This is a guest post by Mark Swedberg.

If you could have one thing in life, what would it be?

Wealth? Happiness? Love?

This was the question I asked myself after dropping out of college in 2006.

What’s the point of this living thing? It just didn’t add up. Nobody seemed to have an answer and I was tired of being empty and unfulfilled.

No matter what I did or how much I accomplished, I was left dissatisfied with life.

Finally, in a fit of desperation and despair, I made a deal with myself. I would devote my life to understanding satisfaction.

Either I would succeed and gain the one thing in life that always seemed to evade my grasp, or I would reach 30 years old and give up, resigning myself to the laws of other people’s reality.

Since then, I’ve owned a non-profit corporation, hacked my way into a multimillion dollar web venture, been part of a Federal sting operation, traveled across the US and Canada (without spending a dime), studied quantum physics, became a bio-hacker, and performed dozens of other experiments on myself and others.

Can’t Get No Satisfaction? Here Are Some Tips!

“The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it’s all that matters.”

~ Audrey Hepburn, British actress and humanitarian

Somewhere in-between all of this, I stumbled upon a true and lasting source of happiness. Here’s a few lessons I learned while backpacking my way across the States.

1. Life Is a Journey, Not a Destination

It doesn’t take a 1,000 mile hitchhiking trip to realize that 99% of life is spent trudging through the mud to reach the 1% of ballrooms and banquets. And yet, for some reason, we glorify the champagne and olives-on-a-stick, focus all our attention and energy on reaching those happy occasions, and then spend half the night complaining about the music selection or comparing our costumes to others.

Maybe it’s time to kick off the heels and run barefoot across the hors d’oeuvre table. Hell, drop your dress and take a swim in the fountain. Let’s not lose sight of what life really is: a single moment passing through consciousness. There are no beginnings or ends, just the present path we tread.

2. The End Is in the Means

And what are we to do with this present moment? Well, we can invest it for some later date, stealing from today to provide for tomorrow. But is that really a path you want to take?

What if tomorrow never comes? Even worse, what if it does? Can any accomplishment, no matter how great, make up for all the missed opportunities for joy and happiness it took to get there?

The answer is no! You can never replace a moment of your life. It’s the one natural resource we share equally. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, handsome or ugly, healthy or sick. We’re all stuck with the same moment of consciousness and a choice: what kind of experience should we fill it with?

Stop worrying about tomorrow. Trust your instinct and believe in yourself. Do what you love and let the rest work itself out. Live as if you only had a moment left and make it count.

3. Every Man Is an Island

Ah, I can see your objections already. How can we live for today with bills looming on the 15^th? It’s a legitimate problem, but certainly not something worth ruining your life over.

Here’s the deal, the quality of your life really isn’t determined by what happens on the outside, “out there.” It’s all about your internal environment. After all, it’s the only place you really control.

A lot of people confuse satisfaction for a state, like happiness or contentment. Well it’s not. Satisfaction is a verb, “to act in the most satisfying way every moment.” This action doesn’t have to be external. Maybe you have to go to work. Welcome to reality. But that doesn’t mean you have to hate it, nor does it mean you have to be content with your lot in life.

When the going gets bad, it’s time to make the bad get going. Stop complaining and start growing. You can’t always rely on other people to bail you out. It’s time to build some inner strength and master your emotions.

4. The Both/And Philosophy

Satisfaction is a balancing act. It isn’t enough to live in the present, nor does it work to save for the future. You need to get the best of both worlds.

In 2009, I quit my job, loaded a backpack with a spare change of clothes, and hit the road. I was done with corporate America and desperately in need of change. Life had become dismal, boring, a complete blur.

Twenty-four hours later, I sat in a dew drenched ditch, shivering convulsively and wishing for sleep. Why oh why did I walk into the middle of nowhere only to freeze to death? And that’s when it hit me: life isn’t supposed to be a walk in the park.

It takes planning, resolve, and an indomitable spirit to get through this mire, but it’s worth it in the end. In fact, the dividends for your effort pay off surprisingly fast, but only when you pursue both what you need and what you want.

So find a way to enjoy every moment of life in the most fulfilling way. Once you can do that, the rest is a cinch!

5. There Is No Failure, Only Quitting

Real adventures aren’t pleasant. They’re sweaty, nasty, stinking things that rear their ugly heads with crooked teeth and send swarms of mosquitoes and biting gnats to torment your every waking moment. Big deal. Swat dem flies and move on with life.

Things will always get better as long as you leave the swamp. But that’s the problem with some people. They just stop moving. They get tired and discouraged and sit down for a little rest. Before you know it, they’ve donated half their blood to the local wildlife and have even less energy to move forward.

So don’t stop moving. That’s the point of satisfaction, it’s about constant forward motion, always acting to satisfy the most pressing desire.

6. You CAN Change the World

Because as long as you keep squashing critters and slogging forward, you’re bound to reach dry land (or die of malaria, but let’s not dwell on that). And as any traveler knows, once you’ve beat one swamp, you’ve beat them all (mainly because you know not to go back).

But seriously, life is a journey. So take it one step at a time. Always move in the direction of your deepest desires. Say no to the distractions and bite me’s, the naysayers and dumb-dumb heads. Never give up. Instead, decide to grow stronger. And step-by-squishy-step, you’ll conquer that marsh and leave a trail through the lily pads for the next unfortunate soul who comes along.

Good luck fellow journeymen, and next time buy bug spray!

About the Author

Mark Swedberg is one of those crazy lifestyle experimenters . . . you know, the kind of guy who runs split tests on his dinner date or randomly finds himself in the middle of a Federal sting operation. Keep track of his latest adventures on A Journey’s Tale, or catch his experiments in real time on Facebook.

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

Do you magnify the positive in your life?

It never ceases to amaze me how people want to amplify the negative in their life instead of the positive.

They focus incessantly on all that is going wrong.  They make list upon list of what they can’t do.

When you view yourself through this lens, you see a chicken instead of an eagle.

You shrink, limit and close off your life.

Perhaps, you aren’t completely negative, but still are you magnifying the positive and believing the very best?

In the end, you get exactly what you are looking for.  Will you be a chicken or an eagle?

Being Trapped in a Tunnel of Hopelessness

A chicken is limited.  It lives in a coop.  It scratches for food.  It makes noise.

An eagle soars.

Those stuck in the rut of always seeing things in a negative light will tell you:

• The light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train
• Life is hard and unfair
• Sh*t happens
• It is foolish and unrealistic to be so positive
• I hate my life
• Viewing the world through rose colored glasses only makes things worse
• I don’t want to set myself up for a big letdown
• Every time I try, life knocks me down again
• The rich get richer and the poor get poorer
• I don’t even know why I keep trying
• That’s not the way things happen in the real world
• Everything is just hopeless
• I can’t…<insert list here>

Do you catch yourself thinking or saying things like this?  It seems really easy to slip off into this abyss.

For many, being a chicken is the default position.  It takes no effort to go there.  Is this you?

If so, what does this get you?  Are you satisfied with the life it produces?

I hear from people all the time that tell me whole life stories that are full of the phrases above.  They catalog all the reasons why their lives are so bad and why they CAN’T get out of the hole they are in.

I admit that they are often up against incredible difficulties.  Many of which are beyond their control.  My heart goes out to these people.  It really does.  Their stories are gut-wrenching.  I wished I could flip a switch and make it all better for them, but unfortunately I can’t.

The only thing I can do is offer hope.  Tell them that they CAN be an eagle.

But often even this is rejected.

Magnifying the Positive and Believing the Best

What choice will you make?

I think there is a little chicken in all of us.  We all have some limiting thoughts that hold us back.  We can all work on improving our ability to magnify the positive and believe the best.

To be an eagle, you must continually examine your thought life.

You have to choose to amplify the positive instead of the negative.

Here are a few ways to start magnifying the positive and believing the best:

1.  Intensify Your Gratitude

Consciously elect to be extremely grateful for the good things that exist in your life.  There have to be a few.  In fact, I’d challenge you that there a likely a lot of things that you CAN be grateful for if you just choose to be and look through the right lens.

Whatever you enjoy.  Whatever delights you.  Whatever is going right.  Focus on these.

No matter what your situation is, you likely have at least a few things you can be grateful for.  Magnify these things.

Maybe it is as simple as the warmth of sunshine or the beauty of flowers.  Maybe it is a family member.  Perhaps it is your health.

Find some things every day and be intensely grateful for these things.  It will change your life.

2.  Obsess Over What You CAN Do

Forget about your so-called limitations and instead start obsessing over what you CAN do.

Make a list of what is possible instead of what is impossible.

You might not be able to jump immediately from where you are today to where you ultimately want to be, but at least start doing what you can.

This will open up further opportunities.  I guarantee it.

I wrote a whole article about doing what you can called Do what you CAN to Achieve More.  I highly suggest reading it.

3.  Recruit Some Allies

Start hanging around places where you are likely to find allies in this journey.

Often, we fall into the trap of negativity either because we isolate ourselves or because we are driving under the influence of others.

You can be your own worst enemy.  Or your family and so-called friends can be your worst enemy.

Either way, you need some new allies.  Some people that will help you see the world in a different way.

There are a multitude of places to find these people.  Here are a few suggestions:

• Online (via sites like this blog - you can also friend me on Facebook to find more)
• At a Toastmasters meeting in your local area
• In a Twelve Step Group - there’s probably one for you
• At a good church in your community
• At a Meetup that relates to one of your interests
• On the radio – I recommend Dave Ramsey, K-Love & Victor Schueller
• In books – see my reading list
• Via very intentional plans targeted at specific areas of improvement

Obviously, you don’t have to meet people in person for them to become your ally.  They can pump you up with the positivity you need from a distance.

Get Started with Being More Positive Today

What are you waiting for?  You don’t want to remain a chicken do you?

You were made to soar like an eagle.  You just need to start magnifying the positive and believing the best.

What stands in your way?  Reply to this or leave a comment and let me know.

I’m here to help!

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

Do you want to be more creative?

Stop clinging to comfort.  Comfort is the enemy of creativity.

You are comfortable where it is safe and predictable.  When you are curled up in your recliner watching your favorite sitcom.

Creativity resides out on the edge where things are a little dicey.

If you want to be more creative, then you’ve got to force yourself — usually kicking and screaming — to move outside that place where things are easy, sheltered and certain.  Beyond comfort is where originality, invention and new discoveries are found.  It is where life is rich and fulfilling.  It is that place where you live up to your full potential.

Stop Flinching and Start Creating

You are programmed to avoid pain.  You have been taught to stay where it is safe.  Your mother didn’t want you to take too many risks because you might get hurt.  School certainly didn’t teach you to be creative.  It taught you to stay in the lines and conform.

You are creative.  It is there somewhere inside you, but it is likely buried — at least to a degree.

Even if you do creative work, you probably aren’t producing all you are capable of.

How do I know this?  Because I know you flinch.

“The flinch is the moment when every doubt you’ve ever had comes back and hits you, hard.  It’s when your whole body feels tense.  It’s an instinct that tells you to run.  It’s a moment of tension that happens in the body and the brain, and it stops everything cold.”

~ Julien Smith, The Flinch

You pull back and throttle your creativity so you can avoid the risk of being criticized, questioned and thrust into the spotlight.

You flinch.

You have that moment where you wonder, “What if they don’t like this?”

It is then that you reel things in a little.  You retreat to where it is more comfortable.  Where you aren’t pushing the envelope quite so much.  You step back from the edge.

After years of remaining comfortable, you are too afraid to get anywhere near creativity.  You won’t sing in front of others.  You won’t show your work to anyone .  You hide behind mediocre efforts.  You keep your mouth shut.  You keep your ideas to yourself.  You fail to deliver.

You may even say, “I am not creative.”  That’s a dangerous place to go.  It is a cop out.  It is the ultimate flinch.

“No matter whether you are leading a team, developing marketing strategies, running a small business, or writing copy, when you are compensated for creating value with your mind, the pressure to perform is palpable.”

~ Todd Henry, The Accidental Creative

I get it.  There is a lot of pressure.

There is fear.  Fear of failure.  Fear of not living up to expectations.  Fear of rejection.  Fear of criticism.  Fear of being ostracised.  Fear your best isn’t good enough.

Fear that you suck.

And if it becomes known (to you and others) that you suck, where does that leave you?

On the other hand, there is comfort.

Is it any wonder that we choose the way we do?  That’s right.  More often than not, you are choosing to be comfortable rather than sticking your neck out to be creative.

This is why we live lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in us.  We are in bed with the enemy.

How to Defeat the Enemy and Live

“Behind every moment of courage was a man or woman who faced a difficult internal struggle.  When they face it, it becomes an amazing story.  They become legends.”

~ Julien Smith, The Flinch

If you want to live a really joyful, fulfilling and amazing story, then you’ve got to stop clinging to comfort and start creating.  You’ve got to win this internal struggle.

Children are naturally creative.  Why?  Because they aren’t afraid to take risks.  They aren’t yet slaves to comfort.  They are already legends in their minds.

You were a child once.  You know how to do it.  You have brilliance inside you.  You just need to rediscover it and take a chance.  I won’t mislead you, it isn’t easy.  It may even hurt a bit, but if you press through it to the other side.  You will be astonished at the life you find.

You may not know where to start.  I’d encourage you to read the two books I quoted in this article.  I read them both recently and I loved them.  They will help you to break free from the clutches of comfort.

The Flinch by Julien Smith is totally free on Amazon, so you have no excuse for not reading it, unless you just want to continue to wallow in the comfort of not knowing.  You can click the link above to download your copy.  You won’t regret it.

You can find out a lot more about The Accidental Creative on Todd Henry’s site that goes by the same name.  He offers a ton of great information in the free articles alone.  What I love best about Todd’s book is that he recognizes that it isn’t just artists that need to express creativity.  He focuses on being creative in business and everyday life.  You’ll get a lot out of his stuff.

Finally, I dare say that I might have a few other articles that can help inspire you to greatness.  Here are some that are specifically targeted to arouse your creativity:

• 7 Great Ways To Rekindle Your Creativity
• 5 Ways to Inspire Truly Creative Ideas
• 7 Ideas For Expanding Your Creativity and Comfort Zone

It is time to put comfort aside, step out to the edge and let the world know why you are here.  Go live your amazing story and become the legend you were meant to be!

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

Inspiration often does not come easily, especially when we are caught up in the rat race that is life.

Whether it’s working a tedious job, struggling to pay off debt, or worrying about whether you’re raising your children the right way, a number of anxieties can threaten to deflate your motivation and steal your inspiration.

You must actively seek out inspiration. So, I ask, “What things are inspiring you?”

4 Things to Inspire and Motivate You

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure…than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

~ Theodore Roosevelt

Here are a few inspiring things to awaken you inside so you can live your best life:

1. Enjoy a Good, Life-Affirming Book or Movie

There’s nothing quite like reading a good book or watching an inspiring movie to help you rededicate yourself to what truly matters in life. While the book or movie from which to draw inspiration is totally up to you, some of my personal favorite inspiring books include The Little Prince, The Alchemist, and Zorba the Greek.

2. Spend Quality Time with Your Children, Family, or Friends

So often we focus on trying to be good parents, friends, or children that we stress out about pleasing our loved ones instead of simply enjoying their company. This is especially true of our children, who often can drive us crazy. Next time you have some free time, take your kids to a playground and just watch them play and engage with each other and the world around them. Watching kids is a great way to recall the innocence of childhood, which provides a well of inspiration from which to draw.

3. Take a Long Walk Alone

Clearing your head is the best way to improve concentration and set yourself up for the easy flow of inspiring, innovative ideas. And a proven effective way of developing inspiring ideas is walking outside alone. While many people find that they have to listen to music, carry their phones, or walk with their dog, the best way to clear your head completely is to concentrate on your breathing, movements, and nature. For more information about the health benefits of walking in a natural setting, check out this article.

4. Get in Touch with Your Spiritual Side

Even if you are not religious in the slightest, taking some time out of your day to reflect on the bigger questions about life and our place in it is a great way to rejuvenate your mind and become inspired. Whether it is attending your chosen place of worship, practicing meditation, or simply figuring out your own, ultimate meaning in the grand scheme of things, turning on that spiritual side in you is an excellent way to gain inspiration and motivation.

Find Things and Get Inspired

Ultimately, all these mentioned activities serve the purpose of pausing and resting the mind so that we can take a step back and realize why it is that we live. Finding purpose is the ultimate source of inspiration, and how you find this purpose is, in the end, your own choice. Good luck!

About the Author: Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

Unspent success can make you feel like a well-shaken bottle of Diet Coke on the inside.  Ever felt like that?

The lessons I’ve learned from blogging have literally changed my life and they can change yours too.

You have absolutely everything you need to live a more successful, fulfilling life.  Trust me, it is all right there inside of you.  You are full of potential, BUT you may not be getting it all out.

Why do I think this?

Because I’ve experienced it myself.  I lived for years with untapped potential bottled up on the inside straining to get out.

Here’s the good news: blogging taught me how to release all this and it feels really good.

It is time to uncork your potential.  These powerful life lessons will change everything for you, if you apply them consistently.

Ramp Up Your Life and Your Blog

“If all you ever do is what you’ve already done, then all you’ll ever get is what you’ve already got.  Is that what you want?”

~ Unknown

The growth and success I created on this site in the past year – and wrote about in my guest post on ProBlogger – is a product of these lessons.  Therefore, they are field-tested.

They are not just pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking.  They work and I know they work because I’ve put them into practice and seen the results.  Did I mention that I had an article published on ProBlogger that details these specific successes?  Maybe I’ve already mentioned it.  Anyway…

Here are the lessons learned from blogging that will change your life, if you use them consistently:

1.  You Have to Take Risks to Grow

Comfort is the enemy of growth.  Risk feels a little awkward, scary and, most of the time, it is downright uncomfortable.  However, for me, blogging has reinforced the point that you must take risks if you want to grow.

You cannot stagnate.  In blogging, as in life, there is no standing still.  You are either moving forward or you’re falling behind.  Where are you at on this scale?

You’ve got to make investments if you want to grow.  Of course, investments are always accompanied by risk.  You invest your time, money and talent.  The payoff may or may not come.  There’s the risk.

To achieve growth on this site, I made investments that I wasn’t sure would work.  I spent money I already had in hopes that it would produce bigger returns later.  There was no guarantee that it would work, but it did.  I realized amazing results in just one year.

The Ways I Invested in My Blog

What would my results have been if I had done none of this?  I think you know.

What have you done lately to invest in your growth?  How have you forced yourself outside your comfort zone?  Perhaps, it is time you made an investment in yourself and in the direction you want to grow.

I won’t lie.  I had to get a little uncomfortable to achieve my growth, but it was worth it.  I had to spend some hard-earned cash that I didn’t know if I’d ever see again.  I had to do some extra work to implement the changes on my site.  I had to try things I might get criticized for or that might backfire.

But, you have to take these kinds of risks and make these kinds of investments if you want to grow.

2.  Failing Often Works

If you think about it, the biggest lessons in life come from trial and error.  The greatest discoveries are the result of experiments.  The most awe-inspiring inventions are often stumbled upon accidentally.  In each case, failure is a part of the process.

“Change is powerful, but change always comes with failure as its partner.  ‘This might not work’ isn’t merely something to be tolerated; it’s something you should seek out.”

~ Seth Godin, Poke the Box

I’ve made plenty of mistakes trying to build this blog.  Most of my ideas and initiatives have failed.  Yes, I said most.  They died a quick, and sometimes painful death, on a heap of other failed ideas.  They didn’t produce the desired results.

I could have given up.  I could have said, “You know I’m tired of trying and failing.”

But, I’m learning that failing often works.

Do you see the double meaning?  You can read it in two ways.  Failing…often works.  Failing often…works.  Both are true.  Ponder this for a moment because it is profound.

I’m proof that you can fail your way to success, but I’m not alone.  Remember, Edison failed thousands of times to create a commercially viable light bulb.  Each time he failed, he succeeded in proving what wouldn’t work, which took him one step closer to what would work.  His failures – and mine – were guideposts to success.

When was the last time you failed?  Is fear holding you back?  Fail more often.

You have to be willing to endure the pain, embarrassment and frustration of small failures if you want to achieve big success.

3.  Focus on What You CAN Do

Some people will tell you that it is impossible for you to get a guest post on ProBlogger.  Some will say, it is hopeless to try to make money from blogging.  Others will tell you that you simply cannot grow and succeed in this economy – online or otherwise.

You won’t hear any of this from me.

You know why “those people” feel the way they do?  Because they are focused on what they cannot do – or at least on what they think they cannot do.

Blogging has taught me not to fall into this trap.

I’ve learned that if you want to grow and succeed, you must focus on what you CAN do.

You CAN take calculated risks to create growth.  You CAN keep experimenting to find what works.  You CAN make huge leaps forward.

Here’s the only thing you can’t do.  You cannot stop trying.

Have you given up?  Are you believing it is impossible?

Focus on what you can do and your goals will become reality.  The small things will add up.  One baby step at a time you will move closer to achieving what you desire.  I’ve seen it over and over here on my site and throughout my life.  Never think it is impossible.  Keep your eyes on what you CAN do to move even one millimeter closer to what you want and soon you will be there.

4.  You Truly Are Your Habits

Finally, blogging has changed my life by confirming to me that the whole presumption behind this site is absolutely true — you are your habits.

There are a number of ways to state this.

• What you repeatedly do, determines your success.
• You reap what you consistently sow.
• Good habits produce a great life.

Take your pick.  They all work and they are all true.

“Motivation is what gets you started.  Habit is what keeps you going.”

~ Jim Rohn

Those that produce meaningful achievement in life make the right things their habits.  They embrace behaviors like I’ve mentioned here today.  They repeatedly and consistently grow, invest, take risks, fail, get up again and eventually succeed.

What do your habits look like?  Are they the habits of a winner?

Join me every week as I continue to look for the habits that lead to greater success and fulfillment in life.  Let blogging change your life.

You can click here to subscribe to receive my articles right in your Inbox.  Make it a habit and you won’t regret it.

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

What do you dread?

Many hate paying taxes. But, perhaps, this is just a perception problem.  Maybe we should be thankful we get to pay taxes.  Yes, I said thankful.

Do you think I’m crazy?!?  Are you wondering if I’ve gone stark, raving mad?  Why in the world would anyone be happy about paying taxes?

Well, I want to prove a point.  I want to show you that happiness has a lot to do with the way you see things.  If you can look at something just a little bit differently, you can often change your whole perception of the situation.  This can have a dramatic impact on your happiness.

A Poem that Turns Things Upside Down

I ran across what I’m going to call a poem this week that really challenges our perceptions.  I think it has circulated around the Internet a bit so maybe you’ve already seen it, but I hadn’t and I believe it has tremendous value so I’m going to publish it again.  I’m not sure where it came from originally.  If I did, then I‘d definitely give proper credit.  Here it goes:

I am thankful for…

…the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

…the taxes I pay because it means that I am employed.

…the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.

…my shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.

…a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means that I have a home.

…the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.

…all the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech.

…my huge heating bill because it means that I am warm.

…the lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means I can hear.

…the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby.

…the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I’m alive.

…weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive.

Your View Determines Your Happiness

Can you see how your view of a situation matters immensely?

I can certainly get upset and mad that so much money comes out of my paycheck every couple of weeks to pay my taxes.  However, what would that get me?  It would only leave me feeling irritated, frustrated and defeated.  None of these have anything to do with happiness.  On the other hand, I can choose to look at the situation in a positive light.  I can be grateful and happy that I am gainfully employed and that I have the good fortune of earning enough money to support my family.

Here’s my point.  How you interpret your life is your choice.

But, I can tell you that your happiness depends on the way you decide to go.  If you are unhappy, disgruntled and disappointed with your life, you can turn things around by reexamining and reevaluating your view of the situation.  A new choice equals new happiness.

This is an incredibly powerful idea.  I guarantee that you will catch more flies with honey than with vinegar in your life.  If you always go around, “Woe is me.”  No one is ever going to pay you any mind.  After all, who wants to hire, marry, work with, live with, befriend, promote or hang around a person that is unhappy and self-defeated all the time?

Smile.  Be grateful for what you have.  Don’t worry about what you lack.  Choose a positive outlook and interpretation of your life.  You will feel happier and your opportunities will grow.  Even if they don’t, you benefit by choosing to be happy.

You see you can either go through life as an old sourpuss dreading the next thing around every corner or you can choose to be happy.  It is that simple.  Which do you prefer?  I’m thankful I have to pay taxes.

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

Do you need a little spark to liven up your life?

Excitement fills us when our lives feel fresh and hopeful.  Ideas flow.  Energy swells.  And happiness abounds.

Our lives can sometimes become a little too routine, predictable and monotonous.

There comes a time when you need to freshen and liven things up a bit.  You need to throw a log on the fire of your life and get something burning.  I want to offer you a few ideas to help create the spark that you need to get yourself unstuck.

7 Lively Ideas to Freshen Up Your Life

“The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.”

~ W.M. Lewis

You’ve got to get your blood flowing.  It is time to seek inspiration and reenergize.  What makes you come alive?  Go do that!  Don’t wait to begin to live.

It has always amazed me at how slim the line is between a disappointing day and one that is enlivening and invigorating.  You don’t have to sell everything you own, leave your spouse and run off to Borneo to have a great life.  Whew, isn’t that good news?  It is much simpler than that.  You just have to decide to step across that line and find some inspiration to create that spark that will make you feel fresh again.

Here are seven ways you can freshen up and liven up your life:

1.  Go On a Local Adventure

You have adventure that can reinvigorate you right in your own backyard.  Take a look at this list of 11 Adventures Anyone Can Use to Spice Up Their Life.  I’m certain that one or more of these is available to you today.  All you have to do is engage.  These are simple activities.  But, because they are different, out of your ordinary routine, they will stimulate your senses and leave you feeling energized.  You can then ride this wave of renewed vigor all the way to happiness.  Don’t dismiss this.  Take action today and you will be amazed at the difference it can make.

2.  Try Something You Have Always Wanted to Do

What’s something you’ve always wanted to do, but have never taken the time to try?  Well, make today the day that you do something about it.  A few years ago, I took scuba diving lessons.  I live in Oklahoma which is hundreds of miles from any ocean and I don’t get to dive very often.  However, the sense of accomplishment and motivation I felt from mastering a new skill that I always wanted to learn was well worth the price of the lessons.  Plus, the memories I have from diving in Cozumel are priceless.  I highly recommend getting out there and trying something new.  What will it be for you?

3.  Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Travel is a fantastic way to freshen up your life.  The new sights, sounds and experiences are sure to awaken your senses and liven up your life.  You get to experience new food, new art and often a whole different way of life.  If visiting a foreign country doesn’t stimulate you, then you may need to see a doctor to confirm you still have a pulse!  I have a whole list of places that I want to see before I die.  Make yourself a similar list and then head out to a dream location.  Getting off the couch and out of your comfort zone is a perfect way to liven things up.

4.  Make a New Friend

New relationships create all kinds of new opportunities.  A new friend will open your eyes to all kinds of things you hadn’t seen or elected to experience before.  You’ll be exposed to a new point of view, stimulating conversation and invitations that will motivate you to break out of your rut.  Start introducing yourself to new people.  As adults, we’ve built this up in our minds to be way too scary a thing to do.  We need to be more like kids on a playground.  Keep it simple.  Smile.  Tell them your name.  You’ll be amazed at what transpires from there.

5.  Be a Wild and Crazy Guy (or Gal)

If you feel the need to liven up your life, then chances are you’ve become to uptight and stuffy.  It is time to let your hair down.  Get crazy!  Do something completely out of character.  Perhaps you should go dancing or go skydiving or sing your favorite song at a karaoke bar.  We stifle ourselves because we don’t want to look stupid, but in reality, stupidity is letting your life become dull and boring.  Get out there and live.  The experience will make you laugh and it will give you a memory you can reflect on favorably for weeks.  Come on!  I know there is a wild and crazy guy or gal inside you.  Go show the world!

6.  Buy a New Toy

I put this one lower on the list because it is so common in our society to think that if I just had this or that, I would be happy.  This thinking leads people to spend money on things they can’t afford and usually the stuff just winds up as clutter in their garage or storage closets.  However, despite these possible pitfalls, I still think it is worth mentioning.  Sometimes, a new toy is a path to other happiness-building activities.  For example, you might buy a new camera, join a photography club, meet new friends and then go on a trip to a foreign country to take pictures.  Does any of this sound familiar?  If you will follow through with a bigger plan like this, then buying a new toy might be just the ticket for you .

7.  If All Else Fails…

Okay, now if all else fails and you aren’t willing to do anything else on my list here, then let me give you one last failsafe option.  I’m going to make this one as easy as possible because I want to be sure you do something to liven up your life.  If you’ve read this far, you obviously need a plan and you must like reading.  Soooo, the last thing I’ll suggest is for you to find an inspirational book to read.  I’d much rather you get up and go actively participate in something, but if you can’t bring yourself to do that yet, then at least find a great book and maybe it will inspire you to do more.

Go Live a Happy and Exciting Life

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

~ Mark Twain

I hope these little ideas will lead to big things for you.  It often takes just a spark to get something going in your life.  You can use these ideas as your spark.  I pray they will ignite a huge flame in your life.  I pray that you will explore, dream and discover like never before.  I wish you the best life ever!

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You’ve got to have a plan – a blueprint to follow.  You need inspiration, advice and insight.

A person doesn’t just stumble to success.  They walk a well-defined path.

Success is built one good habit at a time.  You stack one solid brick upon another and eventually you have a well-built life.  One that stands the test of time and delivers you to your goals.

Design a Life of Success

Time does not stand still.  Life passes regardless of what you are doing.  You can either use the time wisely to design and construct the life you really want or you can let the chips fall where they may.  I’m not a fan of the passive approach.

The tagline for this site is “Good Habits for a Great Life”.  Aristotle knew what he was talking about when he said, “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

You build an excellent life, one that is happy, fulfilling and prosperous, by training yourself, one little correct behavior at a time.  It isn’t hard.  It just takes an ounce of discipline and a plan.  Trust me, you have what it takes.  You can do this and there are plenty of people ready to help.

Many have gone before you.  They’ve found what works and what doesn’t.  This is tremendously fortunate for you because, as a result, you can avoid all the mistakes and cut the time it takes to achieve success in half (at least in half, maybe even more).  You can make rapid progress toward a great life by simply following tried and true plans that have already been proven to work.

The Ultimate Guide to Personal Growth

So, how do you grow into success?

As I’ve alluded to all long here, you follow a well-proven plan.  Okay, so where do you get such a plan?  You find some really smart people that are succeeding and you start doing what they are doing.  Oh you might have to tweak their formula a little to suit your tastes, personality and preferences, but for the most part, you can just adopt their strategies and make them your own.

Okaaaaaay, where do I find these really smart people so I can start piggybacking on their success?

No problem.  I’ve found them for you.

I have the ultimate guide to personal growth for you, if you have ever wanted more success in any of the following areas:

• Living with more passion
• Eating healthier
• Getting in shape and feeling fit
• Simplifying your life
• Managing your time more wisely
• Overcoming procrastination
• Enjoying a more fulfilling love life
• Relaxing
• Getting motivated
• Feeling inspired
• Building a business
• and much more…

I know this sounds incredible.  How can one guide do all this?

Well, it can’t.  There isn’t one guide that can teach you what you need to know in every one of the areas above.  BUT, there are 30+ guides in one nice, neat bundle that can!

The ultimate guide to personal growth is really called The Empowerment Pack.  It is an amazing bundle of over 30 courses, ebooks and guides from some of the brightest, most talented and creative people on the web today.  If you want a blueprint for success, then you need The Empowerment Pack.

Click the banner to learn more and get this bundle.

You only have three days.  This incredible collection of advice to a happy and successful life from 25 of the top personal development bloggers on the Internet will only be offered for 3 short days.

You have from Monday, January 16, 2012 at 9am EST until Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 9am EST to get in on this amazing offer.  So, please be decisive and take action toward a better life.

Make 2012 a Remarkable Year

There it is.  An opportunity thrown at your feet.  All you have to do is pick it up.  Will you do it?  Will you grab hold of this collection of blueprints for success?  It is yours for the taking.

I’ll admit that you might not have the time to read and apply all 25 of these courses, but even if you just use a few over the course of the year, then you will make 2012 memorable.  If you do nothing, then you’ll likely stay stuck right where you are, or worse, passively slip further away from success.

Empower Yourself and make 2012 remarkable.

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Looking for a powerful personal growth experience?

Books deliver insight, new ideas and a fresh perspective.  Books lead people to new heights of personal development and achievement.  Books enlighten us.

Sadly, “One in four adults read no books at all”, over the course of an entire year, according to an AP-Ispos poll conducted in 2007.  The numbers drop like a rock if you only count non-fiction or personal development books.

“When you sell a man a book you don’t sell him just 12 ounces of paper and ink and glue – you sell him a whole new life”, says Christopher Morley, an American journalist, novelist, essayist, and poet. 

To put it bluntly, you cheat yourself out of a better life, if you don’t read high-quality personal growth books.  It is that simple.

Five Must-Read Personal Growth Books

Why not start out the new year on the right foot?  If you want inspiration, if you want motivation, if you want new hope for a better life, then pick up one of these powerful personal growth books.

No matter what you desire to do – get a promotion, launch a business, lose weight, eat healthier, break a bad habit, start a new habit, revive your marriage, get back on your feet or just feel better about life in general – these books will boost you to success.

1.  Linchpin by Seth Godin

You must read Linchpin to increase your value to the world.  Seth Godin teaches, “The only way to get what you’re worth is to stand out, to exert emotional labor, to be seen as indispensable, and to produce interactions that organizations and people care deeply about.”  In this economy, linchpins survive and even thrive while the rest fall by the wayside.  This book impressed me more than anything else that I’ve read recently.  It is a fantastic way to kick start your mind and your year.

2.  Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Think and Grow Rich inspired me to start this site.  The success wisdom shared is timeless and priceless.  Napoleon Hill interviewed and analyzed 500 of the most successful men and women in America.  He documents, in this book, the attitudes they embraced that led to their success.  This is the classic when it comes to personal success literature.  It will enlighten you and inspire you to new heights in your life.  I’ve read it numerous times and I never cease to draw more from it on each pass.

3.  One Small Step Can Change Your Life by Robert Mauer

Fear and procrastination freeze us.  This book dispenses a simple strategy to overcome these obstacles and accomplish anything you desire.  One Small Step Can Change Your Life is only 182 pages, but in it, Robert Mauer teaches the most profound technique available for getting yourself off high-center and headed directly toward achieving your goals.  I’ve used what’s in this book on numerous occasions to stop procrastinating and to start going.  If you’ve got 30 seconds to get started, then Mauer’s got a solution to help you get so much more of what you want.

4.  The How of Happiness: A Whole New Approach to Getting the Life You Want by Sonja Lyubomirsky

True happiness seems elusive.  “What we believe would make a huge difference in our lives actually, according to scientific research, makes only a small difference, while we overlook the true sources of personal happiness and well-being”, this according to Sonja Lyubomirsky in The How of Happiness.  If you want to be happier (and who doesn’t??), then spend some time with this book.  We think we know what will make us happy, but the research tells a different story.  We go about pursuing happiness in all the wrong places.  Learn the truth and you will be thankful you did.

5.  Feel the Fear…and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers

I’ll admit, I usually shy away from books written by people with “Ph.D.” after their name on the front cover.  Often, these books are full of theory, but short on practical advice.  Feel the Fear is different.  Susan Jeffers provides real insight and tools designed to help you push through the fear.  Change is scary.  I think we can all agree on that.  However, change is necessary to move from where we are right now, to where we want to be.  That’s why this book is so valuable.  If you want to move to a new level of achievement, then learn what Susan Jeffers has to say.  It has helped me

Get Your Growth On With These Books

There you have it.  Five incredible books that will enlighten, inspire and enable you to grow like you’ve never grown before.  The only thing that’s left is the reading.  Ah, but that’s the fun part.  So, what are you waiting for?  Get a jump on the crowd.  Grab one (or more) of these powerful personal growth books from Amazon or your local library and get your growth on!

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

What are you waiting for?

You are never going to get ideal circumstances.  There will always be a reason for further delay.

Time is the one resource that you cannot make more of.  It slips away and eventually runs out.  The longer you take to get started, the longer it is going to take you to produce the results you desire.

John F. Kennedy once said, “There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction.”  I totally agree with him on this.

Yes, taking action can be scary.  It can be downright terrifying, but it is a lot less scarier than realizing that you’ve run out of time and the opportunity to get what you want is gone.  You might be comfortable waiting, but further delay will likely cost you the whole enchilada.  Why not just go for it and see what happens?

Pushing the Go Button

What is holding you back?  Is it fear of failure?  Are you afraid that if you slip out of your nice, warm spot on the couch that you may never be able to get back to it?

So what!?!

The place where you are right now is overrated anyway.  If it is so great, then why are you thinking about something else?  Ha!  I got you there didn’t I?

Trust me.  If you stay stuck in your rut, pretty soon you are going to look back and regret being such a wimp.  That’s right, I called you a wimp.  What gives me the right to confront you in such a direct manner and call you such a name?

Well, I can call you a wimp because I’ve been one myself many, many times.  It takes one to know one.

Because I’ve been there, done that, I want to help you any way that I can to avoid the regrets I’ve experienced.  I want to help you to feel the satisfaction and sense of victory that comes from taking confident action toward your goal.  I want to help you to stop waiting for the perfect circumstances because those conditions simply don’t exist.

This world is far from perfect.  Therefore, the perfect time to act is now.

Stop waiting and push the go button.  Don’t delay another second.  There will never be a better time than the present to start demanding from life what you want out of it.

The Fallacy of Waiting

A fallacy is a mistaken belief, a failure in reasoning.  If you are waiting for exactly the right time to move forward, then you are waiting for an illusion.  You simply cannot time everything perfectly.  Even if you think things are perfect, there are usually hidden obstacles that you didn’t anticipate.  Therefore, it is better to just move forward without further delay.  Let me explain further.

The reality is that waiting is the biggest problem you face.  It is the chasm that stands between you and your desire.

Waiting is far riskier than taking action.  I’ve lost way, way, way more opportunities due to waiting than I have because my timing wasn’t perfect.

You see when an opportunity is gone.  It is gone.  That’s it.  End of story.  You simply cannot go back.  Rarely and I mean very rarely does an opportunity knock twice.  So, if what you want is at the door, you’d better answer it.  You’d better swing that puppy wide open and see what’s there before it is too late.  Once the chance slips by, it will most likely be gone forever (meaning it won’t come back again). 

Get the point?

On the other hand, let’s assume you act, but your timing isn’t absolutely perfect.  In my experience, this just uncovers what were previously unforeseen obstacles.  This is to your advantage because once they are out in the open, you can start to deal with them. 

Plus, now everyone knows your intentions and that usually works to your favor as well.  By acting, you start the ball in motion.  You put yourself in the position of power.  You begin to make things happen.  This is far superior to waiting.  People will respect that you took the initiative and were assertive enough to step out of the proverbial comfort zone and take a risk. 

Just for the record, let me state the obvious here.  Taking action greatly increases your chance of success over just waiting and watching yet another opportunity slip away.  If you act and your chance of success is 50/50, that’s a lot better than continuing to do nothing where your chances are basically nil.

Please don’t continue to believe in the fallacy of waiting.  It is definitely the most costly path to pursue.  I beg you not to let another opportunity slip by .  Regret hurts a lot more than failure and for a lot longer.  Push the go button now and get more out of your life.

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com