Thursday 31 December 2015

Want To Be Rich? Here’s How — And It’s Not What You Think

want-to-be-rich-finerminds

What if true wealth had very little to do with money?

What if all of the striving for money, for gain, for more was in vain?
What if true wealth was about things like the call of your heart, what you love to do and who you love to do it with?
Play with me for a bit here and let yourself imagine the above. Imagine your world – gone is the focus on doing more – and instead you focus solely on doing that which you love and with the people you love. Imagine a world where every individual consciously and intentionally created a life that felt the most authentic, the most inspired and therefore the most rich to them.
For some it would be six figures a year, others millions and yet others maybe $50,000 a year or less. But one thing would be the same – they would feel rich.
Why?
Because they were following the deeper call within themselves to create a life that felt good in every detail and in every way.
get-rich-finerminds
Because instead of chasing money or things or status to fill up an empty hole inside, those who truly live this kind of rich know that authentic wealth is found in connecting to the deepest parts of one’s self and to the deepest aspects of life all around.
Doing so results in a life filled with connection, peace, joy, radiant love, and oh yeah — cash-money too. Authentic wealth comes from consciously and intentionally crafting a life that reflects who we really are, not someone else’s version of who we “should” be.
Money on its own won’t solve any of our problems — we’ve witnessed this a million times in our governments, and in the lives of celebrities and other powerful individuals worldwide.
It must be about more than just having “more money.” It must be about following the deeper call within and consciously creating a life that reflects this in every way.
To enjoy this level of wealth consciousness, you must be willing to take an honest and clear look at your life, asking to be shown where scarcity and poverty (commonly known as “not enough-ness”) is running your show.
It could be in the wardrobe you have that is filled with clothing that you’ve been told is what you should wear or you’ve told yourself that what you have is all you can “afford” even though the clothes don’t make you feel the fabulous nature of who you really are.
It could be in the friends and family you spend time with — complaining about what’s wrong in the world and in their lives, talking about how broke and limited resources are, focusing on how things are falling apart (all forms of scarcity consciousness) instead of focusing on all that is right and good and uplifting about this life.
It could be broken furniture, cars, relationships, décor, jobs, projects — that you’re hanging on to in the hopes that “one day” it will all turn around.
get-rich-finerminds
The truth is – your life is now. The truth is – being wealthy doesn’t happen by accident. It happens on purpose. It happens from clearing the ish from your life and upgrading it to what is a true representation of who you really are.
True wealth is about only doing work that nurtures and inspires you. It’s about only wearing and putting into and on your body what makes you feel amazing – inside and out. It’s about surrounding yourself with people who uplift you, who make you feel the divinity of who you really are.
And guess what happens then?
Cash-money naturally flows to you.
Probably more than you would have thought to ask for and yet, there it is.
You see, we’ve had this whole “wealth” thing wrong for far too long — it’s not about hyper-focusing on money.
It’s not about making everything about money – this means even if you haven’t currently lined up to the kind of wealth you desire — stop overchecking your bank accounts, nickeling and diming, fretting and worrying.
True wealth comes from allowing your life and self to be the most radiant version of who you really are at the core of you and then all of the abundance (including money) that you need will come to you.
When we are focused on giving our highest gifts, loving our life in every way – cash-money and all forms of abundance will flow to us.
And then we’ll discover that we’re living a truly wealthy life, a life beyond our wildest dreams in every way.
By Heather Strang 

Wednesday 30 December 2015

What Your Body Is Trying to Tell You: 9 Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

arthritis
The body is a magnificent machine. When things go awry, it generally doesn’t just shut down without warning, like an incandescent light bulb popping its filament. Instead it sends us little signals (think of them as gentle biological taps on the shoulder) letting us know that something is amiss.
“Physical signs and symptoms are ways your body tries to alert you to deeper imbalances,” says Elson M. Haas, MD, a San Rafael, Calif., physician with a natural-medicine approach and author of Staying Healthy with Nutrition (Celestial Arts, 2006). “Taking the time to decipher the body’s codes is always better than simply popping a pill and hoping the symptoms just go away. Ideally, we want to get to the causes of problems, not just suppress the end result of ill health.”
But interpreting the body’s quirky Morse code requires a deep level of body awareness that, like any skill, takes time and practice to perfect. To that end, we recruited a handful of the country’s leading integrative health practitioners to help identify nine of the most common conditions underlying frequent, and sometimes mysterious, symptoms.
Read on to clue into your body’s messages.

You’re drinking too much diet soda…

One likely signal: Headaches
Background: Artificial sweeteners, particularly aspartame (found in Nutrasweet and Equal), can trigger headaches, even migraines. At highest risk are people with a genetic disorder called phenylketonuria (or PKU for short); they lack the enzyme needed to metabolize a substance (phenylalanine) that is created when the body breaks down aspartame. But even those without the genetic disorder may find that drinking diet soda results in brain fog or headache. Why? Animal studies have shown aspartame to be a potent neurotoxin, at least in young rats.
I’m concerned about whether aspartame might cause nerve damage in humans, as well — or at least disrupt the nerve signaling that enables the brain to register satiety,” says Sharon Fowler, MPH, a faculty associate at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio who studies the health effects of artificial sweetener use. One of the prime suspects is the methanol in aspartame, which is broken down into formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.
People who are sensitive to formaldehyde may experience headaches after ingesting aspartame.
Other signals: Intense cravings for sweet or salty foods, inability to focus, irritability
How to respond: When the urge for diet soda strikes, Kathie Swift, MS, RD, LDN, chief nutrition adviser for the online-based sites MyFoodMyHealth and My Foundation Diet, suggests drinking sparkling water flavored with a splash of 100 percent fruit juice and a squeeze of lime.

You’ve got candida overgrowth…

One likely signal: Itchy ears, throat or mucus membranes

Background: 
The average American downs nearly 150 pounds of sugar and high-fructose corn syrup a year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. And if you’re eating anywhere near that much sugar, you may have more than just a sweet tooth — your body may be hosting an unhealthy overgrowth of Candida albicans.
A small amount of this common, yeast like fungus living in the gut is OK when its numbers are kept in check by healthy flora. But when an intestinal imbalance allows it to run amok, it acts like kudzu, colonizing everything in its path. Among its favorite environs are the body’s warm, dark nooks and crannies, such as between the toes, under the breasts and, yes, in the ears.
As it infiltrates, it irritates and inflames the skin, leading to the telltale signs of itching and redness.
Other signals: Mood swings, fatigue, weak immune system, weight gain, frequent yeast infections
How to respond: If you think you have candida overgrowth, the quickest fix is to starve the little buggers. Candida flourish in the presence of both refined and unrefined sugar, such as fresh fruit, dried fruit and fruit juice.
Cutting off their food supply can bring their numbers back to a healthy level. They also love refined flour products and anything fermented, such as alcohol and soy, so if you have a serious overgrowth, you may need to cut out all of the above for a number of consecutive weeks.

You’re dehydrated…

One likely signal: Chapped lips
Background: Lips are a reflection of the health and hydration of the entire body. “If you are well hydrated, then your lips will be well hydrated,” says Elizabeth Lipski, PhD, clinical nutritionist and author of Digestive Wellness (McGraw-Hill, 2004). Less water in the body means less moisture for the skin– the body’s largest organ. The delicate tissue of the lips is extra sensitive to drought. “If you are constantly using lip balm or lip gloss to sooth chapped lips, it’s a sign you need to drink up,” says Lipski.
Other signals: Headaches, infrequent urination, dark yellow or smelly urine, dry skin, slow turgor (meaning that if you pinch the skin on the back of your hand, it doesn’t snap right back into place). Although the aging process slows turgor down somewhat, even in older adults it still should return to normal within a second or two.
How to respond: Drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day can be intimidating, says Swift, so if you’re not able to quaff that amount, you can still get hydrated by sipping herbal tea and working additional servings of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet. “The transition to a more whole-foods diet puts us on autopilot to get more water because they are naturally high in moisture,” says Swift.
And, make sure to include whole foods that are rich in essential fatty acids, such as nuts and seeds, avocados, and anchovies and sardines, which help maintain healthy cell membranes and hold in moisture.

You’re not getting enough fiber…

One likely signal: Constipation
Background: Constipation is the clearest indicator of the body’s need for more fiber. “Our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate up to 100 grams of fiber a day and had an average stool weight of 2 pounds,” says Mark Hyman, MD, the editor of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine and author of The UltraSimple Diet (Pocket Books, 2007).
“Today, the average American eats less than 8 grams of fiber a day, and the average bowel movement is a puny 4 ounces.” That’s a problem, he says, because the bowels are key to the body’s elimination process.
When traffic is backed up, toxins from the bowel leach back into the body and can cause a multitude of inflammation-based health problems in everything from your digestion and skin to your heart and brain. They can also disrupt hormonal balance and immunity. The bottom line, Hyman says: “If stools are hard and hard to pass, you’ve got a problem.”
Other signals: Frequent hunger pangs, energy slumps, digestive trouble, skin problems, inflammatory conditions
How to respond: Eat more legumes, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. All are chock-full of fiber and other nutrients, making them natural go-to foods. Getting the recommended 35 to 40 grams of fiber a day not only improves bowel health, but it also lowers the risk of diabetes and heart disease, says Andrew Weil, MD, director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine of the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
If you want other ways to sneak extra roughage into your day, Swift suggests sprinkling rice-bran fiber on salads or oatmeal.
She likes rice-bran fiber because it’s gluten-free and has been shown to help eliminate toxins, such as PCBs.
Another one of her favorite fiber boosters is a seasoning she makes out of crushed pumpkin seeds, ground flax meal, sesame seeds, kelp flakes and sea salt — basically, a riff on gomasio, which is used as a salt alternative in Japanese cuisine. Put it in a wrap, sprinkle over brown rice or use to garnish soups, she says. “The nuts, seeds and ocean veggies are a nutrient- and fiber-licous powerhouse.” (Keep it in the fridge to lengthen its lifespan.)

You have a B-vitamin deficiency…

One likely signal: Cracks at the corners of the mouth
Background: “You see nutritional deficiencies first in those tissues that turn over the quickest, such as the tongue and lips,” says Lipski. Studies show that cracks or sores that appear at the corners of the mouth (a.k.a. cheilitis) may be a sign that your body isn’t getting enough B vitamins. “Deficiencies of one or more of the B vitamins may occur fairly easily,” notes Haas, “especially with diets that include substantial amounts of refined and processed food, sugar or alcohol.”
Other signals: Anemia, low energy, fatigue, skin problems, dark circles under the eyes
How to respond: Your best bet is eating a whole-foods diet and prioritizing foods high in B vitamins. The richest dietary source of B vitamins is found in brewer’s yeast or nutritional yeast (although, if you have candida issues, you’ll want to skip those).
Other solid picks include wheat germ, whole grains, legumes, egg yolks, sweet potatoes, salmon, red meat, liver and poultry.
Taking a good B-complex vitamin supplement can also be helpful (particularly if you’re a vegetarian). Under the care of a nutritionally inclined health professional, you may also be prescribed a supplement for a specific B vitamin (or even given a vitamin B-12 shot) to help correct a significant deficiency.
But be careful mixing up your own B-vitamin cocktails. When taken in excess and out of balance with other B’s, certain B vitamins can wind up leaching nutrients out of your system. That’s why emphasizing B-rich foods should be your first priority.

You’re eating something that doesn’t agree with you…

One likely signal: Eczema
Background: First a little background about food intolerances. When the body doesn’t tolerate a food well, ingesting that food creates a chronic, low-level irritation or inflammation in the gut. Over time, with regular exposure, the irritation worsens and creates fissures in the spaces between the cells. (Picture the walls of the gut, once tightly knitted together, looking more like an old afghan.)
These holes allow bacteria and their toxins, as well as incompletely digested proteins and fats, to “leak” out of the gut and into the bloodstream. Called leaky gut syndrome (or increased intestinal permeability), this condition sets the stage for myriad health problems, including rashes and skin problems, like eczema.
The skin is the body’s largest elimination organ, notes Lipski, so it’s not surprising that it comes under assault when toxins careen through the bloodstream. “A skin rash or eczema is a sign that the body is trying to slough out these toxins,” she says. “It’s trying to eliminate the problem the best way it knows how.
Other signals: Gas, bloating, fatigue, sinus congestion, foggy thinking
How to respond: An elimination diet is the best way to pinpoint the offending food. “Start with one or two foods you suspect,” says Swift, who prefers to call this the “illumination diet” because its focus is on “illuminating your health.”
Don’t know where to start? Foods that are most likely to wreak havoc on the gut include wheat and gluten-containing products, dairy products, sugar, soy, eggs, corn and yeast. If you’re uber-motivated, take Haas’s advice and go off what he calls “the big five” for a week: wheat, dairy, sugar, caffeine and alcohol. “It’s not easy to do”, he admits, “but you’re guaranteed to learn a lot about your body’s signals.”
You might also consider keeping a food journal. Spend a week or two writing down what you eat and how your body feels in the minutes, hours and days afterward (e.g., an hour after you eat dairy, you feel bloated). “It’s about pattern and symptom recognition and connecting the dots,” says Swift, which in turn helps you decide which foods to eliminate first.

You’re drinking too much caffeine…

One likely signal: Fatigue
Background: “Caffeine goes to an already low energy bank account and tries to lend it a little extra energy for the short term,” says Haas. “But it’s getting that energy from your own stores, meaning you have less and less on reserve, leaving you less able to generate your own energy on an ongoing basis.”
Caffeine works by stimulating the central nervous system. Specifically, the chemical gooses the adrenal glands into releasing hormones — namely cortisol and adrenaline that tell the body to go faster. The short-term result can be increased focus and better hand-eye coordination.
But overdo caffeine on a regular basis and, eventually, the central nervous system runs out of gas. “If you don’t restore yourself with sleep, nutrients and relaxation, you’ll quickly get into a cycle of whipping a weakened horse,” says Haas.
Other signals: Jitters, agitation, insomnia, heartbeat irregularities, frequent urination
How to respond: Weil advises limiting your daily dose of caffeine to less than 300 milligrams (mg). As a reference, a 12-ounce cup of Starbucks brewed coffee packs 260 mg of caffeine, while a 12-ounce Americano (two shots of the coffee chain’s espresso added to hot water) contains 150 mg. A 12-ounce cup of black tea, on the other hand, contains roughly 100 mg and green tea only 50 mg. “If you’re going to indulge,” advises Swift, “think about the quality of the source. Are you drinking green tea or a chemical-laden energy drink?
What’s a healthy amount for you? Most people know what amount their system can handle,” she says. In the meantime, support your adrenal glands with B vitamins (especially B5/pantothenic acid), vitamin C and licorice. Also, fuel up on healthy, whole foods that boost and maintain your energy.

You’re low on stomach acid…

One likely signal: Burping and indigestion
Background: If you’re low on stomach acid, your body won’t digest foods efficiently, especially dense foods like fats and proteins. When food sits in the stomach, so does the air you naturally swallow when you eat. The air has only two options — get pushed down the digestive tract with food or catch the next flight up the esophagus and out the mouth. The longer food loiters in the stomach, the more likely you’ll burp.
Other signals: Gastric reflux, weak immune system, cracked fingernails, chronic infections, gas
How to respond: Boost the first phase of digestion by becoming a more “sensory-based eater,” says Swift. “That means enjoy the sight and smell of the meal before you dig in so that your gut has time to release digestive factors, such as hydrochloric acid, in anticipation of a meal.” Then, eat more mindfully.
Chew your food so that it’s easier for the gut to digest, especially proteins and fats.
If you still feel like your food sits in your stomach like a rock, Haas recommends trying digestive enzymes, which can help you better digest your food. For example, he says, you might try a product called betaine hydrochloride with pepsin (a time-released protein digestant), found at health-food stores.
Hydrochloric acid is the main ingredient in stomach acid. By taking it as a supplement, you’re basically giving your stomach a head start, especially with proteins and fats, which are the hardest food stuffs to digest, meaning they require more stomach acids than carbs.
After you begin eating a meal with protein and fat, for instance, take one capsule. See how you feel after a couple of meals. If you feel OK, you can try two capsules and gradually increase to three or four. If you have any sensation of burning or acid indigestion, cut back to a level where you didn’t experience any negative side effects.

You’re short on good flora…

One likely signal: Frequent colds
Background: The immune system‘s command center is housed inside the gut. “An ecological imbalance of organisms in the gut means the body can’t defend itself against unfriendly microbes,” says Swift. “The result is we get sick a lot.” Ironically, says Hyman, it’s often medicine, such as antibiotics, that wipe out the gut’s supply of good bacteria. “When we wipe them out again and again with antibiotics and then eat a poor diet, it’s a disaster for the gut.” That, in turn, can spell trouble for the rest of the body.
Other signals: Intestinal gas, bloating, loose stools or constipation, vaginal yeast infections, urinary tract infections, skin rash, athlete’s foot, nail fungus
How to respond: The experts agree that one of the easiest (and most delicious) ways to restore the gut’s healthy flora is to eat more foods rich in good bacteria, such as miso, sauerkraut, kombucha (a fermented Japanese tea), yogurt that contains live bacteria, and kefir (a fermented milk drink). “The gut houses 5 pounds of beneficial bacteria,” notes Haas. “We have to feed this stuff.”
If you think your gut needs more than food can deliver, Weil recommends taking a daily probiotic that contains Lactobacillus GG or Bacillus coagulans (BC-30).
Although many of the body’s messages can be decoded with a little guesswork and a lot of active listening, it’s important to remember that some of these same symptoms can be signs of more serious illnesses. If, after a couple of weeks of self-care, things don’t improve or resolve, it’s best to consult a health-care professional.
“A chronic ache or pain is an invitation to stop and take a look at your life,” says Lipski. “Your body is telling you it’s time to make a change. Respect its request and odds are you’ll be heading off a greater health issue down the pike.”

More Than One Way to Heal

A multipronged approach to health-care — seeking advice from both alternative medicine practitioners as well as Western doctors — can help you decode your body’s warning signals before they cascade into something more serious.
Western medicine has many strengths: stamping out infections; treating emergencies, like heart attacks; and swooping in with trauma care after an accident or disaster. But when a condition is hard to diagnose, or is chronic or nagging, like poor digestion, insomnia or general fatigue, going outside the doctor’s office may be your best bet.
“Most medical-school curriculum focuses on acute care and doesn’t adequately train for chronic health issues — which constitute the most common troubles for most of the patients they see,” says Elizabeth Lipski, PhD, CCN, and author of Digestive Wellness (McGraw-Hill, 2004).
As both a medical doctor and a naturopath, Elson M. Haas has a foot in each world. He tends to agree with Lipski’s take, and he also sees limitations in the way that Western medical practitioners typically try to snuff out the body’s attempts to heal.
“Many symptoms, such as sinus congestion, allergies and excess mucus, are ways it’s trying to rid itself of excess toxins,” he says. “Western medicine tries to control these symptoms, by suppressing the fever or drying up the congestion, instead of supporting the body’s natural means of elimination and detoxification.”
Alternative practitioners come in many forms. In addition to your primary care physician, consider seeing a chiropractor or osteopath if your condition is skeletal; a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner for hormone imbalances; or a naturopath for overall wellness, digestive, immunity and dietary advice. All of these modalities have regulating organizations that provide lists of qualified practitioners.

6 Crystals To Boost Your Happiness & Energy

crystals-finerminds

Did you know we are in direct control of the energy around us?

Whether we are depressed, angry, or otherwise discontented, we are in the foremost position to change our dispositions.
Learning to take control of the energy around you is one of the first steps to long term happiness — and will benefit you in any situation.
Dabbling in crystal healing is one way to open yourself up to the energies that be, by enlivening your electromagnetic field with the natural mood boosters of certain crystals and minerals.
Learning to connect with and using crystals and minerals is easily accessible for anyone, and does not require years of mastery to begin enjoying the effects.
Any crystal you work with will develop a special bond with you, transcending geography and any logical thought you can piece together to explain the intangible relationship you will develop with your healing crystals.
Learning to work with crystals and minerals will help you spirit your life’s journey to purpose; awaken your internal passions and help manifest your desires, pointing your mind and actions to purpose with powerful stones of transformation.
These six crystals are wonderful introductions into the world of crystal healing promoting spritely happiness.
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1. Rose Quartz

Rose Quartz is one of the ultimate go-to crystals for emotional healing and universal love. If you’ve been feeling out of tune with the world around you taking up rose quartz in your crystal study will realign your energy to prompt inward and outward love in equal measures.
When we are guided by loving light and energy, we are able to ascend to our full potentials, as we are not bogged down by the weight of hostility or self inflated ego.
Rose Quartz teaches us how to forgive and accept ourselves and the people around us genuinely.

2. Amethyst

The principal stone of divinity, Amethyst will help you uncover latent spirituality — an essential component of remaining happy and connecting to the universe at large.
Amethyst helps to ground a disquieted mind, and lends itself to acquiring much-needed clarity. Amethyst lifts spirits because it allays mental unrest almost immediately.
When you are stressed or otherwise overwhelmed with turmoil, the soothing nature of amethyst will help you return to peace and remain in tranquil contemplation until a solution for your problem is found.
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3. Larimar

Facilitating calmness and relieving stress wherever it exists, Larimar serves as a font of tranquility and solidarity. Carrying a tumbled piece of Larimar will remind you to remain as the sea, and to roll with any obstacles or changes.
Larimar grants peace of mind and helps to bolster sodden spirits in times of grief. A wonderful crystal to place on your work desk, Larimar helps to raise our vibrations upward to resonate with the universal energies permeating our entire realm.
While working with Larimar, you will feel a distinct wholeness with yourself and the environment around you.

4. Red & Brecciated Jasper

Perhaps one of the most underrated healing crystals because of its proliferation is Red & Brecciated Jasper. While primarily a stone of protection, Jasper allows users to delve inward to feel wholly complete with oneself.
A stone of action, Jasper sets its users to purpose and helps to prompt manifestation of goals, ambitions, and dreams cast aside for the immediate needs of daily life.
Red & Brecciated Jasper heals hollow hearts and enlivens one’s sense of self-actualization.
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5. Citrine

A font of unending joy and joviality, Citrine helps us remember to never lose the verve of life and encourages us to test our boundaries and limits in the pursuit of happiness.
With an innate ability to cleanse other negatively charged, or overworked, crystals, Citrine super-charges our indwelling spirits in preparation of launching ourselves head first into adventure.
If you need a pick-me-up Citrine is your go-to source of inspiration and energy.

6. Aventurine

A healing crystal said to invite benevolent elementals into one’s life, Aventurine promotes luck, joy, and lightness of spirit.
Pocket a tumbled Aventurine when you want to invite joy into your everyday travels, or craft a wire-wrapped pendant to wear always.
Aventurine reminds us to herald a healthy respect for nature and the environments around us, working in tandem with our own spirits to raise the vibrations around us.
By JessicaRae Pulver-Adell

10 Speed Bumps On The Road To A Better Life

Speed Bumps
Let’s be honest, we all want more in life. We want more money, more freedom, more peace, and more time. In a perfect world, we would have all these things and more, but that’s just not how it happens.

Life has a way of becoming filled with “stuff”.

We don’t have more money because we are stuck in a job that doesn’t pay well, we don’t have more freedom because we have to work 60 hours each week, we don’t have more peace because our lives are in turmoil, and we never seem to have enough time to get it all done!

For those people out there (I’d like to believe that there are at least a few) who are enjoying the quality of life that we all want, I am honestly jealous. Like millions of Americans, the chronic stresses of life have taken their toll on me and I struggle each day to keep myself afloat.

I know there is a better way to live; we just aren’t doing it! If we can get over the day to day grind, focus on what is important, and truly think of each day we have as a gift, then I think we have a chance to live a better life.

However, many obstacles get in our way each day and slow us down or stop us from having what we want in our lives. Here are 10 things that need to change in order for us to live on our own terms:

  1. Our miserable, detestable, deplorable jobs 

  2. If you love your job, great news. If you’re like the other 95% of the population, then it sucks. Our jobs, although we may only be there for 40 hours a week, can feel like a life-without-parole prison sentence. Like with prison, we feel trapped, hopeless, and doomed to a life we don’t want. Get out before it’s too late (easier said than done).

  • Family stress

  • Having children is a true blessing and is the most wonderful thing in the world, but can also be (and usually is) the cause of an enormous amount of stress. Kidnapping, pedophiles, traffic accidents, injuries, and home invasions are all major concerns for any parent, but it’s the whining, disrespectful behavior, tantrums, hitting, and lack of sleep that really gets to us. I have yet to figure out how to have a peaceful household and therefore can offer no insight to this at all. If you have any suggestions, please, please let me know. 

  • Being apathetic

  • So many people have seemingly given up on ever having the life they want. Life truly wears them down and out and there is nothing but a shell of a person left. This is unbelievably sad but all too common. These folks are just going through the motions of life without any real direction, passion, or interest. Don’t be this person; there is always room for change. 

  • Being ordinary

  • The world needs more leaders, out of the box thinkers, action seekers, risk takers, and passionate people. What the world does not need is another average Joe living paycheck to paycheck. Stand out, be different, create something great, do something inspiring, just try something. 

  • No direction

  • With no goals or dreams, how can we expect to achieve anything significant? We can’t. Dream big and get big results. Dream small and get small results. Don’t dream at all and get nothing. 

  • Not having passion for something

  • When someone can find their real passion in life, that should be a momentousness event for them. Many people will go through their whole life without ever realizing what it is that gets their heart pumping, mind racing, and juices flowing. If you are someone who has found a true passion, live it every day, for that’s why we are all here. 

  • Being selfish

  • Giving something of yourself without the desire for anything in return is one of the most beautiful things in the world. Our society has taught us a “what do I get out of this” mentality which is breeding a generation of ‘takers’. What we need more of is people who truly understand the power behind selflessness. It really has the power to change the world for the better. 

  • Not having a release

  • With the constant stresses life places on us, we all need a release. Finding a hobby, activity, or interest can be a life saver. Take up tennis, join a local business group, or learn another language. Without a release, life will almost assuredly bring you down. The human mind and body can only take so much before it breaks down, so doing some ‘maintenance’ is essential to keeping yourself well. 

  • Not bettering yourself

  • Life is about growing, learning, and being a better person. Never trying to improve yourself is a guaranteed path to living a completely average life. Can anyone honestly say they want an average life? Of course not. There are a million things you can do to make yourself a better person, you just need to figure out what will do it for you. 

  • Being empty inside

  • If you are walking around feeling like there is something missing in your life, you are far from being alone. Sadly, many people will spend their lives feeling this way. Some fill this void with religion, some fill it by having children, and some even fill it with drugs or alcohol. Find out what completes you Jerry Maguire style and you will have a much more fulfilling and worthwhile life. 

Just remember, life does not need to be a chore. It doesn’t even need to be difficult, but we are choosing to make it so every day. Make the choice today to change something in your life to improve it. I know I am.


by Steve Roy

http://www.dumblittleman.com/2010/12/10-speed-bumps-on-road-to-better-life.html