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Anxiety is a fact of life. Being part of our psychological makeup, this response is automatic when we are faced with situations threatening our sense of well-being. We can influence our response if we have sufficient awareness and discipline to counter its unhealthy effects.
Allowing anxiety to dominate our thoughts can result in stress and depression. Little do we know that most of the fears we cater are unfounded; our minds have taken the habit of conjuring a scenario wherein feared situations arise. Left uncontrolled, these fears will be incorporated into our reality, thus stifling our view of the truth. If we are to take control of our anxieties, we must stop feeding our thoughts with negative images. Instead, we should put our focus more on the clear facts surrounding us and deduce therein our real worries and concern. This will then reduce the gravity of our anxiety.
Still the question arises: How can we deal with anxiety?
To be honest, dealing with anxiety is not an easy task. Our makeup makes it hard to resist this automatic brain response. However, through practice and willingness, we can change our approach in dealing with anxiety.
First and foremost, we have to understand the nature of our fears. We need to find where it’s coming from and why are we experiencing such feelings. Without this understanding we cannot affect an appropriate response should anxiety dominate our thoughts. Gaining an understanding of the nature of our anxieties will bring forth clarity on our part. This important factor is the key to alter the influence of fear on our minds. Once we become aware of our anxieties we are able to allow our reason to intervene.
Validating the source of our anxieties will take time, discipline and persistence. Every time anxiety enters our thoughts it is imperative to enforce our intervention through awareness, then make some validations as to the reality of the objects of our anxieties. Once we deduce the truth from fiction we have to eliminate the lies by reprogramming our thinking; though it may be hard at first practice makes perfect.
In my experience I have been challenged by my worries. What I’ve learned though is that the huge percentage of all my worries is nothing more than the illusions of my mind. It took me time to realize how much time and energy I have wasted thinking of my senseless worries. Had I immediately weeded out the facts from lies, I could have made better decisions.
Before you drown yourself of anxieties, consider the following approaches:
•Ask yourself: What am I anxious about? Does my fear have any substance?
•Make an analysis of the situation and separate the real from the unreal.
•Focus on finding solution rather than brooding over worries.
•Use your common sense when dissecting the cause of your anxieties. (Most of us worry over stupid things).
•If senseless anxieties forces its way, counter it by engaging yourself on productive activities.
•Seek help when needed.
We don’t have to punish ourselves over our anxieties. The choice is always ours whether we confine ourselves to our self-made fear or seek understanding about the true nature of our worries. There’s a lot more to life than being anxious.
I pray that this article empowers you to "Get A L.I.F.E."
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
5 Ways to Create a Positive Work Environment
We have all worked at places that we were less than excited to get up in the mornings and go to; this is an awful feeling. It is much more pleasurable, and less stressful to go to a work environment that is filled with positivity and enjoyment. A positive work environment is not only important for our physical, mental and emotional health, but is also important for the results that we produce for the company. The better we feel at work, the more likely we will take pride in our job activities and be loyal towards our place of employment.
So let’s look at some ways to create a positive working environment.
1. Accept the right position
The first step to creating a positive work environment is to secure a position that positively suits you. Before you accept a position, you should know what your key skills are; what type of work you want to do, what kind of role you would like, where you see yourself in five years, and what kind of environment you thrive in. Knowing the answers to these questions will help you to recognize those opportunities that meet those criteria, giving you a running start.
2. Be a positive person
Present an attitude of positivity and approachability. Show coworkers that you are available and wiling to help them. Walk around with a smile, and make eye contact with those you pass in the hallways. Be friendly, pleasant and nice. Talk with kindness, encouragement, civility, and respect. Ask questions before making assumptions. Be fun to work with. Listen to others with interest; and finally, don’t complain, whine or gossip.
3. Take responsibility
Take responsibility for the direction of your career. Ultimately you are responsible for creating an environment in which you can learn and grow. The longer you stay on a “dead-end” career path, the harder it will be to stay positive. If you are not happy with the current directions of your career, communicate that to your manager if you wish to stay with the company; otherwise, look for another job that you feel is a better match.
4. Communicate with your manager
Meet with your manager regularly to ensure you are on track for meeting his or her expectations, and your performance goals. Don’t always wait for your manager to reach out to you. Informing your manager about the status of the activities you are performing shows that you are credible, trustworthy, interested in the business, and committed to your job. You may even consider sending a weekly status report indicating what you are working on, what you have completed, and what you have pending.
5. Be social
Interact with your colleagues in a non-working way. Join a company team or group. Bring a few games in that you can play over your lunch break. Celebrate birthdays, and other special events. Cultivate working friendships. Organize a competitive sporting event. Organize a departmental pot luck lunch. There are so many things that you can do to connect with others while at work.
So, if you are wondering what a positive work environment looks like, here are some signs.
• You are doing a job that you enjoy
• Your ideas are valued
• Your creativity is encouraged
• You feel appreciated
• The job matches your skill set
• You have work friends that you can talk to
• Your manager is approachable
• There is room for you to grow
• You are recognized when you do good work
• You feel like a part of a team
• You look forward to coming to work
• You are respected
• You are happy while at work
• Work is fun
I pray that this article empowers you to "Get A L.I.F.E."
So let’s look at some ways to create a positive working environment.
1. Accept the right position
The first step to creating a positive work environment is to secure a position that positively suits you. Before you accept a position, you should know what your key skills are; what type of work you want to do, what kind of role you would like, where you see yourself in five years, and what kind of environment you thrive in. Knowing the answers to these questions will help you to recognize those opportunities that meet those criteria, giving you a running start.
2. Be a positive person
Present an attitude of positivity and approachability. Show coworkers that you are available and wiling to help them. Walk around with a smile, and make eye contact with those you pass in the hallways. Be friendly, pleasant and nice. Talk with kindness, encouragement, civility, and respect. Ask questions before making assumptions. Be fun to work with. Listen to others with interest; and finally, don’t complain, whine or gossip.
3. Take responsibility
Take responsibility for the direction of your career. Ultimately you are responsible for creating an environment in which you can learn and grow. The longer you stay on a “dead-end” career path, the harder it will be to stay positive. If you are not happy with the current directions of your career, communicate that to your manager if you wish to stay with the company; otherwise, look for another job that you feel is a better match.
4. Communicate with your manager
Meet with your manager regularly to ensure you are on track for meeting his or her expectations, and your performance goals. Don’t always wait for your manager to reach out to you. Informing your manager about the status of the activities you are performing shows that you are credible, trustworthy, interested in the business, and committed to your job. You may even consider sending a weekly status report indicating what you are working on, what you have completed, and what you have pending.
5. Be social
Interact with your colleagues in a non-working way. Join a company team or group. Bring a few games in that you can play over your lunch break. Celebrate birthdays, and other special events. Cultivate working friendships. Organize a competitive sporting event. Organize a departmental pot luck lunch. There are so many things that you can do to connect with others while at work.
So, if you are wondering what a positive work environment looks like, here are some signs.
• You are doing a job that you enjoy
• Your ideas are valued
• Your creativity is encouraged
• You feel appreciated
• The job matches your skill set
• You have work friends that you can talk to
• Your manager is approachable
• There is room for you to grow
• You are recognized when you do good work
• You feel like a part of a team
• You look forward to coming to work
• You are respected
• You are happy while at work
• Work is fun
I pray that this article empowers you to "Get A L.I.F.E."
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Are You Living Another Person's Life?
I hope not.
How do you want to live your life? What goal do you want to achieve in life? 10 years from now, when you look back, what kind of life will you want to see? Even further, when you look back in your 70s or 80s, what kind of life would you like to see? Will that be a fulfilling life? Or will that be living someone else’s life without ever living yours?
Sadly, many people just live someone else’s life. It means that they live according to what other people say to them or expect of them. Year by year pass and they have no idea where they are going.
When we have clarity about our life, all decisions will be easier to make. We won’t live according to what the trends are or what everyone is doing. We will have firm foundation for every decision we make.
The earlier we get this clarity the better. Why? Because we can never get back the years which have passed. They are gone forever!
Learning about this, I started thinking about my life. I once thought that I may want to pursue an accounting career. Was that really good for me or was I just following the trend? I also thought that after graduating I wanted to work for a big company. But is that what my life should be? Well, I had to re-think those things.
I was afraid that 10 years from now I will look back and see that I have wasted years of my life living someone else’s life.
I pray that this article empowers you to "Get A L.I.F.E."
How do you want to live your life? What goal do you want to achieve in life? 10 years from now, when you look back, what kind of life will you want to see? Even further, when you look back in your 70s or 80s, what kind of life would you like to see? Will that be a fulfilling life? Or will that be living someone else’s life without ever living yours?
Sadly, many people just live someone else’s life. It means that they live according to what other people say to them or expect of them. Year by year pass and they have no idea where they are going.
When we have clarity about our life, all decisions will be easier to make. We won’t live according to what the trends are or what everyone is doing. We will have firm foundation for every decision we make.
The earlier we get this clarity the better. Why? Because we can never get back the years which have passed. They are gone forever!
Learning about this, I started thinking about my life. I once thought that I may want to pursue an accounting career. Was that really good for me or was I just following the trend? I also thought that after graduating I wanted to work for a big company. But is that what my life should be? Well, I had to re-think those things.
I was afraid that 10 years from now I will look back and see that I have wasted years of my life living someone else’s life.
I pray that this article empowers you to "Get A L.I.F.E."
Monday, September 27, 2010
14 Common Sense Ways to Live a Better Life
You’ve probably noticed that the market is saturated with self-help guides, audio books, and seminars by motivational speakers such as myself. This is simply proof that most people enjoy receiving advice from others.
Here are a few “tips” that I’ve discovered on my own, but most of them are common sense. I think if you do your best to take them to heart, you’ll start to notice a clearer head and a bigger smile on your face.
1. Wake up at a reasonable hour. Everyone’s schedule is different, so if you work the night shift, your “reasonable hour” may be noon, but it’s a good idea to wake up before you have to. Many people have the horrible habit of crawling out of bed ten minutes before they have to be out the door. You have no time to eat, and if anything goes wrong, you’re automatically late. Give yourself some time to gather your thoughts before you start your day.
2. Think of something that you have to look forward to. Once the alarm goes off and the initial confusion of “Ugh, it’s already morning!” has ended, think of something cool that you have going on in your life at the moment. Yeah, it sounds stupid, but it’s pretty helpful … and I’m sure you can think of something. Come on, anything! It can be as simple as, “Oh yeah! It’s Thursday, and that means it’s almost Friday! Weekend, here I come!”
3. Look in the mirror. I’ve seen plenty of people in the movies and on TV shows who look at themselves in the mirror each morning and say things like, “You’re awesome!” or “You can do it!” before they start their day. I know this sounds relatively insane, but it helps—and I speak from experience. If you can’t tell yourself that you’re good at something and actually believe it, why should you believe anyone else who says it?
4. Take a shower and get dressed. This may be a no-brainer, but spending five or ten minutes in the shower will help clear your head and make you feel a whole lot better. Hopefully you can even find clean clothes to wear. (You know, ones that were hanging in the closet as opposed to the ones that are still in the laundry basket on the floor, wrinkled and covered with dust).
5. Scan the news online, read the “real” newspaper for a few minutes, or tune into the news channel on TV for a few minutes. However you get your news is up to you, but it’s a good idea to stay on top of things that are going on in the world, even though lately most of the news makes everyone angry. You shouldn’t be ignorant about issues that may affect you personally, and you’ll want to have firsthand knowledge as to what’s happening in case someone asks you about it later or tries to force their opinions on you as “the truth.”
6. Eat breakfast. Eating breakfast is a biggie that a lot of people skip, (me included) so be sure to eat something. A container of yogurt, a banana, maybe a granola bar as you run out the door … just be sure to eat. You’ll need energy to get through the morning. A cup of coffee is not breakfast—even if it has chocolate syrup in it and whipped cream on top.
7. Make a to-do-list each day. I prefer the night before your day begins. This allows you to start your day already knowing what needs to be done. I am a youth pastor and operate a motivational speaking career, so it’s a huge benefit to know what I have going on each day. Even if you spend your days at the office, you’ll still want to have some kind of agenda to follow. Set up a schedule on your Blackberry or write things down on a legal pad, but do it somehow … or you’ll wind up forgetting something important.
8. Get to work safely. Again, I mainly work from home, but if you drive to work – or ride your bike to work, or take the bus or train – do it safely. This is also why it’s a good idea to wake up relatively early. Rushing leads to speeding and speeding leads to tickets or fender benders … which will make you even later than you were going to be in the first place.
9. Take a deep breath and count to 3 when something starts to bug you. Co-workers, clients, things that aren’t going as smoothly as possible … there are dozens of things that can easily start to drive you nuts at the drop of a hat. You don’t want to wind up getting so frustrated with someone or something that you wind up going postal, so close your eyes and take a deep breath as you mentally count to three before you say something you may regret. Most likely, whatever’s bugging you isn’t as bad as you think it is.
10. Periodically take a break … away from your desk! Be sure to walk away from your desk every few hours. You’ll wind up getting frustrated if you sit there staring at your monitor nonstop, and your eyes will start to hurt. Getting up for five or ten minutes every three or four hours will not blow your entire day, believe me. You also need to take a break and eat lunch. Sitting at your desk with a Snickers bar that you got from the vending machine doesn’t count.
11. Tie up as many loose ends as possible before the work day ends. We all know that some days you’ll wind up working later than expected, but don’t make it a habit or your boss (or you) will start to assume that you really do work twelve hours each day even though you get paid for eight. Get as many things done as possible each day, but try to leave on time. There’s always tomorrow.
12. Eat dinner. I had to stress the importance of eating breakfast and lunch, so of course I’m going to remind you to eat dinner! And if today is one of those days you wind up putting in some overtime, get up from your desk to eat dinner. A carton of Chinese take-out every night of the week will begin to affect your waistline and your mood. Try to eat dinner with other people, if possible. Everyone should have that interaction with family and friends.
13. Enjoy a hobby after work. Whether it’s taking a bike ride or a walk, watching a movie, reading a book, it’s a good idea to have some sort of hobby besides work! Spend an hour or two doing something that you enjoy to help get your mind off of work.
14. Unwind a bit before bed, and get ready to repeat the cycle tomorrow! Whether “unwinding” involves the above-mentioned hobby or something else, take time to chill out for a bit before hitting the sack. This will give you the ability to get a good night’s sleep, wake up, and do it all over again … and if this happens on Friday night, you probably don’t have to go to work tomorrow! Even better!
Yes, some of these fourteen tips might seem a bit common sense. The funny thing is they really work. I guarantee that implementing them into your daily routine will make you feel happier and more excited about the possibilities that each day brings!
I pray that this article empowers you to "Get A L.I.F.E."
Here are a few “tips” that I’ve discovered on my own, but most of them are common sense. I think if you do your best to take them to heart, you’ll start to notice a clearer head and a bigger smile on your face.
1. Wake up at a reasonable hour. Everyone’s schedule is different, so if you work the night shift, your “reasonable hour” may be noon, but it’s a good idea to wake up before you have to. Many people have the horrible habit of crawling out of bed ten minutes before they have to be out the door. You have no time to eat, and if anything goes wrong, you’re automatically late. Give yourself some time to gather your thoughts before you start your day.
2. Think of something that you have to look forward to. Once the alarm goes off and the initial confusion of “Ugh, it’s already morning!” has ended, think of something cool that you have going on in your life at the moment. Yeah, it sounds stupid, but it’s pretty helpful … and I’m sure you can think of something. Come on, anything! It can be as simple as, “Oh yeah! It’s Thursday, and that means it’s almost Friday! Weekend, here I come!”
3. Look in the mirror. I’ve seen plenty of people in the movies and on TV shows who look at themselves in the mirror each morning and say things like, “You’re awesome!” or “You can do it!” before they start their day. I know this sounds relatively insane, but it helps—and I speak from experience. If you can’t tell yourself that you’re good at something and actually believe it, why should you believe anyone else who says it?
4. Take a shower and get dressed. This may be a no-brainer, but spending five or ten minutes in the shower will help clear your head and make you feel a whole lot better. Hopefully you can even find clean clothes to wear. (You know, ones that were hanging in the closet as opposed to the ones that are still in the laundry basket on the floor, wrinkled and covered with dust).
5. Scan the news online, read the “real” newspaper for a few minutes, or tune into the news channel on TV for a few minutes. However you get your news is up to you, but it’s a good idea to stay on top of things that are going on in the world, even though lately most of the news makes everyone angry. You shouldn’t be ignorant about issues that may affect you personally, and you’ll want to have firsthand knowledge as to what’s happening in case someone asks you about it later or tries to force their opinions on you as “the truth.”
6. Eat breakfast. Eating breakfast is a biggie that a lot of people skip, (me included) so be sure to eat something. A container of yogurt, a banana, maybe a granola bar as you run out the door … just be sure to eat. You’ll need energy to get through the morning. A cup of coffee is not breakfast—even if it has chocolate syrup in it and whipped cream on top.
7. Make a to-do-list each day. I prefer the night before your day begins. This allows you to start your day already knowing what needs to be done. I am a youth pastor and operate a motivational speaking career, so it’s a huge benefit to know what I have going on each day. Even if you spend your days at the office, you’ll still want to have some kind of agenda to follow. Set up a schedule on your Blackberry or write things down on a legal pad, but do it somehow … or you’ll wind up forgetting something important.
8. Get to work safely. Again, I mainly work from home, but if you drive to work – or ride your bike to work, or take the bus or train – do it safely. This is also why it’s a good idea to wake up relatively early. Rushing leads to speeding and speeding leads to tickets or fender benders … which will make you even later than you were going to be in the first place.
9. Take a deep breath and count to 3 when something starts to bug you. Co-workers, clients, things that aren’t going as smoothly as possible … there are dozens of things that can easily start to drive you nuts at the drop of a hat. You don’t want to wind up getting so frustrated with someone or something that you wind up going postal, so close your eyes and take a deep breath as you mentally count to three before you say something you may regret. Most likely, whatever’s bugging you isn’t as bad as you think it is.
10. Periodically take a break … away from your desk! Be sure to walk away from your desk every few hours. You’ll wind up getting frustrated if you sit there staring at your monitor nonstop, and your eyes will start to hurt. Getting up for five or ten minutes every three or four hours will not blow your entire day, believe me. You also need to take a break and eat lunch. Sitting at your desk with a Snickers bar that you got from the vending machine doesn’t count.
11. Tie up as many loose ends as possible before the work day ends. We all know that some days you’ll wind up working later than expected, but don’t make it a habit or your boss (or you) will start to assume that you really do work twelve hours each day even though you get paid for eight. Get as many things done as possible each day, but try to leave on time. There’s always tomorrow.
12. Eat dinner. I had to stress the importance of eating breakfast and lunch, so of course I’m going to remind you to eat dinner! And if today is one of those days you wind up putting in some overtime, get up from your desk to eat dinner. A carton of Chinese take-out every night of the week will begin to affect your waistline and your mood. Try to eat dinner with other people, if possible. Everyone should have that interaction with family and friends.
13. Enjoy a hobby after work. Whether it’s taking a bike ride or a walk, watching a movie, reading a book, it’s a good idea to have some sort of hobby besides work! Spend an hour or two doing something that you enjoy to help get your mind off of work.
14. Unwind a bit before bed, and get ready to repeat the cycle tomorrow! Whether “unwinding” involves the above-mentioned hobby or something else, take time to chill out for a bit before hitting the sack. This will give you the ability to get a good night’s sleep, wake up, and do it all over again … and if this happens on Friday night, you probably don’t have to go to work tomorrow! Even better!
Yes, some of these fourteen tips might seem a bit common sense. The funny thing is they really work. I guarantee that implementing them into your daily routine will make you feel happier and more excited about the possibilities that each day brings!
I pray that this article empowers you to "Get A L.I.F.E."
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Giving Up Is Good
Persistence is important to achieve success, but giving up is also important. I’ve written about persistence before, so here I want to look at giving up.
Why is it essential? Why is it necessary to give up? Because it allows you to focus your energy on the few things that are truly important. By giving up, you:
1. Stop unfruitful efforts. What’s the point of spending your time and energy on something that doesn’t work? The more you spend your time and energy there, the more you waste your resources.
2. Avoid spreading yourself too thin. There are probably many things that you want to achieve. But you can’t achieve everything you want. Your resources are limited so you need to choose and prioritize. If you try to do too many things at once you will end up achieving nothing.
3. Reduce your stress. Pursuing too many things means giving yourself unnecessary pressure. Don’t let your ambition stop you from enjoying your life.
4. Free up time for your loved ones. Don’t be so busy that you don’t have time for your loved ones. By giving up, you ease your burden and free up time to build meaningful relationships.
In essence, here is what you need to do:
Give up the less important things so that you can focus and persist on the few important ones.
Here are several tips to help you apply it:
1. Find what matters to you
You need a way to know whether or not something is important. That’s why you need to find what matters to you. What makes you feel fulfilled? What gives you inner satisfaction? Be persistent on things that matter to you and give up the others.
2. Assess your life every now and then
Even if you already find what matters to you, the busyness of life can hinder it. As a result, you might get distracted by superficial things. So find time to reflect on your life every now and then. Look at how your life is going. Are you staying true to what your purpose is saying?
3. Learn to let go
You may know that you need to give up something, but it might not be easy to let it go. This is especially true if you already spend a lot of resources on it.
This is where the concept of spent costs is helpful. Don’t get caught in spent cost land. The fact that you’ve spent your resources on the wrong thing doesn’t justify spending even more resources on it. Those resources are already spent. Now you need to find the best way to spend the resources that are left.
The concept of opportunity costs may also be helpful. Holding on the wrong thing means losing better opportunities. The more resources you spend on it, the more opportunities you lose.
4. Refocus your effort
Once you’ve given up the less important things, renew your focus and effort on the few important ones. Now that you are focused, you have a chance to make a real difference.
I pray that this article empowers you to "Get A L.I.F.E."
Why is it essential? Why is it necessary to give up? Because it allows you to focus your energy on the few things that are truly important. By giving up, you:
1. Stop unfruitful efforts. What’s the point of spending your time and energy on something that doesn’t work? The more you spend your time and energy there, the more you waste your resources.
2. Avoid spreading yourself too thin. There are probably many things that you want to achieve. But you can’t achieve everything you want. Your resources are limited so you need to choose and prioritize. If you try to do too many things at once you will end up achieving nothing.
3. Reduce your stress. Pursuing too many things means giving yourself unnecessary pressure. Don’t let your ambition stop you from enjoying your life.
4. Free up time for your loved ones. Don’t be so busy that you don’t have time for your loved ones. By giving up, you ease your burden and free up time to build meaningful relationships.
In essence, here is what you need to do:
Give up the less important things so that you can focus and persist on the few important ones.
Here are several tips to help you apply it:
1. Find what matters to you
You need a way to know whether or not something is important. That’s why you need to find what matters to you. What makes you feel fulfilled? What gives you inner satisfaction? Be persistent on things that matter to you and give up the others.
2. Assess your life every now and then
Even if you already find what matters to you, the busyness of life can hinder it. As a result, you might get distracted by superficial things. So find time to reflect on your life every now and then. Look at how your life is going. Are you staying true to what your purpose is saying?
3. Learn to let go
You may know that you need to give up something, but it might not be easy to let it go. This is especially true if you already spend a lot of resources on it.
This is where the concept of spent costs is helpful. Don’t get caught in spent cost land. The fact that you’ve spent your resources on the wrong thing doesn’t justify spending even more resources on it. Those resources are already spent. Now you need to find the best way to spend the resources that are left.
The concept of opportunity costs may also be helpful. Holding on the wrong thing means losing better opportunities. The more resources you spend on it, the more opportunities you lose.
4. Refocus your effort
Once you’ve given up the less important things, renew your focus and effort on the few important ones. Now that you are focused, you have a chance to make a real difference.
I pray that this article empowers you to "Get A L.I.F.E."
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
15 Nuggets to Fire Up Inspiration
The journey to success is long, and inspiration is the fuel that sustain you. It is the fire that lights you up and keeps you moving forward in the face of difficulties. It lifts you up when the situation looks dark, and it energizes you when you are tired.
No matter what happens, ignite your inspiration and keep the fire burning. Here are 15 nuggets to do that:
1. Find a cause that fires you up
You can only have long-lasting inspiration if you have a fire that burns within you. Without it, all your efforts to ignite inspiration will only give you short-term results.
So find a cause that you really care about, something that you are willing to put your heart and soul for. If you find it, you will have a strong source of inspiration that can sustain you for long term. I believe everyone has such fire, so find yours.
2. Dream a vision
If you have found the cause that fires you up, you should have a clear vision of how the future will be when the cause is fulfilled. Imagine how the life quality of many people will improve. Imagine how this world will become a better place. Can you see how people live at that time? Can you see the smiles on their faces? The more detail you can dream the future, the more it will energize you. The power of vision that comes from a burning cause is amazing.
3. Talk about your vision
Whenever I share my vision, I feel enthusiastic. Even if I have a bad day, I will soon be energized when I talk about my vision.
So share your vision to others. Let them know about your cause and your dream. Not only will you ignite your inspiration, you will also fire up the people you share it with.
4. Set huge goals
Vision deals with the long term, but you should also have goals for the short term. To be inspiring, the goals should be realistic but challenging. Set huge goals. If the goals are mediocre, they won’t energize you. Only if they are huge can they inspire you and those who hear you.
5. Put your written vision or goals in prominent place
Sometimes the busyness of life can make us forget about our burning cause and vision. That’s why it’s important to always remind ourselves about them. One effective way to do so is by writing them down and put them in prominent place. Put them on your desk, on your desktop wallpaper, or any other place you can easily see.
6. Remember your victories
It is easy to lose inspiration when we face many obstacles along the way. So it is important to remember not just how far we are from our goal but also how far we have walked. Remember your victories and let them remind you of what you can do. You have made a difference in the past, so there is no reason why you can’t make a difference in the future.
7. Create a "power station"
After spending your whole day working and facing difficulties, it will be uplifting to come to a place where you can be recharged. You could create a "power station", a place where you can come and recharge your inspiration. You can use your office space or a room at home, and put motivational posters, pictures of your past victories, pictures of your dreams, or anything else that energize you.
8. Memorize some quotes that resonate with you
Inspiring quotes are good to motivate and encourage you. By memorizing them, you will have them handy whenever you need them. The quotes do not have to be somebody else’s sayings. They can also be the words you get through your own reflections and experiences.
9. Speak out positive words
Rather than thinking about them, speaking out positive words often gives better results. In my experience, this is one of the fastest ways to turn a situation around. By speaking out positive words, you can quickly light the fire in you.
10. Listen to uplifting music
Do you have some songs that you know can energize you? You should put them in your music player, so that whenever you feel weary, you can listen to them and be lifted up.
11. Listen to motivational podcasts / audio program
Similarly, you may have some favorite podcasts or audio program that motivate you. Put them in your music player and listen to them whenever you need it.
12. Put up motivational images
Motivational images can feed you visually with positive input. You can set them as your desktop wallpapers, put them in your room, or place them on your desk.
13. Replace negative thoughts
Whenever negative thoughts start coming to your mind, don’t let them settle. Fight them back with the positive thoughts of your cause, vision, or values. If you leave them, they will take root and quench your fire.
14. Gather with inspirational friends
The truth is, no matter how hard you try, it’s often difficult to maintain inspiration when you are alone. It will be much easier if you gather with some inspirational friends. This way, when you are weary, their fire can ignite yours. In turn, when they are weary, your fire can ignite theirs. This way you will always have fresh fire transferred from your surrounding. The first step to do is to look around and find the people that can potentially do that.
15. Get rid of naysayers
While gathering around inspirational friends can energize you, gathering around naysayers will do the opposite: they will take away whatever positive energy you have. So avoid them at all costs. Of course, sometimes you need to reach out to them, but be sure that you energize them and not they take away your energy. You should always be open to constructive criticism, but avoid people who just make you down without giving constructive feedbacks.
I pray that this article empowers you to "Get A L.I.F.E."
No matter what happens, ignite your inspiration and keep the fire burning. Here are 15 nuggets to do that:
1. Find a cause that fires you up
You can only have long-lasting inspiration if you have a fire that burns within you. Without it, all your efforts to ignite inspiration will only give you short-term results.
So find a cause that you really care about, something that you are willing to put your heart and soul for. If you find it, you will have a strong source of inspiration that can sustain you for long term. I believe everyone has such fire, so find yours.
2. Dream a vision
If you have found the cause that fires you up, you should have a clear vision of how the future will be when the cause is fulfilled. Imagine how the life quality of many people will improve. Imagine how this world will become a better place. Can you see how people live at that time? Can you see the smiles on their faces? The more detail you can dream the future, the more it will energize you. The power of vision that comes from a burning cause is amazing.
3. Talk about your vision
Whenever I share my vision, I feel enthusiastic. Even if I have a bad day, I will soon be energized when I talk about my vision.
So share your vision to others. Let them know about your cause and your dream. Not only will you ignite your inspiration, you will also fire up the people you share it with.
4. Set huge goals
Vision deals with the long term, but you should also have goals for the short term. To be inspiring, the goals should be realistic but challenging. Set huge goals. If the goals are mediocre, they won’t energize you. Only if they are huge can they inspire you and those who hear you.
5. Put your written vision or goals in prominent place
Sometimes the busyness of life can make us forget about our burning cause and vision. That’s why it’s important to always remind ourselves about them. One effective way to do so is by writing them down and put them in prominent place. Put them on your desk, on your desktop wallpaper, or any other place you can easily see.
6. Remember your victories
It is easy to lose inspiration when we face many obstacles along the way. So it is important to remember not just how far we are from our goal but also how far we have walked. Remember your victories and let them remind you of what you can do. You have made a difference in the past, so there is no reason why you can’t make a difference in the future.
7. Create a "power station"
After spending your whole day working and facing difficulties, it will be uplifting to come to a place where you can be recharged. You could create a "power station", a place where you can come and recharge your inspiration. You can use your office space or a room at home, and put motivational posters, pictures of your past victories, pictures of your dreams, or anything else that energize you.
8. Memorize some quotes that resonate with you
Inspiring quotes are good to motivate and encourage you. By memorizing them, you will have them handy whenever you need them. The quotes do not have to be somebody else’s sayings. They can also be the words you get through your own reflections and experiences.
9. Speak out positive words
Rather than thinking about them, speaking out positive words often gives better results. In my experience, this is one of the fastest ways to turn a situation around. By speaking out positive words, you can quickly light the fire in you.
10. Listen to uplifting music
Do you have some songs that you know can energize you? You should put them in your music player, so that whenever you feel weary, you can listen to them and be lifted up.
11. Listen to motivational podcasts / audio program
Similarly, you may have some favorite podcasts or audio program that motivate you. Put them in your music player and listen to them whenever you need it.
12. Put up motivational images
Motivational images can feed you visually with positive input. You can set them as your desktop wallpapers, put them in your room, or place them on your desk.
13. Replace negative thoughts
Whenever negative thoughts start coming to your mind, don’t let them settle. Fight them back with the positive thoughts of your cause, vision, or values. If you leave them, they will take root and quench your fire.
14. Gather with inspirational friends
The truth is, no matter how hard you try, it’s often difficult to maintain inspiration when you are alone. It will be much easier if you gather with some inspirational friends. This way, when you are weary, their fire can ignite yours. In turn, when they are weary, your fire can ignite theirs. This way you will always have fresh fire transferred from your surrounding. The first step to do is to look around and find the people that can potentially do that.
15. Get rid of naysayers
While gathering around inspirational friends can energize you, gathering around naysayers will do the opposite: they will take away whatever positive energy you have. So avoid them at all costs. Of course, sometimes you need to reach out to them, but be sure that you energize them and not they take away your energy. You should always be open to constructive criticism, but avoid people who just make you down without giving constructive feedbacks.
I pray that this article empowers you to "Get A L.I.F.E."
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
How To Recharge Your Life
There’s an interesting talk at by Stefan Sagmeister titled The Power of Time Off. In the talk, Sagmeister shared his experience of how he takes one full year off every seven years to recharge his creative life. During the sabbatical year, he closes his design company and doesn’t accept any design request. It might seem strange to take one full year for sabbatical, but he argued that it gives him more than what it costs.
There are at least three things he gets from his sabbatical years:
1. He gets fresh ideas for his creative work. Referring to one sabbatical year of his, he said that all the ideas in the following seven years came out from that one year.
2. It benefits him financially. Though he didn’t accept any request for one year, the improved quality of his work allowed him to ask for higher prices in the following years. He could eventually make more money than what he lost.
3. It made his work a calling again. This is my favorite of the three. In the talk, Sagmeister talked about three levels of work: job (when you do your work just for money), career (when you pursue advancement and promotion), and calling (when you do your work simply because it’s fulfilling). Even if your work is something you love to do, the daily routine could make it a job. Sagmeister said that taking a sabbatical year makes his work a calling again.
As you can see, these three things solve three common problems that many people have at work:
• Lack of creative ideas.
• Lack of financial improvement.
• Lack of purpose and fulfillment. This one affects not just your work, but also your life in general.
If you had any of these problems, here is a simple way to recharge your life: take time off. Of course, it doesn’t have to be one full year since most people (including me) can’t afford it without any serious consequences. But taking even short periods of time off is useful. Here’s what I suggest you to do:
1. Take time off every day. You should set aside time in your day where you can be away from your routine. Cut your communication with the outside world for a while. Use the time to get a sense of clarity of your life and work. Reconnect with your life purpose and look at the big picture of your life. Are you on the right track? Are you doing the right things? You can do this by meditating, praying, walking in the garden, or any way you like. The important thing is that you to reflect on your life with a clear mind. You don’t have to spend much time on it. Half an hour is enough, in my experience. Doing this helps you live your daily life with clarity.
2. Take a few days off every now and then. During that time, try not to do your routine that might introduce noise into your life. For me that means not connecting to the Internet. Though it’s not necessary, going out of town could be helpful. I can attest from personal experience that such time is really rewarding. I often see my life and work from a new perspective. I can see the forest rather than the trees. This, of course, will happen only if you spend time to reflect on your life and work.
It reminds me of the story of two woodcutters. One of them sawed down the trees all the time without ever sharpening his saw. The other person spent time to sharpen his saw and only then did he saw down the trees. Which one do you think would cut more trees at the end?
Don’t let the busyness of your life lead you to the wrong direction. Allocate time to reconnect with your purpose and calling. Allocate time to see the big picture of your life. Taking time off helps you stay sharp.
I pray that this article empowers you to "Get A L.I.F.E."
There are at least three things he gets from his sabbatical years:
1. He gets fresh ideas for his creative work. Referring to one sabbatical year of his, he said that all the ideas in the following seven years came out from that one year.
2. It benefits him financially. Though he didn’t accept any request for one year, the improved quality of his work allowed him to ask for higher prices in the following years. He could eventually make more money than what he lost.
3. It made his work a calling again. This is my favorite of the three. In the talk, Sagmeister talked about three levels of work: job (when you do your work just for money), career (when you pursue advancement and promotion), and calling (when you do your work simply because it’s fulfilling). Even if your work is something you love to do, the daily routine could make it a job. Sagmeister said that taking a sabbatical year makes his work a calling again.
As you can see, these three things solve three common problems that many people have at work:
• Lack of creative ideas.
• Lack of financial improvement.
• Lack of purpose and fulfillment. This one affects not just your work, but also your life in general.
If you had any of these problems, here is a simple way to recharge your life: take time off. Of course, it doesn’t have to be one full year since most people (including me) can’t afford it without any serious consequences. But taking even short periods of time off is useful. Here’s what I suggest you to do:
1. Take time off every day. You should set aside time in your day where you can be away from your routine. Cut your communication with the outside world for a while. Use the time to get a sense of clarity of your life and work. Reconnect with your life purpose and look at the big picture of your life. Are you on the right track? Are you doing the right things? You can do this by meditating, praying, walking in the garden, or any way you like. The important thing is that you to reflect on your life with a clear mind. You don’t have to spend much time on it. Half an hour is enough, in my experience. Doing this helps you live your daily life with clarity.
2. Take a few days off every now and then. During that time, try not to do your routine that might introduce noise into your life. For me that means not connecting to the Internet. Though it’s not necessary, going out of town could be helpful. I can attest from personal experience that such time is really rewarding. I often see my life and work from a new perspective. I can see the forest rather than the trees. This, of course, will happen only if you spend time to reflect on your life and work.
It reminds me of the story of two woodcutters. One of them sawed down the trees all the time without ever sharpening his saw. The other person spent time to sharpen his saw and only then did he saw down the trees. Which one do you think would cut more trees at the end?
Don’t let the busyness of your life lead you to the wrong direction. Allocate time to reconnect with your purpose and calling. Allocate time to see the big picture of your life. Taking time off helps you stay sharp.
I pray that this article empowers you to "Get A L.I.F.E."
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