You’re reading Get Out the Microscope: The Flaw with the Big Picture, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

I’ve always been a ‘big picture’ kind of gal.

This characteristic has served me well throughout my life, manifesting itself in my relentless drive to attain what I want.

But that isn’t always the case.

I remember a time when I had noticed an increased sense of impatience within me – and it had spiraled to a point where my external circumstances were reflecting what I was feeling inside.

I was experiencing such things as…
– unexpected client cancellations
– delayed payments on invoices issued
– delayed responses from colleagues on collaboration
– slight friction within my own team
– a broken glass candle holder at my altar
– and the delayed launch of a webpage

Realizing that the above were happening all at the same time, I knew I had to step back.

And not just one step, but miles back. There was obviously something I wasn’t seeing, and I needed to get some distance. I started voicing out my frustrations – in my journal, to my personal trainer, to my business buddies. The release felt good, and it helped me to recognize the elephant in the room. I was focused so much on the things I wanted and I couldn’t see what was in front of me.

That is, until my personal training session.

I was sounding off my frustration to my trainer at not seeing the weight drop I expected. I went on and on about my change of diet, increase of exercise, improved breathing… I was doing everything I ‘should,’ so why no noticeable change? Why weren’t my efforts paying off the way I wanted them to?

It should be a no-brainer, right?

But it wasn’t. Not for me and my big-picture vision.

My trainer listened to me go on and on and on until he finally said something that really hit the nail on the head: the big picture can be unreliable.

Indeed.

We focus on the Big Picture so much that we don’t notice the microscopic things that affect us, such as increased food intake to compensate for the energy loss during exercise. He cited studies where even dietitians hadn’t realized how much they were actually consuming until they diligently recorded every single thing they were eating.

At first I discounted what he said, adamant that my food intake hadn’t changed.

But what he said lingered in my mind long after the session was done. I observed the amount of food I was eating, and the frequency of it. I realized that although the frequency didn’t change, I was eating a bit more each time. He was right!

And that inspired me to take a holistic view in my life.

Where was I feeling inadequate because I was so attached to my Big Picture?

Where was I beating myself up because the vision and mission I set for myself was not here yet?

I dug deep and looked at all the things I was frustrated about – why I hadn’t done XYZ, why I hadn’t achieved XYZ, and then…

…I realized one crucial thing that people are not talking about:

There is a necessary balance between the Big Picture and the Microscopic View.

I realized how important it is to really go microscopic with what we have accomplished.

When we zoom in on the details of our lives, we see so much more of what has been accomplished, rather than remaining focused too much on the big picture – that long-distance goal which is not even here yet.

The big picture offers us focus and motivation. But it’s at the microscopic level where we find the little things that actually center us and propel us forward.

For instance, I may not have lost the weight that I wanted to lose, but I was healthier, and happier.

While I was focusing on the numbers on the scale (the big picture), I was giving no value to my dietary changes, my increased activity, or my improved breathing (the little motivators). These were all successes I could celebrate…if I were to zoom in on them. But by not paying them any mind, I became solely frustrated about my weight because I hadn’t achieved my goal. And I discredited everything else.

The same applied to my business frustrations.

At the time when I thought I wasn’t hitting my goals, I was feeling like a loser. I wasn’t looking at the small achievements. I wasn’t congratulating myself on the little jobs well done. I was mooning over the big picture, and of course that is going to foster impatience!

Now I take the time to both look back and look ahead.
I review the milestones I’ve achieved.
And I also focus on where I am headed while staying with one key measurement:

If I am 0.0001% better than yesterday, I have a reason to celebrate!

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A transformation catalyst, Maria Kathlyn Tan (aka Miracle Maria) helps soul-centered entrepreneurs transcend reality and create miracles in life and business. She hosts Master Classes, Group Programs, and 1:1 VIP Programs all year round.

You can connect with her on Facebook at [http://ift.tt/2ysCi6A], on Instagram as [@maria_and_miracles], and on her website at [maria-miracles.com].

You’ve read Get Out the Microscope: The Flaw with the Big Picture, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading Stressed or Depressed? Know the Difference, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Stressed or Depressed? Know the Difference

Often in our daily lives, we use the terms stress and depression interchangeably as if they mean the same thing. Although they have similar symptoms, can be dealt with in almost the same manner and one may actually lead to another, they are two different conditions. But the line between the two can seem pretty thin at times, and sometimes the only way to determine whether you are dealing with one or the other is to consult a professional.

What is stress?

Stress is the experience of being overwhelmed or being under too much pressure mentally and emotionally. It is usually triggered by a current situation in your life that is too much for you to handle. It could be bills that you can’t afford to pay, too much school work, a family feud, a relationship that you can’t control, etc.

Stress is too mild to be classified as an illness or disorder. But it can quickly develop into one if it’s not dealt with. Less of it is considered normal and harmless and might even be helpful. It can motivate you to take decisive action like beating a looming deadline for example. On the other hand, too much stress can affect your life negatively.

What is depression?

Depression is far more severe than stress, and its effects are long-lasting. It is a condition where you experience low moods most of the time. It makes you feel down, unmotivated and uninterested in the things that usually make you happy. Unlike stress which seems to have a visible trigger, depression can come out of the blue.

It can arise from one painful experience or a buildup of different things over time. It is triggered by the resurgence of old, repressed emotions. Because of its irrational nature, depression makes you feel like you are not in control. If not treated, the condition can spiral into suicidal thoughts.

What are the symptoms of stress and depression?

The symptoms of stress and depression can be hard to tell apart. They sometimes overlap, and it can be difficult to know whether you are depressed or just feeling stressed. Though the two may appear similar, the symptoms of depression are too intense and may last for weeks while those of stress will only last a few days.

Symptoms of Stress

• Feeling nervous, anxious, or agitated
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Hard time relaxing or sleeping
• Hard to concentrate
• Feeling exhausted
• Regular Headaches
• Clenching or grinding your teeth
• Worrying constantly
• Losing interest in social life
• Feeling like you can’t handle life’s difficulties

Depression Symptoms

• Feeling sad or hopeless for long
• Feeling exhausted, unmotivated and lacking energy
• Continuous shame or guilt
• Rapid changes in mood, from anger to rage
• Changes in eating habits, losing or gaining weight
• Thoughts of committing suicide
• Memory Lapses
• Trouble making decisions
• Losing interest in social life
• Feeling like you can’t handle life’s difficulties

How are stress and depression similar?

• They both occur differently per individual. What may trigger them in one person may not in another person
• They both affect your mood and energy levels. They make you feel down and unenergetic
• They both change your sleeping patterns. You can lack sleep (insomnia) or sleep more than usual
• They all disturb your eating habits. They can either make you overeat or lose interest in food.
• They both disrupt your normal functioning. You can struggle to function and concentrate at your place of work.
• They all make you lose interest in your social life. You want to stay in isolation and no longer want to be close to friends and family.

How are stress and depression different?

• Stress is triggered by something obvious while depression may arise from anywhere.
• Stress disappears when life events change. Depression can last for years no matter what changes happen in your life.
• Stress is affected by current events while depression arises due to a resurgence of unresolved past emotions
• If untreated, stress may lead to depression or anxiety. If not resolved promptly, depression may lead to suicidal thoughts
• Stress enjoys social acceptance and is sometimes encouraged. Depression still faces a lot of stigmas
• Low levels of stress can be beneficial. Low levels of depression are still debilitating.

How do you treat stress and depression?

The good news is that both stress and depression are treatable. There are many ways of treating stress, some of which include dealing with the trigger head on or taking care of your body. Unfortunately, depression is too severe a condition, and you may not snap out of it alone. You need to get professional help. But some methods of alleviating stress can also reduce symptoms of depression.

Ways to mitigate stress

• Formulate a plan – Find out what is triggering it and brainstorm for solutions. Pick on a few solutions and start working on them immediately.
• Avoid stressful situations – take breaks regularly whenever you feel anxious, tired or worried. Take the time to blow off some steam
• Take care of your body – Maintaining a healthy body can help you cope with stress. Exercise regularly, eat healthy foods and get enough sleep daily.
• Seek help – Don’t suffer in silence. If the situation appears to get out of control, seek help from a professional or someone you trust.

Get help if depressed

Depression is a very serious mental condition. However, it is nothing to be ashamed of. If you experience symptoms of depression, seek help immediately. The earlier you start treatment, the better.

In summary

Stress and depression are two different conditions, but they do share some similarities, which is why some people tend to confuse them. Stress is a temporal condition triggered by a current life event. It is less severe and easy to deal with. Depression is triggered by the resurgence of old buried emotions. It is serious, and those who suffer from it need expert help.

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Melissa Jones is the Head Marketing Communications of We Are Top 10. She is a procaffinator and loves to read any kinds of books and passionate writing blogs on different topics.

You’ve read Stressed or Depressed? Know the Difference, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading 5 Ways Photography Can Change Your Outlook in Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

A lot of people turn to photography as a hobby, because aside from providing them with a fun and engaging activity, it also gives them a means of expressing their creativity. But there’s more to it than that.

In many ways, photography can also positively influence your mindset and change the way you approach life. But if you need a bit more convincing, here are some of the ways photography can benefit your journey to self-improvement:

1. It heightens your self-awareness

 Photography trains you to spot a possible subject from afar, and to compose a good photo in an instant. This practice increases your mindfulness because it encourages regular use of your senses.

When applied to everyday life, self-awareness can help enhance your relationship with yourself and other people because it enables you to get to know yourself better and therefore communicate your thoughts, feelings, and needs on a more solid level.

2. It enables you to appreciate the good in the bad

 If you were to examine the works of some of the world’s most renowned photographers, you’ll notice that many of them tend to feature scenes or subjects that are not considered conventionally beautiful—sometimes even downright unappealing. And yet, these photographers are able to turn these unattractive scenes into works of art. This tells you that, with the right mindset, even the most mundane subjects can appear beautiful and meaningful.

Taking a good photo isn’t just about having the right camera equipment (although this is a big factor) at your disposal. It’s also about having an eye for all kinds of beauty. Photography teaches you to look for beauty wherever you go, even in subjects that seem lackluster or ordinary. And once you have trained yourself to do so, you begin to apply the same principle in all aspects of your life. You’ll find yourself being grateful for the things you used to take for granted, and finding the good in situations that appear to be negative or hopeless.

3. It makes you more resilient

 Photographers don’t usually get a photo right on the first try. They take several (sometimes even hundreds) of shots before they finally capture the image they wanted to create. Unless you’re a complete pro at photography, it usually takes a lot of trial and error to achieve what you want.

Aside from the difficulties involved in capturing the right photo, broadening your knowledge in photography will bring you to various places and expose you to all kinds of shooting conditions. Being able to overcome the different issues and obstacles that come with these situations cultivates resilience, and when you apply this kind of mindset to everyday situations, you become more adaptable and resourceful when faced with the challenges that life will throw at you.

The craft itself also serves as an outlet for your emotions, thus easing everyday stress and giving you a better perspective in how to respond to trying situations.

4. It allows you to fully be present

 There’s a famous quote from Bill Keane that goes, “Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.” This reminds us how each new day is an opportunity to start over, so we should focus on making the most out of it and not wallow in the past nor worry about the future.

One of the keys to happiness is being fully present in the current moment. This allows you to focus your energy on the important things that need to be done right in front of you and not be consumed by over thinking. As a result, you’ll be more productive and have better peace of mind.

Photography requires you to be fully present. It trains you to always be on the lookout for photographic opportunities wherever, whenever. This forces you to be more aware of your surroundings and to be in the moment, leaving you little to no time to worry about the past or the future.

5. It helps you see things in a more positive light

 All the benefits stated above points to one thing—photography makes you more positive. It opens your eyes to how big the world is, and how you do not need to confine yourself to the negative thoughts and actions you are experiencing as of the moment. It allows you to see and experience beauty in different ways, which is more uplifting and satisfying than constantly focusing on the bad.

And because you’ll realize how big the world really is, you begin to feel more hopeful as you go through the motions of life, knowing deep inside that no matter how bad things turn out, you can always get back up and find a place where you can start over.

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Valeri Hirst  is a freelance writer, lay-out artist, and photographer. When she’s not traveling, she enjoys reading science fiction (which is not that popular these days) or writing stories, poems, essays, and more. Follow her: Twitter and LinkedIn

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You’re reading How to Rejuvenate Your Life with These Remarkable Lifestyle Changes, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

The quest for happiness is innate to human beings. Even in ancient times when there was no global connectivity and no axe to grind with one another, civilizations prevailed because of stability and an urge of making kingdoms happy.

Coming back to the present context, today human existence is grappling with a huge range of issues. Terrorism, famine, poverty, fundamentalism, tyranny and social crimes are eliciting a grim picture to the fore. The good thing, however, is being happy doesn’t have to do anything with these issues. It is something that is at the core our existence.

Unfortunately, many people succumb to unfavorable circumstances and make themselves lead a miserable life. It is noteworthy to understand that only a happy person can make others happy.

If you want to be happier & healthier and ready to make lifestyle changes, there are several ways to do that. It is about time you have made a decision to be happy and bring the smile to the faces of your loved ones.

Here are the powerful lifestyle changes you need to rejuvenate your life with:

1. Be compassionate and help others

You are not the only one who is in dire straits, there are others who need your help and who do not know to get over their sorrows. Be compassionate and extend your helping hand to such people. This is a great human service and you will forget your own unhappiness. There is an age-old philosophy – “what goes around comes around” – so if you are ready to extend this gesture, you will get it back with interest. However, you shouldn’t help others for getting something in return, for such an attitude will not fulfill the purpose of attaining happiness. Rather, being compassionate and helpful gives a great satisfaction. By doing that you are providing a life change for two individuals – yourself and the recipient of your compassion.

2. Connect with your friends

Being with friends is one of the greatest fulfillment. You don’t have to think and behave in a particular manner whenever you hang-out with your friends. When you are unhappy and hopeless, your friends are there for you. Moreover, staying isolated and lonely makes no sense when we are social animals and enjoy one another’s company. Be it a friend, family member or a colleague, you need a selfless person who can keep you motivated and lively. Indulge in a conversation with your friends and intimate them about the challenges you are confronting and the things you are learning from them. It would be great if you keep organizing sweet get- together with your close pals and spend precious moments with each other. On other occasions such as weddings or birthdays of your friends, you can give them their favorite bottle of beer with personalized beer bottle labels having photos and images of previous memories.

3. Laugh, smile and encourage others to do so

Laughter has an enormous healing power as it is often termed as the best medicine. Spend some time with people who make you laugh or you can watch comic videos on the internet. Indulging in activities that prompt laughter, will give you a big relief and you can feel the flow of happiness. However, you shouldn’t stop at that, you should encourage others to laugh as well. Since laughter is contagious, your act of laughing may titillate others as well. It ensures that you are spreading a sense of positivity around yourself. Furthermore, smiling releases endorphins – hormones of happiness. A good way of smiling is to get hold of an old photo album consisting memorable photographs. Just go through them and you won’t stop yourself from smiling.

4. Be grateful

Be grateful for life, as some moments bring happiness while others may make you upset, but the simple fact of life is it is your own choice to be happy and healthy. Many philosophers believe making a statement gives an individual more of what he is grateful for. So if you believe that you are grateful for a good health – you will indeed get more good health. Being grateful for the beauty of nature even soothes your innermost self. Come out and go into the lap of nature and feel the lush green trees, blooming flowers and appreciate mountains & valleys. If being grateful in this manner doesn’t make you feel happy and fulfilling, nothing is.

5. Exercise regularly

Exercise is considered as a cure for every disease and negativity that unfortunately may come in your life. A regular exercise not only keeps your body weight in check, and it makes you stronger and gives you a feeling of youthfulness. When you work out daily, you become active, less stressed out, less anxious, calm and more importantly happier. Exercise releases dopamine – a neurotransmitter in your brain that is responsible for happiness and pleasure. Exercising also boosts your confidence. It gives you a feeling that you are well within the reach of neutralizing negative effects in your life.

Final Words

Happiness cannot and should not be one’s destination; it should be a way of life. Nobody can make you happy if you yourself don’t want to be. Everything in life cannot go according to your will, in fact sometimes everything opposite happens. But you always have options and reasons to be happy. The above-mentioned lifestyle changes are powerful tips to remain happy and healthy in life.

You’ve read How to Rejuvenate Your Life with These Remarkable Lifestyle Changes, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading 3 Self-Improvement Tips to Achieve a New You in 6 Months, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

It takes time and dedication to reach life-changing goals. Or at least this is what we are told. While staying dedicated to achieving your goals goes without saying, time is subjective and it relies on the approach you take to living your ideal life. The common self-improvement goals shared by most people are these: to look good and feel good. There are a lot of approaches out there that can give people these results in a year’s time. However, by doing some research and finding alternative methods to achieving these goals, you can cut that time in half and get noticeable results (and even hit your goal completely) in as little as six months.

1- Body Contouring Gives that Sculpted Look We All Want

If you came off rapid weight loss and have saggy skin, or you want a sculpted look without undergoing plastic surgery or spending years in the gym, body contouring is a safe, effective alternative. Popular today and predicted to dominate 2018 is non-surgical body contouring with UltraShape Power or VelaShape III; procedures dominating skin care and med spas in New York City and other fashionable large cities. UltraShape Power is the only FDA-approved non-surgical body contouring treatment. It uses ultrasound technology to destroy fat without damaging tissue, nerves and blood vessels. VelaShape III is another body contouring option for patients who prefer RF and IR energies that hone in on deep tissue designed to sculpt slim profiles. Many people start with UltraShape Power to destroy fat and then follow up with VelaShape III treatments on the neck, face, and arms to sharpen the sculpted look. Individual results vary, though most report noticeable differences they love in as little as six months.

2- Work with a Skilled Life Coach

If your goal is to truly understand what you want in life, or to be a better parent, or even to map out a path to achieving your career goals, life coaching is an ideal way to get huge results in as little as six months. The trick to finding a great coach is to look for one that specializes in your area of need and to find one you connect with right off the bat. You should also never limit your search within your own city, as life coaches offer sessions over the phone and via Skype. You can find a life coach in Los Angeles who is perfect for helping you with parenting, or who specializes in working with women, and have a highly successful experience even if you live in Manhattan. As long as you don’t have special needs that would require a psychiatrist, life coaches are skilled, caring individuals gifted at helping others live lives they will love.

3- Work with a Personal Trainer

Working with a personal trainer is a great way to look better in as little as six months. Besides, there are many ways how personal training can improve your life outside from getting a great body. If you are coming off an injury or you wish to improve your social skills, working with a personal trainer can help you achieve these goals too! But as for getting an ideal look in six months’ time be sure to find a personal trainer who has a portfolio of clients proving that his programs work in your desired time frame. Truly knowledgeable personal trainers customize body goal plans for each individual client based on their age, general health condition, history of injuries, and specific wishes for their new look.

Why Not Score a Hat Trick and Use All Three?

To truly reach the pinnacle of self-improvement, why not start life coaching sessions while getting body contouring treatment on your lunch break, and then see a personal trainer after work? Utilizing all three of these life-changing services could turn a hat trick milestone in your life garnering the ability for you to look and feel like you are on top of the world in no time!

You’ve read 3 Self-Improvement Tips to Achieve a New You in 6 Months, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading 5 Ways to Identify Toxic Friendship, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

When we talk about emotional abuse, most times we associate it with romantic relationships. We take advice on ways to identity if you are in an emotionally abusive relationship and what to do about it. What we forget is that, even friendship can be emotionally abusive. Most emotionally abusive people have low self esteem, and therefore poke at your emotions to lower your esteem too and bring you down to their level.

This results to a toxic friendship; where your friend feeds you all the negative juice and you drink it up. As a result, you become emotionally bruised and drained. It’s hard to tell if a friendship is toxic, but once you are out of it, it feels like a breath of fresh air. You may need some time away from this person to detoxify.

Here is how to identify emotional abuse from a friend:

Pointing out your insecurities

We all have some insecurity that we are sensitive about. Though it may come out as a joke when a friend points some of them out, sometimes it is not so funny, especially if it is on issues on your weak areas. If your friend always comments about your weight, knowing you have weight issues, or your cellulite, your broken nose which you are really sensitive about, they may be using these features to bring you down. Try and note under which context such comments come up. There is a difference between an honest friend and one who is intentionally bringing you down.

Bad mouthing your other friends

This person always bad-mouths your other friends, so that all you see are their faults and choose to avoid them. Before you know it, you have cut off most of your friends and are totally dependent on this friend. This way, it seems as if it is the two of you against the world, while in reality, you are stuck with their friendship as you don’t have much of a choice.

Reminding you constantly of your past mistakes

We all have that one boyfriend we regret ever dating, or that one time you may have betrayed someone and felt really bad about it. Though some of these things are laughable today, some are best kept in the past. This is especially if you felt really bad about them and you have already forged a way forward into better decision making. If this friend keeps reminding you of that terrible ex-husband, and point out your poor decision making, it may make you relive the past which is best left there, in the past. Good friends commend your effort to make better choices and try to see the good in you, especially if you struggle with your past choices.

Playing victim at every circumstance

Reverse psychology is an old trick when one intends to take you on a guilt trip. This friend plays victim in each situation that you go through and makes you feel guilty over things that are not your fault. They take everything way too personal and make it look like your fault that things did not go your way. This is a form of manipulative behavior to coerce you to do things their way.

Help you so that you ‘owe’ them

A gift or some assistance may look innocent some times, thought other times it can be meant to hold you hostage. A toxic friend will always remind you of that time they helped you out so that you feel that you owe them. This ‘debt’ could run for years, or they will constantly jump to help so that you are more and more indebted to them. It is important to differentiate between someone helping you from the goodness of their heart and someone who intends to use their ‘help’ against you.

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Sarah is a self improvement enthusiast. She is also a lover of life, food, coffee, books and travel (not necessarily in that order). Introvert. Lifelong student.

Website link: http://ift.tt/2yhTQSC

Instagram: http://ift.tt/2wT6ru5

You’ve read 5 Ways to Identify Toxic Friendship, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading Triumph Beyond Bounds: 8 Effective Ways To Pick Yourself Up And Take Charge Of Your Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Quite a lot of people have, at one time or another, found themselves at the last rung of the ladder.

If you do a random sampling, you will find out that a lot of people have passed through this stage of life.

While some decided to resign to fate, others felt they must put in a fight to effect a change in their fortunes.

The fact is that we can fall at any point in our life but what makes the difference and what determines the type of stuff you are made of is whether or not you are able to pick yourself up, dust your butt, and tell yourself “I’m going to give it a resounding whack.”

If for any reason you are struggling to pick yourself up and take charge of your life, the following 8 effective ways come in handy as the magic wand you have been waiting for.

1. Avoid detractors

As someone striving to stand back on their feet, this is the very first thing you should do.

Detractors are the people who originally wanted you to be in that situation. They are a total bunch of no-gooders

They prefer to have you laze about with them. They practically have no goal in life and you will only end up being miserable in their midst.

2. People already walked the path, Pick a role model

Now that you have decided to take charge, it will make a very big step in the right direction if you have a role model. This is somebody you may like to fashion your life after.

Incidentally, there are thousands of people who have made it starting from the scratch. You may even discover that what you experienced was more of a stumble when you come across some of the successful individuals who call the shots today.

3. Don’t just work, Map out your goals

Goals and targets put a spirit of competition into all you do. You must have a yardstick to measure how far you are going about accomplishing what you have set out to do.

You will be charged up to do more once you realize that you are not meeting up with your target.

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” – Tony Robbins

4. The word is ours, Explore it

You need to venture out of that hole you have encaved yourself in if you want to move forward.

The world is full of opportunities and the social media and internet as a whole has brought the world even closer to you.

If you cultivate the spirit of adventurism, you’ll discover opportunities hidden from the world at large — remember that the creation of the web browser, Chrome, has further led to the creation of successful businesses in the forms of Chrome Extensions and Apps, just as WordPress led to the creation of successful businesses from plugins, theme platforms, and more.

5. Give your gut feeling some credence

There is every reason for you to trust your gut feelings. What your guts tell you is actually the real stuff. You can’t be deceived by that.

You need to realize that nobody knows you better than yourself. People may assume what is best for you but you alone know for sure.

6. Charge up your optimism

You clearly need the go-getter attitude in your life. Stop seeing things from the negative side. Those heights you are thinking of are definitely very surmountable.

Once you cultivate a positive attitude towards life you will see things falling in place rather very quickly. You will even be surprised at the turn of events.

7. Go hard or go home

You can no longer afford to be lily-livered. You need to stand up to realities of life. Look problems at eyeball to eyeball. You must stop being queasy and don’t chicken out at every little difficulty.

Your audacity and courage speak volumes of you. People you come across and engage with in life rate you on your boldness. This determines how you run your business or even how your fellow staffers view you.

Wherever and whenever it is necessary, come out with both barrels blazing.

8. No mistakes, only stepping stones

You went down the first time but fortunately, you did not go out.

For all intents and purposes, you must have discovered what sent you to the dregs you’re trying to escape from.

It will be foolhardy if you don’t learn from your past mistakes with every determination to not fall a victim again.

On a parting note, you should be raring to go.

You’ve read Triumph Beyond Bounds: 8 Effective Ways To Pick Yourself Up And Take Charge Of Your Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading How To Stop Emotional Eating, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Today, the purpose of eating food is not only to help us survive but to gain pleasure from it. We eat food for many reasons like – celebration, boredom, depression, stress, or just because it’s time to eat.

Our ancestors didn’t have this luxury of eating food whenever they wanted. They had to work hard to hunt or gather the food. Today, it is becoming easier than ever to get food.

The problem is that as our life gets busier or the technology advances; the food is becoming more processed and unhealthy for us. Our taste buds get manipulated and more often than not, we get addicted to sugar.

On top of that, our modern way of living is becoming more stressful. So, it’s an epidemic of emotional eating as we get addicted to unhealthy foods and then use it to cope with our emotions.

Emotional eating is a problem we have to solve together if we want to stop the rising epidemic of obesity, type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndromes, etc.

Having pleasure while eating food is not a problem. The problem arises when we rely on unhealthy foods to cope with our emotions all the time. Hyper-palatable food gives us immense pleasure with its flavor, texture, smell, etc. that our brain ignores the ‘stop’ signal from our body and we keep on eating.

Leptin is the hormone that tells our brain to stop eating. Leptin resistance is the condition in which it is harder for our brain to hear the ‘stop eating’ signal.

Such condition develops when we get in the habit of eating too many hyper-palatable foods. Over time, it injures our brain neurons in the
hypothalamus and causes hypothalamic inflammation. Then, it leads to leptin resistance.

So, what’s the solution?

1. The best way to tackle this rising problem is to eat more whole, real foods and minimize eating processed foods. I know it’s harder said than done. But if you care for your health and wellbeing, you have to take the initial steps and make effort to change for better.

2. Practice slow and mindful eating. Take the time to chew your food, notice the texture of the food, think about all the places your food have been to before ending up on your plate, look at yourself in the mirror while eating your food, etc. Such practice is not only good for letting your body hear the leptin signal to stop eating but it’s also good for being present and think about what you’re eating and how it’s impacting your health.

3. Use other activities like socializing, laughing, playing, walking in nature, listening to music, journaling, exercising, sleeping etc. to cope with your emotions instead of using food. Try to become more mindful of the emotions you feel and then choose not to use food to handle your emotions.

4. Make sure your food is palatable but not hyper-palatable. Your food should give pleasure but not up to the point that it destroys your internal system. Healthy foods can be tasty if we learn to prepare them and give our tastebuds some time to adapt to the natural tastes.

Remember, it will take some time for your body to fix the internal system once we start developing the healthy habits. Think how it will benefit you in the long term and let go of short-term urges.

The food engineering is manipulating our tastebuds and making us addicted to their foods. It is our duty to take our rights back and take charge of our own health.

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Prakhar is a blogger at foodgymtraining.com. In the past 5 years, he has dedicated his life to studying behavior science, food psychology, nutrition, health, and fitness. His mission is to help people achieve their full potential of health and vitality at Food Gym.

Food Gym is a place where you can learn to enjoy healthy foods, curb cravings and become healthy forever. Find out more at http://ift.tt/2yEueCi

You’ve read How To Stop Emotional Eating, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading Cellulite Causes and Prevention Tips, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Cellulite is among a woman’s worst nightmares. Unfortunately, it is the women who mostly suffer from cellulite problems. Many women have to deal with more than just the physical appearance of the unsightly uneven skin texture cellulite create while some have to deal with the emotional and psychological distress that accompanies these.

What cellulite?

Just when you thought you’ve learned everything there is to know about cellulite, the skin specialists finally understand the root causes of these orange peels.

Just beneath the top layer of your skin are tough fibers that pull down on your skin and trap fat cells in. As the fibers become more desperate, the harder it pulls down on your skin and the tighter space it creates for the trapped fat cells. Meanwhile, trapped fat cells may continue to enlarge, and so space becomes even more uncomfortable.

The force of the fibers and the bulging trapped cells are what’s causing your cellulite to appear dimpled and rippled, respectively. To directly address the problem. Therefore, it takes a mechanism that cuts the fibers and frees up the fats to smoothen the skin’s appearance on the surface. It’s a mechanism that can hardly be fulfilled by any cellulite or firming cream, such as Avon cellulite cream.

Must you lose your hope on these products then?

Facts and myths about cellulite creams

Make better judgments about your cellulite cream by knowing the facts and myths surrounding these products:

Myth: Cellulite creams can vanish cellulite with regular use.

Most local product ingredients, regardless of the divine promises their marketers and manufacturers swear by to attract more buyers and loyal consumers, hardly make it past the skin’s surface layer.

Keep in mind that your skin is designed to be impermeable, waterproof. Unless the ingredients are tiny enough to penetrate its pores, even the most beneficial skin ingredients are put to waste, including those which cellulite creams are often formulated with.

Fact: Cellulite creams can cause temporary improvements in the appearance of orange peels.

In fact, the most useful improvements which you can derive from cellulite creams, including most Avon cellulite cream brands, is the instant skin plumping and smoothening you get from the time of product application. The effect can last up to a few hours.

Myth: Cellulite creams can address the root causes of your cellulite problem.

Since very few cellulite cream ingredients, perhaps only except retinoids, are known to have the ability to penetrate the skin, these products are hardly addressing the root causes of the problem, that is, tough fibers and trapped fat cells.
Fact: Cellulite creams combined with exercise can help slightly improve cellulite.

This combination can also contribute to preventing cellulite from becoming worse or, from showing up at all. Some firming creams and cellulite creams work by heating up your skin and enhancing the rate of fat metabolism which helps melt away and eliminate excess fats.

Myth: Cellulite creams are inexpensive alternatives to pricey cellulite reduction procedures.

Cellulite reduction products are among the most expensive beauty products available in the market. Just think about the minimal results you get and the continuous use it requires. When you sum it all up, these products are likely to spend as much as or even more than the cellulite reduction procedures available in the market today.

A BodyFX or Cellulaze procedure can easily cost anywhere between US$ 1,000 to US$ 5,000 depending on the severity of the cellulite and the size of the skin area that needs to be treated.

Fact: Cellulite reduction procedures are FDA approved. Cellulite creams are not.

Talk about efficacy, cellulite reduction procedures that have received FDA approval, namely, BodyFX, Cellini and Cellulaze are guaranteed to work. It does not mean that all cellulite creams don’t deliver, perhaps some do, it’s just that these products did not have to go through the rigorous process of getting the nod and certification of the FDA.

Conclusion

Cellulite creams are likely to provide instant, albeit temporary, improvements to your cellulite problems. Sometimes, it is the only solution people need but, if your cellulite bothers you so much then, now at least you know, you have other options available.

Cellulite: Causes and Prevention Tips

You’ve read Cellulite Causes and Prevention Tips, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading How to Conquer the Fear of New Beginnings, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Although many say that new beginnings are good for you, what they avoid to point out sometimes is how scary they can be. The fear of what comes next, that unpredictability of a situation, is not easy to accept. Often you will stay frozen in front of opportunities and maybe even miss a chance or two just because you were too afraid to take a step forward. If you don’t lose that fear, you might miss your window to fully experience a new beginning and all the excitement it carries. For that reason, take a look at these tips on how to beat that fear.

1. Take a deep breath before doing anything

   

The next step is always hard, the new one is even harder. Before you decide you can’t do something, take a break and take a deep breath. Life-changing events are not supposed to be easy or predictable, but they can be overcome and manageable if you think it through and stop thinking about negative outcomes before anything has even happened. Take it step by step, know your surroundings, slowly ease into the different settings and be willing to give yourself a chance to start over. The most important thing to understand is that this is your big break to reinvent yourself.

2. Have a safe haven

   

Whenever there’s some big event, make sure you have a safe haven to go to if it becomes too hard or too frightening. This safe haven can be a person or several people, a place like a park bench or coffee shop, or just staying at home watching feelgood movies and cuddling with pets, a hobby or even working out. It’s very important to have something to turn to in order to avoid accumulating stress because too much tension can easily influence your feelings and opinion and, unfortunately, ruin this new start for you.

If you go to your loved ones for comfort, make sure they understand what this means to you and that they support you and help you overcome it rather than pressure you and judge you.

3. Don’t put yourself down

When faced with something new, especially something like doing everything from scratch, we automatically tend to re-examine ourselves and momentarily decide that there’s something we can’t do even if we haven’t tried it. It’s great being aware of your self-worth, but putting yourself down without any evidence is just fear playing tricks on you. Instead, be excited that you’ll do something you haven’t done before, learn something novel and gain extra experience. New beginnings are more than just doing something for the first time, they are all about reinventing yourself and discovering new layers of your personality and believing in your own worth.

4. Take help everywhere you can

People tend to think that asking for help, or using it is a sign of weakness. Actually, it’s only logical behavior since not all humans are the same and with the same abilities. For instance, Your Mates Removals can help when moving across Sydney, but generally, when moving to a new city or to a different place, specialized services are the first thing to come to your mind instead of moving boxes and furniture with your car. If moving within a big city you’d have to do several trips back and forth before you transferred your things, not to mention that some belongings can’t be moved in a car.

So using professional movers is not a sign of weakness, but it will take stress off your shoulders and let you concentrate on settling into the new surroundings and enjoying your new home. It will let you be relaxed to meet new people and feel more comfortable with yourself in that new environment.

5. Different is welcome

   

After a divorce or any other emotional trauma, people need new surroundings, but are scared to leave the nest they created thinking it protects them from further hurt. It’s very important you understand that nothing can protect you from that completely, because this is life and it gets hard and painful sometimes. What you should consider is that after the rain there’s always a rainbow, and anything different than what you are used to is more than welcome in your life. This will bring you much-needed change and encourage you to move forward and reinvent yourself, something necessary after a traumatic event. In order to stop being slaves of the past, people must embrace the future, and they can’t do that unless they defiantly look the present straight in the eyes.

After all

You can’t avoid new beginnings, no one can. They may come rarely and scarcely, but still they will happen. Stop wasting your time on overthinking everything that comes your way and just make that first stride along the path of surprising opportunities and bewildering events. Because everyone deserves to start anew, and so do you.

You’ve read How to Conquer the Fear of New Beginnings, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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