Easy Ways to Remain Motivated

Motivating yourself to excel at your job or to be an example to your employees, should not be something you do only when the spirit moves you.  It’s an ongoing process that should include every facet of your business life. This means your mental attitude, physical well-being and appearance, work atmosphere, your interaction with others (clients and employees alike), and your off-the-job environment.

Motivational experts get paid big bucks to tell professionals, striving for success, that they must constantly examine these factors.  How do you do that?  Follow the 5 tips that follow, and watch the changes.

1. Maintain a Positive Attitude – Let’s realize that life is only 10% of what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.  We’re responsible for our own actions and attitudes, and changing them when appropriate.  When you’re around people/things that are uplifting and positive, you feel that way.  You have more confidence in yourself, and know you can change whatever needs changing. If you can make your workplace such a place you’ll find happier workers and higher production. You might even find your employees look forward to coming to work!

2. Leave Personal Troubles Home - Everyone has problems, but they don’t belong at work. Turn your attention and energy entirely to your on-the-job tasks.  This will actually be good for you because you’ll get a mental break from your troubles.

3. Create Positive Affirmations - The reason for writing goals for your business is the same as creating positive affirmations on paper.  What your eyes see and ears hear, your mind will believe.  Try it!  After you’ve written them down, read them aloud to yourself – and do it every morning when you get into work.  You’ll be amazed at what happens.  Come up with a set of new ones every month.  Statements such as, “I’m an important and valuable person,” or “I know I’ll make good use of my time today.”  Repeating them out loud everyday at a set time will help reinforce positive actions.

4. Make Sure Break Times Are Really Break Times - This is an area where most bosses/entrepreneurs fall down.  You become so intense about the project or situation you’re working on that you don’t ease up.  Thinking that it’ll be solved in the next few seconds, and then you’ll get a cup of coffee can lead you right up to quitting time.  Regularly adhering to a specified break schedule, even if you’re the boss, releases the tension.  If you work on a computer this is even a greater problem because before you realize it – you’ve been working in that same position for hours.  The best answer to this is to set yourself a reminder on your appointment calendar for every 2 hours, and let the computer reminder chime send you the alert to move around.

5. Exercise, Exercise, Exercise - I know that lately it seems that “exercise” is the cure-all to every physical ailment or your love life, but despite that there is some truth to that ugly word.  By “exercise” I don’t mean that you should go out and join a gym and spend your lunch-time, 3-days-a-week there working out.  What is really beneficial and workable is that at those chiming alerts from your computer, get up and walk around your desk or room.  Maybe go outside and get the mail and enjoy the sunlight (if you’re an entrepreneur that has a home office), or just get up and do a few stretches.  Concentrated, tense thinking – typing – plotting plans – or whatever your work, makes all those muscles tighten up and knot up.  Then when we move we “ooh” and “ouch” because we’ve knotted up into a ball of tension. Periodic stretching, even at our desk, or just getting up and walking over to the window and getting a different view can help.  One of the greatest disservice modern business décor has done to us, is making our offices pristine, sleek, unencumbered spaces.  There is nothing more relaxing than getting up from your desk and walking over to a peaceful, serene, seascape or pastoral painting and just drinking it in visually.  Momentarily transporting your mind out of work and into that place does wonders.  A few good paintings and less shiny chrome in offices would benefit us all.

It only takes a little concentrated effort on our part to keep motivated and productive, which leads to success.  I know you’re going to hate hearing this, but it’s true anyway – and that is, “WHEN LIFE GIVES YOUR LEMONS – MAKE LEMONADE!”

Reflect and Assess Where Yiou Are:-

At some point on your road to your goals, you’ll need to take some time to reflect and assess where you are, where you’ve been, and how this is affecting where you want to go.

One way you can determine how you’re doing and where you’ve been is to journal.  I personally am not a journaler, nor do I think everyone needs to be.  But journaling is a great way to track your progress.  If you feel intimidated by a blank book that’s sold as a “journal,” blog it.  Blogging is a good way to put your thoughts down and out there in cyberspace.

Or choose an audio-method:  speak in to a tape recorder.  If, like me, you’re not a journaler, keep track of your progress and setbacks in the form of check-marks or some other recording-method.

I personally like to reassess after achieving some part of my goal.  There is usually a natural denouement that comes with an accomplishment—a little bit of “time off,” as it were.  I use that time to consider what I’ve finished and how it fits in to my goals and success.

Another time to reflect and consider is when you’ve hit a stumbling block.  As you look at the obstacle in front of you, try to figure out where it came from and why you might not have seen it before you tripped over it.

If you have strayed off-course and found this boulder that way, this is the time to determine that.  If you’ve lost sight of your values, you may have found this problem as a result of that.  Reassess now and get back on track.  Don’t forget your key value of integrity and realize that integrity is the most important thing as you pursue success.

Finally, use reflection time to re-evaluate your goals.  Have your goals changed a bit since you wrote them down?

An example is a goal to pursue your doctoral degree and defend your thesis within 3 years of starting your program.  If you were single when you started your program and got married during your education, you might find that your timeline is less important now than it was 2 years ago.  You might find that if you take an extra year to defend your thesis, you’ll have a richer, more productive document to defend, as your spouse may be able to help you consider things you hadn’t seen before.

Regardless of how you assess and consider your goals and your path to success, it’s important that you do.  Everyone needs tweaking along the way, and that also applies to the goals we set for ourselves.

Don’t Count On Luck!

“How Lucky this person is! They succeed at everything they do. They have all the money they need. Their life is like a dream. They have such a wonderful partner!” 

People often say things like that, and you’ve probably thought them yourself, in reference to a celebrity or someone you know who’s enjoyed great success.

I’m sure you’ve had thoughts like these at some time or other in your life. And there’s no shame in that. It’s human nature to be envious of the happiness enjoyed by other people. But when you say something like “See how happy he is...” what you’re really saying is that your own life is unsatisfying, that other people have a lot of Luck, while you have little or none. 


A False Image of Luck

We often imagine that happy people simply wake up one fine morning surrounded by wealth, that it all happens by chance, and that they don’t do anything special to deserve the paradise they live in.

At least that’s the way things are depicted in the media most of the time. But that image is false, created to sell newspapers, magazines or TV talk-shows. The reality is usually quite different.

If you take a closer look at the lives of celebrities, whether they’re known for their business acumen or their politics, their show-business success or simply for their money, you’ll usually discover a few things that aren’t so nice.

Like all mortals, famous people aren’t perfect. They have their faults, go through hard time, get sick, divorced, have financial problems, suffer the loss of loved ones... just like everyone else.

Their stories are sometimes heartbreaking: unhappy childhoods, rape, drug abuse, serious illness, the loss of someone dear to them, and so on.


People Like You and Me 

Famous people are just like us. They’re born and they die, and between those two extremes they live a life punctuated by highs and lows, sadness and joy, pleasure and pain.

“That may be true,” I hear you say, “but famous people are also rich. They have beautiful homes, beautiful cars, they travel all the time... It’s much easier to be unhappy when you have money!”

I can assure you that having money doesn’t make the sadness such people feel any less intense than what you or I feel. 

Whether you’re rich or poor, if you contract a disease, you suffer. If you have an accident, money won’t make you invulnerable to death, or protect you against paralysis or some other injury. When a rich person gets divorced, a full bank account cannot express the pain and loss they feel. 

I could give you many more examples, but I think you know what I mean. People who succeed in life are human beings, just like you and me. They suffer the same torments. Having money can alleviate some of their suffering, but suffering can’t be avoided altogether, no matter how wealthy you are.

You’ll also find that most celebrities aren’t more intelligent than you (many didn’t get very far in school) or even more beautiful than you.


Don’t Set the Bar Too High

“But some people have special gifts,” you say. “That makes their task in life much easier.”

You raise an important question.

Being talented is an undeniable advantage. But think of the number of people who fail in life, despite their gifts. You’ll be amazed at how many there are. 

Most ‘gifted’ people make the mistake of thinking their talent will always be accessible, even if they don’t do anything to maintain or improve it.

It’s true that talent can do a lot for you some of the time. But sooner or later you’ll come up against an obstacle you won’t be able to overcome.

You’ll be like a high-jumper who gets over the first few hurdles fairly easily, but who ends up failing because the bar is set too high, and your natural abilities aren’t enough to see you through.


The Secret That Makes All The Difference 

If you study the lives of famous people, you’ll see that most of them had a single goal in life, which they devoted themselves to entirely. They didn’t wait for Luck to make things happen, because they knew that Luck has to be created and provoked.

They didn’t sit around waiting for Lady Luck to smile down on them. They consecrated themselves totally to achieving their goal, and they all put in the necessary effort to succeed. They did things to further their own success, and even if they were gifted they devoted a huge amount of work and energy to accomplishing what they set out to do. They worked incessantly, until they succeeded. 

People generally don’t have a very high opinion of the notion of ‘work.’ It’s usually seen as an unpleasant task that must be done to earn a living, a duty you don’t feel like fulfilling, but can’t avoid. 

We need to work to earn a living. That’s undeniable. But work doesn’t have to be an unpleasant duty we have to fulfill our whole life long. If you don’t like your present work, you should at least try to see its positive sides, one of which is to provide you with a way to earn a living. If you can, do something else, something you really enjoy!

When you like what you do it’s much less difficult make an effort, because you know you’ll eventually be rewarded with great satisfaction. That, in turn, will increase your self-confidence, and lead you from one success to another. 

You have to modify your vision of work if you want to make your life a success. 


Changing Your Vision of Luck 

Work and Luck are closely linked.

The difference between the man-in-the-street and people who succeed in life is that those who succeed are highly motivated and devote all their time to achieving their goals. What counts is the personal investment you make, how much work you’re willing to put in. That’s the best way to benefit from ‘Luck.’ 

If you still think of Luck as something that falls from the sky, without your having to do anything to attract it, you should change that attitude right now!


Luck Has To Be Provoked!

Everyone who’s succeeded knows this is true. It’s the energy and work you put in to achieving your goals that determines whether you’ll be Lucky or not.

Some successful people hesitate to reveal that fact, because they don’t want to find themselves in competition with all the people who are candidates for success in their chosen field. Most personalities don’t like sharing this secret. They prefer maintaining the illusion that Luck is something that can happen to anyone, at any time, that it’s totally a question of hazard, and nothing needs to be done to attract it. In fact, the exact opposite is true! The thing that has persisted in keeping you trapped in your present situation is nothing but a myth!

Take a good look at your present vision of Luck and you’ll know why you aren’t successful.


The More You Work, The More Luck You Have!

I didn’t make that up. Some of the richest and most talented people in the world have said it. Like Dave Thomas, founder of Bedarra Research Labs, one of the largest American software companies. Dave Thomas is no dreamer, he’s an eminent pragmatist who created his own success by following his own advice.

You can have confidence in what he says, and he’s not the only one to reveal this secret of success and Luck.

Luck seems to stick to people who, like Dave Thomas, are intent on achieving their goals. Do some research about him and you’ll find proof of what I’m saying. He’s written a few books (Swimming With The Sharks and Beware The Poor Man Who Offers His Shirt), all of which have become ‘best-sellers’ in the U.S.

Of course, there are other factors that have an influence on your success and your Luck. Who you know, the special talents you have, your instinct to take advantage of opportune moments, your sense of organization… can all be helpful. Experience is necessary, of course, but experience can’t do much without your personal investment, the work you’re willing to put in. Even the best guide can only show you the path you need to follow. You’re the one who has to reach the summit of the mountain yourself.

Luck means ‘doing the right thing at the right time’. That’s what True Luck is, nothing more, nothing less. All successful people know that to be true. 

Be Interested

One morning when I woke up, the first thought that I had was, "This is a day to live, if you are interested."

I thought of how every single day is a lifetime in miniature.  For many years I’ve had a practice of saying, "This is a brand new baby day...This is a day that has never been lived and a day that will never be lived again. It's my day."  But this one morning, I was invited to consider that this is really not only a brand new baby day, it is a day to fully live if I am interested.

Wherever you are in your day when you read this message, this is your day.  It is a day to really live, if you are interested.  

Manifest Abundance...

Take a look at nature, there's abundance everywhere. 
The trees, the grass, the leaves on the trees, 
the air you breathe; there truly is abundance all around you. 
Focus on abundance and you train your mind and 
subconscious mind to manifest abundance everyday. 

To manifest abundance you have to know what you want and
have a very clear idea of what you want. 

Then think of having an abundant supply of what you want.

 Don't wish to have it.

 Don't try to have a little bit more.

 Instead, regularly think and believe that you 
have an abundant supply of what ever it is that you want.

Can you see yourself having a never ending supply of wealth? 
Better Health? 
Happiness? 
Romance? 
Friends? 
Anything? 

Before you can have abundance you first have 
to believe that you can have a never 
ending supply of what ever it is that you want. 

Think about it!

 There really is a never ending supply of all that you want.

There's enough naturally grown food to feed the 
world ten times over, even though millions starve each year. 
There is still enough for everyone and more. 

If you know what you want and believe that you 
can have an abundance of what you want... then you're 
on your way to creating abundance. 

Your next step is to get your mind to 
accept that you can have an abundant supply of what you want. 

Then you instruct your subconscious mind to 
manifest an abundance of what you want 
by constantly focusing on having an 
abundant supply of what you want. 

Here's an example: Suppose you want an abundant supply of wealth. 
Start by regularly think about having an abundant supply of wealth.

 Then think of how you can have an abundance of wealth.

 At first you may not come up with an answer. 
But after working with the exercise you'll begin to 
come up with an idea or two, then more and before you 
know it the floodgates will open.

 The more you think about it and the more you work with the 
exercise the more answers you will get and 
then you'll start to get a clear direction. 
You'll begin to manifest abundance quickly as you work with 
the exercises.

 By regularly thinking and focusing on manifesting 
abundance you instruct your subconscious mind 
to create the opportunities for you to manifest abundance. 

Get your mind focused on manifesting abundance 
and then begin directing your subconscious mind 
to create the opportunities for you 
to manifest abundance. You can have massive abundance in your life, 

quickly and easily.

 I'm not talking about making a few more 
dollars or getting a few things that you need. 

I'm talking about massive abundance 
in every area of your life. 

Yes you can have massive abundance, and today 
I'll show you exactly how to create massive abundance 
in every area of your life.

10 Bad Things That are Good for You

By Heather Whipps / Source: Live Science
Beer quells heart disease and chocolate staves off cancer? Though often tagged with a disclaimer, studies that tell us to eat, inhale and generally indulge in "bad stuff" is music to our ears. So go ahead and enjoy these bad-for-you remedies — everything in moderation, as they say — until the next study inevitably overturns the research.
BEER: The newest bad kid on the block, beer has long been overshadowed by its healthier alcoholic cousins. While no one's suggesting you switch that glass of antioxidant-rich Pinot Noir for a tall glass of lager—there's still that beer gut to worry about—new research has suggested that moderate beer intake can actually improve cardiovascular function. Now if only a scientist will discover the health benefits of ballpark franks and chicken wings. Heaven.
ANGER: If you're one of those people who tends to bottle things up, only to explode ... don't hold it in so long. Studies show that bursts of anger here and there are good for the health, and can be an even more effective coping mechanism than becoming afraid, irritated or disgusted. Anger, like the consumables in this list, however, is best in moderation: stay angry for long periods of time and you'll be plagued with a host of health issues, like blood pressure, sleep disorders and lung damage.
COFFEE: Java is one of the most debated substances around. Is it good for you? Is it bad for you? Both? The consensus, now anyways, seems to favor those who enjoy their morning jolt—unrelated studies claim coffee is a major source of antioxidants in our diet and can help lower your risk of diabetes. Something in the beans is also thought to ease the onset of cirrhosis of the liver and pancreatitis, good news for those who like to party hard all night before their morning caffeine boost.
LSD: We're definitely not in the business of advocating drug use. But check out this interesting science: In heavy drinkers, small doses of LSD have been thought to help bypass the rock-bottom stage of alcoholism and prevent relapses. These studies—some decades old—were done in closely monitored, clinical settings; many patients haven't had a drink in the many years since. It's an interesting finding that needs a lot more investigation, and not a remedy that should ever be tried at home. Meantime—and this may come as no surprise—a recent study of 36 volunteers who took an LSD-like drug in a lab setting had them reporting mystical experiences and behavior changes that lasted for weeks.
SUNLIGHT: Exposure to the sun's rays is necessary to survive, but can also kill you in gross, cancerous quantities. Asthmatics, at least, could benefit from measured doses of ultraviolet rays, according to scientists. Sunlight suppressed the immune reactions that cause asthma in some lab studies with mice and could be used to treat humans afflicted with the disease in the future. And sunlight—even if indirect, such as on a shaded porch—is known to boost the mood. Extra sunlight can help office workers avoid afternoon drowsiness, a recent study found. There's still no excuse to head outside and bake, however.
MAGGOTS: They're creepy, slimy and altogether ooky, but maggots can save your life. These squirmy larvae are science's newest wonder-cure and were approved in 2003 as the Food & Drug Administration's only live medical device. Placed on serious wounds, maggots mimic their "wild" lifestyle and munch on bacteria and dead tissue, stimulating healing and helping to prevent infection.
MARIJUANA: It's medicinal, we swear! Marijuana, often associated with memory loss, is ironically now being hyped as a way to stave off the ultimate form of memory loss—Alzheimer's. Recent studies on mice suggest that anti-inflammatories found in the drug prevent the clumping of brain proteins, one major cause of the disease. So when should you start preventative therapy? We suggest waiting for the human studies to wrap up.
RED WINE: A crucial ingredient in the diets of the world's heart-healthiest populations—like those Bordeaux-guzzling French—red wine has long been known to have potent anti-cancer and artery-protecting benefits. The key, some studies indicate, is an antioxidant found specifically in the skin of red wine grapes, called resveratrol. The latest studies even link resveratrol to greater endurance, a reduction in gum disease and Alzheimer's. White wine, which is fermented after the skins are removed, is less beneficial according to some studies.
CHOCOLATE: Chocolate lovers rejoice: study after study lately has touted the magical benefits of the indulgent treat, which is packed with the antioxidant flavonols that prevent certain cancers and keep your arteries from clogging. The most recent news? These powerful chemicals may even increase blood flow to the brain, warding off dementia. Just stick to the highest cocoa content possible—the bars packed with sugar don't help your health one bit.
SEX: Scientists have found that the benefits of sex go beyond immediate, ahem, gratification and satisfying the goal of procreation. Besides the obvious evolutionary purposes, we can all take pleasure in the news that having sex is an easy way to reduce stress, lower cholesterol and improve circulation throughout the body. As if you needed another excuse

They chat away breezily between vaporizer tokes, sometimes veering off into conspiracy theories about the government or discussions of the healthiest way to smoke marijuana.

Then the 12 yoga lovers extend their arms and breathe deeply. Yoga mats cover the floor. A guitarist strums chords as incense weaves its tendrils across the room.

As the light haze of pot smoke dissipates in the downtown Toronto living room, the ganja yoga session begins.

"When you're high, you can focus better on your breath," says Dee Dussault, who runs a monthly session of "cannabis-enhanced yoga" at her home dubbed Follow Your Bliss.

She says smoking marijuana in small doses before a yoga class also makes students more receptive to the poses and philosophies behind the activities. "For some people, it makes them uninhibited and open to the idea of the heart chakra, for example."

Heart chakras aside, ganja yoga has the THC whiff of being the latest yoga fad, following on the heels of hot yoga, circus yoga, pre- and postnatal yoga, acro yoga (acrobatics), even hip-hop yoga.

While cannabis has been deeply entwined with spiritualism over the centuries, some yoga practitioners say that a pure body is ideal for the exercise and that smoking pot could cause an unwieldy imbalance. As one online-forum commenter opined: "Why should we try to purify our body and soul through yoga if we later intoxicate it again with marijuana or other substances?"

But Dan Skye, senior editor at New York-based High Times magazine, which tracks marijuana trends, disagrees with yoga purists who believe getting high before a class is detrimental.

"Pot is changing medicine; it's changing recreational habits," he says. The latest research seems to back up his claim: A recent McGill University study found that cannabis helped alleviate chronic neuropathic pain.

Ms. Dussault remains unfazed. For the past year, she has run ganja yoga out of her home studio as well as at the Hot Box Café in Toronto's Kensington Market. The class takes place on the last Friday of the month, after work, and she charges $15 for each session. Often, she invites a musician to play some relaxing tunes during the 90 minutes, and she gives out munchies – fruits, nuts, tea – after the class.

Because Ms. Dussault publicizes ganja yoga openly, there is the question of legal repercussions. But she's quick to say, "No, I've never been worried about cops. I think they have bigger fish to fry."

Among the ground rules at the studio, participants must bring their own pot – and there's no dealing or mooching. And she makes a point of meeting students before the session "to determine if they want to come just to get stoned."

Ms. Dussault also encourages participants to fine-tune their yoga skills before embracing ganja yoga. She wants to ensure that people "first experience the true teachings of yoga" and then try ganja yoga to enjoy a different yoga flavour.

Her studio isn't the only site for cannabis-enhanced yoga. The B.C. Compassion Club Society, a full-service compassion club in Vancouver, offers yoga sessions for those who use medicinal marijuana. Nicole Marcia, the club's yoga therapist, says she notices that many yoga patrons are "medicated" once they start the session, but for one important reason.

"They need marijuana in order to fight the chronic pain and anxiety they feel," Ms. Marcia says. She notices that some patients with multiple sclerosis, for instance, are able to "be present" and practise yoga once they've gotten high.

Many pot dispensaries and compassion clubs in California and Colorado – where pot is decriminalized – offer yoga classes, including The Herb Shoppe in Colorado Springs. Qat Carter, who teaches there, says that some of her students prefer to eat marijuana edibles, such as pot brownies, because ingesting cooked pot lengthens the high. "My husband says it helps him increase his body awareness and makes him more relaxed when he does the poses."

Torontonian Melinda Reidl, 36, enjoys how the marijuana buzz complements the yoga experience. "Marijuana quells those voices in your mind," she says, adding that ganja yoga encourages more deliberate movements. It's not a competition to push you to sweat hard, like in some hot yoga studios, Ms. Reidl notes. She calls Ms. Dussault's sessions "a slow-dub version of yoga."

Blending a stoned perspective and the precision of yoga could be dangerous, warns Monica Voss, an instructor of 30 years who practises out of Esther Myers Yoga Studio in Toronto. "Some people might not be aware of their body when they're high and maybe they would injure themselves," she points out.

She would like to see academic studies done to determine cannabis's relation with pain release and concentration. That way, yoga practitioners may feel more comfortable recommending this type of yoga combination. "It's healthy to see all these yoga variations, but buyer beware," she adds.

But Mr. Skye, who used to work in the fitness industry, says he saw many people smoking before stretching. "I knew a few muscle heads who used to toke up on the gym's fire escape just before class," he says.

"I like the idea of smoking pot as a spiritual experience, not just for recreational use," says Tanya Pillay, 35, who attended her first ganja yoga class in August. "When you take an activity like yoga and take the altered state smoking pot creates, it combines to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts."

"Yoga and marijuana, together," Ms. Pillay says, "it's like putting salt on your food. It's just a little enhancement."