Overcoming Fear – 6 Steps that will Change Your life!

Fear can be paralyzing. Fear can also be motivating.

The key to overcoming fear is to ultimately see it as an opportunity, and once you are able to do that, your fear no longer has control over your thought or your action. It is freedom that is truly life changing.

While many studies try to enumerate the most common fears people have, they tend to identify those that only grip us occasionally – spiders when we see one or fear one is near, heights when we have to climb or ride high. Sometimes, however, we have deep-seated fears that seem to be with us rather consistently, that have nothing to do with a physical thing – fear of failure, public speaking, rejection, change – and those things do rather control a lot of our behaviors.

Overcoming these, then, can set us on a much happier path and truly be life changing. And while there is no “magic bullet,” there are some important steps that will work!

Give You Fear a Name

Identify and acknowledge your fear. Accept it as a real thing, and say it out loud – “I am afraid of _______.” Once you have identified it verbally, write it down. This will get it “out in the open” and you will actually “own” that fear (for the time being).

Give You Fear Some Parameters

When can you remember first having the fear? If you are afraid of financial failure, was there a time in your life, perhaps as a child, when your family experienced severe financial stress? If you are afraid of public speaking, did you have a bad experience with it, and when did that occur?

The next question you must ask is what triggers that fear now? What are the circumstances, events, situations, and/or people who cause that fear to bubble up? If you have a fear of failure, does that fear pop up when you gather with your family? Perhaps you feel like a failure because your sister or brother is doing so much better than you. Perhaps it is triggered at work, because you have tasks and you know you will be judged on them.

The third question in defining these parameters is what is the effect of this fear on you? Are you avoiding situations and events because of it? Identify the specific situations you are avoiding, because you will be using them later.

Is it Valid?

Some fears are absolutely valid. If you have never learned how to swim and you once almost drowned, fear of the water may be both real and valid. Maybe you fear walking alone at night because you have followed the news lately. That’s valid, and healthy too.

What makes a fear not valid is that it is not an imminent threat to you. It is a fear of what might be – failure, a “bombed” speech, or romantic rejection. And so you deliberately avoid events and situations so that you will not be impacted. Now the fear has control of you, and that is what has to stop.

Set Your Goals

Obviously, you have a goal to overcome your fear. Now you will set some smaller objectives with a timeline. Do you have a fear of meeting new people and/or social events? You will take just some small steps. Go to a small gathering with a friend you trust. Have him/her introduce you to a few others. Stay only a short time if you begin to feel anxious and fearful. It’s fine. You have taken that first step, and you know you can do it again. Gradually, you widen your social activities, and with each step, the fear goes away just a bit more.

Play Your Worst Case Scenario

Think about the worst thing that could happen if you confronted your fear? If you are afraid of speaking and you gave a speech that was not very good, would you die? Would you be a laughing-stock for the next month? Not hardly! If you had a couple of dates with the same person and were then rejected, would you be a failure in other aspects of your life? Not hardly.

Make Your Plan to Confront The Fear

Now that you know the worst case scenario will not result in death or dismemberment, it is time to develop a plan for confronting the fear, little steps at a time. Write a speech; practice it; present it to friends and/or family; get honest feedback; write another. Gradually, you will lose that panic; it will reduce to some anxiety; and then it will reduce some more. If you fear water, because you can’t swim and you almost drowned at some in the past, how do you confront that? You take little steps until you have enough confidence to take swimming lessons.

The thing about fear is this: it can only control you if you do nothing.

About the author: Julie Ellis – passionate blogger, teacher and Chief Editor behind Premier Essay. Julie always opened for new contacts and ideas of cooperation. Follow her on Twitter or Google+

The post Overcoming Fear – 6 Steps that will Change Your life! appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.

Westling Machine Aluminum Socket Tray Review ~ Video

Today I will be reviewing the 1/4″ drive socket tray from WestlingMachine.com . I have been looking for a good quality socket holder for years. Sadly most of the socket holders are plastic and do not seem to hold up well. At least with the abuse that I put them though. I use my 1/4″...

The 10 Best Effects of Exercise on Stress

We can’t control everything that happens in our lives. Of course, not being able to control certain issues doesn’t stop us from worrying about them. Whether it is related to work, family issues, money problems, personal relationships, or one of the thousands of other nebulous fears that constantly keep us wide awake at night, stress is an unhappy fact of human life.  Unfortunately, stress can lead to bigger problems than just a few hours of missed sleep. Aside from causing fatigue, headaches, and digestive problems, stress also contributes to depression and cardiovascular disease, which can lead to a shortened lifespan. The good news is that there are things that you can do to help lower your stress level. Exercising daily can be a great way to help keep everything in perspective, and can act as a regular stress-reducer. Here’s how:

Reduced Tension

A 30-minute workout will not erase all of life's pressures, but it will provide a healthy outlet for anger and frustration, as well as a distraction from negative thought cycles. Do you feel like there’s nothing that you can do to face down the issues that are upsetting you? Direct that frustration at an exercise machine, and feel the catharses that comes from letting it all pour out.

Elevated Mood

Do you sometimes feel as though you’re trapped under a dark cloud of depression? Being physically active release endorphins, which act as a natural mood lifter. The effects of regular exercise on depression can be as profound as medication.

Sharper Thinking

Endorphins produced by exercise also sharpen mental processes and improve concentration. Being active encourages the growth of new brain cells, which can help combat the stress related to the mental decline that many people experience as they grow older.

Increased Self-Esteem

Exercise is an investment, not only in stress reduction and better health, but also of feeling powerful and in control. A better mood combined with an attractive appearance gives a boost in self-worth, and promotes feelings of achievement.

Improved Sleep

If you have trouble drifting off to sleep at night, there’s a good chance that the cause of your insomnia is stress. Stress often brings on sleep difficulties, which can lead to other problems if not addressed quickly. Short periods of activity in the early or middle part of the day may help a person return to normal sleep patterns. Those who prefer night exercise can perform gentle stretching or engage in yoga.

Higher Energy

Your body is an amazing machine; the more you use it, the more efficient it becomes. Increasing the heart rate a few days per week ratchets stress down while providing a higher energy level. Even a few minutes of exercise can make a big difference. This is especially true with proper nutrition and supplementation. Some people worry that this will cost more but usually the opposite happens, healthy food is inexpensive, and while I take expensive supplements such as Progenex, you can find inexpensive ones that are adequate on Amazon.

Better Coping

The mental and emotional benefits of physical activity include better coping skills. When the body is not run down from overwhelming stress, it is better able to cope with life's challenges.

Stronger Immunity

Stress is hard on the body, which directly affects immune function. Chronic stress can result in more colds and flu and generally feeling tired. Exercising each day can strengthen the immune system and create a stronger defense against illness.

Better Relationships

Stress takes a toll on relationships both at work and at home. Irritability and depression can create distance between co-workers and family members. Exercise offers the opportunity to decompress from a difficult day, allowing for positive connections with family and friends.

Fitter Body

While increased fitness is an obvious benefit of exercise, it also removes the stigma of being overweight and not being able to keep up with others. Stress often causes overeating, and the resulting weight gain leads to more stress. Exercising regularly breaks this cycle and creates a more beautiful body to go with a happier mind.

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Ryan Blair is a freelance writer who has spent 12 years in the fitness industry doing just about everything including personal training for 6 years.  He now spends his time combining his love of writing with his experience in fitness.  If you want to contact him you can do so at: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/ryan-blair/a5/230/674

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4 Steps to Living a Meaningful Life

What do you think it takes to live a happy life?

Many people believe that things such as money or fame can give them happiness. But the fact is: you can be wildly successful on the outside but still feel empty inside. There are countless stories of people like that.

We, of course, must not fall into that trap. So what should we do?

I recently read an interesting statement in the blink of Are You Fully Charged?:

Happiness isn’t something you can achieve by seeking it; rather, happiness is a by-product of living a meaningful life.

I completely agree. Happiness is a by-product of living a meaningful life. If your life is meaningful, you will be happy. But if it isn’t, there will be a void within you.

The question then is how to live a meaningful life.

My conclusion—based on my observation and experience—is this: meaning comes from contributing to a cause that matters to you. If you think you are making a difference in something that matters to you, your life will be meaningful.

There are two aspects of it:

1. Meaning comes from giving. It doesn’t come from what you get, but what you give.
2. Meaning has to do with a cause that matters to you. It has to do with something that resonates with your heart.

Based on these, here are four steps to living a meaningful life:

1. Find your cause.

Before anything else, you should find your cause. A good way to find it is by looking at your dissatisfaction. What is it that makes you dissatisfied about the world? What is it that makes you wish you could change it?

In my case, my dissatisfaction is seeing people live below their potential. I believe that everyone has a seed of greatness within, and it bothers me to see people (including myself) not living up to that. This has become my cause.

2. Create your mission statement.

After finding your cause, you should create a mission statement. Your mission, of course, is to improve the situation that makes you dissatisfied. But you need to put that into words.

To make it easier to remember, make it ten words or less. In my case, my mission statement is “helping people live life to the fullest.”

3. Identify your strengths.

Next, you should figure out how you can contribute to your cause. This requires you to identify your personal strengths. What are the things that you are good at? What are the things that you can do better than other people?

Your strengths form the basis of your contribution. Why? Because they signal the unique value that only you can give.

A good way to identify your strengths is by taking a multiple intelligence test.

4. Use your strengths to contribute.

After identifying your strengths, you should find how you can use them to contribute to your cause. In my case, my multiple intelligence test shows that I’m strong in linguistic intelligence, so blogging is a good way for me to contribute. I’m also strong in logical-mathematical intelligence, so I’ve created apps such as HabitMaster.

Find your strengths and apply them to your cause. As Douglas Patel once said: “True happiness involves the full use of one’s power and talents.”

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If you apply these four steps, your life will be meaningful. And, as a by-product of that, you will find happiness.

Photo by Uditha Wickramanayaka

The Secret Your Meditation Teacher Won’t Tell You

You’ve read enough about mindfulness to give meditation a shot alone at home, but there’s something missing. Sometimes it’s as simple as not knowing if you’re doing it right, sometimes it’s the sense that it should be harder than it seems to be.

Your mind won’t stop wandering.

An in-person meditation might be in order. You’ve found a Sangha and you’ve showed up. You are so eager to enrich your experience or overcome the shyness of meditating alone – that you walk into the studio unprepared.

You have a cushion, sure. You’re wearing loose clothing and trying to “pre-meditate” by putting the day behind you so you’re not distracted once you begin –

But you’re unprepared for the hardest part: walking into a studio filled with people who all look at peace, who all look happy, who all exude the calm that you’ve been hoping to achieve but are secretly afraid you can’t.

And you know they’re all looking at you.

You’re suddenly naked in the high school cafeteria.

And deep down, you wonder if you are the first person in the history of meditation to resent other people for being good at it.

Here’s a secret: almost all of us think that – at first. Until we realize the one simple truth of group meditation:

Everyone thinks the person next to them is better at meditating.

It’s actually kind of a thing among Buddhists. After all, the history of Buddhism is full of examples of monks chasing out the newbie who gets enlightened before they do.

But it shouldn’t be important who is further along! Why is it a competition?

Those are questions perfect people with gentle smiles ask. Those of us beginning meditation can’t ask them because we’re not perfect. If we were perfect we probably wouldn’t be at the community center’s multipurpose room at 8pm on a Monday.

There’s an easy way to take the pressure off yourself.

First, remember that most people meditating in a studio are a lot more concerned about their own struggles than with yours. But once you get over the cafeteria feeling, you know that.

Then, smile a lot, of course, take your seat as you are able, and get to the point where everyone’s closed their eyes.

Then, sometime about ten minutes into the meditation,

GO AHEAD AND PEEK

Do it. Open your eyes slowly and look a bit. No need to move your head. Just have a good long peek.

What are you going to see?

The answer isn’t “the guy next to you picking his nose.” Probably. What you’ll likely see is everyone with their eyes closed. When you peek you see people not peeking. That’s how it tends to work.

If you’re wondering if this is only going to prove that you are the one who doesn’t belong there, think again.

By seeing people NOT peek, you give your brain permission to close your eyes without pressure.
Your meditating brain knows that a lot more people than you consciously realize are going to peek during their meditation too. And the chances are, they will see you, sitting still, eyes closed, and they’ll imagine, if only for a second, that you’re doing it better than they are. It takes a long time before we’re immune to those insecurities in meditation.

If the worst thing in the world happens and someone else is looking at you when you peek, you smile and give a little nod. You caught each other. You belong. Close your eyes and feel how welcome you are. Don’t worry about the instructor seeing you. She sees everything anyway, and it’s her job not to judge.

When you force yourself to meditate out of ego – constantly telling yourself “I must keep still, I must stop my mind from wandering, I mustn’t look around” – then you’re going to have a rougher go of it. You might wrestle the Buddha only once or twice before giving up.

It doesn’t have to be that hard. If you can turn your beginner’s impulses into a way of knowing you belong – as a sign that you’re in the right place, learning the right skills, among people who are just as eager to find peace as you are – then you increase your chances of coming back.

It is always in the coming back where meditation occurs.

Give it a try. Sit with a group, enjoy where the meditation is taking you, and give yourself permission to take a good peek when the impulse arrives. You’ll find that you’re suddenly as far away from the high school cafeteria as you’ve ever been.

Then return to the breath. Because you’ll want to.

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Michael Wurth has practiced Buddhism for over 20 years. He is also a Nationally Certified Counselor with Master’s Degrees in Comparative Literature and Counseling Psychology, and an award-winning filmmaker. He teaches overwhelmed people how rewrite the stories in their heads that are holding them back. Check out his free instruction sheet Why Science Doesn’t Understand Meditation – But You Do! to discover how much you can influence your world at www.wrestlingthebuddha.com

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Want To Become Super Productive? Stop Doing These 5 Stupid Activities

You are exhausted.

Another late work night is about to end…

NOT because it´s late…

NOT because you have completed all your important tasks…

but because your brain has stopped to function properly.

(And it probably did several coffee cups ago).

No matter what you do, you can´t keep up with your never-ending growing to do list.

The only thing you know for sure…

is that if you don´t handle the situation NOW…

you will become BURNED OUT.

Sounds familiar?

No worries, I´ve been there too.

Relax. I got your back.

When you want to fix a problem, it´s not necessarily about starting doing new activities.

The solution can actually be to stop doing existing activities.

Want To Become Super Productive? Stop Doing These 5 Stupid Activities

1. Plan as you go

Perhaps it worked in fifth grade to just wing your tests without impacting your grades in a negative way.

However, you are now in the grownups class in productivity, and if you really want to become among the best, winging it just won´t cut it anymore.

They say that every minute spent in execution will save you ten minutes in planning.

If you don´t plan your day and week, you will just be responding to other people´s requests.

Your schedule will actually NOT be your schedule. It will be THEIR schedule.

You might as well put on a cap with a big red L in the front (L standing for loser).

And you don´t want that, right?

Good, I didn´t think so.

So this is what you SHOULD do.

Start planning your day a week in advance. If that might be bit too hardcore for you in the start, no worries. At least start with planning the next day the night before.

Then you should have ONE master to do list. That means that you will only be using ONE to do list. Tasks that are NOT included in your to do list, won´t get done.

Then over to how to prioritize the tasks on your to do list.

It´s important to NOT…

2. Categorize your tasks as if they are all equally important

Few activities can cripple your productivity more than to categorize your tasks as if they are all equally important.

That means that you will be working on the wrong type of tasks most of the time. As Brian Tracy says, if you believe all your tasks are equally important, NONE of your tasks are important.

Use the 80/20 rule (also known as Pareto´s law) to determine which type of tasks you should prioritize. It says that 20% of your most important tasks will result in 80% of the total production value.

If you have 10 tasks on your to do list for the day, and you manage to complete only the 2 most important tasks, that will result in 80% of the total production value.

That is pretty cool, right?

In other words, as long as you are able to identify and complete the 20% of the most important task every single day, you will be extremely productive, and way ahead of the rest.

Another stupid activity that will pull your productivity down into the mud is to…

3. Say yes to all unreasonable requests

We only have 24 hours in our day, and your time is your most valuable asset. The big difference between very successful people and you is how you have spent your time.

Donald Trump doesn´t have any more hours in his day. He just spends it better. Do you think that he is planning every single day? You bet, he does.

You should really protect your 24 hours each day like it was food for your family. Every time you give away an hour, you give away a meal for your family. In other words, you should be very selective on how you spend your time.

By that I mean that you actually should start saying no to unreasonable requests. Every time you say yes to a request, you automatically say no to other activities.

I know it can be hard in the start to say no, and you probably feel uncomfortable doing it. However, once you get the hang of it, you will be able to protect your time better, so you can spend it on the activities that TRULY matter…

your family and friends.

The next activity most people have heard about, but few people fully understand how it can poison your productivity.

4. Working longer hours believing it will cure all problems

Working longer hours won´t cure anything. Of course, there might be days that you really need to do a long night. However, it should be the exception and not the norm.

Studies have shown that the majority of people are the most productive during the 2 first hours after they get out of bed. This may of course vary from person to person. Some people are the most productive in the evening and other people are night owls.

You should find out at what time of the day YOU are the most productive, and block that time out to work on your most important tasks.

Building your career is like building your muscles in the gym. You shouldn´t do several training sessions per day (at least not if you are a beginner). And if the training sessions are too long, they will have a negative effect on your overall training.

Why?

Because your body needs time to rest. Only by resting will your body strengthen your muscle fibers and replenish your strength and energy.

By training too much, you may tear a muscle or hurt a joint, and then you won´t be able to train for several weeks.

Yeah, I´ve been there. I used to train 8 times each week, and my primary goal was to fight in the cage (yeah, it was mixed martial arts, like the UFC). Long story short, I trained with the best trainers in Norway: kickboxing 2 times per week, Brazilian jiu jitsu 2 times per week, boxing training 1 time per week and running 3 times per week.

What happened? After a while, I got big problems with my ankle and I couldn´t train for 6 weeks. So my when I started training again, my shape was really bad.

You might be thinking, “Okay, Tor, I get it. Working longer hours isn´t good. What should I do?”

Good question.

You should increase your productivity, which will help you to INCREASE RESULTS while working FEWER HOURS.

How can that be done?
Plan your day in advance, use the 80/20 rule to work on your most important tasks WHEN you are the most productive during your day, say no to unreasonable request and avoid…

5. Being easily distracted

Few things are making you procrastinate MORE than you being easily distracted.

Imagine that you are going to write an important article, and suddenly your mom calls and asks you if you want to come over for dinner on Saturday. 10 minutes later your friend knocks on the door wanting you to join him for a concert on Friday night. A few minutes later, your neighbor is at the door asking to borrow some flour.

You get the point.

You will get VERY little time working on your article.

They say that the person who is able to focus on one single thought for 2 minutes straight, will be able to accomplish anything.

In order to become super productive, you need to be able to focus.

Nothing will turbocharge your productivity more than you being able to work focused on ONE single task at a time until it´s completed.

Here´s what to do next…

Okay, you know that in order to become super productive you have to actually take a look at your existing activities and habits.

Let´s say that you want to bake the perfect cake, and you are experimenting in the kitchen.

It´s not necessarily about constantly ADDING new ingredients to each new version of the cake…

the solution might be to REMOVE some of the existing ingredients.

The same goes for your productivity.

What´s your experience with doing the wrong activities regarding your productivity?

What happened when you stopped doing them?

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This is a guest post by Tor Refsland. Tor decided to leave his six-figure job in order to follow his passion - to help online entrepreneurs SAVE TIME and INCREASE RESULTS. Want to become more productive? Download his free eBook and learn how to DOUBLE your productivity in 7 days.

The post Want To Become Super Productive? Stop Doing These 5 Stupid Activities appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.

The State Of The Shop 6 ~ Podcast Episode 82

Hey everybody. Today we are talking about the state of the shop. For those of you that may be new, state of the shop shows give you an update of what is happening right now in the VW service world. We talk about things like recalls, updates, common repairs, and repair trends. Think of it...

15 Differences Between Successful and Highly Successful Individuals

Quick question: What really differentiates the successful individual who seems to be getting along fine from the highly successful individual who’s in the media all the time?

Is it the extra work they put in which the other person just couldn’t do? Or perhaps it’s the connections the highly successful person has?

After following some of the highly successful people in my industry, I’ve come to discover that while the difference between them and the successful ones may not be so evident, there’s that thin line that separates them.

Highly successful people have different priorities, unique perspectives and better ways of doing things. They don’t become different people, but they become better than just being successful.

Here are 15 things that most people do that highly successful people don’t:

1. They have an inner drive for accomplishment

They love being active and getting things done. But their activity oftentimes leads them to taking on more than they can chew – They also have an inner drive for excellence.

All successful people are determined to work harder and get things done. However, they try as much as possible to only get the right things done because they understand prioritization and goals.

2. They have great teams to help them with their goals

But because of their drive, they often tend to expect over delivery from their teams.

Highly successful individuals not only gave great teams but know how to relate well with them. They can communicate their thoughts and intentions very well. They understand that the well-being of their team members contributes immensely to their success. So they have empathy while also delivery results.

3. They try to accomplish a ton of work in as little time possible

Even if it means extending the day to 30 hours, they’d love it. For this reason, they tend to be too focused on work and neglect the other important things in life.

Highly successful people understand that their time is very precious. They also understand that apart from work, their relationships are valuable. So they create time to spend with the important people in their lives while at the same time making good use of the 24 hours they have available. They know the importance of having down time and rest.

4. They tend to talk a lot about themselves

In any gathering, they would be the ones handing out business cards and trying to set up meetings.

Highly successful people on the other hand look for key relationships in that gathering they could form. They don’t try to be everywhere, but lock in specific relationships that could greatly contribute to their success.

5. They understand that difficulties are part of every business

Highly successful individuals also understand this, but are very careful in handling them. Twice a year, Bill Gates would go into seclusion for a whole week alone, thinking up new ideas and finding better ways to solve problems. Then he would return to Microsoft with genius innovations that even the successful people in the company would be amazed by.

6. They are passionate about what they do and pursue their goals with determination and zest

Highly successful individuals also have passion as a backbone, but are careful to direct that fire in the right direction. Passion has a way of making you want to do many things at once. Highly successful people understand this and fuel their passion with care.

7. They try to please as many people as possible, so they tend to say yes to almost everything

Highly successful people understand that pleasing everyone could be detrimental to their personal goals. So ‘No’ is often part of their vocabulary and they only say ‘Yes’ to activities and causes that are aligned with their goals, whether it is learning a new skill, building quality relationships or just having a good time.

8. They understand the importance of learning and look for new avenues.

The highly successful individuals learn from everything including their mistakes and those made by others. They understand the negative effect of complacency and strive to learn something new every day, even if it’s from just walking the dog down the street.

9. They sometimes like to be heard and that’s okay

Highly successful individuals prefer to listen first before speaking. They listen to the people around them to get the unsaid ideas and tips. They only speak once they have a full grasp of what is being talked about or when they have immense value to share. To them, silence is golden in specific situations.

10. They love to work and don’t necessarily see the importance of other activities where work isn’t involved

Highly successful individuals know the importance of taking care of themselves. They understand that they are the only ones who can achieve their goals. So they include things like exercise, meditation and adequate sleep to their routine.

11. They are very confident in themselves and in what they do…

But this confidence doesn’t stop them from comparing their level of success with others.

Highly successful individuals don’t give room for self-consciousness or comparison. They’re confident in what they do and understand that’s the only way other people can be confident in them. They’d rather be the benchmark than make someone else the benchmark.

12. They often monitor and get obsessed with competition

They always want to know what the competition is doing so they can do it better.

Highly successful individuals are more focused on themselves and aren’t worried about what the competition is doing. Instead, they think about what they can do differently.

13. They take negative criticism to heart…

but not the highly successful ones. They welcome criticism because it helps them grow and achieve their goals.

14. They want to see the results of their efforts fast, so they work really hard to make that happen

The highly successful individuals understand that delayed gratification is an important ingredient of success. They understand that success doesn’t happen overnight and so have the patience and perseverance to wait.

15. They tend to take the bulk of their work on themselves perhaps due to lack of personnel or finance

The highly successful individuals are very resourceful. When starting a new business, they’re able to acquire the money or the personnel required to make their dreams a reality.

What are your thoughts on these difference between successful and highly successful individuals?

Featured photo credit: Petras Gagilas via flickr.com

The post 15 Differences Between Successful and Highly Successful Individuals appeared first on Lifehack.

7 Rituals to Help You Move Heaven and Earth

The things that we do to help ourselves only have ongoing positive effects if we make them into habits. Positive change is even more profound and more permanent when those habits become rituals. What is the difference between a habit and a ritual? A habit is simply something that you do on a regular basis without the need to force yourself to do so. A ritual is something that you are compelled to do because it is meaningful to you, and you feel a deficit in your life when you when that ritual goes missing. If you are seeking overall life improvement that is permanent, try these 7 (one representing each day of the week) rituals.

1. Reward Yourself with an Hour of Physical Activity Each Day

Yes, reward yourself. After all, what could possibly have a higher pay out than increased health and longevity? If that sounds a bit “rah-rah” for your tastes, that’s okay. Physical activity isn’t fun for everybody, but if you commit to it, you will begin to feel better. That feeling can lead to a habit, and that habit could become a ritual. Here are some examples of exercises that a beginner can use to get started.

Why should you commit to an hour? Because it sends a message to others, and yourself that you are worth a solid sixty minutes of time.

 2. Pick a New Healthy Eating Habit Each Month: Then Implement it Daily

When it comes to eating habits, the worst thing is an epiphany. This is because most diet related epiphanies aren’t really epiphanies at all. They are simply temporary and dramatic reactions to moments of frustration about the way we look and feel. Ultimately, there are no epiphanies here. As adults, we know what is good for us and what is bad for us to put into our bodies. So, instead of swearing off sugar altogether or becoming a vegan in one day, why not make a single commitment each month to adopting one healthy eating habit and then acting on that commitment every single day.

3. Make a Significant Weekly Commitment to Personal Education and Enrichment

If you are not able to create a habit or ritual out of anything else, please work on this step. There is nothing you can do that can improve your life in more ways than to focus on your own educational development. Once upon a time, it was very common for corporations to allow employees 4 hours each week for personal education and development. Why not give yourself the gift of that time each week.

4. Consciously Disconnect Once a Week

 You owe yourself and those who interact with you, a commitment to spend time each week away from your phone, computer, tablet, and other devices. Believe it or not, your brain really does need a break from that kind of stimulation in order to stay sharp and focused.

5. Commit to a Project

Yes, you are busy. Yes you get a lot done during the day. You still need a project. It can be anything that you wish, but it should be something that obligate yourself to work on regularly. The focus of your project should be your own enjoyment and development. If your project becomes a means by which you connect with a loved one, this is also a good thing. One final rule, you are not allowed to beat yourself up over the progress that you are making. You can only criticize yourself for not dedicating the time that you should be.

6. Embrace a One thing in One thing Out Mentality: Then Make it Happen

Clutter has such a horrible impact on productivity. We know that people have different approaches to organization, but the beauty of one thing in one thing out is that it can work for anybody. The basic concept is that for every new thing that comes into your life, you send another thing away. Could this concept be applied metaphysically? Sure it could, but for now spending a bit of time each week finding things to donate, pitch, or repurpose is a great way to balance out what you have consumed. Eventually, some people find their ritual in the purging of goods. Others crave the process of donating items or making them into something new.

7.Write Each Days To-Do List as if You’ve Already Accomplished it

 There is nothing more important than what you tell yourself. Start with your to-do list. Phrases such as “need to” “want to” or “must do” give you permission to push things off as either being optional or something that can wait. On the other hand, phrases like “I can”, “I Have”, and “I did” will promote a feeling of obligation to reach your goals.

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I'm a writer, but I was an athlete in the past and it has influenced on my outlook on life. I'm extremely active person and pet lover. I work at an essay writing company.

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8 Effective Ways To Teach Your Children Empathy

Your three year-old may have a tendency to say things like, “I hate my teacher! I never want to go to school again”, without even realizing that the teacher is within earshot. Empathy is a critical social skill that can both be developed naturally and nurtured within a child.

Scientists allege that EQ (emotional intelligence) is equally, if not more important, than IQ (intelligence quotient) in determining success in life.The ability to deal with one’s own and other’s emotions also accounts for emotional intelligence. Some researchers have gone so far as to claim that emotional intelligence plays a major role in not only the satisfaction with your social and personal life, but also the aspects of your academic and career life.

The National Scientific Council on the Developing Child states, “If we really want to build a strong platform for healthy development and effective learning in the early childhood years … then we must pay as much attention to children‘s emotional wellbeing and social capacities as we do to their cognitive abilities and academic skills”. Also, a study conducted by researchers from the Curtin University of Technology (based on the Canadian-developed “Roots of Empathy” program) claims that “pro-social behavior of the children in the Roots of Empathy classes increased while bullying and aggression decreased.”

How do we engrain this vital trait in our little ones? Here are some science-backed tips on how it can be done.

1) Get them a Pet

According to a statement from the Washington Post, a variety of research supports the idea of empathy scores increasing due to an attachment to a pet. A pet can teach a child how to love and care for sensitive creatures who are dependent on other social beings. Having a pet teaches a child to be self-less, thereby increasing the ability to feel for others. To master empathy, a child also needs to be able to read and recognize non-verbal cues which are the only ways pets communicate to us.

2) Encourage them to Read Literary Fiction

While commercial or genre-based fiction have a clear plot and a story that appeals to a wide audience, literary fiction focuses on each individual character, their development in the story, and their reactions to what happens in the story. According to a study by researchers at The New School in New York, literary fiction improves a reader’s capacity to understand what others are feeling. Kidd, a researcher, says: “Often those characters’ minds are depicted vaguely, without many details, and we’re forced to fill in the gaps to understand their intentions and motivations”. The reader is left to predict the inner monologues of characters often throughout the book.

This carries over to the real world and enables readers to understand a person’s psyche and the feelings of those who are different from us.

3) Praise Empathetic Behavior

Every time your kid expresses kindness and generosity towards another person, reward the act. They may be giving a sufferer a shoulder, offering advice or help with an essay, or simply sharing their favorite stationary item. Let them know that you thought the gesture was highly courteous. Positive reinforcement will work best in this situation and increase the likelihood that the behavior will repeat. Don’t let the “you can have mine if you like” and simple acts of kindness go unrewarded.

4) Be the Empathetic Role Model

One of the best ways to teach your children to be empathetic and socially competent is by modeling the behavior yourself. Psychologists have long known the fact that children learn by imitating adults. Listen to what your child has to say, show them how to be selfless, and pay careful attention to their emotional needs. When your children notice how you react to their emotional outbursts, they will internalize the behavior and make an effort to respond to others in the same manner.

5) Be Physically Affectionate

Given enough hugs, cuddles, and kisses, a child can learn how to be the perfect person. This may sound far-fetched, but it really isn’t. Numerous studies have shown how physical affection improves our moods, reduces depression and anxiety, and increases friendship and trust. With these incredibly positive feelings bouncing around in our system, we tend to be more receptive to another’s emotions rather than focusing on ourselves.

6) Give them a Set of Responsibilities

Teaching your child “responsibility” is not something you do only to groom them into becoming well-rounded adults. Doing chores and learning responsibility also teaches children to care for others and think about “needs” other than their own.

7) Teach them Basic Rules of Politeness

Telling your child to say “please” before they ask someone to pass a dish on the table is just as good as telling your child to be polite to others — or even better because you are being specific. Words such as “Thank you”, “I’m sorry”, “Please”, and “It’s okay” should be an automatic response. Teach them to be patient and wait for others before taking their turn. Let them know when they are being impolite and instruct them how to respond to the situation correctly after apologizing. Sometimes, it’s the subtleties that make all of the difference.

8) Teach Them to Think Before they Respond

One of the important life lessons you can teach your child is to think before they respond. This is also crucial to social competence and responding with empathy. Even if their first thought is not in line with the best or “most empathetic” response, they will give their words and actions a second thought before making them known. This increases the likelihood that the response will be considerate one.

Featured photo credit: Empathetic Kid via flickr.com

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21 Ways to Practice Compassion

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion; if you want to be happy, practice compassion.” ~Dalai Lama

Ahimsa is the practice of being compassionate. Ahimsa is translated to mean without injury. I think of Ahimsa as the minimization or harm. Sometimes referred to as non-violence, Ahimsa is one of the cardinal virtues associated with Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

In many Indian life philosophies, ahimsa is inspired by the premise that all living beings all have the remnants of the vital life energy. And as the Dalai Lama words convey, to experience true and lasting happiness in this world, we are to treat other living creatures the way we would like to be treated.

Compassion can be defined as a response to the suffering other sentient beings that motivates or inspires another to offer assistance or help. Compassion moves people to offer physical, spiritual, or emotional help to the pain or struggle of other people or sentient beings.

As people’s mindsets, economies, and governments change, practicing compassion in the world today is critically important is shaping a sustainable future for the next seven generations to come. Here are some ways that we all can practice compassion in our daily lives.

• Practice inclusivity. Include more people in the conversation.
• Eat consciously. Track down where your food comes from. Research how your food gets to your plate. Make informed, compassionate choices.
• Let go of self-sabotaging belief systems.
• Use affirmative language. Repeat to yourself as many times as it takes and convince yourself that you are a truly compassionate person.
• Be forgiving and understanding.
• Hug people more frequently. Hug people for longer amounts of time.
• Be kind to yourself. Care take of your body and mind.
• Be generous. Look for charitable organizations to give money to.
• Express appreciation. Be thankful. Cultivate a mentality of gratitude.
• Spend your money at businesses that are ethical and sustainable.
• If you see a person on the street who appears homeless, give money to the person and be non-attached to the idea of what the person will use the money for.
• Smile more frequently.
• Allow people to be themselves.
• Avoid judging other people’s behaviors that you do not agree with.
• See the similarity in difference.
• Focus on the commonalities between people.
• Be mindful. Focus on the breath.
• Practice seated meditation.
• Spend time immersed in nature.
• Be of service to other people.
• Treat all humans with respect and dignity.

I hope this has been helpful to you or at least triggered a thought or two. Consider sharing other ways of making the world a better place through compassionate living. Namaste.

Christopher Bueker is a mindfulness teacher, Yoga instructor, blogger, and public speaker; he teaches at various Yoga studio and centers in Cincinnati, Ohio. Christopher is passionate about community building, healthy living, and permaculture. More information can be found at his website, The Mindful Communicator at ChristopherBueker.com.

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10 Inspirational Books That Can Change Your Life

“Read, read, read. Read everything – trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it.” – William Faulkner

If you want to change your life, you are going to have to do things differently. Sometimes you can look to inspirational books to create a positive change in your life. If you desire change, you are going to have to step out of your comfort zone. As Anthony Robbins points out in the quote below, you are going have to experience discomfort and pain in order to transform your life. Any change, whether it be an organisation or personal, can be a painful process. However, the rewards of going through the change process are priceless.

“All personal breakthroughs begin with a change in beliefs. So how do we change? The most effective way is to get your brain to associate massive pain to the old belief. You must feel deep in your gut that not only has this belief cost you pain in the past, but it’s costing you in the present and, ultimately, can only bring you pain in the future. Then you must associate tremendous pleasure to the idea of adopting an empowering new belief” – Anthony Robbins

There are two specific events that threw my life into a tailspin, where for a while there it felt like I was losing control. These two events were, the sudden and tragic loss of my parents, and being made redundant three times in eighteen months.

With the third redundancy, I was at my lowest point in my life. I felt utterly useless. My self-confidence was at zero, and I could see no future for me.

My life was turned upside down. I knew that I had to turn it around. I just didn’t know how.

Then one wet Sunday afternoon, I picked up a book from my bookshelf called ,“The Gifts of Imperfection” by Brene Brown. I had this book for at least a year and had been meaning to read it, but hadn’t gone anywhere near a book for months.

When I read this book, I decided that I needed to get my life back. I needed to learn how to heal and rebuild my confidence, as well as my self belief.

So I started to read books. I read lots of books about inspirational stories on life, love, and happiness. Personal development and motivational books were full of information, tools, and strategies about how I could take control back and change my life. I would like to share with you the inspirational messages I got from reading these ten books that changed my life.

Read these 10 books because I believe they will inspire you, motivate you, and show you how to take action and go change your life!

1. Awaken The Giant Within – Anthony Robbins

The inspirational message from this book is how you have the power right now to control how you think, how you feel, and what you do. Anything you want or desire in your life, you already have the power to achieve it.

“You and I have that same power at our disposal every moment of the day. At the moment, the questions that we ask ourselves can shape our perception of who we are, what we’re capable of, and what we’re willing to do to achieve our dreams” – Anthony Robbins

2. Screw It Lets Do It: Lessons in Life – Richard Branson

Reading other people’s stories about their journeys in life can give you better perspective of what the journey of change can be about. Richard Branson is into reinvention and as a result, he embraces change.

This book will fuel your enthusiasm to give things a go. It will show you how to sort out the self-limiting beliefs that stop you from stepping up and taking on the challenge of change.

“As soon as something stops being fun, I think it’s time to move on. Life is too short to be unhappy. Waking up stressed and miserable is not a good way to live” – Richard Branson

3. The Art of Happiness – Dalai Lama

There is not a person I know who is not in the pursuit of happiness.

“The Art of Happiness” is a book that will encourage you to practice the discipline of self-reflection.The more you reflect on your life, the deeper you look into your inner self (your soul). This is where you discover what happiness truly means to you.

Knowing what happiness means to you, gives you purpose. With purpose, you’ll have clarity, focus, and a vision. These are the foundations that will empower you to embark on the journey to change your life.

“Both these people illustrate the essential point that happiness is determined more by one’s state of mind than by external events.” – Dalai Lama

4. The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz

“The Four Agreements” are Don Miguel’s code for life.

“The Four Agreements” provide an inspirational code for life, for the way you handle your relationships, how you behave, and how you communicate with others. If you want to change your life, read “The Four Agreements”. This book will show you how to attain a happy fulfilled life.

“If you live in a past dream, you don’t enjoy what is happening right now because you will always wish it to be different than it is. There is no time to miss anyone or anything because you are alive. Not enjoying what is happening right now is living in the past and being only half alive. This leads to self pity, suffering and tears.” – Don Miguel Ruiz

5. The Magic of Thinking Big – Dr David J Schwartz, PH.D.

According to Dr Schwartz, to create change in your life and to attain all that you desire, you need to change your thinking and your attitude.

The importance of preparing your mind and your thinking for the journey of personal change is the key message of this book.

“Those who believe they can move mountains, do. Those who believe they can’t, cannot. Belief triggers the power to do.” – David J. Schwartz

6. Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul: How To Create A New You – Deepak Chopra

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Deepak Chopra believes that personal transformation not only involves the mind, but also your body and soul. According to Chopra, you cannot transform your mind without transforming your body and soul.

Reading this book will encourage you to think about the potential energy force and power you hold within you. This energy grows when you are connected and aligned to your mind, body, and soul.

“The key to transformation is that you create the change you want to see in yourself.” – Deepak Chopra

7. The Greatest Salesman In The World – Og Mandino

This little classic has been around since 1968. Have you ever wondered what truly successful people have in common?

This book doesn’t really tell you how to be a great salesperson. It will; however, give you some fantastic tips on how to be an entrepreneur, how to self-motivate, and how to think like a successful person.

The underlying message is the power of positive thinking – that you become what you think, say, and do. This book has great tactics for those of us in the process of change.

“My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals are impossible. All are of no value unless they are followed by action.” – Og Mandino

8. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff – Richard Carlson

This book helps you to manage the small stuff in your life that is usually creating the most pain in your life. This very supportive book is full of great practical suggestions on how you can live a more joyful and peaceful life.

“True happiness comes not when we get rid of all of our problems, but when we change our relationship to them, when we see our problems as a potential source of awakening, opportunities to practice, and to learn.” – Richard Carlson

9. Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard – Chip & Dan Heath

Have you ever tried to lose weight or get fit and never reached your goal? You know that you have to make changes in your life, but you don’t know how?

If you are nodding in agreement, then you need to read “Switch“. If I had to recommend one book that shows you how to create and maintain lasting change in your life – then it would be “Switch“.

In this book, Chip and Dan share the Secret as to how you can create and sustain change in your life.

Hint: It has something to do with knowing how to “Direct The Rider”, “Motivate The Elephant”, and “Shape the Path.”

This book, without a doubt, will show you how to change your life.

“When you’re at the beginning, don’t obsess about the middle, because the middle is going to look different once you get there. Just look for a strong beginning and a strong ending and get moving.” – Chip & Dan Heath

10. The Gifts of Imperfection – Brene Brown

Do you ever feel that you are just not worthy enough, intelligent enough, or courageous enough to live a fulfilled happy life?

Do you have secret dreams that you hold deep inside of you that you don’t share in case someone thinks they are silly? Or are you too scared to follow your dreams because you fear that you may fail?

Brene Brown’s book, “The Gifts of Imperfection”, will show you how to find your courage, as well as rediscover your self-belief and self-worth.

This is the book that will get you prepared to embark on your journey of change. “The Gifts of Imperfection” is about you learning how to let go of who you think you’re supposed to be and embrace who you are.

“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy — the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” – Brene Brown

These 10 books were key to helping me change my life. I rediscovered hope for my future. I found my courage, strength, and my self-belief. I hope that by reading these books, you will find the same inspiration and motivation to take up the challenge and change your life.

“If one reads enough books one has a fighting chance. Or better, one’s chances of survival increase with each book one reads.” – Sherman Alexie

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8 Signs You’ve Discovered Your Calling

Take a moment and take a deep breath, turn off the distractions and prepare yourself with a sense of excitement and positive expectancy because this is going to be an epic post taking you to the energetic fabric of who you are and why you have been called to Earth at this time.

Every human being experiences the Calling. Every moment is a calling, and as Oprah says, “If you’re here breathing, you have a contribution to make.” No matter what background, age, color, creed, religion or gender, we have all been called to Earth at this time for the authentic expression of who we are and the gifts we are here to give.

The Calling is sometimes thought to be associated with a career. Other times it’s thought to be associated with an adventure. Not to be mistaken with wanting and searching for the next thing (which is the game of the Mind), the Calling is a infinite wisdom that’s always there and never ends. At the core of it, the Calling is a knowing of what is true to us to feel and do, and it’s associated with every aspect of our life. Everything from the people we meet to the travels we embark on to the mentors that guide us to our natural gifts to the dreams we have, the miracles we experience and the contributions we make.

So, how do you know if you’ve discovered your calling? It took flight for me in the form of downloads every night from 9 months of vivid, lucid dreams. For others the heroic journey began with an unexpected person coming into their lives. For Harry Potter it showed up with his house flooded with tons of letters delivered by wise owls from Hogwarts. If you feel like you’re living your calling and if you feel like you’ve been struggling to find it (which is another game of the Mind), these 8 signs will serve you in knowing that you’re living your life congruently with the Calling.

1. You have had an irrational urge involving a quest

Joseph Campbell describes the first phase of The Hero’s Journey as the Call To Adventure. It’s a setting where the hero (you) is living in an ordinary world, monotonously going about life in the same way, and often times wishing for more. At some point for us in discovering our calling comes the urge to venture out into the unknown world… in some sort of quest. For me throughout the 9 months of vivid, lucid dreams, I had the urge to leave the traditional academic world for a one-way ticket journey around the world focused on mentoring, adventure, extraordinary experiences, self-education, mastery and having soulful connections with the people I’d meet. For Peak Performance Strategist Tony Robbins, this came as an unexpected gift one of the worst experiences of his life where his father walked out on his family after feeling worthless because a man delivered a Thanksgiving basket for them. From that day to now, Tony Robbins has created a foundation that feeds millions of people every year during Thanksgiving with basket brigades.

2. It hurts you not to act on this irrational urge

Generally after hearing the call to adventure, many of us refuse the call. “Oh, I can’t do that. That’s crazy. That’s wishful thinking. Someday.” Those are all excuses to keep our sense of constancy in living an ordinary life as opposed to embracing uncertainty to live an extraordinary life. To not live purposefully, authentically, and heed the Calling is painful… and the only way we are able to survive with the pain is to numb it and distract ourselves — through alcohol and drugs, excessive television use, smartphone addictions, monotonous lifestyles, problems and limiting stories, and surrounding ourselves with others committed to mediocrity. There’s nothing wrong with anything mentioned above, and if we’re honest with ourselves… it hurts us at our souls to play small in this gift of life.

After having my first dozen vivid, lucid dreaming experiences, part of me got very excited to begin pursuing the messages of the Calling; another part of me ignored the call and wanted to continue in the traditional academic system that I felt was eating away at my soul… out of the fear of not being accepted by loved ones and others if I left this expected path they wanted to see me pursue. That winter of college, I went to Argentina and had a phenomenal month with my cousin. I shared with her many of my stories and dreams of exploring the world with this hunger for personal development. She was enthusiastic with what I shared and encouraged me to go through with it. I said I was going to leave college to pursue my passion, and when I returned I refused the call. What happened next was I got sick with salmonella for almost three weeks, and then a more intense case of strep throat for nearly another two weeks. Missing many of my classes, I went to the doctor’s office on campus and asked for advice. He recommended I take a medical leave of absence. The light of passion flickered in my eyes. I took him up on his offer and within minutes of leaving his office, all of my strep throat symptoms disappeared and I was enlivened with a new sense of passion, energy, vibrancy, inspiration, joy and being empowered.

3. You find yourself more embracing of uncertainty with open arms

The Calling does not follow logic nor rational thought, however it makes perfect sense. When engaged with the Calling, we become more trusting in the unknown; we trust in our experiences, in the timing of things, and in the people we meet as if everything is to shape us and guide our soul to who we are meant to become and what we are meant to contribute. In the beginning of The Matrix, Neo is at his work when he receives a call from Morpheus, a person who he has yet to meet and who asks for his trust and guidance away from the agents. Neo participates with embracing the uncertainty of where he’s going as Morpheus gives him step by step directions.

Another case is with Oprah’s story about surrendering to God in receiving The Color Purple. She wanted the part so much, knowing she had been called for it spiritually, and as she tried to control her outcomes she was rejected… until she surrendered.

Kris Carr is another phenomenal example of embracing uncertainty. She was diagnosed with a stage 4 cancer that was deemed untreatable, and she went on to create the documentary Crazy Sexy Cancer. She still has the cancer, it’s still untreatable, and she continues to live an extraordinary life filled with passion, joy, fun and inspiration, and has gone on to be a voice for health, wellness and living an amazing life regardless of circumstance.

4. You have mentors that guide, teach and support you for your journey

When Tony Robbins was starting out in the personal development industry, Jim Rohn was his mentor. For Oprah Winfrey it was Maya Angelou. For Mark Zuckerberg, it was Steve Jobs. Richard Branson accredits David Beevers and Sir Freddie Laker as significant mentors in his life.

In today’s day and age, our mentors are not limited to only showing up in person. We can find the book that inspires us, YouTube channels and online blogs that teach us just what we need to know for where we are and where we’re heading. For me it was a few books, including The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, The 4-Hour Work Week and The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferris, and The Education Of Millionaires by Michael Ellsberg. I actually drew a water color painting of myself reading two books, one with an orange cover and the other with a blue; this was weeks before I even knew about both of Tim’s books, and I was shocked at the coincidence of discovering them after creating the water color painting.

The key is that you will find the right people at the right time to support you on your journey, and they will find you as well (as you’ll support them on their journey) with grace when you’re living with the Calling.

5. You have heightened sensitivity, intuition and awareness

Intuition is what helps us understand something immediately with the Mind’s reasoning. You’ll just have clearer insights, a strong sense of knowing of what is true and where to go. We are all intuitive at our Soul, and the Calling is an urgent invitation to live our Soul’s journey. As we embrace the Calling, intuition along with heightened sensitivity and awareness becomes more accessible as tools to guide us to fulfill our Calling.

Sometimes this comes with a gut feeling like you’ve known someone all your life, and maybe you have only met them once. This has happened to me a number of times and I’ve taken it as a great sign to be more curious and see the wisdom we can share with each other… and it’s been an extraordinary experience every time. Sometimes you might notice your heightened sensitivity when you’re in a coffee shop full of noise, and in the midst of all the activity you notice a conversation relevant to what you’re doing right now in your life.

Steve Jobs accredits his intuition as more powerful than his intellect in creating the extraordinary technology he has in the world. He’s famously known for having said, “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become.” Now you don’t need to go to India, nor take psychedelics to experience intuition. We all have it. All you need to do is call for it, ask for what’s real, and pay attention. Heightened sensitivity, intuition and awareness are all gifts for you to experience to hear the Calling and live your legend.

6. You notice that time seems to fade away

When you’ve discovered your calling, you’ll notice that time fades away in the mystery, joy, excitement, wonder, awe, passion and thrill of being alive. On my journey around the world, I constantly forgot about time. Sometimes I felt like things were lasting for hours when it was just minutes, and vice versa. When Oprah spoke about surrendering to the higher organizing power and experiencing the ebb and flow of life, that is living in sync with the Calling in a sense of timelessness, and yet experiencing perfect timing… all the time.

7. You notice serendipity and synchronicity more clearly

Serendipity has been defined as good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries accidentally. Synchronicity is a concept defined by Carl Jung, which means that events are meaningful coincidences. In mathematics, when two angles are to fit perfectly together, it’s called a coincidence. In life, when things click together, it makes perfect sense. If you listened to Oprah’s story about surrendering from the link above, you’ll hear how she noticed the strong coincidence when she was praying to be in the movie The Color Purple and got a call from a casting agency for a movie called Moon Song (which later became The Color Purple). She was to act for a major role as Sofia, who is married to Harpo. She realized that Harpo is her name spelled backwards and was stunned at the coincidence of that.

When you’ve discovered your calling, these phenomena become more transparent in daily life. In fact, they become guiding messages to keep you on purpose.

8. Your life becomes centered on growth and contribution

The purpose of the Calling is to guide you on your personal Soul’s journey. It’s about evolution and contribution of the gifts you have to bring to humanity, and perhaps the greatest gift you can give is yourself. As you grow, evolve and change, humanity grows, evolves and changes… and it can happen at the level of your lineage, family, community, and at the level of the world based on the depth and width of your contributions.
I wish these 8 signs have given you the clarity you needed to know when you’ve been aligned with the Calling, and have inspired you to live congruent with the Calling, so that you can live and contribute soulfully.

Now, these are just 8 signs that you’ve discovered your calling. There are plenty more, and from reading this… have you been living your calling? If not, I invite you to now give up the Mind’s quest for constantly searching for the next best thing and claim the destiny that’s calling you right now. It’s simple, Oprah said it… just surrender to it.

Featured photo credit: Warner Bros Inc. via tiffanymetzger.files.wordpress.com

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