DO YOU MARCH TO A DIFFERENT DRUMMER? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 42

In order to live in peace and harmony with our fellowmen there are some consistent behaviors and attitudes which will make life go more smoothly.  In pursuing personal goals and chosen career paths, however, sometimes it is essential to differentiate yourself from others attempting to achieve the same goals and jobs.

You may be an actor or actress auditioning for a coveted role in live theater or in a film.  You may be a health care professional applying for a position or vying for a residency assignment.  You may be a teacher hoping to teach at a particular school or a professor applying for a position at a college or university.  You may be an office worker hoping for a promotion to a management position.  You may work for a non-profit and wanting more responsibility.  You might be looking for a job in a factory or plant or as a car salesman, a mechanic, a bus driver, or a musician hoping to be selected for the first chair.

Whatever you want to do, somehow you must distinguish yourself from your competition.  Don't be too flamboyant or too aggressive or obnoxious.  Instead think of what you could bring to the position that the other candidates might not.  In other words, what is unique about you (and I promise you there is something unique about every individual)?  Allow yourself to move to your own music.

Today's message is to be brave and dare to:

BE DIFFERENT

ARE YOU ON TARGET? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 41

There is still one-half of 2013 left.  Time to reflect on where you are with any goals you may have set for yourself or any New Year's resolutions you may have made.  It is easy to write a list of goals or resolutions, but review your list to be certain you have not made any of these common mistakes in goal setting:  Are there too many?  Are they too big?  Are they specific?  Are they not planned?  Are there no deadlines?

There is still time to revise your list and take action to accomplish what you said you would in 2013.  You can do it so believe you can do it!

Today's message is

ACHIEVE GOALS

ARE YOU A PEOPLE PLEASER? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 40

As children we figure out early on how to please our parents, our siblings, our teachers, our friends, our neighbors.  Although it is not wrong to want to please others, the need to please can sometimes cause us to deny our own wants and needs.  It can cause us to do things we do not want to do or to not do things that we truly want to do.

To have your own life and follow your own path it is important to really know yourself.  Once you know yourself inside and out today's words can become your touchstone.

BE TRUE TO MYSELF

DO YOU FOLLOW YOUR "GUT" FEELINGS? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 39

From childhood on through life most people have instincts that will serve them well if attention is paid to them.  Little children soon know the difference between right and wrong if their parents will take the time not  only to teach them but also to model good behavior for them.  Sooner rather than later children develop a conscience or quiet voices in their heads to tell them when they are about to do something they should or should not do.  Not all children learn to listen to their consciences.  Some learn to disregard it until it can become totally silent which usually leads them down a troubled path in life.

If children are taught to pay attention to their consciences and trust them, they will learn to make better choices and decisions as they mature.  They will develop instincts that will guide them in making right choices for friends, colleges, careers, marriage, travels, residences, health care, politics, and all areas of life.

Whether referred to as a conscience, a small voice, a gut feeling, or intuition it is important to learn to rely on it at all times.

Today's message is :  Have faith and

TRUST INTUITION

DO YOU SHOOT FROM THE HIP? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 38

Saying that a person "shoots from the hip" usually has nothing to do with firearms.  It means that they say or do things in an instant.  Sometimes they overreact.  Sometimes they do it from emotion.  Sometimes they do it from anger, and sometimes they just do it because that is who they are.

Life experience teaches that "shooting from the hip" can have consequences or repercussions that are regrettable and sometimes impossible to overcome.

Today's words are a definite cure for "shooting from the hip" ..............

STOP AND THINK

YOU CAN MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE - CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 37

The news coming out of every part of the world seems to be bad.  People are fighting, killing, cheating, spying, and suffering.  There is much anger, rage, and hatred making life miserable for millions of people.

Mahatma Gandhi said something to the effect that we should make the changes in ourselves that we would like to see made in the world.  He was quite right because if everyone behaved better the conditions for all people would ultimately get better.

Kindness begets kindness so try being kinder than usual, and it will come back to you in abundance. A word, a touch, a card, a phone call,  a helping hand, a smile can all make a difference to others and to you.

Today's message is:

Pass on kindness. 

IF NOT YOU, WHO? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 36

What is your hope?  What is your dream?  What is your goal?  What is your passion?  What is your need?

Don't sit around waiting for someone else to fulfill your hopes and dreams, to achieve your goals, to fuel your passion or meet your needs.  Even if you just take the first step that is progress, and then a second step, and then a third, etc.  Have confidence in yourself, and believe you can do it.

Today's message is:

Make it happen!

WHAT TALENT DO YOU SHARE WITH THE WORLD? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 35

Even if you are unaware of it, you have a special talent.  Each person has talent even if it is yet untapped.  It might be playing a musical instrument, dancing, painting, crafting with clay or metal, fibre arts, acting, writing or any of the many art forms available to us.  Not everyone has an opportunity to take lessons to unleash talent, but there are other ways to discover your creativity.  Library books, Internet searches, local shops and craft stores are possible venues to learn how to do something that appeals to you.  Visiting art museums when the admission is free will expose you to many works of art.  Painting, sculpting, carving, dancing, singing, acting, writing, and film are just some of the options from which you may choose.

With something as simple as a pencil and piece of paper, try your hand at drawing.  With sand at the beach try making sand sculptures.  With a brush and some inexpensive water colors try painting.  Charcoal drawings or pen and ink drawings may be your forte. Needles, thread, yarn, crochet hooks, and fabrics may open up new vistas for you by creating something new or by up cycling something old and worn.  With something as simple as a plastic recorder you can make music.  Modern dance may be your way of fulfilling your creative desires.

There are so many art forms, and since many schools are no longer teaching the arts it is up to individuals to find their creative talents.  Art and music take the rough, harsh edges off of life.  Life without creative arts is never as beautiful or enjoyable so find your own path and share your creativity.

Today's message is:

Create art!

Create lace or other fibre arts.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOURSELF? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 34

You are not always encouraged to be proud of yourself.  Some people equate pride with arrogance or conceit as in the old saying, "Pride goes before a fall."  My opinion is that there are many ways to be proud of yourself without thinking or acting as if you are more important than others or feeling superior to them.

Your integrity, behavior, appearance, attitude, compassion, empathy, accomplishments, and generosity are facets of life in which you can and should take pride in yourself.  If everyone did,  the world would be quite a different place.

Today's message is:

Have pride in yourself.

DO YOU KNOW THE SECRET TO LOVING OTHERS? - CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 33

Sometimes it is very difficult to love others truly, unconditionally, and as ourselves.  We think we do, and then time goes by and we realize we do not.  In order to truly love another person, it is first necessary to love one's self.  To do that you have to forgive yourself, be kind to yourself, help yourself, and be aware of your good points as well as your flaws.  If you can improve the flaws, then do it.  If you can enhance your good points, then do it.  Being truthfully aware of yourself is essential so that you can genuinely love another person.  Whether romantic love, family love, friendship or loving one's neighbor..........you first must love yourself.

Today's message is to:

Love yourself.

DO YOU FEEL AS IF YOU ARE IN A RUT? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 32

If you lead a very busy life then you are like most people in today's world.  Single parents work and some two-parent households have both parents working outside the home.  The tight economy and lack of jobs cause those who have jobs to work even more hours to pick up the slack from layoffs and downsizing.  The wonderful technology we use has created more demands for our time, more requests for instant information, and the 24/7 availability causes lack of planning and organizing.  There are more extra-curricular activities and play dates for children requiring chauffeuring, sponsoring, coaching, and leading.

With so much to do in each day the chaotic schedule has become the norm.  Routines become demanding but boring.  All the new things you would like to learn or try ultimately are relegated to some future date because there is not enough time.  Of course, there is also the fear of trying new things which one hates to admit, and so the lack of time becomes the well-worn excuse to stay in a rut.  If you try something new, you may not like it, but at least you will have made the effort.  Children learn new things daily so they are never in a rut.

Make a decision to spend at least 10 minutes a day pursuing or trying something new.  Read something new.  Try a new food.  Explore the outdoors. Work in the yard.  Walk, jog or dance.  Attempt a new craft or hobby.  Nothing will get you out of a rut faster.

Today's message is simply:

Try new things!

REACH FOR SOMETHING NEW

DO YOU SHY AWAY FROM COMMITMENTS? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 31

The words "afraid of commitment" or "commitment-phobic" are typically used to describe a person in a romantic relationship.  That is not why I selected the title for today's blog post.  Throughout our lives we are faced with situations and opportunities that require commitment.  Many people are leery of making any type of commitment for fear things may not work out or that something better will come along for them.  What they refuse to accept is that when things do not work out it is not the end of the word.  It is just an opportunity to start anew.

Are you a deliberate person?  Are you a wishy-washy person?  Are you a confident person?  Are you a late bloomer?  Are you a spectator or a participant in life?  Whether talking about personal relationships, friendships, hobbies, volunteer work, businesses, or career paths it is good to take a stand and commit to something.

Today's message is:

Be intentional.

 

DO YOU FORGET THINGS? DO YOU MISS DEADLINES? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 30

With all of the technology today we are bombarded by email, phone calls, social media communiques, and face-to-face encounters.  We receive an abundance of information, as well as requests for information; and we all have appointments to be set, canceled or rescheduled.  It is maddening to deal with people who either forget to respond, fail to show up for appointments, miss deadlines, and cause delays resulting in emergencies on the part of others.

If you are one of those people, there is a very simple solution:  Get organized!  Whether you use pen and paper, cell phone, computer, or an i-pad write down your appointments and deadlines.  Make to-do lists and follow up on them.  Today's message very simply is:

Write it down!