You’ve made the decision to start a new venture. You’re excited, motivated and strongly fueled by your passion. You’re feeling positive about your future and this path you’ve laid out for your success.

You shared your new found journey with a loved one, who immediately started pointing out all the reasons why this is risky and why you shouldn’t do it. Suddenly, you started questioning yourself. Before you knew it, you’ve come to a complete stop.

How can you stop this from happening?

Your loved one’s concerns are, of course, coming from a good place. This person only wants what’s best for you. This, however, is your journey and decision. You feel excited and motivated about it for a reason.

To ignore your passion and life path is one of the worst things you can do to your happiness and success in life. Although your loved ones mean well, do not allow them to derail you.

Everyone has his own mental model. When we push ourselves towards a new path, we are essentially building a new self-image. Unconsciously, however, when we interact with those people who know us well, we tend to ignore the new self-image we’re building and conform to how others perceive us.

This is detrimental to your future and path to success.

You’ve got to find your own truth. If you want to do something different, then you’ve already allowed the space to create your new goals, attitudes, and associations. They are real to you.

In sharing your new goals, it’s important to have a conversation with your loved ones. Explain to them why you need to undergo the process and why it’s inevitable. Ask them to please not invalidate your decision and let it play out.

Some may struggle not to give out their opinions but just let them wash over you and don’t take it on board. Take a stand for your own journey, and if they’re meant to witness it, they’ll be there.

There are two ways to view life: the big and little picture.

Pointing out all the possible ways a particular venture could go wrong is the little picture. The big picture is not fully understanding how you’re going to get to the end goal, but knowing you have to do it anyway because the thought of it excites you more than anything.

There’s a lesson in every step of your road. Your first step may not be the right step but you can always learn something from it. Ask your loved ones to allow you to absorb it all and correct yourself in case of failure. No one else can do this for you.

If you always take on everyone’s doubts and opinions, soon there will be no space in your mind for changes and new goals.

Following your dreams and learning the lessons of the process are parts of the game. I absolutely believe that if you choose a path that invigorates and excites you, it’s going to lead you to your greatness.

However, if you’re looking at some specific thing in front of you, and are relying on that thing to make you happy and successful, then that’s looking through a little picture lens.

See Also: 5 Things You Need To Get Rid Of To Become Successful In Life

I highly encourage you to think about the big picture and treat life like it’s an opportunity to produce better outcomes and goals. Your biggest win is the person you become after the process.

If you have some little picture people around you, have those hard conversations and stand up for your own journey. Explain that, for you, this is something big and they should be there for you to see where it all leads. Some experiences will be positive while others will be negative. All of these are parts of the process. Stand up for your success and enjoy the ride.

See Also: 5 Barriers That You Need To Cross To Achieve Success This Year

The post How To Stand Up And Defend Your Path To Success appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Although most people know the importance of sleep, a lot of them still miss the recommended sleeping hours. They would rather spend their time completing work-related tasks, running their home and connecting with other people. For some other individuals, lack of sleep is a result of insomnia, cocaine and meth addiction.

Sleep is a crucial competent of achieving good health and well-being. By getting the proper amount of quality sleep, you’ll be able to protect your life, mental health, safety, and physical health.

The damage done by insufficient sleep can be felt in an instant or it can take time to accumulate before you notice. Before it starts to affect the way you learn, think and feel, here are some of the things you need to understand about getting proper sleep.

The Effects Of Sleep On Emotional Health and Brain Function

While you are asleep, your brain is hard at work helping you retain information and learn. Sleep helps it to work properly and gives it a chance to prepare for the next day.

Research demonstrates that a lack of sleep changes activity in some parts of your brain. This can leave you with difficulty in:

• Solving problems
• Coping with change
• Making decisions
• Controlling your behavior and emotions

Quality sleep improves learning. It helps you to be creative, remain focused and to make decisions.

Lack of sleep, on the other hand, is linked to suicide, depression, risk-taking behaviors and drug addiction. Adolescents and children with sleep deficiencies may have trouble getting along with other people. They:

• Feel depressed or sad
• Experience mood swings
• Are angry or impulsive
• Lack motivation
• Get lower grades
• Have difficulty paying attention
• Feel stressed and anxious

See Also: Get Strong, Sleep, Repeat: The Importance Of Sleeping

Sleep and Physical Health

In addition to giving your brain time to get sorted at night, sleep also helps your body to repair itself. During a good night’s sleep, your body repairs any damaged cells, especially in your heart and blood vessels. This is why ongoing sleep deficit is connected to an increased risk of:

• Kidney disease
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Diabetes

People who do not get enough quality sleep are also at a higher risk of obesity. Research shows that with each hour of lost sleep, a teenager increases his odds of becoming obese. That is true for other age groups too.

The hormones that make you hungry (ghrelin) or full (leptin) are balanced by sleep. When you fail to have proper rest, you experience an increase in ghrelin and a decrease in leptin. You will feel much hungrier than you would if you have gotten enough sleep.

The way that you process insulin, the hormone that controls your sugar level, is also affected by sleep. When you don’t sleep enough, you have a higher than normal level of blood sugar and this increases your risk of developing diabetes.

Your immune system depends upon sleep to function, too. Because this system helps your body to fight off harmful or foreign substances, you need it to work. Without proper sleep, you may not be able to fight off cold and other illness.

See Also: Are You Sleep Deprived? 8 Health Risks Of Poor Sleep

With the strong relationship between sleep and your overall wellbeing, it’s obvious that you need to make time to get enough rest. There is no single amount of sleep that is perfect for all people. Generally, experts recommend between seven and nine hours per night.

If you have a rough night, you need to make sure that you get back on track. Don’t let a sleep deficit build up. Getting proper rest may be the most important health decision that you make.

The post Importance Of Sleep: How It Can Put Your Health In Serious Jeopardy appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Although men are perceived as strong individuals, a breakup can still wreck you from the inside. It can turn your world upside down.

And if you are finding it hard to deal with one, read on as I have been through the same set of whirling emotions over the past few months.

Last year, in December, I had a fallout with my girlfriend. A three-year relationship went down, almost abruptly. The reason was quite simple.

The long-distance ‘thing’ was feeling like a stretch to her as she needed someone close by, both emotionally and physically. Although I used to come down to her part of the country once every three months, it still wasn’t enough for her.

See Also: 7 Secrets for a Successful Long Distance Relationship

I don’t blame her and I don’t judge her for leaving me suddenly. In a way, breaking up was way better than her cheating on me with somebody else. I had a steady job so couldn’t relocate. She lost interest and could no longer stay. It was that simple.

I am not exaggerating, but losing her felt like losing a family member. While three years might not sound like a lot, these were my formative years. The break up came with a myriad of lessons and they pushed me to think all over again.

I missed being answerable to someone. For months, there was a void which I couldn’t fill. I still remember that I slept hungry for a few days, hardly changed my clothes and even started growing a lot of facial hair. I lost interest. I lacked the zeal. I missed her unimaginably.

It has been more than three months and things do look different now. It would be wrong to mention that I don’t miss her anymore. I still do. However, I have made peace with her absence and, undoubtedly, it has made me a stronger person. The last few months were brutal and unkind but I was able to pull myself together again.

In my quest for emotional redemption, I came across a few life hacks which would be useful to a newly single guy. Here’s what to do after a break up:

Invest in Friendships

There are times when we neglect friendships when we are in an intense, romantic relationship. Regardless of your commitment level, only a friend can help you get over a breakup. Making new friends is also a great trait as it helps give some positive vibes after a draining break up.

A buddy can allow you to vent out your feelings and thoughts without being judgmental. He can listen for as long as you talk. He can give you the time and attention you need while you’re healing.

Keep in mind, however, that you also need to hear the other individual out. You need to invest time, emotions and feelings into a friendship to show that you also value the other person.

Make New Memories

Although she was located in a different state for her work, we hailed from the same hometown. While she had it easy in terms of existing memories, moving around the city was almost brutal for me. There wasn’t a place where we didn’t kiss, click photographs or had a lunch date at.

Therefore, after the breakup, it was literally impossible for me to step out of the house. I am sure many have had this gut-wrenching experience but changing cities or compromising on social life isn’t the answer. It took me a month before I could go out with someone to places that relate to my past relationship.

Take Time

Here is the most important bit that needs to be addressed. Even the strongest of men have a mushy heart that is entitled to moments of despair. It is completely normal to cry your heart out, watch movies, keep hearing sad songs on a loop, scream or stay in bed for days.

You should never try to bury the emotions while keeping a straight face. Trust me: these emotions keep on accumulating with time and they usually burst out at a really inconvenient time.

For me, it took two months to get over the agony of that heartbreaking fall-out.

Accept grief with open arms. You just lost a very significant person who was a lover, confidant, and friend to you. Lament over it for as long as it takes.

Indulge in a Hobby

Looking for a new hobby can help you fill up your spare time. Look for something constructive and allow yourself to enjoy and grow.

I love writing and started off with a blog. I joined a gym and started training rigorously for a bodybuilding competition.

As much as smoking and drinking may lure you, never fall into the trap. These things can numb the ache temporarily but they wouldn’t be beneficial in the long run. There are a lot of things you can do than to indulge in negative and destructive habits.

Give Yourself Occasional Pep Talks

There were times when I failed at work but my girlfriend would always be by my side to motivate and encourage me. Things have changed now since she’s no longer here to celebrate, push and motivate me.

A break up doesn’t have to mean you can’t celebrate and feel encouraged anymore. Be there for yourself. Give yourself the same encouragement and support you were getting from another person.

In essence, start believing and loving yourself. It might sound or look embarrassing at times but the pep talk you have with yourself has no alternative.

Believe in Personal Touches

I was a pretty detached guy, especially in terms of physical interactions. Barring my ex-girlfriend, I hardly ever hugged someone. However, since the breakup, I have turned into a pretty different individual— craving physical touches every now and then.

It is normal to ask for a hug and there is nothing strange about that. Research suggests that humans long for physical touches and prolonged periods of physical seclusion can lower down their confidence and affect their mood negatively. Therefore, if you feel the need to hug someone, get it done.

Sadly, a break up doesn’t come with a rulebook. However, it is important to lead a good life. It is important to be social and talk to individuals. If your heart is in the right place— finding love again won’t be hard.

One tip, though. Never try to cover one wound by welcoming another. It doesn’t matter if you are in or not in love with someone else. The idea here is to love yourself unconditionally. The breakup made me fall in love with my whole being and it’s something you should work on, too.

See Also: I’m Saying Thanks For Breaking My Heart

The post What To Do After A Break Up: A Handbook For Every Newly Single Guy appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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