A Story of True Courage - 4 Ways to overcome challenges in the boxing ring of life...

Good Morning,

I wanted to share a story with you today of true courage that I'm sure will resonate with many of you who have experienced challenges and adversity in your lives.  For the past ten years the woman in this photo has been battling a non-malignant brain tumor that has taken her to various providers, through many surgeries, bouts of treatment, and has taken part of her physically.  During these difficulties she has remained a picture of strength, showed kindness for others, and looked for ways to reach out to inspire people in their own personal battles.

This beautiful lady (my wife) has shown me how to be a true fighter, and to learn how to break through barriers in our lives.  This journey has been difficult, but has provided the opportunity to grow by clarifying what matters in life.  

4 ways that I've learned from her to break through the barriers in the boxing ring of  life

Be Agile - When life is throwing punches your direction you have to know how to bob and weave, duck, and move around the ring.  Having the ability to change with the various challenges is vital to surviving.  Throughout the years I've seen my wife deal gracefully with being treated poorly at times, staying positive when answers were no where to be found, and continue standing after being hit by a sucker punch that her tumor was back with a vengeance.  Agility is a key component of overcoming the challenges faced when you've stepped into life's boxing ring.

Be Positive - Obstacles will enter into our lives without warning, and we must look at the situation with a hopeful perspective.  It's not an easy task, but holding firm to thoughts that there is the possibility things can change for the better will prevent a defeatist attitude.  During tough times make a list of the positive things in your life, and reflect on how great it is to have these passions, people, and purposes in your life.  When you look through a positive prism it quickly diminishes the size of the obstacle your facing, and you can get off the stool in the corner of the ring and continue fighting.

Be Generous - Meeting the needs of others is an effective way to minimize the negative introspection that can occur when facing difficulties in life that seem overwhelming.  By looking for opportunities to brighten another's day you can gain more than you give.  Generosity will mitigate feelings of sadness, and help to build your confidence that you still have something meaningful to contribute others.  What you have to give may be your talents, a trinket, or your time can create that fan base necessary you need to be successful in the challenges faced in the boxing ring of life.  By putting these valuable resources to use for others you'll be able to go the distance in the prize fight of your life.

Be Victorious - It's the final round, and you must come out swinging to win the fight.  Thinking like a winner will provide the energy necessary to throw the blows needed to knock out the challenges you're facing.  Having the right mindset is essential for becoming a victor.  The next time you face that difficult opponent (challenge) in your life you have to remember the strengths you bring into the Ring of Life.  If someone asked you about yourself could you tell them what makes you special?  To be a victor you have to know with confidence that you're a special person with something to offer this world.  When you step into the ring and can duck when needed, remember the past fights you've won, and believe in the strength you possess then you'll overcome the challenges facing you in boxing ring of life.

“Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.” 
― Christian D. Larson, Your Forces and How to Use Them

A Journey of Learning - The 5 P's You Need to Avoid Being the Next Failed Venture...

I wanted to re post this blog as a good reminder for me.  As you can see I took off a few months from writing to deal with some personal health challenges my family was facing.  During this time I also struggled with getting back on the horse.  Therefore, I thought it was good timing to remind myself about moving forward as I look to starting a new adventure tomorrow.  Have an amazing day, and I hope you can find something that is beneficial in this blog post.  Take care, Dave.

Have you ever been through an experience in life that stretched you to the point you wondered if you were a 70's icon toy like the "Slinky".  There are few journeys in life that have the ability to cause both rapid personal and professional growth like starting a business.  It's a self-discovery pathway that according to the current statistics has the high likelihood of ending in despair and failure. Why would anyone go down this path when there is so much negative data that supports the real possibility it may end in failure?   Reasons may vary, but for most it has something to do with solving a problem they've identified that can make a significant contribution to the world, provide more control over their life, or is just the best fit for their abilities and skills.

In order to avoid being that next failed venture there are 5 Keys to creating the possibility of success:

Plan - It seems like an obvious statement that you would want to plan if you were starting a business, but it's easy to get sidetracked and look at the shiny objects rather than sticking to the task at hand. Having a business plan built on market research is the first essential step if you have any chance of succeeding.  That means taking the time to ensure you have chosen a pathway that will solve someones pain or problem.  Once you have that in place you can begin the process of embarking on your journey of how you're going to ensure they know you have the answer to their problem.


Provisions - Sadly you're not going to get very far on your journey without that figurative gas in your tank (provisions).  When starting a business it's challenging to know all the financial obstacles that you need to plan for to be successful, but if you don't take the time to list out all your needs then the car isn't even going to start.  Therefore, enlist the help of a mentor, business coach, or financial analyst that can help you forecast your financial needs to both run the business, and survive yourself. Without both needs being met your journey will be extremely short.  This should be embedded into your business plan in as much detail as possible.  It also provides the ability to be more appealing to possible investors or qualify for lending for your start-up.


Promotion -  I had a very wise business woman recently tell me, "You can have the greatest product or solution in the world, but if no one knows about it then it doesn't matter".  Marketing and promotion is crucial to getting off the ground, so many new entrepreneurs try to do DIY (do it yourself) marketing, and often fail because they may not have the complete understanding of how to effectively reach their customer.  When starting out it's crucial to your success to hire a marketing consultant or firm that create a plan for your business.  Ensure that their plan encompasses all the pathways that are needed to promote your product to the masses.  One way you can save money is to try to find someone who can give you a package deal, and has the background to function in various aspects of marketing your product.  If you have other small business owners in your network, ask them for a referral to someone who is legitimate and trustworthy.


Patronage - I think one of the biggest challenges new business owners may agree upon is that a start up can be a lonely gig.  When you decide to go down this road you'll need to ensure that you have a supportive network that can provide both feedback and support.  It doesn't necessarily have to be your family and friends because realistically they are often the one's who want you to go back to punching the clock.  In most cities there are great chambers or small business networking groups that can provide this support, and completely understand your journey.  It is an important way to have access to great advice, and also keep your tank fueled when you feel like you're on empty.


Perseverance - Feeling like you're on empty happens to every new business owner.  The passion may fade as you struggle to get things moving, or you realize your finances are quickly drying up.  The road is a challenge, and therefore requires that you continually keep your head in the game so you can persevere.  It's easy to work all hours of the day, and be focused only on the business when you're first starting out.  Somehow you have to manage your schedule, so you have time to care for your body and mind.  If you don't get enough rest, exercise, or interaction with the important people in your life you may fall prey to the possibility of burnout, apathy, and ultimately becoming the next statistic in an annual economic report.

These 5 P's are my take on what is needed to help you with creating the possibility of succeeding in the first year of business when many others will go down in flames.  If you find that you've become one of the statistics take some time to complete a post-mortem investigation on your dead business. Don't forget that numerous successful people have already been done this road, but didn't let the failure be the end of their dream.  Therefore, do what you can to be vigilant and smart, and learn from the experience so you can have a successful venture the next time out.  I wish you all the best as you strive to make a life for yourself by meeting an unmet need the world wants to solve, and where you can control the flexibility and choice in your life.  Take care, and best wishes for much success.

Dave

Live Happy - The 4 W's to make it happen in your life...

"Happineszs a state of well-being, contentment, a satisfying experience, and good fortune"(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happiness)

Think about your life right now in this moment.  Are you truly happy?  Are you pursuing the things in life that add to your happiness?  Have you thought about the importance of happiness to our existence as human beings?  Finally, does happiness really matter?  I'd like to share the 4 W's that I believe are important to Living Happy.

Why Happiness?

Being happy is truly a mind, body, and spirit experience that has lasting benefits in our lives.  It has been supported by scientific research for many decades.  More recently scientific research is diving into the topic more with the changes in health care reform and the rise of disease.  What's evident  if you read any health or psychology articles is that being a happy person has a positive effect on our entire being.

Some of the research has shown significance in how happiness can create the following benefits:

• Becoming a genius - Being happy may not get you to be a card carrying member of Mensa, but studies have shown clearly that happiness has some significant benefits to our cognition.  Some of these benefits include:
• Improved problem solving skills
• Greater imagination and thought production
• Increased ability to assimilate new information - I was smiling and that's why I used those big words - wow it really works - Awesome!!! :)

• Becoming an Adonis - Sorry to disappoint, but being happy won't make you look like Arnold Schwarzenegger's identical twin, but it has been proven to have these helpful effects on the body:
• Decreases the workload of the heart by lowering BP and HR
• Decreases Cortisol (a hormone that exists to help manage our body's response to stress, but high levels of it are detrimental and cause decreased immunity, increased belly fat, decreased muscle, and decreased thyroid)
• Decrease the risk of heart disease by limiting bad blood plasma like cholesterol

• Becoming the Life of the Party - This could actually happen by being a happy person.  Studies show that people with the following traits are able to be more successful at creating meaningful relationships.  Those traits are:
• Enthusiasm - nobody wants to be around Debbie Downer (except us SNL fans)
• Gratefulness - understanding and appreciating the many good things in our lives.
• Optimism - that glass is half -full I tell you - the ability to see beyond the negative

Listed below are some links to some good information about the benefits of happiness on our bodies, minds, and spirits.  

Happiness and health

Smile your way to happiness

Happiness and making a buck

Being mindful of happiness

What Happiness looks like in action

In order to enjoy these benefits we must take action in our lives to "Be Happy - don't worry" - good song.  Seriously, it is important to understand some practices we can implement in our lives to promote the happiness that leads to our holistic improvement.

Here are the 3 G's of Happiness:

•  Gratitude - Gratitude means thanks and appreciation.  It's the warm feeling you get when you remember the person who told you to drop your 1980's hairstyle and get with the new millennium already.  It also opens ourselves to new opportunities and possibilities.

• Giving - Another way this could be said is being generous with your time, your emotions, and your finances.  When you give to another person it fills a special place in our hearts.  How did it feel when you gave an unexpected person something from your heart?  They smiled, and you had this warm fuzzy feeling in your heart.  That may not be the scientific wording for that reaction, but you know what I mean.

• Greatness - Not being a pompous jerk, but pursuing excellence in your own life that can positively impact others.  Having that drive to make a difference in this world.  This means taking action to look for these opportunities in your life, and knowing...

When Happiness starts to make a difference

Happiness will only occur when you decide to actually take action.  Then happiness can start to invade lives in a way that creates positive change.  When you walk down the street or through the office, do look for the opportunity to make another person's day?  How much effort does it take to say thank you or give a smile?  When you take the time in that moment it can make all the difference to both the giver and receiver.  So when should you start looking to make a difference?  Yesterday.  If I've learned anything from the privilege of helping hospice patients and their families, don't wait for tomorrow.  Therefore, just like any goal, we have to put a plan into action for success.  Here are some practical things you can do to start making a difference:

Three ways to put happiness into action:

• Give your Mind - This means in all your interactions you need to be present.  Whether it's in your relationship or your friendship you need to give your attention.  This promotes happiness because you've just validated the other person's importance to you, and made them feel valued. Working on being a better communicator and listener in our everyday interactions can promote happiness.

• Give Your Heart - Look for ways to put your caring for others into action without making sign that says, "See what I did".  When you look for opportunities to make others feel better it can create increased happiness and fulfillment in our lives.  Look for opportunities with your family, your friends, the person on the corner, or an official organization where you can give to others.  Do you remember what happened to the Grinch when he gave to the Who's?  Let your heart grow today as you give some of it away to others in need.

• Give Your Hand - Scientific research supports the effects of human affection from the time we're babies in the nursery.  Without the touch of another human our growth and development become stagnate.  Therefore, having touch in our lives is important to building happiness.  As a staff nurse I always would get down to eye level with my patients, and gently touch there shoulder to let them know I would be there to meet their needs.  Each of us can do this each day with those we love, know, and meet.

Where Happiness can Grow

Being happy in life takes understanding why it's important, knowing what actions can produce the happiness we seek, how to generate happiness in our interactions with others, and finally we have to have a place where we can let happiness grow.

Here are 3 locations where you can let your happiness grow:

• Place full of purpose - We each need to have a sense that what we do in our life makes a difference.  Being happy won't occur if you don't have a location for your happiness to grow. Is it the smile of my little 3 year old when Daddy comes home at night?  Is is your visit to a sick relative that provides them comfort as you sit with them in that strange place?  Or is on the corner in your car at the traffic light as you hand a dollar out your window to another person in need?  Only you know where that place should be for you, but to be happy you have to find that location for your purpose.

• Place where you can grow - Each and every one of us need to and hopefully want to become better people.  To be happy in our lives we need to have a place that promotes our personal growth.  A small group, a friendship, and non-profit organization.  Or it could be your own routine of reading, meditating, or exercising.  All these actions provide the environment for you to grow and increase your happiness.  Look at your life today, and find that place you can grow.

• Place where you can share - It is amazing to me that with so many people on the face of this earth not one of us is the same.  That's great news because we are all special individuals with unique gifts and talents that can be used to improve our life, and the lives of others.  Do you have a place where you share your gift?  Do you know what your gift is?  Most often your gift is that thing or things you do that come naturally to you that you enjoy, and can impact others positively.  Are you a great artist?  Do you have talent baking?  Are you a compassionate person that knows how to make others feel better?  Or are you talented at inspiring others to be their best?  There are a bunch of great books out there that can help with the process, and then you need to find a place to unleash your greatness on the world.

So are you ready to Live Happy, and make it a part of your everyday life?  Would you like to know of a place that might possibly be your opportunity to change your life and others?  If so, reach out to me about a great opportunity to make a difference... here's a sneak peek

           A Place to Make a Difference

A look at our needs - Maslow's interpretation...

A look at our needs

​

Hello,

I have a few questions for you:

What do you want to achieve in life? big question I know

How do you plan to achieve your goals or get to that desired destination?

The reason I ask is because I want to review Maslow's Hierarchy of needs, and how using some personal motivation that resides in each of us can help us achieve our goals and destiny.

The Pyramid of Needs

• Physiological Needs - air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sleep, and intimacy
• Safety Needs - protection from the elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, freedom from fear
• Social Needs - belonging, affection and love - from co-workers, family, friends, and lovers
• Self Esteem Needs - achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, self-respect, respect
• Self-Actualization - realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experience.What is the importance of

The Pyramid in understanding how to reach our potential? 

Maslow believed that when needs are unmet people are motivated to achieve those needs first, and then seek to fulfill the higher needs - (ex. - starving people will do anything to satisfy that basic need because if they don't they won't survive) I would hope that each of you reading this are meeting your basic needs, but this example creates a good focus for us and further justifies the thinking of Maslow. The pyramid is just that - A pathway of moving to a higher level of personal growth where we meet needs that either are central to our survival or will greatly enhance our human experience.

So where are you currently on this pyramid? Do you want to find out? Here's a quick quiz that will help:  http://helloquizzy.okcupid.com/tests/the-revised-maslow's-hierarchy-of-needs-test.  Did you complete the quiz? Does it seem like an accurate assessment of where you're currently in your life? If it is, but it's not where you want to be how are you going to change that starting today? I want to provide some help in the form of an article you can read that outlines a process for you to start moving up that pyramid toward the goal of self-actualization. Below is the link to the article. I will discuss the article and provide some practical strategies related to the article in my next blog post.http://hubpages.com/hub/Self-Affirmations

I hope this has been beneficial. Please let me know because my goal is to provide help to people in achieving their goals for personal development and health. Thank you for visiting, and have a wonderful day

Midlife Crisis Ahead - 7 ways to prevent a crisis through positive action...

So what is a mid-life crisis, and how can we avoid the perils it may cause in our lives to derail us from the goals and happiness we want.  Recently I've been focusing on ten thoughts in my life that are holding this crisis at bay, and are generating positive action in my life.

According to Wikipedia the following is true about a midlife crisis,

Midlife crisis is a term first coined by Elliott Jaques referring to a critical phase in human development during the forties to early sixties, based on the character of change points, or periods of transition. The period is said to vary among individuals and between men and women.^[1] Despite popular perception of this phenomenon, empirical research has failed to show that the midlife crisis is a universal experience, or even a real condition at all.^[2]

According to psychologist and writer Oliver Robinson, a life crisis is defined as a period characterized by unstable mental and emotional health, altering the course of their lives and affecting them for a year or longer. Life crises usually have similar characteristics for each age group. Those in the early midlife stage are more likely to experience the deaths of loved ones, while declines in physical strength and vitality and impending death or work stoppage are more likely to affect people in late midlife. Effects of crises vary from being beneficial to some and life altering in a negative way for others. About half the people studied found results of their crises to be positive.^[3]

Midlife is also significant as a time adults come to realize their own mortality.^[4] A mid-life crisis is experienced by some people as they realize they have reached a midpoint in their lifespan and experience conflicts or dissatisfaction within themselves because of unrealized goals, self-perceptions or physical changes as a result of aging or health issues.^[5] Sometimes, a crisis can be triggered by transitions such as andropause or menopause, the death of parents or other causes of grief, unemployment or underemployment, realizing that a job or career is hated but not knowing how else to earn an equivalent living, or children leaving home. Additionally, when experiencing a mid-life crisis, people may reassess their achievements in terms of their dreams. The result may be a desire to make significant changes in areas such as career, work-life balance, marriage, romantic relationships, finances, or physical appearance.

I'm 45, so I'm right in that perfect window to experience that famous midlife crisis.  I suppose it's only natural to look at your life because when you enter the middle portion of life there are numerous changes that occur.  I'm starting to recognize changes in my parents that make me realize that time is passing quickly, my body doesn't look like it did when I was running with a bunch of Marines in my twenties, hair is growing where hair shouldn't be growing, I've realized that I'm not that dumb young kid anymore that doesn't know anything because I know at least one thing, and for those of us with kids they're becoming independent as they ration their hugs and kisses.  At least some of your kids are becoming independent.  My three year old daughter thinks she is more each day, but I'm just contemplating how much Geritol I'll need to keep up with her as she grows. :)   Therefore, our lives are often referred to as races because we run through various stages, experience the highs and lows, and must possess both the right mindset and perseverance to finish the race with a sense of pride and satisfaction.

I'm not sure where you are in the age spectrum, but here are 7 ways that has helped me to continue running successfully through the middle stage of my life's race.

• Stay Positive - Remember it's just a phase on life on your journey to a successful lasting legacy.  When you allow your mind to look at your current circumstances with a positive perspective, new opportunities can be realized that will propel your success into the next decades of your life.

• Evaluate Your Successes - Everyone can immediately remember the times that they've failed in life, and sadly those events usually sit in the forefront of our minds.  To avoid succumbing to the challenge of a midlife crisis focus on your successes both big and small.  These events should help you remember the amazing journey you've had that has resulted in a number of achievements that should make you swell with pride.

• Remember You're Important - This may sound strange, but think about the reasons why a midlife crisis may occur for someone.  What's the catalyst?  When we truly look at the cause it stems from a feeling of inadequacy.  Not just tied to your successes and failures, but sometimes a sense that you don't matter.  That's a bunch of @#$%!  Think about all the people in your life that love you.  Not because of what you've done, but purely because of the special person you are that brings joy to their life.  Focusing on how important you are will keep the crisis at bay, and should help you look in the mirror with a smile. 

• Rediscover an Interest or Talent -  When life gets busy, as it does when you enter the middle stages of life, things you enjoyed doing sometimes fall by the wayside.  I remember as a kid my Dad would come to our sporting events, work in the yard, go to work, volunteer to be a part of a committee.  What I don't remember is my Dad getting to take many chances to play golf or go fishing.  Now that I'm at this point in my life I fully understand why because he was sacrificing those interests for the family he loved.  I'm sure we're all doing that, but we also need to remember what it's like to go back to that thing we once loved.  Taking time to sit a the piano, take out the sketch pad, play a sport you enjoy, or spend time in the outdoors may be some of the lost joys that need to be rekindled in our lives.  Preventing a midlife crisis can happen when we make time create the balance the play and work in our lives. 

• Manage Your Stress - That seems to be a constant theme these days with the increased demands people are experiencing in their personal and professional lives.  Each of is very unique, and respond to the stress in our lives very differently.  The key is to find a healthy mechanism that fits your needs, and works to minimize the negative stress that is impacting your life.  Here is link to a couple of things that may be beneficial to you 4 ways using your mind can reduce your stress  and The story behind stress

• Make a Difference - We all need to feel life our life means something.  That's the whole reason for the midlife crisis in the first place.  We get to a point in our lives where we question what we've done for others, for our community, and to make ourselves better people.  During the stage of life when these feelings and questions arise it's easy to dismiss any negativity if you're actively involved in making a difference.  That can be by being the most nurturing person you can to those important in your life, seeking out a cause that drives positive change, or work on your own personal development.  By becoming better people the other two actions will naturally occur.

• Make a Plan -  It's like training for that 5k you want to successfully complete to prove you haven't become some tired old fart.  It will never happen if you don't figure out the time and effort it will take to realize your goal or dream.  Therefore, we need to make a plan of how we will navigate our race through the middle section of our life to avoid that looming midlife crisis.  Start thinking about the things that are important to you in your life or the changes that you haven't quite achieved.  List out these goals or dreams with a specific action of how you can make them a reality as you continue running your race.  Have fun, and start filling that bucket.  Races are much like life, there's a lot of anticipation and preparation that occurs for something that seems to happen so quickly if you're just sitting in the stands.  Let's hop on the track and make this a race to remember.

Here's some of the things that I jotted down after pondering how I've been running my race.

1. I want to tell the important people in my life how much I love them everyday.
2. I want to let my daughter know why making choices in life is so important to our futures.
3. I want my daughter to know she will always have our love no matter what she does.
4. I want to share with my daughter what I believe is true about hope, love, and faith.
5. I want to challenge myself everyday to look for ways to impact the world positively.
6. I want to show another person kindness everyday.
7. I want my wife to know she is the glue that holds my world and heart together.
8. I want to take risks even when those around me can't understand my hopes and dreams.
9. I want to provide a positive interaction with every person that crosses my path.
10. I want to write down my story, so my daughter will see the amazing joy we can have in life.

Decoding da Vinci - 4 Ways to Increase Your Impact on the World By following His footsteps...

Do you believe we live in a perfect world?  Are there things you'd like to see change?  Would you like to increase your impact in the world?  The Renaissance (from the French word meaning "re-birth from the French word meaning "re-birth") was a cultural movement spanning (depending on which cultural historians you believe) from the 14th to the 17th centuries.  Artists, writers, sculptors, musicians and architects began to look back to Greek and Roman times, and seek out ideas and inspiration from ancient texts.  The changes in the Renaissance were social and political as well as intellectual.  The Renaissance "re-birth" pertained to a return to the classical culture, which was the inspiration for numerous inventions and improvements that have benefited our modern day society.  One of the most famous influential people during this time period was Leonardo da Vinci.

 

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (Italian: [leoˈnardo da ˈvintʃi] ( listen); 15 April 1452 – 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath, painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lived.^[1] Hisgenius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. Leonardo has often been described as the archetype of the Renaissance Man, a man of "unquenchable curiosity" and "feverishly inventive imagination".^[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Renaissance)

Why is it so important to focus on da Vinci if we want to become people who can drive changes in our own lives and the world?   Leonardo da Vinci was an extremely accomplished person who possessed the unique ability to master broad topics of knowledge and their technical skills.  This uncommon talent has been recognized in our history books by coining the phrase "Renaissance".  Which means a man or woman who command a breadth of understanding and abilities in both the arts and sciences.  It is for this reason that decoding da Vinci is important to develop a template we can each use to become extraordinary in our lives.

When we look at the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci we can start putting down the stones that will help to build a pathway achieve similar success in impacting the world.  Da Vinci impacted the world by showing us 4 fundamental ways that we can use to also impact our surroundings:

Be an Observer - We know that Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest observers in history which was proven by the masterpieces that he created.  Why is being an observer so important to creating a significant impact in the world? If we look at the definition to observe it states, "to see, watch, perceive, or notice; to regard with attention, especially so as to see or learn something".http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/observe?s=t?  What made him so unique was his ability to see what was invisible to others.  The slope of angle, the reaction of a person, the impact of an action.  Being observant offers many benefits:

It will offer you an amazing insight into how people think, react, and behave in general. This could have startling revelations in your work, no matter what you do for a living. - See more at: http://www.beyondphototips.com/2008/11/28/7-ways-to-a-more-observant-life/#sthash.0sI92AGr.dpuf

• Provides insights into how people think, react, and behave
• Helps you gain an understanding into how mechanical things function
• It will help you appreciate the people around, and improve your social skills which will help you impact others positively.   
• How can you improve your abilities to observe:
• Take an art class, be more aware of your own actions, listen more intently, watch people, and take time to focus by meditating.

Be a Learner - Life is a continual process of being exposed to new information and experiences.  Much like da Vinci we need to have a burning desire to increase our knowledge and understanding about the world.  By choosing to be a learner you'll be exposed to new ideas that will give you the ability to connect with more people, and increase your imagination to come up with new concepts to improve the world.  Learning new things also expands your mind and can prove beneficial as we move through life.

• Being a learner helps you develop your abilities
• Opens your mind
• Increases your wisdom
• Improves your adaptability
• Provides access to more fulfillment in life
• Offers opportunities to develop relationships with others.   
• How can you improve your abilities to learn:
• Take an online class, try reading a book, learn another language, do brain games, and participate in thought-provoking conversations with others.

Be a Catalyst - The purpose of looking around and learning is to utilize experiences to impact others in a positive way, but you'll never do that without action.  Therefore, being a catalyst means taking risks by challenging yourself to get out of your comfort zone.  We only find success or create an impact when we're in motion.  Are you in motion in your life?  Are there things you've wanted to do that you've been putting off?  Now is the time to act, and use your talents to make a difference.  Start thinking about what makes you special and unique.  Every person has talents or "gifts" that they can put into action without much effort.  What is your gift that could be used to benefit others?  

• Being a catalyst will help you show others how choosing to make positive changes can result in personal growth, improve the ability to handle challenging situations, and opens the doors for new opportunities to enter your life.  
• How can you improve your abilities to be a catalyst:
• Put an idea out there and see what happens, share your talent with others publicly, join a volunteer organization that matches your gifts and interests, make yourself available to others that could use a helping hand.

Be a Giver - The reaction that comes from being a catalyst is that you have the ability to benefit others through your actions.  When we look at Leonardo da Vinci we see someone that used his perceptions, talents, and imagination to create things that have significantly changed the world forever.  If you desire to make an impact in this world you have to look for ways to increase your generosity to others.  Giving to others provides as much of a benefit to the giver as the receiver.  It can be taking the time to sit with a sick friend, listening to someone important in your life, getting involved in your community, or just providing a smile to those who cross your path each day.

Leonardo da Vinci is thought to be one of the most intelligent people to ever lived.  Making an impact is truly about having a plan on how you want to create a legacy.  If you're a person who is driven by a desire to improve the world and the lives of others, then start following da Vinci's footsteps.  Having the code to his success includes starting to teach yourself to take the time to look at the world with an artist's eye, challenging yourself to learn something new every month, taking action by looking for ways to show others how to take risks, and using your talents to benefit the lives of others.  If you implement these 4 ways that da Vinci used to impact the world, you will also leave a trail for others to follow.

"The road to success is not a path you find, 

but a trail you blaze."

Robert Brault

 

Click here to visit Living Sublime Wellness.

Hypnosis - The Power of Changing Perception...

Hello,

There are so many self-help books on the market that talk about positive thinking, how you think determines your outcome, if you think it can happen it will.  The real message in those titles is that our mind is a powerful tool in driving our motivations and change in our lives.  In our MINDWAYS Smoking Cessation program we use a proven assessment tool to help uncover our client's strengths and underlying motivations.  This is extremely helpful in meeting people where they are in their personal challenges.  With this information we can work with them in a partnership that is focused on achieving their personal goal (smoke-free living).

This article supports the premise of our program by supporting the power of hypnosis in altering perception.  By allowing the brain to accept new messaging related to a personal challenge, new healthy changes can occur because the previous thoughts driving behavior have replaced.  We are so excited to see how many smokers who are desiring a change we can help.  Through our approach of understanding your story, identifying your strengths, providing new healthy messaging, and supporting people with ongoing resources in their journey we know we can maximize their quality of life by providing a lasting freedom from dependence through mind empowerment.

http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/hypnotized-brain.html

5 Steps to Creating a Mindset for Success...

 

All people want to achieve some form of success in their life.  Even though the definition of that success may vary for each individual, the road to achieve that personal milestone is the same.  Obtaining the success you desire involves a series of actions or 4 "steps" that are controlled by our thought patterns and the mindset you choose. 

1.  Develop Emotional Intelligence 

In order to effectively develop a mindset for success you have to control the factors that may influence or impact that desired outcome.  One ingredient necessary to achieving success is your aptitude for being emotionally intelligent.  That is the way a person observes, assesses, prioritizes, and responds to the emotions encountered daily.  When someone can successfully control his or her reactions to the stimuli that affect emotions then he or she:

•  Becomes a better team player through improved communication.
• Increases empathy and understanding for others through active listening.
• Asserts and proactively says no negative to being impacted by negativity. 
• Delivers confident decisions in tune with his or her intuition.

Sounds like a smooth transformation, but managing emotions can be very challenging.  Some individuals allow emotion to affect responses like a rudderless ship adrift in a stormy sea.  It is not until a person learns to harness the power of emotions that the ship is able to reach the chosen destination.  This list is actions that a person who possesses a high level of emotional intelligence exhibits:

• They remain calm and assess the quality of their emotions.
• They take time to understand the causal effect behind the way they’re feeling.
• They evaluate the validity of their feelings with a rational barometer.
• They use a retrospective viewpoint to ensure consistency in their response.
• They identify the triggers that were the precursors for their stress.
• They capture the moment by using a journal to track frequency of feelings.
• Finally, they assert control rather than becoming a victim to their emotions.

When you begin to implement these practices you’ll improve your emotional ability, and be more effective in using the appropriate emotional responses with others.  Then you’ll take the next step on your journey to achieving your mindset of success.  You’ll realize you are growing personally and professionally, and you can be more reliant in pursuing your hopes and dreams. 

 2.  Be Self - Reliant

According to Merriam and Webster, "Self Reliance is being reliant on one's own efforts and abilities".  The pursuit of your own ideas and dreams can be a difficult road fraught with negativity, but by ignoring damaging opinions you demonstrate your ability to have the internal strength necessary to achieve your dreams.  The second step in creating your mindset for success occurs when you:

•    Believe that you have something to offer the world - A self-reliant person is able to see the value they hold because they have self-esteem.  Therefore, they are able to deflect negative things said or done to them because those aren't the images they see in the mirror.

•  Are Confident in your ability to generate things that hold meaning and value - A self reliant person will be that inventor or leader that might go against the grain because in addition to their self esteem they are self confident about their talents and abilities.  They believe they have what it takes to get the job done.

• Aren't swayed by negativity - Self reliant people can see the positive in situations because they look at life as a bunch of untapped possibilities.  They take full responsibility for their lives and don't play the victim role.  

• Are Willing to forge the trail alone - With the world view that possibilities exist, it's not much of a leap for the self reliant person to pursue their dreams even if they have to deal with naysayers.  Their goal is to determine their happiness, and create the life they desire.

• Enjoy collaboration and promote team success - The self reliant person is a good team player because their goal in collaboration is the same for others as for themselves.  They want people to make the most of their lives, and achieve their hopes and dreams.  Therefore, they willingly offer their support to ensure the success of the team.

• Seek counsel if needed because you understand you don't know everything - Self reliant people are able to search out counsel when needed to support their success.  There is a huge difference between healthy self confidence and arrogance, and the self reliant person understands the wisdom at being able to see an issue from a variety of angles creates the best outcome possible.

• Continue to look for opportunities to learn and improve - Learning and improving is a process that never ends.  Self reliant people pursue opportunities to increase their knowledge and skills because they understand it's the only way to stay ahead of the curve, remain relevant, and support their independence.

 How can you develop your self reliance, so that you can create a mindset for success?

• Make a list of your abilities, knowledge, and skills.  Seeing it on paper will help you realize what you have to offer.

• Create a list of ideas you have that you would like to pursue at your job or in your life. Take the idea a step further by plotting out a start to finish algorithm.

• How do you look at life?  Start each day by choosing one positive quote that you can focus on throughout the day.  Use positive talk to reinforce your self esteem and confidence.  Be grateful.

• Don't allow others to crush your dreams.  Write down five goals that you want to accomplish. Use the smart method - specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time specific.  Put this list where you can see it daily.  Stay focused, and reduce your interactions with any naysayers if you're unable to sway their negativity.

• Look for opportunities to be a giver.  Add to the collaborative process.  Share your special knowledge or talent to improve the process, and create a win-win for all involved.

• Do you have a mentor or someone that you can turn to for advice?  Make your own decisions, but cultivate a relationship with someone who will give you honest feedback concerning your thought process on ideas/projects you're pursuing.

• When was the last time you took a class, read a book, or watched a webinar focused on improving your personal and professional skills?  Choose 1 thing you will do each month to increase your knowledge or skills.

You're on your way to creating your "Mindset for Success".  The biggest determiner of your success is your willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve that definition of success you've created for yourself.  Along the road, help others to catch your vision and encourage them to pursue their hopes and dreams.  If you start taking these steps you'll soon be on your way to ensuring you have the mindset to win.  Take care, and have a great day.

3.  Develop a Purpose

The reason for which anything is done, created, or exists.  In order to create a mindset for success you must have a purpose.  A purpose gives you direction, a reason to get out of bed, and can ignite a passion in you and others around you.  So, do you have a purpose?  How do you know?

Most people in this world have a purpose, but may not think of it as some big philosophical issue to discuss.  A good example may be a parent.  They may have other things in life that drive them and take their time, but providing for their child's needs is the driving purpose for all they do.  How do you choose your purpose?  Often people experience the opposite where they feel like they've been born with a purpose, something they have to do in their lives that will make an impact.

How do you either find your purpose or develop one if it seems to be a lacking piece of the puzzle for you?  It's a very similar process to goal setting.  Here are some tips you can use to get start:

-  What are the things that are important to you in life?

-  How do you look at the world?

-  Are there things you enjoy doing that bring joy to your life?

-  Can you think of some current challenges that you'd like to help solve?

Take a piece of paper and start answering these questions.  Start to filter your answers for similarities.  Then prioritize what's left with what's most important to you.  Hopefully you should have something written down that makes you feel passionate and excited.  Now you have your purpose, but a purpose without action doesn't accomplish anything.

So let's look at an example of how we could make this process work:

-  First of all I want to be successful in my life, which means having a career I enjoy, family and friends that I care about, and a cause that improves the lives of others.  Also, I'd like to make some money to be able to take care of my family.

-  Once I'm done writing my list I see that the things that hold value for me are to care about other people, do something that makes me feel like I make a difference, use my knowledge of medicine and health to create solutions to problems, be able to have the flexibility to spend time with my family, and make an income that provides for our needs and enjoyment.

-  What sticks out to me on the list is the central theme about working with people to make a difference with the knowledge and skills I posses.

-  My action is to find a job, a volunteer organization, or start a business where I can impact the lives of others using my medical background that will provide a living to support my family.

-  I'm going to start a business to help people take control of their health.  With this being my purpose it will guide the decisions I make, influence how I spend my time and efforts, and impact how I'm able to support my family.

This example was very generic, but your purpose can be very specific.  The importance of the exercise is to understand that we have to be driven by something in life.  We have to have a reason for taking a breath every day, for choosing how our kids will see us, and to live life using your gifts and talents so you won't have regrets about what you could have done.

4.  Be Tenacious

Tenacity means not easily pulled apart, tending to cling especially to another substance, persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired.

Creating your "Mindset for Success" is similar to building a strong foundation on which a house is built.  It will be the mechanism to support additions to the structure, weather storms adequately, and keep you secure for years to come.  If you want to be successful you have to build the same strong and sturdy resolve to follow your dreams that will result in your success.

During the initial construction you laid out the boards of emotional intelligence.  That was so you could create a framework that wouldn't buckle under the pressures of emotional challenges.  Then you took out the blueprints and tried to see the lines, but the page had been smeared.  You had a deadline for this project, and knew you had to rely on your own skills.  You took out your pen and sketched out the missing components, so the job could be completed on time.

The next day you unveiled a sign that was going to stand in front of this new home.  It wasn't going to be like all the other homes on the block.  It had been built with many rooms, a large kitchen with plenty of room for a family, and an extra large laundry room that could fit three sets of washing machines.  As you removed the packaging from the sign it said “A New Day Home - A place for transitioning mothers of domestic violence".  This house had a purpose, to care for these women in transition by providing a safe and warm home where they could start to get back on their feet.

On this journey, you experienced challenges with not enough supplies and missing information, but you knew there were some women struggling to get to a safe place with their children.  Therefore, you worked long hours; you used your ingenuity, and remained dedicated to getting this home built on time.  You were tenacious in building this amazing structure.  On the day the front door opened, you were there to see the smiles on those ladies faces who would be the residents and heard the pitter-patter of their kids little feet running through the halls.  Your hard work and dedication resulted in this successful outcome.

Being a success takes work, but more importantly it calls for an inner strength that requires you to weather the storms of life, be resourceful with limited support, keep your eyes on the prize, and have the "intestinal fortitude" to keep going, so you achieve the impact and success that makes a difference.  

5.  Act with Integrity

Being successful is a result of our thoughts and motivations.  How we achieve that success also involves our actions.  I put the definition above for the final ingredient along with a picture that holds symbolic meaning for me in regards to ethics and honor.  The final ingredient or step for "Creating a Mindset for Success" is Integrity.

How we interact with others is crucial to our success.  Granted, I'm sure we can all name plenty of people that have worked their way to the top who might not hold this value close to their heart.  Those people still have to look in the mirror in the morning, and no one knows how they feel looking back at a person who doesn't have integrity.  Here's a quick story.

It was part of this company's leadership program for all managers to go through specific training to learn skills, and be in step with the culture of the company.  On the first day of the class there was an agreement that was made that allowed the managers to speak freely without reprisal.  As the week progressed there were a number of discussions concerning payroll, computer systems, and staff. During one of these discussions a manager in attendance started making disparaging remarks about one of their employees.  Some people looked uncomfortable because the employee being discussed was known to be a hard worker.

After the meeting that night, one of the managers who'd been disturbed by the whole event found the employee, and had a pep talk without providing any details of the earlier conversation.  This manager felt it was their duty to look out for the best interest of this employee.  Eventually word got back to the other manager who reported this to their superior, and the manager who had d the discussion with the employee was forced out of the company.

Where does integrity fit in this story?  Who's doing right and who's doing wrong?  Sometimes there are difficult situations we're exposed to where we have to act with our belief of integrity.  Those actions should represent a consistent track record of responding in the same manner to create positive outcomes.  Achieving success is a process that involves our entire being from our thoughts, to our emotions, to our motivations, and results in the actions people see.  You can create a foundation for your success by adopting this 5 step method that will result in achieving your dreams while remaining true to yourself.