On Courage and Faith

"Courage is the path on which your work travels.

Fear is just a pothole that you fill with faith."

~ Karon Phillips Goodman

Elevating Life

Do you want a better life? I certainly do. Now, I'm not unhappy with the life that I have and am so blessed in so many ways. But, it could be better and I know that I could be a better person, so that is what I am seeking.

In order to find a better life I know that I have to change my mindset, my behaviors and the focus of my life’s work. To achieve something that is worthwhile I must take responsibility for who I am and then make a conscious choice and effort to become who I want to be. When I am responsible for my thoughts and behaviors and make the shift from the unconscious to the conscious thought I can transform an ordinary and average existence into something that is filled with joy, meaning and purpose.

Now, if you can make the conscious decision to change how you think and focus on what is important in your life in order to fill it to overflowing with joy, meaning and purpose, why would you not do this? Why would you choose, instead, to remain stagnate and ultimately self-destruct? Yet, oddly enough, people make this latter choice every day.

See, it is really about making the choice to put the power and decision making for my life back into my own hands. That means I choose to quit functioning automatically or on auto-pilot relying on the old habits and behaviors that got me to this point in the first place. I choose to simply stop using excuses that hold me back or keep me from being responsible for my life. I choose to re-train my brain and thoughts in order to achieve a better life in order to elevate it to a place that is higher functioning, has true meaning and purpose, and is a happier place to be.

Henry David Thoreau said it best in Walden:

“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable

ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor.”

I encourage you to take a bit of time to think about how you can change your unconscious thinking into the conscious and elevate your life to receive joy, meaning and purpose that you so rightly deserve!

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http://www.RegistryMindset.com. Michele Webb, America’s Cancer Registry Coach, is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR). She cares passionately about helping cancer registrars around the world to grow personally and professionally and serves her community as a motivational speaker, author, and educator. You have permission to repost this article as long as you do not alter it in any way, give credit to the author and link back to her website.

Gratitude and Appreciation as a Secret for Success

The best attitude you can possibly aspire to express year-round is one of gratitude and appreciation.

Being truly grateful for what is already present in your life will automatically and effortlessly attract more good into your life.

Make a conscious decision to appreciate and acknowledge all that you have already been blessed with. These emotions are of the highest vibrational frequency, and through the Law of Attraction they will attract even more to be thankful for.

Try to be grateful for even the difficult and challenging situations that arise in your life.

It is often through these situations, that we experience the most profound spiritual and emotional growth. You can learn to view each apparent obstacle as an opportunity to develop a new quality, strength, skill, insight or wisdom and be grateful for the lessons. Each challenge is an opportunity for growth and expansion.

Rise to these occasions, and appreciate all that you are learning in the process. Keeping your attitude positive and appreciative through these times will not only help to avoid attracting more of these difficult situations into your life - it will also create a field of positive energy that will attract more of what you do want.

"Of all the attitudes we can acquire, surely

the attitude of gratitude is the most important,

and by far the most life-changing."

- Zig Ziglar

A Token of Gratitude

Try carrying a small token, stone, crystal, or some other meaningful object with you each day in your pocket. Throughout the day, each time you reach into your pocket for your money or keys it will serve as a tangible reminder to stop and think of something you have to be grateful for. This is a great way to increase your awareness of all that you have to be appreciative of.

Take a moment to breathe, and really feel the emotion of gratitude. This simple mindfulness technique helps to raise your vibrational frequency and keep you in a state of constant gratitude.

Your Gratitude Journal

Start keeping a daily Gratitude and Acknowledgement journal. This is a necessary and valuable tool in the development of your growth and awareness. This book is not intended to be a long, drawn out “diary” sort of thing, just a short, simple list of things you are grateful for on that particular day. This is a place to honor and appreciate the good in your life.

Gratitude:

Each evening, before going to bed, take a few minutes to review your day. Think about the day’s events. Become aware of how many good things actually happened on that day, and remember to appreciate even the challenges that you encountered. Select the five things, or people, or events that you are most grateful for. There is no right or wrong here, just whatever, or whoever you are sincerely grateful for on that particular day. It may be the warm sun on your face, a cool breeze, a kind word, a friend, or just feeling good about what you got accomplished that day. It may be the way you handled a particular situation that would have thrown you into a tailspin in the past.

Anything you are grateful for. As you write them in your journal, feel the gratitude and appreciation. Give thanks.

Acknowledgement:

Take a moment to acknowledge the changes that are occurring for you personally. Write them down. Acknowledge just how well the Law of Attraction is working in your life. Write down any specific event where the Law of Attraction was at work- the parking space you envisioned, the meeting you wanted to schedule, the bonus check you received, the grade you wanted, the person who said yes when you asked them out.

Miracles can and do occur on a daily basis. They are happening all around you. Honor them, and notice them. Through acknowledgement, you will become more and more aware of the amazing synchronicity that is already at work in your life.

Make the time you spend in contemplation and writing in your Gratitude and Acknowledgement journal a sacred part of your daily routine.

Your continued expressions of joy and gratitude will draw even greater joy, love and abundance into your life.

You will begin to notice a change in your perception of each day‘s events. You will become more aware of the positive things that happen all around you every single day. Your focus will shift, your energy will shift, and you will begin to appreciate how blessed you already are. And … the Law of Attraction will respond to the higher vibration you are creating.

Enjoy the journey.

Live each day in joy and gratitude.

Jack Canfield

© 2010 The Canfield Training Group.  All Rights Reserved.

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Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

The Activity of Faith

Recently I read a short post describing faith as an activity of the heart, or a connection we have and make in our life. Sharon Salzberg, a meditation teacher in Massachusetts describes faith as an activity of the heart.  By reaching for connections instead of staying isolated and recognizing that everything is changing all of the time we can apply our faith as a daily activity rather than just a concept or belief. 

She says that "...the essence of faith is connection."  We all recognize that our lives are very complex and difficult today and faith is an activity that ignites our capacity to expand our relationships, to love, forgive and to heal from all those hurts, bumps and scrapes we experience every day.  It is also an activity that connects us to a higher source that feeds our mind and soul with value and purpose that drives us to want to be better human beings. 

By practicing faith as an activity, rather than just something I believe in, I can replenish my thoughts, bring value and purpose to my life, and have the energy to carry forward every day. 

Make More Time for Yourself

There's only 24 hours in any given day and so the thought that you could "make more time" does seem a bit ridiculous.  But, I have run across a few tips from life coaches that actually worked.  Here's what I discovered:

• Handle things once.  I've heard this for many years, but it really works.  If you're sorting through your mail, immediately through out the junk mail, catalogs or circulars that could clutter things up.  I also throw away those tempting catalogs, not only were they a temptation for my money but I found I spent a lot of time "just looking." 
• Don't listen to the news first thing in the morning.  This tip surprised me.  I used to listen to the news while I got ready for work each morning and thought nothing of it.  I had already eliminated listening to the news just before bedtime so that it didn't interrupt my sleep.  But, when I stopped my morning listening I was surprised at how much fresher and how much more upbeat my outlook on my day was than before.  Now I take 5-10 minutes mid-morning and mid-afternoon to look at the news highlights online and then sign off.  Try it, you may be surprised too!
• Make good use of waiting time.  Tuck a book in your purse or in your car.  Take a notepad to write your shopping list or notecards to write thank you or appreciation notes.  Some people pay bills but that may be a bit too public for most.  Whatever you do, if you are spending your waiting time in a public area, please do not use it to talk on your cell phone in public as that is annoying.  A little quiet time does wonders!
• Be decisive and move on.  Have you ever been with a group of friends who couldn't make up their minds as to which restaurant to visit?  Or, have you been shopping with a friend who took hours to decide between the blue shirt or the red one.  Be decisive, make a decision and move on.
• Turn off technology during your high-energy time.  OK, this one took me a bit longer to embrace.  For years I have had a small TV on at my desk while I worked.  After trying this tip a couple of times I realized how much more productive I am when I turn the TV, radio and iPOD off for a couple of hours each day. 
• Monitor time-sapping addictions.  If you suffer from chronic Internet surfing'itis like me, you understand this tip.  Whatever your addiction, whether it is reading useless catalogs, Internet surfing, watching TV, or your own unique habit, monitor your time.  It's OK to indulge, just make a commitment to do this activity for 15 minutes, 20 minutes and so forth and then move on to something more productive. 

These tips alone, according to Kathryn Matthews in O Magazine, could save you up to 4.5 hours each day in time!  Try some of these and you may be surprised at how easy they are to implement and how much more relaxed and less stressful your day can be.

(Tips from "How to Get 7 More Hours into Your Day," by Kathryn Matthews, O, The Oprah Magazine, May 1, 2007.)

Life x2

Have you noticed that life seems to be whipping past us at warp speed?  In all the hurry of our everyday lives it is important to remember to enjoy it.  You have probably heard this before, right?  But, have you actually practiced it?  Every day that you spend worrying about trivial things is a day you subtract from the time you could be using to do something meaningful or something that adds value to your life. 

Last week I was looking at an old high school annual.  You probably have one similar to mine where everyone writes, "...never change..."  "..stay just like you are..." and so forth.  In reality, that is exactly what you should be doing.  Living life x2, or to its fullest extent with value and meaning, means that you will reinvent yourself each and every day.  I don't know who, but someone once said that "stagnation is suicide." 

Look around each day and find something you can do to add value and meaning to your life and the lives of others.  Reinvention does not have to be complicated.  Look for the simple, heart felt things you can do or say.  Live life x2!

It's OK To Ask For Help

Sometimes our biggest goals in life can seem so overwhelming.  You may find it difficult to take this goal and break it down into a series of small, realistic and achievable tasks. But this is exactly how big goals and dreams are achieved!  

 

From time to time you may have a goal that requires you learn something new, or you may encounter a new problem or challenge that you are not ready to handle. In these situations it is OK to ask for help. Remember, it is OK to not know how to do something!

 

So, ask for guidance and advice from someone who does know. Get comfortable asking, "Can you tell me how to go about this..." and "What would I have to do to ...?" or "How did you...?"

 

If the first answer or two don't seem right, keep researching and asking until you can create a realistic action plan that helps you reach your goal. Don't stop searching until you are sure you have the right answers and right information in hand to begin you quest.

 

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you get started:

• What do you need to do?
• What new skills do you need to learn?
• What resources do you need?
• Who do you need to help and support you in reaching your goal?
• Who do you need to ask for assistance?
• What new habits do you need to build into your life to reach your goal?

After you have decided what you really want and have specific deadlines and goals in mind, the next step will be to determine all the individual action steps you need to accomplish your goal. Asking for help to do this will take you closer to success and to accomplishing your dreams if you can ask for help from someone.

Why Are You Waiting?

As we go about our daily lives God puts different situations in front of us to not only test our faith and give us opportunities to grow.  Author Karen Phillips Goodman states this wonderfully in her book, You're Late Again, Lord!  The concept is that as we sit in whatever room we find ourselves in today, we will not advance to the next room until we have learned the lessons here first.  To do this requires a constant walk with God and absolute trust and faith that He will be with you every step of the way and that He will not put you in a situation in which you will fail.  He is interested in our success and well-being.  But you know, like I do, that growth and success only comes from some sort of experience, some are even painful.  While I am not an expert in learning my lessons, I have begun to ask myself these questions to help me understand God's plan, or lesson, for today.  Perhaps you will find these helpful as well:

• What do you think you are waiting for today?
• What does God need you to discover (or rediscover) about your relationship with Him today?
• And, instead of focusing on how to "fix" others, how will you focus on your inner self and ask God for guidance to see what He wants you to learn today?

You may find yourself sitting in some waiting rooms for an extended period of time as not all lessons are easily learned.  However, when that doorway to the next room opens up your heart and mind also open and expand and God's plan for your life will be evident. 

Linear to Circular

Have you noticed how challenging it is in our busy lives today to have meaningful relationships? In our excessively busy, high-tech, world we tend to run "linear relationships" instead of building a circular and supportive communities that support and promote success.

Author Randy Frazee describes a linear relationship as "..running from one relational unit to another. As you exit one world and enter another, there may be some mention of the people you just left behind, but essentially they are not connected to the present world in any meaningful way." (Making Room for Life, pg 47). Sound familiar?

Linear relationships are not conducive to really getting to know people, to building solid and supportive relationships and to find true meaning to life. We just bounce from encounter to another without really giving of ourselves or sharing with others whom we really are or what we want to be. For some it is a "safe" way to get through the day without having to give of yourself or be your authentic self. But have you really thought about what you actually get from these relationships? Are they really helping you to grow, be successful in life or to reach your goals?

To get the most out of life consider building circular relationships instead of linear by:

1. Eliminating unnecessary and negative relationships. Simplify your life by removing the links or worlds that make your life stressful or hard to integrate into your long-term goals and plans.


2. Drawing and combining circles. Invite folks from one circle of your life to participate in another. Combine those with like interests. For example: if you like a particular hobby or activity and so do others you know, begin participating together as a group. Keep it simple and low-key and you may be surprised at how meaningful this can become for everyone.


3. Creating a hangout. The hit TV show "Friends" explored the value of a hangout and a "safe" place to share your life with others. Again, keep it simple but consider making your front porch, garage, cafeteria at work, a local park or beach, some centralized location become a favorite hangout.

By creating circles with your relationships you will find that many of your friends and family have common interests. When we do something together, even if it is as simple as sitting on our front porches sipping a glass of iced tea, we begin to build and grow our relationships in a helpful and supportive way. Darting in / out of a conversation does not help us grow.

You may be wondering how you can do this at work? With a little thought and effort you can. Don't forget to be mindful of how much time you spend on these activities take and always be respectful of your organization's values and mission. Here are some ideas:

1. Coffee Cart. Designate 15 minutes one day a week to grab a coffee and chat. You can quickly go around the group to see who needs some extra support or help. Focus on positive solutions rather than just the typical negative or destructive 'water cooler' chit chat.


2. Exercise Breaks. Setup a group schedule and 'buddy system' to take your break to walk around the block or up/down stairs. Consider having everyone wear pedometers and start logging their daily steps or activities as a group.


3. Girls / Guys Nights Out. Schedule a monthly or quarterly Girls or Guys Night Out after work. Pick a centralized location that is easy for all to get to. Going out to a local restaurant to share a meal is great but you may also want to consider meeting a local park, coffee shop or community center. Select a topic for discussion and establish some simple ground rules making the activity a "safe" zone where negative and destructive behaviors are not allowed. You may even want to agree, as a group, to not talking about work in these settings but focus on other topics and getting to know one another outside the workplace.

Regardless of what you choose to do in regard to an activity, take some time to evaluate your linear relationships. Identify one or two people in which you can start building your circular relationship and take action. Develop some meaningful and positive relationships that will help you to grow personally, professionally and spiritually. You will be amazed at how this enriches your life!

To learn more about Randy Frazee and his book, click here.