A Life Of Choices

Life is nothing more than a series of choices. All day long we are making choices which affect the quality of our lives. This is not a novel concept to anyone. However, most choose to focus upon the major decisions which have a big impact on life. "To change your life, these choices must be made differently" is the common belief. Unfortunately, these aren't the selections which usually hinder people's lives. Instead, it is the day-to-day decisions which determine how life progresses.

Improvement is a daily activity. The best way to improve in any area of life is to make daily progress. Over time, this adds up to result in a major difference. Each decision will build on the previous so that after a few months, one literally thinks completely different. Many small changes do have an effect.

Here are three areas where you can make a difference in your life right now,

1. What you focus upon.

You choose what you focus upon at any moment. Are you thinking how awful things are? Do you look at how much work needs to be done? Or are you considering how fortunate you are? The difference in our focus affects how we approach our day. People often derive their attitude based upon what they focus upon. Dwell in the negative and that is what you will get.

2. How you spend your time.

Do you come home and plop in front of the television for hours at a time? This is a decision that affects your life. How you choose to spend your time, especially those non-working hours, is what reveals the life we are leading. Instead of spending time watching television, why not read a book that will enhance your knowledge? Perhaps the time would be more beneficial if you started a side business. Exercising as opposed to lounging around really has an impact on the life you lead.

3. Who you interact with.

Have you ever noticed how negative people associate with other negative people? Like seems to attract like. The quality of people that you are around has an impact of the success that you will experience. There are some who simply will always focus upon what is wrong. If you are one who seeks to move forward in life, these are the people who need to be removed. They are like a cancer that will strangle your progress. Be aware of who you choose to interact with.

Consider these areas when making you daily selections. We can improve in each of these incrementally to make a huge difference in the quality of our lives. Try this and notice how the "compounding" affect really takes hold. You will be amazed in a short period of time.
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A Rifle Versus A Shoutgun

Most know the difference between a rifle and a shotgun. A rifle is packed with a bullet that can be aimed with tremendous precision. It is the standard weapon used by snipers. A shotgun, on the other hand, is ideal for creating a mess of human flesh. In essence, a shotgun sprays a bunch of pellets into the person. The shot is not very accurate but will destroy anything it hits at close range.

Why do I refer to these different weapons? The reason is the analogy to life that they bring. Focus is what makes the difference between using a shotgun versus a rifle. People who lack the ability to concentrate are going through life trying to use the shotgun. If they hit anything, it is because they put so much out there. The results gotten will be more haphazard.

A more effective way to accomplish this "mission" is to use the rifle. Focus is the tool we use in this arena. When we concentrate our efforts, we access all the power that we have within us. Our actions are not deluded because we are all over the place. All the power is aimed at one specific area.

To take out multiple people, a sharpshooter needs to hit one person before moving onto the next. This is what produces the desired results. Life is the same for us. We need to aim our power on one activity until it is completed before moving onto the next. This is how we are effective.

Remember this analogy when you find yourself drifting aimlessly. At those times you are trying to use a shotgun when a rifle is the proper weapon. Concentrate your efforts so that all the power within you is aimed where you need it to be. This is how you can immediately increase your success.
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Three Steps To Powerful Focus

The ability to focus is a quality that is necessary to achieve a great amount of success. In this era, there are many distractions which can take someone away from what he/she is trying to accomplish. This can occur both in the long term, such as with one's overall life goal, or in the short-term. Remaining on course is crucial if one is to fulfill his or her potential.

Focus is a habit. Have you ever noticed how some seem to have the ability to concentrate regardless of what is going on around them? At the same time, there are those who get distracted if a piece of paper falls on the floor. Being able to focus until a task is completed is crucial for your success.

Much of my life was spent as one who was continually distracted. I often would jump from one activity to another. This caused me to realize a lower amount of productivity then I would normally have enjoyed. My inability to stay mentally focused upon a task caused untold harm in my life's progression.

Fortunately, I was able to conquer this tragic habit. It took a great deal of effort, but I was eventually able to harness the power that comes from concentration. To do this, I started small while working my way up to larger activities. The process was similar to that of working out. I was able to do more as time went by.

I found a simple three step process helped tremendously. Here is what you can do today to improve your ability to focus immediately.

1. Work off a list.

A list keeps one on track. Write down all that needs to be done in a given time (i.e. in the morning) so that you can see it. List the activities in order of importance. This will enable you to concentrate on those tasks which have the most effect on your results.

2. Remain working on that task until it is complete.

The world likes people who finish things. Nothing drives others crazier than an unfinished task. It has the ability to rob us mentally and emotionally. Start with the first item on the list and do not move to #2 until it is completed. This is rather difficult in the beginning for people who are accustomed to jumping around. However, the habit is critical to our future success.

3. Eliminate distractions.

In this era, we have so much technology that it can be destructive. The tendency to get loss our focus is increased because of instant messaging, email, social groups, etc... It is best to eliminate as many of these as possible. Turn off the television and the instant messenger. Only check your email at set hours of the day. Close the extra windows on your computer so that you can focus exclusively on what you are working on. This alone will increase your productivity by at least 20%.

These are the three steps that I used to overcome my inability to focus. Utilize them to develop the habit of powerful concentration. You will find that achieving what you set out to do is much easier when you have this capability.
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Dance Like No One Is Looking

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.
The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza.
He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."
This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time...and remember that time waits for no one.
So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy...

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Thought for the day: "Work like you don't need money, Love like you've never been hurt, And dance like no one's watching."

Author Unknown


You mental outlook is so important. It is one of the main things that determines your success in life. For a jumpstart to a terrific mental mindset, get your FREE copy of "As A Man Thinketh" by James Allen at http://dennisharting.com/index.html.

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Worry Quotes

Worry bankrupts the spirit. -Berri Clove

Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy. -Leo Buscaglia

Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. -Benjamin Franklin

If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep. -Dale Carnegie

As a cure for worrying, work is better than whiskey. -Thomas Edison

A hundredload of worry will not pay an ounce of debt. -George Herbert

Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow. -Swedish Proverb

I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened. -Mark Twain

If you see ten troubles coming down the road, you can be sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you. -Calvin Coolidge

Worry is interest paid on trouble before it comes due. -William Ralph Inge

For more quotes that will improve your life, download our Free Success Quote Book here.
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Your Thinking Sets Your Limits

Yesterday, I wrote about an exercise that helps gain clarity over one's dream life (If you missed it, you can read it here). Clarity is a powerful tool for manifesting your dreams. The next component in the process is to throw off the limited thinking that prevents many from living a fulfilled life. This is probably the single quality that separates the successful from the unsuccessful.

Your thinking determines how far you go in life. Those who act confidently while proceeding forward usually achieve what they are after. This confidence comes from their thinking. John F. Kennedy set a national goal of putting a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s. This goal was achieved because of the unwavering belief that he, and others, maintained. Simply, they thought they could do it.

When you visualize your dream life, it is best to start by knowing that you can achieve it. A lot of excuses will run around inside your head, telling you that it cannot be accomplished. That inner voice which specializes in the negative self-talk starts chirping whenever we dream of something big. It is time to start ignoring that voice.

Here is the bottom line: you can achieve anything that you set your mind to. If someone else accomplished it before, then it is possible for you to do it. Excuses only stand in the way. They are the crutch that we use to justify our "settling" in life. The talent that each of us is blessed with is truly amazing. Begin to use it for your benefit by believing that you are capable of so much more. There is nothing that is impossible to achieve.

Do you want to be financially wealthy? You can accomplish that. Would you like to have an amazing marriage? That is within your grasp. Is a sensational body something that you crave? It can be gotten by you. Anything that you truly want in your life can be had if you believe that you are capable of getting it. There is nothing that will prevent you from having it other than your thinking. This is what stops most people before they even get into the game. Do not allow this to hold you back. Unleash the power of your mind by knowing that your dream life is available to you.
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Dream Life

I want you to close your eyes for a moment. This exercise will set the foundation for the rest of your life. Clarity is one of the most powerful tools we have in the area of personal development. Getting clear about what we want is the first step to creating the life that we want.

Start by considering what your dream life will look like. Where do you live? What do you do for a living? How do you earn money? What is your highest value? These are all components to your dream life. Understanding what it is that you want is a substantial step forward. Most people have absolutely no idea what they want out of life.

During this exercise, allow the mind to roam freely. The tendency is for self-limiting beliefs to enter into your thinking. Cast these doubts aside since they are not real anyway. The mind is a powerful item; it can create or it can destroy. The choice is yours.

Consider all the possibilities. Tap into those childlike dreams that you long abandoned. How do you really want to live your life? Would you like to be a bestselling author? Perhaps the idea of generating income off a book you created is appealing. (Check out my eBook How To Make $ With eBooks to learn about this incredible means of income generation) Do you want to start and build a successful business? Does the idea of living in a foreign land appeal to you? Whatever the dream is, allow it to manifest in your mind. Ponder everything in as much detail as you can. This is critical.

You can create the life that you want. However, the first step is determining what that is. Take a few minutes after you visualized to write down everything that you saw. I found it helpful to write an autobiographical review of my life as if I was at the end of it. What do you want to transpire over the next 20, 30, or 40 years? Write it all down to unleash the power of the clarity.

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