Tag: self improvement

QUESTION IT ALL 🤔

Here is a little exercise that I like to do just like Walt Whitman. It drove teachers, pastors and parents nuts. I question everything. Even my doctor. When he tells me, “Neil, you have ____. Just take ____ and it will get better.” That is not good enough for me. I ask how I got it, what can I do to help heal it and how can I prevent getting it in the future. Lately, he seems a bit too annoyed with these questions. It may be time for a new doctor.

We often accept things we were told as children without questioning them as adults. Things our parents, teachers, the government and even doctors have told us years, sometimes decades ago. That’s not to say all of this is wrong, but I think most things are with a second look.

It reminds me of the story of the circus elephant tied to the small stake. Looking at this, you may wonder, “Why would the elephant not pull the stake out of the ground and walk to freedom?” He tried that and he was young and they first tied him up to the stake. He was small and weak and was unable to pull the stake out of the ground. Now that he is large and strong, he never decides to question whether or not the situation has changed.

Reading this, you may come to the conclusion that elephants are dumb,or at least intellectually inferior to us. Before you quickly judge, ask yourself one thing. Is this not what humans do when they allow themselves to be chained by opinions and beliefs from their past?

We are constantly learning new things and having new experiences. Does it not make sense to take a fresh look at old beliefs with a new perspective? You may find some no longer hold true for you. You may also find you are even more passionate about others. How about you? Are there some things you might want to question in your life?

REMEMBER TO STAY FOCUSED! 🏝

As you can see, here at secret2anamazinglife.com, we are celebrating 400 days straight of bringing you motivational and inspirational content. Technically, we are on vacation right now. Even while enjoying the bliss that is time away from the daily grind we must still keep our goals firmly in sight. In this case, that is sharing a post everyday this year.

How about you? What goals are you pursuing? What are the likely distractions that could get you off course? Even by writing them down, you are more likely to overcome them because you will be on the lookout for them. This week, focus on your goals. Hopefully you already have those written down. If not, do so right away. Also write down distractions that may trip you up so you can be on the lookout for them as well.

TAKE YOURSELF AWAY..🏝

One of the great secrets that I use to make through tough times is taking mini mental vacations. I often tell people that your mind and your body do not have to be in the same place at the same time.

Mini mental vacations can be done in a variety of different ways. You can put on headphones and listen to ocean waves. You can take a short trip to a tanning booth in the middle of winter. You can use some vanilla and coconut essential oils. You could do all 3 at the same time! Having pictures of places you want to visit helps as well. Whatever you can do to take yourself there mentally.

This week, give yourself a mini mental vacation. Take some time to escape from the stress of the work week. It will be good for your health and good for your productivity in the long run.

EMPTY YOUR PURSE HERE 💰

This weekend remember to invest in yourself and your knowledge. It doesn’t have to be formal education. Even investing a small amount of time in reading 📚 a few pages of something educational, motivational or inspiring is a very solid investment.

Not much of a reader? You can always use YouTube for some great audiobooks or videos. There are also many great Podcasts that can offer you what could be your next million dollar idea! I personally recommend the “Living the Dream with Neil Panosian” podcast. Whatever way you choose to do it, invest in yourself this weekend. Not only are the dividends great, but once you make this investment, it is yours for life!

FIND NEW ADVENTURE IN FAMILIAR PLACES

Last post we discussed my love for the Wisconsin State Fair. The most common question I get is how do I not get bored. Lucky for me, I have mastered a key to keeping life exciting. That key is the ability to keep a fresh perspective. When I go to the fair,I go with different people. Some like music, some food, some shopping. That makes each experience unique

The fair also has new things to explore every year. This year was a cool circus. There are new bands to listen to. As I write this I am listening to a band cover Bob Marley’s “Simmer Down”. So there are outside circumstances that are changing.

That being said, one of the keys to an amazing life is your perspective. Looking at things from a different angle makes them fresh and new. This is so key when it comes to keeping your relationship fresh. I look at the relationship I share with Margie in new ways all of the time. It not only keeps it fresh, it prevents me from taking any of the wonders we share for granted. It also shines a light on many wonderful sides of her I might have missed.

How about you? What can you renew by changing your perspective? It will keep your life fun and exciting!

KEEP FOCUSED 😃

Wednesday, the middle of the week. As we look to the second half of the week, there is a temptation to feel overwhelmed. The always seems to be more work at the end of the week. In order to stay focused and pushing forward, I suggest recognizing how far we have come.

This holds true not only for work, but family, friends and relationships. There often seems like such a mountain to climb in life, we may feel like giving up. It is so important to remember all the hard work we have put in up to that point. It is often that very thing that will allow us to persevere to the end

Whatever it is you are trying to accomplish, whatever goal you are trying to achieve, don’t give up my friends. You may not be where you want to be, but you are a lot further than you were.

SKIP THIS STARTING THIS WEEK 🚫

Mark Twain was an unusual character. He did,however, have some good wisdom. In the quote above he touches on something very important. Most of the things we worry about never happen. This is actually very harmful.

Above you will see the physical effects of stress and worry on the body. As you can see, this affects more than just the butterflies in the stomach. Done for a prolonged period, it can cause problems with your heart,immune system, digestive tract, cause joint pain and even decrease your sexual performance!

Worry can spur us to take precautions that do help us. If you have a history of heart problems in your family, that worry may keep you following a healthy diet and exercise regimen. This is good. If you lay awake in bed every night fearing that you might fall over with a heart attack, this will not only keep you awake, but as we saw earlier, it may actually lead to a heart attack!

Indulging in worry is like drinking poison for your body. What is the cure? There is no “one size fits all” action to take. Generally, meditation 🧘‍♂️ and exercise are two things that can help everyone improve their anxiety level. Diet, who you surround yourself with as well as considering talking to a therapist can be helpful. If you find yourself full of worry, you may doing yourself more harm than you realize. Take some self-care to help reduce your worry and anxiety today. Your body and life will thank you.

CONFUSE PEOPLE. IT WILL MAKE BOTH OF YOUR LIVES BETTER 🫤

My first post as a 48 year old! This is something fun we can all do that is not only amusing, but will give you that quick feel good shot in the heart that we ask need. It is something I enjoy doing whenever I get a chance and remember.

It is simple. Show a random act of friendliness to a stranger. Wave at a fellow motorist as if they were a friend you were happy to see. It will do one of 2 things. It will confuse them and leave them wondering who the heck you are, or it will have them waving back feeling happy to receive an act of kindness from that strange person in the car next to them.

Another great idea is to smile at strangers. If this makes you nervous you can do this as you are walking past them. That way there is not room for awkward conversations. My mother takes it another level and even greets people as we walk by them. It is amazing how many people are longing for pleasant interactions. Those who are not might be the ones who need it the most.

Let us make treating each other with genuine kindness the rule and not the exception. We are all in this together. We are all fighting our own battles and could all use a little encouragement.

CELEBRATE AND FOCUS WITH ME TODAY!🥳🎆🎉

Today is my birthday! On this day, I like to do a little self-reflection. Who are we kidding? I like to do that every day. On my birthday, however, I do it a little more intensely. I review the previous year and look at where I am now. What did I learn? Am I better than I was last year? Are the things that are truly important to me still taking center stage. Most importantly, what can I do to improve all of those in the year to come?

This year, those questions have different answers. It is the second birthday 🎂 I have celebrated since my open-heart surgery. I still treasure each day that I am given. It is interesting how the emotions surrounding that creep up on you as time goes on. I learned one very important lesson this past year. By focusing on who I want to become, what I should do makes itself abundantly clear. Am I better than last year? In some ways, but there is certainly room to improve. A more concentrated focus on my health, and more to the point diet, would get me a lot further next year. Are the important things still taking center stage? More so than last year, but again room for improvement.

As you join me in celebration of the day of my birth, ask yourself these questions. You do not have to be celebrating your own birthday to have some productive self-reflection. As to who I want to be, that answer has become more clear. I want to be a person who has positively impacted as many lives as I can. I wish to be remembered as someone who left the world a little better than they found it. I think if we all did that, we would have a lot better world to share. As I parting gift for my birthday, I wish to leave you this bit of Native American wisdom to ponder.

EMBRACE THE TEST 💪

There will be tests in life for all of us. Nobody is immune. This begs the question, “If all of us are tested, how come some come out thriving, will others come out barely surviving?” The answer to the question involves the use of one of our greatest weapons  – our mind and attitude.

Most people when faced with a challenge,or test, of any kind ask,  “Why me?” This leads to a feeling of victim mentality and loss of control. It feels as though life is happening to us. When we change that question to “What strengths can this help me develop?” We feel like we are in control and no longer feel like a victim.  It also trains our mind to search for seeds of opportunity in the face of challenges.

Change your attitude about challenges and the tests of life and you will discover strength you never knew you had. Just like in the gym, where it requires resistance to build physical muscle, the same can be said about the muscles of character.