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Enjoy Endless Possibilities

Often our lives seems to follow a particular track. There are a lot of repetitive tasks and situations. Although, you can enjoy endless possibilities and alternative realities.

But be honest about those. Are you willing to give up what you have and are to be what you could be, do and have? Oh, and there are no guarantees that your new future will be any better. However, it may not be any worse. It might just be different.

That in itself is enough to scare most people into inaction. This is unfortunate for you and the Universe. The more that each individual can optimise their life, the better. It is better for the individual and better for all of society.

Do one or two things just a little differently today. Go down a different road to get to your office. Call an old friend for 15 minutes. Try doing some stair steps while you are on the phone. Rather than sit there and talk, walk and talk. Do some heel lifts. Lift some light dumbbells while you are on your call.

Try to spend less than 5 minutes reading the paper today. Call that supplier and ask for a discount. Whatever it is you try, do it with great intentions. Do this type of thing everyday and in a week you will have done 14 things differently. That will set you on a different path.

Enjoy endless possibilities. Then enjoy the multitude of new results.

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CategoriesActionGratitudeReframe your thoughts

Smile And Laugh More

Force yourself to do it if you have to. This idea seems crazy but we can forget to see the lighter side of things. Smile and laugh more because it feels good and others respond well to it.

Sometimes we take life, or ourselves and our situation, a little too seriously. It is easy to do. We can get caught up in the hub bub of daily life and just press on through. But it is so nice to see people smile and hear others laughing. It often makes us want to smile and laugh too. It is a wonderful way to quickly feel better about things.

Think of a fun time you had with a friend recently, or 20 years ago. Hold that thought. Hear the laughter in your mind and feel the giant smile on your face. Maybe you did something that scared you a little. Maybe it felt daring or a bit crazy. You did it though! And you can relive that memory as often as you like. It is free and provides a great feeling.

Think of those favourite songs of yours. Think of the happy ones, not the break up, drown your sorrows ones. Maybe some favourite scenes in some great movies do it for you. A great vacation or an activity you did or shared with others could be the smile trigger. Get five or six of these great memories and moments and write them down. Note a few key words to remind you of each one. Keep it in your pocket or on your phone. Look at it often.

Smile and laugh more. We’ll all benefit.

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CategoriesFinancialGratitudeObserveReframe your thoughtsTimeVideo

Life Is Like A Movie

Have you noticed how things in certain movies become things in life? Remember the swish swish of doors in Star Trek? Life is like a movie, though only certain ones at certain times.

So when I was growing up, the swish swish of the doors on the Starship Enterprise seemed so futuristic. However, now most metro centres have thousands of these doors.

Then things started to unfold like the Schwarzenegger film Total Recall. The whole idea of virtual reality. We are getting there with Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence. We certainly have driverless cars on the near term radar. And trips to Mars being scheduled.

Then we have seen some elements of Tom Cruise’s Minority Report. People are being condemned for even thinking of an activity with a criminal element. It doesn’t matter if a crime has happened. The fact that it could have happened is enough for you to be removed from society.

Now things are moving on with skins in Fortnite and a virtual world in Clubhouse. This and the VR makes me think that the Ready Player One reality is not that far off from our current life.

Finally, we have Terminator. Well, that melting man business and pulling yourself back together is quite impressive. But happy for it to be a few more years before that.

Life is like a movie. Go get the popcorn ?.

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CategoriesGratitudeObserveReframe your thoughtsTime

Keeping Life Simple

Do you have the secret? Is there any way to do it? Everyday there is a new deluge of information and items to address. Keeping life simple is no easy feat.

Each day you will have to deal with more things. Today I received some Council Tax bills for some of our properties, a home insurance renewal notice and some yummy looking food pamphlets. (I imagined the food to be tasty, not the actual pamphlets themselves.)

So recycle one pamphlet but keep another. Where to put it though? We put it on the fridge as we intend to use it this week. The other envelopes I opened and made some notes on them. They then found themselves in our Tickler file. This is a filing system we learned from David Allen, who wrote the book Getting Things Done.

When used correctly, it is an awesome and powerful filing and tidying system. When it isn’t, it is the equivalent of the stationary bike as clothes horse.

We also received a delivery of a shower system. Life is a continual in-tray of things to sort, sift and solve. The quicker you can systematise or delegate, the happier you will be.

Look, those items come in the same time every year. Like Christmas, Easter and July 1st, they come around every year. Plan for them,

Keeping life simple will make you smile.

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CategoriesActionGratitudeObserveReframe your thoughts

Defining Yourself

This can be a little tricky. Though it does not have to be. We all carry around a view of ourselves. It may be accurate or not. Defining yourself, however, is happening by you and everyone else.

You define yourself as you think you are or how you wish to be. To make significant and long term changes, one usually needs to redefine who they are. It is one thing to stop smoking. It is another thing to think of yourself as a non-smoker. Without redefining who you are, the likelihood of this change remaining diminishes greatly.

You can practice ‘I am’ statements which help you reconfirm your thoughts. Like learning our times tables, we are creating a more powerful neural pathway that serves us better.

You should certainly try to improve your self image and your self esteem. Consider the amazing, confident you and all of your incredible success to date. Be bold with your praise and be clear with your affirmations. You need to hear this more than anything else in the spoken language.

No matter what you do, defining yourself based on someone else’s standards, starting point or success is not clever or helpful. Just be the best version of yourself every single day.

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CategoriesFinancialHealth & FitnessObserveReframe your thoughts

Enjoying Lockdown

There are some elements of this whole thing that have a positive component for me. I understand other people may not feel the same. Enjoying lockdown depends on your circumstances and your mindset.

We’ve had some impact on our business but fortunately not too severe. And I am conscious some people have had a terrible experience and worse. These are very sad circumstances and my heart goes out to people who have been impacted in a seriously negative way.

However, today’s post is about trying to find the silver lining in a challenging time.

So some of the things I am grateful for in this time of lockdown are as follows. I get to spend time with our lovely kids at breakfast, lunch and dinner. I grew up on a farm so when school was out in the summer, we would work on the farm all day but eat meals together as a family.

Also, there is no running around to all kinds of events, sports, social engagements, etc. I don’t have to contend with congested roads either. A calmer life can be enjoyed, without the fear of missing out.

The third reason is that currently people are pretty empathetic and forgiving if things aren’t going quite to plan. If things take a little longer or are a little more casual than professional, then that is ok. This is a nice thing to have.

I may not be on a beach in the Caribbean but for many reasons, I am enjoying lockdown.

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CategoriesFinancialGratitudeHealth & FitnessTime

Happy New Year!

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope you are making the best of things. Whatever the future brings, I’d like to wish you a Happy New Year!

Although 2020 will be long remembered for many things, we know what the main one, world-wide, will be. Covid-19 and it’s many challenges, including physical, financial and mental health related.

This next year, 2021, will come in with some similar challenges. In addition to masks, social distancing, lockdowns, and tiers, there will be the added component of a vaccine.

Hopefully this will allow us to have a major shift in getting back to regular life.

This time last year, we did not know this major health and economic challenge was going to be impacting us. Now we do know. We still don’t know how it ends, as no one can accurately predict the future at any time.

However, this year, you start by knowing it will be a part of your life in various ways. How will you play the 12 months that you will have in 2021? Knowing what you know, how will you think, what will you do and what things will you focus on?

I hope you have found ways to successfully navigate the challenges you’ll find in the year ahead. May you have peace, prosperity and good health, both mental and physical.

Happy New Year! ?

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CategoriesFinancialObserve

Merry Christmas!

Good tidings to you, your family and community. Around the world, people may be celebrating a little differently this year. Merry Christmas!

I hope this note finds you healthy in body, mind and soul. Be thankful for what and who you have in your life. For many, Christmas Day will be a little quieter this year. Though there may still be immediate family together, which could cause some extra hubbub.

I hope you have a card to open, a gift to unwrap, or a call from a friend, or distant relative, to liven up your day. May you have inner calm and fond memories to keep your mind filled with joy. Enjoy this one day of the year for any and all that it brings you.

You may be in a warm country or cold, without snow or with it. You could be experiencing very few hours of sunlight or it could stretch for all your waking hours. Your experience may be in the mountains or by the sea.

Wherever you are, may your day unfold with peace and serenity. Keep your spirits high and know that this is your day. Enjoy every moment of it. There are people thinking of you right now.

Merry Christmas! ?

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CategoriesActionReframe your thoughts

Just For Fun

These three little words can be great instigators of a good time. They create a light hearted atmosphere. When it is, ‘just for fun‘, it takes some of the pressure off.

You might say it before you bet on the horses, or head to the casino. The idea is that you will do something semi serious, like maybe lose some money. However, maybe you won’t bet too much, so if you win or lose it won’t matter much as the amount is not enough to change your day.

I recall saying this with friends or family when there is a little competition but it isn’t too serious. It might be swimming to a nearby island in a lake or seeing who has the quicker way up a small mountain.

There is a playfulness to this phrase with a little underlying edge to it. Although, once it has been said twice, you usually eliminate the underlying edge. But beware, that is not always true.

It can be a good natured reminder that fun is allowed and not everything has to have a serious angle. As we know, it depends on who is saying it and in what circumstances or context.

C’mon, let me have a shot at running this thing. Just for fun.

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CategoriesGratitudeObserveTime

A Great Movie

I do enjoy an entertaining film. Although my tastes have changed somewhat over the years, there can be real power in a great movie. Think back to the last movie that you saw that could be considered as such.

We watched something very enjoyable on the weekend called Green Book. It has a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes and although rated PG-13, our 11 year old was able to enjoy it too.

I thought it was a great movie for so many reasons. There were many instances where I found cause to laugh out loud. It was great to see two people on very different paths in life, showing respect and appreciation for each other. It was also great to see their mutual concern and professionalism.

We all enjoyed seeing how the two men grew from the comments and prodding from each other. There were many moments in the film where you could pause and reflect and feel the situation. That is one kind of film I really enjoy.

Over the upcoming holidays, try to watch a great movie. One that is enjoyable, entertaining and has some valuable messages in it. Maybe it will be one you have already seen, or something you’ve had on your list. If Green Book wasn’t on your list, may I suggest that it gets on there.

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