Author: CLFurlong

Yesterday (Day #356) I noted that as we venture into these final 10 days I will explore each one of the below transformations in lead-up to the new year. Today I will continue that and help you understand how self-improvement is not a once off kind of thing. It should be endless.

Which I think you can make it your best year yet!

If we all stop limiting ourselves and if we stop waiting for opportunities to find us and we step out on our own to conquer – we may just surprise ourselves. Sadly enough people don’t try new things because they fear failure or they don’t feel comfortable in their own skin and as a result, they don’t approach new people or speak up. That’s an awful way to live life… Because — we’re all equally gifted and it’s all a matter of choice and initiative whether we’ll become the best version of ourselves or live an average life. But if you stop limiting yourself, big transformations will start happening in every area of your life right away.

What are some of the transformations you will see:

• (Day #356 – Yesterday) You’ll have bigger goals: 
  • If you’re already thinking you cannot succeed, maybe you are just a little scared to dream big. I dare you to set a new big goal for 2016 and don’t set out to prove it to the world, but to prove it to yourself. Prove to yourself you have what it takes. Because you do have what it takes. But if you don’t set out to achieve a goal – you will never achieve anything better in life – unless an opportunity jumps in your lap. If you simply let go of the limitations you have set for yourself, you will soon realize you have the capabilities to set your eye on the prize and make it happen.
  • So my challenge to you is to define your deepest desires for the perfect ideal lifestyle that you would see fit, and start to take the steps in making this happen. The first one being BELIEVING IN YOURSELF. Write down these things you need to do – think of the person you need to be like in order to get closer to meeting your goals. This is it. This is your chance. Don’t waste it. 

• (Day #357 – Today) You’ll improve your skills: 
  • Everyone gets to a certain point where they learn the same thing: Life is hard. There’s so much to learn, and, as you get older, so little time to do so. However, though there are endless bits of knowledge and abilities that a person can learn throughout his life, there are many self-improvement skills you can focus on to ensure that the rest come a bit more easily to you. Combine this with believing in yourself and your abilities more and you’ll work on fighting your weaknesses and improving your strengths. You’ll gain knowledge and experience in new areas, may even master a skill after some time. That will change your perspective of life and you’ll aim even higher after that.
  • There is never an end to the journey of self-improvement. The more you grow, the more you realize there is so much out there you don’t know, so much that you have to learn. For sure, there is always something about ourselves we can improve on. The human potential is limitless, so it’s impossible to reach a point of no growth. Whenever we think we are good, we can be even better.

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” ― Ernest Hemingway

Drop by tomorrow and see how the details of overcoming shyness and keep on reading for the next 9 days as there is plenty more in store – see below: 

• You’ll overcome shyness.
• You’ll get things done.
• You’ll be present.
• You’ll enjoy life more.
• You’ll generate ideas.
• You won’t get depressed.
• You’ll take action more often.
• You’ll become a role model.

Ask yourself this question. Do you believe in transformation? Would you be where you are today if you had given up early in the year? 

Maybe this year, you didn’t set out with a list of goals, but maybe opportunities found you. Maybe you started a new job, moved to a new location, joined a gym mid-year, realized a hobby you’re naturally good at or maybe you took on a responsibility in the local community. Whatever the case may be, there must have been something this year which was a step up for you which was a difference to the norm and which required you to grow. Which has prompted transformation?

Imagine if you had given up on whatever this was, in the early stages. Where would you be now? Not necessarily with the opportunity, but where would you be as an individual. Opportunities are not just about allowing you to shine in the eyes of others, but they are perfect ways for you to grow and become a greater you. The point I am trying to make here is: Too often people limit themselves by not being sure of their success.

If we all stop limiting ourselves and if we stop waiting for opportunities to find us and we step out on our own to conquer – we may just surprise ourselves. Sadly enough people don’t try new things because they fear failure or they don’t feel comfortable in their own skin and as a result, they don’t approach new people or speak up. That’s an awful way to live life… Because — we’re all equally gifted and it’s all a matter of choice and initiative whether we’ll become the best version of ourselves or live an average life. But if you stop limiting yourself, big transformations will start happening in every area of your life right away.

As we venture into these final 10 days (less than 10 now) I will explore each one of the below transformations in lead-up to the new year. Which I think you can make it your best year yet!

What is the transformation you will see:

• You’ll have bigger goals.If you’re already thinking you cannot succeed, maybe you are just a little scared to dream big. I dare you to set a new big goal for 2016 and don’t set out to prove it to the world, but to prove it to yourself. Prove to yourself you have what it takes. Because you do have what it takes. But if you don’t set out to achieve a goal – you will never achieve anything better in life – unless an opportunity jumps in your lap. If you simply let go of the limitations you have set for yourself, you will soon realize you have the capabilities to set your eye on the prize and make it happen.So my challenge to you is to define your deepest desires for the perfect ideal lifestyle that you would see fit, and start to take the steps in making this happen. The first one being BELIEVING IN YOURSELF. Write down these things you need to do – think of the person you need to be like in order to get closer to meeting your goals. This is it. This is your chance. Don’t waste it. 

• You’ll improve your skills.
• You’ll overcome shyness.
• You’ll get things done.
• You’ll be present.
• You’ll enjoy life more.
• You’ll generate ideas.
• You won’t get depressed.
• You’ll take action more often.
• You’ll become a role model.

Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve. – Mary Kay Ash

That’s right – the final countdowns have begun. 11 more days until the next big thing is to commence. 2017. In lead up and in preparation, I do hope you are planning ahead and preparing for a year which will enable the best version of you. Maybe this year you had the same plan, however, maybe you lost sight, maybe you struggled or maybe things just didn’t go as planned… Sorry to break it to you again… 2017 will be just as hard, maybe even harder. There will be struggles and things won’t go as planned. But what I can promise you, is if you be the true you, if you make the year about maximizing you, the best you and greatest you, your year will be filled with a journey that will change you forever and that will take you on an adventure, a trip and an experience you will never forget.

All it takes is a bit of ‘Self Discovery’ and a lot of courage, strength, and awareness to become the person you were meant to be.

Happiness cannot happen if you don’t live your truth. It may cause mistakes, failure, and regrets—but it will also bring lessons, wisdom, and personal harmony. If you don’t live your truth, you will become angry, resentful, and end up in a life that doesn’t suit you. But of course, it’s not easy to just be true to who you are. Finding your inner truth is a process that takes time. And sometimes it takes a very long time. You have to work to pay the bills, but while you are being responsible, try to be true to that voice inside you. When you discover the true you, AHA! happens; you know what you want and are free to go after it with every ounce of your being. When you do, you live contently—comfortable in your own skin—able to achieve whatever impossible dreams you had imagined for yourself.

Here are ten reasons why being the true YOU is the best way to be:

• You can celebrate your nature!
• You won’t lose sight of your own dreams.
• You will experience the joy of inner peace.
• You will feel good in your own skin.
• You won’t feel like a phony.
• You will get that warm cozy feeling when you put your head on your pillow at night—and a good night’s sleep.
• You can become your best self.
• You will learn to spend time alone.
• You will be more willing to reach outside your comfort zone.
• You can still be realistic.

“The two best days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” —Mark Twain

Just remember to stay true to who you are. Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. – Oscar Wilde

It is time to Rediscover. Remember when you were just a child and everything in front of you was all excitement and the next best thing. At a young age – learning and growing, we were at the perfect age to appreciate just about everything and a number of times we would be surprised was just another day in our lives. But looking back, there is the cliche question in which we may always go back to, or that people always ask us to remember. 

As a child, the most common question we were probably asked was: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” We were allowed to be dreamers, give the most extravagant answers; think of the craziest careers and even to have superpowers.

Time has passed and by now we started our career or have forgotten the world changing dreams we once had as a child.  Maybe we thought it was our calling, or maybe we simply found a job that pays the bills. However, there will be a time when a little voice deep within us will ask for more. And then it is up to us to decide what we do with it. The journey to discover your calling can take many years and I believe our calling changes as we as people evolve and develop, however, our life’s calling may never change. It is time to rediscover.

What is the So-called Calling?

A calling is more than just doing the work you are getting paid for, it encompasses your whole being and sense of purpose in life. If you are following your calling then you most probably feel alive, awake and happy. You feel passion for the work you do and believe your life is equally meaningful and fulfilling. The 3 most common callings: 

• Calling from outside: Looking for needs of the world and how you can help. You put the needs of others before yours.
• Inner voice: the thirst to discover your calling.
• Perfect Fit: Finding your profession based on your strengths, skills, values, and interests. 

So how do we rediscover our calling?

• Have dates with yourself to get to know the real you 
• If you would win a 100 million Dollars right now, what kind of work would you do?
• Imagine you have already lived a full life and people are gathering at your funeral
• Be brave and take small steps to change your present
• Plan and be ready for detours

Embracing your calling means to learn, plan and set goals while being mindful on your journey. It’s important to keep in mind that we are not here to “find” our calling but to discover it.

When you fail or feel like there is no coming back, remember everyone makes mistakes, everyone has setbacks and everyone will have their own struggles. Pull yourself together and take a stand and come ready for tomorrow with a stand of courage.

Need some pointers? Try these simple tips:

• Remind yourself that fear isn’t always helpful.
• Expand your comfort zone gradually.
• Remember to breathe.
• Take a step back and get objective.
• Think of how you’d view a friend in the same situation.
• Ask, “Who do I need to become?” instead of, “What do I need to do?”
• Take action.

Well when this happens (everything feels like it is falling apart), it’s extremely important that you hit the brakes, take a look at your life, and think about what you can change so that you’re actually living and not just going through the motions. 

1. Define success on your terms

Figure out what makes you feel happy and successful, rather than what society tells you will make you so. Live your life every day so that you’re working toward meeting the goals you’ve set for your own life, rather than running the same rat race day after day.

2. Embrace the positives and negatives in life

It sounds easy to embrace the positives, right? Too often, it’s when things are going well that we don’t recognize it. Celebrate every victory in life, no matter how small. It will help you stay positive when things start to go wrong. When things do go wrong, don’t think your world is crumbling down around you. Instead, look to what you can learn from the situation. Learn from your mistakes and failures, and persevere through unfortunate bad times. You’ll come out of it a much stronger person, and will be able to face the next obstacle in your life with a clear mindset.

3. Control only what you can

There are things you can’t change and, no matter what you do, you’ll just have to accept that you’re powerless against them. But the wisdom is in knowing which category a certain situation falls into. Don’t let something beyond your control keep you up at night — it will only serve to drive you crazy.

4. Don’t get frazzled

Life is full of little annoyances that we can’t control (see above). Once you recognize that Murphy’s Law is one of the only constants in life, you’ll realize things could be much worse, and you’ll be able to let the little things fall by the wayside.

5. Love yourself

If you don’t love yourself, no one else will. On that same token, you should never compare your life to anyone else’s. You have no idea what they’ve been through in their life, and they have no idea what you’ve gone through in yours. And don’t worry if other people have something negative to say about you. People will talk. But it’s those people who are unhappy enough with their own lives that they have to find the negatives in other people’s lives to make themselves feel better. Live your own life, and love every minute of it.

In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision. – Dalai Lama

It is a big wide world out there – and in the current state of an ever evolving reality (environment, culture, society, and technology) you need to be willing and ready to stretch and flow with how the things change. It is all about adapting your journey to success, based on the opportunities that are thrown/presented your way.

It is a common happening that before you set off to chase a new goal or dream, that the people around you will decide to chip in and give their sense of worth and you will be surprised by how many will give negative feedback about the fact that what you were about to do has faults or this and that and will try to stop you. Now they may be right – however, they may not be either.

In 1954, Elvis was still a no-name performer, and Jimmy Denny, the manager of the Grand Ole Opry, fired Elvis Presley after just one performance telling him, ‘You ain’t goin’ nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin’ a truck.’ Elvis went on to become the second best-selling artists of all time.

When it comes to society – you will be judged based on the concrete evidence of the work you’ve done. Proving your journey to your dream, to yourself – won’t be done through the validation of others. It will only be done by your willingness and discipline to see it through to the end – regardless of the failures.

We will always find ourselves in situations where one way or another we feel like our patience is on its last thread or we will find ourselves at a point where we are fearful of what the day may hold. Maybe due to past experiences from the week before, due to a set deadline or maybe it is because it is that daunting Monday.

It’s vitally important that you learn to calm yourself down in the highly charged situation before you lose it or make mistakes. There are ways to calm down and get through it with your sanity intact. Contrary to what you might think, fear is not an uncontrollable force that takes over us. It is a manageable emotion.

If you’re ready to take control and lead rather than be led, here are seven tips you should follow:

1. Stay optimistic and embrace positivity despite the surrounding negativity.

2. Work on being happy and become known for it. Smile!

3. Remember that there will be those who like you and those who won’t. Don’t waste your time running after the latter. Build yourself to become strong, and they’re bound to come to you.

4. Become more intuitive and tap into opportunities that are all around you. 

5. Operate with tacit knowledge, i.e., do what you do with confidence rather than just doing a task.

6. Repel people who are negative, especially while you’re building your own, or it will drag you down.

7. Remember that you may be lonely, but you’re never alone. The quicker you realize this, the less likely it will be for you to succumb to depression and other negative thoughts.