Driving down the highway with only a few feet of visibility?

You could be just a short distance from a beautiful vast ocean and not be able to see it.

You look up in the sky and all you see is a dense heavy layer of fog.

Driving in the fog can be quite scary at times.  You have your headlights on, drive slower, more cautiously, keeping your eyes open for other vehicles on the road – especially slower vehicles.  Sometimes you have to strain to see the lines on the road in order for you to stay in your lane and not cross over into oncoming traffic.

You keep driving in faith that you will reach your destination.  You know your destination is there -  Even if you’ve never been there before, you know it is there.

This is the way life is.  We never really know what’s up ahead. We thrust forward believing that what lays ahead will provide a happier brighter future for us.

Would you be driving around in the fog if you had no destination?

Probably not.  The question is – Are you living your life in this fog?

Do you know where you’re going and how to get there?

Have you pulled out your map of life and written down the directions to get where you want to go?

You say there is no map of life???

But, there is …..

If you’re like most people, you probably find a car to follow when you’re driving in the fog.  You utilize not only the light of their car – but also rely on the fact that they have already driven the road that you will soon be on.

You’ll find that many people have been where you are now and have arrived at where you want to be.  They have taken various roads to get there.  Discover the various paths they took and find the road with the least resistance to follow.

This is the map of life – Find somebody that is where you want to be … and follow their map.  It’s so much easier than driving down an unmarked dirt road that has never been travelled before.  Stop driving aimlessly in the fog of life.

• Money
• Spouse
• Parents
• Children
• Work
• Co-Workers
• Not enough time
• Government
• Traffic

Have you ever thought that what causes stress could be …. Yourself resisting reality?

OUCH!!!

You may be asking, how am I resisting reality?

Have you ever said the following …

• If my husband wouldn’t be grumpy I’d be less stressed.
• If my husband took out the trash or picked up after himself I wouldn’t be stressed.
• If my children would behave, I wouldn’t be stressed.
• If I had enough money to pay my bills, I wouldn’t be stressed.
• If I didn’t have so many demands on my time, I wouldn’t be stressed.
• My parents Should take more responsibility and not rely on me so much.
• My husband Should help out with the children more.
• The government Should get the economy back on track.
• My co-workers Should be team-players.

Every time you think or say “If” “Should” or “Should not” you are putting the blame of your stress on other people or events. You do not know what goes on in other peoples minds. Nope, you can’t read your spouses mind either.

Imagine that you’ve prepared a lovely meal for someone you love. You lead them to the table and they say, “Thank You, but I’m not really hungry.”  Now your thoughts go wild …. “He doesn’t like my cooking.” “I’m a horrible cook” “He doesn’t love me.”

Or

Imagine that your children are fighting over a toy. Your thoughts go wild … “They hate each other and won’t be friends when they grow up.” “They are trying to drive me crazy.” “If I was a good parent, they wouldn’t fight.” “I’m a horrible parent!”

Do you see how your thoughts can create stress out of the simplest things?

What is the likely reality of the two scenarios above?

One, He simply isn’t hungry. Maybe he had a late lunch.

Two, Both children simply want the same toy at the same time.

It’s time to take responsibility and realize what causes stress – IS YOUR THOUGHTS.

Everyone does this. You see or hear something and then your mind starts creating thousands of different stories. The more negative the stories – the more stress you feel.

You might be saying … But, WAIT … I really don’t have any money and the government is doing a poor job at recovering our economy.

Ask yourself ….

• Is this really true?
• How does it affect me personally?
• What can I do to change it?

Simply put the answer to the question “What Causes Stress” is that you are resisting reality.

So, What is reality?

Reality is accepting what is …

• The government is doing a poor job – end of story.
• The kids are arguing – end of story.
• My spouse, parents, kids, co-workers are doing the best they can – end of story.
• My husband is grumpy – end of story.
• I have too much work – end of story.

Accepting what is doesn’t mean that you like it or condone it. You are just allowing the circumstances and people to “just be” without disrupting your own sense of worth and your own inner peace.

You will reduce stress and feel more peaceful when you stop resisting reality and just dance with reality just as it is.

Sign up for a complimentary “Confidence Booster” session with Cindy.

Here are 21 simple strategies to start relieving stress today! Some stress is good for you, but too much stress causes illness and unhappiness. Reduce stress and begin your happy life today.

Enjoy the video!

Spring is here! And with it comes new beginnings.

What new beginning would you like in your life?

What would you change?

How do you want your life to be different?

Your dreams can come true – as long as you’re ready to spring clean your mind.

Just like your home – your mind can get chaotic with too much stuff! The clutter in your mind includes old ideas, old attitudes, old conversations, old dreams, old hurts and old habits.

Are any of these thoughts actually benefiting you now?

How do you spring clean your mind?

It all begins with choosing to purse a happier lifestyle that benefits both you and your loved ones. It means that you will need to be willing to get rid of anything that no longer works for you. When you let go of the old you are making room for new and exciting opportunities and challenges.

Your mental spring cleaning will require both a conscious choice and dedicated effort on your part.

The first step is to get rid of the weeds you’ve allowed to grow in your mind. Weeds consist of self-limiting beliefs, hanging onto your past and negative emotions. These thought patterns will only lead to more of the same. If you want your life to be different – It’s imperative that you change your thought patterns.

Why are you hanging onto the past?

You could be hanging on to positive or negative memories. Put the past in the past. It is gone. You cannot relive it.

• Clear out the self-doubt. You are worthy of achieving any of the dreams and goals that you have.
• Clean out the blame in your life. Blame is just an excuse for you not to take responsibility for your own life.
• Clean out the anger, hatred and jealousy. It serves no purpose. It does not harm anyone but you. Let it go.
• Throw away impatience and replace it with patience. Remember patience is a habit. Good things will come to you in the right times. Don’t try to rush them.
• Show love and kindness to everyone – even those that have hurt you in the past. Forgiveness washes your mind clear and allows love to flow.
• Stop procrastinating. All it does is set you up to be frustrated and scrambling around while playing “catch up”.
• Laugh! The world can be difficult and scary at times – Find humor in it. Laugh out loud a few times every day – even if you don’t feel like it.
• Maintain a positive attitude. You may not have control over situations or other people – but you can control your reaction and your attitude towards them.
• Count your blessings. Begin each day being grateful for all that you have and carry your grateful heart with you throughout the day.
• Make a list of at least 10 of your dreams. When stress starts to creep in, refocus your mind and energy on your dreams.

You only have a certain amount of space in your heart and in your mind. When you spend your time thinking, doing and reacting to things in the past, planning for and worrying about the future, you are not focusing on the present.

Live in the present.

Don’t miss out on your wonderful life by reliving yesterday or dreaming about tomorrow.

Money can’t buy happiness …
Even though having money can …

* Buy companionship but not love
* Buy a house but not a home
* Buy pleasure items but not happiness
* Buy the best healthcare but not health

Money is important so as much that it can easily fulfill our basic necessities in life – shelter, food and clothing. It can give us some peace of mind not having to worry about where our next meal is coming from or how we will be paying our bills. Once these needs are met a person can still be unhappy and unfulfilled.

Previous studies have shown that Americans with a net worth of over $125 million are only slightly happier than average Americans. If money did make people happy, then these people should be euphoric!

Just as money doesn’t bring happiness – neither does success. Many people chase after wealth and success only to find they are no happier or even unhappier than before.

Think about it, if you had your choice between having …

Good health, being extremely attractive, rich, successful and powerful – yet lead an unhappy and lonely life
Or
Being of average looks and health, living from paycheck to paycheck, just struggling to get by – yet you lead a happy life with a family that loves you and an abundance of friends

Which would you choose?

Your answer will tell you just how much money would make you happy.

Money is just an exchange system. We exchange money for things we want. It’s important to remember that money isn’t the only form of exchange. You can exchange services and other products. Just recently I saw an ad in the classifieds “Will exchange my motorcycle for a fishing boat.” We all have items laying around that we no longer use – what can we exchange them for?

You can exchange your hard work and time: for example you could mow someone’s yard for a home cooked meal. You could fix up a house in exchange for rent.

Think about it. Be creative – if you want something, and you don’t have the money for it, ask yourself if there are other ways that you could obtain it – without breaking any laws or going against your morals. Remind yourself that everything is possible.

Once our basic needs are met money gives us the freedom to live life as we choose.

Remember money is not the root of all evil – The love of money is. Don’t worship money and don’t hoard it. Learn that money is a good thing and will be your faithful servant. Be the master of money.

In fact, it’s Not About the Money. And it never has been. I’ve read a lot of books on earning money and hardly any of them even talk about money. Read Think and Grow Rich. It’s not about the money. It’s all about the mind. Hmmm.

There are several books and programs out there that teach you how to get out of debt and build wealth. You owe it to yourself to check out Transforming Debt into Wealth By John Cummuta. This system can help you even if your credit cards are maxed out and you have a huge mortgage to pay off. You can still get rid of all your debt in about five to seven years – and begin rapid wealth-building – without sacrificing the things that matter most to you!

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.

Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road.

After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition.

I recently came across this story and just had to share it with you.  What a BIG message it is saying.

Think about the obstacles you face each day.  Overcoming obstacles is a part of life.  Overcoming obstacles can bring you happiness and wealth …

Are you the type of person that just ignores them … walks around them hoping they will magically disappear?

Are you the type of the person that finds somebody or something to blame obstacles on?  After all why should it be your responsibility?

Or are you the peasant?  You see an obstacle.  You do everything in your power to move it – to change it.  And not necessarily for personal gain.  You just know life will be better for you and for others by moving it.

The peasants are the ones that win.  They ultimately find success in whatever they do.  Why?

1. They pull up their sleeves and get to work when they see a job that needs to be done
2. They are not afraid of hard work
3. They are persistent!  They refuse to give up.

Let me know what what you think of this story and what it means to you.

They are a part of life. We can however choose how we react to them.

Below I have listed what I believe to be the

Top 17 Obstacles in Life:

1. Emotions
Our own negative emotions can drain us and wear us out. When we’re drained it’s difficult for us to focus.

2. Self-Esteem
Lack of our faith in our self to succeed sets us up for failure before we even start. Not believing in self often leads to self sabotage.

3. Money
If we lack money and are constantly struggling to just meet basic needs of life – it can be difficult to focus on the bigger picture.

4. Illness
All of us will face illness in our life. Some illnesses are worse than others. Sometimes it’s hard to stay positive when we feel like crap.

5. Knowledge
Sometimes we don’t have the knowledge needed. (Sometimes this can be the easiest obstacle to overcome.)

6. Grief
We will all lose people we love. Allow yourself time to grief – just don’t get swallowed up in it.

7. Perfectionism
Nothing or no one is perfect – So stop creating stress for you by trying to make it perfect.

8. Stress
Be prepared with activities that will reduce stress – such as a short walk, deep breathing, laughter etc.

9. Decisions
When it comes time to make a decision – make it and go on with your life. Don’t fret on whether or not it was the right decision or not. Only time will tell.

10. Distractions
Today’s hectic life is full of distractions. Be prepared for them and avoid them when at all possible.

11. Time
Learn good time management skills. We can make the time to do anything that we truly desire to do.

12. Conflict
Know that you will have differences of opinion. Accept the other persons point of view and learn to compromise.

13. Procrastination
Tic … … … Toc … … …. Tic … … … Toc … … …. Oh my gosh! An hour has passed while I’ve been doing nothing but surfing the web ….

14. Relationships
Disagreements are a part of life. There will be times that we disagree with our spouse, children, parents, siblings, friends and business partners. They may strongly agree with your goals and dreams – which may cause you to question your motives.

15. Addictions
Drug and alcohol addictions often cause the most harm to an individual – but any type of addiction is an obstacle; Including but not limited to, gambling, shopping, sex, smoking, eating …

16. Nature
Hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, floods, storms – you name it. It’s a part of life. Natural disasters cause stress and grief over our loss of people and personal items.

17. Belief
Do you truly believe in your goals and dreams? If you are doing something that goes against your core beliefs – You will never find happiness.

Many of the obstacles in life are due to the beliefs we have.

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Napoleon Hill

I tried to climb the mountain today. But, It was so hot outside, I thought I had better stay in my nice air-conditioned house and rest up for tomorrow’s attempt.

I tried to climb the mountain today. On my journey, darkness started to fall and I was full of fear, so I had to return to a safe place.

I was ready to climb the mountain today. But I had so may other things to do, so instead of climbing the mountain I took care of the much more important tasks; I washed my car, mowed the grass and watched the big game. Today the mountain will have to wait.

I was going to climb the mountain today. But as I stared at the mountain in all it’s majestic beauty, I knew I had no chance of making it to the top, so I figured why even begin trying.

I had forgotten about climbing the mountain today, until an old friend came by and asked what I was up to lately. I told him about all my plans to climb that mountain someday. I went on and on about how I was going to accomplish the task.

He stopped me and said …

“I just got back from climbing that mountain. for the longest time I told myself I was going to try to climb it but never made any progress.”

“I almost let the dream of making it to the top die. I came up with every excuse of why I could not make it up the mountain, but never once did I give myself a reason why I could. One day as I stared at the mountain and pondered, I realized that if I didn’t make an attempt at this dream all my dreams would eventually die.”

“The next morning, I started my climb. It was not easy, and at times I wanted to quit.
But no matter what I faced, I placed one foot in front of the other, keeping a steady pace.
When the wind tried to blow me over the edge, I kept walking.
When the voices inside my head screamed, stop!
I focused on my goal, never letting it out of sight.
I kept moving forward. I could not quit because I knew I had come too far to stop now.
Time and time again, I reassured myself that I was going to finish this journey.
I struggled mightily to make it to the top, but I CLIMBED THE MOUNTAIN.”

“I have to be going,” my friend said. “Tomorrow is a new day to accomplish more dreams. By the way what are you going to do tomorrow?”

I looked at him, with intensity and confidence in my eyes, and said, “I HAVE A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB.”

Author unknown

So often people have their dreams and goals. They have that mountiain to climb. Instead of getting busy climbing it they come up with every excuse in the book not to do it. Sure some are valid excuses. They may even be clear obstacles – but you can overcome any obstacle if your desire is strong enough.

If you truly want to achieve your dreams and goals then you better get busy achieving them. Enjoy the journey. Focus on path ahead and the positive feelings that come with each step. Once you’ve reached the top of the mountain you’ll see a whole new land of opportunities!

What mountain are you trying to climb?
What fears and obstacles are holding you back?
What are you willing to do to overcome these fears and obstacles?

[tags]Procrastination, Excuses, Obstacles[/tags]