Tips to Guide You to Success When Making Life Changes

1. Get Ready to Change - You are more likely to be successful if you have developed a mindset that says you are ready to change. If you can see a reason to change, and if you actively plan to change, then making a change will be much easier.
2. Understand Your Motivation to Change - Are you motivated to change? Is your motivation high or low? Having a strong motivation and understanding why you want the change will make success more likely.
3. Be Confident - You must be confident that you can do it! Having confidence in your ability to change will increase your likelihood of succeeding.
4. Make it Your Mission - Writing a mission statement can help you focus and be a powerful way to help you make a change. Write down what you hope to accomplish, why you want to change and how you hope to make the change. Include a target date for the change.
5. Start Small - Many people are overwhelmed when they think of making big changes in their lives. So start small, take little steps. For example, if you're trying to get more exercise, start off by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or park your car farther away from the store entrance so you'll have to walk more. Gradually incorporate more exercise into your daily routine.
6. Keep it Personal - Find little tricks that work for you. Traveling on business? Pack some healthy snacks to take with you, or visit a local grocery store when you get to your destination so you'll be less likely to make poor food choices while away from home. Attending a dinner party? Make a mental list of the foods you will allow yourself to enjoy, and then remember to limit portion sizes. That way you can indulge a little, but not go overboard.
7. Be SMART - You are more likely to be successful if you follow the SMART goal-setting method:

Specific - Set a specific goal that is simple and that you can reach.

Measurable - Set up ways to measure your progress toward meeting your goal.

Attainable - Now that you've set your goal, find ways to achieve it.

Realistic - Make sure your goals are realistic. Are you willing and able to achieve them?

Timely - Set a timeframe for achieving your goal so you'll have a clear target.
8. Don't Give Up! - Almost everyone who tries to change will experience setbacks, so don't be too hard on yourself and don't give up! If you have a setback, you haven't failed. It's better to slowly make changes you can stick with instead of quickly making ones you can't.
9. Realize You're Not Alone! - Everyone needs a little support, especially when making a big change. So talk to a Wellness Coach, your doctor, a trusted friend or relative. They can help keep you on track or get you back on track.
10. Remember and Reward - Always remember your reasons for wanting to change in the first place, and don't forget to give yourself a reward when you make progress. Don't over-indulge, but do treat yourself to something healthy and enjoyable.

Films that caught my attention and made me brand new!

Let me share you the following films that I highly recommend if you want to drive positive ways of your living.

1. Peaceful Warrior – Director: Victor Salva. Writers: Kevin Bernhardt (screenplay); Dan Millman (novel). Description: A chance encounter with a stranger changes the life of a college gymnast. Genre: Drama/ Sport. View Video at a glance: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi360710425/. 2. The Kite Runner – Director: Marc Forster. Writers: David Benioff (screenplay); Khaled Hosseini (novel). Tagline: There is a way to be good again. Description: After spending years in California, Amir returns to his homeland in Afghanistan to help his old friend Hassan, whose son is in trouble. Genre: Drama/ Adaptation. View Video at a glance: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1468989721/. 3. The Pursuit of Happyness – Director: Grabriele Muccino. Writer: Steve Conrad. Description: A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he’s poised to begin a life-challenging professional endeavor. Genre: Biography/ Drama. View Video at a glance: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3471966489/. 4. If Only – Director: Gil Junger. Writer: Christina Welsh. Tagline: He loved her like there is no tomorrow. Description: After his impetuous musician girlfriend, Samantha, dies in an accident shortly after they had a fight (and nearly broke up), ), a grief-stricken British businessman, Ian Wyndham, living in London gets a chance to relive the day all over again, in the hope of changing the events that led up to her getting killed. Genre: Comedy/Drama/Fantasy/Romance. View Video at a glance: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2662203673/

20 Ways to Brighten Up Your Day

1. Have a winter picnic. Invite some friends. Put a blanket down on the floor and serve pizza or fried chicken, potato salad and coleslaw. If you are ambitious you can even dig out the barbecue and make some burgers! Use paper plates so there are no dishes to do later!
2. Rent a tropical movie and imagine yourself relaxing on the beach.
3. Clean out your closet and give everything that no longer fits or is out of style to charity, It will give you an inner smile to know that you helped someone, plus your closet will be clean!
4. Try something new. Take a cooking class, a dance class or a martial arts class.
5. Do something outside. Go skating, sledding, build a snowman, have a snowball fight or just go walk in a park.
6. Go to a zoo. Sometimes they have cheaper prices during the winter and there are no crowds.
7. Turn off the TV. Ever catch yourself aimlessly flipping channels? Read a book, play a board game or make a puzzle instead. You might be surprised!
8. Eat an ice cream sundae. Add all your favourite toppings like chocolate, strawberry or caramel syrup, crushed pineapple, marshmallow topping, bananas, strawberries, chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Don’t forget the cherry on top! (An alternative is to have a Sundae party. Assign each guest one topping to bring.)
9. Make a fancy meal for your family. Invite them to dine at “your restaurant”, find recipes in a cookbook and expand your skills.
10. Get a massage, a facial, manicure or a pedicure, this is for guys too! Schedule it a week in advance so that you have something to look forward to.
11. Say no more often. If you have too many things to do, politely decline requests. (This is not an excuse to avoid doing your chores!)
12. Put a do not disturb sign on the bathroom door and take a bubble bath. Don’t forget the radio and the candles!
13. Paint a picture with finger paint. Don’t forget to display your artwork on the refrigerator!
14. Go bowling (5 or 10 pin) or roller skating (the old fashioned kind where the wheels are not in line) or play laser tag.
15. Go swimming. Always a summer activity but the pool is just as hot in the winter. Often they have slides and rope swings to play on.
16. Laugh. Watch sitcoms, comedy movies or cartoons and laugh out loud!
17. Be optimistic. Try to find the up side in the situation for a change. Your attitude can make a huge difference in your mood.
18. Grow a plant. Visit a nursery or get a winter bulb. For example, Amaryllis plants grow from bulbs that are often forced to bloom in the winter and can be found even at the grocery store. You could also start and herb garden in small pots on a window ledge from seeds.
19. Don’t answer your phone. Let the voice mail or machine get it and call them back later if necessary. Take some uninterrupted time for yourself.
20. Whatever you do, don’t just sit there. Once you get out and do something the blahs usually disappear.

Brighten Up Your Day! (My Personal Ways)

Listen to your favorite music. I tuned in to Heart-felt and contemporary rhythm and ballad music.

Create your own life’s journal. I keep a note on those funny moments I had for the day.

Take photos and appreciate God’s beauty and creation. I love flowers & plants at my mom’s garden and the river flowing heavy at our backyard as these make me feel so good looking at those living things showing it’s another DAY to explore!

Love your body. Show them the beauty you have.

-John-

THE EFFECTS POOR BODY IMAGE CAN HAVE ON SEX

Can cause you to settle for unhealthy relationships because we don't think we can (or deserve) better
Can cause you to take sexual risks in order to feel desirable or loved
Can interfere with climaxing or experiencing a deeper sense of pleasure because of feelings of inadequacy and shame
Can cause tension in your marriages due to lack of intimacy
Can stop you from exploring your own sexuality, desires and “hot spots”
Can lead to depression which depletes your energy and leads to a lack of sexual activity
Can lead to depression which leads to poor performance

If you dislike the way you look, that’s bad! Focus about the positives of your body. Explore your sexuality, hmmmm…. Make it enjoyable! Love your body, pick one best feature you have and focus on it.

Go Organic

By Dr. Maoshing Ni, LifeScript Natural Health Specialist

What you can’t see can still hurt you. So, go organic whenever possible to ensure that your food is free of pesticides and chemicals. But when organic isn’t possible, give your food a bath. The pesticides and chemical residues on the surface of your produce can be washed off with appropriate methods. Soak veggies and fruits in a large pot of cold water for five minutes, add a tablespoon of sea salt and a tablespoon of vinegar, then rinse under running water in a colander for several minutes. You can also mix a small amount of dishwashing liquid with water to clean produce; just make sure you rinse well. For fragile produce that shouldn’t be scrubbed, simply soak it in salt and vinegar for 5 minutes and rinse thoroughly.

Live long, strong and happy,

Dr. Mao

Want more? Visit AskDrMao.com and get your own copy of Secrets of Self-Healing.

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.Life is bliss, taste it.

Life is a dream, realize it.Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.

Mother Teresa

Better Sleep Tips

Power Your Day
Take a nap. A 40-minute snooze in the middle of a work day can pump up your energy.

Room for Sleep
Make your bedroom a sleep haven. Keep temperatures moderate, use blinds or shades for blocking light, and remove the laptop or TV.

Plan Early
And sleep better at night. Make your next day's to-do list in the afternoon so worries don't creep into bed.

Boost Your Sex Drive
Take a nap. Tired people have lower libido. Want more sex? Get more sleep.

Dream Diet
Sleep controls appetite hormones. Get to bed and start your diet.

Do Not Disturb
Put traveler's insomnia to rest. Pack a tiny battery-operated fan -- to create white noise.

Out Like a Light?
You may be overtired. Most people need 5 minutes or more to fall asleep.

Bedtime Medicine
Getting a good night's rest may reduce your long-term risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Find a Midnight Oasis
Bring romance and good sleep back to your bedroom. Clear out laundry, TV, and kids' toys.

Give Teens Some ZZZs
The sun's up but your teens aren't? Teens need nearly 10 hours of sleep every day.

Sleepy & Stuffy
No sleeping beauty wants a stuffy nose at bedtime. A saline nasal spray is an easy fix.

Nix Late Naps
No matter how tired, don't nap after 3 p.m. Late naps make it harder to fall asleep at night.

Avocados and Sleep

Can't sleep? Reach for an avocado. They contain tryptophan, a sleeping promoting substance.

Source Site: WebMD.Better information.Better health.

9 TIPS FOR LIVING HEALTHY

#1 Variety is the spice of life

If we all looked exactly the same life would be boring. Get into the uniqueness of you.


#2 Appreciate your body

Reestablish a positive relationship with your body. Your body is the most valuable asset you will ever own. All of Bill Gates money could not recreate you. Begin viewing your body as an instrument and not an ornament. Learn to appreciate your body for what it can do, not for what it looks like. Make a list of those things you like about your body.


#3 Pamper your body

Take a long hot bath and sooth yourself. Spoil yourself by getting a massage.


#4 Exercise

Studies have shown that when people participate in even moderate exercise, such as walking, they feel more connected and better about their bodies.


#5 You can’t judge a book by its cover

There is a lot more to you than what you look like. Your appearance is not your identity. Make a list of your traits that you really like. Think about the people you admire and look up to. You admire these individuals because of who they are, not because of what they look like.


#6 Surround yourself with support

Seek out others in your life who value you for who you are and not for what you look like. Find people who exhibit a healthy relationship with their body. Avoid those who tease or are constantly focusing on their weight.


#7 Throw away the scale

For many individuals, the number the scale reads in the morning determines what kind of day they are going to have. If the scale number is higher than they had hoped for they feel depressed and if they met their weight goal they feel elated. Constant weighing usually turns into a negative experience that leads to dissatisfaction and obsession. Many individuals have chosen to smash their scales and in the process have freed themselves from having their emotions tied to a number that has nothing at all to do with who they really are.


#8 Mealtime equals family time

Studies have shown that families that eat meals together have a lower occurrence of eating disorders. Making time to eat together as a complete family can be difficult with all the family’s divergent responsibilities and activities but mealtimes may be one of the most important events of the day. Mealtimes together allow family members to check-in with each other, model appropriate eating behaviors, and provides a forum to resolve conflict both within and outside the family.


#9 Be a good role model

Your children will have enough pressure from the media and peers. Try not to express dissatisfaction with your body in front of your children. Seventy-seven percent of children first learn about dieting from a family member, usually a parent. Studies have shown that parents who displayed dissatisfaction with their body were more likely to have children with body image disturbances when they became adults. Families of eating disordered individuals also tend to be overly concerned with physical attractiveness and social appearance. Discuss with your children the ridiculous nature of the media’s portrayal of body image and encourage them not to buy into it


LOVE MY BODY!

JORGE’S FIT TIP

5 Minutes to a Successful Day

By Jorge Cruise, LifeScript Fitness Coach


There are 1,440 minutes in a 24-hour period, but it only takes five to ensure your success for the entire day. In this short amount of time you can write a daily to-do list that schedules your weight-loss goals into your calendar. Each night, pencil in your morning exercise session, write down what you plan to eat and make note of any other goal-oriented plans you have for the day. If you wear special exercise clothing, lay out the next day’s clothes near the bed so you don’t have to scramble to find them in the morning. Make your lunch, and check to make sure you have the food you need for a healthy dinner. The whole process can take as little as five minutes, especially once you get into a routine of doing this each evening. Writing down your goals serves as an incentive and a well-laid plan to make them a reality.

Your coach,Jorge Cruise


For information on Jorge's newest program to reduce belly fat, visit 5minuteflatbelly.com.
Want more? Read Jorge’s Top 10 Diet Dos and Don’ts, 7 Exercises for Your Best Legs Ever and these Daily Fit Tips by Jorge Cruise:Push-ups for BeginnersBlast Belly Fat... But Not with CrunchesIs Spot Toning Possible?Baby Got Back MusclesGet Firm Arms, Fast

Visit 12Second.com and get your own copy of Jorge’s newest book The 12-Second Sequence.

7 Ways to a Joyous Day

A best-selling author's best advice

7 Ways to a Joyous Day

by Max Lucado, San Antonio, Texas

Ever have one of those bad days? You know—not kind of bad, but bad. You mess up at work. You have a terrible fight with your spouse. Your doctor calls you in for some tests that sound pretty scary. A day seemingly beyond all redemption. When you have a day like that (and let’s face it, we all do sometimes), you have several choices. You can retreat into paralyzing fear, act out inappropriately or just go into complete denial.

But there’s actually another choice: You can rejoice.

Rejoice? Why? you ask.

Because it’s the only real way out. “This is the day the Lord has made,” the psalmist tells us. “We will rejoice and be glad in it.” This day? This messy, painful, frustrating day deserves a chance? Yes. Every day, whether it includes a lost wallet, a dented bumper or the funeral of a loved one, deserves our full presence. They all come from God’s drawing room.

Still not convinced? Try these seven strategies the next time you find yourself trapped in a day that holds more than you think you can bear. You’ll be surprised at how freeing they are.

Fret Not

Anxiety will ruin your day. And it can be a real confidence-killer. I know. I get plenty of opportunities to fret: Was I too long-winded in my talk? Is my latest book any good? Do I have any business telling people how to live? The drumbeat of worry can be deafening.

I like the approach of a friend who once told me, “Well, Max, I always assume everyone likes me.”

What a crazy idea, I thought. But I decided to give it a try—not just once, but to make it a regular thought habit. I started by giving myself and my audience the benefit of the doubt: We’re all here because we’re comfortable with one another.

That habit has changed how I view the world. It’s not such a menacing place anymore.

You can’t add one more day to your life or more life to your day by fretting. Worry doesn’t take away tomorrow’s troubles; it only rids today of its strength.

And why should you worry when you are surrounded by friends wherever you go?

Forgive Freely

I forgive easily. Or so I like to think. But some years ago a Christian leader publicly criticized me without giving me a chance to defend myself. This leader was offended by something I’d said on my radio show, misinterpreting my words, I thought. He wrote an article about me, inferring untrue things. I was angry and hurt. Really hurt.

I moped for a few weeks, until I realized I was letting this man’s accusations rob me of joy. So I wrote him a letter, telling him how I felt. He never wrote back. Maybe he never got my letter. I don’t know. But what I realized was that by writing that letter, I forgave him. Forgiveness is not about saying that what a person did is okay or that they’re right. It’s about making a decision, a choice to let the hurt and anger go. It frees you up to move on. Forgive someone and you’ll discover that that person has virtually no power to hurt you anymore. Then you’ll be able to focus on what you really care about: the joy of life.

Fear Not

Heart trouble runs in my family. Mom, Dad and my older brother have all had heart problems. I was so scared about having a heart attack, I became an exercise fanatic. I’m taking care of my health, I told myself, gritting my teeth. I even trained for the grueling half-Ironman triathlon. That should fix things.

Then about a year ago my cardiologist told me that I would probably still need to have heart surgery. All those miles of jogging and skipping desserts and stressing about my health, and my heart was no better off than it was before!

I’m not saying that exercise is bad. In fact, it’s very good for you. I still run. My mistake was to think that I could run from my fears.

Fear is a joy-killer. It can make me stressed out, short-tempered, unhappy.

What’s the opposite of fear? Trust. I do better when I trust in God—and go for a short jog. He’s in control of my life.

Place your fear in God’s hands and you’ll find that you have greater peace each day.

Live Passionately

I was a senior in high school when I made one of the most important discoveries of my life—I loved to write. My English teacher assigned us to write a short story. The whole class groaned, but inwardly I thought, Yes! I wrote that first story through the night. It wasn’t very good. But it was a great effort.

And from then on in my career and in my life I’ve always looked for opportunities to write. Writing is something I do from the soul.

Discover your passions by looking back over your life for those sweet-spot moments where you’ve had ‘Yes! experiences. String those together, and you’ll begin to see new possibilities for your life.

Nothing gives the day greater joy than a good wallop of passion that comes from doing something from the soul.

Get Over It!

Sometimes I’ll have a bad day just by waking up on the proverbial wrong side of the bed. I don’t know why I’m grouchy, but I stay that way for the rest of the day.

If you look long enough and hard enough, you’ll find something to bellyache about. So quit looking!

If you have health problems like I do, you probably feel justified in complaining. Being in pain is no fun. But try this instead of griping: Take a break from your problems. Face each day determined to dwell on the positives. Think about what you have to look forward to. Write a list and put it where you can see it. Try lending an ear to someone in need. Be especially kind to people with whom you have only one encounter—a waiter, a taxi driver, a store clerk. You may have only one chance to be kind.

When you start living for others, it’s pretty hard not to get over whatever’s bothering you.

Collect Your Blessings

Recognize all that you have, and finding blessings to collect will become easy. The key to a joyous day? Make gratitude your default emotion. Say, “I can find things to be grateful for in this day.” Let your thoughts be positive. Expect good things to happen. Seek out people who can encourage you. Over time, you’ll find that God’s list of blessings is longer than your list of burdens.

Once in a race, I was running next to a 66-year-old grandma. I was about to give up, but she urged me on. “Just hang in there, you’re doing really well. Look how far you’ve come.” I ran next to her and started congratulating myself for all the miles I’d run, not the ones that were still ahead. It worked and I finished the race strong.

Color Your World

One day I was at the beach, enjoying the balmy day I had so looked forward to. The sand was soft and cool. Tufts of clouds drifted across a deep blue sky. I leaned back in my beach chair and closed my eyes. That’s when a seagull decided to use my chest as target practice. Yuck! I poured water on my shirt, trying desperately to get the stain out. And just like that, I’d lost the color of the day. Almost.

Maybe you were caught in bad traffic or your flight was cancelled or you haven’t gotten over that nagging cold. How can you see the world in vibrant color on a day like that? Many of us can’t. There I was on the beach…about to allow one errant seagull ruin my day. I moved my chair, trying to regain the magic of the morning. And then I practiced all these steps I’ve been writing (passionately) about: forgiving the bird (after all, it was only doing what came naturally), not fretting or fearing, counting my blessings (what a beautiful beach) and mostly, getting over it! No, it wasn’t too late for my day to be a joyous one.

The world is full of vibrant color. Don’t let it lose an ounce of its luster. Assume this day is going to be good, and it will. God made it so.

The above article originally appeared in the December 2007 issue of Guidposts Magazine.

Today's Power Thought:

Talk Peaceful.

Develop serenity and quiet attitudes through your conversation. Depending upon the words we use and the tone in which we use them, we can talk ourselves into being nervous, high-strung, and upset. By our speech, we can also achieve quiet reactions. Talk peaceful to be peaceful.

No. 11 in a series of 100 Power Thoughts from The Power of Positive Thinking, the All-Time inspirational Best-Selling Book by Norman Vincent Peale.

Courtesy of PealeCenterforPositiveThinking.com

Daily Thoughts

A Time to Think
All that I have written seems to me like straw compared to what has now been revealed to me. - St. Thomas Aquinas
To Act
Don't underestimate your power to change yourself.
To Pray
Lord, help me to listen to Your voice in all times and all places. Help me to answer Your call.

The Roots of Change

Time to read inspirational thoughts from the expert.. Let's make life a well being one...

The Roots of Change
Daily Inspiration
John H. Sklare, Ed.D
Monday, July 28, 2008




One of the greatest challenges to creating change in life is incorporating new thinking into your day. Not only is changing the way we think a daunting task for us humans, it is also a critical piece of the change puzzle. In short, change is impossible… unless accompanied by new thinking. I was reminded of this the other day as I read a quote from the late American author Henry David Thoreau. Although Thoreau’s work was published in the mid-1800s, his writings can still teach us a very valuable lesson in 2008. That lesson is about change, and that is what I want to address today. Here is what Thoreau wrote: As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in your mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kinds of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.

What a powerful and accurate statement regarding change! Change is the result of consciously repeating a thought long enough until it becomes a natural part of your everyday thinking. This is an important lesson for those of you seeking change in your life. If change is what you desire, then mindfully repeating thoughts that support that change is critical. In modern day language, we might call these thoughts positive affirmations. So today I ask you to consider these important words of Mr. Thoreau and pick just one thought regarding change in your life that you would like to incorporate into your everyday thinking. This is very important for creating change. As the "dean of personal development" Earl Nightingale states, “You become what you think about!”

Wishing You Great Health,
Dr. John H. Sklare
http://www.innerdiet.com/
Got a Question? Ask Dr. Sklare

How to start a healthy living? Not what you think it's easy...

Enriching lifestyles.... to fitness.... Basically we were grown to be physically conscious and expect more cuts and curves for our daily life's habits toward developing great shape, looking young and sexy and managing a healthy diet....

But one point that gotten my attention is how to make my life a no ordinary one abide from those physical things that keep us more busy and we don’t notice how we can make our daily lives a healthy living.

There are some insights I put a note whenever I got the chance to read inspirational, real, great and very helpful books from Dan Millman.

Words below make sound easy to work on to enrich our lifestyle for making ourselves healthy and fit though it’s a hard time for us to follow the determination one’s self to pursue. Work on and have a enjoy time while living a healthy life!!!


Adopted from great book of Dan Millman’s No Ordinary Moments

A Purifying One-Week Diet

Incorporate the following principles into your daily diet as much as possible:
@ Eat less (or no) meat, fish, and poultry.
@ Eat less (or no) milk, cheese, and eggs.
@ Eat less (or no) refined sugar (read labels).
@ Use less (or no) alcohol, tobacco, and other nonprescription drugs. If you smoke, quit as soon as you can, but not this week or withdrawal symptoms may interface with your enjoyment of the program; the same applies to caffeine.
@ Enjoy fresh salads, steamed vegetables, pastas, fresh fruit, yams, potatoes, and rice and other cooked grains.

Please note.
This diet is intended as a gentle, enjoyable discipline, not a Spartan routine. Do not deprive yourself. Don’t go hungry. Eat what you wish of the healthy foods listed above; just don’t overeat.
Avoid “all-or-nothing” thinking. Do your best within your present limits, and remember that a little of something is far better than a lot of nothing.

Specialists in human nutrition now recognize this kind of diet as optimal for health, vitality, freedom from most food allergies, a feeling of lightness and well-being, and a longer life. Not everyone thrives on exactly the same diet; however, it took me some years to adopt to this program as a lifestyle. Go with your instincts. Be gentle with yourself, eat consciously, and enjoy the blessings of good food.

This will help you start a healthy living. So enjoy and never omit the happiness of working out with this diet. Have fun while living a healthy life!