A Tale of Two Ref Magnets

Some time during the week, I got really upset to find one of my two ref magnets was missing. You're probably wondering what's the big deal? It's just a ref magnet right? Well, I bought these two ref magnets in Thailand a few years ago on a trip with girlfriends. That time I formed a dream that I will travel more and collect more ref magnets from other places. I haven't fulfilled that part of the dream to this day so I hang on to it. Why am I sharing this story? Because I learned something from it.

You see the ref magnets have been sitting on the ref for so long that I don't really put that much importance to them. But it does make me feel calm to be looking at them daily. So imagine when one day I take a look and one of them was missing! I was pretty much devastated when I tried and tried to look for it but couldn't find it. I had two sleepless nights and a major headache. The story has a happy ending though. We did find the second ref magnet. Now both of them sit in front of my desktop table.

So what did I learn? That sometimes we don't value things that are important to us until we've lost them. Lucky for me it wasn't totally lost. But seriously, how often do we take things or even people for granted, esp. our loved ones and family or even friends? Sure we see them a lot -- daily even -- but have we showed them how much we appreciate them? If not, it's not too late to do so. It's funny how it took two ref magnets to teach me this lesson. Now I know better than to take anything or anyone for granted.

Live in the here and the now! Appreciate and value what you have and who you have in your life right now. Don't wait until it's too late.

8 Habits of Very Joyful People

1 - Decide to be happy.

Happiness is a state of mind. If you want to be happy, think happy.  And  yes, it's a choice -- your choice.

2 - Apply the power of positive thinking.

Being positive doesn't mean you're only counting on the good things to happen. It  really means believing that no matter what happens, it is for the best.

3 - Maintain emotional wellness.

Nothing beats emotional wellness. How do you maintain it? Find time to reflect and meditate.  When things get a bit overwhelming, step back, detach yourself, take a walk and see the good things in life.

4 - Have an attitude of gratitude.

When you wake up in the morning, say thanks. Be thankful for another day, another chance to make a difference. In a values enhancement camp I attended some years back, we were made to chant "Today is better than yesterday. Success!"

5 - Live in the present.

There is no point in dwelling in the past. Even if you had a sad childhood, face it, it's over. Live in the now. Today is a gift, that's why it's called present. 

I remember reading a short cartoon strip of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet. Pooh asked Piglet, "What day is it?" Piglet replied, "It is today." To which Pooh remarked, "Ah, my favorite day."

6 - Love what you do and do what you love.

Find the meaning and purpose in what you do. Then you won't have reason to complain or wish you're doing something else. Life is short. Spend your time wisely. Doing what you love and loving what you do makes waking up mornings super fantastic!

7 - Approach life with humor and laughter.

Laughter is the best medicine. No, you don't need to be a clown or to act as silly as one in order to find humor in every day situations. Enjoy life! After all, it is great to be alive. 

8 - Observe a healthy spirituality.

For me, it helps a lot that I have faith. For whenever I find myself lost, troubled or weary, I pray.  

Have a joyful life! :-)

Food For Thought

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.  
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.
If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.
If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.
If you plant patience, you will reap improvements.
If you plant faith, you will reap miracles. 

But
If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.
If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness.
If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.
If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.
If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.
If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.
If you plant greed, you will reap loss.
If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.
If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.
If you plant sin, you will reap guilt. 

Optimism Aids Success

In life, you are forever full of choices. You may choose to have a pessimist's view and live a self-defeated life or you may choose to take the optimist's route and have a challenging and fulfilling life.

Optimists expect the greatest. They tend to think defeat is just a fleeting delay, that its causes are confined to this one case.

Optimists tend to center on and plan for the 'difficulty' at hand. In other words, they most likely reinterpret an off-putting experience in a way that helps them discover and mature. Such people are unfazed by a bad situation, they perceive it as a challenge and try harder.

Bright expectancies of optimists also forecast better reactions during transitions to new environments, unexpected tragedies and unlikely turn of events. If they fall, they will stand up. They see opportunities instead of obstacles.

People react positively to optimists. Optimists are upbeat and less dependent on others for their happiness. They find no need to control or influence people. They usually draw people towards them. Their optimistic view of the world can be catching and influence those they are with.

Optimism seems a socially desirable trait in all communities. Those who share optimism are generally accepted while those who spread gloom, panic and hysteria are treated unfavorably.

When the going gets tough, optimists get tougher. Pessimists are more likely to quit trying when difficulties arise. Optimists typically maintain higher levels of subjective well being during times of stress than do people who are less optimistic. They persevere. They just don't give up easily, they are also known for their patience. Inching their way a step closer to that goal or elusive dream.

Optimists are healthier and live longer. Medical research has justified that simple pleasures and a positive attitude can cause a considerable boost in the body's ability to fight disease.

Self esteem improvement; Start now before it is too late

Be determined to improve your self esteem and you are on your way to great achievement.

Do not let a low self esteem ruin your life. The way you think about yourself determines how you interact with others.

What are some examples of low esteem aspects in your mind that you need improvement on?

1. Nothing you do seems to go right.
2. You believe that most people do not like you.
3. You believe that you are not attractive.
4. You choose something and it turns out to be the worst one.
5. You are afraid to converse with others for fear that what you say might not make sense.
6. You feel swallowed up in a whirlpool of frustration.

What’s wrong with you? Your thoughts, actually.

Stop thinking that the world is closing in on you. Get determined to achieve what you desire. Stop blaming other people for your misfortunes. The world is not your problem, you are your own problem.

From this moment on, begin the process of self esteem improvement. Think the right way and be determined to win, and win you will. Just remember that success never comes easily and that is why determination is its counterpart.

Oftentimes, one gets to the brink of success and with just a little disappointment or setback, they lose heart and give up too easily and too soon. A surefire candidate to low self esteem improvement. Who knows what great things might have been achieved if only they had persevered.

Without a high self esteem, your life could be rather boring. Change your thinking and begin to see yourself on top of the world. Make a very special effort to be what you really want to be.

You have to seriously decide either to remain in a miserable state of low self esteem, or acquire self esteem improvement and develop a high self esteem with good character and self image.

The origin of low self esteem.

A low self esteem could begin way back in childhood when children are made to believe that they are worthless. Their self confidence is eroded and they succumb to the idea that they can never achieve success in anything that they do. They were picked on, laughed at, pushed around, called ugly names, and treated with disdain. No wonder they grew up to be full of resentment.

If that was your experience, it is time you cut yourself loose from that mindset and do self esteem improvement. Start reading about the life of successful persons and you will soon discover that many of them had such low self esteem that they could not even complete an elementary education.

Many decided to override their low self esteem and improve their attitude, whatever it took. They became some of the greatest men and women that ever lived.

Low self esteem has never helped anyone else and it sure will not help you. It can only drive you into depression, anger, grudge, fear and all the other evils that it generates.

Re-program your thinking and control your state of mind. You must believe that you are worth much more than you think or you will remain at the foot of the ladder and never make an attempt to climb it.

Do not waste your life away with feelings of inadequacies. Instead, think of ways to go about self esteem improvement. Success is yours, just reach out and grasp it.