Here are three personal success tips to keep you building personal momentum.

1) Avoid Ignorance

“The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: Be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.” – Elbert Hubbard

What you don’t know can hurt you. Whenever an individual or  company ceases to learn or reduces its storehouse of knowledge, decline swiftly follows. In today’s climate, change happens too quickly for businesses and individuals to fore go learning. Unless individuals make a concerted effort to gather information and re-educate themselves, their organizations will suffer the negative momentum of ignorance.

2) Guard Against Negligence

“Negligence is the rust of the soul, that corrodes through all her best resolves” – Owen Feltham

Executives at Philip Morris were well aware of the health hazards of smoking,  yet they chose not to warn customers about the harmful effects of their products. When the truth about tobacco became widely known, the public was outraged at the company’s negligence. Scads of lawsuits were filed against Philip Morris, alleging that it deliberately withheld information from customers. To date, the company has paid out millions of dollars in court-ordered settlements, and is on the hook for millions more.

When companies refuse to act on important information – then they are said to be negligent. Philip Morris failed to respond properly to the information at its disposal, namely that its products fostered addiction and had adverse health effects. In the end, the company paid dearly in financial penalties and lost significant momentum.

3) Take Action

“An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.” – Jack Welch

In 1987, Merck realized it had a drug that could counteract river blindness, a disease endemic to impoverished regions. At great expense to its pocketbook, Merck agreed to provide the drug to all who needed it, as long as they needed it. In the 20+ years since making that commitment, the company has provided over 600 million treatments.

Merck’s public image was boosted exponentially as a result of its generosity. The best and brightest minds in the pharmaceutical industry flocked to Merck to associate themselves with an organization that genuinely seemed to care. By putting its knowledge to work in such a benevolent way, Merck enjoyed a surge of momentum.

Wishing you a larger life,
BB

Technorati Tags: personal success, sucess, tips for personal success

During my yearly physical in June my physician was pleased, even though he went through all the reasons I need to loss some additional weight. All the numbers that are suppose to be up are and all the numbers that are suppose to be down are headed that way.

Life is interesting isn’t? As we age the things that should be thick get thin – like my hair. Yet at the same time the things that should be thin – like my waist – get thick. Life is just a grand comedy, make sure you take time to laugh.

Wishing you a larger life,
BB

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Technorati Tags: personal goals, personal success, success, tips for personal success

There’s no better way to increase your personal success than by improving  your health. After all, health is one of the most important aspects of life. Taking care of your health is the first step on the road to self-improvement.

1. Eat breakfast- start the day off right with a quick morning breakfast. Fruit and yogurt, granola and milk or whole-wheat toast and peanut butter will ensure you start on the right foot.

2. Relax in the morning- get up a couple minutes early and savor that extra time. Enjoy a cup of coffee while watching the sun rise; take a few extra minutes to yourself in the shower; or go for a quick brisk walk around the block to get your heart pumping. There’s nothing worse than starting your day in a rush. A few minutes in the morning can make a world of difference.

3. Exercise with a friend- Exercise releases endorphins, which can lift your spirit as well as help you maintain a healthy weight. However, sometimes it can be hard to get out of bed and actually hit the gym. Combining your friendly chatter with exercise can make exercise much more fun. Working out with a friend, whether this is a morning stroll, a spin class, an evening run or anything else, can keep you motivated and revved for the rest of the day.

4. Don’t just drink water, enjoy water- tap water is fine, in most instances, but pure water makes a big difference. It’s important to drink 2 litres of water each day; however, this shouldn’t seem like a chore. Add some ice cubes, cordial and enjoy water through a fun straw to make it more indulgent. Water doesn’t have to be just water.
5. Pop a vitamin a day- it’s amazing what one little pill can do for your health.  Multi-vitamins can give your body the nourishment it is lacking. We can’t eat perfect balanced and healthy all the time, which is why vitamins were created.

6. Hide (or throw away) the scale- a scale is the only ingredient you need for a recipe for disaster when it comes to self-improvement. Hide it. Throw it away and don’t think about it. You have more important things to worry about than your weight. If you feel great on the inside, then it will show on the outside, regardless of what that darned scale says.

7. Stop Smoking- quitting is hard; not quitting is even harder. If you are a smoker, start small and get the help you need. Limiting your cigarette intake is the first step to a healthier you and an improved lifestyle.

8. Aim for 30- 30 minutes of exercise each day is recommended by health professionals. This includes simple changes to your lifestyle like incorporating a walk into your evening activities, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and riding your bike to work once and a while.

9.  Stretch- stretching can keep your muscles feeling relaxed and also helps to relieve stress.

10.  Follow the food guide- The health professionals made the daily food chart for a reason. Try to get 2 servings of fruit, five servings of fruit, dairy and protein each day.

11.  Reward yourself (in moderation)- a weekly treat is necessary for all your hard work to remain healthy. Treat yourself to something you love like low fat ice cream or chocolate. On the path to self-improvement, there is always time to stop and eat dessert.

12.  Accept the aging process- many people have trouble coming to terms with their body’s changes as they age. It’s important to understand that aging is a natural process. Learn to love your wrinkles, your grey hair and your less-than-tight skin. George Clooney, Harrison Ford, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone and Brad Pitt are all over 40, and they have never looked better!

13. Limit your alcohol intake- having a glass of wine with dinner is fine; however, when you are drinking a bottle of wine a night, or, even worse, binge drinking, then you are causing serious damage to your body. If you are going to drink, drink responsibility. Make sure you have a designated driver or cab ride and drink plenty of water throughout the night.

14. Don’t neglect your oral hygiene- make it a habit to brush, floss and use sugar-free, alcohol-free mouthwash daily. Make a trip to the dentist once a year too. No one likes going to the dentist- but no one wants to lose his or her teeth either.

15.  De-stress- remaining healthy is not just about go, go, go. You also need to stop, relax and re-stress. Stress is unavoidable at some tim es. The best way to deal with stress is to push away from it for a few minutes, let your body relax, and then tackle it head on.

16. Invest in Sleep- you don’t need us to tell you how important sleep is. This is why it’s a good idea to reward yourself at night with expensive sheets, a perfectly firm mattress and cosy down covers. Your bed is your battery recharger. Make sure it’s in tip-top condition.

17.  Get creative with food- variety is the spice of life, and this couldn’t be truer than in the kitchen. Share recipes with friends, check online cooking forums and have fun with your food. You can still eat a healthy (and affordable) diet that doesn’t just consist of brown rice, grilled chicken and salad. Spice it up!

18.  If you get sick, then be sick- so many people attempt to work through their illness. Stop. If you are sick, then stay in bed. Getting sick is your body’s way on telling you that you are working too hard. You will feel better faster if you just accept the illness and take a break. Plus, you will not be contaminating those around you. So grab some ginger ale, Kleenex and the DVD player and let your body heal!

Wishing you a larger life,
BB

Technorati Tags: Albert Schweitzer, health and fitness, tips for personal success

Simpler is better!

With all the daily rushing around and stress in our lives, we can often find ourselves yearning for a slower, simpler way of living. If your life has come to resemble an endless sprint, take a look at the suggestions below to bring a greater sense of calm and simplicity into your life.

1) Less is more.

It’s amazing how much “stuff” we can accumulate in our homes because we think they’ll contribute to our lives. Although it’s true that we gain enjoyment from material possessions, the more we accumulate the greater burdened we often feel. Eventually we find ourselves living under a constant cloud of confusion, scattered thoughts and stress.

Begin immediately to clear out the possessions you no longer need, want, or use. Donate them to a local charitable organization. This accomplishes two things: first, you’ll feel lighter and less cramped in your home; and you’ll also feel good about giving these items to people who can actually use them.

2) Cut down your activities.

An active life is good, but not if it leaves you feeling drained and exhausted! Many of us take on more obligations and even recreational activities than necessary.

Take a few minutes to think about the things you do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Do you really need to do all of them? Have you taken on responsibilities that really aren’t yours? Are you spending time on activities you no longer enjoy? Make a list of at least a few activities or obligations that you can eliminate, and then go ahead and do so – even if you have to cut them down gradually.

3) Spend time in silence.

An easy, straight forward way to live a life of simplicity and ease is to shut out the mental and physical “noise” of your life on a regular basis. Sitting in silence for just a few minutes can drastically reduce your stress levels and leave you feeling centered, calm and happy.

You can boost the effectiveness of this activity by spending this time in a park or other natural setting. While not completely silent, natural settings have soothing sounds like running water, singing birds and wind sighing through trees – which automatically trigger feelings of peace and well-being.

Living a simpler life is about learning how to slow down and connect more deeply with your true self. Whether you do that by simplifying your environment, getting control of your schedule or enjoying a quiet break each day, the result is the same – a happier and more peaceful you!

Wishing you a larger life,
BB

Technorati Tags: mindset, simplicity, success, tips for personal success

Since  balance is a topic raised during a number of mentoring sessions, I’ve decided to write a post on the subject.  It’s certainly true that when life seems out of control and there are endless demands tugging at you from all directions, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, fatigued and just plain stressed!

Balancing your life does not require massive changes. You don’t have to abandon your family, leave your employer and escape to a mountain top retreat in order to experience peace and happiness. True balance is starts within you first and foremost regardless of whatever else is happening in your life.

Here’s three simple ways to begin building a greater sense of inner peace and harmony:

1) Quiet time.

When we’re extremely busy, we tend to sacrifice our personal time. Instead we devote all of our energy and attention to caring for others, multi-tasking, meeting responsibilities and “being productive.” This depletes our energy and we begin to feel more and more burdened by our responsibilities.

To live a more balanced life, quiet time to yourself is crucial. You may believe that you don’t have any time available for yourself, but something amazing happens when you consistently find the time; you find yourself feeling happier and more energetic. Your focus improves, which means you still get plenty done! Just a few minutes spent sitting quietly in meditation or reading a book can do wonders in transforming stress into peace and happiness.

2) Self-care.

Beyond making time for things you enjoy, there are other ways to nurture and love yourself on a daily basis. Getting a full 8 hours of sleep (or as much as you personally need) is a great start, as well as eating nutritious food, exercising daily and speaking kindly to yourself.

Have you ever noticed that when you’re really tired or stressed, even the smallest problem can seem like a nightmare? Conversely, when you’re feeling well-rested and centered, you’re much better able to handle the inevitable upsets. Giving yourself proper care is one sure way to consistently replenish your energy, inner peace and joy. This will ensure that you’ll have the strength to handle whatever comes your way.

3) Flexibility.

Did you know that one of the biggest causes of stress is rigid expectations? We all do it from time to time; get a mental picture of how our lives “should be” and get really annoyed when our outer circumstances don’t cooperate! One of the biggest gifts you can give yourself is a flexible state of mind. Learn how to detach from unrealistic expectations and go with the flow.

When you have a flexible mind-set, you’re able to deal with crises and problems much more easily because you’re not working against a preconceived notion of how things “should be”. You’re able to tap into your creative problem solving skills and move through challenges without all the drama and frustration. Be like the willow tree that bends with the breeze and you’re much less likely to break!

These inner changes can make a dramatic difference in your state of well-being, but you may also want to examine your outer life circumstances and see if there are other small changes you can make to help support your inner work.

For example, you might choose to let go of certain obligations that are no longer meaningful or enjoyable to you. Just because you agreed to host weekly meetings for a support group three years ago doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it forever – especially if it’s become a drain on your time and energy!

Be willing to let go of activities that no longer complement the lifestyle you desire, and you’ll create a space for greater fulfillment, joy and peace.

Wishing you a larger life,
BB

Technorati Tags: balance, happiness, Robert Fulghum, tips for personal success

Let Your Passion Lead You To Personal Success

To find your passion is to identify your own unique purpose in life; to live your passion is to achieve the highest level of personal success. You can achieve whatever level of personal success your passions drive you toward. You can really live the life of your hearts desire and be the person you were meant to be. Those are bold statements but they are true; and more and more people are discovering this wonderful truth for themselves. But if this is indeed true, then why is it that so many people are pursuing work and careers they don’t really care about?

This whole business of  “making a living” – fulfilling basic physical and social needs, often fills the lives of those with comparatively few opportunities . They work hard and never really enjoy the luxury of considering what might be termed the ‘higher needs’ of the human condition.

People in today’s workplace are indeed seeking to reach higher and often people think they have reached their peak when they have started to meet the basic human need for respect, recognition and responsibility. For many people, this means pursuing an interesting career; rather than just getting a job with a weekly paycheck.

For some however, there is still an inner emptiness. Often, this emptiness is experienced when they have actually become successful in their chosen careers. They start to wonder exactly what life has been about. The trappings of success: promotion, automobile, house did not bring about the happiness they anticipated. As Dr. Stephen R Covey puts it, this is a consequence of reaching the top of  the ladder of success only to find that, the ladder has been leaning against the wrong wall all along.

To really achieve success in life, you must be bold enough to go even higher. The state that Dr. Abraham Maslow labeled ” Self Actualization”. Briefly, this means becoming the person you were meant to be; and living the life you were meant to live. Only by doing this, can you possibly hope to find the true success you really desire.

Wishing you a larger life,
BB

Technorati Tags: desire, passion, Stephen R Covey, tips for personal success, Virgil

An Attitude Of Gratitude

It’s difficult to see at first glance how thankfulness, or gratitude, can be an important key to your success. However, by attempting to cultivate an ‘attitude of gratitude’ you are tapping into the timeless laws of success.

Thankfulness is fundamentally related to positivity and negativity. When you maintain a grateful it is practically impossible to be negative about your life. As A. W. Tozer stated “a thankful heart cannot be cynical”.

Most work-places contain numerous cynical people – ready to run the company down, run the boss down and run the industry down. Most can and do, actually produce the evidence that supports their beliefs. Interestingly enough, the laws of success are also employed by these people. In talking about what they don’t like, they are using the principles to attract what they don’t want. The they act based on those beliefs. So, their reality reinforces their views about the company, the boss, the industry and whatever else has been the subject of their negativity.

Conversely, having an attitude of gratitude impacts your general outlook on life; and people generally will prefer to work with happy, cheerful, grateful people than miserable, down-cast, merchants of doom and gloom. As a consequence of this attitude truly grateful people, literally attract opportunities that others miss or even possibly repel.

Thankfulness is an attitude that is an  important key to personal success. It is an attitude we all need to learn to acquire – particularly when we feel we are in difficult circumstances and in challenging times like these.  So learn to be grateful.

Wishing you a larger life,
BB

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You Gotta Have Faith

You will encounter many people who tell you that you will never, or simply cannot, achieve your dream. They are the people who once had a dream of personal success, but have now settled for less. As children they once believed they would one-day become pilots, doctors, actors, singers, ballerinas, missionaries, air-hostesses, etc.

Unfortunately, life gradually ground them down; and their dreams were ground into dust and blew away. Those dreams still reside somewhere, deep down within their hearts, but they long ago gave up believing that their goals are achievable.

First, their parents worked on them: questioning their abilities, doubting their chances and telling them that they once had the same dreams. Their parents told them they needed to grow-up, be more responsible and life would work out just great.

Then their teachers worked on them: saying that we all have such ambitions, but in the real-world, you needed a trade, a job, a career – and that life had so very few of these exciting opportunities. They ingrained the attitude of the ’scarcity mentality’ into their charges – resources are scarce. They told these children that the universe did not have enough abundance for all.

Finally, their friends worked on them as they also settled for the jobs on offer, they questioned: what was so wrong with being a sales-person, a plumber, a secretary or a brick-layer? After all, the world needs trades-people and there was nothing wrong with making an honest living by providing these services. Absolutely true! Gradually, their beliefs about the world were changed – they no longer believed in the possibility of reaching the heights they had once dreamed of – and they made the decision to settle for less; in many cases – much less.

Only a few of those pilots-in-the-making believed they could still learn to fly aircraft; only a few of those singers still believed they were destined to sing for their supper. Many people had their dream figuratively strangled out of them. Once you are again ready to pursue what is in your heart, you need to be aware that you are still not immune to this negative conditioning. Many people will still be ready to tell you why what you are now doing, or about to do, is hopeless!

That’s why you need faith – a deep-down belief that, regardless of the evidence, you are going to make it! You are going to achieve what your personal success goals. You are going to make a difference in this life.

Wishing you a larger life,
BB

Technorati Tags: Confucius, dreams, faith, goals, tips for personal success

What are do we mean when we say “mind-set”, anyway? Generally, mind-set refers to your predominant state of mind, or way of thinking day to day. It’s what you think about, focus on, and expect from your daily experiences. Think negatively, expect the worst, feel pessimistic about your options and that’s exactly what you’ll seem to draw into your life. Likewise, think positively, expect the best and focus on a successful outcome and you get it most of the time.

Makes sense, right? But how exactly does this work? Why is a success mind-set so important? There are three big reasons:

1) A success mind-set boosts your self-belief and makes you confident.

A lack of belief in yourself usually comes along with a sense of powerlessness and futility, which is the exact opposite of a success mind-set. This can result in a “victim” mentality. Lack of confidence means you see no point in trying to be successful because it won’t happen anyway. This type of mind-set is a clear recipe for failure.

Having a true success mind-set, means you believe in yourself and your abilities. You believe you can succeed at nearly anything you try, and you’re willing to give it your best shot. Even better, the more you do try, the more confidence and self-belief you build until you’re virtually unstoppable!

2) A success mind-set makes you persistent.

Without a success mind-set, one failure is enough to convince you that pursuing your goals is a waste of time. Persistence and determination don’t exist in your world. If you don’t become a raging success the first time you try, you decide that it simply wasn’t meant to be. Unfortunately, few things worth having are obtained so easily!For those with a success mind-set, failure is not the end of the story – it’s just one more way that didn’t work out the way you planned. Those with a true success mind-set know that the only true failure occurs when you quit trying.

3) A success mind-set results in more fruitful actions.

Ever been confused because you didn’t know the best way to approach a specific goal? Maybe you knew the best course of action but you felt intimidated by some of the action steps required. As a result, you may have kept sabotaging your efforts as you searched in vain for an easier or less frightening way to your goal. With a true success mind-set, you’ll always take the most effective action steps that will lead directly to your goal. You’ll also have the inner confidence and determination to pursue them. Which after all, is a sure recipe for . . . you guessed it; success!

If I had to sum up how to develop a success mind-set into as few words as possible, I’d say this:

- Go for your dreams.
- Think positively.
- Believe in yourself.
- Believe you can do better.
- Learn, grow and develop yourself.
- Be willing to take chances.
- Give it your all.
- Expect the best in every situation.
- Be willing to fail.
- When you fall down, get back up and try again.

Keep doing that and you can’t help but become successful, from the inside out.

Technorati Tags: mindset, persistence, success, tips for personal success

It’s generally true that in order to experience personal success, we need to notice what is working and what is not. We need to be ready to change our approach in order to reach our personal success goals –that is the essence of flexibility.

Anthony Robbins is credited with saying, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got“. That is a wonderfully true statement – in other words, if you continue doing exactly what you are now doing, then don’t be surprised when you don’t see any increase or change in your results.

It is the law of cause and effect in operation. Simple physics. The results you are now getting (effects) are the product of the causes (efforts) you have made in the past. To enjoy greater personal success in the future, you need to change what you are doing in the present.

While persistence is a necessary characteristic, persistence without flexibility can indeed be futile. Without some flexibility in your approach, you could end up trying to move an immovable object for the rest of your life. The willingness to change what we are now doing while demonstrating persistence is what gets us around seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

So notice exactly what is working for you; and notice what is not. Change your approach in some way – if you can’t move the boulder – go around it. Brainstorm various approaches – then continue to track your results. By continually adjusting your approach and finding what works and what doesn’t, you will literally become unstoppable in your quest for personal success.

Wishing you a larger life,
BB

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