20 Must-See Places Before The World Ends 12 Things Successful People Do Differently Email I’ve always been fascinated by people who are consistently successful at what they do; especially those who experience repeated success in many areas of their life throughout their lifetime. In entertainment, I think of Clint Eastwood and Oprah Winfrey. Over the years I’ve studied the lives of numerous successful people. 1. Successful people are objective. S.M.A.R.T. goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. Specific – A general goal would be, “Get in shape.” When you identify S.M.A.R.T. goals that are truly important to you, you become motivated to figure out ways to attain them. 2. Sadly, very few people ever live to become the success story they dream about. They never take action! The acquisition of knowledge doesn’t mean you’re growing. It doesn’t matter if you have a genius IQ and a PhD in Quantum Physics, you can’t change anything or make any sort of real-world progress without taking action. 3. In his book, The 4-Hour Workweek 4. 5. . 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
30 Good Karma Things To Do With Your Free Time Email by Barrie Davenport of Live Bold and Bloom. If you cut to the chase of the meaning of life, it’s the ‘meaning’ part that we all long for. Beyond all of the stuff, excitement, and happiness we chase on any given day, all of us want to feel like we’ve made an impact on the world in some way. We need to know that we’ve made a difference. Does the idea of making an impact on the world cause you to hyperventilate a bit – like you might have to join the Peace Corps or adopt an orphan from Indonesia? Those are great things for sure, and there are many bold and courageous people whose lives are dedicated to making a huge difference in the world. You can make a difference in the world and create some good karma for yourself in the short, often forgotten, free moments of your day or week. Lost time is never found again. Think about those times when you are in an elevator, sitting in traffic, surfing the Internet. Here are some ideas for spending these time gaps in purpose-filled ways: 1. 2. 3.
Happy Thoughts: Here are the things proven to make you happier: Time to round up the research on living a happy life to see what we can use. First, yeah, a good chunk of happiness is controlled by your genes but there’s a lot you can do to make yourself happier. Many of these techniques have been repeatedly tested and even worked with the clinically depressed. Gratitude, Gratitude, Gratitude I can’t emphasize this one enough. It will make you happier. It will improve your relationships. It can make you a better person. It can make life better for everyone around you. Bronze medalists are happier than silver medalists. Every night before you go to bed write three good things that happened to you that day. There’s a second lesson here: the reverse is also true. Wanna make yourself and someone else extremely happy? Do what you are good at as often as you can “Signature strengths” are the things you are uniquely good at and using them increases happy thoughts. Think about the best possible version of yourself and move toward that. Money is good. Give Savor 1.
28 Dignified Ways to Impress Everyone Around You post written by: Marc Chernoff Email Far more often than any of us like to admit, our actions are driven by an inner desire to impress other people. This desire is often reflected in the brand name products we use, the bars and restaurants we frequent, the houses and cars we buy and the careers we choose. But are name brand products, fancy bars, houses and cars really that impressive? Why? Consider the following questions: He drives a Porsche, but can he truly afford the car payment? You get the idea. Now take a moment and imagine a person who loves what he does for a living, smiles frequently and bleeds passion in every breath he takes. Here are 28 dignified ways to impress everyone around you. We make a living by what we get. Be authentic. Of course, the coolest thing about this list is that everything you need to impress everyone around you is already contained within you. Photo by: Khalid If you enjoyed this article, check out our new best-selling book.
15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. 1. There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. 2. Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. “By letting it go it all gets done. 3. Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. 4. Oh my. “The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. 5. Give up your limiting beliefs about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. 6. 7. 8. 9.
12 Things You Should Be Able to Say About Yourself You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. – Mae West You know you’re on the right track when you can repeat each of the following headlines to yourself, honestly. (And if you can’t, this list gives you something positive to work on.) 1. Don’t be pushed by your problems. Each of us has a fire in our hearts burning for something. And as you strive to achieve your goals, you can count on there being some fairly substantial disappointments along the way. 2. You are your own best friend and your own biggest critic. People who are proud of themselves tend to have passions in life, feel content and set good examples for others. Being proud isn’t bragging about how great you are; it’s more like quietly knowing that you’re worth a lot. 3. Act as if what you do makes a difference. Is it true that we all live to serve? You are only one, but you are one. 4. Happiness is within you, in your way of thinking. Being grateful will always make you happy. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
137 Ways to Pamper Yourself, Lift Your Spirits, or Recharge Your Life : Parentables - StumbleUpon Photo: tibchris / Creative Commons Is your tension helmet screwed on too tightly? Are your cranky pants giving you a wedgie? Perhaps you need a distraction or you want to beat a craving. Maybe you need a big life change. Or maybe you just need a nap. Whether you're looking for a boost to soldier through a tough day, pampering on your downtime or a thrilling life experience, this list has you covered. See also: 99 Ways to Use This Winter to Have a Blast, Comfort Yourself, or Take Control of Your Life Connect 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Aromatherapy 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Seek Water to See, Soak, Splash or Swim austinevan / Creative Commons 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. Touch 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. Spa or at-Home Treatments Unique Hotels Group / Creative Commons 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. Taste 37. 38. 39. 40. Outdoor Rest and Relaxation Will Merydith / Creative Commons 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. Indoor Rest and Relaxation 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. Savor a Warm Beverage 57. 58. 59. 60.
An Antidote to the Age of Anxiety: Alan Watts on Happiness and How to Live with Presence “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives,” Annie Dillard wrote in her timeless reflection on presence over productivity — a timely antidote to the central anxiety of our productivity-obsessed age. Indeed, my own New Year’s resolution has been to stop measuring my days by degree of productivity and start experiencing them by degree of presence. But what, exactly, makes that possible? This concept of presence is rooted in Eastern notions of mindfulness — the ability to go through life with crystalline awareness and fully inhabit our experience — largely popularized in the West by British philosopher and writer Alan Watts (January 6, 1915–November 16, 1973), who also gave us this fantastic meditation on the life of purpose. If to enjoy even an enjoyable present we must have the assurance of a happy future, we are “crying for the moon.” What keeps us from happiness, Watts argues, is our inability to fully inhabit the present: Thanks, Ken
12 Stressful Things to Stop Tolerating post written by: Marc Chernoff Email Needless tolerations can bleed you dry of energy and make it impossible for you to function effectively. You can’t live a happy, successful, fulfilling life if you’re spending all your energy tolerating things that shouldn’t be tolerated. Sometimes you need to put your foot down. Here are some things to stop tolerating in your life: The decision to settle for mediocrity. – It’s not always about trying to fix something that’s broken. Photo by: White Ribbons If you enjoyed this article, check out our new best-selling book. And get inspiring life tips and quotes in your inbox (it's free)...
25 clever ideas to make life easier Via: amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.com Why didn’t I think of that?! We guarantee you’ll be uttering those words more than once at these ingenious little tips, tricks and ideas that solve everyday problems … some you never knew you had! (Above: hull strawberries easily using a straw). Via: apartmenttherapy.com Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes. Via: unplggd.com Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or computer screen with WD40 (also works on walls). Via: athomewithrealfood.blogspot.com Stop cut apples browning in your child’s lunch box by securing with a rubber band. Via: marthastewart.com Overhaul your linen cupboard – store bedlinen sets inside one of their own pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match. Via: realsimple.com Pump up the volume by placing your iPhone / iPod in a bowl – the concave shape amplifies the music. Via: savvyhousekeeping.com Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags. Via: iheartnaptime.net
15 Ways to Live, and Not Merely Exist post written by: Marc Chernoff Email As Jack London once said, “The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.” Far too often we travel through life on autopilot, going through the motions, accepting what is, and having every day pass like the one before it. Everything seems relatively normal and comfortable, except that constant twitch in the back of your mind that’s saying, “It’s time to make some changes.” Here are 15 simple suggestions for those who want to break free from the mold and truly live more of their life – to experience it and enjoy it to the fullest, instead of settling for a mere existence. Appreciate the great people and things in your life. – Sometimes we don’t notice the things others do for us until they stop doing them. Photo by: Toni Blay If you enjoyed this article, check out our new best-selling book. And get inspiring life tips and quotes in your inbox (it's free)...