Motivational Story - Amazing Effects of Positive Thinking

By Suhardi Csd Hardi

One day, there was a kingdom that was ruled by an emperor. He was assisted by the prime minister to help him managing the kingdom. The prime minister was also an adviser and a close friend of the emperor because the emperor always asked for his advice or opinion about something, and he always accompanied the emperor hunting in the forest. One of the emperor's favorite hobbies was hunting rabbits. The prime minister had a unique characteristic. He was so positive in every situation that happened to them. Whenever he was asked by his emperor about his opinion, his answer was only one - 'it's good.'

When it's raining and the emperor asked for the prime minister's opinion about that, he answered, "it is good, my emperor. We will not feel hot, we are protected from the dryness and the plants will fertilely grow."

When it's hot, no rain fell down and the emperor asked him, he answered, "it's good, my emperor. If it is not raining, emperor can go to the forest for hunting some rabbits."

Whenever the prime minister was asked by the emperor, his answer was always good, good, good, good and good. Sometimes the emperor was a little disappointed with the prime minister's answer. The prime minister believed that everything was good and there were always positive sides behind something that was happening.

One day, the emperor accidentally cut his finger that made him lost his little finger. And as usual, the prime minister said, "it's good." And the emperor was in great anger and hatred. The prime minister was sent to the prison because he said it was good even if the emperor had lost his little finger. The emperor felt that his prime minister had been impolite and insulted him.

One day, he wanted to go hunting. Because the prime minister was in the prison, he decided to go alone into the forest to hunt some rabbits. He was out of luck because he had not yet found the rabbit. But he did not give up and kept walking and searching. When the day reached dusk, the emperor could not find the way home because he had walked too far. He lost in the forest. He shouted loudly if there was someone hearing his voice. After a while, a group of men came toward the emperor. However, they looked strange, they brought spears, looked like primitive men. Then they raised their spears targeted to him and because the emperor could not fight with all of them alone, he surrendered when they caught, bound and subsequently brought him away. He was brought into village, a primitive village where they lived in. they gathered sticks and put them around the emperor. The emperor knew that he would be burned down by fire. He was sorrowful because he realized he would die that way. Suddenly, one of the primitive paid attention to his hand and realized that one of his fingers had been lost. The primitive man began to shout in loud voice and told others. The others were scared about that. The primitive man said that someone who had incomplete hand fingers was a demon and that would curse them bad. After a long conversation, they eventually set him free and let him away from their village.

The emperor ran at his highest speed to get out of the fearful village. Fortunately he could find the way to his palace and was finally safe. With the exhaustion striking him, he went to the prison and told the guard to free the prime minister. He was so sorry and apologized to the prime minister. The emperor then told him what he had experienced a few moments ago in the primitive village. He realized that if he did not lose his little finger, maybe he had been burned and dead. He knew it was good losing his little finger because he had been saved by his incomplete fingers.

When the prime minister was asked about his opinion when he was sent to the prison, he answered with his favorite words, "it's very very good, my emperor. If I was not in the prison, I perhaps would go hunting with you and we both would be caught by the primitive men. Because I had complete finger, I would be burned down and died. I'm so lucky and my life is saved by the emperor sending me to the prison. Thanks a lot, my emperor."

Message for readers:

Everyday, every hour, every minute and every second, something happens. Everything always change, no matter it is good or bad one. We believe that we have ever experienced either something good or bad in our own life. If what is coming to us is good, we will be glad and face this world confidently. We will have positive thinking when something good happens. And when something bad is coming to us, we will behave differently. We will have negative thinking, feeling, emotion or whatsoever and we will probably face this world worse. We know that we or everybody in this world must have had something bad striking us. Nobody has never experienced something bad in their life. However, we must know and realize that when we're in bad feeling, emotion, mood, or thinking, it will not help us overcoming the problem and also the problem we are facing will not go away from us. We must think clearly that it is far better to have positive thinking than to have negative thinking when the problem is coming to us. By having positive thinking, we will face the world better, we will be happier, we will think clearly and wisely, and eventually we will find the way to solve that problem. When we are ruled by our negative thinking, we will be in more problems and everything is not going to be better. You now have choice for positive or negative thinking. You are fully responsible for your own life.

There is a law of universe that is called law of opposite. This law states that everything in this world always has two sides oppositely. So we can say that for every negative or bad thing, there will be positive or good thing, Bad-good, sad-happy, poor-wealthy, failure-success, positive-negative, etc. Nobody can break this law. This law works for everything and everyone in this universe. All we can do is doing the best we can in response to what happens to us. Remember, what happens to us will not make differences, but our attitude in response to what happens to us will make huge change to our life. We give the meaning of what is happening to us. We can respond it in positive or negative way. Once again, it depends on you to decide what your attitude is to something that is happening to you. Everything has no meaning until you give it the meaning either good or bad. It's better to delete all of negative things from your mind. Always be positive and you will see the changes in your life and realize that it will make your life easier.

If you enjoy and interested in this article, find more excellent motivational articles and don't miss information at Daily Motivation

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Self Motivation - You Have To Have It To Succeed

By Stephen Meyer

Self motivation is a key factor in building any Internet based affiliate marketing opportunity. With many things in our lives to distract us and even more things we might like to do better than working we must be self motivated to effectively build our home based business. Unlike the corporate world where we have bosses leaning over us and corporate deadlines to meet the legitimate home based business owner must set his own goals and have the motivation to see them through. Below are 5 tips to help you become self motivated.

Five Self Motivating Tips

Tip Number One is to Involve The People You Know

This first tip is one of the hardest for many people because it involves your pride. You are putting yourself on the line and doing anything other than what you promised can mean failure to yourself and to your friends. This tip is to involve others in your project. Even those of us who live very Hermit like lives know people we can involve. They can be personal friends, people in our neighborhoods, family and those we have occasional casual conversations with. By telling these people what you are doing and by setting a date for completion you are placing expectations in the minds of your friends and family.

This will actually do two things for you. First it will give you motivation to complete your project on the specified date because you now have people who are expecting to see it at a certain time. Secondly it will push you to do your very best on your project. No one wants to show their friends something they just completed but was only done half as well as it could be. Your pride will not let you do that. By involving others you are motivating yourself to be the best you can be and to do the best work you possibly can. Peer pressure even when you create it yourself is a very strong motivational factor

The Second Tip Involves Setting A Due Date

Like any business you have to have a set schedule that includes your legitimate home based business opportunities must have set business hours, when you will work and when you will quit. You must also have set schedules and due dates for the completion of your projects and home based business building goals. When setting your time frames and due dates make a list of what this schedule will do for you and your business and of the consequences of not meeting the deadline.

For instance many people have a goal of accomplishing a project that will promote their business each week such as a promotional package or advertising campaign. Having an understanding that accomplishing this task at a set time will give your business a predetermined amount of exposure and build your business at an acceptable rate you can motivate yourself to completing the task on time.

The Third Step Is To Give Yourself A Treat.

Life has many examples of how treating yourself can give you motivation to complete your projects on time. Pavlov's dogs are a prime example. By building an expectation of a desired result you can push yourself to finish your work. If the result is a treat and you have a desire to receive that treat each time you start a task you will have the motivation to complete the task each and every time you start on a project.

Make the treat something you strongly desire. It could be a favorite food or snack, a walk in the park or anything else you really like and want. It also needs to be something that you do not give yourself unless you have finished a task. That could mean fighting off the temptation to just get what you want when ever you want it. A little self discipline is required but the payoff is that you have conditioned yourself to be motivated in your work.

The Fourth Tip Is Creating A Positive Mindset

Because legitimate home based business opportunities professionals are often alone with their businesses it is easy for them to slip into negative thinking. This can drag your business down and kill your motivation for completing your projects. If and when it happens you must stop it in its tracks. Luckily it is easy to stop. Change the atmosphere in your work area by putting some fun music on your stereo. Get some pictures of your family, friends, and pets and put them on your desk where they are easy to see.

Put some fun music on or even sing to yourself. Start thinking about the fun you had last weekend. Concerning your home based business start thinking about how much money you will be making as your business grows. Just do what it takes to remove the negatives if only for a little while and start dwelling on all the positive things you can think of. Starting a project on a positive note will motivate you to finish it. Especially when the outcome of a finished project will in itself be a positive influence your life and your business

The Fifth Tip, Give Yourself A Break

If you are not giving yourself the time you need off away from work you can quickly destroy the motivation needed to complete your work. Without time off you can also make it very difficult to accomplish the above four motivational methods. Smart business owners understand they must give their employees time off not only away from work but during the work day also. If they do not give them time off they know their production levels will fall off due to a lack of motivation. The same is true for those who own a home based business. You must give yourself a break in order to be productive.

The old saying "all work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy" is very true for the self employed. Overworking your self will dull your senses, slow your thoughts and minimize your production. It is a motivation killer. By giving yourself a break and taking time off you are doing the exact opposite. You are reviving your senses, awakening your thoughts and enhancing your motivation levels. This is vital for the Internet based affiliate marketing opportunities owner.

Stephen Meyer provides Internet based affiliate marketing opportunities and small business ideas that can help you choose the opportunity that is right for you. Visit Internet Based Affiliate Marketing Opportunities Home for more information.

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Motivation and Your Emotional Vocabulary

By Jonathan Wells

There are a variety of motivators that can stimulate us to take action in our life. In personal development we want to stay motivated, so we can intentionally and consistently, take action and produce results.

Emotions are the most powerful of all the forces that move us to action. Learning to harness and direct our emotional power is a very effective way to stay motivated and focused.

Using what I like to call your 'emotional vocabulary,' is one of the simplest ways you can tap into your emotional power source. Unlike your functional vocabulary, your emotional vocabulary is made up of the words you use to communicate your feelings, both internally and externally.

This powerful part of our vocabulary consists of word labels that represent our full spectrum of emotions. We have word labels for positive feelings and negative feelings. We also have word labels to describe emotions of varying degree, from very subtle to extremely intense.

Why does any of this matter?

Because we use the words in our emotional vocabulary to represent how we feel about our experiences in life. Changing those words can actually alter the way we view those experiences. If we have a wonderful experience that makes us feeling extremely happy, but misrepresent it by saying, "that was pleasant," then we have effectively minimize the degree of happiness associated with that experience.

On the other hand, if we have an experience that is only "mildly enjoyable," but we label it as "absolutely wonderful," we will have supercharged that experience with a greater degree of positive emotional energy. Editing the word labels we use to represent our experiences, allows us to control the emotional power of those experiences.

Here's how we make practical application of this knowledge. By consciously choosing the right word labels, we can systematically amplify the intensity of our positive experiences, and minimize the impact of our negative experiences.

Many people unintentionally magnified their negative experiences, and at the same time, minimize their positive ones. This can create a depressing view of life.

We all have positive and negative experiences. How we view those experiences, and the impact they have on us, will be determined by the way we interpret them. It should be one of our personal goals to stay in a resourceful frame of mind, as much of the time as possible. Negativity tends to rob us of our resourcefulness. In contrast, a positive mindset always increases our resourcefulness. When we feel resourceful, we feel motivated to take action. When we are running low on resources, we generally lack motivation.

How can we use words to motivate ourselves to take action? By using carefully chosen word labels to describe our experiences in a way that empowers us with greater resources.

How resourceful do you feel when you are angry? What happens to your feelings, and your level of resourcefulness, if you change the label from angry to slightly annoyed? Not only will you feel less angry, but you will also feel more resourceful. You can take it to the next level if you represent that experience by saying to yourself, "I was some what annoyed, but it passed quickly."

Simply shifting the word labels we use to describe our feelings can completely change our thinking patterns. The degree of pain or pleasure we feel from any given situation can mean the difference between either taking action, or feeling paralyzed.

By choosing to use empowering word labels instead of limiting ones, we can completely change how we perceive any experience in our life. This will enable us to maintain a more resourceful frame of mind, which will help us stay motivated.

My name is Jonathan Wells and I believe that the simplest way to a life of personal success and prosperity is to learn what the core principles of success are and how to apply them in your life. I call these key principles Advanced Life Skills. To learn practical steps that you can begin taking immediately to reach your goals and improve the quality of your life, please visit my blog at http://AdvancedLifeSkills.com/blog

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The Motivational Power of Prayer

By Thomas Cummins

'God so loved the world that He sent His only son'

Abraham talked with God for years and in turn God told him he would be the father of many nations and this to a man who had no children. But his faith was so strong that God was impressed and gave Abraham and Sarah a child and through the centuries through David to Solomon all the way to Mary this legacy of faith was instrumental in changing the world.

Faith is a difficult thing to have and is very difficult when your life is at stake because of it and apparently many creeds have suffered at the hands of others because of their intense faith and this is not representative of Christians or Jewish people alone but many creeds in faith.

Which faith is the correct one to be a participant of is between you and your God and has no real bearing on mankind and those who think differently are the ones responsible for the wars throughout history and have fallen by the wayside for that is what inevitably happens to those who are blind in their uneducated beliefs. Why waste time arguing which direction or posture is the most correct one to face God? The worst kind of faith is one that is so regimental that empathy, respect and tolerance are not even in the vocabulary let alone the dictionary and this too is not indicative of any one religion but a peculiar aspect of many.

There is no correct posture and no correct faith and no one this or one that for it all boils down to morals and keeping the statutes laid down by God and in society legally by man. Any variations to the contrary will result in suffering in some way shape or form and why choose additional forms of suffering when life brings enough of it for all of us with no favouritism for any one type of person. The problem too with following ones own set of standards is the roof may and will fall on everyone around you and the innocent will suffer as a result of your indiscretions and one truly wonders is this selfishness worthy of one who says, verbally anyway, that others matter?

Prayer is not about words alone as it encompasses all aspects and is part and parcel of your whole life each and everyday. We may choose to spend a part of each week in a church or other house representing our creed but in essence prayer is reflected in our speech, actions and thoughts and how we treat others is one of the greatest prayers we may direct towards our God.

Continue to go to your weekly or even daily service if that is what you must do, but let these procedures compliment and not be the main event. Prayer is like expressing love for your family, spouse, partner and or friends but if you do not show it then why utter 'I love you' to them and therefore why utter 'I Love you' to God in prayer when you are not reflecting it daily and moment by moment.

No one is perfect and it is the very fact of being imperfect and recognizing it that allows us to be humble with God and how we sincerely measure who we are in the real aspect of day to day living. Prayers are like affirmations and as much as we may make requests it is as important to offer signs of gratitude as it is to drink a cup of water for both are replenishing the energies we need and cannot do without.

One of the greatest offerings of prayers is helping others to be the best they can be, complimenting when success is achieved and patiently advising when mistakes are made. Jumping down throats is a sign of our imperfectness and proves we still have work to do and in essence we are a work in progress that will only improve as out faith improves with the sincerity of our prayers. What better motivation is there then to develop the motivational inspirational power of praying daily and moment by moment in all we say, do and think?

'Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Him: let all the upright in heart praise Him'. Psalm64

'The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want' 'and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever' Psalm 23.

Thomas J. Cummins is an entrepreneur / motivational / inspirational seeker for a better way of life for one and all to enjoy. I know you desire a better way of life and would like to know more about incredible resources both free and not; so go right ahead and contact me @ incaalpacatrail@hotmail.com for more information Warmest regards. Thomas J. Cummins

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The Gap Between Saying and Doing

By Steve Wickham

I am often perplexed at how often I still fail at the basic things. These are things I say I'm going to do but yet still I cannot do consistently. Like the day before yesterday I spent the whole day trying to work out solutions to the two areas of my life that I still fail in; serving cheerfully through what feels like constant interruptions at work, and being more tolerant in certain situations around the home. As I analyse my life, I find my other roles and other parts of my roles going really well, yet I've stumbled too consistently in these two areas and I want to change.

The Message tells me that [something] "within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time."[1] (Reader: Do you relate to this in areas of your life?)

It's coming time for push to come to shove. I need to change. Do you ever feel this way? I'm not sure this will work but I'm trying it anyway. This is a public declaration in the desperation to finally get it right.

I'm thinking while I'm at it, that if I experience this, then possibly you do to. Does this reading above resonate with you like it did me? Are you unable to change something in your life that exasperates you? Don't give up. Keep trying, and keep trying new and innovative ways; something will work for you eventually, just like I know it will for me!

My present method is this: I need to have a focused mind and a disciplined heart, and be prepared to meditate daily on the standard responses to both these issues and fix them at the 'cause,' not the symptom end. The problem's with me and my response. Why am I unhappy with these things? Some of the reading I've done suggests that it could be due to problems with my "subjective well-being."[2] This is an elaborate way of saying I'm unhappy with things that are in any event outside of my control. When things are beyond your control it's somewhat impractical and illogical to get concerned about them. Yet, that's my problem. That's what must change. My perception of the problem; I need to accept I cannot change everything.

My challenge is to develop mental processes to focus my mind and discipline my heart. To focus my mind, I need to control my thoughts in the moment. To discipline my heart I need to resist the temptation to stubbornness and self-pity, pure and simple.

© Copyright 2008, Steven John Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
[1] Romans 7:18-20 (Msg).

[2] See Parrott, L & L., Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts (SYMBIS), (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1995, 2006), p. 66.

Steve Wickham is a safety and health professional (BSc) and a qualified Christian minister (GradDipDiv). He is also has training and leadership Diplomas. His passion in vocation is facilitation and coaching; encouraging people to soar to a higher value of their potential. Steve's interest in psychology is matched by years of experience in the psychology of safety in workplaces. Steve's key passion is work / life balance and re-creating value for living, and an exploration of the person within us. An advocate for a fair and just life, Steve implements wisdom strategies to his life through a passion for Proverbial wisdom. His highest goal is doing God's will, in enhancing his life, and the lives of others.

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The Power of Motivation

By Thomas Cummins

My world is falling apart! The bills are way over due and the Laws of Attraction seem to be ignoring me! My car just died! My house burned down! My spouse is cheating on me! I am cheating on my partner! Will this winter in my life ever end?

All of the above and more besides are continuous exclamations daily echoed across the globe and one wonders what power is afoot to be tormenting the world like so? Where is God and is the population too large for even God to be able to pay attention to everyone? Tibet is under a revolt with China not being very diplomatic, Iraq is in a state of turmoil. The stock market is facing something that is akin to a fallout and where is the utopia we have all been expecting?

It is at times like this that motivations blessings are felt and it is extremely important that every effort is sought and experienced in order to turn the tide around. Search the www and there are so many avenues for encouragement that it makes one wonder what is missing that motivation does not have a similar effect as popping an antibiotic to cure an infection.

The answer lies in realizing that we are not alone and to cope alone is not necessary and to seek council of friends or family or an unbiased entity to assist one in overcoming the disasters life is throwing with careless abandon in all directions and striking anyone whose head is up looking for a better way of life. It is as if life wants to keep us down but we know that God has promised us abundance. In the book 'when bad things happen to good people' the author delivers the message that there are forces always working to bring despair our way; but we have to prevail and believe that God is working for us and we need to keep going.

In truth it is really hard to believe that there is a God who allows so much destruction and harm and infliction of hurt suffering and pain on so many but if we give in to despair then we have lost and mankind has failed. But we know this is not going to happen and that mankind will triumph and when we trust in the God given depth of faith life will eventually turn around. Every day each of us has to reinforce this belief like an athlete in training who knows he or she has to train daily in order to be ready for the marathon he or she is training for.

Motivation will transform the mindset from hopelessness to prosperity and by envisioning this success then the energies needed to transport to success will be garnered and the harvest will be complete when the grains are in the silo. So, keep sowing the seeds of abundance and do what you can to help your friends and family to sow their seeds too for it is the communal effort that will triumph and fill the silo with plenty.

When athletes are competing they know that there is a whole team of people in their corner and this knowledge keeps them going when their energies are being taxed and by being prepared with daily motivation and planning to win enables the athletes to show up on the day of the event and give their all to the task at hand.

Being despondent at the start of a race will ensure complete and utter failure and this athlete will not be good for man nor beast so learn form this and be the best you can be by gathering your supporters and listening to daily affirmations and by being motivated you will turn the first paragraph around and instead it will read: my payments are always on time, the Laws of Attraction are blessing me with abundance, I have a loving partner or spouse, my home is expanding, I just bought a new car for cash and as I gaze out the window I see the blessings of spring all around me.

God bless and go forth and spread your wings and jump for joy and as Joel Osteen always says at the end of a sermon: 'become a victor not a victim' and I believe in you and I know if you prepare you will harvest and no matter how many winters come your way the belief system set in place will assure you that spring is coming and with it the harvests of summer and fall.

Thomas J. Cummins is an entrepreneur / motivational / inspirational seeker for a better way of life for one and all to enjoy. I know you desire a better way of life and would like to know more about incredible resources both free and not; so go right ahead and contact me @ incaalpacatrail@hotmail.com for more information Warmest regards.
Thomas J. Cummins

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Keep Trying

By Daniel Belcher

What does it mean to keep trying? It means to not give up even in the face of challenges. Those challenges could be work, home, finances, friends, foes, physical limitation. The main thing in life is to keep trying or as one of my fellow church brothers would say "keep moving forward". This is what it means to keep trying.

We must develop a habit of staying on the track. I remember many years ago with i ran track, the focus was to stay in the race and stay on track. You may not start out as fast as the others in the race of life, but you must just keep trying, don't quit. We need to develop a habit of perseverance or as others have said "staying the course". Keeping those minds active will keep those legs moving along the course of life.

We can find our own satisfaction in trying, there is joy in the process. When we try, we feel good weather we succeed or not because we have given our best. The satisfaction is deep felt and personal in the heart of the man who has let it all on the track. He has no regrets because he gave it all. He sleeps well at night and looks forward to trying again tomorrow.

One of my fellow toastmaster member stated "this is it". When you look at life with that attitude you know there are no do overs. We must get all we can out of life each day and that means we keep trying. For example, if you are learning math keep trying, foreign language keep trying, studying with the children keep trying, marriage keep trying, exercise keep trying, I think we get the picture. The bottom line is, this is it, keep trying.

Finally, when it looks like you can't go on, look deep within yourself. You will be surprise to see that you can find the strength to keep on trying. Take lesson from the marines, their mental attitude is never stop trying and never give up. Remember in this life there are no do over. Keep trying, Keep trying, Keep trying.

I retired from United States Navy in 2003, after serving over 21 years of enlisted active duty onboard several different ships and a few shore assignments. I am married. My wife and i have two daughters. We have two dogs, Chow Chow's, to be exact. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Liberal Arts (Focus area Psychology) from Excelsior College class 2004.

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Waiting For the Opportunity - A Lesson From Monet

By William DePaula

Every day is different -- not to mention every hour. The old complaint that we often have is that life is at a standstill. That promotion you wanted, the change that you wanted to happen, never seems to happen. You are waiting for something to happen, perhaps for your opportunity to fall in your lap. The thing is that, if you notice it or not, the world is changing, and changing constantly. If you have any doubt, just ask Claude Monet.

A book can be written on Monet. Well, several have been written. Here I will not attempt to dive deeply into all the different aspects of Monet's life and work. Monet is perhaps one of the most loved artists today. It wasn't always like that. He was often made fun of and insulted. At the time his art was considered a real insult to the critics and traditional artists.

The constant change that Claude noticed all had to do with the light. Claude was obsessed with light and color. He delighted on how the colors changed when the different hours of the day would create a different image, all depending on the light. This might seem a simple enough idea, but just look at how often we ignore our surroundings. Since we are born, we notice the light, the contrasts it makes, and the shadows it creates. We were thrilled with the light and the games it played. As we got older the contrasts and the shadows became less interesting because we grew accustomed to them. Next time you're around an infant watch where the baby looks. When not looking at a loved one, the infant will often look at the light and shadows.

So while we might ignore these changes once we grow older, Monet embraced them. When looking at Monet's body of work, and a large one it is, you notice that he painted the same scene over and over again. The location might have been the same, but what he painted each time was very different. Monet noticed how the light changed during the day and created different colors and shapes in otherwise the same exact location and place. His focus on nature, colors and shadows reminds us of the true beauty of the everyday we ignore. Perhaps this is why he is so loved and admired today.

Monet was constantly told how to paint and what subjects he should paint. The themes he was told to paint were basically patriotic and idealistic. He was to paint like the old masters, and he was enrolled in a studio in Paris. He was taught under Charles Gleyre, a known painter who taught and emphasized the traditional ways. If you did not paint like the old masters, you were not a real artist. If you challenged the rules, you would not get accepted by the Salon. The Salon, the big boys controlled the art world in France. This was the basic tone of art in France during Monet's early life.

Monet tried to listen to Charles for a short time, but his ideals conflicted too much with Charles' and the Salon as a whole. He was interested in nature and he wanted to paint outside. He left Gleyre's studio and decided to explore the outdoors himself. He looked around -- and I mean really looked around. He noticed that the trees were not really just green, but many different colors. He also concentrated on how the light changed the colors and the look of his surroundings. To further emphasize his vision he would often sit at the same location painting the same scene during different times of the day. It is when you look at these works side by side that you really learn to appreciate how dramatic the changes are when the light changes. After time, people understood the beauty of Monet's work. He was not interested in techniques but color and light.

I often have very little patience and find myself never being able to replicate what Monet had done -- to sit in a location and paint the same scene over and over, with the different lights. Maybe it is all that TV watching, and wanting to be entertained. It was very difficult for me to continue this project. When trying this I notice that Monet had to paint rather quickly, because of his rough, unfinished style. I tried to focus on the colors and the light. I once heard that squinting helps one see the true colors and not the colors that we might have in our head because of association. The world was a different place for me that day. I never noticed how much the light influenced our world. It's often something we ignore in our busy lives.

Monet can teach us many things, but one of the most important is how light is ever-changing. Light is what changes our world. So the next time you think nothing is going on or you're just waiting for something to happen, take a look around and really look. You will see that every hour has a new tale to tell. Just maybe then you will stop waiting, and take action in our ever-changing world.

William DePaula is an artist and writer. He writes on art, history, and how it relates to us today. Through his series "Behind the Painting", he learns about the artist, the artwork, the techniques used and what life was like during the creation of the masterpiece. His art and apparel can be viewed at http://www.artedepaula.com

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The Art of Catching Up with Yesterday

By Stephanie Stewart

Ever had a month where the sooner you fall behind, the more time you will have to catch up! I get that way when it comes to organization. I have two years worth of newspapers that I keep because I have not had the time to read them but I need to catch up on the news in them. Go figure! I also have a tendency towards saving papers I know I will never use but I have an emotional attachment to - you touch, you die! I have had the occasion to notice that when I am in a fog, its foggy. When it comes to filing, for instance, a friend asked me if I knew how to put things in folders. I heard people do that! but how do you know what is in it? My friend replied, you label it. I seem to be incompetent at eight thousand things so I spare myself the distraction and only do three. Saves time but boy, does it leave a mess!

I have approximately seventeen messes in my life; no, I did not count them, I just know they are there because they keep reminding me they are there by not having the good grace to clean themselves up on their own. Only recently have I learned the art of goal setting and the saving grace of delegation as related to achieving my goals. Seems the answer to my messes is that I procrastinate over them instead of cleaning them up so they go away, hopefully forever. I am currently at the six month level in my present near-perfect postponement and I am looking forward to its tenth year Anniversary! What to do? What to do!

There are two Categories that most people procrastinate over. One, because certain things are so small that they never get on the ever present To-Do list and because you're still confident that you will 'get to it' eventually; the other being things that at far too big for you to handle and you can not, for the life of you, wrap your brain around actually attempting them in the first place. So, the consensus seems to be that they are either too meager to bother about or too huge to even consider. Now, where did I say delegation fits in? Or goal setting for that matter? I can even provide an equation for you.

There is a neat trick I just learned at one of the seminars I attended that involves linking your desires - the positive changes or directions you want to make in your life, to the goals you set for yourself.

Desire = Goal calculated to achieve that desire + Delegation = Cured!

Desire - what mess needs immediate attention? Your house. Your relationships. Your office. Your finances. Perhaps its joining a club, meeting new people, asking for a promotion or curbing spending.

Goal to achieve that desire - if one of your desires is to have an organized office, your goal would relate back to this desire. Put up shelves and purchase mesh containers; find a home for absolutely everything that is messing up your 'space' and organize it to within an inch of its life.

Delegation - what part of this goal can't you do? What part can you ask someone else to do? Ask people you know who are good at what you are not and find out if they would be willing to help. You would be surprised at the response you get.

Okay, now you have set not only your desire but a goal that will match it and when worked toward, it will achieve it. Next step - ACCK! Procrastination rears its hideous head and towers above you as you cringe under your desk in terror! Moving right along, the degree to which you procrastinate is the same level at which you are abominable at doing a particular task. In your head there exists a benefit to your constant deferment that overcomes the negative influence its having on your life. It is also where your flimsy excuses are allowed to live because you do not look at them and see them for what they really are. It goes to the root cause of this continual stonewalling.

Some root causes can include things like fear of rejection, judgement or failure, fear of being perceived as weak or of loss of respect. Fear of distraction and not finishing. Laziness - if you have a sloppy life, a sloppy way of thinking or you don't respect yourself. Loss of comfort, fear of change or pain - its just too painful to change your habits and make the effort.

There are only three areas to any goal or the reluctance to undertaking a necessary mission to clean up a certain mess. Start! Persevere Finish! Which are you having the difficulty with? Starting the task. Maybe its somewhere in the middle, actually continuing to work at it or it could be finishing and marking it off as accomplished. Once you identify this area, move on to the part or parts you can not do yourself and ask: to what degree do I need help, a lot or a little delegation. What part of this can I delegate!? More importantly, who is willing to barter some time and talent so you both can maneuver out of this habit.

Too much down-time concerning clutter that needs attending to costs too much in the end. You are at its mercy every time you ignore the fact that side-stepping the untidiness in your life is doing some serious damage. After a lifetime spent running after the disorganization procrastination leaves behind, maybe it time to end that cycle by changing the attitudes that have promoted it. You need to get out of your own way to accomplish this. Constant postponement lowers self esteem and confidence as it represents the level to which you are letting other people in your life down. It is also one of the Greatest of Time Wasters and serves as a continual impediment to efforts to change for the better. How many years have been wasted to it? How many more years are you prepared to sacrifice to it? Ask for the Help you need! Delegate what you can't do yourself! Cure yourself of your of this most damaging Habit!

I work as a Freelance Writer writing only completely original web content, landing pages and doing copywriting for other sites online. I work from home and my chief joy in life is writing the articles I publish on Ezine. These articles serve as part of my growing online portfolio but more importantly, they serve the people who read them. At a future date, I will be working on a website of my own where I will feature my work. My site will be active by this Summer for you to visit, but Ezine will remain my home for publishing my articles first.

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Get Moving to Get Motivated

By Dr. Doug Fullington

Do you ever have problems getting motivated? You know you need to accomplish something, but you just don't seem to have the energy or gumption to get moving. I have been feeling this way most of the day, so I know exactly what you are experiencing.

The biggest problem with motivation is that most of us just wait for it to come. We keep procrastinating -- putting off the task until we "feel" better. However, motivation does not come to those who are idly waiting. Motivation comes to those who are moving or taking action. Motivation comes after action.

Get Moving to Get Going

Have you ever had the experience of exercising when you did not feel like doing it? You may have been too tired, or maybe you wanted to sleep in rather than schlep over to the gym for your morning workout. Remember the time that you made yourself do it? When you started exercising, you began to feel better, and you may have had one of your best workouts ever. You then reminded yourself that you always feel better after exercising. It is easy to forget how good exercising feels when you are lying in a warm bed. Motivation builds on itself. The more action you take, the more you feel like taking. It seems that the busier you are, the more capable you become. Completing task after task generates positive feelings, and you just want to keep going.

Stop Thinking and Start Doing

So the next time that you are feeling less than enthusiastic about exercising or beginning a new project, just focus on the feeling of accomplishment that you will feel after completing your task. A simple but effective method to get going is to make a commitment to spend just 10 minutes at the task. Promise yourself that you will take a 10 minute walk or that you will spend 10 minutes planning the project or 10 minutes sorting laundry. The point is to begin whatever you feel like you need to be doing. As you start the task, you will build momentum and will usually discover that you feel like spending much more than 10 minutes. Even if you do not go more than 10 minutes, you will have broken the procrastination barrier. You will then feel more like taking action the next day.

Don't think too much about why you don't feel like taking action, and don't come up with rationalizations about why you don't have time to do it - just do it. Remember that positive emotion comes after positive motion. You will feel good about yourself when you are busy doing what you know is important to you. What are you procrastinating about right now? Resolve to spend the next 10 minutes doing something productive. You will be glad that you did.

Dr. Doug Fullington is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician with a busy practice filled with wonderful patients. He is passionate about helping people learn how to Achieve Maximum Health. You can learn more about how Dr. Fullington can inspire you to maximize your health at www.drdougfullington.com.

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What Triggers Your Motivation?

By Bill Thomas

It has been said that there is a fine line between success and failure. When talking about success, I'm not just talking about the so called rich and famous, but about people in all walks of life who have managed to find purpose and meaning in the work that they do. While there is no one recipe that leads to success and work satisfaction, there are qualities that all successful people seem to have an abundance of, and one of those is motivation.

When you think about the word 'motivation', what comes to mind? For me, it's anything that creates desire, and motivates someone to take action, whether it be the desire to own your own business, be the best in some sports competition or maybe attracting that special someone. If one were to ask you to name several highly motivated individuals, who would you name? While your list is likely to be much different from mine or anyone else's, one trait that they all share is a passion for what they do that provides all the motivation they require.

What do you love to do? I mean what really gives you a charge, something that you have a passion for? One of my pleasures is playing guitar. When I sit down and proceed to make music, I become so enmeshed in the process that I tend to forget about time and my surroundings. When you have a passion for something, it's easy to be motivated. But what about the day to day things that we all must do, such as working at a job that doesn't always provide a lot of inspiration other than paying the bills. Are there things that we can do to help us create a greater sense of work satisfaction while experiencing an increase in motivation?

One of the things that successful people do is they are able to look beyond the tasks that they perform, and are motivated to find or create meaning and purpose in the work that they do. When I was younger, I worked my share of tedious jobs such as landscaping, driving, factory work, etc. In the beginning, I found myself becoming bored quickly, and would leave a job as soon as I became tired of it. It wasn't until I discovered ways to make a job more interesting that I actually was able to enjoy them.

For instance, I once worked for a medical lab, running routes and picking up specimens from Dialysis units. Going in and out of the units, I would see people with all sorts of health problems, in many cases people who are often at the last stage of their life. After a while, I started having conversations with some of the patients, and I found that I looked forward to seeing my regulars. I came to realize that they looked forward to our brief moments together as much as I did, and knowing that I was bringing just a slight bit of joy into their days gave me a sense of satisfaction and purpose that transcended the job that I performed.

What about you? Is there some aspect of your job that you could use to create a greater sense of purpose and thus satisfaction? Are there things that you could do to make yourself more productive? If you get in the habit of looking for ways to improve things around you, you will not only experience greater work satisfaction, but you'll be looked upon as a positive, motivated individual that is an asset to any business or organization.

When it comes to motivation, some will say that you either have it or you don't. While it's not always easy to feel motivated about many things in our life, the reality is that there are things that we can do to help create motivation. One of the most important things that we can do is just changing out attitude. Look for greater meaning or purpose in whatever it is that you are doing. As an unknown writer once said, "motivation comes from within". What motivates you?

Bill Thomas has been involved in Network Marketing for several years. He also writes articles on business and other topics. His current website is.. Build Lifetime Income from Home With Cash Generating... Internet Business

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Free Your Heart From Worries

By Claudia Juarez

We all want to be happy. That's our final goal. Now, what does it mean to be happy for each of us? Many times we say to ourselves that we'll be happy when we win the lottery, when we but "that" house, when we get "that" job, when "that person loves me. Can we be happy long before, that is, now?

Why we have to do it it's obvious. The problem is how we do it.

From my own experience I know that it's not easy. Worries come in the form of negative hypothetical scenarios in the lines of "what will happen when I don't do/when I don't have..." We got scared because we don't know how to react if that moment came and we feel overwhelmed by incertitude.

My point of view is to have a realist attitude and have a crisis plan ready for each of those worries.

Do the following exercise. In a blank sheet, list all the things that scare you about the future, all the bad things you think can happen to you and that take your sleep away. For example:

 That you get evicted
 To have an incurable disease
 Not being able to keep on renting
 Not find your life partner
 Being robbed
 Etc

Once you have the list, be honest with yourself and ask you what are the real chances that these things actually happen. I mean that, if you haven't been paying your rent for months, being evicted is a real urgent possibility but if you're just signing in the contract and you're thinking that maybe a year from now maybe the company where you work closes down or maybe they'll fire you so you get anxious because maybe you won't be able to pay your rent, that is not urgent and for that particular worry you can prepare in advance.

Assign priorities to your list from 1 to 10 according to a) the urgency of the matter and b) the ACTUAL possibilities of it happening (1 would be the most urgent and real that can happen to you and 10 the least).

To better organize yourself, copy your list in order in a new blank sheet starting with worry nº 1, then nº 2 etc

Now concentrate in worry nº 1 and think what you can do about it. After you say "Nothing! I can't do anything!", think again. Let's go back to the eviction scenario. Do you have a way to get the money (legally)? Can you borrow from someone? Do you have where to live in case the eviction notice comes? Where will you put your things in that case? Focusing in possible alternatives is more positive than just crying and will give you better results than hoping to be saved by a superhero.

Do the same with all your worries. When you come to the ones less urgent and worrying you might realize that they're not real worries. Maybe they are society problems (such as terrorism or unemployment) and there's really no way to measure the real impact upon your life. If you want to feel safer, make contingency plans for them. Prepare for what it could arrive. Get your things ready and in order if you find yourself in a worst case scenario.

In Argentina, where I live, a few years ago the biggest worry was unemployment. With a high unemployment rate, if you were laid off it was not very likely that you would find another job soon. In that scenario, to prepare for the worst was common sense. If you didn't have enough savings, to think of going to the Caribbean on vacations maybe wasn't the best you could do. Maybe the best was to travel to a less expensive place and save a percentage of it in case you were laid off.

Except in very specific cases, we can prepare for the rest and if we have concrete plans, the impact in our present life is minimized and you can concentrate in something that provides more value.

Claudia Juarez BA, Motivation & Career Coach, teaches professionals how to be happier in their lives and jobs from the inside-out through a unique approach to motivation. Discover the 2 THINGS that will recession proof your life at: http://www.MotivationEmergency.com

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Wealth And The Pursuit Of Happiness

By Donald Yates

Wealth is a gift for everyone

There are no mysterious secrets or magical incantations for gaining wealth. The very idea of using some form of witchcraft or voodoo is ludicrous. The fact is, acquiring wealth is quite to the contrary. There is no evil in the dynamics of gaining wealth, it is purely natural. Money is only paper, it is the concept of money that can be used as tool to the discretion of its' holder. Like a seed is used to place in the ground and grow into a productive plant, so money is also used as a seed to grow and flourish into wealth.

You are Money's Master

Believe me when I say, "Money is a slave to its master and never a master on its own." It is the lure, the seduction, the love of money that presents a problematic condition for people. When people place acquiring money above family, ethics, morals and self is when it becomes the master of the soul. The obsession with money becomes a driving force that destroys ethics, honesty, and morality. Everything and anything becomes second to the mesmerizing force of the power money contains.

In times past people used personally produced goods or services as trade objects to acquire someone else's goods or service. A common denominator was needed because some people needed goods but had nothing to offer in exchange. Now, people use money as a trading medium. Money is simply a concept and as long as people have confidence in the system, then money will retain a certain value. When the system falters, money becomes worth less in its exchange for goods. People trade their skills and time for money and exchange money for goods and other people's services.

Master the basics

Everyone can become wealthy simply by mastering a few simple basic concepts in financial and motivational management. It's no big deal; you don't have to be a graduate of some preppie upper class school to succeed. The richest man in the world today was a college dropout yet was able to vision the future and seize on an opportunity mastering wealth.

Don't get me wrong; everyone must pay a price for success and its not cheap. Some choose higher education and that's great, but they still must follow the same principles as anyone else. They must have a passion for doing, be boldly motivated and recognize an opportunity when it presents itself or even they will fail. Each step along the journey to wealth transforms the traveler little by little until the super achiever that has been hiding inside burst out. Oh, you don't want to be a super achiever? That's ok, but the journey will change you into a better, more confident, upright, honorable, relaxed person that knows where you are going and how you are going to get there.

Don't question the power of one

There will be no question in your mind of what you want and how you are going to get it. The more you dedicate yourself the more challenges will emerge with clear possibilities, for accomplishment and success. It's no secret wealth abounds in our affluent society and is there for the taking. You will be a powerful driving force, speeding down the superhighway of success.

Who's heart is in the right place

Chances are, you, like so many other people, have not thought of the possibilities in the personal aspects of financial freedom. Perhaps up to this point, you have been working hard for someone else and never thought of or believed in the possibilities of your potential. You have just never taken the time to really think about it. Maybe you are comfortable in what you are doing now, but just maybe in the back of your mind, you have had a dream that has nagged you for years.

Let's face reality, it's all about choices. The road to success and wealth is narrow and not traveled as often as those who are content in their situation. Remember, the road you choose will be your experience for life's journey. It's important that you take the right road for once you get on it there is no turning back until you experience the effect of your choice. In every decision there is a consequence. Some are quick while others are long lasting, many affect others around you but all have an impersonal end result. Your choice to become involved in searching for successful life solutions will have a lifelong affect on you and everyone within your circle of influence. How you conduct yourself will not only affect your and yours but will also carry over for future generations.

Many people are unhappy

Unfortunately, there are many people who are unhappy in their jobs and relationships. They fear life and work hard to survive the constant pressures the world places upon them. It a daily struggle to keep their heads above water and their sanity is challenged with a deluge of violence and sex at every turn. They have become enslaved because their environment has allowed surrounding circumstance to determine how their lives are to lived. These are the masses who go to work every day with untold burdens they can't get rid of. They have become servants to those who plunder and take advantage of their plight. (and guaranteed there many) They are threatened, abused and punished by society and government without explanation. They are unjustly fired by those who weld their power as a sword of domination.

You seen them, on the interstate in the morning, glassy eyed, hollow and unresponsive as they move toward their respective cubbyholes. There are no, smiles, joy or expatiations in fact there is little sign of life at all, only despair. And where is God? Right there, setting beside them, but they never look around. The background noise is so loud they can't hear. They stare ahead with unseeing eyes and quenched spirit; going nowhere and dead at heart.

You are alive and well

If you are to succeed in you quest for wealth, you must first have the correct mindset. Don't be afraid to dream, for deep within your dreams is your purpose for being. Your personal ambitions and goals are there, ready for you to claim them and mold them into a well adjusted happily productive life. Reach out and embrace them, like a flower, a butterfly, a precious thing that was always there waiting . . . just beyond your grasp, in the shadows, seemingly afraid to be know. Your dreams cannot be vague or general; they must be acute, spelled out in detail, and specific. You must know exactly what you desire and then build a fire around it. You must build a burning desire, a flame that can't be put out. Against all odds, no matter the cost, you must see this dream as your life unfolding and protect it at all cost, as you persevere to the end.

I'll Be Back

There's so much more to say but for the sake of making this an article and not a novel I must end our pleasant time together. I shall return in another article. Thanks and . . .

Happy Trails

Donald Yates, Former Director of Business and Leadership Development for Imperial Research, is now retired but continues to assist young people in engaging life through self discovery, Life course planning, intuitiveness and fulfillment. Learn how you can build a powerful organization of your own. To learn more, visit http://www.clean4profit.com http://www.rockeriders.com

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