William Shedd Inspirational Quote

“A ship is safe in harbor but that’s not what ships are for.”
William Shedd

Here’s a quote that is suggesting you need to step out of your comfort zone. Like ships, we have our safe places…which is not a bad thing by any means, but like ships, I don’t think that’s what life is for.

I truly believe as human beings we are meant to explore. Not just cities or new landscapes but the inner recesses of our minds, bodies and souls. So while it may be safe to maintain the status quo, it ain’t gonna give us a whole lot to do so.

We need to step up to the plate and push ourselves to be the best we can be in every way, physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally. On every level of our beings we need to be sailing as far and wide as we can!

If this quote resonates with you…put it on your desktop by clicking on the size you need and then once the picture loads, right click on it and set it as wallpaper background.

1024 x 768 ::: 1152 x 864 ::: 1440 x 900 ::: 1680 x 1050

Positive Benefits

Positive Benefits

There is such a huge positive benefit to thinking positively much of the time, that it is virtually impossible here to fully put it to you, the reader – of the massive positive change this kind of thinking can bring about in your life.

Thinking positively brings with it benefits untold and not previously, even imagined.

You have earned your own sense of self worth, you have earned your very own self respect and now other people look up to you and perceive you as being a very positive individual. You feel happy about the world around you, sure, you still have concerns about this and that and the other but you realise that you cannot hope to change the entire world all in one go. You are more realistic, you know how to set goals that you can achieve and you know the steps that you must take to achieve those goals.

You feel at ease rather than feeling dis-ease. You have developed a natural ability to perceive situations for what they really are. You don’t sweat the small details. You see the bigger picture and perhaps more importantly, you can enable others too by proffering forwards solutions that work.

Perhaps your motto is now: There are no problems, only solutions.

You seek the best, you want to be the best, you are Read more

Staying Positive

Staying Positive

Staying positive after you have overcome the initial learning curve does get easier with time. Sure, it can be unrealistic to be mentally positive non-stop, all of the time. Life will always throw at us, new challenges, new experiences that may even at the best of times, throw us off guard.

It takes a certain degree of mental diligence to remain positive despite all of the odds.

Staying positive can be maintained by feeding ourselves with the right kind of positive information. When adversity does strike (and it will), we learn through the power of positive thinking to turn the tables on any kind of negative thinking, in fact, we do everything within our power, mentally and physically to avert needless disaster, that is, negative thinking from entering anywhere close to our mind.

To stay positive involves the imagination too. Visualising always the most ideal positive outcome. When we see this ideal positive outcome in front of us, in our mind’s eye, we then take the steps required to Read more

Self Empowerment

Self Empowerment

When you take positive steps to feel self empowered and practice feeling positive everyday, sooner or later this will have profound changes upon your personality.

Self empowerment should be recognised as a very positive thing in our personal lives. Not only do we begin to feel great as a person on the inside but all around us, things can and do change for the better. Our relationships with our family members improve. Our relationships with other people in the workplace improve too.

What’s more by the process of self empowerment we begin to start feeling a lot more confident of our own abilities. This self empowered confidence can also rub off on other people around around us as they too, begin to follow our lead. Self empowerment followed all the way through forges stronger, more meaningful relationships and ultimately our lives feel Read more

Overcoming Obstacles

“If you’re going through hell – keep going!” – Winston Churchill.

In order to be successful, overcoming obstacles will have to become second nature to you. Some of these obstacles are created internally. You can overcome these self-created obstacles with a little hard work and determination.

No matter what task you’re taking on, you can set yourself up for success!

Here are some ways to deal with obstacles that may thwart your endeavors:

1. Understand your goals. Know exactly what it is you’re trying to do. You can’t just run in without a plan of some kind. Take the time to plan out your goals and the steps you intend to take to reach them.

• Even with an exceptional plan, the reality is that things rarely go exactly as you’d expect. You’ll have to stop and make changes at times, and that’s okay! Be prepared for the unexpected with ideas on how to handle a situation if it arises.

• Identify the parts of your plan that may become problematic and lay out alternatives.

2. Trust yourself. You’re in charge of your journey to success. You set your goals and you’re the one making it happen, so you must trust yourself. If you truly have a great passion for what you’re going to do, then you’ll be the best judge of what you want.

• Follow your instincts. That little voice in the back of your head may very well end up telling you exactly what you need to succeed in your goals.

3. Get help. If there’s something in your way and it’s too big of an obstacle for you to remove on your own, get help! You can’t do everything by yourself. As humans, we’re social beings and we need help from those around us.

• Get your friends, family or co-workers involved and welcome their input on how to get around an obstacle in your path. This will bring in new ideas and fresh perspectives on the problem in ways you may have never considered.

4. Gain a fresh perspective. There are times when, no matter how hard you try, things just don’t go your way. This is where you need to stop, take a step back, and look at things from a different perspective.

• You become used to your routine, so the fine details can easily slip past you. Take a break and walk away for a little bit. Change your focus for a time; then come back to the problem and you may see something you missed.

5. Never ever give up. Nothing has ever been solved or accomplished by giving up. Vince Lombardi said it best: “Winners never quit and quitters never win!” This is as true as it gets.

• Being too rigid on something can be counterproductive. In order to succeed, we sometimes have to change our approach completely. Keep at the problem until you find a solution. It’s there; you just have to find it.

6. Start again. Sometimes, despite all your efforts, you need to rebuild from the ground up. Maybe one of your fundamental ideas was wrong and had an effect on everything else. This happens, and while it’s a setback, it’s not the end of your dream.

• With a little more effort and hard work, you can do it!

Being successful isn’t easy and it involves a lot of hard work, dedication and sometimes sacrifices. With these tips, a good plan, and positive people around you to help, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

Positive Action – How to Break Out of a Bad Mood

Bad moods are the pits. No one likes bad moods and even more so, no one wants to be around someone who’s feeling sour. A bad mood is a great way to bring you – and everyone around you – down a dwindling spiral. So how do you shake off a bad mood?

It’s easy! Take some positive action and try out one of these simple ideas to turn your frown upside down:

1. Get dressed. That’s right. Get up, take a shower, put on some nice clothes and gussy yourself up to the nines.

• Studies have shown that your mood has a lot to do with your self-image. How different do you think your self-image is between a just-rolled-out-of-bed look and a ready-to-hit-the-ground-running look?

• By getting dressed and doing what it takes to make yourself look good on the outside, you feel better on the inside. When you feel better on the inside, your mood changes significantly and you’re ready to face the day.

2. Get moving. Exercise releases hormones that help alter your mood. Cleaning your space gets you moving and makes you feel better about your surroundings. It doesn’t really matter what you do; just get up, get out, and get moving.

• Many times your bad mood can be amplified by your lack of movement. Getting up and doing something, whether it’s exercising or even walking over to the nearest coffee shop, can give you a big mood boost.

3. Read a book. Reading a book takes you to a different place and allows you to step into someone else’s shoes. Why not pick up a book by your favorite author and let them transport you out of your bad mood for an hour or so?

4. Meditate. Deep breathing exercises and a focused mind can break you out of any sour mood. Remember back in grade school when you were taught to take deep breaths and count to 10 when you got angry? It was actually for a very good reason.

• When focusing on one thing and breathing deeply, our bodies tend to respond in a positive way by relaxing and releasing tension.

5. Hang out with friends. What are friends for? Be around any of your good friends for any length of time and you’ll be snapped out of that bad mood so fast you won’t even know what hit you.

6. Laugh. There’s no possible way that you can laugh and stay in a bad mood. It’s proven that your emotions follow your actions, which is why many therapists recommend taking action to cure things like anxiety and stress. Next time you’re in a bad mood, try laughing.

• I guarantee that you can’t stay in your bad mood after more than 5 minutes of continuous laughter!

7. Treat yourself. Do something just for you. You deserve it anyway. The key is to just go a little overboard and do something you wouldn’t ordinarily do. Have fun with it and make it memorable.

• Go shopping for one of your favorite articles of clothing and splurge a little if you can afford it.

• Have a massage or spa treatment. Similar to the meditation, this is a great tool to relax and break you out of whatever might be dragging you down.

• If you’re short on funds, go dream shopping. Go to one of the most expensive stores around and try on clothes or go test drive your dream car. Give yourself a reason to get back into the swing of things and get rolling again.

• Get a hot fudge sundae with extra hot fudge.

While there are many other ways to take positive action and shake yourself out of a bad mood, these are a few great ways to start. Try some of them next time you’re feeling down. Better yet, see how many of them you can make it through before your bad mood has completely vanished.

My guess is you might only make it to the second tip, then you’re just doing it because it’s fun!

Feel Postive – Feeling Positive

Do you want to feel positive? Are you looking around you for someone or something to come along that will help you with feeling positive? Most of us have things right in front of us every day that could make us deliriously happy if only we would let them. Could this be you?

The feeling of being positive doesn’t need to be created for us. It exists within us, and it’s up to us to choose to feel positive or not.

Happiness is attainable by anyone, so long as they want it. If you don’t want to be happy you won’t be. If you really want to change your life and find the happiness you’ve been searching for, you can do just that!

A great way to begin feeling positive each day is to give yourself permission to dwell on the positive instead of the negative. It takes practice, but once you become skilled at it, the rewards are pure joy!

Happiness Affirmations and You

Happiness affirmations are one tool you can use to help you feel positive.

What are happiness affirmations? The idea is a simple one, really, and it all starts with a list of positive statements and the desire to change your life.

Affirmations work a lot like mental imagery techniques where you visualize yourself doing something great. Instead of being visual, though, affirmations are spoken.

This works because the words we speak have the power to evoke our emotions and activate our minds to accomplish great things. You could program your mind with positive thoughts that enable you to achieve your goals and live the life you dream!

For instance, when you’re having a moment where you doubt your right to be happy, you can say to yourself, “I find reasons to laugh every day,” or something as simple as, “I give myself permission to be happy.”

Every time you use these statements you’re reaffirming the thought and programming your brain to be happy and feel positive when the opportunity presents itself.

When you’re always in pursuit of happiness, you may find that it’s elusive because, while you want to be happy, you may also give yourself reasons to be unhappy.

Reminding yourself of the negative aspects of your life or the things that aren’t perfect makes it hard to find true happiness and will hinder your ability to feel positive.

Who Can Use Happiness Affirmations?

You can! With the help of affirmations you can change your life, one happy thought at a time. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can integrate affirmations into your life and how soon they can make a change.

Some people may think that affirmations don’t apply to them because they’re so unhappy, but these positive statements can help people from every walk of life, no matter how bad things may seem.

When you use positive statements, you push out the negative thoughts, leaving no room for them in your life. When you remind yourself that you have a right and a reason to be happy, you’ll feel happier, and life will suddenly become so much more enjoyable.

Even if you think your life is so far gone that affirmations couldn’t possibly help you, you may be wrong, and end up feeling positive, full of happiness and joy! It’s certainly worth a try to see if you can change your life one statement at a time!

Proactive Action

Proactive Action & Proactive Positive Actions

Sometimes what you need is a cut-off switch from your present way of life. Taking up a hobby can be a tremendous way of leaving all of your problems behind you. I know this may sound a bit cliche saying take up a hobby or new interest, you may be thinking, what good is that going to do me?

What you need often though is just some ‘me’ time. Time just for yourself. A distraction from your current negative thinking traits. There are hundreds of activities that you could take up, whatever grabs your interest. Do you have something that you have been yearning to do for many years and either by life circumstances or simple procrastination, you keep perpetually putting off until a more ideal time?

Don’t put it off any longer! It’s important that you create some time to relax doing something that YOU enjoy doing. It might be Read more

Positive Steps

One of the most powerful positive steps you can take to improve the quality of your life is to give thanks for your life. When was the last time you said thank you for being alive? Sounds silly, doesn’t it? Well, if you barely have time to appreciate what you have, how can you ever desire anything more?

We all have something to be thankful for, even those who live a modest lifestyle by choice or by circumstance.

• Focusing on material possessions, rather than on the very fact that we’re living and breathing, tend to make us forgetful of the greater gifts, such as our families and our health.

Life is a miracle and can be taken away in a moment’s notice. Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, there are many ways you can show your appreciation for your life.

5 Ways to Express Your Gratitude

Sometimes showing your gratitude can be as simple as saying “thanks,” but other times you can show gratitude by helping others, or “paying it forward.” After all, you’ll never know how a simple, kind gesture will affect someone’s day.

Here are some positive steps you can take to help you appreciate life while also helping others:

1. Reach out to your extended family and friends. Send them cards just to say “Hi,” call or email them, or even throw a party to reconnect and show these people they’re important to you.

2. Reflect about your childhood and ancestors. Write a poem, essay, or short story about your life. What sacrifices did your parents make for you? What struggles did the family endure? How is your life better or easier than that of your great-grandparents? How did these events make you the person you are today?

3. Meditate, pray, or go to your place of worship. Find a quiet place to think about all that’s good – your health, family, or home – and simply say “thank you” to your Creator.

4. Reconnect with your spouse and children. Actions speak louder than words so turn off that television and spend some quality time with your family just to have some fun! Whether it’s a surprise getaway or a family game night, renewing your relationships with your family will strengthen your bond and bring you closer together.

5. Keep a gratitude journal. Write down all the things you’re grateful for in your life and reflect on all that is good. Even the simplest things – such as finding a parking space at the mall or locating your missing keys – are times to be grateful!

When You Need a Wake Up Call

Sometimes it’s all too easy to engage in these activities and give thanks for a good life, yet over time, we somehow fall back into our old habits. In these times, we need a jolt to remind ourselves of all that is good.

• Spend a few hours a week volunteering at a hospital, nursing home, or soup kitchen. Take a good look at the people you’re helping, listen to their stories, and be grateful that you’re fortunate enough to help those in need.

Giving IS Receiving

When you give of yourself – either with a smile or another kind gesture – you receive the warm satisfaction of helping to make a difference in the world, one person at a time. Your uplifting attitude will be contagious and you just might be the recipient of a random act of kindness!

Positive Values Thinking Positively

The power of having positive values and thinking positively cannot be underestimated. The American minister and author of the book The Power of Positive Thinking Norman Vincent Peale wrote, “Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our success or failure. The way you think about a fact may defeat you before you ever do anything about it. You are overcome by the fact because you think you are.”

If you think you’re beaten, you are. But if you stare defeat in the eye and refuse to give up because of “a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers” (Peale again), you can overcome any challenge and attain whatever you desire. Empty pockets can’t hold you back very long, but if you have an empty mind filled with negative thoughts, you’ll always be held back from what you desire most.

Positive Thinking Leads To Action

With a positive attitude, you’ll begin to believe that you can build wealth in abundance. You’ll chart your own course and be the master of your own fate and the captain of your own soul.

Thinking about what you want and deserve in life will lead you to take whatever steps are necessary to make those dreams come true. Very often it’s a slow road to achieving your dreams, but one small step toward change will bring another small step after it.

• Visualizing yourself in a better paying job might spur you to update your resume.

• Believing you belong in a house in the suburbs might push you to call a realtor or look in the classified ads.

• Realizing you have talents that make you special might convince you to volunteer in your community.

Living an abundant life doesn’t only refer to what’s in the bank. Abundance of family and friends is a very important part of human life.

It’s Easier To Be Negative

The average person gets all too easily gets imbued with a negative attitude. It’s so much easier to whine and complain about needing more money, a better job, or a bigger house. People are often lost in the negative imagery and don’t ever realize it’s in their own power to change their circumstances.

With a positive attitude, you’ll have a higher quality of life. Having a positive attitude can really work magic in your life.

• People who have survived cancer invariably say that a positive mental outlook was vital to their success in overcoming their terrible disease.

• A positive mental attitude helps you find the humor in things that may typically bring you down. You’ll be able to see things from a fresh perspective so you can handle the tough times with more creativity and intelligence.

With a positive attitude, you’ll simply feel more joy in your life. You’ll laugh more, feel healthier, be more courageous, have more self-confidence, and you won’t be as prone to giving up before you even get started.

More often than not, things will fall into place and you’ll feel an incredible sense of accomplishment!

Positive Thinking

Thinking positive thoughts every day will allow you to live a more positive life. It’s easy to be overcome by negative thoughts and experiences, and it’s important to create a positive dialogue with yourself to get you through those tough times.

Some people call these thoughts positive self talk, and this form of inner dialogue can allow you to reach new heights as a person, overcoming all that stands in your way.

Understanding Positive Self Talk

Positive self-talk is the practice of responding to those negative thoughts that creep into your mind throughout the day. You know the thoughts: the ones that have you thinking, “you can’t” instead of “you can,” or “it’s too hard” instead of “you can do it.”

When you replace such negativity with positive thoughts, you can bring about astounding changes in your life and the way you feel about yourself.

For instance, when you’re starting a new job, and your mind says, “There’s no way I’m going to fit in here. I don’t deserve this job” you can stop this dialogue in its tracks.

Instead of letting your mind go on and on, envisioning one disaster after another right up to the moment you’re fired, you can respond with positive thoughts. These positive thoughts can also be called positive affirmations.

Positive Affirmations and You

It can take a lot of practice to make the change to positive self-talk when you’ve always experienced negative self-talk. Perhaps you can’t even remember a time when this negative dialogue wasn’t playing in the background of your life.

You may need to put some effort into responding to the negativity with positive thoughts, but by using positive affirmations, the effort required is an easy task. Positive affirmations allow you to replace your negativity, one thought at a time!

Many people seek out lists of free positive affirmations to help them come up with positive responses. You can find some of these lists on self-help websites or in bookstores and libraries.

At first, you may wonder if it can be this easy to change your life with affirmations. Consider this fact: haven’t all those negative thoughts running through your mind forged the path that you’ve followed throughout your life and gotten you where you are today?

Answer this question truthfully and you’ll see the need for positive thought!

If negative thoughts got you where you are now, can you imagine where you could be if the negativity was replaced by confident, positive thoughts?

Now you see why I use positive affirmations every day. Positive thoughts really can change your life!

If you want to lead a positive and fulfilling life you must have a positive mindset. In order to think positively, you must replace the negative thought processes that are already running through your mind.

Since positive affirmations activate your mind to replace negative thought processes with a positive mindset, they simply make the most sense! Plus, they’re so easy. Once you become used to using affirmations on a daily basis, you’ll wish you’d started with them sooner.

For ease, convenience, and great results, positive affirmations just can’t be beat as a success tool. Start using positive affirmations today, and live the life you’ve always dreamed of!