How a Daily Gratitude Practice Can Change Your Life

"When you become grateful for small pleasures, your outlook changes and opportunities seem to open up everywhere in your life."
Unknown
For much of my life, I've been a person who's seen the glass half empty rather than half full. In fact, my mother would frequently remind me, "Count your blessings, Mandy. You have a lot to be grateful for!" Because, like most kids, I was invariably focused on the things I didn't have, the things other people got or experienced, that I didn't get to have or experience.
Over the years, the more I studied what kinds of practices and behaviors successful people had, the more I learned that one of the things they all consciously did over and over and over was to have a daily gratitude practice. Focusing on the things one is grateful for each and every day, keeps you (and your energy) focused on the positive aspects of your life and in an abundant mindset, rather than focusing on what you don't have or on the negative things in your life.
So about six months ago, I decided to get serious about creating a daily gratitude practice by making a list (mostly mentally, but occasionally I wrote them down) at the end of each day of the things I was grateful for that I had, or had experienced during the day.
Each night, I highlight three new things to focus on. In other words, to default to, "I'm grateful for my husband or my family" night after night does not have the same impact or result as coming up with three specific things from each particular day.
And each morning, after I awake and am lying in bed, I think of several news things for which I'm grateful, to try and train my brain to focus on the positive things that will be coming my way in the upcoming day.
I must say, this practice has been very helpful in terms of my mindset, overall wellbeing and in the success of my business. I have had more success the last six months of my business, than I have ever had in the history of my business.
Is it all due to my gratitude practice? Probably not, but I believe that it has helped me become more positive and put out more positive energy, so I am attracting more good things into my life and business. You attract where you put your energy.
So I challenge you to start a gratitude practice of your own. You might consider writing in a journal, or setting reminders on your phone at various times of the day to remind you to focus on the things for which you are grateful. Commit to this practice for at least 90 days and then assess the subtle changes in your mindset and results of your business.

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How To Be Happy - 4 Simple Activities I Do To Boost My Mood

Year after year, the pharmaceutical companies are making a killing selling pills, convincing people this is the only way for them to be happy. But the truth is, simple activities can help enhance our moods and feel better about ourselves and the world around us.
We all get caught up in day to day living, seemingly stuck on autopilot. You wake up, go to work, come home, bring the kids to soccer, make dinner, do chores, and get ready to do it all over again tomorrow. I know I've gotten stuck in a rut, feeling like I'm not getting anywhere, not accomplishing anything, sometimes even feeling insignificant.

In order to break that cycle, I had to disrupt it. Little by little, I started doing something different. These four activities here helped me improve my mood significantly.

Begin an exercise routine. Whether it's walking, yoga, or any other low impact, non strenuous activity, getting exercise is all around good for us, helping mind and body. Exercise is a great way to treat stress and can also help release endorphins and serotonin, natural mood enhancers produced by the brain.

Start a garden. This was the first year we started a garden and it's been an eye opener for me. I never realized the sense of accomplishment when you can pick your own peas, beans, tomatoes or whatever else we decide to grow. It's relaxing just working on the garden, getting my hands dirty and feel a special connection with nature itself when tending to it. We also compost, which simply makes me feel good that I'm doing something positive for the environment.

Try meditation. Meditation is a great way to find out what really is going on inside. It wasn't until I took the time and learn meditation did I realize how helpful it was. Even ten minutes a day can have a significant effect on those who practice it. But it does take practice.

Start a hobby. My passion was in music, but any hobby is a much needed break from everything else. We all need to take time in something we enjoy. Find that activity that you enjoy doing for no other reason than just enjoying it and you'll always have something to look forward to.
The biggest secret I have found to being happy is do what you want to do. Regardless of whatever anyone else thinks, you'll never be happy trying to live by their standards. Try one, two or all of these suggestions to start discovering what will help you figure out how to be happy.

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Gratitude: Your Secret Weapon to Fight Every Kind of Negative Thinking

If there were a magic pill that would solve all your problems, would you take it? Well, there is a way of thinking that lifts up our lives, and is easy to swallow as well. Whether you are fighting depression, stress, or feelings of lack, deep gratitude is your best defense.

In 1910, Wallace Wattles wrote, "Gratitude alone can lead our minds back toward the source of all things." "Gratitude alone" can mean "only gratitude" can lead us back, or it can mean "gratitude all by itself."
Both ideas are worth exploring. Only gratitude has such power to short circuit our negative thoughts, and redirect us from wallowing in self pity, or our imagined fears. And only gratitude can draw us away from concentrating on what we don't have, and open ourselves up to what might be.
When we are dealing with stress, or feeling unable to attract money into our lives, we become stuck in our current situation.
Wattles explains that without gratitude, "you cannot long keep from dissatisfied thought regarding things as they are." Good Vibe Coach Jeannette Maw calls this "being addicted to reality." We hang on so tightly to our problems that we allow no room for the happiness we really want. Our dissatisfied thoughts imagine our only future as just more of today. And we continue repeating the same negative emotions and ideas.
It's not hard to be thankful for good things. But sometimes, we just forget. So we need to cultivate our awareness of our blessings. There is not a moment in our lives that doesn't have something good in it. We need to seek those things out and be grateful. Wattles wrote:

"Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you: and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude."
The writings of every major faith emphasize gratitude. There are Sutras of gratitude, it is part of Islam, and St. Paul wrote, "in everything give thanks." The benefits all return to us.
But how can we give thanks when everything seems out of control? First, recognize that today's turmoil may be tomorrow's blessing. After all, who has not had a failed romance that seemed like the end of the world, only to realize later that escaping it was the best thing that could have happened?
Keep little disasters in perspective. Think of families who have lost everything in a tornado or other tragedy. We see them smile tearfully because they are so grateful that their loved ones are still alive. And it is their gratitude that will enable them to rebuild. Can we do less?
So, look around you. What can you be grateful in this moment? Then in an hour or so, ask yourself again. And again. Until it hits you, that you are grateful for it all.

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Coping With Depression: Helpful Tips to Get You Through Life's Trying Times

Depression is a difficult time of every person's life, but the good news is, there is hope for people experiencing it. It is possible to move from the darkness into a lighter frame of mind, and be able to cope with the ups and downs of life easier. Depression can be caused or induced by many factors, but generally medical scientists linked it to both mental and physical causes, and therefore dealing with it will include physical, psychological, and even spiritual methods.
Here are some tips to help you to cope better with your daily life and to deal with bouts of depression.
 
1. Find Someone to Talk to

The most effective way of dealing with depression or any sad moments in our lives is to have an outlet. Talking over your problems with someone who is a good listener and can offer sound advice to help you to cope better does always help. This is not always easy to do, especially as many people who experience depression have a habit of holding pain inside and not sharing intimate thoughts with anyone else. However, finding a confidante that you can trust to talk to will help you through your darkest days. You may find a counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist can provide you with the comfort of dealing with your issues in a true confidential fashion. Otherwise, a close friend, or your partner, could provide the ballast you need.

2. Exercise

It may surprise you to know that regular exercise will help beat the depressive blues any day. This is because vigorous exercise releases endorphins into your bloodstream. Endorphins are hormones that act like the body's natural feel good drugs. Create a habit of getting out of bed and starting exercise immediately, and you will soon find you experience a greater percentage of days when you feel good.

3. Develop Coping Mechanisms

There are many different ways of coping with difficult times, and you may need to work on several different ways of coping with a hard day. Some people find that a regular routine helps to get you through a tough day, as you start to feel better just by following the comfort of doing what you know. Others find that finding an outlet for creative expression, such as writing, painting, creating sculptures or even acting in a local theater group can help you to cope with depression. Others find developing an interest in personal spirituality, or prayer to God can help with coping with complex emotions.
Whatever coping mechanism you choose, ensure that it will not lead into further problems that will worsen your depression instead of curing it. Alcohol, drugs, or gambling will not solve your problems in life, and will in all cases make your life even more miserable.

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Five Steps to Take Ownership of Yourself

The following are five steps to take full control of your life. By following those steps in proper order, the sky is the limit for what you can accomplish.
First: be the best employee that you can be at your current job. Work harder than everyone else, always ready to help other coworkers, be there a little bit early and leave a little bit late. Nothing makes you feel better than a great day at work.
Second: you need to dedicate 4 hours/weekday or 20 hrs/week for you and you only. I don't care what you do during these hours, but you need to concentrate on yourself. Who are you? Why are you here? What makes you happy? However long it takes you to figure out these answers, do it. Without those answers, you can't go to step three.
 
Third: now that you know who you are and why you are here, it's time to have a plan of action. Start putting down what you want to do. Don't worry about money or how you are going to get this done. Write down exactly what you want to do as if everything is already available to you. This is the most important steps of them all. Don't miss out anything. Again there is no limit to this. Remember you have 20 hrs per week to work with. Take your time. Don't rush through this please.
Fourth: now we will take everything that's on step 3 and arrange them. It's a puzzle that we are putting together. Since everything on number 3 come from you and only you. Everything should fit perfectly in one a big picture, one big dream, one big plan, one big adventure.
Fifth: and final step. It's time to start working that big plan. Starts very little, at your own paste. Whatever the plan is, I am sure it has to do with servicing others. You can start by providing free service to friends and family members. Or you can volunteer to a company that can help you boost your confidence. The point here is that you don't need a dime to start implementing your big plan.
Once you are on that path, that journey to fulfill your dream, the society will have no choice but to open up for you. The society will provide you with all the tools that you need to keep going. At one point, you will have everything you need to be on your own and it will be time for you to give back to the society. One of the first thing you will give back is your job because now, you not only create a job for yourself, you are also accepting applications.
One of the biggest mistake people make, they jump to step five without the first four steps. No wonder why they think you can't make it unless you have money. That's the biggest misconception in business, au contrary the more money you have, the harder it is for you to find success because you have money, you never have a sense of urgency. "Money does not define success, successful people define money"

I can't wait to hear all your comments about this article. Please tell me what you think, have you learn anything from it? Do you find those steps easy to complete? Are you going to give it a try? Let me know. Thank you for reading my article.

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Thinking Against The Herd Can Often Achieve Remarkable Results

Usually when the mass market is following a trend or an investment theme, those in at the inception have cashed in and already got out. Getting out before a change in sentiment is key. How do you judge when to take action against the herd?
Normally this requires three key skills:
1. Foresight
2. Intuition
3. Confidence
Foresight comes from using data and context to have the right information.
Then Information and analysis creates insight. But insight plus intelligence creates foresight. Unless you work at creating foresight, then going against the herd becomes a speculative gamble. A flip of a coin. It relies on getting your timing to perfection.
Intuition comes from combining your foresight with your experience to narrow in upon a change in course with a lower downside risk. Your intuition needs to guide your timing. And your principles and criteria for decision making need to remain highly consistent. This is about patience rather than emotion. It is about confidence rather than reckless courage.

Intuition with confidence leads to action. And action plus process creates new value. Confidence comes from knowing when is the right time to take action. It comes from being consistent again, about your strategy. As if you know that the aggregate total of all of your actions, even when you have misjudged your timing, will yield a valuable, positive outcome.
So acting against the herd can get superior results.
In your career, this will always differentiate you. Set yourself apart from the pack and bring innovation. Make controversial but practical proposals. Be remembered as a thought leader with courage but pragmatic leadership qualities.
When investing, going against the herd can often yield better returns. Buying earnings and dividend yield on dips in the market is one strategy. Getting out of a momentum share or derivative instrument, before the herd, is the core skill. Once the desired return is achieved, profits would be taken. Better to get out before all of a growth trend is complete, than to get caught as a share price drops. This applies especially with Options trading Strategies.
So how do you apply the three key skills to get positive results? Act decisively. Never bemoan lost opportunities. Never fall in love with your assets. Start each new day ready to apply new foresight and not rest on the past. Follow your intuition. Have the confidence that the herd will always be slower to react than you will. Stick with your chosen strategy until you get the aggregate return you have set. But set a limit to stop your losses, if sometimes the charge of the herd is just too strong. Thinking Against The Herd will get better long-term results, particularly with options trading strategies.

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How to Change Your Attitude Towards Success!

I recently came across a very fascinating book about success and thought about sharing what I learned with you. I want to provide you some important key elements for you to apply in your daily life and change your attitude and bad habits.
It is a very well-known fact that 95% of people will never get to experience success as they have imagined in their minds. I am very positive you are curious on why this is the case for so many people.
It is all about attitude! To have the right attitude, you need the right mindset. Those who are very successful and belong in the 5% range of millionaires and billionaires, chose to take control of their conscious and unconscious mind in order to attract wealth and success.
Discipline is very important for attitude change. Changing your attitude could start from very small habit changes. For example, organizing your room, reading a book, exercising, doing yoga, walking your dog will give you more discipline and will-power.

Procrastination could be the worst habits to adapt because the side-effect includes laziness.I myself have experiences procrastination and it is one of the worst "fake best friends" for a human mind. To thoroughly remove procrastination, you need to consciously accept the fact that if you don't get this task finished today, you will make yourself more lazy tomorrow. Keep in mind that the more you let your mind be in control of you, the more procrastination you will experience.
Change your attitude towards people. Relationships are very important, thus always be courteous towards others. Remember, the way you treat someone is the way you will get treated back. If you have positive and loving relationships, you will have a better attitude towards life and more opportunities for success will open for you.
When negative thoughts flow to your mind, consciously ignore it and change your thoughts towards positive thinking. The mind could be the persons worst enemy or best friend. To discipline your mind, you need to consciously start thinking optimistically until it become unconscious. One way you can do this is through positive affirmation. Optimism is a must for a better attitude towards becoming successful. A pessimistic person can never be successful because they will adapt the attitude of giving excuses.
Surround yourself with successful people. Be around those who experience life through hard work and positive attitude. This would benefit you because you will start to think and be like them. For instance, if you hang out with criminals, the chances of you starting to act like them is very high. Same concept applies for successful people.

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