Monday, October 30, 2017

30 Inspirational Perseverance Quotes To Encourage You Through Life’s Toughest Times

Perseverance is the relentless attempt to achieve success and accomplish your desired goals. You achieve not simply by trying, but by persevering.  This is characterized by three (3) traits, which are keys to unlocking the door to success: 1.) Never giving up, 2.) Not being limited by time constraints; and 3.) Staying rooted in the […]

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Wednesday, October 25, 2017

7 Leadership Traits That Will Increase Your Impact and Influence

You are responsible for your destiny. Either you can follow someone, or be followed by others. The one who inspires others through their actions and influences others to follow them is a leader. Why do people follow some but not others, and what leadership traits does it take to become one? I would like to […]

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Monday, October 23, 2017

How Fake News Can Make You a Better Person

“I would never, ever date a liberal” one client told me after the 2016 national election. Later that day, a woman came to me very troubled that her husband of 30 years voted the Republican ticket. She wondered aloud, “Is it possible I married a bigot and never knew?” Since then, a week doesn’t go […]

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Saturday, October 21, 2017

5 Ways Accepting Failure Will Build Your Confidence

It’s easy to beat yourself up when you fail. This is something that we all do remarkably well – even if it’s only you that knows of your failure and no one else. Sadly, you will hold yourself to the fire and become your own harshest critic. While it’s good to hold ourselves accountable and […]

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Thursday, October 19, 2017

Which of These Leadership Styles Matches Your Mindset?

The way you carry yourself projects clues to those around you. Whether or not you’re aware of it, we all play the role of leader in many different areas of our daily lives. Leaders share a common mindset of conviction. They have the ability to be decisive while expressing their viewpoints with certainty. This allows […]

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PACK YOUR SPIRITUAL TOOLBOX: 26 OF THE WISEST QUOTES EVER UTTERED.

By Kate Taylor

I’ve always liked the idea of a “spiritual toolbox,” a figurative vessel for holding everything that calms, inspires and enlightens.

That’s why several years ago I decided to create a physical spiritual toolbox. I found a funky wooden thrift store box and — in a flurry of paint, glue, material scraps and glitter — turned it into a nifty container for my favorite meditations, soothing stones, Buddha and White Tara statuettes and wisdom quotes (quotes from great spiritual thinkers).

The toolbox is now a permanent fixture on my alter, and has saved me from countless foul moods and nasty vibes.

Every item in it is essential, but the wisdom quotes are especially powerful medicine for blue moods.

They help me make decisions. They remind me to slow down, breathe and witness the beauty around me. They show me that this world has produced truly enlightened people who made the world a much better place.

If you could use a little extra comfort or inspiration in your life, read on to find 26 of the most universally-loved wisdom quotes from luminaries ranging from Buddha to Socrates. They’ll help to guide your thinking and decisions in life, work and love.

 

  • “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” ―Socrates

 

  • “Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.” – Henry van Dyke

 

  • “I would rather die a meaningful death than to live a meaningless life.” – Corazon Aquino

 

  • “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” – Viktor Frankl

 

  • If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito. — His Holiness the 14TH Dalai Lama

 

 

  • “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” – Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

 

  • “Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” ―Socrates

 

  • “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” –Albert Einstein

 

  • “He who fears he will suffer, already suffers because he fears.” – Michel De Montaigne

 

  • “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

 

  • “If you decide that you’re going to be happy from now on for the rest of your life, you will not only be happy, you will become enlightened. Unconditional happiness is the highest technique there is. This is truly a spiritual path, and it as direct and sure a path to Awakening as could possibly exist.”
    ― Michael A. SingerThe Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself

 

 

  • “When you come to see you are not as wise today as you thought you were yesterday, you are wiser today.”
    ― Anthony de Mello

 

  • “The only way that we can live is if we grow. The only way we can grow is if we change. The only way we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we are exposed is if we throw ourselves into the open.” – C. Joybell

 

  • “A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” – George Bernhard Shaw

 

  • “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.” – Bil Keane

 

  • “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Gandhi

 

 

  • “When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.” – Helen Keller

 

  • “Most of us do not take these situations as teachings. We automatically hate them. We run like crazy. We use all kinds of ways to escape — all addictions stem from this moment when we meet our edge and we just can’t stand it. We feel we have to soften it, pad it with something, and we become addicted to whatever it is that seems to ease the pain.” – Pema Chödrön

 

 

  • “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” – Viktor Frankl

 

  • “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

 

  • You can’t stop the water, but you can learn how to surf. — Jack Kornfield

 

  • “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius

 

  • “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” – Albert Einstein

 

  • “In seeking happiness for others, you will find it in yourself.” – Unknown

 

  • “You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. – Buddha

 

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Monday, October 16, 2017

4 Questions To Help You Better Understand Yourself and Your Motives

Have you ever wondered why you are the way that you are? It’s a seemingly simple question, but one that’s full of depth. Often, we find ourselves going through life on autopilot. This usually contributes to us feeling stuck in a rut as an end result. On the road to self-improvement, we need to have […]

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4 Questions To Ask To Better Understand Yourself

Have you ever wondered why you are the way that you are? It’s a seemingly simple question, but one that’s full of depth. Often, we find ourselves going through life on autopilot. This usually contributes to us feeling stuck in a rut as an end result. On the road to self-improvement, we need to have […]

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4 Questions To Ask Yourself without Casting Doubt on Who You Are

Have you ever wondered why you are the way that you are? It’s a seemingly simple question, but one that’s full of depth. Often, we find ourselves going through life on autopilot. This usually contributes to us feeling stuck in a rut as an end result. On the road to self-improvement, we need to have […]

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Friday, October 13, 2017

40 Belief Quotes That Will Have You Questioning Everything You Thought Was True

It’s human nature to want to believe. In fact, people have several beliefs on every area of their life – from money, education, family life, to career. Some beliefs are ingrained early on. For instance, families teach their kids about the values of honesty and integrity. There are beliefs we pick up as we get […]

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Thursday, October 12, 2017

Inspirational Janet Jackson Quotes on Life, Love, and Music

Janet Damita Jo Jackson, more commonly known as Janet Jackson, is one of music’s most popular figures. As the youngest child of the Jackson family, she showed great talent and potential in the industry early on. In fact, she signed her first recording contract when she was only 16. Aside from her multi-million dollar success […]

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Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Toni Morrison Quotes on Writing, Love, and Life To Inspire You Today

Born as Chloe Ardelia Wofford, Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize- and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist famous for her rich use of language and unforgettable African-American characters. From her first novel, “The Bluest Eye”, she continued penning great works such as “Sula”, “Song of Solomon”, and the critically-acclaimed “Beloved”. She also taught at Princeton University and […]

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Sunday, October 8, 2017

Inspirational Princess Diana Quotes about Kindness, Life, and Love

Whether you’re six or 60 years old, there’s something fascinating about living like royalty. Quite a good number of folks have wondered what it’s like to live in palaces, dine with the Queen, and be on the adoring end of the public. Sadly, being royal is not always glamorous. Aside from royal duties, you need […]

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Thursday, October 5, 2017

KEEP YOUR COOL: 20 TACTICS FOR DEALING WITH ANNOYING, DIFFICULT OR UNREASONABLE PEOPLE

By Kate Taylor

 

 

The yackaholic who hogs every conversation. The co-worker who gossips and tells lies about us. The in-law who comments on our every weight fluctuation.

Most of us have at least a few difficult, annoying or unreasonable people in our lives. People who jack up our blood pressure and set our teeth on edge. People we’d absolutely love to mute. Or better yet, delete.

Sadly, we’re not omnipotent. But we can be the next best thing: unflappable.

With the right arsenal of coping skills, we can prepare ourselves to handle any and all of those who would otherwise destroy our peace of mind.

 

Those gremlins include:

 

  • People who twist our words and claim that we’re lousy communicators.
  • People who make subtly or overtly demeaning comments to us, or disguise such comments as “jokes.”
  • People who don’t respect our boundaries and seem to enjoy stepping all over them.
  • People who aren’t willing to consider our points of view or listen to our opinions. These types typically respond to us by staring blankly, laughing or blowing up.
  • Bullies
  • Verbal or emotional abusers (these can also range from subtle to overt)
  • Manipulators
  • Liars
  • “Crazymakers.” In other words, people who try to provoke us into acting crazy or worrying that there’s something wrong with us.
  • Excessively charming people who are too good to be true and have ulterior motives.

 

 

The following 20 tried-and-true coping skills can help us avoid fruitless confrontations and survive all kinds of personal and professional situations with our happiness intact.

 

 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/living-the-questions/201503/20-expert-tactics-dealing-difficult-people

 

 

  1. Listening is the number one step in dealing with “unreasonable” people. Everyone wants to feel heard. No progress can take place until the other person feels acknowledged. While you’re listening, really focus on what the other person is saying, not what you want to say next.

 

  1. Stay calm. When a situation is emotionally charged, it’s easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment. Pay attention to your breathing. Try to take some slow, deep breaths.

 

 

  1. Don’t judgeYou don’t know what the other person is going through. Chances are, the person who is being unreasonable is feeling some kind of vulnerability or fear.

 

 

  1. Reflect respect and dignity toward the other person. No matter how a person is treating you, showing contempt will not help productively resolve the situation.

 

  1. Look for the hidden need. What is this person really trying to gain? What is this person trying to avoid?

 

 

  1. Look for others around you who might be able to help.If you’re at work and there’s an irate customer, quickly scan to see if a colleague is close by.

 

  1. Don’t demand compliance. For example, telling someone who’s upset to be quiet and calm down will just make him or her irate. Instead, ask the person what they are upset about—and allow them to vent.

 

 

  1. Saying, “I understand,” usually makes things worse.Instead, say, “Tell me more so I can understand better.”

 

  1. Avoid smiling, as this may look like you are mocking the person. Similarly, humor can sometimes lighten the mood, but more often than not, it’s risky and it may backfire.

 

 

  • Don’t act This is tough. You’re naturally not enjoying the other person saying nasty things or things that you know aren’t true. You’re going to want to defend yourself. But the other person is so emotionally revved up, it’s not going to help. Remember, this is not about you. Don’t take it personally. (I know, easier said than done.)

 

  • Don’t return anger with anger. Raising your voice, pointing your finger, or speaking disrespectfully to the other person will add fuel to an already heated situation. Use a low, calm, even monotone voice. Don’t try to talk over the person. Wait until the person takes a breath and then speak.

 

 

  • Don’t argue or try to convince the other person of anything. Unreasonable people are un-reasonable.

 

  • Keep extra space between you and the other person.Your instinct may be to try to calm the other person down by putting your arm on theirs, or some other similar gesture that may be appropriate in other contexts. But if someone is already upset, avoid touch, as it might be misinterpreted.

 

 

  • Saying, “I’m sorry,” or, “I’m going to try to fix this,” can go a long way toward defusing many situations.

 

  • Set limits and boundaries. While some of the above tips have encouraged listening and letting the angry person vent, you also have the right to be assertive and say, “Please don’t talk to me like that.”

 

 

  • Trust your instincts. If your gut is saying, this is going downhill fast, be ready to do what you need to do to remain safe. Look for an exit strategy.

 

  • One response does not fit all. You must remain flexible. Although these guidelines have proven effective in de-escalating tough situations, every person is unique and may respond differently.

 

 

  • After the situation is over, talk to someone about what happened.

 

  • Discharge your own stressYou had to put your natural reactions on hold for a while. Now is the time to discharge some of that pent-up adrenaline. Go for a run. Take your dog for a walk. Don’t let the emotions stay stuck in your body.

 

  1. Give yourself credit for getting through an uncomfortable situation. It takes a lot of energy not to act like a jerk when someone else is behaving badly. Don’t skip this step!

 

 

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Why Being Silly Allows You To Enhance Your Confidence

Confidence is the cornerstone of success. It is the crux, linchpin, and bedrock of achieving the goals we set. Without confidence, success will crumble like a building without a solid foundation. Self-confidence is an attribute that every leader knows is essential to winning. Whether your confidence is overtly demonstrated, or presented with a quiet, but […]

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Wednesday, October 4, 2017

3 Steps To Make The Dream of Starting Your Own Business Come True

Always dreamed about starting your own business? You need to be able to trust yourself to be smart enough to figure out tricky situations when they come. You also need to be resourceful enough to find money or help when you need it, to be experienced enough to make the right decisions as they arrive, […]

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Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Strengthening the 4 Pillars of Leadership

What is an effective leader to you? Have you worked with or under an inspiring person before? What made you say that your boss was great at managing people? Becoming a leader and reaching your full potential requires working every day on these four foundational pillars of leadership.   The 4 Pillars of Leadership 1.) […]

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Monday, October 2, 2017

OBSESSED WITH THAT NEW WRINKLE? OR THAT NEW WHITE HAIR?

By Kate Taylor

 

“Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.”

 

That’s what Eleanor Roosevelt had to say about aging.

Her words are famous. Celebrated. Loved by so many over the years that it’s possible to buy posters, t-shirts and even underwear inscribed with them.

And yet, few of us seem to view our own aging with the pride and open-mindedness expressed in that quote. Instead, many of us behave as if we’re ashamed of our age.

For example: I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard someone denigrating their middle-aged muffin top, beer belly or arm “wings.”

Conversely, I’ve never seen someone lean toward a mirror, notice a new line or white hair and exclaim “Awesome! Now I’m even hotter!”

When it comes to our own faces, figures and hair, many of us fight like street cats to stop time in its tracks.

We shell out big bucks for cosmetic procedures, steam it up in spa treatments, slather on expensive anti-aging lotions, sunscreens and make-up. We divorce entire food groups and blend strange ingredients into gray-green smoothies. And we dress to flaunt our most attractive (read: youthful) assets.

For most people, the former lady’s beloved quote might as well be “…but beautiful old people (other than me) are works of art.”

Yet there’s a terrible price that comes with all that striving, psychology experts say. Our efforts to stay young are often accompanied by feelings of “age shame,” says Harriet Lerner, psychologist and author of many books including “The Dance of Anger.” This shame, she adds, is especially acute in women.

As an example, Lerner points to the old “don’t ask, don’t tell” social policy regarding women’s ages. That policy, she says, is alive and well in many social circles.

“Women have long been shamed for growing older—which is, after all, everyone’s wish,” she says. “Women have actually been taught to conceal their age, to joke and even lie about it, to treat it as a shameful little secret.”

And that little secret can be toxic to our souls.

“By hiding our age, we perpetuate the notion that there is something shameful or lesser about growing older,” Lerner says. “We further shame and disempower ourselves and all women by agreeing that it is best to conceal the number of years we have been alive.”

One way to start breaking free from age-shame is to be straight-forward about your age, she insists.

“To invite joy and happiness in, we can break the vicious circle of shame, silence, stigma and secrecy that surrounds who we truly are.  And that includes how old we are.”

Though society’s youth-obsession continues to rage, voices like Lerner’s are slowly helping to shift our negative views on aging.

“We’re beginning to see hints that people are recognizing that there’s beauty at any age,” said Pamela Mayberry, associate director of the Ithaca College Gerontology Institute in Ithaca, New York.

She points to the Dove “Real Beauty” advertising campaign – which features photos of women of all ages, skin tones and body types — as an example of this trend.

To explore this idea, I Googled “Gorgeous Oldsters” and was heartened by the images that popped up. There, as expected, were the glamorous, gravity-defying faces of Jane Fonda, Helen Mirren and Denzel Washington. But there also were the weathered, spirit-filled faces of everyday strangers from around the world.

Elderly Ukrainian women with twinkly eyes and color-soaked headscarves. Elderly Indian men with coffee-dark skin and heart-melting smiles. People who look their age but are being presented as indisputably beautiful.

 

If you’re feeling shame, guilt or stress about your own aging, it may be time for some self-exploration.

The following five questions can help you start identifying where your aging-negativity is coming from, and start to release it. Then you’ll be able to re-focus on what you love most in life.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-grown/201502/obsessing-over-wrinkles-depressed-about-aging

  1. “Am I really bothered by my wrinkles, or am I following someone else’s script?

Maybe your mother thought that growing older was terrible, and shared her thoughts with you. Over and over.

But do you really believe that?

You might be following a script delivered to you from society, the media, cosmetics companies, or even your parents. A script that tells you how you are “supposed” to feel about aging.

Question that script.  Ask yourself, “What do I really believe?”

Don’t let other people’s negative scripts become your own.

  1. “What makes me feel alive?” 

 Do whatever it is, if you can. Don’t let your age stop you. Age is a privilege, not a disability.

Doing what makes you feel energized and alive is a form of self-care—and when you take extra-special-good care of yourself, it’s much easier to let go of negative feelings when they arise.

(Think: the difference between zipping down the highway with a full tank of gas, versus crawling through gridlock, running on empty.)

  1. “Is there a part of me that needs to be comforted or soothed? What would feel good right now?” 

Soothe that part of you that feels depressed about aging with a hug, a walk, or a few words of reassurance.

In order to comfort yourself, you may first need to release some of the negative emotions that are getting in the way. One way to do this is by thwacking a pillow with a hand towel that’s been knotted on one end, safely, in private—while simultaneously expressing (aloud) all the things you’re angry about.

Imagine all those negative feelings leaving your body. Feel yourself growing lighter and less burdened with every thwack.

  1. “What kinds of thoughts repeatedly run through my head? Are those thoughts helping me or undermining me?”

 Perhaps you’re constantly allowing your inner critic to run rampant, filling your mind with thoughts like, “Ugh, my wrinkles are gross!”

are those kinds of thoughts helpful to you—or anyone else, for that matter?

Remember that you have the power to change your thoughts.

Choose thoughts that are helpful, not undermining.

  1. “What can I do, right now, to make the world a better place?”

Focus on your inner light—the Love that’s inside you—and let that light radiate out into the world.

Don’t let perceptions about aging dim your brilliance.

Share yourself with the world, right now.

Remember, too, that you don’t have to do anything “big” to make the world a better place.

You can write a letter to a friend. You can be present and attentive when someone is speaking. You can smile. You can remain calm in a crisis. You can be a good parent or grandparent, loving a child unconditionally.

The best antidote to feeling “invisible” or “unimportant” is to treat yourself with love and respect.

When you do this, your inner light grows even brighter. You feel naturally inspired to give love to others, to help, and to serve. You don’t have to “try.” It just happens.

Love has no age limit. So don’t let age limit your Love.

 

QUESTION: Do you worry a lot about lines and wrinkles or other perceived “flaws?”

What helps you to chuck the negativity and re-focus on what really matters?

We want to hear from you! Please write in and tell us your thoughts!

 

 

 

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The Harsh and Surprising Reality of Being a Leader

“This sucks!” As soon as the door closes and Susan is alone again in her office, she’s filled with a sense of disappointment. Susan has just completed a performance review with one of her direct reports, and the conversation was a tough one. The entire week has been dreadful; Susan had many difficult meetings, and […]

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