While practicing self-discipline isn’t easy, there are many benefits to mastering this art of personal control:

* Self-discipline can help you achieve your goals and realize your dreams. Many times, achieving the goals you set for yourself requires you to sacrifice time, money and energy you might prefer to spend on other things. Are you willing to have this dedication?

* Self-discipline helps you get more done. By cutting out time wasters in your day, you can accomplish more every day and reach your goal sooner. Without the self-discipline to stick to a task, you can be easily distracted by less important details. Are you willing to remove these distractions?

* Self-discipline helps you have greater focus. By shutting out the things that take you away from your work, you can focus on what is most important. You can’t say yes to everything and everyone; you must be able to focus on one thing at a time and do it well.

In “The Science of Self-Discipline” Kerry Johnson teaches proven-effective techniques that empowers you to exercise self-discipline Automatically.

Focus is nearly impossible to achieve without self-discipline, and goals are nearly impossible to achieve without focus. Are you willing to focus intensely on your goals?

The keys to self-discipline are simple. If you make a commitment to someone, keep it. If you make a commitment to yourself, guard it with your life!

* If you break a commitment to yourself, remember that you are human. You need to prioritize your commitments to yourself in the same way you prioritize other people’s needs.

Part of self-discipline is self-respect. In order to live the life you truly desire, you need to care for yourself properly.

Respect every part of yourself:

1. Respect your body. Pay attention to the signals your body sends you. We’re masterfully created, and your body will tell you when something is out of balance. Listen to the signals and treat yourself with VIP handling to be the strongest and most productive you can be!

* Consider adding exercise or yoga to your daily routine to help you achieve balance in your body and mind.

2. Nurture your mind by filling it with positive, engaging information.

* Read books for the sheer joy of learning.
* Engage in meaningful discussions with people of all backgrounds and philosophies.
* Avoid negative people and conversations.
* Listen to joyful, uplifting music instead of letting the television flood your mind with commercialism and negativity.

3. Respect the spiritual part of yourself. It’s important to feel connected to something larger than you are. Connect with your Creator by meditating, praying or spending time in nature.

* Attend worship services at a local church, if that’s part of your belief system.
* Allow the spiritual side of yourself to become stronger and more important to you.
* Base decisions on the greater good rather than simply what feels good at the time.

4. Respect your physical health. Taking good care of your health requires self-discipline. Your body will help you accomplish amazing things if you treat it properly!

* Eat a healthy diet.
* Get plenty of rest and exercise.
* Strive to maintain a healthy weight.
* Refuse to smoke.
* Avoid over indulging in caffeine or alcohol.

5. Respect your time. This includes your work time, family time, playtime and personal time. Make space in your life for every area. Schedule family time and alone time just as you do work time and other obligations.

* By adding everything to your written agenda, you create a priority within yourself and self-discipline helps you stick to your priorities.

If you want to live your life to the fullest and achieve your goals, self-discipline is a must. Learning how to control your impulses and make strong decisions is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Self-discipline can bring you the life you always wanted.

It is necessary to forgive a friend in order to restore a friendship where one friend has offended or wronged the other.

Take the following 9 steps to repair and restore your friendship once you have decided to forgive your friend, or once he decides to forgive you.

1. Write down what occurred and how it made you feel. Clear your thoughts and be detailed. Be fair to yourself and your friend by looking at the situation both perspectives.
2. Determine if both of you need forgiveness — or if only one of you were completely in the wrong.

3. Accept responsibility for your part in the broken relationship.

4. Contact your friend and ask if you can set up a meeting. Choose a neutral setting that won’t drudge up bad memories or make either of you feel trapped and uncomfortable.

5. Explain how what he did or said made you feel and why it bothered you. Tell him you forgive her.

6. Ask for forgiveness if you are the one who did something wrong. Do not make excuses for your actions or words; sincerely apologize for what you did or said.

7. Listen to what your friend has to say with an open mind. Mentally note how your actions and words made her feel to avoid offending her in the future. Clearing the air is the only way to truly make an effort to restore the relationship. Bottled up and unresolved feelings with destroy the friendship.

8. Allow time for healing and rebuilding trust. Even when someone forgives you, he may never forget what happened. Be patient, as future incidents may stir up bad memories.

9. Schedule an outing that both of you will enjoy. For example, go shopping, see a movie or attend a sporting event. Agree not to discuss the incident again.

Confidence is the key to achieving your dreams and creating the life that you want to live.

People who lack confidence stay “stuck” in their comfort zone. It’s almost as if they are frozen in fear …

• Afraid to be who they really are
• Afraid to take risks
• Afraid to fail
• Afraid to succeed
• Afraid to take action
• Afraid of change
• Afraid of struggles

FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real. You may be wondering what this means to you. It means that you create your own fear by your thoughts. You have imagined scenarios or events that have never actually occurred. You have become a prisoner of your own mind – frozen in fear. You believe it’s safer to stay in your “comfort zone” then it is to climb out of it and begin living the life you claim you really want.

The first step to obtaining unstoppable confidence is to look fear straight in the face and decide to take action regardless of how you feel. You realize that fear is a necessary struggle that allows you to emerge into the beautiful gifted person that you are.

Why are struggles necessary?

Think of the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly. The caterpillar is short, stubby and has no wings. The next stage of life is the chrysalis. During this stage remarkable transformation occurs. Then the butterfly begins its struggle to emerge. If she emerges too soon, she will not be able to fly. Allowed to struggle through the transformation – she becomes a beautiful butterfly that can spread her wings – A New Beginning in her life.

What is Unstoppable Confidence

• It’s listening to your inner voice and trusting in it’s guidance, even if it may not make sense to you at the time.
• It’s knowing and trusting that everything will work out in your best interest, regardless how dark the day may be.
• It’s the ability to take the required action necessary to reach your goals – regardless of the fear you may be feeling.
• It’s accepting failures, knowing that each time you fail, you are one step closer to achieving your goal. You know that even though you will fail that you are not a failure.
• It’s believing you will achieve your desired outcome without being attached to the “how”.
• It’s being comfortable with saying “no”. You understand that every time you say “no” to one thing, you are in essence saying “yes” to something else.
• It’s understanding and knowing that you are an individual with unique gifts and experiences that are al your own. You know that no one else can be you – no one can replace you. It’s because of this knowing, that you don’t feel a need to compete with others.

3 Techniques to building Unstoppable Confidence

1. Visualizing – Use your imagination to walk through the doors of the unknown. Look around, What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? Dare to dream big and remember the quote by Napoleon Hill “What the mind can believe, it can achieve”.Your subconscious does not realize the difference between “real” or “make-believe”. The more you “make-believe” the harder your subconscious will work to make it your reality.
2. Awareness – Be aware of your thoughts. What self-limiting beliefs are you holding onto that is making you lack the confidence you need to achieve your goals? Ask yourself if these beliefs are really true? Why or why not? Who would you be if you “let go” if this belief?
3. Affirmations – Reprogram your subconscious with thoughts by using affirmations such as “I am confident”. If you say this and your inner voice is screaming at you that you are a big liar … then try a softer approach “Why am I confident?” Your mind will not argue with a question – instead it will try to figure out a way to answer the question. By asking yourself, “Why am I confident”, several times a day for at least 30 days, you will begin to feel more confident.

Confidence is something everyone struggles with from time to time. It can be scary to venture out and try something new, be it a new job, a new relationship, beginning a family or moving to a different area. Other life events that may interfere with your level of confidence is ending a relationship, a job that you hate, losing a job and kids going off to college.

Life is ALL about change. Nothing is the same today as it was yesterday. This is why you will never be 100 percent confident — there’s always something new or different to learn and try. The sad thing is that there confidence busters that can keep you stuck and prevent you from growing to your full potential. Be aware of them and turn them around to be confident boosters instead …

Top 5 Confidence Busters

Feeling Out of Control

Do you lack confidence because you feel out of control? Most of us are “trained” to believe that life just happens. Some people are lucky and some are not. We are told that people over 50 can’t get jobs, that the economy is bad – the unemployment rate is high, there are no good men (or women) left out there, that life is hard work etc. With these beliefs cemented in your subconscious, you live day to day reacting to circumstances and people around you.

The TRUTH is that YOU do have control. Your reality – what you see around you – is based on your beliefs and your perceptions. Once you realize this, you begin thinking thoughts and taking actions that create the reality you want. For instance if you are in a job that you hate, there is no reason for you to stay there a minute longer than necessary – All that is required is for you to determine what you want to do, the steps to get there and taking action everyday, such as taking night classes to learn skills needed, completing applications, talking to people in the field you want to be in and when the time is right, you will be able to say good-bye to the job you hate and begin one that you enjoy. The alternative is to do nothing and go to work day after day at a job you despise while it is killing the flame inside of you.

You feel out of control because you are looking at the outside – the circumstance, instead look inside at your passions and your desires and listen to your inner-voice. By following your heart and taking action, you will soon see that you are indeed in control of your life.

Expecting Perfection

Perfection is a myth. It is unattainable. There is no one perfect, yet we are all perfect in our imperfections. Believing that you need to be perfect and that mistakes are not an option can bust your confidence all to pieces. Every time you do something you see all the flaws and none of the beauty in what you have created. You may compare your work to other peoples work and constantly condemn your own. It’s hard to accept compliments because you feel it’s not perfect.

The TRUTH is that you are perfect just the way you are. You are the sum total of all of your thoughts and experiences up to this point. Stop getting in your own way by expecting perfection. Do you see the flaws in other people as much as you see them in yourself? Probably not. Something to remember is that other people do not expect perfectionism from you.

Procrastination

All procrastination is – is an excuse not to do what you know in your heart needs to be done in order for you to achieve success. You probably procrastinate because you are afraid of failure or success. If you don’t begin then no one can judge you. If you don’t begin then you don’t need to be concerned about it being perfect.

The TRUTH is that you are worthy of success, of love, of achieving your dreams. Face your fears with one small baby step, then another and another. If you think back, you will more than likely think of many times, that you were afraid to start something or thought that it would be boring, after taking the first step, you picked up momentum and had a pleasurable time and enjoyed the final outcome. Remember every journey – no matter how small – begins with the first step.

The Past

A person that is constantly thinking of the past, is living in the past. This also includes replaying happy times over and over in your head. If you are constantly wishing “life was like it used to be,” or “I should’ve, could’ve done or said this,” you are surrendering to something that you truly have no control of – the past. The past is gone. It can not be changed or altered in any way shape or form.

The TRUTH is that by conditioning yourself to look at the present moment, you can and will create a brighter future. Instead of dwelling on past fights, look at what is around you right this second, and remember that “All is Well!”. Use this mantra or a similar one, when you begin to fret about the past. Get out a piece of paper and write down 10 things you are grateful for, right this moment. Live in the NOW, it is all that you have.

Negative Thinking

Be aware of your thoughts. Negative thinking will never get you anywhere good. If you constantly think that you are not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, capable enough … you will continue to bring unwanted things into your life, due to your deep rooted belief that you are not worthy of good things. If you constantly think “My husband doesn’t care for me, he ignores me, doesn’t enjoy my company” etc, you will act in a way that will cause him not to want to be around you. Your thoughts create your words and actions and your actions affect everyone and everything around you.

The TRUTH is that you can change your thinking. Just be aware of your thoughts and when a negative thought comes up, replace it with a positive one. You may also want to get out a pen and paper and list every negative thought you can think of and then consciously rewrite it in the positive. Another idea is to periodically check in on your thoughts and write down exactly what you are thinking. It’s almost miraculous the way things seem to change around you once you begin focusing on the positive within you and the positive in other people and things.

Sounds simple, everyone should have the desire to promote their own well-being, right?

Let me ask you:
* Do you think you are practicing self love when you beat yourself up for something you should have or should not have done?
*  When you allow yourself to be consumed with guilt?
*  Through your eating and exercise habits?
*  Do you have a hard time forgiving yourself?

You might be asking; How do I love myself without coming across as being conceited or egotistic?

It is by being as accepting and giving to yourself as you are to others. Treating yourself with respect. Not putting yourself down. Accepting your weaknesses and embracing your strengths. It is knowing and accepting that you are not perfect and never will be. The good news is neither is anyone else!

Self Love allows you to capitalize on your strengths and how to accept your weaknesses without guilt or remorse.

Loving yourself unconditionally does not mean that you will like every action you have taken or will take. Nor does it mean that you will always say the right words. It’s accepting yourself just as you are. It is releasing the doubts you have about yourself. It is not being concerned with pleasing everyone we know for fear of being rejected.

Self love is not conceit nor is it egotism. Conceit brags about oneself to make himself look better than others as does egotism. However, there is a side of egotism that you might not know about – the silent egotist. This person silently puts everyone down in his or her minds. They feel superior and believe that they are superior. They know more and their way is right. They believe they are practicing good sense to resist putting others down verbally. Ego operates based on fear – looking to others for love and acceptance.

It is a calm inner peace of knowing who you are and what you want. It has a quiet, steady radiance, which draws others to its light.

Ways to practice loving yourself include taking time for yourself, getting massages, treating yourself to a movie or dinner, be kind to yourself, soak in a tub, take a walk, take up a new sport or try something you’ve always wanted to but was afraid of what others would say.

Specific – Measurable – Attainable – Realistic – Time Bound

Specific
Specific tells exactly what you want to achieve by answering the why, how, when and where of your goal.  The clearer your goal, the better odds you have of achieving it. It should be so clear that a child would be able to tell you when you have achieved it. Remember Clarity equals Success!!!

Measurable
You should be able to track and measure your progress along the way. Each measured success builds momentum and motivation as it lets you know you are moving in the right direction.

Attainable
If it is, possible that one person can achieve this goal then YOU CAN too! Be confident that you can and will achieve your goal. The only goal that is never reached is the one that you give up on.  (A goal that would be unattainable would be something in the area of “I want to end hunger in the world” or “I will create world peace”.)

Realistic
Your subconscious needs to believe that it is realistic and possible for you to achieve it. Continue to build your confidence in achieving your goal by reading your goal daily, affirmations, visualization and writing down what achieving your goal will look and feel like

Time Bound
Your goal needs a deadline. They help you to track your progress and keep you focused. Deadlines are not set in stone. Do your very best to achieve your goal on time, but be flexible enough to extend the deadline if you need to.
Download your free SMART Goals Workseet

Example of a SMART Goal:

If your goal is to be healthier, your goal might look something like this:

Specific – I wear size 10 clothing, Exercise an hour a day for 6 days a week, and eat at least 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Measurable – In the above statement you can measure where you are now in relation to wearing a size 10, exercising an hour a day and eating 9 servings of fruits and vegetables. Where are you now? Begin achieving your goal with smaller measureable actionable baby steps that you can easily attain such as eating one fruit daily.

Attainable – Being healthier is an achievable goal, regardless of your age, sex and current weight

Realistic – Being healthier is realistic for almost every person alive.

Time Bound – How long will it take you to achieve the goal? What baby steps can you take to achieve the greater goal? Set a deadline.

Create Your Goal Statement:

“By December 31st I am healthier than I have been. I feel more energetic and alive.  I am comfortable in size 10 clothing. I enjoy exercising an hour each day and alternate cardio and strength training. I eat a minimum of 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and enjoy trying new recipes”
Download your free SMART Goals Workseet

2. Break down long-term goals into several small short-term goals. “I will save $2,400 this year” can become “I will save $46.15 each week.”

3.  Find your why? Why do you want to achieve this goal? What will it mean to you? Are there any negatives about achieving the goal? Do some soul searching. The stronger “WHY” you have to achieve the goal, the motivated you will be to succeed.

4.  Be clear about what you want. “I want to find a job” is way too vague. “I will obtain a job in the legal field that will help me to expand and grow” holds more punch.

5.  Do not keep your goal a secret. By sharing it with people you trust, they will be able to encourage you to keep on going when things get tough.

6.  Write your goal each day. Preferably, with pen and paper, though you can type it on your computer. This cements your goal into your subconscious and builds a strong belief that you can and will achieve it.

7.  Read your goal aloud to yourself each day. Say it with conviction and feeling.

8. State affirmations daily. If you have a hard time believing your affirmation, use questions. Instead of affirming, “I feel confident that I will earn $100,000 a year.” Ask yourself “Why do I feel confident in my ability to earn $100,000 a year?”

9.  Meditate every day. Meditation clears the mind and allows your imagination to be creative in giving you inspired action to take that will speed up your success. Meditation also helps you to stay focused and reduces stress.

10.  Question yourself. When you begin to doubt yourself ask yourself what limiting belief has formed to create the doubt. Is this belief true? Who would you be without the belief? Are you willing to let go of it?

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11. Search out people that have achieved the goal you are working on. Learn what they did and pick out steps that make sense to you and incorporate them into action items.

12. Brainstorm ideas that can help you achieve your goals faster. Get out a sheet of paper and begin listing everything that you can think of that can help you achieve your goal. You could include items such as learning something new or interviewing people that have succeeded.

13. Visualize yourself achieving your goal. How do you feel? Where are you? Who is with you? What do you look like? What are you wearing? What do you see? What do you hear? Take a few minutes every morning and night – just before falling to sleep, really enjoy the feeling of success!

14. Let go of perfection. NO ONE is perfect – nope, not even you. Aiming for perfection creates success and keeps your talents and goals hidden. Know that things are not supposed to be perfect. Do the best you can and go on to the next step. Imperfection is what makes the world go round and keeps things new and exciting.

15. Be Flexible! Allow freedom for miracles to happen in your life. If your goal is to earn $100,000, do not be specific to every detail of how it will happen. Remember that there are millions of ways to achieve any goal and the way you are thinking, may not be the fastest, easiest or the most fun path to take.

16. Take Action! Regardless of how clear you are about your goal, or how much you visualize and affirm, ACTION is required to achieve any goal. Take some form of action every single day that propels you closer to your dream.

17. REWARD each and every success! This builds self-confidence and cements the belief that you will achieve everything you set your mind to.

18. Be persistent. Do not give up. See yourself blasting through challenges. The challenges you face builds your confidence and creates growth.

Get your Free SMART Goals Worksheet

Are you facing a difficult challenge?

It’s a nice thought, and very comforting to know that regardless of how tough times get, that you can make it through while maintaining a positive outlook.  Knowing yourself and trusting your inner being helps you to understand the ups and downs of life and to persevere during challenging and difficult times.

You can go farther than you ever imagined when you believe and trust in yourself.  The first step to having a positive outlook is to simply believe you are capable of being positive.  A firm belief in yourself helps banish negative thoughts that try to sabotage your thinking during trying times.

The Ups and Downs of Life

You already know that life is made up of many ups and downs.  When things are going great, you almost hope that it lasts forever. When things aren’t going so well, it’s sometimes hard to even imagine life getting better again.

No one expects you to bounce back immediately if you are going through a particularly trying time.  It’s important to take time to grieve and to feel the emotions of life.  By allowing yourself to feel, your positive outlook will return quicker making room for good times.

At just the right time, you will begin to start working towards a better future and be able to experience more “ups” in your life.  When you are honest to yourself, and are open to this idea, you’ll be well on your way to a positive outlook on life.

Believing in Yourself

The key to living a happy and prosperous life is believing in yourself.  Some people believe that phrases such as “If you can dream it, you can do it”, lack truth an meaning. However the sentiment is true. Don’t allow others to put limiting beliefs into your head. If you believe something is possible, you can achieve it with a strong driving force!

While you are going through trying times, it may be difficult to believe you are capable of moving forward.  It’s during these challenging times that you need to take a good look at yourself and muster up your strengths.  Discover your inner strength and learn to trust it.

Using Affirmations

Repeating affirmations to your self daily is a great way to get and keep a positive outlook.  You can use these short, positive statements to communicate with your unconscious mind.

You can write your own affirmations or repeat those that you’ve found in a book or on a website.  The affirmations need to be appropriate for your situation.  Affirmations are an effective way of continually reminding yourself of your strengths and good qualities.  The more you practice saying affirmations, the more effective your results.

Recognizing Your True Self

Every situation, whether positive or negative, carries opportunities for you to get in touch with your true self.  Difficult times are challenges, and if you’re ready to face them with a positive outlook, you’ll discover more about yourself and your capabilities to thrive.

Difficult times can give you the ability to get in touch with your values. Seek the deeper meaning of it all, and always search for the silver lining. Even the toughest and most depressing situations can be opportunities for learning, as long as you open yourself to see the lesson.

Learning for the Future

Use the life lessons you learn during difficult situations to help you cope with future obstacles and to help others. Enjoy your life in the moment to maintain a positive outlook and the happiness your deserve.

“We are one big family of people, trying to make our way through the unfolding puzzle of life.” Sara Paddison

For thousands of years people have been attempting to solve the puzzle of life. The problem is that there is not one solution. Each of us has our own unique puzzle to solve. Your puzzle of life will look and feel completely different than anyone else’s.

Each piece of your puzzle has the ability to build confidence and help you to achieve goals you have set for yourself.

The amazing thing about your personal puzzle of life pieces is that you actually have the ability to design the pictures that are on each piece.

You are creating your life – your puzzle pieces each and every moment by the choices you make.

Where Does This Piece of the Puzzle of Life Fit In?

“In our lives, things don’t always go the way we planned them. But life is like a big jigsaw puzzle, and as we enter these circumstances, we’re only able to see one piece.” Mark Martin

You may be holding a particular puzzle piece while trying to figure out where it belongs in the big picture. You are refusing to let go of it. You know that it belongs in your puzzle of life and you are determined to make it fit. You have your mind set on the fact that it belongs. You feel stuck and unable to move forward.

Why not try to set the piece down. Take a good long hard look at it.

Ask yourself; “Is it possible that this piece does not belong in my life?”

Yes it’s possible to have the wrong piece. The piece belongs to another not to you. Are you willing to let it go? Are you willing to look at other pieces?

On the other hand if it is a part of your life, you need to decide where it fits. It could fit in as a learning experience, a challenge, an opportunity or an obstacle for you to overcome to be able to reach the next level in your life. Remember that each piece plays an important part in the way you live and enjoy your life.

Every time a piece successfully fits in your puzzle of life you build confidence – that’s one more challenge that you have overcame – or more peace and happiness that you have shared with others.

Where Is This Piece of the Puzzle of Life?

You may have a section of your puzzle put together – but there is a piece missing right dab in the center. Your mind’s eye tells you exactly what it should look like. You search and search and search some more to no avail. You wonder where in the world it can be.

For some reason you believe this one piece holds the key and will waste countless hours, days, months or even years to find it.

You become obsessed with finding that one single piece. You are blinded to other pieces that surround you that may contain opportunities for love, peace, harmony, wealth, health and happiness.

Sooner or later you give up. You believe that the piece is lost and you will never find it. You go on to another piece … and what happens? You find the piece you were looking for. It doesn’t bring you the joy you thought it would. It does make the picture look more complete, but you now see that it was not the key piece to your puzzle of life.

Are You Forcing the Pieces of the Puzzle of Life?

Other times we are convinced that one piece of the puzzle fits in a particular space. We jam it in. We do whatever it takes to make it fit – without thinking about the consequences.

If you force a puzzle piece to fit where it does not belong – what happens?

It will distort the rest of the picture. Other pieces will appear to fit -where they don’t. Pieces that should go in a particular place won’t fit. It causes confusion, anger and blame.

Creating Your Puzzle of Life

Know that you are the creator of your life. Your life is your choice. You cannot put together another person’s puzzle and they cannot put yours together. Your puzzles may compliment or contrast one another. In life you will be drawn to puzzles that compliment your own.
If you are not where you want to be, then you need to begin today by creating your puzzle of life to resemble those of people that have the type of life you desire.

You have the power to choose your thoughts, your actions, your attitude, your beliefs, and your reactions to every obstacle and challenge you face in life.

It’s your choice how you create your life. Choose to create the life of your dreams while utilizing your gifts to help others.

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.