To make money savings you need something more than to spend less money. How much to save? Where to place them? How can you be sure that it will remain there «spared»? The first step is to set realistic goals, to keep control of costs and to «pay yourself» first of all.

1. Define your objective

For short-term objectives setting goals can be simple. If you just want to buy a game, all you have to do is find out how much it costs. If you wish to buy a house, calculate the amount of the advance you should provide. For longer-term goals such as retirement, you should do more planning (estimate how much money you will need to live comfortably after retirement and estimate how your investments will help you achieve your goals).

- «Kill» your debt first. Calculating how much you spend each month on your debts shows that eradication is the fastest way to «free» money. Once the money is «released» of the debt can be easily reused for savings.

2. Set a timetable

For example, «I want to be able to buy a house in three years from now». Set a date for the attainment of short-term objectives and ensure that the goal is attainable within that time. If it is not possible then you will simply be discouraged.

3. Determine the amount of savings

Calculate how much savings would be per week, per month, or per salary for achieving each of your goals. For everything you want to buy calculate how much you have to save to get through the schedule you set. For most purposes it is better to save the same amount each period. For example, if you want to give a 20,000 dollars deposit on a house in 36 months you should saved 550 dollars each month. But if your salary amounts to 1,000 dollars monthly, then your goal does not seem realistic. What you should do is to change the schedule to come up with a more feasible scenario.

4. Keep records of your expenses

The amount of money you can save is the difference between two activities: the amount of your income and the amount of your spending. Since you have more control on the amount you spend, it is wise to look critically at your expenses. Write for two weeks or a month where you spend your money. Be as detailed as possible in your «inventory», including small purchases. Then try to categorize the type of expenses. For example: rent, car insurance, car expenses, phone bills, petrol, food, entertainment, etc.

5. Cut your expenses

Look out your spending the last two months. It is very likely to be surprised when you look at costs: 100 dollars to ice cream, 150 dollars in parking tickets, etc. Probably you will find some expenses that you can cut. Depending on the amount you need to save, you may need to take some difficult decisions. Set your priorities and make the cuts that would have less impact on your well being. Calculate how much you win every year from these cuts, so you will have more incentives to perform them. For example you can move to a less expensive apartment, you can refinance your mortgage, you can save money by using natural gas, to reduce the movements with your car, limiting the use of mobile phones, home cooking e.t.c

6. Stop using the credit card!

Pay your purchases with cash, not checks or credit cards. It is easier to make more expenses when making your purchases with plastic money because they you do not know at any moment how much money you have in your pocket. With cash, instead, you can monitor the «supply» you exhausted.

7. Pay yourself first

Savings should be your priority, so do not tell yourself that savings will be what is left at the end of the month. You must deposit in your savings account once you get your salary. For example you can set an automatic money transfer from your payroll account to your savings account.

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In the era of globalization, economic and social crisis, a new «sport» is claiming a position in life and with it what is called Life Coach. There is a saying that “The Players won’t play if Coaches don’t Coach”. This also applies to your personal life as well. A life coach can be your personal coach that can train you how to live your life to the maximum potential. In our daily life we are judged constantly for our performance in our professional and family environment. We are constantly seeking personal success and satisfaction but sometimes things are not so simple as they seem.

People have unlimited powers to do what they wish to do, to do what they want to do and to succeed in what they wish to succeed.

What is a life coach?

Sometimes however it is not enough to do a few hours of yoga per week read a book about self-improvement or visit the psychologist. Sometimes you need all together and more. You need a Life Coach for example, who undertakes to assist you when everything in your life change and you need to be ready to change your life and claim a new way to live.

To seek help when you are confused or when you feel that something is wrong, is not a confession of failure, but a positive attitude towards life, which can lead to substantive change, resulting in better performance.

Nowadays, stress is dominating our life and the conditions in order for someone to be happy, safe and creative are increasing, a Life Coach can help you manage stress, gain self-control, improve self-confidence and acquire life balance and completeness.

A life coach can help you become creative and can assist you maximize your personal development and professional skills. It can help you clarify your goals and be able to succeed at all levels, professionally and personally.

A life coach works with a series of methods and a variety of techniques that can be applied to your current situation and help you practice your feelings, thoughts and behaviour in order to improve your self esteem, self control and skills for a happier and more complete lifestyle. A life coach can teach you how to be successful in life. What is important is that it can help you evolve as you want and how find happiness in your life.

The life coach is becoming quickly one of the most important tools used by successful people who live an exciting life.

Life coaching is useful to people of all professions and social background who are willing and want to go forward with the issues that affect them, to improve their relationships with themselves and others, to manage strong emotions, to handle daily or critical situations, to make use the maximum of their capacity and to adapt to a change in their life.

What can a life coach do for you?

Through weekly sessions, a life coach can help its clients identify what is most important to them and align their thoughts, words and acts accordingly.

A life coach can work with you to determine what you want on a personal and professional level, and to a support you make a life that you want and love.

The commitment to move forward in your life through coaching offers a means for more balance, joy, intimacy, energy, economic prosperity, concentration and action in every area of your life.

A life coach can help you:

Set the life goals that you really want
Do more and achieve more in your life
Focus better in order to have better results quickly
Supply you the tools, support and structure on how to be successful in your life

How is a life coach different from therapy or advice?

Life coaching is not therapy, which goes into depth on various topics that are usually to do with the past, nor is it advice, which usually results in giving the client answers.

Life coaching is more action oriented and focuses primarily on the present and future. A life coach will give you the opportunity to define your own “answers” through the work to be done in the life coaching programs.

Who works with a life coach?

Entrepreneurs, business owners, professionals and people who are in the process of changing their life are some of those who usually work with a life coach. Regardless of the effort of their profession or position in life, all potential customers of a life coach have one common feature: they are all successful, resourceful and intelligent people who want to get even more from their lives. The life coaching is like having a personal trainer for your life!

The advantages of working with a life coach

Life coaching has been shown to function effectively if two factors are present:

1. The customer is willing to learn, to mature and act
2. There is a gap between where the customer is now and what he/she wants to achieve in life

A life coach can help you act better and more effectively

The primary goal of a life coach is to help you find what you want for yourself. Once you have set your goals, which should be clearly aligned with your personal values and professional vision, you would be more likely to act naturally and consistently to achieve them.

A life coach can help you live a balanced life

Professional success is maximized when you enjoy a sense of personal fulfilment and life balance. You can learn how to balance your selfishness in a way to be responsible, and how to find enough time so your life outside of work is exactly that you want to be.

A life coach can help you take better decisions

Sharing your ideas with a life coach will help you focus and concentrate better. The life coach will give you advice and guide you through various techniques on how to make better decisions, which will be for your own benefit. Also by talking to someone who really listens to you, is by itself sufficient to clarify many things.

A life coach can assist you to get more from your life

When you have a partner that you can trust this can help you go much higher because you can endure it. Are you ready to go to the next level and live your life to the maximum? A life coach is a partner that allows you to drive your life where you want to go.

A life coach can also advice you how to make and have more money

Most people deserve much more money than they make. Are you satisfied with your financial situation, if not, you can look with your life coach at your beliefs about money and find out what keeps you away from economic prosperity.

A life coach can help you find more energy

You can recognize with your life coach the things that drain your energy and create a long-term strategy to eliminate them. In addition, you will focus on things that fill you with power and you will explore how to maximize their influence. When you are happy, productive and free from the things that create you problems, life is much more beautiful!

How to get the most from your life coach

Focused on what you really want

Life coaching can help you clear your objectives based on your real skills. First, you need to seriously think about how you want to change your life. Then, acknowledge the gaps between how things are now and how would you like them to be. Many people are struggling with this, so if you are not sure about what you really want, life coaching is an excellent tool that can give you greater clarity.

Be flexible

Working with a sensitive and understanding life coach is a healthy way to grow. Most people hire a life coach to work on specific goals and most of the time the focus is on this mission. In practice however, many people discover new aspects about them, and understand that they can regulate their targets to be more aligned with what they are. This discovery process is natural and need not focus on it, just realize that it is very likely to happen.

What a life coach will demand from you?

A life coach will demand a lot from you. You will be asked to experiment with new approaches and to try new ideas. You will have to say the whole truth, and be ready to set higher goals for your life.

You will have to be prepared before each session and you may have to perform some ‘home work’ exercises that will have to do with your commitments and objectives.

The answer to the question: What is a life coach? Is then simple. Life coach is a trainer for life. It is a person that can help you change your life and explore your potential both in your personal and professional environment. Rapid personal and professional development is the registered trademark of life coaching.

image source: bionicteaching

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Happiness is one of the most valuable pleasures life has to offer. Why wait…change your life today and be happy. To find happiness in your life you need to change your thinking and convince your self that you ‘are allowed’ to be happy. Happiness is not something that you can buy but is a personal matter and each of us to find happiness must search through our self.

How many times have you wonder and how many times you have heard other people wonder – Something is missing from my life and I am not happy?

Usually, we do not know what this «something» that is missing from our lives is and wish we had known. Other times we believe that what we lack and make us unhappy is a good relationship, a good job, friends and thousands of other things that can be either tangible goods or other psychological factors such as communication, love, understanding, confidence, etc.

Usually, the thought of this situation creates the impression that our life is empty, boring and has no purpose. Unfortunately we are trying unsuccessfully to fill this deficiency by buying things, eating a lot of food and other abuses that with mathematical precision leads to more difficult trails than what we are already. The unhappy life leads us to take risks that do not provide a solution to our problems, for example the making of an extramarital relationship (in such a case you may need to take some relationship advice) or to take costs beyond our capabilities, such as buying a very expensive car or house. We believe that experimenting with our life and taking unreasonably dangerous risks and decisions will eventually discover the secret of happiness and escape from the traps of our life.

This is not the correct approach to find happiness. The tragedy is that even if we take risks or fill our lives with useless items we will eventually realize that the unhappiness in our souls will continue to exist. We enter into this pattern of behaviour that makes us look for more and more, asking more and more and feel more and more alone, more confused and more dissatisfied. To change your life today and be happy you need to think outside the box and see your life from a different angle.

Why do we miss something from our lives? And what is this something that we do not have? To feel so dissatisfied that means we have lost contact with all those things already in our lives that give us some happiness, we have lost contact with our values and the people who enhance our lives with their presence and their words. All these factors enhance our lives and give it balance and completeness. Since these factors do not exist for one reason or another, it seems that our life is empty and we are trying to fill it with substitutes of happiness that may make us feel the same emotions of joy and completeness.

All those things that give meaning to your life and transform it from a daily routine of survival to a paradise full of adventure, happiness, are hidden deep within you and are buried by the difficulties and the negative thoughts you have in your brain. Instead of desperately looking to find new sources of happiness, you should first change your brain to change you life. Change your life today by looking into happiness. What you really need is to relax, be calm and to think how you became happy in the past and what were those things that filled you with enthusiasm. Analyse how can you raise your morale and give you the strength to do everything you want to find the happiness in your life.

To find happiness in your life you need to take action and change your life. You need to find out what is missing or what is going wrong and take action to correct it. If your are missing someone, then make the first step to get this person in your life. It is not difficult, you just need to overcome your insecurities and selfishness and admit that the presence of someone can make you happy in your life.

If you are missing your favourite hobby that makes you relax and feel creative, then you should try and find some time from your daily schedule to do what you like to do and be happy.

If you think you lost your life in the vortex of reality and into the rawness of life and its problems, then it is time to change your life and seek happiness. Perhaps it’s time to change your life today and set goals for your self, for your work and your family. Its time to rediscover the child and teenager in your life that is facing life as a great challenge and not as a boring obligation that you have to do.

Satisfaction and completion in our lives do not arise from external factors but from our self, our thoughts and how we create the reality around us.

If you miss the love, then bring love to your life but after your have learned to give it generously. If you are missing the optimism, then visualize now the most beautiful dreams for your future and then set your goals to achieve them. If you lack interest, deal with interesting activities that you love and are of interest. If you miss communication with other people, exit your shell and lay your hand to the people – you will be really surprised by how many people will respond to your call.

When you feel exhausted when you feel alone, dissatisfied, empty, frustrated, do not give up. Do not leave your fate in mercy. It is the time to gather all your forces, and change your life today to find happiness! You are not missing anything to fill your life with beauty. You only need to realize it and do it….

First you need to define what things are important in your life. Is it your work; Is it your relationship or your marriage? The material goods? Creativity or fun?

Think of the times when you felt really happy. Where and with whom you were and what where you doing that gave you the feeling of happiness. May be its the time to repeat it today.

Decide and from now on devote more time to things that are important to you and in simple everyday things that make you happy! A good meal, a friendly conversation, a warm hug or a smile is enough….

Start with simple everyday trivial things that might bring happiness. Contact an old friend, buy a soap that smells wonderful, and enjoy a drink with your partner in the light of candles, read some pages from your favourite book.

Concentrate on the positive aspects of yourself and of others and try to see life from the beautiful part without hidden motives and suspicious. Smile at your life and will smile back! Smile to the people around you, tell them a warm conversation, and for sure the smile and warmth will hit your door.

Write on a paper your positive points and all those things that give you happiness.

Evaluate the positive pieces in your life. Find out what is wrong and what makes your happy. Ask people who love what makes them happy and try for a moment to make them a little happy.

The happiness in life is ultimately very simple. It is found around us every moment, in every little thing that we consider trivial and we let go. Happiness is being with a person that makes you happy, happiness is eating lunch with good company, watching a movie on TV with ice cream, listening to music, making an intelligent conversation… All these are very simple as long as you understand and give them the appropriate significance, then you will be able to change your life and fill it with more and more smiles of happiness….

Remember that happiness is … the unknown! Many people wonder but do not know for sure what really makes them happy and complete. The concept of happiness is a personal matter and each of us to find happiness must search through our self. The best think you can do for your life is to Change your life today and be happy!

image source: ericmcgregor

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Have you ever wonder: Why some people are successful in life? What makes a person successful? Why do some people stand back on their feet quickly – even after really difficult situations, while others are falling with the slightest difficulties? Ultimately, what are those characteristics that successful people have and are able to cope in the demanding modern life, with the many obligations and problems? How can some people manage to change their life even in the most difficult economic situations where all values and qualities are judged? This article outlines 7 ways on how to be successful in life.

We cannot avoid the blows and disappointments of life, but we can learn how to deal with them effectively and bypass them with no problems. Long-term investigations of two known U.S. scientists, the psychiatrist Steven Wolin and his wife, Sybil Wolin, revealed seven characteristics shared by people who are more resistant to critical events. Learning from these people can help you change your life and become successful.

1. Successful people have a positive vision for success

Vision is the ability to see what is going to happen before it happens. Vision is a powerful tool for the development of emotional resistance. To improve your vision you can follow the simple exercises below:

Bring to your mind a problem you have in your personal or professional life. Try to analyse the problem by entering the position of other people involved in it. Think about whether their perspectives differ from yours and how this changes your initial perception about the problem.

Turn into a difficult period that you have managed to overcome in the past. Acknowledged to your self the power to manage the situation properly. Redefining the role of yourself and watching your actions under a positive light, can help you build self-esteem and confidence, which increases your resistance to various difficult situations.

Learn from experience. Repeat what worked before and never again make the same mistakes. Took the lessons learned and apply them in similar situations. If you want to change your life and be successful you have to learn from your mistakes and make sure that you do not do the same mistakes again and again. Successful people do not stay in the past, but they use the past to show them the correct way for the future.

2. Successful people live an independent life

Independence is the physical and emotional ability to remove us from a potentially disastrous situation, like a bad family relationship. It is also the ability to gain independence of thought, beyond the problematic context. With independence comes the understanding that we are not responsible for the behavior of others but only for our own. Do you think that you are independent in your life?

When something goes wrong in your life, from how many people you can ask for support?
Can you easily create new relationships in the society and the environment you work?

You need to find the ways to live your own life. The only person that can help you change your life, or that can help you become successful and reach your goals, is you. Search for your life independence and stick to it. Be patient and have a positive attribute towards life.

3. Successful people help other people to become successful

The offer of assistance to other people is a strong defense against the feelings of low value. Assistance to others is a positive experience that makes people feel good and helps to overcome the feelings of incompetence that we possibly have inside us. If you feel that there is no meaning in your relationships and your job, try to think about:

Your values. What are your values and how important role they play in your work and in your relationships?
Find ways to participate in activities where you can help other people. Join groups, which share the same interests or participate in charitable organizations. Working with people who have the same values with your own will give a greater meaning to the experiences you gain. If you can help other people to change their lives then you will be able to help your self to change your life. If you can help someone to find success in their life, you have more chances helping yourself to become successful.

4. Successful people have creativity

The expression of our self through a creative process is an important tool for emotional survival. People are creative for various reasons, but in this case we are interested in how creativity can be used for the development of resistance. Creativity is not necessary to be expressed in the public. It can be a very personal way to express an unpleasant experience through writing or painting. «It is a way to put limits on an experience. From the moment you give a name to the monster, is not so scary anymore”. Find time to be creative, some tips to help you:

Attend a creative workshop, be it painting, photography or cooking.
Stop listening to that annoying voice in your head that says I will not go well. And even if you do fail…what’s the big deal?

Successful people are people who know how to deal with failures. They know how to use their creativity to overcome the problems and turn negative situations into positive. They know how to change their life and see a bad situation as positive. They have failed many times in the process but they have found the ways to stand up and fight.

5. Successful people take initiatives

To have in our hands the control of our lives is essential for emotional well being. We can gain control by taking initiatives and solving the problems ourselves. This is easier when you believe that any positive result depends on your effort. Do you attach the positive events in your life? Try to think: if a problem has a positive outcome, why do you think this happens:

Because of fate?
Because of another person?
Because of your hard work and determination?

If you think that your failures are due to you and success to luck or other factors, you should change your way of thinking. You cannot become successful in your life if you do not have faith in yourself. You cannot take the next step and change your life if you do not believe in your own abilities and skills.

6. Successful people have strong relationships

The healthy, strong human ties strengthen resistance against the adversity of life. It has been shown in many studies that the levels of satisfaction from our relations deeply affect our health and our well being. The strong relationships can also satisfy our need to belong somewhere and to overcome the fear of loneliness, a feeling that can make us stronger in difficult times. How can you build strong relationships in your life?

Build strong, positive relationships with family and friends who can listen to you and offer your support.
Make sure that you care enough about your close relationships and try to create new ones.
Stay away from toxic relationships that do you bad and can make you suffer.

In the road to success you have to build good and quality relationships. There will be problems in the way and you need to have all the support you can get to overcome the problems. The best source of support will come from your friends and family.

7. Successful people have a high sense of humor

The humour is a great way to combat stress and therefore the ability to turn pain into comedy is the perfect protection for our emotional health. This does not mean that we refuse the unhappy events. Contrary, humour helps deal with the problems, helps us to analyze the situation better and learn from it. If you do not find the humorous side to your situation, turn to other sources of laughter as a book with jokes or a funny movie. Find what makes you laugh and do it.

If you can deal with your life changes with humor then you will be in a better position to celebrate with your success and withstand better your failures.

Why some people are successful in life is not a matter of luck. Successful people are not just lucky people who are favorable by fate. They are people who know how to manage their life. They are people who understand the need to change their life and seek for the better. This article gave you some food for thought on why some people are more successful in their life than others. It is up to you to change your way of thinking, to change your brain and change your life!

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Happiness is something pursed by many people but few are those who manage to find happiness in their lives. How to find happiness is a process that can be both long and short term. You can find happiness from the little things of everyday life but you can also change your life and your way of thinking  and find happiness in the long term. Happiness is like butterflies, some writers say. “Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you”. Psychologists on the other hand do not believe that, but believe that happiness depends on us and can be built with our efforts. This article outlines 20 hacks on how to find happiness in your daily life but also 7 ways that you can prepare your self for a happy life.

We can choose to be happy by changing our thoughts and way of thinking. We can hunt happiness. To find happiness we have to limit the negative thoughts, such as pessimism, the abhorrence and anger. At the same time we should strengthen positive emotions such as compassion, peace and especially gratitude.

Recent surveys showed that our personal well-being and happiness depends to a minimum degree on goods such as health, wealth, good appearance or social status. Happiness seems to be related to the way we live our lives with those things that we have already.

Remember the theory of «set point» associated with the weight. This theory suggests that weight loss is only a temporary phenomenon. People for example, make diet and lose weight for a temporary period, in a given period they return to their normal weight. This theory seems to apply also to the question of happiness. We tend to go back to our normal levels of happiness. We knew that we have a thermostat in the house and car, now we learned that we have a «thermostat happiness» in our brains, which adjusts the «ups and downs» caused by various life events.

Other recent research suggests that the answer to the question: “how to find happiness” is found partly in our genes. From this we can conclude that genes determine to a certain point our level of happiness, except for some cases of course. For example, excessive poverty for a long unsettled period may affect the level of happiness.

If you feel disappointed that you were not born with an abundance of genes and still wondering how to find happiness, do not be discouraged. Remember that genes do not determine to the full extent the level of happiness you are able to experience, but only to a certain degree. Genes simply give us a great resource, which can be processed. It depends how we will use this resource to find happiness.

To use another analogy, suppose you live in a house, which you have inherited from your parents. It is up to you to decide in which part of the house you want to live. You can live in the basement, which is dark and dirty, or in the top floor of the house, which is bright and shiny and has a wonderful view of the ocean!

The desire to find happiness can help us, but also has the power to harm us. It can help us when we are encouraged to achieve positive and worthy goals. But the desire can become infinite and continuous. The uncontrollable desire may become a permanent source of misery. Therefore, at some point in the conquest of material goods and personal fulfillment, pleasure and satisfaction is necessary to maintain a certain level of happiness.

Happiness comes from whether someone can meet the challenges set by his family, work and other responsibilities and obligations. But in order to feel satisfied, you must be in a receptive mental state. Similarly, you won’t find happiness from a perfect job, a perfect family or a perfect society. Happiness is the result of our efforts to achieve something perfect and when we feel that we live a productive life.

How to find happiness in a productive life? The life we live is productive when we know our potential and when we use it for a good cause.

Try to see your work and family as your own personal mission. Consider the services you offer to others as part of your personal integration. Deal with projects that are in line with your values and help yourself to get the skills and abilities to move to the next high level.

The more challenges you can manage and the more you are using your personal abilities, the more will be the positive emotions that will enter your life, the more chances your have to find happiness.

How to find happiness – 7 Steps

1. Desire for the conquest of happiness

The first step on how to find happiness is a conscious choice to be happy. According to psychologists, the intention is the active desire and commitment for someone to be happy. It is the choice of activities that make us happy and the adoption of behaviours that lead us to happiness and not in misery.

For example, you may need to reconsider your values and beliefs. To learn to properly use you’re communication skills or your abilities and skills in the workplace. Moreover, you can choose to be in an environment with people who raise your chances for happiness.

The management of our emotions as well as our relations with others is a key factor on how to find happiness.

When someone takes the decision to be happy, must pursue strategies that will help him in this direction.

2. Gratitude

One strategy that can help is that of ‘exercise of gratitude’, as the psychologists suggest. One may note in a paper the things that feel grateful. This list removes people from the bitterness and despair, and promotes happiness.

3. Forgiveness

To have negative feelings for someone can have adverse effects on our mental and physical health, as many studies show. One way to reduce these effects is the forgiveness of others. This reduces the power of negative events that create bitterness and loathing. It is a big step on how to find happiness.

4. Overcoming negative thoughts and feelings

The fourth way on how to find happiness is to eliminate the negative thoughts and emotions. A person can exercise control over negative emotions and thoughts. There are many ways to do it but needs a lot of work. Someone, for example, may choose meditation, yoga or relaxation techniques to become calm. People can learn to recognize the thoughts that give them feelings of weakness or failure.

5. Money does not buy happiness

This is something you must have heart many times. You cannot find happiness with money. As surveys show, the money does not guarantee happiness. Having overcome the poverty level, the extra money offers little in terms of happiness. Despite the efforts we make to make money, psychologists say that money will not ever guarantee a permanent state of happiness.

6. Strengthening of friendships

The cultivation of friendly relations is still one of the best ways to find happiness. There are only a few antidotes to the unhappiness that are better than friendship and relationship with people who care. Research in Australia revealed that people over 70 years who had the strongest network of friends lived much longer. The social ties, protect us from depression and provide support in difficult times.

7. Being active and not passive

The participation in activities that are meaningful can help you to find happiness. In such cases, the brain is absorbed in activities that are meaningful and challenging for the abilities of the individual. As shown in surveys, watching television provides one of the lowest levels of happiness.

Every useful activity requires increased attention at the beginning before it starts to become enjoyable.

20 hacks on how to find happiness in everyday life activities

Besides the 7 steps, on how to find happiness, there are simple hacks you can do in your everyday life and find happiness. The happiest people in the world are not those who have perfect lives, but those who have learned to enjoy things that do not reach perfection. Some things that you do not pay attention to can give great pleasure in your life and help you find instant happiness. Enjoy the small pleasures of life!

1. Wake up early to watch the sunrise and the night turning into day.

2. Think of those you love, those who love you, which help you and be happy that you had the chance to meet them.

3. Observe the moving clouds, the waves of the sea, and the flowers of your garden.

4. Smile! Enjoy the scent of flowers, the fresh sweet, and your aroma. Taste a bit of chocolate. Observe your child or your beloved while sleeping.

5. Plant a tree, and take care of it.

6. Remember that you have a body: breathe deeply, exercise, and sit on the noses of your feet.

7. Remember a desire that you had as a child. It is never too late to make it.

8. Dress with bright, warm colours.

9. Make someone happy for a day.

10. Erase from your memory the evil.

11. Sit next to the sea and let the waves touch your feet.

12. Go to the cinema and enjoy a movie.

13. Listen to your favorite music. Let yourself be carried away from your favorite melody to remember things that made you impressed.

14. Call a friend who had time to listen.

15. Eliminate your work stress, do things that give you pleasure.

16. Place in your office some flowers, a photograph.

17. Write on a piece of paper how much you love your partner and hide the paper in his/her pocket.

18. Try to do something new: sing a song, play a game, get on a bicycle, taste a new sweet full of calories.

19. Prepare your luggage and go on vacation by closing your mobile for a weekend.

20. Walk in the rain. Look at the sky, feel the rain!

How to find happiness is a process that you can control, is not something that depends entirely on luck. Some people are lucky enough to have genes that promote happiness. Other people have to work hard and be optimistic that eventually they will find happiness in their lives.

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To achieve a change in your life you first have to change your brain, to change your thoughts and way of thinking. Few are those who have not thought at some point in their lives: «What should I do to change my life». For some this means relief from the «bad» habits such as smoking, alcohol or sweets; for others it is a job that has become intolerable, a weak relationship, something vague that does not meet their needs and sometimes their entire life seems to need a change. Anyone who has tried to change a habit knows that it is not easy. Any change in the way we live is an adventure that requires a lot of strength, patience and persistence. They key for changing your life is in your brain. Those who can manage to change their brain they will manage to change their life.

Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness

Every life change is a sacrifice

Each change in your life, even if you want to do it, is a sacrifice, a separation, something that you leave behind. Even if you want to change something that tortures you, that devastates you or something that does not make you feel good, it is a piece of yourself, it is familiar, known, accessible, enjoyable and perhaps something that you love. However, what usually happens is that you believe-or want-to-believe that changing your life is not difficult. That is paradoxical.

Even if our personal experience teach us differently, even if we have tried many times and we have not achieved the change in our life, we always stretch our ears and listen with great interest any advertising that promises to relieve us easily, quickly and painlessly from our bad habits, any story that tells dramatic changes: About someone who lost 20 pounds in one month, about a person who managed to stop smoking from one day to the next, about someone who resigned from his work and set up in little time his successful business, for someone who got divorced after difficult years of marriage and recently found the great love of his life. Encouraged from such striking examples, we put ourselves ambitious targets for the next week – month – season -year. But we often forget them after a few weeks and we end up with a bitter taste of failure that stays deep within us.

Is therefore any effort to change your life doomed to fail? Things are not quite so, although those who have given special focus on changing lifestyle and habits keep a very careful and cautious attitude. There are events in our lives, such as an illness, an accident, which are very strong and they force us to make large and real changes to our lives. But this is the exception. As confirmed by the statistics, 25% of all major “change your life” projects are abandoned on average after 15 weeks. Very few are those who can manage with little effort, from one day to another, to abandon the «bad» habits, addictions and unpleasant situations. For the majority in order to succeed in such a process they must first change their thoughts, their way of thinking. Changing your brain is the major step in the overall change life process. You may not be able to achieve this the first time. Most people pass the same test again and again. Around five to six times is the usual number of failures until «the final round».

To change your brain and your life you need a lot of effort and hard work. This is something we are not aware of when we are considering a change in our lives. This is natural. Who wants to be stressed? Who is willing to suffer deprivation, negative emotions, anxiety, distress, seeking something that is supposed to be better? Even if we can imagine, hear, or hope that the change will be to our benefit, it does not cease to be something vague and uncertain.

The high expectations

The main reason why efforts to change your brain – change your life fail, according to experts is due to the “the false hope syndrome”. Usually people set high standards and have high expectations and the end result makes them think that they failed. For example «I lost only 17 pounds, and I intended to lose 25, I failed». In other cases we want to change many things simultaneously: «I took the decision to start a diet and quit smoking during the next vacation». There are also cases that we believe that a change will change our whole life, will do it better (“I will lose weight, and I will certainly find the love of my life”).

These high expectations do not allow us to be happy and enjoy the small successes and pleasures of life. It’s all in our brain. Instead of being disappointed and filling your brain with negative thoughts you should try and change your brain to use these little things to reward yourself, to take courage and continue. When we see that our dreams are not full field, then we are disappointed and abandon our efforts returning back to our old habits. And even though, the success stories about “life changes” are rare in real life, many people manage to do it. Is there a secret prescription that some people know and they succeed but others don’t?

Change your brain – Change your life – a process that takes time…

To be able to change your life you need to first realize that success and long-term change is a process that requires a lot of time and it is done in phases. This is the outcome of research by doctors and psychologists who researched the issue, particularly with people who wanted to change habits such as smoking, high alcohol consumption, poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. Anyone who really wants to change something has to be armed with patience and perseverance and not looking for easy solutions. They key is changing your brain, your way of approaching life. There are no miracle pills or programs, but some internal processes that you must follow in order to reach the desired result.

Refusal. People in this phase believe that they are fine; while everyone around them sees that there is a problem. This may be due to genuine ignorance, if for example they do not realise how damaging is their attitude, or reaction, when others become pressing.

Awareness. People who are at this stage know they have problems and that they should do something to change their lives. They are still far from being really active. They weight the pros and cons of a change, and usually, at this stage they still find that the disadvantages from a life change are more than the advantages: «If I quit smoking, I will get fat», «if I divorce now, I won’t be able to cope financially». It is a difficult period because, while they feel the desire and the need for change, they feel unable to do so.

Preparation. This stage differs from the previous one is two main areas: The person is giving more attention on the solution of the problem and less attention to the problem as such, it is considering the future more than the past. It starts to think about the steps to follow for a real life change. For example, following a diet, which can be used with out disturbing the rest of the family meal, analyzing the advices for quitting smoking and creating an action plan to quit.

At this stage it is important to give your self as many incentives as possible. Be very specific; imagine the benefits you will receive. The stage hides a danger: the euphoria of preparation can lead to the real change been forgotten. Be careful, make sure that your brain remains active and always try to think how you can achieve the change in your life practically not only theoretically.

Action Plan and perseverance

To make the next step from the pleasant stage of preparation to actually making a change, it is necessary to have a precise «action plan». The more well-thought and researched plan the greater is the chances of success. It is therefore very important to have a good preparation before entering the actual stage where you will implement the change in your life.

The next stage is that of resistance and perseverance. The main difficulty is the pressure from other people, the stability of our appreciation and of course the anxiety and stress that emotionally are forcing us to go back to the old, familiar life. These are all unavoidable, so one should not feel frustrated and give up if there are a few drawbacks in the change process. Changing your brain is not an easy process, most people do not succeed at first, but they succeed after 4-5 failed attempts.

The last stage is that of stabilization, which for many people is a way of life. The change in our habits, our self is a process that may never end permanently. Alcoholics for example must avoid alcohol for a lifetime, if they do not want to start drinking again. What is certain, at whatever stage you manage to get, is that change is a difficult adventure, during which you leave something known for something unknown; you meteor between two situations, and this should make you tender and lenient with yourself.

Besides the internal phases that you will inevitably follow in order to change your brain and your life, there are also some practical and easy ways that can help you teach your brain to welcome a life change and think positively about success.

Be optimistic that you will be able to change your life

You need to make the extra effort and change your brain -your perception- about yourself and imagine yourself as a successful person. How to be successful in life is about keeping this strong image in your brain, and do not allow it to fade. Over time, this perception will evolve in your brain and will be stimulated. Do not try to challenge the reality of this intellectual image because it will be dangerous. Your brain will also try to fill in the gaps. Always have in your brain the image of success regardless of any drawbacks or unfortunate events.

Each time that a negative thought concerning your powers and abilities invades your brain, try to change your thoughts and bring to your mind something positive.

Fight and overcome your fears

When building the image of success in your brain do not take into account any possible obstacles, instead try to minimize them. Any difficulties must be analyzed be treated efficiently and eliminated. Try not giving them more power and meaning than they really have. Often fear exaggerates the difficulties and «hides» their true dimension.

Visualize your success

Think of your brain as an image playback unit. These images are generated from your thoughts. They either give us hope, power and creativity or they make us frighten and reluctant to make the next big step and change our lives.

When you are thinking negatively, your brain will create negative thoughts and you will end up with negative reactions. The opposite is the effect of positive thinking and positive thoughts. Positive thinking stimulates our brain to produce positive thoughts and images. To start thinking positive you have to create these positive images in your brain and take advantage of the inspiration and creativity they will create.

Nobody is perfect

This is one of the most important advices. Do not be impressed by other people and certainly do not try to copy them. The only one that can be effective in your life is yourself. Have in mind that that irrespective of how dynamic and successful some people look, they for sure have the same lack of self-confidence and fear as you do.

Analyze your thoughts

Analyse your thoughts. Find out what is causing you the feelings of inferiority and fear. It is possible that these feelings of inferiority have their roots from childhood. In such case it is better to get professional advice from a specialist in order to understand why you feel and behave in a particular way. To change your brain you first need to change your thoughts.

Believe in your skills

Try to understand your skills and things that you are good at and then increase that by 10%. This does not imply that you will become selfish. Instead, you must believe in your own forces and ways in order to be able to change your life. Only when you believe in your self you will be able to change your brain and your life.

Adopt a positive way of thinking

The first step is to change your brain and start thinking positive. The second step is to translate these positive thoughts into creative thinking. Positive thinking alone will not help you, creative thinking will. Creative thinking is about planning and setting goals for the present and future. You can start from simple hacks, everyday things that are part of your daily schedule. Doing this will help you get organised not only physically but also mentally and will let you eventually meet your goals.

Allocate some time for your own personal development

Get active and start transforming your thoughts into actions. Allocate some time from your busy daily schedule for your own self-improvement. Try and find ways to simplify and facilitate your daily obligations, which would result in savings of your valuable time that is needed for your personal development. Give priority in solving the problems of everyday life and then use your creativity and energy to change your life. Focus first on your personal relationships both in your work, family and friends.

Start dreaming about your new life

The power of the brain is enormous. With dreaming alone it can magically take you to places that can make you happy. Use this power of your brain to relax and get inspired for your new life.  Do not stop dreaming!

Start dreaming about what you would like to achieve in your life, your relationships and your career. Think about it intensely with as many details as you can. This process will make you feel better and will give you the incentives to reach your goals. Try and do this every day thinking and dreaming, again and again and again!

So, it should be clear by now that if you can change your brain you can change your life. Get rid of the fears, the negative thoughts. Turn your possible failures into success and boost your self-confidence. Make your negative thoughts positive and your will also be more acceptable in your environment. Take control of your brain today and eventually you will be able to change your life, and live the life that you dreamed about for so long. Fight all the evil thoughts from their root and stop them from reaching the surface.

Changing your life is in your hands…or rather is in your brain!

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In life all people seek and pursue success in what they want. To succeed, however, is necessary to be ready to change your life. In order to do that you need to clarify what you want, and set clearly defined goals and objectives. People who succeed are those who spend some time to think and record what they really want to achieve in their life. By doing so they are able to continually refer to their goals and have always in their mind, the objectives and priorities set.

The result is that they manage to focus on their goals. They do not unfairly waste their energy in other situations that does not allow them to achieve their targets.

The setting of goals and priorities is therefore a very important process that must take place at the beginning. It serves as a road map that will allow you not to get lost in the maze of situations arising in daily life.

How then can you set your goals, how can you record and make your own road map to reach the success you want and manage to change your life?

What hacks and techniques can you use so as not to be misled and be able to deal with all sorts of obstacles that will come across?

1. Make sure that the goals you set are something you really want and it is not just something that sounds cool or it’s nice to achieve

When your goals represent something that you want strongly, then your subconscious will help you find the right people, places and conditions that are essential for achieving your goals.

Set goals on key areas of your life: For your family and home, for your professional career, your financial condition, your physical and mental health and other areas that are priorities for you as the spiritual, religious life, culture or education.

2. It is necessary to record your goals and refer to them regularly

Create your own road map, according to what you want.

By writing down your goals it helps you clarify your thoughts better and form a clearer picture in your mind. At the same time you can re-visit your target list, if possible every day, to see your goals and remember what you want to really succeed in your life.

3. Record what you will gain by achieving each of your goals

This will enhance your morale during the difficult times that you will inevitably encounter. Think and write as many reasons as possible about the benefits you will gain by achieving all your goals.

Later, when you read the plan, your road map, you will have stronger incentives that will push you towards your goals.

4. Visualize your success

It is very important to try visualizing in your mind that you have achieved your goals. For example, if you aim to get a house, close your eyes and visualize your new home. Form a mental image and bring it in your mind regularly.

This technique helps because it operates in your subconscious and thus will help you in your daily actions to achieve your goals.

5. Always aim high

The higher you set the bar the more you will achieve. Even if you do not achieve your goals entirety because you have set high goals, you will reach inevitably high.

It is necessary that your goals are not conflicting or unrealistic. For example you cannot set a goal to buy a house that is 15 or 20 times your annual income.

6. Take action today do not postpone it

When you set your goals and specify your action plan, do not delay, but start working on it. Time is valuable and your well thought and planned moves should not be postponed but bring you closer to your goals.

7. Anticipate that you will encounter difficulties

In the attempt to change your life is normal to find in your way many difficulties, challenges and adversity. Because you are bound to encounter difficulties, try in advance to see what difficulties you will find and consider ways to address them.

This practice will prepare you to effectively handle the constraints, with less stress and risk of errors. The parallel analysis of the possible difficulties and thinking of ways to address them will help you avoid many of these.

8. Make relations with successful, motivated people

Create friends and allies, and improve your relations with people around you.

The human relationships are the most valuable asset you have.

9. Be careful to whom you talk about your goals

Do not discuss your goals with anyone. People in your family, friends or others you know may have a negative approach and may disappoint you. There are people who do not set goals to reach higher and are not able to understand you or give you ideas that will help you. Discuss your goals with people who have a key role in achieving your goals.

10. Every time you take a decision, ask your self if this decision gets you closer or further away from your goals

To be able to take the right decisions, that will lead you towards your own road map and closer in achieving your goals, you need to often refer to your goals and use the technique of visualization.

This will make it easier for you when you need to take a decision and you will have to respond to your internal question whether this decision will take you closer or further away from your goals.

11. The change of goals is not necessarily a bad thing

During the course of action you may realize that due to certain situations, you have to modify or change one of your goals.

This is not necessarily bad. Instead you can consider this as a form of success because you understood early that it is in your interest to change something in your strategy.

In conclusion we emphasize that if you spend a little time to set your goals and consider the strategy to follow, then you will be able to take the big step to change your life and reach higher levels of success.

But remember that changing your life and how to be successful in life is difficult, requires discipline, concentration and clear goals about what you want to achieve.

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For your personal and professional development and to achieve what you want in life and your career, it is certainly necessary to work hard. However, you can follow certain methods and tactics that can help you change your life and improve your career. These life hacks can drive you faster towards achieving your objectives. One of the most valuable but yet unused sources of information is other people in your personal and work environment. If you can manage to learn from other people and take advantage of what they have to offer, this will certainly help you achieve more both in your life and career.

Knowing and understanding your self better, the continuous expansion of knowledge, learning from your experiences, the application of what you have learned from the different experiences, will allow you to become day by day better than the previous day.

However, to achieve continuous personal improvement both in your life and career, you need to be concerned and give more importance to the people you meet, talk and work with every day. Every person, with whom you come in contact with, has something to offer you, if you allocate the necessary time and if you decide to listen and to observe carefully.

7 ways you can learn from other people and change your career and life are:

1. Diversity of thinking

It is true that as people we like to meet and be together with people who think the same way as we think. But is this always the best way for the further development of our horizons?

Probably not, because being with people who share our own perspectives in terms of perception and interpretation of the world, just strengthens what we believe and how we act.

But watching and listening carefully to other people we meet in our professional and personal environment, we can learn about new ways of thinking, interpretation and action. Careful analysis and comparison may give us valuable new understanding that can help us improve beyond the frontiers of our current capabilities.

2. The value of careful observation

Expand your ability to observe people. The careful observation of behaviour and modes of action may offer valuable information.

Look at your colleagues at work, observe how they handle their relations with others, and try to understand what methods they use to get results. You can then learn from them while you apply the successful methods, which they are using.

At the same time observe those who fail or are not effective. This will allow you to understand better what mistakes you should not make or avoid saving valuable time and energy.

3. Try to make new contacts

You should try and meet new people either through your daily work or a project that you participate. Your goal should be to know as many people as possible, to be known by as many people as possible and to develop networks of relationships. And do not forget the most important is not whom you know but who knows you.

4. Ask for the support and opinion of others

The perception other people in your family, personal or professional environment have for you is very important. These people are a key source for your self-assessment. Without self-assessment you cannot improve your career or change your life.

So look for their thoughts in a way that is constructive and objective and do not get defensive. Your goal here is to adjust your behaviour, how you work, in order to improve your efficiency and to develop new modes of action.

If you apply this technique of finding out what others thing about you, you can also have a longitudinal assessment of your improvement in several areas.

5. Understand and appreciate the importance of networks

It is a fact that successful people develop strong networks of relationships. Remember that the good and strong networks of human relations are a difficult, time consuming, tedious and lengthy task. It requires hard work, resources, commitment and attention to human factors and sensitivities.

The successful relationship networks operate in both directions and provide invaluable services in many situations of personal and professional life.

6. Build relationships with colleagues and superiors

All of us in our work learn from our colleagues and our managers. It is a normal situation and thus it is necessary to strive to cultivate interpersonal relationships that will allow us to extract the maximum from the knowledge, experience and wisdom of the people with whom we work and co-operate daily.

It is of enormous importance for your personal growth and successful career, to learn as much as possible from the people you encounter in your lives. You must learn to learn from people. It is not an easy task to do. It is an art that can be mastered by patience, strategy and practice.

The search for new ways of thinking, understanding new concepts, the careful observation of behaviour, the self-assessment across the perception of others, the development of networks are offering you wealth from the people you encounter every day. It is up to you to recognize, use and appreciate it.

7. Use other people as a source of inspiration

The enthusiasm of people who have achieved their objectives, are very important for you to maintain your own enthusiasm at high levels. A big step for changing your live and improving your career is to manage and treat successful people not competitive but see them as examples and as sources of knowledge that will help your achieve your own goals and objectives. The biggest mistake is to think that nobody has to offer you anything and that you know everything. Those who have already achieved something they are done something better, so you should learn from them and try to improve your defects.

It is also a known fact that people who surround you in your personal or work environment can unconsciously or consciously drive you to failure. This can happen if you are dealing with people that think negatively. These people are not trying to achieve anything and they blame everything and everyone for their own failures. Such people can simply discourage you and psychologically can remove all your positive power.

On the contrary, if you are working with optimistic and people who think positive, people who always look on the positive side of life and encourage you, then your goals can be achieved more easily and they can help you on how to be successful in life. These kinds of people, the positive thinkers, can help you change your life for the better and achieve both your personal and career goals.

As a final advice, try not to share your plans, goals and your dreams with the wrong people because you can end up very disappointed because of their cynicism and attitude. Share your objectives and goals with people who understand, care and support you. These people are either your close friends and family or other people who have similar goals with you. With these people you can exchange experiences and knowledge and support each other even in moments of weakness or difficulty.

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Many times people are looking for recipes for success and happiness outside of themselves and complain about their fate and the conditions they live in. This behavior makes them dissatisfied and unhappy. How to be successful in life is a process with a lot of obstacles and problems, but in most cases the way you treat your life is that which determines the degree of success, happiness and satisfaction.

When sometimes things are getting difficult most people give up and abandon the effort. We know that success takes time, energy, needs focus and patience. While one person hesitates because he feels disadvantaged, someone else is busy with making mistakes and thus taking the responsibility for life success. Too many people do not demand anything from their life, they require little, and take the minimum and are happy with the minimum. If you want to be successful in your life you need to do a plan and visualize your success. Below you can find 15 ways to help you achieve your goals and be successful in life.

1. Be active and not passive

People have the desire to be active in their lives and control their environment (family, other people, work, etc.) and not being controlled by it. Self confidence and the strength to take the right decision for your self (and not do what will please others) are important parameters that can help you overcome stress, beat passiveness and be successful in your life. Take your decisions and stop feeling sorry for your self. If you need to mourn for a loss or a bad situation do it, but do not to be consumed by it. Accepting the real facts and doing a realistic assessment is the starting point to set targets and to change your life.

2. Set your goals

The ability of personal leadership begins by setting specific goals for your self. Usually people have broad and vague desires, but they do not develop a specific plan or strategy to achieve what they want. It is very important to start by setting specific targets and learning to focus on your goals, avoiding and bypassing any destruction. This enables better concentration, productivity that will eventually lead to success. This personal success will help you overcome your fears of failure and enable you to take the big step to change your life and meet your goals.

3. Set priorities

There is a need to become a manager for yourself, which means that you must learn to organize and implement your activities so as to align with your objectives. It is important to set priorities, because normally you cannot manage everything at once. Evaluate your goals and decide what is truly important to spend time and effort to achieve them.

4. Positive thinking

Think and visualize your personal victory. This is the best way to face every situation i.e. as a personal victory, not defeat. Instead of thinking that everything in life is like a cake and whoever takes a piece this will make the remaining pieces smaller for others, think that in life there is plenty for everyone. Rather then start thinking that you will not succeed or that there are insurmountable obstacles, adopt a realistic attitude and believe that you can accomplish your goals, even if you have to experience some difficulties.

5. Come closer to other people – cooperate

First understand others and then try to understand what is the best recipe for your personal and professional relationships. What others think and what they want, what they fear and how you can reach them better? These questions should guide your behavior in order to free from the fear that «others cannot understand me» and to develop functional, successful relationships.

One can achieve more through cooperation. You need to take care when you select the people to co-operate with, but also you need to set the strategy you will follow to handle the cooperation and relationship with other people. However, this is better than to hide it in your shell and believe that you will make it all alone, without any cooperation or help from others.

6. Renew your self

Your self has many dimensions: emotional, social, intellectual, physical and mental. It is necessary to try and improve your self in all those dimensions and to cultivate the potential in each of these areas. You need to find your personal pleasures and not to always follow what others do or want. This means that everybody should put their fears aside and be renewed, giving personal meaning in life.

7. Be Persistent

If you refuse to abandon the effort every time and at any cost, if you continue to be persistent but not intolerant, if you keep your eyes up and not around then your can be successful in your life and your name can be added to the endless list of successful people. Those people who refused to quit in the first hitch. There are many cases of people who did not give up despite the difficulties and failures.

Did you know that:

Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in a very harsh prison. Once released, he was elected president of South Africa and received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Michael Jordan was excluded from the basketball team of his school.

Conrad Hilton had bought some hotels, but lost all of them during economic recession. His accountants advised him to declare bankruptcy. He refused and with perseverance and determination has become one of the largest hotel chain owners, bearing his name and worth several million dollars.

There are many people who refused to abandon the effort even when they were faced with unbeatable difficulties. The list is endless, George Washington, Albert Einstein, Oprah Winfrey, Aristotle Onasis, … If you want your name to be entered in this list of people then your persistence should set aside your weaknesses and help you achieve your goals. Unfortunately, few are those who continue despite the difficulties, most people when they encounter a minor setback they give up and fail.

8. Understand that failure is a temporary situation

There are no exceptions to this rule. Some people know this due to the experience they have with persistence. You should not accept any defeat as something other than a temporary situation. Your desires and objectives have to be persistent so as to convert the temporary defeat eventually into victory. You should become one of those people who stand on the edge of life and watch other people give in to defeat and not ever rise again. Those who understand that failure is a temporary situation.

The society recognizes the genius and talented but it compensates economically and socially those who refuse to stop the effort. It recognizes and compensates perseverance.

9. Keep trying until you finally win

Perseverance is nothing but a mental situation, and like all other mental states can thus be cultivated. Life can give everyone a plate of dinner and a glass of wine. It requires persistence, however, for those who seek much higher goals and want to be successful. So set your price and move on with your life. The basis of persistent is the basis of desire and occurs as a result of defined goals. To achieve that you should:

Determine your purpose. After setting the goal of your life you must define the purpose of that goal, this knowledge will help you overcome all the obstacles you will face in the way, and is a very powerful incentive.

Do not ever doubt for yourself. There is no room for self-uncertainty in your intention to become successful. Keep your courage high; do not to return to your old limiting beliefs with the first difficulty.

Persistence. It is easy to obtain and maintain perseverance for your goals if you can create feelings of passion and desire for that goal. Do not give up, be open to amazing opportunities and always look for a miracle. Even better you should become this miracle.

Be honest with yourself and clearly define on what needs to change. The change may be necessary and safe to bring success, so be flexible, open and honest.

When something is not working, get rid of it and renew your decision to move on. Do not focus on what goes wrong, concentrate on how to do it well.

Do not interpret your mistakes as failures. The failure is a source of invaluable education. When you see what is not working properly you can see what works well and should move in this direction and closer to your dreams.

Live with gratitude. Acknowledge and celebrate for all that you have this moment in your life. The sense of the unfulfilled extents and multiplies, so look carefully around you and be happy and grateful.

Habit. Perseverance is the direct result of habit, repetition and courage. Take risks, do something new, different and challenging. Get rid of your fears and risks. Really believe that the best way to live your life is out of the ordinary.

The willingness to insist will keep you on track in difficult times. What you usually say to yourself  “Thing of big dreams, but be realistic” is not correct. Always have big dreams and big ambitions, and invest time, effort and flexibility to realize these dreams. Be persistent, but still relaxed, focused sighted but flexible – both in terms of your goals and your plans.

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Who is your worst enemy? Perhaps the psychological and mental stress – that probably inadvertently-create to your self? Stress is a normal reaction of ourselves in difficult or irregular situations where we feel that our capabilities are not sufficient to deal with an obstacle or an encountered difficulty.

However, how you react to stress may be either normal, so the effects of stress are minimum, or very intense, leading to various psychological and mental problems.

Everyone has the experience to have lost patience with someone else, be annoyed because of traffic, yelling to someone who was not to blame or give rise to misunderstandings, irritation and mental stress because the pressure he/she feels affects the judgment.

Some people create such situations occasionally in their life, while others make this self-sabotage a lifestyle, constantly creating psychological and mental stress, without realizing that they are the major cause of stress in their life and not the facts or other people.

There are many ways to cause stress to your self without understanding it. The most important are:

It is a matter of personality

People with personality type «A» are having a particular pattern of behaviour: they are always in a hurry, they are constantly «moving»-literally and figuratively – they are aggressive, nervous and always tensed. These characteristics of type «A» cause severe emotional stress in their relationships because of their aggressive attitude. These persons are not only unhappy in their relationships, but they also often fail to see the obvious solutions to various problems because they are always in a hurry and they do not give attention to details. The result is that they create even greater problems. People with this personality usually encounter continuous health problems, especially cardiovascular and stress for them is one of the major causes of heart disease.

Negative Thinking

Another way in which people often create stress to themselves is through negative thinking. The way we talk to ourselves, which usually develops in childhood, can follow us throughout our life and colour our experiences, either as a sunbeam or a black cloud that surrounds us and prevent our vision. People with negative thinking usually see problems around them, they believe that others have always negative incentives and intentions, they interpret positive events as negative, they find only problems and lose the important benefits and positive things in life, and this is only due to their constant persistence in negative thinking. People who are thinking negative believe that they do not have the abilities to meet the various difficult situations and to deal with stress, thus creating even more unresolved stress in their lives.

Aggressiveness

Are you sometimes aggressive towards others when you could handle the same situation in a positive way? Do you always start a conversation by saying «why you did not…” rather than asking directly, i.e. without the negative «not», «did you…”. Or maybe you have a passive attitude and you let others take advantage of you because you do not know how to say no and set your limits? Confrontation and disagreements with others are a part of life, as well as the issues to be resolved. The way in which you deal with the various conflicts can strengthen or weaken your relationships creating excess psychological and mental stress for all concerned, ultimately creating even greater conflicts and problems.

Many people who are aggressive and not handling the various conflicts in a positive way, they do not realize their aggressive behavior and do not realize that they sabotage not only themselves but also their relations. Usually these people do not know other ways to handle situations.

Pessimism

If you are a pessimistic person, you tend to see things worse than they are, and you cannot see the opportunities presented, you believe that everything will have a negative outcome, you see only the problems and disadvantages, and not the opportunities and advantages, so the lack of self confidence and self esteem creates mental and emotional stress. The pessimism is more than to see the glass as half-empty: it is how you vision the world and life, it is the undermining of self-confidence, which makes you unable to believe in your capabilities, which creates doubts and creates additional health problems.

Too many responsibilities

Do you have a very heavy schedule, many responsibilities and tasks with intense stress? Many people create intense stress in their lives because they do not handle their time and obligations with priority for themselves. This is because either they are personality type «A» or because they do not know how to say no. All these create them chronic stress and the main reason is because they are undertaking more tasks than they can handle.

Inability to change your life

To change one of these negative habits, you must first identify and realize how you sabotage your self. You need to have the courage and strength to identify why you are causing stress to your life and find those ways to get rid of it. This will require you to take the big step and change your life. You need to be ready both physiologically and mentally. Ways to prepare your life for a change are relaxation, positive thinking, optimistic attitude to life and proper organization and planning.

Simple Hacks to on how to get rid of stress quickly

Healthy Diet

Eating healthy is one of the best methods to set a foundation for a de stress and better life.

• Limit the maximum amount of caffeine to five cups a day (also tea, chocolate and cola drinks, because they also contain caffeine).
• Eating regular meals.
• Minimize the use of salt (especially for people with hypertension or family history of hypertension).
• Avoid the over consumption of alcohol. It is scientifically proven that consuming large quantities of alcohol will increase stress and cause sleep disorders.
• Stop smoking. Many people have the misconception that smoking contributes to relaxation. In reality smoking actually increases stress levels.
• Eat foods rich in protein (fish, eggs, poultry). The proteins are broken into amino acid during the process of digestion. A particular amino acid, the tyrosine, contributes to the increase of chemicals dopamine and epinephrine, which have the ability to give the body more energy.
• Eat foods rich in carbohydrates (cereal, pasta, fruits and vegetables). Carbohydrates, during the digestion process create serotonin, a substance that causes a sense of relaxation and makes you calm.

Physical Exercise

The reaction to stress is a way that nature prepares the body for action. However, the normal physical reaction is often not useful to address the stress of modern life. Including regular exercise in your daily program will help you release the tension and will also satisfy the needs of your body for activity. Any physical activity is beneficial, such as:

• Walking
• Swimming
• Running
• Team sports
• Gardening

How does the exercise can helps you get rid of stress in your life?

Exercise can help you feel good, it makes you relaxed, and enables creativity. Raises the basic level of physical health and helps you handle the daily requirements and crisis. However, before you start exercising, you need first to consult with your doctor in case you have health problems, or you are overweight or if you are concerned about pain in the joints (back, knees, hips).

Relaxation

Relaxation is a way to create a relaxed body and a calm spirit. This physical and mental defuse is called relaxation and is contrary to the stress reaction. People who live in high intensity are more likely to experience problems when their stress levels increases. These people can lower the general level of stress with regular relaxing exercises and thus protect their body and mind from excessive stress. In doing so, they can tolerate more worries without creating more stress problems. Relaxation is a useful tool, whether used alone or together with other strategies to get rid of stress.
The only things you need to relax are:

• An environment free from noises and interruptions
• Free time
• A body position that can help you get rid of the muscle tension
• A good night sleep. To have a good night sleep you need to select the proper pillow. Pillow health is very important if you want to have a relaxing sleep.

Relaxation can also mean:

• Massage
• Light exercise – some types of light exercise or loose rhythmic motion can play a role for enhancing relaxation with the release of physical tension.
• Listening to music
• Walking your pet.
• Taking a nap
• Reading a good book.

Some other quick and easy ways to get rid of stress are:

• To use a quiet and pleasant sound alarm to a wake you up
• Having a good breakfast
• Every time you watch the clock, take a deep inhalation
• Reducing the speed with which you eat, talk, or move
• Do not arrange to do many things one immediately after the other or at the same time.
• Take a break from work, to walk, relax or enjoy the moment.
• Give yourself time to do things that give you pleasure.
• Learn to say NO, but certainly not in all cases. People who can say NO often say YES and feel happy about it.
• Control and lower your anger against others – tolerance and acceptance are good to your health.

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Three things are certain in life: death, taxes and change. Among the three, most people face the first two with more success than the third. However, we have good news. There is a way on how to change your life that will even be for your benefit. The concept of making changes to life is not the same for all, seems easy to some and frightening for others. The familiarity with the familiar and the already known is always safer and it safeguards from the fear of change, the threat of new and the terror against the unknown.

Taking the decision to make a change in your life, to make a fresh start, regardless if it is a small or large change, has the power to diminish you. A change does not always solve the problems you have with your self and others. The decision for change is good to be the result of an internal process and a clear understanding of what is actually you want to achieve with a change in your life. The believe that you can suddenly stop everything and make a fresh start is utopian: regardless how much you want to leave the past behind you. The best way to make a change is to face your past and plan for the future. Two key questions you will first have to set your self and respond with sincerity and responsibility are:

Why you want this change, what you expect to change?
The change is enough to make you feel satisfied?

Why you may need to make a change in your life?

The most common reasons that may make you to take the decision to make changes in your life are:

• You may want to make a change to your life so as to stay committed in an old dream, which you do not want to abandon or replace it with something else.
• Changes in life maybe the only way to escape from the deadlock you live in and correct the situation.
• The need to prove to others and your self that you are able to carry out a change in your life and move forward.
• We may have tried a lot of solutions and various ways to improve your live without success and you see change as the unique opportunity to solve your problems.
• A combination of all the factors, i.e. To pursue an old dream, an old desire that looks like the only way to get you out of the impasse and make you feel and prove that you are able to achieve something beyond the ordinary.

Why you fear a change in your life?

The denial to change stems from the fear of loss. When you have doubts about a change in your life, ask yourself what is that you are afraid to lose? Is it about control? Is it self-respect, freedom, familiarity, income, or comfort? Discover the root of fear and try to get over it.

Accept that the discomfort, doubt and uncertainty are by-products of change. The more familiar you are with these feelings, the more you will be able to distinguish the real effects of change.

Acknowledge the disadvantages of not making any changes to your life. Imagine how boring life would be if you did not had to solve some problems or if you could not appreciate the hidden opportunities. It is like staying in a boring relationship, because you do want to bother into getting to know new people.

Acknowledge the benefits of change. Do not let your stubbornness hide the benefits of moving to a new situation.

If the reason you need to change is not clear you need to be patient. Do not hurry to make conclusions about its value. Give yourself time to prepare emotionally and psychologically.

Write in a piece of paper five advantages of a change in your life before allowing yourself to deal with the disadvantages. Do not hurry to condemn and to see only the negative side of things.

Realise how many advantages those who are willing to make changes in their lives enjoy. For example:

• Their life rewards them.
• The learn new things with the life challenges
• The problems and drawbacks are a natural consequence of progress.
• Change offers them opportunities for further development.

How to correctly approach a change in your life?

Accept your life’s reality

Try for a moment seeing your life in the eyes and accepting your own reality, whatever that might be. The life acceptance process will help you to identify the real difficulties and conflicts so that you will be able to resolve them. Bearing in mind that reality is always fluid and depends on how you approach it. It is not a given, consolidated entity. The acceptance of the liquidity is a painful process of curing.

Create a hierarchy of what is you want to change

Financial difficulties? Professional disappointment? Relationship problems? Communication problems? Unable to enjoy what you have? The belief that the difficulties are so complicated and that you will fail to handle them creates anxiety, stress, anger and frustration. Instead, the proper hierarchy of problems will make them tangible and give you a sense of control over them. Having in mind that this ranking should be based only on your own subjective judgment and not on what others believe. The subjectivity defines hierarchy. You should accept this without being frightened. That is you should trust your arbitrary subjectivity.

Get the opinion of people that you trust

To avoid sharing your thoughts and problems with others, often makes you feel trapped and isolated towards your difficulties, which inevitably are magnified in your thoughts. In contrast, the sharing of thoughts and difficulties with other people close to you, will help to minimize their significance, and will give you another perspective and possibly a real solution. Having in mind again that the others will give their own perspectives and views about your problems. It does not necessarily mean that you have to follow their advice. You have to listen carefully and consider their views when taking your decisions.

Plan for a smooth transition

Finding alternative solutions to the pressing situations around you, the abandonment of the absolute (with blindfolds) thinking and the ability to offer space and time to yourself to adapt to the new realities, are very valuable conditions. Equally necessary is the acceptance of your own pace and the balance between the things that you «must do» and the things that you would like to do.

As a final thought keep in your mind that the Chinese ideogram for the word “change” consists of the ideogram of the word “threat” and “opportunity”.

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Do you want to change your life but making great promises and setting goals is not actually “your type” and you forget them easily?  Start with small daily habits that can really make a difference. Follow the 10 healthy habits below and very soon you will notice a change in your life.

1. Make sure that you exercise

Physical exercise combined with proper nutrition is the main key to longevity. It is also known that physical exercise slows the aging of tissues. However, physical exercise can also ensure better quality of life.

The gym, and anaerobic exercises are for those who want to build muscles. Instead, the mild exercises such as walking or jogging (and in general aerobic exercises), are ideal to keep you in shape and lay the foundations for a better and long life.

Yoga is also another discipline that has something for everyone. You can learn more about the far reaching and diverse benefits of yoga.

2. Follow a balanced diet and keep your body weight low

There is the perception that the lower the weight and the less you eat, the more you will live. In reality this perception is truth .A balanced daily diet with fruits, vegetables, wine and at least twice a week fish, and in combination with other factors can ensure longevity. You can also try low carb meals. Also, established research showed that consumption of fish four times a week for people who experienced a cardiac event, can significantly reduce the risk of a second one. Note: for building muscle there is a special diet you can follow. Have a look at diet for building muscle

3. Drink more wine

The habit of many people to accompany their meal with a glass of red wine, according to scientists, is beneficial because the substance resveratroli located in wine seems to have «miracle» properties.

Research conducted several years ago by Harvard University, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, showed that this substance activates anti-aging and rejuvenates the cells.

American researchers also found that the resveratroli significantly increases the lifespan of yeast and given that yeast and humans share some common genes, scientists believe they may extend human life as well. Thus, a glass of wine a day for women and up to two glasses for men seems to keep the doctor away. You learn about wine here. You can also learn about making wine at home.

4. Stop smoking

Smoking is an addiction, it is my addiction, your addiction, smokers are addicts.
It is believed that those who stop smoking gain 10 more years of life. The most essential thing is that former smokers gain in quality of life, as chronic bronchitis, one of the biggest problems caused by smoking is eliminated.  Also an immediate improvement from non-smoking is better breath.

5. Keep educating your self

A university degree, except that can open doors in the labor market is also a factor, according to scientific research, that helps longevity. As revealed from a Harvard University study, women with higher education can live up to five years more than those who completed only compulsory education. The reason? Adopting healthier habits, better information and monitoring of medical developments.

6. Keep an active sex life

Sex «gives» years. Several neurologist-psychiatrists believe that sexual life should not stop after the age of 60.  Studies show that people over 65 years who have sex twice a week, have a better health because during the sexual act brain releases hormones that protect the biological axis.

Having an active sex life may be the solution to cancer (this is not yet confirmed), but for sure it can help hypertension and headache relief. The endorphins hormones released during sexual act, act as painkillers for migraines for those who have sex 3 times a week.

7. Get married!

Although many men are slow in climbing the steps of the church, surveys show that marriage does not harm but help to extend the life expectancy. A study carried out by researchers at the University of Chicago shows that married men are more likely to live many more years, because within marriage they adopt healthy habits. In contrast, married women are not so favored because in the marriage context they exhibit more stress and anxiety.

8. Do not eat red meat

People living in the Mediterranean region have an advantage in terms of longevity compared to other people thanks to the famous Mediterranean diet. Recent research carried out by Harvard University proved that the daily consumption of olive oil, fruits and vegetables could protect against cancer. People who follow such a diet have 12% less chances getting the disease. In addition, the more often you consume legumes, instead of red meat, the more likely is to enjoy a more quality and longer life. The consumption of red meat should be limited to once a week.

9. Eat more black chocolate

The beneficial properties of black chocolate are known for almost 2,000 years. Recent surveys reinforce old perceptions that the balanced consumption of black chocolate is good for the human body. As shown by research of the past two years, black chocolate is a «drug» for the pressure and «shield» for the heart.

Previous research by the John Chopkins Medical School had shown that consumption of small quantities of black chocolate a day protects as equally effective as aspirin the obstruction of the arteries. Another study based on a graduate of Harvard University showed that those who consumed up to three plates of black chocolate a month had 36% less chances of premature death.

10. Think positive

The optimism and love for life are the common characteristics of people around the world who live a lot of years.  A recent survey revealed that optimists live longer and have up to 55% lower risk of dying prematurely. The explanation given was that the pessimists are prone to develop bad habits, which can cause premature death. Alcohol (alcohol detox information), smoking and obesity are the first in the list of bad habits. Those who want to live more years should adopt an optimistic way of life and avoid the unhealthy traps.

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If you want to make a real change in your life you should first start by learning how to efficiently manage your time. Anyone who knows how to manage time also knows how to manage life. Good time management means proper prioritization, and therefore proper management of your live. The quality of your life depends on the intelligent management of your time and not by the amount of energy you consume on what you do.

Do you always feel you run out of time and you can not do what is scheduled?
Do you always feel that you do not have enough time to spend on yourself?
Do you feel that you live and work in a stressful environment without positive results?

If the answer to any of the above is YES, then it is time to change your life and start spending your time wisely and efficiently. You should promise your self that you will become more organized and focus on your goals and that you will use time for your own benefit.

1. Master your to-do lists

A good and efficient to-do list should include your current tasks and activities as well as tasks that must be completed in the near future. For each item in the list you should specify when and how much time you need to complete it. Repetitive tasks can be planned for specific days and times where you have the appropriate time and availability to finish them.

You must not underestimate the importance of planning your tasks. A good and accurate plan can give you in a large degree control of your time. You must recognize what is important for you and placed those items first on your list.

2. Create a SMART plan

Plan the most difficult tasks at the beginning of each week so that you will be more relaxed towards the end of the week and before the weekend. Difficult tasks are better to be scheduled early in the week (Monday or Tuesday), while most mechanical and tidious tasks around the middle of the week, leaving the end of the week (Thursday and Friday) free and more relaxed as these two days accumulate the fatigue and stress from the work and pressures of the whole week. See also time management course.

3. Learn to set your priorities

You must learn how to efficiently set your priorities. The most important tasks must rank higher in your list. Try to apply the Pareto principle where 80% of your achievements must employ 20% of your efforts. In other words, try to work smart and not hard. Do not abandon your important tasks to achieve the insignificant. Learn how to increase productivity and achieve more with less.

4. The key to successful time management is delegation

The key to successfull time management is delegation. Do not try to complete all the tasks yourself. Recognize which tasks can be completed by others and delegated the work to them. This is the only way that you will find the necessary time to deal with the tasks that are really important for you. At the same time what you choose to do, do it right the first time and save the time needed to re-do a task. Experience shows that the time you might need to re-do a wrongly completed task is more than the time you need to spend to get it right from the beginning. Delegation is an art which can provide many benefits to people who have to undertake a lot of activities.

5. Do not be afraid to say ‘NO’

You must learn to sometimes say NO and reject tasks that you cannot do. If are running out of time and you are feeling stressed then it is better to reject an invitation to go for lunch or to a family dinner. You should realize that you are not in any away obliged to squeeze everything in a moment. You should learn to select the tasks that you really want to do or that needs to be completed.

6. Split a long task into smaller manageable activities

Another technique that will help you manage both your stress and time is to break down the long tasks that you usually do not want to do or are too difficult into a number of smaller and more manageable activities. You can, for example, dedicate 10 minutes every day to work on an unpleasant or long task. Using this approach, gradually you will have some progress, you will feel better and at the end you will be able to complete the activity quickly rather than continuously postponing it.

7. Perfectionism takes time

You should try and avoid perfection. The pointless game of being perfect in trivial things is a waste of time and will not leave you with enough time to deal with other more useful and perhaps pleasant tasks.

8. Recognize the time that you are more productive

It is normal that your performance is not the same all the time. There are times that your are more productive and times that for various reasons your productive falls. This phases may occur during the same day. Assuming that you work 8 hours a day, this gives you approximately 1,800 man hours per year. Discover the time periods you are more productive and try to deal with the most difficult and hard tasks.

9. Try not to postpone things for later

You need to learn to tackle each task and issue when it needs to be handled. Try not to postpone activities for another time because under the pressure of time you are more likely to make mistakes and take the wrong decisions.

10. Avoid things that can distract your attention

During work hours try to find some time where no one can destruct you from your activities. If you have an open-door policy, you may need to close it occasionally. If someone comes to your office when you have a task to complete, gently reject his/her request and schedule some other time for a meeting with them.

11. Do not forget your self

When you create your plans do not forget to include activities related to your own pleasure and rest. During this time make sure that you stop everything, you relax and recharge your batteries. If needed try to sleep half an hour later and during that time do something that you like and makes you calm. Half an hour makes no difference in your sleep but can give you satisfaction and prepare you better for the next day. Reward your self when you manage to finish a long and time consuming task.

12. Analyze where you spend your time

To be able to optimize your time better you need to first understand where do your spend your time. To do that you can keep a log to record your activities. You should do that for 2-3 weeks. In the log you should record everything you do per hour when you’re awake, how much time you allocate for each task, activity, meeting and how much time you allocate for rest and sleep. Once you have this information in the log you can start analyzing where do you spend your time and make the necessary changes so as to optimize your time. You should focus on the activities that are most important for you and on the activities that are important to complete. Avoid un-necessary activities or tasks that do not offer your any real value. For example if you log-in and check your email 10 times a day, you should try and minimize that to a couple of times per day.

13. Always plan time for unpredictable activities

include in your plans extra time for unpredictable tasks and activities . Revise your plans regularly and adjust the time allocated for the unpredictable activities. Thing of possible risk factors that can take you time (e.g. problems with your PC) and have alternative solutions available.

Time management is a skill that needs time to  master and begin to work! Ultimately, time management will give you the extra time you need to be able to enjoy what is most important for you and manage to change your life for the better.

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Improving your memory can change your life. Do you remember when was the last time you forgot a birthday – and made someone upset? Have you missed an important business appointment simply because you forgot about it – and this had a negative impact on your career? Or are you the type of person who constantly forgets things and has the ability to memorize complex chemical formulas? Memory is important for our daily activities, our past and present, our career and our relationships. If you want to change your life you have to improve your memory. The good news is that there are easy to follow daily hacks that can help you improve your memory performance.

Scientists warn that our mind and memory needs training on a daily basis. The mind and memory works like muscles and needs continued challenges to strengthen and develop. When a mind operation becomes routine it does no exercise and has nothing to offer to our mind. All investigations to date have been converging in that repeating work and daily habits (routine) significantly affect the operations of our mind and have adverse effects on our memory.

Techniques to use to improve memory

The things we have to remember are a lot and all this information must fit in our minds. For you in order not to be betrayed by your memory you can apply different techniques on how to save the information and be able to retrieve it easily when you need it. You can improve your memory in the following areas:

1. Improve your memory with games and exercises

Do not miss an opportunity, either by yourself or with friends, to engage in exercises and games that require memory, observation and knowledge. Solving crosswords, for example, improve the memory. According to surveys, the proper handling of the language from an early age helps the proper functioning of the brain, exercises with words help for the upsurge of memory.

2. Give attention to details

We cannot remember information unless we give it attention, we need to focus our attention on something that we hear, read or see. If during the time we get new information we devote a few seconds to process, analyze or to comment, it is certain that we will be able to recall that information without difficulty.

3. Activate all senses

Depending on what you want to retain, enable more of your senses (vision, hearing, smell, etc.). It will retain the memory more easily and you will be able to remember the information quicker.

Be selective on what you want to remember. Select what you want to remember, why and for how long.

4. Organization – grouping

Disorder is the worst enemy of memory. We can remember better information when they are associated with another information that already exists in our memory. To understand this better try the following test:

Read the following ten numbers: 1914678007. Then cover it with your hand and try to remember. Most people will not succeed. Usually people can hold up to 7 numbers. It is no coincidence that most phone numbers consist of 7 digits. If, however you group numbers and associate them with an event, then perhaps you remember them more easily. If for example, you group the numbers as follows:

1914 (the year that started the First World War)
678 (three consecutive numbers)
007 (James Bond).

So, you have only three things to remember instead of ten.

5. Reading daily newspapers and magazines

Choose an article and pay particular attention to the content. The next day try to remember as many details as possible and talk to someone about it.

At the time you read the newspaper try to locate quickly the idea and just focus on it. Practicing on a daily basis this strategy, you will soon see that your mind focuses better on new information.

Read an excerpt from a literary book and try to imagine the details described in the story. In this way you can improve your visual memory.

6. Repetition

Repetition helps your memory. It makes something you want to remember to be “saved” in your memory. When you meet someone for the first time, try to repeat his/her name several times, or when you are given a new telephone number, write it down and repeat it aloud. If you need to always remember something, write it a few times on a piece of paper and make sure that your are focus when you do that.

7. Manage your stress

Pressure is good for some people, but most people operate better when they are relaxed and de-stressed. When we are stressed, we cannot remember something easily. Remember a situation where you were asked for the name of a basketball player you know and at that moment you could not remember it and then suddenly his name came to your head. Take a deep breath. Do not get stressed if you cannot remember something, its no big deal. The relaxation will enhance the thinking and your memory.

8. Check the levels of iron in your blood

Iron helps the proper functioning of neurotransmitters, which in turn are responsible for the proper functioning of our “memory system”. When iron levels are low, the brain “malfunctions”.

According to a latest scientific research, a four-month treatment with iron supplements brings the iron levels to normal, and memory «returns» to a normal state.

9. Avoid multitasking

An important aspect for your survival in the digital age is the ability to handle multiple simultaneous tasks. This situation can affect your ability to recall information, for example, try to answer messages in your e-mail while watching / listening to the news while reading messages on your mobile phone?

Normally, when you receive new information, the brain processes the information through a particular part of it, the brain peel. But according to Professor of Psychology at UCLA, Dr. Russell Poldrack, «the simultaneous execution of multiple tasks dramatically reduces the learning ability of a person, because people are unable to absorb the entire volume of information».

This happens because the brain is forced to postpone the «process of the information» in another region, known as «annulus», where the stored information contains much less important details.

Fortunately, this type of memory problem has an easy solution. In simple words, be sure to focus and give your full attention to any issue that you really want to remember in the future.

In cases that have to manage many things together, put your priorities and focus in as many little things at a time as possible.

10. Relax your mind

It is known that the relaxation and concentration exercises reduce anxiety and stress, which in the years are responsible for the destruction of brain cells and the inability to restraint information. Relaxation exercises besides helping you relax and calm can also improve your memory.

According to a recent survey conducted at the University of Kentucky, people who took part in an afternoon memory test immediately after 40 minutes of relaxation, showed much better performance than those who took part in the test immediately after a 40-minute nap.

Even more impressive was the fact that after a night of sleep deprivation, the same people repeated the memory test. In this case, people who have done the relaxation exercises the first time, went much better than those who had simply sleep.

This is because the deep relaxation and meditation functions similar to sleep. They reduce the entry of stimuli from the centers of consciousness. This phase / state of being calm and quiet, offers neurons the appropriate time digest new information and recover recent memories.

11. Check your cholesterol levels

A healthy cholesterol level is essential for the smooth and efficient operation, both of our cardiovascular system, and for our memory. When the concentration of «bad» LDL cholesterol increases, then the risk of depriving the brain with nutrients, as well as the failure of the circulatory system, is growing.

One possible consequence of this situation is problems with the memory. According to neurophysiologists, even low amounts of LDL are enough to prevent the operation of microscopic blood vessels in the brain.

In addition, various surveys have shown that high cholesterol levels are a factor contributing to the symptoms of the Alzheimer disease.

12. Double check drug and medicine use

One side effect that the excessive use of medicines (especially those who are without prescription) can create, are memory disorders.

Drugs such as antidepressants, anxiolytics, sedatives and painkillers, chemotherapy treatments against ulcers, convulsions and the Parkinson’s disease may affect the mechanism of memory. As people grow up and get older, the medicines are likely to remain in the body for longer, with the dramatic increase in negative interactions with the functions of memory.

Fortunately, early discontinuation of medication leads directly to the reduction of the symptoms of memory disorder. It is very important, therefore, to talk with your doctor to adjust the dosage of medicines to follow or even to stop.

13. Eat more apples!

It is generally known that «An apple a day makes the doctor away». Apples have just the right dose of antioxidant substances, which increase the levels of acetylcholine (a necessary nutrient for the proper performance of memory-neurotransmitters), which decrease with time. Additionally, the antioxidant ingredients found in apples, helps maintain the integrity of memory, protecting brain cells from damage. In particular, protects from damage caused by free radicals, as derived from the daily metabolic process (e.g., glucose metabolism).

An interesting experiment, applied in mice showed that those of them suffering from Alzheimer’s had a significant improvement in memory, especially after the daily consumption of apple juice.

Indeed, after nearly a month, it was observed that the mice that drank the apple juice had better results in the maze test (one way to control short-term memory) than the other mice in the experiment. By extension, the experts wonder whether the same method can be applied and lead to beneficial effects in humans.

To strengthen, therefore, your memory, it is recommended the frequent drinking of apple juice and eating 1-2 daily apples.

14. Get “memory fit” with Aerobic exercises

Traditional cardiovascular exercises can also keep your memory at optimal levels, improving several aspects of brain processes.

In a study at the University of Illinois, showed that people who regularly do aerobic exercises can improve the functions of the brain associated with the operation of attention and memory. It should be noted that people who participated in the aerobics group were aged between 60 and 70 years. Nevertheless, the results of the study determined that «the brain tumours» was almost identical to younger people as well.

Remember, therefore, that walking is good! One hour fast walking, 3 times a week has the potential to dramatically positive results in the revitalization of your memory.

15. Trust your mind

Do not worry if you have a tendency to forget? Abandon this idea immediately! The anxiety you feel every time your memory deceives you can be the reason for any future generated problems associated with memory.

According to an article in the journal of «Psychology & 3rd Age», a sample of healthy, senior people took part in related memory tests. Before the start of the test, the first group learned that aging causes memory disorders, and then they did some tests and received a relatively low score. In contrast, another group that took part in similar tests was informed that with the passage of time there is no special drop in the operating mechanisms of memory. This group not only had better scores than the previous one, but it also scored 15% higher than a third group (the control group), which have not been told anything on the relationship of memory and age.

16. Drink more wine

A glass of wine actually helps in maintaining good memory. One component of wine (the resveratroli) helps to prevent occurrence of Alzheimer disease symptoms. After a series of laboratory experiments, researchers of the University of New York discovered that resveratroli suspended the production of beta-amyloeidous protein that causes Alzheimer’s.

Wine is also good for the heart so adopt the habit of drinking a glass of red wine daily to stimulate your memory and to negate the chances and phenomena of amnesia.

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Change your life today and start making changes because tomorrow may be too late. If you think something is not going good in your life, that something is wrong but you do not know what, then you are likely to lose control and perhaps it is a good time to change your life. There are a lot of things to do in this process and for sure the list below is by no means complete. Start with small daily habits that can make you life more interesting. Your goal should be to move systematically to a new life, which will improve your health, pleasure, creativity, self-esteem and mood.

1. Care for your self

We tend to load the basket of our lives with priorities and obligations, hoping that once we finish with them, we will relax. Unfortunately this is not the case. The basket is never empty because this is how we function as humans, so why do we stress? Our obligations can always wait. You need to find ways to escape for a moment from the present and the past at least once a day and relax with everything that can make you happy.

2. Give space to others

Which means, listening to what other have to say, do not interrupt them when they speak and not complete their phrases. Smile and try to give more attention to your communication with others.

3. Be yourself

The constant effort to demonstrate how capable you are, how many things you know, how many people you know, causes you stress and anxiety. You do not have to prove anything to anyone. You know what you can make and what do you deserve. The rest leave them for others to discover. Thus it has even greater value.

4. Flirting

Even if you are married or have a wonderful relationship, romance is always refreshing. A good morning, a smile, three simple words with a person you like, can build a wonderful day. Attention, however, the misunderstanding! There is no need to go to extremes to make you feel good.

5. Skip the perfectionism

Being obsessed with the bad side of life, either your own or somebody else is the most basic symptom of the unfulfilled. Instead of losing your valuable time trying to correct things – which leads to an endless, uneven and gruelling fight, since there would always be something better than what you have  – Your better focused on how to feel relaxed and calm under the present circumstances. That does not mean compromise, but understanding that the less need for perfection means greater enjoyment of your life.

6. Don’t feel bad if you are bored

We have learn to deal with something constantly and when we do nothing, we feel that we are doing something wrong. This is not the case. Boredom is a way to calm. If we decide to just be bored, do it without remorse. Even though you feel uncomfortable not doing anything, the boredom at the same time can help you relax and relieve tension.

7. Laughing

Laughing improves the defense of our organism, strengthens the immune system, fights chronic diseases, provides a shield of protection for the heart, can cure the pain, migraines, depression, can help us breath deeper, oxygenizes the body, and can make you relaxed and calm.

8. Reward yourself

Reward is very great thing and you must not forget that you deserve a reward in your life! Reward yourself even if this means that you will have to spend some of your money for pleasure. If you always wanted to go for holiday to a desirable destination, give your self this reward and do it.

9. Self-sarcasms

They say that the ultimate step of humour is self-sarcasms. Learn to laugh with your self and your own mistakes.

10. Sex

Sex beautifies the skin, burns calories, boosts confidence, fills your batteries, it can make you feel better and can change your mood.

11. Appreciate the simple things

Hearing a good song, keeping your dog in your arms, speaking to an old friend, hearing a good comment from a colleague, are all small everyday things, but capable to fill you with joy and satisfaction. Get your own small moments of joy and not expect to place high expectations on you to be happy.

12. Be flexible

If your plans and goals for some reason do not work out as expected, be flexible and change them. Your time is precious, as well as your calm and relaxation. If things do not work out it is better to start something new, instead of trying to recover from the disappointment of your old targets. You only live once, do not forget that.

13. Time for … fasting

Is your body sick of the heavy and fatty foods? For 2-3 weeks stay away from snacks and pizza, sauce, milk, red meat, sweets, ready meals, soft drinks, alcohol and coffee. Detoxification diet does not mean not eating anything. Fasting is an old method of detoxification, and the abstention of the above is also a good solution.

14. Follow a healthy diet

A healthy diet is based on a good breakfast (e.g. fat free milk, fruits, cereals, bread and honey) in a light lunch (pulses and oil with black bread, salad with chicken and rice, fish with vegetables, spaghetti with vegetable sauce) and a small meal for dinner (toast with low fat cheese and boiled turkey) can enhance the protection of your body and give you more energy.

15. Coffee

Decrease the consumption of coffee each day to a minimum. Maybe you feel like a junkie in the beginning, but the positive effects will come immediately to your body, your sleep and the gradual reduction of tension and stress.

16. Water, water…

There is no need to be told by a doctor that water hydrates and stimulates the body. One and a half litres – or eight glasses of water if you prefer – is the minimum amount your body needs every day. A very good way is to start with half-litre bottles and drinking two every day and gradually increased them to four.

17. Take a deep breath

It is not original, but can be very effective. This is an exercise that helps to eliminate stress. Let you stomach free and take a deep inhalation in 4 parts. When you exhale, let the air out of the mouth in 8 parts. Deep breathing is perfect for releasing the accumulated stress and for greater clarity.

18. Be nice to other people

The positive words cost nothing. Either you have not used them or you feel embarrassed to express them, think how good you feel when someone compliments you, and give this pleasure to others as well.

19. Ideas for relaxing

Yoga, aromatherapy, massage therapy, tai chi, Pilates, meditation, improvisation, art therapy, are only few of the dozens of alternative ways to offer relaxation and positive energy in your life. Choose to try something from all this and you will not regret it.

20. Organize and clean your area

Your office space, bedroom and living room are spaces that you spend much of the day, so they must offer you peace and relaxation. Get rid of paper, useless objects, and old things and try to put things in a correct order. Maybe it is not the most interesting thing to do, but after so much work you will forget why you were stressed and glad to see it all arranged.

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Changing your life is not an easy thing to do. It needs courage, strength, patience and willingness. To change your life you need first to know what you really want to do with your life. What are your dreams for the present and the future? Do you reject your dream because you think it is impossible to achieve? Is it because the circumstances of your life or the people around you have managed to convince you that the dreams in life are a luxury and that should settle with the «small» and «secure» instead of chasing things that you want to do. Life to be beautiful needs a risk…

We all have phases in our lives in which we either feel tired or have a bad mood, or we are angry and sad without knowing why, and we are bored of everything and do not want to see anyone…

Usually we do not know how to deal with these faces of our lives and as a result we fall into a vicious cycle of inaction, low energy and negative thinking. What we can do change our mood and overcome those bad phases? We need to react and change our lives . This can be achieved with small things of everyday life that can make the big difference!

9 Simple Steps to change your life

1. Decide that you need to change your life

Everything in our lives is the result of our choices. It’s our choice not trying to fulfil our dreams and it’s our choice to compromise with the current situation that gives us a rudimentary – virtual certainty. It is certain that when we do not risk and practically do nothing, there is no risk of failure. Simply, in this case the failure is a permanent situation that gradually becomes a habit and does not disturb us. It is a failure not trying to get where we want or where we are worth – despite that we do not realise it or despite the fact that we find thousands of excuses for ourselves. On the other hand, any success if we look for it, we will see that involves some degree of risk and this is a result of personal choice. In order for us to be able to make the right choices we should first of all find out what we really want to do in our lives.

2. Set and visualize your goals

The right decision is the most important factor that will lead us to the next steps towards the realization of our dreams and goals. Think of a painter who wants to create a beautiful painting. First he captures the idea and thinks of the final result. What will the painting illustrate and what colours to use? Having visualized the final result then creates a blueprint to allow him to see how to proceed in order to be able to have the desired effect. Each stroke is a step towards the final goal, the more beautiful the stroke, the more beautiful it is the result!

The same pattern applies to any goal or dream we have in our life. You have for example the dream to succeed professionally. First you must specify and clarify in your mind what is the area in which you want to excel, depending on your skills. The next step is to see what skills you need and direct your target to acquire these skills, and then you need to get the right job and work hard. This sequence of right choices will lead you with mathematical precision to where you want to reach. The road to success is always the same: planned moves, hard work and focus on the objective.

If your dream is to marry and create a wonderful family, it does not change anything from what we said above. In order to marry you must first need to find an appropriate partner and decide what will make you happy. Choosing the right person is your first step, but for a marriage to be happy you need to have understanding, compromises and a lot – a lot of love.

3. Do not “avoid” your dreams

Unfortunately, most of us are constantly busy with our jobs and so smothered in the problems of everyday life that do not find time to sit quietly with ourselves and decide what we want from our lives or what are those things which will make us happy. Unfortunately, we have not understood that when we «avoid» ourselves, in essence we avoid our goals and our dreams. We cannot realize that a dream can give us wings and change radically our reality! If we leave ourselves free to dream it will fill our souls with the will and strength to make the first step.

4. Nobody is perfect!

From the moment we stop to have a dependency on perfection, life seems simpler and more enjoyable. We achieve nothing if we blame ourselves constantly charging it with impotence. We achieve nothing by setting targets, which are not realistic, and then run like mad to meet them and then naturally fail. The mania of us to be the first, best, most successful, the most beautiful can only cause suffering, because there is always the best. Let us see life more relaxed and let us be honest with us and less tough.

5. Humour!

Instead of getting angry about behaviours and situations why we cannot just laugh with them? This small change would be enormous in terms of our mood. The humour and self-sarcasms makes us good! Remember that laughter makes our life longer and more beautiful, strengthens the protection of the body and strengthens the immune system and provide a shield to protect the heart and migraines.

6. Slow down and relax

We have learned to live our lives hastily in lunatics pace. All the time we are busy with something and forget to rest and relax. Many times we are too tired but we do not realize early to get some time to rest and at the end we get over-tired. It is therefore important to spend some time for ourselves to relax and sleep well, to devote time to do the things we like and we are grateful and not to fill our lives with endless obligations. We have the right for rest and pleasure. Life is not just a job … so relax without remorse.

7. Do not neglect your sexual health

It is proven that sex is good for our health. Sex beautifies the skin, burns calories and boosts our confidence! It also gives emotional balance and wellbeing. Flirting is also the best tonic for our mood; it improves our psychological condition and makes us feel good.

8. Diet and exercise

A balanced diet and perhaps a detoxification diet in which to avoid all fat and unhealthy food will renew our mood and will give us energy and appetite for life. A good breakfast will give us the «fuel» that our body needs to meet the demands of the day and thus reduce the feeling of fatigue that we are likely to feel.

We should try and reduce the coffee so as to decrease the nervousness and headaches while the exercise (even if it is a few minutes walk) is very beneficial for our mood and our health as a whole.

9. Happiness is in simple things

Let us not forget that happiness lies in simple things. Instead of seeing everything around us negative or insignificant, you should enjoy the small joys that everyday life offers us. A smile, a tasty food, a pleasant evening with our family, a walk with our dog, a hug from the person we love can fill us with happiness and satisfaction. Do not underestimate it!

10. Be prepared to take the next step…

Our lives will never change if deal with it with contentment and defeatism. To change our lives we need radical measures, we need goals, effort, struggle, discipline and consistency. Above all, we have a soul, our soul. A dream is enough to make our soul capable of everything….

Do not allow anyone to affect you and distracts you from your goals. Anyone is doing what is right for his or her self, so do what YOU think it right for yourself and not what directly or indirectly imposed to you by people or situations.

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