Disapproving Faces

Monday, August 4, 2008 at 09:46AM
Posted by Registered CommenterJennifer Ransaw Smith in

Not Everybody Will Like You

It is not necessarily a pleasant experience, but there will be times in our lives when we come across people who do not like us. As we know, like attracts like, so usually when they don’t like us it is because they are not like us. Rather than taking it personally, we can let them be who they are, accepting that each of us is allowed to have different perspectives and opinions. When we give others that freedom, we claim it for ourselves as well, releasing ourselves from the need for their approval so we can devote our energy toward more rewarding pursuits.

While approval from others is a nice feeling, when we come to depend on it we may lose our way on our own path. There are those who will not like us no matter what we do, but that doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with us. Each of us has our own filters built from our experiences over time. They may see in us something that is merely a projection of their understanding, but we have no control over the interpretations of others. The best we can do is to hope that the role we play in the script of their lives is helpful to them, and follow our own inner guidance with integrity.

As we reap the benefits of walking our perfect paths, we grow to appreciate the feeling of fully being ourselves. The need to have everyone like us will be replaced by the exhilaration of discovering that we are attracting like-minded individuals into our lives—people who like us because they understand and appreciate the truth of who we are. We free ourselves from trying to twist into shapes that will fit the spaces provided by others’ limited understanding and gain a new sense of freedom, allowing us to expand into becoming exactly who we’re meant to be. And in doing what we know to be right for us, we show others that they can do it too. Cocreating our lives with the universe and its energy of pure potential, we transcend limitations and empower ourselves to shine our unique light, fully and freely.

What do you think?

Where are Your Habits Leading You? By Jack Canfield

Friday, August 1, 2008 at 09:49AM
Posted by Registered CommenterJennifer Ransaw Smith in

You are an accumulation of your habits. From how you get out of bed, how you shower, how you dress, how you walk, sit, and talk, how you respond to the world, how you act in front of others, and how you think; you're living out your habits.

Habits are necessary. They free up your mind so you can concentrate on how to survive day to day. You don't have to think about how to drive your car so you can be on the lookout for danger while you are driving. You don't have to think about how to walk so you can concentrate on where you're going.

Unfortunately, habits can also keep you locked in self-destructive patterns, which will limit your success. To become successful, you will need to drop bad habits and develop new ones that are in line with the life you want to live.

People don't suddenly appear in the life they want to live... their habits determine their outcome!

What are the habits you have that are keeping you from achieving your goals?

Really be honest with yourself here... Are you always running late? Do you return phone calls within 24 hours? Do you get enough sleep? Do you follow through on your promises? Do you plan out your day?

Imagine what your life would be like if all your habits were their productive counterparts!

What would your life be like if you ate healthy meals, exercised and got enough sleep? What if you saved your money, stopped using credit cards and paid cash for everything? What if you stopped procrastinating, overcame your fears, and began networking with people in your field? Would your life be different? I bet it would!

So, my suggested action step for you is to write down some productive habits you could adopt and visualize in your life, step two is to 'act as if' you were living these new habits right now!

I'd like to help you get moving toward creating more successful habits, so I'd recommend you develop four of your new success habits each year, one for each quarter.

Once you pick the new habit you're ready to adopt, next you'll want to create a method that will support your new habit.

Here are some ideas... You could write it down on a card that you keep with you and read several times a day. You could make it a part of your daily visualization. You could also enlist the help of an accountability partner who has habits to change, or work with a personal coach who can keep you on track.

It's important to make a 100% commitment to your new habit, so be specific about the steps that you're willing to take in order to drop an old habit and adopt a new one. Don't be vague about how you will change your habits. Spell it out for yourself so you can recognize situations that motivate you to act out your new habit.

Just developing four new habits a year will dramatically shift your life to be more in line with your vision. And the more in line it becomes, the easier the other habits are to replace because your perspective is shifting and you can see more clearly how your old habits aren't serving you anymore.

Make the decision. Make the commitment. Then watch your new, positive life unfold!

I'll see you in another two weeks in the next edition of Success Strategies. In the meantime, take the time to implement just one of the strategies discussed in today's issue.

© 2008 Jack Canfield

 

Build a support team

Friday, August 1, 2008 at 09:45AM
Posted by Registered CommenterJennifer Ransaw Smith in
It's hard enough to stay positive and keep the faith in the day-to-day pursuit of our dreams. When we associate with negative or unsupportive people, it becomes almost impossible.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to eliminate all of the negative people from our lives because they may be those closest to us-a parent, spouse, sibling, or even best friend. And since these people have history with us, they'll typically remember how we've succeeded or failed in the past. They may simply not be able to think of us in terms of what's possible. The saying "A prophet has no honor in his own home" couldn't be more true.

We all need to create a support team and an environment that provides love and encouragement. Sometimes, those who are closest to us aren't the best people to do that. In that case, we need to find someone who can.

To create the best possible support team, try the following tips:

· Build more relationships that nourish and restore you-with a coach, buddy, spiritual advisor, mentor, or role model. Spend time with people who will hold you to a higher standard.

· Pay less attention to relationships that make it easy for you to maintain the status quo. Some friends will always tell you what you want to hear and let you get away with failure. Spend your time with friends who understand your goal and will help you grow.

· Terminate negative relationships-those focused on gossip, mutual complaining, or making excuses. They add nothing to your journey and are not a good investment of your time and energy.

· Intentionally open yourself to meeting new people.

· Get buy-in from your family. If you can help your family members see how your goal directly benefits them, you'll get more of their support. For example, if you're going back to work, you can point out that the money you make will help pay for a nice family vacation. If your goal is to lose weight, you can explain that being healthier will mean you'll have more energy to be with your kids and spouse.

· Get a support buddy. Share your daily insights and draw strength from each other. This not only provides accountability structure, but it makes the process more fun and enjoyable.

© 2008 Unstoppable Enterprises Inc.

Want to Be Happier? Learn the Law of the Garbage Truck™

Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at 03:51PM
Posted by Registered CommenterJennifer Ransaw Smith in

How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you're the Terminator, you're probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of your success is how quickly you can refocus on what's important.

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. And I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened:

I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when all of a sudden a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, the car skidded, the tires squealed and at the last moment the car stopped just one inch from the other car's back-end.

And what did we see next? The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started swearing at us. How do I know? Ask any New Yorker, some words in New York come with a special face.

And then here's what blew me away. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that!? This guy could have killed us!" And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck™" He said:

Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you.

So when someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well and move on. Believe me. You'll be happier.

So I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home or on the street? It was then that I said, "I don't want the garbage and I'm not going to spread it anymore."

I began to see Garbage Trucks. Like in the movie "The Sixth Sense," where the little boy said, "I see Dead People." Well now "I see Garbage Trucks." I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my taxi driver, I don't take it personally; I just smile, wave, wish them well and move on.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more Garbage Trucks pass you by?

And my taxi driver was right. I am happier.

David J. Pollay

David J. Pollay's book, Beware of Garbage Trucks!™, is due out this Fall. And if you're ready to watch people take the No Garbage Trucks! Pledge™ on the streets of New York, click here. You can also catch David's Monday Morning Momentum™ posts on his blog. David is a syndicated columnist with the North Star Writers Group, and creator of The Happiness Answer™. He is the president of The Momentum Project. And he is a founding associate executive director of the International Positive

Inner Shift

Monday, July 28, 2008 at 09:53AM
Posted by Registered CommenterJennifer Ransaw Smith

The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation. You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew. Seek, therefore, not to find out Who You Are, seek to determine Who You Want to Be.
- Neale Donald Walsch
 

The greatest gift in life is knowing that life is a process of self-discovery. Reading books, taking courses, having conversations that help us reveal our true selves. How many aha! moments are you having a day? If not too many, then maybe you aren't pushing yourself to grow, expand and soar...

I'm reading a richly rewarding book right now that I will share with you later, but almost every page helps expand my consciousness. I can actually feel myself growing, becoming more aware and more conscious about how I respond to siutations and people. I'm slowly learning to love the process of growth...which has been a challenge, because often growth hurts.

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