Thursday, 16 February 2017
Human Change Management | Gilda Bonanno
Motivation: 21 Words That Can Change Your Life and 3 That Will Surprise You | Allyson Lewis
Motivation is life changing. Your life is changing every day. It is either changing for the better or it is slowly changing for the worse. Motivation is derived from the verb “motivate,” which means “move.” Motivation is the burning desire that compels you to take action. It is a so deeply intertwined with what you believe to be true and right in life that it moves you from a simple desire to a moment of decision. Have you ever watched a working dog? Their only motivation is you.
What is your motivation?
In 2006 I wrote, “Change happens in an instant. It happens the moment you decide to change.”
You are going to be different tomorrow. Stop feeling stuck. When you decide to be different you will find motivation seeping into your thoughts and into your actions. Motivation causes you to take action, it becomes an inner drive fuelling you forward.
We all believe something. When was the last time you asked yourself, “What do I believe?” What role does faith play in my life? Why was I placed on this earth? What is my purpose in life?”
Remembering that motivation is a verb meaning to “move” or take “action”. Family, friends, co-workers and the people all around us are key motivators for how we act. Surround yourself with great people and you will surround yourself with great motivation.
Goals.
It should be no surprise that goals motivate us and inspire us. The most powerful goals are self-directed goals. Self-directed internal goals. They include understanding your priorities and purpose in life, knowing what you believe to be most important and using those goals as a daily guide for how you will choose to live your life.New.
Choosing to learn something new every day will give you a reason to grown and change. This could be something as simple as driving to work via a different route or signing up for guitar lessons.Challenge.
Challenges are frequently seen as some sort of contest like the final four during March Madness. Challenges draw out the best in us. A simple challenge might be to decide to go to bed fifteen minutes earlier for thirty days to see if it improved your daily productivity.Truth.
Truth does not waver. Something either is true or it is not. Truth provides a firm foundation to stand on. Truth strengthens, encourages, and will guide you correctly.Determination.
You’ve met them. Those rare individuals who are determined to continue regardless of how difficult the circumstances. Determination literally means you are willing to put a “stake” in the ground. It is not a casual choice. There are very few things humans will determine to mark as permanent placeholders for their beliefs.Laughter.
Laughter heals the soul. Why is it that children laugh hundreds of times a day and adults laugh only _____ times. Laughter occurs when something unexpected happens that causes your brain to emit a signal to your lungs to expel short burst of air causing you to make audible noises that are a signal of joy all across the world.
Perseverance.
Perseverance reminds me of a road or a bridge – a specific course or path we all walk down. When you feel hopeless and lost, that is when perseverance counts the most. Perseverance is consciously choosing to stay on your path even in the midst of incredible difficulties.Freedom.
Having a sense of control or autonomy over your time and your actions is a powerful motivator. Freedom liberates you to dream and imagine and create. Freedom of stress is one of the most sought after psychological goals.Tenacity.
Tenacity is a word originating with the meaning of adhesiveness. There are frequent times you will find you need to “stick together”. Tenacity never gives up. It never lets go. Willpower lives in the core of your being. Willpower moves you, motivates you and causes you to take action for good or for bad. This inner drive is the control center for many of the decisions you will choose to make moment to moment.Faithful.
Faithfulness is a rare quality in today’s world. It is choosing to remain reliable, trusted and constant. It carries a sense of attachment and devotion to people, causes, organizations and beliefs. Faithfulness is a foundational motivator.Endurance.
This word literally means to have the ability to endure suffering over long periods of time. Grit is stone broken down, but it is still stone. It speaks to the indomitable toughness it can take to push through life’s most difficult trials. Endurance when accepted can build character, patience, wisdom, empathy and compassion.Novel.
Novelty is also one of the most unexpected motivators. When you experience something for the very first time or you see something you have never seen before you may find yourself swept away with emotion. The birth of a child. An unexpected gift. A surprise ending to a difficult moment in life.Tragedy.
Life is full of heartache and indescribable pain. War, illness, death, divorce, financial problems, and injustice. Tragedy regardless of the pain is full of opportunities to learn and grow and find renewal and hope. Tragedy shows you are never alone.Learning.
Any gap in understanding will motivate you to want to fill that knowledge gap. If you want to know more about leadership – read books by great leaders. To learn how to train a dog – hire a dog trainer and take lessons. The incremental acquirement of new knowledge becomes a self-motivating driver.Anticipation.
The act of looking forward to something important happening in your life. When you are just given a glimpse of a future success or opportunity the anticipation releases an incredibly powerful chemical called dopamine into your system. Everything you have ever wanted in your life you were first motivated to strive for attaining it because you anticipated the feeling of importance it would mean to you. Dopamine is the brain chemical of anticipation.Courage.
Lt. Col. (retired) Dave Grossman shared a single quote of where the bravery of being an Army Ranger came from for him. He said, “Courage is just being willing to take one more step.” Sometimes the only motivation you need is to take just one more step.
Hope.
When used as a noun hope is only a feeling, but when used as a verb hope becomes the focal point of your motivation. Sometimes in life all you have is hope. And, in those moments hope will be more than enough.Time.
Time is not merely a framework for how the minutes, hours and days pass by – each day is like having a blank canvas sitting in an art room filled with unlimited options. Improving your motivation through improving your time management will require you to reduce the number of choices you have to let into your life. You will find simplicity and peace in narrowing your focus and increasing your energy and attention only on accomplishing the tasks that bring motivation and meaning in your life.Love.
The foundation of life is love.. There is no way to create a life of meaning without love. There is no motivation, no reason to move or change or engage in life without love. The foundation of motivation is love.And, Three That Might Surprise You
Brain.
The prefrontal cortex is the thinking part of the brain. This is where life happens! In this space just behind your forehead, ideas are created, thoughts are pondered, imagination grows (or dies), judgments are made. This part of the brain is highly specialized in humans; this is where you define meaning, plan for the future, and imagine. Your values, priorities, purpose, goals, drive, learning, love, and hope all live here. Motivation is a decision.Attention.
You experience the depths of motivation when your attention focused so intently on completing a task or a project or a hobby that challenges you to such a point that time stands still. When you are in that moment – swept away from stress and worry – concentrating with full attention – you don’t need motivation – you are experiencing motivitation. At that moment you are motivated. You are in the process of taking action. And, in those amazing moments you realize the life-changing power of motivation. You understand the difference between existing and thriving. And, in that moment – life oozes out of you. And, motivation is contagious.Time Management.
Your personal time management skills affect the levels of motivation you experience in life. Dr. JoAnn Dahlkoetter is a sports psychology expert and coach to Olympic athletes, as well as being a world-class athlete in her own right. She says, “It starts with a dream; motivation comes from within. It has to be an inner desire, an inner fire, a willingness to achieve something you are passionate about.”Far too many people only focus on the hard parts of life that motivation can guide us through. By improving your time management you can create daily blocks of time to focus your time and attention on the part’s of life that motivate you.
Action Steps:
Time Management Tips to Live with More MotivationAssess your current schedule
Determine which activities motivate you and which activities drain you of energy
Take time to think about what you really want out of life (preferably away from work or home)
Clarify what you want in life by writing down personal or professional goals
Create a plan of action – prioritize or sequence the individual action steps you need to take to accomplish your new goals
Use a pen and paper to schedule when you will take these actions.
Then take action.
Remember “motivation” comes from the word “motive” which means to “move” – or to take “action.”
“The secret to motivation is purposeful action.”
~ Allyson Lewis
Plenty food for thought in this great article! So let me know what you think below!
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Wednesday, 15 February 2017
Creating Self Worth | Abraham Hicks
What Is Life? Favorite Inspirational Quotes About Life | Sid Savara
“Life is but a brief moment. The years go by quickly and old age arrives suddenly before we have an inkling. People desire so many things and waste their days in vain. Some yearn for gold, others for power, yet others for glory and a higher station. But when death’s moment nears and they look back at their lives they’ve lived, they realize they’ve been happy only during those moments when they’ve loved.”
-Borje Vahamaki
“Life is ours to be spent, not to be saved.”
– D.H. Lawrence
“Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it onto future generations.”
– George Bernard Shaw
“For a long time it seemed to me that real life was about to begin, but there was always some obstacle in the way. Something had to be got through first, some unfinished business; time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.”
-Bette Howland
“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
– John Lennon
[reddit-me]
“My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”
– Oprah Winfrey
Dude This Entry Is Weird – This Is Not Like Your Normal Articles. What Gives?
For years I have collected quotes that have in some way affected me and changed my life. I collect them in random places – a professor opening a lecture with one, books and those irritating spam forwards from friends. I have literally kept some scraps for years in physical folders – clipping from magazines and printed copies.I have occasionally used these quotes to illustrate my articles. For a long time, I have saved them, hoping for the right article to insert them into. When Ali Hale offered to write about motivation when your passion fades, I dug up a quote from a Reader’s Digest scrap I’d ripped out over 15 years ago to help drive the point home.
I have now realized that six months have gone by, and due to my hardly using quotes in my writing, I have not shared many of these inspirational quotes about life. It struck me as I drew a parallel between what I was doing, and another quote I really enjoy:
“Start living now. Stop saving the good china for that special occasion. Stop withholding your love until that special person materializes. Every day you are alive is a special occasion.”I do not know when the right time will be for many of my favorite quotes. If I find an appropriate article I will reuse the quotes to illustrate a point – but even if I can’t, I still want to share them, else I do a great disservice to you, my readers. Enjoy, and there will be more to come, perhaps once every couple weeks.
– Mary Manin Morrissey
Thanks to Sid for some great quotes. Please let me know what you think below.
Source
Tuesday, 14 February 2017
How to love and be loved | Billy Ward | TEDxFoggyBottom
10 Keys to a Successful Romantic Relationship | Dustin Wax
In romantic relationships, as with so much else, it’s the little things that count. Just as a mis-spoken word or odd look can throw a couple into a weeks-long feud, small and seemingly insignificant gestures can help keep a relationship on track. A little gift, an off-hand compliment, a moment of physical contact can vastly strengthen a relationship.
According to psychologists Nathaniel Branden and Robert Sternberg, who have both researched and written about the challenges of romantic relationships, these little displays of interest and affection can be more important than all the "active listening" and trust games in the world. Their research has suggested 10 keys to keeping both partners content, satisfied, and happy with each other.
1. Tell your partner you love them.
Although it’s true that actions speak louder than words, words often speak more clearly than actions. Take a moment every now and then to verbalize your feelings for your partner. A simple “I love you” or “You mean the world to me” can go a long way towards making your significant other feel wanted, cared for, and secure in your relationship.
2. Show some affection.
Small acts of physical intimacy – the hand on the small of the back as you brush by in the hallway, your arm around their shoulder on the sofa, your hand on their thigh when seated side-by-side, holding hands while walking down the street – give your partner a warm feeling and convey the love and affection you feel for them. The littlest touch can be as important, or even more important, than the longest night of sexual intimacy.
3. Show appreciation for your partner.
Let your partner know on a regular basis what it is that you like most about them – what you admire, what makes you proud, what their strengths are in your eyes. Building a romantic relationship isn’t jsut about the initial bonding – it’s about encouraging and supporting each other’s growth over the course of your lives. Help your partner achieve his or her potential by constantly building them up.
4. Share yourself.
Don’t keep your likes and dislikes, dreams and fears, achievements and mistakes, or anything else to yourself. If it’s important to you, share it with your partner. More than that, be sure to share more with your partner than you do with anyone else. While there is certainly a need for some personal space in even the closest relationship, give as much of yourself and your time as you can bear to your partner.
5. Be there for your partner.
It’s obvious what you need to do when your partner faces a major life challenge like the loss of a job or the death of a loved one. But it’s just as important to be supportive when your partner faces life’s little challenges, too – an argument at work, a rough commute, a misplaced check. Don’t let yourself be a doormat, and definitely don’t stand for physical or verbal abuse, but thicken your skin a little and be the voice of calm and reason when chaos strikes. Listen to what’s bothering them and offer whatever help – even if it’s just sympathy – you can.
6. Give gifts.
Take advantages of opportunities to give material tokens of your love. Just the right book picked up at the bookstore, a special dessert, a piece of jewelry or clothing you noticed at the store – anything small or large that tells them you were thinking of them. Leave a love note for them, or send them an SMS at work to “I love you” – again, the little reminder that they’re always on your mind will help your partner feel better about themselves and secure in your relationship.
7. Respond gracefully to your partner’s demands and shortcomings.
A big killer of relationships is unreasonable expectations. Unless you married a robot, your partner comes pre-loaded with a whole range of human failures and foibles. These are features, not bugs! Learn to recognize and appreciate your partner’s quirks for what they are: an essential part of who they are as people. Since our weaknesses are often at the core of our deepest insecurities, make sure you don’t pick on or otherwise go out of your way to highlight your partner’s flaws.
8. Make "alone time" a priority.
No matter how busy both of your lives are, make sure you commit at least an evening every week or two to be alone together. Have new experiences, share your stories, and just generally enjoy each other’s company.
9. Take nothing for granted.
Cultivate a daily sense of gratitude for your partner and the thousands of little blessings he or she has brought into your life. Remember that, if you’re happy in your relationship, your partner is doing a thousand little things for you every day to make your relationship work (as, hopefully, you are for them). Never take that for granted – a relationship is work of the highest order, and the second you stop it starts to slide away.
10. Strive for equality.
Make sure you follow the Golden Rule in your relationship: do unto your partner as you would have done unto you. Strive for a fair division of household duties and other tasks, and don’t expect or demand special considerations you’d be unwilling to offer in return.
Source
Monday, 13 February 2017
Working backward to solve problems | Maurice Ashley
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