Self Motivation

Don’t Give Up!
by: Gene Simmons
Don’t let anyone kid you. The road to self improvement and personal growth is not a short, straight, well-marked, paved highway. Looking back on my journey, I see a road meandering over hills and through valleys, around sharp curves and over muddy trails, with occasional boulders blocking my way. I can remember taking detours that took me off the beaten path and on to cow paths that wandered seemingly forever through the puckerbrush. It’s been a long interesting journey.
My trip began over 20 years ago when I was encouraged by a close friend to leave the world of the “walking dead” and move on to a better life. Walking dead?! Holy smokes! Where did that come from? That absolutely couldn’t be me! No way! I was doing just fine. I had a great family, I held some foundation religious beliefs, I went to work every day and brought home an almost reasonable paycheck. I was doing fine. I was fulfilling my obligations to my family. I was doing what was expected of me. I was doing what husbands and fathers are supposed to do. And furthermore, I would darned well continue to do all those expected things until the day I passed from the face of the earth! I was doing just…
Ohmygod! (Sometimes it’s a bitch when reality strikes…) That was me! I was living in Zombieville! I was in a rut so deep I could only see the sun at midday. I was doing the same types of things day after day. Thinking the same thoughts – believing the same beliefs.
So - I started reading books – lots of books. (Remember, this was way back “when” in the dark ages before personal computers.) I listened to tapes – and read more books. And I spent lots and lots and lots of time thinking – about who and what I was and what I really wanted to do with my life. I read more… and listened to more tapes… and thought… and nothing happened! Well, wait just a danged minute. If I’m learning (and I really was) isn’t something – anything – supposed to change? Shouldn’t things be getting better?
Ohmygod! (There’s that danged reality thing again…) I really have to DO SOMETHING! I need to put all that information I’ve been accumulating to work! This personal growth stuff isn’t just about kicking back and soaking up words of wisdom. It’s about making a conscious effort to change my actions. Dang, this isn’t going to be the easy ride I had imagined. This is gonna be work!
So – I got to work. Gradually I started using the information I had gleaned from all of my reading, listening and thinking to make a few changes in my life. Small changes at first. Simple changes. Like responding to the “How are ya?” questions with “Great!” or even “Super!” I even tossed in “Fantastic!” once in awhile just to see what would happen. (Most folks didn’t believe a word of it and probably thought I was just being goofy. But it was working for me.)
And I spent more time thinking and meditating – and learning. I was starting to see more daylight now. I was moving closer to the rim of my personal rut. But the changes and improvements in my life were happening oh, so slowly. So very slowly. Sometimes it seemed that months went by without any significant improvement. More months passed…
Ohmygod! (Yep, it happened again…) There is no way for any of this to occur quickly – immediately. It takes time. I need to grow slowly. I can’t learn bigger lessons until I’ve learned the smaller ones first. It’s a logical step-by-step process. Start small – and earn the privilege of moving on to the next step. One step at a time. Whoooeee! This is gonna work!
It was about that time that the whole process of self improvement and personal growth became FUN! I could begin to see that my life was getting better. Oh sure, at the same time I saw a few things that needed to be changed to help the process so I made the appropriate plans – which eventually led me to make the changes I needed to make. And no, some of these changes weren’t especially easy – or fun - but they were necessary.
So, a little at a time, a step at a time, life was getting better – and overall, a lot more enjoyable. Now, nearly 25 years after the beginning of my journey, my life is truly “Super!” – with frequent spurts to “Fantastic!”. No, it’s not perfect and it never will be. Life’s not like that. I still have experiences to add to my life’s history and more lessons to learn. There’s always more to learn.
So when you experience the delays, detours and occasional roadblocks as you’re traveling down your personal growth highway, don’t get discouraged. It’s gonna happen. It’s all just a part of the developmental process. Hang in there. Keep on truckin’. Don’t give up! Your personal, special destiny really is waiting for you!
About The Author
Gene, through NuPathz.com, provides an easy reading self-help blog, articles, quotations, thoughts and links along with affordable books and materials written to help folks find the road to a more enjoyable lifestyle, to pass on some of life’s “secrets for survival” in a chaotic world & offer a few smiles along the way. It's a down-to-earth, simple approach to discovering a better life. You can visit Gene at http://www.nupathz.com/
gene@nupathz.com

Happiness

7 Gifts that Multiply Happiness
by: Steve Brunkhorst
Did you know that there are gifts that will multiply your happiness when you give them away? Here are seven of those gifts. Giving these gifts will allow you to share with others your most unique treasure: your authentic self. Each gift will return to you many times.
As you read about each of these gifts, think about ways that you could share that gift with someone today.
1. Share appreciation
Tell someone how much you appreciate the faith they've shown in you. Thank them sincerely for being part of your life. Tell them how much they are needed.
Feeling appreciated is one of the most important needs that people have. When you share with someone your appreciation and gratitude, they will not forget you. Appreciation will return to you many times.
2. Share time
Balance your time expenditures so you can spend time with the people that you love. Support local organizations by sharing your special talents. Volunteer time for projects that benefit others in your community, country, and world.
When we slow down and observe our thoughts closely, we will sometimes uncover gifts and talents we didn't know we had. Sharing time and talents can result in discoveries that bring happiness beyond measure.
3. Share knowledge and ideas
Tell someone about a great book that you read so they can benefit from it too. Teach a new concept or idea that you've learned.
One of the best ways to strengthen new concepts in your mind is to share them with others. The more often you share what you've learned, the stronger that information will become in your memory. Sharing knowledge also provides solutions to problems. The more knowledge we share, the more knowledge we receive in return.
4. Share friendship
Acknowledge someone's strengths. Let them know that you are willing to be there when they need you. Visit someone you haven't seen for a long time. Telephone friends or relatives who live far away. Introduce two friends who don't know each other.
Bringing one individual into another's life can result in tremendous changes for both people, and for you. We succeed with the help of others. People grow by growing together. If you'd like to have many friends, then share friendship with others generously.
5. Share kindness
Perform a random act of kindness for someone: a smile, compliment, or a favor just for fun. These will multiply and spread very rapidly.
There is a powerful quote by Stephen Jay Gould who said, "The center of human nature is rooted in ten thousand ordinary acts of kindness that define our days." Kindness is priceless. The love, kindnesses, and value we have given authentically to others will be our remaining treasures at the end of life.
6. Share experience
Keep written or photo journals of your life: things you've done, places you've traveled, things you've learned. Record successes and failures. Share a happy memory. Also share the difficult times that have helped you become stronger and wiser. When shared, the value of these experiences multiplies.
Our unique experiences and perceptions of life are priceless. Sharing experiences will build one of the strongest bonds with others. Our descendants can learn and benefit from our lifetime experiences for generations to come.
7. Share enthusiasm
If you are excited about a new success, tell someone. If you're ecstatic about a new project, show your glow. Your enthusiasm will inspire others to move forward with actions that bring rewarding achievements.
Enthusiasm keeps us looking forward to the future. It brings many of those exciting days that we can savor with gratitude. That kind of glowing excitement for life is impossible to hide. It is contagious and will quickly spread to others.
Think about this statement by Norman MacEwan: "Happiness is not so much in having as sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
Sharing these gifts sends our thoughts on a far-reaching journey where they will touch many lives, and reconnect with our own. Would you like to receive these same life-enhancing gifts again and again? Begin multiplying your happiness by sharing one of these special gifts with someone today!
About The Author
(C) Copyright 2004 by Steve Brunkhorst. Steve is a professional life success coach, and the editor of Achieve! 60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration, a popular mini-zine bringing stories, motivational nuggets, and inspiring thoughts to help you achieve more in your career and personal life. Find more articles and resources at http://AchieveEzine.com