Life Learning Today Moving Soon!

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, but I have been busy with setting up my blog with Wordpress. I've finally gotten too frustrated with the Blogger posting tool. I've had to type in posts numerous times and when I edit them parts just go missing. That's just not acceptable. I still like blogger. If you can have patience, it is free.

But I'm moving to a hosted solution. This has been a bumpy ride too as starting with Wordpress is not that easy. I had problems with the first host and have had to switch to another one. The host will be installing Wordpress for me. I will keep you updated on my experience so you can benefit from the bumps I encounter and any mistakes I make.

For those of you recieving an RSS feed of this blog, I will have that updated. But please check in with the new blog.

Here is the address:

http://www.lifelearningtoday.com

If you've ever made the switch to Wordpress and have some advice please add a comment! Thanks!

Why Join AGLOCO Today?

The answer is simple. If you sign up now you have that many more people who have yet to sign up who can potentially sign up as one of your referrals.

Bloggers are signing up in droves for this. Don’t be the last one on board.
What is AGLOCO?

AGLOCO’s story is simple:

Do you realize how valuable you are? Advertisers, search providers and online retailers are paying billions to reach you while you surf. How much of that money are you making? NONE!

AGLOCO thinks you deserve a piece of the action.

AGLOCO collects money from those companies on behalf of its members. (For example, Google currently pays AOL 10 cents for every Google search by an AOL user. And Google still
has enough profit to pay $1.6 billion dollars for YouTube, an 18-month old site full of content that YouTube’s users did not get paid for!

AGLOCO will work to get its Members their share of this and more.

AGLOCO is building a new form of online community that they call an Economic Network. They are not only paying Members their fair share, but they’re building a community that will generate the kind of fortune that YouTube made. But instead of that wealth making only a few people rich, the entire community will get its share.

What's the catch? No catch - no spyware, no pop-ups and no spam - membership and software are free and AGLOCO is 100% member owned. Privacy is a core value and AGLOCO
never sells or rents member information.

Sign up for AGLOCO right now! I would be grateful if you use this link to sign up, as I automatically get credit for referring you and helping to build AGLOCO. http://www.agloco.com/r/BBCC6808 Thank you!

How Long Does it Take to Sign Up? – About 1 minute! What could be easier.

Wishing you much success!

Good Parenting Resolutions

Here are some great parenting resolutions to try. Just because it’s March doesn’t mean you can’t come up with new resolutions today!

1. No More Yelling.
   Make this a non-negotiable pledge. No matter what is happening with your child, commit to remain calm and rational. Remember that you’re the one in charge. You only lose control of the situation when you lose your cool. This practice will make you and your child much happier. (And no yelling between spouses/partners either! Children will follow the example you set. And kindness between parents makes a child feel
   secure and loved.)


2. Get Enough Rest.
   Being a parent means being tired. It’s part of the job description. But there are many ways that you can get the rest you need to be the patient loving parent you want to be. When you get the rest you need you’ll be a better parent, but also a better friend, spouse and worker.
   
1. Rest your mind by doing something you enjoy like reading a novel or chatting with an old friend.


2. Rest your body and mind by getting enough sleep, usually 8 hours is best. Make this a non-negotiable top priority.


3. Rest your mind by taking 10-15 minutes when you feel your energy waning to close your eyes and meditate (translation: let go of your thoughts worries for this time). You will be AMAZED at how much of a lift you get from this
   
3. Say No. Say no to those things that are a drain on your time. Success in life means
   achieving your priorities. What are yours? Write them down. Then when other things come into your life, (invitations, magazines, books, TV shows, new technology, surveys, etc.) if they don’t fit in with your priorities then pass on them even if they seem interesting or if you feel obligated. You are obligated to yourself and your family first.
   By passing on things that don’t fit in with your priorities, you will avoid a lot of frustration because you won’t fall behind on the things that are most important to you. Every once in a while review your priorities and the time you have allotted for each to see if you need to update them.

4. Play with Your Children.
   This is the greatest gift you can give to your child. When you find your child asking you for the millionth time to play or talk or take them to the park, it might be time to put the chores aside and play. Even if it is for 15-20 minutes, that can really make a difference for your child. It builds their confidence, self-esteem, and creativity. If there is something you must finish, like the dinner or the dishes, involve them. It may slow you down a bit, but it’s a great time to teach and listen to them. During playtime, let the child lead. Listen, praise, dance, sing, enjoy!


5. Tuck Your Kids into Bed. Take time out to read, count your blessings, review the highlights of the day focusing on the positive events and the learnings from difficult things. Tell them you love them, how great you think they are, and why you are proud of them. Smile and feel the joy that parents are so blessed to have. This is the reward for all your hard work! Good job, parents!

Get Your Blog Reviewed by Review Your Blog

Review Your Blog has just completed the first review of Life Learing Today. The author of this blog also publishes the website: http://dreamy-destinations.blogspot.com. Check out my review and let me know what you think of my blog! Thank you to all my readers!

Review:
Life Learning Today is such an excellent blog, great color and font, easy and interesting to read about a variety of subjects. My usual advice that photos help keep readers interested would apply here. But, you will learn a lot and enjoy theexperience.

Using Blogger to Make a Six-Figure Income?

I’ve read in a few articles that claim if you really want to make a six-figure income from your blog that you need to use Wordpress or something other than Blogger, such as Steve Pavilina’s article How To Make Money From Your Blog.

I’d like to conduct a survey of my fellow bloggers out there who either use Blogger or have used it in the past and who are making an income from their blogs.

I invite you to share your experience. In return I will add a link of your blog to mine. I will post the results of this survey in 1 month. If you want to ensure that you see the survey
results, please feel free to subscribe to my feed via email.

Just copy/paste the survey into the comments field.

1. Do you use Blogger?


2. If not have you ever used Blogger?


3. Do you monetize your website/blog?


4. What is your average monthly income range from your blog? (If you choose to share this info I will not publish your comments on this website. I will “reject” it and it will never be shared with anyone, only as part of anonymous data sets.)


5. General comments regarding this topic: (i.e. Do you think you have as much earning potetial with Blogger as with other platforms, like Wordpress?)

Thank you!

(Update: Thanks to AProBloggerMom for sending me the link to the post from Problogger.net where Darren Rowse found that Blogger was the #2 blogging platform used by his readers. Click here to see the full results of his poll.)

Learn Foreign Language Free: Podcast Style

Did you ever want to learn a new language, but thought that those audiotape
programs were too expensive? Well never fear, free podcasts are here!

www.coffeebreakspanish.com

Beginner

These are offered in 5 minute segments. The downloads through iTunes are free. There is also supplemental info available for a fee at their website.

www.notesinspanish.com

Intermediate/Advanced

Weekly 10 minute podcasts offered by British writer Ben Curtis for free. Conversation based. Supplemental info offered for fee.

www.frenchpodclass.com

Lessons include French language, culture, book & song reviews.

www.learnitalianpod.com

Free download. Beginner Italian. Supplemental material offered for fee.

www.chinesepod.com

This free daily podcast is based in Shanghai. Beginner to Advanced Mandarin offered. Supplemental materials offered for a fee.

www.spoonfulofrussian.com

Free occasional downloads available by a Natvive Russian living in the USA.

Salud!

YouTube - Free Hugs Campaign. Inspiring Story! (music by sick puppies)

YouTube - Free Hugs Campaign. Inspiring Story! (music by sick puppies)

Watching this will make you feel happy. Try it.

Decision Making Made Easy (Two Choices) - Part 1

Making decisions is always hard for me. It’s one of my Achilles heels. Here is a good method for choosing when you have to decide between 2 choices. It’s called PMI, short for Plus, Minus, Interesting. It’s an improvement over the simple Pro/Con worksheet.

How to use PMI:

1. Take a sheet of paper and draw three columns, labeling them Plus, Minus, and Interesting. You can get a free pdf form from MindTools.com. Example: Should I (A) eat dinner at home or should I (B) go out to a restaurant.


2. In the Plus Column write down all the positives (the Pros) about one of your choices. Example: the choice (A) to eat at home.


3. In the Minus Column write down all the negatives (the Cons) about one of your choices. Example: the choice (A) to eat at home.


4. In the Interesting Column write down all the Interesting things that could result from
   this choice (A) whether positive, negative or uncertain.
   
5. Assign points
   either negative or positive to each item in each column. You can be
   as arbitrary as you like, but a simple 1-10 scale or 1-100 scale should
   work.
   
6. Add up each of the columns
   


7. Total the three columns together.

If your score is positive this would indicate you should make this choice (A). If it is negative then you should choose choice (B).

PMI Table Example:

Should I (A) eat dinner at home or should I (B) go out to a restaurant.

PMI Table for Choice (A) eating at home:

Plus	Minus	Interesting
Healthier Food +10	I have to cook -10	Might miss out on meeting new people -7
I know what’s in the food +8	I have to clean up -10	Might avoid bad service +2
Can eat sooner. No drive time. +5	Not seeing anything new -8	Might miss out getting ideas for my writing -10
Quietier +2	I have to wait on myself -2	Miss out on exercise walking to the restaurant -7
Cheaper +3
+28	-30	-22

We scores the table as 28 (Plus) - 30 (Minus) - 22 (Interesting) = - 24

So in this example we would choose choice (B) since the outcome was overall negative for choice (A).

PMI charts were formalized by Edward de Bono in 1992, in his book: Serious Creativity: Using the Power of Lateral Thinking to Create New Ideas, HarperBusiness, New York, US, 1992. Five Star rating on Amazon from 8 reviews.

The Green Life: Clean, Green Machines

The Green Life: Clean, Green Machines

From The Sierra Club:

Clean, Green Machines
In the market for a new car? Then you might want to check out "The Greenest Vehicles of 2007," a list released this week by the American Council for an
Energy-Efficient Economy. The top scorers:
Honda Civic GX
Toyota Prius
Honda Civic Hybrid
Nissan Altima Hybrid
Toyota Yaris
Toyota
Corolla
Toyota Camry Hybrid
Honda Fit
Kia Rio / Rio 5
Hyundai
Accent
Hyundai Elantra
Honda Civic
The ACEEE also publishes a "Meanest Vehicles" list of unrepentant gas-guzzlers. Lincoln Navigator and Lamborghini Murcielago, we're looking at you...
February 08, 2007

Promote Your Site: A Blog for Promoting Your Blog

Promote Your Site: How to join

This is a blog promoting website that I just found. Here's how it works: You create a link to this blog by making a posting in your blog. Then you email echomixednuts@gmail.com.

Here is information directly from echomixednuts.blogspot.com
"This blog is open to all who wants to join and promote their blog(s) or daily article for free by posting whenever and whatever they want (except porn). Please note that at least you owned a blog.Joining is by invitation, just tell me if you are interested and send it to echomixednuts@gmail.com with a link to your blog(s) for review and you will be invited. Linking back is not necessary, however if you are generous enough here's the URL: echomixednuts.blogspot.com "

Members post articles and can have a link back to their blog.

Frustrated with your Success Strategy? Here's Help.

You have a goal. You have your success strategy. You start on day one to implement it. You work hard on each tactic of your success strategy. Day in, day out, you stay focused. But at the end the day, week, month, you feel frustrated. You wish you had more accomplished. Sound Familiar? Well help is here…

Well you're not alone. I often feel this way myself. There is so much I want to accomplish, oftentimes my expectations exceed what is possible in a given day. Hence, frustration.

I often use the analogy of climbing Mt. Everest. (you can see how I view my list of goals!) It's like Mt. Everest represents the attainment of all my goals fully completed. Everyday I set out trekking towards the peak and at the end of every day I'm still looking up at that peak and I say to myself "I'm not there yet." And so I feel unsatisfied, a sense of failure even! My focus is wrong! Let me tell you how I discovered the secret to eliminating this frustration.

I was describing this to my dad the other day and he said "If it was easy everyone would be doing it." We can take that another step and say If Success Was Easy Everyone Would Be Doing It. Wow!
This had a big impact on me.

This taught me three important success strategies that have helped me feel great and drop the frustration feelings.

The first lesson is this:

1) Keep An Eye on the Peak, But at the End of Each Day Review & Celebrate How Far You've Come! At the end of each day all I was looking at was how far I had yet to go. Of course I was feeling frustrated. Now what I do is keep a quick record of all I accomplished each day. I try to review it at night and even close my eyes to relax as I do this. Then I say to myself, "Good Job. You made great progress today!" If you can, share your success with someone. If I didn't make progress then I ask myself what I learned and what I can do better tomorrow. What are the most important things I can do tomorrow towards my top goals.

2) Take Heart, Difficult Goals + Perseverance = Uncommon Success. Because your goals are difficult, much of the competition will drop out. That means that if you can hang in there and keep plugging away each day, you will succeed. And imagine what will happen if you can add some skill to the mix. You'll be a total success!

3) Plan Your Day To Stay on Track. This is simple, but a lot of times we don't write it down because we say "I know what I need to do." Well if you write down a simple to-do list each day you will have a guide that will keep you from getting sidelined during the day. Keep it in front of you all day. Whenever you find yourself losing focus, refer to it. Plan according to what will get you the most progress today on your most important goals. Do the toughest things first when you have the most energy! Do the easier things later in the day when your energy is lagging.

So implement your success strategy everyday, review & celebrate your progress, keep plugging everyday, and plan your day! May success and a sense of accomplishment be yours!

Recommended Reading: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen.

Where to Order Kashi TLC Cookies: Soooo Good!

Do you love cookies but suffer from guilt afterwards? Well there is a relatively new cookie on the market that is a real revolution. It is a healthy cookie with lots of fiber and lots of dark chocolate too! No trans fats. And it tastes great!

The only problem is that every health food store that does stock them is always out of them and all the health food stores online don’t carry them. And you can’t even order them directly from www.kashi.com.

Well I have good news! I know the secret place to get them, The Better Health Store.

It’s the only store online that carries them and I should know because I have searched and searched!

Here is the product description for the Kashi TLC Cookie Oatmeal Dark Chocolate.

The Kashi TLC Cookies come in 3 varieties: “Happy Trail Mix,” “Oatmeal Dark Chocolate” (my favorite), and “Oatmeal Raisin Flax.” Each cookie has approximately 130 calories and 3 grams of fiber, but they are big cookies. You only need one for a small desert. I eat mine with some almonds. Yummy!

The Better Health Store offers free shipping on orders over $60. If you want to find a store in your area you can try Kashi’s store locator by clicking on this link. So do try them out and enjoy!

Loving Kindness

I was just recently sick with a stomach virus. Not the worst I ever had, but still awful enough. My mother came and stayed with me. I felt so sick and vulnerable, so I was so grateful for her presence.

We live in the same house and you know what they say about 2 cooks and 1 kitchen. It is true.

We argue more than I like and more than I should.

I feel like being sick was intended to send me a message that life is too short to fight. I need to let go of my anger, aggressiveness. I need to let go of my irritability. It is a choice.

Instead of anger, I should take deep breaths, take a break when tired, walk away from heated or aggravating situations, and then try to cultivate loving kindness in my heart toward my mother…or anyone for that matter. (don’t we all experience difficulties at work, in the supermarket, with spouses, friends, children, and on and on?)

I need to find compassion for the person who brought me into this world and who taught me so well and loved me so well. I need to have compassion for this person who has her own weaknesses and vulnerabilities just like me.

When I fight with her I see her as strong over me. But really she is probably tired like me. She has disappointments, sadness, loneliness, and sickness at times too. I need to give up judging her and find compassion for her like I would for a small child. We’re all still children underneath.

Giving up judging will free me from the chronic irritability inside of me. I know this is easy to say now, but I am making a commitment to this.

The reading that inspired me towards this is Pema Chodron’s audiobook called “Getting Unstuck.” You can check it out on Amazon here: Getting Unstuck: Breaking Your Habitual Patterns & Encountering Naked Reality

I’ll keep you posted on the results of my commitment. I hope that you may find some revelation in this too that may help you.

Anna, We Hardly Knew Ye

Anna Nicole Smith died yesterday at age 39. I didn't know her, but somehow I was stunned and saddened by her death. I guess the fact that she just lost her older son after giving birth to her recent baby, already had my heart feeling for her.

I know how hard it is to deliver a new baby and I know how exhausted and vulnerable you are right after that. To lose your adult son a few days after having a baby must have been crushing. I can't imagine the grief she must have gone through. And on top of that she had a brand new life to care for. A newborn baby needs their mother so strongly after birth. Under normal circumstances it takes everything you have to care for a newborn. To have to do that while grieving for your son, to whom she was very close, must have felt unbearably heavy.

Like everyone else I heard the rumors about her using drugs. I wasn't there. Maybe she did, maybe she didn't. Either way, she was a human being struggling like the rest of us to find her way in life. It sounds like maybe her struggle was quite challenging despite seemingly having it all.

I'm not here to defend Anna Nicole's behavior, but rather to express sympathy for a fellow human being who died too soon. I also pray for her daughter that she will be loved and guided well in life so that she may life a good life. Like Anna Nicole there are many people in this world who are struggling and like her daughter, there are many children who are so vulnerable and in need of loving care. I pray for peace and goodness for all these people.

My learning from this sad story is that I need to appreciate everyday with the people that I love. So simple, but often so hard to do in the hectic world we live in today.

Blogger Posting Made Easy

I am a great fan of Blogger. It's free, it's easy and it works really well. The only thing that I think could be better is the posting tool. It is slow when typing in it and formatting is cumbersome.

 

So I thought, "Oh, I'll just write my blog in Word and then copy/paste it into the Blogger posting tool." Well when I did that I lost all my formatting.

 

Here's the Good News: You can make posts more easily to Blogger and keep your formatting.  Here' how:

 

1)       Type your post into MSWord or whatever word processing software you use.

2)       Format your post to your desire.

3)       Make sure you hyperlink any links or URL's in your content.

4)       Open an new email.

5)       Set to Rich Text Format.

6)       Copy/Paste your blog post from Word into the email.

7)       Type the Title of your post into the Subject line.

8)       Send the email to: <your Blogger signon>.<your blog name>@blogger.com

9)       Add labels on the Blogger posting tool by choosing "edit posts."

10)   You're Done!

 

Happy Easy Blogging!

One Stop Shopping for Oscar Prediction Contests. Get Academy Award Fever!

Maybe you can't win an academy award this year, but that doesn't mean you can't join in the fun and win some prizes. Here are some Oscar prediction contests that are out there. I've listed their link and the prizes they offer. I'll try to add more as I find more, so check back each day. Also, keep in mind that a lot of these contests have entry deadlines of a whole week before the Awards Show which airs Sun Feb 25th 2007. Here is a link to the official website: http://www.oscars.org/

Academy award contests:

National Amusements 2007 Academy Awards Contest

Prizes: Trip to Universal Studios, also movies passes.

Link

or

Link

The Numbers Oscar Competition 2007

Prizes: To Be Announced

Link

2007 Academy Awards Ballot

Prizes:Grand prize: 30GB iPod

Link

The Olympian's Oscar Contest 2007

Grand prize: The winner will receive a year's supply of movie tickets — the equivalent of two tickets per week for a year. Tickets are good at any Regal Cinemas, United Artist Theatres and Edwards Theatres.

Link

Pick the Oscars, win the tickets

Prizes: 104 MOVIE PASSES from Regal Cinemas

Link

FilmGuru.net 2007 Oscar Contest

Prizes: GRAND PRIZE: One (1) grand prize winner will receive the following: a $25 gift certificate to the FilmGuru.Net store and a FilmGuru.Net t-shirt (arv $15.99).

Link

DailyPress 2007 Oscars Contest

Prizes: free movies for the rest of 2007

Link

NPR's 'Write Your Own Oscar Speech' Contest!

Prizes:We'll record winners' speeches in a phone interview and post the best ones online. Up to three winners will receive copies of the box set of our musical CD series I Heard It on NPR.

Link

Kansas.com Academy Awards Contest

Prizes:

First -- $100 gift certificate, four movie passes and a year's subscription to Premiere magazine.

Second -- $50 gift certificate and four movie passes

Third -- $25 gift certificate and four movie passes

Link

Press Oscar contest

Prizes: a whopping 150 movie passes.

Link

YDR.com 2007 Oscar Predictions Contest

Prize: $25 gift certificate to Regal Cinemas

Link

SpokesmanReview.com Oscar Contest

Prizes: First place receives $100, second $50, third $25 (all will be paid in movie passes to the theater chain of the winner's choice).

Link

Link2

Albany2Go.com Oscar Contest

Prizes: $100 gift certificate for your favorite movie theater.

Link

Good Luck. Check back daily for updates, or better yet, subscribe to our blog for all updates!

Cheers!

Write Your Novel Online

Have you been thinking about writing a novel?

Are you fed up with watching it spin around in your mind like so much laundry?

Well, me too! And I've come up with a solution. It's not something entirely new. NaNoWriMo and crew thought of it first a la NaNoBlogMo on Blogger.com.

The idea is to write your novel online.

Now I'm not talking about buying some kind of fancy shmancy software package that will help you design your plot and characters. (I'm sure those are great, but somehow I think most of that stuff falls into the category called "Procrastination.") I'm talking about something much more organic than that. I'm talking about writing yourself an email everyday that furthers your novel or really any writing project you may have - memoir, screenplay, essay, you name it.

Here's where I had my epiphany moment. I've been emailing a lot lately, getting back in touch with a few old and some new friends. I probably spend a good hour, or maybe even two thinking about and composing these emails.

Then I read an article by Anna Quindlen called "Write for Your Life." Basically she talks about the lost art of letter writing and tells the story found in the new movie "Freedom Writers." In the story young "at risk" youths are saved by a teacher who encourages them to start a journal. This started me thinking about all my emailing lately and how I miss the long hand written letters I used to write. But mostly it made me think about how I could combine my love for letter writing with reaching my goal of writing a novel.

When I found out that you can post to your blog via email, BANG! The idea struck!

Why don't I write myself an email each day with a little more of my story (aka my novel)! I can pretend the audience is whoever will provide the best motivation.

So I have set up a blog just for this purpose.

You should too! Get writing!

Posting a Blog via Email

This is a great way to post to your blog.

Send email to:

<your blogger signon here>.<your blog title here>@blogger.com

Subject = Title of your post

Body= Your post.

Hit Send.

Your post is published!

Ain't technology sweet?

Choosy People Choose Less Choice

Do you ever walk away from surfing the internet feeling frazzled? Does trying to find the optimal computer, cell phone, or mate have you exhausted? Shouldn't all our choices make our lives better?

Having choice means having control which is shown to improve the quality of life. And, today, with the internet, megastores, and globalization, we have more choices than ever in the history of mankind.

So why are we worn out from all our choice?

There is fresh research by Columbia University professor Sheena Iyengar that shows that too much choice is actually bad for you.

So what is a modern consumer to do?

Try adding more satisfaction to your life in the form of "being happy with what you have." Contentment can be cultivated by being grateful for what you have. This brings true happiness. This is a lesson I have learned elquently from both Zig Ziglar and Andrew Matthews.

People who are constantly trying to maximize everything are always so focused on the destination that the never enjoy the journey.

So you still need to find a new computer, cell phone, mate or whatever. What should you do? Balance out maximization with some satisfaction.

1)Figure out what you need. Keep it as simple as possible.

2)Find a website that allows you to search by features such as Letstalk.com for cell phones, PC Connection for computers, or Match.com for dating. Don't get sidetracked by features that fall outside of what you need.

3)Once you find the best then be satisfied with it and enjoy your life!

Good enough is enough. And enough is plenty.

For all you Type A's out there, chant this mantra every time you feel yourself getting sucked into over-maximization.

Enjoy "Good Enough" and see how happy you feel. Don't worry. Your goals and drive will still be there tomorrow.

Boldness Has Genius

Are you sick of your own procrastiation? Does your motivation need a shot in the arm? Read this famous quote:

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back-- Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now." - Goethe or was it someone else who said this?

Regardless of who said this, here are your instructions for success today:

1)Read this Goethe Quote and memorize this part: Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now!

2) What is the difficult thing you've been postponing?

3) Decide what you can do today to move things along on your goal. JUST ONE.
Examples: make a call, schedule an appointment, prioritize the parts of the project, delegate a task, get out of your chair and talk to colleague you need info from, break off an engagement, tell someone you've changed plans, go walking, do 10 pushup & 10 situps, smile, laugh.

4) Do it!

5) Repeat.

6) 15 minutes before quitting time, close up shop and enjoy the rest of your day/evening. Acknowlege your success to yourself or with a friend, no matter how small it may seem. Celebrating success will perpetuate success.

(optional)
7) Repeat tomorrow.

May the force be with you!

Do Your Emotions Control You?

I've learned recently by paying attention to my body, that how I feel on any given day has a lot to do with the mysterious chemical soup inside my body. Some of it I have control over, such as the food I eat or whether I've gotten enough sleep, but there is much I don't have control over. Hormones and other brain chemicals may make me feel any number of things such as sad, aggravated, loving, happy, content, hungry, in need of affection, in need of alone time, quiet, gregarious, and so on.

The key here is that these feelings are not triggered by EVENTS. They are triggered by internal chemicals. (Events can trigger feelings too, but I'm talking about waking up with a particular feeling and with no event triggering it.)

So what happens to a lot of us if we wake up feeling sad, for instance? What I have noticed is that we tend to FIND an event or circumstance to plug-in to that emotion. “Why do I feel this way? Oh yeah, I don’t have a boyfriend.” But yesterday you were happy to be single and independent.

The problem with plugging in an event or circumstance into every feeling we have is it doesn’t allow the emotion to just be and then pass along. We often prolong emotions by doing this. Now if it is a positive emotion then maybe that’s ok.

So what is the answer?

If you wake up with a negative emotion or even if it strikes you mid-afternoon, consider first whether it could be from your internal chemistry. Maybe you’re tired or hungry or both. Maybe certain hormones are on an upswing or downswing. If so, take a brief break – even five minutes- to close your eyes, breathe deeply and calm your mind with either visualization or a simple mantra.

This can also save you from making a relationship mistake. Maybe your boyfriend or girlfriend is really not a match for you and you know it. You procrastinate about breaking up and wait for the next flood of good emotions to hit, thus proving to yourself that it is the right thing to give this person another chance. If someone does not mesh well with your values in life, then save yourself some heartache down the line by breaking it off and finding someone who is right for you.

Recognize that the negative emotion will pass. Just find a way to take a break or promise yourself a rest as soon as you are able. Don’t dig yourself into a deeper hole by piling events and circumstances onto a chemically triggered emotion.

If your emotion does relate to an event or circumstance, ask yourself it might be exacerbated by internal chemicals. If so, wait to take action if you can. If not, then identify the problem, brainstorm solutions and breakdown the best solution into chunks that you can complete bit by bit.