No, this is not a post about a healthy diet and working out several times a week. Although that can certainly help you do more of the above. No, it is a reminder that you must get out and live! Do not save your energy and time for a date in the future to enjoy life. Here is the thing about the future – we lease it. The tricky part is that we never know when that lease is up. If there is something that makes you feel alive, the time to do it is now. If there is someone you love, tell them now. You might not get a chance tomorrow.
Being scared of making mistakes or of looking foolish is no reason not to do something that makes you feel alive and happy. To really feel alive will often require us to make some mistakes. Just know that you are learning and growing. It is just a lesson. It will help you have even more fun, and get more juice out of life, the next time you do it. Live today my friends! It is the only way to postpone death.
This is one of those things that can be all too easily dismissed on the surface. It is so powerful, I do not want you to miss it. Not only is this an over-arching formula to live an amazing life, but it can be broken down to increase your joy and satisfaction in any aspect of your life. We constantly discuss the power of gratitude on this site, but it deserves another look. In fact, it is so powerful that every time you are feeling down, you should give it another look.
How easy it is to focus on what we lack. Society seems to have pushed this narrative. You always should want more. While it is true that you should always want more out of yourself and your life, in terms of bettering them, it should not be at the expense of appreciating what you have. Why is this so important? Forget the law of attraction, forget the spiritual reasons, let us look at this practically today. There are many important reasons that fit into the two previous mentioned categories, I assure you. Today, we are just going to look at how this impacts our everyday world and why it could be so powerful.
Let us begin by asking a question, “How does it feel when you stop and think about everything you want but do not have? Feel free to take a pause from reading this and try it for yourself. If you do not want to take the time to do that, I will let you in on a not-so-secret, it feels terrible. You feel poor. You feel like your life is not complete. You feel like you need more. Businesses like you to feel this way. It keeps you as a passionate consumer. That is why many commercials and ads give you the feeling that your life would not be complete without product x or y. That is nothing but nonsense.
Now let us flip the script here. How does it feel when you focus on everything you are fortunate enough to have in life, even though it may not be exactly what you want? Your car may not be that Bugatti you want, but you have a vehicle that gets you from point A to Point B. You may not be working in your dream job, but you have a way to make income and pay the bills. In the 1930s, this would have been a dream for many. Your relationship can be a great source of anger or frustration at times. Still, you must realize that is because you have someone you love and care for so deeply that they can affect your emotions in such a powerful way. When you focus on all you have, you start to feel prosperous and blessed. There is no greater feeling in the world. Here is the awesome part – no matter what shape your life is in, you can use this formula. There is always, and I mean always, something to be grateful for.
If you are still having problems getting into a state of gratitude, try looking at some of those who would give anything to trade places with you. Boss stressing you out? Talk to someone who is desperately trying to find a job. Your house seems to be experiencing one issue after another? Walk through a homeless camp. In today’s world we still have issues of war, famine and genocide. Trust me when I tell you that our lives are not that bad.
As you look to improve yourself and your lot in life, remember to focus on all that you already have. Having a heart filled with gratitude will decrease your stress and increase your joy quicker and more powerfully than anything else I know.
In addition to being a future best-selling author, blog writer, podcast host and postal employee, I also DJ on Sunday with my lovely lady. It would not be my first choice of how to spend a Sunday with her, but she is happy and that is what matters to me. While there, I do my best to positively impact the lives of all those who attend. My goal is to have them feeling better when they leave, than when they arrived. If a couple comes, I do my best to assist them in seeing the miracle they have in their partner. When I am successful with either of these, it brings me a great deal of joy as well. To that end, I do my best to offer encouragement and genuine compliments to those I talk to. In regards to this, gender doesn’t matter. Race is not a factor. What faith they follow? Not very important. As we discussed last post, I believe each person has a great deal of value, whether we are privileged to see it or not.
The importance of this was driven home to me the other night by someone I had never met. Margie and I have a friend Nicci. She is a teacher and was about to leave to take some of her students overseas to Italy and Greece. This is incredible. I think it is so valuable to be exposed to different cultures at a young age. I give credit to Nicci and the other chaperones for taking the responsibility for these children on this trip. Before her departure, Nicci had ben kind enough to hang out with my lovely lady and I. She invited several friends and coworkers to join her in this sort of impromptu Bon Voyage party. It was one of these people that generated today’s post.
As we were going through the evening, I was doing my best to help each person to see the beauty in themselves, others and the world around them. One gentleman, Tyler, happened to notice. He also is a DJ and mentioned how much he appreciated the kind words. He also mentioned something that I think is very important for us to take notice of.
Tyler mentioned how rare it is for men to uplift each other. Today’s world can be filled with sarcasm, competition, and all to often, mean spirited banter. Men have a hard enough time expressing their emotions, let alone paying a genuine compliment to other men. We need to make this more of a normal occurrence. Women, if you think this post is just for the men, think again.Encouraging your husband, son or even your father to pay a genuine compliment to another gent may be one of the most important things you can do. Help show them this is not something that makes them less masculine, but quite the opposite.
As a gentleman, I can promise you that is offers a certain amount of pride when another man offers you a genuine compliment. It also shows a great deal about their character as well. Gentleman, when you compliment another man it demonstrates your confidence in yourself not only to them, but to anyone else who is listening. It shows that you understand that highlighting someone’s worth does not diminish your own. Let us all work to create a society where men feel both safe, as well as compelled, to pay another man a genuine compliment. Thank you Tyler for this great reminder.
Above is a picture from an Ethiopian coffee shop that Margie and I visited the other day. I’ve been drinking coffee for years, Margie had really just started to get into it. We have tried many different kinds of coffee. My personal favorite is Jamaican Blue Mountain. We have never had anything like this coffee before.
Not only was the coffee unique, but they served it with some incense and other details that set it apart. The atmosphere and service in the coffee shop was wonderful. There were small food items to try as well. We relaxed and had a great time.
The point of this post is to remind you of thebenefits of trying something new. Would I switch to this coffee everyday? No. What was nice is having this experience and sharing it with the lady I love. Keep an open mind and try something new in your world. Feel free to share an experience where you tried something new and the joy it brought you.
This is a new quote to me, but what a great thought. If you never push yourself, you may never see what is holding you back. Not exactly sure what the percentage is, but I would wager the situations in which you, and your thoughts, are your strongest chains is above 90%. There are many times that I am looking to do something I have never done before and the reasons are often clouded over in my mind. This is why it is so important to surround yourself with people who will help improve your life, as we noted last post.
In my life, there have been many examples of chains that I have let hold me back. We all have them. What often surprises me is how often these chains exist in my own mind and manifest themselves as something else. I consider myself a fairly introspective individual, but we all tell ourselves little white lies to stay in our comfort zones. This is what our brains are hard-wired to do. Your mind does not want you to risk doing something that would be uncomfortable, even if it would further your life. We may believe the obstacle is outside of us, when it is really our beliefs that are keeping us from moving forward.
Let me give you 2 quick examples in my own life. I was preparing to do my first ever book signing. I was nervous as it was my first book, not to mention first book signing. It was in the sunny village of Greendale. I was going to put up flyers in some of the shops to promote it. I figured there were 2 or 3 businesses that would let me do that. With me I had this attractive lady I just started dating. She informed me that we were not going to the shops that I was sure would let me put up the signs, but we were going to ask in all of them. Informing her that is not how this small village worked, she informed me that I was just being too nervous to do so. She even promised to go in and ask for me to prove that more places would hang up one of my signs than I expected. Little did I know at the time this would consist of her getting the attention of an employee, shoving me forward and exclaiming, “This man has something to ask you.” As it turned out, all but 2 of the businesses, whom I should note are no longer in business, agreed to put one of my flyers in their windows. Proving it was my fear and not the businesses that prevented the promotion.
Another example is when I was going to start my podcast (Living the Dream with Neil Panosian) which you can find on all of your streaming platforms. Every time that I had coffee with my good friend Nick, I would tell him how I was going to start this podcast. He informed me that I had been telling him this for six months. I explained how I did not have the equipment, know exactly how to go about starting one or promote one. He countered that one is able to learn all of these things on this wonderful thing we have called the internet. Great things about friends, they call you on your B.S. when you are full of it, as Michael Franti says. Again, an assist to Margie who reminded me how right Nick was.
In our lives, it is often when we push outside our comfort zones that we realize there are chains holding us back. It can take some introspection to discover what they truly are. It may also take some hard truth from a close friend. We must keep our minds open and be honest with ourselves if we hope to free ourselves from our chains. What are some of your chains holding you back and how can you free yourself from them?
Look at how happy this kid is looking at this duck. He is taking it all in. You might be thinking to yourself, “Oh, to be a kid again. ” You would be on to something. How long has it been since you looked at something with childlike wonder?
Today, spend at least a few moments looking at something as if it were the first time. Notice,without judgment, all of the little details. Soak it all in. Don’t get lost in your own head with all of the worries and thoughts that seem to plague our waking hours. Just purely enjoy the moment.
I find this can work really well with people too. Looking at someone you care about asif it were the first time can remind you of many of the wonderful things we often take for granted. I would love to hear about your experience in the comments below.
My favorite day of the year, the first day of summer. It is the longest amount of daylight. It is a season of growth and sunshine. It just feels as if happinessblossoms on every corner. Where I live, this season is far too brief for my liking. So today, I do my best to make the most of everything.
To me, the best way to celebrate summer is by focusing on the things you find fun in your life. What makes the sun shine in your spirit? Do more of that today! Have an ice-cold glass of lemonade and a scoop of ice cream. Share a smile with someone you love.
Last post, we looked at how environment and ritual can give us a grateful life. We can use those two tools to transform any area of our life we want to focus on. This will be expanded on when my fourth book comes out this fall. So you do not have to wait until then to start creating the life of your dreams, we are going to look at using these two tools on the most important area of our life, ourrelationships.
If you think about it, the quality of our life is the quality of our relationships. If you have all the wealth and fame in the world but no romantic partner or friends to share it with, your life is going to suck. If you are suffering in poverty and insecurity and you have no partner or friends to help you through, your life will really resemble a flaming dumpster.
Enough of the negativity. Let’s look at what having amazing relationships can do for us. Have you ever received some great news and had to wait to share it with someone special? It feels like you could explode! Why? It is not like the situation will change when you share the news. How about watching sports? Does it feel any different to be sitting at home alone watching the game versus seeing it livewith a friend and thousands of other screaming fans? Why is that? Because as human beings, we are wired for connection.
Connection not only amplifies our joy, it halves our sorrow. Have you ever had a tough day at work (silly question) and came home to the embrace of a loved one? How about a stressful family situation and then went out for fun with some friends? Suddenly, the stress is a little less. This is not only good for us physically but will help us address the situation better.
How can we use environment and ritual to improve our relationships? How about scheduling a regular coffee date with that special friend? Maybe cooking a special meal for the one you love? Another great ritual could be sending out a greeting card once a month. Just a card reminding people how amazing they are and how much they mean to you. Do this once a week, and in a year, you will have improved 52 relationships! (Side note our address here at secret2anamazinglife is P.O. Box 333 Oak Creek WI 53154 USA) Not into the whole greeting card thing? Try sending a well-crafted email or post on someone’s social media page.
Environment can be used much the same way. In my first two books, I advocate using a ‘Happy Playlist’ of songs to lift your spirit. You can use the same method to put together a playlist that reminds you of a special friend or the one you love. Can you imagine how you would greet your partner if you listened to a playlist of songs that reminded you of them the whole way home? How about displaying little things that remind you of all the amazing people in your life? Maybe things they gave you, or just something that reminds you of them. Every time you see that object, that special person in your life comes to mind. Every time they come to mind, your appreciation for them grows.
These are only some ways that you can use environment and ritual to create the relationships of your dreams. How would you use the two tools of self-improvement to positively impact your relationships? Share your ideas in the comments below.
This will be a very powerful post! Today we will learn 2 items that can transform any area of our life. Problems with your health? This can help. Relationship losing its spark? This will fan the flames of desire. The best part is, once you put these two things in place, the change is almost automatic! As a bonus, the more you do it, the easier it becomes.
You may be thinking this all sounds too good to be true, and I would not blame you. Let’s dive right into the first tool you can use, and I think you will grasp the power of this.Remember, the best way to witness the effect these strategies for success will have in your life is to use them yourself.
The first tool is the environment. We discussed this a few posts back, but let us take a closer look. Many people are chasing that better life. Chasing that perfect relationship. Chasing that great career or healthy lifestyle. Many of these same people are in environments that do not serve those ends. You are looking for a healthy lifestyle, but your refrigerator is full of ice cream and cake. You want to turn that side hustle into a dream career, but your bedroom is full of gaming gear and other distractions.
Reaching goals can be tough enough. Creating an environment where those goals can flourish makes it so much easier. Want a great relationship? Fill your bookshelf with books on the subject. Watch some great videos on YouTube or a relationship podcast. Fill your cabinets with tasty and healthy snacks, so those are your only options.
The second tool to transform your life is ritual. Before you recoil in shock and terror, I am not saying you have to dance in the moonlight with your friends or whatever is happening in that picture above. A ritual is nothing more than an intentional habit. An act we purposely engage in for a desired outcome.Whether that outcome is health,wealth, or my favorite, gratitude, you can develop a ritual.
Let us use gratitude as an example. I think we could all use more gratitude in our lives. It not only helps us feel good, it changes our perception on life.When we are focused on what we lack we feel poor and like life is a sentence of sorts. Our life feels like a job. Have your you ever felt that way? Than you could use more gratitude.
Here is how we can use ritual and environment to stay in the mindset of gratitude. Let us start by finding our favorite quote on gratitude. Now print out 3 copies. Place one where you will see it first thing in the morning. This could be the bathroom mirror, the coffee maker, the refrigerator door. Whatever works for you. Place one in your car for your commute. Lastly, keep one in your pocket. You now have surrounded yourself with reminders of gratitude. You have the environment.
Now comes the ritual. Every morning, say the quote out loud 3 times. Thus reminding yourself to be grateful that day. Whenever you reach in your pocket for keys, a pen, or anything else, take your quote out and read it. At the end of the day, write three things your grateful for that day and why in a journal. You could keep this by your bed. This would add to the environment.
Can you imagine how much easier living a grateful life would be using these secrets? I would love to hear your tips for living grateful in the comments below. Come back next post where we look at ideas to use this to create the relationship of your dreams!
As we start a new week, let us do our best to keep a smile on our faces. This can seem challenging depending on what life throws our way. Here is something that will help – focusing on our blessings. That is everything we have to be grateful for on our lives. Can you imagine how different your life would be if you were so focused on gratitude that you had to be interrupted to be affected by negativity? How would your life be different if being grateful was the rule and not the exception?
This sounds great, but how can this really be possible? How can we remain grateful in a world that is often ‘positive challenged’? In a word – reminder. Put as many things in front of you to remind you not only of the things you already have to be grateful for but to discover new ones as well.
This will be different for everyone, as everyone has different things to be grateful for. You could keep a picture of a loved one in the car to look at during the commute to and from work. This could be one of the 2 or 4 legged varieties.You could keep a gratitude journal on your nightstand by your bed.Maybe a well-placedaffirmation on the bathroom mirror or coffee machine?
These are just a few ideas. Choose what works for you. Next post, we will look at 2 steps to take that will not only work for gratitude, but for any area of your life. You will definitely want to return for that. Better yet, subscribe to this blog so you do not miss a single post. Feel free to share what you do to stay in gratitude in the comments below.
SECRET 2 AN AMAZING LIFE 