HOW TO BE COOL πŸ˜Ž

It seems these days everyone is looking to be cool. They might not phrase it that way. Perhaps they want more influence. There are different terms for it, but people want to be significant and stand out. Above is the ticket to doing so.

You may dismiss these behaviors as insignificant or not very impressive. Let me assure you they are so rare they will impress anyone you use them on.

Here is a little challenge. As impressive as these are on their own, the more you do, the cooler you will be. Perhaps print a copy off and see how many you can check off in a day. See if you can manage to do the whole list.

Which behavior on this list do you think makes somebody cool? Let us know in the comments below.

A GREAT INVESTMENT πŸ‘

It is a new year, and time to start some new habits. One of yours maybe to invest more. When we think of investing we often think of stocks, bonds and other financial terms. The best investment you can make is none of these. The best investment you can make is in you! Without strong mental, physical and emotional health, none of the material stuff matters.

Take a look at some of the possible investments listed above. Most of them are things we indulge in if we have time. This year – make time. The stronger foundation we build, the more we can accomplish and bring to the world. Investing in yourself will pay off in bringing a better version to those you love.

Which one of the investments above sound best to you? Let us know in the comments below.

DO NOT DESTROY YOURSELF! πŸ˜³

How is your mindset? Is it empowering or is it filled with fear and holding you back? This is one of the first things we must get right in our life. There is a quote attributed to Henry Ford that states, “whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right. ” When you believe in yourself, and your purpose, you are less likely to let challenges stop you.

With your mindset being so important, why leave this up to chance? Make sure you have a confident and healthy mindset before you step out the door in the morning. That way the challenges we might face will not stand a chance to knock you down.

How do we do this? It involves some subtle tweaking to your morning routine. The majority of us pick up our phone right after we wake up. Often, before even getting out of bed! What greets you on your phone? It could be drama, negative news or a host of other things. We do not really know. It is better to set ourselves up with a guaranteed positive routine. This could be affirmations, quick meditation or just reflection on what we have to be grateful for.

How different would your day go if you spent 5 minutes thinking of, and feeling grateful for, all that you have in your life. In my upcoming book, I show you how to use both ritual and environment to set yourself up for success. That is develop your own routines to create a positive mindset. Fill your environment with things that remind you of positive and happy events and thoughts. How would you do that? What routines do you have for starting your day off right? Share with the rest of us. You just may inspire someone else!

LIFE… THE END πŸ˜³

This picture, or group of pictures, is truly worth 1000 words. How many of us are like this lady? Chasing all of the material goods, grabbing all that we can.Β  Then, with arms full, she discovers she has reached the end of her life. She does have an arm full of riches,but what good will it do her then? The moral here is fairly obvious. Do not spend you whole life just chasing material wealth.

There are 2 other points that are important to add to this. First, while she is chasing the material goods, her eyes are locked onto what she is chasing. Not looking at the green grass, the blue sky or anything else. I’m not sure if that was intentionally done by the artist, but it makes a good point. How many of us focus on chasing what we do not have, never stopping to look at all the beauty around us? We settle for a feeling of lack. Instead, we should focus on the wealth we do have. That could be the love of our family, friends or someone special. If you are really lucky, like me, you have all three! The wealth of health. Even if it is not perfect, we are still blessed with a great amount of it.

The other point is that she is old in the last picture. Either that or she died her hair Grey. This is really a best case scenario. We never know when we will reach the end’ sign in our life. That is why it is so important to enjoy the journey. Be thankful for what you do have while chasing what you want.

LITTLE VICTORIES πŸ†

Do you ever get the feeling you are chasing the brass ring… and an Olympic sprinter is wearing it? That is to say you can never quite catch it? When we spend our life focused on chasing the next big goal and saving our celebration until we reach it, life can feel like one big chores.

What is the secret to an amazing life? As the photo above states, celebrating the little wins. There are so many ways in which to do this. As I mentioned in the last few posts, the weather here is so cold it is downright dangerous. The other night, my lovely Margie and I had to go out to our DJ job. It was -3Β° F when we left. My 2005 Ford Escape not only made it home but purred like a kitten. To me, making it home safe was a win.

Celebrating safe travels and good health keep us realizing how much we truly do have. I’m sitting in a local Korean coffee shop writing this. I’m so glad my city not only has one of these, but I am able to enjoy it. This will be the 935th day in a row for these blogs. That is worth Celebrating. I’m not waiting to celebrate until I reach my goal of 1000. The fact that despite my hectic life I’m still able to bring these blogs to you is a win.

How about you? What small wins can you celebrate? The more you celebrate, the more life seems like 1 big party!

READ THE LABELS πŸ·

Hello friends! Welcome to another day here at Secret2anamazinglife.com! Today we are sharing a very important label. Many of us have taken to reading labels in an effort to maintain or improve our health. This a great idea. Knowing what you are putting into your body can help you improve your health in a major way. As of yet, there are tags for what we are putting into our soul or spirit. The tag above is a good start. Listed are several things that will help you maintain a joyful spirit. I would recommend adding some gratitude and some sort of reflection or meditation to the list.

How about you? What on this tag works the best for you? What would you add to your ‘Good Mood Tag’? I would love to hear your answers below. In the New Year, we should all work together to help each other have more good days. Here at this website we are committed to do our part. We will continue to bring you motivating and uplifting content all year long. If you have any suggestions for topics you would like covered, please let us know. In the meantime, enjoy crafting your good mood!

THE BITTER COLD CONTINUES πŸ₯Ά

Yes, this is a funny little meme. Yes, it is also the honest truth for me when it comes to winter. It is also a great suggestion for appreciating different aspects of what the cold weather brings. I mentioned a few posts ago that where I live the weather is dangerously cold. The news is recommending people do not leave their house unless they have to. Makes you wonder why I am not on vacation writing to you from the tropics. As you read this, there is a great chance that I am doing just what the photo above states. Sitting inside enjoying a good cup of coffee. Chances are that I am doing so with some wonderful company as well.

As much as I dislike the cold, there is something wonderful to be said about being inside looking out at it. Enjoying coffee with Margie, my mother or some other wonderful person becomes so much more of a blessing. The fact that we have the freedom and ability to do so is something we are all grateful for. While it is true that you can do this in the warm weather, it has a different feel when the temperature plummets below freezing.

Wherever you are, and no matter what the weather is like, may you enjoy the blessing of sharing a great cup of coffee with some wonderful company. Make sure you take time to be grateful for the ability to do so. In a world where things can change in an instant, it is fully enjoying the present that makes all of the difference.

BE THE LIGHT πŸ’‘

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr, I wanted to reflect on one of my favorite quotes of his. The only way to combat those of a negative nature is with love and positivity. It may be a news flash to some, but you cannot ‘out hate’ a person. Everyone ends up losing. The negative physical effects of hate will end up costing you in the long run. The increase in stress hormones will raise blood pressure, cause headaches, upset stomach and a host of other not so wonderful maladies. What is the payoff of hate? There really is none. It will cost you sleep. It will weaken your immune system and drain your energy.

On the flip side, love has a host of wonderful benefits for you. If you can fill your life with love, you will experience faster healing from wounds, better sleep, lower blood pressure and better pain relief. Not to mention your view of the world will change. When we fill our hearts and minds with hate, the world reflects those emotions to us. The world takes on a dark and foreboding feeling. We feel that everyone is out to get us. That bad luck seems to follow us around. When we are filled with love, we notice opportunities that we may have missed. Those around us feel it too. They share a smile with us. We seem to attract other love-filled souls.

Next time you are faced with hate of any kind, or even just a negative personality, remember the words in the quote above. You cannot drive darkness out with more darkness, and you can’t drive hate out with more hate. Fill yourself with love. It will change your life and it just might save your life.

THE WARM PART OF COLD πŸ₯Ά

Where I live, the temperature is supposed to be downright dangerous the next few days. It will get down to -10 Β° (-24C) At this temperature, many bad things can happen. Of course your car will be tested to its limits. What is really scary is those individuals who are homeless. When the news advises you not to go outside unless you have to, what about those who do not have a choice? Especially the homeless children? We hear many concerns for those left without a place to go. We also hear a lot of people grateful that they have someplace to stay inside and warm.

If there is one thing that is good about this weather, it is that it forces people to notice those that are less fortunate. All to often, they are not even a thought in the back of anyone’s mind. This is not a negative knock on society. When worrying about the welfare of your children, doing well at work and a host of other life challenges, it can be easy to not give as much attention to the less fortunate. Truth is, we can all be one medical emergency, job loss or natural disaster away from being homeless ourselves.

Dangerous weather like what we will have here the next few days will shine on light on helping those who are in a far more challenging situation than we are. It will also have us feeling so grateful for all that we do have that we may often take for granted. Let us do our best to keep this mindset even when the temperatures begin to climb and it is safer to venture outside.

DON’T FORGET YOUR DREAMS! πŸ˜³

Today is Saturday. Most of us are enjoying the start of the weekend. A few of us, like myself, are working. It is good to be a hard-working individual. It shows character and self-discipline. Both very good traits. What we must be careful with is to balance that with our true passions and ambitions. No matter what that job is, one day we will retire. What then? The average person lives less than 20 years after retirement. Men, it is even less for you. Why do we suppose that is? One of the main reasons is a lack of purpose. You do not want to give all of your passion and energy to a company that will replace you a day after you are gone. Think about your legacy, and what lights the inner fire inside you. That is what the world needs more of.

Forgetting your dreams to chase the dollar can have terrible side effects. Increased stress, reduced sense of purpose and fulfillment. How exciting can a life of ‘wake up, pay bills and die’ be? Not very exciting. I’ll cover more ways to go from striving to thriving in my upcoming fourth book. Until then, I want to remind all of us to continue to make our dreams a priority. Even those of us who are finished with the work-a-day world can put our dreams on the back burner. We spend our time with busy work and running errands for others. Perhaps so used to putting our own desires last, that doing anything less has us feeling guilty.

Even someone like myself who works about 60 hours a week, still makes time to pursue their passions. In fact, the words you are reading now include that. The means are not just to justify an end, but to invest in my dream. Pursuing dreams helps us feel alive. It puts light behind our eyes and a spring in our step. How can you invest in your dreams today? Through time? Financial investment? Maybe it is just dusting them off and bringing them back to life. Do not let your salary kill your dreams!