‘Those things which are precious are saved only by sacrifice.’ ~ David Kenyon Webster

This isn’t about catchy metaphors that can bring you in a state of ecstasy. It also isn’t about collecting a bunch of fancy words put together and then published as just another post. No! No way!!! This is the real thing babe! This is what has been on my mind for some time. Read on to find out what is my Devilish Dilemma!

Have you ever been in the position where you had to juggle with a situation of conflicting causes. A situation where you had to choose left or right, but it’s totally impossible to choose both…. I bet you  have, and you may even recognize what I’m saying here. It’s possible you even remember one or more examples from your own life, right? It seems like  this is as certain as death and taxes! Situations or circumstances that all of us will sooner or later get into at some point in our lives.  One question that comes to mind is if these kind of situations can be avoided?  Well… I guess so, but can I counter a question back? Isn’t life all about learning things and going through new experiences?

Anyway… my dilemma kept me busy for some time. No… wait!  Let me put it different, It left me idle and sitting around doing nothing for some time! I never realized before how indecisive I could become. Procrastination became my middle name. I always thought these were ‘traits’ that could be sought after and found in other people. It amazed me how without any physical power I was cornered and forced to sacrifice something in order to maintain  something else.

How did I finally resolve this and came to a conclusion? The answer is quiet simple. Life goes on, so at some point after a lot of thinking and considering things I made a choice based on what I thought was common sense. Instead of relying on my  ‘underbelly’ feelings. It was these feelings that made my dilemma devilish in the first place! Now that I write this I see that I knew all along what was the right thing for me to do. Maybe this can be compared to things or just about anything that we have too much of. You like it but inside there is a little  voice telling you that you should be moderate.

It wasn’t easy, to take a loss and basically admit that it was wrong to get myself in this whole situation in the first place. But as time goes by I am happy with my choice and it doesn’t feel like I sacrificed something anymore. In the end when I place my story  in a greater context, I can say that the outcome was not really determined by a choice or desire. It came in an almost natural way, I think the outcome was formed and made by my character. Going into this could be a whole new story, maybe that’s something for the future!  Anyway, I think that choosing otherwise  wouldn’t  have felt good and might have been against my very own nature. I am looking forward to speak to you again.

Photo Credit: Ironmarc

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Are you successful? Do you have plans to be successful?  Do you have a definition of what success means to you? Do you ever think of how to plan and create your success?  These can be some of the questions when you think of success.  I was just reading an article written by Dr. Kem Thompson about 10 universal principles of success, and I want to share them with you because these principles are really strong. Here we go:

Success is not something that only a chosen few can achieve. Everyone can be successful in every area of his or her life. You just need to know how to do things in such a way as to make sure you succeed every time. Success comes as a result of forming certain habits, and continuing in them. Consistency is key. To succeed, you need to be a certain type of person. Don’t be discouraged if you are not yet that type of person. With practice, anyone can become a successful person. The successful person thinks in a certain way, talks in a certain way, and acts in a certain way. The list below briefly outlines 10 of those ways (and a bonus tip!). Anyone who consistently applies these principles to any area of their life *will* experience success in that area.

1. Vision: Have a clear picture of what exactly it is you want to achieve or become. Keep this picture at the top of your mind at all times. Doing something you want to do, because you want to do it, will motivate you to succeed at it. Start with the end in mind.
2. Belief: Believe without a shadow of a doubt that you can do it. Believe that you will succeed. Believe in a Higher Power who is helping you get what you want. Stay away from negative influences (people, books/articles, anything negative), which make you doubt your ability to succeed. Surround yourself with things that remind you that you can, and will, succeed.
3. Responsibility: Realize that you alone are responsible for your future. You alone are responsible for the outcome of your efforts. Don’t look for anyone to blame. Feel free to ask for help as you need it, but remember the final decision is up to you. It’s your life, after all.
4. Affirm: Make a habit of saying out loud what you hope to achieve. Speak of it in the present tense, e.g., ‘I am fit and trim’, as opposed to ‘I will be fit and trim’. If you feel awkward speaking out loud to yourself, write down the affirmation. Then look at it (or better still, rewrite it) several times each day. This helps your mind stay focused on the goal. It also builds your self-belief and confidence.
5. Commitment: Make a firm commitment to action. Decide to take whatever steps you need to take to help you achieve your goals. Then honour the commitment you’ve made. Too often we find it easy to keep our commitments to others while neglecting to keep our commitments to ourselves. This pattern has to change if you’re to succeed in life.
6. Set a SMART goal: Now that you know what you want to achieve or become, you need to define it by making it a goal. Your goal has to be Specific, Measurable (you need a standard to help you know when you’ve achieved it) and Motivational (it’s got to inspire you and keep you motivated), Attainable and Attractive, Realistic (no point setting an unrealistic goal such as “I want to be a millionaire this evening”) and Timed (State when you hope to achieve it).
7. Plan and Take Action: Work out a plan of action. Break down the plan into baby steps. Take a step or two each day, reminding yourself that each step is bringing you closer to your goal. Perform each act to the best of your ability, filled with faith, determination and purpose to reach your goal. Most importantly, be consistent.
8. Persistence: Do not give up until you have achieved what you desire. In the course of things, be willing to change any part of your plan which turns out not to work, and try something else. Thomas Edison did not give up in his quest to invent the light bulb, even though he’d ‘failed’ 10,000 times. Now that’s persistence! See every failure as a stepping-stone to success and as a temporary set back. Learn from it and push on towards your goal.
9. Gratitude: Maintain an attitude of gratitude, knowing that your dream is about to become a reality. Refuse to grumble when circumstances look contrary. Refuse to complain. Be grateful for where you are now, and for where you are headed. Look around for things to be grateful for. You’ll be surprised to find quite a few.
10. Become a giver. In your relationships, always think in terms of what you can do for the other person. What goes round comes round. After all, whatever dreams you have most likely involve interacting with other people. Be kind and generous to all; you never know where your breakthrough will come from.

Bonus Principle. Be in the know: Find out everything you can about your situation/goal. Read books, listen to tapes, and talk to experts, whatever it takes. This will help you make wise decisions and keep you confident as you go along.

So there you have it. I have given you a summary of principles which, if you apply consistently, WILL guarantee you success in any endeavour. Don’t just take my word for it, though. Prove it yourself by actually applying it to your life situation.

Knowlegde is not powerful until you act on what you know. Think about that. Better yet, act on it! You’ll be glad you did.

These principles may not be new to everybody, but it may have been some time ago if you have read them before. Therefore you might like to be reminded of them and read them again. If you have applied these in the past then now may be a good time to see how much of these principles ( or maybe all) still play a role in your life.

Photo Credit:  zaraki.kenpachi

‘It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities’ ~ J.K. Rowling.

During our life we are all continuously making choices, sometimes we choose without thinking about the outcome or consequences of our choices. Sometimes these consequences especially those that happen after short-term thinking can be  quite dramatic in the long-term. That’s why I feel exactly what the quote mentioned above is all about. Wrong choices….. I’ve made a few .

It is also interesting when you consider the kind of choices we can or have to make during the different phases of our life. I mean we can choose to have a positive or a negative mindset. We can choose to have a below average life, an average or an abundant life. Btw I believe  abundance has  many different forms, for me this is not just restricted to finances or financial gain. But that’s a story of a different order, so let’s continue with the choices.  We can successively choose to: go left, or maybe right, to love or  be loved, to be happy, to be wealthy, to be successful (in whatever we do). well… there are literally thousands of examples of things that force or make you choose.

I am talking about choices because I have come to a point in my life where I cannot afford to make faulty choices. But then the question arises : ‘what is a faulty choice???’ 

Somehow this makes me think about my childhood and life as a teenager also. During those days choices were basically made for me, and thus actually paving the way and create the person I have become today. Another thing I am wondering about is if we can we choose our legacy? Does it matter to leave a certain legacy? Does it matter to you? Another choice… YES or NO? I think that  a growing number of options to choose will in turn raise more questions.

But no matter our choices, we are still living ‘LIFE’ right …. So in the end it is as it is!

Photo Credit: Ponchosqueal

It’s been a couple of weeks since you last read something from me. I can come up with many reasons why :  I am busy with a writing course. I have a lot of work to do in and around my house. I work 5 nights a week. If  I think a couple more minutes I might be able to come up with more reasons, or should I say excuses….

You know that with every post I write lately I have the feeling that I am doing the same thing over and over again. Even though the posts have different topics I strongly feel like I am repeating myself.  In short that’s my problem and why I feel stuck. My intention with this blog was to write about how to simplify life, keep things light and entertain readers with stories that would either be motivating or just nice to read.

In the last few weeks I have been starting with new posts, but never finished them because I felt it wasn’t what I really wanted to post. So I am thinking and thinking about how to find my way out of what seems to be a one way alley.

I am thinking about some changes and how to sort of reinvent myself. It will happen, I am sure of that. I don’t have a clue how long it may take, but I promise it won’t be too long

It feels good to write this down, I see it as a start of more interesting writings to come. I like to write posts like ‘A life like yours’  ‘Here comes the Sun’  to name just 2 of the ones I like.

I am looking forward to talk to you real soon again, and if you have tips that can help me in the process of getting back on track I am looking forward to hear from you.

Photo Credit : Travelure

Everything is subject to change, it always has and always will be. As a matter of fact, that also  includes  you and me…  Previously I would’ve  put a quote right here. But guess what… I won’t … because I want to improve and become a better writer, YES … I am part of the flux!

Once we realize that we are all a form of energy that is continuously changing, it will open up opportunities. For all of us, because we are unique human beings with unique qualities that we can use to improve our lives. If we use our qualities in the right way, over time it will develop and become more valuable.

For me my search for what would be my so called ‘unique quality’ would prove to be the most exhaustive and toughest part of my process of change. I have been trying many different things in my life, and when I look back I did all those jobs with a reason of it’s own. My latest ‘try’ was internet marketing, and even though I wanted it to succeed, mainly because of the possible ‘financial’ gain it wasn’t the right  thing for me.

All that searching… while the solution was actually right in front of me. I like to write, and always have liked to do so. At some point a couple of years ago I decided to listen to my intuition. Beside writing this weblog, I take writing courses in order to improve my writing skills. Because I am already on my way for awhile now, I start to see that I do make progress. Of course I still have to learn, but the development is there. The greatest part of it is that while I work on this I almost automatically get insights in which genre I like to write and because of the writing courses I can actively working on my strong and my weak points.

Sometimes I wonder where I could have been right now if I had used more of my energy for writing instead of for those other ‘jobs’. I am also happy with my past job experiences since it also taught me a lot of lessons of life.

Now, knowing what I want and in which direction I have to point my energy I am feeling better everyday. Because I know I am not putting my energy to waste, and things continue to get better.

You can do the same. You can take the time to ‘listen’ to yourself, find out what is or can be the ‘thing’ or passion in  your life. From that moment on you can just give it a try. It will always be a win-win situation, I mean it’s better to try and fail instead of never trying and never knowing if something works out for you or not.  Don’t look at it as if it’s a long and maybe impossible journey.

Once you start even with small steps you will get fulfillment from it, which in turn gives you the energy and power to go on. From then things may go faster and in ways you probably cannot imagine right now. Sometimes it may even give your life a favorable twist you would not have thought to be possible before.  I am looking forward to your comments and talking to you again.

Photo Credit : Amunivers

No… this is not some kind of silly love story   Far from it, as you may have read in some of my previous posts I am always trying to find ways to improve the way we do things and live our every day life. Why? well that’s simple, to get a more fulfilling and enjoyable life.

The other day I was watching an interview with Susan Boyle. It was really great to see her rise from the auditions of Britain’s got talent to the successful star she is today. Despite her achievements she still appears to be the same Susan she was before her major breakthrough. It turned out that she had already been singing and doing auditions for the past 23 years or so. She believed in her own abilities, and knew somehow she would get her chance to shine someday. I believe that her persistence was fed by her passion for singing. Because singing is her passion and she loves it so much. She did it with all her heart, literally “putting her heart into it.”

The headline suggests to use your heart, but it’s not just that simple. There is more to it. It’s also about not sacrificing or maybe I should say compromising yourself. Be true to yourself at all times and under all conditions.

“Put your heart, mind and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.” ~Swami Sivananda

Stop slaving yourself for people that don’t care about you. It also means to be wholehearted and do things well. We all know it may take only a little bit longer if we do things right. If we just don’t make it look like what we do is only a routine, but give it some extra effort. Working with good spirits also makes us feel good about our job or achievement once we are finished.

Sometimes we also have to look beyond our own personality. Nowadays we are often very self centered. But if we take interest in others and show some concern and love, it can be possible that we evoke a similar kind of spirit in others. It may not work every time, but one day we may achieve the full circle and we made life  a little bit better then it used to be.  I am looking forward to speak to you soon again.

Photo Credit : Lightning Teeth

“A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.”

To accept yourself for who you are can be a big issue, and for some quiet a challenge to achieve. I have been stretching myself to great lengths in order  to get accepted  and understood by certain people, but overlooked to accept myself first. I believe accepting yourself works  like the very same principle that says that to love someone you have to love yourself first. I mean it’s quiet clear, how can you love someone else if you don’t love yourself first!

I realized that life is much easier and more comfortable when I stop explaining myself if I feel people misunderstand me. I mean does it matter why I do what I do… whenever? I think it doesn’t because society tends to be very self centered. Most people, not all I have been speaking to for the last year or so only care about their own well being. So instead of spending time on things that are not so essential to yourself  it’s better to realize where you stand and move on.

Life is to short to waste on  matters that are obsolete to us. Time we can use much better for things that DO matter to us. Things that make us feel good instead of miserable.

As we know standing still is going backward,  Our direction and aim should be “forward, as occasion offers. Never look round to see whether any shall note it… Be satisfied with success in even the smallest matter, and think that even such a result is no trifle. “~Marcus Aurelius

I am looking forward to speak to you soon again.

Photo Credit: evinoryan88

“Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity.” ~Swami Sivananda

Life goes fast, maybe a bit too fast at times. It’s probably a sign of the times and it must be the way life goes. We want things to happen and be done increasingly faster every day. If we don’t slow ourselves down every now and then, we may at some point get a bit overwhelmed by life. It’s possible life becomes fast enough to pass you by, leaving you behind flabbergasted and wondering what happened to you.

There are literally dozens of examples of how this reveals itself. The bottom line here is that it is o.k. to stop and make time every day to important things in our life. For example spending quality time with your family, or enjoying the good dinner together etc. we all have our own examples that match our  lives. Because life goes so fast we sometimes tend to forget or overlook what’s really important to us.

A good way to calm yourself down a bit and get some peace is by applying the force of meditation. There are many ways to meditate and via the internet you can find a lot of meditation music or practices to help you get started.  It’s really interesting and rewarding to experience that after some practice you can reach other conscious levels like the Alpha, Beta and Theta levels. Each of these levels has it’s own use and an explanation of each type of level may be interesting enough for a post of it’s own.

After you finish meditating you may really feel rejuvenated. If you meditate well you give your brain a chance to take a rest. Sometimes after meditating you may also feel refreshed like when you wake up in the morning after a good night of sleep.

“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of mediation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.”~ Buddha

For me personally it really works, it’s like I am capable of doing more and it makes me feel sharper and more balanced in my every day life.  I am looking forward to talk to you again.

Photo Credit : h.koppdelaney & alicepopkorn

As I grow older, and hopefully become…. wiser   I believe the most important thing I am gaining now is  ‘Understanding’…  I mean  a greater understanding of this thing called life.  

‘Electric word life  It means forever and that’s a mighty long time’

Well… I digress, let’s go back and stick to the story.

As time goes by pieces of the ‘great puzzle of life’ seem to automatically fall in place answering the how and why of things, and that’s interesting. But in a way it is also a bit sad, because it keeps me wondering why these ‘pieces didn’t appear a couple of years earlier.

Sigh… this must be the way life goes and things are meant to be. Otherwise we could be questioning why we exist in the first place. However… that’s another story that may be the subject of another post.

Insights often come to mind when you look back on your life. Once you get a view on the path which  defined your walk of life, it becomes clear that the journey of life has been a long and winding road for some of us. I know, because I am one of those persons!

Some time ago I was talking to a friend about time-lines, and I told her that I felt it sometimes took such a long time to achieve certain things or goals in life. I never forget her reply, because it completely changed my attitude and point of view when it comes to things I want to achieve or goals I set for myself. She simply stated that things used to go slow and take a long time, but from now on it would go easier and faster. She made it clear that it was clearly a matter of having the right mindset!  There’s a great quote from Henry Ford that says : “if you think you can do it, or you think you can’t, you are right “. This is the same principle, with a different method. If you think it takes long, it will. But if you think it can be done quick, it can be done also.

The connection of this principle to the insights of life, is simply a matter of doing something at the right time. For example twenty years ago I could’ve taken certain action, but didn’t because of whatever reason or excuse that justified my decision back then to not take action. Now twenty years later I take the action that I could’ve taken so long ago, the reason why I do things now and didn’t do back then is probably because of insight. It proves that the principle always stay the same, it’s just me who changed!

I am curious about how you think and feel about this, and would like to hear from you. I am looking forward to talk to you again.

Photo Credit: papillon666

First of all I would like to wish all the readers of this blog a Sparkling & Prosperous New Year.

Looking back on the past year I realize one thing… I want change! Normally we assume change is meant to  make things better, but change can be manifested in many forms. It can be a good change, or a change for the worse!  There is many things in our lives we can change, some alterations that are made can be temporarily, but some may be irreversible. Therefore it’s good to know the consequence of a change before it’s made.

Anyway….

The other day I was thinking about vows, and about making vows, but I instantly realized that vows didn’t bring me any further. It only gave me bad feelings when I broke them.

The changes I want to make are not that dramatic. I want to just do some things different. It’s like fine tuning my own actions in order to get better results. In a way that I know I have more control, and thus create more certainty that I am on the right track. I have tried many things, but if for example I make a goal sheet and I only look at that sheet the next time I think and start to update it, I know something is not right. I know I have to do things different! The goal sheet was there but it had no function. I have to do something instead that aligns with things I do in my every day life.

I know that if I change and do things different, I will certainly get different results. My goals stay the same, but my methods of achieving will change just a little bit.

Photo Credit: flightlessxbird