Category Archives: Mindset

Just for Today

Posted on by

Think and act cheerfully, and you will feel cheerful.

Create your happiness by follow daily program of cheerful and constructive thinking written by Sibyl F. Partridge.

  1. Just for today, I will be happy. This assumes that what Abraham Lincoln said is true, that “most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Happiness is from within; it is not a matter of externals.
  2. Just for today, I will try to adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my family, my business, and my luck as they come and fit myself to them.
  3. Just for today, I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, nourish it, not abuse or neglect it, so that it will a perfect machine for my bidding.
  4. Just for today, I will try to strengthen my mind. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.
  5. Just for today, I will exercise my soul in three ways; I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don’t want to do, as William James suggest, just for exercise.
  6. Just for today, I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress as becomingly as possible, talk low, act courteously, be liberal with praise, criticize not at all, not find fault with anything and not try to regulate nor improve anyone.
  7. Just for today, I will try to live this day only, not to tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do things for twelve hours that would appall me if I had to keep them up for a lifetime.
  8. Just for today, I will have a program and plan. I will write down what I expect to do every hour. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. I will eliminate two pests, hurry and indecisive.
  9. Just for today, I will have a quiet half-hour all by myself and relax. In this half-hour sometimes I will think of God, so as to get a little more perspective on life.
  10. Just for today, I will be unafraid, especially I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love, to believe that those I love, love me.

Written by Sybil F. Partridge and printed in How To Stop Worrying, And Start Living by Dale Carnegie, 1951

Inspiring Story: Small Actions can Pay Big Dividends

Posted on by

“If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” – Napoleon Hill

A man was asked to paint a boat. He brought his paint and brushes and began to paint the boat a bright red, as the owner asked him.

While painting, he noticed a small hole in the hull, and quietly repaired it.

When he finished painting, he received his money and left.

The next day, the owner of the boat came to the painter and presented him with a nice check, much higher than the payment for painting.

The painter was surprised and said “You’ve already paid me for painting the boat Sir!”

“But this is not for the paint job. It’s for repairing the hole in the boat.”

“Ah! But it was such a small service… certainly it’s not worth paying me such a high amount for something so insignificant.”

“My dear friend, you do not understand. Let me tell you what happened:

“When I asked you to paint the boat, I forgot to mention the hole.

“When the boat dried, my kids took the boat and went on a fishing trip.

“They did not know that there was a hole. I was not at home at that time.

“When I returned and noticed they had taken the boat, I was desperate because I remembered that the boat had a hole.

“Imagine my relief and joy when I saw them returning from fishing.

“Then, I examined the boat and found that you had repaired the hole!

“You see, now, what you did? You saved the life of my children! I do not have enough money to pay your ‘small’ good deed.”

So no matter who, when or how, continue to help, sustain, wipe tears, listen attentively, and carefully repair all the ‘leaks’ you find. You never know when one is in need of us, or when God holds a pleasant surprise for us to be helpful and important to someone.

Along the way, you may have repaired numerous ‘boat holes’ for several people without realizing how many lives you’ve save.

Make a difference….be the best of you

So, no matter who, when, or how… just continue to help, sustain, wipe tears, listen attentively and carefully repair all the ‘leaks’ you find, because you never know when one is in need.

Along the way, you may have repaired numerous ‘boat holes’ for several people without realizing how many lives you’ve save.

References:

  1. https://www.kindspring.org/story/view.php?sid=137702
  2. https://motivateus.com/stories/hole-in-the-boat.htm

“Those who joyfully leave everything in God’s hand will eventually see God’s hand in everything. Worries end when faith begins.” – Nishan Panwar

Working on Your Goals and Expressing Gratitude Everyday

Posted on by

“With whatever you are struggling to master in your life, create a small habit or routine that gets you one step closer to it each and every day. ” Brendon Burchard

Now more than ever is the time to really appreciate the small, meaningful moments in life. It’s time you stop waiting for ” the anvil of purpose” to fall onto your head and suddenly everything, like life’s vision, purpose and meaning, become clear!

Instead, sit down with yourself and really think about what that purpose, that meaning, that vision for your life can really be.

There is no better time than the present to start this journey of self-exploration and find the ways in which you can truly feel alive, fulfilled, and happy in this life.

Thus, it’s important to make getting better everyday and self-improvement a way of life. It’s important to:

  • Begin the journey to think about and clarify your life’s vision, purpose and meaning.
  • Focus more on expressing gratitude and incorporating everyday wins back into your week and taking the time to appreciate them and let them sink in.
  • Focus more on your habits and long-term goals, and connecting back to your vision and purpose.

In the past, how many times did you achieve something or have special moments with your kids, spouse or friends, only to quickly move on to the next thing?

Life is so short to breeze by these special moments and not appreciate them. Really take the time to feel the day and fill your heart with gratitude. You’ll be happier too!

There’s still time to reclaim your day and schedule activities that add real value and meaning back into your routine. By pursuing your dream for 2 minutes or even 30 minutes every single day.

Don’t wait until next weekend when you might have the time for your goals and vision. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed and that big dream of yours isn’t going to materialize if you keep pushing it off.

Break down your big audacious goals into quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily goals. Work on your goals every single day and you will move the needle in your progress and success.

Additionally, if you want to achieve your goals, you should develop a growth mindset. A growth mindset allows you to explore more, take more risks, try new things, and grow more into what you’re capable.

The Power of Reflection

Clarity only happens when you reflect on your long term goals, habits and relationships — daily. It might be time to take a hard, unflinching look at your own performance in these important areas of your life.

When you live a life with intention each day, that brings about true purpose and meaning to your life. And when your days are filled with more purpose and meaning — more happiness and fulfillment tends to follow. And isn’t that the ultimate goal? To live a happy, purposeful and meaningful life.

Personal growth, goals and purpose are things that must be worked on everyday, otherwise you will lose touch with them.

Your Wealth Building and Financial Freedom Coach,

References:

  1. https://growthday.com
  2. https://www.growthday.com/hps-v4

Small, daily actions can gather momentum to become an unstoppable force of change.

  • Outcome – goals and vision
  • Process – habits and systems
  • Identity – mindset, beliefs and thoughts

It’s not too late to prioritize your health and wellness, explains Brendon Burchard,

! If you haven’t already, put your health at the forefront and do everything you can to get your healthy eating, sleep, and exercise routine in place. Because small, daily actions can gather momentum to become an unstoppable force of change.

Tips to Feel Better – Mindfulness

Posted on by

“Mindfulness gives you time. Time gives you choices. Choices, skillfully made, lead to freedom.” – Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

Feeling good means that your body and mind are working at their peak level, and you have a general sense of well-being, says David Rakel, MD, founder and the director of the integrative medicine program at the University of Wisconsin (UW). The vision of the UW’s program is “Inspiring health and wellness in patients, communities, and ourselves”.

Life is short and a precious gift. Thus, it’s critical to enjoy and live fully each day To feel good day after day, Rakel suggests:

Stay focused on the present moment.

“If we can learn to recognize the clutter that our mind is in and learn to be more mindful of the present moment, that can be a tremendous asset to our overall sense of well-being,” Rakel says. The “clutter” that can make you feel bad includes regret about the past and worry that bad things might happen to you.

A practice called mindfulness can help you reduce the clutter by keeping your focus on the present moment. Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.

Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.

To be more mindful, try to:

  • Take in the colors, sounds, and smells that surround you at any given time.
  • Pay attention to your breath moving in and out of your body for a few moments.
  • Let worrisome thoughts flow out of your mind when they pop up, rather than giving them attention and dwelling on them.

Studies have shown that practicing mindfulness, even for just a few weeks, can bring a variety of physical, psychological, and social benefits. Here are some of these benefits according to The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, which extend across many different settings.

  • Mindfulness is good for your bodies: A seminal study found that, after just eight weeks of training, practicing mindfulness meditation boosts your immune system’s ability to fight off illness. Practicing mindfulness may also improve sleep quality.
  • Mindfulness is good for your minds: Several studies have found that mindfulness increases positive emotions while reducing negative emotions and stress. Indeed, at least one study suggests it may be as good as antidepressants in fighting depression and preventing relapse.
  • Mindfulness changes our brains: Research has found that it increases density of gray matter in brain regions linked to learning, memory, emotion regulation, and empathy.
  • Mindfulness helps you focus: Studies suggest that mindfulness helps you tune out distractions and improves your memory, attention skills, and decision-making.

In addition to mindfulness, it’s important to try to stay positive and focus on the positive.

The same event can happen to two people, and one views it as a positive and one views it as a negative. So try to see the good side of the things and people around you; it can help you stay free of anxiety and depression, Rakel says.

And, there is a strong connection between psychological health and longevity. In fact, optimism, purpose, and happiness have all been tied to living longer, suggesting you may want to cultivate these attributes in your life.

“How we pay attention to the present moment largely determines the character of our experience, and therefore, the quality of our lives.” – Sam Harris

Make a spiritual connection.

Rakel defines this as spending time on “that which gives your life meaning and purpose.”This could be your religious beliefs, enjoying nature, or sharing moments with loved ones. “If we get up in the morning excited about something that gives us meaning and self-purpose, our bodies do all they can to heal,” he says.

Be around people.

Having a good support network of family, friends, coworkers, and other people who care about you can help you stay healthier, feel less stressed, and even live a longer life. Spend time with these people regularly, and work to keep your relationships with them strong.

Bottomline, by being mindful, you can train yourself to live in the present moment to handle life’s challenges with a clear mind to help you feel better and live your best life.

Focus on good health and emotional well-being.

“Mindfulness is deliberately paying full attention to what is happening around you– in your body, heart, and mind. Mindfulness is awareness without criticism or judgment.” – Jan Chozen Bays

Healthy aging

If you want to live a long, healthy life as you age, it’s important to keep physically healthy by eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep.

People with significantly higher than average life satisfaction, positive feelings, purpose in life, or optimism at age 50 lived an average of five to eight additional years. “Achieving high levels of these aspects of well-being have really important impacts on people living longer and healthier lives,” says researcher Jennifer Boylan, University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study. “Their presence is worth focusing on more than it has been.”

References:

  1. https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/more-energy
  2. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition#why-practice-mindfulness
  3. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_keys_to_wellbeing_that_may_help_you_live_longer

Visualization: Your Life In Focus

Posted on by

“The key to effective visualization is to create the most detailed, clear, and vivid a picture to focus on.”

Research shows that the more you focus on the things you desire, the better chance you have at getting them. Thus, knowing what you want and focusing on what you want are essential for success and achieving your best life.

As you might ascertain, having a clear direction of where you’re headed or where you want to go is essential. Without a clear purpose and goals, it can be very easy to get caught up in things that aren’t actually moving you forward in your life’s journey.

For example, struggling comedian and actor, Jim Carrey used to picture himself being the greatest actor in the world. When Carey was still a “wannabe” during one of his appearances on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, he spoke about his early days trying to make it in the entertainment business. He was broke and had no future. But he took a blank check and wrote out $10 million dollars to himself for acting services rendered and dated it five year in the future.

Subsequently, he carried that check in his wallet at all times and looked at it every morning, visualizing receiving $10 million. Five years after he wrote the check to himself, he found out that he was going to earn $10 million from the movie “Dumb and Dumber.”

“Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe.” Oprah Winfrey

Vision boarding is an excellent way to get clear on your goals. Creating a vision board is a powerful way of getting to know yourself and what it is you truly want in your life.

A vision board is essentially a physical (or digital) manifestation of your goals. Vision boarding involves collecting images or objects that speak to the future you want to create and arranging them on a board for a tangible and aesthetically pleasing reminder of where you’re heading.

References:

  1. https://seatgeek.com/tba/articles/oprah-winfrey-2020-vision-tour-dates-tickets/
  2. https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-20630/8-successful-people-who-use-the-power-of-visualization.html
  3. https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/how-to-make-a-vision-board

 

“Success = Knowing, Growing, Acting and Serving.”

Habits and System Building

Posted on by

“Your system is the collection of daily habits.” James Clear

Behaviors and Beliefs are a two way Street, says James Clear, author of “Atomic Habit”. Effectively, the way you act influences what you believe about yourself; what you believe about yourself influences the actions you take and the manner in which you behave. But, you should let the behavior lead the way, explains Clear.

Every action you take on a daily basis is a vote regarding the person you are currently and want to become in the future. Everyday you’re casting votes to become the person you see yourself. Habits matter because they reenforce the person you want to become.

Build a system.

You want to focus on developing a process / building a system or achieving a goal or outcome. You don’t rise to the level of your goals, you fail to the level of your system. Building the system — the way you prepare — that executes on achieving your goals is what is important. The system is what gets you closer to your destination. Ask yourself what you’re optimizing for?

Your goal is your desired outcome. Your system is the collection of daily habits you follow. Your system is your collection of daily habits you follow. Your current daily habits are perfectly designed to deliver your current results. Over a long period of time, your life bends towards your system, or collection of habits.

The purpose of habits:

Habits are the autopilot mode that your brain goes into when completing repetitive tasks, according to James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits”. For example, driving to work, the first time you do it, it may be confusing and stressful but after a few weeks your mind is just going through the motions, explains Clear.

Not having a grasp on your habits means not having control of your life and outcomes…consider:

  1. No financial habits = living pay check to paycheck.
  2. No healthy food and exercise habits = lacking energy and good health.

Without good habits, you will always be behind the curve. Success in your life and finances depends on the effectiveness of your habits and systems.

  • Your system for reading might be to read at least 1 page before bed every night.
  • Your system for exercising might be to do at least 5 minutes of bodyweight exercise every morning.
  • Your system for healthy eating might be to eat at least 1 apple every day for lunch.
  • Habits are the “compound interest”of self-improvement.

The bigger your systems, the bigger your results. Systems are the vehicles that are going to take you to your goals—your goals are simply the destination. Effectively, you don’t rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems.

If you want to change the world and do big things, the actions you’re doing every day, your habits, are what are going to get you there. That’s where the things happens.

“You do not rise to the level of your goals.  You fall to the level of your systems.”James Clear

Showing up each day and making one small choice or trying to do something in a slightly better way, and then watching that compound and multiply over time. In life, changes may seem relatively small and insignificant on a daily basis, but over 10 or 20 or 30 years, small choices and changes can make meaningful difference.

What starts out small and seems relatively insignificant, grows and accumulates into something bigger.

Your mindsets and your systems can set us up for success. It is important to understand the importance of consistency when it comes to forming habits that last.

“Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years”, says Clear. “We all deal with setbacks, but in the long run, the quality of our lives depends on the quality of our habits. With the same habits, you’ll end up with the same results. With better habits, anything is possible.”

Small incremental changes can end in massive results. Small improvements day by day will result in a huge compounding effect, says Clear.

References:

  1. https://movemequotes.com/beyond-the-quote-8/
  2. https://brenebrown.com/podcast/atomic-habits-part-1-of-2/
  3. https://theherstonproject.com/2020/11/atomic-habits-summary/

9 Good Financial and Wealth Building Habits

Posted on by

Developing good financial habits is pivotal to maintaining a healthy financial life. It can be the most important tool you have to reach your goal of eliminating personal debt. Regardless of any bad money habits you’ve had in the past, there’s always time to make changes for the future.

When adjusting your approach, don’t hesitate to learn from others. This could be the difference between success and continuing down the same old path.

Below are nine good financial habits.

1. Create a budget.

The median household income in the United States in 2019 was $68,703. Whether you earn more or less than this, a budget can help keep your finances on track.

When you know how much you earn, it’s much easier to determine how much you can comfortably spend each month.

2. Avoid or consolidate higher-interest credit card and personal debt.

Unexpected expenses can come up and we don’t always have the cash to pay for them. So we might swipe a credit card or take out a loan.

The good news is you may be able to consolidate your higher-interest debt with a fixed rate personal loan, saving time and interest costs.

If you’re paying a high interest rate on debt, and you had the opportunity to pay a lower rate that might lessen your monthly payment, why wouldn’t you?

3. Understand your financial circumstances.

You need to understand every aspect of your financial situation. From how much you earn to how you’re spending your money, every last detail is important.

With an understanding of your finances, you’ll always know what makes the most sense for you and your money.

4. Learn from past mistakes and failures.

Learning from you past mistakes is one of the most critical money habits you can form. Even the most successful people make financial mistakes from time to time. For example, maybe you buried yourself in store card debt. Or maybe you “bit off more than you could chew” with a car loan.

It’s okay to make financial mistakes, as long as you learn from them and use what you learn to manage your debt.

5. Set goals and create a plan .

Have you set both short- and long-term financial goals? Are you tracking your progress, month in and month out?

Taking this one step further, you can do more than think about goals in your head. See where putting your goals to paper takes you. You could get a new sense of clarity and focus with everything written out in front of you.

According to a research study completed by Gail Matthews at Dominican University, people who write down their goals accomplish “significantly more.”

6. Ask questions.

Although you know your financial situation better than anyone else, there are times when it makes sense to ask questions.

For example, a CPA can provide guidance related to your tax situation. With more than 658,000 of these professionals in the United States alone, there are plenty of options for advisement.

7. Save for retirement.

Many Americans carry debt and find it difficult to save money. These challenges can make it hard to pay attention to retirement savings. In fact, a recent Employee Benefit Research Institute survey found a majority of people saying debt may be a hindrance to their retirement plans.

You won’t be alone if you opt against saving for retirement, but if comfortable retirement is one of your goals, look towards the future. Putting a bit of money away for retirement is a good financial habit; consolidating higher-interest debt so that you save money on interest may be one way to find more savings opportunities.

8. Automate your savings.

There are many reasons why people may not save as much money as they should. For example, they may touch every bit of money they earn, meaning it never ends up in the right place.

Protect against this by automating savings. Think about it like this: you can’t spend money that you don’t see or touch.

9. Pay down debt.

Taking on debt can be a successful strategy as long as you’re comfortable with two things:

  • The monthly payment
  • Your ability (and willingness) to pay down the debt.

The longer you let debt linger the more you’ll pay in interest. Furthermore, debt can hold you back from reaching other goals, such as saving for retirement.

If you implement these nine good financial habits, you may end up feeling better about your current situation and what the future will bring.

Creating a wealth plan

A well thought out wealth plan rests on three essential pillars:

  • Save
  • Invest
  • Repeat

These are the core principles of every wealth plan. Disregarding even one will render a wealth plan useless. An important aspect to consider is that a wealth plan should be tailored to each individual’s needs and goals. So pay attention, and make sure that these simple steps are followed in order to create a wealth plan that allows individuals to achieve their dreams of building wealth and financial freedom.

A wealth plan is a resource to help you achieve your financial goals. As it allows you to plan, and use it as a guide throughout your journey. However, having a wealth plan is not a guarantee of anything.

Achieving wealth is like building a house. Thus, having the best architectural design will not ensure that the final product will be outstanding. This is why execution is the differentiating factor in achieving wealth. There are certainly several advantages to having a well-thought-out plan to help you in this process, such as:

  • Clear vision over goals
  • Easily control expenses and estimate savings
  • Automate investments
  • Define a strategy to achieve wealth
  • Adapt your strategy over time

In essence, a wealth plan acts as a roadmap to financial freedom. The main difference is a map usually has a clear path towards a destination. A wealth plan, on the other hand, is filled with unknowns and obstacles that may lay ahead.

In essence, a wealth plan acts as a roadmap to financial freedom.

References:

  1. https://www.discover.com/personal-loans/resources/consolidate-debt/good-financial-habits/
  2. https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/how-to-create-a-wealth-plan-get-started-now/

Attitude of Gratitude

Posted on by

“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” – Socrates

Gratitude is good for your body, your mind, your wealth, and your emotional well-being. Yet, Americans usually equate happiness to having more in life. And by more, think of monetary or physical possessions — a bigger house, larger bank account, more clothes, the latest gadgets, a faster car. Yet, once you acquire more shiny brand new things, rarely do you find yourself any happier and satisfied.

Instead of acquiring more stuff, the Greek philosopher Socrates taught his fellow Greek citizens to be happy with less. In other words, enjoy that pair of jeans you love so much that you wear it all the time, instead of worrying about the latest fad designer jeans at the boutique that costs two weeks pay.

Simply put, gratitude changes your focus to what you have. Since, it doesn’t matter how much you have if you don’t appreciate it! Without gratitude, you’ll never feel successful, no matter how much you have and own. So regardless of your level of wealth and financial success, practicing gratitude is essential. You get more of what you focus on…what you focus on expands!

According to the Harvard Medical School, gratitude is: “a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives … As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals–whether to other people, nature, or a higher power” 

“The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.” Confucius

Every day won’t be perfect, but focusing on what we are grateful for tends to wash away feelings of anger, sorrow and negativity. And there is added benefits to improving your mindset, attitude and outcome. Recent studies show that being grateful and expressing gratitude leads to better physical and emotional health.

“An attitude of gratitude means making it a habit to express thankfulness and appreciation in all parts of your life, on a regular basis, for both the big and small things alike,” according to Lewis Howe, author of the inspirational book, The School of Greatness. “If you concentrate on what you have, you’ll always have more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you’ll never have enough.”

Thus, you must look throughout your day for things and activities to be grateful for, and something to be grateful for will always show up. Just because gratitude is good doesn’t mean it’s always easy.

Do not lose sight of being grateful for simply having a challenge or mountain to climb (it beats the alternative). Only when you began feeling gratitude for the opportunity to serve, to learn and to grow will a shift in attitude and happiness happen.

You can view gratitude as an emotional muscle that will grow and strengthen with intentional use. Make gratitude a habit by starting a gratitude journal, incorporating gratitude into your morning routine practice, or perhaps by having a gratitude accountability partner whom you can email daily.

“Everything — peace of mind, happiness, getting the most out of what you have — springs off of the word ‘gratitude’…True gratitude is based on all things — success and failure. If I’m truly grateful, I’m going to maintain that regardless of the outcome. Otherwise, it’s not gratitude.” Cael Sanderson, Head Wrestling Coach, Pennsylvania State University

Gratitude can be made a habit that you can practice every morning. According to motivational speaker Tony Robbins, gratitude is a ritual that can be broken down into three, three-minute sections, which can provide structure for living a life of gratitude. The three sections are:

  • First three minutes, think of three things you’re grateful for. Tony suggests that one of these be very simple—like how beautiful the sunset was last night or the great night’s sleep you just got.
  • During the next three minutes, focus on creating gratitude by imagining an inner presence that can heal and solve any obstacles in your life.
  • For the last three minutes, identify three things you’re absolutely going to make happen for yourself—what he calls his “three to thrive.”

Imagine what it would feel like to complete these tasks, and “see it as though it’s already been done,” Robbins said.

Enjoying less and appreciating the things you own are not difficult. All it takes is a change of mindset and an attitude of gratitude. Since, gratitude makes dealing with the difficult things and experiences easier. So be grateful when things are challenging, when you don’t feel like it, or when you fall short of achieving your goal.

To become more grateful, there are several everyday tips for living a life of gratitude, according to Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., a leading scientific expert on gratitude:

  • Keep a Gratitude Journal. Establish a daily practice in which you remind yourself of the gifts, grace, benefits, and good things you enjoy. Setting aside time on a daily basis to recall moments of gratitude associated with ordinary events, your personal attributes, or valued people in your life gives you the potential to interweave a sustainable life theme of gratefulness.
  • Remember the Bad. To be grateful in your current state, it is helpful to remember the hard times that you once experienced. When you remember how difficult life used to be and how far you have come, you set up an explicit contrast in your mind, and this contrast is fertile ground for gratefulness.
  • Ask Yourself Three Questions. Utilize the meditation technique known as Naikan, which involves reflecting on three questions: “What have I received from __?”, “What have I given to __?”, and “What troubles and difficulty have I caused?”
  • Learn Prayers of Gratitude. In many spiritual traditions, prayers of gratitude are considered to be the most powerful form of prayer, because through these prayers people recognize the ultimate source of all they are and all they will ever be.
  • Use Visual Reminders. Because the two primary obstacles to gratefulness are forgetfulness and a lack of mindful awareness, visual reminders can serve as cues to trigger thoughts of gratitude. Often times, the best visual reminders are other people.
  • Make a Vow to Practice Gratitude. Research shows that making an oath to perform a behavior increases the likelihood that the action will be executed. Therefore, write your own gratitude vow, which could be as simple as “I vow to count my blessings each day,” and post it somewhere where you will be reminded of it every day.
  • Watch your Language. Grateful people have a particular linguistic style that uses the language of gifts, givers, blessings, blessed, fortune, fortunate, and abundance. In gratitude, you should not focus on how inherently good you are, but rather on the inherently good things that others have done on your behalf.

It’s vitally essential to live your life and build your wealth based in gratitude. With gratitude comes the realization that we get more than we deserve and we’re content with what we have, received and accomplished.

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Research has shown that there is a strong link between happiness and gratitude. And there is a lot in your life to be grateful for! Do you want to be happy and wealthy? Stop waiting for happiness to knock on your door. Go out and make a friend or two. Stop thinking others have it better than you do.

Stop looking at what others have and start being grateful for what you have. You probably have a roof over your head and food in your stomach every day. The average world wide salary in 2012 was $18,000, adjusted for purchasing power. If you’re pulling in $19,000 you’re above average and, therefore, in terms of the entire world, rich. Celebrate your new found rich status, by inviting a couple of friends over. It will make you happier.

You must be grateful and love your life whether you’re winning or losing; whether you’re successful or unsuccessful; and whether you’ve built wealth or failed to build wealth. Just be grateful for the opportunity and your life. 

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Melodie Beattie, Author of ‘Co-dependant No More’

References:

  1. https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-appreciation/https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-appreciation/
  2. https://celador.net/the-secret-of-happiness-e611f6471b8f
  3. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-to-have-an-attitude-of-gratitude_b_8644102
  4. https://partners4prosperity.com/thank-and-grow-rich-gratitude-and-wealth/
  5. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_gratitude_is_good/
  6. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/profile/robert_emmons
  7. https://onwardstate.com/2020/05/08/4-lessons-i-learned-from-cael-sanderson-after-covering-him-for-4-years/

Mindset and Paradigm

Posted on by

“Change your habits, change your life.” Bob Proctor

The number one thing that will stop you from achieving your financial goals and life’s purpose is the way you think…your limiting beliefs and negative thoughts, explains self help guru Bob Proctor. If you want to change your results, you must first change yourself, specifically your paradigms.

Paradigms are nothing more than a group of habits that are programmed into the subconscious mind that control your behaviors which control your results, explains Bob Proctor. Thus, it’s essential to understand that your habits and behaviors control your results.

“We think we see the world as it is, when in fact we see the world as we are.” Stephen R. Covey

Paradigms affect the way we behave and the results we achieve in life, according to Stephen R. Covey. In explaining paradigm, Covey described an event when he “was on a subway in a very large metropolitan city. It was Sunday morning, quiet, sedate. When a bunch of young kids came running into the subway car and their father followed. He sat near me and the kids went crazy on that subway, running up and down, turning people’s papers aside, just raucous and rude. I’m sitting there thinking, ‘I can’t believe this, their father does nothing!’ I look at my attitude, attitude to try to control, but look what I could see.

After a few minutes, attitude went into behavior, ‘Sir, do you think you could control your children a little? They are very upsetting to people.’

‘Oh yeah.’ He lifted his head as if to come to an awareness of what was happening. ‘Yeah, I don’t know. I just guess I should. We just left the hospital. Their mother died just about an hour ago and I guess they don’t know how to take it and frankly I don’t either.’”

Imagine the paradigm shift that took place there. Imagine now what the attitude and the behavior would be based upon that paradigm.

The mind’s default, for most people, contains a plethora of negative thoughts and self-limiting beliefs. The mind tends to default to thinking that bad things will happen, that you’re not worthy, or that you’re not likable. ”

Until you change your paradigms regarding money or your financial mindset, money and wealth will not help you realize your dreams or achieve financial freedom.

“You must begin to understand that the present state of your bank account, your sales, your health, your social life, your position at work, etc., is nothing more than the physical manifestation of your previous thinking.”  Bob Proctor

References:

  1. https://www.lifehack.org/900263/reactive-vs-proactive
  2. https://resources.franklincovey.com/blog/paradigms

Mindset Matters

Posted on by

“Mindset is everything because it touches, impacts, and influences quite literally every aspect of your life.”

Your mindset is the filter through which you see the world. It is comprised of your beliefs, attitudes, emotions, and perceptions that inform your thoughts, habits* and decisions. Mindset encompasses both your conscious and unconscious thoughts as well as how you view yourself. It, your mindset, determines how you spend your time, who you spend your time with, what decisions you make, and where you invest your resources (time, talent and treasure).

Your mindset is an important part of your toolkit for success. Like glasses, they can either obscure your path or bring clarity to the road ahead. Thus, taking an active approach to understanding and crafting a positive mindset is important. Most people don’t realize that they’ve been programming their mindset through their experiences and perceptions. If you constantly feed your mindset with negative perspectives, your outlook will be negative. Garbage in, is garbage out.

On the other hand, cultivating a healthy wealth mindset will help you stick to your financial goals and you find ways to increase your earning potential. And, there are two key inputs that shape your mindset: the environment (or people) you spend time with and the media (written and verbal) you consume daily.

There’s an old saying in financial circles that you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with. If you want to be fit, hang out with friends who exercise. If you want to think big and aspire to build wealth and change the world, then you must consume inspiring positive media and hang out with people who have great purpose and big audacious goals.

Just as you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with, the same is true for your ideas and aspirations.

A wealth mindset is a set of beliefs, habits, and behaviors that separates the wealthy from the rest. A wealth mindset will guide you to make the most of the money you have. It is essential to effectively and successfully save for the future, invest for the long term, build wealth and achieve financial freedom. A wealth mindset means spending less than you earn, making wise investments in assets, and looking for ways to improve financial well-being with minimal risk.

A wealth mindset matter matters because 60 percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, according to Dave Ramsey. And as of 2018, 175 million Americans actively use credit cards. A majority of these credit card holders engage in impulsive spending behavior, wasting money they don’t have on items they don’t need.

“Wealth is a mindset!”, writes Shynna Key, author of “Wealth Is a Mindset”. She encourages you to “keeping it real” with your current financial position, identifying challenges, and taking responsibility for changing the way you view wealth. She opines that you must begin by examining “…what we have been taught as it relates to money and wealth. Though finances are a very private area for most to discuss, it is a crucial topic that will help us to understand the root of our financial ‘woes’ as well as the fruit of our financial ‘favor’; which is essential to our overall growth of wealth.”

“If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.” – Lao Tzu

To accumulate wealth and achieve financial freedom, you must first be and think like the wealthy. By doing so, you will develop the habits and take the necessary actions to attract the resources to you. You must be someone first; someone who has what he or she needs in order to take the inspired action. To become a wealthy, you must be an individual who thinks and manages money like the wealthy. For example, “the average wealthy person spends 10 times more time planning their finances than the average middle-class individual”, explains Thomas J. Stanley, author of “The Millionaire Next Door”.

Money and wealth can buy freedom…financial freedom. Very few wealthy people became wealthy overnight. Building wealth is a deliberate process that requires patience and planning.

If you want to be wealthy, you’ll need to develop a wealth mindset. Start by defining your financial goals: how much money do you want to have in a year’s time? Five year’s time?

To realize your financial goals, you’ll need to develop a wealth mindset, create and follow a plan, and continue to learn and grow. And remember, the road to wealth is bumpy and filled with detours and misconceptions.

In many ways, the health of your finances, as well as your physical health, depends on your mindset and emotional well-being. Thus, it’s important to make it a priority and to take time for you. When you focus on purpose, potential, curiosity and collaboration, you will experience increased energy and well-being. Because, what you focus on…expands!

“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” – Unknown

References:

  1. https://wealthfit.com/articles/wealth-mindset/
  2. https://wealthconnecters.com/wealth-mindset
  3. https://www.audible.com/pd/Wealth-Is-a-Mindset-Audiobook/B07MWHKS46
  4. Draper, Taylor, “Mind Matters”, Costco Connection, May 2021, pg. 17.
  5. https://bydeze.com/why-mindset-is-everything/
  6. https://nevadapartners.org/2021/05/21/12-real-differences-between-a-wealthy-mindset-vs-a-poor-mindset/

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Socrates

* Habits are consistent, unconscious patterns. They constantly express our character and result in our effectiveness or ineffectiveness. Habits are deeply ingrained and we are constantly pulled in their direction.