Have You Lowered Your Expectations?

Years ago I heard that to avoid being disappointed that I should not have expectations. While at a certain level this makes sense, there is a big part of me that screams out in rebellion. After all, if I don't have expectations, how will I reach my goals? How will I know when I'm where I want to be? How will I know if things are meeting my standards?

I think many people have come to lower their expectations so as, well, not to expect too much. This happens out of politeness, it happens out of convenience but mostly, it happens out of fear. After all, if we have expectations and they aren't met, all we're left with is one big disappointment. So lowering your expectations kinda seems like you can have your cake and eat it too, doesn't it?

Yet, when it comes to your image, this isn't exactly the truth. Lowering your expectations when it comes to your style and how you want to present yourself may lead to less disappointment, but it can also lead to a low self-worth, holding yourself small and encouraging everyone else around you to hold yourself small as well.

You were born to shine. Not just twinkle, but SHINE. Out loud. In the spotlight.

I know what you're thinking. Not me. I don't want any attention. I just want to blend in. Well, let me tell you that I used to be in your shoes... and that you're dead wrong.

Say what? You heard me. I can't let you go on like this. Lowering your expectations. Chipping away at your self-image and your self-esteem. Looking like something that, years ago would have made you cringe, but now you just chalk up to being 'too busy' to mess with or too tired to care about.

Yeah. Let' s see where that gets you.

Think of a beautiful rose. It bursts into full bloom without holding back. It gives it everything it's got and then some, the way it was created to be. You weren't created to hide, but to blossom into your full beauty and potential. I want to help you do just that!

Why am I calling you out? Because I care. Because I love you. And because I have been there and done that and it is SO not where you belong.

I'll say it again. You were born to shine. You were born to be not mediocre, or okay, or nice. You were born to be GORGEOUS! BEAUTIFUL! FABULOUS! With no apologies. Yes, you.

Why? Because when you hold yourself small everyone around you holds themselves small too. Out of politeness. Especially in the south. Because we don't want to out-do each other, but mostly because we feel that it's really, truly wrong to be in the spotlight, or to even want to be.

But I want to tell it like it is. Until you can love yourself enough to step into the spotlight, you are holding yourself and everyone around you small too.

When you can embrace your beautiful self, warts and all, and love every inch of you and present yourself in a way that enhances your beauty, you make God proud. He didn't create you to be mediocre and put yourself at the bottom of your list. When you don't take care of you, who will?

So SHINE, dammit! (I don't curse often, so please pardon my French) Raise your expectations. Hold yourself accountable and don't let yourself go. It doesn't take a king's ransome or all the time in the world to look good, or even your best. I'm not talking red-carpet ready, but a realistic version of yourself that's more than what you've been settling for.

Congratulations, You Are AWAKE

The question is, what has awakened in you because of this crisis? Does hope beat in your chest when you think of your future? Do you feel the sweet promise of tomorrow pulsing in you? Does everything you've taken for granted come sharply to clarity? Do you see your value? Do you feel the relevancy of your life? You now have the opportunity to become reacquainted with what makes you feel, as the numb shroud of your harried life falls away. Can you feel your passion? Can you begin to trace its origin?

You want to go back to feeling deeply, feeling good, and feeling better. It helps to quickly go to the root of your life challenges. It is better to treat yourself first as a whole person: the cause before the symptoms.

Instead of asking "Why me?" Why now? Why this?

Place that powerful Why behind what drives you to thrive.

Why do I want to live?
Why do I want to be happy?
Why do I matter?

Begin working with this powerful why and let it back you in living your best life now.

You will resemble, tomorrow the dominating thoughts of your mind today. Plant a seed for tomorrow wisely. Frame life in your mind nicely, seek and speak of the good. You have constructed your reality through the story you tell yourself.

Your mind has infinite capacity, you are responsible for taking control of the programming. Take the helm and also be compassionate with yourself this taking back of focus is a process that must be mastered.

Subconscious wants to feel safe and generally stirs clear of the unknown.It would rather replay a negative habit even though is it painful rather than experience something new.

Start filtering out negative scripts that no longer serve your highest good.

When it comes to manifesting your thoughts should be condemned or praised for there work.

Focus on your emotions and feel your way to your future reality. Choice by choice, reach for relief and let go of resistance. You want to change how you view and respond to life. Have your own back, deliberately look at the positive and you will become a master framer of life.

Simple And Funny Exercises To Boosting Your Brain Power

Boosting Your Brain Power

There are no quick-fixes if you want to increase your brain power - neither will there be a magic pill. If you really want to increase it you need to implement some strategies, which can stimulate your ways of thinking and reasoning. It will also be necessary to stimulate your different senses, as these are not only an integrated part of your body but also a significant part of your mind and perceptions.

In this article I will describe a few great strategies, which are only a fraction of the galore strategies you can adapt, however, these are a terrific beginning.

Brain Power Techniques

Challenge your senses - As human being we have often had the habit of only using a few of our senses such as hearing and seeing. What would happen if you for a change blocked these senses?

Undoubtedly you will discover that your brain works like hell to compensate for these missing senses to still solve daily mundane matters. Blocking these senses will force the brain to exercise, which often can do a lot for improving the brainpower, as the brain is to be treated as a muscle - the more you use it, the more fit it will be.

Try for example to blindfold yourself ( off course not when you are in the traffic, or other places where you can hurt others), and then eat you meal. Try to taste each single bite and describe it to yourself or your significant one, notice how you now have a new experience of the food you might have eaten many times before.

Try also to put earplugs in your ears - not connected to a music device, it has to block your hearing completely - then go for your usually walk and notice how you now are far more concentrated with your eyes. You will possibly discover - besides this being unpleasant - that you recognize a lot more colors and forms.

Try to combine ordinary objects - Another great exercise, which force you to think creative. take for example a chair and a pair of shoes and imagine how this chair could be a walking chair suddenly with a beautiful pair of shoes (most likely two pairs - unless you become very creative). Take for example a table and imagine what it could be if you turn it upside down - a raft perhaps.

The technique is to take a piece of paper and a pencil, then write down all the ideas you can get in a predefined time. Think of all crazy wacky forms and odd usage of your new invention. Now try to draw it, as to draw also sharpens your senses. Now finally write a report of your new item, how it should be used and whom should use it.

This is not only fun, but you can also implement it as a party game. establish some teams, and reward the most creative solution. Besides having fun you train your brain tremendously.

Blind Tasting - one of my favorite party games. Buy some cheap wines, buy some wine at an average price, and buy one expensive wine. Cover all the bottles - or boxes if so - and pour 2 cl of each wine in numbered glasses. Then the participants have to not only taste the wine, they also must describe the taste for each glass, and then point out which one was the expensive one.

Feel Your Way

Find the amazing power to ask better questions. Every thought begins with a question, anyway. You have a problem solving mind. It will endeavor to answer any problem you throw its way.

You can ask these questions in the shower, in rounds of three in 10 sets of questions around health, success. Love, kindness, abundance, joy, strength, communication, etc.

How can I... ?
What will I do that... ?
Wouldn't it be nice if... ?

Your brain is like the world's best super computer, it is programmed to answer questions. Any question you ask of it, it will endeavor to solve for it. By asking powerful questions of your problem solving mind you can lead your life to your aspiration. By asking "How can I... ?" you engage your mind to provide you with tangible steps. Through inquiring "What will I do that... ? Your mind will look to provide concrete answers to yield your sought after result. Request your mind to imagine by asking "Wouldn't it be great if... ?

Ask your limitless mind all your questions and then trust in faith not fear. Open your heart and believe in the possibilities of you. Be optimistic in that infinite energy that beats your heart and all hearts. Only lack of confidence will obstruct you. Have wonderful dreams and believe they will come true.

Your choice how you perceive the facts. Recognize with a deep inherency that you are valuable, you are here, right here right now. Try to bring your mind, body and emotions into harmony. Know that your substance is more than skin deep. Look at yourself with deep appreciation.

Trust in faith not fear. Seek the good in you and all. Think about your positive qualities and they will grow. Accept that you have to continually improve your way of thinking and feeling.

You will always find what you are looking for whether it be good or bad. Dominant thoughts become deeply emotional beliefs attracting like vibrations consistently enough to create physical evidence.

Your control starts with your awareness of how you feel in response to that automatic thought. Then moving your focus in a better direction starting with your next thought, make it feel better. The more you think a thought the easier it become to defer to it. Your thoughts become emotional in ¼ of a minute.

Creativity and Innovation As a Sense of Nationalism

There seems to be an attempt in the United States and other first world nations to create a resurgence of innovation and creativity. This is interesting because for so long we had worked on standardization in our education system, getting everyone on the same page, and marching in step. Now we see we are being beaten in the global marketplace, and we realize our greatest strength was our entrepreneurs, creativity, and innovation. Since we all agree on that, we are looking for more of it now.

Today, creativity and innovation has been rebranded almost as a sense of nationalism in the United States. We also see something similar had happened in Canada as they worked very hard to create a knowledge worker society, get everyone educated, and lead the world in scientific discovery. Much of Europe also attempted the same. As the Olympic Games of 2012 show a sense of pride and nationalism for sports, agility, and athletic ability we see how this can be such a strong bond.

When we compete as Americans for creativity and innovation in the marketplace of ideas, we see we have a stellar advantage due to our free-market system. You see, the free-market and capitalism rewards people with great ideas, who can solve problems and innovate, and sell their inventions and methods in our economy. All we have to do we show them the way, and let them compete in that same marketplace of ideas. That makes sense right?

It's almost as if creativity and innovation is an extra lever to reignite a sense of nationalism and pride. The United States has always been on the leading-edge of invention, problem solving, and having a can-do attitude. It is practically the spirit of America, and it still shines. Some might say that too much nationalistic pride is not a good thing, but maybe it is when it comes to an underlining theme of problem solving, innovating, and creating new products and services. Not to mention the fact that it will provide more jobs as well, something that our economy needs right now.

Education is also a nice arena to uplift a nation for nationalistic pride, and it doesn't hurt anyone else to compete for the most educated society. Luckily, America is quite good at all of these things, despite the detractors who might say that our society isn't as educated is theirs, the reality is; "sure it is, look everywhere, America is winning."

Promoting creativity and innovation as a sense of nationalism I believe is a smart play for a great team - Team USA. It doesn't hurt anyone else anywhere else in the world for us to do that. In fact, it might help them by setting the bar very high, and challenging them to do the same.

How to Improve Your Innovative Skills

Start by deliberate innovation practices

Don't wait for innovation to strike you as you go about your daily life. Innovation is a skill that needs you to practice it all the time. If you read these tips and make yourself a promise that when you wake up tomorrow you will try and do all of them, you will have started being innovative.

Challenge the ways things are done

This is a big one and is the easiest way to identify innovative people because they are always looking to see if things can be done better. They are always challenging the traditional way of performing and unfortunately fired from their jobs because of this.

Employers should embrace these people because it is only by challenging how things are done that we can do them better. If you hear anyone tell you "It has always been done this way." then you know this is an area that desperately needs some innovation.

Practice by looking at all the steps involved in the activity and see if any are wasted or done better with current technology.

Become a child again

Children have a great knack for getting to the heart of the matter quickly, and so can you. If you follow this simple technique.

When faced with an activity or task ask why it is done this way. Then for each answer they give you, ask why at least four more times.

This will drill down to the real reason why something is being done and surprisingly it is not always what you think. This type of questioning is useful in uncovering and removing the "always has" responses.

In some cases even giving the product or items to children and allowing them to play with it can highlight factors that adults miss.

Break your own routines and habits

To become innovative you need to freshen up your creative juices and experience new things yourself. This means you need to stop doing what you always do and apply the following practices in your daily activities.

    Change the way you go and leave work
    Travel to another nearby town for the day and just watch people do what they do
    Eat at different restaurants or dining rooms
    Find a recreational activity that you haven't done before and go do it this weekend
    Read a book that you normally would not ever read
    Open the dictionary to a random page and memorise at least five new words you did not know
    Join a social group that you wouldn't normally join and listen to their ideas

Overall innovation is about experiencing different and new ways of doing activities so you can see if any will cross over to your activities.

Get involved in learning for life and challenge yourself to do at least thirty new things every year.

Information supplied by Paul Baker

Over twenty years of business development & change management strategies successfully used in National organisations across Australia. The focus is on continuous improvement of business systems to stimulate growth through our principles of Initiate, Inspire, Innovate.

Customer-centric focus using our extensive experience in consumer behaviour and business process operations to find ways to help business owners manage their organisations.

Should Every Couple Have A Breeding Limit?

Should we exercise restraint in our breeding practices?

Should there be a limit on how many children we should each have?

Should we follow the policies of China with their one child per household limit? Two if you are from a single female bloodline...

Yes. Probably. Possibly.

I am well aware that many humans feel that the only reason we are here on earth is to procreate - to ensure that the human race survives.

I am also aware that most humans have a need to protect their genetic immortality - which is why the need to breed is so powerful.

Women who do NOT wish to breed often tell me that they are scorned when they express this view - as if they are wasting their time on this planet by not ensuring the survival of the species.

From where I stand, it appears that the best way for us to destroy this species is to keep on breeding at the rate we are.

I have often expressed my view that humans are the most efficient bacteria on this planet - and like any good bacteria we are destroying our host without regard for the consequences.

In fact, I would go so far as to argue that the best thing that could happen to this planet would be the destruction of human beings all together - if you were Mother Nature, you would agree, but as a human being you might think that this view is a little extreme... until you think about it. I did not say it would be the best thing for you, I said it would be the best thing for this planet.

Looking at this subject objectively, it is easy to see that the biggest problem the earth faces is over-population - it is also the biggest problem that humans face because the rapid growth of our species is not only destroying the environment, the water supply, the climate, the animals and the overall pattern of nature; it is destroying our ability to actually think about what we are doing and why we are doing it.

As much as we scorn China for imposing a one child per household rule, if we step back a little we can see that this idea is not so bad after all - it is just the consequences that have proven to be so devastating and disastrous.

With a population of over a billion, China has to do something to slow population growth - this is their duty.

The sad part of this rule is that most families want boys, not girls, in order that the 'family heritage' is preserved - and because of this, many baby girls are murdered or abandoned to provide the parents with the option to try again and hopefully 'procure' a baby boy.

As disgusting as this is, there is an explanation for this horrific behavior - the stupidity of society.

The stupidity of society can be further diminished into one word - marriage.

For, it is marriage that causes these families to murder and abandon their children - if it was not for the fact that marriage is what we base our heritage upon, if it was not for the fact that most women change their last name to their husband's last name thereby losing their identity and their ancestry, then these babies would not be so disposable.

It is marriage that creates the problem of needing a boy rather than wanting a girl.

If humans were not so hell-bent on their own importance, then the gender of a child would not matter.

Unfortunately, society teaches that a male heir continues the family tree and a female is only the transportation for that family name, heritage and importance - we have children being murdered to protect the ancestry of one family over another.

But if we actually took a moment to think about it, we would realize that a child is inherently more a part of its mother than of its father - the child is carried in the mother's belly, attached to an umbilical cord and dependent upon her for survival even after birth... The logic of a child taking it's father's name is illogical at best.

In the end, all of this boils down to ego, and stupidity.

It is not only stupid, it is sick.

If the children of the Chinese did not carry one name over another, then it would not matter whether the child was a boy or a girl.

If, for example, the child's name was an amalgamation of each parent's name, then the child would be a combination of each partner, not just a limb on the family tree of the male side of the family.

Nobody cares about your ancestry apart from your family - unless you are the member of a royal family, in which case some historians might care, along with some other people who refuse to live in the present and continue to look backwards for answers to current problems.

Do you care about my family history? I hope not. Because I do not care about yours (in the nicest way possible).

With this massive problem facing the human race which the human race is creating, perhaps we should have some limit on how many children each family is permitted - perhaps we should take action and deal with the reality of over-population rather than the fantasy, the history, and the fallacy of a family tree.

Whether we like it or not, each one of us, and every family unit is as messed up as the other - take your pick on which brand of lunacy you prefer...

Bearing in mind that every child born is an environmental disaster on its own, let's have a scenario where we put a limit on how many kids we can each have (especially if you claim to be an environmentalist).

Let's say the limit is 2.

In my experimental scenario, each family is allowed to breed twice - seems fair to me (of course it would, it's my scenario).

We do not really need more than 2 children in this day and age, it's not like the mortality rate is as high as it once was...

Now, stick with me here -

Let's say a couple has 2 children, both boys; and yet they want a girl (an understandable desire).

What's the solution when this couple has used up their 'quota'?

Solution - adopt.

If you already have 2 kids and you want more, then you have to adopt - you have to help a child in need without adding to the population problem.

Now this should not be a problem to any rational human - after all, parenthood is about raising a child, and raising a child is about nature and nurture. Every child on this planet is effected by its genetic make-up, but it is also severely effected by its upbringing, surroundings, opportunities and possibilities.

So, before you use the argument that you don't want to raise some kid whose parents you do not know - stop and ask yourself, "What's so great about me that I need to keep reproducing?" And then ask yourself, "If I am so great, then shouldn't I offer those benefits to a child in need, a child without parents, a child that is already here, before I create another environmental disaster?"

Think about that for a second, would you?

We have a massive environmental problem.

We have an enormous population problem.

We have millions of children without parents, homes, food and shelter.

Should we not deal with the problem at hand rather than reproduce, and thereby produce more problems we cannot handle?

Although I am not much of a fan of communism, and I do believe in freedom of choice, I am a proponent of insisting that the choices we make are made with an eye on the bigger picture - not just on the individual's point of view, wants, or stupidity.

Choices we make should always be made in consideration of others - if you are causing harm to others with your choices then you should reconsider your actions.