Author: CLFurlong

What is your purpose? Have you found it? Well, do you know that feeling when you get into a groove with a good song and you just feel in sync and like you are the rhythm king?

Rhythm is what creates our vibe, our routine, and groove. Sometimes without even realizing it, it influences our mood, our attitude and enables us to almost be on point all the time. Well, this is what a good lifestyle. routine and way of life create.

Once we find the rhythm, we can start to bridge that gap between who we are and whom we could be. There are 5 ways (some call them secrets) that you can adopt to help find your true passion and purpose.

Be True To Yourself

“The greatest tragedy in life is to spend your whole life fishing only to discover it was never fish that you were after.” — Henry David Thoreau

If you don’t take the time to make your own choices, people will make them for you. There might be plenty of people giving you advice about how to live your life, what decisions to make, what roads to avoid or to tackle; and, while all of that advice should be taken into consideration, keeping your self-awareness through life’s lessons is what will guide you to taking the truest path for you. This might require strength to fight opposing opinions to what you know is right for you and your abilities.

It’s okay to miss the mark, as long as you keep moving toward it. Ask advice of others, but for every big decision you make, ask yourself if it can take you where you want to go.

Leave No Regrets

“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.” — Harriet Beecher Stowe

If we can learn to look past fear, we’ll see that the bigger risk is not what will happen if we act, but what won’t happen if we don’t. What’s the bigger risk?

Dare yourself to look fear in the eye, accept its presence and find out what’s standing in its shadow.

Be Of Love

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” — The Dalai Lama

We can look at love in two ways: an emotion or a choice.

To become love or to be of love means to let that emotion drive our decisions. When we are confronted with obstacles, injustice or hate, we have a choice to respond with love.

Judge Life Less & Enjoy It More

A cancer patient was once asked, “What’s it like to know that you’re dying?” He replied, “What’s it like pretending that you’re not?”

No matter what we face – we are all going in the same direction at a rate we struggle to really realize. What we can identify and capture is how many opportunities we have in the process and how much we can enjoy the moments we are given.

When we’re caught in the stress of which life comes, we can’t forget to rejuvenate the soul by feeding it. We can’t feel guilty when we take time for ourselves.

When you have a bad relationship with yourself, chances are, your relationships with others won’t be that great, either. The relationships we build are what make life most worthwhile.

Love yourself, so you can love others like you would want to be loved.

Give More & Take Less

“Life is no brief candle for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as I can before handing it on to future generations.” — George Bernard Shaw

Imagine yourself at 70 – life is coming to its later days and you are sitting relaxing and reflecting on your life. By this time you are probably tired. 

But are you a good tired, or a bad tire. Are you full of exhaustion and pain? Or are you exhausted from having lived a life worthy of praise?

We will get out of this life exactly what we put into it.

Photo Credit: Instagram @canva | Location: Unknown

Life is full of change. Change which is driven by choice and change that is driven by circumstances. Controlled vs. uncontrolled.

Change: that which keeps the world moving. Without change there is nothing — there is no death, no birth, no progress. Change is that which allows for the existence of life and that which allows for the possibility of success. However, change is also that which allows for destruction and failure.

Change can be a powerful tool or your worst enemy depending on whether or not you are able to utilize it properly.

Find out what it is that you want to change, figure out what is most important to you and start with what is easiest. Use smaller victories to gain the confidence and momentum to change your life entirely. Most importantly, act. Do not fail to act and do not fail to continue acting.

You can’t always change, change. Sometimes you will know about its threat, but the only way o prepare for it is to accept and move forward regardless, with a work around of course.

If you stop moving, the world stops changing. Creating change is not difficult. It is not rocket-science and it is not out of your reach. You must identify, strategize, and attack. Then, you must keep on attacking until you wear down your habits into submission and create the change you are seeking. More importantly than anything else, do not lose hope and do not give up.

Without action, there is only in action — stagnancy.

Constant change is here to stay. – Unknown

Photo Credit: Instagram @canva | Location: Unknown

Life seems to throw us into these moments, these puddles where we are left to decide, left to pull ourselves together and figure out what to do next. Just don’t stop yet. Most of us, at some point or another and maybe more than others, will encounter these moments, these trials and these setbacks. Now in these moments, we tend to look for a light… for a hope. It can take us a while to start looking, usually because we are too busy sitting and moping about how miserable or tough our lives are. Eventually, you find that ray of light, and you hold on to it like the idea of the grass is greener on the other-side and like the idea that a year from now everything will be better. Maybe it will be, maybe it won’t be. What I can tell you is; you can have all the hope in the world… but if you won’t start with being driven and actually start acting on getting to the light and making it that much brighter – you won’t be going anywhere.

By the time you get to the bright light and you find your green grass – don’t stop. Keep going. Keep going as far as you possibly can go. Rise above the past, rise above the now and seek forward and venture beyond what you first expected to be enough. Rise above your expectation of a simple hope and step up to a new level. Once you have found your “hope” and you have made it there and you are living it – grow more. Learn more. Be more. Take what you have and make it known. Share it and make it valued to the people around you.

If you are doing the same thing over and over again – even if you are succeeding, this will simply become the norm. You need to ask yourself, where would you be growing and how would you be rising above the norm, or the basic you.

In economics, there is a fundamental principle known as the Law of Diminishing Returns.

Here’s the short definition: as you get more of something, it becomes less valuable. This isn’t just economic theory, a similar trend happens in real life.

If you have zero money and you make $10,000, then it’s going to be a big deal. But if you have already earned $1 million, then making another $10,000 doesn’t seem as significant.

If you have never won a championship, then that first one is going to be incredible. But if you already have five championship rings, then adding a sixth isn’t going to be as sweet as getting the first.

If you are starting a company, then getting your first customer is an incredible rush. But if you already have 100 paying clients, then adding one more doesn’t provide the same thrill.

So how can you go from finding your light, your hope – getting there and then taking it above and beyond? How can you stay driven? How can you stay happy?

Passion.

Simple really.

Passion is the core of what inspires you every day.

By loving the practice of what you do. It’s only the people who embrace their work as a craft and fall in love with the boredom of doing it day in and day out that stay driven over the long-term.

Richard Branson is already a billionaire. He has already built hundreds of companies. He’s not still doing it because of the money. The money stopped meaning a lot to him a long time ago. He’s doing it because he loves the practice of doing it.

Guess what? This answer is now easy. If you love the practice of what you do, if you love the daily work, then you can be happy before and after you achieve your goals.

When you learn to love the process of what you are doing and not focus so much on the goal, you automatically find happiness while staying driven.

So like I say nearly every other day. Find something you love. Even when you are a mess, in a wreck and going through a rough patch… find that love, that passion, that hope and that light. Fight for it, chase it and embrace it. Once you are there, DO NOT STOP. Keep going and go into the world and ASPIRE FURTHER and INSPIRE OTHERS.

Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway. – Earl Nightingale

Photo Credit: Instagram @_clfurlong_ | Location: Melbourne, Australia

This is it. This is another day, typical if you make it, but it can be more if you make it that.

I choose more. I choose and want it to be more than just another typical day. The day can be anything you make it. 

An adventure, a challenge, a struggle or a grind, the day will follow your lead. Your attitude, perspective, willpower, and self-control are all part of the day, but more so part of you. How you react, how you choose and how you decide is all going to indicate and dictate the next turn you will make and the next direction you will follow. 

The question to ask yourself is what will you choose. What will you decide and how will you react?

Will you make it a typical day or an extraordinary day?

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi

Photo Credit: Instagram @godsonsamuel888 | Location: Melbourne, Australia

You Sir, You Madam, are better than you think. You have come so far, you have failed, you have success, you have pushed and you have grown! Each day is a battle, each day it can be hard to see the results… But each day of progress whether it is little or big has made you into something GREATER! Don’t stop today!

It’s another Monday, another chance to push and grow. The year is getting on so quickly and we have only 4 months left till we check in and see how far you have conquered this year. So don’t slow down, don’t back off and don’t give up. Push through today, smash through tomorrow and continue to kick through the goals.

Speaking of goals – make sure you have these in order, especially for the remaining 4 months. If you don’t have these identified, follow the below steps and make it happen!

1. Get clear on what you want – what do you want from your goal.
2. Surround yourself with positivity and support
3. Focus your energy (physical and mentally)
4. Visualize your dreams
5. Stay close o your goals – review them and know them.

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” ― A.A. Milne

Photo Credit: Instagram @canva | Location: Unknown

When was the last time you wrote in a journal? Here’s the truth: your effectiveness at life is not what it could be. You’re missing out. Each day passes by and you have nothing to prove that it even happened. Did you do achieve something? You are missing out on hidden lessons that life teaches you, and you can only get them through journal writing.

Writing in a journal reminds you of your goals and of your learning in life. It offers a place where you can hold a deliberate, thoughtful conversation with yourself. – Robin S. Sharma

5 Reasons Why You Should Be Writing In A Journal:

1. Journals help you have a better connection with your values, emotions, and goals

2. Journals Improve mental clarity/help solve problems/improve overall focus

3. Journals improve insight and understanding

4. Journals track your overall development

5. Journals facilitate personal growth

Now it’s your turn.

You can ask yourself how can journaling best be of use to you? Will it enable you to vent your emotions? To help achieve your goals? To help clear your mind? What do you think? How about you give it a go and answer it for your self.

Here is some insight of my own journal:

I crave and long for inspiration, for ideas, for innovation, greatness, beauty and just plain old simple quality. I see the idea behind it, the very core of how it attracts, how it draws in attention. This inspiration, this idea, and attraction… I seem to find and see it in the simplest of things. It drives me to chase something bigger and something greater. Not just an idea but an actual way of life. Essentially a lifestyle. A way of being, a way to inspire, motivate and encourage.

What if you could take it, create it and make into something more. Pure thought into pure action. Liquid idea’s into the fluid and tangible realities. A game changer. You could make it happen and make it real. I will and I can. I will succeed.

What is all this about?

This is my inner thoughts, my night’s, my dreams, my snippets of a journal, my dreams. In short, it is how I want to succeed. But more so how I want to aspire to be more. I can and I will.

What am I I really getting at?

Inspiration, dreams, and aspiration are hidden within all of us. Some of it is obvious, some of it is yet to be ignited. But deep down there are desires and passions driving us. Maybe momentarily or maybe entirely – but they are there. We need to let these desires be whatever they are and let them drive your heart.

If you have something you are passionate about and that you enjoy. You should chase it. You should follow it. You should make it happen. 

Want to start a journal?

These two are excellent ways to get started:

• The Five Minute Journal (buy | info)
• I personally use the Rhodia range

Photo Credit: Instagram @canva | Location: Unknown

Waiting around for the perfect time or when things are ‘better’ to get your act together is never really going to get you moving and shaking. Waiting around is pretty much just killing time. If you want to make some ripples, make a difference and succeed further than before. You need to take action. You need to make it happen.

There is nothing wrong with occasionally killing time, as long as disconnecting from reality won’t hurt you. Sometimes we just need to separate ourselves from everything around us and allow some distractions.

But putting off and continuing to make excuses to avoid taking action is a problem. I get it… it is your life and you can live it how you want. That is fine. But my point here is… you have potential, you have what it takes and you can do whatever it wants, as long as you put your hands to it. Your passions, goals, dreams and aspirations, you can make these all happen – as long as you get up and start putting some actions into motion and some decisions set in stone.

“One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.” – Paulo Coelho

In this world, you benefit from what you create with your own two hands. Unless you make life better by yourself, chances are it won’t get better on its own. Even if a miracle is to occur – most of the time you need to act on asking the big man upstairs!

Everybody wants advice but nobody wants to do the work. If you cut the time you spend deliberating in half and spent that time actively pursuing what you want, how much farther ahead do you think you’d be? Answer honestly but don’t agonize over it.

Your challenge, should you accept it: Less thinking, more doing.

Photo Credit: Instagram @godsonsamuel888 | Location: Melbourne, Australia

P365 VISUALS will be daily “inspiration” presented by a featured photo with a daily quote / or inspiring words to keep you motivated from a visual perspective. Sounds inspiring right!!

The purpose of this is to once again bring Inspiration, Motivation, and Encouragement to you daily. There will be additional content and small blogs to go with the pictures, however, the focus will be the visuals. The key focus is to provide small yet packing impacts through a visual source and give an opportunity to you the community to have your pictures featured and shared with the rest of the community.

So how can you get involved?

1. Make sure you are following us on Facebook
2. Make sure you are following us on Instagram
3. Make sure you invite/share the content with your friends and family
4. Submit your photos… If you would like to have your pictures featured, please send to contact.p365@gmail.com

Like 2016, 2017 brings new horizons and new opportunities. How we react and take action on these opportunities will ultimately redefine how 2017 will be. What will you do?

Routine by nature makes you more productive and effective. Instead of running around with a vague idea of what you want to accomplish, the right lifestyle routine can turn you into a productivity monster and someone who will keep on keeping on. Like an attitude, how you set your routine will have a ripple effect across your life and day. An active, productive and well-paced routine; will keep you inspired to grow, it will challenge you and keep you moving. A lazy routine may create a slow, unhealthy and inactive lifestyle, which in the long run inspires unhealthy habits.

Here is a list of 5 points of why routinely is important and the key to uplifting your day:

Routines Create Structure

Most people either don’t know what they want or don’t have a focused way of going about getting what they want. Having a routine eliminates both of those problems by forcing you to do a few things:

1. Know what you want.
2. Figure out how to get it.
3. Add that activity somewhere in your schedule.

Once you have those three steps in place, you’re farther ahead than 90% of people flitting around from task to task with no real outcome or goal in mind.

Routines Eliminate Distraction

With a routine, you have a game plan. Set it up, get stuck into it and if you have formulated it correctly you will be following your routine seamlessly, so much – you will adapt to it like a passion. Your time will fly. But any good routine requires your diligence and self-control to complete the task at hand.

You Don’t Have To Think About Work – You Just Have To Work

The best benefit to creating routines is that you don’t have to think about work – you just work. I think the number one productivity hack in the world is simply deciding what to do.

By creating a routine and having exactly what you want to accomplish laid out, you take the guesswork out of “what” to do and can focus on just doing it. You’re no longer thinking about all the work that you have to and how you’re going to do it – you can simply go ahead and get it done.

You Can Find Your Rhythm

Ever been in “the zone?” That place where everything is easy, you zoom through work, and obstacles seem to scatter out-of-the-way?

Chances are there were a certain set of circumstances and surroundings that allowed for that to happen and helped you perform optimally. A routine lets you take those circumstances and creates a scenario where they happen regularly and predictably – making “the zone” that much easier to find.

This makes finding that zone more likely to happen more often, and when it does happen, lets you perform better – being more efficient and more effective across the board.

A System For Your Life

If you think about it, a routine is nothing more than a system for your life. Just like programmers create a certain program that will execute a function whenever it runs – a routine creates an environment and structure to your life that lets you execute certain tasks at will.

Meanwhile, implementing them seemingly melts any obstacle in the way, since you’ve created a routine that eliminates the distractions in your day and lets you focus on only the tasks at hand that you must do.

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” ― John C. Maxwell

***Inspired by lifehack.org

Photo Credit: Instagram @jim_amado | Location: Vietnam