscious will look for the loophole and convert us back to that comfortable baseline, in this case a more negative state. This explains why pessimistic feelings can appear seemingly out of nowhere, following the experience of something positive.

So what to do if you discover you are habituated in a more negative state? Well, you must LEARN to become comfortable with the REGULAR presence of the emotional FEELING of happiness. It is actually necessary to train yourself to become familiar with the regularity of a more positive state. Consider it a happiness bootcamp.

By gradually increasing the frequency of feeling happy, you become more comfortable residing in this state. In other words you are creating a habit of feeling happy. The first step in training yourself is to determine what circumstances elicit feelings of happiness. Take note of where you are, what you are doing and who is around you. The next step is then to design your future circumstances accordingly.

It is important to note that just like training our bodies at the gym, these happiness training habits require persistence. Success does not happen overnight. The good news is that you can change.

There may be times when, despite your greatest effort, you discover that you are stuck in a negative habitual pattern. This is when it may be helpful to seek out resources in the form of a coach, counselor, therapist or group. Support is always useful when making ANY changes in life. So share your goal and make happiness your new habit!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brandielee_Baker

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Environment Is Everything

What do you think affects your success, your happiness and your well-being most? What is shaping your actions and your thoughts? Today, I want to tell you what does all that and more... It's our environment. The environment we put ourselves into and the people we surround ourselves with have a much bigger impact than most of us could ever imagine. Our environment is contagious.

Have you ever noticed how certain people make you feel? For example, how does being surrounded by people who are constantly moaning and complaining, by people who are full of negative thoughts, by people who radiate anger towards others make you feel? How does it feel to be surrounded by judgement and hate? Personally, it makes me feel drained of all energy and depressed. Worst of all, it encourages me to join in on the anger towards people who have, in most cases, done nothing wrong.

Now, even though we are not immune to the negativity of others, the good thing is this: we can choose who we surround ourselves with. That's right! No matter how strong of a person you are, and no matter how hard you try to avoid it, there will always be someone who will be bringing negative energy into your life, but it will become much easier to stay happy if you keep your environment clean. The way to achieve that is to limit the time you spend with negative people, and choose to surround yourself with people who empower and inspire you.

Cutting People Out of Your Life

Cutting people out of your life isn't always nice, and it definitely isn't easy. The way to surround yourself with positive people means having to cut out the people who bring you down out of your life. More often than not these are people you have known for years. If, however, these people bring you down, don't support you, laugh at your dreams and aspirations, make you a worse person than you are through gossip and judgement, and if you don't feel like you're getting anything positive out of the friendship or relationship it's definitely time to let go. Life is too short to let negativity thrive, and you're not selfish for wanting to be happy.

Over a year ago I decided that it was time to let the uninspiring people go (they were generally acquaintances and simply got removed from my "friends list" on Facebook), and to hugely limit contact with some people who I felt were making me feel down rather than happy. This was an on-going process for a good half a year I believe, I however went the cowardly route which I don't recommend to anyone. I just gradually got less involved in conversations and meet-ups - no explanations. This is the worst way of doing things as it doesn't give the other person a chance to know how you feel, and it leaves them in the unknown. Given the chance I'd do it differently. Lesson learnt. If you're planning to let someone know you don't want them in your life anymore do this: man up (even if you're a lady), be brave and tell them.

Surround Yourself with Inspiring People

It won't take you long to notice the difference if you cut or limit contact with the people who impact you negatively, and focus on the relationships with the positive people in your life. Those people will support you and your ideas, they will share their achievements with you and encourage you to strive for yours. They will tell you about their passions, they will uplift you and make you feel inspired without even having to try. They will make you feel excited about life, and once you surround yourself with positivity that is what you become. After all as I said, environment is contagious!

Finding inspiring people these days isn't difficult. The online world has made it pretty easy for us with the amount of great forums and blogs to choose from: get in touch with the people who inspire you, read their posts, read their books, use social media, sign up for groups that get inspirational people together. The more positivity you invite into your life, the more positivity you will attract in turn, and before you know it you will wake up and realise that the majority of your closest friends and the people you interact with are passionate about what they do, and they are the sort of people who inspire others to lead a happy life. And guess what? You have also become of them!

Your Environment and Relationships

While most blog posts about your surroundings and your environment generally focus on friendships, I'd like to briefly touch the subject of romantic relationships for those who find it relevant. Your boyfriend, girlfriend, partner, husband or wife is the person who you spend most of your time with and who you communicate with most too. They are the person who, whether you like it or not, have the biggest influence on you.

Now, I'd like to say one thing: there is nothing better and more liberating than knowing that your other half supports you one hundred percent, encourages you to work for your goals, loves you and inspires you every single day with their own happiness and enthusiasm for life. Feeling this towards each other can have the biggest transformative effect on your life you have ever experienced.

So when you choose, do it wisely. Be brave enough to walk away from what doesn't feel right, and choose people who inspire and challenge you to better yourself, but still respect and love you for who you are. Choose people who inspire you to be happy, to be passionate about what you do and to be enthusiastic about each day of your life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Evelina_Raskauskaite

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The Key to a Peaceful Life

Imagine that you had the power to satisfy all your wishes, to achieve all your dreams. What would this look like? Immeasurable wealth? Power? Beauty? Fantastic journeys? Now, why do you want these things? You want these things because you want happiness, joy, peace. All desires come back to a state of being. You want wealth to get happiness not the other way around. So, it's obvious that the happiness and peace are more important than any material possessions. The quality of your life is dependent not upon what you have, but upon how you are.

Consider this hypothetical situation. You're hungry so you eat. Then you feel bloated so you go on a walk. Then you feel hot so you take a shower. Then you're cold so you make some tea. Then you have a headache so you take some aspirin. AND ON AND ON AND ON. Pause... where is that moment that you are looking for? Where is that experience you wish to savor in all of its sweetness? Why are you doing all these things? What are you going towards?

Many people live this life of constantly pursuing desires, without even thinking about it. People slave away at jobs, in the gym, constantly striving to make the external conditions of their life perfect. "Once I have X amount of money, once I lose X pounds, once I have that title, once I have that relationship, everything will be perfect, and finally, I will be able to live. Finally, I will have those juicy moments of perfect happiness."

These poor people, they treat the present as an obstacle to be overcome. They are not free. They are slaves to the external. They don't see that they are missing life.

You do not listen to a song for the last note. You do not eat your favorite snack so that it gets in your stomach. You do not watch a movie for the final scene. Life is like that. Happiness is not a destination! Life is not a destination! Happiness is a way of life. It is a journey. Life is a flow.

Recall that true happiness is the absence of striving for happiness.

So, allow me to offer a better way of living out your existence. All you must do is simply say: "I 100% PERCENT accept the way that things are RIGHT NOW". The trick is that you have to actually mean it though, which isn't always easy to do. If only for a moment, suspend all your desires and longings and cravings and even your lifelong dreams (give it a chance). Just let them drift out of your mind. If you can manage to fully clear your mind, if even for a second, you have achieved perfect harmony with the universe. Peace, joy and the highest possible existence are readily available in each passing moment.

Jack Kornfield says it well: "Many of us simply go about a course of changing external conditions... but we know that whether an individual has a tremendous amount of resources or is just scraping to get by, the depth of freedom and happiness... in that individual is not really changed by the external circumstances anywhere near as much as by their level of wisdom and freedom and happiness in their own heart."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonas_Rosen

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Finding Your Way Back to Love, Happiness and Passionate Living

Experiencing life's challenges, difficulties and obstacles can and will break our spirit and our love for life. It can send us into a catatonic depression that can prove very difficult to lift ourselves out of. There is no shame if you find your life feeling as if you are at rock bottom. When you are at your lowest, that is actually a good thing, because you only have one way out of your situation and that is - Up! Of course, when you are down it is hard to think of anything good ever happening to you or for you. As hard as it may be, this is where we need to keep the faith. We need to believe that no matter what it is we are going through now - This too will pass. If you do not believe it, think back to a time in your life where you were going through something difficult, look at where you are now. Didn't you get through that difficult time? Yes you did. That means you can and will find your way back up to the pinnacle of your life.

Finding our way back to love, happiness and life can be easy as 1,2,3-steps or it may take many more steps in order for us to climb back up to that high point of our life. It is important that you take the time to motivate and uplift yourself every day in order to strengthen your core self. If you are not strong internally, you will fall back into the quagmire that you are trying to lift yourself out of. You cannot afford to be drawn back down into the abyss of despair, unhappiness and a life filled with no love. When you are working on rebuilding your life, you may find it necessary to put on blinders so that outsiders do not distract you from your goals and your dreams.

You have to become a leader in your life so that you will be able to take your life from zero to a zillion and that means that you need to decide whom your circle of everybody should be made up of. You will not get to the top if you are constantly allowing external forces to pull your strings. There was a story of a Vice President who was always asked to go out drinking with the boys from work. He politely declined each time and each time the boys felt insulted. Someone overheard the boys kvetching and that person turned to them and said, "Well, he's the Vice President because he is not one of the boys out drinking every night". One of the boys quit being one of the boys after that and not too long afterwards found himself in an Executive Suite. If we keep doing the same things that we have always done, then we will keep on getting the same results.

Our life will never move from where it is if we keep being around the same individuals or environments that drain our energy make us feel empty, unhappy and unfulfilled. The same old story and the same old life no longer work. You may have been thinking very low of yourself and as a result, the quality of your life fell. When you start to pick up your life, you start to take leadership over your life and the quality of your life will significantly improve. You are now in the driver's seat and you can now steer your life in the direction of love, happiness and passionate living. There is far more to life than living in catatonic depression. Moreover, if you are depressed then you have forgotten how to live your life passionately. However, you will not move from where you are until you are sick and tired of being where you are in your life.

When you can get up and say, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, then that is when your life will begin to take life. It all starts with you. Some people may make it over into your new life, or you may make new connections and then there are others who will not make it over into your new life. Release them with love, thank the Universe for the experience and then move forward in your life. Don't keep looking back at the door that closed. A bigger, better and more exquisite door will open up for you. That is why we have got to make the decision to firmly close the door on our old life in order to move forward into our new life. When you are ready to do that, you will then begin to find your way to love, happiness and passionate living.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Trudy-Ann_Ewan

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Fight Depression With Some Simple Lifestyle Changes

Depression can be a result of various factors, and can take months or years to get rid of. However, there are many coping strategies and techniques, which help you overcome depression.

Counseling is one of the techniques to overcome depression, as talking to an expert will open new ways of coping, and give you the strength to face difficulties. Apart from counseling there are many self help techniques that help you to keep upbeat and fight depression.

Exercise is known have a positive effect on depression. Some form of daily exercise is known to lower depression. Exercise always need not be rigorous. Do something simple like a walk with a friend or some yoga at home to fight depression.

Dietary changes also have a huge effect on depression. Many foods that are heavy in calories can cause lethargy, as would smoking and alcohol. Regular intake of such foods can affect your mental alertness and keep you depressed. Replace your daily diet with fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains, etc to keep your body and mind fit. Drink a lot of water and intake more fibre. Weight gain can also lead to depression, and hence keep a tab on what you eat and drink to stay fit and fine.

Stay with energetic and positive people. Being in a bubbly social group can improve your mood and fight depression. Seek others support when you are in need, as this is one of the best ways to fight loneliness and depression. Inculcate a creative hobby to keep yourself busy. If this hobby involves you, being part of a group, all the more better. And if it involves regular travelling to different places, wonderful.

If you are depressed, you might always be trapped in feeling of cynicism and negativity. Develop positive thinking, and do not allow disappointments to deter your positivity. Learn from the mistakes and take failures in the right stride. Always remember that tomorrow is a better day.

Try to resolve your problems and do not complain. Plan ahead and set realistic goals for yourself. Be aware of the possible contradictions, distractions, and problems that you might face. Take one step at a time and move positively towards your goal. Device simple solutions to overcome the problems faced in the way of achieving your goals and vision. Think positively and make changes to your lifestyle to keep yourself upbeat and energetic. A list of the best feelings you would like to experience is the best point to start your fight against depression.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mahalakshmi_Joghee

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