See With Your Heart And Mind

March 6, 2010

  A Man And What He Sees

In my life, I see so many beautiful things. I see the birds singing and flying around with great ease. I see
the bluest of blue skies, sometimes coupled with white clouds floating like cotton balls in the sky. I see
beautiful people all around me, smiling at me, and wanting to help me.

At night, I can see the beautiful sky, lit up with amazing stars that glow in the midnight hour. When I am
enjoying the beautiful ocean, I can see the large foamy crests on top of the waves, as they crash down
onto a wonderful beach, full of the finest tan sand.

In the spring, I see the fields full of rain and mud in the month of April, that make possible the
blossoming of the most beautiful colorful flowers that are so picturesque when the golden rays of the
sun shine down on them in the month of May.

Summertime is lots of fun for me. Mostly every day, I see the sun and it's pretty yellow color, shine
down on me, and turn my skin a light shade of brown and sometimes red, if I stay out in it too long. The
sun tends to dry up the little pond in my backyard and turns it into a barren, weed filled circle. Thank
goodness I'm able to got my beautiful gold and white fish into the house before they pass from lack of
water.

In the fall, I see the trees turning an assortment of exquisite colors ranging from a red hue, all the way to
yellow and brown. As the leaves fall from the trees, and I watch them float to the ground, I sometimes
see a speckle of small snowflakes accompany them on a cloudy brisk afternoon. I can tell when it is
going to snow out, because the clouds appear to be fluffy and gray.

Boy do I love the snow... So many young children in the neighborhood come to my house because I
have an extremely large front yard. They come to my house to build snowmen and they dress them up
like Frosty the Snowman. They put the coal for his eyes, and the coal is as black as black can be, and
they make sure that the top-hat is on firmly, for winter time usually gets a little windy. The corn cob
pipes are rather large and sometimes fall out of his mouth, so I give the children some of my smaller
pipes to use.

I am very fortunate that I have the ability to see everything in my life through my heart and mind. You
see, I am a blind man, and have been blind from birth.

I see more good in my life, on a daily basis, than some people that can really see.

I let nothing stop me from seeing the beautiful and the wonderful. I let nothing get in the way of my
happiness and completeness.

I may be a blind man, but I will not be blind.

Make everything in your life beautiful and happy. Never let anything or anyone stand in your way. Never
let something sidetrack you from what you really should see - the good in everything and everyone.

--- Copyright © 2009 Rich Barnes

I am selecting this writing, out of my many, because I truly believe that some people do not look beyond
 what they see in front of them. People miss out on beautiful things, that if noticed, could make their lives
that much more complete.

If you would like to pass on a comment, just send an email to: richiebarnes317@yahoo.com

You Are Unique

Use Your Talents And Abilities
January 8, 2010

  There Is Only One You

Look at your palm. Try checking to see if it's the same as your friend's. It's not, so don't even try.

You are a unique person, that’s why you have the name you have.

Even though you share the same name with countless people, it's just a name. God sent you down to
earth to bloom, to sprout, to live out the message that's embedded in you, regardless of the name you
bear, for whatever name you bear doesn't matter. What does is how we live the 'me' in our name.

We can have two Bill Gates or two Oprah Winfreys but that won't make them the same people. We've
spent careless time trying to be that other person. That other person on television screens and glossy
pages is not you; it's her, it's him.

You are the one here, creating your own memo, filling your own blanks and dreaming your own dreams.
You're the one here, crying your own tears, facing your own fears and filling the world with your
laughter.

How many times have you given up because you feel that what you're about to do has already been
done before? I have, but that's not where you ought to throw in your towel.

Try a different approach and then a different one and then another different one. It's in those differences
that you certainly get your marks.

Set expectations. You're not a Titan, so don't just go setting expectations and don't hope to transcend
them. You need those expectations to check if you're on point.

When you throw in your towel at your first defeat, what've you learned? You don't have to know
everything that's been written in the history books before you set out to make your mark.

You don't have to wait for that right time, when you've received all the degrees your name should have
attached to it, before you can be the person you should be. There is no right time to start; you start first
and you get it right.

You start now with that little in your hands, that fire in your heart and that faith you have in the God that
sent Moses to Egypt with just a staff and his stutter.
 When you wake up every morning, look at yourself in the mirror, even if it's only your eyes you see, and
tell yourself this:

"God, it's another new day today. I didn't complete what I started yesterday. I may not even complete it
today but I will complete it because only I can and only you can. Through these hands and through
these eyes, you gave me the ability to see the world through rose-colored spectacles."

Now you go on out to the staircase of life; you may not see the stairs but just take a step.

--- Copyright © 2009 Stanley Anukege

You are one unique, talented individual.

Live Life Fully

January 29, 2010

  Your History - Your Destiny  

So many of us get caught up in the past; past issues, past relationships, past mistakes, etc... We tend
to give away our thoughts and energy of today to days and events that no longer exist. An unfortunate
reality of this type of thinking is that we tend to lose sight of our true power and purpose. And we lose
sight of the truth that we a free to change - to refine, improve, or enhance ourselves at any moment.

The value of a moment is immeasurable. The power of just ONE moment can propel you to success
and happiness or chain you to failure and misery.

What if you could break free from the shackles of self blame, criticism, and disempowered limiting
thought?

We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your
mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and
your future.

Today, many will awaken with a fresh sense of inspiration and leave the ghost of yesterday behind,
why not you?

Today greets you with no rules or conditions. The only requirement to see all it has to offer is to live it
full out. Each day brings immeasurable blessings and opportunities for happiness and success. Like a
gift, beautifully wrapped at the foot of your bed each morning, today asks that you open it and enjoy
everything inside.

Exhaust yourself with all it has to offer! Laugh, cry, say "I love you", say "I'm sorry", truly LIVE the
day… when was the last time you did this? Squeeze all the juices the day has to offer, then, at the end
of the day, go to sleep knowing that tomorrow morning, another gift will be waiting.

It's when we continue to look into the box of yesterday or last year or ten years ago that we feel
depressed, trapped, and defeated. But the good news is that if you just open your eyes and look, you
 would see today's box, today's gift is waiting. Let go of yesterday, forget it. It's already forgotten you.
Embrace the only day in which you have any power. Today!

Make a pact with yourself today to not be defined by your past. Instead, shake things up today! Live
through today. Don't just exist through it - LIVE through it! Have a plan for success and make sure
your actions reflect that plan.

Your dream is a reality that is waiting for you to materialize. Today is a new day! Don't let your history
interfere with your destiny! Learn from your past so that it can empower your present and propel you
to greatness.

--- Copyright © 2009 Steve Maraboli

A renowned Motvational Speaker, Empowerment Coach and Inspirational Writer, Steve Maraboli has
risen to national prominence by delivering a highly profound message that helps people shake off
mediocrity, destroy personal barriers, and live up to their greatest self. His extensive studies in self-
empowerment will help you overcome the barriers that hinder personal and professional success.

Steve is a great friend and has been a supporter of Motivating Moments for many years. Be sure to
catch Steve's live weekly radio show, "Empowered Living: Life, the Truth and Being Free"
broadcast live every Monday, Thursday, & Friday at 12pm EST on Blogtalkradio.

Our Global Community

January 29, 2010

  As our global community is becoming more fully aware of the urgent cry for help from Haiti, together
with many other areas in desperate need, the following message is offered:

A New Direction

Has the time come to reach out in a common effort to re-unite as one people... joining together to form a
common thread of cooperation that will serve to enhance all lifestyles?

Are we now at a point where to continue on the same path is perilous and to do nothing will perpetuate
our suffering?

Is it now clear that a new direction is needed to move forward in the evolution of our species?

Dare we hesitate any longer enacting what we know to be truth?

... so what will be our decision?

If your answer is: "it’s time for a positive change", then let us now do what we are able to support our
common world community... and in so doing, create a more solid foundation paving the road towards
greater cooperation and trust for all!

And so, let's keep in the forefront of our minds a sense of urgency to act together... to keep our world
from collapsing into the darkness that has kept us trapped for far too long by inaction!

So, what will bring us back into the light?

Faith is the first step... that is possible to become as one people. We are divine creations that have
assumed a separation due to an alienation from our true source. We will again re-unite when it
becomes common knowledge that separation does not serve our highest purpose.

Through a common love of all we will again turn our hearts and our minds towards what works. We
have spent a long time in separation not due to a lack of deep knowing rather by our thought that we
were somehow better served in that manner.

Yet, over the ages, we have all observed that traveling down the worn road of separation does not
serve us. So to move forward, we now realize the need to take a higher path towards our salvation.

By joining hands in a common purpose of unification, we will then start to believe what we have always
known... that this is the only way that serves our best interests.

Yes, for many generations we have been asleep in a dream of self-servance, which has kept us all
apart. Yet now, we can no longer hold apart our common ancestry, a tying together of our legacy.

As interconnected people, every action that we take impacts us all! So, herein rests a cornerstone in our
common salvation... the critical need to include all peoples. Indeed, all need be invited into our
global community!

So, as a first step, let us turn inwards to ask what we can do in our own personal worlds that will help
the greater One.

In our governance, accountability and transparency will be crucial in matters that involve the welfare of
all inhabitants on this planet earth. The realization that we are all individuals, yet interconnected parts of
a greater whole will serve as a guiding light when reaching important decisions along our common path
towards salvation.

It is essential that all peoples feel that a new direction will benefit their interests: Instinctively, we all
realize that matters that only provide rewards to a select few will fail to generate the support of the
many... and, for those of us that currently hold wealth and power a greater awakening or knowing that
our true long term peace and happiness will only be fully realized by following a Way that supports all
peoples. And so, in giving we receive... attracting into our lives all the love and support that we have
always desired... and a knowing in our hearts that we have left a humane and nurturing place for our
children and for their future generations!

A faith in the goodness of mankind will allow our grand re-union to germinate and fully blossom. Yes,
we have all gained painful experience from living separated lives... BUT, we can now choose to act in
concert to allow a spirit of cooperation that will only fully exist when we are united in our actions.

So, let us now make a fresh start and forgive our common sins of the past! Yes, there will be obstacles
to overcome. Yet, our strength of belief in others will help us to endure and prevail in these challenges.
We can now rejoice in knowing that we have come to a point in our journey where there will be no
turning back as the seeds of hope have been firmly planted and have instilled in us all the promise of a
much better world!
 Brothers and sisters we are now on the verge of an inspired future as ONE people, and so, we can all
feel comforted that a new beginning is before us.

So yes, we can all make a positive change; starting with a knowing in our hearts together with
Inspired Action calling on us all to create a much better tomorrow!

--- Copyright © 2010 Edward and Livia Drennan

We are very grateful for the helpful comments and encouragement from Marlene Blaszczyk in the
creation of this important message.

The Power Of Belief

January 15, 2010

  Turning Pain Into Joy

As I walked through the hospital room door, I can barely put into words the emotion I felt. The first thing
I saw was my perfectly formed, lifeless, little boy. He had been placed on a stainless steel trolley right
near the door. I remember this so clearly because it made me furious. It felt so wrong for him to be there
like that.

Time stood still for a moment, as I stared at him. He was perfect, he was real, he just wasn't alive. My
emotions raced, from rage, to despair, to disbelief. I found it hard to control them as I looked over at my
beautiful, sad wife being spoken to by the doctor and midwife that had helped her deliver our stillborn
baby boy.

I can't remember all the details of that day very well. But I can remember with great clarity the words
that were running through my mind.

"THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN"

I decided I would channel my anger into determination and fearlessness.

Jen and I buried our baby boy and made a pact that we would never go through that experience again.
We decided we would have another baby and that we would have a boy. We would leave no stone
unturned to make sure this next pregnancy and birth would be a success, and that we would have a
perfectly healthy baby boy.

We found a book called "Supernatural Childbirth" that was extremely helpful as it gave examples of
people who had had problem free, pain free, pregnancies and deliveries. Their ideas suited me
perfectly.
We wrote out a statement about the pregnancy, the birth and our baby. The statement described
exactly how the pregnancy would go, that it would be a joyful, fun experience for everyone in the family,
free from all the superstition surrounding pregnancy.

Our statement said that our baby would be protected throughout the pregnancy and birth, that no harm
would come to him in any way shape or form.

Our statement said that the delivery would be quick. (Our first baby was overdue and had to be induced,
and I watched my wife endure an extremely painful labor for nine hours, there were complications that
put the baby in a distressed state.)

But not too quick. (Our second baby came so quick that he was born on our bedroom floor.) So we
wanted enough time to get to the hospital without rushing, but once we got to the hospital, the labor and
delivery would be quick, short, easy and painless.

Twice a day I would read out our statement with enthusiasm and absolute conviction; my wife Jen did
the same. Once I had read the statement, I imagined myself standing outside the hospital speaking on
my mobile, telling my father what an incredible experience the birth had been, and how perfect our baby
boy was.

Our doctor had given us the due date of the 23rd of November. My wife mentioned to me that the last
week of a pregnancy was unnecessary, and did I think we could go for a due date a week earlier. I was
extremely motivated, so I thought, we've gone this far, lets go for everything. So we chose the date of
birth to be the 14th of November.

At 2.00 am on the 15th of November, Jen woke me to tell me her waters had broken.

She had a shower. We called my mother, who lived close by, to come over to look after our children.
We then called the hospital to tell them we'd be there shortly. The hospital told us to hurry given our last
child was born at home. But we knew this time everything would be peaceful.

We arrived at the hospital about 30 minutes later and were given a room to wait in. Jen and I sat and
chatted for about 20 minutes. I had a cup of coffee.

It was amazing; my wife was having a pain free labor!

In the middle of a conversation she stopped talking and said, "Wait! I'm having a contraction." She
closed her eyes for a minute and said, "It's like pressure." About 15 minutes later she had another.

I called the nurse, she came in and said, "Don't worry, this could take while." She was mislead because
we were so calm and Jen was in no pain at all. The nurse said, "I'll just check anyway". She checked
Jen's condition. "Oh my goodness, you're fully dilated. We better get you to the birthing room now."

Because our baby was ready, he was very low, so the three of us walked slowly down the corridor to
the birthing room. Halfway down the corridor Jen said, "Wait, wait!" We waited for a minute while she
had her third contraction. Ten more steps and we were in the birthing room.

Once in the room the nurse said, "At least wait for the doctor to get here."

She then told me to get Jen's pants off, which I did, as she got things ready for the doctor to arrive. I
helped Jen climb up onto the bed and instantly our baby shot out like a bullet into my arms.

Five minutes later the doctor walked in and made the comment, " I see you don't even need me."

"Never a truer word spoken", I thought.

 The midwife, who was also pregnant, walked over and looking at Jen, myself and our baby said, " Now
that's how you have a baby. I'm gonna have my baby just like that."

Half an hour later, I stood outside the hospital making the exact same call I'd imagined everyday for last
nine months.

One Of Life's Lessons

December 11, 2009

  The Last Lesson

Even after many years, she still has not forgotten the last day her whole class got together to say
goodbye to their dearest schooldays. The gloomy faces, the watery eyes, the loving embraces, the firm
handshakes promising to seek each other again up hill and down dale... those unforgettable memories
always become vivid every time nostalgia drives her feet towards the old school, only to find a big, old
tree with all of their names carved deep into the trunk.

She wonders herself if any of them still remembers their promises, now that time has cloaked the past
memories with layers of dust and transformed each fate beyond any expectations.

The jolly "dwarf" of the class has now turned into a successful businessman. The shy, skinny
"bookworm" is now a talented Ph.D. trying his luck in some distant land in the Western atmosphere. The
naughty, giggly tomboy has thrown away her carefree laughter in exchange for a sheltered, comfortable
life beside a caring husband. And she, a literature addict, was driven by an inner force to put her pen
aside and become a teacher instead. That's a life-choice, an abandonment of her dream about which
she will never feel regret.

She decided to follow her old teacher, who had sowed the seed for the cause of nurturing people in her
directionless mind through his poetical lessons. She used to dream of the enlightened faces of her
students engrossed in her lessons full of sunlight and sea waves.

She had also dreamed of their round eyes running over every page of the books containing expanses of
the light and darkness of life. Yet, at the most decisive turn of her life's course, she didn't choose
literature for her career, for she had been told that literature is just like a magical paradise to which the
way is extremely rough.
 Travelers always keep in their heart a boundless aspiration for happiness, though they know very well
that their ultimate goal will never be achieved.

Her hands are so small; how can they hold the immensity, the depths and the fullness that literature can
bring? Still, she promises herself to go ahead, bearing in mind the last words of her dear teacher:

"Don't care for what you give or receive. Learn to live generously to enjoy life, even when it's not
generous toward us."

This teaching was not written in his lesson plan, but she knew it would stay with her until the end of
time.

Now, she is a teacher, yet she has to continue learning numerous difficult lessons of life. The more she
experiences, the better she understands the value of her teacher's last lesson.

And now, among the heaps of unemotional personal pronouns, possessive pronouns and language
structures in her own lesson plans, no leafy afternoons or sunny skies can be found yet the lessons of
the old days have never faded away. Instead, they are revived in her teaching style. She has given her
students the whole-hearted enthusiasm and tenderness that she once received from her teacher.

Now and then, she catches sight of a warm look in the eyes of her students, which encourages her to
carry on. She hopes to find herself again in her students: always listening carefully and appreciating
each lesson. To her, that will be the noblest award she could ever receive in her teaching years.

She tells herself to try her best to understand and take life at its deepest. And some day, when she has
enough experience and confidence, she will give her students the teachings that are not written in the
lesson plans, as her teacher used to do.

How Badly Do You Want Your Dream?

November 6, 2009

  Dreams Can Come Tue

Back in 1959 Walt Disney said,
"If you can dream about it... you can make it happen!!"

A good friend of mine Gabriel, had a tiny farm near Medellin, Colombia in a little town called San Pedro
de Los Milagros. He only had a cow and dreamed about having a large cattle ranch.

He looked at the horizon every sunset and once he told his father, "Jose, I would like to have that land
over there… how can I get it?"

His father encouraged him to go and talk to the landowner to see how they could obtain the land.

Gabriel replied, "But we don’t have the money."

His father said, "Do not worry; go and talk to him."

Several years have passed and right now Gabriel not only owns the land but Via Lactea Theme Park
that includes several hundred cows, an small zoo, canopy, horse ride cabalgatas, four wheels motos
and much more fun for the whole family enjoyment.

A year ago, when the park was already attracting a huge number of ecotourist, Gabriel’s wife Sarah had
a dream... "I want to build the biggest cow in the world ", she said.

They called a friend of mine, Manuel Hernandez, for this task. In three days he had plans for the whole
project. Then they asked, "How much will it cost?"

Manuel mentioned a big sum of money.

"Nobody will loan us that quantity of money to build a Cow", they thought but the manager of the bank
trusted them and their dreams.

Last October, La Manuela, the biggest cow in the world was opened to the public.

It is 9 meters tall and 16 meters long. The cow actually eats you ...and you travel inside the cow
learning how grass is converted into milk. Afterwards, you descend from the udder of the cow lift
completing a 17 minute magical ride inside the cow.

Moral of the story: If you can dream about it and you put all your energy and foremost desire to make
it happen, it will become a reality despite how difficult or expensive it may sound.

--- Written in 2009 by Gustavo Aldolfo Velez --- Columbia

My entire family and I were invited for the official opening of the park; we flew from Bogota and my kids
loved the magical experience. I do not want it to sound like we are promoting the park; but encouraging
people to make their dreams come true with the story.

What Is Impossible?
 October 23, 2009

  The Fruit of Your Labor

"Impossible is just a word invented by wusses, lazy people, and cowards. Nothing is impossible
in the hands of a person who's crazy enough to keep trying. Impossible is not a fact. It's an
opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is
temporary. Impossible is nothing."

This is what I have learned in life in my 9 years as an athlete. This is about the time where I transformed
a goal that people thought was absolutely impossible, to something I achieved with excellence. That's
not to say that I did not have to sweat, bleed, and cry to achieve it.

It was a dark day; one of depression, sorrow and anger. As I climbed out of the pool, after witnessing
my time in the 100 yard freestyle, I did not feel obliged to speak to anyone. At that moment, if somebody
had walked up to me and tried to speak to me, I would have completely ignored them.

The water dripped off my suit, seeming like each drop that landed on the floor added to my anger.
Everything was in slow motion as I walked back to the boy's locker room.

I saw the bright, dazzling smiles of swimmers who had just achieved a best time taunting me. However,
I had not. I had failed. Or at least that is what I thought at the time.

I had not known that the most important ingredient for success is failure.

As I was lying on my cool bed, thoughts flew about in my head. I had not talked much to anyone since
the big swim meet a few days before. I had thought about my past failures, and how they outnumbered
my successes in terms of thousands. This added to my bad mood.

I started to pray to God that I could achieve what I was aiming at. Suddenly, like a bolt of thunder, an
idea hit my head. Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm. Just
like that, the famous Winston Churchill quote that I had not read for over a year just popped into my
head.

At practice the next day, I told my swimming teammates about my goal time and they all either laughed
or replied with a somewhat similar response like, "You can't do it" or "Probably not." Believe it or not,
these are the responses that made my goal achievable.

I channeled their responses into my anger each day at practice. When I felt tired, they replayed in my
head: you can't do it, that's impossible, don't get your hopes up. All of them, every single one, played
back clearly and as if they were taunting me.

The smell of chlorine filled my nose as I stroked through the length of the pool. I can do it, no goal is
unachievable, no matter how unrealistic it may seem.

It was the day of the meet where I would determine if my mental strength and physical practice would
pay off, the day I had to prove to myself and others that with belief there is no limit to your
achievements.

I stood on the block seconds before my race would start and thought about my whole journey to this
day. I was willing to die for this, and I would not let myself fail.
 The ten seconds of thinking seemed like years. I stepped on the diving block and tightened my goggles.
I heard the warning: "Swimmers are you ready?" Then the beep sound, marking the beginning of the
race, went off.

I sprung like a cheetah off of the block and dove with perfect form into the pool. I felt the cool water glide
across my back. I gritted my teeth and was off like a fish, bouncing off each turn at the wall as if it was a
trampoline.

Thoughts ran through my head. I need this! I need this!

On the last turn, I came back to the wall with every piece of strength I had. I touched the final wall with
my fingertips and I knew that I had swum the perfect race.

I sprung my head out of the water, and panned my eyes in slow motion towards the scoreboard that had
the times...

I had done it! I had achieved my best time!

Joy filled my heart like water fills a cup. Tears rolled down my cheek and I started sobbing more than
women after they watch Titanic. I saw the expressions on all of my friend's faces as I climbed out of the
pool; their jaws dropped to the ground. I began to laugh and gave them the thumbs up.

In life, it is only those who can visualize success and believe that they can achieve anything, and those
who get up after being knocked down, those people will become champions in whatever they are
pursuing, whether it is in athletics, business, or life. This is the importance of belief.

I have learned in life that having belief in yourself opens all gates. Never forget that anything the mind
can conceive and believe it can achieve.

--- Written in 2009 by Sami I. --- California

My name is Samy. I am a 15 year old boy in high school with a strong belief that nothing is impossible. I
like motivating and being motivated. I am currently in pursuit of a dream to become an Olympic
swimmer gold medalist.

How To Become An Optimist

July 10, 2009

  Whose Reality Are You Living In?

Every morning, I look in the mirror and say to myself:

"This is your day. Don't let ANYONE take it from you!"
--- David Deida

Imagine two people take a ride in a balloon. One of them is terrified of heights. The other isn't. The one
who isn't will enjoy the magnificent view, feel the warm wind on his face and simply love the ride. The
person terrified of heights will probably squat on the floor, thinking "Omigod! Omigod! This thing is
gonna crash and burn! We're all gonna die! Aaaaaaaaa!!!"

Objectively, they went through exactly the same experience. Yet one person had the time of their life,
while the other would be better off having their chest hair depilated (and trust me, that HURTS). The
difference was in their VIEW of the reality.

Your view of the world is crucially important for your well-being. Yet many people let others decide their
reality for them. Be it friends, relatives, TV, or the newspaper. Who decides YOUR reality?

Reasons For Choosing Your Own Reality

I'm an optimist. And I mean I'm REALLY optimistic, right at the end of the spectrum. If I got hit by a car
this afternoon and lost both legs, I'd think something like: "Yes! I finally get to find out what it's like to be
disabled! Plus, when biographies are written about me years later, they'll say 'He managed to overcome
life's challenges...'".

I'm not trying to convince you to be an optimist. I'm just giving you the option to CHOOSE your reality. If
you consciously decide NOT to be an optimist, that's fine.

Without further ado, here are three reasons to be optimistic:

1. Optimism lets you achieve more.

Imagine you wanted to start a blog. And you were a pessimist. Your thoughts would be "It's not
going to work anyway, nobody will read my blog, why even try." And voila, you'd never even
start a blog.

Being an optimist, on the other hand, I started my blog. I stuck with it for the two months when I
had basically zero readership. Then, one day, I wrote a blog post that I felt was my best so far
(Why Linux doesn't spread - The Curse of being free). So I submitted the post to several social
news sites, it hit the Slashdot front page, and the rest is history.

As an optimist, you'll see beyond obstacles that others consider impossible to overcome. They
will think you're crazy. But oh, they will be SO wrong. They laughed at the Wright brothers. They
laughed at you. But you'll show them, you'll *show them all*! AAAhahahahaaaa...

Thomas A. Edison was interviewed by a newspaper after 800 unsuccessful tries to make a
working light bulb.

"How does it feel to have failed 800 times?" the reporter asked.

And Edison's answer?

"I haven't failed 800 times. I haven't failed once. What I have done, is I have succeeded in
proving that those 800 ways won't work. Once I eliminate all the ways that won't work, I will find
the one way that will."

Several years later, after thousands more "successful proofs" he managed to find a way that
works, and thus illuminated the world.

2. As an optimist, you'll have better relations with other people.

Positive, optimistic people are fun to be around. I'm sure you've experienced that yourself.

By becoming an optimist, you will become such a person. People will enjoy being around you.
 Also, by the law of attraction, you will attract more similar people into your life.

Imagine you have a crazy idea for how to spend your holiday. Would you like your friends to be
like "Yeah man! Awesome! Go for it!", or "Nonsense. That will never work. What the hell were
you thinking? Come on, let's go grab a beer and complain about how miserable we are."

3. Optimism makes you happier.

This is the most commonly cited reason... and the most important one too. But I haven't put it
first. Because if you say this reason to pessimists, they will say: "What the hell are you talking
about?"

If you want to help others, you need to speak their language. That's why I put achievement and
success as the first reason. That's a universal theme that everyone will understand.

How To Become An Optimist

Now you know the main reasons for being an optimist. So how do you go about it? Below are the best
ways to become an optimist.

1. Exercise.

As you go through your day, tension builds up in your muscles. The tension needs to be
released. Exercise releases that tension. It also releases endorphins, the body's natural
opiates, into your bloodstream. This leaves you relaxed and happy for hours afterwards.

If you're not much into exercising, check out my 5 Simple ways to increase your happiness. In
there I share a simple way to exercise that takes just 10-20 minutes and requires only a watch.

2. See the positive aspect of every situation.

I propose you try this. For seven days straight (starting tomorrow), see the positive side of every
situation. Just like Edison and his "successful proofs".

If you want to make sure you don't forget, I suggest a variaton of a method I got from Tim
Ferriss. Wear a rubber band around your wrist. Every time you forget to think positively about a
situation, simply switch the band to your other wrist. The proper way would be to take off the
band only after you've gone for 7 days straight without switching wrists. But you can simply try it
for 7 days.

3. Think positive thoughts.

In one experiment, the researchers took 3 clinically depressed people. A psychologist then took
over, making some changes in their daily routine to get them thinking positively (one of the
changes was daily exercising). At the end of 30-day experiment, the subjects had been
transformed into some of the happiest people you've ever seen.

One of the things the psychologist did was to have them place colored stickers around their
house and workplace. Then, whenever they saw one, they had to think of something that made
them feel happy. Try doing the same thing (possibly using something else instead of colored
stickers).

This exercise will literally hardwire your brain to think happily and positively. By reinforcing the
neural pathways of positive thought, you will make it easier to think positively in the future. You
 will achieve more and be happier.

4. Hang out with positive people.

When you spend time with people, their characteristics start to rub off on you. You might start
using some of the same gestures, or think some of the same thoughts. You can't help it. It's a
natural process to help us bond together. The good news is, you can use this to your
advantage.

David Deangelo, from Double Your Dating, said he had been researching the topic of women
and dating for two years without much success. Then he started to hang out with the "naturals"
- guys who were naturally successful with women. That's when he really started to "get it".
Today, he is the most successful author of programs that help men improve their dating skills.

You can use the same effect. By spending time around positive, optimistic people, you will naturally
become more like them. You might take on some of their gestures, or patterns of thought. Learning from
real-life examples is the fastest way, so use it.

If you want to make friends with optimistic people, just go and talk to them. They're open to making new
friends.

--- Vlad Dolezal --- Submitted by Lauren C. --- New Jersey

Vlad Dolezal writes a blog about psychology, self-improvement and Linux. For more fun, step-by-step
ways to improve your life, subscribe to his RSS feed. Or check out his article for practical tips to
immediately improve your body language.
Visit his blog at: http://vladdolezal.com/blog/

Negative Thinking Causes Stress

June 5, 2009

  Breaking the Habit of Negative Thinking

One behavioral symptom of stress is negative thinking or self-talk, which usually contains self-defeating
or self-diminishing statements. For example, "I just know I'm going to fail." or "Things just never work
out right for me." or "I always get the short end of the stick."

I've noticed that negative self-chatter is pervasive with many people. One example comes from a
conversation I had a while back with a desperate woman who somehow found my phone number.
Negativity and depressive beliefs dripped from her lips. No matter what I said, she insisted that she had
nothing to be happy about and that her heart had closed. I tried to help her see that as long as she
looked only at what was wrong with herself and her life, she would continue to find more things wrong,
and that she could not get to happiness from where she now stood. But she kept interrupting me to
share more problems.

Amazingly, this woman also told me how happy and successful she used to be, but she had lost it all. It
was clear to me that she had allowed the conditions and circumstances of her life to determine her level
of happiness. As long as things went well, she was happy. But as soon as circumstances changed, she
 lost her happiness. Yet try as I might, I couldn't help her break through her wall of self-defeating talk.

After thirty minutes of trying to help her remember something - anything - that would bring her a feeling
of hope or happiness, I began feeling hopeless myself when I was suddenly inspired to say, "This may
be a little thing, but when you hear a bird sing, does it bring you joy?"

Her response was immediate: "That's not a small thing to me. I love to hear birds sing."

"And hearing the laughter of a child playing?" I countered. I could almost hear the rush of relief (mine or
hers?) that broke forth as she shifted her perception.

For the first time in our conversation she stopped insisting that she had nothing to be happy about. In
her silence I could tell that my message had finally penetrated her resistance. I've found that negative
thinking derives from beliefs about ourselves that were formulated long ago - about who we think we are
and what we're capable of doing.

In our early years, many of us had parents who didn't know how to be loving, nurturing or supportive, so
we learned from them how to criticize and judge ourselves. As a result, we often treat ourselves exactly
as we were treated as children, scolding ourselves for being afraid or for making a mistake and often
taking on a distorted view of how things are without ever questioning its validity.

But the past is ancient history, gone, dead and buried (at least if you allow it to be), and now it's time to
treat yourself exactly as you've always wanted to be treated. When you catch yourself beating yourself
up, remind yourself to be gentle and loving. After all, if you aren't that way with yourself, how do you
expect others to be that way with you?

Let Go, Be A Winner, Start Your Journey

April 24, 2009

  The Journey Awaits

The beautiful journey of today can only begin when we learn to let go of yesterday.

Have you ever been on a cruise or looked at one of their brochures? I have been fortunate enough to
experience the wonderful journey a cruise can offer. The ships are so magnificently crafted, sculpted for
movement, comfort, efficiency, and maximizing the full experience of the trip.

You begin your journey when the ship leaves the dock and moves forward towards its destination.
Along the way there is so much happening. There are so many opportunities you can experience and
participate in. A romantic stroll along the deck as you look outward to the seemingly endless sea, or
maybe you want to go splash around the pool, or maybe enjoy some of the fine food available to you, or
maybe you'll join in some of the dancing and partying going on around you, or maybe it's evening and
you feel like sitting on the balcony and looking out to the splendid moon and clear starlit sky.

There so much for you to experience and enjoy from the moment the trip starts that before you know it,
you've connected to another dock along the way. Perhaps it's a pristine beach of white sand and
 breathtakingly beautiful water. Perhaps it's a tropical paradise with tall trees and lush greens that house
exotic and precious animals. Perhaps it's a mystical location with a spiritual history and engineering
wonder that you couldn't really understand or appreciate until you've seen it with your own eyes.

There is so much that happens when this journey begins. From the moment the ship leaves the dock
until the time the ship returns to its home dock, the blessings, opportunities, nourishment, love, laughter,
entertainment, and experiences are abundant and immeasurable. By the end of the trip, you are sure to
be happily exhausted from enjoying all the journey had to offer. You can go home content that you lived
and experienced the journey to the max.

I tell you all of this because it's important to note one thing; One thing that can make or break the
trip; One thing that can make or break YOUR journey.

I want you all to understand that NONE of this could happen; not one of those magical experiences
could happen if the ship didn't first LET GO of the dock.

How many of you are still holding on to the dock? Holding the dock of yesterday, the divorce, the
bankruptcy, the pink slip, the betrayal, the separation, the insecurity, the abuse, the fear, etc...

LET GO! What are you waiting for? The journey, all the magic, all the romance, all the beauty, all the
love, all of the blessings, and all of the sights and sounds of this amazing trip through life are here for
you NOW.

Free yourself from the dock. It's not holding you, you're holding it - let go now! Today is a new
day! It's your day. Enjoy the trip!

Do You Believe In Yourself?

April 17, 2009

  Belief Is The Secret Of Success

Behind all success stories there is only one simple secret, that is "Belief". It generates extra energies to
accomplish hard tasks and to get rare distinction.

Belief is hidden strength and one's own power. Without firm belief in you, all your intellectual
capabilities will be futile. Your belief can raise you above discouraging circumstance, disappointing and
ridicule. Unfortunately, many youngsters lack this and hence their performance is miserable in various
situations.

The simple word 'Belief" creates wonders and see its greatness in you.

A few years ago a college student, who was struggling to build his career, appeared for his professional
examination. He attempted his first paper excellently but he imagined that he performed badly.

Keeping this in mind, he lost concentration for the rest of the subjects and in turn, didn't write the other
subjects well. Later on, the results came out that the paper he thought was poorly written had secured
top marks in the college but in the other subjects, he failed. Why did this happen? The reason is simple:
 lack of belief in himself.

To become successful, your task is to fuel your mind with positive thoughts only. Under no
circumstances should you deposit negative thoughts in your mind bank.

Negative emotions are the real enemies which ruin your career. They are the obstacle for your
progress. So, don't underestimate your talents and try to overcome all weaknesses. Once a negative
thought grips you, it has a tendency to breed itself and produces an endless chain of similar weak
thoughts. In such a situation your self confidence is under great pressure.

You have to believe that your worth is great and tell yourself you can do everything. So, your
foremost duty is "like yourself and know your power".

Undesirable criticism can be most demoralizing and it induces in a person a poor estimate of his own
powers and inhibits his efforts. Remember, don't allow people's negative criticism to take hold of you
and make you its victim. But most of us think small and become small. To like yourself means to like
your body, your brain and your situation without any grumbling and comparisons with others.

A confident person is sure of his capabilities and doesn't need to trot them out. Most students postpone
their work due to lack of belief in them. This will seriously affect their future career. A combination of
belief and self confidence makes impossible things possible.

So, believe in your hidden strengths and talents. It is a very great achievement indeed!

Reaching Your Potential

March 27, 2009

  Unlocking the Giant Inside You

One of the most wonderful and exciting facts of your life is that, whatever has gone before is merely a
prelude to what is going to happen to you in the future. There are no limitations on what you can be,
or do or have except for the limitations you place on your own mind. You have enormous reserves
of capacity and potential and talent that you have never even come close to using as yet. These
reserves lay within you, dormant, and are waiting for you to unlock them and bring them into every part
of your life.

Another wonderful fact is that you already know a lot of the things you need to know to become
the person you want to become. You have your "heart's desire" deep inside of you. There is
something that you were put on this earth uniquely to accomplish. There is something that you, and only
you, can do. And when you find your heart's desire, you will have the key to unlocking your potential in
every other part of your life. You'll have the key to happiness, satisfaction, fulfillment and the joy that is
your natural birthright.

Whenever we talk about having enormous potential, the natural tendency for most people,
probably including yourself, is to think in terms of your limitations. To think in terms of your
bills and your obligations.
Many people think about how little money they have and how much money they owe. They think about
how much everything costs and how little they're earning. Many people even despair of ever getting out
of debt, much less achieving all of their goals and aspirations.

You've heard a lot of talk about "positive thinking." Positive thinking is very important. A positive mental
attitude goes hand-in-hand with success in virtually every area of life. However, it's far more
important that you practice "positive knowing" than "positive thinking."

You see, positive thinking can very often simply be positive wishing or hoping, or even praying. Positive
knowing, on the other hand, is when you absolutely know, deep inside yourself, that you have
the ability to be and do anything you want. And positive knowing, only comes when you actually
do the things that you say that you'll do.

When you set clear goals or objectives for yourself, to dream big dreams and then to become the kind
of person who's capable of achieving the kind of goals that you want to achieve, you convince
yourself, at a deep subconscious level, that you're absolutely unstoppable. You cast off the bonds
of learned helplessness. You realize at last that there's nothing in the world that can hold you back
except your own thinking, and you don't even let your own thinking limit your potential.

If you learn to be powerful and develop self-confidence by working progressively, every day, toward
becoming the kind of person you want to become, and toward living the kind of life that you want to live,
you'll unlock the giant within you and it will never go back inside.

--- Copyright © 2009 Brian Tracy

Brian Tracy is one of the world's most respected sales training and leadership training experts.
Speaking on personal and professional performance, he has traveled and worked in more than eighty
countries, and speaks four languages.

Brian Tracy is a New York Times bestselling author, having written more than thirty-five books on sales
training, leadership training, and personal performance.