The Next Step
The first step needs action to start it,
The last requires patience to end,
So we question, which one's most important,
When we realize our dreams' our best friend.
Well, the answer is neither, they're equal,
But the one that will help you win through
And connect what you start to the finish,
Is the next step that's waiting for you.
Life's dreamers are great Goal Achievers!
Their faith and persistence just blends
Into one awesome cocktail of knowledge,
That whatever they want they can get.
You see, they never visualize failure,
It's success that they see shining through.
It's essential to start and to finish,
But the next step is what you must do.
Alison Wilson
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Friday, 7 May 2010
I read this and thought it was cracking........
“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.”
Henry James
“Be kind to unkind people – they need it the most.”
Ashleigh Brilliant
“Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”
Mother Teresa
This is a short guide to being a kinder person. It’s not always easy though and I focus on being more consistent rather than trying to be perfect.
But why even make the effort to be kinder? What’s the point? Why not just go about things as you usually do?
Three reasons pop up in my mind.
• By being kinder to others you tend to be kinder towards yourself. Perhaps a bit counter intuitive but this has been my experience.
• You get what you give. Yes, some people will be miserable and ungrateful no matter what you do for or to them. But most people will over time treat you as you treat them. Unfortunately, a lot of people will not take the first step. So if you want a change in your life you have to take responsibility for it and make those first moves. Sitting around waiting for someone else to do them could take the rest of your life.
• It makes your world and the world all in all a nicer place to live in.
So that’s the why. Here is the how to.
1. Be grateful for what you got. It’s very easy to take yourself, your life and the people around you for granted. Avoid that by using two minutes from time to time for reflecting on what you can be grateful for. Or write it down each day in a gratitude journal.
2. Express it. Don’t hold in what you are grateful for. Say it. It may be that you are happy to have brought an umbrella on a rainy day. Or just a small thing such as saying thanks to someone for holding your books for a minute. But even such small expressions of gratitude can make your or someone else’s day better.
3. Minimize judgments. No one likes to be judged. And the more you judge people the more you tend to judge yourself. So it’s a lose-lose situation.
4. Take it easy with the criticism. Constructive criticism has its place. But too much of that or criticism that won’t help anyone just makes people feel and perform worse. Try encouraging them instead. It makes work and the people involved – including you – easier to deal with and more fun.
5. Try to understand the other side. It’s easy to stick to your point of view. But you can gain powerful insights about the other person and yourself too by trying to understand their point of view. This also tends to decrease harshness and negativity and can make it easier to reach an understanding where both parties feel more satisfied with the solution.
6. Make positive observations about people. This is pretty similar to being grateful for what you got but a habit I like to keep in mind and use. Replace the habit of spotting the things that annoy you about people with one where you make small or big positive observations about them. It could be their great sense of style when it comes to shoes, how they always make you laugh when you need it or simply that they are always on time. Be sure to tell them that.
7. Remember the small and kind gestures. Let someone in into your lane while driving your car. And hold up the door for the next person.
8. Remind yourself. It’s easy to forget. Use whiteboards, your cell phone, post-its and other reminders in your daily environment.
9. Awash yourself in the positive memories of the times when you were kind. When you remind yourself how good it felt to be kind and how you helped someone out and made them feel good too it becomes easier and easier to stay kind instead of questioning the habit.
10. Take the smarter and higher road. Don’t be someone the people can walk all over, set boundaries and say no when needed. But recognize that unnecessary conflicts just waste your time and energy. And that some people are so addicted to the drama and conflicts that you will never win or reach an understanding between the two of you. There are more fun and good things to spend time on in your life. So try to reach an understanding in a kind sort of way. But if it doesn’t work then remove yourself from getting drawn into their conflicts and make the day better for both you and possibly them.
11. Be kind to yourself. It’s OK and something that a lot of people don’t do enough. And it seeps over into your world and how you treat others just like how being kind to others seeps back into how you treat yourself.
Henry James
“Be kind to unkind people – they need it the most.”
Ashleigh Brilliant
“Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”
Mother Teresa
This is a short guide to being a kinder person. It’s not always easy though and I focus on being more consistent rather than trying to be perfect.
But why even make the effort to be kinder? What’s the point? Why not just go about things as you usually do?
Three reasons pop up in my mind.
• By being kinder to others you tend to be kinder towards yourself. Perhaps a bit counter intuitive but this has been my experience.
• You get what you give. Yes, some people will be miserable and ungrateful no matter what you do for or to them. But most people will over time treat you as you treat them. Unfortunately, a lot of people will not take the first step. So if you want a change in your life you have to take responsibility for it and make those first moves. Sitting around waiting for someone else to do them could take the rest of your life.
• It makes your world and the world all in all a nicer place to live in.
So that’s the why. Here is the how to.
1. Be grateful for what you got. It’s very easy to take yourself, your life and the people around you for granted. Avoid that by using two minutes from time to time for reflecting on what you can be grateful for. Or write it down each day in a gratitude journal.
2. Express it. Don’t hold in what you are grateful for. Say it. It may be that you are happy to have brought an umbrella on a rainy day. Or just a small thing such as saying thanks to someone for holding your books for a minute. But even such small expressions of gratitude can make your or someone else’s day better.
3. Minimize judgments. No one likes to be judged. And the more you judge people the more you tend to judge yourself. So it’s a lose-lose situation.
4. Take it easy with the criticism. Constructive criticism has its place. But too much of that or criticism that won’t help anyone just makes people feel and perform worse. Try encouraging them instead. It makes work and the people involved – including you – easier to deal with and more fun.
5. Try to understand the other side. It’s easy to stick to your point of view. But you can gain powerful insights about the other person and yourself too by trying to understand their point of view. This also tends to decrease harshness and negativity and can make it easier to reach an understanding where both parties feel more satisfied with the solution.
6. Make positive observations about people. This is pretty similar to being grateful for what you got but a habit I like to keep in mind and use. Replace the habit of spotting the things that annoy you about people with one where you make small or big positive observations about them. It could be their great sense of style when it comes to shoes, how they always make you laugh when you need it or simply that they are always on time. Be sure to tell them that.
7. Remember the small and kind gestures. Let someone in into your lane while driving your car. And hold up the door for the next person.
8. Remind yourself. It’s easy to forget. Use whiteboards, your cell phone, post-its and other reminders in your daily environment.
9. Awash yourself in the positive memories of the times when you were kind. When you remind yourself how good it felt to be kind and how you helped someone out and made them feel good too it becomes easier and easier to stay kind instead of questioning the habit.
10. Take the smarter and higher road. Don’t be someone the people can walk all over, set boundaries and say no when needed. But recognize that unnecessary conflicts just waste your time and energy. And that some people are so addicted to the drama and conflicts that you will never win or reach an understanding between the two of you. There are more fun and good things to spend time on in your life. So try to reach an understanding in a kind sort of way. But if it doesn’t work then remove yourself from getting drawn into their conflicts and make the day better for both you and possibly them.
11. Be kind to yourself. It’s OK and something that a lot of people don’t do enough. And it seeps over into your world and how you treat others just like how being kind to others seeps back into how you treat yourself.
Thursday, 6 May 2010
Wearing nothing but a smile......
Isn't it funny how most of the things we wear cost money, but the most effective, beautiful, unusual and fulfilling thing that anyone can wear is a smile. In a world that is full of negativity the simple act of smiling can radiate through the gloom!
Physically and mentally the simple act of smiling can have wonderful and amazing side effects on you and the people around you. Imagine if the first thing you did when you woke up in the morning was to smile at yourself in the mirror and speak some positive affirmations. It would have a superb effect on the way you start your day (be warned that you might feel like a whally when you first do this. But persevere).
When you walk out of the house smile and think of all the things you are thankful for. Smile as you get on the bus, train, in your car or as you walk. (Be warned people may think that you are a little strange for smiling but they will also be intrigued as to why you are smiling)
Smile when you get into work at everyone you come across, when they ask how are you, tell them you are fantastic or use some other positive word......believe me this creates interest in why you are feeling that way! And when they ask why you are fantastic, brilliant, superb (or any other word you choose to use positively) you simply say.....because I have no reason not to feel like this or because it's a beautiful morning or because you have a wonderful job etc......
Again, be aware if you are not normally like this in the morning or at any time of the day it will be a little strange when you do this. The magic of this is that you start to believe your own hype!!!! You start to feel the energy coming from the words that you speak......you start to genuinely feel amazing,fantastic, superb......
There will be people who will doubt you, knock you, make fun or just simply tell you where to go, but remember they are only saying it because they either wish they had the confidence to say it themselves or by smiling or saying positive affirmations to themselves takes them out of their comfort zones.
Smiling and using positive language is infectious, it energises those people who believe that they have lost their energy.
We all have the ability to do this, try it and see what happens.....keep doing it for 2 weeks and see what happens!!! You will love the results.......
Physically and mentally the simple act of smiling can have wonderful and amazing side effects on you and the people around you. Imagine if the first thing you did when you woke up in the morning was to smile at yourself in the mirror and speak some positive affirmations. It would have a superb effect on the way you start your day (be warned that you might feel like a whally when you first do this. But persevere).
When you walk out of the house smile and think of all the things you are thankful for. Smile as you get on the bus, train, in your car or as you walk. (Be warned people may think that you are a little strange for smiling but they will also be intrigued as to why you are smiling)
Smile when you get into work at everyone you come across, when they ask how are you, tell them you are fantastic or use some other positive word......believe me this creates interest in why you are feeling that way! And when they ask why you are fantastic, brilliant, superb (or any other word you choose to use positively) you simply say.....because I have no reason not to feel like this or because it's a beautiful morning or because you have a wonderful job etc......
Again, be aware if you are not normally like this in the morning or at any time of the day it will be a little strange when you do this. The magic of this is that you start to believe your own hype!!!! You start to feel the energy coming from the words that you speak......you start to genuinely feel amazing,fantastic, superb......
There will be people who will doubt you, knock you, make fun or just simply tell you where to go, but remember they are only saying it because they either wish they had the confidence to say it themselves or by smiling or saying positive affirmations to themselves takes them out of their comfort zones.
Smiling and using positive language is infectious, it energises those people who believe that they have lost their energy.
We all have the ability to do this, try it and see what happens.....keep doing it for 2 weeks and see what happens!!! You will love the results.......
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Tip of the day......I read this and felt inspired
Ok, even though this isn’t real inspirational I am still hoping this will be helpful to you or someone close to you. As you may know by now, I am a self-educating, lifelong learner and while my grammar may be terrible at times, I hope you really get what I am trying to share today.
Many times in life I have wanted to make changes (for the better) and found that even the thought of trying to do something new forever kept me from attempting to make the change. Just yesterday a friend shared with me a strategy that works for her and many others she teaches.
She simply said, “David, can you do it ‘Just For Today’?” and I said of course I can then she said, “Great, do it! Then tomorrow repeat the same process tell yourself you are going to do it ‘Just For Today’ and watch and see what happens…”
Now I was floored by this subtle little change and while I know it may not be a big revelation to some people, for one person on this list it might just save their life. What if ‘Just For Today” they stay on their diet, or take exercise, or meditate or not drink or not drug themselves.
Whatever changes you want to make in your life I urge you to apply the “Just For Today” approach and see what happens for you. “Just for Today” I walked on the beach, meditated, and juiced a healthy breakfast.
Just For Today was inspired by Delena Zimmerman written by David Boufford
Many times in life I have wanted to make changes (for the better) and found that even the thought of trying to do something new forever kept me from attempting to make the change. Just yesterday a friend shared with me a strategy that works for her and many others she teaches.
She simply said, “David, can you do it ‘Just For Today’?” and I said of course I can then she said, “Great, do it! Then tomorrow repeat the same process tell yourself you are going to do it ‘Just For Today’ and watch and see what happens…”
Now I was floored by this subtle little change and while I know it may not be a big revelation to some people, for one person on this list it might just save their life. What if ‘Just For Today” they stay on their diet, or take exercise, or meditate or not drink or not drug themselves.
Whatever changes you want to make in your life I urge you to apply the “Just For Today” approach and see what happens for you. “Just for Today” I walked on the beach, meditated, and juiced a healthy breakfast.
Just For Today was inspired by Delena Zimmerman written by David Boufford
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Take ownership.....
Ownership is a key ingredient of finding fulfillment in our work and in our lives. When we don't create an attitude of ownership, we leave ourselves open to the whims and ways of circumstance and the choices of others. Ownership is going beyond pulling your own weight, and beyond doing your share. It resides in a place of doing what needs to be done. Regardless."
~John G. Blumber
~John G. Blumber
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