Your Future Is Yours to Create, As Long As You Have a Purpose

Think about today as a new beginning. From today on let no one, not any circumstance and anything said to you, change how you feel, what you believe about yourself, or how you view your future potential. Your future is yours to create.

Now the challenge is going to be living this as a matter of practice. What is it going to take to be able to set an example for yourself to live a life unchallenged by events going on around you, especially when there are those who want to upset you, put you down, distract you, make you feel as if you do not possess the skills or talents necessary to succeed, or you find yourself faced with events that are just too overwhelming?

It is all a matter of anchoring your life with a sense of purpose. You have to remember that you are always free. While you may not be able to control what goes on around you, and the actions others may take in an attempt to dominate you, you control your life by what you think. There's nothing more freeing than thinking and planning a new life. That's what it means to have a sense of purpose. Perhaps what I've learned will help to inspire you as well to create a vision or plan.

A Life with a Vision

What it means to have a purpose in your life is to have a plan anchored by a vision. The plan doesn't need to be complex, rather it can be your vision of how good life should and could be for you. It can start as a dream and blossom from that point forward. Whatever it is you decide to do, be creative about it, find methods of establishing visual cues that trigger happy thoughts and good feeling emotional cues. This is something you will call upon during challenging times.

As you dream, or create your future vision, don't allow yourself to be restrained in any manner. You've heard about the sky being the limit. But have you considered how dreams can be unlimited? What if you imagine having no boundaries for whatever it is you want to accomplish now, and in the future? Now is the time to discover how freeing it can be to remove constraints, and set your imagination free. This is your life to create, one vision at a time.

Creating a Sense of Purpose

You can find freedom from any circumstance you may find yourself in, and it begins with the thoughts you develop. No matter how challenging a situation may be, you can always imagine an alternative. At any time, you can create a vision of a new outcome, and allow yourself to feel the emotions of experiencing it. Soon you'll find a way for it to begin, as you make a plan for it. This is how you begin to create a sense of purpose. What follows are some other ideas for developing your own approach to creating your life of purpose.

Plan for Success: You may be in the best of circumstances life can offer, or next to the worst. It doesn't matter when you are looking to the future. Just decide what it is you want, as to the best your life can and should be.

Understand What You Control: If you find you are in a situation now you wish you could change and are unable to do so, give up the need to control it. Instead, look ahead and envision something new. It's time to change your focus.

Recognize Your Thought Patterns: What will set you back quicker than any other habit is old thought patterns that get in your way, such as thinking you are stuck and will not move forward. It's time to recognize and discard those types of thought patterns.

Put the Past Behind You: What happened yesterday is gone and cannot be changed. Regret is never going to bring you the life you desire. If anything, count the past as lessons learned and move forward. Shift your attention to what's ahead.

Open Your Mind to What's Possible: If you've been in a situation in which you've been put down, bullied, harassed, or in any other way been made to feel you have no chance of creating a better outcome, future, career, or anything similar, put that all behind you. You can look to the future and imagine becoming anything you desire.

See the Future Vision: Once you've decided you can dream, actually imagine yourself in this new vision. What do you see? Find photos and create your vision board for the future. Do anything that will give you visual prompts of what's to come for you.

Experience the Future Vision: As you envision the new future, allow yourself to emotionally feel it, as if you were there now. Those feelings can inspire you in ways you've never imagined, to begin to take action. Now you have a purpose.

Today Begins Your Renewal

There's no question: What you choose to focus upon matters for your well-being. For example, if you have a negative thought or idea, it can be cultivated into a worrisome state of mind. In contrast, you can also begin with an affirmative or positive idea, and cultivate it, allowing it to continue until you feel good. You are capable of thinking and feeling better. This is never dependent upon a current situation or set of circumstances.

As long as you can use the power of your mind, the thoughts you think, the creativity of your imagination, and your willingness to look ahead, you will set yourself free, and chart a course according to a new purpose you've developed. Once you do, you will never again imagine living a life without a purpose, as you will know how fulfilled you can be, at any moment in time. You need no one but yourself to feel good, and this is what true self-empowerment means. Let today mark the day you begin your renewal, by removing the restraints of doubt and fear, and allowing hope to become the dominant thought within your mind.

Dr. Bruce A. Johnson is an inspirational author, writer, and educator.

To discover resources available for educators, along with career and professional development, please visit:  http://www.drbruceajohnson.com/

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr._Bruce_A._Johnson/834483

What You Believe You Become

What do you believe about your life now? What do you believe about your potential now? If you reflect upon the number of recent tasks, projects, or goals you've begun, how many did you complete? How many from that list did you begin and then set aside, thinking there was not enough time, resources, support, or too many barriers to overcome?

If you have a record of not completing projects or tasks, do you place the responsibility upon yourself, or is it always a matter of external conditions, be it people or something else? These are important questions to consider while you begin to contemplate what it means to accomplish what's important and meaningful in your life. This is especially true for goals. If you have set goals for yourself, it means there is some outcome you hope to achieve, something or some condition you aspire to complete, often resulting in a change within your life.

As you continue your reflection, about task or goal completion, consider something even more important: What did you believe about yourself, and your capability, at the time you established your tasks, projects, and goals? Did you stop to think about whether or not you were capable of achieving what you had planned? Or did you simply establish something you thought would be possible, and begin with a sense of hope? That's usually how goals are formed, perhaps even with a sense of optimism.

The excitement of starting something new may last for a short time period, until the hard work sets in, and it becomes necessary to maintain that initial momentum or excitement. If you didn't have a supportive belief system established, the momentum may quickly fade, and the project or goal may stall. That's when the task switches from being enjoyable, to becoming a monumental chore, and the negative self-talk begins.

What's the missing element? It's the beliefs you hold. If you start out believing you can accomplish anything you decide to do, then maintaining momentum will not be as difficult. The premise is simple: You become what you believe. I'll share with you some ideas for improving your belief system, so that you are better able to start, and work towards completing, your projects and goals.

Why Do Beliefs Matter?

Beliefs matter because you always have thoughts in your mind, and you can choose what your self-talk consists of each day. Now if you have become accustomed to hearing negative self-talk, it will take some practice to change this habit. For example, if you are always criticizing yourself for past mistakes, reminding yourself of past failures, and continually pointing out flaws, then trying to establish positive beliefs is going to be challenging at first. Your working conditions may also reinforce a negative attitude, especially if you have a manager who is always focused on what they perceive to be your flaws, and never noticing your strengths or contributions to the organization.

Yet you are in control of your thoughts, and this is something you can learn to change in time. It is a practiced habit, and like all habits, it can be corrected. It's a matter of finding a new setpoint, or learning to tune out whatever might be harmful to your well-being, and stopping to think about those thoughts that help to lift you up. Everyone has flaws, and everyone has areas of development. However, this does not need to be your focal point at all times. A positive frame of reference is how you become a better person, and how you work on your areas of development. It all has to do with the development of a positive or supportive self-belief system.

Developing a Positive Self-Belief System

There are strategies I've developed over time, and shared with my students, that I recommend for you as well. These methods will help you learn to better tune into those thoughts that support you, and your efforts to develop new goals, projects, and tasks, and sustain those efforts, even during times when the work becomes challenging. I use the acronym BELIEF.

Become Your Own Sponsor: You must rely upon yourself to be supportive, even when there are times that you feel challenged by your goals, life, work, or anything else that comes along. If you begin to think negative thoughts, then you are going to view your entire life in this manner, and you are not going to be able to respond in a way that is beneficial to you. You think and act best when you self-supportive.

Elevate Yourself: As you learn to become self-supportive, you can elevate yourself by believing in yourself, despite natural doubts and questions. There is no perfect person, and you should never accept that you are expected to be perfect. Who you are is exactly who you are supposed to be, someone who is learning and growing every day. You have a capacity to continue to grow.

Like Who You Are: It is important to your well-being that you like the person you see in the mirror. Your entire disposition will change if you make a conscious decision that who you are is perfectly acceptable, even if you decide there are flaws. The imperfections you hold make you perfect. When you like yourself, you are stating that you also believe in yourself. The two go hand-in-hand. You can like yourself without having to ask for anyone's permission. This is your decision, and yours alone.

Intend to Remain Positive: There are going to be days in which you feel down, challenged, and not at your peak. This is all part of life. What you can do is intend to retain your positive disposition, for the sake of maintaining your self-resilience and determination to do your best no matter what conditions may be. This does not mean you are wearing a happy face, rather it means your outlook is hopeful and you are going to find a way to still believe in the best outlook. You will find it easier to get through those challenging days, when you have a positive disposition.

Engage in Beliefs that Challenge You: You may be holding onto existing beliefs that do not serve you well now, as you are thinking about aspects of your life that have not occurred in the manner you hoped it would. If so, this is the time to engage those beliefs, to determine not why they were developed, but to ascertain if you still need to hold onto them. Now that you are thinking about a new method of developing beliefs, it is time to begin to set aside prior beliefs, especially those that do not serve you well. It will take practice, but those old beliefs are likely keeping you stuck in the past.

Forge New Positive Beliefs: If you need help feeling better about yourself, now is the time to forge your new beliefs. You can do this by relating these beliefs to the new goals you've established. For example, if you have a goal related to your well-being, then decide what it will take to reach or attain that goal. Consider potential obstacles or barriers along the way. Then write down beliefs you will need to support the goal as well. Now practice stating those beliefs. You will now be prepared to work on your goal, and have supportive beliefs to guide you.

It's All a Matter of Focus

What you choose to focus upon matters for your well-being. If you have a negative idea, it can be cultivated into a worrisome state of mind. You can also begin with an affirmative idea, allowing it to continue until you feel good. You have an ability to think and feel better. This is the formula for beliefs as well. It's all about thinking and what you focus upon. You are the sum of what you are thinking about in this moment, which means you are the sum of what you believe about yourself. You can train yourself to think the best about yourself, which in turn means you believe the best about yourself. If you want to make changes to your life, start a new goal, or accomplish something you have dreamed of doing, develop a positive disposition and supportive belief system. What you believe about yourself, you will become through the actions you take. You control your life, through the power of your thoughts.

Dr. Bruce A. Johnson is an inspirational author, writer, and educator.

To discover resources available for educators, along with career and professional development, please visit: http://www.drbruceajohnson.com/

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr._Bruce_A._Johnson/834483

5 Ways To Get Back On Track When You've Lost Your Way

 

https://youtu.be/v7fODknoBrM

Here's some great advice from Fearless Soul on getting your life back on track

It's Not What Happens That Determines The Quality Of Your Life, But How You Respond To It

Why We Are Attracting The Same Conditions?

Everything that happens in our life reflects our inner state of being. It has to because no two people have the same lesson from their experience. Therefore, it underscores that what we think is externalised in our reality, whether we are conscious of it. Many people struggle with this idea and try to change outside circumstances to coincide with their inner state of being. For example, if we are unhappy being single, we will look for a partner. If the relationship falls short of our expectations, we might end it because it hasn't fulfilled our needs. The same thing happens in other areas of life. We try desperately to change the world outside of us, to make us happy. But this is a recipe for disaster because the key to happiness is to reverse engineer the process.

We must first adjust our thoughts, then we will attract ideal conditions that match our inner vision. 

Can you identify with this? Have you experienced something similar? It's a common situation because we are convinced the only way to attain happiness is to change outside conditions. Unfortunately, we cannot change reality and therefore can only control our inner state of being. Can you recall the child toy you played with called a Shape Sorter, where you had to fit a circle, triangle or square into its corresponding shape? The toy is useful for building children's motor-skill patterns. Some children initially struggle to make a triangle fit into a square hole, but eventually work out the correct block.

I'm proposing we adopt a similar analogy and align our thoughts with our true desires, instead of trying to manipulate reality. Therefore, it's not our circumstances that determine the quality of our life, but how we respond to it. We must find out why we are attracting the same conditions. For example, do you repeatedly attract the same negative experiences? It might be with your finances, health, relationships or career? I know it's frustrating because there was a time I was attracting difficult experiences without knowing why. I was spinning my wheels and couldn't see past my difficulties.

When I stopped trying to change external circumstances and accepted my problems, my life improved enormously. I accepted I was attracting undesirable circumstances and discovered why these patterns kept repeating. I processed my childhood wounds where anger, resentment and shame were operating and sabotaging my happiness. On a conscious level, I knew what I wanted my life to be, but my actions were not conforming to my innermost thoughts. There was a discrepancy in what I wanted and what was materialising in my life. So, I analysed my old beliefs that were creating my difficult experiences and adjusted them to correspond with a new reality.

You Are Not Powerless To Change Your Life

I realise it might seem like a lot of hard work. But what's the rush, if you keep repeating the same patterns and attracting negative circumstances? I surprised when people say: "It was meant to be" because what I'm hearing is resignation and apathy in their words. I'm hearing someone who is not in control of their life and feels powerless to change their circumstances. How we respond to our problems is based on our attitude. Our response is how we claim control over our circumstances, instead of allowing them to defeat us. Life is mirroring our innermost beliefs about reality. When people say life is good or bad, I disagree because life is impartial. It is a concealed mirror reflecting what we hold in our heart and mind.

Are you getting the sense that you have more power than you realise? Can you see by directing your thoughts, you shift your life in a different direction? You don't have to keep recycling the same conditions. I'm assuming since you are reading this article, you are drawn to the message these words convey? I'm assuming you want to make changes, but you are scared or don't know what steps to take? And that's okay. It's okay to be frightened and not know how to get out of your current circumstances; it means you will keep searching for answers. But don't believe for a second you are powerless to change your life. It may seem that way from your current position because you are a focussed on the problem, not the solution.

So, here's an exercise I invite to undertake, if you are serious about overcoming your current challenges. In a recent blog article via his website, researcher and lecturer Dr Joe Dispenza invites us to answer five questions regarding our current challenges. I completed the exercise recently on a current problem and found it valuable to look at my situation from a fresh perspective. Instead of dwelling on the problem, I could see how it was contributing to my personal growth. In fact, I came up with five advantages that the problem was contributing to my life. So, after you finish reading this article, take 10 or 15 minutes and complete the questions. See if you can find the hidden treasure contained within your current problem. Give yourself the gift of responding to your challenges differently. It is only when we step outside the box and see our problems from a new perspective that we will change our life completely.

Do you want to lead a remarkable life? Are you committed to taking action despite your fears and doubts? If so, download your FREE copy of my eBook NAVIGATE LIFE right now, and start your amazing journey of greatness today!

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tony_Fahkry/837610

6 Tips to Organize Your Thoughts

Anything can be organized, even your thoughts. We say that we can't help the way we think, but we can! There may be things in life that we have no control over, but our thoughts are not one of them.

When a thought comes to mind, you make the choice to accept or reject that thought. Your choice may be conscious or subconscious, but either way it's your choice.

Our brains function basically like computers. They are constantly processing information; incoming thoughts and outgoing actions. At times, so many thoughts are floating around in our heads that we can't keep them all straight. If we don't purge the excess in some way, we become overwhelmed, and process this information in a much slower, less efficient way than we would like.

The list below provides 6 tips to help organize your thoughts. My hope is that these tips will provide some relief for the barrage of thoughts that come from our fast-paced lives. Clutter is clutter, whether it comes in the form of things in our homes, or the thoughts in our brains. We need to purge clutter from our brains, just like we purge clutter from our homes.

Document your thoughts - This seems like a simple idea and it is. There are times when we have ideas, or thoughts about a multitude of things. If you don't get those things out of your head and documented in some way, you're in danger of forgetting them, or becoming overwhelmed. Use the medium that works best for you such as - pen & paper, text message, voice message, phone app, etc.

Sort your thoughts - After you document all your thoughts, tasks, concerns, ideas, questions, etc., sort them into their respective categories.

Prioritize your thoughts - Due dates and deadlines are priorities based on importance and urgency. Many times, due dates and deadlines determine our priorities. Other times, our troubles cause us to worry, and those thoughts become our priority. Taking an action on those worrisome thoughts, however small it may be, can possibly reduce the stress, so you can purposefully re-prioritize the thought for another time.

Reframing a thought - Reframing refers to changing the way a thought, concept or idea is considered. This can be helpful when you are problem solving. Looking at an issue in a different way may provide a viable solution.

No multi-tasking - It's been determined that multi-tasking is counter-productive. When you try to perform more than one task at a time, your brain spends more time trying to switch between tasks, or thoughts. Focus on one thought at a time for optimal productivity.

Mental clarity - Sometimes we need a break. Thinking can be exhausting. In order to organize our thoughts, we need mental clarity. There are many ways to achieve mental clarity and it's different for all of us. Taking a walk in the fresh air does it for me. Meditation works for some, while exercise does it for others. Find something that works for you and practice it regularly.

Sally E Morgan is the owner of SOS: Simple Organized Solutions LLC. For more information on how SOS can eliminate stress and create peace of mind in your life, go to,

http://www.sossimpleorganizedsolutions.com.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sally_E_Morgan/680809

How To Unlock Your Hidden Creativity

Maybe you feel just like you're not a creative person generally, or maybe you merely desire a little a push to get the solution you're seeking either way, there are many small actions you can take to become more creative. These tips can make you see things from different perspectives and develop the habit that will make you feel more productive and inspired.

Here are ways to unlock your hidden creativity:

Brainstorm with Others

Sometimes all it requires to get from exhausted to motivate or from a relatively ineffective idea to the perfect solution to your entire problems is a few moments of chatting about your ideas with another person. Having a brand new perspective can assist you remember ideas you might have forgotten, develop ideas you currently have, and come up with things you never would've considered by yourself. If you are really stumped, make an effort to have an instant brainstorming period with a pal or a coworker. Ask when you can run some ideas past them and find out if indeed they have any thoughts.

Speak To Yourself

It isn't about having imaginary interactions with yourself. It's about conversing through your ideas and thoughts so that you can do better. Spend some time speaking what you're considering a loud, or describing things you read or listen to back again to yourself. It can help you to learn and process things better and in new ways.

Make Lists

Write down everything you want or need relating to what you're focusing on sometimes the act of writing things out and looking at them can assist you work out how to deal with something from a fresh angle. Jot down any ideas you have, then think about how precisely those ideas will continue to work with what you will need to accomplish. Proceed through your list until you select a remedy that works or discover a way to incorporate them.

Keep a Notebook with you

If you wish to become more creative, you will need to be sure you're for motivation to strike since it can strike everywhere. Keep a notebook and pen on or with you all the time all the time so you can jot down any ideas you have when they come your way, otherwise you may forget them. Plus, always getting a notebook means you will have a location to write those lists you will be making.

Ask Yourself Questions

Whenever you feel just like you hit a creative wall, try asking yourself questions about whatever it is you're focusing on or trying to resolve. Even if indeed they appear like foolish questions you have response to, ask yourself anyways just like you were another person who was interested in assembling your project. Forcing yourself to ultimately articulate what you're focusing on, either a loud or in writing can assist you see what areas you will need to focus on and what must be changed. If you ask yourself a question you do not know the response to, you might locate a new perspective.

Reshali Balasubramaniam

Head of HR, HR Counselor and adviser at http://www.work.lk

Do you offer a Service? Signup for an account at work.lk

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Reshali_Balasubramaniam/2476620

How To Reprogram Your Mind (for Positive Thinking)

 

https://youtu.be/wmx_35rQIRg

Here's some great advice from Brendon Burchard

This Is How Powerful Your Words Are - Be Careful What You Speak Into Your Life

 

https://youtu.be/MlDnhQl1VEQ

Here's some inspirational advice from Fearless Soul

6 Tips to Organize Your Thoughts

Anything can be organized, even your thoughts. We say that we can't help the way we think, but we can! There may be things in life that we have no control over, but our thoughts are not one of them.

When a thought comes to mind, you make the choice to accept or reject that thought. Your choice may be conscious or subconscious, but either way it's your choice.

Our brains function basically like computers. They are constantly processing information; incoming thoughts and outgoing actions. At times, so many thoughts are floating around in our heads that we can't keep them all straight. If we don't purge the excess in some way, we become overwhelmed, and process this information in a much slower, less efficient way than we would like.

The list below provides 6 tips to help organize your thoughts. My hope is that these tips will provide some relief for the barrage of thoughts that come from our fast-paced lives. Clutter is clutter, whether it comes in the form of things in our homes, or the thoughts in our brains. We need to purge clutter from our brains, just like we purge clutter from our homes.

Document your thoughts - This seems like a simple idea and it is. There are times when we have ideas, or thoughts about a multitude of things. If you don't get those things out of your head and documented in some way, you're in danger of forgetting them, or becoming overwhelmed. Use the medium that works best for you such as - pen & paper, text message, voice message, phone app, etc.

Sort your thoughts - After you document all your thoughts, tasks, concerns, ideas, questions, etc., sort them into their respective categories.

Prioritize your thoughts - Due dates and deadlines are priorities based on importance and urgency. Many times, due dates and deadlines determine our priorities. Other times, our troubles cause us to worry, and those thoughts become our priority. Taking an action on those worrisome thoughts, however small it may be, can possibly reduce the stress, so you can purposefully re-prioritize the thought for another time.

Reframing a thought - Reframing refers to changing the way a thought, concept or idea is considered. This can be helpful when you are problem solving. Looking at an issue in a different way may provide a viable solution.

No multi-tasking - It's been determined that multi-tasking is counter-productive. When you try to perform more than one task at a time, your brain spends more time trying to switch between tasks, or thoughts. Focus on one thought at a time for optimal productivity. 

Mental clarity - Sometimes we need a break. Thinking can be exhausting. In order to organize our thoughts, we need mental clarity. There are many ways to achieve mental clarity and it's different for all of us. Taking a walk in the fresh air does it for me. Meditation works for some, while exercise does it for others. Find something that works for you and practice it regularly.

Sally E Morgan is the owner of SOS: Simple Organized Solutions LLC. For more information on how SOS can eliminate stress and create peace of mind in your life, go to, http://www.sossimpleorganizedsolutions.com.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sally_E_Morgan/680809