Seven Weird Habits That Will Change Your Life Some habits will help you live a better life. They’ll help you improve what’s already working or help you fix what’s not working very well. But what about habits that completely change the game entirely? What are the questions that uproot your beliefs, shake them from its roots and move you into a bigger pot? These are seven habits that won’t just improve your game, or help you “level up.” Regularly engage in time travel. These are just a few habits I’ve found that have made a huge difference for me. So now my question for you is this: What habit has made the biggest difference for you? photo courtesy of platinum Share: Get everything you need to finally leave your job for good. The first few weeks of the Job Escape Kit has already produced some outcomes I’d never thought I’d see in my whole career.” ~ Nick Burk
Live What You Love: 50 Questions to Ask Yourself | Living Legacy Blog School of Fish: Atlantis Resort Nassau Bahamas I am finished with the , by Bob & Melinda Blanchard. I just bought it yesterday and I basically tore through it, deeply taking in each sentence. I don’t know why this book is classified in the Self-Improvement section of Barnes & Noble. It’s not self-help, though; at least, not in the typical sleepy style of most of the “unhelpful” self-improvement books out there. I suppose it could be categorized as self-improvement, but I really consider it inspiration. There are several wonderful “Remember” pages full of and and I felt like I was etching each one on my heart as I read them. It’s that second one – the one about asking questions, that brings me to this post today. Probing into myself isn’t easy. How do you really feel about what you are doing right now at this exact moment? What is your fondest childhood memory? How comfortable are you in your home? How comfortable are you in your town/city? What kind of weather do you like?
47 Ways to Love Yourself Better Than You Do Right Now – TheOrganicSister freeplaylife photography We give and we love and we ask for love in return. We wait and we hurt when the people around us don’t show up…or only show us their messy side. And we forget. We forget that we can give to ourselves. We forget that we need to. My mama posted something on Facebook last week that brought tears to my eyes… “When I was single for YEARS, I used to buy myself flowers on Valentines Day. THIS is it! And dammit, let’s all starting being in a loving, committed, generous relationship with OURSELVES! Be in a relationship with your passion, your voice, your style, your purpose, your curiosity, your kindness, your self-discovery, your growth, your experiences. Let’s shower ourselves with the things we need, the things that light us up, so that we can SHINE and THRIVE! Let’s spread THAT around! Clients ask me how to love themselves better all the time. This is just SOME ideas. Because, sweetheart, you’re worth all that and more. Is this speaking your language?
6 Things You Can Do When You Lack Discipline Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter. One of the biggest problems people face is the lack of discipline — they have goals or habits they want to achieve, but lack that discipline needed to stick with it. Then we beat ourselves up about it. We feel crappy because we can’t stick with it. And that leads to more failure, because we’re forming a mindset that we don’t have the necessary discipline. Here’s what to do when you face a situation like this: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. —If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or Digg.
Overcoming Serious Indecisiveness Opportunity or Problem Recognition: A person discovers that a new opportunity exists or a problem needs resolution. Thirty-five years ago an entrepreneurial leader, Robert Cowan, recognized a new opportunity and asked, "Why do business meetings have to be conducted in person? Why can't they connect through television images?" Immersion: The individual concentrates on the problem and becomes immersed in it. Incubation: The person keeps the assembled information in mind for: a while. Insight: The problem-conquering solution flashes into the person's mind at an unexpected time, such as on the verge of sleep, during a shower, or while running. Verification and Application: The individual sets out to prove that the creative solution has merit. Overcoming traditional sequential thinking is so important to creative thinking that the process has been characterized in several different ways. A basic principle of learning is that practice is necessary to develop and improve skills.
How To Be Confident Authentic and Eudaimonic 8 Acts Of Authenticity "It's the best way to figure out what it feels like to be in someone else's head—and that's what helps us to distinguish our own identity ." — "Meditative absorption creates moments of happiness not contingent on outcomes or external factors or manipulation of the environment . "Authenticity consists in being aware that you have choices and consciously choosing what you do "People often make better decisions when they don't think about them. "Quiet and time for the self are a big plus. "Community is an outlook toward life in which you define yourself in relation to the world around you, rather than only in connection with yourself. "Whether it's taking an art class, playing basketball, running, or just hanging out with friends, doing something you really enjoy allows you to express who you really are "Feelings of inauthenticity are heightened by a lack of a philosophy that allows failure to be part of life. The New, True, Eudaimonic You
20 Ways to Overcome Shyness Can you remember the last time you stepped into a room full of strangers and felt that self-conscious and awkward feeling rush over you? Or that heart thumping moment when you wanted to ask someone on a date, but were too shy to do so? Or wanting to approach someone for business, but was too hesitant to actually do it? That anxiety in the pit of your stomach in social situations? Does it always feel like something is holding you back? Regardless of whether you are introverted or extraverted, we can all relate to that feeling of shyness at some point in our lives. This article is the result of collaboration between Amanda Linehan, an introvert, and Tina Su, an extravert. The Three Components of Shyness According to Dr. Can you relate? Why Do We Experience Shyness? We all experience shyness differently and on varying degrees. 1. This is especially true to our experiences in high school. 2. Amanda: Coupled with a weak self image,I didn’t thinkIwas doing anything right! 3. Photo by Lauren 1.
Reversing Regrets All of us have regrets at some time. It may be spending too much time in a problematic relationship, buying something you realize is not what you thought it would be, wearing a tie that clashes with your jacket, or eating too much dessert. For me, it was buying Lehman Brothers stock before the company crashed. We would have to be immune to learning from experience to say that we never regret something we have done. How can we move beyond the moment of regret so that we don't get stuck? Is there any advantage to continuing your regret? Keep in mind that good decision making is acknowledging a mistake, learning from it, and making life better in the future. For more by Robert Leahy, Ph.D., click here. For more on mindfulness, click here.
If You're Too Busy to Meditate, Read This This morning, like every morning, I sat cross-legged on a cushion on the floor, rested my hands on my knees, closed my eyes, and did nothing but breathe for 20 minutes. People say the hardest part about meditating is finding the time to meditate. This makes sense: who these days has time to do nothing? It’s hard to justify. Meditation brings many benefits: It refreshes us, helps us settle into what’s happening now, makes us wiser and gentler, helps us cope in a world that overloads us with information and communication, and more. How? Research shows that an ability to resist urges will improve your relationships, increase your dependability, and raise your performance. Our ability to resist an impulse determines our success in learning a new behavior or changing an old habit. As it turns out, that’s one of the things meditation teaches us. When I sat down to meditate this morning, relaxing a little more with each out-breath, I was successful in letting all my concerns drift away.
Meditation Produces Opposite Effect of ‘Fight or Flight’ By Traci Pedersen Associate News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on May 4, 2013 A new study reveals that practitioners of meditation experience changes in gene expression that are the exact opposite of what occurs during the “flight or fight” stress response. Specifically, genes associated with energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, insulin secretion, and telomere maintenance are turned on, while those involved in inflammation are turned off. These effects are more significant and consistent for long-term practitioners. People who practice simple meditation aren’t “just relaxing,” explained the study’s senior author, Dr. It’s been shown that repeating a yoga pose, prayer, or mantra while disregarding other thoughts protects against anxiety and depression as well as physical conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and types of cancer that are exacerbated by stress. All of the subjects’ blood samples revealed changes in gene expression following meditation.
16 Scientifically-Backed Ways To Boost Your Happiness Almost Instantly (INFOGRAPHIC) Whether you have five minutes to relax or a year to focus on building lasting habits, here are 16 scientifically-backed ways to boost your happiness levels. Go for a run. Physical activity boosts the brain’s release of endorphins, feel-good neurotransmitters that can improve mood and well-being. Pray. Laugh. Go for a stroll in the park. Perform an act of kindness. Listen to happy music. Walk tall. Meditate. Keep a gratitude journal. Go on vacation. Play with a puppy. Take a nap. Enjoy a nice cup of tea. Volunteer. Have sex. Think of happy times. Association Between Diet and Mental Well-Being Jodi Corbitt had been battling depression for decades and by 2010 had resigned herself to taking antidepressant medication for the rest of her life. Then she decided to start a dietary experiment. To lose weight, the 47-year-old Catonsville, Md., mother stopped eating gluten, a protein found in wheat and related grains. Within a month she had shed several pounds — and her lifelong depression. “It was like a veil lifted and I could see life more clearly,” she recalled. Corbitt had stumbled into an area that scientists have recently begun to investigate: whether food can have as powerful an impact on the mind as it does on the body. Research exploring the link between diet and mental health “is a very new field; the first papers only came out a few years ago,” said Michael Berk, a professor of psychiatry at the Deakin University School of Medicine in Australia. “Diet quality” refers to the kinds of foods that people eat, how often they eat them and how much of them they eat. Gut bacteria