Less Stress More Calm

The Top Three Goals You Need To Set

1. Improve Your Physical Health

How in the world are you going to reach any goals with bad health? Remember when you had that cold, fever or aching back?  Were you in any kind of mood to work on your life goals? I don’t think so. But when you start eating healthy and working out, all kinds of energy comes flooding in and whether it's painting a room or starting a business, good physical health makes goals much easier to attain. So get off your butt and start taking care of your body. Good things will follow. Goals will be reached. 

2. Improve Your Mental Health

Living in a culture that bombards us with information, advertisements and infinite choice, as well as inflicting us with downsizing and other incredible job stressors, is taking a huge negative toll on our societies health. We are living in an age of chronic stress. All these stressors create enormous mind chatter and reducing this mind chatter is key. It's important to realize that this mind chatter takes us away from the present moment. We end up worrying instead of enjoying the world around us. Try this. Take a grape and pop it in your mouth.  Roll it around and feel the texture - taste that sweet juice. This is called practising mindfulness. Living in the present moment. Conscious reflection. Meditation. The more you are able to reduce that useless mind chatter, the more you live in the present moment and experience calmness and peace. A little conscious reflection or meditation is astonishingly powerful. Try it.

3. Improve Your Financial Health

Money makes our world go around. We like money. There is nothing wrong with money. Money is our friend. The only time that money inflicts pain upon us is when we owe it. And why do we owe it? Because we live beyond our means. Because it is easy to get credit. Because our entire capitalistic society is on a treadmill of endless consumerism. Having good finances means freedom, control and increased opportunity. Bad finances provide handcuffs, stress, worry and no opportunity. So the choice is clear. Forget about status symbols and keeping up with the neighbours. It's simple when it comes down to good financial health. Live within you means. That’s it. Let me repeat myself. Live within your means.

Secrets To Saving The World

Do you know your vocation or calling? Do you spend anytime seeking meaning and purpose?

The Internet has allowed me to peek into people's lives. Whether it’s a blog, an online journal, diary or one of the new web 2.0 sites, I have now read my fair share of personal and private thoughts. Unfortunately I haven't read many entries in regards to introspection or self-actualization. Looking beyond our immediate noses and opening up fully to the world along with its infinite possibilities is essential for the future of mankind.

Do you actually think that the world is becoming a better place? Have you ever given any thought to how the people of this earth are interconnected with the gift of consciousness?

Thankfully we do not live on instinct alone. Or else we would have bombed ourselves out of existence many moons ago. Thankfully we have the ability to apply the brakes to our mind before we act. We have the ability to reflect and then choose. Having a conscious allows us to fully experience life, take responsibility, reflect, meditate and become fully engaged with human nature and life. Yet although we have the fantastic ability to immerse ourselves with life itself and all it's goodness and wonders, we choose to war with each other, ruin the environment, watch millions die of hunger and create countess other maladies.

Have we reached the breaking point? Are we over the edge? Are we leaving our children a broken world?

I wonder now. I'm certain that if we do not soon begin working together as one race, one species, one entity, the earth and its inhabitants will perish much sooner than thought before. It is not up to the United States of America, China, or any other country to lead the way. There is no best way at the moment. This must be a team effort. It has nothing to do with money or power, politics or government. Corruption and greed seems to continuously creep into those human endeavours. This is about us (as in you and me) creating a model of core values, needs, beliefs that will sustain our future and the entire planet around us.

We are all interconnected through the shared ability of conscious. Many of us can expand our horizons and connectivity starting with the self (ego) and than expanding our contributions towards the family, community, city, nation, country and finally the entire planet. And with technological wonders such as the Internet breaking down communication barriers, I hope a revolution is on the way.

A revolution to save the world.

Gratitude Is One Of The Ultimate Secrets To Happiness

I don't think that happiness is about gaining material objects and wealth like our societies, advertising, and many corporations teach us.

I do believe, however, that our happiness and fulfillment is largely controlled by our perception of the world. Even our mood during the day affects it. Ever had a day where everything was going wrong and something happened to completely change your perception or mood? Perhaps you watched TV and realized how much better you have it then others. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina, in the USA, comes to mind. Perhaps your moment was just a simple unexpected act of kindness.

Suddenly you felt gratitude. Gratitude. Gratitude is one of the most powerful tools in our mind's arsenal right now. The Institute of Heartmath has actually monitored how the heart reacts to both frustration and gratitude. During frustration the heart rhythm is erratic and jumpy. During gratitude the heart rhythm is even and regular. What does that tell you? We need to focus on what is good in our lives.

Gratitude is a form of love. Feeling gratitude and being appreciative is one of the keys to living a fulfilled life.

Action: List the major people, places and things in your life that give you a warm feeling of gratitude. Write them on an index card or even the body of an email. Place the index cards strategically and read them it regularly during the day. For the email one, leave it open and read it, every time you check your mail. Make this a life-long habit.

Action: Realize that if you can't repair, change, or avoid a bothersome situation or problem, just accept it and move on. You know what to do. You've done this before. Do it this time in the name of gratitude and your mind will rest on the good vibes that feeling thankful will bring.

It is time to change your way of thinking. It's time to think of ways to change.

So long until next time

Millionaire Wealth Building Is Not Rocket Science

 

 

I’ve always been intrigued by wealth in our North American society. I would like to share some of my core findings and get you on the way to becoming wealthy and fulfilled. First, a few questions.

Are your core values in line with most millionaires?
Are you setting wealth goals and tracking them honestly in order to substantially increase your net worth?
Who are you?  Is wealth part of your life equation?

What does it mean to be a fulfilled millionaire?

Pick up any newspaper and you’ll see there is plenty of news about millionaires. They seem to be proliferating like bunny rabbits. Each year the North American millionaire ranks grow. Let’s be crystal clear, being a millionaire means having a net worth of a million dollars. In accountant geek talk, this means having more assets then liabilities. Just because you live in a big house and drive a flashy car (with that pretty scarf around your neck) doesn’t necessarily mean you are a millionaire. Underneath all that chutzpah may be huge loans and the ever-mounting credit card debt. And don’t get me going about credit card debt – there’s another subject that has seen plenty of news coverage lately.

One of my favourite books is the well-researched “The Millionaire Next Door” by Thomas J. Stanley, PhD. He writes that most millionaires are normal folk, who don’t look, dress or eat or act like our North American perception of millionaires.

Here are a few research statistics quoted from “The Millionaire Next Door."

• “We live well below our means. We wear inexpensive suits and drive American-made cars. Only a minority of us drive the current-model-year automobile. Only a minority ever lease our motor vehicles.”

• “Most of our wives are planners and meticulous budgeters. In fact, only 18 percent of us disagreed with the statement, ‘Charity begins at home.’ Most of us will tell you that our wives are a lot more conservative with money than we are.”

• “We have more than six and one-half times the level of wealth of our nonmillionaire neighbours, but, in our neighbourhood, these nonmillionaires outnumber us better than three to one. Could it be that they have chosen to trade wealth for acquiring high-status material possessions?”

See the point? It isn’t about putting your high consumption lifestyle on display. It isn’t about trying to be Tiger Woods, Brad Pitt, Donald Trump or any other high flying celebrity. It’s about being thrifty, having more appreciable assets then debt, keeping a budget, investing, elbow grease and most importantly clearly understanding who you are, your core values, and instituting clear goals and habits.

What are a few core values most millionaires might have?

• Freedom: Freedom might mean worrying less about credit card debt -- or any debt, for that matter.
• Control: Control may mean understanding your financial situation and creating a budget.
• Wealth: Having a core value of wealth will continuously strengthen your millionaire thinking.
• Thrift: Thriftiness is staying away from buying that feeds your insecurities or dissatisfaction. Thrift means buying a used car instead of leasing that brand new fantasy car.
• Appreciation: A foundation for millionaire thinking. Appreciation isn’t about always buying what you love. It’s about loving what you have, including family and friends.

What are a few millionaire-thinking goals that you can begin to implement right now to get you on your way?

•   Create a household budget.

•   Track debts and pay them down by consolidating loans.

• Track expenses using software, such as an Excel spreadsheet or throw all  your receipts in a shoe box and add them up each month.

• Every time you are tempted buy something, honestly ask yourself whether  you really need it or want it. You’ll be surprised how many times you only want it.

•   Quit buying the latest gadget. Maybe you don’t really need a video Ipod.

If you’re already taking good care of your money, then it’s time to step it up to the next level.

•   Contact a financial planner and look at investments.
•   Start planning your own business.
•   Investigate how you can save on taxes.
•   Teach your children about accumulating wealth early, so they don’t beg for money later.

As you can see we all have different values, goals, habits, choices or needs.

One more statistic: CNN Money reported this year that there are 700,000 more millionaire households this year than in 2004. The growth is largely due to measured planning and active reinvestment.

It’s not rocket science, people.  Is there anything stopping you now?  Let’s get going.

Lead A More Meaningful, Peaceful And Happy Life

Even a relatively minor action, if undertaken with a conscious awareness of how imprints make us see an otherwise "neutral" or "empty" world as we do, will lead to tremendous results.

Why do you make knee jerk decisions? Why do you make bad choices? Why don’t you take the time to reflect on your life and start making some different choices? New goals? And ultimately, how do you control your mind so that you feel more objectivity, happiness and peace?

I’ve researched these complex questions for years and I’ve finally found an explanation that makes sense and has opened my eyes wide open. This way of explaining our minds, and ultimately whether we live our lives filled with peace and happiness comes from some of the most ancient and important Asian teachings.

Your mind records about sixty-five discrete images or imprints in the space of a finger snap. These imprints enter a place in your subconscious. All these imprints reside in your mind like a vast repository. Some stronger than others.

For example, money is a tool you use in life that has been imprinted over and over in your mind almost all your life. All these imprints have flowered over the years. Every action, thought or word has planted an imprint in your mind, which is the gate of our own awareness of ourselves. The strength of imprints in your mind also depends on your intentions, emotions, self-recognition...etc.

Your imprints determine what and how you perceive the world around you.

Say for example you have known someone for a while and you decide he or she is irritating. You have labelled them as irritating. You have been influenced by a history of your mind imprints to come to this conclusion. Some stronger than others. If this person reminds you of your irritating father and he yelled at you last night, this particular imprint is very strong. There could have been a host of different emotional past imprints that help you define this person as irritating. However, another person finds this person as wonderful, another finds this person compassionate. They have also had different imprints affecting them throughout their lives.

So let me try to fit all this in with the first paragraph of this entry.

If we become consciously aware of our imprints, and instead of seeing an irritating person we empty our mind of imprints, we will be able to see that person as a clean slate or objectively, and perhaps in time learn to like them. It is our perception and judgement supported by years of imprints that is fooling us. Once we see someone in the present and we use a neutral attitude towards them, we release the flood of potential past imprints that have formed our perception. Thus objectivity, understanding and perhaps compassion have a much better chance of emerging.

This theory applies to everything in life. You may think that a particularly rainy day is completely ruining your day. In grade two you fell off your bike during a storm and broke your leg, hence one of many, many imprints of rainy days, bad weather, dark clouds…. etc. But the rainy day is just that, a rainy day. Perhaps another person is gathering drinking water from this rain day and is incredibly happy. If you come to understand that the rainy day is not personally attacking you and look at it from an empty or neutral mind, a peaceful feeling will develop and the rain and ensuing rainbow will eventually look incredibly beautiful to you.

The more you become conscious of your imprints and the more you practise creating compassionate, loving and honest imprints, big or small, the more life rewards you with moments of peace and wonderful experiences.

The Happiness Recipe - Attitude, Memories, and Authentic Communication

I’ve done an enormous amount of research on happiness over the years and it is a subject I am continually fascinated by. Human beings are already such incredibly complex creatures. Add on the ever-evolving technological and materialistic age we live in, and happiness seems to become more and more elusive. So what can we do to create more bliss in our busy lives? Here are three happiness nuggets I’ve discovered over the years.

Build happy memories

On vacation a few years ago, we packed the kids into the car and drove down to Cape Cod. It was cold, wet and miserable. After a few days the sun broke through the rain clouds, and we headed off to the beach in Chatham. Far off in the distance, we saw a strange black mass. Rocks? What was it? We kept on walking. As we neared that big black mass, we discovered, much to our surprise, a huge group of over two hundred seals playfully lollygagging on a sandbar, one hundred feet in front of us! The kids fell madly in love with the cute, plump baby seals gazing at us with huge, moist brown eyes. We parked ourselves on the beach, sitting in awe of the wonderful scene, enjoying it for hours on end.

Do you think that the kids are happy when I bring up that memory? Absolutely! It lights up their faces (and mine) every time. Do they think about their discarded video games the same way? Heck, no! Memories like that last a lifetime. And it doesn’t have to be cute baby seals. How about a hike in the mountains? Or a trip to the zoo? Happy memories last a lifetime, “stuff “doesn’t.

A great attitude is only one thought away.

How many times have you asked someone at work, at the grocery store, or even friends, “How’s it going,” only to be met with a mumbled, “Not too bad”? I’ve come across plenty of unhappy people, especially in the service industry, to the point where I try to avoid any scowling, grumbling or just plain mean people who seem to be living their lives in a perpetual funk. But there’s a particular lady at my grocery store who always has a bright smile on her face, a cheery hello and will go the extra mile to happily clip out coupons for me! I always try to pass through her cash because she makes my day that much happier. She expresses herself in such an unabashedly joyful manner that I highly doubt she comes into work with that “It’s not going too bad” that we all hear time and time again.

Not going too bad?? That just saddens me. So, choose your mannerisms, body language and words carefully. How about “It’s going great”? Along with a great big smile, of course! You’ll have people doing a quick double take and maybe you’ll even pass your mood along to others. The power of attitude is simply amazing.

Old ladies in Italy probably don’t worship the Internet and have Ipods.

During a trip to Florence, Italy, I peered out my window one morning and was struck by a scene of older Italian ladies amicably chatting together. Adding to the charm was all the washed, white bed sheets flapping on clotheslines over the street – the sort of scene out of an old movie. These ladies certainly don’t sit in front of a computer and chat over the Internet! And that’s what’s scary about our supposedly technologically superior culture. It was supposed to bring us closer together. Remember global community and all that jazz? But has it brought us closer together?

We seem to spend more time hunkered down in front of computers or video games, oblivious to our neighbours in our cocoon of electronics and suburbia. Connecting with friends, neighbours and your kids can be deeply satisfying when all the technological clutter is pushed aside. And those connections are the most genuine and will probably be the happiest you have. Those Italian ladies were really enjoying their face-to-face time. Maybe it’s time for a little less e-mail and chat sites and a little more authentic communication in order to reconnect with our humanness. We’ll be that much happier for it.

Let’s make a little happiness recipe.

One brimming cup of ever lasting wonderful memories,
One packed cup of positive attitude,
One overflowing cup of authentic communication.

Mix well.

Makes many delightful servings.

Keeping New Years Resolutions - The Very Best Method

If you really want to grow and develop as a person it takes more then just setting goals haphazardly. It takes a step-by-step, but optimality simple approach that will bring a rich, joyful, wealthy and healthy life leading to balance and sustainability.

The habits, rituals, and choices we make in life are all derived from our goal setting. Goal setting is derived from our core values. Core values come from our own meaning and purpose statement. Or as some people call it – our mission statement.

Almost all our goals that are met and sustained can be derived using this optimality simple approach.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Meaning and purpose statement first.
Core values second.
Goal setting third.
New rituals, choices or habits fourth.

Let’s use Lance Armstrong as an example of someone who has achieved his goals. Breaking down his thinking will illustrate the steps in a simple and effective manner.

What would be part of his meaning and purpose? Lets make this very simple. Meaning and purpose isn’t that complicated. You are on this earth for a reason. To be a dad? To be an athlete? To teach? All of these?

At one point Lance decided to be an athlete.  Therefore his meaning and purpose statement would include.

I am an athlete….

In order to be an athlete and become world class would someone like Lance Armstrong have any core values?

Very simply his core values might be

Health
Perseverance
Self – discipline

To live according to those core values, would he have any goals?  I certainly hope so.

Ride my bike six times a week for six hours.
  Eat a balanced diet.
Get eight hours of sleep.

Did these goals turn into habits or rituals?  Of course they did.  If they hadn’t, we might know him as Lance Armstrong, copy machine salesman.

So there you have it.

1. Meaning and purpose.
2. Core Values.
3. Goal Setting third.
4. New rituals, choices or habits.

Review them daily. Live them.

Simple yet incredibly effective.

The new year is around the corner. Start reflecting now on your values and goals.

Wealth, Money And Getting Filthy Rich 101

Lets talk about getting rich. Filthy rich. Rolling in dough. Gold plated Ferraris. Ok, maybe a gold plated Ferrari is overkill. Or just wrong. So how, how, how and how you ask? You’ve come to the right place.

1. Make it crystal clear as to why you want to get rich.

There are a million reasons for wanting to become a zillionaire. Understand why you want to get rich. If you don’t know why, forget it. Go home. Stay in Normalville. Keep picking away at your dead-end life. Understanding your motives behind serious moneymaking makes way for passion, purpose and meaning. Perhaps your purpose is to flummox your idiot boss by amassing enough cash to purchase a huge estate, and then invite him over for Kraft dinner. Maybe you saw a sad child on TV and you want to help that sad child through the gift of mini Ipods and DVD collections of the hit TV series Friends. Perhaps you want to have total financial freedom and study the astonishing and mystifying life of aardvarks. Behind every Donald Trump wannabe is a continuous driving passion, motive or purpose. Find yours. You must have a purpose to keep you going. Must! Find out what it is. Now.

2. You know why you want to be wealthy, but you can’t get off the freaking couch.

Okay, you have decided to become nauseatingly rich and clearly understand your motives. But you’ve noticed that you can’t let go of that gigantic bag of Doritos and the TV remote is glued to your hand. Maybe you have to take care of a few other issues before the Brinks truck rolls to your door? Becoming filthy rich also requires that you are honest with yourself and ready to make a few changes. Take health, for example. Good health provides good energy. Good energy means that you can now spend time inventing that cereal that looks like tiny Ipods, after cleaning sewers all day. There may be a host of issues to resolve in order to remove roadblocks to private jets and beautiful beaches. It’s not only your health. Perhaps you still live with Mom and Dad and all your credit cards are maxed out over your incredible collection of collectable Yoda and Gollum action figures. Sorry, getting megarich might not happen overnight. Make sure your priorities are in order. Get in shape. Stop giving your platinum American Express to your Barbie girlfriend. When you find yourself on a plane to Las Vegas with your two year old’s piggy bank, forget it. You are not ready. Are you ready now? Great! Let’s go!

3. I’m going to be incredibly rich and do it all by myself.

No, you are not. Sure, I’ve read about some guy who came from some dusty, impoverished country, worked his butt off and became the carpet king of the world. Or Anthony Robbins, who was so poor that he had to take a bath in his kitchen sink before he became a megarich and began to buy helicopters and other rich-folk transportation devises. At least I think he took baths in the kitchen sink. Maybe he washed his clothes in it. Anyhoo, most people probably had some help to realize their dreams of caviar and champagne. How about a financial advisor? The world is saturated with them and I’m sure you can find one to get you on the right track. You know, how to save money, make a budget and all those other important money subjects that school never bothered to teach you. Don’t be afraid of financial planners either. They don’t all work in Gucci-designed, cloud-covered penthouse offices, smoke Cuban cigars and treat you like annoying spinach stuck in their teeth. Some can be nice! Inexpensive! So whether it’s the help of a friend, financial planner, parent or Oprah herself, it’s most likely that in order to get that two hundred foot yacht, you need some help. Who can help you?

4. I want to get stupendously rich, buy a small country, but I don’t have any good ideas.

Okay, you have purpose, no skeletons barging out of the closet and some help. But no ideas. The good news is that there are an infinite amount of ideas hanging off the idea tree just ready to be plucked. The bad news is that some of them take a long time to come to fruition. Conventional wisdom dictates that we must start young, save x amount of money for x years and blah, blah, blah. Well, some of us don’t have all those years. We want our helicopter and we want to eat our cake while flying in our helicopter -- now! Just think of all the fabulous and quick ways people have become filthy rich. Take those Google guys, for example. What’s with that? You punch in words in a little box and it brings you to other words that match your words. Rocket science? I think not. Ever heard of Lavalife? Lavalife is an online dating service that began in Canada and was sold for $152 million dollars!! Cash! $152 million!! Cash! True story! And the truly amazing thing is that it started in Canada! I thought Canada was just a bunch of peace-loving, mild-mannered types that worshipped hockey, curling and penguins. Yes, even Canada has amazingly rich people. So, if a Canadian can do it, so can you! Put your thinking cap on and start unleashing those hidden ideas. Maybe one day even you can sell your Canadian dating service company to a USA company for $152 million cash. Think of all the helicopters you can buy!

Let us summarize.

1. Understand the reasons behind your quest for wealth. Is always having the latest Ipod part of your wealth definition or is financial freedom? Make sure your core values are yours and don’t come from the advertising world.

2. You are clear and comfortable with your reasons behind for your wealth quest, but you are a walking heart attack. Having great health makes everything easier. Make it a priority and key goal.

3. You think you can get rich by yourself. Make sure you have the right connections to help you on your way. How about a financial planner?

4. You don’t have any ideas or are afraid to try one. There is an infinite amount of ways to create wealth. The first step is to TAKE ACTION. Life rewards action. Don’t take your music to your grave.