A Woman of Persistence

A woman of persistent  is characterized as continuously pursuing a goal or objective  in spite of  internal or external events that slow down  the process. Achieving success in life no matter how one may define what successful is will always be dependent on being persistent. 

 
Do you know this woman of persistence?  Is she your sister, your mother, your friend or that woman whose reflection you see in the mirror?

I know her well.  With some work and dedication I’ve learned to love, respect and care about her.  That was not an easy process.  I thought she was weak and afraid but have come to realized she has strength beyond measure and refuses to give up.

Let me share with you a little about her life.

• When she’s running late she finds a way to get there just in the lick of time.
• When there isn’t enough time for herself she makes time for others.
• When she’s short on money she finds a way to make ends meet.  And provides everything her family needs.
• When she’s sad she finds a way to smile and bring joy into the lives of the people she cares about.
• When she needs loves she finds enough love in her to give away to others.
• When she feels sick for she finds a way to care for others.
• When she’s hungry she will feed her family.
• When she feels fragile she discovers her strength
• When she feels afraid she courageously takes the next step.
• When she feels life if hard she declares it to be easy.
• When she feels like eating chocolate late at night she finds a way to eat carrots instead.
• When she feels vulnerable she finds a way to fight the battle.
• When she feels tired she finds the fortitude to keep going
• When she feels like surrendering  she refuses to give up.
• When she feels old she finds her youthful spirit.
• When she feels like giving up she finds the courage to keep going.
• When life made her feel like a failure she affirmed success, happiness and prosperity is  just around the corner. 
• When she feels weak she finds the strength and determination
• The woman of persistence and perseverance knows how to play the game of life.  Just like a card game she may lose the hand but still win the game. Being persistent will change your life.

Persistent in life is probably the most important quality necessary to achieve success.   Persistent starts with a goal, an idea of what you want to do.  Being persistent means being determined, unrelenting, and enduring through the tough times, and then making a plan on how you want to accomplish your goal as it will no doubt help you achieve your life purpose.

Persistence bring tears
Persistence brings rejection
Persistence may even bring angers

But if your persistent
It will bring you happiness
It will bring you laughter
It will bring you good health
It will bring you financial freedom
Believe in the power of persistent women, and with their knowledge, which sees beyond the way things are, to the way things are in the eyes of God.
She and I are working together building a business and a life.  I listen to this strong powerful woman.  She knows how to direct me to the right path.  She’s willing to share her knowledge and passion.

Never underestimate the power of a persistent woman.   A woman of extraordinary power and passion. 
The message is clear—there is no power on earth equal to that of a persistent woman.

Can you name the most persistent woman you’ve met.
So my sisters (and brothers) what are you persistent about?

Creating a Life Filled With Success

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. – Albert Schweitzer

 
According to Dictionary.com success is the achievement of something desired, planned or attempted.  Maybe you have friends or family members who have achieved immense success in their lives and you find yourself wishing you could have that the same?  Does thinking about them fill you with envy toward the people who you perceive to  “everything” they want? 

Most of us experience these feelings from time to time, but instead of letting  envy and resentment  make you feel miserable and negative, remember,  you’re in control, create your own success.  After all, you are the only person who has power over how you define “success.” So instead of spending your time feeling jealous, you can spend time creating and acknowledging your own success.

Creating Success for Yourself

Many people spend their lives wondering when success is going to magically appear at their door but, of course, it never happens this way.  If, instead, you spend less time dreaming and more time building, you’d be much happier and success will be well within our grasp.

Rather than waiting passively for success to whisk you away, it’s time to create your own version of success. When you are proactively taking steps every day, you have a better chance of realizing your goals. After all, it’s far more productive than watching other people achieve success.

A great way to create the successful life you have always hoped for is to set clear, actionable goals. How do you want your life to be defined? What do you want to be doing a year from now, five years from now, or even ten years from now? What sort of goals can you set for yourself that will help motivate you and keep you going in the right direction so you can reach out and grab what you want?

You will want to make sure the goals you set are attainable. The best way to do this is to start with short-term goals that help you work towards your long-term goals. This will help you move forward and build momentum without becoming discouraged. Besides, it’ll help to keep your eye on the prize.  If you set goals that are too ambitious, you will be more inclined to give up before you even get started.

Building a “Success!” Attitude

Your attitude and thoughts determine your success, so make sure they are congruent.  If you have some negative or self-defeating inner dialogues, it will be much more difficult for you to achieve your goals and build the life of success you have always wanted.  That’s why it’s a good idea to use the power of positive affirmations to propel you forward.

Affirmations can help people from all walks of life reach great success, even if they started out in the lowest of low places. So remember that success isn’t limited to the rich and famous!

Having a list of affirmations on hand can help you overcome those moments of self-doubt, envy, or even anger that you may feel toward others.  Affirmations are simple thoughts like, “Each simple, completed task propels me towards success,” or, “I am worthy of great success.” These affirmations help to remind you of what your goals are and, in turn, remind you that you are worthy of all you desire, and more!

Getting Your Project Done Quickly and Effectively

Think about this for a minute.  Did you know that you are capable of a lot more than you are doing now? Tapping into the entire power of your brain is something you can easily learn with practice. By doing this, you can harness the power of your mind to complete tasks and go about your life with ease. When you tap into your total mental capacity you will learn how to focus on what really counts so you can get more done promptly and efficiently.  

 
 Tapping Into the Full Power of Your Brain

 
 Do you ever complete a project and then do it over again when you realized you made many silly little mistakes? Most of the time we laugh at ourselves and wonder what we were thinking, but it sure would be nice to get things done in one try without having to re-do tasks over and over again. 

 
 This is all the more reason we need to constantly improve our mind so we can accomplish things faster with the least amount of effort. 

 
 Turn off the Distracting Mental Chatter

 
 The first thing you need to do when you want to tap into your full brainpower is turn off the noise. The reference to noise isn’t necessarily the music playing in the room or the television you have on in the background – it’s the noise in your mind! All of the negative thoughts and concerns that distract you and take you away from your concentration are all mental noises. Turn off the noise when you need to harness all your energy to complete a difficult task. Any time a thought misdirects you, immediately write it down, and get back on task.

 
 Make a Prioritized List

 
 The next strategy is to prioritize the items you really need to do right away. Being able to create a plan of attack will help you use all of your mental abilities when you need them the most. You will be able to focus on the task at hand when you know that everything has its place on paper. This will enable you to devote your brainpower to what you are doing so you can enjoy your work without worrying about what’s up ahead. You’ll also be more efficient and effective when it comes to completing the tasks in front of you since everything will have its own time and place.

 
 Using the Power of Positive Thinking

 
 Positive thinking techniques are another great way to tap into your brainpower. For example, if you use affirmations, you will be able to turn off the negative inner dialogue that you have running through your head and replace it with positive thoughts to keep you moving forward. 

 
 Many of us don’t realize how ineffective negative thoughts make us. These thoughts can distract us and keep us from doing the things we want or need to do. An affirmation such as, “My lasting success is my focus” can help you tap into your confidence so you can get things done. Over time, using positive thinking techniques will turn off any negative thoughts so you can tap into the power of your mind to accomplish more and reach greater levels of success.

Tapping Into Your Creative Mind

Do you love to be creative, but want to take your creative thinking to a entire new level?  Do you feel overwhelmed by your work and feel that your natural creative abilities and gifts are untapped?  If so, you need to learn how to tap into your creative thinking whenever you want or need to.  When you permit creative thinking to flow, you will find that you can enhance your natural abilities and implement more in less time.

Creative Thinking Begets Creativity

Creativity allows you to become who you want to be. If you cannot release your creativity, you may feel your professional growth stunted, or you may not be able to think as clearly as you would like to. Many of people don’t realize the importance of creativity unless they are taught to tap into it through creative thinking. 

Are you curious how you can get started with creative thinking? You can begin with easy exercises like going through magazines and clipping out random pictures. You then can glue them all to a paper or a board without thinking about it – just let your creative juices flow! Finally, step back and see what your mind has created. You may be impressed and surprised with yourself. This surely will help you tap into your creative energy.

Listen to Something New

Another way to jump-start your creative thinking is by listening to music. Put on an album that you are unfamiliar with or borrow a friend’s CD. When you listen to something that you have never experienced before, you may find that you are changing your definitions of creativity and are lighting your creative fire at the same time.

Get Creative By Getting Your Groove On

Dance! Creative thinking often starts with an active body. Put on a CD or go out to a jazz club. Try a dance class, or enjoy the movement of your body in your own living room. Whatever it is, do something to get up and get going! You will be surprised at how creative you’ll feel afterwards. You may feel inspired and ready to tackle new and challenging projects. Or perhaps you’ll find that your workload isn’t as daunting as it first appeared. After all, you’ll be relaxing while having fun!

Write Your Heart Out

Another option is to set your timer for 15 minutes.  From the minute you press start, you should write freely. Write whatever comes to mind without thinking about it or planning. Then step back and see the creativity that flowed from your mind to your hand, and then to your pen and onto the paper.

Yet another amazing way to boost creative thinking is through statements. These positive statements can help you remember what it is to be creative and how wondrous it feels when creativity flows through you. You can create a list of statements for yourself such as, “I feel an intense flame of passion for things that interest me,” that can help you tap into the creative person that you are, even as you deal with everyday stresses.

Stress Free Living – Organizational Skills for the Unorganized

It’s difficult if not impossible to live stress free if your not organized.  Some people lack organization skills in  only a few areas of their life while others are unganized in almost every aspect.    Sifting through the chaos could seem like an insurmountable task, but it doesn’t have to be this way!

The key is to evaluate your situation and make small steps toward an organized life. Don’t try to change all at once or you could end up just adding to the chaos.

Here are some tips and tricks to follow in order to get organized:

1. Have a Place for Everything. There are certain items that you use nearly every day. Make sure that these items have a permanent place in your home. Put your keys on a key holder near the door or your wallet in your desk draw. When your things are put away in their proper place, you’re not only organized, but you’ll save time as well.

2. Make a List. When you have tasks to complete, make a list of everything you need to do in order to reach completion. Writing it down will help you to visualize what needs to get done. Lists also insure that you don’t forget to do anything.

•  You can also separate your lists into long-term and short-term categories. The short-term list might be items you need to complete today, while the long-term sheet is your monthly or yearly goals.

3. Start Small. If there are many aspects of your life that you’re trying to get organized, start with the small pieces first. For instance, if your home is unorganized, start with one room – like the kitchen. Give yourself a timeline to complete kitchen organization, and then expand yourself to other rooms once you complete that task.

4. Find a System That Works And Stick To It. There are many different organizational methods that you can choose to implement, but the most important element is to use it consistently. Make sure you understand it and follow through.

•  For example, there are different ways you can organize your bookshelf. You can order all books by author. You can order all books by topic. You can order by topic and author. Once you choose a system, all you need to worry about is following through.

5. Get Rid of Clutter. If you find your life is full of clutter, it’s time to get rid of the junk. Maybe it’s time to finally go through all the stacked boxes in your garage to make more room. When you’re going through your clutter, decide immediately whether or not you’ve used the item in the past couple years. If you haven’t, consider selling it or giving it away to charity.

•  Always remember that your first instincts are often right. If your first instinct is to get rid of something, don’t over think it. You could end up keeping something that sticks around for another couple years, unused!

6. Sort Your Mail. This is a simple one that can help you greatly. Your mail can stack up fast. As soon as you get it, sort it. Throw out the junk mail and shred the documents you don’t need that might contain personal information. Take care of your bills right away, so you don’t have to worry about it later.

7. Go Paperless. In this digital age, it’s popular to cut out the paper to save yourself some organizational headaches and save the environment. When companies bill you, there is usually an option to go paperless. Use this option and start managing your billing statements online.

Don’t Get Overwhelmed

Of course there are many things you can do to get yourself organized. Try to make a positive step forward each day even if it’s something small. You’ll soon find that your life is becoming more manageable and you’ll feel a great deal of satisfaction!

Build Confidence With Daily Affirmation Statements

Do you suffer from low self-esteem? When something painful happens in your life, do you beat yourself up about it time and time again?

Concentrating on words such as: “That was dumb,” “I am so overweight,” “No one loves me,” and a host of other negative assertions can easily zap the happiness right out of your life.

Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be permanent. Positive affirmations can turn your negativity around. Affirmations are merely statements or phrases, which stress on the positive rather than the negative.

These mantras can actually reprogram your unconscious thinking and bring you a plethora of good benefits that you’ll enjoy for years to come!

Here are some easy ways to incorporate positive affirmations into your life:

1. Statements should always be in the present tense. Begin your statements with “I can” “I have” or “I am,” instead of a phrase like “I will” or “I may.”

* Examples of this would be “I have a beautiful body” and “I am so intelligent,” instead of “I will never be so stupid again.”

* Choose statements that focus on the positive attributes you want to encourage, saying them as if you already exhibit that behavior.

2. Address yourself by name when verbalizing your assertions. Believe it or not, this does make a big difference. When you say: “I, Jane Doe, am a beautiful person both inside and out,” it makes your statement more compelling because you hear the sweet sound of your own name!

* Using your name in the statements allows your subconscious to process the phrases even faster.

3. Concentrate on one or two statements to start with. Although you possess a lot of positive attributes, it’s best to concentrate only on one or two when you’re first starting out. If you start with twenty positive affirmations, your subconscious may be overwhelmed or dismiss the deeper meaning.

* For example, if you meet someone who goes on and on about how wonderful and beautiful you are, what’s your reaction? Ordinarily after the second or third compliment, you tend to wonder if this person is actually being sincere! The same principal applies to practicing many affirmations at once.

* Focus on one or two, and when they’re firmly planted into your subconscious, you can move on to more.

4. Practice your statements as often as possible. Our subconscious mind is more open to suggestions when we first open our eyes in the morning and then again when we’re ready to fall asleep at night.

* The more often you say your statements, the quicker you’ll experience lasting changes.

5. Don’t fret if you’re having trouble writing your statements. There are many books and self-improvement web sites that include hundreds of positive, daily affirmations. You can then pick out one or two that you’d like to focus on and get started.

* Don’t let something as meaningless as not being able to compose a positive mantra hold you back from making changes and incorporating happiness into your life!
 
Low self-esteem is something that holds us back from living the life we deserve. You can rebuild your self-confidence and self-esteem with daily affirmations and experience the joy of life you’ve been missing. Try it and you’ll love it!

In A Rut? Then Stop Settling And Start Sizzling

Ok you’re trying to find your way to live a stress free life or at least reduce your stress to a dull roar.  But, it looks like you’re stuck in a rut. Are you bored with your life and the same routine day after day? Of course you can’t be happy like this!

There’s an exciting world out there with a lot to offer. Deep down you know you want to get out and take a big bite of it (and not let it take a big bite out of your).  Sure, it may be a bit overwhelming, and even scary at times, but you can’t let your life just pass you by.  Personally I let a lot of years pass me by – but no more.  It’s never to late to start sizzling.

It’s time to live those dreams, take a leap of faith, and get out of your comfort zone! But how do you get started?

Read on for some valuable tips and suggestions to help you be all you can be, now and always:

1. Decide what you want to do. Put your fears aside and step outside of your comfort zone. If you could do anything without fear, money, or time being an issue, what would you choose?

• Make a list of everything you would like to accomplish someday. It doesn’t matter how crazy or outrageous you may think it is, just write it down.
 
• It also doesn’t matter if your list has three or thirty-three things listed. Just search your heart and your mind and write down what you would really like to do.

2. Faith. It’s important to have faith to see your journey until the end, yet this may be one of the hardest qualities to develop. Remember how it feels to be stuck where you are with no excitement and no real purpose. You know things can be better than they are now, but how?

• All you need to do is believe in yourself. You know that countless people before you have lived their dreams, so why not you? What makes them so different?

• There really is no difference between you and others, except for the belief in the possibility for great success. You can be just like they are; you just have to believe you can do it!

3. Don’t keep it a secret. If you’re ashamed of how you’re feeling, you shouldn’t be. Many people find themselves in the same predicament. The only thing that should embarrass you is if you intentionally decide to stay in that rut! Do yourself a big favor and open up to someone you trust.
 
• Whether that’s a parent, spouse, or best friend, tell them that you’re ready to make a change in your life and they’ll be able support you throughout your journey. They’ll encourage you on the good days and cry with you on the bad days.

• Most importantly, they’ll be there to support you throughout it all. It’s just what you need to achieve great success!

4. Take the first step. It’s time to take that first leap of faith. As much as you want to step outside the box and get out of this rut, nothing will happen without taking that first big step.

• No matter how frightening you may be, you need to focus on the big picture and the pot of gold at the end of that rainbow. Muster up all the encouragement and support you can find and just do it. Once the first step is accomplished, it gets easier!

• You deserve to be the best that you can possibly be, and deep down inside you know this. You’ll be so glad you took action – and you’ll be so proud of yourself when you celebrate at the finish line!

No one enjoys being in a rut and just going through the motions of life. Don’t let your fears hold you back. After all, this is a wonderful world that you deserve to enjoy to the fullest!

Go out and experience everything life has to offer. Take that first leap of faith and you’ll never look back again!

Developing Your Inner and Outer Strengths

Stress free living is all about finding your strengths.  Everyone has unique talents and strengths, but whether you’ve discovered and actively developed them is the real question! Maybe you have been told that you’re good at something, but your let your skills go untapped while waiting for the confidence and courage activate.  You may be in for a long wait.

There are even some people whose self-esteem is suffering to the point that they truly believe they don’t possess any talents at all! If this is you, please believe that your talents are there, just waiting to be revealed to you!

These tried and true strategies will help you develop your strengths to their full potential:

1. Research. Perhaps you think that you’re strong in one area, but you aren’t completely sure. This is where you need to look into things that interest you or that you believe you might be good at. See what resources are available and what it would take to make the commitment to strengthen your strengths.

2. Patience. Developing your strengths to their full potential won’t occur overnight. To fully develop a talent, you must be patient. Patience is not easy and many of us tend to struggle with it. But if you can be patient, you’ll definitely reap the benefits at the end of the process.

• A useful way to think of developing your talents is to consider it as a journey. It may take a while, but you’ll learn a lot along the way.

• You’ll make mistakes and celebrate milestones, and by the time you’re done, your strength will be fully developed to the peak of your abilities.

3. Set goals. People are more successful when they set goals. Write down what you’d like to accomplish and what date you’d like to achieve this by. Remember to be realistic and review your goals frequently to keep yourself on track.

• Post your goals in places where you’ll see them throughout the day. The refrigerator, bathroom mirror, and your computer monitor are a few ideas. This will not only keep you on track, but it’ll also motivate you to reach these goals as quickly as possible.

4. Believe you can do it. Confidence can be one of your greatest strengths and assets. When trying to improve yourself in any capacity, if you truly believe that you’re able to accomplish anything, you’ve won half the battle.

• The battle with your mind is often greater than any challenge you face in reality.

• You may have tough days when you’re unsure of yourself, but as long as you get back on track quickly, you’ll build momentum.  Remember, you can do this!

Final Thoughts on Developing Your Strengths

Strengthening your strengths may be a daunting and overwhelming journey at times. And, yes, it will take some work. But everything worth anything involves hard work!

It’s important to focus on the big picture and remember the rewards you’ll enjoy once this process is over. Also, ensure that you have the unwavering belief that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.  By possessing these two attributes, you’ll be on the road to success in no time!

Habits Can Turn Your Dreams Into a Reality

Ever since we were children, we’ve had dreams. The sad thing is, over the years we convinced ourselves that our dreams could never come true. Because we assumed that they were mere fantasies, we didn’t even try to make them come true.

Believe it or not, your dreams can be reality! However, you won’t get anywhere by simply making a wish. You have to take specific actions to increase your chances of living that life you always dreamed of.

These are some simple techniques that can help you get started:

1. You must possess passion and desire. These two elements are crucial for living your dream. Interestingly enough, you really can’t have one without the other. You must yearn to have something in your life so much (desire) and for the right reasons (passion).

• A good example to illustrate the difference would be if you always wanted to be a professional singer. You know that you have the talent and all you want in life is to sing on a professional stage some day (desire). Your focus isn’t the money, fame, or prestige; you just have a true love for singing. It’s all you think about all-day, every day (passion).

2. Patience. Patience isn’t easy, but in most case, our dreams don’t come true overnight. You need to work hard to achieve your full potential. Though it may take longer than you hoped, once you’re living your dream, you’ll realize that practicing patience was worth the rewards.

• Just remember to remain positive, focus on your dreams, and keep taking action to make those dreams a reality. After all, patience is a virtue!

3. Sacrifice. Achieving your dreams will require self-sacrifice. This is usually where most people can gauge how serious they are about turning their dreams into reality. Whether it is giving up your TV time to work toward your goals, or spending extra hours at work to further your career, you have to be willing to sacrifice something.

• If you’re truly passionate about your dreams, this shouldn’t be too difficult. If you do find sacrifice extremely difficult, it may be that you don’t possess enough desire, passion, willpower, or self-discipline to see your dreams through.

4. Confidence. If you truly want to make your dreams real, you have to believe they can happen. You must possess an intense confidence in yourself and your talents; otherwise, your dreams will remain dreams forever.

• Sometimes your confidence may waiver, but as long as you can focus on your ultimate goal – and you can actually see yourself achieving this goal – you’re heading in the right direction.

Final Thoughts on Achieving Your Dreams

No one can steal your dreams away from you except you. Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy, biggest obstacle, and harshest critic. But that’s not what you need! You need to remember that, by taking action and implementing these simple tips and suggestions, your dreams can come true.

Keep your focus on the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow; it will happen if you only believe it can!

Stress Free Living – How Well Do You LISTEN?

Most people can talk about themselves and their ideas, jobs, plans, friends, etc. on and on. And yet, the ones that truly stand out – in business and in life – are those who cannot only talk but also LISTEN.

And by listening we don’t just mean saying “uh-huh” every now and then in polite conversation. If you want to be heard when it’s your time to speak, you must also learn how to listen well.

Active Listening Techniques

Pay attention. When someone is speaking to you, pay attention! Move closer to them and maintain eye contact. If in a crowded and noisy area, turn your head so that your ear is close to the speaker. And don’t just take note of the words you hear. Look at his/her face and take note of the facial expression of your speaker and other body language.

Don’t prepare. Part of listening attentively is NOT planning what YOU are going to say when it’s your turn to talk. If you do this, you’re only half-listening because you’re already busy formulating your response. So don’t prepare; just listen to the one speaking.

Convey that you’re paying attention. Give the speaker clues that you’re listening by making a few gestures such as nodding your head, smiling when appropriate, laughing when necessary, and so on.

Interjections such as “really?”, “uh-huh”, “no way!”, and others also help relay to the speaker that you’re listening to what’s being said.

You may even want to “return the story” by saying something like “so let me see if I have this straight, you mean…”. Feel free to ask questions too. This conveys to the speaker that not only are you listening, but that you are interested in the conversation.

Another situation where you may need to clarify with a speaker is when he/she is speaking in a slightly different tongue or tone. He/she may be pronouncing the words differently and rather than just ‘drift off’, ask politely for the speaker to repeat or clarify certain things he’s said.

Don’t interrupt. One common mistake of most people in a conversation is that they keep interrupting the speaker. Not only is this rude but you run the risk of completely misunderstanding what’s being said because you didn’t give the speaker a chance to finish his story. So give the speaker the time he deserves before you join in.

Listening is really an integral part of ANY relationship. Pay attention at how you listen to others. When you hone this skill, you’ll find yourself naturally getting better at communicating with others.

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