SELF IMPROVEMENT AND MOTIVATION

It’s not really so hard to get up and get going. It’s mainly a matter of changing the story you tell yourself.  Every day you’re strengthening your habits and assumptions with the things you do and the things you tell yourself. Every moment you have the opportunity to become more energetic, more focused, more purposeful and successful.  If you sit around telling yourself that you’re too tired and that life is unfair, guess what? You’re creating a reality with your inaction and with those negative, self-defeating thoughts.  Instead, get up, move around, do something useful and caring, being thankful all the while. Remind yourself of life’s best possibilities and jump at every opportunity to have a positive impact.  Is the story you’re telling yourself holding you back, keeping you inactive and unmotivated? If so, it’s time for a new, improved story, and you can start telling yourself that story right now.  You deserve the best, so remind yourself to get busy and ...

In ways large and small, life can often be disappointing. Yet in every case, you don’t have to let the disappointing events keep you disappointed or discouraged.  For as disappointing as life can be, there is always something positive you can do. What you do next is what truly matters, and you can choose a positive step no matter what. In each disappointment there is a priceless gift. That gift is the opportunity you get to become more determined and purposeful and positively motivated.  Each time, choose to accept that gift, to take that opportunity and to embrace its great value. Quickly use it to transform the energy of disappointment into the energy of achievement.  When you think about it, the choice is actually an easy one. Would you rather waste your life and crush your spirit with resentment and retribution, or do you want to feel great about making a positive difference? Make the choice to honor your life, to honor all of life, by making your next step a positive...

When you have a good enough reason, you can figure out a way. Give yourself a reason, and give yourself the energy necessary to move forward. Without a good reason, any excuse or distraction will be enough to stop you cold. Without a good reason, you’re prone to complaining and questioning your work, rather than doing it. So give yourself a reason. If you can’t come up with a powerful and inspiring reason, then consider doing something else, something that will have a solid reason behind it. When you know what the reward is, and when that reward is something you really desire, nothing can stop you. Connect with the reason, connect with the reward, connect with the purpose, and you’ll naturally move toward it no matter what. Everything you do has consequences. Remind yourself, again and again, of the positive consequences of your efforts, and you’ll find the most effective way be persistent in making those efforts. Give yourself a reason, and you’ll give yourself a way. Give yourself a ...

When you’re going through a negative experience, it takes real work to see the positive in it. Yet when you can do that work, there’s no limit to the difference you can make. Great achievements very often grow out of great difficulties. Those who see the opportunity, and act on it, truly move the world forward. When you’re buried in trouble, disappointment, frustration and confusion, it seems like you can’t possibly see anything good in it. Yet that good is there, those positive possibilities are there, and when you have the strength and the foresight to look, you’ll begin to see them. One big key is to not take the difficult times personally, even though they may feel extremely personal. Step back, give yourself some objectivity, and you’ll start to see the situation differently. Instead of worrying, complaining or feeling sorry for yourself, adopt a counterintuitive strategy of being thankful. Be thankful for the goodness that will come out of your troubles, and you’ll be able to bri...

Rarely can you make an effective argument just by talking. The way to convince people of your point of view is to live that point of view. Live what you believe, day in and day out. No amount of scolding or cajoling or persuasive rhetoric can equal that. If you have trouble getting people to believe you or take you seriously, it’s probably because your actions don’t completely agree with your words. Do what you say, consistently, without fail, and your credibility will grow. Rather than explain how much you care, show how much you care. Connect with others on a personal level, and be of genuine service. The most persuasive way to talk, is to walk your talk. Let your actions and the way you live your life demonstrate who you are.  What you say can make a big difference, but only if it is fully supported by what you do. Walk your talk, and both your walking and your talking will get great things done

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Be responsible, reliable, dependable and level-headed, but don’t get all bent out of shape when you stumble, or when the world knocks you around. It’s foolish to ignore the problems and hope they’ll go away. Yet it can also be powerful to laugh at your troubles and to know that you’ll eventually get yourself far beyond them. Be ambitious, focused and diligent, but don’t beat yourself up when you occasionally wander off track. When it happens, just see what’s there to see, have some new experiences, gain some new wisdom, and calmly move yourself back in your intended direction. Do less complaining and judging. Do more laughing and sharing.  Plan well, and work your plan, but don’t act like it’s the end of the world if things occasionally don’t go according to the plan. Make some adjustments, remember to smile, and you’ll be just fine. Much of life is indeed serious business, but being uptight about it doesn’t add any value. Loosen up, enjoy the mom...

It is tempting to think you can cheat, and receive more out of life than you give. It’s tempting to think you can shortcut the process of achievement, and create great, meaningful value with little or no effort. Even the wisest, most sophisticated, experienced achievers can be tempted by the promise of something for nothing. The problem is, that promise is never fulfilled. Yes, it may seem that you’re able to cheat life for a while. However, whatever you might manage to gain by doing so will ultimately have no value to you. That’s because the real value of life is in the doing, in the creating, in the work, not merely in the possessing. The real value is in making a difference, and there’s no way you can cheat your way to that. In fact, giving in to the temptation of something for nothing will actually put more distance between you and the fulfillment you seek. Though the temptation can be highly enticing, it helps to remember that it will always set you back. What you really want is n...