You already know that gratitude is a great thing to have, but it’s not always easy to wrangle that thought/emotion … Continue reading The Easy Way to have an Attitude of Gratitude (& how to write your life story)
What moments have changed your life’s direction, for better or worse? What events shaped your future and turned you into the person you are now? Have you ever created major changes in life without some external impetus to force your hand?
What if you could change anything about your life right now? What would you change? Think it over!
One of the most important traits you can develop is confidence. It makes you more attractive. It gives you the courage to live your dreams. It smooths out dozens of small bumps in the road of life and helps you progress much faster toward your inherent potential.
With that in mind, here are a few stories of confidence-related pivotal moments to help you process the concept. PLEASE SHARE your own pivotal moments in the comments sections below! Everyone would love to hear and learn from them.
I went to scout camp the summer before 9th grade, and sitting around the fire one afternoon, Coy started spitting watermelon seeds at me as he ate. Coy was one of the “cool” kids and I was not. After several seeds, something in me snapped – something small at first, then bigger. “If you spit one more seed at me,” I warned, “I’ll beat the crap out of you.” Coy calmly took another bite of melon, chewed, then spit a seed at me. Continue reading “Pivotal Moments: Confidence”
Spirituality means many things to many people, yet most spiritual traditions have much in common regarding the experience of spirituality, … Continue reading Spirit & Peace
“Mmmm,” the vampire thinks to him/herself while looking over your glowing aura, “that much energy could sustain me for months!”
Your happy smile slowly fades as dark clouds creep across the bright morning sky. You don’t understand why you’ve begun feeling more down than usual lately. Nothing is actually wrong, nothing you can name; life should continue going great! But it’s just…not, exactly. You feel more tired and less optimistic than usual. If only you could shake off this miasm, then you could get back to being your normal, cheerful, productive self.
Some energy vampires are overt and obvious. They complain. They undermine every effort with negativity and pessimism. They criticize, blame, and argue. Such incessant actions create a heavy iron anchor that you must drag behind you if you can’t avoid them. “See?” they ask as you grow weary and irritable from carrying their load, “didn’t I tell you how awful the world is?” Continue reading “How to Repulse Energy Vampires”
If you ever find yourself feeling frustrated that things aren’t working out better or suffer from any degree of anxiety, depression, or low self esteem, then there’s a strong chance it has something to do with Cognitive Distortions. If you’ve never heard of these pesky bad habits, then you’ve been missing out on a huge opportunity to make your life better and easier!
To be concise, thinking distortions are ways we sometimes think that – when you actually think about them – make no sense and often destroy your mood, motivation, and chance at living a happy, successful life.
Read through the list below and see which patterns you recognize in your life. Sometimes merely recognizing irrational thoughts when they happen provides enough clarity for you to stop thinking that way.
In case that’s not enough, we’ll also provide Continue reading “Thinking Distortions”
In our first University of Life podcast, we interview an extended family – a first-time mother, a survivor, a young … Continue reading Podcast: Good and Hard
“Life is kinder to those who love themselves, because love attracts love and light, and repels and dissolves darkness.” – Shaun Roundy
Admit it – if you really, really loved yourself, you’d be happier. You’d have more abundance of all kinds in your life: friends, fun, wealth, health, and overall satisfaction. You’d even grow less attached to material things and all external circumstances, because your primary stability and satisfaction would happen on the inside where outside factors can’t touch it. This is the way life is meant to be lived.
But wanting to love yourself thoroughly doesn’t automatically make it happen does it? The fact is: life is hard and our society teaches self-loathing far more effectively than self love. Let’s take a quick look at why. Continue reading “How to Learn to Love Yourself”
Do you ever wish your life would change? That you would be happier or more popular or richer or less alone, etc.? Well…it can…and it’s all up to you, and it’s surprisingly simple to do.
What if your life really WAS a play – would we be watching a comedy, tragedy, or just repeating history (Yours? Your family’s? Your nationality’s?) over and over like a broken record? What part would you be playing? The hero, a fool, the lover, a villain, or what?
Are you the protagonist – do you know what you want and face the challenges to get it, or are you just a minor character in your own story, and/or are you also the antagonist at the same time, all wrapped up into one, undermining all your efforts while trying in vain to get what you want?
And now for the important question – do you like your story? If not (or even if so), how would you like it to change?
Let’s get this out of the way: plays can be edited and revised. You CAN change your story by changing your character, and you can begin immediately. Continue reading “Change Your Story Today”
I’ve known Bridger Barksdale all his life. I am *awed* at his dedication to his pursuits and the *excellence* he … Continue reading Sponsor a Dancer!!!
What I am grateful for today (among other things) is that I finally finished writing the last book in my … Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving + Merry Christmas!
Do you ever wish life was happier? Yes? Well good news – your wish is about to come true!
IF you cooperate, that is.
Here’s the deal: life is many things. It’s hard. It’s short. It’s confusing. It’s also good, full of opportunities, and open to your input.
What that means is that you have a lot more power over how your life turns out than you knew.
For example, did you know that happiness is a choice?
Yeah, okay, maybe it’s not like you can shout, “I choose happiness!” and suddenly your fairy godmother appears, brings you a prince/ss, and you live happily ever after, but if you really seriously choose happiness, then it will begin to change your life and you will become happier.
It’s a scientific fact. It’s all about how you train your brain. Here’s how: Continue reading “If you’re unhappy and you know it…”
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman
When was the last time YOU came alive? Watch this video for five tips on how to make that happen more often! Continue reading “How to Come Alive”
