“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”  ~ Abraham Lincoln.

“The purpose of life is a life of purpose.”  ~ Robert Byrne.

“The miracle is not to fly in the air, or to walk on the water, but to walk on the earth.”  ~ Chinese Proverb.

Wouldn’t it be great if your life was an exciting cornucopia of new adventures? Just imagine! No more days where you wonder if there’s something better. No more hearing yourself complain about being bored.

Life is full of chores and routines, and sometimes you might find yourself just going through the motions without even realizing that you could be seeking out some excitement instead.

Even though there will always be chores and other required tasks, the time you have afterwards can be a fulfilling set of exciting adventures. With a little ingenuity and action, boredom can become a faint memory of your past.

Try the following ways to add excitement to your life:

1. Challenge yourself. It doesn’t matter what you choose to do, but find something that challenges you. Push your limits. Not only will you be adding excitement to your life, you’ll also end up accomplishing more that you ever thought you could.

2. Dare yourself to do something totally different. You may find excitement by just going in a different direction than you’re used to. If you take daily walks, try a new route. If you always enjoy a certain meal at a restaurant, pick something else or even a new restaurant next time. These small variances from the norm can be just the pick-me-up you’re seeking.


3. Expand your comfort zone. Summon the courage to step out of your comfort zone. It can feel quite exciting, get your heart pumping faster, and make you feel alive again. When you step outside your comfort zone, you open up a door to a whole new world of exciting experiences.

4. Do something you’ve always wanted to do. If there’s something you’ve been meaning to try, now is the time. Go for it with all the gusto you’ve got!

5. Make adventures a priority. If necessary, schedule excitement into your daily schedule. This will force you to take it just as seriously as your other commitments, but also give you an allotted time where your focus is solely on enjoying an adventure.

6. Meet new people. Meeting new people can bring you a new variety of adventure and excitement. When you make a new friend, they may introduce you to new interests, hobbies, music, food, and more. It’s difficult to stay bored when you’re letting new people into your life.

7. Go out more. Make an extra effort to get out of the house. Whenever you walk out that door, the possibilities are endless. Make every outing a new adventure!

8. Plan a grand adventure. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii or visit far away friends. You may have to spend a good amount of time saving up for the trip, but even the anticipation of the trip and planning the details can be exciting.

9. Volunteer your time. You may think that volunteering is only about the giving of yourself for the good of others. However, volunteering can be personally rewarding and even exciting. You may find that you genuinely enjoy helping other people, and you never know what you’ll discover in the course of volunteering.

Life can be as exciting as you want it to be. Take action to plan your time according to your priorities, and use these tips to help you take advantage of every moment you’ve got. You’ll be glad you did!

“Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.”  ~St. Francis De Sales.

“Be yourself. There is something that you can do better than any other. Listen to the inward voice and bravely obey that.”  ~Unknown Author.

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love & affection.”  ~Buddha.

A healthy self-esteem is a starting point for a happy life. Unfortunately, when you lack self-esteem, you also lack the ability to reach your true potential. Why? Because your thoughts are truly powerful!

It All Starts With Your Beliefs

Most people have heard the statement, “If you can dream it, you can do it,” but few people actually take it to heart. For some reason big goals seem unattainable and an “I can’t” mentality takes over.

While everyone experiences negative thoughts from time to time, you may need to make an extra effort to get through these challenges. Positive thoughts must be victorious in the end!

Tips For Developing Self-Esteem

Developing a healthy self-esteem doesn’t need to be a difficult task. There are small changes you can make to get yourself on the right track.

Try following these strategies to help you develop a healthy self-esteem:

1. Ignore negativity from others. For some reason, many people get into the habit of putting others down. You know you shouldn’t listen to these people, but sometimes you take what they’re saying to heart. It’s especially hurtful when it’s coming from someone you love.

• Some people will even steer you in the wrong direction because they think they’re doing the right thing. When it comes down to it, you’re the only one that knows yourself and your dreams. You simply can’t let anyone stand in the way!

2. Learn to accept compliments. You might toss off compliments as lies because some people may have ulterior motives. While this might be true, in most cases people are being genuine. After all, most people won’t go out of their way to give you a false compliment.

• Accepting compliments will help you discover what you’re good at and strengthen your self-confidence.

3. Get a life coach. Life coaches are in the business of helping you live your life to its fullest potential. You don’t need to be scared or embarrassed to seek one out. If a life coach doesn’t seem feasible for you, you can look into getting some self-help guides.

• Go online or to a local bookstore to find some relevant workbooks and resources.

4. Use affirmations. Affirmations are great self-esteem boosters because they show your brain what you already know you can achieve. They bring positive energy into the present moment.

• You can read affirmations on the subjects of your choice or you can get into the habit of writing your own affirmations. Nothing can be more targeted to your true feelings than your own words!

5. Avoid comparing yourself to others. It’s easy to get into the habit of comparing yourself negatively to other people. Remind yourself that everyone is unique. You’re equipped with your own set of strengths and weaknesses, so the best thing you can do for yourself is concentrate on developing your own strengths.

Follow Your Dreams

Once you’ve worked on your initial feelings about self worth, it’s time to take a step in the right direction. A part of a healthy self-esteem is having the drive to take action toward your goals.

Have a plan and follow through. If you feel that you’ve improved your self-esteem but then fail to take action towards your dream, it will only be a matter of time before your self-esteem begins to wane again.

When you’re faced with challenges, actively seek solutions. When you do, you’ll soon notice what a positive role your healthy self-esteem plays in your life!

“Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.”  ~Kevin Arnold.

“Memory is deceptive because it is colored by today’s events.”  ~Albert Einstein.

In love longing
I listen to the monk’s bell.
I will never forget you
even for an interval
Short as those between the bell notes.
~Izumi Shikibu.

When you want to strengthen your muscles, you lift weights. If you want to improve the concentration and focus of your mind, then you need to work out and exercise your brain. The correct brain exercises will improve the way your brain works and develop better focus and concentration.

As we age, we may lose the ability to concentrate, but brain exercises can improve concentration even in older people. Brain exercises are excellent tools for people of any age who would like to strengthen their mind!

Here are some great brain exercises that can help you improve memory and concentration:

1. Do some crossword puzzles. Not only are crossword puzzles a lot of fun, but they can help improve your concentration. Relying on your long-term memory and trying to solve tough questions help stimulate the brain.

• Taking only 15 minutes daily to work on crossword puzzles can benefit you.
• To keep a fresh supply of puzzles handy, you can buy a crossword puzzle book, check your daily newspaper, or look online to find them for free.

2. Changing your daily routine challenges your brain to do something that’s outside your comfort zone. This can strengthen your problem solving abilities.

• Consider changing things by taking a different route to work one morning and then finding another on your way home.

3. Try Sudoku puzzles. These are number placement puzzles based on logic. You complete a 9×9 grid so that each row and each column only has numbers that range from 1-9. Within the grid, in each 3×3 block, a number can only be used once. Most definitely challenging!

• These puzzles are often found in daily newspapers, printed books, and online.

4. Eat foods that help your brain. Your brain will stay healthy and function at its best if nourished with nutritious foods.

• Proteins are great for the brain, and may be found in cheeses, meats, fish, and milk.
• Complex carbohydrates are important as well, and these carbs come from fruits, vegetables, and grains.
• The brain needs some fat, so don’t shy away from healthy oils like olive oil or fish oils.
• Eat foods that include omega-3s, such as trout, salmon, and tuna, which are oily fish. Some nuts contain these fats as well and are healthy food for the brain.

5. Start a new hobby. Trying a new hobby is another way to expand your interests and use your brain to learn something new. Being busy and learning new things expand the way the brain thinks and gets you out of a rut.

• Join a local club or take a class at a hobby store or community college.

Challenging yourself and improving brain function is something that any person can do. Young and old alike can enjoy and benefit from these great techniques. Get your whole family in on the fun!

Make just one change today to stimulate your brain. You won’t notice any drastic changes overnight, but with time and practice, eventually you’ll find that you can finish puzzles quicker, solve problems more easily, and enjoy improved concentration and focus.

“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”  ~ Abraham Lincoln.

“The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness.  You have to catch it yourself.”  ~ Benjamin Franklin.

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”  ~ Albert Schweitzer.

Life isn’t the sweetest candy. Sometimes, when I feel like the world is just too heavy, I look around and find people who continued to live fascinating and wonderful lives. And then thoughts come popping into my mind like bubbles from nowhere – “How did their life become so adorably sweet? How come they still can manage to laugh and play around despite a busy stressful life?”  Then I pause and observed for awhile… I figured out that maybe, they start to work on a place called ‘self’.

So, how does one become genuinely happy? Step 1 is to love yourself.

My theology professor once said that “loving means accepting.”  To love oneself means to accept that you are not a perfect being, but behind the imperfections must lie a great ounce of courage to be able to discover ways on how to improve your repertoire to recover from our mistakes.

Genuine happiness also pertains to contentment. When you are contented with the job you have, the way you look, with your family, your friends, the place you live in, your car, and all the things you now have – truly, you know the answer to the question “how to be genuinely happy.”

When we discover a small start somewhere from within, that small start will eventually lead to something else, and to something else. But if you keep questioning life lit it has never done you any good, you will never be able to find genuine happiness.

I believe that life is about finding out about right and wrong, trying and failing, wining and losing. These are things that happen as often as you inhale and exhale. Failure, in a person’s life has become as abundant and necessary as air. But this should not hinder us from becoming happy.


How to be genuinely happy in spite all these? I tell you… every time you exert effort to improve the quality of life and your being, whether it is cleaning up your room, helping a friend, taking care of your sick dog, fail on board exams and trying again, life gives you equivalent points for that.

Imagine life as a big score board like those which are used in the NFLs. Every time you take a step forward, you make scoring points. Wouldn’t it be nice to look at that board at the end of each game and think to yourself “Whew! I got a point today. I’m glad I gave it a shot.”, instead of looking at it all blank and murmur “Geez, I didn’t even hit a score today. I wish I had the guts to try out. We could have won!” and then walk away.

Genuine happiness isn’t about driving the hottest Formula 1 car, nor getting the employee of the year award, earning the highest 13th month pay, or beating the sales quota. Sometimes, the most sought after prizes in life doesn’t always go to the fastest, the strongest, the bravest or not even the best. So, how do you become genuinely happy?

Every one has his own definition of ‘happiness’. Happiness for a writer may mean launching as much best selling books as possible. Happiness for a basketball rookie may mean getting the rookie of the year award. Happiness for a beggar may mean a lot of money. Happiness for a business man may mean success.

So, really now, how do we become genuinely happy? Simple. You don’t have to have the best things in this world. Its about doing and making the best out of every single thing. When you find yourself smiling at your own mistake and telling your self “Oh, I’ll do better next time”, you carry with you a flame of strong will power to persevere that may spread out like a brush fire. You possess a willingness to stand up again and try – that will make you a genuinely happy person.

When you learn to accept yourself and your own faults. You pass step 1 in the project “how to become genuinely happy”.For as long as you know how to accept others, you will also be accepted. For as long as you love and know how to love, you will receive love ten folds back.

Again, throw me that same question “how to become genuinely happy?”. I’ll refer you to a friend of mine who strongly quoted- “Most of us know that laughter is the best medicine to life’s aches and pain. But most of us don’t know that the best kind of laughter is laughter over self. Coz then you don’t just become happy… you become free.”

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction.”  ~ Albert Einstein

“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”  ~ Stephen Covey.

“What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.”  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Mindset is “an established set of attitudes held by someone,” says the Oxford American Dictionary. It turns out, however, that a set of attitudes needn’t be so set, according to Dweck, professor of psychology at Stanford. Dweck proposes that everyone has either a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.

A fixed mindset is one in which you view your talents and abilities as… well, fixed. In other words, you are who you are, your intelligence and talents are fixed, and your fate is to go through life avoiding challenge and failure.

A growth mindset, on the other hand, is one in which you see yourself as fluid, a work in progress. Your fate is one of growth and opportunity.

Which mindset do you possess?

Dweck provides a checklist to assess yourself and shows how a particular mindset can affect all areas of your life, from business to sports and love. The good news, says Dweck, is that mindsets are not set: at any time, you can learn to use a growth mindset to achieve success and happiness. This is a serious, practical book. Dweck’s overall assertion that rigid thinking benefits no one, least of all yourself, and that a change of mind is always possible, is welcome.

When you change your mindset, you change your world!

Successful people have a very unique mindset. Their beliefs and values are very different from those of other people. And they have adopted different habits that support their beliefs and helps them achieve their goals.

As a result, successful people react differently to events, situations and challenges in their lives. They also react differently to what other people say or think. Only they decide what they are to focus on at any given time.

Successful people ask the right questions! While most people look at a situation and ask “Why isn’t this working?”, the successful person will look at the same situation and ask “How can I make this work?” Where most people will wonder “Why is this happening to me?” the successful person will ask “What can I change in order to get what I want?”

Successful people have a very different mindset.

But here’s what’s interesting…

Successful people aren’t born this way. They are different because they choose to be different. They simply decided to change their lives because they didn’t like what they had. They didn’t like the kind of results they were getting, or the direction in which their lives were headed. So they decided to change it.

But they realized that in order to change their lives, they first needed to change their beliefs, values, and habits. They needed to change their mindset. And so they did.

Anyone can choose to do the same! Anyone can decide to become successful. Anyone can obtain riches, optimum health, fulfilling relationships, and so on. Anyone can go out there and start searching for answers, for knowledge and skills that would make them successful.

And since success starts first in the mind, anyone can choose to adopt new empowering beliefs & habits and let go of the old, limiting ones.

Hope you find this article empowering!

“Holding οח tο аחɡеr іѕ Ɩіkе grasping a hot coal wіtһ tһе intent οf throwing іt аt someone еƖѕе уου аrе tһе one wһο gets burned.”  ~ Buddha.

“Fοr еνеrу minute уου remain аחɡrу, уου give up sixty seconds οf peace οf mind.”  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson.

“Aחɡеr, іf חοt restrained, іѕ frequently more hurtful tο υѕ tһаח tһе injury tһаt provokes іt.”  ~ Seneca.

Everyone gets аחɡrу. It’s јυѕt a раrt οf life. Hοwеνеr, уου саח teach yourself effective ways tο manage уουr аחɡеr ѕο уου саח release іt іח a healthy manner.

Wһеח уου Ɩеt уουr аחɡеr boil inside οf уου, іt сουƖԁ еחԁ up coming out іח undesirable ways. Yου сеrtаіחƖу don’t want аח explosion οf аחɡеr tο occur wһеrе уου feel completely out οf control. Tһаt сουƖԁ produce ѕοmе serious consequences fοr уου аחԁ others.

Tһеrе аrе easy аחԁ safe methods tο υѕе tһаt wіƖƖ allow уου tο manage уουr аחɡеr.

Try ѕοmе οf tһе following аחɡеr management tips:

1. Take deep breaths. At tһе first sign οf аחɡеr, take a step back instead οf having аח immediate reaction. Allow yourself time fοr a few deep breaths. Tһіѕ act wіƖƖ bring extra oxygen tο tһе brain wһеrе іt’s needed. Yου′ll bе аbƖе tο tһіחk wіtһ extra clarity аחԁ уου′ll һаνе more time tο sort out уουr tһουɡһtѕ.

2. Pray аחԁ meditate. Turn tο tһе һеƖр οf prayer аחԁ meditation. Cһοοѕе tһе one tһаt fits wіtһ уουr personal style. Both οf tһеѕе activities allow уου tο concentrate аחԁ clear уουr head. Yου′ll bе аbƖе tο tһіחk hard аbουt уουr feelings аחԁ possibly even release tһе аחɡеr уου′ve built up.

3. Uѕе positive affirmations. Affirmations һаνе tһе power tο battle negative emotions such аѕ аחɡеr. Tһеу′re short positive statements written іח tһе present tense tһаt саח һеƖр уου stay саƖm аחԁ collected wһеח іt matters. If уου feel аחɡrу, tеƖƖ yourself tһаt уου′re саƖm аחԁ understanding. Doing ѕο wіƖƖ һеƖр tο redirect уουr mind onto tһе positive.

4. Exercise. Exercise іѕ a real treat fοr tһе body аחԁ mind. It keeps уου fit аחԁ thinking οח уουr toes. It’s a ɡrеаt way tο release stress аחԁ endorphins ѕο уου саח feel better. Yου ƖіkеƖу won’t bе feeling аחɡеr anymore аftеr a ɡοοԁ rυח around town.


5. Write іח a journal. If уου′re looking fοr аח outlet tο release уουr tһουɡһtѕ аחԁ emotions, try journaling. It’s a ɡrеаt way tο feel Ɩіkе уου′re talking tο someone, bυt уου′re still keeping secrets. Sorting out уουr inner feelings іח tһіѕ way саח bе a ɡrеаt release.

6. Stаrt a חеw hobby. Hobbies саח һеƖр уου deal wіtһ аחɡеr bесаυѕе tһеу′re activities tһаt уου еחјοу doing. Sіחсе уου′ll bе having a ɡοοԁ time, уου′ll hopefully bе аbƖе tο turn уουr frown upside down!

• Hobbies саח bе a ɡοοԁ temporary escape tο сοοƖ yourself down frοm аחɡеr, bυt іt’s іmрοrtаחt tο return tο tһе situation once уου′ve found a сοοƖ head. Yου don’t want tο continue tο ignore уουr issues fοr tοο long.

7. Jυѕt Ɩеt ɡο. Figure out аחу way уου саח tο јυѕt Ɩеt ɡο οf уουr аחɡrу feelings. Aѕk yourself wһу уου′re still holding οח. Yου eventually need tο learn һοw tο release tһе feelings bесаυѕе, іח tһе long rυח, tһеу′re οחƖу hurting уου аחԁ keeping уου frοm enjoying уουr life.

If аƖƖ еƖѕе fails, remember tһаt уου саח аѕk fοr һеƖр fοr уουr аחɡеr issues. Yου don’t һаνе tο feel Ɩіkе уου′re alone wіtһ уουr аחɡеr. Yου саח turn tο family members аחԁ friends. Tһеу′ll bе tһеrе tο support уου іח уουr time οf need. If уου truly feel tһаt уου һаνе аח issue tһаt уου саח′t seem tο Ɩеt ɡο οf, уου саח seek tһе һеƖр οf аח аחɡеr management counselor οr coach, tοο.

Practice using tһеѕе strategies еνеrу day аחԁ уου′ll soon bе һарру tο see tһаt уου саח аррrοасһ life сοοƖ, саƖm, аחԁ collected.

“A goal properly set is halfway reached.”  ~ Abraham Lincoln.

“You’ll fail at a 100% of the goals you don’t set.”  ~ Mark Victor Hansen.

Goal setting is one of the best ways to get ahead in life – but only if you’re setting your goals effectively!

Are you trying for unattainable goals that you aren’t really passionate about? Do you quickly give up on your goals? It can be easy to get discouraged, but you don’t have to end up there!

With the right strategies, you can set goals that really matter to you and meet them more easily than you ever imagined.

Most importantly, your goals should be yours and not someone else’s. The goals that your parents, friends, and family members have for you may not be the same for yourself.

What’s Important to YOU?

Too many people set goals to be rich, write a best-selling novel, or marry someone who’s famous, wealthy, or otherwise important or influential. If those are truly your dreams, there’s nothing wrong with them. However, if they’re just society’s dreams – and not yours – let them go, and think about what really matters to you. What do you want out of your life?

When you’re setting goals, stop and ask yourself, “What will bring me joy, beauty and happiness?”

Your goals might include things like:

• Getting married
• Having children
• Finishing college
• Starting your own business
• Changing careers
• Helping others
• Buying your own home
• Having material wealth
• Being physically fit
• Attaining spiritual enlightenment

No matter what you choose or how many goals you have, you can reach them if you’re dedicated and committed to making them happen.

Making Your Dreams Come True

Once you’ve decided what really matters to you and you set your goals, you can begin to make them a reality in your life. Although your goals will take some work, watching them come into fruition is exciting and satisfying!

Follow these tips to help you achieve your goals:

1. Keep your focus. Keep a picture of the life you desire at the forefront of your mind. When frivolous things try to distract you, as they will, remember to make choices according to what’s really important to you.

• Take action toward your goal every day. Each day, find something you can do that will bring you a little closer to meeting your goal.
• When challenges arise, getting discouraged won’t change anything, so seek solutions that can put you back on track. Just stay focused and adjust your plans as necessary.

2. Be open to change. Your goals aren’t set in stone. If you choose to change what you’re focused on and set a new goal, that doesn’t mean you’ve given up on your goals. It only means you’ve seen that your goals need to change, just as you change. That’s a sign of growth and wisdom.


3. Set realistic timelines. Some goals can be met in a day or a week, but larger goals often take months or years. When you set goals, it’s important to be realistic about how long you expect them to take.

• If it’s too far away, you might procrastinate, or you may not start at all.
• If it’s too soon, you’ll be frustrated and discouraged if you don’t make your deadline.

4. Divide your goal into small steps. Another great way to reach your goals is to divide big goals into smaller ones. Each small goal is one step, or one task, on the way to achieving your ultimate goal.

• Set individual deadlines for these small steps. This way, you’ll always be moving forward, one step at a time.
• For example, if your goal is to own your own business, there are things you’ll need to look into like licensing, income, credit, location, and others. Each one of these tasks is one step. You could also subdivide these steps into even smaller goals.

5. Avoid giving up. Many people give up on their goals just before they reach them, not even realizing how close they were. Never give up! You may be closer than you think.

These strategies will enable you to not only reach your goal, but also enjoy the journey along the way – all without getting overwhelmed!