“No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change.” – Barbara de Angelis. Aug. 8th is “Happiness Happens Day! What happiness will you create today?

Words to Live By – Six Ways to Breathe Life into Your Day

By Joy Fisher-Sykes

We’ve heard the instructions many times over. There is such familiarity that many people can almost recite them verbatim. In fact, these directives are so crucial; they are printed on placards and demonstrated visually by the staff. They are so important that they can’t wait until you are airborne to share. I’m talking about the life-saving instructions on what to do in case of an emergency that airline passengers receive on every flight before they’re airborne. Given without fail around the globe daily, millions often sit back and ignore flight attendants by reading a magazine, speaking to a neighbor, or simply becoming annoyed at the disruption of quiet. The highlight of the instruction says:

Should the cabin lose pressure, oxygen masks will fall from the ceiling in front of you. If you are traveling with small children, place the mask on yourself first, then place a mask on the child.

Who would have thought for decades the airline industry has been sharing with millions of people a valuable life lesson.

A Life Lesson

At first blush, this directive seems absurd. After all, when you travel with a child, an adult’s natural inclination says children first. Period. No matter the circumstance. However, consider that our emotional side is not always logical. Ponder the life lesson to be learned here. If you do not put your mask on yourself first, if you’re not breathing, how in the world can you ever help that child, yourself, or anyone else?

Learn to Breathe

Many of us choose to give our oxygen away all the time. How many times have you felt the “pressure” and a sense of not being able to cope, not able to breathe? Did you take a deep breath or did you just trudge along depleting your reserves to none? A life on empty has nothing to offer to either you or others. When we fail to see the value of taking care of self before others, we fail to see we can be of no good to anyone unless we choose to take the first breath. Sound selfish? Perhaps, however, it is the only way you can survive. Remember, lack of oxygen causes death – to the mind, the body, and the spirit.

Six Ways to Honor Yourself Daily

What holds true for life in the air holds true for the life we lead on the ground. On a daily basis practice these life-saving strategies to breathe life into your day.

1. Value Time – Time is your most precious commodity that can never be replaced or replenished. Be selective about how and with whom you choose to spend your time. Make every minute count because each is precious.
2. Cut the Umbilical Cord -  Lighten your load and learn to let go. Stop dragging around the troubles of everyone in the world. Constantly trying to solve problems for others not only weighs you down, it denies others the opportunity to learn that they can survive and thrive. Experience breeds personal growth and power. Allow those you love the opportunity to grow. Know that sometimes the best gifts you can offer are your constant love and support and allowing others to resolve their own problems.
3. Maintain Strong Bonds -  The real value in relationships is maintaining a connection. Whether you are near or far, don’t allow the busyness of life to let time slip away. Make a conscious effort to connect with friends and family on a regular basis. (Read the rest of the article at Success)

“Plan for the future, because that is where you are going to spend the rest of your life.” - Mark Twain

Another year is upon us and you have your list of resolutions or goals you want to accomplish in the upcoming year.  It’s time to plan your goals so that it’s not just another conversation this year, but a focused plan for success.  I will share with you five goal setting techniques guaranteed to help you achieve more out of life.  Use the goal setting techniques listed below to help you achieve your targets:

1.      Be SMARTER with your Goals.

Make your goals:

Specific

Motivational

Action-oriented

Relevant to your situation

Time-bound

Encouraging

Rewarding

For example, “I will increase my sales by 15% compared to last year.” Be as specific about your goal as possible. “I will start my own catering business” is a lot stronger than “I want to go into business for myself.” Challenging goals are motivating. Set goals that will push beyond what you usually think you can accomplish. Remember to set a deadline. A goal without a deadline is simply a dream. Attach a realistic yet challenging deadline for accomplishment and post this where you can review it regularly.

2.      Visualize your goals. Take 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes just before you go to bed; find a quiet place; close your eyes and relax, and visualize yourself actually achieving your goals.  Remember the more senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, etc.) you can involve, the more real your visualization becomes.  I ask during my seminars, “Have you ever had a dream that seemed so real that you woke up in the middle of it?”  Well the reason for that is the subconscious mind is at work involving all of those senses to trick you into believing the dream is real.  Well, you don’t have to wait; work at visualizing your goals today.

3.      Phrase your goal in the present tense and assume success. Don’t say, “I want to.” Say, “I will.” This subtle technique tells your subconscious that you have already achieved your goal, which means it will work at helping the goal become a reality. It will attract the people, places, and situations you need to achieve that goal.

4.      Put your goals in writing. This simple act helps you clarify your goals and will allow you to visualize them more effectively. I recommend that you record each goal on a separate index card and review them twice a day – once in the morning (when you first wake up) and again before you go to bed. Post index cards where you spend the most time; on the bathroom mirror, on the frig., on your nightstand, etc.   This process reinforces your goals, acts as a reminder, and drives your goals deep into your subconscious. In fact, this is one of the most powerful strategies you can use to achieve your targets.

5.      List the benefits you intend to receive by achieving each goal. This will keep you focused and strong, particularly when you face the inevitable roadblocks and barriers. In June, when I chose to lose 20 pounds, I listed 12 benefits, and when I had the urge to put butter on my veggies or help myself to a second serving of food, I would review this list to help me get past that craving. I lost the 22 pounds and two inches around my waistline to date.  I think I will go for another 10 pounds.  This was not a diet, just a lifestyle change.  The more benefits you can list for your goals, the more motivating those goals will become.

So my challenge to you to is to take the time to plan your goals.  Start with one goal and visualize it, write it down, and act on it.  As I always say, “If you don’t invest the time to set goals then someone else will do it for you.  And I guarantee you won’t like their goals.”  Invest the time, start today! (For additional goal-setting success tools, go to Focus)

“Opportunities are never lost; someone will take the one you miss.” Author Unknown

Be motivated everyday to seek opportunities which will lead to success in your life.  The following are ten motivation action steps you can take to motivate yourself in work, business, and life:

1. Positive Affirmations for Success – Our subconscious mind is a wonderful tool for success or failure. It will do what we tell it to do. It all depends on what thoughts we feed it. So why not feed your inner mind with only positive thoughts. The following are some examples of positive affirmations you can feed your inner mind for success:

• “Today, I will win because I have faith, courage and enthusiasm.”
• “I see failure only as a signpost on my road to success.”
• “When I feel stress, I will relax and release my stress before I take on my next task.”
• “I always write down my priorities, thinking of my responsibilities. I may not get everything done, but I will do the most productive thing possible at every given moment.”
• “I am a winner, I work for a winning organization, and because of my contribution and cooperation we will keep on winning.”
• “Today, I will see opportunity in every challenge offered to me.”

Read the rest at Motivate Yourself

Happy 4th of July! Joy and I hope that you are enjoying a safe, happy, and healthy 4th of July weekend with friends and family. Please take time to think about why we have such a wonderful holiday and the sacrifices others have made so that we can enjoy it.