You’re reading 9 Ways to Look at Failure Differently, 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 think of failure, we usually think about how bad it is or can get. Rarely do we think of ways to look at failure differently.

After all, failure is like fear. It kept us alive in the earlier part of our history here on earth. For example, getting too close to what looks like a giant cat could mean certain death, especially when you see a pile of bones next it. Much too late, we discover it’s really a mountain lion!

We live in modern, much safer times. So, we need to start looking at failure from a different perspective; or rather, many perspectives. Here are 9 ways to help you look at failure differently.

1. Failure is just feedback

Fail 100 times, and you may look at those one hundred times as very painful moments. It’s a reminder why you suck and ought to just call it quits. Somewhere along the line, you decided that if you get just one more failure, then you are done. After all, only an insane fool will do the same thing over and over again, expecting different results each time.

But how about this. Reframe your perspective: It was one hundred things that did not work. As a result, you now have good reference points on what not to do when you try again.

One perspective keeps you moving forward. The other perspective gets you nowhere.

2. Are you really failing if you are doing your passions?

I can think of several moments in my life when I must have made a fool of myself in the attempt of trying a new hobby. Fortunately, I hardly ever thought about why I sucked so much.

When I did, I quickly asked myself how I could become better. In asking these questions, I realized I had a very good opportunity to learn from the very best.

It’s a model I still follow to this day: First of all, really decide to do your passions. The only real way to know what your passions are is to fall into them accidently by constantly trying new things. You can read about new things all day long but actually experiencing them is a whole other world.

Next, find people (also known as models) better than you and do exactly what they do. Discover what works best for you. Of course, start taking action and look at your results.

3. If you fail, you simply have a knowledge gap.

You just need to work at filling it in. Start looking for new and innovative ways on how you can do so.

Embrace the learning experience and enjoy making mistakes, for we learn from our mistakes.

4. Life is a game.

And it is the same for everything else you do. Let’s take a familiar example. The whole of “making money” by earning a living is a game. The way houses are bought and sold is a game. Smart investors use “OPM” (other people’s money) to buy houses when they themselves do not have the money upfront. You may fail a bunch of times before getting good at investing real estate but that’s just how any game is played.

You find out what rules you can break, what rules you cannot, and what rules you can bend to your will. The only way to figure this all out is by making mistakes. It’s also called “failing”. In other words, by failing, you find out what works and more importantly what does not.

You have to learn the rules of the game and play it better than the majority of people. And trust me. The majority of the masses will not spend that extra time getting good at something. All it really takes is a few hours a week more than most normal people are willing to spend.

Let’s say you spend two extra hours a week learning something and failing in the process. That’s one hundred and four (104) extra hours a year you have on top of everyone else. That by default makes you an expert. Think about it: To be an expert simply means you have to know a little more than everyone else.

And people want someone who’s been there and done that, even if that person has failed a bunch of times. Failure builds credibility for you as an expert.

After all, who would you trust more? The person that has failed a bunch of times and seen what works and what doesn’t? Or, the person that literally just lucked out and has seldom failed? I don’t know about you, but I would put my trust in the person that has seen it all, yet continued to build up the will and tenacity to keep going.

5. Express gratitude for failures.

Be grateful that you are taking progressive action towards your goal. Earl Nightingale said it best when he defined success as follows:

Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal or goal.

So, love failing and express gratitude in its presence because this means you are doing more than most people ever will: You are taking action and going after your goals.

Express gratitude because you are playing a game, finding more ways that will not work, receiving feedback, and living your life fully and your passions purposefully. You have chosen to live by design.

6. So what if you fail?

Why do we fear failure so much? What do we fear losing? Our financial security? Our health? Our mental sanity? Or, dare I say it…our lives?

The fear of failing harkens back to our early days of living in caves, when venturing out could mean getting attacked by wild animals or other 2-legged critters. It other words, fear of failing was necessary to our survival.

We now live in much different times; yet, that prehistoric fear still grips us. It causes us to freeze in the moment of truth when we are about to take that leap to go after what we really want.

These days, if we fail the worse that can happen is we lose our reputations and maybe the shirt off our backs. With enough time, both can be rebuilt. We can always seek financial aid from the government (at least here in the United States) so we are hardly at risk of starving to death. Need housing? Again, the government can help.

So, the question to ask yourself is this: If I go after what I really want, what is the worst that can happen? Would I be alright if those worst-case scenarios did come true?

7. Failure is a part of success.

One of the common denominators of success is that failure is inevitable. Like a job search, expect to get 99 noes for every one yay. It’s the ying and yang of things. You cannot have success with failure. You cannot have happiness without sadness.

In other words, when you have experienced both you have a basis for comparison. How can you come to appreciate success when you’ve never experienced the death knoll of defeat? How can you be truly happy if you’ve never fallen to the bottom of the pit? Claw and fight your way to the top! As Winston Churchill quipped, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

Think of it another way: Only about 10% of the population is even interested in reading and self-improvement. If it’s easy, everyone would do it. It’s a hard path that you and I have chosen. Yet, the rewards at the end of the road—financial freedom, living a life true to your passions and values, and serving others—are worth it.

8. Failure = Dream Stealers

Another reason we fear failing is we care what other people think. We take their criticism to heart. While I believe that people provide criticism (feedback) because they really care I also filter out feedback from those people I call “dream stealers”.

Sometimes, our well-meaning friends and relatives are too afraid to go after what they want themselves. In order to make themselves feel better, they criticize us.

Misery truly loves company. Stop caring about what other people think, especially when they are far off the mark. They are the Devil and the Dream Stealers. What matters is only what you think and what you believe.

9. Failing makes you excited and scared at the same time.

If an idea makes you feel excited and scared at the same time, then you are probably heading in the right direction. Likewise, taking action towards attaining that goal and potentially failing is a sign that you are also heading the right way.

Conclusion

Take these 9 new ways of looking at failure differently, and start shifting your perspective today. Remember that we can only achieve success insofar as we are willing to improve ourselves. Our thoughts lead to emotions, be they good or bad. Emotions lead to action or ambivalence. Action, or lack of action, leads to results.

If you want to see where you are in life, look at your results. Question why you have been getting the results you have been getting. What actions do you take? What emotions led to those actions? And more importantly, what thoughts led to those emotions? Is how you are perceiving failure leading you down the wrong path?

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Benson was at one time in his life feeling down and out. Through humbling experiences, a pioneering spirit, and just plain stubbornness, Benson dug himself out of that deep, dark hole. Now, he chases his dreams much more confidently and self-assuredly. If you want more success and confidence so you can chase after what really matters, claim your audioset blueprint today.

You’ve read 9 Ways to Look at Failure Differently, 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 Mindfulness Can Save the Day in These 6 Common Situations, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

The concept of mindfulness can be considered a specific state of mind or a practice to apply to daily life. A critical aspect of Buddhism and meditation, mindfulness is regularly used to defeat daily stressors, relieve personal tensions and achieve greater success.

While mindfulness can be applied to just about any aspect of life, it can save the day in these six common situations.

1. Waking in the Morning

Your first chance at daily mindfulness is, coincidentally, as soon as you wake up to face the day. Instead of hitting the snooze button and falling back to sleep, take this time to clear your head, go over the day’s itinerary and make plans for later.

Proactive and highly motivated individuals might immediately wake up and take care of their necessary chores before proceeding with their daily routine — it’s an act of mindfulness that can manifest success from the very start of your day.

2. Interacting With Friends and Family

Some of us have a tendency of coming across as overly blunt, brief or even short-tempered in the absence of face-to-face communication. This is especially true when chatting with peers online, where we can’t rely on tone to discern mood.

Awareness of your wordage, your delivery and your specific comments can go a long way in quelling any perceived negativity and strengthening your personal relationships.

When sending brief emails, you can add exclamation points, add a nice sentiment, or even in a more pleasant sign-off. In person, thinking before speaking and being attentive of your tone and body language can make all the difference.

3. Enjoying the Outdoors

Mindfulness can also help when you’re in public. Whether you’re riding a bike or walking, paying attention to your surroundings, as well as the actions, intentions and feelings of others, can help to avoid any unnecessary confrontations.

Your exact actions, or inactions, depending on the case, are directly tied to your location at any given moment.

When placing an order at a restaurant, for example, try to end any cell phone conversations or interaction with other guests. That may fall under the category of common sense, but some people find it helps to maintain a certain level of awareness to make sure everyday courtesies happen naturally.

4. Driving Your Car

According to reports, 66 percent of traffic-related fatalities are a direct result of aggressive driving. Approximately half of those who fall victim to another aggressive driver respond with aggressiveness themselves. All of this anger and rage has made our nation’s roadways incredibly dangerous.

In this case, mindfulness can do more than save the day — it might save your life. The number of fatal accidents involving road rage or aggressive driving has been on a steady increase over the past few years.

If you’re driving, make sure to use your turn signals and obey all traffic laws. It’s safe to say we could all benefit from mindfulness when traversing the highways and side streets.

5. Working

If you’re pursuing any sort of career development, advancement or success will show a certain amount of mindfulness throughout your career. There are a number of different tricks and techniques you can use to strengthen your alertness and success on a day-to-day basis, such as:

• Reviewing and prioritizing your daily responsibilities
• Keeping track of your time
• Seeking out the opinions of co-workers

Sharpen your mental fortitude, and try to team up with a peer to keep each other motivated, successful and mindful.

6. Tackling and Overcoming Challenges

Everyone faces personal obstacles and challenges on a daily basis. Some are more difficult to overcome than others, but most of them can be conquered through dedication, perseverance and mindfulness.

Seeking the assistance or support of others, surrounding yourself with successful or positive-minded people and pay closer attention to your own body language and intuition. You can overcome challenges, achieve goals and exceed the expectations of others with mindfulness.

Maintaining Mindfulness Over a Long-Term Basis

Most of these tips focus on short-term mindfulness and awareness, but they can be applied and renewed every day. Gain the ability to cultivate personal and career success over a prolonged period of time with mindfulness — it can also lead to a stronger mind and a healthier lifestyle in the end.

You’ve read How Mindfulness Can Save the Day in These 6 Common Situations, 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 8 Important Lessons Everyone Should Keep Learning For Better Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

I am yet to meet anyone who wanted the best out of life but was keen to make changes. This is not to say such persons don’t exist, they do. The point here is that to get better in one area or the other in life, you need changes and there are accompanying lessons that makes it happen. Many have battled the fear of failure; others have an uphill to climb because they lack self-belief.

Irrespective of what challenges you have, these 8 important lessons for a better life could prove more helpful than you think. While it is advisable not to get wrapped up in swaddles of preconceptions and misconceptions, you need to be open-minded to receive fresh insight in any area of life and here is how you can do this;

1. Handling Mistakes

There is no one who has attained any height in life that never made mistakes. In fact, when you make mistakes you are put on the spot and how you handle them makes a lot of difference. If you evaluate the steps that led to your missteps, you might be able to recognize where you went wrong.

Some have said that learning from the mistakes of others can save you lots of heartaches and this is to be appreciated. However, it is not always that there is an open book to learn from; don’t beat yourself when you have to introspect and make amends where you faltered.

2. Attitude towards Learning

It is commonly said that no man is an island and this is trite. Education they say is a lifelong process and in other words, you never stop learning if you must make progress. Now, the sense here is not to be restricted to structured or formal learning as informal learning can hand you a huge leap of faith as well. When the opening comes to learn something new, be open to explore new ideas. It is commonly advocated that reading can broaden your horizon and this is so true!

You can create a routine of reading a new book once a month and it will amaze you how your mind will be impacted by new ideas or a refresher of what you have previously learned. You need to be your own motivator and if you fall short of this, join a book club; there are many online and physical outlets to this around you if you bother to search it out.

3. Color Play

Life is not just black and white, so you will do well to improve your taste of color. Psychologists say the way or how you are dress impacts on your mood and outcome in many circumstances. If you wear what you feel good in, you are likely to be more confident and daring.  Some colors portray the bright side of life and others will make you appear confident when you step into that meeting or appraisal room.

Blue portrays calmness and an air of stability; green imposes restfulness and eases eyestrain while orange boosts enthusiasm and is easily stimulating. Seeing the possibilities that exist with color picks , there is no doubt that you might want to play around this for better results.

4. Look Ahead

There is hardly anyone who has succeeded in making progress by constantly using the rear view. Where you find yourself in life today is an endpoint of all you ever did or accepted until now. To move on to the next phase of life with improved outcomes, you need to focus on the road ahead. While lessons from the days gone past can be handy, what is important is to be upbeat about the future.

Habitual pessimism cannot give traction instead; this will pull you back and stymie your progress. A sage said ‘if you say you will fail, and then you will, so blame yourself”.  The road ahead might not be all rosy but be positive and nothing stops you from expecting the best in the midst of the contrary.

5. Making a Difference

Many people want to see themselves in the light of what they cannot do instead of what they are able to do. There is simply no one on the earth that lacks the ability to make a worthwhile input at one point or the other. It might not be sophisticated or so outstanding but even a smile can make a difference in the life of someone around you.

Be committed to making a difference whether in your daily routine or your life’s calling.  Stick to excelling in what you do and you are likely to see a different set of results in life.  

6. Your Mind Power

It is commonly said that your mind is a mirror of your life. In other words, what goes on in your mind determines the outcomes you get daily. If you succeed in positioning your mind as a vital accessory for self-improvement, then you will enjoy a better life. Steps like developing a better outlook, accessing new information as well as scrutinizing what you are exposed to, are necessary here.

A wise leader once said that “if you have no vision, others will give you one”. It means that your mind can be a depository for other people if you do not take control of it and determine how to put it to use.  Old patterns of thought can be replaced so that you open up a fresh trajectory into the future.

7. Stop Expecting to be Everyone‘s Favorite

There is no one person that is loved by all. Many might be widely accepted but there are others who won’t accept them for who they are. Presidents are elected on a majority-vote basis in most democracies and this means a sizeable portion of the electorate will have other favorites.   It is important you stick to people who appreciate who you are and keep them close.

Success teacher, Mike Murdoch says “not everyone will celebrate you and never expect this to happen”.  Learn to play with your crew and those committed to your views and paradigm. Making progress can be easier and you might be saved lots of aches if you adhere to this admonition.

8. Accept Responsibility for Your Life and Actions

It is sheer lack of experience and a deficit of how life works to expect anyone to babysit you throughout life. It is a mindset that has led many to their fall and demise. If all your life you have taken steps and only made progress based on the validation of another, then when such an individual leaves your life, you are likely to go downhill.  

You need to learn to take responsibility for what you do and how your life goes. The earlier you cultivate this trait, the easier it will be to expect less of people, be in control of your actions and lead a happy and healthy lifestyle.

Conclusion

Life is a gift that comes with fragility, deploying these 8 important lessons can be the trump card to better outcomes.

You’ve read 8 Important Lessons Everyone Should Keep Learning For Better 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 24 Creative Geniuses Who Inspire Boldness (Even if You’re Shy or Socially Anxious), originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

“Any step in the direction of expressing your creative impulses is a step in the direction of actualizing the genius that resides within you.” -Dr. Wayne Dyer

Genius? Expressing creative impulses? Isn’t that aiming a little high? I’m just trying to survive.

If this represents the tired record playing in your mind, stick around for some major inspiration.

Perfection on the outside, with a sense of burning loneliness or numbness on the inside, is a dead-end approach.  It will sap your energy and leave a big hole in your life and heart.

You get this.

Do you hesitate when something new or exciting presents itself? You might tell yourself you tried before and failed, you don’t know how, or you’ll look stupid.

Imagine you couldn’t fail with others, what would you do?

Make friends and find love.

Have fun at social events.

Not assume you are the problem.

Enjoy speaking with interesting people.

Say yes to your purpose.

Get so good at failing you succeed.

Maybe you would simply be yourself and forget the rest.

But how do you get there?

You don’t do it by masking your feelings or scaring yourself.  

Instead of putting up a wall and carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, lean on geniuses and use your imagination.  We are talking huge growth potential.

These 24 creative geniuses will inspire you to take bold action through your struggles and fears.  They may not all be shy or anxious, but they figured something out through their mindset and actions that you can use.  You are capable of genius and already good enough to take your first step.

See yourself as a creative genius capable of bold action.  

You are unique and here for a reason and deserve a bold and full life as you are right now.  Take action as you become bold, not after.  Set targets, start small, and build.

By the end of this post, you will know what it takes to transform fear of judgment, shyness, and anxiety towards bold action through AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE, and (strategic) ACTION.  Your desires can become greater than fear of judgment.  You can continue to learn how to become more aware and accepting and shift your focus towards what matters.

Apply the steps and mindsets from these enriching individuals until you find what works best for you.  There is an endless source of inspiration to access, so go straight to the source to truly get the best of what they have to offer.  These are all non-affiliate recommendations.

A few disclaimers.  I reference social anxiety, sensitivity, shyness, and introversion, but they are all different from one another.  You can be a confident introvert, a socially anxious extrovert, or a shy and socially anxious introvert.  Over time, you may have come to perceive yourself a certain way and you may have built up limiting beliefs.  It’s time to break free of labels but still build your life up to suit you.  If you are introverted, that is just where you get your energy so don’t fight it.

You can influence the fear and anxiety to improve your circumstances and journey through bold action.  So take different actions, based on what is holding you back.

Consider the possibilities of going on a memorable journey to embellish your imperfect, bold, and creative life.  (Of course, I’m not a doctor, so always seek professional help as needed.)

AWARENESS is Bliss

It’s here, the truth, you can’t turn back now.  You can’t unlearn what you know.  Once you know the truth you will be accountable for your thoughts, emotions, and actions.

If you don’t know what you want, then you owe it to yourself to spend some time on this.

You probably think you don’t want to draw attention to yourself but this isn’t about ego.  Find what you want.  If it has anything to do with how others see you, keep digging deeper to get to the core as you build awareness.

Shift from identifying yourself by how others see you to focus less on judgment and more on connecting with others and living your purpose.

This group will help you develop AWARENESS to stop relying on things outside your control and align with your imagination and true self.

1. Dan Millman – bestselling author, former world champion athlete, popular international speaker, Stanford University coach, martial arts instructor and Oberlin College professor.  He authored 16 books, including his semi-autobiographical classic, Way of the Peaceful Warrior (released as a film with Nick Nolte by Universal in 2007). Dan has influenced people from all walks of life.  

In Way of the Peaceful Warrior, we see on the outside Dan’s life is set, on the fast track to huge athletic success, but something haunts him.  He finds his future mentor and friend, he nicknames Socrates, in an all-night gas station.  A once-in-a-lifetime friendship and mentorship begins.  Through Soc’s wisdom, lessons, and humor, he learns he was never awake.

An accident proves to be a true test on a larger quest to rebuild everything.  He learns good habits outshine bad, anger is stronger than fear and anxiety, the value of action, and to not take it all so seriously.  He keeps showing up through frustrations, and must SURRENDER HIS EGO and impulses using SILENCE and MEDITATION.

Dan’s paved road offered short-term happiness, but he would not have found peace there.  Break the pattern of the expected path and realize there’s a better life, a WARRIOR, within you.  I’d recommend this wonderful book it if you want meaningful inspiration to meditate and transform.

I also love his other book (and app) The Life You Were Born to Live for clarity and a deep and tailored approach to facing your issues and fulfilling your destiny.  Dan is also finishing up his newest book, The Hidden School, due out in 2017.  Learn more about his books, speaking events and online courses, audio programs and life-purpose guidance at:  http://ift.tt/1m6x3dN.

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2. Thandie Newton – actress known for roles in The Pursuit of Happyness, Mission: Impossible II, and Crash, in which she won a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Thandie shares her difficulties being seen and fitting in, promoting awareness and oneness in her TED talk.  When she was younger, she felt rejection, panic, confusion, shame, anxiety, and hopelessness.  Things changed when she began expressing herself with dancing and acting.  She stopped getting in her own way and became present in moments of expression, afterwards returning to her “gnarly, awkward self’.

Thandie explains we’d think it was about fitting into an ideal but it’s actually a clever way our brains try to cheat out of the “reality of death”.  The solution is to find our ONENESS.  We will always be searching until we connect to the Creator through awareness.

She also mistook her ability to feel others’ pain as lacking substance herself but learned the very feelings she was avoiding was that awareness and connection.  She says when we practice more and more, swapping desensitization for living from our essence, incredible things will happen.

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3. Wayne W. Dyer, Ph.D. – was a 21 time best-selling author who helped millions find their inner gifts and destinies.

Wayne Dyer was called the ‘father of motivation’.  It is inspiring to learn he was bouncing around foster homes after his mother left him, his siblings, and alcoholic father for a time.  Many would take a different path, blaming others or hating their situation, but he chose boldness.  He learned self-reliance and took full ACCOUNTABILITY for his situation.

He taught millions to honor their spirit and know the power of the limitless mind to create anything and transform beyond labels.  His book The Power of Intention: Change the Way You Look at Things and the Things You Look at Will Change will help you to use your energy effectively.  A moment of insight led him to see INTENTION as a field of energy to access, beyond your ego, to reshape your life.

Respond to doubt by saying “intent” or “intention” as a reminder to be at peace.  Replace negative thoughts with abundance.  If you are not sure what you want, sync your energy up to your inner dialogue.

Talk to your ego and take control.  Let go of the need to win, acquire, or care if others judge you.  Wayne told us to see ourselves as infinite and connected to the Source and to use the power of IMAGINATION, over ego and willpower, to influence action, change, and peace.

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4. Steve Flowers, MS, MFT – author of The Mindful Path Through Shyness: How Mindfulness & Compassion Can Help free your from Social Anxiety, Fear & Avoidance.  Founder and director of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic in California.

Steve helps people with chronic shyness and social anxiety and learned to let his negative thoughts and feelings just be.

Due to difficult circumstances growing up, he developed a fear of judgment.  He put up a wall and hid from fearful situations. When he stopped being so hard on himself, and trying to correct himself, he learned to connect.

Break out of automatic pilot and shift towards what matters using mindfulness.  Build a MOMENT-TO-MOMENT AWARENESS to see how your thoughts and emotions impact your experiences and apply kindness and self-compassion.

I related to Steve’s story and his advice on MINDFULNESS BASED COGNITIVE THERAPY (MBCT).  He provides first hand insight with great and humorous analogies that stick with you and activities to perform to build your awareness so you can break out of the prison you created to protect yourself.

5. David K. Reynolds PhD – author of Constructive Living and A Handbook for Constructive Living. Leading Western authority for Japanese Psychotherapies.  Constructive Living articles have appeared in top magazines.

When Dan Millman gives you a recommendation, you take it.  I’m so glad I did because Constructive Living is an excellent book of common sense actions to outgrow problems (yes, please).

David recognized similar social tendencies he had with the Japanese culture and became an anthropologist and studied the mindful Morita Psychotherapy.  He helped himself and developed American Morita to help others, based on the solid Japanese history.  Constructive Living will help you to learn to solve the root of your problems with exercises to learn the principals.

If you put on a false front and stay small, this book can help you be yourself.  If you dream of impossible goals, it will help you take grounded actions.  It can help you to stop comparing yourself to others, noticing the tiny errors you make, and wondering why or wishing you weren’t shy or anxious.

Accept our uncontrollable FEELINGS and instead INFLUENCE THEM with ATTENTION and ACTION.  Consider the possibilities of redirecting your sensitive energy so you can respond better each day, help others, and build a rich and emotional life.  Check out the site for books, tapes, and quotes.  “You must take responsibility for what you do no matter how you feel.”

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6. Amy Cuddy – Harvard Social Psychologist and best-selling author of Presence: bringing your boldest self to your biggest challenges. Her groundbreaking research is published in top academic journals and has brought much praise and recognition.

Amy’s TED Talk explored nonverbal communication and the POWER POSE and it became one of the most popular talks ever.  It was clear this resonated with all types of people.  She poured into her research and wrote Presence.

After a traumatic brain injury, as a passenger in a bad car accident, her whole life turned upside down.  She left college, doctors doubted her outlook, and her IQ dropped thirty points.  She had to go through various therapies and her closest friends pulled away.  Confused, anxious, and frustrated she did her best to fit in but felt like an impostor.

Her abilities returned as she focused on relearning and building her interest in Psychology.  She graduated and focused on presence, power, confidence, and doubt.  Amy explains people will see through fake confidence and real relationships are built on presence.

The goal is to shift your attention from the desired outcome to the present moment to harness your power.  Let your body tell your mind how you feel and your mind drive your behavior.  This book provides powerful tools, so become IN SYNC with YOURSELF and cut your anxiety by standing like a starfish and connecting with your core beliefs.

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7. Lewis Howes – best-selling author, lifestyle entrepreneur, former world record holding pro athlete, and White House and Presidential recognition as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs in the US under 30.  He has been  featured in major media outlets, and top self-help podcast host of The School of Greatness.

One year into a professional football career left him in a cast, in debt, with a lost dream of turning professional, and living on his sister’s couch.  Instead of thinking his dream was over, he chose to zoom out his perspective.  He shifted his VISION over to greatness.

He used his instincts, worked hard, and built and looked to his network for advice.  He went from reacting to responding and ego was no longer a barrier in his life and business. He promotes honesty, vulnerability, and overcoming fear so we can apply the ‘shameless urgency’ needed for success.  Tackle it on a small scale, incorporate positive habits, and build until you are skilled and equipped to hold yourself accountable to handle success.

Lewis learned from the greatest thinkers and doers in the world.  His book The School of Greatness: a Real-World Guide to Living Bigger, Loving Deeper, and Leaving a Legacy is the accumulation of that education.

He promotes a win-win attitude to build relationships and to step out of your comfort zone to grow your mindset.  The book provides everything needed to develop a meaningful purpose and the routine and mindset to support it.  Learn the power of awareness towards your vision.

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8. Kain Ramsay – among the top UK’s best selling course creators, strategic life & Career coach.  Helps thousands overcome anxiety, cut stress, and increase self-confidence.

When Kain left the British Army, it shook his sense of identity.  After transitioning to business, he found he could not break out of the cycle of judgment and perfectionism.

He decided he could no longer define himself by what he did.  He shifted his IDENTITY to be based on WHO HE WAS.  Now he knows if he makes a mistake, it does not define him.

He transitioned again to Psychology & the Social Sciences, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Counseling and Theology.  His knowledge, discoveries, and storytelling skills allowed him to create and sell various life-changing self-improvement courses to over 25,000.

He overcame his limiting beliefs and shows how small changes in thinking can bring massive results.  In his course, Unshakable Confidence | The Ultimate Self Esteem Formula, he teaches the value of shifting from fear and security to FAITH and FREEDOM.

ACCEPTANCE

Accept yourself as you are to develop intuition and tune into your creativity.  How can you take bold action if you don’t accept who you are? You can fake it in the short term, but we need to overcome the ego as the driving force.

It’s time to take a good look at how you treat yourself.  What are some things you tell yourself?  Are your thoughts fear-based or based upon how others perceive you? Are you afraid anything good might be taken from you at any moment? Maybe that there is no point and nothing ever works.

Become more kind to yourself.  Your whole world will open up in unexpected ways.  You will start to build true connections with others and life a more full life built for bold action.

Learn to accept and love your fear, instincts, creativity, heart, imperfection, good situations, bad situations, different personalities, and yourself.

These eight will help you to heal your wounds and find joy so every day can be fresh and open for boldness, unexpected turns, feelings, and growth.

Image Source © Timothy Greenfield-Sanders 2015

9. Elizabeth Gilbert – best-selling author who gives you permission to live a vibrant and creative life.  She is best known for Eat, pray, love: one woman’s search for everything across Italy, India and Indonesia and Big magic: creative living beyond fear. Named by Time Magazine as one of the top 100 most influential people in the world.

Elizabeth collects experiences and pursues stories near and far when curiosity strikes.  By the end of Big Magic, you will think you made a cultured and hilarious best friend.

As a child, she feared everything, but her mother would not allow her to use that as an excuse.  She offers that fear is boring but important to address it so it won’t run the show.  She shares the most hilarious letter to her fear.  You need to GIVE YOUR FEAR ROOM to join, but not make decisions.

Elizabeth says we are all ENTITLED to CREATIVE LIVING and it takes BRAVERY to FIND THE STRANGE JEWELS buried deep within us.  That magic ideas are floating out there wanting to find a home but need you to be open to them or they will move on to someone else.

Dive deep and apply all of yourself to discover them.  Greet your fear with a letter and crack open a world of curiosity to pursue your creative life.

10. Danny Raede – CEO and co-founder of Asperger Experts, National Council on Independent Living’s Diana Vietz Award winner.  He shares his passion for leading a full and rich life and has earned over $1 million in revenue helping parents better understand their children.

What Danny has learned to apply to Asperger’s can be very helpful to those dealing with Social Anxiety.

Danny believes self-knowledge is a great gift.  He educated himself on how to take action and overcome fear and doubt to live a successful, full, and independent life while living with Asperger’s.  As a child, he struggled with school, simple assignments took hours, and he spent most of his time numb and stuck with limited interaction and daily panic attacks.

When he went to college, he changed his situation. He committed to studying success, personal development, psychology, and business.  He discovered he needed to get out of DEFENSE MODE.  Rather than fighting anxiety, he learned the solution in applying UNCONDITIONAL LOVE and TRUST.  He built up his life and teaches others to do the same.

His site offers courses, videos, articles, workshops, and a support group for people and parents of kids with Aspergers.  He runs his company with parents, life coaches, and people on the spectrum and when he isn’t at work he enjoys a great life with great friends and travel.

Image Credit: Danny Clark

11. Brené Brown, PhD – Best-Selling Author, Research Professor, Founder and CEO of COURAGEworks. Her research on vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame can help you accept.  Her TEDx Houston talk, The Power of Vulnerability, is one of the top five most viewed.  

In her book Gift of Imperfection: Let go of who you think you are supposed to be and embrace who you are, Brené recommends being aware of anxiety and apply calmness and stillness to respond instead of react.

Brené collected thousands of stories from a diverse group of people.  The one word she captured from reading them was ‘WHOLEHEARTED’ and being the pattern seeker she made a “Do” column for positive words and a “Don’t” column for the negative.  She was shocked to find words she had given value in her own life were showing up in the negative column.  Hard work and following the rules was lining up with perfection, fitting in, and judgment.

She knew she wasn’t living or loving with her whole heart and went on a soul-searching journey captured on her blog.  She encourages boundaries, meaningful work, paying attention to and taking accountability for your feelings, and EMBRACING VULNERABILITIES.  This book offers down-to-earth, honest perspective and serves as a great guide with tangible steps and inspiration to apply a heartfelt approach.

Clear away harmful clutter, don’t get caught up in self-doubt or just doing what is expected of you, and experience emotions again.  Overcome what is keeping you from living with your whole heart.

Image Source. Credit: Amy Paulson

12. Glennon Doyle Melton – best-selling author of Carry on, warrior: thoughts on life unarmed and founder and president of Together Rising a non-profit raising over $4MM for vulnerable women and children.  Featured on major media outlets.

Glennon explains on her award-winning blog that years ago, on a Mother’s Day, she discovered she was pregnant.  She was unmarried and addicted to negative and destructive habits and not wanting to feel.  Right there she committed to turn around unhealthy relationships, addictions, and food around to a full and fabulous life.

She explains she is most proud of being a recoverer who decided to get up from the cold bathroom floor, pregnancy test in hand, to show up for life.  Alcohol and eating disorders masked her sensitivity and feelings to hide and feel safe.

Her philosophy now is that life is brutiful, that’s BRUTAL and BEAUTIFUL.  She said she has learned you can’t have one without the other. Bold and full living only comes when you embrace both.

Her writing is rich, honest, humorous, and inspiring.  She has learned what she likes instead of being on the receiving end of life, to let go of perfection and focus on her higher purpose and working with her strengths.  She has an amazing wit and humility.  I recommend her blog and book where she says you can watch her fall and get back up again, just like the rest of us.

Image Credit: © Jonathan Foust

13. Tara Brach, PhD – best selling author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge.  Psychologist and leading teacher in the Western world of Buddhist thinking and meditation and applying it to emotional healing.

Tara explains the importance acknowledging and addressing your feelings with techniques offered in her book Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha.  Tara’s need to apply self-compassion and connect with others drew her to Buddhism.

As a teenager, she was successful on the outside but sensed a distance which evolved into anxiety and fear of rejection and disappointing others.  She became persistently overly driven, depressed, and lonely.  When her friend said she was learning to be her own best friend, Tara lost it.  She was so far from that, being hard on herself and avoiding pain with addictions and by pursuing achievements.  When even small things triggered her, she realized it was time to be kinder to herself.  Now that’s her message to us.  You can HEAL YOUR HEART and “trance of unworthiness” with AWARENESS and COMPASSION.  Find freedom to the degree with which you accept yourself.

She shares the story of a student who had sat at her mother’s bedside as she was dying.  The mother told her daughter that her whole life she thought something was wrong with herself and shook her head as if to say ‘what a waste’ and passed soon after.

Stop battling your life and experiences.  Heal your fears and wounds so you can connect and be your best self with an expansive heart.  Now Tara will always pause, ask herself, and name what needs her attention.  If she follows it through, she will connect and be genuine.  Check out her website for a free booklet on how to meditate and for downloadable lectures.

14. Pat Flynn – bestselling author, blogger, keynote speaker, and host of top rated business podcast The Smart Passive Income Podcast with over 30 million downloads.  An entrepreneurial champion and family man who demystifies running an online business. He created multiple businesses bringing awards and features in The New York Times and Forbes.  Advisor for LeadPages and other companies in the digital marketing arena.

I’m sure now he is so happy he lost his job years ago, but at the time I’m sure it was incredibly overwhelming.  Pat responded by overcoming self-doubt and using knowledge he had gained to write a book. He chronicles this journey in Let Go.

There was a moment where his book was ready to be live, but fear and doubt tugged at him.  Pat said it strikes when he does something new or uncomfortable that can change his life.  He asked himself why he was afraid.  After eliminating the ridiculous reasons, he realized it boiled down simply to no sales.  Pat took a chance on himself and has since built up a full life.

He uses this same mindset with his networking in order to start conversations and be a keynote speaker.  Just starting is what he has learned makes him comfortable.  By choosing how he reacts to UNPLANNED EVENTS, he chose to shape his reality and sees these as SEEDS of OPPORTUNITY.

Consider an adversity or opportunity and how you can react to it to shape your life.  It’s not about money, it’s about believing in yourself and your path and TAKING A CHANCE.  Take that first, uncomfortable step with your goals and with the people you meet.  It will get easier.  If you are also curious about creating an online business or podcast, I highly recommend his site.

Image Source

15. Susan Cain – best selling author, most known for Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking. Cofounder of Quiet Revolution.

Susan prefers “listening to talking, reading to socializing, and cozy chats to group settings”.  Ditto.  She helps introverted people unlock their power and apply their special talents.  There are ways to tune into your strengths to negotiate, give speeches, and built relationships.

Susan’s books explain and celebrate introverts.  She says it’s perfectly acceptable to be introverted and everyone should NOT HAVE to STRIVE to reach the EXTROVERTED IDEAL, except for when it will serve them.  Whether you are introverted or extroverted, we can all learn about different temperaments to understand how best to connect with one another because we all need one another.

Introversion is not something to cure, it’s just not preferring social stimuli.  You can still have big goals and she is proof.  We should all tune into and apply our natural gifts and not take out good qualities in an attempt to fit into an ideal.  Introspection, sensitivity, and caring what people think are valuable.

A great step towards accepting ourselves is to highlight what makes us unique.  No need to wait to be a different person to take action, you do it as who you are right now. Utilize your strengths and traits while LEARNING DIFFERENT TEMPERAMENTS.

STRATEGIC ACTION

Time for strategic, bold, creative action.  Actions is worth nothing if it is only in your head.  This group will help you set the stage to get the most out of your efforts.  Their inspiration will help if you ever worry that you never finish anything or if you get stuck because the journey seems too hard.

Remember, you are already good enough to start so don’t wait.  Map out a plan and make it happen.

Don’t worry about not being able to turn back, you won’t want to once your life starts to evolve.  You’ll know where you are headed so you don’t get stuck.

You won’t do or say things right at first and it is the only way to learn.  Don’t get discouraged if solutions don’t immediately work, persistence is the key.  You didn’t learn to speak in a day.  It’s a journey.

Take strategic action.  Don’t overthink it, just a simple working plan.  Once it works, just learn and repeat and your confidence will grow.  You may become a leader in your life to make decisions.

These eight will help you create action plans, strategies, and techniques that work.  Build a strong network.  Work your way up to bold action, to making decisions.  Commit fully and pour yourself into your new life:

16. Hal Elrod – high rated keynote speaker, host of top rated Achieve Your Goals podcast, best selling author of Miracle Morning book series, and ultra marathon runner.  Hal appeared in many television and radio shows and multiple books including the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

A driver plowed into Hal’s car when he was 20 years old.  Doctors declared him dead for six minutes, he was in a coma for six days, and then was told he may never walk again.  He proved to be a warrior and wants us to know we are each capable of overcoming adversity and creating extraordinary results.

Miracle Morning presents the incredible power of a positive morning routine to set your whole day up for success and realize cumulative benefits.  Start off the first hour of your day with Life SAVERS.  That’s SILENCE, using positive AFFIRMATIONS, VISUALIZING your success, EXERCISING, READING, and SCRIBING.  Expand your mind, body, and soul before others hit the snooze button.

Gain clarity with a meditating and silence routine.  It’s the best possible consistent action to incorporate into your routine.  Positive Affirmations and Visualization can help materialize your purpose when paired with action.  Get up and move your body for just minutes a day.  It will improve your health and mindset.  Reading will supply a limitless river of inspiration and knowledge.  Writing for minutes a day can provide an outlet of stress or add up to a completed book.  The possibilities are endless.

Don’t settle for a mediocre life, have the discipline and COMMIT to a 30 DAY PRACTICE.  You have the control to carry out your purpose and overcome anything.

17. Dr. Anthony Metivier – best-selling author, professor, and memory course creator.

Anthony developed The Magnetic Memory Method which he describes on his site as “an elegant, effective and fun approach to using Memory Palaces, mnemonics and other memory techniques” to be able to remember and access any information you want to reference at any time.

He lost a friend to cancer who wanted him to be a high school teacher.  He had to make the tough decision it wasn’t for him by getting clear on his purpose and now educates thousands.  First, he learned to SELF-EDUCATE.  He grew up struggling with depression, cut school (which he does not recommend), and would listen to interviews in the mountains and read encyclopedias and books.  He recommends doing more than you are told to do and approach problems from all angles.  He learned to REVERSE ENGINEER SUCCESS from a diverse group of people he admired.  He’d ask questions and expand his social connections.  He developed SYSTEMS and TRACKED PROGRESS to spot gaps, bring consistency, and increase confidence.

Anthony also co-teaches a top-selling course on branding which can also help you get clear on your story through your experiences and adversities.  This course led me down a path of discovering patterns to address with shyness and anxiety.  Honesty is important here.  It’s not about glamour or meeting an ideal.

Others may have the best intentions for you, but you have to DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU in your heart.  I haven’t learned his memorization technique, but I believe by committing yourself to a MIND TECHNIQUE, you can increase the discipline of the mind and replicate it to overcome any challenge and achieve any goal.

18. Ramit Sethi – best-selling author and acclaimed finance adviser and entrepreneur into big wins. NY Times best-selling author of I Will Teach You to Be Rich

Ramit gives 98% of his stuff away, better than the paid stuff out there and is now applying that approach and his methodology to social skills.  Goodie!

These skills helped him go from a self-proclaimed “awkward weirdo” Stanford college kid to the, with a Fortune spread, a Good Morning America appearance, and in a photo with Warren Buffett in Forbes Magazine.  Like many of us, he made financial and social mistakes but instead of giving up, trying harder, or waiting for help, he cut through the excuses and decided to lead the way.

He recommends PLANNING REAL SCENARIOS and taking action, instead of imagining lofty ideas.  Pay attention to the feedback you get in real life.  PRACTICE and CALIBRATE.  Each time you experiment, you’ll want to increase what works and decrease what doesn’t, based on the feedback.  Check out his powerful free help with shyness, social skills, getting invited to events (and spend less Friday’s alone) and planning group meetups.

You can build a tangible plan for real-life scenarios right now and then practice and calibrate yourself each day.  If you need help with understanding your finances, also check out his amazing site and book.  He tells it like it is with humor and gives real, valuable, and actionable advice.

Image Source. Credit: Andrew (Drew) Kelly

19. Tim Ferriss – best-selling author, angel-investor and adviser, entrepreneur and lifestyle design pioneer, and human guinea pig, featured by more than 100 media outlets.  Known for The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, and The 4-Hour Chef.

The 4-Hour Workweek can help you break out your shell by no longer rationalizing your fears.  We all have doubts and can rise above them with bold and unconventional action, figuring things out as you go.  His approach is fresh and exciting, backed with tons of research and testing, and presented with genius simplicity towards acting on the top 20% of efforts to bring you the desired 80% results.

See if you can identify patterns in his history:

-He left college for a time out of frustration, tried a few jobs, opened gyms in Taiwan, learned kickboxing and won a national championship, returning to graduate from Princeton.

-Jobless, he emailed a CEO 32 times landing a dial for dollars job.  After a year of 12-hour days, he created a company and his income increased from $40K per year to $40K per month.

-Burned out, he went to Italy, taught, and deals fell through to sell his company.  He decided to remain indefinitely in Europe, empowered others, and unplugged except for one hour a week.  To his surprise, he found his profits increased 40%.  He cracked the code to his ideal lifestyle.

This may seem like a stretch to most of us, but you can challenge assumptions and expand your comfort zone in your own way.  Tim’s approach is to not do what everyone else is doing or wait for things to happen.  You think? He makes INTERESTING DECISIONS, steps away and towards EXCITEMENT when things don’t seem right, and returns with unexpected solutions.  He DOESN’T SETTLE, EVEN FOR SUCCESS.  When you fail, try again or try something different towards your passions.  If you need to learn something new on your journey, check out the 4-Hour Chef to learn how to learn.

Image Source: DFree / Shutterstock.com     

20. Shonda Rhimes – award-winning creator of Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, and Private Practice, and named one of 100 People Who Help Shape The World in Time Magazine.

Called out by her sister for always saying no.  She changes that and documents her journey in Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person.  She starts off by saying she is old and likes to lie which is so fantastic because she is a massively successful fiction writer who seems incapable of lying.  With a stack of declined invites and a speech folder called ‘Crap’ (isn’t that great?), she changes her life with one powerful word: “Yes”.

She learns to BRING the YES to HER LEVEL, to hold herself ACCOUNTABLE, and DO the HARD WORK.  I love where she agrees to do Jimmy Kimmel Live, because she must say yes, but only if it is not “Live”.  It takes boldness to say yes and to say it on your own terms.  This courage loosens up her shyness, awkwardness, and social fear.  Now she makes connections and gets involved with new and unexpected projects.

She learned to express herself and live a bold and full life.  She talks about being a badass warrior at work and learning to apply it to other areas of her life.  Each yes required her to take a step-by-step, and I’m sure painful, process she compares to surgery.  She says the problem is the open chest, the wound is challenge, and “yes” is the operation.

On her website she says EVERY YES CHANGES HER.  So, are you bored or numb? Instead of saying no to everything, consider the possibilities.  You may think there aren’t enough hours in the day but you will find you have more quality time when you can cut through wishy-washy, life-sucking apathy and the half ‘no’s’ and ‘maybe’s’.  See what happens when you start to say yes and get inspired by her hilarious, down-to-earth, and inspiring book.

Image credit: Joni Kabana

21. Cheryl Strayed – best-selling author of her memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail, later adapted into an Oscar-nominated film, Tiny Beautiful Things, Brave Enough, and her novel Torch.  

Cheryl will inspire you with her example of bravery and fierce step-by-step approach.  Her take on fear in Wild is that it’s born in the mind as a story and you can tell yourself a different one.  The story she creates plays out on an epic 1,100 mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail, through California to Oregon to Washington.

This is a physical and emotional journey of closure and self-discovery.  She confronts the pain she was avoiding, the grief over the death of her mother and the pain she caused in response to her grief.  Her addictions and betrayals caused her to lose her husband and herself.

With no hiking experience, other than a pamphlet she had seen, Cheryl moves through her difficult journey, from beginning to end, one step at a time.

This is a personal journey, she doesn’t go around telling her reasons or even writing the book for a long time.  I recommend this honest, gritty, and beautiful story.  You can apply inspiration of this fearlessness to your own life.  TELL YOURSELF A DIFFERENT STORY and deal with your skeletons.  You need not go on an 1,100 mile hike, or maybe you do, but commit and dedicate yourself to a mission and journey and WORK HARD THROUGH IT.  Take ONE STEP AT A TIME towards your bold life.  Read Wild for inspiration to take authentic and personal action that will put you in the driver’s seat.

22. Sebastiaan van der Schrier – Social Confidence Coach who blends Western traditional and Eastern Energy psychology and makes Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) accessible so everyone can attain effortless social confidence.

Seb experienced severe social anxiety and after years of dealing with the negative feelings that go along with social anxiety like fear, guilt, and shame, he decided to relentlessly pursue solutions until he found what worked.  He put himself in awkward situation, purposely getting rejected, and gained short-term confidence having to start all over again.

Nothing was working for him until he discovered EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUE (EFT).  After studying it and working with top therapists and practitioners for years, he learned how to apply it STRATEGICALLY.  He has fined tuned a STEP-BY-STEP approach that’s helped him and his clients.  Everyone has their own timetable, but he has seen it dramatically speed up results by REMOVING the LEARNED NEGATIVE ASSOCIATIONS.

He now enjoys effortless social confidence, a full life, connections, and a successful business as a digital nomad.  Seb offers free videos on YouTube that teach EFT and his Social Confidence System addresses social anxiety from all angles.  He says it doesn’t have to be a painful, awkward, scary experience to face your fears.  There are gentle, effective, and lasting alternatives.

On his podcast Social Anxiety Solutions, he is joined with top therapists, experts, and practitioners and you can find tangible, unique, non-gimmicky, and easy to carry out ideas here.  To hear more about his journey, listen to our interview on his podcast where he took an exception and let me interview him.

23. Jon Morrow – CEO of Smart Blogger – a company dedicated to teaching you what it really takes to attract loyal readers, get more traffic, and become a respected authority.  His company built an audience of over 100,000 subscribers and makes $100k monthly.

If Jon’s story doesn’t get you taking action, I don’t know who will.  When he was just one, a doctor diagnosed him with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a neuromuscular disorder.  His mother left the hospital told to not to expect him to live over a year.  She took charge and refused to let this happen.

He fought pneumonia 16 times in 16 years and his mother insisted on fighting for him, not just to survive, but to live the best life.  She didn’t let him sit back and live a safe and boring life.  He credits her as the reason he is one of the oldest survivors of his disorder.

Then, he was in a car accident breaking his legs in 14 places.  With his money already going to medical bills, he knew it was not going to work.  He quit his job and applied his mother’s warrior mentality towards his work ethic.  He fought and continues to fight with the best work and writing he has in him.  He poured all of his time and self into his blog. He sold it, as a best in business/money nominated blog, for five figures and moved to Mexico to start a new business focused on helping people.  I’m writing to you now due to Jon Morrow’s inspiration and knowledge.

People will try to discount you and you can’t wait for the world to hand you success.  You must THROW YOURSELF into your WORK with all your HEART and EFFORT.  You, your ideas, and the people you can help are all WORTH IT.

Don’t expect anything worthwhile to be easy.  What fun would that be? Apply this mindset to anything you want as inspiration to take action despite adversity.  His site is an amazing resource of valuable information about running a blog at any stage and his story and work ethic is inspirational.

24. Jordan Harbinger – lawyer turned Social Dynamics expert and Entrepreneur, owner, and co-founder of The Art of Charm dating and coaching company and top 50 iTunes podcast.  Forbes named him one of the 50 best relationship-builders anywhere and Inc. Magazine called him “the Charlie Rose of Podcasting”.

Jordan’s company holds boot camps and coaching sessions for men that want to improve their emotional intelligence and confidence.  He brings business sense and industry knowledge and uses a contemporary approach to teaching.  He started out helping private companies test communications system security and worked with law enforcement agencies, spending several years in Europe and the developing world.

He explains the value of HAVING A SYSTEM and LEARNING TO CALIBRATE on Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income Podcast episode where they discussed charisma and the VALUE OF NETWORKING.  Being an introverted person, he shared he would overcompensate early in his life.  He learned to dial back and find a balance while staying his honest and relatable self.  He also says you think you will remember how you know people, but it does not work this way.  Jordan recommends TRACKING PEOPLE YOU MEET ALONG WITH SOMETHING ABOUT THEM.  This will help you reference how you can connect people that can help one another.  This may seem like it should come naturally, but us shy folk might lose the art and value of connection without a strategy like this.

His philosophy is to have a goal to always LEAVE PEOPLE BETTER THAN YOU FOUND THEM, even if you share a smile.  It will return to you when you need it.  It’s okay if you do not yet have a network, just start.  Yes, this is the opposite of what your instinct might be telling you, which is to not make eye contact and hope they won’t say anything to you.

It’s time to bring more flavor to your life and become a connector.  It may not seem possible until you start.  Check out his website or podcast for more tools and techniques.

CLOSING (and action) TIME

So many struggle with shyness or anxiety, be one of the ones that breaks free and takes bold action despite it and through it.

You may have been timid up to this point, but you cannot unlearn a sense of entitlement once you have it.  You are entitled to an exciting and rich life.  Through the stories of these 24 creative geniuses, you have no more excuses to living your own creative and bold life.

Do you settle, not know what you want, or not know what to do when fear strikes?

Build AWARENESS, apply ACCEPTANCE and use a STRATEGY to take ACTION once and for all!

Become AWARE of your connection:

• Know your ONENESS. There is a WARRIOR beyond EGO through SILENCE and MEDITATION.
• You are ACCOUNTABLE and have the power to change and overcome any adversity with INTENTION and IMAGINATION.
• Learn MBCT to increase MOMENT-TO-MOMENT AWARENESS.
• Use BEHAVIOR, where it counts, to INFLUENCE your FEELINGS.
• Get IN SYNC with yourself using a POWER POSE and WRITE YOUR BELIEFS.
• Build a VISION of GREATNESS towards what you want and base your IDENTITY on WHO YOU ARE with FAITH.

Learn to ACCEPT:

• You are ENTITLED to CREATIVE LIVING.
• Give FEAR and ANXIETY ROOM TO JOIN with UNCONDITIONAL LOVE and TRUST.
• Be BRAVE to find your STRANGE JEWELS hidden deep.
• Live with your WHOLE HEART and EMBRACE VULNERABILITIES.
• Living boldly with the BRUTAL and the BEAUTIFUL.
• HEAL with AWARENESS and COMPASSION.
• See UNPLANNED EVENTS as SEEDS OF OPPORTUNITY and TAKE A CHANCE.
• There is nothing to correct in yourself.  Utilize your special strengths and traits. LEARN and ACCEPT DIFFERENT TEMPERAMENTS while others catch up.

Build and apply a Strategy to:

• Build good habits.  Start off the first hour of your day in SILENCE, using positive AFFIRMATIONS, VISUALIZING your success, EXERCISING, READING, and SCRIBING.
• Consider a strategy like a memorization or MIND TECHNIQUE and get clear on your brand stories to DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU.  SELF-EDUCATE, REVERSE ENGINEER SUCCESS, develop SYSTEMS, PLAN SCENARIOS, PRACTICE, and TRACK, and CALIBRATE.
• Make INTERESTING DECISIONS and create EXCITEMENT while EXPANDING your COMFORT ZONE.  NEVER SETTLE, EVEN FOR SUCCESS.  Say YES on YOUR LEVEL (possibly for a year!)
• TELL YOURSELF A DIFFERENT STORY than fear.  WORK HARD THROUGH your journey and address skeletons ONE STEP AT A TIME.  Apply a STRATEGIC and proven STEP-BY-STEP approach, like EFT, to overcome social anxiety, referencing experts as needed.
• THROW YOURSELF into your WORK with all your HEART and EFFORT because it is all WORTH IT.
• NETWORK, TRACK PEOPLE, and always LEAVE THEM BETTER THAN YOU FOUND THEM.

Don’t wait to be confident or better to take action, everyone has doubts. Don’t waste your life going through thinking something is wrong with you.  There isn’t.

Decide it’s worth bravery to live a creative life with your whole heart, to find treasures.

Now, all those years holding yourself back from bold actions are done.

That’s it, no more excuses. You have the CURSE of knowing that you are responsible, entitled, and capable.  You can handle and accept the good and the bad. You have the tools and systems at your disposal.

These 24 individuals will help lead you up to the starting line to your bold and creative life.  Now it’s up to you.  Of course, don’t take my word, go straight to the source and check out the sites of these creative individuals.

Will you say YES, take the first step?

Now is your time to take action and go after what you want.  Otherwise, another year will go by and nothing will change.  You’ll keep feeling you need to be better before going after your happiness, excitement, and purpose.  Flip around that philosophy and take your first step towards your purpose.
Believe in and invest in yourself.

Become an aware, accepting, strategic badass who takes bold action.

Become a WARRIOR!

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Rachel Bourne is the creator of an upcoming website Sassy Samurai — dedicated to providing Social Anxiety and Shyness Support for You to build confidence and strength. Just check out the site to sign up for notification when we go live (and for free stuff!)

“The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.” – Anna Quindlen

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You’re reading 12 Small Actions You Can Take to Boost Your Confidence Today, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Small actions built up over time become large results.

Every one of us want to boost our confidence, but few of us know where to start. The key is to start small. So here are 15 small actions you can take to boost your confidence today.

1. List 3 things you’re grateful for: Most of our unhappiness sprouts from anger, fear, and disappointment. If we can shift our focus for a moment to the things we’re grateful for in our lives, these feelings start to fade away.

How to get started: Think of 3 things you’re grateful for in your life today and if you want to continue this practice, purchase a gratitude journal like the Five-minute journal.

“The antidote to fear is gratitude. The antidote to anger is gratitude. You can’t feel fear or anger while feeling gratitude at the same time.” -Tony Robbins

2. Public speaking: When Warren Buffett was asked what skillset is the most important one to focus on for graduates, he confidently said public speaking.

How to get started: Check out your local Toastmasters, where you’ll find a supportive group of people offering constructive feedback to help you learn faster.

3. Speak a foreign language: Learning a new language has shown to enhance your mental focus, advance your career, and even improve your native language.

How to get started: The key to learning how to speak a new language is the way we learned our first language: speaking with native speakers. Check out websites like Rype, which connects you with handpicked professional language teachers for up to unlimited 1-on-1 lessons.

4. Build your network: Your network is your net worth. Not to say that your network is the end all for boosting your confidence, but having people around you that will be there to support your goals is reassuring.

How to get started: Visit websites like Eventbrite and Meetup, and find local events in your industry.

5. Learn how to cook a new dish: Want to improve your friends or date this weekend? Try picking up your cooking skills.

How to get started: Go to Youtube or niche websites like Epicurious to get inspiration for new dishes you can cook.

6. Travel somewhere new: Discovering new cultures and visiting countries you’ve never been to may seem scary at first, but will do wonders for your confidence after traveling.

How to get started: Not everyone may have the freedom to travel when they want, due to time constraints, financial reasons, etc. But there are creative ways to travel cheaply by following travel hacks laid out by others.

7. Meditation: Regular meditation has proven to increase your happiness, reduce your anxiety, and improve your relationships. This new trend will only increase as the positive benefits of meditation from research will reach the mainstream.

How to get started: Leverage free applications like Headspace or Calm, which provides guided meditation on-demand.

8. Speed reading: Knowledge is power. One of the best ways to improve your knowledge is by reading. Unfortunately, we all have 24 hours in a day. By learning how to speed read, we can go through more articles, books, and papers to enhance our knowledge.

How to get started: You can either learn the techniques of speed reading, or you can use technological tools like Spritz.

9. Volunteer: One of the best ways to boost your confidence is by doing good for others, specifically for those that truly need it. Whether it’s serving food for the homeless, or teaching children how to read, it’ll be one of the best times you’ve spent this week.

How to get started: Wherever you live, you can find non-profit organizations that are constantly seeking volunteers to bring into staff. A simple google search can answer your question.

10. Say “No” more often: Saying “Yes” to external demands like coffee meetings or favors from friends can drain you after a certain limit. By saying “no” more often, you can carve more time out for yourself, and do more to improve yourself, like learning new things, etc.

How to get started: There’s really no easy way to do this or a tool that can help you. It just comes down to being bold, and saying “no” more often without trying to offend those that want your help or time.

11. Make your bed: It sounds simple, but there’s studies that show that making your bed can boost your happiness. According to Psychology Today, 71 percent of bed makers consider themselves happy; while 62 percent of non-bed-makers admit to being unhappy.

12. Pick 1 small goal for today, and achieve it: The biggest mistake most of us make is to try to tackle a large goal without breaking it down into tiny steps. If your goal is to learn a new language, pick a small goal like deciding how you’re going to learn or even what language you should learn.

You’ve read 12 Small Actions You Can Take to Boost Your Confidence Today, 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 The 7 Best Blogs On Mindfulness, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

The idea of mindfulness has been slowly rising in our collective consciousness since the 1950’s. The term is a translation of sati, the Pali-term (a significant element of most Buddhist traditions). It is defined as ‘a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.’ Often described as living in the moment, it is the practice of mindfulness that helps one achieve this. The idea is that if we examine our thoughts, if we do not judge them, we can concentrate on every experience in life and actively set our own intention for them. Studies have shown that stress and fear contribute to mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Through mindful interaction, mindful eating and mindful body language, we can change the way we experience our world for the better.

Most of the time people are concerned about what they have to do, where they have to go, and how much time they have to work with, because, let’s face it, bills need to be paid, relationships are not always conflict free and job security is a rare commodity these days. We are complacent with these worries becoming a norm, which is a disservice to our own personal growth. The truth is it is very unnatural to live in a constant state of anxiety or anticipation, but how does one reverse this? I have found a little (or a lot) of advice goes a long way.

Here is a list of the top 7 blogs on mindfulness that I discovered to be helpful!

Boho Berry: Kara’s blog helps one set goals and achieve them. Those goals will fall into a plan to live a fulfilled and inspired life. Her tips to make these goals happen are solid and enthusiastic! She urges us to ‘live life; not just live.’ Click here to check it out!

Tiny Buddha: Lori Deschenes’ blog is centered on motivation and inspiration. How to use knowledge you’ve acquired through experience to your work and relationships ever day. Click here to check it out!

By Her Mirror: Anna’s lifestyle blog attaches humor to the ideas of living simply and mindfully. She often gives tips from her travel experiences, everything from musings on random topics to food, as well as some vlog content. Click here to check it out!

The Blissful Mind: Catherine’s blog focuses on balance and simplicity being of utmost importance to a mindful life. The themes of productivity and self care carry through many of her articles. Click here to check it out!

Zen Habits: Leo Babauta’s blog has a large following so curiosity set in. I found his posts to be specific to task and well organized to help one with the steps needed to take action toward becoming more mindful of your relationships, goals and health. Click here to check it out!

Personal Excellence: Celestine Chua is a life coach whose mandate is to help one achieve their potential. Her blog is a good mix of ‘how to’ articles on navigating through life to health and even child rearing topics that always leave you asking yourself some meaningful questions. Click here to check it out!

Simple Mindfulness: Paige Burkes’ blog contains articles on health, financial life and relationships. She explores how mindfulness can make you happier in life and I found her site particularly insightful! Click here to check it out!

To begin the process of learning how to re-focus our attention to the present moment in a mindful way is easier said than done, of course, like most endeavors involving spiritual development. However it doesn’t have to be, if we remember that we often forgo the present for the future, and ironically, all we really have is the present. So we can pay our bills, we can resolve conflicts and we can let go of control itself, by dealing with these issues head on in a mindful way. If we change how we perceive the outcome, or we focus on one task without worry until we complete it, then maybe that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel becomes the thing that illuminates not only our path, but also our minds!

Do you read a great blog about mindfulness that’s not on the list? Leave a comment on FB!

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Larissa Gomes is a proud breast cancer survivor and single mom to her spirited baby boy! Originally from Toronto turned Angeleno, she has worked in roles from writer, actor and producer for well over a decade. In that time, she’s developed concepts, film and television screenplays, short stories, along with freelance articles, blogging and editing work. 

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You’re reading How to Send Your Spirit from Zero to Sixty (Part I), originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

You deserve happiness, productivity, and mental health.

But you have to be ready for it.

You have to desire to work for yourself.

You have to desire a lifework that brings you joy and fulfillment every day.

You have to desire to own your life and your time and your spirit.

So now, learn from me. I know how long it took me to own my life.

Your Vehicle

Each one of us is a vehicle to transport us to our own happiness.

For decades, my car was stuck in neutral.

In fact, some of the time, I swear I was going backwards.

Finally, I discovered that the problem wasn’t my car.

The Problem: I didn’t know where I was going.

I needed a map.

In fact, I’d worked for companies that talked endlessly about where they wanted to go, and, the smartest people there would compare every activity, service, product against that vision of where the company wanted to go.

That destination comes from a mission statement.

Mission statements are those bright stars on the horizon to guide you in the right direction.

I needed to take my life work as seriously as I took working for others.

I realized that not only did I need a mission statement, I deserved one.

You do, too!

You need to always know where, in your case, true north is, to have a well-informed internal compass.

Companies pay consultants thousands of dollars for a destination.

Don’t you deserve the same? Of course, you do, and you don’t need to pay thousands of dollars for it.

In fact, you only have to ask one person to help you…yourself.

Here’s the Bad News:

Such a simple, yet seemingly life-altering task can seem overwhelming.

Here’s the Good News, and it Far Outweighs the Bad News:

There’s no quicker way in the world to feel good now and from now on.

If you’re tired of asking other people for food, so you learn how to fish, farm, hunt, or find some other way of feeding yourself.

Sure, you’re used to working for someone else, and maybe, if you’re really lucky, you love what you do.

But, you’re not reading this post if you have complete confidence in your vehicle and direction.

More Good News:

You don’t need an exact destination for lifework, just a region, a country, an area.

If you get too specific, your transformative search becomes more difficult and perhaps self-defeating.

So, let’s craft that mission statement:

What does a Mission Statement Need?

1-It must be about you as Human Being as much as a human doing, positioning you for constant growth.

2-It must be a prospect that brings you joy every day.

3-It must involve work that’s so immersive, you lose track of time.

4-It must, after a specific and reasonable amount of training, be something that you’re efficient at, (corresponding to the 80/20 rule, such that you can do 80% of your most important work in 20% of the time needed).

5-It must provide a balanced lifestyle with your most important values, and pervasive health in every respect, in your relationships, your physical well-being, and your emotional and spiritual situation.

6-It must give you plenty to work with and plenty of choices on how to SUPPORT your mission, but specific enough so that you know when you’ve gone off track.
In Part II, I’ll share my mission statement with you, but before that, let me show you as simply and clearly as I can what a mission statement does.

Your Mission Statement’s Purpose

It provides something that every second of every minute of every day, your actions can ALIGN with.

If your car isn’t aligned, it can cause an accident and puts a drag on driving.

If you are in doubt about how worthwhile an activity is in terms of your lifework, REVIEW YOUR MISSION STATEMENT, and get aligned.

If it’s part of your mission, keep at it.

If it’s not, let it go.

If you’re not sure, pause and consider. The worst thing you can do is activity, just for the sake of activity. Busyness and productivity are NOT the same thing. Activities are productive if they advance your lifework. Otherwise, they are just taking up space and time in your day, and, once you have a mission statement, you’ll realize just how precious the resource of time is to you. You won’t want to surrender it unless you are getting a return on your investment.

In Part II of this Post, I’m going to show you exactly HOW to construct a mission statement and provide mine as an example.

Go on to Part II tomorrow!

Lars Nielsen is a free-lance copywriter with a unique selling voice from the cadence and imagery developed through poetry, playwriting, fiction, radio, and comedy.  Go to http://ift.tt/2aI2xgg and see how Ultimate Influence Copywriting can tell compelling stories for your business, your speeches, your ideas, and your life.

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You’re reading The Catalyst to Innovation: 3 Ways Data Changes 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.

Imagine someone invents a new, highly improved mousetrap and approaches several mousetrap companies with his invention. Companies love the product, but there are some problems. To produce this new model, a company would have to undergo an overhaul of its tools, production processes, marketing campaigns, and more.

But current mousetraps work just fine, and there’s no crisis of having to catch more mice, so as innovating as the new trap is, it doesn’t satisfy any unfulfilled need.

That doesn’t just apply to business and the economy. In their personal lives, many people prefer not to have to climb any hills if everything’s good and they’re comfortable in their current situation.

The problem is, for many people, things aren’t as good as they seem. It’s not always easy, but recognizing that is often the push people need to improve their lives through innovation. A person first has to identify what needs to change before changing it. Having spent most of my career working with patients and families who struggle with addiction, I’ve witnessed and understand how difficult such a realization can be.

People rarely have enough data to know something needs to change. Or rather, we rarely access that data until life circumstances force us to.

When Your Situation Could Use a Boost

In addiction treatment, it’s a common belief that addiction is hard to see, but it really isn’t. It’s just hard to see it in oneself. The person struggling with addiction may see no reason to change until others stop paying for that person’s decisions. Then, the patient is suddenly faced with the consequences of their actions, and they realize it’s time to make a change.

Not every need for personal innovation stems from something as drastic as addiction. But regardless of the reason, the steps to making effective life changes are typically similar, including:

1. Recognize that something needs improving. The first step for anyone who wants to make an effective change in his or her life is to get data. In addiction recovery, the 12 steps of recovery revolve around making a personal inventory to assess life situations. In mindfulness communities, it’s done by watching the reactions of the mind. In CrossFit, it’s done by keeping track of your reps and times. Regardless of the method, obtaining data is key.

It’s true that getting enough data to make a change can take time, and you might not think you can afford the time, given your busy life. The truth, though, is that we can’t afford not to know what’s going on in our lives. Otherwise, our lives would just get busier and our tasks more time-consuming, and we’d receive less for our investment.

2. Resolve to innovate because you want to. Using the data you’ve gathered, you should be able to see what changes need to be made. And if something can be made better, that means there are consequences to not making it better. If it’s a sunny day, enjoy it, but let yourself prepare for the hurricane that’s only three days away, too.

Will innovation make you happier and healthier? Personal innovation requires a certain amount of behavioral change, which is one of the biggest challenges in self-improvement (as well as healthcare, addiction treatment, and other life improvement programs). But health and happiness are more powerful motivators for change than fear and despair; make the decision to innovate because you want to, not just because you’re scared not to.

3. Use data to track your changes, too. You need to keep using data to track your improvement and maintain your focus. Outside of any program or supportive community, you can keep a journal to mark the changes that are too small to keep track of mentally. If you want to be more productive, write down how much time you’ve spent not working each day, and focus on closing that gap. If you want to eat healthier, make note of everything you consume throughout the day, and use the data to craft a healthier eating plan.

When helping people improve their lives, I often think of the man who fell off the Empire State Building. As he passed the 50th floor, he thought, “Well, so far, so good.” But, like in his situation, sometimes you have to ask yourself, “Are things really going that well, or is the floor rushing up to meet me soon?”

As humans, we’re inherent innovators, and there’s no problem we can’t make better if we recognize the need for change and the catalysts for innovation.

You’ve read The Catalyst to Innovation: 3 Ways Data Changes 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 The Golden Essay: How Olympic Moments Can Be Associated with Essay Writing, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Rio’s hype is all over the place (and the Internet). From Michael Phelps’ death stare that launched a thousand memes to Usain Bolt’s smiling shot, the 2016 Olympics never runs out of animation, excitement, and surprises. Nevertheless, every Olympics past lived up to its promise of showcasing the best athletes displaying exceptional athleticism in the global stage.

Meanwhile, there’s your dreaded college essay due tomorrow which you still haven’t started yet. Instead of summoning the guts to commence on working Mr. Evan’s paper, you opted to fantasize being in the Copacabana beach and mingling with the Cariocas. However, your keyboard just won’t type on its own. Here are some of the awe-inspiring moments in #Rio2016 and the past Olympics which ideals can be associated to improve your skills and attitude towards college essay writing.

 The Indomitable Will of Derek Redmond

Entering the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Redmond was highly touted to win it all at the Men’s 4 x 400m relay. However, while leading the charge at the 250m mark in the semi-final round, he tore his hamstring. Derek could have just waited for the medics to attend to him, but he refused. Together with Jim, his father who he leaned for support, Derek finished the race hobbling even though there was no medal left to win.

Linking it with essays

First off, your limbs have little relevance in essay writing. Kidding aside, you’re faced with different distractions that may hamper your ability to write insightful statements. Alt-tabbing from Facebook to Word, upcoming UFC fight nights, or anticipated beer pong sessions with friends are some of the innumerable interferences every college student faces. It may feel difficult to jumpstart an expected submission with these, but like Redmond, you should set your eyes on the prize. Things like essay and reviewing for midterm exams may be a bludgeoning idea, but once you start to heat up, you’ll be in the zone.

Singapore’s Schooling Takes Phelps to School

Singapore’s first Olympic gold medal couldn’t come any sweeter, as Joseph Schooling claims it at the combined expense of most decorated Olympian Michael Phelps, Chad le Clos, and László Cseh. He topped the trio silver medalists in the Men’s 100m butterfly event close to a full second (0.75 sec). It appeared that the awkward little kid Joseph was blossomed well to be a thorn on his sport idol’s conquest for the 23^rd Olympic gold medal, Michael Phelps.

Linking it with essays

There’s always a first time for everything. If you’re burned out with receiving subpar essay scores, then maybe it’s time to change that by stepping up your game. What’s that writing style that elates your professors? Have you tried beefing up your essay with verifiable data or infographic? In one way or the other, you’ll need to improve the essentials of your writing (e.g., persuasiveness, credibility, neutrality, proficiency, etc.).

Wouldn’t it be nice to finally see the sun smile at your paper? You can really never tell if that decision to unpretentiously write an essay can awaken your sleeping desire for writing and literature. If that happens, work hard until iconic authors, who’re landing lucrative deals, become your rivals.

Shaunae Miller Diving for the Gold

The Bahaman athlete seemingly stole the gold from the U.S. track star Allyson Felix by utilizing a last-ditch move in the Women’s 400m event. Miller theoretically did not violate any Olympic rule since she was able to inch her torso first by 0.07 seconds. Many have expressed their dismay and dissatisfaction in what turned out to be a nail-biting finish, but Miller wouldn’t really care about that, especially after hoisting the gold medal in the podium.

Linking it with essays

One thing that may deter your ability to furnish quality essays is the technicality of the subject or niche. Jargons make it hard for us to fully comprehend a thought or idea, further crippling us in making connections or sense with our essay’s thesis statement. However, don’t fall victim into resorting to dumb acts of plagiarism or hiring a ghost writer to get by.

Like Miller, you can utilize allowed practices in essay writing. These include paraphrasing and copy-and-improve techniques. However, these only work at best if you pair it with your personal insights and unique vantage point of the topic.

Be mindful of the fact that your professors employ plagiarism checkers; these often trace any similarity or pattern with your work and ones that sit on someone’s website or blog. If you fail to properly paraphrase or opt to rely solely on someone else’s way of thinking, you’re bound to receive heart-wrenching remarks. Go the extra mile.

Jamaica’s Bolt Smiling for the Camera

Usain scored another lopsided win in what could be the first of many gold medals he’ll bag in Rio. It seems that the thought of a three-peat wasn’t enough for him since he even flashed an enormous grin much to the delight of the Carioca Arena crowd and Internet trolls. The lightning-quick speed he demonstrated in that particular race, Men’s 100m, proves how unscathed and immaculate he is in sprinting (except at times he was rallying from deficits that he eventually conquered).

Linking it with essays

That’s how we like it in doing essays – fun and fast. But for us to increase our words typed – and thought – per hour, we need to be focused and dedicated. Close those tabs and apps that slow you down. Like Bolt’s mother said, “you can always go fast when you keep it light.”

There are times though that you would prefer taking it slow. These are essay topics that demand intensive research or know-how of the topic, since your professor just won’t let half-assed submissions cut it. This is where scouting comes to play – the information coming from close observation of your professor’s demands, guidelines, and expectations.

I am in nowhere trying to convince you to be complacent. Work and study smartly, but remember that the ones who truly emerge victorious are the ones who go beyond what people think is enough.

Nevertheless, essay writing should be fun right? It’s one of the proven yardsticks in learning. Nothing tops the feeling of finally submitting that crafted essay you toiled for hours – it’s as comparable to Olympic weightlifters who screeched their roars following a successful lift. Reward yourself with a thriller finale of the men’s basketball Monday event, after you have beautifully – and enthusiastically –completed that psychology paper.

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Wade is an essayist at wedoessay.com He incorporates nature’s beauty in his writing. Besides excellence, he puts his lovely wife and two kids at the center of his craft. He is fond of physical contact sports and considers South America as a haven for tourists.

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You’re reading 7 Tips to Motivate Yourself for a Morning Workout, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Once you decide you want to start exercising for better health or to lose weight, the biggest obstacle you come across is the timing of exercise. It can be quite difficult to make a daily schedule that includes all your commitments and training as well. That’s why working out in the morning is quite useful, and most people prefer early workouts. You get your daily dose of physical activity that also makes you more productive and energetic. The chances are high you’ve already thought about morning workouts, but you can’t make yourself get up and move. The primary goal of this article is to provide useful tips to motivate you for early morning workouts. It’s easy; you’ll see!

1. Have a cup of coffee immediately after waking up

Okay, you probably do this every day anyway. To most people, the standard morning ritual includes making a cup of coffee before moving on to other things. Contrary to the popular belief that coffee has some adverse effects on exercise, the study published in the journal Sports Medicine revealed there is no evidence that coffee intake leads to dehydration, ion imbalance, or other side effects.

In fact, a cup of coffee poses as the most powerful tool that can improve both physical and mental performance. For example, the Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine featured a research which showed that caffeine maintained vigilance and improved running performance in participants who were Special Forces personnel.

Therefore, a single cup of coffee will make you more willing to be active, and it will improve your performance in the gym.

2. Move the alarm clock

How many times have you pressed the snooze button as soon as the alarm went off? Every time you decide to stay in bed for another five minutes, you lose willpower to go to the gym and exercise. Moving the alarm clock is one of the most practical tips to retain early morning workout motivation. Why? It’s because you won’t be able to press snooze and you’ll get out of the bed. That way, you won’t feel like going back to bed, and you’ll find it easier to go to the gym. Your alarm clock and/or phone shouldn’t be near you, but in the corner, you can’t reach.

3. Exercise with a friend

Having a morning workout with a friend is a great motivator. Why? It’s because when you arrange to pick up your friend or meet him/her at the gym or at a particular spot to go for a run, you won’t decide to stay in bed and leave your friend alone there. You’re less likely to pull out when you know someone’s waiting for you.

It’s not a coincidence that most workout tips mention you should exercise with a friend. In fact, the benefits of a “buddy system” are well-documented. The Psychology of Sport and Exercise published results of the study which showed that habits of people you know have a positive impact on your exercise habits. Training partners provide a powerful combination of healthy competition, accountability, motivation, and support. If your friends or family members don’t want to exercise early, don’t let that stop you. You can buddy up with a co-worker, someone from your gym, and so on.

4. Make sure there are mints on your nightstand

Grabbing a mint the second your alarm goes off can prevent you from going back to bed. First of all, mint is refreshing, and it can tackle bad breath in the morning. Also, mint stimulates your brain and makes you alert. Since the greatest obstacle that most people meet in the morning is a desire to go back to sleep, mints can help you avoid it. Once you’re not sleepy anymore, you are more likely to get ready and exercise.

5. Pack your gear before bedtime

Another common problem that puts people off when it comes to morning exercise is preparing all the gear the first thing in the morning. You don’t feel like finding your sneakers, water bottle, clothes, and you just give up. There’s an easy way to prevent this unwanted scenario – pack all your gear the night before and keep it near the bed, i.e. on the chair. When your gym stuff is the first thing you see when you wake up, you’ll find it easier to get up and go.

6. Have a set goal

People are more likely to stick to their exercise routines when they write them down and create a schedule. Every Sunday night, create the workout schedule for the upcoming week. Write down the timing of your workouts into the planner and treat them like any other appointment. If you can’t exercise that particular morning, write down the reason why you couldn’t. At the end of the week, analyze the excuse(s) and look for different ways to overcome them.

7. Get enough sleep

If you go to bed at 2 am it will be harder for you to get up at 6 am and exercise. Lack of sleep poses as one of the most dangerous threats to morning workouts and the reason is simple – your body is still tired, you don’t wake up refreshed or energized, and your productivity suffers. Sometimes, you don’t even feel ready to endure a short, 20-minute workout. Since sleep is necessary for overall health and wellbeing, as well as your morning workout motivation, going to bed early and getting enough sleep is a must.

Other things to do

• Write down your progress

• Reward yourself

• Create a blog and write about your workouts

• Avoid negative thinking

• Have a good playlist

• Hydrate

• Plan a well-balanced and delicious post-workout breakfast

Conclusion

Although most people would like to exercise in the morning, they find it difficult to stay motivated because they don’t get enough sleep or organize things thoroughly. This article showed some easy and practical tips you can use to ensure that once the alarm goes off, you don’t think about sleeping anymore.

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David Gomes completed his M.S Professional degree in California Institute of Technology. He lives in Oakland, California, USA. He loves to write on a variety of topics such as joint health, weight loss, beauty and skin care for blogs and on-line publication sites. He also loves the latest technology, gadgets. You can connect with him on Google+ and Twitter.

You’ve read 7 Tips to Motivate Yourself for a Morning Workout, 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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