Tag: happiness

How To Take Responsibility For Your Life And Stop Making Excuses
Living an intentional life is not always easy. Nowadays, it’s pretty uncommon to come across people who take responsibility for their lives.

The average human will always come up with excuses as to why something happened or why it didn’t. Well, that is a bad sign.

You shouldn’t resort to blame when you fail in a particular endeavour… if you do, it simply indicates that you’re not owning up to your life. You are giving away your power to bring about change.

Yes, you might have failed once, but the fact remains that you are responsible. So you don’t blame others. Rather, change!

Blames and excuses make you powerless. Just like a toothless dog that only barks but cannot bite. When you blame your downfall on somebody or something, you will stay down. But when you take responsibility for your downfall, you will be motivated to stand up and do it right!

Taking responsibility for your life basically means you are fully in charge of what happens in your life.

When you are responsible for your life, you won’t be the lucky man who attained success by chance. Or the unlucky woman who failed in life because of ill fate.

A responsible life is an intentional life. It’s not a life of excuses. To take responsibility for your life means that no one has the right to define how or what your life will turn out to be. Not even your family, friends, or partner – only you can.

If success is what you really crave for, then taking responsibility for your destiny is what you should do. And on the other hand, you should be allergic to excuses and blames.

But the main point now is; how? How do you take this responsibility? How do you start owning your life? How do you stop living a life of excuses and blames?

Well, you’ll find out soon enough!

But before then, let’s get clear on the difference between self-blame and taking responsibility.

Taking Responsibility for Your Life VS Blaming Yourself; Any Difference?

Okay, let me make this clear; to take responsibility for your life doesn’t mean to blame yourself. It simply means being on top of any situation. It means being in charge of whatever happens in your life.

The whole essence of “responsibility” is that it gives you the power to determine outcomes.

For instance, when you are performing poorly at work, and you decide to take responsibility for that, then you have the power to control the situation. You have the capacity to initiate change. You will be motivated to work better. And consequently, you’ll start having better results.

But if you blame yourself in a similar situation, you will be dispirited, demoralized, and utterly disappointed. At the end of the day, you’ll resort to self-resentment. Low self-esteem will be next in line… And before you realise it, you’re depressed!

Just so you know, “blame” is simply negative. Whether you’re blaming others or yourself. Self-blame is destructive. It will never make you… it will only mar you.

So, stop blaming yourself and start taking responsibility!

Here’s how to take responsibility for your life:

1. Stop Blaming Others

Like I said earlier, once it comes to “blame”, it’s a no-no. It’s understandable, life can be unfair at times. Sometimes, it might SEEM like you’re helpless… But, are you really helpless? Even if you are, will blaming other people solve the problem? I think not.

The best result that “blaming others” will yield you is the liberty to play the victim card. Your only bragging right will be to preach victimhood. Or maybe you’d also be able to justify failure…

But then, does that really help? Sadly, no, it doesn’t. Moreover, just like you will hate yourself when you blame yourself, you will also feel bitterness towards others when you blame them for your misfortunes.

Of course, with such resentment and bitterness, you will never feel happy as a person. Plus, that person you despise so much might be happy wherever he is.

A wise man once told a short story. According to him, a Saint was asked; what’s the meaning of hatred? The Saint replied; hatred is the act of intentionally suffering for another person’s sins.

This implies that blaming and hating others will only really hurt you. Even when those you are hating on are doing just fine.

Remember, blaming simply incapacitates you. You are just a powerless person if you keep blaming without taking responsibility for any given situation in your life.

2. Stop The Flimsy Excuses

If you want to take responsibility for your life, then you also need to stop making flimsy excuses. You’ll agree with me that making excuses is like a culture for many people. It’s pretty common.

At some point in life, most of us had excuses.

Some of these common excuses are:
- I couldn’t start the business because I had little money.
- I didn’t get the job because the hiring team was corrupt.
- I failed the examination because the teacher was just evil.
- I was never destined to succeed.
- I always have bad luck…
I can continue to list the excuses… they’re just too numerous. However, those excuses are all flimsy. They hold no water.

Take for instance, that examination you failed, you would have passed it if you took responsibility and prepared better.

And yes, successful people DON’T easily give up on their business ideas just because they lack the start-up funds. They find ways to generate the money they need… They don’t give excuses!

Moreover, successful people don’t believe strictly in destiny, they believe in smart and hard work. They also believe in possibilities. So, they won’t give excuses like; I am not destined to… whatever.

If you are still living in excuses, just know that you cannot take a decisive step forward. You will remain where you are because you always have an excuse to belong there.

Excuses mainly give you reasons why you shouldn’t take responsibility for your life. You feel justified to be a failure when you have excuses for failing!

And with that kind of attitude, you won’t learn from your mistakes. It’s simply a negative way of life. Having excuses. Nothing is positive about it.

Once you are able to eliminate excuses, you will find it easier to take responsibility.

3. Live In The Moment

In order to be in total control of what happens in your life, you must start living in this very moment – not in the past or in the future – but NOW.

When you live in the moment, you will have the awareness and empowerment that will help you engender the change you need.

A popular quote has it that; Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is yet to come, but today is a GIFT, that’s why it’s called PRESENT.

One of the greatest gifts you have is now. And what you do “now” is entirely up to you. So, what are you doing now? Are you taking the necessary actions to bring about change? Or are you blaming others? Or making excuses? Or dwelling in the past? Or just hoping in the future?

It’s simple, if you want to be successful, live in the moment, and take responsibility NOW.

4. Love Yourself

One reason you’re not taking full responsibility for your life may be the lack of self-love. When you don’t love yourself you won’t trust your abilities and it will bring about low self-esteem.

In order to feel better, you will resort to blaming others for your failures. You will always give excuses for your actions and inactions. It’s because you don’t trust yourself enough.

If you love yourself, you will trust yourself enough to take up new challenges. You will believe that you can handle any given situation you find yourself in.

You won’t wait for people’s validation or praises in order to feel good about yourself or your achievements. Your self-esteem will be built within you, not outside you (by others).

In a nutshell, you’ll be more fulfilled and happier if you love yourself. And as a result, taking responsibility for your life won’t be a problem.

5. Take Care Of Yourself

Start by checking your daily habits. What are your activities like? Do you work so hard without having a little rest?

How much exercise do you give your body? How do you feed? Do you depend on junk? Do you drink alcohol in excess?

If your daily activities don’t help your entire wellbeing, then your life will be a mess. And it’s more difficult to take responsibility for your life if you’re already messed up.

Taking responsibility for your life simply starts with taking care of your body, your mind, and your needs.

6. Take Charge Of Your Emotions

If you really want to master your life then you have to master your emotions.

Remember, your attitude is often a product of how you feel. And your emotions determine your feelings. Therefore, your emotions determine your attitude.

Sometimes, you are happy. And it reflects in your attitude towards life. That’s as a result of positive emotions. However, the truth is that we’re all bound to experience negative emotions as well. Not only the positive ones.

At some point in life, you will generally feel bad. It’s normal. And as an individual who takes responsibility, you should be able to understand that negative emotions are only a part of your life you can control.

If you are able to fully take responsibility for your emotions – whether positive or negative – then you will live a balanced life.

Just so you know, an individual who can’t control his emotions can never take charge of his life. He will only act based on his emotions. And as a result, he will always regret his actions.

Imagine if someone hurts you real bad and you can’t control your emotions… You might even end up hurting the person really bad!

Or imagine if someone makes you happy, and you can’t control your emotions, you might just as well sell your entire property just to express your happiness (allow me to exaggerate a bit).

In both cases, you will end up regretting your actions… Because you allowed your emotions to get the better of you.

7. Only Say What You Can Do

Yes! You have to ONLY say what you can do.

Being a responsible person also entails being an individual with integrity. You can’t claim you are responsible for your life when we can’t even trust your words. You are simply not responsible if you can’t fulfil your promises.

I mean, have you ever done business with someone who agrees on an appointment and never shows up?

Someone who takes a loan and fails to meet the deadline?

Someone who will agree to certain terms and conditions and later breach the contract?

Well, if you’ve ever met such a person, then you will agree with me that they are simply not credible. They are obviously not responsible enough.

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Final Thoughts

Finally, it is always vital for every individual to be responsible. As a matter of fact, the world will be a better place if it harbours only people who take responsibility for their lives. Okay so this is a bit of wishful thinking, but it would be pretty great right.

In such a world, things will simply be a lot easier because most people will be easy-going.

This is because people who take responsibility for their lives don’t complain much, they only focus on taking positive actions. Think about how much value you can add to your life and the people around you simply by being intentional about everything you do, without making any excuses whatsoever!

Please PIN and SHARE these tips on how to take responsibility for your life!
August 26, 2020
10 Powerful Girl Boss Habits To Copy That Will Change Your Life
Being a girl boss simply entails being a go-getter, taking responsibility for your words and actions, and living a purposeful life. Phew! That’s pretty much yeah? Not even considering the benefits that come with it. Today I’ll be sharing some powerful girl boss habits you can adopt to up-level your life.

It’s quite easy to sit on the couch and read through this but having to make these habits a daily ritual takes more than just getting excited. Consistency and 0% laziness should be the watchwords for every aspiring boss lady.

Copying girl boss habits that will bring you significant change is not going to be a piece of cake. There will be different forces and scenarios that might leave you hanging in the garden of “I’m so exhausted, I barely have time to breathe, how do I go about this?”

But trust me, it’s worth the effort. Nobody’s life is all perfect and fancy like the pictures in our daydreams so don’t expect to suddenly take up and master these habits overnight.

Take your time, understand why you’re doing this, let it sink in and of course, it’s all about baby steps. So, let’s take an in-depth look at 10 of the girl boss habits that will change your life and help you be a better person.

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1. Make Purposeful Living Your Niche

Knowing your life purpose is the first step toward living a truly conscious life. A life of purpose provides us with a clear goal, a set finish line that you truly want to reach. ~Simon Foster

The foremost habit to emulate as a girl boss is living purposefully everyday. Like I said, it’s easy for you to just run through all the 10 habits listed out here and try to live up to them, but guess what? Without a driving force, it won’t last.

Your thoughts, actions and every day decision making should be tied to your purpose. It should be your driving force in life. Being a girl boss means living with intentions. Now the question is, do you have a purpose? Don’t just pass time or live everyday as it comes – live intentionally. Be purposeful, be a girl boss!

2. Have A Plan And Stick To It

I’m sure you aspire to make one, two or all of your dreams come true. Either long term or short term, achieving a goal requires that you have a plan on how to go about it.

For instance, if your goal is to improve your grades from third class to 1st class by the end of the academic year, ensuring you go for classes and studying more extensively is great then to achieve such goals.

However, don’t just create plans, stick to them. It might be hard but it’s not impossible. No matter what the outcome is, at the end you will be fulfilled and super proud you made an effort. Always remember, you can do whatever you put your mind to.

If you plan to make it happen and stick to that plan, come what may, it will happen. Sticking to a goal plan is one of the best girl boss habits that will change your life for good.

3. Be An Early Bird

Being an early bird is not just about waking up early in the morning, it’s also about completing tasks within the stipulated time frame, being on time for scheduled meetings and events and also meeting up with work deadlines.

However, all these will be seldom possible if you start off your day wishing you can use the time machine, put the alarm clock on snooze or even speed off to another adventure in Dreamland. That’s certainly a grumpy kick-start for a girl boss.

Now is definitely not the time to dread the early morning blues. Waking up as early as possible in the morning has got loads of benefits that come with it. It helps you to be mentally alert, have a productive day and reduces your stress levels.

To make this bag of goodies hers, a girl boss ensures she sleeps early enough to wake up early and hearty. You don’t expect to be booed up with Netflix until 3am and then wake up at 5am rejuvenated. That’s mission impossible, unless you plan to have an unproductive day with a banging hangover to go with it.

Related: 15 Tips On How To Wake Up Earlier And Not Feel Tired

4. Get Adequate Rest And Sleep

Speaking of hangovers, I hope you’re aware that excessive alcohol intake is not the only causal factor for hangovers?

Having a busy day working your butt off with little or no breaks, and pulling all-nighters working on the computer is enough to start your day on an exhausting note (and that is definitely not a girl boss routine).

Since being a boss lady sums up into taking charge and being in control of your life, make sure that influences your physical health and wellbeing too. Know when to rest and when to work.

It’s understandable that being a purpose-driven girl boss can have you bagging the world’s most busy woman award. However, your daily activities if not put in check will have you overworking your body system. It is therefore your responsibility to make a habit of giving your body the proper rest and sleep it needs.

5. Try To Do Away With Procrastination

Another of these premium girl boss habits that will change your life for good is ensuring you give no room for procrastination. Knowing what to do and when to do it should always be a top priority. You’re a top gunner and being a top gunner means you can’t afford a slack in your schedule and plans.

I know it can be pretty hard to stick to schedules at times especially when others are involved (no one is an island and most times, you can’t control other people’s decisions). However, the effects of procrastination are costlier than those of avoiding it.

Procrastination will make you blow opportunities, waste your time, lower your self esteem, make rushed and poor decisions, ruin your reputation and may even cost you your career.

Therefore, ensure you give “doing the right thing at the right time” your best shot. It’s a wonderful girl boss habit to emulate and it will definitely give your life the change you need.

6. Eat Well

Another girl boss habit you need to be familiar with and emulate is having a healthy diet. A busy schedule is a perfect excuse to ditch good foods for junk. It’s okay to want to eat burgers and cookies and hotdogs and down it all with a bottle of soda because you’re yet to collate the PowerPoints for the next presentation and lunchtime is too expensive to spare.

However, junk food will get you a feel good vibe this minute and you’ll be feeling bananas the next. Moral of the story; they are only responsible for some minutes of sugar rush.

Eating healthy meals on the other hand, will not only give your body the adequate supply of nutrients it needs to be able to function well, it will also enhance your immune system, improve your well-being, reduce high blood pressure, lower high cholesterol and improve your ability to recover from illness or injury.

Don’t forget, you are what you eat. A healthy diet equals a healthy body. So make healthy eating a habit today!

7. Cut Down On Frivolity

So far, we have talked about accountability with our time, wellbeing and decisions. Now it’s time we face our personal economies. Before reading further, kindly take some minutes to reflect on how you have managed your finances in the past few months.

I hope you are proud of your findings. One of the girl boss habits you have got to adopt is being responsible with every penny that you get to have. Learn to track your expenses, query your need to buy or spend no matter how much or little money is involved.

The truth is, you can’t outgrow the basics. If you can’t be accountable with your personal finances, how then will you be able to manage that of your organisation? Therefore, try to make sure your expenses are well tracked and your finances are perfectly managed. It’s a great habit to cultivate. That’s what girl bosses do!

8. Have A Defined Use Of Media

Except you are a journalist, PR, blogger or any other media personnel, there is no reason why you should be on the internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even if your work is related to any of the above mentioned, ensure you take time off and have some quiet time to yourself.

TV, the internet and other media platforms are full of noise. There are more negatives than positives on them. Loss of quality of life, lack of privacy, decreased safety and security, and harm to social relations are a few of the negative effects of excessive online presence.

Nevertheless, the internet has made access to information easy. It provides effective communication using emailing and instant messaging services to any part of the world and improves business interactions and transactions, saving on vital time.

Therefore, since they are necessary evils in our daily lives, ensure you strike a balance when it comes to their usage. Know when to withdraw their use and have some quiet to yourself every day.

Don’t be carried away by everything you see online, be mindful of what you watch and subscribe to. For instance, seeing tweets on failed marriages, cheating partners and serial breakups more often will have you subscribe to the “men/women are scum/true love does not exist” kind of banter. A girl boss does not do that.

9. Be Organised

From having a well mapped out schedule and creating a clean workspace in your bedroom/study, to making sure no dirty dishes linger in the sink and tidying up the rest of the house, a girl boss sure knows her way around leading a well organised lifestyle.

No matter how busy and rough your day or week might get, make sure you make time out to draw out schedules for the next day, clean up the house, do the dishes and your laundry and clear out items that are seldom useful to you.

If you’ve got an early morning, ensure your outfit of choice is readily available. It is also noteworthy that our environment has a way of influencing our mental and of course physical health. You can’t expect much productivity in a disorganised environment.

A clumsy place equals a clumsy mind. To have a healthy girl boss lifestyle, ensure there’s no exemption of any of the above mentioned activities. It’s not always so effortless especially when exhaustion and fatigue from previous work and activities sets in.

However, try to make a habit of it. You can even do it alongside something fun like listening to music. That way, it will be less of a chore for you. Nevertheless, if you’re extremely tired or busy, there are a couple of cleaning services that the lady in distress can call to her rescue (only the bills might feel the strain though).

10. Create Time For Reflection

The final girl boss habit to attain a better change in life is reflecting. At the end of each day and every passing week, ensure you do a reflective check on yourself.

It will help you identify how far you’ve come with achieving your purpose, which goals you’re yet to attain, what habit you need to change or emulate and ultimately how to be a better person. Reflection is a great way to help every girl boss strengthen their emotional intelligence, improve their self esteem and confidence.

It will also help you to make better decisions in the future. Surprised at how much having some quiet time alone to think about past actions and events can benefit you? Don’t be! Have a self reflection check today!

Related: 20 Deep Self-Reflection Questions To Ask Yourself

And there you have it, girls. Now it’s time to get your action pants on and be the girl boss you truly are.

Don’t forget to pin & share these awesome girl boss habits!
August 19, 2020
50 Gratitude Journal Prompts To Help You Live Your Dream Life
Being grateful in your daily life can positively change the outlook you have on life. Today we’ll be sharing some gratitude journal prompts that will help you realize all the things you have to be grateful for.

Do you practice gratitude on a daily basis or do you just wait till Thanksgiving day before you express thankfulness for all you’ve got? I hope the former is the case!

But if you are the type that seldom appreciates how far you’ve come and what you have, then it’s time to adjust your focus and learn the art of gratitude.

Now I’m pretty sure you have come across journal prompts. They are simply known as statements or questions designed to inspire or offer you an idea on what to write about.

One of the ways to keep track of one’s life is by journaling. Journaling helps you to actively engage your thoughts and be in touch with your feelings. It boosts your emotional intelligence and strengthens your self discipline. Plus, journaling provides you with a creativity boost and helps you understand yourself better. Pretty great, yeah?

However, not everyone understands how to keep a journal. In fact, most people are oblivious of its benefits and believe it’s for childish individuals. But the reverse is the case!

Nowadays, it’s easy to get lost in the stream of bad media, crazy internet, disheartening news and other forms of negativity. We tend to forget the great things life has given us and focus more on the negative and what is yet to be accomplished.

This often has us wondering, is there anything to be grateful for? Well, a surf through some gratitude journal prompts can answer that. Gratitude journaling simply entails keeping track of things for which one is grateful for. It’s like keeping a diary of the good things and the great experiences you’ve had.

Gratitude journaling will shift your focus from the negatives and help you see things from a brighter and, of course, positive viewpoint. In fact, research on positive psychology has shown that gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness.

Benefits Of Gratitude Journal Prompts

I’m sure you can’t wait to explore the 50 gratitude journal prompts I’ve got in store for you. But before we do, let’s have a quick run-through some of the amazing benefits gratitude journaling has got to offer.
- You become positive minded – Taking out time to put into writing the things you are grateful for will help you on your way to becoming more positive minded. Focusing on the goods things you have and appreciate will help you see life from the positive and optimistic point of view. The more appreciative you choose to be, the more optimistic and positive you become.
- You become happier – Having a diary of things you’re grateful for is one way of living a happy life. Gratitude journal prompts will help you focus more on the good things, be optimistic for better things and ultimately live a happier life.
- Improves your self esteem – Gratitude journaling is a great way to build one’s self esteem. Research has shown that folks who keep daily gratitude journals increase overall gratitude, positivity, enthusiasm, determination and alertness. As you go through each of these gratitude journal prompts, you get to be reminded of your abilities, skills and personal achievements. This will greatly help in building your self confidence.
- Helps to reduce stress – Since gratitude journal prompts are a great way to help you see how far you’ve come and how much you have achieved, they will also help you ease the worry and the anxiety of thinking about what you are yet to have.
You become more appreciative of who you are and less worked up about who you’re not. Also, studies have shown that focusing on feelings of contentment and satisfaction naturally counters stress. So, gratitude journaling will help you counter stress, feel more relaxed and eradicate anxiety.

We can go on and on about the benefits gratitude journaling has got to offer, but guess what? Time is no one’s friend! So what are we waiting for? Let’s get on with it!

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Gratitude Journal Prompts:

1. Describe your happiest childhood memory.

2. What popular song do you enjoy most and why do you like it?

3. What is one of your favorite songs from your childhood?

4. Mention that one friend you can always rely on.

5. Write down the biggest accomplishment in your personal life.

6. What is the biggest accomplishment in your professional life?

7. What memory of your father (or stepfather) do you cherish most?

8. What memory of your mother (or stepmother?) do you cherish most?

9. Give a description of your favorite pet (or former pet)? Why was it your favorite?

10. Write out 5 hobbies and activities that bring you joy.

11. What mistake(s) have you made that ultimately led to a positive experience? Write them out.

12. Describe a family tradition that you are most grateful for and why you’re grateful for it.

13. Write out the name(s) of the teacher(s) or mentor(s) that made a remarkable impact on your life and how they have helped you.

14. Write out what you like the most about your town or city and why it’s topping the list of your faves.

15. Describe your favorite spot at home and why you like it.

16. Write down that one thing you have learnt this week that you’re grateful for.

17. Who made you smile in the past 24 hours and why?

18. What recent purchase did you make that has added value to your life?

19. Write out the biggest lesson you learned in childhood.

20. Write out 10 ways you can share your gratitude with other people in the next 24 hours.

21. What is your favorite scent?

22.Describe your favorite sound.

23. Describe your favorite image.

24. Describe your favorite taste.

25. Describe your favorite sensation.

26. What items do you take for granted, which might not be available to people in other parts of the world (i.e. Clean water, electricity, etc.)?

27.Write about a recent time when a stranger did something nice for you.

28. What is the hardest thing you’ve had to do, which led to a major personal accomplishment?

29.What is one aspect of your health that you’re more grateful for?

30. Who can you count on whenever you need someone to talk to and why?

31. Describe the last time you procrastinated on a task that wasn’t as difficult as you thought it would be.

32.What is your favorite habit and why is it an important part of your daily routine?

33. Describe a “perfect day” that you recently had.

34. What is a favorite country that you’ve visited?

35. Describe a funny YouTube video that you recently watched. (If you haven’t, what are you doing on this planet?)

36. List 10 qualities you like about yourself.

37. What is one thing you look forward to enjoying each day after work?

38. What was something you did for the first time recently?

39. What is one lesson you learn from rude people?

40. When was the last time you had a great nap where you awoke feeling fully refreshed?

41. Shower or bath? Which do you prefer and why?

42. Write about a time where you felt courageous.

43. What are a few ways you can appreciate your health whenever you’re sick?

44. What is a great drink that you like to enjoy each day?

46.Who has forgiven you for a mistake you’ve made in the past?

47. List 10 things you have now that you didn’t have 5 years ago.

48. What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?

49. What is something positive you can learn from one of your negative qualities? (e.g. Being anxious means you’re really good at planning things out.)

50. Describe a recent time when you truly felt at peace.

For You

Trust you had a great time appreciating the amazing things you have? Always remember that gratitude is a powerful tool when it comes to living a fulfilled and content life.

While going through your gratitude journal prompts, always keep in mind that life is not a bed of roses, no one is perfect so don’t expect your answers to be. You’ve come a long way and you are doing just fine, so be grateful for that.

Finally, if you’ve had a bad day and you might want to remind yourself of how great you are doing, going through the 50 journal prompts and some of these gratitude quotes below will be a perfect jump start.

Gratitude Quotes

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” ― Melody Beattie

“Being thankful is not always experienced as a natural state of existence, we must work at it, akin to a type of strength training for the heart.” ― Larissa Gomez

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” – Thornton Wilder

“Gratitude is the sweetest thing in a seeker’s life – in all human life. If there is gratitude in your heart, then there will be tremendous sweetness in your eyes.” ― Sri Chinmoy

“The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.” ― Mary Davis

“The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.” ― William James

“There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.” ― Ralph H. Blum

“Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.” ― Jacques Maritain

“The root of joy is gratefulness.” ― David Steindl-Rast

Final Thoughts

The truth is, sometimes we get so clouded by everything that’s not going our way that we just can’t see what is actually working for us. There’s no such thing as a life that’s better than yours! (Okay yeah those are song lyrics but you get it).

You know what’s funny? You might be walking or taking a bus to work complaining that you don’t have a car and you’ve got nothing going for you. Meanwhile, someone else is devastated about losing their job. And then again, someone else would do anything to walk again.

It all boils down to perspective and appreciating the little things. When you do, big things come your way, and only then will you be able to be grateful for those too. So, say a word of thanks today, or better still, journal it!

Please pin & share these gratitude journal prompts!
August 12, 2020
Positive Thinking Tips: 15 Ways To Boost Positive Thinking
The best possible attitude that anyone could adopt is the attitude of an optimist. The attitude of a positive thinker. Today I’ll be sharing some positive thinking tips you can adopt to be more happy overall in your daily life.

With a positive attitude, you will think more constructively and meaningfully. And, life will be a whole lot better.

Being a positive thinker is synonymous with being a believer. You’ll make moves that most people wouldn’t dare to make. You will take new paths and reach a particular destination you crave for.

Besides, you won’t be scared of any failure or setback that you might encounter. You will typically feel motivated to keep taking action!

So, the power of positive thinking is insurmountable! As a positive thinker, you’re literally unstoppable.

Positive Thinking Tips

The question now is; how do you develop this vital mindset? How do you become a positive thinker?

The key is; you have to shun being pessimistic. But how?

Well, in this article, I will highlight 15 positive thinking tips that will help you move your life from a pessimistic end to an optimistic end. Ladies and gentlemen, shall we?

1. Start By Replacing The Negativity In Your Life

Want to develop a positive mindset? Then start shaking off negativity from your life. Be mindful of the thoughts you contain in your mind! Or the people you keep close to yourself.

Start by asking yourself; what are the 3 main streams of Negativity in my life? It could be a friend, or the books you read, the podcast you listen to, even the movies you watch or the blogs you visit! (No worries, you’re safe with this one.)

Whatever they are, once you are able to identify them (the 3 main sources of negativity), then start eliminating them.

How do you go about this?

First, generate ideas on how to limit the time you spend on those sources of negativity. Write down any idea(s) you come up with (this is necessary so you don’t forget easily). Then plan on how to execute those ideas.

Now, the next thing is to channel your valuable time to more positive things…

Related: How To Remove Negativity From Your Life And Be Happier

2. Always Focus On The Good Side Of A Situation

Another great positive thinking tip is to always find the good side of any situation.

You see, the main difference between a positive-minded person and a pessimist is their perceptions! Their difference comes from how they view things and how they choose to understand.

Typically, pessimists will rather give up along the way when they face obstacles. They will see no reason to keep pushing. They will simply feel like the only alternative when they feel stuck is to quit.

But that’s not a thing for a positive thinker.

Positive thinkers are optimists. They always believe that there is a way out of any problem. A way to resolve any issue and keep pushing. They don’t simply back down.

If you really want to delve into the positive side of life, then you must find a way to stay up when life hits you hard. When faced with a negative situation, you have to focus on the positive side.

Did you lose a job? Remember you are alive and you can always get a new job with your qualifications. So, stay up and keep pushing.

Did you lose a friend or someone close to you? Sure, you still have the good memories to hold on to. Those good memories should be your consolation.

Just so you know, any negative situation can be handled if you learn how to focus on the good side.

Always find a way to stand up and stay up.

3. Forgive Yourself

No matter how hard you try, sometimes your BEST might not be good enough. As a matter of fact, your failure might be due to inescapable circumstances or maybe as a result of your own mistake.

Sure, it’s normal to blame yourself for certain shortcomings, but don’t do it for long! If you really want to be positive, you have to learn how to forgive yourself and move on. Blaming yourself for so long and holding on to that failure will only lead to self-destruction.

4. Give Yourself Some Credit

Due to frustration or dissatisfaction, we often forget the things we did right. We tend to focus on our inadequacies and feel like we are not good enough.

Well, if I must say, that is a very negative way of living! Just like you take the blame for being wrong, also learn to give yourself some credit for a little progress. You truly deserve it.

Even if you’ve messed up in certain aspects, you have to feel a bit complacent where you got them right. That’s a good way to stay motivated to even get better.

5. Learn From Your Past Mistakes

Your past mistakes are not there for you to hold on to. They are there for you to learn from!

Our brains are wired to repeat what we find convenient. Now, if your mistakes happened because you got so comfortable, you might repeat those mistakes a thousand more times (where you failed to LEARN from them).

The past is gone. So, no matter how much that particular mistake hurts, you can’t change what happened.

You can only learn from the mistake by:
- Understanding why it happened in the first place, and then
- Changing the behavior that resulted in the mistake.
6. List Your Strengths

Pessimism at times might force you to start thinking that you can’t do it, that you can’t achieve it. That the goal is too much for you to reach. Or that you don’t have what it takes…

But no!

There are thousands of capacities inside of you, waiting to be triggered and explored. You have to remind yourself what you are capable of.

I will give a little illustration;

Let’s say you are seeking a position in a reputable multinational firm, and your gut is letting you down, then you have to create a list of those strengths you’ve got; those certifications that qualify you for the position; those raw skills or talents you’ve got.

Also, list out the experiences you’ve gathered over the years. This will help you to focus on the reason why you will be hired. Not the reason why you won’t. And of course, that’s a typical way of being positive!

You’ll be motivated to take the bold step.

7. Acknowledge Your Weaknesses

One of the best positive thinking tips is to admit your weaknesses. A positive-minded person always wants to improve. But there is no way you can ever improve if you don’t accept your shortcomings.

The advice here is that you have to take note of the things you are not good at, then work hard and improve on them.

This will make you a more sophisticated person. You’ll be well-versed and your confidence will improve. But remember, it all starts with acknowledging your shortcomings.

Related: 11 Tips On How To Invest In Yourself And Change Your Life

8. Speak Positively

What you speak determines what you have in your mind. So, there is a strong connection between the words you speak and the kind of mindset you have.

A positive minded person will only speak positive words at all times. If you are used to negative speech, then get intentional about the words you speak.

Where you used to say; I can’t, learn how to start saying; I can. Where you used to say; it’s impossible, start saying; I see possibilities.

If you can start practicing positive speech, it won’t be long before you start thinking positively. Can I get an amen, somebody?

9. Always Work Out

Experts suggest that working out does not only build your body but your mind as well. So, regular exercise won’t only make you shed some body weight. It also alleviates your mental burden!

When you’re drained mentally and a wave of negative feelings seems to occupy your mind, just 15-30 minutes of physical activities can go a long way to set your mind free.

Regular workouts will help in building your sense of determination. Also, with periodic exercises, you will start focusing on something else… Not just negative thoughts.

Exercising regularly is easily a positive habit that results in positive thinking.

Related: Easy Ways To Be More Active Without Going To Gym

10. Stop Making A Big Deal Out Of Nothing

This is one issue many people have to deal with. There are certain insignificant incidents that we face at times but we end up making a big deal out of them.

You’re probably familiar with that feeling when you make a minor error (let’s say, at work), then you get so afraid it might cause the management to fire you. That’s a typical example of making a mountain out of a molehill.

This kind of behavior is typical of a pessimist. Don’t be that person anymore.

11. Focus On The Present

Sometimes, concentrating on the present is all you need in order to discard any negative thoughts arising from the past or regarding the future.

A popular saying has it that; the past is gone, the future is yet to come, but the most valuable commodity you have is TODAY and that is why it is called PRESENT.

Therefore, learn to make the most of your present situation. Learn to concentrate on what happens in your life today. That’s one of the best positive thinking tips you should embrace.

12. Bring Positivity Into Other People’s Lives

The fact remains that; you get what you give.

If you really want to break free from the shackles of negative thoughts, then start by extending positive gestures to others. It’s just simple psychology.

When you light up other people’s lives, you’ll definitely feel good about yourself. And that pleasant feeling is bound to trigger the positive mindset in you.

To do this, start by helping those in need; not necessarily monetary help.

For instance, someone may be in need of your comfort or companionship during hard times. Surely, if they can rely on you in such situations, they will value you. Consequently, you’ll value yourself a little bit more too.

13. Take Things Slowly

Going fast in life seems all nice and cool. But going too fast is negative. When lots of things start happening in your life because of too much haste, it often doesn’t end well.

In such situations, you start having accumulated stress both physically and mentally. You won’t be prudent enough to judge right. You’ll lose your acumen. And most likely, lots of negative thoughts and emotions will flood your mind.

It’s nobody’s fault but yours. You rush a lot!

Learn to calm down a bit and take things gradually. This way, you’ll be meticulous enough to make the right decisions in life.

14. Start Your Day On A Good Note

How you start your day goes a long way to determine the outcome of your entire day. This might sound bizarre, but it’s true.

For that reason, always start your day on a positive note.

Some helpful ways to start your day are:
- Walk up to the mirror and tell yourself something positive
- Reminisce and ponder on any useful information that will positively affect your day
- Engage in early morning exercise
- Listen to a motivational podcast or video
- Make your bed
- Declutter quickly
- Meditate/Pray
Ensure you practice some (if not all) of these every morning. There is no positive thinking tip that can be more useful than starting your day well.

Related: Morning Habits To Supercharge Your Day With Positivity

15. Seek To Be Positively Inspired

Yes. One of the best ways to change from pessimism to optimism is by seeking inspiration from positive sources.

You can find yourself a mentor who will inspire you to think positively. You can read motivational books or listen to inspirational podcasts.

There are various other ways you can get inspired positively. Just seek such inspirations and you will surely break into the positive realm of life.

Final thoughts

Applying all these positive thinking tips might not be all that easy (actually, not easy at all) because it has to do with a shift of mindset. But no matter how difficult it might be, once you get intentional about actualizing that shift, it will become a lot easier!

Please pin & share these positive thinking tips!

If these positive thinking tips were helpful to you in any way, please take a moment to pin this post to your personal development board on Pinterest. You can also share it to your favorite social media platform. Thank you!
August 5, 2020
How To Get Your Life Together When It Feels Out Of Control
Life is a long journey. And it’s not always smooth. It can sometimes be quite a roller coaster (if I do say so myself). Some days are filled with pleasant excitement. In such cases, we just wish it never ends. But there are other days when everything seems to be in shambles. And at that point, we wonder if we can ever get out of that day fast enough. Today I’ll be sharing some tips on how to get your life together and back on track when your life feels chaotic.

It’s a pretty common experience in life to find yourself in some kind of slum and feel stuck. Although it might be really difficult to put things in order, no matter where you are in life, you CAN get your life together again.

One thing you should know about getting your life together is that it’s not abrupt. It is a process…a continuous process. And hence, we have the good and bad days, the sunny and rainy days.

Sometimes, you’ll feel like you can single handedly take the world by storm. Other times the ferocity of life leaves you so lonely and terrified.

But then there is a possibility that nowadays, you see more of those horrible days than you ever saw the good days and now, you want solutions on how to break free.

Since your search for a solution brought you here, then you took the right step! Join me as I go over some practical ways to get your life back on track, no matter what happened in the past. We move.

1. Examine The Categories Of Your Life

Hey, so I’m sure you know that to ascertain results or causal factors, an examination is always required.

You undergo a school examination to ascertain how much knowledge you’ve acquired over a given period of time (that’s debatable but maybe some other time?). When you fall sick, you go through a medical examination to ascertain the cause of the disease.

The reason I’m putting this on top of the list is that in order to solve any problem, you have to find out the cause first. Now, in order to get your life back on track, you have to start by finding out WHY you are stuck in the first place.

And there is no better way to find out why than to examine the 8 categories of your life. The 8 life categories encompass virtually all aspects of your life; making it quite comprehensive.

If you can effectively examine and evaluate these life categories, there is no way you won’t find out the cause(s) of your problems, and hence the solution won’t be so far away.

These are the 8 Life Categories you must evaluate:
- Business/Career
- Wealth/Finances
- Family/Friends
- Recreation/Fun/Entertainment
- Fitness/Health
- Love Life
- Spiritual/Personal Development
- Physical/Environmental Aspect.
After identifying those 8 areas of your life, you have to evaluate them by creating a vision for each. In each of the categories, ask yourself:
- What have I done wrong here?
- How do I make amends?
- What do I want to achieve?
- Where do I want to be?
By asking these questions, you will easily evaluate how you are performing presently and why. Then moving forward becomes easier.

2. Routinize Your Day

Remember, it’s all about getting your life together. So, if your activities can be routinized, you will feel better for sure. This is because a TASK feels more difficult to accomplish than a ROUTINE.

To routinize your day, you have to start from the very moment you wake up from sleep. Preferably, you can start with less difficult activities, maybe a minor exercise will do for a morning routine.

Then get to the main activities for the day. Take them one activity after another until evening. Yeah, evening routines are special too. One of the best night activities you could adopt is to prepare for the next day. It makes tomorrow less terrifying or occupied.

The more your routines are constant (continuous or uninterrupted), the easier your life becomes.

When you wake up every day familiar with all your to-dos, life will definitely be less overwhelming.

However, changing your routines from time to time won’t be a bad idea. Because it’s possible to feel bored after repeating the same line of activities day-in-day-out.

A switch in daily routines at times can help get your life up (just as much as routines do).

Related: Top 10 Morning Habits To Supercharge Your Day

3. Get Clear With Your Goals

The whole idea of setting a goal is to give us a clear direction towards achieving what we want. Of course, it’s easier to have dreams of what you want to be, but it is quite difficult to achieve those dreams if you don’t have a clear goal (and planned actions) on how to go about it.

I’m sure you don’t want to wander for ages without vision or direction. You will definitely not reach your destination. That’s exactly what happens to you if you have no clear goal.

How to go about goal-setting?

First, take 30 minutes of your time to search through your mind. Then, write down the things you really want to achieve by the end of next week or next month or even next year. The third (and a very vital step) is to come up with a strategy; the day-to-day activities you must embark on towards achieving the stated goal(s).

Moreover, you must revisit your strategy from time to time to ensure that you are on the right track and to make some adjustments if need be.

4. Have A Priority List

If you really want to get your life together, then it’s high time you stopped biting off more than you can chew. Often we set many more goals than we can achieve. And in the process of chasing the multiple goals, we get stuck without any significant achievement! It’s quite sad.

For instance, you can recall how busy most people are every 31st Of December, trying to create certain resolutions that they will end up not executing.

If you really want to put things in place and get your life a bit simpler, you have to prioritise. If possible, set only a goal for a given period of time. Focusing on a goal makes it more feasible to achieve.

5. Learn How To Be Productive

Productivity comes before fulfilment. Nobody can truly say they have attained self-actualization without being productive in the first place.

Unfortunately, productivity doesn’t come easy and most of us struggle with it. We strive so hard and many times, we fail to achieve our desires. Apparently, that’s why we feel like our life is falling apart.

But come to think of it, how can you be productive when you often start up something and leave it halfway and then delve into something else…only to forget the one you started initially?

Such an attitude to work will never yield any positive results. Instead, you will feel disorganised by it. In order to become more productive, you need a little bit of patience and determination. You need that resilience to finish up any task you start.

There are lots of books and internet materials like this one that will help you to take the right steps towards productivity.

Related: 10 Effective Time Management Tips That Really Work

6. Organize Your Finances

The financial aspect of your life is something you mustn’t joke with.

It’s not always easy to keep your finances in order. Handling money is not child’s play. And hence, most of us have our fair share of mismanaging money; if not all the time, then at least once in our lifetime.

Fortunately, money management – saving and budgeting – is something you can get good at (that is, if you really want to).

However, it doesn’t just come to us, it requires constant effort!

As a matter of fact, one of the basic goals you should set in order to get your life together is to organise your finances.

Start by developing an action plan for money management.

On every payday, probably the end of the month, take out a portion of your income for savings. The higher the amount you can muster for savings, the better. Then remove the amount you need for your recurrent monthly expenses. Any remainder afterward can then be used for fun, entertainment, or emergency.

If you can make it a goal to follow this procedure every month, your finances will definitely get better.

Related: 20 Things To Stop Buying To Save Money Starting Today

7. Invest In Your Health

Health, they say is wealth (sigh, if only they meant that literally, I’d be rich!)

The most direct way to invest in your life is by investing in your health. In other words, to get your life up and running, your health must be in one piece.

Most times, people take their health for granted. However, the importance of good health will resonate with you as you get older. By then, you’ll realise that you can no longer do certain things you used to do freely.

Unfortunately, old-age is not the perfect time to start taking care of yourself. You have to start now… As early as possible. By doing so, you will feel great even when you get older.

A proper way to start investing in your health is by adopting healthy lifestyles such as:
- Exercising regularly
- Eating healthily
- Drinking enough water
- Taking supplements
- Going for medical check-ups
- Avoiding alcohol & cigarettes
- Avoiding excessive sugar and fats
- Visiting the hospital once you fall sick, etc.
Undoubtedly, you will benefit a lot by living a healthy life.

First, your weight will be under control. As a matter of fact, you have little or no chance of being obese just by embracing a healthy lifestyle. Also, a healthy way of living will improve your mood. You will simply be happier.

Moreover, certain diseases like; diabetes, arthritis, depression, cancer, will be prevented. As long as you make healthier choices and invest in your health as much as you can, you will definitely live comfortably enough to get your life together.

8. Declutter Your Space

Sometimes, the reason you feel like your life is messed up is quite simple; you’re in a mess. A dirty environment will never benefit you. It generally affects your vibe, your mood, your aura, your temperament… Even your health!

To get your life together, you shouldn’t only focus intrinsically. Sometimes, our environment goes a long way to affect how we feel within.

Decluttering your environment from time to time is quite necessary. It not only provides you a clean space to live happily but also improves the state of your mind.

Therefore, use certain days within the week to clean your home (both the interior and exterior). Also, discard all those properties you no longer need. They clutter the little space you have and make you feel clogged.

What do you stand to gain from decluttering? Well, there are a whole lot of benefits that come with decluttering. Some are physical, others are psychological.

Physically, a clean home reduces exposure to surface germs and resultantly, reduces the risk of infections. Psychologically, a clean, spacious environment improves concentration, reduces stress levels, improves mood, and most importantly, the quality of your sleep will be transformed.

9. Make Time For Yourself

This might be last on this list but definitely one of the most important steps to take.

Many times, life can get so crazy!

You find yourself paying lots of attention to work, family, and other responsibilities. You get so engrossed and busy so as to make ends meet. But then, you need to pause…

Take a break.

Remember to give yourself some time. Your body needs it!

Use that little break time to prioritize yourself. Self-care is something that should be on your list of priorities. No matter how busy you are, create a little time to care for yourself.

Once you learn how to give yourself some time amidst all difficulties, it won’t be long before you start feeling like things are beginning to fall in place for you. Just try it out.

Related: 30 Easy Ways To Practice Self Care

Final thoughts

There’s a whole lot more that will help you put your life in one piece. However, above all, learn to be kind and never be too hard on yourself. Always take it one step at a time.

Remember, getting your life together is a continuous process!

Don’t forget to pin & share these tips to get your life together this year!
July 27, 2020
15 Ways To Improve Your Happiness And Enjoy Your Life
There’s always a bluish feeling that comes with pessimism. In an era where everywhere you turn to is filled with pessimism and toxicity, sometimes, it’s hard to look on the bright side. But, it’s very possible! Today I’m sharing some of my top tips on how to improve your happiness and enjoy your life.

Happiness is free! So instead of just trying to avoid negativity or get over the toxicity making rounds, focusing on the positive will be our mainstay.

In light of this, I’ll be sharing some sweet tips on how to increase your happiness. And since the goal is not only to get you excited and lift your spirit for a moment, with the tips enlisted below, I’m optimistic that you’ll stay happy too!

Related reads:
1. Have A Heart Of Gratitude

Cherish and be proud of what you have, as well as the effort you put into things. It’s so easy to get caught up with disappointments we face on a daily basis and welcome pessimism with open arms.

We are not going to do that. Look within you, look around you, there are a lot of things to be grateful for. No matter how little they might be, don’t take those things for granted. It’s alright to want things for yourself and want to work harder to get them but make sure you take a minute or two to be thankful for how far you have come.

When you appreciate the things you have, you’ll worry less about what you don’t have (worry won’t get you anywhere or anything though, just more worries). Less worry is ultimately a great way to improve your happiness.

2. Comparison Is A Killer Of Joy

I can’t emphasize this enough! We are in the age where the world is populated with “social pressures” especially on social media. Everyone seems to be in the happiest relationships and have the best of friends.

Some seem to use the latest gadgets, travel on private jets and wear the latest designer clothes. And here you are with a “stuck in one place” kind of feeling. It’s like the whole world is getting their act together quite well, save you.

Now, don’t be swept off your feet by those things. FACADE is the right word for them. You’re doing just fine, and the less attention you pay to those things, the better you will do. If you want to improve your happiness, be content.

Contentment in this case is not about being content with everything life throws at you. It’s having a sense of satisfaction that when life throws you a lemon, you make a lemonade (not throw the lemon away and sulk).

Never compare yourself to anyone, your goals, aspirations and dreams are different from theirs, let no one set a standard as to how you are to achieve them.

Social media is not your life coach. So have a mind of your own. It comes with great peace, you’ll be happier and at ease with yourself, no pressures, no worries, and this will improve your happiness.

3. Discard The Retail Theorems

Material possessions might get you excited the moment they become yours but they won’t always make you happy. It’s not a bad thing to have money and own things but those things won’t guarantee your happiness.

So rather than spend money on things, you can choose to spend money on experiences. Go to the zoo, go on movie night outs, road trips aren’t a bad idea, there are a lot of amazing places to tour.

These activities won’t just bring happy experiences, they’ll also leave loads of sweet memories to savour during a hectic workday.

4. Don’t Try Too Hard

Doing things (movies, karaoke, games) because you find pleasure in them will go a long way to improve your happiness.

However, there’s a thin line between the things that make you happy and doing things so you’ll be happy. Let me give a clearer picture. If you love going to the movies and watching movies makes you happy, it’s different from going to the movies because you want to be happy.

In the former, it comes naturally, however, an expectation is placed on the latter. Recent research made on psychological sciences has shown that putting too much effort on the search for happiness as if it’s on sale can backfire!

The problem here is expectations, because you tend to focus on the end result (happiness) rather than the activity itself. It’s the same with people who go into relationships because they believe they’ll be happy.

When their expectations are not met, they tend to be thrice as blue as they were before the relationship. Don’t be that person.

5. Work Out

Research and of course every day experiences have shown that exercise is a very effective mood lifter. You don’t necessarily have to hit the gym before you exercise your body. Early morning runs, jogging and even dancing are a good start.

You can even create some space in the living room to stretch your muscles while watching your favourite TV show (I’d recommend 10 squats and 15 bicycle crunches for starters).

No matter how busy your schedule might get, try to make time out for a little work out at least thrice in a week, it’s a pretty great way to improve your happiness.

6. Meditation and reflection

An unstable mind breeds confusion and unhappiness. It’s no news that meditation helps to calm and stabilise our emotional and mental state. Signing up for a yoga class or scheduling 5-15 minutes of self reflection will not only help improve your happiness, it will also give you a sense of direction.

7. A touch of Flexibility won’t hurt

Sometimes, doing the same things and going through the same daily routines can easily get us the blue feeling we dread. Except you’re a die-hard stereotype, sticking with one routine for too long sometimes feels like going round in circles or staying in a box. It can be depressing.

The good news is, you can change that narrative. Adding to and swapping some activities for others on your daily routine could be a great mood booster. If you’re used to doing the laundry in the morning and dishes at night, you could swap one for the other.

Go through your schedule and make some changes today. Be flexible, be happy!

8. You are what you eat

Do you know that there are foods which produce chemicals that influence a person’s mood? Nutritionists recommend food rich in B-12 and folic acid (oatmeal, wheat germs and other fortified cereals).

Studies have shown that these nutrients help the body produce a neurotransmitter called serotonin—a known mood stabilizer. Also, food rich in omega-3 fats such as salmon, sardine, olive oils and walnuts help alleviate depression.

There’s a reason why popcorn is the cliché snack for movies. Chocolates also help a great deal. So you see, the above saying is not just about one’s physical fitness. Ensure you eat well to increase your happiness today.

9. Rest Well, Sleep Enough

We all know that busy schedules could get us crazy hangovers, eye bags and sometimes 3 men banging the heaviest sledge hammers inside our head (yeah, headaches). So, if you don’t get enough sleep and rest, it takes its toll not just on your physical self, but also on your mental wellbeing.

Restlessness always leaves a trail of fatigue, depression and even lack of satisfaction. The human body, mind and soul need enough rest to be more active and function well. So to be rejuvenated and increase your happiness, ensure you get at least 8 hours of sleep daily.

10. Smile

Hey there! Have you smiled today? Whether you are sipping a cocktail drink in Santiago Bay or counting your blessings on a Sunday morning, or getting through a busy schedule, try to wear a smile.

A daily dose of smiling lifts one’s spirit and you’re very likely to make others smile when you do. You see, happiness is free, spread it!

11. Do your favorites

We all like to go to eat our favourite meals, wear our favourite clothes and go to our favourite spot on special occasions.

Yeah, they simply make that occasion special and make us happy. But who says you can’t have a special day everyday? No one? Great. So please do you favourites frequently. Don’t wait for special occasions, be happy now.

12. Invest In Purposeful Leisure

Channelling your time, energy and resources into something you like which is usually not a profession or work will make you happier. Purposeful leisure does contribute to one’s personal development and reflects one’s sense of preference.

For instance, learning a new skill, trying out a new recipe or sport, taking up a freelance job or signing up for a language course. Doing these things increases one’s happiness and when completed, they bring a feeling of satisfaction.

13. Value people that make you happy

Busy schedule or not, quality time with loved ones and friends that inspire us to be happy should not be taken for granted. Spending time with our loved ones is one of the greatest but most underrated ways of increasing one’s happiness.

It is underrated because everyone leads a busy life and people now substitute quality time spent with their loved ones with time spent on social media platforms with strangers thousands of miles away.

Having your loved ones present and engaging in activities together helps create a bond and sense of belonging. It somehow gives us a feeling of safety and assurance that they will always be there for us.

Thinking about this in turn brings satisfaction and happiness. Create time out with friends, enjoy the activities, smile, laugh, embrace their warmth, savour the memories and be happy!

14. Celebrate Good Times

Doing things that give you nostalgic feelings and remind you of sweet memories are a great mood lifter. They help us reminisce on how far we’ve come and somewhat gives a sense of gratitude which ultimately helps in increasing one’s happiness.

Buy scented candles and flowers, look at happy photographs, go to places that remind you of happy memories and think back on positive memories. Indulging the senses goes a long way when it comes to increasing one’s happiness.

15. Offer A Hand

Coming through for others who are in need can increase your happiness a great deal. Rendering a helping hand somewhat makes us appreciate the life we lead and of course there are many ways to go about it.

You can contribute to a community project, walk a pet at animal care, help a coworker fix their computer, be a volunteer teacher at the school for children with special needs or even donate to charity in case you’ve got a really hectic schedule. You will be happy you did.

Bonus: Be purpose driven

Not just doing things but understanding why you do them is another great way to improve your happiness. To be happy, you need to know what you want, how and when you want it. The people who wallow in comparison and are easily swerved by others are those who don’t have a set purpose. They are usually confused and end up being sad and even depressed.

As a purpose driven persona, you set goals and create plans to achieve them. You have a sense of direction, you know what you want and you go for it. You are not confused or under pressure, you are simply content, satisfied and happy!

Final thoughts

Finally, to stay happy, you have to come to the realisation that you cannot have it all your way. Every situation, every thought, every expectation and every action cannot go your way. As humans, we tend to let what we cannot control or change, our pasts and mistakes affect our happiness.

Yes, we could have said and done things differently, but then, it is what it is. We have to move on and learn from the outcome. Remember worrying and anxiety won’t help or provide a solution. In fact, they tend to add more problems.

Happiness, they say, is a product of positivity, so choose to be positive. Rather than beat yourself up over mistakes or get anxious about the future, understanding all these valuable tips and putting them into practice will help a great deal in increasing your happiness.

Please pin & share these tips to improve your happiness!
July 24, 2020
How To Be Happy In Life Despite Your Circumstances
The truth is, everyone wants to be happy. That’s why we do all we can to discover the means to be happy. But happiness is a choice. Today I’ll share some tips on how to be happy in life no matter where you find yourself in your life journey.

We are wrong about many things we believe about happiness. Most of the places we go, or the things we do, or even the ideas we buy do not guarantee happiness.

For instance, we all want to be successful in everything we do, in order to be happy. But in reality, we just CAN’T be successful in every aspect of life… There are so many attempts we make that are bound to fail. For that reason, we fail to find happiness in our quest for success!

Moreover, many of us also chase money by virtually every means all in the hope of finding true happiness in it. Yes, we become happier with the more money we make but such happiness is usually short-lived because;
- While we make money, we also lose money every day and that doesn’t bring happiness.
- Even when we keep making money, there are problems money doesn’t solve. In that case, nothing like happiness.
- Money brings you comfort but also makes you uncomfortable because you will be worried about how to ensure you never go broke again. Research has it that rich people have sleepless nights more than average people. Now, does that depict happiness?
- Nobody is seemingly satisfied with the amount he has. The more money you make, the more you want. You can’t call this happiness!
Besides the ill sides of money, there are many other reasons why you are simply wrong to think that money or success bring true happiness… Because true happiness is not short-lived. It is not a destination, it is also not a permanent state of feeling good. Happiness is not materialistic.

How to be happy in life

With all that said above, what then is happiness?

To explain this, I would simply say that happiness is when you are content with yourself and your life. Happiness is when you choose to be happy even amidst difficulties.

Moreover, in order to have real happiness, you have to intentionally make efforts to address all the areas of your life that can trigger your feelings and emotions.

Now, that brings us to how to be happy in life despite the circumstances you find yourself… Are you ready? Let’s go!

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Practice Gratitude

More often than not, people insinuate that they will be happy if they acquire something or if a certain thing happens. Unfortunately, that is not the case because happiness doesn’t depend on material or immaterial things.

Have you ever heard that happiness is bought?

Nah, it can’t be!

Sure, when something pleasant is added to your life, you’re bound to be happy about it. But the question is, will such happiness be sustained?

The only way you can acquire sustainable joy is when you are grateful for the things you’ve got already and stay content with them. This way, you’ll realize that those material things are not essential for your happiness. Hence, your source of happiness will become innate.

Now, let’s be practical;

Think about those things you really desire to have… The fact that you don’t have them is enough to make you unhappy. But also, think about what you already have at hand that you are grateful for, I’m sure that makes you happier?

That’s exactly what the power of gratitude is all about. A grateful man is a happier man but a man whose happiness depends on obtaining more has a greater tendency to be sad. Because there is no guarantee that you’d get all you want in life! At least, not without working towards it.

Do Away With Negative Thoughts

We are all familiar with those waves of negative thoughts or emotions that run across our minds at times…

Now, note this; such emotions or thoughts are the greatest enemies of a happy life! Once you can deal with them, then your happiness is assured!

It might interest you to know that negative thoughts are inescapable as long as life is concerned. It’s normal to have such moments. However, you don’t have to give it room to linger for long. You must learn how to deal with it if you must be happy.

Harbouring any negative thought or emotion for long will definitely affect how you act and feel over time. Of course, you don’t want this.

Walk Away From Toxic Relationships

Sometimes, the people you hang around with can influence your emotions. They play a big role in your happiness or sadness. Do you doubt that?

Okay, how do you feel after spending time with your friends or colleagues who have negative things to say about you? Pretty hurt, I guess. Compare that to the feeling you get when you are around those who have words of motivation and encouragement to offer you. Uplifting, yes?

That’s exactly why you have to be careful about who you let into your circle!

Sure, in life, you will have different kinds of people interacting with you at different times, however, you must be smart enough to know what’s good for you. Remember, it’s all about your happiness.

Therefore, don’t hesitate to walk away from that toxic relationship. That’s exactly how to be happy in life!

Practice Self Love

There is no way you can stay happy if you don’t love yourself, because true happiness stems from love. And if you must exhibit love generally, you must start by loving yourself. If you’re of the mindset that you’re not good enough, then you have to start giving yourself some credit. If you can’t, who then do you expect to appreciate you the way you deserve?

As a matter of fact, in order to learn how to be happy in life, you must start by being happy with who you are. Treat yourself with love, just like you want others to treat you!

It’s not selfish to love yourself, it’s just a way to set an example to others on how they should treat you. If you fail to love yourself unconditionally, there is no way you’ll find true happiness from any other source.

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Be Yourself

We all have our uniqueness and peculiarities, and for that, we have to be ourselves the best way we can.

It really doesn’t matter if you agree with me on this, but nobody is perfect. While you sit and watch someone else who seems to be too good, always have in mind that such a person has his or her own downside.

Having that in mind, you must learn how to be yourself and not someone else. Know who you are and become better at whatever you do. Be the best version of yourself because that’s what self-actualization entails.

One way to start practicing this is to learn how to focus on you and not others. Don’t always feel the need to impress others. Rather, you should be more concerned about being you, getting better, and living authentically.

Related: How To Stop Worrying What Others Think And Live Your Own Life

Discover Your Purpose

One of the best ways to discover how to be happy in life is to find out your life’s purpose.

As far as life is concerned, there are certain capacities inside us that need to be unlocked. In other words, there are lots of potentials you must explore. And unless you unlock those capacities and discover those potentials, then you can’t boldly say that you’ve found your purpose on earth.

For instance, you might have certain activities you’re passionate about (things that give you joy and the sense of fulfilment once you do them); be it writing, singing, sport, teaching, etc. Those are probably in line with your purpose in life.

Once you are unhappy at your place of work, then there is a big possibility you’re in the wrong place. No one is unhappy if what he/she is doing is the exact purpose of their existence!

There is this genuine happiness that comes with doing what you love to do. When you find out that you are living your purpose on earth, it brings an unending satisfaction.

However, remember that your purpose doesn’t have to be narrowed down to a particular thing. They can be as many as whatever you do that give you peace of mind.

Render Help To Others

There is a popular notion which points out that we rise when we lift other people. Similarly, when you render help, you will be happier.

Your question now might be; how will “helping others” make me happy?

Here is how it works:

When you help others by giving them your time, resources, or care, it definitely makes them happy. And they will appreciate you. You will feel great when people appreciate your kind gestures.

But mind you, helping others doesn’t mean you should be a people-pleaser. After all, you are only helping them out of your own magnanimity, not because you are compelled to do so.

When it becomes part of you to help others, your confidence keeps growing with every problem you solve. It gives you that awesome feeling of being useful. And hence, as a habitual helper, your happiness and satisfaction in life will be habitual as well.

Makes sense, right?

Adopt A Healthy Lifestyle

Surely, there are ways of life, habits, attitudes, or behaviours that will definitely not encourage a happy life. For instance, when you encounter one of those normal sad moments in life and decide to cure it with alcohol, that’s a good way to damage yourself slowly (especially when you make it a habit).

For the record, abusing alcohol (or other hard drugs) as a remedy for sadness has been found to be the major cause of domestic violence, depression, and even suicide!

If you really want to deal with those hard times, you can listen to music, read certain books that can uplift you, engage in certain exercises or physical activities and so much more. Such are healthy lifestyles for you.

Similarly, another healthy activity you should consider initiating is sleeping enough. It’s very unhealthy for you to deprive yourself of sleep. When you sleep between 6 to 8 hours every night, you will wake up happier and stronger the next morning.

To add to this, you must also eat healthily. Ration your dietary and nutritional intake. Excessive calories (fats and carbohydrates) aren’t good for your health. Copy that?

Experts suggest instead that adding more fruits and veggies to your diet will make you stronger. Moreover, ensure your diet is quite balanced! Remember, a healthy lifestyle will keep you physically and mentally strong and of course, that’s a pretty straightforward way to be happy in life.

Learn To Let Go

Sometimes holding on to things that are needless can make you an unhappy fellow. Learn to let go of certain things you obviously can’t change. You will be happier and relieved:
- Let go of fear and anxiety.
- Learn to let go of resentment and regrets.
- Let go of uncertainties and doubts.
- Avoid comparisons. Your life isn’t their life!
- Forget the past and be more focused on the present and the future.
By letting go, I can assure you that you’ll feel better as a person.

Meditate Often

One of the wisest men that ever lived once suggested that an unexamined life isn’t worth it. According to him, to live such a life is vain. And yep, I agree with him. In order to live a meaningful life, you need to create time to reflect and ponder.

The question now is, how will meditation make you happy?

Well, when you meditate, you condition your brain to enter a peaceful mode and hence, your worries will be reduced. This is because, through meditation, you will be calm enough to connect to yourself and become more aware of yourself.

It might interest you to know that self-awareness gives you the opportunity to understand your individuality better. Of course, that’s exactly what you need to be happy in life.

Final thoughts

Everything you’ve learned so far is very vital for a happy life. However, you need to always bear in mind that happiness is nothing but a choice. Therefore, in order to experience sustainable happiness in life, the basic step you must take is to DECIDE to be happy, regardless of your circumstances.

Don’t forget to pin & share these tips on how to be happy in life!

Hey, if you enjoyed these tips on how to be happy in life despite your circumstances, please take a moment to pin & share this post. I would appreciate it more than you know!

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July 10, 2020
10 Ways To Improve Your Mental Health Starting Today
With everything going on in the world, and how busy our lives can be, it is imperative that you constantly look for ways to improve your mental health.

Often when people hear about mental health, their first thought is depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other examples of mental illness. But in reality, mental health goes beyond just diagnosable mental illness.

According to the World Health Organization, “Mental health is a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to her or his community.”

Improving your mental health is as essential as every other part of your well-being. People tend to treat physical illnesses like cancer, diabetes, etc. but ignore their mental health.

With the constant struggles of life and the crazy things going on in the world today, there is a high tendency that all this would take a toll on your mental health. Therefore, one of the best self-care practices you can do for yourself is to improve your mental health.

Improve your mental health

Mental health is a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Your mental health plays a significant role in how you think, feel, deal with situations, and take action.

It would be hard to live a healthy and fulfilling life if you don’t. Being mentally healthy is a crucial part of living a happy and well-rounded life. By making your mental health a priority, you will be able to live a better life.

Do everything you can to make your emotional, psychological, and social well-being a priority today,. Your mind and body will thank you for it.

Not having good mental health can lead to anxiety, depression, post-traumatic disorder personality disorder, eating disorder, substance abuse, and psychotic disorder.

Below are ten effective and practical ways to improve your mental health!

1. Make and maintain healthy relationships

Loneliness is a factor that can contribute to mental health issues such as depression. When you stay by yourself idly for too long, you may begin to entertain depressing thoughts and even form bad habits such as smoking. You must develop healthy interpersonal relationships with your family and friends.

When you are struggling, and you need someone to help you, don’t be ashamed to ask your family or friends. Asking doesn’t mean you are weak, and it is better than suffering in silence. Be open and honest with your family and loved ones.

Join a community of people that share your interests either online or offline and try to maintain a healthy relationship with people around you.

Create a sound support system of people that understand your struggle and help you feel less alone in it. You should also maintain healthy boundaries in your interpersonal relationships so that people will not take advantage of the relationship they have with you either consciously or subconsciously.

2. Constantly practice gratitude

It is okay to want to have more wealth and material things, but the fact that you wish for more should not make you lose sight of what you have already. Instead of complaining about what you don’t have, you should be grateful for what you already possess and then work towards getting better. Quit complaining.

You only get depressed, stressed, or anxious when you let negative thoughts cloud your mind. And thinking about all that you don’t have instead of focusing on what you already have will only leave you stressed and depressed.

One very effective way to practice gratitude is by keeping a journal and writing down all that you are grateful for daily. Spend at least five minutes writing down at least three things that you are thankful for, either big or small. Things such as the air you are breathing, the fact that you can use the parts of your body, etc.

The more you dwell on positivity, the more your mind adapts to it, and in the end, you will notice that you can think better and do better things for yourself.

3. Forgive and Don’t hold grudges

One way to improve your mental health is by forgiving someone who has wronged you and not holding grudges. You must learn to forgive and forget. You also need to forgive yourself for any mistake you may have made in the past and regret.
Don’t dwell on your past mistakes, instead learn from it, let go of it and live better in the now.

The truth is that no one is above making mistakes. Studies have shown that people who forgive have better mental health and are more satisfied with their lives. When you don’t hold grudges, your mind is free from any form of bitter or negative thoughts.

4. Maintain a healthy diet and sleeping routine

You need to maintain a healthy diet and sleeping routine if you really want to improve your mental health. Eating a healthy and balanced meal is an essential part of your general well-being. Anything you take into your body affects your mood and overall health.

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, drink enough water, avoid taking too much sugar and junk food.

Make sleep a priority. Try to incorporate going to bed at the same time every day. Create and follow your routine so that you can get quality sleep because it is crucial. Getting quality sleep isn’t only about the number of hours you spend sleeping; it is also about getting a restful sleep that will keep you energized for the day ahead.

If you are struggling with sleep, you can try out some practices like meditation to help clear your head and calm your mind. Keep your bedroom dark and quiet and resist doing anything except sleeping in your bedroom. But if any of these don’t work, you may need to seek out professional help.

5. Be optimistic every day and do the things you love

It is easy to think about the things that are not going well in your life, then declare that your life is doomed and quickly fall into depression and anxiety. You need to make a conscious effort to be optimistic and always look on the bright side of things.

Consistently practice having an optimistic and positive attitude towards life and moving from negative thoughts to positive ones.

Do the things you love, take up a new creative hobby that will help you feel fulfilled, explore new areas, smile often, laugh, go out and breathe in some fresh air, and just have fun.

Read self-development books, take yourself out on a sweet treat, listen to your favorite music playlist, do the things you love, and that make you happy.

Set goals for yourself and work towards achieving them. Pursue your dreams and make them come true. Go out of your comfort zone and try something new and exciting. Just live.

6. Relax and take a break when you need one

It is okay to relax and take a break when you need one; overworking yourself will only leave you stressed out, and stress isn’t good for you. Therefore you need to reassess your priorities and cut back on some work if possible.

Too much stress or poorly managed stress over a long period can have a detrimental effect on your social, emotional, and physical well-being.

7. Don’t compare yourself to others, stay away from negativity, and learn to say no

Comparing yourself to other people either via social media or in real life does more harm to your mental health than good. It is the actual devil. Remember that everyone is on their own journey. Regardless of whether you are the same age or if you do the same job, everyone has a different route.

Give yourself credit for going through life in your way, you’re doing the best you can.

Learn the difference between being inspired by someone else’s success and comparing yourself to them. The other person may have already gotten to the middle when you were just starting, so quit comparing yourself.

Stay away from harmful content and negative people because they will hurt you in the end.

You must also learn to say no when necessary. Learning to say no is power because it is impossible to say yes to everything and everyone. You will only be shooting yourself in the foot if you do. You will begin to feel overwhelmed and inadequate.

Learn to say no and don’t feel bad about it. Stop trying to please everyone because it is not possible. Quit being a perfectionist and feeling like you are not good enough. Love your flaws because they make you unique!

Don’t let other people’s opinions about you dictate your feelings. Always have a positive body image because it will help to improve your self-esteem. Wear clothes that make you feel good.

Also read my post on how to stop worrying what others think of you if you often let others’ opinions hold you back.

8. Quit unhealthy habits such as taking alcohol and smoking

If you want to improve your mental health and live a healthy life, you need to quit certain unhealthy habits. Alcohol has a significant effect on your overall well-being and health. It changes your brain chemistry and increases stress and anxiety.

Cutting down on or quitting smoking and drinking alcohol will serve you well.

9. Exercise regularly

The positive impact of physical exercise on your mental health cannot be overemphasized. It plays an essential role in helping you to battle with anxiety, depression, stress, and any related condition.

Exercising can improve your sleep, make you feel more relaxed, and increase your body’s production of endorphins, which can improve your mood. There are different ways you can exercise; it doesn’t have to be a high-intensity routine. It could be as simple as taking a walk or dancing!

Just look for the form of exercise that you genuinely enjoy so you’ll stick with it. You can also check out my post on ways to be more active without going to the gym for some tips.

10. Get help if you need to

Some symptoms that you may experience if you have a mental health condition include: Eating too much or too late, sleeping too much or too little, lack of energy, constant mood swings, constantly fighting with your loved ones, feeling confused, forgetful, angry, or on edge.

You need to take mindful note of your mind and body so that you can identify these symptoms, because you may be anxious, depressed, or stressed without even realizing it.

To figure things out, you can ask yourself questions like:
- Am I as interested in everything I used to be interested in?
- Do I feel more irritated, angry, or on edge than usual?
- Am I drinking alcohol more than I used to?
- Has the quality or quantity of my sleep diminished?
- Has my appetite or weight changed?
- Do I have less energy than I used to?
- Have my loved ones commented on any changes in my mood or behavior?
This is not to strictly ascertain that you have a mental health condition if you experience any of these symptoms, but if they persist, then you should seek professional help.

Final thoughts

On a final note, when trying to implement the tips mentioned above, you need to be patient with yourself and take things one step at a time. Change won’t happen overnight. But implementing some of the points from this list is an excellent way to start out on your journey to improving your mental health.

It may take a while to let go of those negative thoughts or completely conquer depression, but once you start out on the journey to being better and you keep at it, the rest will be history.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “You don’t have to see the whole staircase; just take the first step.”

Learn to do things for yourself and not because someone else said you should. You may have a big life decision to make soon, and your friends and family might have different opinions on it.

Although it is okay to take their opinions into consideration because they are essential people in your life, you have to make the decision that is right for you, making you happy and improving your quality of life.

Any other decision apart from this is the wrong one and bad for your mental health because, in the end, your happiness and well-being matter the most.

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June 30, 2020
15 Tips On How To Change Your Life For The Better
Are you feeling a bit lost in life? Or maybe just feel like you’re not really where you want to be? That’s okay, everyone feels that way at some point or another. Today I’ll share some tips with you on how to change your life for the better when you feel like you need a change.

One fact we all must have acknowledged is that life is a mystery. This is because life has a lot of facets which make it totally unpredictable.

Many times, we make plans and we try as much as we can to organize each and every step we take. We try to speculate and be proactive in order to be one step ahead. We understand the contingencies associated with life, so we try as much as possible to create a plan B, C, and D.

However, many times, to our greatest dismay, life still comes up with something totally different which we never expected or even have a clue about, despite our plans and counter-plans! We then find ourselves in a position that can be best described as “shambles”!

This explains why a lot of people argue that a man can propose, but only life itself can dispose. That’s the position every human is in. We all have our fair share of life’s dynamism.

How to change your life

No doubt, you must have found yourself in one of those tight corners at some point. Presently, you might even be battling with one difficulty or another.

You might also see a lot of people who seem comfortable and happy (many of them are not even super-rich but they look like they’ve got no problems in life); now, you may start wondering if everyone is actually passing through issues or if your life is just different from others.

Well, just so you know, we all have our respective problems. Each and every one of us has different (peculiar) issues just as our faces are different.

Such is life.

But then, the difference between you and those who seem to be buoyant, happy, and comfortable, (even amidst adversities and hardship) is that they have mastered the art of transformation which helps them to constantly navigate and adapt to the fluxes of life.

Do you intend to master this art too? Do you want to learn how to change your life for the better?
Then you have to brace up because it requires constant practice. It might be a bit discomforting because there are adjustments that must be made.

But hey, let’s get started! Here are 15 tips to help you improve your life:

1. Readjust Your Mindset

There is this popular saying that if you want to change the world, you should change yourself first. This is because you are a part of the greater universe.

Now to change yourself, you have to start by changing your mind. This is because your attitude, character, decision, indecision, and actions are all products of your mind. Your individuality is forged by the kind of mindset you have.
If things are becoming unbearably discomforting and you want to know how to change your life for good, then start by readjusting your mindset.

Being a bit more positive-minded about life will go a long way to drag your life towards the positive end.
Although it can be a bit difficult to stay positive amidst the problems of life, it’s very possible.

But how?

Firstly, remove your doubts and be positive about who you want to be and how you want to live your life. Where you could have said “I can’t” learn how to say “I Can”. That’s an exemplary way of initiating the required change of mindset…

And It is only when you have this clear and positive mindset that you can commence your journey towards a better life.

2. Give Your Life A Meaning

A life of reason is a meaningful life.

At this point, you have to ask yourself what reason you live for. Because understanding the reason for your existence makes everything quite easier!

It is easier to wake up in the morning and step out of your home if you have something to live for. Now, are you in that situation where you’re no longer sure if you still have a reason to live? Then you can actually create one for yourself.

Whatever definition or meaning you give your life (whether creating more wealth, staying happy, or finding love) becomes a good reason for you to keep striving and believing. This will give you a deep sense of purpose. And with that, your steps will be directed towards a meaningful life.

3. Build Your Future From This Moment

There is no way you can truly change your life for good if you keep dwelling on the sad events of the past! You need to recreate those sad yesterdays. And to do that, you have to learn from those mistakes and put them right this time around.

Funny enough, our brains can be tricked. Our brains are wired to be repetitive. That’s why many times, we don’t learn from our mistakes; we tend to take that wrong step over and over again…

However, there is no better moment to break that jinx than NOW.

Start building your future differently from this moment. That is typically an indicator that you’ve learned how to improve your life. It will only get better and better.

4. Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone

This is where it gets crucial. This is a very necessary step to take if you really want to experience better days ahead. For your personal development, you have to acquire new experiences. However, often, the new experiences that are needed for your personal development are not pleasurable.

This is in line with a popular slogan that denotes that without pain, there won’t be gain. In other words, you will gain a lot (of knowledge, experience, or wealth) doing things that are really not comfortable for you.

Hence, if you yearn for a better tomorrow, you have to take a step out of that place that makes you too comfortable.

5. Embrace Self-love

Love yourself unconditionally because elsewhere, nobody really cares. Nobody enjoys being deserted by others, but it’s far more lonely if you desert yourself. Therefore, learn how to love yourself.

The best way to start practicing self-love is by professing positively to yourself. Just stare at the mirror and profess your love to the image before you… It feels great!

Another way to exhibit self-love is by taking good care of yourself, your health, your emotions, your thoughts.

Truly, if you can treat yourself a bit more nicely, your life will definitely change for the better.

6. Mind What You Eat And How You Eat It

Do you know that certain diets you live on are catastrophic to your health and entire life? Eating heavily before bed (especially carbohydrates) can make your sleep irregular. Consequently, you wake up weak and the entire day will be unproductive for you.

Also, excessive intake of fats can increase the level of cholesterol in your body which puts you at risk of developing heart problems. Moreover, depending so much on alcohol will never make your life better, instead, it does the opposite. It destroys your organs and over the years, it might result in life-threatening diseases.

In a nutshell, mind what you eat and how you eat it; good food can greatly improve the quality of your life.

7. Worry Less About What Others Think

Actually, it shouldn’t be your business what others think about how you’ve chosen to live your life. It’s impossible to control people’s thoughts or influence their opinions about you. It can only turn you into a people-pleaser.

Now, trying so hard to please people will simply drain you emotionally, psychologically, and physically. Besides, you will end up living for others and not for yourself.

Let me make this clear; to worry about what people think is a total waste of energy and time. For that reason, why not channel that energy and time towards improving yourself instead?

The moment you decide to live an authentic life (void of people’s unnecessary opinions), that’s when you make a breakthrough.

8. Adopt Productive Routines

If you intend to live a transformed life, you can start by adopting routines that drive you towards that direction. For instance, when you make “early sleep and early rise” a routine, your life will certainly improve in many different ways. You will not only get healthier, but more energized and productive.

Another productive routine you can adopt is regular exercise. Of course, you already know how important it is for your health and physical fitness.

Moreover, reading good books and listening to helpful podcasts can really sharpen your brain and make you versed in knowledge.

In fact, there are a whole lot of activities you can adopt to improve yourself as a person… And you can’t really say that you’ve realized how to change your life if you don’t routinize those activities.

9. Shun Unproductive Mindsets

Now, you don’t only have to adopt a productive lifestyle, you also have to shun those lifestyles or mindsets that don’t add to your life’s value.

For instance, there are 7 mindsets that won’t allow you to grow as a person. They are:
- Perfectionism
- Being judgmental
- Pessimism
- Self-doubt
- Anxiety
- Ingratitude, and
- Hypersensitivity.
All of the aforementioned can simply be referred to as killer mindsets (not a good thing). They don’t make you productive, rather, they reduce your capacity as a person. Eliminate them.

10. Learn To Commit To Others

Commitment is not necessarily easy. But when you finally get good at it, your self-confidence will receive a major boost. This is simply because you will be highly dependable.

Of course, you know that when people depend on you often, you feel more useful and responsible. Imagine the confidence that comes with that? Pretty great stuff.

11. Optimize Your Life Through The Use Of Constraints

There is no better way to live your desired life than to optimize your life. You can do this with the use of certain constraints. But first, write out all the things you WANT in life. Then assess them carefully to ascertain your actual NEEDS.

Naturally, we all tend to want more, but we fail to consider all we already have at our disposal. We fail to acknowledge the fact that our basic needs have been met already.

The moment you start living within the constraints of what you already have, then you’ll be content enough to stay happy and appreciative; even while chasing those bigger goals.

12. Focus

In this sense, focus means that you should concentrate on a few activities and master them, instead of taking up a lot of tasks and then dabbling in all!

Although you might be presented with lots of opportunities, just choose the right one for you and perfect it.

Focusing on that which matters most will not only give you mastery, but it will also reduce unnecessary worries or stress involved in multitasking. Then finally, you will achieve that which matters most in your life.

13. Set The Goal

One basic way to give your life a sense of purpose is by setting a goal that you intend to achieve. You don’t just have to dream and envision that transformed life that you want to live, you have to take action towards it.

You can only do this if you set out short-term, medium-term, and long term goals for yourself.

It will simply give you a clear direction towards a better life… Your dream life.

14. Let It Be One Goal At A Time

Make it a realistic goal. Take it one step at a time. You will more likely achieve that one goal (that you put in all your effort) than multiple goals.

Chasing a lot of goals is unnecessary if you are in a position where you are trying to put your life together.

Moreover, remember that your goal can always take a twist from time to time. Now, by concentrating on a single goal at a time, you can easily navigate and adapt immediately when such changes occur.

15. See Growth As A Lifetime Process

Once you start seeing growth as a continuous process, then you will be patient enough to withstand the difficulties you may encounter along the line.

Also, the perception that personal development is a life-long process will give you the zeal to seek for improvement always, for as long as you live.

What else do you need in order to transform your life if not to improve continually? Surely that’s how to change your life for good. It’s a perfect way to start living a fulfilled life!

Final thoughts

Finally, it’s quite understandable how stressful it can be to apply all the tips discussed above. But you can choose just as many as you can and START implementing them.

Remember, to change your life is a gradual and continuous process. Therefore, always take it one step at a time.

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June 22, 2020
20 Productive Things To Do At Home When You Are Bored
If you have some time on your hands, or if you’re stuck at home without anything to do, it’s easy to start to feel bored. However there are quite a number of productive things to do at home when you are bored. And it can be pretty fun too.

Everyone goes through a phase of boredom at one point or the other but boredom can be conquered by following these 3 simple steps:

1. Understand what boredom is and what it can cause.
2. Have some effective strategies in place that you can use to fight boredom immediately when it kicks in.
3. Have a list of productive and fun activities to do that will help you break out of boredom.

Boredom is a feeling caused as a result of monotony in daily activities, lack of energy, lack of motivation, procrastination, loneliness, being idle or not finding anything interesting to do.

But sometimes, you could be surrounded with people and things to do but still be bored. Sigh, it’s way better to be bored alone than to have someone actually boring the remaining life out of you!

Now, there is a difference between being lazy and feeling bored. Laziness refers to when a person is just lounging around and doesn’t put any effort into doing anything, while boredom means not having much to do or not motivated to do anything.

20 Fun & Productive Things To Do At Home When Boredom Strikes

As the saying goes, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop”. Therefore, you need to get your hands or mind busy in a positive way as much as you can, in order to fight boredom, which may lead to having terrible thoughts or doing things you don’t really want to (like overeating).

Below are 20 fun and productive things to do at home when you find yourself feeling bored. They won’t just help you pass time when you’re bored, but will also be productive and fruitful for your personal development.

1. Learn a new skill

What better way to kill boredom than to equip yourself with a new skill? There are different types of new skills you could learn that will even help you forge ahead in whatever career you already have at hand.

The good news is that you can learn most of these skills online for free, examples are: digital marketing, graphic design, photography, content creation, e.t.c. The bad news is…well there’s no bad news, you have no excuse not to learn that skill now, especially if you’ve got the time!

Learning a new skill can be a very exciting and fun thing to do. It could even make you money in the long run if you decide to offer it as a service to other people (which I’m pretty sure you want to do because it seems in 2020, everyone wants to make a bit of extra money )!

2. Improve your existing skills

You probably have a certain skill you have learnt before, but you just abandoned it or you haven’t made any move to find out the new development in that field—now is the time to find ways to improve on that skill.

Times are always changing, as change is the only constant thing in life. The only way to stay on top of your game with any skill you have is to constantly change with the times by learning and practicing the newly introduced developments in that are. And the best time to do this…is…drum roll…when you’re bored, since you know, you’ve got the time.

3. Learn a new language

Learning a new language is a very interesting practice to engage in and it might come in handy for you at anytime. A lot of people have always had the intention to learn a new language but they always postpone it due to lack of time.

Learning a new language broadens your mind, and gives you a view of other cultures and ways of life. You might even decide to visit the place where the language is spoken someday and you will be able to actively communicate with the people.

You don’t necessarily have to go to a language learning center or take a physical course in school to learn a new language anymore, everything can be learned online. And some platforms even offer it for free (whoop whoop)!

4. Read

Reading is a very exciting thing to do, be it fiction or non-fiction. You either learn a thing or two, get entertained or possibly get more motivated. In times when you are bored or don’t have anything to do, reading can be a good way to pass time effectively.

5. Do a physical workout

Physical workout is not just a way to help you fight boredom, it also helps you stay healthy and fit.

Have any unwanted belly fat? You can actually get rid of it when you’re bored!

You can go for a run or do indoor exercises, whichever works for you is fine. There are plenty of free exercise classes online. The end result is what matters.

6. Keep your mind busy and brainstorm

Great ideas are born out of mere thoughts and as Napoleon Hill said, “Ideas are the beginning points of all fortunes”. The best time to brainstorm and formulate new ideas is when you are bored and doing nothing productive.

Let your mind wander, bring up different scenarios, think about what a certain action you implement will lead to. Just free your mind and think strategically.

Who knows, you could come up with a brand new business idea, or a best seller book idea. Or if you’re stuck with a particular problem in some area of your life, you might finally come up with a good solution.

7. Empty your mailbox or messages and send responses

Reading through your messages and mail can be tiring sometimes. And even when you read them you might not have enough time to send back responses immediately. That’s why it’s so easy to just let the messages pile up. And pile up. And then you see the number of messages keep growing, and it makes it even more daunting to tackle that inbox. (I’m definitely guilty of doing this).

The perfect time to get your inbox back in order is when you are bored. Open your mailbox or messages, read through the important ones, delete the unimportant ones and respond to those you should.

Before you know it, you have gotten that out of the way and you also beat boredom all at once. And your future self will thank you for it. Definitely one of the more productive things to do at home when you are bored.

8. Check up on family and friends and spend time with them

Caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, we don’t always have the time to check up on those dear to us or even spend time with them. Pick up your phone to call them today and ask how they are doing. Visit them if you can and spend quality time with them.

9. Adopt a new hobby

Hobbies are things we love to do and find joy in doing. Everyone has one or two hobbies, but it doesn’t hurt to have more up your sleeve in order to beat boredom.

There are a wide variety of hobbies a person can choose from; singing (basically everyone’s hobby in the shower), swimming, photography, writing, reading, sightseeing, cooking, painting, drawing.

The list is endless and all you have to do is try some out (or all of them) one at a time in order to decide which one works best for you.

10. Take a walk

Taking a walk is a very therapeutic thing to do, it helps you clear your head, think better and breathe in fresh air (or run into that cute boy down the street).

One of the best things you can do for yourself when you are bored is to take a long walk down your block or to a serene place, appreciate nature in all it’s glory, breathe in fresh air and be refreshed.

11. Plan your next trip

We all deserve a little bit of fun and there are places we can go to in order to make that a reality. But just going to places isn’t all of the fun. Planning your trip can be just as much fun!

So plan that next a fishing trip, a boat cruise, a mountain hike, or visiting a new place you really want to see. Anything fun that catches your fancy.

12. Watch an informational movie or documentary

Watching movies or documentaries that you can learn something from is a very fun way to alleviate boredom. Not only are you getting entertained, you also get to learn one or two things. So grab some popcorn, put on something interesting and chill.

13. Listen to music

Who doesn’t love some beautiful sounds and lyrics to the ears? As Billy Joel said, “I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.”

You want to kill that boredom? Plug in your earphones, put on that stereo and play that music you love. If possible dance to it, reflect on it and let it warm your heart. You will be glad you did it.

14. Create something

Creation is the whole essence of life, the world was created and so were we.

There are different things you could get your hands on and create. It could be as simple as planting a new flower, creating a photo book, or a drawing.

You are not limited, all you have to do is create something, anything. It doesn’t just cure boredom, but it also heightens your creativity level and gives you a sense of achievement.

15. Evaluate your progress

One very good time to reflect and evaluate how far you have gone with your plans, goals and aspirations is when you are bored.

You’ll be able to critically think about all that you have done to work towards your goals, how successful your steps have been, and what you need to stop doing or start doing more of. This way, you give yourself a fresh perspective and a new start if needed.

16. Socialize and network

The truth is, you will always need people in whatever endeavor you choose in life. And what better way to meet more people than to network and socialize.

This can be done in person by attending events or shows, but it could also easily be done via the internet if you’re stuck at home. The key is to reach out to people, spark interesting conversations, tell them what you do, exchange contacts and keep in touch.

17. Meditate

Meditation is the exercise of the mind.

In the words of Pema Chodron, “Meditation is a process of lightening up, of trusting the basic goodness of what we have and who we are, and of realizing that any wisdom that exists, exists in what we already have. We can lead our life so as to become more awake to who we are and what we’re doing rather than trying to improve or change or get rid of who we are or what we’re doing. The key is to wake up, to become more alert, more inquisitive and curious about ourselves.”

By meditating, you are training your mind to focus, redirecting your thoughts positively and letting go of stress. It is a very effective and productive way to overcome boredom.

18. Take a Nap

Okay, this does not look so productive at first glance, but the body (and mind) need adequate rest to function well. Instead of worrying about how bored you are, why not just lay down and take a nap?

Not only are you eliminating your boredom by doing this, but you are also giving your body and mind the adequate rest that it deserves. This can be especially helpful if you don’t normally get a good night’s rest.

19. Write something

Anais Nin said, “We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect”, and I absolutely agree.

Writing helps your mind to travel far away with imagination. It helps you to understand things that are blurry and helps you put tiny shattered pieces of thought together.

You can write about absolutely anything. Putting pen on paper or typing out those words helps you free your mind. Just keep scribbling without stopping and without judgement. You’ll be surprised that the words make so much sense to the next person. Writing is a therapeutic way to beat boredom.

20. Eliminate procrastination

Procrastination has always been said to be “ the greatest thief of time”.

Sometimes you have so much to do, that it starts to seem overwhelming, and then you abandon it all and instead begin to complain of boredom. You need to stand up now, motivate yourself and get back to what you really should be doing instead of moping around and complaining of boredom.

Postponing what you should do now till later won’t make you any better or more relaxed, because you still have that particular thing hanging over your head. Get up and start doing something.

So, dear friend, it’s okay to get bored, don’t we all? But the right thing to do is find a way or ways to get out of it before it eats you up.

How much better if it’s something that will also end up being productive for you in the end. Explore new things, find new ideas and build on existing ones. Doing the things highlighted in this article will be your easy way out of boredom.

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April 7, 2020