Self-motivation

I will now introduce you one great method of self-motivation. When you have set up a goal, you begin your long journey. All you need is to work as hard as you can. You are likely run into problems on the way, do not be afraid of them. Follow your plans and overcome the difficulties step by step.

We all know that Rome was not built in one day. It is the same as our success. We need to prepare well, develop action plans and put in a lot of hard work. Just be patient and remember that your success takes time and effort.

For athletes, the Olympic Games are their highest level of competitions. They all want to take part in. It will take those four years of time to prepare for it. They train hard every day and never stop. When we see the athletes win the gold medal, many of them cry. Because they had paid great efforts that are too hard for us to understand. Finally their dreams come true. The Olympic Games spirit will encourage every one of us.

When you are on the way to your goals, follow your action plans every day. When you finish the tasks of each day, you can provide yourself with affirmation such as: “I have done very well today and I feel so powerful, energetic and motivated. I am happy for what I have achieved today." Write the feelings down when you are monitoring the process of goal setting. You will feel a boost in motivation. You can do this every day and soon your motivation will rise. You will be confident enough to achieve the goals.

You can also visualize your success often. Every one of us has the power to visualize. Though your goals haven't become reality, you can imagine that you have already achieved the goals. Put yourself in the real situation of success. How satisfied and happy you will be? Evoke the feelings and emotions associated with the success you are imagining.

Remember the interesting game? You draw your life ten years later. This is the same method. You can also draw your every success too. If you don't draw well, just clip pictures out of magazines and create a collage. Put it at a place where you can see it often. This is a very good method to get your motivated. Visualization for success doesn’t have to take long. You can do it when you are relaxed and feel free.

You may find a mentor who has succeeded in this field to help you. He will encourage you and give you the valuable guidance. This is good for self-motivation too. You will make much quicker progress.

Law of the Garbage Truck..

Recently I hopped in a Taxi and we took off for the Airport.  We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. 

My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches!   The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy.  And I mean, he was really friendly.
So I asked, 'Why did you just do that?  This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!'

This is when my Taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks.  They run around full of Garbage, full of frustration,
full of anger, and full of disappointment.  As their Garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it
and sometimes they'll dump it on you.  Don't take it personally.

Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.  Don't take their Garbage and
spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.  The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day.

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets,
so ... Love the people who treat you right.  Pray for the ones who don't.

Life is Ten percent what you make it and Ninety percent how you take it!

Have a garbage-free day.

The Christmas Miracle

The most beautiful day of the year had finally arrived.

All the houses in the town looked spruced up… Every heart was joyful & glad. The morning held an aura of wonder.

The streets were flooded with cars. People were rushing to the malls to finish their last minute shopping.

In the midst of all the festivity and celebration, Tracy noticed a sad face. A small girl sat in a corner, with big tearful eyes. She seemed alone and vulnerable, amongst all the hustle and bustle.

Tracy couldn’t stop herself. She went up to where the little girl sat, and asked her, “What is wrong dear? It’s Christmas! Why do you look so sad?"

The girl did not reply. She turned away, but Tracy saw tears trickling down her cheeks. She moved closer, took hold of her hand and sat next to her on the seat.

"Are you alone?" she asked. The girl turned and Tracy saw grief and sorrow in her eyes. She said, “Yes, I’m alone and abandoned."

 "Where are your parents?" Tracy asked.

"They died in an accident few days back and the landlord seized everything we had and sent me away," the girl sobbed.

Tracy hugged her tight.

She had always longed for a baby girl, but her medical condition wouldn’t allow her to have another child. And right now, as she hugged this little girl, she felt like, the Creator of her heart had chosen to fulfill her deepest desire!

God had given her the miracle she had always hoped for! No other explanation existed, except that in His everlasting mercy, God had stepped into Tracy’s world and handed her a Christmas miracle. The kind she had always believed in. The thought overwhelmed her; that God would choose to give her such an amazing gift this Christmas.

Overcome by a feeling of sheer blessedness, she told the little girl, "You know what; me and my husband, we have a little boy. We’ve always longed to have a little girl too, but the doctors told us it would be difficult for us to have another child. But we never realized God had greater plans. You are the daughter we’ve always longed for. Come home with us, because you will complete our family." She smiled with tears in her eyes.

The little girl was overjoyed. She knew God had plans for her in this.

They walked home, and as they reached the gate, they could see Tracy’s husband and son, waiting at the door. She held the little girl’s hand tight and said,” Look who’s here, this is Kate, and she will be a part of our family, now and forever.”

The four of them celebrated Christmas with joy and ardor, and you could see the glow of wonder and delight on everybody’s face.

Tracy couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened, and more than that, how the timing was so utterly fitting. Everything had come together on the most beautiful day of the year, the day when miracles truly did happen all around them.

They were a complete family now. God had fulfilled all of their desires. This was going to be an unforgettable Christmas Day.

Christmas fulfills your dearest dreams and deepest desires.

Five Simple Rules to Be Happy...

Five Simple Rules to Be Happy

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.
2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happens.
3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less from people but more from yourself.

The Value Of A Smile :)

The value of a smile is priceless, yet it is the cheapest, easiest, most rewarding and most sincere gift to anyone that crosses your path. A smile makes a person's day, anybody's day - even a stranger's day. A smile is infectious. Start infecting people with your smile today. A smile is nature's best antidote for discouragement. It brings rest to the weary, sunshine to those who are sad, and hope to those who are hopeless and defeated. A smile is so valuable that it can't be bought, begged, borrowed, or taken away against your will. You have to be willing to give a smile away before it can do anyone else any good. So if someone is too tired or grumpy to flash you a smile, let him have one of yours anyway. Nobody needs a smile as much as the person who has none to give.

Happiness Is A Journey, Not A Destination...

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another.

Then we are frustrated that the kids aren’t old enough and we’ll be more content when they are.

After that, we’re frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with.

We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.

We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a better car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.

The truth is, there’s no better time to be happy than right now.

If not now, when?

Your life will always be filled with challenges.

It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.

One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza. He said,

“For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life.

But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid.

Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my “life”.

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness.

Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time…and remember that time waits for no one.

So, stop waiting until you finish school,

Until you go back to school,

 

Until you lose ten pounds,

 

Until you gain ten pounds,

 

Until you have kids,

 

Until your kids leave the house,

Until you start work,

 

Until you retire,

 

Until you get married,

Until you get divorced,

 

Until Friday night, until Sunday morning,

 

Until you get a new car or home,

Until your car or home is paid off,

 

Until spring,

 

Until summer,

 

Until fall,

 

Until winter,

 

Until you are off welfare,

Until the first or fifteenth,

 

Until your song comes on,

 

Until you’ve had a drink,

 

Until you’ve sobered up,

 

Until you die,

Until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.

         ..............Happiness is a journey, not a destination....................

“I AM SORRY”

Once there was a man who had 3 daughters and was a single parent to his children. One morning he asked his oldest daughter, Sonia, to do the breakfast dishes before going to school. Not realizing that she was already running late and facing too many tardy notices, he was stunned by her reaction. She burst into profuse tears. Again, misinterpreting the motive behind the outburst, assuming that she was merely trying to get out of an unpleasant chore, he demanded that she dry her tears and get back to work immediately. She reluctantly obeyed him, but her anger could be clearly heard in the careless clanking of the dishes in the sink, she turned back to her father and stared sullenly out the window. Usually the man use to take advantage of the uninterrupted time to spend with his children while driving them to school by teaching poetry or religious verses. However that morning there was no songs- only deathly, stubborn silence.

The man dropped his daughter, mumbled a good bye and moved to office. He tried to work but couldn’t concentrate, all he could see was his daughter’s scared, tear-stained face as she hesitantly climbed out of the car to face her teachers and classmates. The man began to realize that his timing had gone wrong and with the passage of the day he began to feel remorseful. So he decided to say SORRY to his daughter and couldn’t wait till suppertime to apologize. So he took permission from the school to take his daughter for lunch and was astonished to see the surprise on her face. He led her by her arm through the corridor and as the doors banged behind them, he turned towards his daughter and said, “Sonia I am sorry. I am so very sorry! It’s not that I shouldn’t have asked you to help out at home, but I had no right on it this morning without any previous warning. I upset you at a time when you most needed my love and support- just before you went to school. And I let you go without saying ‘I love you’. I was wrong. Please forgive me.”

Sonia put her arms around her father’s neck and hugged him and said “Oh, Dad, of course I forgive you. I love you too.”

The power of these restorative words, “I am Sorry!” is such that they heal relationships – between us and our friends and loved ones, and between us and God.

Competing With Others...

I was jogging one day and I noticed a person in front of me, about 1/4 of mile. I could tell he was running a little slower than me and I thought, well, I shall try to catch him. I had about a mile to go my path before I needed to turn off. So I started running faster and faster. Every block, I was gaining on him just a little bit. After just a few minutes I was only about 100 yards behind him, so I really picked up the pace and push myself. You would have thought I was running in the last leg of London Olympic competition. I was determined to catch him. Finally, I did it! I caught and passed him by. On the inside I felt so good.

"I beat him" of course, he didn't even know we were racing. After I passed him, I realized I had been so focused on competing against him that I had missed my turn. I had gone nearly six blocks past it. I had to turn around and go all back. Isn't that what happens in life when we focus on competing with co-workers, neighbors, friends, family, trying to outdo them or trying to prove that we are more successful or more important? We spend our time and energy running after them and we miss out on our own paths to our God given destinies.

The problem with unhealthy competition is that it's a never ending cycle. There will always be somebody ahead of you, someone with better job, nicer car, more money in the bank, more education, better behaved children, etc. But realize that "You can be the best that you can be, you are not competing with no one." Some people are insecure because they pay too much attention 2 what others are doing, where others are going, wearing & driving. Take what God has given you, the height, weight & personality. Dress well & wear it proudly! You'll be blessed by it. Stay focused and live a healthy life. There's no competition in DESTINY, run your own RACE and wish others WELL!!

OPPORTUNITIES...

Once upon a time there was a farmer had a beautiful farm, he also had a very beautiful lake near the farm. One fine day he was farming in his field and a stranger passed by, the stranger asked the farmer that have you seen any diamonds recently, the farmer was surprised and asked the stranger what is a diamond? the stranger was surprised by his question and said the farmer that if you had a diamond as big as your thumb you can buy a whole village and if you have a diamond as big as your fist you can buy the whole city, getting impressed by this the farmer asked the stranger where we can get diamonds the stranger said you can get lots of raw diamonds in Africa.

The farmer then sold all his farm with the lake and went to explore Africa for diamonds leaving his family at stray and alone. Since more than ten years he was searching for diamonds but he was not able to find anything, but as the farmer sold his farm to the other farmer, the other farmer was sitting beside the lake and saw a very shinny substance, he picked it up & it was a diamond big as his thumb, he took it & kept it as a showpiece in his house.

One fine day that stranger again came to same farm and saw a diamond in that other farmers home and asked that did that first farmer found this diamond, the second farmer said no that farmer sold this farm to me and I found this stone near the lake and the second farmer realized that the stone he found is a diamond and it was one of the most precious and expensive stones of the world.

The moral of the story is- "THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES VERY NEAR TO US BUT WE TEND TO SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES ON OUR OPPOSITE SIDE"

7 WAYS A LIFE PLAN IS LIKE A GPS SYSTEM.

No metaphor is perfect, of course. They all break down at some point. But, I actually think a GPS system works pretty well. Here are seven ways it corresponds to a life plan.

1.                   A GPS requires you to input your destination. Nothing happens until you decide where you want to go. The same is true of a life plan. It forces you to determine the outcomes in each of your major life categories. This is the first section in the life plan.

2.                  A GPS gets you to your destination faster with less hassle. I am directionally-challenged. Without technical help, I get lost quickly. My GPS System gets me to my destination without the stress of trying to figure it out on my own. The same is true of a life plan.

3.                  A GPS gives you constant feedback on your progress. I always know the street I am on, how far I must travel to the next turn, and how far to my ultimate destination. A life plan is similar. It tells me where I am in relation to where I want to go. It provides the context and keeps me oriented.

4.                  A GPS helps you get back on track when you get off. Even with a GPS I take the occasional wrong turn. The system never chides me. It simply tells me what I need to do to get back on track. Same with a life plan. It gives me a reference point, so I know how to get to my destination.

5.                   A GPS re-routes you around roadblocks. It is inevitable that you will encounter obstacles on the way to your destination. A good GPS is able to adjust on the fly and recalculate the route. The same is true of a life plan. It provides the flexibility to overcome obstacles and keep moving forward.

6.                  A GPS is not always accurate. This is not surprising. It’s a challenge for GPS databases to keep up with all the changes: new roads, closed roads, traffic accidents, etc. The same is true of your life plan. You won’t always get it right. You will have to adjust as you encounter reality. A life plan gives you a framework for doing that.

7.                   A GPS requires an investment. I used to pay $12.99 a day for the GPS System on my rental car. It was worth every penny. However, I finally wised up and bought an app on my phone. It was $49.99. It paid for itself quickly. A life plan is similar. It does require an upfront investment of time. But the rewards are well-worth it.

Again, the metaphor is not perfect. It breaks down at several points. But all in all, I think works pretty well. It does its job as a metaphor.

A Small Candle

A story about a small candle carried by a man who was climbing the stairs of a lighthouse. In their way up to the top, the candle asked the man, "Where are we going?"

"We're going to the top of this lighthouse and give signals to the big ships on the ocean," the man answered.

"What? How could it be possible for me with my small light to give signals to those big ships?"
"They will never be able to see my light", replied the candle weakly.

"That's your part. If your light is small, let it be. All you have to do is keep burning and leave the rest to me", said the man.

A little later, they arrived at the top of the lighthouse where there was a big lamp with a loop behind it. Then the man lit the lamp with the light of the candle and instantly, the place shone so brightly that the ships on the ocean could see its light.

With our being and our limitations, we're hardly able to do any meaningful things. Yet, one thing we should bear in mind is that our life is like a small candle in God's powerful hand. All our abilities and expertise will remain as a small light if we don't put our life in God's hand. On the contrary, even if our light is so small or dim, if we entrust all our life to God, he is able to make our small light into a big one that brings blessings to many people.

Do not look at your inability, limitations, and weaknesses. God entrust you with something. Have faith that you are in His mighty hand that He will use you according to His will. When we put all our trust in Him, we will see how He uses our lives, including our limitations, to be blessings to others.

A POUND OF BUTTER...

There was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to the baker. One day the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting a pound and he found that he was not. This angered him and he took the farmer to court. The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure. The farmer replied, amour Honor, I am primitive. I don't have a proper measure, but I do have a scale." The judge asked, "Then how do you weigh the butter?" The farmer replied "Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I have been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Every day when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter. If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker."

What is the moral of the story? We get back in life what we give to others. Whenever you take an action, ask yourself this question: Am I giving fair value for the wages or money I hope to make? Honesty and dishonesty become a habit. Some people practice dishonesty and can lie with a straight face. Others lie so much that they don't even know what the truth is anymore. But who are they deceiving? Themselves!

Living happily...

A man and his girlfriend were married. It was a large celebration. All of their friends and family came to see the lovely ceremony and to partake of the festivities and celebrations. A wonderful time was had by all.

The bride was gorgeous in her white wedding gown and the groom was very dashing in his black tuxedo. Everyone could tell that the love they had for each other was true.

A few months later, the wife comes to the husband with a proposal: “I read in a magazine, a while ago, about how we can strengthen our marriage.” she offered.

“Each of us will write a list of the things that we find a bit annoying with the other person. Then, we can talk about how we can fix them together and make our lives happier together.”

The husband agreed. So each of them went to a separate room in the house and thought of the things that annoyed them about the other. They thought about this question for the rest of the day and wrote down what they came up with.

The next morning, at the breakfast table, they decided that they would go over their lists.

“I’ll start,” offered the wife. She took out her list. It had many items on it. Enough to fill 3 pages, in fact. As she started reading the list of the little annoyances, she noticed that tears were starting to appear in her husband’s eyes.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Nothing” the husband replied, “keep reading your list.”

The wife continued to read until she had read all three pages to her husband. She neatly placed her list on the table and folded her hands over top of it.

“Now, you read your list and then we’ll talk about the things on both of our lists.” She said happily.

Quietly the husband stated, “I don’t have anything on my list. I think that you are perfect the way that you are. I don’t want you to change anything for me. You are lovely and wonderful and I wouldn’t want to try and change anything about you.”

The wife, touched by his honesty and the depth of his love for her and his acceptance of her, turned her head and wept.

Moral:

:: In Life, there are enough times when we are disappointed, depressed and annoyed. We don’t really have to go looking for them.

:: We have a wonderful world that is full of beauty, light and promise.

:: Why waste time in this world looking for the bad, disappointing or annoying things when we can look around us, and see the wondrous things before us?

:: We are Happiest when we see and praise the good and try our best to forego the mistakes of our spouse. Nobody’s perfect but we can find perfection in them to change the way we see them. It is necessary to understand the difficulties and be a helping hand to each other….THAT BRIGHTENS THE RELATIONSHIP.

IF A DOG WAS YOUR TEACHER…

If a dog was your teacher,

These are some of the lessons you might learn…

-When loved ones come home, always run to greet them

-Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride

-Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face, to be pure ecstasy

-When it’s in your best interest, practice obedience

-Let others know when they’ve invaded your territory

-Take naps and stretch before rising

-Run romp and play daily

-Thrive on attention and let people touch you

-Avoid biting, when a simple growl will do

-On warm days stop to lie on your back on the grass

-On hot days drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree

-When you’re happy dance around and wag your entire body

-No matter how often you’re scolded, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout, run right back and make friends

-Delight in the simple joy of a long walk

-Eat with gusto and enthusiasm

-Stop when you have had enough

-Be loyal

-Never pretend to be something you’re not

-If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it

-When someone is having a bad day, be silent….…sit close by…and nuzzle them gently.