Monday Motivating Mindset

THE HYPE

This weeks Motivating Mindset will help you get to the bottom of any unwanted behavior.


THE CHALLENGE

Your Mindset challenge this week is getting in the habit of asking yourself:
"Why do I do what I do?"


THE PROMISE

Ask yourself this question whenever you wonder what is at the root of your behavior.


THE TIPS

No matter who you are, or where you live, there is only one measure of success; to be able to live your life in your own unique way.

We all have different ideas of what life as our "ideal" self looks like, but, how many people live up to their own personal standards?

Certainly by the evidence one can see that it's not the majority of people in this world.

Yet, we can all safely contend that no one "intentionally" wants to end up unhappy and not their ideal self, so what happens along the way?

We all have a built-in "ideal-self" meter, which means we know deep down inside if our actions align with our highest vision, or at least we know when our current lifestyle choices do not fulfill our deepest desires.

Research tells us that as many as 7 out of 10 people are working in their jobs "just to pay the bills" or "out of necessity".

If we could fast forward our lives to where we are unhappy, miserable, mid-life crisis, we would learn that sacrificing our self for money is a complete sell-out.

Yet how many of us are doing these right as we speak, saving the excuse their diversion from purpose is a learning experience.

Why not challenge yourself to start this learning experience earlier? How about striving to experience learning who you truly are?

Besides, is it not more a necessity to be who you are and to find a way to prosper from just being?

How would you like to pay the bills by being yourself?

How would you like to do what you loved and get paid for it?

Well yes you can, in fact it's not only your birth right, you can start moving towards it right at this moment.

It's called being in unison, and it means you are living your life authentically, answering your calling, discovering your true purpose.

It's exactly why people like Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey, Rachel Ray, and Jimmie Johnson don't work to get paid.

These people wouldn't consider doing what they love as work, they would do it regardless of whether they get paid. This is important.

All these people do is express themselves, live their passion, and they are remunerated and rewarded accordingly. Handsomely, we may as well adds well.

So what is the secret, why is the case of people living in their unison the more exception rather than the rule?

Ask yourself "What really prevents me from living my life authentically?"

Identify and commit to what you will have to do differently to make any changes happen.

Remember, nothing in your life will change until your behavior does.

Therefore, in order to change behavior you need to know why you behave that particular way to begin with.

We are all like computers and our behavior are like software programs.

At any time you can install and update old software versions with new more relevant replacement beliefs.

A good question to start probing into your behavior is to ask yourself: "Why do I do what I do?"

Give yourself permission to explore, and don't be afraid to discover the underlying causes of undesirable behavior.

Be patient with yourself and dig deep until you've found the root.

When it comes to living authentically, and fulfilling your deepest desires, it is never to late to start and always too soon to quit.

The only thing worse than a quitter is a person who is too afraid to begin.

Start today and begin by asking yourself the question: "why do I do what I do?"


THE SECRET

The billion dollar question is why do you behave in the way that you do?

If you don't know exactly why, then how do you ever expect to change, or correct your behavior?

Isn't that like playing a game that you have no idea about the rules?

Try playing chess, tennis, hockey, baseball or any game for that matter completely ignorant of the factors that you can control.

Chances are you would spend all your energy, attention and focus in areas that would bring you little reward or gain.

You would be making errors and mistakes left right and center, and the worst part is you wouldn't even know why.

Now you can see why so many of us are walking around frustrated about effecting positive changes to our behavior. We don't know the rules of the game!

In order to effect positive change to anything in your life you first need to know how to control human behavior.

So what do you really think determines human behavior?

Is it our circumstances? No, we are all dealt with a different hand, it's not the cards but how we play them that counts.

Is it our skill? No, because experience shows that success is due less to ability than it is to attitude.

Is it our parents? No, because our behavior can go either way, we can be alot like them, or a lot not like them.

Is it our personality? No, our personalities reflect our behavior as opposed to changing it.

Is it our habits? No, even the worst habit can be replaced with a more empowering one.

What determines human behavior then?

Ok... if you're stumped let's approach the situation from another angle by asking some other questions:

"If you knew a quicker, safer, hassle-free way to improve your life would you go that route?"

Yes, of course. So your driving behavior is only limited to the navigation system of the driver.

How about "if you knew how to lose weight effectively would you take it and apply it"

Chances are yes, and you would use this knowledge to alter your eating behavior.

What if "you could find out the money blocks that are holding you back from abundant prosperity, would you want to know?"

Again, the answer is absolutely yes! You would immediately apply these lessons to make more money flow into your life.

Would you then also agree that the only reason that you are earning your current level of income is because you don't know how to make more?

Obviously, because why would anyone still choose to make anything less?

No one would. Just like if you knew how to make a billion you wouldn't settle for earning a million. At least Donald Trump and Warren Buffet wouldn't.

So what is the main ingredient that is in all of these above scenarios?

The answer is knowledge. Knowledge is power. Knowledge is the application of information.

Wisdom is the experience of that knowledge.

Therefore, it all begins with an idea, or new information being inputed into the brain.

"Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions" - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

With better information we make better choices right?

Better choices lead to better beliefs, better decisions, and stronger action.

Our actions repeated over a period of time is what we call behavior.

Information is what allows us to change our behavior and replace our habits.

Awareness is the first and most important step of changing any behavior. You cannot change what you are not aware of correct?

Once we become aware of something that we want to change, we can use that information to make adjustments.

What do we use to make adjustments? More information of course.

Everyday you are either moving towards or away a more authentic life for yourself.

How you recognize, accept and change the information will determine your degree of success in life.

An amazing way to ask for more information to come into your life is through quality questions.

The question to ask yourself to begin with is "Why do I do what I do?"

Write your answers down, discover your triggers, your interests, your conscious contradictions.

Monday Motivating Mindset

THE HYPE

 

This weeks Motivating Mindset will help see that the hidden truth behind your existence.

 

THE CHALLENGE

 

Your Mindset challenge this week is getting in the habit of asking yourself:

"What are the miracles in my life?"

 

THE PROMISE

 

Ask yourself this question and you will start to appreciate all of the intricate and inherent beauty of life.

 

THE TIPS

When you wake up tomorrow morning ask yourself the question: "What are the miracles in my life?"

Take a moment to think about what in your life is so incredible that it makes you want to shout at the top of your lungs?

Ok, ok, if you are like most people then you probably came up with the answer "nothing".

Yet if you knew there was a miracle in the making of your life wouldn't you shout for joy or scream with excitement?

Certainly you would appreciate it right? Because after all, if you didn't appreciate the miracles in your life then why would any one (or thing) give you more of them?

In fact, could it be the case that perhaps your life is already chalked full of miracles and you don't even realize, or appreciate, them now?

When was the last time that you stopped to account for, and appreciate, all of the miracles in your life?

If you still cannot see miracles in your life, then perhaps it is just that you can't see the forest for the trees.

There are miracles right in front of your face, all around you, and surrounding you.

Consider the miracle of your existence and how many sets of grandparents had to physically exist to create you.

How many millions of your ancestors had to pass through the same "event horizon" that you came through?

If anyone of those people were "not in the mood", or choose to do anything else than exactly what they did to procreate, you would not be reading this.

Your genealogy is a miracle unto itself, but put that aside for a moment, and now consider the complexity behind your birth.

When you were first conceived you were a double strand of DNA in a fertilized ovum.

It divided 50 times, and after only 50 replications you had over 100,000,000,000,000 (trillion) cells. 

To give you an idea of how much that is, it is bigger than the number of all the stars in our Milky Way galaxy.

Every second there are about 25 million new cells that are being produced in your body.

Each and every one of those cells does over 6 trillion things per second and has enough power to illuminate the world.

What is even more amazing is that every new cell, just like every existing cell in your body, is instantly aware of what the other cells are doing.

The essence of a human being composed of 60-70 kilos of flesh and a mass of bones was originally contained in a drop of fluid. 

It certainly is a wonder that an intelligent, emotion experiencing human being, with a remarkably complex physical structure, could come into existence from a drop of fluid.

This development was certainly not the result of a random process or the operation of chance, there is an inner intelligence in your body.

It is this inner intelligence that allows the human body to simultaneously think thoughts, listen to music, remove toxins, fight germs, and make love in rhythm all at once.

The rhythm of your heart will beat 3,000 million times during your life, every and every time without you ever having to ask it too. Have you thanked your heart lately?

Day in and day out your blood travels almost 100,000 kilometers round trip from various places around your body back to your heart, without you having to give any directions.

Every year your eyes close, clean, lubricate, and re-open over 13 million times without you ever having to consciously "bat an eye".

Each day your lungs take approximately 23,000 breaths, they do this automatically without your instructions.

Every one of the cells within your nervous, skeletal, respiratory, digestive, and immune system operate with a miraculous intelligence.

If your cells and body is able to do all of these things easily without your instruction, can you imagine what type of miracles could be created if you consciously intended them?

Miracles are in more shapes and sizes than you realize. The more you stay aware and look for them, the more you will find them.

You can begin to increase your awareness about the miracles in your life by continually asking yourself the question: 

"What are the miracles in my life?"

THE SECRET

The truth about miracles is that the most significant miracle is you.

Each and every one of us is a unique living and breathing miracle in the flesh.

and infinitely smarter than you give yourself credit for. 

Yet for some reason the majority of us don't usually recognize this fact in our daily lives.

It is almost funny when people think that there are no miracles, because as long as you live you are a miracle.

However it's not funny to realize that people who don't believe in miracles, or don't see miracles, probably are not living miraculous lives.

It doesn't make any sense why anyone would choose to live anything less than a miraculous life.

Yes believe it or not, no matter who you are or what your situation is, you are entitled to limitless miracles.

We don't have to do anything to earn them, we don't have to be anyone to deserve them, because just our BE-ing qualifies us.

You are perfect as you are, unique as a snowflake, and so important that world would not be complete without you.

As long as you exist there are miracles occurring, miracles to be made, fantasies to be fulfilled, and destinies to be discovered.

Best of all there is only one thing that you have to do differently in order to immediately attract, and experience, more miracles in your life.

All you have to do is choose. Your intention must be set on seeing the miracles in your life versus the misery.

This is important because what you focus on in the mind expands in the physical realm, and will eventually attract more of the same. 

If you spend your time and attention focusing on fear, it only makes sense that you will become fearful, or full of fear.

If you spend your time and attention complaining, whining, playing a victim, you will be provided with more reasons to continue.

In order to attract more miracles you must begin to see and appreciate the miracles that are already in your life.

There are many miracles unfolding right now for everyone, it's just a matter of choosing to see them.

It is a miracle that you awoke this day and with eyes and that can see and a brain that can comprehend. 

Can you commit to starting your day tomorrow by not taking this miracle for granted?

Just the fact that you can and are reading requires further miracles to happen.

Besides being blessed with eyes, you are reading these words because you have a computer, an Internet Service Provider, and a roof over your head.

Although it may not seem like much of a miracle to you, but the majority of the world today does not even have that.

In fact, if you are reading this then you are ALREADY living a miraculous life that millions of people in less fortunate countries are praying to have.

People would literally do anything to have the opportunity to make the mistakes you do, and to experience your failures.

If you are guilty of getting yourself caught up in the mania of the mind's judgment, criticizing, or blaming, then ask yourself this question:

How can I get out of my own way and allow myself to experience the miracle that I am each and every day?

How about committing to telling your loved ones that they are miracles today? How about gently reminding yourself?

When you are feeling low, the ultimate pick-me up is for you to seriously contemplate the question:

"What are the miracles in my life?"

Write down your miracles, share your miracles with a friend, and teach others how to find miracles in their life.

Be the miracle you want, feel the miracle you are, and celebrate your miraculous future.

Monday Motivating Mindset

THE HYPE

This weeks Motivating Mindset will help you navigate towards a more fulfilling life.

THE CHALLENGE

Your Mindset challenge this week is getting in the habit of asking yourself:
"How did I get to where I am at right now?"


THE PROMISE

Ask yourself this question as soon as possible and you will become more appreciative of your life's experiences.


THE TIPS

No matter who you are on this planet the quality of your life experience will depend on three things.

1. An ability to ask yourself questions. Quality questions about you, the environment you operate in and the world you live in.

2. An ability to answer your own questions honestly, without judgment or attachment. Let the information speak for itself and lead you to the truth.

3. An ability to recall and apply the answers you discover at the appropriate time.

If you are missing any one or more of these things at any given time then your chances of success are slim to none.

The better the questions the better one's life potentially. A great question to ask yourself to gain more perspective on your life is:

"How did I get to where I am at right now?"

Where are you on the road of your life. If it was represented by an oval race track, how far along the race are you already?

Are you winning? Are you even aware that you are hurling through space of time in the race of your life against time?

The car company Volkswagen were wise beyond their time when they stated in their commercials that "On the road of life there are passengers and there are drivers."

When it comes to feeling alive and in control of life are you a passenger or a driver?

Passengers like to watch other people while wishing they could be, do, or have more and are often jealous or envious of others.

Drivers on the other hand prefer to grab the bull by the horns, take control and steer their own destiny.

So why do people avoid popping the hood from time-to-time and taking a look at our engines?

For some passengers it's because they don't know how.

Yet when you think about it... No one is more qualified to figure out how to drive the custom make and model called 'you'.

Other passengers are reluctant to stop for for directions because they feel they can't afford to waste the time.

However, the logic in that statement is like saying you are too busy to stop for gas, because you are too busy driving.

Sooner or later this delusional thinking is going to catch up to you.

When is the last time you took a look to see where your life was heading?

Drivers ask them self the question "How did I get to where I am at right now?" because it can lead to increased self-awareness.

The better you know the vehicle you are driving the better you can tweak it to perform right?

Therefore the mark of a good driver is their ability to investigate the merits of the beaten path and the road less traveled.

Aristotle said that "the mark of an educated or mature mind is its ability to entertain a thought without accepting it".

Become an observer of your self and begin to write down the skills, habits and attitudes that have brought you to this point in your life.

Good, 'bad', or indifferent the more information you uncover the more you will empower yourself.

The more empowered you become the more you will be able to renovate skills and replace unwanted habits.

If you are already successful or have a list of talents, skills and abilities then perhaps it is time to share them?

Is it possible to find a mastermind group to share your wisdom with, or become a mentor to lend your experiences to somebody who needs you?

If you don't have a big list of assets, or even if you felt you didn't have any at all, isn't it possible to grow some?

The best part about life is that no matter how long you have been on cruise control you can always start driving immediately.


THE SECRET

The true measure of a person's life, regardless of race or religion, is whether they lived in alignment with their purpose.

Did they do the work they were designed to do on this Earth? How well did they faithfully express their energy, passion, love?

There are three ways to measure a person's alignment with their purpose, acceptance, allowance and appreciation.

Acceptance can be regarded as the ability to look into your past and accept the things you cannot change.

A person must get comfortable with past failures and release their regrets before they can really grow.

Allowance is the ability to look into your future and be fully in the moment without resistance.

One of the most crucial ways to let go of resistance is to find a way to forgive. Forgive yourself, whoever, or whatever hurt you at all costs.

Appreciation is the ability to be alive and feel at peace in any moment.

Feel gratitude for all of your experiences and place your intention on perceiving your past in a powerful way.

It is not looking into your past that is important part but the ability to be able to do so freely without identifying with it.

Can you experience your past in a detached manner, away from the feelings or at least associating yourself with them.

Successful people are not afraid to take stock of their inventory of habits, skills and experiences.

They reduce or eliminate judgement regarding their past and put a hold on all assumptions about the future.

You will learn to become grateful about life's ups and downs after realizing that both the 'good' and the 'bad' are needed.

If there was no 'tall' there would be no measure for 'small'. If there was no 'black' there would be no reference for 'white'.

If there was no 'up' the direction 'down' would lose its current spatial significance.

The true nature of reality is that we require all opposites and polarities to balance this universe. It takes all sorts.

Your courage is required to look in the past and clear any unprocessed emotion that is blocking your success.

Your commitment to clarity will help clear confusion and create a path to take you to the next level.

A great question that encourages self-discovery is to ask yourself:

"How did I get to where I am at right now?"

Monday Motivating Mindset

THE HYPE

This weeks Motivating Mindset will help you stop worrying and start living.

THE CHALLENGE

Your Mindset challenge this week is getting in the habit of asking yourself:
"What should I stop doing?"


THE PROMISE

Ask yourself this question at least once a day and you will reduce stress and get more done.


THE TIPS

At the end of your evening tonight, or first thing tomorrow morning, ask yourself the question:

"What should I stop doing?"

If you want to get more done it may seem a bit counterproductive to ask yourself this question, but stopping is actually an important part of the process of change.

Everything in our lives is like a door that can open new possibilities for us.

In order to fully move into any new part of life, or create a new reality for our self we must first close the door behind us that holds our old identity.

This is because in order to start one thing one must first stop doing something else, even if that something else was nothing.

For example, in order to be reading these words right now you are giving up the opportunity to do nothing.

You are also simultaneously giving up an opportunity to do something else like read a cartwheel if you were so inclined.

Some people refer to this as an 'opportunity cost', or what you have to give up when you commit to do something else.

Everything has an opportunity cost, the relationships we are in cost us other potential mates, our jobs cost us other opportunities to work somewhere else.

Subconsciously and consciously we are constantly trying to choose the best opportunities to take advantage of.

We decide what is most important in our lives by rewarding it with our time and attention.

Here is where the majority of us make a major error in judgment.

We mistakenly give up the opportunity to do what we "want/desire to do" in place of what we feel we "have to do".

Are you guilty of settling for less than you deserve in an aspect of your life? Chances are you have.

Answer 'yes' or 'no' to the following questions to see if you are spending your time wisely.

- Do you currently believe that "you have to do something", but realize that the something is draining your energy?

- Do you feel trapped by doing things the old way, pressured to perform a certain way, or have obligations that stress you out?

- Are you in a role you are no longer committed to, stuck in an unrewarding relationship, or working a jobs that is not fulfilling?

- Do you seem to find yourself "going through the motions" day in and day out?

If you have answered yes to any of the above questions then it might be time that you take something off your plate.

A great way to start the process of becoming more aware is in the consideration of the question:

"What should I stop doing?"


THE SECRET

Asking yourself "What should I stop doing?" is a great way to empower and enrich your current efforts.

Human nature is that we all want to get more done with as little time, money and energy as possible.

In life this is called 'Return on Energy' and in business it's called 'Return on Capital Expended'.

Whatever you call it at the end of the day the bottom line is that we all want to return more than we have to put out.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be more effective and efficient in whatever you do.

After all, who willingly wants to waste their time, take longer than needed, or spend more money than necessary?

Absolutely no one. It's safe to say that 100% of the population would never consciously choose to do any of the above.

Yet how is it that most of us end up overwhelmed, frustrated or broke? What happened?

Were we that off base and delusional that we missed all signs of disaster?

Have you ever heard the old saying "It was the straw that broke the camels back?"

Its an old adage symbolizing a story upon which a camels back gets broken, seemingly all because of a single piece of straw.

Of course, we know it was the accumulation of straw over time that created those dire circumstances.

The same thing happens to us when we pile too many projects on the plate, the system is bound to breakdown.

Our when we take on projects, relationships, goals and jobs that are meaningless.

A part of the problem is that we say 'yes' to way too many things that we could be politely saying 'no thanks' too.

It doesn't help when we fail to see the pattern behind the mistakes that we repeatedly make.

If you are continually failing at something and not feeling motivated to move forward this is a sign to check your commitment.

Perhaps you are no longer interested in investing your time and energy into this, only you can tell. Be honest with yourself.

Every goal to be better, to reach higher, to obtain a new income level will require a new level of you.

You decide what experiences and memories you will fuse into the you that exists right this moment, and which aspects of your life to leave behind.

There is not enough time in our lifetime to spend it doing things that act in direct detriment to the loved ones in our lives.

Therefore it is a good practice to put only the things we truly value and the things we are really passionate about 'on our plate'.

Find areas where you feel over-stressed and discover roles where you are not 100% comfortable or committed.

Take time to record your roles and responsibilities every day. Be thorough and don't leave anything out.

Resolve to become more confident and committed to the roles you decide to keep.

Eliminate whatever roles that you can, and delegate whatever roles that you cannot eliminate.

Delegate and eliminate all the areas in your life that do not bring a good return on your capital, time or energy.

In a case where you have been attached to doing things a particular way for a long time, you may not be able to escape this separation pain free.

Unfortunately, sometimes when you finally decide to take your medicine you may have to amputate your foot in order to save your leg.

The best way to avoid a terrible situation like this is to ask yourself right now "What should I stop doing?" and then immediately begin to cut it out of your life.

Monday Motivating Mindset

THE HYPE

This weeks Motivating Mindset will help you live with more peace and love in your life.


THE CHALLENGE

Your Mindset challenge this week is getting in the habit of asking yourself:
"Am I a lover or a fighter?"


THE PROMISE

Ask yourself this question and you will become more conscious of how you radiate emotion and energy in your environment.


THE TIPS

If you are looking to find more love in your life, a great question to ask yourself is... "Am I a lover or a fighter?"

Re-stated a bit differently, the question could be asked as, "How do I contribute to this world, through cooperation, or coercion with others?"

Do you add joy in the world, or do you contribute to the anguish?

Does your heart pump stronger than your fist?

Do you make the people around you feel idolized or intimidated?

If the former is the case versus the latter, then indeed you may be a lover.

Why is being a lover important?

First of all, being "a lover not a fighter" is not just a good idea referenced in the lyrics of a Micheal Jackson song.

Here's why... Each and every moment of our lives, every single one of us are faced with a question.

Although this is a single question, the outcome that results from how this question is answered is as varied as the individuals answering it.

Everything that you see in the world, the love, the war, and the indifference, was created out of people answering this single question.

The one question that we continually are challenged with is whether to create out of fear, or to create out of love.

When people create, do and act out of love, the power of their passion reflects the bliss and beauty of life.

If you ever watched Tiger Woods play golf or listened to Pavarotti sing opera you would see a demonstration of this.

Other examples of the transcendental quality of beauty of nature when created out of love are expressed through classical art, music and poetry.

You are instantly connected when you come in contact with energy that has been molded from the fabric of love.

To feel love, or as some refer to it as, to feel God, satisfies our innate desire to experience everything in this world that is wonderful and great.

Therefore to feel "good", which basically just adds an extra "o" to the word God, also refers to seeking this connection to supreme source.

Feeling good, feeling God and feeling love should be the answer that you choose to express at all times.

The way to remember where the focus your creations resides is by asking yourself the question "Am I a lover or a fighter?".


THE SECRET

Human beings are energetic entities, which means that we are all made of energy and we require energy to survive.

You probably learned, if you remember way back that in school, that energy cannot be created nor destroyed.

However, what you probably weren't taught is that not all energy was created equal to begin with.

Some energy appreciates and supports our lives, while other forms of energy deplete and depreciate our lives.

Many people inadvertently feed on energy that depreciates their lives because they don't know any better.

For example, if you constantly watch the news, participate in rumours or gossip, or spread negative stories.

The energy that it takes to maintain those acts above should give you an indication of whether the energy is good for you.

It is important to pick good sources of energy because there is no getting around the fact that we need it.

Human beings are complex energy systems that require different types in order to function and feel good.

For example, we require food in the form of carbohydrates to fuel our physical self. If you don't eat in 3 weeks you'll die.

We require energy in the form of sleep and oxygen to regulate and maintain the mental aspects of our self, for things such as analysis and calculation.

The energy that our emotional self feeds on comes in the form of feelings, and the feeling that trumps them all is love.

Love is an emotion that makes the giver, the receiver, and even the observer, feel more powerful as a result of its expression.

Being able to express love and feel powerful is important to everyone because of one very special reason.

People inevitably tend to go where there emotions (feelings) take them, and not necessarily in the direction of their dreams.

Therefore, to get better results in life what we need to continually practice learning is how to experience more love.

By developing a loving relationship with your emotions you will develop your intuition and feel like you are able to follow your dreams.

The decision to act from love is so powerful that it can manifest instant change and bring about expressions like peace, harmony, and joy.

Just imagine how the world would be if everybody loved what they did for a living and felt blessed to be able to do it?

How much better would the world be if people did things because they loved to, and not just because they had to?

A world like this is not too far from the reality that we live in now, in fact it is only as far away as your imagination puts it.

To start living with more love, begin by imagining yourself putting more love into your day, your actions, and your daily interactions.

Check-in with your intentions by asking yourself the question "Am I a lover or a fighter?"

Are You Accountable?

Many times when we are presented with a new idea, whether it be a new company target, friend/family request, or group goal, it is often stated as in the subject of "we". Two such examples would be "we can make a difference together", or "we can accomplish this goal".

The question is: Does the word "we" have and advantage or disadvantage versus using the words "I" or "you" when it comes to accountability.

The answer: Absolutely Yes, Yes, Yes!

The biggest problem with stating things in the "we" mentality is that it excludes the "I", "you", and "me" from the accountability side of the equation.

The word "we", suddenly becomes the perfect justification for the excuse of "if 'I' don't do it, where it is a job for 'we' or 'us', then I bet somebody else will pick up the ball."

The following short story describes what really happens when we turn our heads and cop out from personal accountability.

This story is about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done, and Everybody was sure Somebody would do it.

Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.

Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Are you picking up balls and running with them regardless of who "owns" the problem. If they are on your team then why not?

Excerpted from Mel Gil's book "Uncommon Sense" below is a list of personal accountability excuses to be aware. Try to avoid using any of them as they are all poor excuses for not completing a job and the more often you catch yourself using them, the more aware and accountable you will become.

1. I'll try
2. If ____ then ______
3. I forgot
4. It's not my fault
5. I had no choice
6. I can't
7. I had no control
8. I'll wait and see
9. I don't know
10. It's not my job
11. That's the way I am
12. Nobody told me

Daily Natural Highs

The following is a list of "Natural Highs", or thing that perk up the soul and give us a burst of warm energy.

Take a moment out of your hectic schedule to think about at least one of the following list of Natural Highs.

Picture one at a time in vivid detail, don't be afraid to let your imagination run wild before going on to the next one.

* * * W A R N I N G * * *

Thinking about these will make you feel good so be careful, you might not be used to supporting yourself with warm positive energy.

DAILY NATURAL HIGHS

1. Falling in love.

2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.

3. A hot shower.

4. No lines at the supermarket.

5. A special glance.

6. Getting mail.

7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.

8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.

9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.

10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.

11. Chocolate milkshake (vanilla or strawberry ).

12. A bubble bath.

13. Giggling.

14. A good conversation.

15. The beach.

16. Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter.

17. Laughing at yourself.

18. Looking into their eyes and knowing they Love you

19. Midnight phone calls that last for hours.

20. Running through sprinklers.

21. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.

22. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.

23. Laughing at an inside joke with FRIENDS

24. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.

25. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.

26. Your first kiss (the very first).

27. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.

28. Playing with a new puppy.

29. Having someone play with your hair.

30. Sweet dreams.

31. Hot chocolate.

32. Road trips with friends.

33. Swinging on swings.

34. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.

35. Making chocolate chip cookies.

36. Having your friends send you homemade cookies.

37. Holding hands with someone you care about.

38. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.

39. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much desired present from you.

40. Watching the sunrise.

41. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.

42. Knowing that somebody misses you.

43. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.

44. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think!