Have you ever thought that you are meant for something great? Or are you bored with your existence as it is now? Maybe in the next life you will be President or maybe the last man on Earth…

Let’s have some fun and see what karma has in store for us.

Take this quick and easy quiz and find out what will you be in your next life!

What Will You Be in Your Next Life?

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Leave a comment below to tell us what you’ve got!

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In today’s competitive world, companies are striving to keep their employees motivated and happy so that the workplace is like their next home, where employees feel esteemed, content and needed. A satisfied employee breeds positivity in the workplace environment which leads to customer satisfaction and growth.

Here are some ways to keep your staff empowered and engaged maximizing productivity:

Conducive environment:

The physical layout of a workplace is very important for employee productivity. Some setups thrive where employees have open space for effective communication whereas others prefer a much quieter, personal space without distractions.

Provide employees with the right tools, equipment, and technology to streamline tasks and increase effective communication. Cultivate a healthy work environment where employees do not ‘backstab’ each other, develop ego issues or involve in gossiping. Give employees the liberty of personalizing their workspace.

Know your employees:

It is vital to know your employee’s personal and professional background; a single parent has a different drive to work than a college student or an employee who is also a caretaker. Understand your employee’s needs and treat them like your extended family. Just like family members can have disagreements, but their involvement and feedback is of utmost importance for the smooth running of the family, similarly your employees should feel secure that they have your backing and you will always stand by them. It can be an added advantage if you can offer day care services and elder care assistance or referrals for your employees.

Flexibility:

Allow corporate breathing space to help minimize burnout by eliminating cumbersome procedures and stupid rules such as approvals to deal with day-to-day issues. Flexible schedules increase employee’s happiness as they are able to establish a work-life balance. Working flexible hours or remotely can enable employees to attend to a sick child, fulfill caretaking duties towards an aging parent, attend a child’s school events or to pursue a sport. Such an incentive decreases absenteeism and helps develop trust and reliance.

Allow employees to step away from their work and take small breaks so they can unwind and network with fellow employees. Offer healthy food choices in the cafeteria or break room where employees can enjoy free food, snacks, and coffee/tea.

Train and establish goals:

Employees should have a clear know how of the company policies and their responsibilities so that they are not confused and lost as to what is the next step. Train, support and guide your employees and encourage them to ask questions when not clear about something. Allow them to make decisions where their work areas are concerned.

Staying focused especially when a deadline has to be met is more important than answering every call or e-mail. Establish short term and long term goals with the employee’s involvement and implement a plan of action to attain those goals. A personal and documented commitment from employees will keep everyone on track, streamline actions and clarify duties.

Inspire and communicate:

Encourage healthy competition by offering small incentives and bonuses.  Welcome opinions and suggestions so that the employees feel their voice is being heard, but make your word the final say. Conduct regular meetings to discuss performance, critical issues and essential tasks required for success.

When times are stressed, keep the environment positive by eliminating unprofessional and abrasive behavior. Use ‘personal touch’ while talking to employees on a one-to-one basis. Listening and respecting your employees keeps them loyal, motivated and committed towards the company’s goals.

Team effort:

Create an atmosphere where employees are pleased to be a part of a productive workforce; eager to contribute and face any economic storm. Be a role model and work with them as a team.

Lower employee stress by discouraging favoritism, negativity, unfairness, a highly political and strict environment that can drain mental energy. Cross-train employees to increase productivity, follow the SCARF model that subconsciously influences employee output; Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness.

Celebrate victories:

Acknowledge and celebrate positive contributions from employees, present them with a ‘star employee’ or ‘employee of the month’ award.
Host special employee events involving their families like picnics, workshops, or play as a team for the benefit of a volunteer organization or orphanage to keep employees humble and socially connected.
“if you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.”

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For many companies and leaders, teams are an integral tool for achieving business goals because they can provide the ultimate competitive advantage. This advantage is delivered through utilizing the minds of different people with different mindsets and skills, which creates a synergy that allows accomplishing impressive results. Apparently, only happy and efficient team can be truly innovative and productive because in case all the members are provided with sufficient room for creativity and communication.

To have a happy and efficient team that would help the organization to achieve the business goals, business leaders have to create an appropriate environment. It should foster the growth of teams and create a positive and comfortable culture in the workplace that promotes and values cooperation. This environment is often created by using team-building activities. They are a great and fun way to create a positive environment.

Why create team building environment?

Given that we have established the fact that teams can be a great tool for achieving the organizational goals, let’s find out the reasons why one should create a team building environment before creating an actual team. The people who will be team members need to learn how to interact with each other and make the communication effective. Clearly, a certain amount of time needed to achieve this, so team building activities are conducted in the organization. For example, Brian, who works at an essay writing service, says that the more fun a team-building activity is, the faster the connections are built among the team members. His team used to play Shoe Tower, a game that requires the office to split into two teams and make the towers from their shoes. The team that builds the tallest tower wins the challenge.

What this means to you as an entrepreneur:

The team that was nurtured in team building environment will be faster and more efficient because all the members will develop effective interpersonal communication. This will result in faster decisions and better problem solving.

Next, the teams use a collaborative approach to solving the issues and are known to develop better solutions because of the ability to brainstorm. One person can be a great problem-solver, but no person can match the power of a team that uses many minds to create a better solution. This approach can change the entire organization because it fosters communication among departments and promotes team working. As the result, the organization has the opportunity to become high-performing entity because team building and collaboration will be appreciated.

What this means to you as an entrepreneur:

A better-performing organization and a new culture that values collaboration, mutual support and ability to focus different minds on the same problem. The overall behavior of the company is focused on a team approach to achieving business goals.

Advantages of Teams

Let’s review the specific advantages of teams for businesses in a little bit more detail. They are collective efforts, using talents, mutual support, and a greater sense of accomplishment.

Collective Efforts

A team is created to complete the task that one person cannot. Therefore, they are more effective in solving the problems, which means that collaborative effort ensures that business goals are met. If one member of the team is struggling with completing a task, he or she will always be assisted by another member that might have more expertise. As the result, more is achieved thanks to collaboration.

Using Talents

As a rule, the teams are created in a way which ensures that every member has a set of unique qualities and abilities to provide a contribution to the effort. This approach makes it possible to tackle more problems because the more competencies the members have, the more they can achieve. When each member uses their own talents and expertise to enhance the work of the entire team, it usually leads to improved productivity and better results.

Mutual Support

Given that the team was built in the right way, the chemistry among the members should be just right. It means that they are good friends and colleagues that are willing to help others when required. Moreover, there is no point in refusing to help a colleague because the success of the entire team can depend on his or her success.

Greater Sense of Accomplishment

When the team achieves the goals through the collaboration and each member assumes a big part of the tasks and delivers them well, everyone feels a greater sense of accomplishment. This strengthens the collaborative power of the team, which means only good things for the organization. Moreover, the job satisfaction will increase as well. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that organization?

Advantages of Team-Based Organizations

These organizations introduce collaborative decision-making to all levels of management, which decreases the role of the senior management. On the other hand, the organizations that are traditionally structured mainly rely on the CEO and other members of senior management in making decisions, so the role of employees is diminished. As the result, team-based companies are more efficient and effective in their operations, which translates into a competitive advantage.

The advantages of using teams were supported as early as the early 2000s. For example, a 2002 study by the Tavistock Institute found that team structures were considered as a win-win strategy for companies and employees alike. Among the benefits were increased labor productivity, flatter management structure, and decreased labor turnover. That’s why team structures are so popular today.

Concluding Thoughts

Teams are an effective way to enhance the performance of the organization and each individual member by stimulating and incorporating creativity, mutual support, using the best talents, and a greater sense of accomplishment. To take advantage of these benefits, the organization needs to create team-building environment and provide special activities, including office games, sport games, and meeting after work. This environment is critical to creating teams, so use this knowledge to improve the performance of your company and job satisfaction in your employees.

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There are billions of people out there in the world with billions of ideas and perceptions. We are quick to judge people we see without a thought. We place labels on each other and put each other in different stylistic groups – it starts in high school and the words stay forever – from jocks, to goths, yuppies, preps, computer nerds – we have a name and category for every kind of person out there, for better or worse.

I feel that our categorization is a way try and define ourselves, while keeping others away from us. It’s negative if you ask me, and as we age we realize at the end of the day that we are all just people – souls inside of bodies.

However, we still can’t help but judge the people we meet. We have first impressions, last impressions, and everything in between. Here’s a small list of subconscious things that we do and act upon without even thinking about it. We do these things day to day without considering how other people will look at us, even though it is in these little things that people begin to develop perceptions about us without even knowing us.

The colours you wear

I wanted to avoid saying “your clothing style” because that is a given – it’s very easy to differentiate people and their ideas by the clothing style they wear, and we all have so many styles anyways. In one day you could be seen wearing a suit, pajamas, athletic gear, and a band t-shirt! But it’s in the colors that you wear that people notice. If you wear yellow on rainy days, people will compliment your optimistic spirit. If you are seen always wearing all black, people might think you are a tad brooding. Red is a passionate colour – people wearing red may be seen as hot tempered, or quick to assessment.

Your writing style

It’s a popular joke that doctors have awful handwriting, and it’s a bit ironic – we think of doctors as being the leaders of society, the people who have succeeded in school and finances and are the most educated, well respected, and highest paid among us. Then what is with their awful handwriting?
You don’t have to be a doctor to have bad handwriting, but there are many styles of script that we use that can indicate things about us. People with sloppy cursive may be thought of as lazy, uninterested or too quick-thinking, while those with neat handwriting will be imagined with a tidy home, and having a very particular way of thinking, for example.

Nervous tendencies

Do you bite your nails or tap your fingers on the bar when you are sitting idly? People notice traits like that and pick up on restlessness or uncomfortable behaviour easily. Adults who are privy to bite their nails in public look careless, or always have something on their mind. If you have a tapping issue, people may see that you are constantly restless and can’t just sit still and enjoy the moment.

What’s on your feet

They say that the first thing people notice when they look at you is your shoes. I’m not sure I entirely agree with that, but keep it in your head the next time you go out, and suddenly shoes will be the only thing on your mind. You’ll notice the grocer who wears old runners, businessmen in their dapper leather shoes, and the footwear of the middle class in all it’s varieties. The point is, what kind of shoes you wear certainly can make an impact on your first impression. People who are able to afford good shoes are regarded as being from an upper class, since shoes are so easily destroyed and are expensive to replace.

Your handshake

We can’t not discuss the handshake when it comes to physical gestures. It’s something we all think about when it comes time to pleasantries. Do we shake hands, or hug? Do we shake firmly or loosely? There is such an unwritten protocol when it comes to hand gesture greetings that entire libraries of books have been written on it in every language on earth.
Your best bet is to keep it to a handshake of moderate grip. A lacking hand will make you seem disinterested or not entirely present to the person you’re talking to, and too firm of a grip will make you seem like an usurper, or that you are trying to break their hand. Keep it polite, keep it casual.

Your eyes

It’s easy to gauge someone’s emotions just by looking into their eyes and their face. It’s a reason that drawing eyes is one of the most difficult parts to do when it comes to fine art. We express so much through our eyes – loss, love, sadness, happiness, grief, confusion, etc. People can look into your eyes and detect honesty or lies as soon as they look into you. Best to just be honest and keep your eyes light and expressive.

Your laugh

The way you laugh goes hand in hand with your eyes as far as detectable honesty goes. There are some interesting videos on Youtube about the honesty of laughter that are worth watching, that tell us about how much truth can be felt through someone’s laughter. Are they faking it, or are they really happy? We all know someone with a perpetual cackle that you can just never go out to dinner with because you can hear them throughout the whole restaurant. People make assumptions of character when it comes to our laughter, there’s no doubt about it. Thankfully, all laughter is good laughter.

Your accessories

Do you have eight chains dangling from your neck? Perhaps you wear a very expensive watch – or no watch at all? Another social phenomenon, people have been obsessed with jewellery for eras of humanity. You can decipher someone’s social life through their accessories. If he’s wearing tye-dye banded hemp bracelets, you can probably guess he’s been to a few hippie music festivals this year. Does the girl your dating wear star shaped earrings? Perhaps she’s into astrology. These are the kinds of thoughts that go through everyone’s head when they see new people. Represent yourself well with your favourite accessories, and remember the purpose they play in your social composition.

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Many people find bodies of water calming, relaxing and refreshing.  Oceans, rivers, streams and lakes are worldwide favorite spots for travel and vacation; and waterside homes are very sought after around the globe.  For energy sensitive or empathic people, the draw to water is even more intense; it’s as if it calls to us in some way.

The magnetic pull Empaths feel to water has to do with energy.  Nature, in general, helps people release negative energy and keeps us grounded (in our root chakra).  When you feel down or stressed, taking a walk in nature can be uplifting.  For Empaths, there is an even deeper connection to nature that is almost inexplicable.  It is a craving or yearning that cannot be ignored.  The energy of nature is more tied to the energy of Empaths, and that connection calls to us often.

Nature is more than a relaxing place for an empath, it is healing and restorative.  Water has a particularly special draw and is a source of great comfort, rest and more.  Because Empaths are highly sensitive to energy, they constantly have to take great care of their vibration and the energy they are exposed to; their self-care regimen requires awareness and diligence for optimal well-being.  Water changes this fact for Empaths, and understanding why can be life changing (almost life saving in some cases).  Spending as much time as possible or ,even better, living near water can truly benefit an empath in immense ways; making their self-care needs easier to maintain because of the energy and healing properties of water.

Here are 5 ways sensitive people benefit from being near Oceans, rivers, streams and lakes:

1. Cleansing

Water is cleansing.  It cleans our bodies, but it can also clear our energy.  Submerging in a body of water can clean up our vibration of stuck negative energy and restores you to a state of balance.  For an Empath, this is so important because that negative energy can be so draining and potentially cause health issues (physical and emotional).

2. Chakra balancing (tides and currents)

The flow of water balances your chakras.  Chakras are energy points in our body.  The seven major chakras run from the base of your spine to the top of your head (root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown).   Chakras are light energy, each one is a different color (same colors as a rainbow, starting at the root chakra).  When balanced, the colors are clear and each chakra spins clockwise in harmony.  Our bodies benefit from energy balance, as well as our surrounding organs.  Chakras can become out of balance in daily life, which can have a tremendous impact on the well-being of an energy sensitive empath.  The current and tides of large bodies of water (the energy flow) restores energy balance in a similar way that energy healing, like Reiki, does.

3. Detoxing (salt water)

Salt is a detoxing agent for our bodies.  We naturally release physical toxins through sweat and emotional toxins through tears.  Soaking in a sea salt bath or using a sea salt scrub helps release toxins (that is why it is popular for spas to use these products).  The Ocean is like an enormous salt bath or soak.  Combined with the salt in the air, it offers amazing detoxing qualities that nothing compares too.  The balance of ions in the air near Oceans benefits our health and well-being; this is why salt lamps are so helpful (but cannot completely compare to the real thing).

4. Healing crystals (sand)

Sand on beaches near Oceans, lakes and river banks has healing properties.  Each grain of sand is like a miniature healing crystal.  Plugging our bare body parts, especially feet,  into the sand helps to recharge our root chakra and boost our energy.  Sand also brings us back to a more playful, childlike state; raising our vibration and helping us remember our more peaceful state of being

5. We are water

One of the primary reasons there is a deep connection for all humans to water is the reality that our bodies are partially made of water (over 50% for adults).  Empaths tend to have more natural body awareness, so what our body needs we will crave and yearn for.  Our body needs to connect to the water for restorative and healing purposes.  Empaths are literally drawn to the water, in part, because their bodies need it.

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“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not: unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”                             ~ Calvin Coolidge ~

In any discussion of the attributes of successful people, persistence is always mentioned, often as the, or one of the, most important factors in success.  Major success seldom comes easily or without a great deal of effort. Often the only difference between those that succeed and those that quit the race, are those who keep going long after the rest have dropped out. It is relatively easy to persist when things are going well and we see progress. Highly persistent people, however, have found ways to keep going despite major setbacks and a lack of evidence that they are moving closer towards, or are ever going to reach their goals.

Here are some of the things that persistent people have that keeps them going long after most people have given up.

An all-consuming vision

Persistent people have a goal or vision in mind that motivates and drives them. They are often dreamers and visionaries who see their lives as having a higher purpose than simply earning a living. Their vision is deeply ingrained and they focus on it constantly and with great emotion and energy. They often think of this vision first thing when they wake up and last thing before they go to bed. Reaching this goal becomes the focal point of their life and they devote a major portion of their energies and time towards reaching it.

A burning desire

“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”  ~ Jim Rohn ~

Persistent people want it bad, really bad, and never look for an excuse or a way out.

What keeps highly persistent people going is their powerful level of desire.  Repeated failures, dead ends and periods when it seems like no progress is being made, often come before any major breakthroughs happen. Persistent people have the inner energy and intensity to keep them motivated and going through these tough times.

Inner Confidence

People who overcome the odds and achieve greatly are often described as “marching to the beat of their own drummer”. They know what they want and are seldom swayed by the opinion of the masses.  Having a highly developed sense of who they are allows them to continue on without being greatly affected by what others think of them or not; being understood or appreciated by those around them.  While that inner confidence gets challenged and shaken, it never gets destroyed and constantly acts as a source of courage and determination.

Highly developed habits

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” ~ Jim Rohn ~

Highly persistent people know it is very difficult to stay continually motivated, particularly during difficult times and when it appears that no progress is being made. They have come to rely upon their self-discipline and developing habits they can count on to continue down the path towards their eventual goals. They believe the results of the efforts they make today may not be seen for a long time, but strongly believe that everything they do will count towards their outcome in the end.

Ability to adjust and adapt

Persistent people have the ability to adjust and adapt their action plan. They do not stubbornly persist in the face of evidence that their plan is not working, but look for better ways that will increase their chances of success. They see their journey as a series of dead ends, detours and adjustments but have complete faith they will reach their final destination. They are not tied into their ego and are quickly willing to admit when something is not working. As well, they are quick to adapt the ideas of others that have been shown to work well.

Committed to life- long learning

Persistent people realize that any goal worth reaching will take time, effort and continuously learning new skills and thinking patterns. They welcome change and new ideas; looking for ways they can incorporate these into their lives. Ongoing learning is seen as part of a process through which they continually expand the range of tools that they have to work with. Naturally curious, persistent types not only see learning as a way to reach their goals more quickly, but see self-development as a way of life. For them learning and continual growth do not end at a certain age or stage of life but are the essence of life itself, and therefore never ending.

Role models that act as guides and mentors

While it may appear that highly persistent people act alone and don’t need anyone, most have a carefully chosen group of people who they admire and emulate. These can be people who are actually involved in their lives as mentors/confidantes or they can be figures who they have read about and who have deeply impacted them. You will know who these people are as persistent people will often quote them as they are very familiar with their teaching and writing.  Persistent people often stand out from their environment and are often misunderstood or ridiculed as they can make those around them feel uncomfortable. Having strongly ingrained models helps persistent people sustain and motivate themselves in an environment that is not always supportive.

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Cover photo by the amazing Cameron Gray

Ever heard of the term Consciousness raising? You probably have, but what does it mean when someone says Raise Your Consciousness? – I believe it means to stop living on autopilot and start to truly examine your life; your thoughts, your beliefs, your actions, your values, principles and the way you live your life.

When you start to examine these areas of your life you truly start to become self aware and being self aware is enough, sometimes, to make huge strides in your life and changing it for the better.

Why would you want to raise your consciousness?

When you truly understand what it means to raise your consciousness you stop living in the ‘tick tock’ world, you are asking difference questions of yourself, of humanity and what it means to be human AND what it means to be perceptive of the person you are.

Reality is truly subjective, meaning that we don’t all perceive reality in the same way.  When you realise that you can change your perceptions in life about anything, it means you can literally change your reality (And i do mean literally).

With that said, I would like to offer you some amazing Facebook pages that have helped me on my quest to raise my consciousness.

These are not in any particular order, so here are the Top 25 Consciousness raising Facebook Pages

Top 25 Consciousness Raising Facebook Pages

 
 

1. Expanded Consciousness

 

2. The Mind Unleashed

 

3. A Conscious Rethink

 

4. David Wolfe

 

5. Power of Positivity

6. Spirit Science

 

7. Jason Silva

 

8. Intelligence is Sexy

 

9. Raised Vibrations

 

10. Steven Aitchison

 

11. Heart Centered Rebalancing

 

12. Anonymous

 

13. David Icke

 

14. Awaken With JP

 

15. Meditation Masters

 

16. Simple Reminders

 

17. Prince EA

 

18. The Master Shift

 

19. Enchanting Minds

 

20. Collective Evolution

 

21. Educate, Inspire, Change

 

22. Sun Gazing

 

23. Awakening People

 

24. Exposing The Truth

 

25. Higher Perspective

Front page image by the amazing Cameron Gray

It would be great to know what Facebook pages you would add to this list.

leave a comment below and share some great consciousness raising Facebook Pages

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Have you learned all there is to life yet? Well, sometimes it feels like we have. We’ve lived our whole lives a certain way, and sometimes we’re not sure where else really to go with it. Here is compiled a few ideas of new hobbies you can do that not only give you something new to learn, but can significantly increase the power of your brain. They will let you see the world in a different way, learn new things about cultures and communities and help expand the boundaries of your mind to let more positive knowledge flow into you. Getting into a new hobby can be intimidating, but after a few months you’ll wonder what it was you did before, while you are striking a professional yoga pose with the ease and grace of a seasoned master.

1. Learning a new language

People think learning a new language is difficult, but with the amount of help there is on the internet, Youtube, and your community, it actually couldn’t be easier. You no longer have to travel to the favelas of Brazil or cities of China to learn a foreign tongue. There are tutors working at schools and from homes in your cities, expats who are all eager to share their native tongue. You can take Spanish lessons or use apps like Duolingo to improve your French. Learning a new language let’s you see the world in a different way, through grammar and word structure. You can learn how others depict the universe, and if you ever do travel to that place you’ve always wanted to go, you have a bit of vocabulary ready.

2. Playing a musical instrument

If you speak three languages and play an instrument, that instrument is your fourth language. Music is another language, a way of interpreting the sounds around us in an organized script. Learning to play an instrument isn’t reserved for kids and youth – it’s never too late to pick up a small instrument and spend a few hours learning how to do it. There’s a learning curve to anything, but after a few months you’ll forget about all the beginning frustrations. Playing music lets you interpret the world differently and unlock a new way of listening to music. It engages parts of your brain which are usually turned off and introduces you to new sciences of communication.

3. Actively listening to music

If you don’t have the patience to learn an instrument, consider listening to music as a hobby. Although we take it for granted these days since music is all around us in our cars, workplaces and supermarkets, taking the time to sit down and listen to all the instruments of a record is becoming a lost art. This is the difference between passively listening to music and actively listening to music; in the former, it passes through your head, and you don’t absorb any of it, and in the latter, you are explicitly listening to and engaging what is happening. This is perhaps something music reviewers do. Try getting into classical music and listening to all the instruments while you write down your thoughts, goals, or doing puzzles.

4. Practicing yoga

Yoga is as much an exercise as it is a hobby or lifestyle. It is designed to reconnect us with our mind, body and soul. It may seem expensive, trendy, or out of the way at first, but once you get into it, you will wonder what you were doing before. Check out a menu of classes at a local yoga room and talk to the attendant for more information. You’ll learn that yoga is not necessarily the back breaking sweat workout you thought it was. There is yoga designed for hot rooms, cool rooms, fitness, pregnancy, the elderly, the novices, experts, and everything in between. It’s a great new hobby that engages your whole body and mind.

5. Learning how to exercise

There’s a difference between going to the gym and watching Oprah on the treadmill, and taking fitness more seriously. Advances in technologies now have apps that are designed to instruct us on interesting home and gym exercise routines that are available at a fingertip, loaded with fitness tips and blogs. Instead of the gym being a chore, try engaging the fitness world a little more closely and learning the ins-and-outs of the trade. Who knows what beneficial things you will discover about your body and health.

6. Making sketches

It’s commonly perceived that getting into art as a hobby is not easy. Where do you even start when it comes to art supply stores, paint shops, and easel boards? It’s not that complicated. In fact, all you need is a pen or a pencil and some paper.
To make things a bit more interesting, get yourself a miniature sketchbook and maybe some nice looking art pencils. Play with them a bit, pick up a magazine and try copying images from real life examples. It’s hard to do at first, and you’ll no doubt create some interesting images. But sketching and doodling, much like the trendy new adult colouring books, are great ways to explore your imagination and pass time to relieve stress.

7. Collecting stones

If you engage yourself into any hobby, the point is that you are learning something new. Geology is an interesting hobby that invokes minerals, gems, constellations, astrology, and a whole world of literature based on the study of gemstones and rocks. Your community is bound to have guilds devoted to stone collectors and jewellery designers, sharing articles and discoveries together. It’s a fun new thing to learn about, and will expand your ideas of what the earth is really made of.

8. Origami

In the same vein as adult colouring, origami is an interesting hobby to pass time and develop creative motor skills. It’s also quite easy! There have for years been a great interest in origami publication, and you could go to your local bookstore and pick up any sized instructional book on the subject. Most will come with history, lessons ranging from beginning to advanced, and even appropriately sized and coloured paper for you to succeed in your efforts. Try it out and you may find it a lot of fun – even as a party trick at cocktail events or when you just don’t feel like talking to that guy at a bar.

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You have probably heard the expressions, like “learn from kids, dream big like kids” at least a dozen of times in your life, if not more. But the question is whether you are brave enough to take up the advice. It may sound like a paradox, but it requires a lot of courage from intelligent, well-educated people, holding MBAs or PhDs to take life lessons from little creatures, who hardly know anything about life, yet are the happiest on earth.

There are obviously many lessons we can learn from kids, and one of them is showing up with our true selves. The truth is that each of us is absolutely unique. There is always something quite special in a particular person that can never be found in another person due to what nature has given to us and the lessons that we have learnt through our life experiences.

Yet, most of us are doing a great job in shutting down the originality that lies deep within us and that is what makes humans miserable.  We act like this because we have come to believe that this is the most practical, effective way to go through life with as little pain and discomfort as possible.

But look at kids… They do not even think about their true self or how to be authentic. Kids just let their uniqueness flow, because that is their natural state of being. They just let the genius within create the magic!

We all have been like those kids at one point in our lives, but as we grew up, we forgot about the best gifts nature has endowed us with, we learnt to hide away our creative potential and shape our lives based on the ideas the society and mass media are selling to us.

Picasso described it just so well:

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.

Since childhood we are taught to think and behave like everyone else. We are warned that if we make an attempt to be different from our peers, or stand out from the crowd, people will not accept us and we will stay alone. Drop by drop, these messages kill our desire to be ourselves and we seek out our safe and comfortable place under the shelter of majority.

Without a doubt, on your way to show up with your true self, you will inevitably encounter people who just will not be able to understand you. Yes, some will harshly criticize you and others will make fun of you.

Why? because such people are not brave enough to express their own originality and it makes them miserable to see someone else doing this. Yes, it takes a lot of courage to be yourself, copying others is way easier. Consequently, you will inevitably meet people, who will try to tear you down just because you have made a choice to embrace your authentic self. My answer to such people is:

In the world full of copycats the expression “You are weird” is a complement to me. Pay it often! Thanks.

Believe me, on your path to self-expression, you will also meet people who will be ready to open up and be honest with you. These people will not be afraid to show up with their true selves and be vulnerable.

Really?

Yes! In most cases it happens because YOU have inspired them to do so. For a long time, they were looking for someone who will accept them as they are, who will TRULY listen to them, who will understand and respect their personality, no matter how weird it may seem to many others.

But if you try to introduce your “copy-paste-from-majority-self”, that person will do the same and nothing will change.

Just think by showing up and expressing your true identity, you also inspire others to do the same! How wonderful it is!

P.S. The post was inspired during an enriching discussion with a good friend of mine, who said,

“Never hide away your true self, you never know who’s gonna love the self that you are desperately trying to hide”

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We are almost 100% sure that there isn’t a living man who doesn’t want to quit bad habits, either those were smoking, alcohol, sweets or whatever is a bad habit for you. But let’s face it, it’s damn difficult to quit bad habits no matter how hard you try.

In order to achieve the desired results and finally free yourself from your bad habits you need to look deeply in yourself. Use all the willpower you have, kick out the doubts and fears how you won’t succeed and imagine the goal you want to accomplish. Only on that way you will effectively break bad habits.

If you want to really succeed and quit bad habits here is our 10 steps guide which will help you achieve what you’ve imagined. Practicing more of them you increase the chances of success, so the choice is yours.

1. High level motivation is a must

People think that motivation like “I’ll quit smoking because it’s bad” is not a strong factor. But if you paraphrase it like “I’ll quit smoking because it’s killing me, my kids are living in smoke because of me and probably they’ll smoke as an adults” it’s the kind of motivation that will finish the job and make you feel guilty.

2. Make a huge, massive commitment

The first step is done! You are armed with the right motivation and all you need to do is to make massive commitment. After your motivation is clear and defined, you need to commit to it at the very first moment. Do not make the mistake and advise yourself “Do it tomorrow” because it won’t work. Include someone close to you whom you feel comfortable with and share your successes and fails with him. You’ll feel much better.

3. Search and define the trigger points.

What triggers your bad habits? If you want to quit bad habits you need locate what events cause them and prevent those events from happening. Maybe you take a cigarette when you are bored (that’s one trigger), or after you ate your dinner (another trigger). Observe yourself for a week and write down the triggers on a paper. Become more aware of them and simply avoid them.

4. What needs are satisfying?

There must be something that satisfies you and for that reason you continue repeating it. There is some dirty pleasure isn’t it? Now, to prevent these “dirty needs” work out this step with the third one from our guide on how to quit bad habits. Next to each trigger, write the pleasure that follows. Next, think of ways that will help cope with them.

5. Replace each habit trigger with wise replacement

What would you do about if your bad habit is taking a cigarette when you feel stressful? Just to stop taking, the need behind the habit will stay unfilled, so you need to make something else instead like short walk stress ball or something which won’t bring you back you bad habits.

6. Observe the urges and delay them! How to do this when you are trying to quit bad habits?

Simply make delays, if you feel like you need a cigarette tell yourself that you will take next time, but not this time and so one when it occurs again. Or you can call someone close and talk about your urge. You’ll feel the release.

7. When you come to trigger point, start with your new habit!

It will happen, and it will continue happening in near future. It won’t be easy and it will demand a lot of conscious effort but you must strive to quit bad habits. If you feel like you need a cigarette, instead of it take a chewing gum. Make your new habit and stay committed.

8. Be cautious about your thoughts

We justify bad habits with our thoughts. Observe your thoughts and locate the excuses you are making for not quitting. Don’t believe your rationalizations. Never make excuses.

9. Make the quitting on a gradient scale

If you have some big bad habit it’s almost impossible and only few will succeed to quit it instantly. For example, if you smoke 20 cigarettes per day start by lowering on 15. Then to 10 and so on, to the point when you’ll totally quit from this bad habit. It’s more efficient and the chances for succeeding are way higher.

10. The most important step, learn from your mistakes

We know that it’s really difficult for many of us to learn from our own mistakes. If you improve your plan on how to quit bad habits and improve it constantly over the time you will effectively deal with them. But first you must be honest, admit your mistakes and accept them as they are. Next, work on them to prevent them of occurring again. Only on that way you’ll break everything you don’t want as a part from your life.

At the very end of our guide we want to say that it wouldn’t be easy, it will be difficult, it will demand a lot of hustle. But if you dedicate yourself and want to do something good for yourself just stay committed. If you have a different guide or advises how to quit bad habits please share it with us and our appreciated audience, we’ll be grateful. We just want to help.

Stay strong and committed and you’ll never need to deal with bad habits again. Above that you can help the people you care about to break their bad habits.

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