Does this scenario sound anything like your life? Hard at work on an important project, eight or more hours a day at the office, arrive home to take care of household errands, projects, dinner, and car pool for the children, and maybe end the day with an additional hour or two of work to make the next day go a little smoother, so you tell yourself. This same day repeats itself Monday through Friday and the weekends are not much more fun.

Fun, remember that word, when was the last time you contemplated having some? Are you aware that the week I just described could become a lot more tolerable if you added a little fun in the mix? So why don’t you take the time to enjoy yourself more? Some see fun as unworthy of their time and even trivial. There is important work to do, right? What you may not realize is that fun is not a distraction from your successful life, but in fact can lead you to it.

Remember what it feels like to laugh uncontrollably until your sides hurt? If the last time you experienced that kind of fun was when you were a kid, then it is time to make plans. And not just for the fun of it, there is actually scientific proof that laughter is good for your health and your work.

• Laughter releases endorphins – just like exercise and chocolate!
• Laughter bolsters the immune system
• Play encourages creativity and thinking on the right side of the brain
• Reduces stress and burnout ” Play improves communication skills
• Play recaptures the spontaneity of childhood

By adding some fun into your life, that next big project that seems impossible to complete, can be completed with more ease and creativity as a result of taking time for fun and allowing your brain to stretch and rest. I hope I have convinced you that you should add some fun into your routine. If I have you may now be saying, “so what is that I will do to have fun”. What did you get lost in for hours as a child? Did you play alone or prefer a playmate, indoors or out of doors? Start remembering what you really loved to do, you will find that your childhood memories may help you to uncover your fun meter. Or you may already know what you love and be ready to make plans. I believe if you say, “You’re right I’m going to try to start having some fun”, you have not made a real commitment and it will never happen. But if you sit down and create a list of activities that you would enjoy doing and then start the planning process, then you will have created the structures to ensure you have some fun.

List of fun activities Enjoy a night at the movies with a good friend–Actions to make it happen–Pick up the phone and make the invitation.

I enjoy gardening–Actions to make it happen–Schedule time after work to stop at garden store and begin planning.

I love picnics–Actions to make it happen–Surprise your family and create a picnic dinner to share at the park or in the backyard-do it today or tomorrow.

A ballgame with a friend–Actions to make it happen–Get online order the tickets, call your friend and make the invitation.

A quiet bath–Actions to make it happen–Tell your family you will be unavailable for two hours, pick up some wine, candles and great music…today and enjoy! You get the idea. Now here is a challenge–make your own list of fun activities and keep it posted in clear view so that it is easily seen. It will remind you to have some fun occasionally. I encourage you to actually schedule some fun in your life. Pull out your PDA and schedule it now!

Donna Amos

Business Coach and Strategist

Infinite Possibilities Coaching

http://www.donnaamos.com

donna@donnaamos.com

Donna supports solopreneurs while they create incredible profitable businesses while maintaining balance in their lives. She only works with those that are committed and ready to take action. Email her to learn how she can help you create a successful business.

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Imagine happiness is a fire that burns within us and to keep the flame bright we need to feed it regularly. The fuel is the 10 Sticks of Happiness, an old Lakota understanding about happiness.

It is OK to want possessions-a good sound system, a sporty car, nice clothes, etc. And we all need some pleasures in life. The problems start if we believe that pleasures and possessions are the way to be happy. We soon find that we can never get enough of them. Research shows that more money does not increase happiness.

What do we mean by happiness?

When you are happy:

• You feel joy, peace and contentment
• You are pleased with who you are
• People enjoy being around you
• You have higher self esteem
• Your life is improved physically
• You can more easily solve any problems that may arise
• You have additional energy
• Your life is improved in every way

10 Sticks of Happiness

I am learning:

1. That I am the most unique and special manifestation of creation.

Is there anyone else sees the world exactly as you do, has your thought, hopes and dreams? That makes you unique and special.

2. To appreciate all that I am and have.

You can never be happy unless you appreciate who you are and what you’ve got. The alternative is always to be wanting to be someone else, or to have something else and this does not bring happiness.

3. To approach life with optimism and trust.

It’s hard to be happy when you have a negative view on life. Given that both negative and positive views are just interpretations, why not choose the one that makes you happy and be optimistic and trusting.

4. To set new and interesting goals for myself.

We are naturally innovative. We want to improve things, make them better. Without new and interesting goals we become stagnant and depressed.

5. To adapt with the changes in my life.

All of life is change. Everything is changing all the time. It’s much easier to be like a willow tree and bend with the wind rather than be rigid and break.

6. To live today as if it is my last day

One day it will be your last and you will want to appreciate each and every minute. Why wait until then?

7. To deepen the love of myself.

The power of love can help you overcome anything that faces you. When you truly love yourself you will have a power that others will see.

8. To understand the other.

When I can see the world through the eyes of the other and empathize with their feelings, I become wiser, kinder, gentler and less concerned about myself.

9. To avoid being a perfectionist.

Nothing in life or nature is ever perfect. Expecting it from yourself and others is a definite route to unhappiness.

10. I am learning to laugh with life.

If you can smile at your problems and laugh when things get you down you will live a longer, healthier and happier life.

Mike W Bell has over 15 years international experience teaching people how to be happy. You will find this expertise here http://www.mutualinspiration.co.uk/behappy/ Learn about his free 8-part Strengthen Your Inner Happiness course here http://www.mutualinspiration.co.uk/behappy/strengthen-your-inner-happiness/

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Being transparent within yourself will enhance and strengthen your own happiness. Being transparent within your relationships will help you spread happiness.

It is essential that you try to be transparent within yourself. You cannot hide from yourself forever. You make mistakes just as well as the next person. (I make mistakes just as surely as you do.)

To try to deceive yourself about those mistakes is foolish. Even if you succeed in repressing those mistakes, they will find you out in such things as anxiety or even lower back pain.

To repress feelings caused by hidden mistakes is like stuffing a plastic garbage bag. You can stuff and stuff but eventually the bag will become too full and burst. When it does burst, you will have garbage all over yourself.

The most important place where it is not a good idea to be opaque is in your relationship is with The All There Is (Tathis). As you make contact with and develop a connection between yourself and Tathis, where you find your meaning, which is to be happy, when you try to keep mistakes from Tathis, you mess up that connection.

(Tathis is a word I coined to remove as much baggage as possible from the term “God.” It is a combination of the first letter of The, the first letter of All, the first two letters of There, and the entire word Is. It is pronounced with a long “a” and the word “this.” I hope you can see that Tathis is a non-baggage participant here.)

In your kinship with Tathis you need to be as transparent as you can be. This is for your own sake, not for the sake of Tathis. Tathis “knows” all there is to know about you anyway. So hiding yourself in any form from Tathis is counterproductive. You cut yourself off.

Notice please that “you cut yourself off.” Tathis is always there, living in the background so to speak, waiting for you to remove your own self-imposed barrier to Tathis. It is you who have distanced yourself from Tathis.

When you go seeking happiness and meaning, you make a connection with Tathis. This linkage is strengthened and expanded over time through the meditative arts. In some form of prayer and or meditation, which suits you, you reinforce this kinship with Tathis on a regular basis.

In that meditation you find that you are completely accepted. Which means that you can be completely transparent with Tathis. You cannot hide anything anyway. So why not be completely transparent? You will be the better for it. I know.

When you bare your spirit in that relationship with The All There Is, you have come clean. It is so good to have completely let it all go. You need hide nothing anymore. (You cannot hide anything, anyway.)

What a great feeling it is to have become completely transparent and still be totally and unconditionally accepted by Tathis. It is completely liberating. It is part of the bliss you can feel in that relationship with Tathis.

But then there is more – you can then be more transparent with other humans in your relationship circle.

I am not saying that you must be completely transparent. Not everyone is going to accept you just as you if you reveal everything. There are those who consider it their duty to criticize others. Revealing yourself to them in too big a way is a mistake.

So you cautiously reveal yourself, a little at a time. See how those around you react or do not react. See who you can trust. You will find a few who you can trust totally with who you really are. These are the ones you need to build long term relationships with.

They need also to trust you when they become transparent to you. You need to keep their confidences. You need to try to accept them just as they are as well.

Truly you may not be able to keep all confidences. You may not be able to accept everyone just as they are. These folks you may need to break off with or distance yourself from. You cannot be super-human in your associations. You need not expect yourself to be.

But so far as is possible and good, try to be transparent within yourself, with Tathis, within your affinities with friends and relatives, and allow others to be transparent with you.

This transparency, all around, will help you have greater happiness and meaning. Begin now to be more transparent.

This has been Dr. Bob 4 U, and I invite you to change your life for the better by claiming your Free Instant Access to a Force-Source-Resource. Just Click Here. Remember, one bit of information can give you a lifetime of satisfaction.

My Vlog: http://themeaningoflifewithdrbob.com/drbobslifephrases

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I was watching my two granddaughters a couple of days ago and four-year-old Rosannah was in a bad mood. It was bed time and I asked her to choose a story for me to read to her and her sister. She asked for a couple of books I did not see. I had a feeling it was a stalling tactic to avoid going to bed so I asked if she wanted me to read from a princess book I had recently given her for her birthday.

“I want the one about the STINKY princess!” she demanded.

I knew there was no such book, so I pulled out the traditional and unscented version and decided to improvise.

While stinky scenarios such as farting, stepping in dog poo and pooping in your pants are the kind of comedy four-year-olds love, no one really wants to hear about that behavior in princesses. These classy royal highnesses have an image to maintain after all. Rosannah quickly opted for the “not stinky princess” edition.

That is not to say that Rosannah won’t laugh at a book that features a farting dog, Pepe le Pew or some other odoriferous character, but in my granddaughter’s eyes (and nose) princesses are sacrosanct from fetid bodily emanations. I’m sure the royal diaper changer has another opinion, but I digress.

Fast forward to last night when I received a call from a man I’ll call George. George called on the guise of giving me information, but basically he wanted to complain. He lamented that he wasn’t seeing the results in his life that he expected and whined about how “nothing” in his life was going well. I reminded him of some of his recent victories and how important it was to build and focus on his successes, show gratitude etc, but he wasn’t hearing any of it. In fact, he was intent on pulling out every negative scenario he could think of and regurgitate it to me. I could tell these stories had been turned into internal movies he played over and over and over again.

Although he said he was unhappy and wanted something better, I suspect his actions to achieve his goals conflicted with his desires. Based on how passionate he was about his tales of woe, I had the feeling he relished in his misery. It made me think of how a dog loves to roll around in poop or some other fetid substance. The difference is the dog doesn’t complain about his smelly circumstances. He WANTS to be stinky. They LOVE that smell. Give a dog a bath, let him run in the backyard and he will seek the stink every time.

If you seek a better way, I can offer a better alternative.

Here are a few tips.

Don’t blame others for your problems.

Lose the victim mentality and take responsibility for your life – bumps and all. Life is not something that is handed to you, it is something you create. Adopt a proactive approach that shifts from “What can I get?” to “What can I contribute?” Next time you find yourself wanting to point a blaming finger at someone else, take note of your hand. While your finger and thumb may be pointing at someone else, three fingers are pointed right back at you!

Align yourself with people, situations or organizations that can help put you on a successful path.

Ask yourself, “What am I focusing on?” If it’s not positive, redirect your thoughts.

Take responsibility and find ways to succeed.

If people put more energy into solving problems instead of whining about them, all of our lives would be easier. When Thomas Alva Edison was experimenting with the correct filament for his light bulb, he was unsuccessful more than 1,000 times. Rather than becoming discouraged he is quoted as saying, “We now know a thousand ways not to build a light bulb”. What an enlightened concept!

Forgive.

Victims are often shackled by their inability, or unwillingness, to forgive others or themselves. Harboring resentments, even those that seem justified, do not help the situation. In fact, it makes it worse. Corrie Ten Boom said, “Forgiveness is setting the prisoner free, only to find out that the prisoner was me.” We cannot change the past. Forgive others, or yourself, and move on. Your heart will be lighter and you will be able to pursue happier endeavors.

In conclusion I ask that you follow my granddaughter’s lead. She could have heard a story about a stinky princess (I already had a plot in mind) but she decided to go with the unscented version. Life isn’t always happily ever after, but if you focus on what’s good in life as opposed to what stinks, it makes more sense (and scents) that you will look, feel and smell a lot better.

Sally Marks
Coauthor of the self-improvement book, Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within. Check out her website at http://www.erasenegativity.com.

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Though I do not typically acknowledge it, many observers have said that tragedy struck my life fourteen years ago at the age of twenty. I was just about to begin my senior year at the University of Florida when I incurred a high-level spinal cord injury which rendered me paralyzed from the neck down and ventilator-dependent, much like the late Christopher Reeve.

Faced with high-level quadriplegia, not to mention relying on a machine to breathe for me, it took me a while to learn how to live in this condition. I was depressed for months. I did not know what I could still do. I had to learn and focus on what I can do. What about happiness?

I eventually learned to identify with this quote from our first 1st Lady, Martha Washington, who said, “I am still determined to be cheerful and happy — in whatever situation I may be — for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.”

Even in my situation, despite my paralysis and ventilator, I truly believe that I am blessed in many ways (for which I am humbly grateful). I recognize that there is always someone in a more difficult situation. Consequently, happiness is a matter of perspective and a choice.

Happiness is choosing to find the positive, even in less-than-ideal situations. But what makes choosing to be happy MUCH EASIER is finding your niche — something you enjoy and that you are passionate about.

Finding your niche is even better if what you are passionate about can become a job or business opportunity. The Chinese philosopher Confucius said, “Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

Losing one’s job can be a personal tragedy. Many people have experienced job loss as a result of the poor economy in recent years. That happened to Ken Knorr, who decided that since he no longer had a paycheck, that it was time to pursue an entrepreneurial endeavor. That entrepreneurial endeavor is now called THAT Company — which ranks No. 183 on the 2011 Inc. 500′s List of America’s fastest-growing private companies.

Regarding entrepreneurship, Knorr said, “There’s no greater way to be inspired than to be fired!” If what you are passionate about happens to be an unmet or underserved need in the world, or your part of the world, you could turn a personal tragedy like being fired into a business opportunity!

Personally, I am passionate about helping people (what I believe is doing God’s will). After my injury, my family and I recognized an unmet need for physical recreation and social opportunity for wheelchair users, especially power wheelchair users. This led to the development of a wheelchair bowling device called the IKAN (“I can”) Bowler that can empower its user. That also became an entrepreneurial endeavor to get wheelchair users (back) in the game of life!

Regardless of what personal tragedy you may experience, do keep in mind that a good way to emerge and find happiness is to seek a healthy perspective, and find your niche — something you enjoy and that you are passionate about.

If you are wondering why I do not typically acknowledge my injury as a personal tragedy, it is because many positives have ultimately resulted from me being paralyzed.

William A. Miller is a C1-2 quadriplegic, a motivational/inspirational speaker, and a co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills, Inc. He is also currently enrolled in the Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship Program at Western Carolina University. Visit his personal website here: http://www.lookmomnohands.net. Webmasters and other article publishers are hereby granted article reproduction permission as long as this article in its entirety, author’s information, and any links remain intact. Copyright 2011 by William A. Miller.

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During life, we may sometimes find ourselves in a slump, experiencing sadness, emptiness, or withdrawal at times when we know our lives should be making us happy. This can be confusing. Why, if all seems as it should be, are we not happy? What is in our way or stopping us from experiencing the happiness we deserve? Sometimes, it is us. Sometimes, we are the ones who have chosen to be unhappy. Why do we do this? Because, at one point in our lives, we may have experienced something that made us think our life was an unhappy place. We then decided to hold onto this feeling because we expected it to come back to us. However, sadness is not our natural state of being; it is not who we are.

Sadness is perception and emotion tied together. Sadness can be let go of and be replaced by our happiness. We can choose to allow ourselves the experience of being happy again. We do not need to continue down the path of our predetermined sadness any longer. Happiness is not an illusion nor is it meant to be temporary. In fact, it is our natural state of being when we have nothing in the way. Unhappiness is caused by us closing ourselves off from life. We are trying to protect ourselves from the experience of being happy and then losing it.

Without realizing it, we are defending our unhappiness by stopping any possibility of further happiness in our lives. This circle of retreating from life is an example of why so many people are unhappy. This is not a choice made with awareness, for who would wish to be unhappy? In order to fully let go of this cycle, one that was perpetrated by a moment in your past, we need to open ourselves up, expose our hearts, and trust once again that life can bring us happiness. Our previous choice has forced us to abandon this reality.

We can free ourselves up once again to experience life in a way where we can be happy. Let go of how you think life is. Open yourself up to the possibility that life might be different than how you think it is. Remember that what you have thought about life was a judgment, a choice, a predetermined decision based on your past and your past experiences; it is not where you are today. Let your mind be open. Let your heart open; feel yourself letting go. Happiness is not about making yourself a certain way or forcing sadness out, but about experiencing now, fully clear and aware of where you are.

Once we let go of our perceptions, thoughts, fears, and choices, we are open to the moment; this is where happiness is. It is not magic, an illusion, or temporary. It is where we are already. We just have to open up to it by letting go of the way we think life is. Even though we may have been hurt before, we let it go. Even though life was hard, we set this free. Even if all you believe you have experienced before was sadness, you too can exist without it in your life. Freedom from sadness is believing it can be different by letting go of what you thought life was. Let your judgments cease, your ideas lay idle, and your emotions flourish with this new opening to life. We all wish to be happy; we seek this continuously, but we never know quite how to get there. Well, you are already there; it is now, not tomorrow, or a day from now, but right where you are today. In this moment, release what was, what you thought and felt, and just be open to where you are right now; nothing more is needed. You will find that just be being consciously in the moment, free of predetermined ideas or thoughts, you can and will see the reality of the moment. You will see the possibility of happiness right now and begin to finally feel it.

Open up to the peace you will find when you finally see yourself, your true self, and learn how to truly be in the moment at Answers in Writing.

Adam Benedetto and Zoe Young are both dedicated to enabling others to reach their full potential in life, to help others release what is holding them back, and to find their true selves. Through years of experience and development, both have sought out the answers we all need to find peace, understand ourselves, and reach enlightenment.

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It has been said by many a great leader that those who do not enjoy their everyday job are missing out on one of life’s great pleasures. How many people can agree that the work they get paid, hourly, weekly, monthly to do is a great pleasure of life? Perhaps the money they receive is worth getting up in the morning for, most would agree that is a motivator, but the actual work itself? Too many people strive only to make it to the weekend. The daily business of work is nothing more than one of life’s punishments.

Work has an impact on the big picture of life, but what about the hours in between, the ones meant for more. Down time? Up time? Me time? What if those hours are wasted away with no real pleasure associated to them either. What are you left with? Work that is drudgery and a personal life without substance.

Going through life without a clear direction or purpose not only leaves a person stranded on their journey forward, it causes added stress and anxiety. What most people do not realize is the importance of having a story, something to hold on to when the turbulence of life bumps you around. A life story will engage all your senses, invigorate your brain to act and react, plan and propose, interact and engage the world around you.

Five Steps to Finding Purpose:

1. Take time to think – Take the time to ponder what is important. Time is a commodity we throw away for the most trivial things. Spend the necessary time to rediscover who you are and what gets you excited. Carve out moments in your day to reflect and be still.

1. Understand your core values – Write out ten things that are important to you. Values passed down from your family, or ones you have come to believe in on your own. Core values determine if you will gossip, steal, or even wake up early to exercise. These are personal and unique to who are as a human being.

1. Put together a mission statement – This is a one sentence thesis of your life that will guide you through the difficult times when your direction is no longer clear, when everything becomes uncertain. Going back to your mission statement will remind you of the ‘what’ in your life, possibly the ‘how’ and certainly the ‘why’. WHY is the most important motivator there is.

1. Determine the outcome – The power of your thoughts is immeasurable. If you believe you can’t then you won’t. If you think you will fail then you will. It is time to take back your thought life and fill it with positive words that encourage and affirm. When you believe in something you work harder to achieve and success is the natural outcome.

1. Do hard things – Life is not easy. Challenges arise and confront ready to sabotage the good work you have strived and fought for. It is in those moments that leadership, integrity and character can emerge and be the victor. If everyone gave up when life became hard we would live in a desolate and barren existence without the pleasures we enjoy now. Great people build monuments out of the stones their critics throw at them.

What’s the point?

Everyone was created for a purpose. Without one we are just floating along in an empty existence that is meaningless. Write your life story before it is written for you.

Karen Pasqualucci is a passionate, lifelong learner. She is an author, artist, entrepreneur, internationally accomplished speaker/trainer, a third degree black belt in Taijitsu and a homeschool mom of three. She shares her newest insights on her blog at http://DoodleMeanings.com and gives away a FREE Guide to discovering the secrets your doodles reveal! Come and get it!

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The crown of happiness can be worn by each individual as a gift of their life, as it’s a magical medicine that leads to long, healthy and resilient life. Happiness cannot be defined for it does not give one single meaning by all. One must fill oneself with the feel of contentment to enjoy the intense feel of happiness. It is surrendered to the actual situation that we are surrounded by.

Life is a gift enfolded with happiness and as well darkness. There is a light at the end of every tunnel; the sun returns after every storm. The essence of goodness of life is felt when we lift ourselves out of the darkness and appreciate the good things in life. It is essential by every individual to get wrapped with positive thoughts, for it enlightens the relationship with family and peers. Surround yourself with strong bonds to get wrapped in positive thoughts for it’s not an easy task. True happiness is felt at giving, though money can plenty things that would make your life more comfortable and luxurious, you cannot find contentment until your heart rest into authentic happiness.

If you wish to be happy and cheerful, act in that way and then you will soon get yourself being that way. Let your sadness shrink itself by the pleasure to face the happiness and pleasure in your face. Derive the desire in you to feel content and then make sure you deserve it with your lifestyle and try to put happiness back into your life. The best way to go ahead in life is to help other get ahead, brighten their day in turn; it will make you feel good. Keep your life simple to make the world around you a nicer, more peaceful, friendlier, and happier place to live.

Life is not to prove others as what you are; it should not contain explanations for trust, neither a challenge to our personal self. Soften your conversation, cover your anger with a blanket of peace and silence, be flexible for every relationship holds its own meaning and it’s not meant for gridlocks and conflict.

The creative solution out of problems to keep the life simple is to prioritize. At times one may find it hard to let things go but neither easy to hold on too, and it is then that they must prioritize and overcome negative energy, conflict, lack of civility. Love yourself and you will love others more than they could expect. Love is not just to yearn from others; it is to fill one and to share with others.

Happiness is to enjoy yourself and for this does not live in your own little world rather enjoy with the worlds of others and let your world be enjoyed by others. Authentic happiness is a state of mind, so do not just look at the circumstances; look above and beyond them. It always pays to put others before you; it is the path to true happiness. Happiness should always be felt within you.

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When you have low self-esteem, you are short changing yourself and your ability to strive to be the best that you can be. Having a healthy self-esteem is necessary for living a life full of happiness and confidence. What you think about yourself, both good and bad, has implications on your self-esteem.

While it’s not uncommon to have negative thoughts and experience bad feelings about yourself every so often, it’s important to recognize when this is happening. Your thoughts give rise to your feelings, so if you are thinking “I am such an idiot”, you are going to feel bad about yourself.

Fortunately, with a few small changes, you can be on your way to developing a healthy self-esteem. Follow these tips to get you there:

1.) Steer clear of negative people. Stay away from people that insult others and put you down. When you are vulnerable it may be easy to believe what they are saying even though they are wrong, but it can still hurt and tear down your self-esteem.

• Sometimes people will give you advice thinking they are helping you, even though it’s not sensible information. Always remember that you know yourself best and don’t let anyone send you in the wrong direction of your dreams.

2.) Say “thank you” when given a compliment. This may seem obvious, but how often does someone pay you a compliment and you are quick to brush it off or think that they are lying to you? Believe that most people are kind and sincere and wouldn’t waste their time saying something nice about you if it weren’t true.

• Make it a point to pay attention to what you get complimented on, this will also serve to improve your self-confidence.

3.) Seek outside help. There is no reason to be ashamed for trying to better yourself and live the best life that you can. It is a courageous journey to take. There is plenty of help available for developing a healthy self-esteem from hiring a life coach, to getting self-help books, to a qualified therapist.

• There are online resources available for improving self-esteem including workbooks, guides, and even online classes.

4.) Learn how to use affirmations. Positive affirmations can be a powerful tool to aid in giving your self-esteem a boost. These are statements phrased in the present tense, positive form that you repeat to yourself often.

• Affirmations can be used for any area of your life that you are seeking to change or improve. When written in your own words, using language you would use, they provide impressive results.

5.) Stop comparing. Everyone is different, and you were born with your own unique set of talents, abilities, and looks. And with those come both strengths and weaknesses. Work to develop your strengths and continuously remind yourself what you do well, rather than what you don’t do so well.

6.) Set goals. Setting goals and having the motivation to achieve them also contributes to a healthy self-esteem. Take the time to figure out what you want in the short term and long term. Then determine the steps you will need to get there.

• Having a plan of action provides you with a sense of control over your life and a sense of accomplishment.

7.) Take setbacks in stride. There are always going to be things that don’t go your way or work out the way that you planned them. It’s how you react to these times that can make or break your self-esteem.

Part of developing a healthy self-esteem is about changing the way you see and think about yourself, setting and achieving goals to provide a sense of accomplishment, and seeking solutions to challenges you are faced with. Integrating these tips into your life will bring you the positive changes you seek and allow you live a happier more fulfilled life.

Get your free PDF download on 25 Ways to Boost Your Self-Esteem, and read articles on improving self-esteem, goal setting, and much more by visiting www.RescueYourSelfEsteem.com a popular website with advice, tips, and resources on personal growth founded by Julianna Gauthier.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julianna_Gauthier
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• Healthy Self-Esteem – Believing You’re The Greatest
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• Health and Happiness – 7 Tips to Create Both Now
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• Find Happiness and Health Through Developing Your Skill of Happiness

How’s your life going? Are you living it fully or you just getting by? Do you LOVE your life or do you feel like you’re just getting through day by day? We often hear about people making their dreams come true. There’s all sorts of advice out there telling you what your dreams should be and then giving you advice on how to obtain your dreams. Whether it’s losing weight or getting rich, chances are there are plenty of infomercials on every day trying to sell you “your dream”.

Don’t be fooled. Your dreams are yours and yours alone. No one else knows what they are. In fact, I’d be willing to say many of you don’t even know what your dreams are. You probably have some idea, but have you ever stopped to actually detail your dreams?

I can’t give you all the details on how to make your dreams come true, but I can definitely get you started. To live it, you have to define it. Even if you feel you’re living the life you’ve always wanted, it’s good to often take stock and re-define. A funny thing happens once we become perfectly clear about what we want – things begin to change. At first, it could be some very minor decisions you make because you have these goals in mind, but every step counts. Consciously knowing where you want to be in life will set you on the path to receiving all you want.

Define your dreams by being very specific about exactly what you want your life to look like. Take out a notebook and put down phrases, draw pictures, make notes. Anything goes here. Where are you living? Who are you with? What are you doing? Most importantly, how do you feel? Be creative, be specific, and certainly be true to yourself. Do this often and watch your life transform.

Betsy McGuire invites you to visit http://www.chickpeawellness.com/ and sign up to receive her mind, body, and spirit blog the day entries are made. You can also “like” Chickpea Wellness on Facebook and receive new articles on your wall.

Copyright 2011 Chickpea Wellness, LLC

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Betsy_McGuire
http://EzineArticles.com/?Dream-Your-Dream&id=6583067

Related posts:

• Are You Living The Dream?
• Do you quit before you’ve given it everything you’ve got?
• Love of Life
• Dream Big – Why You Should When Others Say You Shouldn’t
• June 6, 2011 – Starting Over