When you gotta go, you gotta go and the good news for women is now you can...anywhere, anytime.
A German company has come up with the first pocket urinal that fits in a woman's handbag and can be used whenever she is caught short.
The company says its 'Ladybag' will put an end to wasting time in toilet queues, having to endure filthy public toilets and, rather oddly, having to pee in a yoghurt pot while on the motorway (who knew).
The mobile lavatory consists of a plastic bag fitted with absorbent polymers that turn urine into a gel.
The size of a chocolate bar when folded, it has a wide pink opening and can be used squatting, sitting or standing.
Cleverly disguised as a leaf - albeit a rather nuclear one - there are also handy graphic instructions printed on the bottom.
The gel can easily absorb a pint of liquid but in a real emergency (too much tea at the service station perhaps?) the bag itself can hold 2.2 pints.
Inventor, Eva Tinter, told Germany's Der Spiegel magazine: 'It can be used in cars, or to avoid dirty toilets or at open-air festivals when you don't want to queue. You can just nip round the back of the toilet and use this.'
'The gel prevents unpleasant smells and the bag can be disposed of in rubbish bins. It is not harmful to the environment,' added Ms Tinter.
Recommended for one-time use only the Ladybag comes in a bag of three for €11.27 including packaging. The company also recommends it not be used while driving.
Incredibly the company has already sold 20,000 through chemists and the internet since its launch last October.
'We've had orders from all over the world. Every glove compartment should have one.' said Ms Tinter.
The Ladybag follows hot on the heels of the rather more masculine sounding 'Roadbag' for men. Launched in 2007 sales now top 200,000 a year.
Friday, September 04, 2009
New Antibodies for HIV: Fresh Hope for a Vaccine?
Scientists probably know more about HIV than any other pathogen, but despite that fact, they have had frustratingly little success in applying their knowledge toward a vaccine against the virus.
Now, after more than 15 years of trial and error in the field, researchers at the Scripps Research Institute and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) report they have discovered two powerful new antibodies to HIV, which may potentially lead to the development of a way to immunize against the virus. (See TIME's photo essay "Access to Life.")
While the new antibodies are not the first of the so-called broadly neutralizing antibodies that have been isolated from HIV-positive patients, they appear, at least in the lab, to be 10 times more effective at disarming the virus than earlier versions. They are also effective against a broad array of HIV strains that span nearly every continent, from Europe and North America to Asia and Africa. That would make them ideal candidates for a new vaccine — one that could actually protect people from becoming infected with HIV at all.
In a way, it's a back-to-the-future approach. Vaccines, including many of the familiar ones that target childhood diseases such as measles and mumps, work by training the immune system to generate antibodies against a foreign bacteria or virus. Made by immune cells known as B lymphocytes, these antibodies bind to specific portions of a virus and then hamper that virus from infecting healthy cells. Eventually, the piggybacked antibody also tags the invading virus for destruction by other immune cells, known as T cells. (See TIME's AIDS covers.)
"We looked at 162 different [HIV] viruses, and these antibodies neutralized 120 to 130 of strains from all across the world," says Dennis Burton of Scripps, the lead author of the study, published in the Sept. 4 issue of Science. "They certainly don't get everything. But if you are able to get 80% or more of viruses circulating out there with one single antibody, that's terrific. That's really, really good, considering how variable these viruses are."
That variability has been the biggest challenge for HIV vaccinemakers. HIV mutates so rapidly once it finds a new home in an infected patient that it's hard for researchers to keep pace and target the portions of the virus that are conserved. It was a lesson that Merck learned the hard way in 2007, when trials of its promising AIDS-vaccine candidate not only failed to protect people from acquiring HIV but in fact appeared to raise the risk of infection in inoculated people, compared with those who did not get the vaccine. (It's not clear why Merck's compound failed so miserably, but researchers believe it may have to do with the vector, an inactivated cold virus, that was used to ferry the immunity-triggering HIV proteins into the body; some people may have developed enough natural tolerance to the common-cold virus that their immune system did not react to it, or to the viral payload piggybacked on it, at all.)
Given that recent setback, Burton's team decided on a different approach. Instead of trying to identify which portions of HIV elicited the best immune response — a strategy that has been attempted without much success in not just Merck's but other previous vaccine efforts as well — they started with a pool of antibodies they knew could neutralize HIV and then backtracked to determine how to entice the immune system into producing them. To find the most effective antibodies, Burton's team used the latest biological and computational screening techniques, which emerged from genome-sequencing technologies. They collected blood serum from 1,800 HIV-infected people from around the world, then screened these virus-laden samples against B cells to see how many of the HIV strains the immune cells would recognize. To their surprise, the B cells were able to neutralize a fair number of the viruses, but two of the antibodies produced by the cells clearly stood out as more potent than the rest.
"This paper is important because what the authors were able to do is identify many more neutralizing antibodies than what we find in the serum of patients," says Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Disease, which raises the question, "Why don't people make antibodies to all of these HIV strains? Why isn't their blood naturally loaded with these antibodies?"
One reason may be that HIV is able to hide from B cells, jealously guarding its most conserved, and therefore most vulnerable, portions from view. That would prevent the body from creating the right neutralizing antibodies against the virus. But the two new antibodies reported in Science target a less hidden region of the viral coat, so it may be possible that if a new vaccine is developed, it could stimulate the immune system to marshal a robust enough force of antibodies to stop HIV.
The new discoveries have renewed some AIDS researchers' faith in the vaccine approach. In the lab, says Fauci, scientists know that these antibodies can effectively stop HIV in its tracks, starving it out by preventing it from binding to immune cells that provide it with the nutrients and machinery it needs to grow and reproduce.
The next and perhaps greater challenge is making the right concoction of viral proteins that will stimulate the immune system to churn out these antibodies in large amounts. "Now that we have the antibodies, we have to go back and create the [immune signal] that produces these antibodies," says Seth Berkley, president and CEO of IAVI. After that, the task is to package that immune signal in the form of a usable vaccine. Says Fauci: "And that's a big catch, a second hurdle that we have not gone over yet."
Now, after more than 15 years of trial and error in the field, researchers at the Scripps Research Institute and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) report they have discovered two powerful new antibodies to HIV, which may potentially lead to the development of a way to immunize against the virus. (See TIME's photo essay "Access to Life.")
While the new antibodies are not the first of the so-called broadly neutralizing antibodies that have been isolated from HIV-positive patients, they appear, at least in the lab, to be 10 times more effective at disarming the virus than earlier versions. They are also effective against a broad array of HIV strains that span nearly every continent, from Europe and North America to Asia and Africa. That would make them ideal candidates for a new vaccine — one that could actually protect people from becoming infected with HIV at all.
In a way, it's a back-to-the-future approach. Vaccines, including many of the familiar ones that target childhood diseases such as measles and mumps, work by training the immune system to generate antibodies against a foreign bacteria or virus. Made by immune cells known as B lymphocytes, these antibodies bind to specific portions of a virus and then hamper that virus from infecting healthy cells. Eventually, the piggybacked antibody also tags the invading virus for destruction by other immune cells, known as T cells. (See TIME's AIDS covers.)
"We looked at 162 different [HIV] viruses, and these antibodies neutralized 120 to 130 of strains from all across the world," says Dennis Burton of Scripps, the lead author of the study, published in the Sept. 4 issue of Science. "They certainly don't get everything. But if you are able to get 80% or more of viruses circulating out there with one single antibody, that's terrific. That's really, really good, considering how variable these viruses are."
That variability has been the biggest challenge for HIV vaccinemakers. HIV mutates so rapidly once it finds a new home in an infected patient that it's hard for researchers to keep pace and target the portions of the virus that are conserved. It was a lesson that Merck learned the hard way in 2007, when trials of its promising AIDS-vaccine candidate not only failed to protect people from acquiring HIV but in fact appeared to raise the risk of infection in inoculated people, compared with those who did not get the vaccine. (It's not clear why Merck's compound failed so miserably, but researchers believe it may have to do with the vector, an inactivated cold virus, that was used to ferry the immunity-triggering HIV proteins into the body; some people may have developed enough natural tolerance to the common-cold virus that their immune system did not react to it, or to the viral payload piggybacked on it, at all.)
Given that recent setback, Burton's team decided on a different approach. Instead of trying to identify which portions of HIV elicited the best immune response — a strategy that has been attempted without much success in not just Merck's but other previous vaccine efforts as well — they started with a pool of antibodies they knew could neutralize HIV and then backtracked to determine how to entice the immune system into producing them. To find the most effective antibodies, Burton's team used the latest biological and computational screening techniques, which emerged from genome-sequencing technologies. They collected blood serum from 1,800 HIV-infected people from around the world, then screened these virus-laden samples against B cells to see how many of the HIV strains the immune cells would recognize. To their surprise, the B cells were able to neutralize a fair number of the viruses, but two of the antibodies produced by the cells clearly stood out as more potent than the rest.
"This paper is important because what the authors were able to do is identify many more neutralizing antibodies than what we find in the serum of patients," says Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Disease, which raises the question, "Why don't people make antibodies to all of these HIV strains? Why isn't their blood naturally loaded with these antibodies?"
One reason may be that HIV is able to hide from B cells, jealously guarding its most conserved, and therefore most vulnerable, portions from view. That would prevent the body from creating the right neutralizing antibodies against the virus. But the two new antibodies reported in Science target a less hidden region of the viral coat, so it may be possible that if a new vaccine is developed, it could stimulate the immune system to marshal a robust enough force of antibodies to stop HIV.
The new discoveries have renewed some AIDS researchers' faith in the vaccine approach. In the lab, says Fauci, scientists know that these antibodies can effectively stop HIV in its tracks, starving it out by preventing it from binding to immune cells that provide it with the nutrients and machinery it needs to grow and reproduce.
The next and perhaps greater challenge is making the right concoction of viral proteins that will stimulate the immune system to churn out these antibodies in large amounts. "Now that we have the antibodies, we have to go back and create the [immune signal] that produces these antibodies," says Seth Berkley, president and CEO of IAVI. After that, the task is to package that immune signal in the form of a usable vaccine. Says Fauci: "And that's a big catch, a second hurdle that we have not gone over yet."
Why the Stimulus Is Helping the Economy, But Not Obama
Proving a negative is always a challenge, but there's mounting evidence that the controversial $787 billion stimulus bill is achieving one of its major goals: shortening the recession.
Economists at Goldman Sachs say that the bill, officially called the American Recovery and Reconstruction Act, has resulted in a 2%-3% boost to annual GDP in the second and third quarters of this year, turning what could have been a worsening recession into potential growth.
For President Barack Obama, whose poll numbers have dropped precipitously from around 65% to around 50% as Americans have become worried about government spending and health-care reform, that should be good news: he fought hard against Republican opposition to push the bill through Congress as one of his first legislative acts, and the fact that it's working should be a vindication.
But it's not that easy. Recent polls show widespread disapproval of the stimulus bill: 51% of Americans polled last month by USA Today and Gallup said they thought the government should be spending less under the plan, while 44% said they thought the government was spending the right amount, or should be spending more. If anything, it seems, the stimulus plan is hurting the President even as it helps the country.
The most obvious reason for that disconnect is jobs: despite the signs of a turnaround, unemployment remains stubbornly high at 9.7%, with employers cutting 216,000 jobs in August. While jobs always trail economic rebounds, the unemployment number is higher than economists thought it would be, even in the worst case scenario forecast by the Treasury department's "stress tests" last spring. The point is not lost on Republicans, some of whom have argued lately that no more of the stimulus money should even be spent. "The metric of this bill was job creation," says Don Stewart, spokesman for the Senate's top Republican, Mitch McConnell, "and it hasn't done that."
Still, one would think that the mere infusion in six months of $88 billion into the economy — that's how much the government has spent so far — would buy Obama some good will; certainly many local and state politicians, including some who originally opposed the stimulus, have been quick to claim credit for stabilizing their economies with the federal largesse. Except, as it turns out, the very thing that makes the stimulus help the economy in the short term is a political loser: the program is giving most of its money to the poor. Of that $88 billion, the majority has gone to low-income recipients. Nearly $28 billion has flowed to Medicaid; $19 billion to unemployment payments; $10 billion to states to bolster educational programs that primarily target the poor; $4 billion to student financial assistance; and $1 billion to rental assistance, among the biggest ticket items alone. And that doesn't even include the share of the $62.5 billion in tax breaks available to the poor through the cut in withholding taxes; the Making Work Pay program, which gives tax breaks to wage earners; and the extension of COBRA Health insurance benefits.
All of that money works well to stimulate the economy because the poor don't save — they spend, and fast. "Recovery money aimed at low and moderate income households has a dual benefit," says Chad Stone, chief economist at the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "Besides relieving hardship, it gets spent quickly, stimulating economic activity that would not otherwise take place." (See 10 things to buy during the recession.)
But giving money to the poor never won anyone many crucial swing votes. The poor are already disproportionately likely to vote for the Democrats and Obama, if they vote at all. And at a time when the President is under attack from the right wing for being a free spending leftist, shoveling tens of billions into redistributive programs doesn't help his image with wavering independents who are nervous about the growth of government deficits.
The Administration is doing its best to push back. Joe Biden, Obama's point person on the stimulus bill, delivered a lengthy defense of it Thursday at the Brookings Institution. Thanks to the recovery act, he said, "Instead of talking about the beginning of a depression, we're talking about the end of a recession, eight months after taking office." Unfortunately for him and Obama, the money that is boosting the economy isn't boosting their poll numbers.
Economists at Goldman Sachs say that the bill, officially called the American Recovery and Reconstruction Act, has resulted in a 2%-3% boost to annual GDP in the second and third quarters of this year, turning what could have been a worsening recession into potential growth.
For President Barack Obama, whose poll numbers have dropped precipitously from around 65% to around 50% as Americans have become worried about government spending and health-care reform, that should be good news: he fought hard against Republican opposition to push the bill through Congress as one of his first legislative acts, and the fact that it's working should be a vindication.
But it's not that easy. Recent polls show widespread disapproval of the stimulus bill: 51% of Americans polled last month by USA Today and Gallup said they thought the government should be spending less under the plan, while 44% said they thought the government was spending the right amount, or should be spending more. If anything, it seems, the stimulus plan is hurting the President even as it helps the country.
The most obvious reason for that disconnect is jobs: despite the signs of a turnaround, unemployment remains stubbornly high at 9.7%, with employers cutting 216,000 jobs in August. While jobs always trail economic rebounds, the unemployment number is higher than economists thought it would be, even in the worst case scenario forecast by the Treasury department's "stress tests" last spring. The point is not lost on Republicans, some of whom have argued lately that no more of the stimulus money should even be spent. "The metric of this bill was job creation," says Don Stewart, spokesman for the Senate's top Republican, Mitch McConnell, "and it hasn't done that."
Still, one would think that the mere infusion in six months of $88 billion into the economy — that's how much the government has spent so far — would buy Obama some good will; certainly many local and state politicians, including some who originally opposed the stimulus, have been quick to claim credit for stabilizing their economies with the federal largesse. Except, as it turns out, the very thing that makes the stimulus help the economy in the short term is a political loser: the program is giving most of its money to the poor. Of that $88 billion, the majority has gone to low-income recipients. Nearly $28 billion has flowed to Medicaid; $19 billion to unemployment payments; $10 billion to states to bolster educational programs that primarily target the poor; $4 billion to student financial assistance; and $1 billion to rental assistance, among the biggest ticket items alone. And that doesn't even include the share of the $62.5 billion in tax breaks available to the poor through the cut in withholding taxes; the Making Work Pay program, which gives tax breaks to wage earners; and the extension of COBRA Health insurance benefits.
All of that money works well to stimulate the economy because the poor don't save — they spend, and fast. "Recovery money aimed at low and moderate income households has a dual benefit," says Chad Stone, chief economist at the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "Besides relieving hardship, it gets spent quickly, stimulating economic activity that would not otherwise take place." (See 10 things to buy during the recession.)
But giving money to the poor never won anyone many crucial swing votes. The poor are already disproportionately likely to vote for the Democrats and Obama, if they vote at all. And at a time when the President is under attack from the right wing for being a free spending leftist, shoveling tens of billions into redistributive programs doesn't help his image with wavering independents who are nervous about the growth of government deficits.
The Administration is doing its best to push back. Joe Biden, Obama's point person on the stimulus bill, delivered a lengthy defense of it Thursday at the Brookings Institution. Thanks to the recovery act, he said, "Instead of talking about the beginning of a depression, we're talking about the end of a recession, eight months after taking office." Unfortunately for him and Obama, the money that is boosting the economy isn't boosting their poll numbers.
7 Ways to See the World Through Twitter’s Eyes
Even though Twitter forces you to limit your thoughts to tiny 140-character bursts, loyal users of the text messaging network still suffer from information overload: There is too much to read, no matter how you cut it.
But maybe there isn’t too much to see.
Twitter circulates a massive volume of minute texts, but your eyes can only take in one text tweet at a time. Images, however, are a different story. You scan a page of them in seconds — to find updates about Iranian protests, planes in the Hudson River, what the food looks like at a certain restaurant, or, of course, who is having a ham sandwich on their porch.
Several utilities exist for posting images to Twitter from computers and cellphones, including Airme, TwitGoo, Twitpic and Yfrog, and others.
But unless you stumble across a given tweet and click through to the image, you can’t see it — or at least, that used to be the case. Luckily, another set of Twitter image utilities is emerging to let you search and browse these images and offer fresh insight into the world around us faster — and often with more depth — than is normally possible by reading text messages on the network.
“Literally, you can communicate a short burst of information about where you are, what you’re doing, what you’re interested in, and what kind of mood you’re in [with an image] — and you can’t say that all in text,” said Mark Levin, CEO and founder of ImageShack’s Yfrog. “Media, for short, quick communication, is very important.”
One of the best utilities is Twitcaps, developed by Jonathan Griggs, who found himself using his own service in a way he never could have predicted after a tornado appeared nearby.
“When we were having tornado warnings in Denver and the warning sirens were going off near my house, my girlfriend and I grabbed the laptop and made way for the basement,” said Griggs in an e-mail. “Once there, I looked up ‘Denver tornado’ on Twitcaps and found images of the funnel cloud moving northeast from Coors field — a good ways to the east of my house. This was far more information than was available from local news sources at the time, and was enough to set us at ease that we were in no immediate danger.”
Following news events in near-real-time is the best use for TwitCaps, he said, followed by the tracking of music, sporting and industry events; finding “aesthetically pleasing” image collections like these sunsets; and watching the image stream on the front of the site. Specifically, he added, people seem to be tweeting an awful lot of pictures of the food they’re eating, as well as, for some reason, spiders.
Snow Leopard is a Twitter trend today, as seen here on Peephole.
Scott Mills, who developed another of our favorite Twitter image viewing tools — the recently released Peephole iPhone app ($2 on on iTunes) — says the Iranian protests inspired the creation of his app. Like so many other technologies, this one stemmed from frustration on the part of a software developer.
“I can’t remember where I was that day [of the Iranian protests], but I wasn’t around my Mac, so I was on the iPhone,” recalled Mills, a co-founder of the Arkansas-based ISP IFWorld and TwitCaps developer Memetix Devworx, by phone. “I was going through clicking on individual tweets, and a lot of times I’d get the same photo — it was just a very long, manual process.
“That’s when the idea hit me — that a few of the technologies I was trying to learn and was playing around with to develop iPhone apps would fit together nicely so that you could just see a bunch of thumbnails all at once and decide which photo looks interesting, and then read the message that went with it. I guess it was just my own frustration at not being able to see the photos easily.”
As more smartphones add video-capture, Yfrog’s Levin says, video is increasingly augmenting the image as a way to get across a great deal of information on Twitter.
And soon, location will become a bigger part of the equation. Twitter plans to make an addition to its API that will allow software to geo-stamp photos before they’re uploaded, according to Mills, meaning that Peephole, TwitCaps and similar programs will be able to search and browse tweeted pics by precise location. (For now, they have to rely on users divulging location in their profile or tweets.)
Even as things stand now, there are already lots of easy ways to see what Twitter sees. Without further ado, here are seven ways to search and browse images on Twitter, in alphabetical order (feel free to visit the comments section to add whatever we may have missed).
- Peephole: This smooth, $2 iPhone app — the only mobile app on this list — lets you view Twitter images in a number of ways: trends, public timeline, nearby users, search, Twitter friends, and favorites.
- PicFog: PicFog offers the image hound a near-real-time photo stream, a breaking-news section (which you can follow on Twitter), searching by text, user or location, retweeting, and ranking by popularity (number of retweets). Its developers concur with TwitCaps’ Griggs, describing the most popular subjects followed as breaking news, weather, conferences/meetups, sports and music.
- Pingwire: By monitoring the images posted to Twitpic, Yfrog, and TwitGoo, the relatively bare-bones Pingwire service also includes a near-real-time feed (which, unlike some of the others, it has the decency to call “almost live”) and a trending-photos section. But it lacks search and many other key features offered by the others.
- Twicsy: This one gives you a near-real-time stream, search, most popular recent images, tag browsing, retweeting, a button for reporting NSFW material, retweeting and an embeddable widget that shows the top images in the past hour.
- Twipho: This Twitter search engine looks a bit like Google — spare, and focused on a search box, with trends underneath.
- TwitCaps: The service offers a near-real-time image stream (with “freeze” and “save” features), search, most popular, trends, location-based searching, filtering by language or image host (it links up directly with their APIs in addition to scraping from Twitter), and a built-in translator, as well as tools for retweeting and sharing by e-mail, IM and so on. The developer said he plans to submit an iPhone app version to iTunes in a month or so.
- Twitc: This is actually an image and video uploading and hosting service for Twitter and other networks, but it offers several tools for seeing visual media other users are tweeting: near-real-time stream, most-viewed, highest-rated, random results, and search by tag.
Average versus Exceptional
Are you an average or an exceptional individual? Are you in the middle of the scale or are you on the top of it? Are you generally fitting all the descriptions of your generation or are you an outsider?
Safer versus Risky
Being an average person surely gives you a bit of a safety. Average is cozy. You don’t get too much resistance from the society, as long as you fit in the limits. In fact, being average guarantees that society will support you rather than reject you. An average person lives an average life; has an average income, is in an average relationship, follows an averagish career. Not too much trouble, but not too much excitement either.
An exceptional person is usually a risk lover. If you look carefully at all the leaders, inventors or successful businessmen you’ll find they all have something in common: they all loved risk, in one form or another. Risk is dangerous. Risk can not only put you in danger but it can be extended to your close group, to your community, to the entire society. This is why exceptional people are usually rejected by the society. Being exceptional is surely an exciting path but it can be also filled with trouble.
Easier versus Difficult
Being average is usually easier, all you have to do is follow the rules. Go to school, graduate, get a job, get married. But this will not guarantee in any form that you will be successful, nor that you will live a fulfilling life. It will be safe and you’ll survive. It’s the easy way.
Being exceptional is usually harder, because instead of rules you will have to follow your dreams. Start a business, travel the world, love unconditionally or be a rock star. This will not guarantee that you’ll be successful either but you will surely live a fulfilling life. Following your dreams is better than following their rules. But it will be difficult and you may fail. Many times. It’s the hardest way.
Indulging versus Uncomfortable
Even if you strive to be exceptional you may consciously chose to live an average life. Because being average is indulging. You may have the abilities, the talents or the call to become exceptional, but you maintain yourself in a field of laziness and mediocrity. Why? Because you like it living safely, without taking risks and in a comfortable space. You indulge yourself with a underrated lifestyle, with an illusion of safety constantly reinforced by the respect of the rules.
Being exceptional is no lazy afternoon or slow party week-end. It’s constantly getting out of the comfort zone and try something new. It’s restless and exhausting. It’s challenging and full of surprises. Living an exceptional life will give you a lot of pressure and confrontation. Breaking the rules in order to achieve something bigger is no easy task.
Faster versus Slower
Average is faster. You’re walking on somebody else’s footsteps, you move quicker. So many other people were there before so you don’t have much to do than to dumbly move forward. You’ll advance in any standard metric faster than anyone else. You’ll soon have a job, a paycheck, a mortgage, a car, a house, a family. Sooner than you expect.
Exceptional is slower. You’re walking on fresh territory. You discover your own path with each step and you advance slower. Nobody chose the path you chose so you’re actually building a road. You’ll hardly have a job, a paycheck, a mortgage, a car, a house or a family in the traditional way of speaking. But you’ll do it your way.
Pressuring The Exceptional
There is an inner pressure of the average over the exceptional. The average will always try to manage the exceptional, to derail, to confuse, to stop it. Because being exceptional is a danger to the established order and you must be aware of that. You are threatening the rules. If you get rich by 24 and the rules are saying this is impossible, you have a problem: society will try to convince you that this is impossible. You know it isn’t, but apparently you’re the only one who knows that.
Average is based on rules. If there are no rules, the average cannot exist. This is why being exceptional is constantly pushed away. If you chose to be exceptional, be prepared to face not only your inner limitations but a constant pressure from the outside world. You have to win a double battle: with you and with them.
The Choice Of A Personal Path
The good news is that being average or being exceptional are just choices. There’s no genetic imprint that says you’re going to be an average person or you’re going to be an exceptional one. Everything is choice.
Safer versus Risky
Being an average person surely gives you a bit of a safety. Average is cozy. You don’t get too much resistance from the society, as long as you fit in the limits. In fact, being average guarantees that society will support you rather than reject you. An average person lives an average life; has an average income, is in an average relationship, follows an averagish career. Not too much trouble, but not too much excitement either.
An exceptional person is usually a risk lover. If you look carefully at all the leaders, inventors or successful businessmen you’ll find they all have something in common: they all loved risk, in one form or another. Risk is dangerous. Risk can not only put you in danger but it can be extended to your close group, to your community, to the entire society. This is why exceptional people are usually rejected by the society. Being exceptional is surely an exciting path but it can be also filled with trouble.
Easier versus Difficult
Being average is usually easier, all you have to do is follow the rules. Go to school, graduate, get a job, get married. But this will not guarantee in any form that you will be successful, nor that you will live a fulfilling life. It will be safe and you’ll survive. It’s the easy way.
Being exceptional is usually harder, because instead of rules you will have to follow your dreams. Start a business, travel the world, love unconditionally or be a rock star. This will not guarantee that you’ll be successful either but you will surely live a fulfilling life. Following your dreams is better than following their rules. But it will be difficult and you may fail. Many times. It’s the hardest way.
Indulging versus Uncomfortable
Even if you strive to be exceptional you may consciously chose to live an average life. Because being average is indulging. You may have the abilities, the talents or the call to become exceptional, but you maintain yourself in a field of laziness and mediocrity. Why? Because you like it living safely, without taking risks and in a comfortable space. You indulge yourself with a underrated lifestyle, with an illusion of safety constantly reinforced by the respect of the rules.
Being exceptional is no lazy afternoon or slow party week-end. It’s constantly getting out of the comfort zone and try something new. It’s restless and exhausting. It’s challenging and full of surprises. Living an exceptional life will give you a lot of pressure and confrontation. Breaking the rules in order to achieve something bigger is no easy task.
Faster versus Slower
Average is faster. You’re walking on somebody else’s footsteps, you move quicker. So many other people were there before so you don’t have much to do than to dumbly move forward. You’ll advance in any standard metric faster than anyone else. You’ll soon have a job, a paycheck, a mortgage, a car, a house, a family. Sooner than you expect.
Exceptional is slower. You’re walking on fresh territory. You discover your own path with each step and you advance slower. Nobody chose the path you chose so you’re actually building a road. You’ll hardly have a job, a paycheck, a mortgage, a car, a house or a family in the traditional way of speaking. But you’ll do it your way.
Pressuring The Exceptional
There is an inner pressure of the average over the exceptional. The average will always try to manage the exceptional, to derail, to confuse, to stop it. Because being exceptional is a danger to the established order and you must be aware of that. You are threatening the rules. If you get rich by 24 and the rules are saying this is impossible, you have a problem: society will try to convince you that this is impossible. You know it isn’t, but apparently you’re the only one who knows that.
Average is based on rules. If there are no rules, the average cannot exist. This is why being exceptional is constantly pushed away. If you chose to be exceptional, be prepared to face not only your inner limitations but a constant pressure from the outside world. You have to win a double battle: with you and with them.
The Choice Of A Personal Path
The good news is that being average or being exceptional are just choices. There’s no genetic imprint that says you’re going to be an average person or you’re going to be an exceptional one. Everything is choice.
77 Reasons To Love Your Life
Too often we find more reasons to hate our life than to love it. And you know what? Life hates us back. Here are 77 reasons to love your life. Pick one or add your own in the comments.
1. love your life for everything you already have
2. love your life for what you are yet to receive
3. love your life for all your certainties
4. love your life for the friends you have
5. love your life for the wonderful journeys you had
6. love your life for the friends you will get
7. love your life for all the bad advice you didn’t follow
8. love your life for your beautiful memories
9. love your life for the ones you love
10. love your life for the ones you forgot, as they are still to enrich your life
11. love your life for the work you do, as this is your gift to the others
12. love your life for the jokes you still wait to hear
13. love your life for the beautiful travels you are still to make
14. love your life for everything you are not sure about, as it will still challenge your being
15. love your life for all the beautiful sunrises you remember
16. love your life for all the fantastic sunsets you still recall
17. love your life for tomorrow’s sunrise
18. love your life for yesterday sunset
19. love your life for the gifts you are yet to receive
20. love your life for the health you have
21. love your life for all the beauty you can spot around you
22. love your life for the ugliness around you, as it serves you to contrast the beauty you are ignoring
23. love your life for the riddles you haven’t yet solved
24. love your life for all your unanswered questions
25. love your life for all your victories
26. love your live for all the good advice you followed
27. love your life for all your lost battles, as they are your precious lessons
28. love your life for your enemies, as they are there to give birth to you forgiveness
29. love your life for all the small things in your life
30. love your life for all the ambitious goals you’ve set
31. love your life for all the answers you got so far
32. love your life for the smiles you get every day
33. love your life for the smiles you give every day
34. love your life for your energetic mornings
35. love your life for your romantic evenings
36. love your life for the life rediscovered through the eyes of your children
37. love your life for the smell of the rain
38. love your life for the gifts you still have to make
39. love your life for all the games you haven’t yet played
40. love your life for the next first snow
41. love your life for all the great ideas you had today
42. love your life for all the great ideas you will have tomorrow
43. love your life for tomorrow’s surprises
44. love your life for today’s gifts
45. love your life for all your fulfilled dreams
46. love your life for yesterday’s memories, they are there to enlight you
47. love your life for all the nice words you haven’t yet said to your loved ones
48. love your life for all the nice words you heard from your loved ones
49. love your life for all the nice people you haven’t yet met
50. love your life for all your mistakes, so you can have plenty of time to make up for them
51. love your life for all the adventures you haven’t yet had
52. love your life for all the books you haven’t yet read
53. love your life for all the books you haven’t yet written
54. love your life for all the unborn challenges you still have to face
55. love your life for all the stories you haven’t yet heard, written or imagined
56. love your life for the person who’s looking at you from the mirror every morning
57. love your life for the nurturing family you already have
58. love your life for all you have to share with others
59. love your life for all you’ve lost in your journey, as it will only make room for something even bigger
60. love your life for the feeling of your heart overflowing with love
61. love your life for all your unfulfilled dreams as you will have plenty of time to make them true
62. love your life for all the opportunities that are waiting for you just around the corner
63. love your life for the personal freedom you conquered
64. love your life for everything you created so far
65. love your life for the beauty of every spring
66. love your life for the energy of every summer
67. love your life for the emotions of every fall
68. love your life for the cold beauty of every winter
69. love your life for all the beauty inside you, waiting yet to be discovered
70. love your life for all the fantastic colors that are shaping your world every day
71. love your life for all the wonderful music you’ve heard so far
72. love your life for all the people you have met so far, they are your precious universe
73. love your life for wind that caresses your face every day
74. love your life for the all the unexpected changes of your plans
75. love your life for all the fights you avoided
76. love your life for all the crossroads you meet every day, they are there to offer you the best path you can chose
77. love your life for every single second, as this is all you have, only this infinite second
Feel free to take this list and put it in your blog (with a link back to the original) and then add your own reasons. Feel free to tag your blogger friends and turn this into a meme. I only wrote 77 reasons for now but there are millions out there. Let’s share them :)
1. love your life for everything you already have
2. love your life for what you are yet to receive
3. love your life for all your certainties
4. love your life for the friends you have
5. love your life for the wonderful journeys you had
6. love your life for the friends you will get
7. love your life for all the bad advice you didn’t follow
8. love your life for your beautiful memories
9. love your life for the ones you love
10. love your life for the ones you forgot, as they are still to enrich your life
11. love your life for the work you do, as this is your gift to the others
12. love your life for the jokes you still wait to hear
13. love your life for the beautiful travels you are still to make
14. love your life for everything you are not sure about, as it will still challenge your being
15. love your life for all the beautiful sunrises you remember
16. love your life for all the fantastic sunsets you still recall
17. love your life for tomorrow’s sunrise
18. love your life for yesterday sunset
19. love your life for the gifts you are yet to receive
20. love your life for the health you have
21. love your life for all the beauty you can spot around you
22. love your life for the ugliness around you, as it serves you to contrast the beauty you are ignoring
23. love your life for the riddles you haven’t yet solved
24. love your life for all your unanswered questions
25. love your life for all your victories
26. love your live for all the good advice you followed
27. love your life for all your lost battles, as they are your precious lessons
28. love your life for your enemies, as they are there to give birth to you forgiveness
29. love your life for all the small things in your life
30. love your life for all the ambitious goals you’ve set
31. love your life for all the answers you got so far
32. love your life for the smiles you get every day
33. love your life for the smiles you give every day
34. love your life for your energetic mornings
35. love your life for your romantic evenings
36. love your life for the life rediscovered through the eyes of your children
37. love your life for the smell of the rain
38. love your life for the gifts you still have to make
39. love your life for all the games you haven’t yet played
40. love your life for the next first snow
41. love your life for all the great ideas you had today
42. love your life for all the great ideas you will have tomorrow
43. love your life for tomorrow’s surprises
44. love your life for today’s gifts
45. love your life for all your fulfilled dreams
46. love your life for yesterday’s memories, they are there to enlight you
47. love your life for all the nice words you haven’t yet said to your loved ones
48. love your life for all the nice words you heard from your loved ones
49. love your life for all the nice people you haven’t yet met
50. love your life for all your mistakes, so you can have plenty of time to make up for them
51. love your life for all the adventures you haven’t yet had
52. love your life for all the books you haven’t yet read
53. love your life for all the books you haven’t yet written
54. love your life for all the unborn challenges you still have to face
55. love your life for all the stories you haven’t yet heard, written or imagined
56. love your life for the person who’s looking at you from the mirror every morning
57. love your life for the nurturing family you already have
58. love your life for all you have to share with others
59. love your life for all you’ve lost in your journey, as it will only make room for something even bigger
60. love your life for the feeling of your heart overflowing with love
61. love your life for all your unfulfilled dreams as you will have plenty of time to make them true
62. love your life for all the opportunities that are waiting for you just around the corner
63. love your life for the personal freedom you conquered
64. love your life for everything you created so far
65. love your life for the beauty of every spring
66. love your life for the energy of every summer
67. love your life for the emotions of every fall
68. love your life for the cold beauty of every winter
69. love your life for all the beauty inside you, waiting yet to be discovered
70. love your life for all the fantastic colors that are shaping your world every day
71. love your life for all the wonderful music you’ve heard so far
72. love your life for all the people you have met so far, they are your precious universe
73. love your life for wind that caresses your face every day
74. love your life for the all the unexpected changes of your plans
75. love your life for all the fights you avoided
76. love your life for all the crossroads you meet every day, they are there to offer you the best path you can chose
77. love your life for every single second, as this is all you have, only this infinite second
Feel free to take this list and put it in your blog (with a link back to the original) and then add your own reasons. Feel free to tag your blogger friends and turn this into a meme. I only wrote 77 reasons for now but there are millions out there. Let’s share them :)
100 Ways To Live A Better Life
You don’t like your life? Change it! Change your life for the better! Don’t have any clue on how to do it? Here’s a list of 100 ways in which you can improve your life. Feel free to add yours in the comments. This post is a response from a challenge I got from from Mike King in this great post 100 Ways To Be A Better Leader, which in turn got inspired by this one Tackle Any Issue With A List Of 100 , from Luciano Passuello.
Without further ado, let’s go.
1. Accept Your Mistakes
You’re human. We, humans, are making mistakes. Accept what you did wrong and try to do better next time. No need to punish yourself forever. In fact, accepting your mistakes is the only way to make them disappear.
2. Accept Your Friends Mistakes
Maybe you got hurt by somebody. Happens. Just accept it and deal with it. People are making mistakes and if you can accept that for yourself, accept it for your friends too. In the end, all you need from them is their love.
3. Create A New Habit
We’re doing a lot of stuff on autopilot. Try to integrate in this category new things you want to attract into your life. Habits are powerful. Harness their energy for your own good. Start by creating a habit in 15 days.
4. Build Self Discipline
Don’t wait for other people to impose discipline on you. Start early. Create your own discipline. Although it sounds a little bit harsh, self discipline is a facilitator for many things in your life. It’s hard to get but great to have.
5. Make New Friends
Reach out. Don’t be afraid. Establish new contacts. The worst thing that may happen to you is to be rejected. Well, if that’s the case, move on. The reward of having true, long-lasting friendship is worth all the potential rejection.
6. Get A New Job
Shaking your comfort zone will often create a lot of value in your life. If you’re not satisfied with your job, just get a new one. The pitfall of not having money for a limited period of time is temporary, get over it.
7. Start A New Diet
You are, in a vast proportion, what you eat. Trying a new diet would often be the only needed change for a dramatic boost of your health and energy. Don’t necessarily have to be raw food, or even vegetarian, whatever works for you.
8. Keep A Journal
Write down you feelings, your ideas, your goals, your activity. Journaling is by far one of the most useful things I’ve done to change my life for the best. It works in such a silent, yet effective way. All you need is pen and paper.
9. Create And Keep A Morning Phrase
Whatever you say to yourself in the morning, it will most likely come true during the day. Why not taking advantage of it? Create a simple morning phrase and say it to yourself first thing in the morning. Is that simple.
10. Travel Far Away From Your Home
Traveling long distance is incredibly rewarding. It’s so exciting and full with unknown events. I only recently started to travel really far away from my home, but I do wonder how could I ever made it until now without this.
11. Learn To Take Risks
Your life may be so boring and fade because… err, you made it like this? When was the last time your tried something really difficult? When was the last time you challenged the odds doing something risky? Do it now.
12. Start Your Own Business
Be your own boss. Work your own hours. I know, it sounds so shallow, for you, who hate your job but still have to stay there because of that mortgage. Well, unless you make the first step, nothing is going to change. That’s for sure.
13. Change Your Work Space
Clean up your desk. Re-arrange furniture. Add some color to that space. Make the place where you work really enjoyable. So enjoyable that work there won’t be perceived as work anymore. It will be something you love to do.
14. Learn A New Language
Challenge your mind. Constantly. If you’re going to do number 10, you’re going to learn some new languages too. From my experience, learning a new language is a fantastic mind opener. Sometimes you don’t even have to travel there.
15. Find Reasons To Agree
Rather than disagree. We have this mindset of competition which makes constantly arguing over things. Well, stop that. You don’t have to force yourself into agreement, if it’s not the case, just trying to find some reasons will be enough.
16. Pay Yourself First
You can’t give something if you don’t have it. You can’t spread light onto others if you don’t have light from within. You can’t give wealth to others if you don’t have it for yourself first. Make yourself a service and pay yourself first.
17. Wake Up Early
This is not a habit, this is a lifestyle. Don’t just wake up early without a purpose. Be early. Be there before others. Look for opportunities and embrace them. Waking up early means keeping your eye open to every available opportunity.
18. Train Your Focus
Your focus is in fact your reality. Use it wisely. Train it constantly for it will enhance your reality in ways you never imagined. Keep your focus sharp as a razor blade and be prepared to experience life in fantastic shapes and colors.
19. Start A Blog
On whatever topic you want. Not only it will give you the opportunity to create something new and valuable but it will also bring new people into your life. Blogging is far more than a hype, is a personal development tool. A very good one.
20. Write An Ebook
You may think you don’t have a talent, but that’s completely wrong. And the easiest way to prove it wrong is to start writing an ebook. Any ebook. You pick the topic. It might be something you know or want to learn about. Write it. It’s fun.
21. Be Better, Not Perfect
Striving too much for perfection will ruin your life. It will wipe out all those little imperfections which are making you… human. Being better, on the other side, is rewarding. Look back at the yesterday you and just say: I’m better!
22. Stop Self Sabotage
You’ll be surprised by how much of a burden you can be to yourself. You are literally self sabotaging. Most of the time, unconsciously. If you have a long history of failure behind, that could mean you’ve become your worst enemy. Stop it.
23. Find Reasons To Love Your Life
Maybe life wasn’t fair with you. Yes, I know, I’ve been there: life is never fair. But it’s fantastic. It’s unique, unrepeatable, one of a kind, beautiful, simple, challenging, sweet, hard… Just take a step back and find reasons to love your life.
24. Try Something New
Maybe you’re sad because you’re bored. Have you ever thought about that? Just reach out and try something completely new. Go for a challenge, learn a new sport, pick a different restaurant or go for a comedy movie (if you’re the drama type). Just try it.
25. Avoid Fighting
Fighting is the biggest energy leak of your being. Trying to prove another guy wrong is so against your true nature. You’re here to acknowledge life’s wonders, not to prove anybody’s wrong. They’re not wrong, just have different opinions. And that’s part of life.
26. Stop Wasting Your Power
Are you doing something that you think you shouldn’t be doing right now? Well, that’s wasted power. That’s meaningless stuff promoted to the honor of being a part of your life. How long are you going to approve this? Why wasting power?
27. Learn To Ignore
I think they should be teaching this one in schools. We’re so focused on so many topics and think we have to do so many stuff, that our life is literally clogged with stuff. It’s good to do stuff, but learning to ignore stuff is much better.
28. Experiment Gratitude
When was the last time you said “thank you”? With all your heart? Everybody knows that an attitude of gratitude is the key to success, but almost nobody practices it. Well, start by experience gratitude first, and take it from there.
29. Recycle Your Aggression
Don’t throw it away, recycle it! Use it for something you really want! Call out those wild forces inside of you and put them to work. Aggression is part of your being, so don’t try to reject it, because it will only grow stronger. Recycle your aggression.
30. Release Your Guardians
Don’t touch that! Don’t eat that! Don’t go for that opportunity! Those are the sentences you hear when going for something you really want. Those are your guardians, your mental constructs made to protect you. Release them, you’ll be much better off.
31. Clean Up Your House
It’s fun. And it’s good for you. Make a habit out of cleaning up your house with joy and happiness. What’s outside is a mirror of what’s inside. If your house is a mess, probably your internal life is a disaster. Neat that stuff, it’s easy.
32. Write A Personal Mission Statement
You’re here with a reason. No matter how small you feel now, how insignificant others may made you feel, you have a purpose. Take the time to write your personal mission statement. It will bring light and direction into your life.
33. Dissolve Negative Opinions About Yourself
Whatever you think you may do, it’s half of what you can really do. And that’s because you have so many negative opinions about yourself. You can solve them. Just accept the fact that you have them and then start working on them.
34. Build Different Skills
Don’t stop learning. Don’t remain stuck in a single career, it’s boring and limiting. Learn different skills, possibly from completely unrelated fields. You never know when life will ask you to use them. Besides, it’s a lot of fun.
35. Manage Your Time As You Manage Your Money
Have you ever thought what would be if you would manage your time the same way you manage your money? Just give it a try. See where you spend most of your time, what the return of investment is and how rich are you in time.
36. Exercise
You don’t have to break the world record, or something. Just make sure you exercise constantly. It will make your body healthier and your mind clearer. It’s also one of the simplest and most affordable ways to improve your life.
37. Be A Parent
Having kids doesn’t necessarily means you’re a parent, and I know that very well. Being a parent will surely change your life forever: filling it with unconditional, life lasting love, care and warm feelings. You’ll live in love. And learn.
38. Throw Away One Object A Day From Your House
Maybe your life is breathing so hard just because it’s suffocated by objects. Learn to let them go. You may donate them, give to charity or simply throw them away, but don’t let the clutter stay in your way. You’re not the objects you have.
39. Read A Book Per Week
Or, alternatively, a fine selection of blogs. That will keep your mind alert and your focus steady. Reading is like good food for your brain, without it, it will go lazy, obese and unresponsive. But with the proper food it can become your best friend.
40. Start A Monthly Challenge
Being it physical, mental or social. Intend to acquire something new in your life in 30 days. Improve your health using new methods, or your relationships by starting new things together. Make it count. And count on it.
41. Call An Old Friend
It’s enlightening to meet somebody you haven’t talk to in the last years. Go right now and call an old friend, or a relative. It will bring up memories and it will create new opportunities. Don’t let the dust settle on your relationships.
42. Follow A Coincidence
Well, there aren’t any coincidences, I lied. Everything has a purpose. If you witness something which may seem like a coincidence, then you’re very lucky, you just got a sign. Follow it with trust, it will lead you well.
43. Play A Game
Any game. Just play. Like a child. Allow yourself to do something just for fun, without any goals, pressures or deadlines. Will make you understand that everything is a game. Sometimes a little bit harder, but still a game..
44. Forgive Somebody Out Of The Blue
Don’t hold that grudge for that past insult. Grudges are heavy and tend to make the take off for a new life a little bit difficult. The longer you hold that grudge, the more difficult the take off will be. Forgiveness will lift you off.
45. Stop Solving The Wrong Problems
You are not here to witness the bad things in your life. Nor the performance in itself. You are here to enjoy a journey. To become aware, To grow. So, stop solving the wrong problem and focus on what really matters.
46. Make Peace With An Old Enemy
That’s more than forgiveness, that’s the actual process of reversing a situation. Make peace with somebody. Turn it into your friend. I’m not saying this is easy, I know it first hand. But I also know it works. Enemies count down, friends count up.
47. Make A Promise To A Close Person And Keep It
It doesn’t have to be something big. It doesn’t have to be for someone special. It doesn’t have to be difficult also. But it has to be a commitment to somebody. Just reach out, make a promise, keep it and then enjoy the feeling after.
48. Break Up With A Person You Don’t Really Like
Maybe you’re friend with somebody just by habit, chemistry being dead for a long time now. Just break it up. Tell him. Ok, let’s unfriend us, this will not work. It will bring up something you thought you lost it long ago: courage.
49. Get A Thing You Wanted For A Long Time
But you didn’t had time or money to get it. Just go out and get it. Not only it will boost your self-respect, but it will also free your desire channel, which may be a little bit clogged by having one and only one desire for such a long time.
50. Stop Being Judgemental
With others AND with you. Excessive criticism will kill your enthusiasm. And if you think this post is something you shouldn’t read in the first place, then, my friend, you really are judgemental. Lighten up. Accept life as it is.
51. Change Your Wardrobe
You don’t know how much are you tied to what you wear. If you’re on the gray loving side, put some color in your clothes. If you’re on the black and white, try some gradients. Of course, your clothes are not you. Hence, they’re so easy to change, right?
52. Smile At Least 10 Times A Day
And I mean it, start to count that. Smiling is a sign of honesty and power. Everybody can cry over a disaster but only the most powerful can take biterness with a smile. Exercise that power. And then try to go for 20 times a day.
53. Burn Some Old Memories
Maybe the notebook from your 7th grade? Maybe the teenage dumb poetry you wrote? Whatever it might be, break up. It might be difficult, but it might also be a sign that you’re so attached to the past that you can’t advance in your life anymore.
54. Plant A Tree
Or take care of a flower. Do it for at least several months. It will give you a sense of potential. Seeing that tree or that flower growing will make your self-confidence go up. If a flower can make it, why can’t I? Of course you can, now do it!
55. Move To Another Town Or Country
Maybe it’s time to change the environment? Take the plunge, move over. Pick another town or even another country. Like all the good stuff, it might be pretty difficult in the beginning, but you can bet it would shake everything really good!
56. Join A New Group
Go to a bikers meeting. Or, if you’re not a biker, to a toastmaster meeting. Join a group and see how you fit in. It will help if the group will be focused on some of your passions, of course. It will reveal a lot about your social skills.
57. Stop Watching TV
Television evolved a lot from the balanced news provider it was in the beginning up to the current manipulating tool. Just stop watching it for a week. And then for a month. Meanwhile, assess your psychological progress. You may be amazed.
58. Start A Totally Unexpected Hobby
Start making trains out of matches. Raise cobras. Put tiny vessels into tiny bottles. Do whatever it takes to move your mind from your problems for a while. And if you can create something nice in the process, why not doing it?
59. Randomly Hug A Stranger On The Street
Ok, this might be a little bit dangerous, but only if you think at it. If you’re doing it, chances are that you’re going to get your hug back. It will also help raising your adrenaline up to lelves you never had for a very long time.
60. Set Up A Surprise Party
For your or for a friend. It’s always good for your mood, even if – or especially if – you’re down. Do a thematic one, invite friends and tell them to bring their friends. And then expect to meet new, wonderful persons. And of course, have fun.
61. Go Hiking
Do it for at least one week-end. Nature is more powerful than our human created environment. We don’t know how to channel the energy into our artificial habitats. If you want to recharge, go outside and stay in connection with the wilderness.
62. Get A Pet
Whatever works for you, a bird, a guinea pig, a dog or a cat. It will keep you alert and it will cheer you up when you’re down. Taking care of a pet is also easier if you’re overwhelmed with human interaction. Even from a pet, love is still love.
63. Write A Thank You Letter
You can send it or not, the real catch is to write it. Pick someone who helped you in the past. Start writing the letter and say everything you want to say to that person. It will make you understand what are you really grateful for in your life.
64. Meditate Daily
It’s the easiest thing you can do. True mediation acts like a mind emptier, leaving you open to the whole flow of the sensations and experiences you would otherwise ignore. You don’t even need a complicated technique, meditate as you see fit.
65. Say Something Nice To Somebody
Just like that. Out of the blue. Pick an unknown person and say something nice. After the initial surprise you’ll be amazed by the unmasked joy and gratitude they’re expressing. Admit it: you would like that too, isn’t it?
66. Say Something Nice To You
Ok, but if nobody is telling you nice things, why not start this yourself? Do it in whatever form you think it’s appropriate: send yourself emails, write in your calendar or leave yourself nice postits on the desk. With something nice just for you.
67. When I Doubt, Improvise
Being so scared for not knowing the answer, so nervouse that you may screw thins up… I know the feeling, I’ve been there too. Just go with the flow. Improvise. It will be so good for your unconscious mind. The real answer will be surprising.
68. Don’t Argue, Win Or Lose
This goes hand in hand with avoiding the fight, but it’s a little bit different. If you get caught in an argument, just accept that you can have only two outcomes from it: win or lose. Settle with one and just move on.
69. Stop Faking Your Life
It’s so easy to get caught in a flow of fakes. Society wants us to politely lie and you need to lie sometimes. Just stop it. Being authentic is the best thing you can do. No need to hide your sorrow, nor your joy. They’re both part of life.
70. Define Goals
Again, that goes hand in hand with writing a personal mission but it’s more than that. It’s the habit of clearly deciding – and, subsequently, describing – where you want to go. Do you have a goal? A passion, maybe? Go for it! And be verbose.
71. Help Others
Reach out and try to see if you can help others. You don’t have to be a Samaritan, just go out there and support somebody. The biggest trick of helping is really surprising: although it seems you’re giving, you’re in fact receiving a lot more.
72. Go Social
Mingle, interact, go out. Get used to meet new people. Make this a habit and you’ll soon get used to do new things too. The goal is not to be the best networker in the world, but to be connected to as many energy sources as you can get.
73. Spend Some Time Alone
Subsequently, make sure you set aside enough time for your own. You don’t necessarily need to recharge, but you need this time in order to get a new perspective. Stop for a while and look around. Where are you? Where do you want to be?
74. Fix Something By Yourself
Go fix a broken window, or a scratch on your car. Don’t call for a specialist, get involved, see how you can have an impact on things around you. Work with your hands, prepare to sweat. It will instantly make you feel better.
75. Create Value
Make things that others need too. Make something useful. Don’t follow blind or outdated commitments, go for what really makes a change around you. Creating value is the core of your activity here and the only thing you really have to strive for.
76. Do A Random Act Of Kindness
Doesn’t have to be in the form of a nice compliment this time. You don’t even need to communicate it to the target person. Just do an incognito service to someone. See how this makes you feel. Think how many times you received that.
77. One More Second
Create the habit of looking at things for one more second. Spend one more second before taking an important decision. Delay something. Time will follow your intention and open some unexpected window for you. Slow it down a little.
78. Understand What People Want From You
What you can do is not always what people want from you. Clearing that confusion alone could bring an immense relief to your life. You don’t have to immediately provide what they’re wanting, but if you do, you may have some big surprises.
79. Break An Old Bad Habit
Breaking a bad habit is difficult. But breaking an old bad habit will free an incredible amount of time into your life. Quit smoking or stop talking on the phone for hours. Whatever you break, it will change your life for the best.
80. Stop Complaining
Complaining is like an open invitation for troubles. The more you complain about something, the more of that something you invite into your life. Cut it out. You don’t get any comfort out of complaining, only troubles.
81. Reject What You Don’t Want
It’s so simple, yet so underrated. Society wants us to complain even when we don’t really like stuff. Like forcing us to smile when we don’t find it funny. Allow yourself to walk away from something you don’t like. Just do it!
82. Being Is Better Than Having
Too much and too often we shape our life’s fulfillment degree to the amount we possess. The fundamental mistake. If you’re doing it, stop it right now. You’re not what you’re having. Being is so much better than having.
83. Listen To Your Critics
This one might be difficult in the beginning but once you get used to it it’s fantastic. You may find out a lot of stuff about yourself that you didn’t know about. You think you are one kind of person, but others may disagree.
84. Don’t Take It Personally
Never. Your world is shaped by your reaction to things, not by the things themselves. Don’t get upset, don’t think that somebody knows you enough to make right assumptions about you. Acknowledge and move on.
85. Laugh
This time is not about smiling. It’s about laughing. Don’t you ever miss another opportunity to laugh. Especially at yourself. The longer your laughing sessions, the shorter your misery ones. Looks like a nice deal, isn’t it?
86. Go With Passion
Don’t let your rational mind stand in the way of your passion. If you found – or at least felt, even occasionally – something that thrills you, you’re there. You don’t need a confirmation on this from anybody. Go with your passion.
87. Trust Your Emotions
Don’t underestimate your emotions. Or overestimate them. Your emotions are your feed-back system and for that they are very important. Trying to ignore your emotions is like depriving yourself from lights in a car running in the middle of the night.
88. Live It Like A Holiday
Ever observed how nice you feel during your holiday? How light, joyful and authentic? Everything is just wonderful. Well, you are on a continuous holiday here. It starts with your birth and end with your death. Live it like a holiday.
89. Make A Story Out Of It
Do you like a good story? I love it. Make everything in your life story-worthwhile. Make it as it would be a fantastic journey and you will be at all time the observer, the hero and the narrator. Create the story of your life.
90. Stop Being A Follower
Admiring is nice. But being admired is even better. Stop trying to fit in other people’s shoes. Find your own path. If that means breaking up completely your lifestyle, so be it. If you are “like” somebody else you can’t be “like” yourself anymore.
91. Watch Your Beliefs
Your beliefs are not you. But they are shaping your life constantly. You have the power to change them at any point in your existence. But in order to do that, you must first start to observe them, to isolate them, to accept them.
92. Stop Lying
To others and to yourself. Although it might ease a complicated situation, a lie is not good in the long run. The trick is that if you’re telling a lie you’re altering your reality. And a distorted reality will be impossible to handle.
93. Stop Reacting To Stuff
And start acting on stuff. Initiate things. Start projects. Predict situations and be there before the hurricane hits. Reacting to stuff is a victim paradigm. Stop being a victim and start acting. Create your life instead of being the creation of others.
94. Live Today
Not yesterday, not tomorrow. Go for what you can do today and leave yesterday behind for good. It’s not here anymore. And tomorrow doesn’t even exist yet, so why bother. All you have is today. Don’t waste it.
95. Expect The Unexpected
If there’s something unusual that happens to you, go for it. The unexpected is a signal of an opportunity. It will not always be nice, this unexpected, but whenever it’s around, magical things are happening. Wait for it. Praise for it.
96. Enjoy
Like being in joy. Like giving permission to yourself to extract joy from any situation you’re in. Even if it’s bad. Or especially if it’s bad. Joy is everywhere, you just have to let it manifest through you. Don’t resist joy. Don’t reject it.
97. Make Your Own Rules
And stick with them. Go for what works for you, not the others. Go for what you want, not the others. Including me. Make your own system and be proud of it. You may upset some people in the process, but hey, that’s life.
98. Love
Unconditionally. Totally. Constantly. Restlessly. Love is the only glue that keeps your life running. You were born out of love and you carry it deep down in your being. Love is never about the others, it’s about you.
99. Get Rid Of Labels
Things are what they are. Don’t use labels anymore, use directly the things. Your notion of “right” and “wrong” are nothing but labels. In a different country your “right” might be “wrong”. Don’t charge yourself with this unneeded burden.
100. No Regrets
Regretting something is another form of not accepting reality. What you can do about it now? It’s gone. It doesn’t exist anymore. Focus on what you can change: your present moment. Not yesterday, not tomorrow. Now. Live now.
Without further ado, let’s go.
1. Accept Your Mistakes
You’re human. We, humans, are making mistakes. Accept what you did wrong and try to do better next time. No need to punish yourself forever. In fact, accepting your mistakes is the only way to make them disappear.
2. Accept Your Friends Mistakes
Maybe you got hurt by somebody. Happens. Just accept it and deal with it. People are making mistakes and if you can accept that for yourself, accept it for your friends too. In the end, all you need from them is their love.
3. Create A New Habit
We’re doing a lot of stuff on autopilot. Try to integrate in this category new things you want to attract into your life. Habits are powerful. Harness their energy for your own good. Start by creating a habit in 15 days.
4. Build Self Discipline
Don’t wait for other people to impose discipline on you. Start early. Create your own discipline. Although it sounds a little bit harsh, self discipline is a facilitator for many things in your life. It’s hard to get but great to have.
5. Make New Friends
Reach out. Don’t be afraid. Establish new contacts. The worst thing that may happen to you is to be rejected. Well, if that’s the case, move on. The reward of having true, long-lasting friendship is worth all the potential rejection.
6. Get A New Job
Shaking your comfort zone will often create a lot of value in your life. If you’re not satisfied with your job, just get a new one. The pitfall of not having money for a limited period of time is temporary, get over it.
7. Start A New Diet
You are, in a vast proportion, what you eat. Trying a new diet would often be the only needed change for a dramatic boost of your health and energy. Don’t necessarily have to be raw food, or even vegetarian, whatever works for you.
8. Keep A Journal
Write down you feelings, your ideas, your goals, your activity. Journaling is by far one of the most useful things I’ve done to change my life for the best. It works in such a silent, yet effective way. All you need is pen and paper.
9. Create And Keep A Morning Phrase
Whatever you say to yourself in the morning, it will most likely come true during the day. Why not taking advantage of it? Create a simple morning phrase and say it to yourself first thing in the morning. Is that simple.
10. Travel Far Away From Your Home
Traveling long distance is incredibly rewarding. It’s so exciting and full with unknown events. I only recently started to travel really far away from my home, but I do wonder how could I ever made it until now without this.
11. Learn To Take Risks
Your life may be so boring and fade because… err, you made it like this? When was the last time your tried something really difficult? When was the last time you challenged the odds doing something risky? Do it now.
12. Start Your Own Business
Be your own boss. Work your own hours. I know, it sounds so shallow, for you, who hate your job but still have to stay there because of that mortgage. Well, unless you make the first step, nothing is going to change. That’s for sure.
13. Change Your Work Space
Clean up your desk. Re-arrange furniture. Add some color to that space. Make the place where you work really enjoyable. So enjoyable that work there won’t be perceived as work anymore. It will be something you love to do.
14. Learn A New Language
Challenge your mind. Constantly. If you’re going to do number 10, you’re going to learn some new languages too. From my experience, learning a new language is a fantastic mind opener. Sometimes you don’t even have to travel there.
15. Find Reasons To Agree
Rather than disagree. We have this mindset of competition which makes constantly arguing over things. Well, stop that. You don’t have to force yourself into agreement, if it’s not the case, just trying to find some reasons will be enough.
16. Pay Yourself First
You can’t give something if you don’t have it. You can’t spread light onto others if you don’t have light from within. You can’t give wealth to others if you don’t have it for yourself first. Make yourself a service and pay yourself first.
17. Wake Up Early
This is not a habit, this is a lifestyle. Don’t just wake up early without a purpose. Be early. Be there before others. Look for opportunities and embrace them. Waking up early means keeping your eye open to every available opportunity.
18. Train Your Focus
Your focus is in fact your reality. Use it wisely. Train it constantly for it will enhance your reality in ways you never imagined. Keep your focus sharp as a razor blade and be prepared to experience life in fantastic shapes and colors.
19. Start A Blog
On whatever topic you want. Not only it will give you the opportunity to create something new and valuable but it will also bring new people into your life. Blogging is far more than a hype, is a personal development tool. A very good one.
20. Write An Ebook
You may think you don’t have a talent, but that’s completely wrong. And the easiest way to prove it wrong is to start writing an ebook. Any ebook. You pick the topic. It might be something you know or want to learn about. Write it. It’s fun.
21. Be Better, Not Perfect
Striving too much for perfection will ruin your life. It will wipe out all those little imperfections which are making you… human. Being better, on the other side, is rewarding. Look back at the yesterday you and just say: I’m better!
22. Stop Self Sabotage
You’ll be surprised by how much of a burden you can be to yourself. You are literally self sabotaging. Most of the time, unconsciously. If you have a long history of failure behind, that could mean you’ve become your worst enemy. Stop it.
23. Find Reasons To Love Your Life
Maybe life wasn’t fair with you. Yes, I know, I’ve been there: life is never fair. But it’s fantastic. It’s unique, unrepeatable, one of a kind, beautiful, simple, challenging, sweet, hard… Just take a step back and find reasons to love your life.
24. Try Something New
Maybe you’re sad because you’re bored. Have you ever thought about that? Just reach out and try something completely new. Go for a challenge, learn a new sport, pick a different restaurant or go for a comedy movie (if you’re the drama type). Just try it.
25. Avoid Fighting
Fighting is the biggest energy leak of your being. Trying to prove another guy wrong is so against your true nature. You’re here to acknowledge life’s wonders, not to prove anybody’s wrong. They’re not wrong, just have different opinions. And that’s part of life.
26. Stop Wasting Your Power
Are you doing something that you think you shouldn’t be doing right now? Well, that’s wasted power. That’s meaningless stuff promoted to the honor of being a part of your life. How long are you going to approve this? Why wasting power?
27. Learn To Ignore
I think they should be teaching this one in schools. We’re so focused on so many topics and think we have to do so many stuff, that our life is literally clogged with stuff. It’s good to do stuff, but learning to ignore stuff is much better.
28. Experiment Gratitude
When was the last time you said “thank you”? With all your heart? Everybody knows that an attitude of gratitude is the key to success, but almost nobody practices it. Well, start by experience gratitude first, and take it from there.
29. Recycle Your Aggression
Don’t throw it away, recycle it! Use it for something you really want! Call out those wild forces inside of you and put them to work. Aggression is part of your being, so don’t try to reject it, because it will only grow stronger. Recycle your aggression.
30. Release Your Guardians
Don’t touch that! Don’t eat that! Don’t go for that opportunity! Those are the sentences you hear when going for something you really want. Those are your guardians, your mental constructs made to protect you. Release them, you’ll be much better off.
31. Clean Up Your House
It’s fun. And it’s good for you. Make a habit out of cleaning up your house with joy and happiness. What’s outside is a mirror of what’s inside. If your house is a mess, probably your internal life is a disaster. Neat that stuff, it’s easy.
32. Write A Personal Mission Statement
You’re here with a reason. No matter how small you feel now, how insignificant others may made you feel, you have a purpose. Take the time to write your personal mission statement. It will bring light and direction into your life.
33. Dissolve Negative Opinions About Yourself
Whatever you think you may do, it’s half of what you can really do. And that’s because you have so many negative opinions about yourself. You can solve them. Just accept the fact that you have them and then start working on them.
34. Build Different Skills
Don’t stop learning. Don’t remain stuck in a single career, it’s boring and limiting. Learn different skills, possibly from completely unrelated fields. You never know when life will ask you to use them. Besides, it’s a lot of fun.
35. Manage Your Time As You Manage Your Money
Have you ever thought what would be if you would manage your time the same way you manage your money? Just give it a try. See where you spend most of your time, what the return of investment is and how rich are you in time.
36. Exercise
You don’t have to break the world record, or something. Just make sure you exercise constantly. It will make your body healthier and your mind clearer. It’s also one of the simplest and most affordable ways to improve your life.
37. Be A Parent
Having kids doesn’t necessarily means you’re a parent, and I know that very well. Being a parent will surely change your life forever: filling it with unconditional, life lasting love, care and warm feelings. You’ll live in love. And learn.
38. Throw Away One Object A Day From Your House
Maybe your life is breathing so hard just because it’s suffocated by objects. Learn to let them go. You may donate them, give to charity or simply throw them away, but don’t let the clutter stay in your way. You’re not the objects you have.
39. Read A Book Per Week
Or, alternatively, a fine selection of blogs. That will keep your mind alert and your focus steady. Reading is like good food for your brain, without it, it will go lazy, obese and unresponsive. But with the proper food it can become your best friend.
40. Start A Monthly Challenge
Being it physical, mental or social. Intend to acquire something new in your life in 30 days. Improve your health using new methods, or your relationships by starting new things together. Make it count. And count on it.
41. Call An Old Friend
It’s enlightening to meet somebody you haven’t talk to in the last years. Go right now and call an old friend, or a relative. It will bring up memories and it will create new opportunities. Don’t let the dust settle on your relationships.
42. Follow A Coincidence
Well, there aren’t any coincidences, I lied. Everything has a purpose. If you witness something which may seem like a coincidence, then you’re very lucky, you just got a sign. Follow it with trust, it will lead you well.
43. Play A Game
Any game. Just play. Like a child. Allow yourself to do something just for fun, without any goals, pressures or deadlines. Will make you understand that everything is a game. Sometimes a little bit harder, but still a game..
44. Forgive Somebody Out Of The Blue
Don’t hold that grudge for that past insult. Grudges are heavy and tend to make the take off for a new life a little bit difficult. The longer you hold that grudge, the more difficult the take off will be. Forgiveness will lift you off.
45. Stop Solving The Wrong Problems
You are not here to witness the bad things in your life. Nor the performance in itself. You are here to enjoy a journey. To become aware, To grow. So, stop solving the wrong problem and focus on what really matters.
46. Make Peace With An Old Enemy
That’s more than forgiveness, that’s the actual process of reversing a situation. Make peace with somebody. Turn it into your friend. I’m not saying this is easy, I know it first hand. But I also know it works. Enemies count down, friends count up.
47. Make A Promise To A Close Person And Keep It
It doesn’t have to be something big. It doesn’t have to be for someone special. It doesn’t have to be difficult also. But it has to be a commitment to somebody. Just reach out, make a promise, keep it and then enjoy the feeling after.
48. Break Up With A Person You Don’t Really Like
Maybe you’re friend with somebody just by habit, chemistry being dead for a long time now. Just break it up. Tell him. Ok, let’s unfriend us, this will not work. It will bring up something you thought you lost it long ago: courage.
49. Get A Thing You Wanted For A Long Time
But you didn’t had time or money to get it. Just go out and get it. Not only it will boost your self-respect, but it will also free your desire channel, which may be a little bit clogged by having one and only one desire for such a long time.
50. Stop Being Judgemental
With others AND with you. Excessive criticism will kill your enthusiasm. And if you think this post is something you shouldn’t read in the first place, then, my friend, you really are judgemental. Lighten up. Accept life as it is.
51. Change Your Wardrobe
You don’t know how much are you tied to what you wear. If you’re on the gray loving side, put some color in your clothes. If you’re on the black and white, try some gradients. Of course, your clothes are not you. Hence, they’re so easy to change, right?
52. Smile At Least 10 Times A Day
And I mean it, start to count that. Smiling is a sign of honesty and power. Everybody can cry over a disaster but only the most powerful can take biterness with a smile. Exercise that power. And then try to go for 20 times a day.
53. Burn Some Old Memories
Maybe the notebook from your 7th grade? Maybe the teenage dumb poetry you wrote? Whatever it might be, break up. It might be difficult, but it might also be a sign that you’re so attached to the past that you can’t advance in your life anymore.
54. Plant A Tree
Or take care of a flower. Do it for at least several months. It will give you a sense of potential. Seeing that tree or that flower growing will make your self-confidence go up. If a flower can make it, why can’t I? Of course you can, now do it!
55. Move To Another Town Or Country
Maybe it’s time to change the environment? Take the plunge, move over. Pick another town or even another country. Like all the good stuff, it might be pretty difficult in the beginning, but you can bet it would shake everything really good!
56. Join A New Group
Go to a bikers meeting. Or, if you’re not a biker, to a toastmaster meeting. Join a group and see how you fit in. It will help if the group will be focused on some of your passions, of course. It will reveal a lot about your social skills.
57. Stop Watching TV
Television evolved a lot from the balanced news provider it was in the beginning up to the current manipulating tool. Just stop watching it for a week. And then for a month. Meanwhile, assess your psychological progress. You may be amazed.
58. Start A Totally Unexpected Hobby
Start making trains out of matches. Raise cobras. Put tiny vessels into tiny bottles. Do whatever it takes to move your mind from your problems for a while. And if you can create something nice in the process, why not doing it?
59. Randomly Hug A Stranger On The Street
Ok, this might be a little bit dangerous, but only if you think at it. If you’re doing it, chances are that you’re going to get your hug back. It will also help raising your adrenaline up to lelves you never had for a very long time.
60. Set Up A Surprise Party
For your or for a friend. It’s always good for your mood, even if – or especially if – you’re down. Do a thematic one, invite friends and tell them to bring their friends. And then expect to meet new, wonderful persons. And of course, have fun.
61. Go Hiking
Do it for at least one week-end. Nature is more powerful than our human created environment. We don’t know how to channel the energy into our artificial habitats. If you want to recharge, go outside and stay in connection with the wilderness.
62. Get A Pet
Whatever works for you, a bird, a guinea pig, a dog or a cat. It will keep you alert and it will cheer you up when you’re down. Taking care of a pet is also easier if you’re overwhelmed with human interaction. Even from a pet, love is still love.
63. Write A Thank You Letter
You can send it or not, the real catch is to write it. Pick someone who helped you in the past. Start writing the letter and say everything you want to say to that person. It will make you understand what are you really grateful for in your life.
64. Meditate Daily
It’s the easiest thing you can do. True mediation acts like a mind emptier, leaving you open to the whole flow of the sensations and experiences you would otherwise ignore. You don’t even need a complicated technique, meditate as you see fit.
65. Say Something Nice To Somebody
Just like that. Out of the blue. Pick an unknown person and say something nice. After the initial surprise you’ll be amazed by the unmasked joy and gratitude they’re expressing. Admit it: you would like that too, isn’t it?
66. Say Something Nice To You
Ok, but if nobody is telling you nice things, why not start this yourself? Do it in whatever form you think it’s appropriate: send yourself emails, write in your calendar or leave yourself nice postits on the desk. With something nice just for you.
67. When I Doubt, Improvise
Being so scared for not knowing the answer, so nervouse that you may screw thins up… I know the feeling, I’ve been there too. Just go with the flow. Improvise. It will be so good for your unconscious mind. The real answer will be surprising.
68. Don’t Argue, Win Or Lose
This goes hand in hand with avoiding the fight, but it’s a little bit different. If you get caught in an argument, just accept that you can have only two outcomes from it: win or lose. Settle with one and just move on.
69. Stop Faking Your Life
It’s so easy to get caught in a flow of fakes. Society wants us to politely lie and you need to lie sometimes. Just stop it. Being authentic is the best thing you can do. No need to hide your sorrow, nor your joy. They’re both part of life.
70. Define Goals
Again, that goes hand in hand with writing a personal mission but it’s more than that. It’s the habit of clearly deciding – and, subsequently, describing – where you want to go. Do you have a goal? A passion, maybe? Go for it! And be verbose.
71. Help Others
Reach out and try to see if you can help others. You don’t have to be a Samaritan, just go out there and support somebody. The biggest trick of helping is really surprising: although it seems you’re giving, you’re in fact receiving a lot more.
72. Go Social
Mingle, interact, go out. Get used to meet new people. Make this a habit and you’ll soon get used to do new things too. The goal is not to be the best networker in the world, but to be connected to as many energy sources as you can get.
73. Spend Some Time Alone
Subsequently, make sure you set aside enough time for your own. You don’t necessarily need to recharge, but you need this time in order to get a new perspective. Stop for a while and look around. Where are you? Where do you want to be?
74. Fix Something By Yourself
Go fix a broken window, or a scratch on your car. Don’t call for a specialist, get involved, see how you can have an impact on things around you. Work with your hands, prepare to sweat. It will instantly make you feel better.
75. Create Value
Make things that others need too. Make something useful. Don’t follow blind or outdated commitments, go for what really makes a change around you. Creating value is the core of your activity here and the only thing you really have to strive for.
76. Do A Random Act Of Kindness
Doesn’t have to be in the form of a nice compliment this time. You don’t even need to communicate it to the target person. Just do an incognito service to someone. See how this makes you feel. Think how many times you received that.
77. One More Second
Create the habit of looking at things for one more second. Spend one more second before taking an important decision. Delay something. Time will follow your intention and open some unexpected window for you. Slow it down a little.
78. Understand What People Want From You
What you can do is not always what people want from you. Clearing that confusion alone could bring an immense relief to your life. You don’t have to immediately provide what they’re wanting, but if you do, you may have some big surprises.
79. Break An Old Bad Habit
Breaking a bad habit is difficult. But breaking an old bad habit will free an incredible amount of time into your life. Quit smoking or stop talking on the phone for hours. Whatever you break, it will change your life for the best.
80. Stop Complaining
Complaining is like an open invitation for troubles. The more you complain about something, the more of that something you invite into your life. Cut it out. You don’t get any comfort out of complaining, only troubles.
81. Reject What You Don’t Want
It’s so simple, yet so underrated. Society wants us to complain even when we don’t really like stuff. Like forcing us to smile when we don’t find it funny. Allow yourself to walk away from something you don’t like. Just do it!
82. Being Is Better Than Having
Too much and too often we shape our life’s fulfillment degree to the amount we possess. The fundamental mistake. If you’re doing it, stop it right now. You’re not what you’re having. Being is so much better than having.
83. Listen To Your Critics
This one might be difficult in the beginning but once you get used to it it’s fantastic. You may find out a lot of stuff about yourself that you didn’t know about. You think you are one kind of person, but others may disagree.
84. Don’t Take It Personally
Never. Your world is shaped by your reaction to things, not by the things themselves. Don’t get upset, don’t think that somebody knows you enough to make right assumptions about you. Acknowledge and move on.
85. Laugh
This time is not about smiling. It’s about laughing. Don’t you ever miss another opportunity to laugh. Especially at yourself. The longer your laughing sessions, the shorter your misery ones. Looks like a nice deal, isn’t it?
86. Go With Passion
Don’t let your rational mind stand in the way of your passion. If you found – or at least felt, even occasionally – something that thrills you, you’re there. You don’t need a confirmation on this from anybody. Go with your passion.
87. Trust Your Emotions
Don’t underestimate your emotions. Or overestimate them. Your emotions are your feed-back system and for that they are very important. Trying to ignore your emotions is like depriving yourself from lights in a car running in the middle of the night.
88. Live It Like A Holiday
Ever observed how nice you feel during your holiday? How light, joyful and authentic? Everything is just wonderful. Well, you are on a continuous holiday here. It starts with your birth and end with your death. Live it like a holiday.
89. Make A Story Out Of It
Do you like a good story? I love it. Make everything in your life story-worthwhile. Make it as it would be a fantastic journey and you will be at all time the observer, the hero and the narrator. Create the story of your life.
90. Stop Being A Follower
Admiring is nice. But being admired is even better. Stop trying to fit in other people’s shoes. Find your own path. If that means breaking up completely your lifestyle, so be it. If you are “like” somebody else you can’t be “like” yourself anymore.
91. Watch Your Beliefs
Your beliefs are not you. But they are shaping your life constantly. You have the power to change them at any point in your existence. But in order to do that, you must first start to observe them, to isolate them, to accept them.
92. Stop Lying
To others and to yourself. Although it might ease a complicated situation, a lie is not good in the long run. The trick is that if you’re telling a lie you’re altering your reality. And a distorted reality will be impossible to handle.
93. Stop Reacting To Stuff
And start acting on stuff. Initiate things. Start projects. Predict situations and be there before the hurricane hits. Reacting to stuff is a victim paradigm. Stop being a victim and start acting. Create your life instead of being the creation of others.
94. Live Today
Not yesterday, not tomorrow. Go for what you can do today and leave yesterday behind for good. It’s not here anymore. And tomorrow doesn’t even exist yet, so why bother. All you have is today. Don’t waste it.
95. Expect The Unexpected
If there’s something unusual that happens to you, go for it. The unexpected is a signal of an opportunity. It will not always be nice, this unexpected, but whenever it’s around, magical things are happening. Wait for it. Praise for it.
96. Enjoy
Like being in joy. Like giving permission to yourself to extract joy from any situation you’re in. Even if it’s bad. Or especially if it’s bad. Joy is everywhere, you just have to let it manifest through you. Don’t resist joy. Don’t reject it.
97. Make Your Own Rules
And stick with them. Go for what works for you, not the others. Go for what you want, not the others. Including me. Make your own system and be proud of it. You may upset some people in the process, but hey, that’s life.
98. Love
Unconditionally. Totally. Constantly. Restlessly. Love is the only glue that keeps your life running. You were born out of love and you carry it deep down in your being. Love is never about the others, it’s about you.
99. Get Rid Of Labels
Things are what they are. Don’t use labels anymore, use directly the things. Your notion of “right” and “wrong” are nothing but labels. In a different country your “right” might be “wrong”. Don’t charge yourself with this unneeded burden.
100. No Regrets
Regretting something is another form of not accepting reality. What you can do about it now? It’s gone. It doesn’t exist anymore. Focus on what you can change: your present moment. Not yesterday, not tomorrow. Now. Live now.
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