Do You Know Your Numbers?

By Shazad

Metrics, Quotas, and Numbers are everywhere in our lives. Some define our attributes like how tall we are, our weight, our BMI, etc. Others define our income, net worth or amount of debt. Do you know your numbers? Do you know the key numerical values in your life of things that can be measured and periodically reviewed?

Do you know the metrics of your health as well as you do your financial portfolio? Do you know how much minimum income you need to be consider yourself a “Rich Person”? Have you been tracking how much sleep you get and how active you are during the day? All of these things matter, to some degree so it’s worth knowing about them.

On the other hand, not everything can be measured in numbers such as how much you love your family, the beauty of a sunset or the satisfaction of doing a good day’s work. Develop your awareness to all the non-quantifiable things in your life that you can’t live without. Do you know what they are and how each of these makes you feel on a daily basis?

Life is made up of many numbers but it’s more than just formulas, equations and charts. Make it a habit to know your key numbers and then learn to ignore most of these to focus on all the many things that you cannot count but mean the world to you.

What Is The Better Thought?

By Ahsan

Have you ever been stuck in stinking thinking?

When you talk to yourself, and the conversation is disempowering, what can you do to turn things around?

What have you done in the past to turn things around?

If you look back, you will likely find that you started to make a comeback by turning your back to the "weak thought" and instead chose a "better thought."

This, my dear friend, is the way to accelerate your mojo, to put some pep in your step, to sing your song and bit adieu to stinking thinking.

Whenever you feel like you are in a funk and would rather be at the disco, you've got to change the radio station in your head and go to "Better Thought" FM. 

In fact, here is a Top Ten list of “Better Thoughts” for you to listen to: 

Make sure to save them to your playlist:

1. "I've been through tougher situations, and I will get through this too."

2. “All things are possible with the blessings and skills that I have, with God’s grace.”

3. "I have friends that I can rely on, including myself.”

4. “Ain’t no mountain high enough. Ain’t no valley low enough. I will keep on trying!”

5. “I think I can, I think I can. I know I can, I know I can”.

6. “Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love you Tomorrow. Tomorrow is just a day away.”

7. "Don't stop believing. Hang on to that feeling."

8. “A little less talk and a little more action.” 

9. “ Doe a deer, a female deer. Ray, a drop of golden sun. Me, a name I call myself.”

10. "We are the champions, my friend. We'll keep on fighting to the end."

How many other better thoughts can you come up with?

Drop us a line, and let's build this together.

Let's get up to 100 Better Thoughts and share them with the world

Please send us your Better Thoughts at: shazad@kingsquillpublishing.com

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 on Resilience.

What's Your Story?

By Shazad

“Story, as it turns out, was crucial to our evolution -- more so than opposable thumbs. Opposable thumbs let us hang on; story told us what to hang on to.” Lisa Cron, Wired for Story

We all have one and we keep repeating it in our heads on daily basis. Some people experience a life event that causes them to change or enhance their story. Sometimes it’s good embellishments and positive explanations.  For many, their story has very negative tones and beliefs like they are some kind of victim” or hopeless “sinner” that cannot be redeemed. This is very damaging to their lives and unsurprisingly, makes them very unhappy.

When you realize that you are telling yourself a story all day long, you can change it.  We all need better stories to appreciate and enjoy. Need proof? Why do we enjoy movies and fictional stories in books? There is something in the way the characters are presenting something to our brain that compels us to keep watching or reading that book.  Even with the best actors, a poorly written storyline will not be a good movie. It’s the same with our lives. We cannot be happy and have fulfilling lives if we are telling ourselves poorly written stories of despair and a lack of control over the quality of our lives.  The ‘script’ running in your head needs to be better. This is, after all, your life philosophy, your “mission statement” and has to be aligned with your values. You cannot let someone else write it for you and you cannot let it be random events that shape how you feel each day.

It’s time for a better narrative to Live an Awesome Life. You want to change but how can you do this? Study the voice in your head and write down what you believe about yourself. Next, write out what you want to be the story of your life while you are still alive.  What have you been through and seen in the world? How many people do you know and what are your favourite things in this world? How do you want to be understood and what qualities do you want to shine brightly for all to see? Third, start thinking, acting, and telling your new story every day.  You can start by repeating positive quotes, affirmations, and “plot” lines in your mind.  Make your personal story bold, genuine, and truly engaging with a touch of humour. This is how you become the hero of your own life and save the day, every single day! What will your story be?

Resolve to Have an Awesome Identity in 2021

By Shazad

Every year, especially around January, people are trying to develop new or better habits. People want to change their life by improving their health or knowledge. Maybe you want to have a more productive work or business life. Lots of people want to have better relationships as well and that may be the focus for many at the start of the year. The question is, How Do You Actually Achieve these CHANGES and make them stick?

I’ll tell you the one way that usually fails for everyone. It’s the idea to add some good habits or remove some bad habits because it’s that time of the year and everyone else is doing it. Simply adding or removing an activity does not equal meaningful life changes. It is very shallow and ineffective over time. So what works? What can actually cause people to adopt meaningful transformations that last? What should you be doing instead?  The answer is tying your habits to your identity. A better identity than you may have today. How do you do this?  Ask yourself these 3 questions:

1. What KIND of Person Am I? Write out your key attributes and preferences.

2. What Kind of Person do I REALLY want to be? Describe the characteristics of your ideal personality that you want to be like.

3. What are the habits, thoughts, and STORIES of the person that I want to be like? Study the daily routines, quotes, and milestones in life that your ideal person has.

Once you know the kind of person you want to be, changing your habits and sticking to the good ones will be so easy. You have to repeat your new identity to yourself each day to remind yourself who you really are and want to be. Why does this work? It’s because you are clearly defining and frequently reinforcing a new identity that will stick in your mind. This will test everything you do, say, and think against that identity.  It’s automatic and you can’t really control this part of your personality. Use it to your advantage and force yourself to align with your desired identity. If you try to do something contrary to it, it will be like the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard or the feeling of rubbing sandpaper on your face. It will get your attention and cause you to stop!

Our brains are wired to be CONSISTENT with our story and identity of who we are. If we develop an identity of a healthy, strong, and intelligent person who doesn’t smoke or doesn’t waste time, we will do everything in our power to live up to this kind of Awesome identity.  Our thoughts, habits, and daily routines will be in sync with this idea of ourselves.  Likewise, if the identity in our head is a person who is lazy, not very bright, smokes, and lacks willpower, our habits will match that image of ourselves because we can’t fight who we think we are in our minds. Why? Because that’s how we are wired. To change the wiring to do the opposite is simply not possible in the long run.  The only lasting life changes come when you develop that Awesome Identity and live every day according to that identity in all your actions and thinking. It’s much easier to do this and becomes automatic after a short time of actively reminding yourself what kind of person you are.

Resolve to be Awesome in 2021 and watch all the good habits develop within you.

How To Encourage More Courage And Finally Crush It In Life!

By Ahsan 

What’s that noise? As I walked through the forest, the sun was setting quickly. The crinkling sounds of my footsteps began to fade as I hurried back to my campsite. Instead, my mind became more alert to every sound other than my footsteps. The darkening forest began to envelop me. A low growling sound came from a bush to my right that was about fifteen feet away. I never thought this could happen. 

Hey, did you feel that sense of fear as you read the paragraph above?

It's ok to be afraid. You and I are wired to be alert to danger. We are descendants of people who survived lions on the savannah, storms, famines, and misfortunes since ancient times.

We are also descendants of people who used their faculty of courage to survive!

It’s all about courage.

If you think about it, the difference between those who take a risk in life and those who play it safe determines a large portion of personal success.

You have to have the courage to love someone and get hurt.

You have to have the courage to set out on a BIG goal and risk failing.

You even need the courage to build more courage.

The challenge is to be courageous when your instincts want to push you to safety.

How to overcome this instinct is crucial. Now you may be wondering how to do it, and here is my five-point plan:

Action Plan:

1. Define Your Purpose for being courageous and define your purpose in life. 

2. Recall past success, find your defining past success, and relive it mentally in vivid detail.

3. Assess the risk you need to take and the potential reward.

4. Count on some luck, aka blessings, because fortune favours the bold.

5. Act; Act Courageously Today!

Be brave when others are fearful, and you will inherit what rightfully belongs to you.

Fortune favours the bold and courageous.

Courage breeds results!

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 on Persistence and Resilience.

Do You Have Awesome DNA?

By Shazad

DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid and it is the genetic blueprint for all living things. Our DNA defines what we look like and is a significant part of our life as a foundation to making us who we are at birth. DNA also defines something about what can happen to us as we grow older but it’s not capable of predicting who we become as human beings. A big part of our success, fulfillment and happiness in life is based on our behaviors, thoughts, and movement as I’ll explain in this post.

What we do with our lives is what determines how things turn out and it can be explained by another kind of “DNA”.  The choices we make every day is the D which stands for Decisions. The story in our head about our life, the world, and our relationship with everything around us is the Narrative denoted by the letter N.  The execution of activity or Actions represents the A in this version of “DNA”. Actions are the everyday things we do and are based on the combination of decisions and narrative in our heads.  It’s not enough to make good decisions and have the right attitude in our minds about things. We need to take the right actions to actually move forward.

If you tell me the Decisions, the Narrative, and the Actions of a person over the course of a week, a month, or a year - I can accurately predict the kinds of success and satisfaction the person will have in life. Success leaves clues. A person’s life CAN be understood to see where it’s going even before success is actually achieved. It is a combination of understanding human psychology and the collective wisdom of large groups of people over many thousands of years.

You can’t dramatically change your facial features, eye colour, height, or other aspects of your physical design. What you can always change is how you apply yourself in this world no matter how you look on the outside. You have the power to make the best impact on the world with all that you have been born with and all that you have learned so far in life. That’s where my definition of DNA comes into play.

Just like our biological DNA defines various basic features about us, this “DNA” defines the quality and likely path we are going to be on in this journey of life. Isn’t it satisfying to know that you have significant power to become the best person you can be regardless of what your biology is? You have the power to remake yourself into something Awesome so exercise your Decisions, Narrative, and Actions wisely every day!

The next time someone pays you a compliment, thank them and say, “It’s in my DNA”.

Here Is Why You Are Okay Even If Other People Say You Are Not

By Ahsan 

If you want to make someone’s day, give them a compliment. On the other hand, if you want to make someone feel lousy about themselves, all you need to do is give them a well-intentioned comment of “constructive criticism.”

Why do words of criticism, fault-finding, and chastisement bother us so much? What’s going on here?

 For starters, we feel bad because there may be truth to such comments. We also find ourselves facing a bit of reality¾we are not perfect!

So you feel bad because deep down inside, you know that you are not okay. The approval of others is what has power over how we feel about ourselves.

Don’t blame yourself too much because this was taught to you. You were taught to feel good about yourself when others give you praise and bad about yourself when you get the other stuff.  

As Anthony De Mello, author of Awareness, said, this approval acts like a drug. It makes you addicted like an addict is addicted to their drug of choice.

 There isn't anything wrong with praise and approval except for needing it to feel okay about yourself.

Social media showing the perfect lives of everyday people just adds to this phenomenon. The richer you are, the more popular, muscular, successful you are, the happier you should be about yourself.

This issue can be solved once and for all if you look at criticism and your abilities differently.

One solution is to block out the comment made against you and ignore it because you have come to be aware that "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." That might work, but it may not be as good as the next idea you are about to read.

Here is a little known solution to handle the feelings of inadequacies, shame, and frustrations instead:

Accept the critique with a smile and care less about it because you do not focus on your weaknesses. Instead, smile because you are being reminded to focus on your strengths.

The land of strengths is where all your joy, self-esteem, and purpose in life is waiting!

When you get away from the drug of approval and its impact on your sense of self-worth, you live an extraordinary life. By ignoring the ignorant who do not understand that we should all focus on our strengths and extraordinary talents to live triumphantly, you will be a more effective and well-adjusted human being.

Don’t dwell on your weaknesses and try to improve them! This will only lead to more frustration and a low opinion of yourself.

 You can’t be good at everything? Embrace your strengths instead!

When you allow criticism to bother you, you limit your growth because you don’t see your strengths.

Don't ask a fish to climb a tree. He can't do it, and he will only die trying to.

Major in your majors. Find your strengths and build those.

When a person focuses on their strengths and uses them to produce results and value for others and themselves, the product is a healthy level of self-esteem, and who doesn’t need that?

So how do you do this? Just spend some time doing a bit of reflection and personal action:

Actions:

1.     Make a list of your strengths. And make a list of your weaknesses.

2.     Then scratch the list of your weaknesses with a big red X.

3.     Get some help from a friend, co-worker, or coach to help you identify your strengths as an added measure if needed.

4.     Think about those strengths and imagine how your life could change if you polish them up. Working on your strengths won't feel like work; it will feel like heaven.

5.     Spend time doing things that involve your strengths and extraordinary talents, so you live like a happy and productive human being that makes life look easy and are helpful to others in your orbit.

6.     Live from now on, thinking about how good you are at things and not how you need to fix yourself. Ain’t nobody got time for that!

7.     Lose the addiction of approval and teach people why this addiction is messing up their enjoyment of who they are and what they can be.

 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 on Resilience.

What Does Winning Look Like to You?

By Shazad

We all want to WIN in life. This could be defined in professional terms like “Winning” at work or in business. Perhaps you define it in personal themes like “Winning” in a relationship, marriage or a family. Whatever the word “WIN” means to you, you need to define it.

How much money do you need to have before you consider yourself a “Winner” in your finances or your wealth? How many degrees do you need to have “won” in education or learning? What is the point in your marriage where you consider yourself a “Winner” as a husband or wife? How do you know you have “won” the battle to achieve better health and fitness? These are not easy questions but they are necessary to ask yourself so you are clear on the essence of what it means to truly WIN.

Take some time to define how you determine “Winning” in each aspect of your life. Write down what it looks like, tastes like, and feels like. Be clear and vivid in your description of winning. Why? Because you can achieve the feeling of winning only when you know what winning means to you in a particular arena of life. When you do this, you can actually take action to achieve those “WINS”. You will also realize that “Winning” in life is more of a journey rather than a destination you reach one day. Enjoy the path and WIN the Day with your daily habits!

The Bullets Coming Your Way

By Shazad

Neo: Are you trying to tell me that I can dodge bullets? 

MORPHEUS: No, Neo. I'm trying to tell you that when you're ready, you won't have to!

I love the above dialogue from The Matrix and I think it’s a great way to understand all the threats that come our way over time. There’s always a gun or two pointed at us but we don’t have to suffer and die in the way many people are today. 

Many known ‘bullets’ come for everyone as we grow old and they are called chronic and preventable illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and even various cancers.  I recognize that sometimes people suddenly get sick and die as if someone “shot” them in the back of the head and there was nothing they could do about any of it. For the majority of people alive today, we know the bullets coming our way because we have studied how people age, get sick, and ultimately pass away in the modern world. The means or ways people are experiencing disease and how many of them perish from them are fairly well known along with prevention techniques.

Think of all the preventable causes of death like slowly moving bullets coming your way over the many years.  You can clearly see them and you know they are headed your way to hurt or even kill you. Armed with this info about the future, you can train yourself to ‘stop’ those bullets by changing how you live, think and move today.  You can take control of your health in terms of mind, body, and soul so that you don’t suffer the fate of so many others who follow the ‘wait and see what happens’ approach to aging.  Such people are just waiting for one or more of these ‘bullets’ to strike them so they can do something about it. Sometimes one bullet is all it takes so this is obviously a careless approach to living.

We are not bulletproof and cannot dodge bullets like the chosen ONE from the Matrix. We can, however, choose to “stop” many of the bullets that will simply freeze where they are if we change the course of our lives by eating better, developing healthy fitness routines, and taking the time to rest, recover, and refresh our mind.

So now that you know the path to change your future, go walk it and be the hero of your own life!

Make 2021 Your Best Year By Doing This One Thing

By Ahsan 

Here we are; it's the first week of the New Year! We are all hopeful and apprehensive at the same time for obvious reasons. Regardless, we still look forward to making life a bit better with a bit of old-fashioned determination and goals for the new year.

So how many goals and resolutions have you set for yourself? In my opinion, the average number is likely four, the usual four…exercise more, eat healthier, make more money, stay in touch with family and friends. And therein lies the challenge. 

You have all these unique goals, but few of them get done due to a familiar pattern: set goals, start all of them at once, get overwhelmed, get distracted and then using “busyness” as an excellent excuse. 

Well, there is always next year. Right?

Let us think about this for a second. Why don’t we achieve more of our goals? It’s because we have too many of them.

Having too many goals is like going to the buffet for dinner; there are too many choices, and the food ends up creating indigestion in the end. With too many goals, you end up in a world of overwhelm, dissatisfaction, self-incrimination, and your goals go to the wayside.

So, is there a better way?

Of course, there is. And here it is. 

You need one "WATERFALL" goal. A waterfall goal is a particular goal that has a cascading effect on all your other goals.

Let's give you an example: Let' say your Big Important Goal (BIG) for the year is to write a book. You will need to break that goal down into several actions and stay motivated and act on your plan. You know this, and I know this. But what if you also had a goal to get in shape this year too? What if you made working out your Waterfall goal?

It’s just like seeing Niagara Falls. When you stand near the Falls, you see the water calmly flowing over the edge, and then it powerfully crashes against the river and rocks below, setting in motion a constant mist! A Waterfall goal of working out will spill over and cause motion for the BIG goal of writing the book.

Your Waterfall goal can have an impact on all your goals. Your daily workout will cascade into better eating, increased alertness, so you write better; increased confidence so you perform better at work or business; and gives you a sense of well-being, making even your relationships more harmonious.

As the famous business philosopher Jim Rohn said, “if you really want to do something, you will find a way, if you don’t, you will find an excuse.”

So here is what you might like to do.

Actions:

1. Make a list of all your goals for 2021.

2. Choose one goal out of your list and make it the Waterfall Goal: Set aside 6-12 months to master it! Think of how it will create the cascade effect.

3. Track the accomplishment of your BIGs that are fueled by your Waterfall Goal.

4. Keep your Waterfall Goal as a life-long commitment because it will likely accelerate all your present and future BIGs.

What goals do you need to focus on for 2021? It’s very natural to have more than one goal. Just figure out one Waterfall Goal and make it your focus for all of 2021.

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 on Resilience.

2021: Only What You Take With You

By Shazad

There is a scene in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back that I really love. It’s the one with Luke meeting Yoda for the first time and he starts training to be a Jedi. When he's done for the day, Luke notices a mysterious cave and he asks Yoda, "What's in there?" 

Yoda replies, "Only what you take with you."

To achieve a better 2021 and beyond, you need to take only those tools, habits, and thoughts that can help you. Like Luke Skywalker, you must face yourself in the present and go forward with the best of your being. Take the lessons from the struggle and shortcomings of 2020 but don’t repeat the same mistakes. There’s no need to pack all of the sadness, worry, or sense of failure with you. This will weigh you down and result in destructive patterns making you reckless. and afraid.

Whenever you face a crisis, remember these wise words of Master Yoda:

“Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger… anger leads to hate… hate leads to suffering.”

Bring just the minimum amount, but the most important things with you. Your love, your courage, your wisdom, some patience, and a sense of moderation about people and events that will unfold. Don’t allow external events to blast you off into space with excessive joy or let negative people and news make you want to crawl deep into the earth due to sorrow and fear. Don’t lash out at everything that comes your way trying to deny or discredit it. Do not be the first one to take an offensive position on some information or event. You should develop your critical thinking skills more and confirm what is true versus opinion. Watch, listen, and try to understand what’s happening. Look for meaning and make it a habit to get a better perspective. Sometimes you will need to zoom in to focus on something. Other times you will need to zoom far out to get clarity and see the big picture.

Whatever happens, know that you can figure it out and manage the situation to the best of your abilities. Here comes 2021!

May the Force Be With You all!

Please share this article with anyone who could benefit from the message as we begin the new year. Here is the direct link for this post https://www.awesomelifebook.com/motivation/2020/12/30/2021-only-what-you-take-with-you

The Secret to Being Awesome is...

By Shazad

You want a simple answer like a “Magic Bullet” or a single piece of advice that will make you instantly smarter, faster, younger or richer, right? Sorry to disappoint you. There is no such thing that works for everyone. There are however, a bunch of little things done on a consistent basis that lead to success and even, being Awesome!

First, taking time to work on yourself each day. What are you thinking about? What are you doing? What are your values and goals in life or just for the new Year? Figure out and then write out these things and read them frequently. Doing so will reinforce who you are and guide you towards doing what needs to be done.

Second, ask a few trusted friends what they see as your strengths and some weak points or shortcomings to work on. Listen carefully and without interruption. Make a point to reflect on these and make the necessary changes in life to do more of the things you want to be known for and improve or stop doing things you don’t want to be part of your personality.

Third, read broadly and widely on the past. What was it like to be a leader, a business person, an inventor or just a family member in the past? How did people live and who was thriving? How did they do it and what were their challenges? Read and study the past because it offers clues about human nature, relationships, the art of living a good life and even hints at what the future can be like.

Lastly, remember A-B-C which stands for Always Be Curious. Have a sense of wonder in life and a thirst for understanding things better than you currently do. Make it a habit to read, listen and watch interesting people talk on a variety of subjects. Explore the origin stories of individuals and companies or even nations.

So there you have it. Everything I have personally used to create my Awesome Life and keep it going with 4 simple strategies. If you do all of the above, you’ll be on the road to a more Awesome version of yourself!

How To Live With Yourself

Compiled by Ahsan

The biggest problem that people face in life is they get an education in school that teaches them the rules of grammar and geometry laws, which they may never use. Unfortunately, they don't learn the most crucial subject. And that is how to handle your mental state so you can have a higher quality of life. 

What do you do when life throws you a curveball? How do you mentally adjust to adversity, move on and not become crushed by life? What kind of adjustments do you make when life hands you a dirty deal?

The following is a synopsis of ten points that will help a person live with themselves and avoid major mental issues. The author is Dr. Murray Banks, who was a psychiatrist that was from New York. He passed away in 2008 at the age of 92. He was as brilliant as he was funny. 

Dr. Banks referred to his ideas of mental therapy as mental hygiene. I listened to the recording and tried to capture his ten points. I hope you will benefit from it and share it far and wide. Please.

Ten Points of Mental Hygiene So You Can Live With Yourself 

by Dr. Murray Banks

1. Are you happy? Happiness is a by-product. It's the result of effective life adjustments! It's not a destination you arrive at; it's a manner of travelling. 

2. Do you have a zest for living? Regardless of age, are you interested in love, play and learning more? There are people 80 and 90 years of age who are getting younger every day and 18 who age every minute. 

3. Are you socially adjusted? Do you like being with others? Sharing with others? The most telling symptom is the loss of interest. A well-adjusted person enjoys being around others.

4. Do you have unity and balance? If you are going to do something, you should enjoy it; that's unity. Don't wrap your life around one thing; that is about balance. Do you realize what you are doing when you identify too much with any one person or thing? You're building your whole personality on one support. If you ever lose that one person or thing, your life will be ruined?

5. Can you live with each problem you get in life as it arises? Don't look at regrets of the past or worries of what might happen in the future. 

6. Do you have insight into your own conduct? You know the main underlying reasons for what you do? A psychiatrist can never fix you. All they can do is help you to help yourself. If you won't do that, you are doomed. A broken finger will heal itself without your cooperation, but not a broken personality. A nervous stomach will get cured once you understand that you have a fear and you attack that fear, not a moment before.

7. Do you have a confidential relationship with some other person? Every human being needs someone whom he can talk to so honestly, so freely without fear of being double-crossed. 

8. Do you have a sense for the ridiculous? Do you have the sense of humour to laugh hard and long at what the world does to you? Can you laugh at yourself? Laughter is the sunshine of the soul. If you forget how to laugh, you are dead. Here's the hint of living longer⎯ laugh because when you laugh, you can't get angry or get ulcers. 

9. Are you engaged in satisfying work? You won't break down if you run around too much. You break down from over worry. If you work all day at something you love, you'll be tired even with tension and tears, but you won't break down. Just adjust yourself. 

10. Do you know how to worry effectively? There's only one thing to do if you are worried. Do something active about the cause of your worry. If you are worried about your health, go see a doctor. You have an emotional problem, go to a psychiatrist. 

Here is one of many jokes Dr. Banks tells in the presentation: 

A patient calls me on the phone and says, "is this the crazy Doctor? I said, yes. Well, I want to make an appointment to see you, how much do you charge? I said $20. The patient replied, well, I'm not that crazy."

The only difference between a happy person and a broken soul is never the problems; the problems are just about the same for all of us. It's the attitude towards the problems that makes us what we are. 

It's like the story of the mother who takes her twin boys to see the Psychiatrist. She says one is an optimist and the other is a pessimist. Can you do something to level them out a bit? The Doctor said to put the pessimist son in a room with a large box of new toys and the optimist in a room with a large box of manure. So the mother does and comes back to report the results. What happened? Asked the Doctor? Well, the pessimist son complained about all the boring toys while the optimist son kept digging through the box and said, "you can't fool me; with all this manure, there has to be a pony somewhere!"

Dr. Banks concludes his talk by saying we are all going through life trying to climb a slippery hill. The difference between how you end up is, are you going to get up after you face a worry, frustration or disappointment and try to climb a little higher or are you going to stay lying down and have a nervous breakdown?  

Happiness is like chasing a butterfly. If you try to catch it, it will just elude you. However, if you sit down, it will land softly on your shoulder. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you!

Listen to the recording if you are a keener:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCvZufTc9G8

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How Well Do You Know Yourself?

by Ahsan

I bet you know your favourite person quite well. You probably know a lot about them, like their favourite foods, where they grew up and how they think about life. That likely goes a long way to creating a great relationship with them where you are in tune with that person.

Now stop for a second and think about how well you know yourself?

How in tune are you with who you truly are? What makes you tick? And wouldn't you say that understanding yourself should be the most important thing before you go onward in life and try to understand others and life itself?

To know thyself is the key to successful living. This was an ancient Greek philosophy. It also governed the thinking in the East:

"He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened." Lao-Tzu

The primary benefit to knowing yourself is that you will get along with life in a more well-adjusted way. All people on earth have to deal with others and with reality. If anything, we tend to have problems with one of the two and sometimes both. By knowing yourself, you will learn how to understand others better and the situations life presents. If you don't get to know yourself, you leave a lot of potential on the table and may reach the end of life, having lived a mechanical existence. You are just going through the motions.

If life is a gift, individual gifts were implanted in you from the beginning. Being aware of your thoughts and consciously understanding your rational thoughts compared to your random thoughts is a gift. Just remember, you are not your thoughts, so don't get too wrapped up in your head. Understand that what makes you human is that you are the one that is listening to the thoughts. In listening, you will begin to grow on the path of self-awareness. Again, all this is necessary if you want to live well with yourself, others around you like family members and co-workers and if you want to face the struggles of life like a boss!

Most people are looking for a quick fix in life. They are not willing to do the work. The deep work is akin to finding a "cure." The quick fix is useful for temporary relief. So, if you want to make the most of your life, get to know yourself. What does that mean, you ask? Simple. Know things like what makes you happy or sad. What scares you? Why do you have these feelings? What is your personality type? Are you an introvert with an analytical mind, or are you an extrovert with an undertone of creativity? Do the work. Understand yourself. 

When you understand yourself and your mental inclinations and understand that they tend to rule your behaviour, you begin to create the possibility of awakening and living as you want to. You know that your higher level of self-awareness gives you greater agency over your thoughts, feelings and actions. You will have a greater understanding and empathy for others, and you will take life in stride. Not a bad outcome for a bit of hard work. 

Action Steps:

1. Take time every day to go into self-isolation, meditation or prayer where you spend time thinking about who you are: call it self-discovery time. Here is a tip: for every one time you look at yourself, look 20 times at the Prophets: like Krishna, Confucious, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad, peace and blessing be upon them all.

2. Take a personality test and find out what personality type describes you best. You can also ask some friends and co-workers to offer their observations.

3. Pay attention to your unconscious behaviour patterns. If you get angry quickly, start to notice the trigger and, more importantly, where the quick temper is coming from? Is it a deep need to be respected? Well, maybe you can be ok if you are not respected as long as you respect yourself?

4. Work on your practical and spiritual life at the same time, in the midst of ordinary day to day life. There is no need to go to any extreme. No need to renounce your passions, no need to suppress your thoughts and no need to go on a retreat. 

5. Always repeat the following phrase in moments of contemplation: I am what I am, and I can still be better! This will give you the subliminal message to always move towards your best self and cultivate higher virtues like temperance, kindness, courage and all the other good stuff!

Here is a parting story. A Rabbi was asked by a believer why it is said that the Torah is written on the heart and not in the heart? The Rabbi replied,  "because the heart has to first open for the goodness to be absorbed."

Likewise, by doing the deep work of understanding yourself, you become open and allow the positive benefits of understanding yourself, others and reality itself to create a life where everything is working in harmony.

You are not just an acorn; in you is an entire forest of Oak trees. 

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What is Your Attention Worth Today?

By Shazad

People put a price on their assets like their house, car, and jewelry all the time. Many people put a dollar figure on insuring a pet or person. A rare few put an actual figure on their hours in a day but more of us should be doing just that. Material objects can be re-acquired if lost but people and time cannot be. For this reason, you need to put some thought into what an hour of your attention is worth. Treat attention like gold because the moments that you give to family and friends as a fully present human being are worth more than GOLD!

I don’t just mean giving passive time to people and important projects. I mean attention where you are listening, learning, and developing yourself. The kind of attention that makes people want to be around you and makes you a better person each and every single day. With proper attention, you notice things and feel gratitude for the place you are in and simple things like the air, sunlight, water, and of course high-speed Internet access available throughout your home. You can’t help be thankful for these things and the life you are living. Attention also helps you identify and work on areas that need changing, fixing, or just plain discarding because they no longer serve your purpose in life.

In a world where every media and marketing company is vying for your eyeballs and wallet-share, change the game and put a high dollar cost to each hour of every single day. Someone is making money off you when they have your attention. Don’t let them ‘steal’ your precious attention any more! Don’t let every week just pass by with the same behaviors and passive attention of the past. Take ownership of your attention now!

Action Steps:

1) Identify how you spend your day while you are awake. Organize it by the hour.

2) Find out where you are wasting time and energy or, where things can be done by someone else. Make the appropriate adjustments for one day and see what happens.

3) Review your weekly time and attention schedule every Sunday and make the appropriate changes when you awake on Monday.

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How Does Superman Enjoy Life?

By Ahsan

“Show them their possibilities, but never choose their path for them. They must advance on their own, find their own way, make their own mistakes, conquer their fears and hatreds, and create their own history.”- Advice of Superman’s father to his son

There is a large number of restless and stressed-out people on the planet when you look around. That is putting it lightly. A concomitant pandemic of anxiety and depression has been sweeping across the globe for many decades now. Where is the vaccine against a discombobulated frame of mind? The sooner you discover this vaccine, the sooner you can enjoy life!

 Although people wish to have a hero like Superman to save them, they need their own perspectives, ideas, and efforts to execute their own rescue. If we understand ourselves better, perhaps, we can create our own history.

We all want to enjoy our life, not just go through the motions of living. Superman was advised to let humankind lead their own lives and let them figure things out. This implies that the latent capabilities to become a well-adjusted and happy human being are within us. We just have to get in tune and in harmony with certain things to bring them out.

I believe that every human was designed with a fundamental urge to flourish and achieve things in life. Often, it is a simple pursuit to earn enough money to provide for ourselves and our families. Once this is achieved, our life needs much more to make it meaningful and rich. As Jesus said:

"It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Mathew 4:4

I am no religious scholar, but when I came across this piece of scripture, it made sense to me. The reference to bread is easy to understand. No doubt our lives are supported best when we eat good food and follow sound principles of living. God's word may have multiple meanings in the quote, such as religious commandments or the laws of nature created by God. 

Let's use an analogy to understand creation and how to use it to solve the problem.

What is the human mind compared to a smartphone? Both are products of creation. Both are remarkable technologies, but one comes with an Owner's Manual, and the other does not. Our smartphone is more in our command than our minds!

Not understanding how our mind works is a problem, and you need to recognize it as the main issue around the pandemic I referred to.

One way to bring some control over our minds and truly enjoy life is to be in tune with the universe and be in harmony with nature's laws.  The universe seems to follow a particular order. You and I are not able to influence that order. We just exist in it. Behind creation is a Creator; we are only here for a brief moment in time and may as well enjoy the experience!

Being in tune with the universe can mean understanding that it runs on a set of rules and laws, and we just need to roll with it. We cannot deny our sorrow or concern when nature causes hardship and suffering. However, in many daily events, we can let our emotions get swept away.

Why should we get angry at a driver who cuts us off on the road? Why bother getting sad when it rains? Why be surprised when our friends and family seem selfish? Why do we react to life other than with acceptance instead of trying to control people and situations? Ponder, reflect and do some inward observation.  

When we take the approach mentioned above, we are more in harmony with nature's laws—understanding ourselves better, accepting reality, accepting people, and controlling our responses. This is what is meant by being in harmony with the laws of nature. In other words, we need to understand the universe, science, the laws of nature and let things happen because, to no small extent, they will happen anyway.

 Unless you withdraw from society and sit in a room, you will have to interact with life, including people and situations.

Suppose you are faced with the news that your best friend has betrayed you and your friendship ended. As a result of this, you decide never to get so close to another person again. How does that end up? If you continue that way, you will ignore all the other decent and loyal people in the world that could have become your friend. And so your life goes on but without that extra joy that a good friend can bring.

 Working with nature's laws and accepting reality would instead mean that you shrug off this painful episode and remain open to making new friends. You just don't get swept away with the hurt and close yourself off. You could even conclude that friends come and go and that you will not let one bad apple spoil your entire life.

Another way to control our minds is to focus on the words of scripture and the spiritual side of life, as Jesus alluded to. A person who embarks on this journey will instead be focusing on self-transformation as the essence of life. You will never attain the path to a spiritual life without work, but the goal will also have a welcomed side effect¾enjoyment of the brief life that we get to live on this planet.

Consider this to be a hint the next time you take a moment in prayer, meditation, or gaze at a purple and red sunset. The qualities that we praise in the Creator and read about in the great Holy Books are a reminder to us mere mortals of the qualities we need to include in ourselves. That we, too, can be merciful, gracious, and loving. We can have agency and control over helping others and making life enjoyable for ourselves and those around us.

 This level of understanding in life is when people say they finally woke up, became aware, attained liberation or even became enlightened. For others, it opened their eyes to “spirituality." For them, life became anew and full of joy once they indeed developed this awareness.

 Wake up and transform yourself! You are a Superman. You are a Superwoman.  Know yourself. Understand others. Recognize reality. See what a polished mirror reflects at you. Don your cape and start enjoying life. You will arrive at your destination. Start the journey. It won't happen overnight, but then again, it could.

Action Steps:

1.     Make enjoying life while you are here on the planet a goal that you put your mind and your soul into.

2.     Look at ways to relax into life, the reality of life and its rules and laws of nature.

3.     Study human nature, other people and most importantly, yourself.

4.     Study the qualities of God as described in the Holy Books and think of incorporating divine qualities in your character and actions.

5.     Know that if you are enjoying life and helping others to do so as well, you deserve the title of Superman or Superwoman. 

And so dear friends, I leave with you this poem from the Muslim Saint Al-Ghazali:

“Know, O beloved, that man was not created in jest or at random,

but marvellously made and for some great end.

Although he is not form everlasting, yet he lives forever;

and though his body is mean and earthly, yet his spirit is lofty and divine.”

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."

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:

1. 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.

2. Take time out daily to look inward. Meditate or pray. Fill your mind with the desire to achieve your goal.

3. 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:

1. Don’t sleep in. Get up 15-30 minutes earlier and use the time to exercise for at least 15 minutes before breakfast.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Clean up your pantry so there is no more than one item that is a treat. Everything should be healthy and wholesome food.

5. Read/Watch or listen to something from a source you don’t fully agree with and try to understand their perspective.