CategoriesActionGratitudeObserveProgressReframe your thoughtsTimeVideo

It Is Done!

That feels so good. That moment when you have completed the task. You cannot control it anymore. It is out of your hands. It is done!

It is an exciting and glorious feeling. When all the tension and build up can drain calmly from you, it is a tremendous feeling. Some feelings will be of relief and some will be of pride, confidence or joy.

Think back to when you have completed a big project. Or even think of a little one that you felt was important and worthy of your time. Maybe it was after completing an exam, driver’s licence test, or first overseas trip. For many, the feeling of relief is large after a public speech.

There is often an adrenaline rush and then a calming moment of satisfaction. In addition, you know you do not have to do it again soon, so there is peace in your heart.

I felt the calm satisfaction on Wednesday evening when I completed my first YouTube Short. Thanks to Alex, Roxane and Jaime for guidance on technical aspects. Thanks also to the many people in the YouTube and social media rooms in Clubhouse who gave great information. Also, a thank you to the How To content creators on YouTube. In particular, Sean Cannell’s comments in Clubhouse and his videos at Think Media. Naturalvita Tutorials also had a good tutorial.

It is done!

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CategoriesActionProgressReframe your thoughtsThink About It

Shine On!

Life is full of ups and downs. So when you are on the way up, enjoy every minute of it. Enjoy the excitement and exhilaration. Shine on!

The compound, or snowball effect, works both ways. If things are getting worse, it can continue getting worse at an accelerating pace. However, if things are going well, life can explode in an upward trajectory.

Tuesday was one of those days. There was a mix of things happening. Though, I did have some great things happen and it seems to be snowballing upward so far. Long may that continue!

It is easier to maintain higher energy and an upbeat vibe when things are going well. This in turn will also attract other positive things and people toward you. People like to be around someone who is winning. It is a fun and wonderful thing to be a part of.

So throw on a smile and walk with your shoulders back. Get a little swagger going too. Feel like you are having the best day of your life. Breathe it in. Hold on to that feeling.

If you can keep your thoughts positive and your body strong, you will win the day. Try it.

Shine on!

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CategoriesActionProgressReframe your thoughts

Change It Today

There is something that you have been putting off. You know you want the outcome but something holds you back. Change it today.

Get your own attention and focus on the matter. Break it down into tiny steps. You do not need to live like this anymore. There is an alternative. So find that other path, get better people around you and thrive.

It could be that the hardest part of changing something is the people you can’t bring with you. You would like them to come with you. However they do not see your future in their future. And that is fine. But do not let it slow you down or stop you.

You must barrel along as if your destiny depended on it. Is the path you are heading along really leading you to the place you want to end up? What will your life look like in 20 years if you do not switch tracks? Is it really the life you want? Because you can change the track you are on.

You can make a hard turn or you can adjust slowly. Both can work. But you need to be sufficiently comfortable with the initial discomfort. Then it will continue to be uncomfortable until your mind can adjust and feel fine with it.

Make the decision you need to make right now.

Change it today.

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CategoriesActionProgressReframe your thoughtsTime

Give That Extra Push

You’re exhausted. It is the end of the day. Your bed is calling out to you. You want nothing more than to collapse. Give that extra push at this point. Take 10 more minutes to get one more thing done.

Push through and get that tough task started so tomorrow morning it is already underway. Or write out the goals, key elements and times for tomorrow. Alternatively you could get that one extra, easy item off your to do list. It shows up everyday and you never really notice it or find the time to do it. Tonight is that time.

Do this extra 10 minutes of effort five nights a week for one year. That will get roughly 250 items off your list. Or it will help streamline your life.

You will also feel much better for having got it off your list. It will lighten your mental load. As you get 4 or 5 done next week, you will feel like you’re making progress. The pride in doing that little extra will shine through. You will stand a little taller as you build goodwill with yourself.

This tactic will also help you push through further in other areas of your life. Your resilience will grow. Your determination will strengthen.

Give that extra push. It will be worth it.

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CategoriesFinancialObserveReframe your thoughtsThink About It

Your Money Pays For Their Vacation

Make sure you only buy things that are essential to your life or for true happiness. Remember that when you spend, your money pays for their vacation, not yours.

Think about that for a minute. You buy two large pizzas for £25 and that is a fair exchange. You receive two large pizzas with toppings of your choice and they receive the payment they wanted. However, think one level deeper.

When you buy the pizzas, your bank account goes down and their bank account goes up. You have less cash for your vacation and they have more cash for theirs.

Quit giving your money to everyone else so they can have your vacation.

You could buy two large pizzas at the shops for £10. Then put the £15 of saved money into two other accounts. The first £7.50 could go into your vacation fund. The other £7.50 could go into your long term strategic investment fund.

You get to eat the pizzas and you build up your vacation and investment fund accounts. Sure the pizzas may not be quite as delicious from the fridge. And there would be some effort in cooking them. However, you would still have the nutrients and additional funds in your core accounts.

From one simple example, you would have almost £800 across your accounts in one year.

When you’re about to spend, remember, your money pays for their vacation.

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CategoriesObserveReframe your thoughtsThink About It

Aren’t You Curious?

That rich woman. That powerful man. How did they get where they are today? What path did they take? Which hurdles did they overcome. Aren’t you curious?

Notice the couple with a great relationship. Observe the family that plays and laughs together. Hear the love in their voices, projecting kindness from their heart.

Wondering why things are as they are, is a great skill to develop. Everything seems to be here for a reason. The sun to warm and the rain to cool. Gravity is there to hold things down. Rivers flow into seas. It all seems a little convenient. You may want to change the setup and the system, but perhaps you just don’t know why it is how it is.

Start with this way of thinking and you’ll find it effortless. But if you didn’t, there will be work to do. Attempts to put others down for their successes, or feelings of jealousy or envy, are not useful.

Get curious about their mindset and the path they have taken to this state and place. You too could have the same if you followed the natural path and process. All journeys to a destination have a beginning, middle and end.

Aren’t you curious about the process required to achieve anything?

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CategoriesObserveReframe your thoughts

Live And Let Live

It is easy to try to tinker with the lives of others. Sometimes we want to make unsolicited suggestions to other people. Live and let live is not just a useful proverb, it is a philosophy I try to follow. And sometimes I am successful….

Why do we do this? There are many different reasons. There always are. Let’s look at a few examples.

We can start with easy things like our favourite colour. If I like blue and you like green, I think nothing of it. Although, I might ask you why you like that colour, or which shade you prefer. However, I am unlikely to try to convince you that you would be better off liking blue.

Now lets look at favourite music. Clearly there is an incredible array of music to choose from. You might find classical to your taste. I prefer Rock. There is not a lot of crossover. So if we are on a car journey, we may need to take it in turns or find a compromise, like pop music. We may try to sway each other to change musical taste out of convenience. However, it would be rare to see a full on switch.

People perceive things differently. This could be part DNA and part environment. And there may be many other reasons. But as long as the other person is not hurting anyone, live and let live.

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CategoriesActionGratitudeObserveReframe your thoughts

When The Stars Align

You push and grind and patiently wait. One part of the puzzle is all it will take. Twisting and turning until everything’s fine. That’s when the stars align.

I love the visual I get when I think of stars aligning in space. I see maybe 10 or 12 massive bodies of matter moving into a straight line with millions of miles between them. It’s quite awesome to behold. It’s like giant tumblers inside a massive combination lock.

All the tumblers need to be in the correct position for the magic to happen and to unlock the mystery. When the stars are in just the right position, the world is your oyster.

It is such a wonderful feeling to have everything working out. Think about how many millions of things have to be working together for an amazing day to happen. Your arms, legs, heart, head, speech, movement, temperature, community, etc must all be in ideal conditions. Simultaneously!

That may be why it feels so special when those types of things happen. Whether it is for a minute or a whole day, it is simply the best feeling. Everything is in unison and giving off a glow. It might convince some of a magical force in the universe.

There is a powerful beauty when the stars align.

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CategoriesActionObserveProgressReframe your thoughtsTime

Looking Back

Did you spend your day well? What about your week? How well did you spend your time in 2020? Or 2019 for that matter? Looking back is a useful exercise, especially if you do it well before the final curtain.

There are days that seem to slip through my fingers. Like yesterday. I had planned out the whole day before going to bed the night before. From my alarm ringing in the morning, until my head hit the pillow in the evening, I was scheduled.

But some random events threw me off course in the morning. Then the afternoon was all playing catch up. But then a couple of other unexpected situations arose. Some of these I could have averted with slightly better communication and time management. However, the others were just a little dose of, “That’s life”.

I really only got back on track at 7pm. Yet, I had missed so much in the day. Even with decent planning, you can be blown off course occasionally. But try to resist. Set your environment up in a better way. Then you can stick to the plan and make great progress.

This is a good analogy for life. You don’t want to get to the end of a time period and wish you had been more efficient with your time and more focused with your intent.

Looking back helps us look forward.

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CategoriesActionHealth & FitnessReframe your thoughtsTime

Get Moving!

We all need to move in life. It is very good for our bodies and minds if we get the heart rate up. The blood in our bodies needs to circulate. Get moving!

I can sit on a comfy chair for hours. In addition, I find lying in a comfy bed very relaxing. And some mornings I can find it a little more difficult than others to get up and out of bed. This has almost nothing to do with my body and nearly everything to do with my mindset in that moment.

There are days that I slowly get my running clothes on, secretly hoping for a torrential storm to give me a reasonable reason not to go. However, I can’t recall a time that I wasn’t delighted with going, once I was seven minutes into the run.

The physical and mental health benefits of exercise are many. Going for a walk or run, or doing some press-ups, star jumps or squats all have beneficial qualities at zero cost to participate.

I know it’s easier to stay under a blanket and in a warm house. However, your mind and body don’t get the true benefits for doing that.

Start today. Do something for five minutes. And commit to doing that same thing for seven days straight.

Get moving!

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