6 Easy Tips To Achieving Happiness

Our destiny is a result of our life choices. The things that are happening around us cannot be controlled, but the way we deal with them make all the difference.

Get use to rejection.

Some people deal with constant failure and put-downs, and yet manage to be huge successes. Some people, on the other hand, are dealt with good cards, yet fail to see the beauty behind their blessings, thus making them failures. 

There is deep correlation between happiness and life success. One without the other would be empty, and seem so worthless. Happiness is a choice, but one must remember that the results in your life are greatly affected by the degree of happiness you feel. No task is too difficult, no challenge too impossible when you feel joyous inside. So how do you achieve happiness? Are there techniques to help you realize more fulfillment in life? 

Keep your dream alive.

Adapt the best attitude. Most people are limited by their own thinking. The best way you can achieve a life goal is by thinking that you can do it, and by constantly giving it your all. It's not going to be an easy ride, but all the potholes you will encounter along the way help you be the best person you can be. If you feel your goal is too difficult to reach, stop keeping your eye on the goal (your destination) and instead set your eyes on the journey towards your goal. Sometimes, we fail to realize that the lessons life teaches us are those which are most important, and not the success at the end. 

Ignore the little man. (Negative naysayers)

Be with the right people. Don't waste your time dealing with people with a negative attitude - they will only bring you down with them. Instead, spend your life with positive, hardworking and determined people. These people will inspire you to be your best, and prod you to go on whenever you feel like giving up. The best people are those who will help you get back up when you fall, not those who will kick you to the curb.

A positive person's attitude is catching- there's always sunshine surrounding them, and they always see the silver lining behind every dark shadow. These people will hold your hand every step of your journey towards success, and hang on to you when you fall.

Stay Focused

 Focus on what you have. This is the root cause of envy. It's not true that the grass is greener on the other side - it's all a matter of perspective. Learn to appreciate what you have, and stop wishing you had what others have. Do you know what their pains are? Are you aware of what they had to give up in order to get to where you are? If you are not ready to give up everything, then stop wishing for the things which are not yours. I had a friend who told me that the price he had to pay for his success in business is losing his entire family in the process.

This is a lesson for most of us - focus on your life, not others'. If you wish to emulate other successful people's triumphs, then use them as inspiration - and work you way towards success. Envy will get you nowhere, plus it also often makes people angry and bitter.

Keep smiling

Smile more often. When you smile, people are drawn to you. You come off as pleasant and cheerful, even if you have pain. A smile makes you and everyone around you feel better. It sends a positive message to everyone. Have you noticed how lonely Mr. Scrooge is despite his wealth? It's because he is always grumpy and mad, never smiling, even when things are going well. He is alone at the top, despite sitting on bags and bags of money. After all, what good is wealth, when you don't have anyone to share it with?

A person who has little, on the other hand, but is always eternally smiling because of the very little that he has will most probably have a load of friends. These friends are actually the best treasures a happy person has in life. They are the ones who will enter his room when everyone else decides to head out to the exit. They will be there when they are needed most.

Let it go

Let go when you know you should. Too many people are unhappy and unsuccessful because they fail to realize when to quit. There are just some battles which are better left  not fought. When something (or someone) is not worth fighting for, then let go. You will not only save yourself from more pain, you will also have more time to pursue better options. There is a thin line separating persistence and being hard head. Persistence is fighting 'til you reach your goal. Hard head, on the other hand, is insisting on fighting even if you know the battle isn't worth your while. Holding on is being brave, but letting go takes more courage. You must choose your battles, because not all battles are worth pursuing. 

 In the end, it is always your choice to be happy.

My Favorite (Brian Tracy) Goal Setting Technique

Happy New Year!

How is the goal setting going?

If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed with setting goals in each area of your life, or if you are overwhelmed now that you have set goals in every area of your life and you are already wondering where you're going to get the time to do it all, then you're not alone.

I've been goal setting for years, and while I (and the rest of the world) may get pumped up by all the wonderful things I'm going to accomplish and all the changes I'm going to make, what I've learn is that there is only so much time. 

It's an old story, but if you want to know how much of the goal setting (and accomplishing) really goes, just drive by your local gym's parking lot during the first week of January and compare it to the first week in March. 

I once heard Brian Tracy talk about setting goals, and he recommended a technique that not only made a lot of sense, but that turns out to be so powerful, it is life changing...

He said what you do is make a list of your top ten goals for the year. Think about what's most important to you in the different areas of your life, and write down ten things. 

Next, prioritize that list so that the most important goal is number one. The way to determine which goal is number one is to ask yourself which of the ten would have the most impact on your life if you actually reached it.

Once you have your list prioritized, throw away the other nine goals and make a commitment to making that number one goal a reality in the coming twelve months. 

And once you've made that commitment, ask yourself what one action you can take today, right now, to begin reaching that goal. And once you have identified that, do it.

Before you go to sleep tonight, identify the one action you're going to take tomorrow, and then commit to taking it.

And then do this each and every day until you have accomplished that one most important goal.

When I heard this, my first thought was, "Yeah, but what about the other nine goals? What about balance and all that?" 

And that's when he explained that despite our best intentions, most goal setting starts strong, but by March we've given up on half of them, and by the summer most - if not all - have been abandoned. 

That's why identifying one goal, the most important and most impacting goal, is a better way to go. 

Think about how much your life will change (and the lives of your family members) if you reach your number one, most important goal.

If your goal is to become a top producer in your industry and double or triple your income, think about the impact that will have on your family! Think about buying that new home, or providing for your parents, or allowing your wife or spouse to stay home.

If your goal is to finally write that novel, think about how your life will change when you finally accomplish that this year! Think about the weight off your shoulders now that it is a reality rather than just another dream.

If your goal is to lose weight, get in shape, and get off your medication and live a longer, healthier life for yourself and your family, think about the long term rewards achieving that goal will bring you! (And think of the consequence if you don't.)

Whether or not you agree with Brian, I'm here to tell you that it's more impacting for you to hit the most important goal in your life than it is to set ten and not hit any of them...

And, hey, if you reach your number one goal by July, you can get to number two!

If you've set goals for years and not been very successful at following through, then why not take the pressure off yourself and try Brian's method? Take his 14 day goal setting challenge: 

In just 14 days, gain clarity on exactly what you want to achieve in every area of your life. Create a plan of action to start reaching your goals immediately from BrianTracy.com.

How bad would it be if you actually reached your most important goal in 2017?

What Is Your Passion?

What is passion? Dictionary definitions include "a powerful emotion, such as love, joy, hatred, or anger; ardent love; strong sexual desire; lust; the object of such love or desire; boundless enthusiasm or the object of such enthusiasm; an abandoned display of emotion, especially of anger", and so on. 

This article is about passion in the sense of powerfully focused emotion/enthusiasm. Your passions can be an excellent indicator of what you are here to do. Before coming to this planet, we agreed to a separation from our eternal selves, so that part can only speak to us through our emotions, saying "yes, that one" or "no, not this way". The more passionate you are on a certain topic, the more likely it is to be part of what you are here to do. The following questions will help you identify your passions: 

What do you LOVE? 
What do you KNOW? 
What do you DESIRE? 
What do you EXCEL AT? 
What do you FOCUS ON? 
What do you SEE that others don't? 
What do you need to INTEGRATE? That means getting your system lined up with what you want, on all levels. 

These seven are the components of PASSION. So let's look at them:

What do you LOVE? When you love someone or something, then you automatically see the best in that person or topic, and willingly lend yourself to its care and support. This opens up your faculties for compassion and light. You are more naturally light-hearted and enlightened about those things you love, and this increases your desire and ability to learn about that person or subject. Remember when you were in love? And how you wanted to know everything about your beloved? Well, some people feel the same about medicine, design, or engineering: it's endlessly fascinating if that is the object of your love. Well, if that topic is part of your blueprint, you will have a similar enduring fascination. So what you love is going to be part of what you are here to do. In fact, learning to love is one of our required courses during this lifetime. 

What do you KNOW? Your inner blueprint is always going to combine your previous experiences and types of training, no matter how diverse. Whatever you did and learned in the past adds to your unique skill set and perspective, both of which can be used in the service of your divine blueprint once you are in alignment. 

What do you DESIRE? What do you lean in to? What do you feel the lack of when it's absent, and enjoy when it reappears? Contrary to some religious positions that distrust desire, or see it as the root of all suffering, I believe that desire is your firmest connection between your higher self and your human self, between the seen and unseen fields. Through desire, your eternal self is attempting to guide you using your emotions. When you have expanded feelings, it means "go here - do this!" Contracted or negative feelings mean "not this one". So you can use your desire nature to find out what you are here to engage with. Usually your desires are positive, and bring you joy or pleasure. Of course, sometimes the lesson is "don't do this again!"

What do you EXCEL AT? If you are designed to do something specific, you will naturally have the resources to fulfill your assignment. You come fully loaded with the talents and programs you require to thrive! So many people think they should do this or that, then look at how they can train as an accountant, doctor, architect, or whatever. They think about what might work for them, rather than asking what their inner blueprint calls for. People who go the conventional route tend to get burnt out by their 40s, because the work they do is out of alignment for their lives. It's so much more efficient and enjoyable to listen within and find out what programs you already have, and what you require to polish that up and express it. Mozart had a innate genius for composition; he just needed to practice the piano, and fortunately was born to a father who taught keyboards. Now, that's the way to learn excellence! 

What do you FOCUS ON? By universal law, what you focus on expands in your life. You always focus on what's important to you, for good or ill. Some people appear to relish suffering, martyrdom, poverty and depression - at least they stay focused on stress or pain. Your focus says a lot about what your Spirit finds important. One person devotes a lot of time to staying fit and healthy; another speaks/writes/thinks about spiritual issues all the time. Yet another is fascinated by numbers and spends all her time on mathematics and physics. Someone else loves order, and becomes an accountant (as well as keeping a tidy home and having a haircut every month). Your focus shows up everywhere in your life, not just your profession, though of course, it's best to have a profession that uses your natural focus! Fortunately it's usually easy to identify your natural focus, because (of course) you'll be spending a lot of time doing whatever that is. 

What do you SEE that others don't see? This identifies your area of service, and thus what you are passionate about. Serving humanity, the planet, and God (however you think of God) is about seeing problems and creating wonderful solutions that restore, improve or create better conditions for everyone. In order to solve a problem, you have to see that there is a problem. The more precisely and clearly you see a particular problem, the more likely it is that you are part of the solution, and the greater passion you will have for solving it. We each have a unique vision of the world, and we can use that to help co-create heaven on earth. This applies equally to the negative (situations that are out of whack) and positive (your vision of how great and wonderful things could be). Your vision will indicate your unique contribution to rebuilding the world. 

What do you need to INTEGRATE? Most of us have issues that need to be resolved, and goals that need to be integrated so that we can get back in alignment with who we truly are. Integration means bringing your goals into harmony with your field so that what you desire becomes possible for you. A goal is anything you want that you don't have yet. Most people don't attain their goals because they have contamination's to their bio-computers that are blocking their system; when those contamination's are cleared, many things become possible that were not possible before. The most effective way to to integrate your goals is using Geotran human programming, because Geotran integrations are designed to get you back in alignment with your divine self. Setting your goals helps you to see who you are and what you truly want, and integrating them resets your alignment - so it's a double treat! 

So what are you passionate about? Where does your enthusiasm show itself most strongly? That is the single most important indicator of what you are here to do. The fortunate ones have such strong passions that they know immediately what path to take. Most of us have to work at it a bit, because everyone has pressure from their family, culture or society, and that can be distracting until you learn that being who you are is the most important thing you in life. 

So, although detachment is required for mastery, and that makes many masters look unemotional, detachment does NOT diminish your passions. Rather, detachment gives you a sense of proportion, so that you can channel your passions in the best and most obedient way. With detachment, you can balance obedience and your passions in the service of your divine assignment here on planet earth. Without passion, you don't have a direction or assignments to focus on. So cherish your passions, have fun with them, give them free rein, and allow them to direct you in line with what you're here to do!

5 Ways to Identify Your Purpose and Unique Talent

How many of you 'get' the concept of finding your passion and building a business around it, but are

struggling to make it happen?

I get it. Being told to find your passion is like being told to cheer up when you're feeling depressed. Not only is it not helpful, it's counter-productive because it just makes you feel even more disconnected from your inner gifts.

Wherever you are on the spectrum of finding purpose and meaning through your creative expertise, everything you need is within you. It's just a matter of bringing it to light, little by little.

Here are 5 ways to help you do that:

1) Meditate (any which way you can)

As those of you who've been hanging out with me a while know, I fervently believe personal and professional development go hand-in-hand. If you don't manage your mind someone else will do it for you (and believe me, that's never going to end well!) So how do you do that? Pretty much every entrepreneurial or spiritual leader will tell you the same thing - through meditation.

I know, I know, meditation's hard. Who wants to sit still, trying (and failing) to still their monkey mind, especially when there's so much to do? If sitting still and meditating feels too challenging, try listening to a guided meditation on your iphone as you walk. Anything that stills your mind, even for a minute, is helpful. One minute a day. We can all try that, right? 

2) Look for ways to feel inspired

I can't tell you how many times I get an idea for a newsletter, talk or program by listening to an interview with someone I admire. In fact, this post was inspired by this Brené Brown talk. No matter what field you're in, there are thought-leaders and pioneers paving the way. Read their books, go to conferences where they're speaking, watch or read interviews with them. Greatness is contagious, so rub elbows with those who've got it going on.

3) Get input from a trusted partner

The tricky thing about gifts is they come so easily to us, we think everyone possesses them. When in fact, it's precisely that gift that others need, and will pay for. Using a trusted partner as a mirror to help you identify your talents can be incredibly clarifying, so consider recruiting a great client, a supportive friend/accountability buddy, or a coach to help shine a light on it.

4) Identify the problems you are uniquely equipped to solve

The thing that makes your unique gift have value and IMPACT in the world is figuring out what problems you solve, and for whom. Knowing who your ideal client is will give you clarity, purpose and make your efforts all the more effective. Not knowing who your ideal clients are, or how you solve their biggest challenges, is often the missing piece of the puzzle for struggling entrepreneurs or freelancers, so if you could use some clarity around that's my specialty!

5) Communicate how your ideal client benefits from your gifts

As a result of working with you, will your ideal client: 

- Have a more successful brand 
- Feel healthier 
- Have more free time 
- Make more money 
- Look better

People will only hire you if they can immediately see how doing so will positively transform your life. Take the time to really get clear on these benefits and make those the center of your messaging and content. I promise, it's a game changer. 

I get that there's a lot of information here and putting it all together, in the right order and sticking with it long enough to get results is a tall order. If you're ready to get the clarity you need to align your gifts, message and services with the clients who have the burning desire and money to invest in working with you, I'd love to help you reach your goals.

Traits Successful People Possess

Leaders achieve goals in cooperation with and through the actions of the people in their organization. Effective leaders encourage their employees' personal success because they understand that personal success translates into organizational success. They know that successful people build successful organizations.  

THREE CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE ARE:

1. Goal direction: They know where they stand, where they want to go and have a plan to get there. 

2. Self Motivation: As self starters, they wind their own clock. 

3. Positive mental attitude: Successful people look for ways to complete tasks. They focus on strengths and break self-imposed limitations created by low self esteem.

These traits are interrelated. Strengthen one and you strengthen them all. Success breeds more success through increasing momentum. 

GOAL DIRECTION: 

A much quoted study found that the three percent of the population who created a specific written plan became not only financially independent but out produced those with only general goals by 10 to 100 times.  

Goal directed action leads to success, which arrives when you make that first step towards a goal, not when you reach your goal. Every action step you take towards your goal is a success that brings you closer to the end result you want.  

You can learn the skill of goal direction. Great managers provide goal training and instill goal direction through the planning process. They ensure expected results when they hold themselves and their organization accountable. 

When employees meet their personal goals while helping the company meet its goals, they make great achievements possible. Outstanding leaders build an environment where personal and organizational goals complement each other.  

SELF-MOTIVATION 

Motivation, the sum of two words, motive and action, is the reason a person takes an action. Motivation, movement towards a goal, is goal directed action. 

In the business world, motivation often arises from fear or incentives, both of which are generated by another person and temporary in nature.  

For instance, an employee might be scared by the threat of losing a bonus. Over time people build immunity to fear in that they work just hard enough to get the job done then stop taking action. They don't grow and develop to their full potential. 

Incentives are often part of an employee's compensation plan. For example, a sales incentive plan can effectively increase sales in the short run. However, today's incentive plan often becomes tomorrow's expectation. As the reward becomes expected, the incentive must increase.  

Read:  Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Self motivation, however, is internal, permanent and unique to each individual. We motivate ourselves. When we work and live through self-motivation, we take more control over our lives than we could ever imagine having, much like a thoroughbred horse that runs for the thrill of running. The joy and excitement of doing something we love brings great achievement and meaning to our lives.     

POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE 

Which would you rather have as an employee or co-worker, a person with a positive attitude and average skills or a person with high skills and a negative attitude? 

Effective leaders understand that attitude is everything. We heighten success when we look for ways to accomplish our goals rather than make excuses.  

Winners and losers dress alike, eat in the same restaurants, shop in the same stores and work in the same offices. Attitude, behavior and the results they achieve make the difference.  

Winners confidently expect that they can turn any situation to positive advantage. Using positive behaviors; they listen and learn. Their attitude and behavior lead to peak performance.  

The difference between the average and very successful person is quite small. Successful people don't work three times as hard. Effective managers know how to develop the slight edge in people that creates a major increase in performance. They instill an attitude of abundance and positive expectancy in their people. 

HOW TO BUILD SUCCESS TRAITS 

Successful leaders use these four action steps to build success traits in their management team: 

1. Create a positive work environment: People respond to their environment. Build an environment where people want to be and want to do their best. 

 2. Encourage people to stretch for professional development: Most people want to progress and grow. Effective leaders make a point of learning what motivates their employees and then give personal and organizational encouragement.  

 3. Strive for excellence: Help people hold themselves accountable for their personal goals. Hold them accountable for organizational goals.  

4. Share power to create personal commitment to key initiatives: An effective leader understands that sharing power is the most effective way to build personal motivation. When participants take intellectual and emotional ownership of the initiative, they become part of the solution and develop personal commitment to the outcome.  

HOW TO BUILD SELF ESTEEM 

Effective leaders understand that attitude is crucial and that self esteem, the sum of our conditioning from an early age, affects it in many ways. Leaders raise the self esteem of their employees by helping them:  

 Avoid comparison to others.  

When we compare ourselves to others we set ourselves up for disappointment. Someone always has stronger experience or is a more polished speaker. The only relevant measure of personal improvement is to compare our capabilities from yesterday to our capabilities today  

Resist putting yourself down.  

Don't let the person in the mirror become a block. Understand your starting point and set a goal to change. Once you start to actively work towards a goal, you create success not at the end point but during the game. Every day you work towards the culmination of your long range goals.

Improve a discipline in some part of your life.  

Working to fulfill your goals gives you an incentive to do more and do it better each day. When you consistently take the right actions, you feel better about yourself and regularly reach a higher plateau. 

Celebrate small victories. 

Recognize that each step you complete towards your goals is a positive accomplishment that takes you closer to your final objective. You raise your effectiveness every day. 

SUMMARY

The difference between being average and successful is small. A successful person doesn't work harder, he or she works with a distinct goal in mind. For this reason effective leaders strive to strengthen success traits in themselves and their employees. 

Personal and organizational successes go together. When employees meet their personal goals as they help the organization meet its goals, they make great achievements possible.Build an environment where personal and organizational goals complement each other.  

Successful leaders build an organization of committed people who together accomplish great feats. 

They believe in the adage:  

"Self motivation is the power that raises you to any level you seek"