10 Ways To Start Taking Control or Who’s The Boss
January 18, 2008
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
At first glance, it would seem that positive thinking and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) have nothing to do with one another.
But many people with ADD develop negative thinking patterns because they become frustrated by their challenges and frequent feelings of being overwhelmed. This negative outlook then makes it even harder to manage those challenges and move forward.
Practicing positive thinking allows us to focus on our strengths and accomplishments, which increases happiness and motivation. This, in turn, allows us to spend more time making progress, and less time feeling down and stuck.
The following tips provide practical suggestions that you can use to help you shift into more positive thinking patterns:
1. Take Good Care of Yourself. It’s much easier to be positive when you are eating well, exercising, and getting enough rest.
2. Remind Yourself of the Things You Are Grateful ForStresses and challenges don’t seem quite as bad when you are constantly reminding yourself of the things that are right in life. Taking just 60 seconds a day to stop and appreciate the good things will make a huge difference.
3. Look for the Proof Instead of Making AssumptionsA fear of not being liked or accepted sometimes leads us to assume that we know what others are thinking, but our fears are usually not reality. If you have a fear that a friend or family member’s bad mood is due to something you did, or that your co-workers are secretly gossiping about you when you turn your back, speak up and ask them. Don’t waste time worrying that you did something wrong unless you have proof that there is something to worry about.
4. Refrain from Using Absolutes. Have you ever told a partner You’re ALWAYS late! or complained to a friend “You NEVER call me!” Thinking and speaking in absolutes like ,always and never makes the situation seem worse than it is, and programs your brain into believing that certain people are incapable of delivering.
5. Detach From Negative ThoughtsYour thoughts can’t hold any power over you if you don’t judge them. If you notice yourself having a negative thought, detach from it, witness it, and don’t follow it.
6. Squash the “ANTS”.In his book “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life”, Dr. Daniel Amen talks about “ANTS” - Automatic Negative Thoughts. These are the bad thoughts that are usually reactionary, like “Those people are laughing, they must be talking about me”, or “The boss wants to see me, It must be bad!” When you notice these thoughts, realize that they are nothing more than ANTs and squash them!
7. Practice Lovin, Touchin & Squeezin (Your Friends and Family)You don’t have to be an expert to know the benefits of a good hug. Positive physical contact with friends, loved ones, and even pets, is an instant pick-me-up. One research study on this subject had a waitress touch some of her customers on the arm as she handed them their checks. She received higher tips from these customers than from the ones she didn’t touch!
8. Increase Your Social ActivityBy increasing social activity, you decrease loneliness. Surround yourself with healthy, happy people, and their positive energy will affect you in a positive way!
9. Volunteer for an Organization, or Help another PersonEveryone feels good after helping. You can volunteer your time, your money, or your resources. The more positive energy you put out into the world, the more you will receive in return.
10. Use Pattern Interrupts to Combat RuminationIf you find yourself ruminating, a great way to stop it is to interrupt the pattern and force yourself to do something completely different. Rumination is like hyper-focus on something negative. It?s never productive, because it?s not rational or solution-oriented, it’s just excessive worry. Try changing your physical environment - go for a walk or sit outside. You could also call a friend, pick up a book, or turn on some music.
When it comes to the corporate world, protocol is pretty much the religion. To know the things needed to do are the basics of productivity, but interaction and having a steady mind makes up the entire thing to true productivity.
There are those who seem to work well even under pressure, but they’re uncommon ones and we are human and imperfect. To get these little things like stress under our skins won’t solve our problems. Sometimes it takes a bit of courage to admit that we?re turning to be workaholics than tell ourselves that we’re not doing our best.
Popularity: 30% [?]
Sixteen Rules To Live By
January 18, 2008
I was reading Bob Parsons blog and I found the 16 rules he tries to live by interesting, so I thought I?d pass them on to you. Hope you benefit from them:
Here are the 16 rules I try to live by:
1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone. I believe that not much happens of any significance when we?re in our comfort zone. I hear people say, ?But I?m concerned about security.? My response to that is simple: ?Security is for cadavers.?
2. Never give up. Almost nothing works the first time it?s attempted. Just because what you?re doing does not seem to be working, doesn?t mean it won?t work. It just means that it might not work the way you?re doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn?t have an opportunity.
3. When you?re ready to quit, you?re closer than you think. There?s an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: ?The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.?
4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be. Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of ?undefined consequences.? My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, ?Well, Robert, if it doesn?t work, they can?t eat you.?
5. Focus on what you want to have happen. Remember that old saying, ?As you think, so shall you be.?
6. Take things a day at a time. No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don?t look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.
7. Always be moving forward. Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.
8. Be quick to decide. Remember what General George S. Patton said: ?A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow.?
9. Measure everything of significance. I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.
10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate. If you want to uncover problems you don?t know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven?t examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.
11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you?re doing. When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.
12. Never let anybody push you around. In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you?re doing as anyone else, provided that what you?re doing is legal.
13. Never expect life to be fair. Life isn?t fair. You make your own breaks. You?ll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).
14. Solve your own problems. You?ll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you?ll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: ?You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others.? There?s also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: ?A wise man keeps his own counsel.?
15. Don?t take yourself too seriously. Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.
16. There?s always a reason to smile. Find it. After all, you?re really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: ?We?re not here for a long time; we?re here for a good time.? A special word of thanks. I owe a special thanks to Brian Dunn. When I first wrote these rules down and was thinking about compiling them into a book ? that book, like most books I suppose, has been half-done for a while ; ? Brian read them and suggested a title. His suggestion was, ?They Can?t Eat You.?
I like Brian?s suggestion for two reasons: 1. It reminds me of my Dad. I sure miss him; and 2. It?s true. No matter how difficult things get, you?re going to be OK. It?s very important to realize that. Thanks, Brian. [The above rules for survival is included with the permission of Bob Parsons www.bobparsons.com and is Copyright ? 2004-2006 by Bob Parsons. All rights reserved.]
Popularity: 28% [?]
The Secret of “The Secret”
January 18, 2008
The Secret is being able to hold a controlled vision of the direction of your life without losing site of that.
So here?s the question to ask yourself.
If I could achieve 3 measurable priorities in the next 10 years that would make a 50% difference in my lifelong contribution ( to the planet) what would they be?
Then take your journal and write them out as if you have accomplished them and are looking back at them today.
So, a little tip for this is would be to set your vision 10 years past your desired outcome. Come from the place of looking back at your 5 year plan. If you plan to be in your beach front house in a tropical location in 5 years then start 10-15 years out in the future and describe how that vision looks, peering back at it.
If you haven?t watched the secret yet then here is the link to the site. www.thesecret.tv
Do you think this could make a difference to your life? Let me know with your comments below.
Aeriol.
Popularity: 26% [?]
How To Live To Be 100
January 18, 2008
Okay we are all getting older no matter that they try to say “ 50 Is the new 30” etc. and so on. We are all avoiding the inevitable. So you have a couple of options. You can either gripe and moan about it or you can get on with it and find your way to stay fit and healthy for as long as possible.
You can take the alternative choice of having work done if you fancy having chunks hacked out of your body. But let’s talk about common sense solutions. Things we can all do that don’t cause pain or create further health risks.
The biggest challenge we all have is admitting that we are getting older. I know personally I dread looking too close in the mirror and I have 50 year old family members working very hard to look like their 18 year old daughter. This is fooling no one.
Many of the recommendations are vague. “Get fit”, this depends on your definition of fit. Eat healthy… so does that mean carbs , protein, low protein, high carbs it’s confusing ? Hard to know these days with all the misinformation.
Much of the info is totally conflicting such as the “fact” that we are now to stay out of the sun, it is a deadly killer, yet most of us are suffering from vitamin D deprivation that the sun provides.
So here are some common sense Ideas for your health and wellbeing. They should also help you to improve your wealth since attitude is everything. This is what I work on and And hopefully you will also add some quality suggestions to the blog.
1/ Don’t join a gym. Gyms promote lots of weight training and aerobics.
As we get older, tighter in our joints and more contracted we usually need to stretch more not contract . So exercises that are gentle, stretch and tone us are better for over 40’s. Yoga, Tai Chi, Swimming. You want to open things back up, gently and tone them. Pilates is another good one and walking is the best exercise of all. Focus on 30 minutes a day 6 days a week.
2/ Swim, this deserves it’s own point. Swimming tones your muscles and protects your joints as you roll in the water. It helps you to build stamina and flexibility. It also soothes, smoothes and destresses the body. After a 30 min. swim you will walk taller, be calmer and little aches will have vanished if only for a short while. Swimming in a pool you will need googles. A good healthy idea.
3/ Walk, in fact buy a pair of Nordic walking sticks to further cushion joints. After about age 30 the last thing we all really need is exercise that pounds the joints. Swimming, walking, are good non pounding aerobic exercises. Believe it or not yoga and tai chi are also aerobic as well as stretching and toning the muscles while protecting joints. You don’t have to do the pretzel thing and there are lots of yoga videos and online yoga classes as well these days with good variety. These types of exercise knit your joints together while running, tennis, squash and other fast moving sports pull your body apart and ultimately damage health.
4/ Drink water, preferably reverse osmosis water as it seems to be the most pure. Your body is 70% water. It flushes your system, improves the look of your skin and alleviates hunger and feelings of depression. Many folks who feel depressed simply don’t get enough water. Some folks say 8 glasses a day and others 10-12.
Well it’s your body and you know best. Drink until you are feeling really good and then do it every day. You can overdo anything and if you overdo it you can weaken your kidneys, so be sensible.
5/ Be positive. Drinking lots of water helps with this since your energy and mood pick up.. If you have pals that never have anything good to say about anyone then dump them. Don’t allow yourself to be surrounded by negative people .
6/ Look after your teeth. Teeth seem to be the windows to health. (Eyes the windows to the soul) So keep up with the 6 month maintenance, floss regularly and eat your fruits. Remember your gums are now in recession and that can cause lots of mouth misery so floss, floss, floss.
7/ Stop moaning. If someone asks how you are say, “ Great How Are you”? Have you ever noticed that it’s those with the minor creaks and ailments that are always cranking on. The person with cancer plays it down or says nothing and has far more grace than the cranky complainer. No one wants to hear about it and it helps to perpetuate your ill health and ill temper.
8/ Wine is good for you. Some say red, but both will do the job as far as I can see.
Drink up.
9/ Go out and have a good time. Be Sociable . Don’t stay in your comfort zone, say yes to the new and unusual. Travel with a pal if you can.
10/ Eat lots of Greens. They will keep you slimmer and your digestive system will work much better so top up your plate with 2/3 greens ( note greens not carbs) and 1/3 protein. Stick to carbs that are root vegy’s ( squashes, turnips, routabagos etc.)in small portions. Reduce the fats unless they are omega 3’s and cut the salt in half.
11/ Find a partner and have sex. Yes this is one of the things that those who get to blow out 100 candles participate in until late in life.
12/ Get your finances in order. To live long and be happy you will need a nice big fat nest egg, or it could be a living hell. Buy a home and as soon as you can, purchase a second. (while renting out one of them) Or teach yourself about the stock market, take courses or get outside help ( advisor) to help you invest and plan for your future wisely. You will need resources and must learn to preserve them and save or invest for your future.
Develop what if scenarios… “ What if something happened and I couldn’t work anymore at my chosen vocation”, “What if I want to travel 2 months per year.”
13/ Get your weight down. Most centenarians are not obese. In fact most male centenarians are really lean. Obesity is linked to heart disease and higher degrees of cancer. So improve your food choices, cut out the pasta dinners, bread, potatoes and rice.
Choose small amounts of proteins and top up with veg. Generally just cut back your portions and have small sweet treats. I just take one or two bites and put the rest back.
One of the secrets to eating well is home cooked meals. I remember my grandparents always cooking their own meals. They wouldn’t eat out. Everything we get out today seems to be full of hidden fat and salt. All processed foods are full of sodium. If your at the grocery store take a look at the sodium count per serving. If it’s over 160 grams put the item back and buy something you will have to cook from scratch. Get a small “slow cooker “and cooking will become much less of a chore. Just freeze the extra portions in meal size containers for days you are not in the mood to cook.
However, looking at the New England Centenarian Study Dr. Valese says that “ attitude is one of the most important predictors of longevity”.
So look forward to getting older, decide now that the changes it will bring will open up new opportunities and vistas for your life.
Find work, or a hobby or avocation that brings you joy. Sometimes we are in a bit of a boring job with a great pension and don’t want to leave because of the benefits. So start a part time side business and watch your energy go right up. Or find somewhere to help others who need your assistance. For me training and coaching give me that joy.
Hope this list of tips helps please feel free to share your great ideas on the blog as well.
Popularity: 42% [?]
Get your copy of "Tips In A Jar".
100 Tips on Living well,
Business, Money & Getting The Life You Want from an Experienced Entrepeneur, Speaker and Real Estate Investor.
