Mr. Don
"Two men look out through the same bars: One sees the mud, and one sees the stars."- Frederick Langbridge, A Cluster of Quiet Thoughts
If you’ve placed second in a writing contest, will you jump for joy and push for better results the next time or will you be discouraged and find an excuse not to join again?
In life, you are always filled with choices. You may opt to have a pessimist’s view and live a self-defeated life or you may decide to take the optimist’s route and take a challenging and fulfilling life.
So why nurture an optimist’s point of view? And why now?
Well, optimism has been linked to positive mood and good morale; to academic, athletic, military, occupational and political success; to popularity; to good health and even to long life and freedom from trauma.
On the other hand, the rates of depression and pessimism have never been higher. It affects middle-aged adults the same way it hits younger people. The mean age of onset has gone from 30 to 15. It is no longer a middle-aged housewife’s disorder but also a teen-ager’s disorder’ as well.
Here’s how optimists are in action and researches that back up why it really pays to be an optimist:
Optimists expect the best!
The defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to believe bad events, which will last a long time and undermine everything they do, are their own fault.
The truth is optimists are confronted with the same hard knocks of this world. What differs is the way they explain their misfortune---it’s the opposite way. They tend to believe defeat is just a temporary setback, that its causes are confined to this one case.
Optimists tend to focus on and plan for the 'problem' at hand. They use 'positive reinterpretation.' In other words, they most likely reinterpret a negative experience in a way that helps them learn and grow. Such people are unfazed by bad situation, they perceive it is a challenge and try harder.
They won’t say “things will never get better,” “If I failed once, it will happen again” and “If I experience misfortune in one part of my life, then it will happen in my whole life.”
Positive expectancies of optimists also predict better reactions during transitions to new environments, sudden tragedies and unlikely turn of events. If they fall, they will stand up. They see opportunities instead of obstacles.
People respond positively to optimists!
Optimists are proactive and less dependent on others for their happiness. They find no need to control or manipulate people. They usually draw people towards them. Their optimistic view of the world can be contagious and influence those they are with.
Optimism seems a socially desirable trait in all communities. Those who share optimism are generally accepted while those who spread gloom, panic and hysteria are treated unfavorably.
In life, these people often win elections; get voted most congenial and sought for advice.
When the going gets tough, optimists get tougher!
Optimists typically maintain higher levels of subjective well-being during times of stress than do people who are less optimistic. In contrast, pessimists are likely to react to stressful events by denying that they exist or by avoiding dealing with the problems. Pessimists are more likely to quit trying when difficulties arise.
Optimists persevere. They just don’t give up easily, they are also known for their patience. Inching their way a step at a time closer to that goal or elusive dream.
Optimists are healthier and live longer!
Medical research has justified that simple pleasures and a positive outlook can cause a measurable increase in the body's ability to fight disease.
Optimists’ health is unusually good. They age well, much freer than most people from the usual physical ills of middle age. And they get to outlive those prone to negative thoughts.
So why not be an optimist today? And think positively towards a more fulfilled life.
Why not look forward to success in all your endeavors? Why not be resilient? Like everybody else, you are bound to hit lows sometimes but don’t just stay there. Carry yourself out of the mud and improve your chances of getting back on the right track.
And why not inspire others to remove their dark-colored glasses and see life on the bright side?
Next time we will look at a 5 Minute Stress Management Progam!
Until then,
Take care and be safe!
Mr. Don
If you would like to learn how to manage your stress in a proactive manner that improves your health rather than tear it down, visit us at Functional Stress Management
Functional Self Confidence
Sunday
The Key to a Better Life
Mr. Don
Time management is basically about being focused.
The Pareto Principle also known as the '80:20 Rule' states that 80% of efforts that are not time managed or unfocused generates only 20% of the desired output. However, 80% of the desired output can be generated using only 20% of a well time managed effort. Although the ratio '80:20' is only arbitrary, it is used to put emphasis on how much is lost or how much can be gained with time management.
Some people view time management as a list of rules that involves scheduling of appointments, goal settings, thorough planning, creating things to do lists and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop efficient personal time management skills. However these basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra edge to achieve the results you desire.
But there is more skills involved in time management than the core basics. Skills such as decision making, inherent abilities such as emotional intelligence and critical thinking are also essential to your personal growth.
Personal time management involves everything you do.
No matter how big and no matter how small, everything counts. Each new knowledge you acquire, each new advice you consider, each new skill you develop should be taken into consideration.
Having a balanced life-style should be the key goal in developing personal time management skills. This is the main aspect that many practitioners of personal time management fail to grasp.
Time management is about getting results, not about being busy.
The six areas that personal time management seeks to improve in anyone's life are physical, intellectual, social, career, emotional and spiritual.
-The physical aspect involves having a healthy body, less stress and fatigue.
-The intellectual aspect involves learning and other mental growth activities.
-The social aspect involves developing personal or intimate relations and being an active contributor to society.
-The career aspect involves school and work.
-The emotional aspect involves appropriate feelings and desires and manifesting them.
-The spiritual aspect involves a personal quest for meaning.
Thoroughly planning and having a set of things to do listed for each of the key areas may not be very practical, but determining which area in your life is not being giving enough attention is part of time management. Each area creates the whole you, if you are ignoring one area then you are ignoring an important part of yourself.
Personal time management should not be so daunting a task. It is a very sensible and reasonable approach in solving problems big or small.
A great way of learning time management and improving your personal life is to follow several basic activities consistantly.
One of them is to review your goals whether it be immediate or long-term goals often. A way to do this is to keep a list that is always accessible to you.
*Always determine which task is necessary or not necessary in achieving your goals and which activities are helping you maintain a balanced life style.
*Each and everyone of us has a peak time and a time when we slow down, these are our natural cycles. We should be able to tell when to do the difficult tasks when we are the sharpest.
*Learning to say "No". You actually see this advice often. Heed it even if it involves saying the word to family or friends.
*Pat yourself at the back or just reward yourself in any manner for an effective time management result.
*Try and get the cooperation from people around you who are actually benefiting from your efforts of time management.
*Don't procrastinate. Attend to necessary things immediately.
*Have a positive attitude and set yourself up for success. But be realistic in your approach to achieving your goals.
*Have a record or journal of all your activities. This will help you get things in their proper perspective.
These are the few steps you initially take in becoming a well rounded individual.
As they say, personal time management is the art and science of building a better life.
From the moment you integrate into your life time management skills, you have opened several options that can provide a broad spectrum of solutions to your personal growth. It also creates more doors for opportunities to knock on.
All us have the same 24 hours available to us. What seperates us is what we do with those hours.
Next time we will be looking at some of the benefits of maintaining a positive outlook as we go about our daily activities.
Until next time,
Take care and be safe!
Mr. Don
Time management is basically about being focused.
The Pareto Principle also known as the '80:20 Rule' states that 80% of efforts that are not time managed or unfocused generates only 20% of the desired output. However, 80% of the desired output can be generated using only 20% of a well time managed effort. Although the ratio '80:20' is only arbitrary, it is used to put emphasis on how much is lost or how much can be gained with time management.
Some people view time management as a list of rules that involves scheduling of appointments, goal settings, thorough planning, creating things to do lists and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop efficient personal time management skills. However these basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra edge to achieve the results you desire.
But there is more skills involved in time management than the core basics. Skills such as decision making, inherent abilities such as emotional intelligence and critical thinking are also essential to your personal growth.
Personal time management involves everything you do.
No matter how big and no matter how small, everything counts. Each new knowledge you acquire, each new advice you consider, each new skill you develop should be taken into consideration.
Having a balanced life-style should be the key goal in developing personal time management skills. This is the main aspect that many practitioners of personal time management fail to grasp.
Time management is about getting results, not about being busy.
The six areas that personal time management seeks to improve in anyone's life are physical, intellectual, social, career, emotional and spiritual.
-The physical aspect involves having a healthy body, less stress and fatigue.
-The intellectual aspect involves learning and other mental growth activities.
-The social aspect involves developing personal or intimate relations and being an active contributor to society.
-The career aspect involves school and work.
-The emotional aspect involves appropriate feelings and desires and manifesting them.
-The spiritual aspect involves a personal quest for meaning.
Thoroughly planning and having a set of things to do listed for each of the key areas may not be very practical, but determining which area in your life is not being giving enough attention is part of time management. Each area creates the whole you, if you are ignoring one area then you are ignoring an important part of yourself.
Personal time management should not be so daunting a task. It is a very sensible and reasonable approach in solving problems big or small.
A great way of learning time management and improving your personal life is to follow several basic activities consistantly.
One of them is to review your goals whether it be immediate or long-term goals often. A way to do this is to keep a list that is always accessible to you.
*Always determine which task is necessary or not necessary in achieving your goals and which activities are helping you maintain a balanced life style.
*Each and everyone of us has a peak time and a time when we slow down, these are our natural cycles. We should be able to tell when to do the difficult tasks when we are the sharpest.
*Learning to say "No". You actually see this advice often. Heed it even if it involves saying the word to family or friends.
*Pat yourself at the back or just reward yourself in any manner for an effective time management result.
*Try and get the cooperation from people around you who are actually benefiting from your efforts of time management.
*Don't procrastinate. Attend to necessary things immediately.
*Have a positive attitude and set yourself up for success. But be realistic in your approach to achieving your goals.
*Have a record or journal of all your activities. This will help you get things in their proper perspective.
These are the few steps you initially take in becoming a well rounded individual.
As they say, personal time management is the art and science of building a better life.
From the moment you integrate into your life time management skills, you have opened several options that can provide a broad spectrum of solutions to your personal growth. It also creates more doors for opportunities to knock on.
All us have the same 24 hours available to us. What seperates us is what we do with those hours.
Next time we will be looking at some of the benefits of maintaining a positive outlook as we go about our daily activities.
Until next time,
Take care and be safe!
Mr. Don
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