This is exactly what it was like in my neighborhood yesterday. It also nicely sums up my opinion on snow and winter. We might even want to add a word after ‘this’. The sad part was it was also what they call “Small business Saturday”. You are supposed to support locally owned businesses. It helps support those who support the community by giving them your business. It is about much more than just helping Bob or Betty with their business.
Did you know that roughly 50% of people are employed by small businesses? That means you are helping half of the people and their families by shopping at a local business. Not to mention the heart and soul that small business owners bring to a community that large corporations usually lack.
It was unfortunate that there was a terrible snow storm where I live on this day. We still have many days left before the holidays and I am sure you have one or two people you need to shop for. I encourage you to do so at a small business. You will not only get a far better gift, but your purchase will be an investment in the community. It is a win/win situation. This should not be limited to the holidays. Supporting small businesses should be a yearlong endeavor. Next time you have a purchase to make, consider doing so at a small business.
Just a quick reminder as we go through a crazy snow storm here at Secret2anamazinglife.com, that you should always remember to be safe this holiday season. We will be back tomorrow with a more complete post
We will get to why this question is indeed one of the most important questions in just a minute. First, I would like to share with you an event that got me thinking about this. A gentleman I see occasionally at my day job paid me one of the most unique, but meaningful compliments. He told me what he most admired about me was my consistency of character. How despite outside circumstances, I remain upbeat and treat everyone I meet with kindness and compassion. I would love to tell you this is true all of the time, but it is not. It is true enough that a gent would notice and compliment me on it. So what is my secret? How do I remain upbeat and always treat others kindly? How can I do this despite what my outside circumstances are? More importantly, how can you manage to do this as well?
The first step is to answer what good old Albert said was the most important question. Is the universe a friendly place? Here is the tricky answer. Whatever we decide the answer is, we can find corresponding evidence for it. If we look for examples that the universe is a terrible place with people only out for themselves, there is no shortage of that. If, however, we are brave enough to believe the universe is a wonderful place with people showing kindness and compassion towards others, we will find that too. We may have to look a little harder as that kind of news does not sell as well. They are both there. I am here to tell you life will be much more rewarding and joyous if you decide the universe is a wonderful place to be.
One good way to do this is to find a guiding quote that speaks to you in that regard. Although not an overly religious person, that quote from the bible is one of my favorites. Whether you are religious, spiritual or not, find one that speaks to you. If you decide that the universe is is a friendly place, than even when things seem to be going sideways, you will understand that it is ultimately for a good purpose. This may sound like a bunch of B.S., and it is. Belief system that is. If your belief system is that the world is generally a good place, you will understand if the dark and the challenges bring their own blessings.
Does that mean your life will suddenly be rainbows and unicorns? Of course not. You will, however, begin to see the gifts that challenges bring. You will find yourself saying things like, “Boy this person is testing my patience. By testing my patience, it will help me strengthen it.” This could be to yourself or out loud. By developing this mindset you will be able to be more consistent in how you are living your life. This not only can apply to the overall purpose of your life, but to specific areas as well.
Recently, a friend mentioned how they struggled to keep a positive attitude about the business they started. When you are excited about your business and nobody seems to come through the door, how do you stay excited? That is a challenge. If you have a firm belief in what you do and why you are doing it, view those ‘down’ times as a test of your dedication to your business and an opportunity to learn different ways to attract customers and improve on that which you are now doing. My third book did not go over nearly as well as I had hoped. Instead of viewing myself as a failed author, I took that opportunity to examine how I bring my message to people, how I promote my books and what I could do better with my upcoming fourth book.
The secret to a consistently amazing life is to decide that your universe is a friendly place, or whatever goal you are pursuing is worthwhile. If that is the case, then how could anything not be working towards your greater good? Put both the victories as well as the challenges to work for you. The more you do this, the more life will be amazing and the easier it will be to be consistent in all you do and who you are.
These three words, in this order, have become almost cliche. We see them just about everywhere. On signs, dish towels, t-shirts and numerous other locations. What we may fail to realize, is these three words, so often in front of us, are actually a formula for an amazing life. They are steps listing how to live a life of inner peace, abundance and joy. In only three words, we can learn a great way to live! Let us take a little deeper dive.
Today in the United States, we celebrate Thanksgiving. A holiday in which we are supposed to focus on all we have to be thankful for. Sadly, it seems to get lost with all of the excitement of Halloween and Christmas. In this humble holiday is the secret to an amazing life. The word ‘thankful’ is most often associated with feeling and showing appreciation for what is wonderful in our lives. That is the first step in positively transforming our lives. Change your focus from what you lack in your life to everything you have. This simple change will reduce your stress, increase your joy and help you realize how wonderful and abundant you have it. What better day to start than on a holiday that is all about being thankful?
Many people think that ‘thankful’ and ‘grateful’ are the same. They do differ in a very important way. It is this step that will put us on the path to living an amazing life. While ‘thankful’ is feeling appreciation for all the good we have in our life, ‘grateful’ is extending our appreciation for everything and everyone in our life. Even those who at first glance may not seem to be something good. When you are grateful, you appreciate both the valleys as well as the peaks of life. You understand that challenges often provide us just as much, if not more, to appreciate than the easy times. We grow more with challenges. Think of lifting weights. If you only lift easy weights, you will not get any stronger. It is in the heavy, or challenging weights, that we grow our muscles and become stronger. The same is true of our character, our inner peace and every aspect of our life. The challenges offer us a place to grow and strengthen our life. The easy and successful times allow us to celebrate, the challenges to grow. When we learn this, being grateful becomes a way of life. Either we win or we learn.
The last step in our equation is ‘blessed’. This is what happens when we learn to be both ‘thankful’ and ‘grateful’. We begin to notice how everything in life happens for us and not to us. When you learn to put both the accomplishments and challenges of life to work for you, than life is a never-ending fountain of blessings. Yes, even those moments that tear our hearts apart can end up being a blessing. It can teach us more in the pain than we could ever learn any other way. It can often teach us quicker than we care to learn. It can also provide us a credibility and ability to teach others going through similar struggles. We can use our pain and struggle to bless others. That, in itself, is a blessing.
Do you see how a simple formula can provide a dramatic shift in mindset. That, in turn, can give us a monumental shift in the trajectory of our life. It can alleviate a great deal of stress and provide us with a great deal more of hope and joy. Think of this formula as you go about your life. Not just today, but every day. Start by being thankful for all the good you have in your life. Really focus on that. Next, contemplate how you could be grateful for everything in your life. See the benefits even the pain and challenges give you. Before long you will walk around feeling blessed!
Never in my wildest dreams would I ever imagine that I would be writing a daily inspirational blog for over 13 years! What makes my heart so full of gratitude is that we seem to be growing our community and reaching more souls in more places. Still no Greenland, but we will get there. We are in over 200 countries and this year, as of this writing we have had over 28,000 views. That is the second most in 13 years! Even better is we have reached over 22,000 people. That is the most in 13 years.
My life’s mission is to leave the world a little better than I found it. Through sharing the tools and strategies I continue to learn, I believe I am doing just that. With all of your help, and lately with a lot of our friends in China, we will continue to grow and positively impact the lives of all of those we care about.
This blog was started on Thanksgiving in 2012. Gratitude is the one thing that will change not only our lives, but the world at large, quicker than anything else I know. Tomorrow we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the United States. While there are lots of things we need to improve, there are still a lot we have to be grateful for. I look forward to continuing to serve you and to increase engagement as we look forward to the coming year. With your help, 2026 can be our biggest and most impactful year yet!
The title of this sounds a bit too grand to be true. I thought so at first as well. The plan to achieve anything you want was brought to us courtesy of Earl Nightingale. One of my favorite authors and speakers. Earl was actually a lot more than that and I encourage you to explore his many works. He developed a plan that required no more than 5 hours a week, none on weekends, and can give us anything we want in a surprisingly short amount of time.
Here is the method, short and sweet. Wake up one hour earlier every morning. Yes, I know this sounds difficult. I wake up everyday at 4am, so I can understand. When I tell you what you can accomplish with this idea, you will soon see it is worth it. Make yourself a nice cup of coffee or tea. Whatever you prefer. Sit down with a pad of paper and a pen. Yes, we are going old-fashioned here. There is a reason that makes it more powerful. Write your single goal on the top of the piece of paper. Now, begin to list as many ideas as you can for reaching that goal as your sip your brew. Do not judge them and understand most of your ideas will not be very good. Write them down anyway. All you need is one good idea to succeed. Shoot for 20 ideas a day. Working 5 days a week, this will give you 100 ideas a week. Can you see how the law of averages is with you?
Another benefit of doing this is the fact that it imbeds your goal into your mind, but conscious and subconscious mind. Your mind will be working on it as you go throughout your day. The wonderful idea you are looking for may not come to you in that hour you are working, but may pop into your head on the drive to work, or while waiting in line at the grocery store. By writing with pen on paper, we create a greater mind/body connection. This will help drive our goal into our mind even more.
Bonus idea!!!! While doing this to accomplish goals certainly makes sense, there are other applications that will transform your life just as powerfully. Can you imagine waking up and trying to come up with 20 ways to add love and connection to your relationship? How about ways to show yourself some self-care and inner peace? How about leave a great legacy for those behind you? Imagine trying to come up with 100 ideas a week on any of these subjects? How would that change your life?
I love this quote from Saint Francis. It reminds us that actions speak louder than words. How about you? Do you show consistent character? Do you treat everyone kindly and did not let outside circumstances determine the way you interact with others? I would love to tell you that this is true with me all of the time, but it is not. It must, however, be true often enough for some folks to notice and compliment me on it.
How many of you have children out there? If not children, how many are parents to one of our four-legged friends? Do they always listen when you tell them something? Children go to bed as soon as you utter the words. The dog sitting nicely whenever you tell him to do something? We all know that this is not how the world works. Do they follow you around and mimic your actions? Do they repeat things you say? (the children, not the dog) Even the things that you do not mean to say around them? It is not just children and animals that are this way. When our words do not match our actions we can be thought hypocritical or even worse.
Whatever the ‘gospel’ of your life is, do your best to preach it at all times. Use your words when absolutely necessary.
Everyone is concerned about giving gifts others will enjoy. Some even done themselves crazy until they find what they think is the perfect gift. I can be a little guilty of that myself. In my book, Living the Dream, I reveal a secret of how to get inside information to discover that gift.
Today we will look at one gift that is universally appreciated. It does not cost a lot but is also rare and priceless. How can that be? Let us take a look.
The gift we are talking about is gratitude. Not just a simple thank you. Although that can go a long way during the busy holiday season when everyone is stressed. We are talking about genuine, heartfelt gratitude. Taking time to not only voice, but show what you appreciate about someone. That can be in a Christmas card, in person over Thanksgiving dinner or over coffee.
Gratitude is also a gift we should remember to give ourselves this holiday season. Be grateful for all of the people you have the opportunity to brighten their holidays. Feel genuine gratitude for not only the blessings you have, but the troubles you do not. We often spend our time doing the reverse.
Gratitude is the best give we can give this holiday season. It will warm hearts and bring smiles. It will help reduce stress and increase joy. What are you thankful for?
This was on the door of Starbucks as I arrived to write this afternoon. Taking a picture of the words, I happen to catch a cool reflection of the clouds and the tree and buildings. Not even intended, but it plays right into what we are going to discuss this post.
The holiday season is upon us. Halloween is long past. Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Before you know it, stores will be filled with shoppers and your social calendar will be filled with family, friends and work obligations. Not to mention trying to figure out what to buy for Bob and Betty to bring a smile to their faces this holiday season. There is also the uncomfortable situation of being around people that perhaps you wish you weren’t. It can all be very stressful. Some of you may have even been triggered just reading that last paragraph. I became exhausted just writing it.
The sign on the door had me thinking of what is missing from our holiday season. You might be thinking, “Missing? Didn’t you just give us a list of stressful stuff we already have? How can we afford to add one more thing without going insane?” Legitimate question. Their are two answers. The first is that by adding this one thing you will reduce you stress level during the holiday season. The second is that you may already have this in your life and not be aware of it. Either way, you will want to add more. This thing is…you guessed it, merry moments!
What is a merry moment? It can be many things. It can be coffee with a friend. It can be finding a new item to try at the grocery store. It can be seeing a smile on the face of someone you love. Tonight, Margie and I are going to try a new frozen pizza. Doesn’t sound like that dramatic of a moment, but it will be a merry little moment. Even if the pizza is no good, we have each other to experience it with and laugh while we look for something else to eat.
Creating merry moments often just requires being more present. There are so many little moments of joy in life that we take for granted. Merely being present and feeling and expressing gratitude for them will both add joy and reduce stress for us this holiday season. If you are thinking why only do this during the holidays? You are one smart individual! You do not have to. The holidays do present a unique opportunity to do this, but you can add merry little moments any time of the year.
Another great way to add more joy and less stress to your life is to focus on creating memories and not on material items. Gifts are nice, but what people really appreciate is the gift of time, attention and being heard. Remember we mentioned coffee with a friend? Imagine how much better the moment might be if you went in with the intention of being present and really enjoying each other’s company? While you are being jostled in the crowded store, instead of being stressed out, why not notice all the work that went into creating the displays? How about the innocent excitement on the face of the children in the store?
Merry little moments are all around us. It may take a little more attention and a little more intention, but the result will be more joy and less stress this holiday season. That is a result that all of us can get behind. Once you get into this practice and see how it can help you live an amazing life, you are going to want to continue it long past the holiday season. I would love to hear more about some of your favorite merry little moments.
What is on your screensaver? The answer could hold a greater key to your success than you realize. Are you chasing a worthy ideal or goal? If you are a reader of this website, the answer in probably ‘yes’. If you are not right now, you will be soon. In fact, most of the world will be setting new goals and lofty aspirations in another month or so. Most of them will fail within a few weeks. Why do most New Year’s resolutions fall flat? We all begin with the best of intentions. Why is it so hard to keep that momentum going?
The most important aspect is to have a strong enough ‘why’. If the goal is really not that important to you, the chances of you succeeding are next to nothing. Use the carrot and the stick. Both what you will gain by achieving the goal, and what you will lose, or miss out on by not achieving the goal. This is very important and will have the greatest impact on whether or not you will succeed. How come even goals we really want we give up on? Is there a solution that will allow us to build that momentum and provide a subtle nudge to remind us of the direction we wish to be going? The answer is yes and it can be fun and easier than you think.
Whatever your goal is, it may not take the outrageous amount of willpower you think it will to stay on track. There are some simple steps you can take to have your momentum continue almost automatically. Many of these may not seem to impressive by themselves, but together will make sure your goal, and the why for it, stay front and center in your mind.
I began by asking what was on your screensaver for a reason. Think of your main goal for the coming year, or even month. Now think of how many times you look at your phone. What if your screensaver could be a source of motivation for accomplishing the goal you are pursuing. It could be a picture of you at the weight you are striving to get down to. Never been that weight? Perhaps a picture of someone who transformed their body? Maybe a workout quote that will keep you fired up?
Let us say working out is not your goal. Your goal might be to live a more positive and fulfilling life. A daily inspirational goal could help you achieve that. What about the artwork on the walls of your home? It is a nice picture of the family? That is good, but it should be balanced with some art that motivates you. In addition, you could add a daily inspirational calendar. That way every day you will have a reminder, and an assist, in your quest for happiness and fulfillment. How about a quote that speaks to you hung on the bathroom mirror or coffee maker? Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to stick to your goal of meditating. Add enough of these ‘little’ things and motivation and reminders will be around every corner. That will help you stick to your goal when the going gets tough.
What are some other little things you can think of to help remind you of, and motivate you to stick to your goals? What are some of your favorites? Feel free to let us know in the comments below.
SECRET 2 AN AMAZING LIFE 