Many of recent history’s well-renowned entrepreneurs are well-read. Take, for example, Elon Musk and Richard Branson. They have an extensive list, ranging from science fiction and fantasy to historical and business books.

While reading is just one factor that may contribute to success, it is a habit that heavily influences the mind. So, for someone who’s starting out in the business world, you should choose which ideas inhabit and influence your plans, goals, and strategies.

Carve some time this weekend and snuggle with a good book, beginning with the following best business books.

The Lean Startup

Author: Eric Ries

First published in 2011, the book and its central topic remain relevant today. To make launching an enterprise a less risky endeavor, Eric Ries introduces the methodology of the lean startup. As this Harvard Business Review article puts it, the lean startup “favors experimentation over elaborate planning, customer feedback over intuition, and iterative design over traditional ‘big design up front’ development.”

Pick this up from the shelf if you want to learn the techniques that will help you spend less time, money and energy in building up your business idea. Though the goal of the Lean Startup is to present alternatives to traditional business practices. It can also help boost your confidence to fail fast and continue learning.

The Art of the Start

Author: Guy Kawasaki

If you are busy and you have to choose just one book to digest this year, this should be it. If you are at the stage of preparing a pitch and meeting with potential investors, the concepts that Guy Kawasaki outlined in this book will be of much help. Kawasaki, a former chief evangelist at Apple, even shared a list of top ten entrepreneur lies that you can avoid.

Complement it with the Art of the Start 2.0 or devour it as a standalone material. Some readers describe the Art of the Start as fun and comprehensive. Kawasaki’s writing style is clear, instructive and insightful. I am betting you will enjoy this book as much as I did.

REWORK

Authors: Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson

“If given a choice between investing in someone who has read REWORK or has an MBA, I’m investing in REWORK every time. A must read for every entrepreneur.” That comment is from serial entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

Indeed, for a startup or small business owner, this book is gold. It’s written for people like you in the first place.

REWORK is composed of short essays. Each of them is one to two pages long and uses plain language throughout. Mainly, the essays rework certain prevailing mindsets regarding topics, like workaholism, meetings and competition. You’re in for a ride as this book challenges conventional wisdom and the status quo. Plus, instead of illustrations, it contains artworks to complement the text.

Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remember Everything

Author: Joshua Foer

“Our lives are the sum of our memories,” says Joshua Foer, a freelance journalist who studied and wrote about memory improvement. There’s a good review here of his book, Moonwalking with Einstein, which details his journey from following mental athletes to learning ancient mnemonic techniques himself.

Moonwalking with Einstein does not fall under the category of business books. But, it is an engaging read for anyone who wants to improve his ability to remember things, including entrepreneurial concepts and ideas. The techniques are easy to learn if you have the time to devote to them.

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for A Fantastic Future

Author: Ashlee Vance

The only biography on the list, Elon Musk will take you deeper into the life and mind of the man behind some of the world’s most advanced technologies: spacecraft and electric cars. Far from being a sci-fi read, it relays the beginnings of Musk’s venture into space and automotive territories. Journalist Ashlee Vance covers necessary grounds for the readers to understand the nerdy kid who was designing video game codes at 12 years old.

If anything, it can provide you with the necessary push to start, endure and keep moving forward in your entrepreneurial journey. The book will tell you that even Elon Musk, with his demi-god status in Silicon Valley, did not go this far without stumbling many times.

The post Best Business Books: The First-Time Entrepreneur’s Reading List appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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When a birthday or holiday rolls around, no doubt your kids will present you with a wish list of the toys they want. And every time a toy commercial comes on TV, your child is probably pointing to everything they see, asking you to buy it. While you’ll want to fulfill some wishes, there are some more things you should think of when buying toys for your kids.

Here’s how to make the right choice for finding perfect toys for your kids.

Choose Brand Names

Brand names tend to be more reputable and often offer warranties that ensure the durability of the toys you buy. If you shop online, in particular, be cautious of brand names because there are many knock-off items at cheaper prices. While those price cuts might seem like a bargain, they often aren’t very durable. They’re also more likely to come from a vendor with a less than stellar reputation which could leave you with a broken product and wasted money.

Check Out The Reviews

Internet trolls aside, the majority of reviews you see are legitimate. You can learn a lot about the products you plan to buy by seeing what others who have bought and used them have to say about it. If there are more bad reviews than good ones, you’ll probably want to look for a different brand or product instead.

If you want to know if buyer reviews are legitimate, check out Fakespot.

Keep It In The Age Limit

Toys are all designed for different age ranges. Children under the age of 3, for example, shouldn’t have anything with small parts because of the dangers of choking.

Other toys are for older children and while a child of 5 won’t be attempting to eat small pieces, they might not have the patience or understanding for a toy that’s been created with older children in mind.

Think About The Product Features

That toy guitar sure is cute! But does it have a volume control on it? If not, you’ll be doomed to listen to it blaring every single time you attempt to make a phone call. Some products in the same genre will have very different features on them too and it’s up to you decide what makes one set of features better for your child.

Choose Toys That Do More Than Entertain

Some of the toys you choose for your child will be purely for fun value. But other toys will have educational elements to them. Things like water tables or block sets or even toy kitchens all provide an opportunity for your child to learn new things like colors, shapes, new words, even new languages.

There are also other toys that can help children build self-confidence or self-esteem such as pretend toys or musical instruments. While it’s nice to give your kids plush and cuddly toys to love on, the perfect toys for your children can teach soft skills too.

Think About Assembly

Is the toy you’re choosing ready to go right out of the box? Or will it require some effort on your part to put it together?

Make sure you’re aware of the packaging and assembly so you won’t be surprised when you’ve got a new dollhouse that you have to put together while your children shriek with excitement and try to touch everything as you’re assembling it. Talk about pressure!

Compare Prices

Once you’ve decided on the toys you want to buy for your child, you’ll want to look at the price. Not everyone has a limitless budget. You’ll want to factor in things like the cost as well as the usage of it.

For example, if you’re going to buy a walker, you might want to invest in one that has a detachable face of learning activities. That way, when your little one begins walking on her own, she’ll still get use out of this toy.

Before you buy it anywhere, compare the prices of the toys you’ve selected among reputable stores in your area as well as online. Don’t forget that if you order online, you will have to factor the cost of shipping into your budget unless it comes with free shipping.

Remember, toys should be age-appropriate, safe, and durable. Keep that in mind and you’ll always find the perfect toy!

 

The post 7 Tips in Choosing Perfect Toys for Your Kids appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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The will to go to the gym and work your heart out usually gets trumped by the lack of energy to give it all you’ve got. You may be pumped up and hyped but you do not get the most out of your time in the gym. You lose steam easily and you wrap up and throw in the towel early.

Our daily food intake has a lot to do with the energy in our body or the lack thereof. There are pre-work out food that are very ideal to give you that boost you need to make sure you get the workout you have in mind.

We have categorized this energy boosting food that will surely give you that sense of well-being and that extra oomph you need to hit the gym hard.

Dairy

• Yogurt

This has lactose, a sugar derived from milk which is easily digested to give you that extra boost you need before working out. This grab-and-go snack is also packed with protein which allows slow absorption of that milk sugar giving you a longer energy boost.

There are tons of yogurt snacks out there which you can consume on the go, but if you have time to make a pre-work out meal, it will be ideal to add a little greek yogurt dip into it. If you want to have a packed morning snack to power you through the day until you hit the gym, you can even go for apple oat greek yogurt muffins with no oil but with all natural flavor packed with fiber.

Lean meats

• Salmon

This fatty fish has two powerful nutrients; protein and omega 3 fatty acid. We all know that we need protein to build muscle and repair, ligament, tendons, and bones. Omega 3 is a powerful anti-inflammatory which is also very beneficial for your post workout making sure that healing is uninhibited.

• Chicken
  

Lean meats can give you power for hours on end and it is very high in protein. It has lots of nutrients like iron that energizes through the proper transport of blood cells throughout the body, vitamin B to quench fatigue, and magnesium which is essential in building strong bones, ligaments, and tendons.

On your next trip to the gym, grab a chicken sandwich to-go to give you that boost that you need.

Fruits

• Avocado

This is a fruit rich in omega 3 fatty acids, loaded with fiber, protein, magnesium, potassium, and iron. This fruit has a unique balance for building lean muscles and burning fat.

A green smoothie avocado is an easy way of preparing and consuming this pre-workout drink, or it can also be paired with whole grain bread for an avo toast.

• Banana

Bananas have vitamins, antioxidants, complex carbohydrates, and lots of nutrients and minerals that will give you that boost that you need before a workout. It is also one of the best sources of potassium which is essential in muscle function.

Bananas with some berries, raisins, and oats will make a great homemade energy bar with all the nutrients you need and the sugar to curb your sweet cravings.

• Lemon
  

Add a little squeezed lemon in your water and you got yourself the best energy booster around. Lemon water hydrates and oxygenates your cells which in turn give you clean energy that will not give you headaches or mood swings like the artificial energy drinks packed with caffeine and sugar.

Vegetables and legumes

• Cucumber, zucchini, and carrots

These will make a light and easy option veggie roll. This snack is packed with antioxidants. Add few more ingredients like pesto and avocado to add some more protein into your meal.

• Peanuts, soybeans, and hummus

When it comes to building muscles, these legumes have a serious impact and are a great source of protein and fiber. You can have hummus mixed with some chili, carrots, and cucumber.

Grains

• Oatmeal
  

This is the best carbohydrate to start your day right because it has high fiber content and B-vitamins like niacin, thiamin, and folate. It is a very good combination that helps your body metabolize energy.

Oatmeal can also be used in homemade energy bars or healthy cookies that are easy to make for a pre-workout snack.

• Corn

Air popped corn is a whole grain that is packed with fiber and energy. Contrary to its popular version movie theater version, the air-popped popcorn will allow you to have up to four cups since it only contains 30 calories per serving. It contains tons of fiber which will leave you feeling full and satisfied for a longer period without that guilt and heaviness.

• Whole grain

A bowl of whole grain in the morning will give you that early morning boost you need to work and think. It will also satisfy that hunger from your deep slumber.

• Brown rice

Brown rice is one good source of manganese, a mineral that aids in the synthesis of fatty acids. It is also an antioxidant that keeps you healthy and protects you from the damages brought by free radicals.

• Coffee
  

Coffee is a natural energy drink that can power you throughout the day minus the artificial flavors and sweeteners. This low-calorie drink will give you the mental alertness that will surely help you power through your workout.

• Dark chocolate

This is the best way to conquer your sweet tooth cravings. It’s a much better alternative compared to desserts that are heavy on artificial sweeteners and refined starches. These give you sugar highs that only deplete your body of energy and make you crash.

• Flax seed

Flax seed is one of the superfoods that is packed with minerals for strong bones and energy. This tiny seed has more potassium than a banana and beats milk with its calcium content.

Just remember, this list isn’t just for pre workout food. These are also great to eat before going to work or school.

See Also: 8 Bad Food Habits That are Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Goals

 

The post 10 Energy-Boosting Snacks To Eat Before The Gym appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Most people complain that their hair becomes too dry or too greasy after a long trip. It becomes worse when your hair is down the entire time making it more vulnerable to wind, grime, and your own oily fingers.

When you finally arrive at your destination, your hair is a total mess. So how do you ensure your hair stays relatively clean and nice during the entire trip?

A chic ponytail seems such an enticing idea, but it won’t cut it unless you won’t fret having such a hard knot on the back of your head for the duration of your trip. In most cases, the ideal hairstyle is one that can both keep the hair secure and out of the way during travel.

Below are the ten best hairstyles to rock before embarking on long and winding voyages:

French Braid

The French Braid is recommended for two reasons: it not only keeps every strand of hair out of the way, but you may also effortlessly undo it the moment you reach your destination. It is a simple hairdo, and you can definitely pull it off yourself without requiring an extra hand.

Top Knots

Top knots are a fantastic option when you want to keep your locks on lock during a long trip. Thankfully, they sit so high up on your head that you won’t easily mess them up while driving (or chilling out as a passenger).

Here’s a great tutorial for easy messy buns.

Fishtail Braid

Chic. Simple. And reliable. These are the three words that define fishtail braids. It can easily be undone the moment you arrive at your destination to give way to beachy waves.

What you, or any other person, ought to do is simply to pass a section of hair from side to side and tug on it for extra volume. Voila! You have a fishtail braid for your journey.

Low Pigtails

You want to keep your unruly hair under control and out of the way- and you’ve tried every possible style to no fruition- well, perhaps you haven’t tried low pigtails. This simple, chic and gorgeous style helps to shackle your hair and keep it out of your way for the entire journey so you are not distracted by the breathtaking views of the countryside or scenery during your trip.

Milkmaid Braids

This style is the fusion of style and convenience- while intricate, it still doesn’t get in your way. You only need to weave two low pigtails, secure them on top of your head, and you’ll be good to go.

Double Buns

If a single knot isn’t going to confine your hair well enough, you can add another. Just pull your cute hair into high pigtails. Wrap the ends of each pigtail into a regular top knot, and use a bobby pin to secure these mini buns in place. After that, you can smile, start your car, and get lost in the adventure that is just about to unfold.

The Famous Sock Bun

This hairstyle is both elegant and simple. It is a simple and perfect solution when bad hair days and an inclement weather gang up against you.

Low, Side Ponytails

Whenever you are on the road for a holiday, you need to discard that fussy do that requires lots of maintenance. Low, side ponytails are the worthy alternatives. They are perfect for long trips when you cannot blow dry or wash your hair.

Just gather the hair into a low ponytail, move it to the side of the nape, and fasten it in place. Finally, tousle the tail to achieve a casual and textured look.

A Shaved Bob Haircut

This stylish, chic, and versatile crop is arguably the best haircut you can go for when preparing to embark on a long trip. It can be incredibly messed up for a day look, is incredibly attractive, and shows off your feminine features. Now that’s incredible versatility.

An Updo Hairstyle

An updo is a hairstyle that entails arranging the hair above your head instead of letting it fall liberally. It is stylish, sophisticated, and absolutely gorgeous. It keeps hair out of the way and thus lets you concentrate on the journey.

A few more tips

While on a road trip or cruise, there are a lot of tricks you need to keep up your sleeve to avoid making your hair fussy or messy or unsightly. For example, you might want to slather your hair with moisturizers or oils before plunging into chlorinated or salt waters.

You should also shield your hair from the sun and keep brushing it often. Find a moisturizer or oil that works for you, and stick to it.

See Also: 10 Wonderful Benefits of Traveling

 

The post Beauty Hacks: 10 Best Hairstyles for Traveling appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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It is well-known that thoughts create emotions. But, the full consequences of this fact are largely misunderstood.

Thoughts create emotions. Then, those emotions guide our behavior. For example, the thought “I’m never going to succeed at school, why should I even study?” creates emotional distress. That emotional distress can easily trigger coping behaviors, like binge-watching House of Cards or mindlessly refreshing Instagram every five seconds.

That’s just the beginning of the spiral, though. That where learning how to control negative thoughts become difficult.

After you’ve been binge-watching TV or staring at your cell phone for an hour, you’re going to have a new thought, “Damn, I shouldn’t have wasted an hour on my phone. I’m so stupid. I’ll never pass that class.”

These thoughts create more emotional distress and that leads to more coping behaviors.

But, wait a minute!

Shouldn’t that thought help motivate you to study? Isn’t calling yourself out in an honest way helpful? Don’t you have to fight your way out of stress? If we were completely logical creatures, you’d be right.

Our thoughts don’t directly lead to behaviors. They create emotions which lead to behaviors. This creates a trap that is exceedingly easy for us to fall into.

The first step in this example is the thought, “I should be studying right now.” This creates the sense that we aren’t being productive enough and that we are screwing up. The emotion we feel because of this thought isn’t motivation, but distress.

What do humans do when they feel distressed? Cope. What are the most common coping behaviors used in 21st-century life? Electronic media, food, and drugs.

This is a counter-intuitive idea, but it has very important implications.

In her best-selling book, The Upside of Stress, psychologist Kelly McGonigal writes: “When I speak with physicians, I sometimes ask them to predict the effects of showing smokers graphic warnings on cigarette packs. In general, they believe that the images will decrease smokers’ desire for a cigarette and motivate them to quit. But studies show that the warnings often have the reverse effect.

The most threatening images (say, a lung cancer patient dying in a hospital bed) actually increase smokers’ positive attitudes toward smoking. The reason? The images trigger fear and what better way to calm down than to smoke a cigarette? The doctors assumed that the fear would inspire behavior change, but, instead, it just motivates a desire to escape feeling bad.”

This pattern is a lot like psychological quicksand. As soon as we have a negative thought, like “I should be studying or I shouldn’t be eating this pint of delicious Cherry Garcia Ice Cream.”, our instinct to fight it gives that negative thought more emotional charge. That emotional charge is expressed as an increased feeling of distress which makes us think even more negatively. And, before long, our head is beneath the sand and we’re suffocating from what was originally just a relatively benign negative thought.

Break Free

Negative thoughts create negative emotions and that leads to negative behaviors.

This is an extremely frustrating pattern that can easily affect our behaviors and the quality of our lives. The solution isn’t to learn how to think more positively or to learn how to control your emotions. The solution is much more obvious than the traditional approaches, yet it is also more elusive.

To escape the vicious cycle of negative thinking, you must accept the negative thought as it is. Just like in a quicksand, to stop sinking, you must stop fighting it and be still. With negative thoughts, you must learn to compassionately accept them as they are.

Once you learn to accomplish this effectively, you will still have negative thoughts. However, they will drift away like clouds on a gentle breeze instead of darkening into a storm of emotional suffering.

See Also: 5 Steps To Release Bottled Emotions And Live Happier

The root of our suffering is our belief that we can (or even should) eliminate negative thoughts and emotional pain. The thought that suffering is ‘bad’ or ‘negative’ is already a negative thought by itself. This way of thinking makes stress a trigger for more stress.

To escape this spiral of stress and suffering that we get trapped in, we must learn to relate to our thoughts differently. Modern psychologists have developed effective strategies to accomplish this.

In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, cognitive fusion is a state in which we become entangled with our thoughts and we lose the ability to distinguish between thoughts and objective reality. Author Russ Harris says, “In a state of fusion, a thought can seem like: 1. the absolute truth 2. a command you have to obey or a rule you have to follow.”

The solution to cognitive fusion is learning cognitive defusion. According to Harris, “This is where we can observe our thoughts and see them for what they are – just products of our busy minds.”

There are numerous strategies that can help us achieve cognitive defusion. Here, I’m going to focus on one that is both easy-to-use and highly effective.

Labeling is a mindfulness technique that allows us to defuse from our thoughts. It helps us identify our thoughts as subjective opinions, instead of objective facts. I recommend practicing labeling as a dedicated daily meditation practice (5-15 minutes to start). This will help you build it into a natural thought habit.

How to practice labeling

Either during a sitting meditation or anytime throughout the day, notice your thoughts. For example, you might notice you have the thought, “I don’t want to be meditating right now, I have more important things to do.”

To label this thought, simply tell yourself, “I am having the thought that I don’t want to be meditating right now.”

If you are having the thought “I am too tired to work right now”, label it by telling yourself, “I am having the thought that I am too tired to work right now.”

Labeling also works with sensations and emotions. For example, “I am having the sensation of tightness in my neck,” or “I am having the feeling of anxiety.”

The practice is fairly uncomplicated and making it into a habit won’t take long. Of course, the more you practice this during dedicated meditation, the more you will naturally label your thoughts in your day-to-day life.

Labeling won’t eliminate your negative thoughts or emotional pain and it doesn’t have to. The point of labeling is learning to become aware of your thoughts so that pain does not need to become suffering.

Have your efforts to eliminate negative thoughts or emotional pain ever panned out? After years of struggling against pain, has it become clear that the traditional approach of coping through escapism or self-punishment doesn’t work? Maybe fighting pain just creates more pain.

Experiment with this technique and notice if it affects how you relate to your thoughts. Do they become louder or quieter? More invasive or easier to manage?

You may find that once you start to create distance from your thoughts (without trying to change them), that they affect you less.

You may notice that you still have the thought, “I’m never going to succeed in school, there’s no point in studying,” and that thought may still be painful. But, the thought isn’t you now. It’s just a thought and the pain is just pain.

You may notice that you are now able to accept stress as something that happens. Now, you can experience it without needing to avoid it through coping. You may notice that your thoughts and pain no longer spiral into stress and suffering. As a result, the quicksand no longer sucks you in. You’re able to surrender to it and you can finally be free.

See Also: 3 Simple Steps to Balance Your Emotional State

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To stress you out beyond your normal limits with extreme mental and physical challenges to make you worthy of serving with the world’s most elite fighting force. This is the simple principle of the US Navy SEALS.

But, don’t confuse simple with easy. In order to be one the greatest warriors on the planet, you must conquer the obstacles in front of you. If you only endure, you will become just another failed statistic.

During BUD/S training, the most iconic and demanding event is Hell Week. Candidates are put through extremely rigorous exercises for 5 days straight with less than a few total hours of sleep. Activities will include running, swimming, paddling, push-ups, sit-ups, rolling in the sand and log PT.

Out of approximately 40,000 Navy recruits a year, only 250 (or less than 1%) actually possess the mental and physical toughness necessary to make it through Hell week and become a SEAL.

How To Overcome Obstacles

It isn’t always the largest and strongest men or the fastest swimmers or runners that complete the training. It’s most often those who have the strongest will and a burning desire to not give up. Champions know that the only way to the finish line isn’t going around the obstacle but through it.

And the same goes in the real world.

Obstacles, struggles, and sufferings are inescapable and are very real in the human experience. The simulated harsh conditions of Navy SEAL training parallel the authentic harsh episodes of real life. Successful Navy SEAL candidates feed off of the intensity, employ mental toughness, resist the seeds of doubt and are relentless about finishing.

And like the SEALS, in order to navigate through a real chapter of suffering, you must use obstacles as leverage instead of shackles holding you from success.

In the depth of suffering, it is often the difference between conquering and enduring that determines the outcome of either breakthrough or breakdown. Enduring is passive, indifferent, weak and unintentional. Conquering is meticulous, purposeful and intentional. A champion’s mindset is all about conquering obstacles rather than simply enduring in hopes of making it through.

So, how do you become a warrior? Here are 5 ways to be a conquerer and not an endurer.

Be happy during the bad times as you would the good times

In a speech for the PGA Tour rookies, Tom Kite recapped the idea of “loving what you do all the time” perfectly. From the book, How Champions Think by Bob Rotella, we get a snapshot of what Tom said:

“If you’re going to play on the Tour, you have to love golf all the time,” he said. “It’s not going to work if you can only love it when everything’s going your way, every putt’s going in the hole, and every carom is bouncing into the fairway instead of out of bounds. It’s not going to work if you practice every day and only love it when the ball is going where you’re looking. You’ve got to love it when you practice day after day and you can’t find it. You’ve got to love it when every putt looks like it’s going in and then lips out. That’s what it’s about.” (How Champions Think, Bob Rotella).

When you land your dream job, you have to appreciate the bad days as much as the good days. When you find the greatest person on earth and want to spend the rest of your life with them, you take them in their most pristine condition and weather the storm with them when times get rough.

Know what you can control and what you cannot

In the early hours of December 10th, 1914, an explosion shook the city of West Orange, NJ. Thomas Edison’s factory was immediately engulfed in flames. Despite the joint effort of several fire departments, the blaze was too powerful and decades of work was destroyed in a fiery instant.

And how did Edison respond to this?

According to a Reader’s Digest article, Edison walked over to his son, Charles and said “Go get your mother and all her friends. They’ll never see a fire like this again.”

Even though Edison was almost 70 years old and a lifetime of work was destroyed in minutes, he told a New York Times reporter that he would start rebuilding the very next day…and that’s exactly what he did. He realized he had no control over the situation and chose to work with the given circumstance and not fight against it.

It’s all about perspective. Edison’s perspective on the situation grounded him in the reality that there was absolutely nothing he could do at this time other than to rebuild. The damage was already done.

See Also: 7 Amazing Success Lessons from Thomas Edison

“It’s impossible to be angry and in a state of gratefulness at the same time.” -A Defined Life

How many times have you been in a situation, where a relatively-speaking, contextual thought should alter how you respond?

If your internet is slow on your phone, at least you have a phone equipped with up-to-date 21st-century technology. If your clothes are wrinkled in the morning, at least you have nice clothes to wear, let alone a job to go to. And if you are late to work and behind a really slow driver, at least you won’t get cited for speeding.

Viewing obstacles and struggles through the proverbial “could be worse” lens allows you to see the situation relative to someone who does not have your luxuries. It also sheds a sobering light on your life by grounding you in gratitude. It’s impossible to be angry and in a state of gratefulness at the same time.

See Also: One Awesome Tip On How To Shift Perspective

Focus on the little things

When the burden seems overwhelming or insurmountable, it is easy to give into the temptation of giving up. But the paralyzing situation you are in is almost, all the time, reducible to smaller parts. When you focus on tackling the fundamental elements of the situation, you can carve out a path to ultimate victory.

Henry Clay, a famous American orator and lawyer, was once approached by an illiterate man after giving a rousing speech. The admiring gentleman admitted to Clay that he could not read, but desperately wanted to be like him. Clay grabbed the young man and pointed to an “A” in his name on a poster and said, “That’s an A. Now you’ve only got 25 more letters to go.”

Defeating the obstacle in front of you is always manageable if you just start somewhere and focus on one thing at a time. Today it may be the letter “A” and only the letter “A”. Tomorrow or even next week, it may be the letter “B”.

We all want it to be over. But, saturating yourself in wishful thinking will cause you to never start the conquest or, even worse, cause you to fail to chisel your character and strengthen your essence. Every micro conflict of the whole is a teachable moment for you to learn and sharpen other areas of your life.

Know there is always a way out. Be an overcomer.

If your relationship is your identity, when it’s gone, so are you. If your job is your identity, when it’s gone, so are you. And if your identity or self-worth is wrapped up in something outside of your own existence or purpose, then you too will perish when those things fail.

Suffering is non-discriminant that it does not care how you came to meet it. There isn’t a more conservative version of suffering. If you want to win the war on suffering, you must first see yourself as an ascendant being with an independent meaning, where everything in your life is your responsibility.

If you approach your suffering knowing that you are an overcomer, you will overcome. It’s all about winning in your mind first and then taking action. As you fight, never forget who you are…an overcomer and nothing less than that.

Here is a way to illustrate the point.

With boiling water, you can create steam. With pressurized steam, you can power engines and turbines through mechanical work. This was part of a composite of revolutionary ideas that literally changed the landscape of our human experience. But, in order for water to turn to steam, it has to reach the exact temperature of 212 degrees. If 212 degrees is not achieved, then there is no high-pressurized steam, no mechanical work, no engine or turbine turning. In essence, there’ll be no Transcontinental Railroad or electricity to power millions of homes. 211 degrees, a simple 1-degree cooler, is really hot, but it won’t bring water to a boil.

The same is true of your identity. If you identify as an overcomer and nothing less, then you are an overcomer. This must be nonnegotiable. You must be relentless in this identity. Any moments of weakness will result in you crumbling and submitting to the obstacle in your life. The overcomer never taps out because they know there is always a way out.

Find meaning in your suffering

What if this thing that keeps you up at night affects how you interact with people, sustains your stress level and negatively influences your self-worth, is actually critical in strengthening you?

When meaning and purpose is found in one’s suffering, the conditions in which the struggle occurs are mutated in your favor. Instead of being held hostage by this ominous scenario, you ransom the situation for a net gain of self-betterment. You’re already suffering, you might as well get something out of it.

Nobody illustrates the need to find meaning in suffering better than Viktor Frankl. As a Holocaust survivor and world-renowned psychiatrist, it was a defined purpose and meaning-through-suffering that literally kept him alive among the prisoners around him who surrendered to the call of death.

For Frankl, the thought of seeing his wife again and finishing his lifework as a psychiatrist motivated and armored him for the battles he would go through each day. Thus, he found meaning in suffering in one of the worst events someone could possibly experience. As the conditions of the camp worsened and those around him gave up, his determination to survive intensified, simply because “the human life, under any circumstances, never ceases to have meaning.” (Frankl)

“Despair is suffering without meaning.” -Viktor Frankl

Conclusion

This is the most important part of the message. If you don’t get anything out of this post, at least marinate on this thought.

You must not lose hope or courage. Fight through the struggle like somebody else’s life depends on it. Somewhere, a spouse, child, relative or someone you don’t personally know is counting on you. It’s not enough to endure the situation; some very important people in your life depend on you conquering it. That’s where you start learning how to overcome obstacles.

Just like the mission of the US Navy SEALS who are responsible for carrying out the most dangerous operations for the welfare of others, you are responsible for sustaining and providing positive living conditions for others, too.

Failure is not an option.

The post How To Overcome Obstacles: 5 Ways On How To Be A Conquerer appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Finding motivation can be a difficult task. You have work to do, but it’s easier and more entertaining to scroll through social media pages. With that in mind, you can imagine how much harder motivating kids is.

Think of the times your mom asked you to clean your room. Although you agreed and said yes, you probably went back to goofing off. And your mom probably resorted to nagging because of that.

Talking to your child and getting the results you want is a tricky thing to master. But, with the right mindset and positive speaking, you can help your child develop great internal motivation.

Here are eight ways you can start motivating kids.

Allow Choices

Letting your child have options is great because they get to feel like they have control of their choices. Don’t rely on that old parenting phrase of “because I said so.”

Instilling this kind of independence works doubly well. Firstly, they learn about personal responsibility. Secondly, you’ll be able to teach them how to handle tough situations without relying on you. Don’t be a tyrant with your child. Listen to what they want and work with them, instead of against them.

Use Praise, Not Criticism

This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s an important one.

Imagine you’ve given a big presentation at work and your boss tells you a hundred things that are wrong with it and how he wants it fixed. That certainly won’t make you want to do better. The same thing is true when it comes to motivating kids.

Scolding your child will not motivate them. So, instead of nagging, try to explain how you would have liked things done. You’re going to have to repeat your explanation if necessary and don’t hesitate to do so.

When your words turn into positive actions, make sure your children know that you appreciate their efforts.

See Also: Top 10 Tips to Help Children Develop Useful Habits

Let Them Try

Watching your child struggle to tie her shoes can be a little frustrating after the eighteenth time. You’ll want to jump in, get it done and move on to the next thing.

But, before you do that, take a moment and breathe. Letting your children try to accomplish something on their own will build up the internal courage to not only complete the present task but also to attempt more difficult ones.

Be Specific

Generic praise phrases like “good job” or “way to go” are nice, but they’re hollow praises. Generic congratulations won’t explain why or what happened.

When acknowledging your children’s effort, try to be very specific about why you’re giving a compliment. Emphasize how proud you are of your children for completing the task and not the task itself. This is also a great way to build their growth mindset.

A growth mindset isn’t focused on one task but the efforts used to complete it. Instead of seeing just a finish line, your children will learn the skills necessary to improve and move toward their goals.

Don’t Ignore Failure

You can’t have success without failure. Consequences are a real thing for children and adults.

At the first sign of trouble, you’ll want to jump in and protect your children. But, doing that at every minor convenience isn’t going to be motivational. Instead, they’ll expect you to always do that. It’s going to be hard, but you have to let your child stumble so that he can find his own footing.

Inspire, Don’t Bribe

Bribes won’t teach kids how to earn something based on their merit and effort. If you’re just offering a treat, then the motivation is just for the reward. For self-motivation, connect with your child’s interests and use them as teaching tools.

Be A Dolphin

Using the dolphin style will help boost your child’s motivation and confidence in their decision-making skills. What sets this style apart is that your goal as a parent won’t just be focused on punishing mistakes or praising triumphs. You’ll need to dive into the middle where you can be both encouraging and authoritative when you need to be.

Pay Attention

Every child is different and how they learn is going to be different, too. Visual learners, for example, aren’t going to really get much out of your lecture on how to clean a bedroom.

See how your child learns and use that as a tip to ignite motivation. If they have to use touch, let them help you with a task while you explain it. Try to find the best learning style for your child and run with it.

See Also: What You Need To Know About Teaching Children Values

Most people view motivation as a strictly internal process. But, with the right outside encouragement, you can help create a great inner cheerleader for your child. With these tips and patience, you can help make your child stronger both emotionally and mentally. Think of the words you wanted to hear when you were struggling with a tough math problem or feeling stressed about a competition. You can use your experiences to help your child grow a strong core of motivation.

The post 8 Ways To Nurture Your Child’s Self-Motivation appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Some days, you see people queuing for the lottery or you hear of some lucky schmuck who’s won money. Now close your eyes and imagine. What if that was you? What if, by some stroke of huge luck, you win money online in some game or contest. How would you spend your online winnings? What would you do do with this sudden windfall?

Well, according to new research from gaming firm Wink Bingo, while a fancy holiday or a shopping spree might sound appealing, we are actually more likely to put an online cash win into a savings account, or use it to pay off debt. Sign of the times? Very probably.

How we’d spend our online winnings

Wink Bingo polled 1,000 Britons, asking them for their views on what they’d do if they won £50, £500 and £5,000 online as well as canvassing their opinions on charitable giving.

The research throws up some surprising results – of all the age groups, for example, would you have put Millennials as the biggest savers?

Let’s take a look at the data.

£50 win

A £50 win on the lottery, scratchcard or game of online bingo might seem a modest sum, but we’re more likely to save it that we are spend it. According to the data, 33% would save it and 14% would use it to pay bills. While 24% would use it to pay for a family treat, only 2% would donate it to charity.

Interesting fact: the research shows that, for a £50 win, almost one in every 25 men who responded said they’d give part of it to charity, as opposed to only one in every 255 women – a whopping tenfold difference.

£500 win

With the stakes raised, what would we do with a £500 win. The Wink Bingo research shows that the majority – 35% – would pay off debt, although 32% would treat family and friends to a meal out somewhere. However, donating to charity (6%), playing again (5%) and spending (just 2%) were all low down our priority list.

£5,000 win

While £5,000 might not be a life-changing amount of money, it’s certainly significant. What would we do with it? Perhaps surprisingly, we’re more likely to save it than spend it. 37% would put it in a savings account while 30% would fund a luxury holiday with it. 25% would pay off debt 23% would invest it. Just 7% would donate to charity.

Interesting fact: When the win amount is increased to £5,000, 4% more women than men said they’d donate some of their winnings to charity.

Charitable nation

While few respondents to the poll said they’d use a cash win to give to charity, the research reveals that we are, in fact, a fairly charitable nation. 61% said they would help a stranger, 60% donate money and 33% volunteer in their spare time. The reason so few of us would use a cash win to give to charity is probably because 34% of us are already giving to charitable projects.

Biggest savers

Does the older generation really save the most money? According to this data, nope. It reveals that the demographic most likely to save are, in fact, the Millennial generation. Asked what they’d do with a £50 win, 48% of 18-24 year-olds said they would save it, followed by 34% of those aged 65 and above.

Popular ways of winning cash

Britons’ most preferred ways of winning money are:

• Lottery (33%)
• Scratch cards (18%)
• Betting (17%)
• Online games and gambling (12%)
• Contests and sweepstakes (7%)
• Casino (4%)

Regional hotspots

Can generosity really be defined by where we live? Perhaps. The research shows that people living in certain parts of the UK are more likely to give away their money. Asked how likely they were to donate to charity or share their winnings with family and friends, people in Northern Ireland, London and Yorkshire and Humber gave more answers in the ‘very likely’ end of the scale than others.

On the other side of the scale, people in the south-east ranked bottom for sharing money with family and friends for all categories of winning – £50, £500 and £5,000. Perhaps there’s something in the water down there…

Shh! It’s a secret…

If you won lots of money playing bingo or on the lottery you’d tell your family and friends, right? Well, not all of us would. The Wink Bingo research reveals that 18% of people wouldn’t even tell their partners and friends if they won £5,000! We’ll leave you to be the judge of why that might be…

For more research into how we’re likely to spend online winnings, check out the rest of Wink Bingo’s infographic.

The post How Would You Spend Online Winnings? appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Being a blogger is very exciting because you are part of something that is forever evolving. There are always new trends emerging and old trends taking a back seat. It does sometimes become challenging to keep up with these trends, but you definitely should not fear change.

There are many tools online to help you become a successful blogger. You can find anything from a paraphrasing tool or even a topic generator when you’re a little stuck.

We should be happy that we are living in these times wherein we have technology and software available to us for free. Let’s get right into the trends every blogger should follow this summer.

Longer articles

We have been seeing this trend make its way into the blogging world for a while, but it has become more prominent as of late. Readers are looking for longer and more high-quality content as opposed to shorter posts.

This isn’t a bad thing since it is better to do one long post once a week rather than doing 5 shorter posts a week. Of course, these posts need to add value to the reader’s life and cannot be a simple rehash of common information. Use a text paraphraser to eliminate any badly worded sentences and produce only high-quality content.

See Also: How to Write a Blog Post That Millennials Will Read

No comments

Many bloggers have started to turn their comments section off and those who decide to leave the comments section activated will see a definite decrease in comments.

This does not mean that commenting in blogs is becoming outdated. Rather, the means of communications is simply changing. Social media is becoming the new comments section and it is vital that no blogger forgets this. Being active on social media is part and parcel of the job and you will be left behind if you do not participate.

Email list

This is a typical trend that we have been following for a while, but some bloggers still do not understand the importance of an email list. You cannot simply start an email list without interacting with those who subscribed.

Make sure that your emails are engaging and add additional value to the subscribers, more so than your blog already does. There has to be something extra for the subscribers because they took their time to click that button and fill out your form.

Branding

I am sure that as a blogger, you already know the importance of your blog’s brand. What will become more of a trend this summer is personal branding. Humans interact and relate to humans and you want your audience to get to know the face behind the blog.

There are great benefits in paying attention to your own brand. The face behind the blog is what people are searching for. If the readers feel like they connect with you as a person, you have the ability to build a relationship of trust.

Mobile traffic

You are going to see more of your traffic coming from the mobile phone. This trend is not going anywhere and will continue to increase. With all the strides in smartphone technology, many will use their phones more for internet activity.

In anticipation of this, you want to make sure that your blog is mobile friendly and navigates at a fast pace on mobile phones. Our generation has become a little impatient in terms of speed and quality. If you want to win them over, always test your websites on various pieces of technology to make sure it is up to standard.

See Also: 5 Proven Strategies That Can Massively Increase Blog Traffic

Forget about ads

Ad revenue has been dropping for a while because consumers have become aware of the money-making vehicles behind it. Unless an ad seriously interests the viewer, they are unlikely to click on that link.

Also, people have become afraid to click on foreign links for the fear of a virus on their computers or cellphones. There are many other way to make money on the internet and ad clicks are no longer it.

Conclusion

Always be on top of trends. Do not sleep on things that can potentially skyrocket your blog to success. It is not impossible for you to become the next big blogger, but you will have to move with the times.

There are many blogs that are honestly fantastic, but fail to reach maximum heights. The cause could be that they are stuck in the past and refuse to change. A lot of hard work goes into a blog and what you put in is what you will get out. Remember there is a lot of competition out there, but they have nothing on you. Stay committed, be persistent and you will see your blog evolve.

 

 

 

The post 5+ Trends for Bloggers to Follow This Summer appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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If you are currently struggling with student loans, you’re not alone. According to Forbes, 44.2 million Americans struggle with student loan debt. For many people, the financial burden of debt infringes upon their quality of life. Thus it is important to pay off loans as soon as possible.

One of the best ways to escape student loan debt is to pursue a degree that will get the highest return on your investment. If you have already graduated college with a bachelor’s degree, you may find that you’re not able to make enough to pay off your debt. Returning to school for a higher-level degree might be just what you need to increase your income enough to pay off your loans faster and easier.

Graduate Degrees Garner Higher Income

One of the biggest advantages of going back to school and obtaining a master’s degree is that doing so will boost your starting salary. This substantial increase in income will enable you to pay off your student loans, as well as get into the career of your dreams.

According to a 2015 study lead by Georgetown University, students who graduate with a master’s degree earn around $17,000 more per year than those who graduate with a bachelor’s degree. As such, students with a graduate degree are able to enter the workforce and earn a higher wage from the start. This significant advantage enables them to pay off their loans quicker.

Of course, this benefit varies across different fields of study. For example, a degree in architectural engineering will tend to net you more income in the job market than a degree in, say, social work. Nevertheless, the Georgetown study found that there was a demonstrable increase in income for graduate degrees over bachelor’s degrees, regardless of the chosen major.

Defer Your Student Loans

If you choose to go back to school, you can temporarily defer your student loans so you don’t have to make payments while attending school. This will ease the strain on your finances while you redirect your mental energy toward graduating in a more lucrative field. Keep in mind, however, that if you have defaulted on previous payments, you may not be able to defer your loans.

Reduce Your Graduate School Loans

Even if you defer your loans, with tuition costs being what they are, you’ll probably have to take out more loans in order to go back to school. This may seem counterintuitive, but if you’re in school to qualify for a higher paying job, it’s actually an investment.

That being said, make the most of this investment by reducing what you take out in loans. You may not be allowed to work part-time, but you might be able to find time to donate plasma, do freelance writing, or apply for scholarships/grants (this last one is HUGE!). Think of anything to supplement your income and lessen what you’ll have to pay back later.

See Also: 7 Ways to Save Money while Earning a College Degree 

Embrace “College Student Poor”

Everyone hates the “poor college student” lifestyle, but college students have a wealth of money-saving life hacks in their repertoire. And don’t worry — you don’t have to live on instant ramen to save money the college way.

• Cut down on “luxury” expenditures like new clothes, trips to the car wash, and eating out. When you have to go, price-check first and go for the best deal.
• Attend university events with free food (who knows, you might have fun).
• Take advantage of the student gym instead of buying a gym membership.
• Student discounts! They can be found everywhere: movie theaters, museums, car insurance, restaurants, phone plans, etc.

Pay Off Other Debts

Once you’ve graduated and landed your dream job, it might be tempting to live the opulent lifestyle you dreamt of while working your tail off in grad school. But your work isn’t over yet! Paying off smaller debts can make room for paying off another, larger debt (aka your student loans) faster. This is called the Snowball Method, developed by Dave Ramsey, and it really works!

You can also choose to refinance, so instead of making many small payments on various debts, you make just 1 big payment each month that will go toward all of them. You may cringe at such a large payment coming out of your bank account each month, but thanks to refinancing negotiations with each lender, you’re actually paying less than you were before.

Higher Income = Larger Payments

Sticking to the minimum payment on your student loans can cost you thousands in interest in the long term. Put your extra income to good use by making larger payments on your loan—reducing not only how long you will be making payments, but also how much you have to pay off.

See Also: What Can Employers Do About The Student Loan Crisis?

Summing Up

Going back to college for a master’s degree is a surefire way to improve your job prospects, open your career, and increase your income. More importantly, it enables you to pay off your student loans once and for all, granting you invaluable peace of mind.

 

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