12 Things My Grandmother Told Me Before She Died

POST WRITTEN BY: MARC

12 Things My Grandmother Told Me Before She Died

When my grandmother, Zelda, passed away a few years ago at the age of 90, she left me with a box of miscellaneous items from her house that she knew I had grown to appreciate over the years.  Among these items is an old leather-bound journal that she aptly named her ‘Inspiration Journal.’

Throughout the second half of her life, she used this journal to jot down ideas, thoughts, quotes, song lyrics, and anything else that moved her.  She would read excerpts from her journal to me when I was growing up, and I would listen and ask questions.  I honestly credit a part of who I am now to the wisdom she bestowed on me when I was young.

Today I want to share some of these inspiring excerpts with you.  I’ve done my best to sort, copyedit, and reorganize the content into twelve inspiring bullet points.  Enjoy.

1. Breathe in the future, breathe out the past.  No matter where you are or what you’re going through, always believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  Never expect, assume, or demand.  Just do your best, control the elements you can control, and then let it be.  Because once you have done what you can, if it is meant to be, it will happen, or it will show you the next step that needs to be taken.
2. Life CAN be simple again.  Just choose to focus on one thing at a time.  You don’t have to do it all, and you don’t have to do it all right now.  Breathe, be present, and do your best with what’s in front of you.  What you put into life, life will eventually give you back many times over.  ReadThe Power of Now.
3. Let others take you as you are, or not at all.  Speak your truth even if your voice shakes.  By being yourself, you put something beautiful into the world that was not there before.  So walk your path confidently and don’t expect anyone else to understand your journey, especially if they have not been exactly where you are going.
4. You are not who you used to be, and that’s OK.  You’ve been hurt; you’ve gone through numerous ups and downs that have made you who you are today.  Over the years, so many things have happened – things that have changed your perspective, taught you lessons, and forced your spirit to grow.  As time passes, nobody stays the same, but some people will still tell you that you have changed.  Respond to them by saying, “Of course I’ve changed.  That’s what life is all about.  But I’m still the same person, just a little stronger now than I ever was before.”
5. Everything that happens helps you grow, even if it’s hard to see right now.  Circumstances will direct you, correct you, and perfect you over time.  So whatever you do, hold on to hope.  The tiniest thread will twist into an unbreakable cord.  Let hope anchor you in the possibility that this is not the end of your story – that the change in the tides will eventually bring you to peaceful shores.
6. Do not educate yourself to be rich, educate yourself to be happy.  That way when you get older you’ll know the value of things, not the price.  In the end, you will come to realize that the best days are the days when you don’t need anything extreme or special to happen to make you smile.  You simply appreciate the moments and feel gratitude, seeking nothing else, nothing more.  That is what true happiness is all about.  ReadHappiness Is a Serious Problem.
7. Be determined to be positive.  Understand that the greater part of your misery or unhappiness is determined not by your circumstances, but by your attitude.  So smile at those who often try to begrudge or hurt you, show them what’s missing in their life and what they can’t take away from you.
8. Pay close attention to those you care about.  Sometimes when a loved one says, “I’m okay,” they need you to look them in the eyes, hug them tight, and reply, “I know you’re not.”  And don’t be too upset if some people only seem to remember you when they need you.  Feel privileged that you are like a beacon of light that comes to their minds when there is darkness in their lives.
9. Sometimes you have to let a person go so they can grow.  Because, over the course of their lives, it is not what you do for them, but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them a successful human being.
10. Sometimes getting the results you crave means stripping yourself of people that don’t serve your best interests.  This allows you to make space for those who support you in being the absolute best version of yourself.  It happens gradually as you grow.  You find out who you are and what you want, and then you realize that people you’ve known forever don’t see things the way you do.  So you keep the wonderful memories, but find yourself moving on.
11. It’s better to look back on life and say, “I can’t believe I did that,” than to look back and say, “I wish I did that.”  In the end, people will judge you in some way anyway.  So don’t live your life trying to impress others.  Instead live your life impressing yourself.  Love yourself enough to never lower your standards for anyone.  Read The Last Lecture.
12. If you’re looking for a happy ending and can’t seem to find one, maybe it’s time to start looking for a new beginning.  Brush yourself off and accept that you have to fail from time to time.  That’s how you learn.  The strongest people out there – the ones who laugh the hardest with a genuine smile – are the same people who have fought the toughest battles.  They’re smiling because they’ve decided that they’re not going to let anything hold them down, they’re moving on to a new beginning.

12 Things You Should Know for Sure

POST WRITTEN BY: MARC

12 Things You Should Know for Sure

Just a few things you should know.  Because when you know better, you do better.

1. The beginning is always the hardest. – Remember, being completely terrible at something is the first step to being pretty darn good at it.  It just takes time and practice.  In the end, it is the courage to continue that matters most.  Read Getting Things Done.
2. What’s right for you may be wrong for others, and vice versa.– It’s unreasonable to expect others to accept or consider your perspective if you’re not willing to do the same for them.  So think for yourself, and allow others the privilege of doing so too.  The truth is that the world isn’t really as it is, but as WE see it.  And we all see it differently.
3. When you try to change people, they usually remain the same. – But when you don’t try to change people – when you allow them the space to be as they are – they gradually change in the most beautiful way.  Because what really changes is the way you see them.
4. You have to decide for yourself. – Most of the time something is only awkward because of society’s preconceived idea that it is; don’t mindlessly follow that shallow perception of awkward.  Make up your own mind.  When it comes to choices and change, always do a gut check.  What do YOU want to do?  What would make YOU feel joy, passion, healthy, or on the right path?  Do that.  No other opinions are needed.
5. Most good things don’t come easy. – Easy is to think about improving.  Difficult is to put these thoughts into action.  Easy is to stumble and fall.  Difficult is to get back up.  Easy is to judge the mistakes of others.  Difficult is to recognize your own mistakes.  Easy is to receive.  Difficult is to give.  Easy is to promise something.  Difficult is to fulfill that promise.  Easy is to say “I love you.”  Difficult is to show it every day.  As you can see, most of the things we need in life are simple, but not easy.  The difficult, however, is often an indication that it’s worthwhile.
6. Love is a state of being. – It’s not how much you do, but how much love you put into everything you do that counts.  And love isn’t something that happens between people; it’s something you are either open to in the present, or something you are not.  It’s not a transaction; it’s a state of being.  Read The Mastery of Love.
7. It’s not other people’s job to love you; it’s yours. – It’s important to be nice to others, but it’s even more important to be nice to yourself.  You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.  So make sure you don’t start seeing yourself through the eyes of those who don’t value you.  Know your worth even if they don’t.
8. Someone out there is capable of loving your flaws. – Let someone love you just the way you are – as flawed as you might be, as unattractive as you sometimes feel, and as unaccomplished as you think you are.  To believe that you must hide all the parts of you that are broken, out of fear that someone else is incapable of loving what is less than perfect, is to believe that sunlight is incapable of entering a broken window and illuminating a dark room.
9. Friendship isn’t about being there when it’s convenient, it’s about being there when it’s not. – Even if you cannot seem to walk that mile in your friend’s shoes, you are still capable of standing beside them to be a supporter until the day they learn to smile again.
10. Unfortunately, some small minds will try to hold you back. – It may be difficult, but don’t let the negative voices around you bring you down.  Don’t ever let anyone turn your sky into a ceiling.  Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.  Small hearts and minds always do that.  The greatest hearts and minds make you feel that you, too, can become great.  Read Personal Development for Smart People.
11. Seeking revenge is always wasteful. – The energy you would spend trying to get revenge can be better spent creating an amazing future for yourself.  Forget about them.  Remember you.  Working on a better you is more fulfilling than hanging on to contempt of others.  Let it all go and hold on to your growth and kindness instead.
12. The most important thing you can control is your mind. – Your greatest need is to clean out the enormous mass of mental and emotional rubbish that clutters your mind.  You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day.  This is a power you can cultivate.  If you want to control things in your life, work on controlling your mind.  In most cases, that’s the only thing you should be trying to control.

10 Things I Dare You To Do Today

POST WRITTEN BY: MARC

10 Things I Dare You To Do Today

What you do every day is already important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.  But today, I dare you to take it up a notch, pump some extra life into every hour, and really make your time count.

Today, I dare you to…

1. Make someone else smile. – Ordinary people worry today and postpone their happiness for tomorrow.  Intelligent people are happy today and postpone their worries for tomorrow.  Wise people only wish happiness for all, today and tomorrow.  If you wish to have a lifetime of happiness, dedicate time every day to helping others smile with complete sincerity and enthusiasm.
2. Be imperfect. – Something that is really difficult, but totally worth it, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the journey of becoming your true self.  The most beautiful part of this journey is simply returning to the peaceful feeling of being.  This peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.
3. Be enthusiastic about what you’re doing. – You’re not given a good life or a bad life.  You’re given life, and it’s up to you to make it good or bad.  So wake up and get motivated; not everybody made it to today.  Don’t take your time for granted.  Don’t waste time thinking back to whatyou could have done differently yesterday.  Keep your eyes on the road ahead and do it differently today.  Wherever the road takes you, bring your passion.  Whatever you do along the way, do it with all your heart.
4. Make the best of what happens. – More important than what happens to you, is what you make of what happens to you.  The more thankful you are, the more beautiful this world appears.  You must uncover the good in the bad, the happy in your sad, the gain in your pain, and what makes you grateful not hateful.  Read Stumbling on Happiness.
5. Forgive your past self. – Sometimes, good people like you make bad choices.  It doesn’t mean you’re bad; it means you’re human.  So get bored with your past; it’s over.  Forgive yourself for what you think you did or didn’t do, and focus on what you will do starting now.
6. Spend some time simply being and breathing. – The only way to live happily ever after is one day at a time.  Just be, breathe, and think not about what you’re missing, but what you’ve been given.  Happiness is something that comes into our lives gradually through the doors we don’t even remember leaving open.  Read The Power of Now.
7. Learn something new. – It’s important to remember that you cannot become who you are capable of being by remaining exactly where you are.  If you are not willing to learn and grow, no one can help you.  But if you are determined to learn and grow, no one can stop you.  In the end, there are no permanent jobs on this planet; we are all interning here.  Learn from everyone, evolve, remain humble, and don’t forget to have a good time.
8. Look in the mirror, and tell yourself what you love about yourself. – What we see in the mirror is what we see in the world.  Our disappointment in others perfectly reflects our disappointment in ourselves.  Our acceptance of others perfectly reflects our acceptance of ourselves.  Our ability to see potential in others perfectly reflects our ability to see potential in ourselves.  Our patience with others perfectly reflects our patience with ourselves.  You get the idea – you’ve got toshow yourself some love first.
9. Focus on the qualities you like about those around you. – Whenever we focus on a person’s wonderful qualities, we have a wonderful relationship with them.  Whenever we focus on a person’s not so wonderful qualities, we have a not so wonderful relationship with them.  What we focus on grows in our minds and hearts.  Read The Charisma Myth.
10. Say “yes” to a spontaneous opportunity. – Everything in life can’t be planned.  Some of the greatest opportunities will knock on your door when you least expect them to.  Be flexible, be spontaneous, and just say “yes.”

New School prayer New Pledge of Allegiance

"New School prayer

New Pledge of Allegiance"

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now I sit me down in school

Where praying is against the rule

For this great nation under God

Finds mention of Him very odd.

If scripture now the class recites,

It violates the Bill of Rights.

And anytime my head I bow

Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,

That's no offense; it's a freedom scene..

The law is specific, the law is precise.

Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall

Might offend someone with no faith at all..

In silence alone we must meditate,

God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,

And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks...

They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.

To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,

And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.

It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,

We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong..

We can get our condoms and birth controls,

Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles ..

But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,

No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,

When chaos reigns the school's a mess.

So, Lord, this silent plea I make:

Should I be shot; My soul please take!

Amen

5 Quotes from Marcus Aurelius on Developing an Invincible Attitude

5 Quotes from Marcus Aurelius on Developing an Invincible Attitude

Stoicism is a school of Philosophy that intrigued me at a time where my self-defeating behavior was at its peak.

I had trouble dealing with frustration, failure, stress, and fear.

It felt nearly impossible to adapt to a new mindset to guide me to a more fruitful and productive lifestyle — until I read one of the most revered stoic's teachings, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.

Aurelius was known to be one of the most powerful men on earth, as well as the last of the "Five Good Emperors."

He ruled the Roman Empire, untainted by wealth, praise, or power. His ability to practice humility, compassion, and mindfulness is nothing short of inspiring.

Although his work contains a world of fascinating quotes ranging from nature, death, service, and self-control, here are five quotes that will help you get through the day, and negate any harm that may come your way.

1. Mind

 "The mind is the ruler of the soul. It should remain unstirred by agitations of the flesh — gentle and violent ones alike. Not mingling with them, but fencing itself off and keeping those feelings in their place. When they make their way into your thoughts, through the sympathetic link between mind and body, don’t try to resist the sensation. The sensation is natural. But don’t let the mind start in with judgments, calling it ‘good’ or ‘bad."

It will be difficult to apply at first, because in any unfortunate event, it's almost natural for you to stamp a label that says "bad."

But that's only one side of the story.

The other side will show you that you survived this event, and have learned from it. So now you are better off. Instead of viewing yourself as a victim, choose to view it as a lesson learned.

You are now stronger because this specific thing happened. It didn't kill you; it only made you wiser and more experienced.

2. Mistakes

 "Leave other people's mistakes where they lie."

I am certain that what he means is when someone attempts to harm you or stir up anger and frustration, that is not your problem.

It is their problem. 

It is degrading their character and ruining their mind. Not yours. If you choose to view this as an attack, an unfortunate event, your mind perceives it that way and causes you to feel anger and frustration as well.

We are responsible for ourselves. That includes how we feel, the thoughts we tell ourselves, and the actions we commit. When someone attempts to obstruct you, realize that it is their mistake, not yours.

3. Decisions

 "You don't have to turn this into something. It doesn't have to upset you. Things can't shape our decisions by themselves."

It's easy to throw your hands up once your ego is under attack. But why add needless suffering to your life? Why pay mind to needless judgments and opinions?

I always say there's two sides to a story. You can choose to be angry or frustrated or stressed out — that's the easy way out — or you can choose to move forward, adapt, and learn from this event; which in most cases, is always the hardest thing to do.

So now you're left with something that easy versus something hard. The outcomes are pretty obvious.

Which one do you want for yourself?

4. Help

 "Don't be ashamed to need help. Like a soldier storming a wall, you have a mission to accomplish. And if you've been wounded and you need a comrade to pull you up? So what?"

I try to go through my days with my own efforts and determination. It's a good practice, sure, but sometimes it's best to combine your efforts with someone else, such as a friend or family member or peer.

Many times, we are unaware of the valuable skills our network possess.

Some are better at certain skills like time management than we are. Instead of trying to get it all done by yourself, why not ask for some help? Get your team involved.

A helping hand isn't one that you should smack down.

5. Pain

 "Either pain affects the body (which is the body's problem) or it affects the soul. But the soul can choose to not be affected, preserving its own serenity, its own tranquility. All our decisions, urges, desires, aversions lie within. No evil can touch them."

The stoic mindset is difficult to adapt to; I find myself losing sight of Marcus's teachings, because the behavior that has carried me my whole life never made me aware of how much control we have over ourselves.

Once you start changing your perspective on things — and believe in it — only then can you really start to negate the false dangers that we've been conditioned to accept.

Everyday we battle plenty of distractions. We can choose to be frustrated, angry, and resentful ... or not, which is an extremely powerful responsibility.

Choice is Always Present

Choose not to be affected by the distractions that come your way, and you can continue staying focused on what truly matters in your day-to-day life.

You can spend your energy efficiently and give your attention to the things that really deserve it.

Felix Baumgartner’s space jump relied on science, technology and some good weather

By Scott Sutherland | Geekquinox – 4 hours ago

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Australian skydiver Felix Baumgartner set three records in his successful Red Bull Stratos jump yesterday — one for the highest manned balloon flight, one for highest skydive, and another for being the first person to exceed the speed of sound without a vehicle.

Behind the safe and successful completion of the jump were several pieces of technology, some of which needed to be designed from the ground up.

[ Related: Photos of Baumgartner's supersonic jump ]

Supersonic skydive scienceCBC science correspondent Bob McDonald explains the science behind extreme skydiver Felix Baumgartner's leap from the edge of space

The capsule that took Baumgartner up for his jump took nearly 5 years to develop and test. It consisted of four main components:

• The 1.8m-diameter 'pressure sphere' — where Baumgartner sat during his ascent — housed all the instrumentation and displays, and a chair for Baumgartner to sit in on the way up. The sphere was kept at a pressure of only about 54 kilopascals (a little over half of sea level air pressure) during the mission, since that would allow Baumgartner to make the ascent without pressurizing his suit, and still minimize the risk of decompression sickness.
• Surrounding the pressure sphere was the 'cage', which was constructed of welded chromium molybdenum tubes — the same kind uses in aircraft construction — which acted as the support structure for the entire capsule.
• Around the outside was the shell, which not only provided an attractive face to the design, but its fibreglass-coated foam-insulated skin provided protection from the temperatures in the stratosphere, which can drop to lower than -50 degrees C, and its specially-designed shape provided greater stability for the capsule on its way back down to Earth.
• The 'base' of the capsule had two layers of 'honeycomb' protection, with outer 'crush pads' designed to withstand 8Gs of force to protect the capsule upon landing, and an inner aluminum 'sandwich panel' that would prevent any sharp objects on the ground from damaging the capsule as it touched down.

The balloon that took the capsule up was also specially made for the mission.

• It was made of over 160,000 square metres of plastic film, thinner than the width of a human hair (about 20 micrometres thick), but had a mass of nearly 1700 kilograms.
• When ready to fly, it was over 167 metres tall, and resembled a large ice-cream cone. As it rose and the pressure dropped, the balloon expanded becoming a round ball.

The suit Baumgartner wore was designed by the David Clark Company, which has been designing and building suits for space missions for over 50 years, and this is apparently the first suit they have ever built for a private space mission.

• It was modeled after suits worn by pilots of high-altitude spy planes.
• It was specially designed to protect Baumgartner from temperature extremes down to -68 degrees Celsius, and to keep the suit properly pressurized during the mission, to prevent 'ebullism' — where the liquid in your tissues turns to gas in the low pressure and expands dangerously.
• The suit incorporated new design features — due to a skydiver's need to use specific body positions and visual cues — that increased the mobility of the wearer and increased their visibility with the use of mirrors, which "may serve as the prototype for the next-generation full-pressure suit." according to the Red Bull Stratos website.

Baumgartner had three parachutes at his disposal during the fall.

• His main and reserve chutes were 9-cell 'ram-air' parachutes that were rated to be opened at speeds of 150 knots (277.8 km/h).
• The reserve chute included a fail-safe called 'CYPRES' (Cybernetic Parachute Release System), that would have deployed it automatically if Baumgartner was still falling at more than 35 metres per second when he reached a height of 610 metres.
• Also included was a specially-designed drogue stabilization chute, which was the first drogue chute developed for personal use (these are the chutes that pop open behind a jet aircraft, to shorten the length of runway it needs to land). This particular chute was intended to be used to stabilize Baumgartner should he be caught in an out-of-control spin during descent. A deploy button was included on his glove, however an automatic system that measured G-forces would open the chute itself if he experienced 3.5 Gs or more for a period of 6 seconds or more. This drogue chute was the first ever designed to deploy independently of a main or reserve chute.

The pack attached to the suit chest is described on the Stratos website as "a one-of-a-kind technology hub no bigger than a lunch pail."

• It housed Baumgartner's communications system, GPS and telemetry equipment,
• It also had an HD camera to record the event and equipment used by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale — the organization that handles air sports and aeronautical world records — to verify any records set in the jump
• an inertia measurement unit (IMU) kept track of Baumgartner's altitude and spin.

One other thing was crucial for the success of the mission: Good weather.

The jump was originally scheduled to take place on October 8th, however weather conditions forced him to postpone. The next day, conditions were initially calm, but a radio problem forced a delay, and by the time it was fixed the weather conditions had deteriorated. It wasn't the weather on the way down that was the problem though. High winds at the launch site threatened to damage the balloon, which is so fragile that the 'high' winds in this case are anything over 3.2 km/h. To get a feel for how fragile that makes the balloon, a wind speed of 3.2 km/h is considered 'light air' on the Beaufort Wind Scale — not even strong enough to rate as a 'light breeze' — which would likely not even be felt on the skin.

[ Related: Felix Baumgartner's space jump re-enacted with LEGO ]

One aspect of the jump has pushed Baumgartner to the forefront of space science research, which he spoke about briefly in a pre-jump statement. "Proving that a human can break the speed of sound in the stratosphere and return to Earth would be a step toward creating near-space bailout procedures that currently don't exist."

Dangerous Drink-and-Drug Interactions

By Molly Raisch | Prevention – 5 hours ago

Take Meds With the Right Beverage

Before you wash down medication with just any beverage, watch out; common drinks, from fruit juice to coffee, can lessen the effectiveness of certain drugs as well as pose serious health threats when combined with some prescriptions. Medical toxicologist Lesile Dye, MD, FACMT outlined the top alarming combos.

Grapefruit Juice

Grapefruit juice negatively interacts with more than 50 medications, including statins. Because the effects of the citrus juice last more than 24 hours, simply taking your meds at a different time won't solve the problem.

Pomegranate Juice

An enzyme found in pomegranate juice can break down several blood pressure prescriptions.

Milk, Soy Milk, Milk-Based Smoothies

Calcium can interfere with the effectiveness of thyroid medication. Wait at least 4 hours after dosage to drink any calcium-rich beverages.

Coffee, Green Tea, and Energy Drinks
Caffeine can pose a serious health threat when taken with stimulants. Avoid a cup of joe when taking ephedrine (appetite suppressants), asthma prescriptions, and amphetamines (such as Adderall).

Sports Drinks

The potassium in these drinks can be dangerous when coupled with some heart failure or hypertension drugs. Bananas are also very rich in potassium.

Wine (or Energy Drinks)
Skip the dinnertime glass of wine when taking antidepressents; the combo can cause hypertension, headaches, fast heart rate, and stroke. The same goes for energy drinks.

Green Tea (with Vitamin K)

Vitamin K, also found in broccoli and kale, can decrease the effect of blood thinners such as coumarin or warfarin.

9 Signs it’s Time for a Change

POST WRITTEN BY: MARC

9 Signs it’s Time for a Change

It’s never too late or too early to be who you are capable of being.  There’s no time limit, you can simply start and stop whenever you want.  You can change or stay the same.  You can make the best or the worst of it.  It’s up to you, so make the best of it.  Do things that startle you.  Feel things you never felt before.  Spend time with people who help you grow.  Live a life you’re proud of.  And if you find that you’re not, have the courage to make a change.

You know it’s time for a change when…

1. Fear is holding you back. – Realize that fear is the worst of it; fear is your real enemy.  So get up, get out in the stormy weather of the real world, and kick fear as hard as you can right in the teeth.  Do so by staring at it dead in the eyes and then walking right through it into the storm.  Let the rain kiss your skin.  That’s the first step.  Because a wet man doesn’t fear the rain anymore.  Read The Road Less Traveled.
2. You catch yourself feeding the negative. – There is always a fierce battle between two hungry forces going on inside you.  One is negative – anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, lies, and hatred.  The other is positive – love, joy, peace, hope, compassion, kindness, and truth.  The force that wins is the one you feed the most.
3. Your mind is everywhere except right here, right now. – Some people believe the past is endless, the future is endless, and the present isa moment.  But the truth is, the past is a moment, the future is a moment, and the present is endless.  Make sure you’re living in it and making the most of this present moment we call life.
4. You feel pressured to be someone other than yourself. – Some people will simply not like it when you are being yourself.  They will always be more comfortable with the person they imagined you to be.  So when they disapprove of you, ignore them.  Because what makes you happy supersedes what they think will make you happy.  Do not disown your truth.  Do not fear your originality.  Do not live in their opinions.  Decide that you matter and that there is nothing wrong just being YOU. Read The Mastery of Love.
5. You feel like you’re competing against everyone else. – You are in competition with no one other than yourself.  You are running your own race.  You have no need to play the game of being better than anyone in any way, shape, or form.  Just aim to improve – to be better than you were yesterday.  This is the mindset that will set you free.
6. A relationship is making you miserable. – You can’t change all the people around you, but you can change the people you choose to be around.  No relationship is worth being miserable over.  Sometimes you just have to erase the messages, delete the numbers, and move on.  You don’t have to forget who they once were, but you do have to accept that they aren’t the same person anymore.
7. You feel bored. – Don’t say you’re bored; it’s a useless thing to say.  You live in a vast world that you’ve seen only a small fraction of.  And even the inside of your own mind is endless – it literally goes on forever to depths you’ve never explored.  Do you understand?  The fact that you are alive is amazing, so you don’t really have the right to be bored.  If you are, you know it’s time to make a change.
8. You’ve been resisting change. – Change isn’t part of the process, it is the process.  The bad news: nothing is permanent.  The good news: nothing is permanent.  Therefore, avoid overzealous elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity.  In time, both will change.  Read The Tao of Pooh.
9. Other people are writing your story for you. – Your life is a story, and you are the protagonist.  Everyone, and I mean everyone else, is a side character.  Your parents, your boss, and every stranger on the street are all just side characters.  Now, how much do they affect the story?  Well, side characters can be great, but they only exist to help you move the story along.  So if you make a mistake, feel awkward or embarrassed, don’t get too stressed out.  Laugh it off, you’re the protagonist.  No other character has the power to stress you out unless you let them.  This is just a friendly reminder to help you get unstuck and move your story along.  Again, this is YOUR STORY.  Live it the way you want to live it, and don’t let anyone else write the ending for you.

How to Achieve Every Goal You Will Ever Set

How to Achieve Every Goal You Will Ever Set

What would your life look like if you could achieve every goal you set?

I bet it would be full of passion, fulfillment, and happiness.

The problem with setting goals is that most people choose goals that they don't even want.

They let society set their goals for them.

Most people don't even know that this is happening, because it is so deeply ingrained.

You can achieve every goal you set, but you have to get in touch with yourself anddiscover what you are and are not willingto work for.

When you discover this you will discovergreatness within yourself.

1. Desire

The first step is to set goals that you actually want to achieve, and that make you happy right now.

For example, I love working on my business, and while my goals are to grow my business, I am happy right now doing the work I'm doing.

If you have a goal of making a lot of money doing something you hate, such as working in a job that's boring, it will end up destroying your soul.

It's better to discover why you want to make that amount of money, and then go after that goal instead of using money as the middleman.

2. Imagine

A very effective tool is to visualize that your goal is already accomplished.

This will make you feel motivated and inspired to take action. When you are inspired, you will get a lot more done, and you will be more willing to face your fears when they pop up.

All you need to do is sit down or lie down, and see yourself having already accomplished your goal. If you want to go even further, imagine taking the next small step toward your goal.

It’s not going to magically make things happen, but you will feel happier and more in control.

3. One Step

If you take one step every single day toward your goal, you will achieve it sooner or later.

Now, you can work on low value tasks, which will significantly slow down your progress. Use your common sense and figure out what steps you can take today to get closer to your goals.

If you get into the habit of taking one step each day, you will gain momentum, which will lead to you to becoming more productive every day.

Simple, yet powerful.

4. Model

Find people that have already achieved your goal and ask them what they did to get there. Figure out their mistakes and successes, and use them to your advantage.

You don't have to reinvent the wheel. You can easily find people that have already walked the path that you are on.

This can be as simple as emailing someone and asking a few questions. Most people are more than happy to help you if they see that you're going to apply the advice they give you.

5. Obstacles

You will run into obstacles and fears along the way. In order to blast right through them, identify your obstacles and come up with solutions of how you will handle them beforehand.

This will help you anticipate how to get through obstacles and anything else that happens to stand between you and your goals.

You can achieve anything if you are determined enough to make it happen.

Do you have any tips for achieving your goals? Please share in the comments below!

Written on 10/15/2012 by Henri Junttila. Henri is a freelance writer and the founder of Wake Up Cloud, where he helps people turn their passion into a thriving lifestyle business. When you feel ready to take action, get his free special report.

10 Timeless Lessons Everyone Learns Eventually

POST WRITTEN BY: MARC

10 Timeless Lessons Everyone Learns Eventually

Just a few timeless life lessons we all learn on the road of life…

1. Beauty comes from within. – You will never be beautiful like me.  You can only be beautiful like you.  One does not become beautiful by trying to be beautiful.  One becomes beautiful by finding beauty in what’s already within.
2. Pain has a purpose. – Pain doesn’t just show up in your life for no reason.  It’s a sign that something in your life needs to change.  This change takes strength.  But remember, it’s not that those who are strong never get weak in the knees, or that they never gasp for a breath.  It’s that while their knees are shaking, they force themselves to breathe and to take another step.  Read The Road Less Traveled.
3. There are right people, and wrong people, for you. – There are fake people, and those who are true friends.  There are people who takethe heart out of you, and those who put it back.  You have a choice of who to spend time with.  True friends have an honest heart, and will go out of their way to help you when you need it most.  Stick with the people who never let you down and keep their promises.  You can’t fake that.
4. What you focus on grows. – Do not let the negativity wear off on you.  Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness.  Promote what you love instead of discrediting what you dislike.  When you choose to focus on the things you love, you end up finding more joy and more love in life.
5. What you don’t start today, won’t be finished by tomorrow. – There are seven days in the week and someday isn’t one of them.  Ask yourself if what you’re doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow.  Read Getting Things Done.
6. Sometimes taking your own advice is hard. – You know what to do, but you can’t seem to accept your own good judgment.  You’ve said the same exact words to others, but listening to your own words is a struggle.  That’s why friends are priceless.  Because sometimes you just need to hear it from someone other than yourself.
7. You can’t live your life solely for other people. – When writing the story of your life, don’t let someone else hold the pen.  You’ve got todo what’s right for you, even if the people you love disagree with your dreams.  Live your life so that when it’s time to ask where the time went, you can answer: “It went to joyful moments of self-discovery, to my search for passion, to doing work that felt like play, to standing up for what I believe in, and to exploring this beautiful world with an open heart.  My time went to living MY life!”
8. Forgiveness is the first step to recovery. – Sometimes we don’t forgive people because they deserve it; we forgive them because they need it, because we need it, and because we cannot move forward without it.  So cry, forgive, learn, and move on.  Let your tears water the seeds ofyour future growth and happiness.
9. Your beliefs become your reality. – What you believe has more power than what you dream or wish or hope for.  You become what you believe.  Even though you cannot control everything that happens, you can control your attitude toward what happens.  And in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.  Read Awaken the Giant Within.
10. Success is rarely easy, but always worth it. – Those who have achieved their dreams know that life is about willpower and persistence.  It’s about hanging on to hope when your heart has had enough, and giving even more when your mind and body want to give up.  Yes, each step may get harder, but the view from the top is priceless, and well worth enduring the journey to get there.