Live Awesome!
What One Thing Delivers Success Every Time?
By Ahsan
"The starting point of all achievement is desire." ⎯Napolean Hill
What separates the man or woman who succeeds from the one who fails?
Let's take, for example, the person who has transformed their weight and body?
Everyone wants to know how that person went from their “before” picture to the “after” picture.
“What's the secret?”", they will ask. The person asking will often feel that the person is holding back some details.
The fact is that it is not about the diet.
It is not about the workout style.
It is not about the coach
It's all about desire. Not just any desire but "burning desire." A desire that dominates your waking and sleeping thoughts. A desire that burns so hot, people feel it when they are in the town next to you!
Burning Desire Wins Every Time
A burning desire beats fear.
It beats doubt.
It topples procrastination.
It crushes all obstacles.
If you have a burning desire to reach your goal, you will beat the world, and you will shock the world!
Let's get back to basics. Let's stop looking for the magic bullet. Desire is the seed. It must be there first. Strategies and tactics come after; desire comes first. The seed must be planted first; then will the water, the soil and the sunshine produce the result. Basics. Basics. Basics.
For any goal that you have, you must check in with yourself. Do you really want it? How much desire is there? Desire is the key. The rest is commentary!
Once you have the burning desire, you will need one more thing. This is the bonus concept you get to see for this limited time offer. It will not be shown to you again. Grab it now!
What is it?
Manage your mind.
Your mind will wander, and it will face doubt. Your mind will get distracted, and you will waste time. Your mind will swing in emotion, and you will get anxious. Understand your mind and make it work for you.
Goal management, time management and emotional management are all about mind management! Handle your mind. Get it to work for you and not against you. Focus your mind and know that it is a skill that you have to cultivate. The mind has been referred to as a monkey for a reason. Still your mind and think about your burning desire; that is your goal. Focus on the plan and act on it. Be not surprised when you achieve that which you desire.
Action Steps:
Whatever BIG goal you have, it must dominate you. You must have a burning desire to achieve it. If not, you will come short of sinking that putt.
Take time out daily to look inward. Meditate or pray. Fill your mind with the desire to achieve your goal.
If you face obstacles and overcome them along the way, you should see that as a sure sign that you are on the right path. Most people quit when things get real.
So, what goals have you achieved because of your burning desire to achieve them? Drop us a line. We would love to hear from you! Remember that a Burning Desire Wins Every Time!
If you liked this article and know someone who is goal-oriented and should read this, please share it on your social media and suggest they visit www.awesomelifebook.com to subscribe to our email list. As a bonus, they will get our free report "HOW TO DEVELOP A DIAMOND HARD MINDSET."
The Secret To An Awesome Life
By Ahsan
“Self-knowledge and developing your powers of mind make for an Awesome life.” Inspired by Bilal Ahmad
As I look out the window, the sun is peering through a grey and cloudy background. On the one hand, the weather is gloomy, and on the other, it looks like it will change for the better. To be honest, the peering sun gives me a good feeling. The weather is doing its thing, and I am giving it meaning. In other words, my way of thinking is producing the feeling in me.
Why do I do this?
Our minds produce and let in all kinds of messages. We need to develop our minds to focus on what we want: joy, ease, happiness and relaxation. When we feel the opposite emotions, we are likely thinking negatively. The problem is never external; it’s all internal.
The inner dialogue that we all have needs to be coached into being positive, strong and focused. Easier said than done, you say? I agree. Important nonetheless, I say. Hopefully, you will agree.
So what is the secret? It comes from understanding that you do not have to be an amazing human being; instead, being human is an amazing thing.
The human-animal is the dominant species on earth because of one thing and one thing only: the human mind. We tend to overlook the amazing functions of our minds. Primarily that we not only think with it but can observe ourselves thinking with it. We have the ability to reflect internally on our thoughts¾provided we make a concentrated effort to do so.
In this short article, my goal is not to expound on all the miracles of the human mind but to raise your interest in it. The way to begin is from personal experience. You have a strong mind. It is capable of intense concentration. The issue, if at all, is that you may not experience this every day.
We all have days when our mind is on a mission, and we produce precisely what we want. For example, when we are planning a dinner at home for guests. Within a few hours, we tidy up the house, set up an inviting table and cook a few dishes. While we are busy and focused on preparing for our guests, we produce significant results, and time feels like it flies! This is the power of the mind at work. Thoughts that lead to action that produces results.
The secret to an awesome life is available in one word: Thinking.
Our life is a reflection of our thinking. Our thinking comes from our mind. Our mind needs to be strong.
Action Steps:
1. Your mind is meant to serve you. Fill it with good suggestions, positive affirmations and mental pictures of positive results. Talk to your mind in positive language.
2. Spend time daily to allow yourself to go inward. Inner reflection and self- dialogue should be a life-long practice if you desire an awesome life.
3. Resolve to be strong of mind. If you see yourself entertaining a weak thought, just push it away. Be your own coach. Say things like: “I have a strong mind, and I think only uplifting and positive thoughts.” In time, your way of thinking will automatically favour positive thinking.
4. If you have a limiting belief about having a strong mind, please change that. Why can’t you have a strong mind? Just work at it.
5. Practice thinking good thoughts and focus on feeling good. Prayer and meditation are the vehicles to make this happen.
6. Watch your language. Never say things like: I am screwed, this stress is killing me, or I am getting sick with worry. Instead, say something like I am resilient, and I can handle life even when it does not go my way.
The secret key to an awesome life is thinking. Get it? Got it? Good!
If you liked this article and know someone who is goal-oriented and should read this, please share it on your social media and suggest they visit www.awesomelifebook.com to subscribe to our email list. As a bonus, they will get our free report “HOW TO DEVELOP A DIAMOND HARD MINDSET.”
How Do You Learn Without Practical Experience?
By: Shazad
How is it possible that you can learn something without personal experience? It’s not possible to learn to ride a bike or fly a plane just by reading a book. There are definitely times when you need to immerse yourself into something to learn it and perform at a high level.
Many things like leadership, photography, and nutrition can be learned through books combined with practical experience. You need some knowledge or background to start your journey but then it’s up to you. You need to actually practice what you learned and expand on it otherwise, you haven’t really learned anything useful.
It can be painful to learn by doing and making some mistakes but the impact of this kind of learning is much more profound. Nothing beings doing combined with some wisdom and notes. Don’t wait for someone to give you a job or contract to get the experience. Use your every day routine to practice some aspect of the skill you are trying to learn.
Now get out there and get some experience doing things in the classroom of daily life!
How To Use 2020 To Get Ahead
By Shazad
It’s the last quarter of 2020 as I write this. This challenging year is finally coming to a close in a few months and it feels like many years have passed by instead of just a few months. There have been many changes and new realities to deal with. Lots of people, companies, and governments were tested. Some figured out how to dance with the moment while others stumbled and fell over.
To make the most of your lockdown, do a little bit more with the spare time you do have so you can accelerate and come out ahead in 2021. Don’t sit idle or be depressed at the situation. Take advantage of the opportunities to learn from the comfort of your couch while you wear pajamas past lunchtime on a Wednesday…and then it’s really time to change your clothes because some rules of house etiquette are definitely being broken if you continue with PJs in the afternoon.
Most people won’t use this time wisely to improve their health, relationships, and wisdom. You can be the rare exception and come out ahead. You’ve always wanted an advantage in life and never backed away from a challenge before so step up and move forward while others binge-watch on Netflix for the 5’th day in a row
You are strong enough, smart enough, and are surrounded by so much useful technology. Use it to the maximum potential and demonstrate how Awesome growth is done!
Here’s some framework to get you started:
Don’t sleep in. Get up 15-30 minutes earlier and use the time to exercise for at least 15 minutes before breakfast.
Make a list of 5-10 books you are going to read before the end of the year and get started on book number 1 today. Aim for 1 completed book each week and continue to the next one.
Make your Life Resolutions by Sunday and take action on Monday to get started on taking action to achieve your resolutions. Don’t wait for the New Year.
Clean up your pantry so there is no more than one item that is a treat. Everything should be healthy and wholesome food.
Read/Watch or listen to something from a source you don’t fully agree with and try to understand their perspective.
What If You Are Supposed To Be Happy All The Time?
By Ahsan
“The person who is in a state of constant happiness and wisdom is always embracing change.”
Confucius 551-479 BC, Chinese philosopher and politician
When you observe little children who are up to 7 years old, have you noticed that they are generally happy? What can you scientifically conclude from this? Why, of course, the fundamental nature of a human being is to be happy.
That is until they get taught to become sad, fearful or angry.
Who on earth would knowingly take a perfectly happy baby and teach her to become sad, fearful and angry?
Did you ever wonder? Do you want to know?
Well, the culprits are mainly parents who innocently project their behaviour that the child starts to imitate, society with its customs and norms and the media that overdramatizes with their movies, tv shows and commercials.
It’s all programming and conditioning. Agree? If you don’t, perhaps you have been conditioned so well that you think this theory is bunk. Hey, maybe and maybe not?
The evidence of this parental, cultural and societal programming and conditioning is easy to see in your own life. Who else in your family is anxious? What attitudes have you picked up from teachers, your culture and favourite movies? Think for a few minutes and come back to the article.
What’s more, when people or situations “cause” us to feel sad, fearful or angry, we think it’s only natural and normal to do so!
Why, of course, you should be mad when someone stabs you in the back at work, metaphorically. Why, of course, you should feel sad when your friends did not invite you out, and who wouldn’t get angry at that slow driver staying in the passing lane? Sheesh!
You can avoid all this, I tell you. It will take a bit of commitment and de-programming. If you want to get out of the “Cult” that says you should punish yourself with unhappy feelings when people and situations don’t go your way, you will do no worse if you consider these following actions:
1. Understand that life is not in your control, and neither are people. The true definition of insanity is to think they are. Let life unfold and enjoy it moment to moment as it unfolds. Just as you would a beautiful piece of music, let each note happen and be with the music.
2. Make a list of where you got your conditioned attitudes, preconceived notions and in-depth programming.
3. Become self-aware. Start noticing that feeling of negative emotion as it comes up the second it does and then immediately let it go. You will need to practice this—a lot.
4. Own the problem. The problem is you. Not reality and not people. When you change, you will suddenly notice that the world does not need to change, and the people in it do not need to change.
Perhaps this knowledge will reach you in time. What would really be sad is if you were a 74-year-old person who complains that whenever things are going well in life, it seems like something comes along to ruin it. This is one way to live, and it is a bitter way. The better way is to drop your illusions and embrace change by changing yourself. This is what Confucius so prophetically taught 2500 years ago.
Be happy today! May you be happy always! Amen.
If you liked this article and know someone who is goal-oriented and should read this, please share it on your social media and suggest they visit www.awesomelifebook.com to subscribe to our email list. As a bonus, they will get our free report “HOW TO DEVELOP A DIAMOND HARD MINDSET.”
How To Avoid The Easy Road To Misery
By Ahsan
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Mike Tyson, Heavy Weight Champion Boxer
Our life is most enjoyed when things go exactly as we want them to.
We want certain things in life and want them to be as precise as planned. For instance, take the way you like to drink your coffee: freshly ground French roast beans, made in a French press, brewed for 4 minutes with two tablespoons of heavy cream and hot. When we get something different from what we want, like your favourite coffee but cold, our enjoyment is not the same.
The same goes for how we want people to be and things in life to go.
However, something is lurking around the corner that we cannot see.
That thing is CHANGE.
Everything is changing. Nothing stays the same. When things change, and we have difficulty accepting it, we begin the easy road to misery.
The proverbial punch in the mouth is unpleasant. The feelings of disappointment and pain need to be felt and processed. They should not be ignored or resisted, but they too end up changing. When we are lucky, change brings growth. Change can beget happiness. Change can lead to resilience.
You can prove this to yourself if you go into that great library and read the book My Life Experience. No one needs to prove this to you.
Indeed, the happiest among us are those who understand that life is full of changes. In their understanding is acceptance of change and not fearing it. Acceptance helps to elevate your outlook and directly affects how you come out of the change: resilient or fragile. Strong or broken. Scared or Brave.
As the Chinese proverb goes, “when the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.”
Ok, so now we understand what boxers and philosophers mean about the effect of a change on our lives. We still don’t like change. In fact, we may never have been shown how to truly handle change.
Today, you will:
Action Steps:
1) Make a list of all the things that are going well for you: relationships, health, finances, work, fame, success, reputation, etc.
2) Anticipate how they could change and see yourself adapting and, most importantly, accepting it.
3) Consider how much you cling to and crave these things you identified in step one.
4) Resolve to cling less and crave less
5) Remind yourself that if anything on the list changes, you will be ready to deal with it. The ways and means will reveal themselves then, and you do not need to fret now.
6) Consider adding the life lesson of anticipating change, accepting change and adapting to change so that you live an Awesome Life!
May your life be full of happiness even when it changes.
If you liked this article and know someone who is goal-oriented and should read this, please share it on your social media and suggest they visit www.awesomelifebook.com to subscribe to our email list. As a bonus, they will get our free report “HOW TO DEVELOP A DIAMOND HARD MINDSET.”
Are You A Mental Weakling?
By Ahsan
When an archer is shooting for nothing, he has all his skill. If he shoots for a brass buckle, he is already nervous. If he shoots for a prize of gold, he goes blind or sees two targets; he is out of his mind, his skill has not changed. But the prize divides him. He cares. He thinks more of winning than of shooting, and the need to win drains him of power. ¾ Chuang Tzu: Chinese Philosopher who lived 400 years before Christ.
Do you know that the source of all human misery is the same all over? What is it, you ask? I’m talking about the thing that is with you all day. It follows you around like a shadow, and it cannot be ignored.
It’s that voice you hear in your head.
We all start our day hearing the voice, and off it goes keeping us company until we conk out at night.
It would be fine if that voice gave us logical and lucid commentary, but 80% of its blather is nonsense. Not only is it nonsense, but it’s also random and mostly negative. And you and I get so caught up in it that we identify ourselves and our daily levels of happiness with it.
Here is what I think. Most of us are unaware of the power our mental chit chat has on us and need to become aware of it. Aware of what? Aware of our thoughts that only we can hear. This is what is meant by your thoughts determine your reality.
Coming back to Chuang Tzu, on one level, it seems he is talking about performance jitters on game day, but if you know a thing or two about philosophers, it’s probably a lot deeper than that.
Here is what I have in terms of a commentary on his allegory. The venerable Philosopher is talking about life and enjoying it.
How is that, you say? Simple. When your thoughts take you towards forcing people, circumstances or the weather to behave as you need them, you begin your journey to unhappiness, fear, anger and other such negative mental states.
On the other hand, if you use your archery skills and stay on target and not focus on hitting the target, you often hit the mark.
In other words, just allow your life to unfold and don’t force outcomes. You can certainly try, but you may find that you enjoy life instead of reacting to it like a victim if you drop this illusion.
How do you do this?
Try these action steps:
1. Take at least five times a day to reflect on how you feel and take over your mental chit chat by spending a few minutes in prayer or meditation. The best times will be waking up, just before sleeping and the other three spaced in between. During those few minutes, the technique will be to talk to God if you are praying and talk to yourself if you are meditating.
2. During your prayer or meditation, become aware of your thoughts. Knowing that the vast majority of them are random and malicious, ignore them and try instead to think logically about your feelings and lucidly. Relax your body, focus on your breathing and all that good stuff but most importantly, interrupt your galloping thoughts and make the horse slow down and pull the reign right as needed.
3. Become aware of yourself in a self-observational way. That is, notice your thoughts and notice your surroundings as though you are observing someone else.
4. Practice this daily. In the next seven days, you will get 35 opportunities to hone your new skills!
So, can it be said that you are a mental weakling if you become more aware of your thoughts? If you care to enjoy life more fully, live fearlessly, be more of your true self, have more mental poise and peace…re-read this article and verbally explain the concepts to at least one person you care about.
If you liked this article and know someone who is goal-oriented and should read this, please share it on your social media and suggest they visit www.awesomelifebook.com to subscribe to our email list. As a bonus, they will get our free report “HOW TO DEVELOP A DIAMOND HARD MINDSET.”
Why Leaders Need to Thank the Parents
By Shazad
Indra Nooyi, is the CEO of PepsiCo and she inspired this blog post. Nooyi writes more than 400 letters each year to the parents of her senior executives. I think all leaders need to be doing the same thing to drive better team results and a deeper connection with their leadership. It doesn’t matter if you manage a small team of rising stars or you are a C-level leader of seasoned executives. If your current team is doing well with each member contributing their best to their individual career, you can appreciate their efforts and reward them accordingly as well as mentioning their achievements to their parents.
You should consider all the efforts of the parents of the people under your command and how it shaped them. It’s most likely that your team and you yourself have been significantly impacted by the kinds of parents you had. Their struggles and sacrifices to raise, educate, and motivate kids are powerful in creating a great human being. Isn't this worth acknowledging?
By spending some time appreciating the parents of each successful member of your team, you are validating the power and influence of elders in creating the awesome person you hired and manage today. In most cases, it won’t replace a bonus or pay raise for the best employees but it will definitely create a stronger bond of respect with leaders who make that habit of reaching out to and praising the parents. This can result in a more cohesive and engaged team which is very critical to everyone's success.
It’s not just an Eastern culture courtesy to consider the parents or elders and teachers in our lives. It is a very human quality of gratitude and appreciation. Every leader should also take the time to personally acknowledge their own parents and other elders who helped you become the person they are today. You could not have done this without them and they deserve to know this!
Time for A Gut Check
By Shazad
When something feels wrong, people often say they have a gut feeling about it being so. The human gut is indeed like a second brain and where most of our immune system lives. A healthy digestive system means overall wellbeing. The opposite is also true so if things don’t feel right in the stomach for whatever reason, get things checked out. It could be an early warning sign that you need to make some small or big changes.
Time for everyone to listen to their gut on a regular basis. It knows a few things that the rest of the body can benefit from.
Dare to Dream Again
By Shazad
Remember how you used to dream about life and what you would become when you grew up? How many of you actually reached your dream job or dream life? What stopped you? Have you stopped dreaming altogether?
Revisit your past and what you said you wanted to accomplish. Now look at where you are at today and how things compare. Is it better, worse or the same as what you imagined your life would be like?
If it’s not where it should be for you - change it! Start dreaming again and write things down. Draw ideas and pictures of what it’s supposed to look like so it’s out of your head and in your hands to see every day. Make dreams come true by taking action on pursuing the dream that you have written down. If it’s important and still relevant to your life today, you’ll find a way to make it happen.
Will you dare to dream of the possibilities?
Are You Sailing Through Life?
By Ahsan
“It’s not death that man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” Marcus Aurelius
May I ask you a question? Is life easy, or is it hard?
Please consider this one-word answer: NO.
So, if life is not easy and also not hard, are you sailing through life?
Your answer is likely to be sometimes I do, and at other times I don’t. However, my mate, as your Skipper, allow me to give you some lessons from the world of sailing so that you start to sail through life always!
I have had the fantastic privilege of reading Michael Singer’s book, The Untethered Soul. This book is a must-read. The author uses many analogies and among them is the analogy of living life with a sense of ease and sailing.
Think about this for a second. To sail, all you need is some wind, and off you go. Correct?
Well, actually, as Michael Singer points out, you can have wind, but if your sail is not up, you go nowhere. The same goes if your sail is up, but there is no wind.
Furthermore, to keep your ship sailing to its destination, you need to not only adjust your sails, but you also need to do it just right. If your sail is too stiff and tight, a hard wind can tip your boat over. If, on the other hand, it is too loose, you won't catch the wind.
And this becomes the analogy for life. You and I do not control life, nor do we control the wind and how hard it blows.
What we do control is how we adjust the sails. And this is exciting if you think about it. How fun is life when you understand that you can sail through it by controlling what you can.
If you want to sail through life, you need to lean into the wind and not resist the weather but rather work with it. Come rain or shine, blustering winds or terrifying tempests, your best action is to react appropriately and avoid getting all caught up in the moment.
If your life, like mine and other people, is great one day and not so great the next, you will like this analogy and will probably not forget it soon. The more you share the sailing analogy, the more you will remember it and ingrain its beautiful message.
What’s more, I am going to share three action steps to make sailing through life a breeze. No pun intended!
Action Steps:
1) Life is full of stress. Accept it and if you like, in moments of stress, say to yourself that you are having fun. This will convert a moment of frustration into a feeling of exhilaration. Walk into the room, feeling your best.
2) Keep a mindset of letting life happen and not resisting it or trying to make it go your way. Over time, you will feel more joy at allowing life to happen and playing your role as an active and willing participant.
3) Stick with this idea of adjusting your sails as life gets windy. Going with flow and adjusting to the wind will lead to a more comfortable life even when it is hard one.
If you liked this article and know someone who is goal-oriented and should read this, please share it on your social media and suggest they visit www.awesomelifebook.com to subscribe to our email list. As a bonus, they will get our free report “HOW TO DEVELOP A DIAMOND HARD MINDSET.”
Education vs. Learning
By Shazad
You may have heard this before but it’s worth a review. Education is not the same thing as learning. The former is part of life and a requirement to advance in life. The latter is what makes life fulfilling and enables a person to excel in life.
Education is about attending a school or some program to achieve a desired outcome like a diploma, degree or a certificate. Some of these may expire and others are good for the lifespan of the student who completed the education. It’s important but it’s just a foundational skill we need to have to build a life on top of the many things school teaches us.
Learning is the act of formal and informal acquisition of knowledge which is applied. When you learn something in an authentic way, you are not just listening to data or facts and making notes about something. You are actually processing the information and making sense of this. You are forming an opinion or point of view about the knowledge. It should inspire you to make some life changes based on the learning. These can be very profound and will definitely have a lasting impression on the rest of your life starting with the day you learn something.
The most Awesome thing about Learning is that anyone can do it. You don’t need a formal classroom, tuition fees or even a world class professor. You just need to be willing to observe, think and make decisions about the world around you. Every day is a learning opportunity because there is something going on every day in our home and the community. You just need to pay attention, learn how to look up relevant information in books or online and possess critical thinking skills to sort through what is relevant vs what is incorrect or unnecessary info.
Your formal education may have ended 20 years ago when you finished that Bachelors or Masters degree. Your learning never stops as long as you are alive. I personally believe my University experience was the training ground to lifelong learning. I’m grateful I had an opportunity for formal education at 2 Universities and a Community College. I’m even more grateful for the passion I have learning many more things, correcting my thinking, and being a better person every year. Never stop learning!
If you liked this post and know someone who is goal-oriented, please share it with them. Also, please join our Awesome Life email subscriber list by filling out the short form at www.awesomelifebook.com
Crisis As A Gift
By Shazad
We can take the current moment or any other time of disruption and confusion as a tragedy to be avoided or something else. I challenge you all to see it as a time of opportunity to help others get back to business, work, and life in general. There are at least 3 tools to employ if you want to make the most of a crisis and I’ll share describe each of them below.
The first thing that should come to mind is Creativity. How can you do more with less? How can you get around the obstacles and challenges of the current moment? Make a list of all the new business opportunities or just simple ideas to solve problems that come to mind each day.
The second thing is your inner strength and Resolve to succeed despite the odds. How committed are you to what you believe is your mission at work, business, and life? Write out your mission statement by hand on paper and review it when you start your day or a new project for work. Your actions will be tempered with your mission statement and you will likely find more inner strength each day to keep going.
The third tool related to both of the above is Personal Growth. This is a theme of Awesome Life and our overall mission with all like-minded followers of our content. See the current moment as an opportunity to stretch and grow even more than you could if everything was ‘normal’ or running as expected in the work, at school, or in society in general. Take the challenge to grow yourself by treating the crisis as a gym for your mind, body, and soul where you go each day to work out and develop the muscles you need for tomorrow and the next day. Humans have always risen to the challenges of their times and become smarter, better, and more self-aware when they chose to grow through the circumstances rather than shrink and give up.
So, how are you going to use these tools to make sure you come out of 2020 a more creative, resilient, and stronger person than you ever thought you could be? The time for Awesome is now!
If you liked this post and know someone who is goal-oriented, please share it with them. Also, please join our Awesome Life email subscriber list by filling out the short form at www.awesomelifebook.com
Define What Awesome Looks Like
By Shazad
We all want to have something awesome or be part of something awesome, but what does that mean?
The truth is that it’s going to be different for different people. It will likely change for you depending on your age and life circumstances. So what can you do if you really want more awesomeness in your life?
First and foremost, you need to define what that Awesome is for you in as much detail as possible. Next, explain why it’s so Awesome for you with 3-5 qualifying statements. Third, what are you going to do about it now that you know what it is and why it matters to you? This is where you get to plan your next steps to make your definition of Awesome come into reality.
Now get out there and make Awesome happen for you!
Plant Some Seeds
By Shazad
It may not be the time to actually plant any fruit or vegetable seed right now but you can still plant seeds. Ideas, good deeds and good works are all seeds you can start “planting” every day.
Now more than ever, we need more positivity and goodness in the world. It starts with you and your habits. How you talk, think and act are the ‘seeds’ you are sowing every day. Making choices about how you behave with other people is like creating a garden for you and others to interact with.
The better you care for your garden and the things planted within it, the better your experience will be. Overtime, you will need to water this garden and protect from harmful insects and disease. The act of caring for your garden on a regular basis is the necessary daily work in order to have a healthy garden. In the same way, having a healthy life requires your daily work in your personal ‘garden’.
So, what seeds are you planting today for a beautiful garden?
Can You Find Happiness Or Does Happiness Find You?
“Happiness is like trying to catch a butterfly. That butterfly is not going to land on your shoulder and jump in your hand. But if you try to capture it with a butterfly net, you can do it!”⎯Bilal Ahmad
By Ahsan
Once upon a time, there was a little boy who was born into the most adverse time of history and who had no advantages of circumstance. He grew up amidst tough people and never received any help other than a kind word. Those who knew the little boy were certain that he would live a life of hardships and disappointments.
The reality of his life was adversity, but the outcome was prosperity. The little boy grew up to be among the most honoured of men and remarkably, the happiest too.
What did he do to end up this way?
Did he find happiness, or did happiness find him?
The answer lies in how he approached his life and may inspire you to do the same.
In his mind, he instinctively knew that he was not to blame for his circumstances and that all he could do was try to improve them. So, he looked around to see what other successful and happy people did in times before, and he simply copied their recipes.
Another way of thinking he developed was that happiness is something a person creates as opposed to something you get when everything is going your way. He learned this from watching his neighbors that were even poorer than him but always happy with whatever they had.
Finally, in his life, many things occurred that were entirely outside his control, and he noticed that the “old normal” never came back. He saw that the people who thrived in the “new normal” were people who adapted, learned new skills and made themselves emotionally strong.
Action Steps:
Have a purpose in life, a vision and a plan. Work on this a little bit every day of your life. You may like to also pray to your Creator for guidance, help, and resolve.
Identify happy people and use their example and mindset for yourself. If they can see the silver lining, so can you.
View change as the seed of new growth. Life is not in your control. The reason we have hardship, natural disasters and loss is so we might develop individually or even collectively.
Ask yourself if you are taking responsibility for your happiness or expecting it to land on your shoulder.
You see, the notion that you will be happy when this happens or when a particular person does that is never going to work.
Happiness is not an outcome that finds you! You find happiness by adopting the ways mentioned in this helpful article. Feel free to add a few ideas of your own to the list and keep them on your bathroom mirror to review every day!
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If You Can Do This⎯Your Life Will Change!
By: Ahsan
Many wise people have said that if you can focus your attention on something with proper concentration, you will achieve extraordinary results.
How good is your ability to focus?
All of us have had plenty of time to think about our lives and our goals more than usual as we try to stay safe in these uncertain times.
When things get back to normal, we will be able to really “go for it” and achieve our big important goals.
Or will we?
There will be those that do and those that don’t.
Increasingly, you will hear about people who wasted their lock-down time because they got caught up with too many distractions. They were unable to sit down and put their minds on a task or project for any length of time. As a result, their goals remained wishes and mere dreams.
In other words, they lacked FOCUS.
Many super successful people will tell you that they attribute their success to their ability to FOCUS.
If you think multitasking and checking emails and Instagram while you are supposed to be working on a project, working on your plan or even working out is harmless, you, my friend, should try staying focused.
Focus is perhaps the most critical ingredient for success, yet most folks are not aware of its power. People might think otherwise if they understood F.O.C.U.S.
Fanatic. Optimization. Creating. Unlimited. Success.
Here are three things that combine in making FOCUS your ally in achieving your big important goals BIGs and making you a legend!
The first is knowing your rocks in the jar. By now, you may have heard about how the teacher asked the students to fill a jar with rocks, then some pebbles after the rocks, then some sand after the pebbles, then some water after sand to prove that the jar was not full when the rocks were added. Using the visual demonstration, the teacher made the point that we need to fill our day with the big and important rocks and not the small pebbles or grains of sand if we want to get ahead in life.
So, know what rocks you need to fill in your jar of life and work on those a bit every day.
The second thing to do is refine your To-Do list. We all have a list, but it may be filled with fluff and nonsense that is not helping us achieve our larger goals in life. Make sure your To-Do list is at least 80% geared to things that are aligned with your BIGs. Otherwise, you will be dealing with the grains of sand and never get to the rocks.
The third thing to bring in focus is FOCUS.
When you have a To-Do list, you will naturally want to start knocking things off the list. When you do, you get a feeling of satisfaction and happiness (dopamine hits). However, if you start something on the list, you know, and I know that it is better to stay with the task/project and not let yourself get distracted. Stay focused so that you will get things done.
FOCUS will be the fuel that ignites the rocket into orbit. FOCUS will separate you from the masses of dreamers and talkers. FOCUS is the secret behind living life to the fullest with fanatical optimization creating unlimited success!
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What Mode Are You In?
By: Shazad
Quick! What are you doing right now and what ‘mode’ are you in? Could you answer this clearly and with just a few words? How about a single word? To answer this, let me define mode as the combination of thinking and behaving that you are engaged in. Another way to think of this is a pattern of behaviour or way of being.
So, what mode are you in?
To answer this, consider that we are always in some kind of mode at all times. We can be in multiple modes throughout the day whether we are working, playing, relaxing, or volunteering. We are in a certain state of mind that can be identified. Some of the many modes you could be are, the Caregiver, the Problem Solver, the Empathizer, the Thinker, the Marketer, the Preacher, and the Ruler. If you examine your life and try to summarize most, if not all, of your days, could you come up with just 3 modes that describe what you are doing at any given time? I tried this and came up with Thinker, Teacher, Coach or TTC for short. I believe I’m doing any one of these things whether I’m awake or asleep.
Why bother doing this?
Knowing your own ‘operating mode’ helps you to align your actions, words, and thinking, as well as your schedule. It creates clarity and gives you specific ways to look at a problem without necessarily having strict boundaries that hamper creativity.
A person who has too many modes often lacks focus and peace of mind. A person with too few modes may lack fulfillment and purpose in life. Having just the right amount - about 3-5 modes as a maximum, means you will likely achieve all of your life goals in a meaningful way.
It’s ok to change modes as you change roles in life and generally get older. Having more life experience, wisdom and self-awareness will definitely change how you think about life and what you consider important. Naturally, your modes will change through the refinement of ideas or completely changing your mind and having entirely new modes to be in.
So, give it some thought and be prepared to stop yourself at any point and ask, “What Mode am I in?”.
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I'm CURIOUS...What Would Steve Think?
By: Shazad
A friend of mine, who I met through some Executive Coaching classes at the office also has a very interesting podcast. It’s called the Natural Curiosity Project and Dr. Steven Shepard is the creator. Steve is an author, photographer, public speaker, and also a great storyteller. You can find out more about Steve here: www.shepardcomm.com
Within hours of being in Steve’s first training session, I was hooked on the way he explained things and the diverse life experiences he spoke about. I become seriously curious and wanted to know more about this man who I consider a true Polymath. He inspired me to also be more curious about things and it started with being more curious about him. I was fascinated to learn of the many places Steve has been to and the various projects he’s worked on. He reminds me of Indiana Jones, David Attenborough, and Simon Sinek all rolled into one. This is perhaps why I find Steve to be so fascinating as a human being.
As children, we are very curious and it makes learning possible. At some point in our teens or after college, we stop being so curious about things and that’s a shame. By ending our natural curiosity of things in adulthood, we nearly cut-off the ability to have creative thoughts, empathy towards another person’s point of view and, the ability to experience profound personal development. In short, we stop living a full and rich life.
If you aren’t curious about people with different points of view, the origin of current customs and beliefs, or the reason people behave the way they do, you aren’t really getting the most out of life. If you want to understand the present and know what the future could look like, you need to be curious about people, history, geography, and nature. There are clues everywhere!
I meet a number of interesting people in life through work and my hobbies but not so many real polymaths who demonstrate a sincere wonder about the world and how it works. Anytime I’ve been feeling a little stuck or lacking in growth, I remember my friend Steve and ask myself, “What would Steve think about this issue?”. It’s because of his vast experience, wisdom and practical advice that I often think of what his point of view may be on a topic. When I do, I am compelled to open my mind and let my curiosity flow. This has often resulted in more compassion, understanding, and awareness. Aren’t you curious to know how much better your life could be?
Why Changing Your Mind is a Good Thing
By Shazad
“I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change”
Lyrics from Michael Jackson, “Man in the Mirror”
Children do it, World Leaders do it and everyone in between does it too. Having a preference or opinion and then changing that at some later time is a perfectly natural thing and should be welcomed under the right circumstances. I’m going to explain that and let you decide if you have changed your mind about your opinions in the past and if you think that’s ok.
The first good reason to change one’s mind about something is new information. When we know better, we should do better and talk better as well as thinking better. We should never be stubbornly stuck on a path because we found our forefathers doing it or because everyone in our circle of friends is doing something. Get out of groupthink and become an independent Thought Leader when you have the best information.
The second good reason to change your mind is when the situation changes. For example, due to recent COVID19 pandemic, we should all be washing our hands more often and keeping some distance from people. This is precaution to prevent the spread of the virus and is a temporary condition. Other times, a change of action is more permanent due to a more dramatic event such as Climate Change. In this case, we should all consider our impact on the environment in our lifetime and act to improve the planet instead of behaving as we did before we knew about Climate Change.
The third good reason to change is when you are no longer the same person as before. When you are a teenager, your thoughts are different than when you are a mature adult with life experience. The same goes for when you are married vs single or employed vs. Being in business for yourself. There are so many times when we have a fundamental identity change due to time or the roles we have in life. It’s perfectly reasonable to have a mindset shift when your role changes. In fact, it should be required to change and develop yourself further.
So there you have it. Changing your mind is neither bad, harmful, or something to be afraid of. It’s proof of your growth and self-awareness developing in this journey called life. Make that change!