|
SUCCESS PLANS
by Leon Shepherd |
|
Plan
B Discover Your Purpose
Have you ever witnessed someone with an incredible amount
of energy and enthusiasm as they performed their job?
Have you
ever watched someone go about their work with tremendous passion
and inspiration?
Or, have
you ever heard someone say, '' I love what I'm doing so much,
I would do it for free?''
If you
were able to answer yes to any or all of the above questions,
you have watched someone who has discovered their life's purpose.
People
who have discovered their purpose, know why they are here,
and they know the difference they want to make.
Who are
these people? They could be anyone - a teacher, parent, sales
clerk, mechanic, executive, or secretary; it doesn't matter
what they do. What matters is that they do it with a sense
of purpose. Many of us struggle to find our purpose. We ask,
'' Why am I here?'' or ''What is the purpose of my existence?''
Well,
to start at the beginning; purpose is something that flows
from deep within you. Purpose is what you are called to do.
Purpose is God's gift to you. Fulfilling your purpose is your
gift to God.
Wouldn't
it be great living our lives on purpose? But how do we discover
our purpose?
Listed
below are five suggestions to help you discover your purpose
in life.
1.
Reminisce about your childhood dreams. As kids
we always had big dreams of what we would like to be when
we grew up. We didn't put limitations on our abilities. We
felt that we could conquer the world and become whatever we
wanted to become. But as we got older, many of us abandoned
our childhood dreams. Dreams that can sometimes help define
our purpose. For example, ever since I was thirteen years
old, I've always enjoyed entertaining people. Whether it was
at home making family and friends laugh, or being part of
a church program. I had always enjoyed being on stage, in
the spotlight. Growing up, I wasn't exactly sure where this
craving for the spotlight would lead me, I just knew it was
a burning desire I had inside of me. Several years ago when
I entered into the world of Motivational Speaking, I knew
I had found my purpose. As a professional speaker, not only
am I in the spotlight, but I have the opportunity to motivate,
educate, and inspire people in an entertaining way; all the
things I dreamt of as I was growing up. If you try revisiting
the dreams you had when you were growing up; you just might
discover your purpose in life.
2.
Listen to others. I'm sure you've had people
say,'' You know what, you would make a great doctor,'' or
''You would make a great writer,'' or '' You would be a great
musician.'' Whatever the case, sometimes people can see our
purpose before we see it. So be sure to listen to the honest
opinions of those you trust.
3.
Do what you love. What do you enjoy doing the
most? What could you do that would constantly keep a smile
on your face? What could you do seven days a week that would
bring you joy and happiness? What are your strengths? What
talents do you have? What do you do better than others? What
would you do if you knew you wouldn't fail? What are your
hobbies? It's been said that if you do something you love,
you'll never have to work another day in your life. What do
you love to do?
4.
Ask yourself the million dollar question.
Let's say you won one million dollars, tax free. You've been
notified to come down and pick up the check. But before you
can pick up the check, you must find a job. But the job can
be any job you desire. So the million dollar question is,
what job would you choose? The obvious answer is that you
would choose a job that would make you happy, a job that you
would love to do. And by choosing a job you love, it's a good
chance that you've chosen a job that defines your life's purpose.
5.
Write your epitaph. Taking
a few minutes to write down how you would like to be remembered
is an excellent way of discovering your purpose.
Recognizing
your life's purpose automatically creates a structure for
your goals and desires. It gives you something to work toward,
something to measure your progress against.
The nineteenth
- century writer Mary Shelley wrote that, '' Nothing contributes
so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose - a point
on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye.'' In other
words, having a purpose keeps you your mind relaxed and calm.
Having a purpose, gives you focus and control of your life.
Living your life on purpose will bring you joy, happiness
and fulfillment. Why would you want to do anything else?
You can
review Plan A of Success Plans
by clicking on: http://leonshepherd.com/Archives/newsletter_22.htm
|
 |
Six
Ways to Boost Your Confidence - Fast |
| by
Stacey Colina |
We all want success. We all want accolades - from the people with
whom we work and live, and, most important, from within. Lifetime
Online community members are no different. When one woman recently
asked about ways to improve her self-confidence, the responses were
striking. An onliner with the screen name OceanSong said gamely: "Who
knows? I'm waiting for someone to tell me!" To the rescue: expert
advice for bolstering those feel-good emotions. According to Amy L.
Flowers, Ph.D., a psychologist for Focal Pointe Women, a women's resource
center in Macon, Georgia, a person's self-esteem comes from two sources:
"setting and accomplishing goals - even little ones - and getting
positive feedback from others." Here are six ways to do just
that.
Start a victory file. Fill a box or scrapbook with evidence
of your accomplishments - touching cards from friends, a great performance
review from your boss, the receipt from the first piece of serious
jewelry you bought for yourself, a picture from your toddler, a photo
from the finish line of that half-marathon you powered through. These
odds and ends will help remind you that you're loved and respected
- and will give you a boost when you're feeling down. "Think
of this collection as something you can turn to whenever you need
to immediately feel better about yourself," says Dr. Flowers.
Brainwash yourself. "Whenever I'm feeling bad,"
says Lifetime community member Lovebeing, "I try to have an inner
dialogue with myself to improve my self-esteem." It's true, says
Flowers: Self-talk does affect how you feel. If you're in the habit
of saying nasty things to yourself ("Why did I finish off that
pint of ice cream? I'm such a fat pig!"), replace those negative
statements with words of encouragement that ring true for you. You
might say: "I'm strong and capable" or "I can succeed
in this project; I've done it before and I'll do it again."
Set challenging but doable goals. Create a daily to-do
list and a list stating a few longer-term goals. Make sure your lists
include some tasks that are easily accomplished (say, cleaning out
the linen closet) and others that require a bit of risk-taking (for
instance, asking your boss for new responsibilities - or better yet,
a raise). "You can't grow without taking risks," says Dee
Shepherd-Look, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at California State-Northridge,
who runs self-esteem workshops. "When you reach outside your
comfort zone to meet someone new or attain a goal, that experience
becomes incorporated into things you don't think twice about doing."
As a result, your confidence expands.
Spend time with nurturing people. Find supportive, positive
people to hang out with, says Dr. Shepherd-Look. And while you're
at it, dump those toxic friends of yours. "Nurturing people walk
in and make the room light up and they'll make you feel good about
yourself," she explains. "Toxic people are critical and
judgmental - they're like the energy vampires of the universe."
Fake it. If you act as if you like yourself - by looking
people in the eye, standing tall and proud, and presenting yourself
as a winner - eventually you'll believe it (and so will everyone else).
"The trick is to mentally rehearse being confident until it becomes
an actuality," says Flowers.
Take responsibility for your actions. Keep this formula
in mind: E + R = O. Translation: What happens in your environment
(E), coupled with your response (R), determines the outcome (O) of
the situation. "There are some things you can't change in life,
but you are always responsible for how you respond," says Shepherd-Look.
And once you begin to appreciate how big an impact you can have on
what happens in life, you'll feel more powerful.
"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."
--Mother Teresa
"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.
Small people always do that, but the really great ones make you
feel that you too, can become great."
--Mark Twain
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their
dreams."
--Eleanor Roosevelt
"Your true passion should feel like breathing; it's that
natural."
--Oprah Winfrey
"If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I
know I can achieve it." --Jesse Jackson
"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is
trying to please everybody." -Bill Cosby
"I can do something else besides stuff a ball through a hoop.
My biggest resource is my mind." -- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
"You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them."
--Michael Jordan
"I believe that every person is born with talent." --Maya
Angelou
"Racism is not an excuse to be the best that you can be."
--Arthur Ashe
"Sometimes you've got to let everything go, purge yourself.
If you are unhappy with anything…whatever is bringing you down,
get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you are free, your
true creativity, your true self comes out." --Tina Turner
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock,
and it shall be opened unto you." -- Matthew 7:7
|
8
Keys to Happiness
by Thelma Mariano
|
I visit my mother
in a nursing home several days a week. Each time I leave I am grateful
for being able to walk into the bright sunshine on my own two legs.
There are so many things to be thankful for in my life among them
good health, my skills and abilities and caring relationships. I find
that stopping to appreciate what I have helps me to stay positive
and has a direct impact on how happy I feel.
A recent global survey published in USA Today indicates that the biggest
happiness driver is not wealth, fame or even good looks. Participants
in North America cited self-reliance, optimism and feeling good about
themselves as more likely to bring lasting satisfaction.
I know that
having everything handed to me would NOT make me happy. I need a
certain amount of challenge and to feel that I am capable. I also
must be free to make choices in my life, feel connected to others
and do work that reflects who I am. While some people are genetically
predisposed to being cheerful or depressed, I believe that our attitude
can make an enormous difference.
During the last ten years, in my work on self-development I came
up with a number of ways to increase my level of happiness. I later
found that they worked equally well for others.
Here then are what I call my "eight keys to happiness."
I practice them in my daily life and, as a life coach, share these
keys with clients. They can work for you, too.
1. Be positive
Are you overwhelmed by a sense of dread every time you try something
new? Happy people focus on what is possible rather than dwell on
the chances for failure. They look at the lighter side and find
humour even in sticky situations. This also applies to inner judgments.
Many of us are self-critical when we need to practice a little kindness
towards ourselves. Observe your own thoughts what do you tell yourself
about how you are handling things? Maybe you did make a mistake,
but you were exhausted.
2. Give yourself credit
Do you complete one project only to rush on to the next?
Similarly you may meet challenges of a more personal nature, such
as having a difficult conversation with a family member, without
acknowledging your own effort. It's important to absorb the satisfaction
from your achievements. I have a Victory Log to record all my successes,
whenever I do something that s a stretch for me. I recommend that
you start one as well. When you review it later, you ll be inspired
by what you have done.
3. See the learning When
I am in a trying situation, I ask what I could be learning from
it. For instance, looking after a parent with Alzheimer's forced
me to develop my own strength and resourcefulness.
4. Find a way to contribute
Some people believe the world owes them that they are entitled to
the good life and all its benefits. They become bitter when setbacks
occur and tangible rewards stay out of reach. We need to ask ourselves
what can I offer others? What can I contribute to my family, my
community or the world at large that is in line with my skills and
abilities? I love this quote by Sarah Bernhardt, a flamboyant French
actress in the late 1800s, It is by spending oneself that one becomes
rich.
5. Recognize and act on your values
Recognizing our life values, determining how we want
to achieve them and taking steps to act on them is self-empowering.
When you realize that you are doing what is most important to you,
your happiness level shoots right up. For example, I used to wonder
why I was still single until I saw that independence and personal
growth are two of my top values. Realizing this helped me to more
fully accept where I was.
6. Focus on what you WANT and take steps
towards it No one likes feeling stuck. It is important
to know what you really want and then take some action towards it.
Even if progress is slow, you will FEEL better going in the right
direction.
7. Allow yourself to dream
Hope is critical to our happiness, yet we often crush our own dreams
for fear of being disappointed. Allow yourself to dream! Tapping
into the power of your imagination will take you to a happier place
and with time, you can make some of your dreams come true.
8. Enjoy life's small pleasures No
matter how stressed you are, take a break from your routine to admire
the sunset or share coffee with a friend. It is the moments which
make us happiest - yet how many of them slip by unnoticed?
This morning I cycled on a path along the St. Lawrence River, admiring
the summer foliage and the great blue herons flying over the water.
I could feel the sun on my face, the breeze in my hair and the pleasure
of exercising my muscles. Whether I'm outdoors, working or listening
to music, I find the more present I am in an activity, the more
alive I feel.
# # # # #
About The Author / Credits:
Thelma Mariano, life coach and author, is dedicated to bringing
clarity and direction to people's lives. Drawing on 15 years of
personal development work, she helps clients to recognize their
unique gifts and overcome blocks in order to achieve their dreams.
See her on-line coaching programs, articles and column at http://www.u-unlimited.ca.
 |
What
Not To Put On Your Application For Emploment (humor)
|
NAME:
Greg
DESIRED POSITION:
Reclining. Ha ha. But seriously, whatever's available. If I
was in a position to be picky, I wouldn't be applying here in the
first place.
DESIRED SALARY:
$185,000 a year plus stock options. If that's not possible, make
an offer and we can negotiate.
EDUCATION:
Yes.
LAST POSITION
HELD: Target for middle-management hostility.
SALARY: Less than I'm worth.
MOST NOTABLE
ACHIEVEMENT:
My incredible collection of stolen pens and post-it notes.
REASON FOR
LEAVING: It sucked.
HOURS AVAILABLE
TO WORK: Any.
PREFERRED
HOURS: 1:30-3:30 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
DO YOU HAVE
ANY SPECIAL SKILLS?
Yes, but they're better suited to a more intimate environment.
MAY WE CONTACT
YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER?
If I had one, would I be here?
DO YOU HAVE
ANY PHYSICAL CONDITIONS THAT WOULD PROHIBIT YOU FROM LIFTING UP
TO 50 LBS?
Of what?
DO YOU HAVE
A CAR?
I think the more appropriate question here would be "Do you
have a car that runs?"
HAVE YOU
RECEIVED ANY SPECIAL AWARDS OR RECOGNITION?
I may already be a winner of the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes.
DO YOU SMOKE?
Only when set on fire.
WHAT WOULD
YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS?
Living in the Bahamas with a fabulously wealthy super model who
thinks I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread. Actually, I'd
like to be doing that now.
DO YOU CERTIFY
THAT THE ABOVE IS TRUE AND COMPLETE TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE?
No, but I dare you to prove otherwise.
SIGN HERE:
Scorpio with Libra rising.
Living
Successfully motivates, informs and
entertains to help make life more fulfilling and fun!
Each issue offers inspirational messages and quotes, success tips,
entertainment, humor and more.
The newsletters purpose is to inform, inspire, and empower people
to live successful lives---personally and professionally.
Living
Successfully is sent via
e-mail to subscribers and also posted on this website. If you received
an e-mail newsletter, there is no need to sign-up below.
For a FREE
subscription to Living Successfully,
simply
enter your e-mail address below and press the "Subscribe"
button. Within 15 seconds you'll receive an e-mail response to confirm
your subscription.
Want to receive
more valuable information like what's found in this newsletter?
Then click here to visit Leon
Shepherd's Website.
Also, be sure to sign his Guestbook
to leave Leon your
comments and personal messages.
Leon Shepherd
Editor/Publisher
Living Successfully
Website: http://www.leonshepherd.com
E-Mail: leon@leonshepherd.com
|
