Sometimes you need to reframe your thinking and build your mental strength so that you can finally achieve your goals in life. Today, Lionel Baugh is sharing an excerpt from his book Excellence Through Mental Strength to help us do just that. Enjoy and then follow the tour to read even more! Best of luck entering the giveaway!
With the craziness of the past couple of years, a lot of us feel like something is missing. We've lost our spark. Azim Jamal is here to help us find it again. Check out an excerpt from his book as well as his thoughts on what it would be like if it was made into a movie. Be sure to follow the tour for even more! Best of luck entering the giveaway!
A great way to learn more about yourself is to work on journaling. And sometimes you can gain even more insight if you have someone guiding you along the way. This Efficiency Journal from Misha Saidov helps you learn how to figure out time management, in order to be more successful in your life. Take a peek inside! And then follow the tour for even more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
One thing that I noticed over the past couple of years is a lot of us had some time to really sit and think about the direction our lives were taking and have been seeking a new path to truly fulfill ourselves. This book is one tool that may be useful. Read an excerpt from Raise the Bar by Jay Ibrahim and then download your own copy. Remember to leave comments and to ask questions as you follow the tour. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
A practice of gratitude is so important in our lives. And sometimes you need a little nudge to help you along the way. Learn more about the 365 Days of Gratitude Journal by Marielle S. Smith and then get your own copy to get you started. She also shares with us her top 5 songs to listen to while doing your practice. Best of luck entering the giveaway! And follow the tour for more.
Rebecca Brown takes us on her own journey in the hopes that she can inspire us to go on our own journeys of self-discovery. She shares with us her story of becoming a writer and a bonus exclusive excerpt from her book Shelter from Our Secrets, Silence & Shame. Download your copy and follow the tour for even more. Best of luck entering the great giveaway!
My back story begins with a career in medical social work, my dream job. I knew from the time I was sixteen years old that I wanted to help people with the challenges life puts in our paths. I was a pretty good student, and in my last few years of high school I really buckled down because I’d set my mind on exactly what I wanted to do. I knew which university I needed to go to, and I worked hard to get there. It was also the farthest university in the province from where I lived, which was exactly where I wanted to be at that time. As far away from home as I could get.
I also knew that I didn’t want just any social work career. I wanted to work in a hospital with people who had experienced trauma. This felt comfortable to me. I could stay calm in a crisis and understood the impact of life-changing traumatic events on a person and their family. I worked hard through my undergrad program, and in my fourth-year internship, I was accepted to work in a hospital rehabilitation program for patients with spinal cord injuries.
I was exactly where I needed to be.
I knew that I could help people here.
I loved this job.
My patients were primarily sixteen-to-thirty-year-old males who were injured while engaging in high-risk behaviours, like cliff diving, drunk driving, or contact sports, or in vehicular accidents. Some had attempted suicide. Others had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time and had broken their necks, backs, or seriously damaged their spinal cords.
My patients were beautiful young men, full of life and often the life of their parties.
Until the accident.
An important part of self-care is self-supervision. Laurie Ponsford-Hill is going to teach you how. Today I have an exclusive excerpt from The Art of Self-Supervision for you and then you can read more as you follow the tour. Be sure to download your own copy and leave comments for the author along the way. Best of luck in the giveaway!
Read an exclusive excerpt:
Schön (1983) describes reflective practice as a semi-structured, self-regulated process, noting that it is practicable for professionals in a variety of disciplines. He observes that the goal of self-reflection is to enhance the individual’s ability to make informed and balanced decisions, adding that this is particularly important for the practicing professional. He believes that the creation and maintenance of a virtual world, such as a sketch pad, can open a reflective conversation about issues relevant to the artist. The conversation facilitates making discoveries and promotes further self-reflection on the individual’s intuitive responses; it is both a method of inquiry and an intervention. Self-reflection is a valuable way for professionals to explore their experiences.
The act of creation brings the unknown onto the page enabling the art therapist to bring forth self to engage with their reality (B. L. Moon, 1997; C. H. Moon 2002; Ulman, 2001). The art therapist has the essential knowledge to liberate feeling, create new self-awareness and expose deep unconscious content, even when these elements are interpreted by and for themselves through their art (Allen, 1995; B. L. Moon, 1997; C. H. Moon, 2002). The therapist looks within to understand experiences, and the subsequent countertransference with their image evokes deeper elements of the unconscious (Shaverien, 1995). Professionals need a way to make informed and balanced decisions, and self-reflective practice provides a valuable means for the professional to explore their lived-experience (Schön, 1983). The art therapist is in a unique position to engage in self-exploration through art, as the profession is based on aesthetic exploration.
All of us have different coping mechanisms that we use to get us through tough times. And we do need to do what is best for us. A lot of times, though, it does help to write out what is going on in your head. You don't need to share it. But author Javacia Harris Bowser is sharing some of her stories and tips to help you write your way through all that life has to throw at you. Take a look at this excerpt and then follow the tour for more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
- from “Write Like a Girl”
On my eleventh birthday, I declared I was a woman. I have no idea why. My budding boobs barely filled my training bra, and I wouldn’t get my period for another year. But it was as if turning eleven declared I was number one and said it again for good measure, and I believed it.
I can’t recall exactly what I decided to wear on this special day, but I do remember slouch socks were involved. I also remember that I didn’t want a party because birthday parties were for children. A woman–especially one who at the time fancied herself a poet–should spend her birthday having a quiet evening at home writing in her journal, reflecting on her past, and making plans for the years to come.
What I’m trying to say is eleven-year-old me was ridiculous. But I think about this girl often. Sometimes to become the woman you’re meant to be, you must remember the girl you used to be. Sometimes you must write like a girl.
When you write for a living, it can be hard to remember how to do this. When you write for a living, you can easily forget to write for yourself. You can forget to write simply for the love of words, for the joy of stringing together sentences. It can be hard to remember what it felt like to write with no regard for readers or a deadline, but that’s what writing like a girl is all about.
Sometimes I think back to that eleven-year-old girl–who thought she was a woman–and I challenge myself–just for a few moments–to forget about building a brand or pitching publications and just write. Yes, I can get back to business later, but right now, just write.
The last couple of years have been quite stressful for all of us. And a lot of us are looking to lead more intentional and purposeful lives as a way to help relieve some of that stress. Author David Amerland is here to tell us how in his new book Intentional: How to Live, Love, Work and Play Meaningfully. He's also sharing an excerpt with us and his writing routine. Be sure to check out the tour for even more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
Whether we realize it or not, we all feel the need for this kind of guidance that gives us a deep sense of purpose. Because we are born physically helpless we have evolved to latch onto and work hard to understand our immediate environment and the people around us. This makes us, as we grow older, intensely pro-social. At the same time it provides us with a ready-made set of expectations, rules and guidelines to guide our behavior that arise from the collective behavior of those around us.
That behavior is the culture we experience and the traditions we abide by. The problem with this is that rather than defining for ourselves what is important to us we accept that which is given to us. That which is given to us is rarely what we want, but it can very easily become what we settle for.
Settling is an evolutionary-programmed trait. Let me explain: Life is hard. It really is. Even if we happen to have the extraordinary luck to be born into a very rich family whose legacy gives us everything we need to live comfortably for the rest of our life, maintaining that fortune and navigating through life is going to be fraught with risks, traps and constant upheavals.
We need other people. Other people need us. That is a truth. But the reasons for this mutual need are usually contradictory or, at the very least, sufficiently at odds with each other to make trust an issue and turn cooperation into a risk-assessment exercise.
The key to making any kind of major change in life is to change your brain. But it isn't always easy to do so. In The Manual for Letting Go, Dr. Eman Yasin tries to help us learn how to do so. Read an exclusive excerpt and then download your own copy. Be sure to follow the tour for more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
Exercise requirements: 30 minutes with no interruption.
Exercise steps:
1. Think of something that completely contradicts your principles so that your first reaction to it will be, “Cannot, impossible, never!” Think of something like locking up your kids in a dark basement with mice, or worshiping an ant, or whatever. Just make sure to get that powerful “No” stored inside of you.
2. Imagine you are being asked about that thing that contradicts your principles (Do you lock your children in a dark basement with mice?) Answer in a loud voice, then watch yourself as you answer it with a, “No! Impossible! It is never going to happen!” Monitor your body language—your hands, your feet, your eyes, your face—and record these details in your imagination. Then record the “No!” strategy next.
3. Remember yourself in an old situation in which you used the “No!” strategy and where you said “No!” strongly, for example, as a reaction to your wife’s request to keep driving beyond the red traffic signal, or to disrespect your parents, or any situation you can see in your memory. Then remember the situation with all its details, including colors, smell, size, sound, and sensations, all while observing the four laws of imagination from Chapter 3.
4. Once again, watch yourself while you answer “No!” and monitor the language of your body—your hands, your feet, your eyes, your face—and record these details in your imagination. Then record the “No!” strategy next to them.
5. Think of your habit. Then say “No!” to it loudly, using the same strategy we just practiced, with the same strength and intensity.
6. Repeat the previous exercise as much as possible to link between the “No!” and your undesired addiction, so you will be able to say “No!” to it and “No!” with strength and firmness to all its smaller habits.
By repeating this exercise, you will learn to talk positively to yourself, which reinforces your belief in your ability to quit your undesired habit. It works to raise your morale and enthusiasm for quitting, and this enthusiasm will have a great impact in the process of quitting your undesired habit.
Follow the same method to record the “Yes!” strategy for your healthy, clean body, and to reinforce this identity that will replace the old, outdated identity.
At the end of these exercises, you must be clear with yourself, and ask: “Am I ready?” If the answer is no, read back to what we discussed previously, or reread the parts that you need to review.
If the answer is yes, all you have to do is to set the zero hour and make it the beginning time. It is preferable to choose a time that helps you break the daily routine, such as the summer vacation or while traveling to another country, in order to facilitate the process of breaking mental bonds between the triggering motivators and the process of your undesired addiction.
Angels are everywhere - if you know where to look. In Awakening with Angels, My Lynn Ho teaches you to find your guardian angel and their spiritual messages to help you in your life. Read an exclusive excerpt before you download your own copy. Follow the tour for even more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
I see that part of our world is corrupted as corruption exists everywhere. Another part of our world is at peace, but not fully peaceful. The rich are too busy living the rich life, the poor struggle to survive another day. Some countries have ambitions to take over other countries. Leaders compete for more power, and genocide still exists in this modern society. This is definitely proof that humankind, as a whole, is not living in full harmony and peacefully as per God’s plan. This is a reminder that Satan’s influence exists, and the dark side influences the mind with egos, even without the mind’s awareness. This is the silent work of evil. God creates our existence.
God gives humankind the Law of Free Will. Free Will comes with responsibilities; therefore, humankind should use its human Free Will with good morals and not for wickedness. What is the outcome for our human race if there is no harmony but wickedness among humankind? Do you believe in Genesis 6:7 from God? It says: “And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.” This is an open thought for humankind. I have heard many tragic stories. I still see racism happening every day. We, as humankind, have not done enough to eliminate hatred. Humankind should treat each other equally regardless of race, ethnicity or religion since we are all one under God. There are many tragedies happening daily around the world.
This particular tragedy broke my heart—parents, not intentionally, forgot children inside their car on a hot day. Lucky, the children were saved, but other stories have ended tragically. Sometimes your brain is overheated from the exhaustion of your daily routine, causing stress and negligence, which create sudden tragedies in your life. It comes to a point where stress overshadows your simple life. Giving full attention to children is a must. Children are innocent and are the purest human beings. Life could get more complex if you don’t take action. With your human strength you could shift your beautiful mind toward positivity. Nothing is perfect in life, but with Angels’ guidance, you can find that simple happiness to balance your body, your mind, and your spirit. A happy soul is a free spirit—it’s contagious.
One soul to another soul, I would like to share what I believe from my world to your world, my life experiences with Angels and real stories about my Awakening with Angels. I hope it will help facilitate your mind to spiritual awakening and to believing in Angels, God willing. I hope to glow the path to Awakening with Angels so unawakened souls can balance their lives in finding inner peace and the soul’s purpose.
Strong friendships are important. I realize that more and more the older that I get. Author Brenda Billings Ridgley is teaching us how to create powerful friendships to be stronger versions of ourselves. Read an excerpt and then follow the tour for more. Be sure to also enter the great giveaway!
The Tribe
Traditionally, a Tribe is a social division in society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties. Some Tribes have a common culture and dialect, and typically they have a recognized leader. A customary Tribe is a face-to-face community, relatively bound by kinship relations, reciprocal exchange, and strong ties to place.
The term Tribe should be utilized only with great respect and consideration of its origins. It is with the term’s heritage in mind that I aspire to create that culture with my closest friends. This social division, group, or pack are linked by common social patterns, interests, and sometimes, goals. As the group connects together over time, they establish the Tribe’s personality, lingo, patterns, and rituals.
Your Tribal space feels like home when you arrive. It is safe, encouraging and makes you feel relevant because you are truly seen. Your Tribe cares about your opinions and what you have to say. They are proud of your talents and strengths and are not threatened by your success. Your Tribe will promote rather than ignore or diminish your wins. Although these close friends can be a great influence for you to be better and do better, there is no contest; you do not feel competitive with one another. The experience of finding your Tribe can be life changing. It becomes a mirror reaffirming who you are and where you belong.
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Divorce is never a pleasant experience. Jennifer Harris is sharing how she made her way through her traumatic experience in the hopes of helping others to be able to do the same and come out so much better on the other side. Read an excerpt and then follow the tour for more. Best of luck in the giveaway!
Looking back on everything, it's clear to me that the process of going through a divorce is a complete journey. It can be a journey that ruins you, or it can be a journey that leads you to a brighter and stronger place in your life. For me, it started as a journey that almost ruined me. There were so many points where I found myself spiraling out of control. At times throughout my experiences in the divorce process, I couldn’t even recognize myself.
It’s important to give yourself grace, knowing that there may be a point in your journey where you go through downtimes and possibly even feel like things are spiraling out of control. Set an expectation for yourself that you know the divorce journey will not be easy and that at some point, you may even feel as if you are at rock bottom. Then know that you can rebuild from there. Your rock bottom might look different than mine. Your rock bottom might be one day crying in the bathtub with a glass of wine, or it might look like losing everything you've had—friends, family, finances, belongings, maybe even children for a little bit and having to start from scratch. But I need you to know that no matter where your spiral or rock bottom takes you, you are going to come back from it.
The only way a caterpillar turns into a butterfly is by becoming this disgusting, gooey mess inside of a cocoon. If a caterpillar can be completely broken down (literally, tissue is dissolved) and lose its entire identity—the only identity it knew all of its life—then go on to become this majestic, beautiful, flying creature, why can't you do the same? What happens to the caterpillar isn't as crazy as it sounds. It's the same thing that figuratively happens to us in our lives. There are often periods in life when we break down completely from the identity that we knew for ourselves … divorce is no exception.
Are you ready to take charge of your life? It's never too late! Get started by reading this exclusive excerpt from Life on Your Terms: How to Get What You Really Want by Tanya Russell and then download your own copy. Follow the tour to read even more. Leave questions for the author along the way. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
If we simply focus on creating great days, we will ultimately have a great life. A great day comes about by having good daily habits. Your habits determine your future. The results of your bad habits don’t usually surface until much later in life, so it’s important to start implementing positive ones right away.
Success Habit #1 – Get up Early
It’s only the beginning of chapter 2 and I’m probably scaring you off by talking about getting out of that cozy bed of yours at an awful hour, right? This tends to be the success habit that is the hardest for people to apply yet will likely get you the best results. I struggled as I learned to implement this habit myself. I was always the night owl … crawling into bed in the wee hours of the morning. But it didn’t take long for me to change my sleep patterns and start getting up with the sun. My internal alarm usually goes off around 4:54 am. Now, in all honesty, I don’t jump right out of bed at this time every day, but on the mornings, I do, my days are way more productive.
So why rise early? Research published in the journal Nature Communications shows that those who rise early tend to be happier, have an overall better quality of sleep and reduced stress levels. And a Texas University study found that students who are early risers tend to get overall higher grades. I believe this can be linked to overall higher productivity in those students and the same results could be expected for working individuals as well.
You may be asking, “How many people are awake at this time?” Next to none, you say? Exactly! That’s the benefit. There are no distractions. You have time to just focus on the important things. You begin conquering the world and your goals/tasks before anyone else even gets out of bed! You can use this early morning time to implement the remaining success habits listed below.
How often do we tell ourselves “I just don’t have the time” when we are making excuses for not doing the things we know we should be doing? We will discuss the valuable asset of time more in chapter 6, but if we can train ourselves to get up early, before the kids wake up or our phones go crazy or the demands of daily life begin, we can use these prime hours to be ultra-productive.
