Life

Life should not be measured by the number of breaths we take,
But by the moments that take our breath away.







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The 10 Things in Life that You Control

I found the following article to be very clear, concise and useful.

The 10 Things in Life that You Control
by Jim M. Allen

There are just a few aspects of life that we can truly control, and it's useful to know just what those areas are. If you don't know, you'll spend a lot of time blaming others for your own failings. Try and exert too much control in areas you shouldn't and the universe will create some interesting ways to remind of your place.

So be prepared an learn the 10 things in life that you DO control:

1. What you do

Your actions are yours alone. You choose to make them or not make them and you are responsible for the effects of those actions.

2. What you say

Likewise, the words you speak (or write) are also consciously chosen. Like actions, they have an impact on your life and the lives of those you contact.

3. What you think

Yes, there are some subconscious thoughts that you can't control. But the things that you really think about, your beliefs, your ideals, etc. are concepts you have chosen to accept and believe in.

4. Your work

Many people like to overlook this one, it being much easier to say "Oh, I'm trapped in my job because I don't have a degree, experience, etc." Hogwash! That's simple a way of denying one's responsibility in having chosen the job in the first place.

It's your job and you chose it. If you stay (or go), that's a choice as well.

5. Who you associate with

There's a famous t-shirt that states: "It's hard to soar like an eagle when you're surrounded by turkeys."

Your friends can either lift you up or bring you down. You make the decision which type of friends you wish to have.

6. Your health

Much of our health is a factor of genetics, environment, and exposure. Much more of our health is simply a matter of the things we choose: diet, excercise, drugs, sleep, routine physicals, check-ups, etc.

7. The environment you live in

Your house, the condition of your home, the town you live in, the amenities available to you are all things you can control, although some to a lesser degree (i.e., you decide to tolerate them or move someplace else).

8. Your finances

Having or not having enough money is a factor of what you make versus what you spend.

9. Your time

You choose how to "spend" your time and how much of your time to give to various activities. You'll never get more time than the 24 hours your given each day.

10. Your legacy

All your actions, words, and knowledge that you share while you are living become the gift that you leave when you are gone.


Jim Allen is a professional life coach, speaker, and writer. Get more great ideas in you email every week by subscribing to Jim's weekly newsletter, THE BIG IDEA, by sending a blank email to: mailto:Subscribe@CoachJim.com (©2001 Jim Allen & CoachJim.com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)


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Are You Prepared For Success? (Section II - Installment #17 "Attitude” – Male & Female versions)

What happens to the person is less important
than what happens within the person

(If this is your first time on this site, please begin with "Are You Prepared For Success?" [Introduction])

Attitude

As you go through life, remember this fact;
Your attitude will have the greatest impact.
Whatever you do, whoever you are,
It's what you bring to the party that will make you a star.

It's more important than education, skill or money,
Circumstance or looks, whether your sad or your funny;
Whether you fail or succeed, it will see you through.
The way you look at life is the way life looks at you.

What's remarkable is that each and every day
Regarding your attitude, only you have the say.
Say it loud, say it clear, with a meaningful voice,
Concerning your attitude, only you have the choice.

You can't change the inevitable, you can't change the past.
No matter how hard you try, most feelings don't last.
You start young and grow old, that you can't re-arrange;
It's your attitude, you have the power to change.

You can't control what others will do.
You can't control them and they can't control you.
The control that you have, the control that you wield
Is the control of your attitude, that's your only true shield.

Life, you will see, and hold it as true
Is only 10%, what happens to you.
You must believe and take it as fact,
A full 90% is how you choose to react.

(An Original Poem by Mel Kaye)

I strongly suggest that you write down your immediate reaction, after passionately reading this poem.

• What has happened to you recently, where if you had looked at it differently you would have had a more favorable outcome? (Be specific!)

Copyright © MondayMorningPower, All rights Reserved

Go to Section II (Installment #18m - Male version)
Go to Section II (Installment #18f - Female version)

attitude life impact circumstance succeed voice choice control react

The following article portrays a very nice visual analogy and an interesting way of looking at attaining your dreams.

Climb Out of That Bucket and Live the Life of Your Dreams

By: Joe Farcht

From birth to adulthood we learn to become good citizens and well-adjusted adults in the world of work and life. Many people make this transformation relatively successfully and lead somewhat normal, happy lives.

Some people make it to adulthood grumbling and blaming the world for all the "bad things" it brings their way including the job they hate. Others can't make the adjustment at all and wind up in prison or dead.

What I'll call the "normal" group - the one that achieves a somewhat happy existence - learns to live by a set of rules, norms, and expectations that often limit their growth, potential, and true greatness.

A few members of this "normal" group discover something special about themselves, make a choice to excel, and take action to create the life of their dreams. They do it without the support of the normal group.

You see, the normal group wants its members to be just normal. By the way, work groups and some families act in the same way. They discourage their members from getting ahead (of the other normal group members).

The Normal Group is Crabby

If you've ever been crabbing, you've seen the "normal" group in action!

You catch crabs by attaching some meat (often a chicken neck) to a long piece of cord and lowering it to the bottom of the bay. Crabs attach themselves to the meat and begin eating. You raise the meat and catch the crabs in a net. Then you throw the crabs into a bucket to keep them from running around the boat and pinching people.

Watch the crabs and you will see that as soon as one crab tries to escape the bucket by climbing out, the other crabs will pull it back down into the bucket. There's no escape from the bucket.

Life is often like that. A person wants to get ahead and knows that there is more to work and life than what they are presently experiencing.

Get Out of the Bucket!

It takes personal leadership to become aware that escaping the normal is possible. It takes personal leadership to choose and commit to creating a better life. It takes personal leadership to take the actions necessary to propel yourself and create the new future you imagine and want.

You can do it. . . All things are possible. Many others in our great land have done it.

Don't let the other crabs in your life prevent you from developing your unique potential and discovering your greatness.

blaming bucket crabs climb crabby discover dreams greatness life normal people unique

If you have read me previous posts then you know that I am very big on the use of passion to accomplish attitude changes and that I am also big on taking control of your own life. The other day I came across this essay that I though was very interesting. Please read it and let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Personally, I'm torn; it sounds like destiny, and I'm not sure that I agree with that. However, it also makes a lot of sense.

Your Mission Makes Itself Known Through Your Passions

By Ineke Van Lint, psychologist a spiritual and educational coach

We’ve all come to earth with a unique mission. This is a special assignment. How can you find it? Your mission can be found inside yourself. It has been “imprinted” in your soul long before you were born. You can find clues about your mission by looking to your natural interests. Your mission is connected to your passions, your preferences, your spontaneous interests, and your desires. Looking at what attracts you, over different periods of your life, gives you important clues about what your mission is in this life.

There are certain connections between the significant events of your life. These connections may not be noticeable at first glance, because you’re probably too busy running around and doing all kinds of things that have nothing to do with your mission. The following exercise helps you find the common theme in your life, and to classify different components of your life.

Answer the following questions for the three main periods in your life: childhood – adolescence – adulthood.

1. What did you like doing when you were a child, a teenager, an adult? What were your favorite activities?
2. Where did your natural interest flow towards during each of these life periods?
   
3. Towards what kind of people did you feel naturally attracted to in each of these periods?
4. Towards what kind of places did you feel naturally attracted in each of these periods?
5. Towards what kind of books did you feel naturally attracted in each of these periods?
6. What was your natural drive during these periods?

Try to find the key, the common factor in your answers. What is the unifying element during your life span? Do you see the connected dots; the leading element? There is one, that’s for sure. Try to find it: it’s important! Completing this summary will assist you in choosing the future course of your life with more awareness. This enables you to become the creator of your own life:

1. What kind of books do you want to read in your future?
2. What kind of people do you want to meet?
3. What places do you want to visit?
4. What kind of activities do you want to do?
5. Which passion do you want to follow?
6. What still drives you, what do you absolutely want to do before your life comes to an end?

Without being aware of it, you have already been busy from time to time accomplishing your mission. Your mission makes itself known through the things that naturally attract you, that interest you, that automatically motivate you. Your mission also makes itself known through your dreams, desires and passions.

Some other questions to help you find out about your passions and your dreams:

1. If your life were a book, what would be the title?
2. What would be the title of the current chapter?
3. What would be the title of the previous chapter, and of the following one?
4. What would be the end of the book?

Write down the last paragraph of your life book. Once again, you can see that YOU determine the course your life. Be more active and consciously choose how you want to spend your days! Life is much more exciting like this, and you’ll notice you can really co-create your life! It’s better than passively drifting along, right?

adult book child clues destiny drifting events imprinted interestes life mission natural passion passively spontaneous teenager

How The Internet Changed My Life

Change How Internet Changed My Life

Are You Prepared For Success? (Section II - Installment #3 "The Rain Will Fall" - Male and Female)

(If this is your first time on this site, please begin with "Are You Prepared For Success?" [Introduction])

The Rain Will Fall

A soft wet mist engulfs the city

As a blue sky fades into a sad shade of gray.

A dark and dreary rain descends

As the sun successfully hides from the day.

The wind howls like a wounded beast

As it swoops down with its twists and its swirls

Leading dead leaves in a frantic dance

And so another day unfurls.

The cold clammy fingers of the day overcomes you

As your happy dreams sadly fade away.

Your life seems so very dark and dreary

As you hopelessly try to hide from the day.

Your thoughts reach out for a shapeless past

As you retrace your life's twists and turns

In your frantic search to find yourself

Your day begins and your heart still yearns.

Be still, take heart, reflect a while.

For soon this will pass and then you will know

That behind that tragic mask you wear,

As behind the wind, the cold and the snow

That the sun still shines and the birds still sing.

For this sadness you feel befalls us all.

No one, as yet has lived untouched,

Because into each life some rain must fall.

Original poem by Mel Kaye

I strongly suggest that you write down your immediate reaction, after passionately reading this poem.

• What causes you to feel blue? What from your past? What currently?

By Mel Kaye
Copyright © MondayMorningPower, All rights Reserved

Go to Section II (Installment #4)

Are You Prepared For Success? (Section II - Installment #2 "Bargain With Life" - Female)

(If this is your first time on this site, please begin with "Are You Prepared For Success?" [Introduction])

If you bargain with Life for a penny,

Then Life would pay no more,

However you begged at evening

When you counted your scanty store.

For Life is just an employer,

He gives you what you ask,

But once you have set the wages,

Why, you must bear the task.

If you worked for a menial's hire,

Only to learn, dismayed,

That any wage you'd have had asked of Life,

Life would have willingly paid.

(Based on a poem of unknown authorship)

I strongly suggest that you write down your immediate reaction, after passionately reading this poem.

• In what ways have you settled and in what ways have you reached for the stars?

By Mel Kaye
Copyright © MondayMorningPower, All rights Reserved

Go to Section II (Installment #3)

Are You Prepared For Success? (Section II - Installment #2 "Bargain With Life" - Male)

(If this is your first time on this site, please begin with "Are You Prepared For Success?" [Introduction])

If you bargain with Life for a penny,

Then Life would pay no more,

However you begged at evening

When you counted your scanty store.

For Life is just an employer,

He gives you what you ask,

But once you have set the wages,

Why, you must bear the task.

If you worked for a menial's hire,

Only to learn, dismayed,

That any wage you'd have had asked of Life,

Life would have willingly paid.

(Based on a poem of unknown authorship)

I strongly suggest that you write down your immediate reaction, after passionately reading this poem.

• In what ways have you settled and in what ways have you reached for the stars?

By Mel Kaye
Copyright © MondayMorningPower, All rights Reserved

Go to Section II (Installment #3)