Archive for May, 2006

One of the biggest challenges of achieving our goals is being able to stay focused long enough to see results. Most of us feel excited and motivated when we first set our goals, and that feeling can carry us along for several days, or even weeks. But then, what happens? We begin to lose momentum. We get scattered, we procrastinate, we lose the fire that once fueled our dreams. And we stop working so hard for what we want, even if we still want it.

When we first decide to make positive changes in our lives, we usually underestimate the amount of effort it will take. It’s easy to dream and imagine a better life, but we also need to give form to our thoughts with decisive action. And that’s where most of us get stuck.

Imagine that you wanted to build a house, and think about the process that needs to be put into place. You’d need to conceive the idea, buy land, draw up plans, order materials, hire professionals to do the tasks you can’t, and finally, begin building the house. If you got … read more

One of the best ways to gain clarity about your life is by journaling your thoughts and feelings. Especially if you’re feeling conflicted or confused about certain situations, writing your thoughts out can be incredibly enlightening!

You don’t have to be a “writer” to journal effectively. In fact, your writing skills don’t have to be good at all. Just the act of putting your thoughts into logical order and translating them to written form can help you to understand what you’re feeling, and why.

One of my favorite television characters ever was Phoebe Buffay from Friends (played by Lisa Kudrow). She was quirky, feisty, and sometimes downright weird. But she was never afraid to be herself, even though her friends were obviously very different in personality.

How many of us have the courage to do this? I think many of us tend to try to blend in with our friends, rather than stand out. In fact, society in general makes it clear that certain traits are considered acceptable, while others aren’t. If we dare to break from the “norm” and express a unique … read more

I find it interesting when people seek something for nothing. No, I’m not referring to free product samples of shampoo, or appetizer samples handed out freely in the grocery store aisles.

I’m referring to people who purposely try to get a valuable service or product…without paying for it.

I received such a funny email this week, from a nice man in Minnesota who wishes to remain anonymous. This is all his email said:

“Are you ALWAYS so upbeat and happy? You drive me nuts sometimes.”

Yes sir, I do drive a lot of people nuts. It’s one of my gifts.