Extraordinary Times Require Extraordinary Minds

Going to be an ordinary thinker or an extraordinary thinker?

Ordinary thinking is fine-as long as ordinary results are all you want or need. We all have choices in life.

Albert Einstein said, "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."

Who am I to argue with one of the greatest minds of all time? Extraordinary times do require extraordinary minds.

No doubt we are living in remarkable, astonishing, almost unbelievable times. These days are filled with significant problems and challenges on a scope and scale of mind-numbing immensity and intensity, yet so is incredible opportunity.

Problems, challenges, opportunities...

All in need of great minds indeed.

But it's the minds of all-great and small that make a difference-the difference, in the form of ideas. Ideas from everywhere and everyone.

Some of the most elegantly simple ideas I've heard were shared by extraordinarily bright people. And some of the most boldly brilliant notions I have ever come across were from ordinary, everyday people.

Regardless of source, there ARE common elements that transform ideas into reality.

Environment...

It's not simply the source, surroundings can affect the outcome of a single thought. Ideas are simply a seed that needs to be planted in the right soil. If an idea is "planted on a pile of rocks" it will rest there with little or no hope of springing to life. We'll never reap the reward of our thinking if we're careless or reckless where we share and hope to apply our ideas.

Commitment...

That planted simple seed of an idea is not yet a tree. For ideas to grow they must not only be planted in the right conditions and surroundings; they must be cultivated, nurtured, and given time to grow and blossom. This means more than simply the "safe" environment, ideas need to be tended and given the attention and care they need to reach their full potential.

Action...

A spark of an idea can create a flicker of light, but it takes something vital to turn that bit of brightness into lasting brilliance. As that idea begins to grow it must be fertilized by action to become fuel for change.

Remember this... True genius can't be crowned simply through concepts and ideas.

No significant, sustainable progress has ever been created without an idea, seeded in the right environment, and supported by committed people in action.

Have an idea? Find the right place for it, commit to it, and take action starting now.

How To Effectively Form a New Habit

We all understand how hard it is to break a bad habit; stopping certain speaking mannerisms, not picking your nose in public, or quitting smoking (though that also has other factors at play). Some things become habits so easily and are almost impossible to stop. It stands to reason, then, that if we can take something we want to be doing and turn it into a habit, life would be so much easier. However, anyone who has tried to start up good habits will know how hard it can be. Is there really a fool-proof way to develop a good habit?

It has often been said that it takes 8 weeks to form a new habit, or three weeks, maybe six weeks or if you read somewhere else, any other number of weeks. Unfortunately, there is no fixed formula. The time it takes to form a habit depends a lot on what you are trying to do.

But don't despair! There are still key factors that if utilized properly will turn your good intention into a life long habit.

First of all, the difficulty of the habit has a major affect on the time it will take to stick. Remembering to floss after your brush your teeth isn't so hard, but trying to teach yourself to sit down and write your best selling novel for three hours a night might take a bit more time. This doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, but why not work in baby steps? Training yourself to sit down for half an hour after dinner is not nearly as daunting as three hours, and once you have that sorted, you can build up to a whole hour, then an hour and a half. Soon you might find you are writing all night!

Second, the more often you perform the desired action, the faster and stronger it will form as a habit. It has been found that this is especially important at the beginning. So when planning to introduce a new habit into your life, try to perform it everyday, even if later you might drop that back a bit. Also make sure that you pick the most advantageous time to start the new habit, as repeated failure can instill a negative attitude. For example, don't try starting your new diet just before your birthday when you know there will be cake and champagne for days in a row.

The final factor you should take into account is how much it clashes with your old habits. The more it clashes, the longer it will take or the less likely it will form at all. Therefore, when planning your habit forming behavior, try to minimize how much it conflicts with your current habits. Want to start going to the gym everyday? Well, get yourself off to a good start by not scheduling it at the same time as X-Factor if you just can't skip it (unless you go to a gym with a TV, and tell yourself you can only watch while jogging... that might work). Look at your daily routine and try to slip the new habit in somewhere it won't cause too many waves, and if you can, try piggy backing on another habit. Always sit down to watch Deal or No Deal? Keep your new language study textbooks next to the TV and when Deal finishes, German starts.

Keeping in mind these three factors will help you to maximize the effectiveness of your new habit. Spend a little time planning how to best implement it and within weeks you will be finding the habit harder and harder to break.

Good Enough

"I am not good enough." What a sad, lonely, empty thought. Yet, this thought is pervasive in many people's lives. Whether you feel you aren't a "good enough" mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, friend, co-worker, employee, boss, caregiver, worker, you name it - whatever terms you use to define yourself and your identity - somehow many of us ultimately feel as though we just are not "good enough." This begs the question "What is enough?" And if we could define "enough," what on earth would make it "good?"

According to dictionary.com the word "enough" is defined as "adequate for the want or need; sufficient for the purpose or to satisfy desire." As a society (and arguably the world) there seems to be an insatiable desire for more. Hence the feeling of not ever having, doing or being "enough." So what does this mean? Does it mean we should be complacent? We should not have ambition? We should be satisfied with what we have and not desire for more? Like most things in life, the answer probably lies somewhere in the middle.

Personally, I think we define whether we have "enough," by comparing ourselves to others. When we deem that some one else has achieved more than us, by comparison, we can be left feeling as though we are just not "good enough." It is our interpretation of our differing levels of achievement, and our feelings of what we "should" be, do and have, that can lead us to doubt our current position and feel not "good enough." I believe the antidotes for feeling not "good enough" are gratitude and appreciation. Gratitude for all we have and appreciation for all we are, right now, in this very moment. This is very different from complacency. With this gratitude and appreciation, we can then strive for greater things from a healthy and balanced place.

When I watched my beautiful 15 month old son learn how to balance one block on top of another and be so incredibly proud of himself, I found myself wondering "Gee, I can do that too... how come I don't feel that proud of myself?" Now, I am not advocating for false and inflated cockiness. But, in an effort to not appear cocky, we can so often not give ourselves the credit we deserve. The truth is, we all do a thousand, wonderful, amazing things every day- from waking up and getting ourselves to the job we earned through our own determination and hard work, and getting ourselves to the store and shopping for food with the money we earned from working hard at the job we earned, to cooking, reading, bathing and breathing, to just simply having nice thoughts and doing nice things for other people. These may seem like small things, yet many small accomplishments had to occur in life for all of this to fall into place. Frequently, though, we seem to forget all of this and brush it off as nothing.

When talking about comparisons, yes, perhaps these achievements don't seem so amazing by comparison to others', however they are achievements none-the-less. It may sound ridiculous, but why not say, "Hey, Kathi, way to brush your teeth this morning!" or "Way to get out of bed when all you really wanted to do was stay in there all day because it's so ding-dang cozy" or, better, yet, "Way to go Kath, you are learning and growing in new ways every day. Keep up the good work?" Yes, the first two examples may feel ridiculous, but really, what's the harm? The truth is, we are all achieving lots of great things every day. We are all unique, beautiful, creative beings with our own unique stories and purposes in this lifetime. Why not take a moment every day to be grateful for all we have and appreciate all we are? And do so knowing full well that we all are, and always will be, "good enough."

Sing an Irish Song, the Right Way

If you're Irish and you want your voice to be heard where do you go to sing an Irish song? This is a more complicated question than at first it appears. Irish music has many sides, traditions, and etiquettes. It's important to know the differences. The Irish music community can be a tight-knit group, non musicians are confused when attempting to sing or participate in an Irish session. Your first step is to educate yourselves on these differences.

Most true Irish sessions are built around tunes and music, as opposed to words or lyrics. Think of jigs and reels, as opposed to folks singing songs back and forth. The session players stay true to the tune and try to do justice to the music. There is on an occasion the opportunity to sing an Irish song at a traditional Irish music session, but it is usually from a regular. These songs are less well-known, sometimes sung in Irish or in the Sean-nos tradition. So a real Irish session isn't the perfect spot to sing your Irish folk song.

You find yourself at the local pub and a nice little band is playing your favorite traditional Irish folk music. This for sure will be your chance to let a song out, not so fast. These guys are performing, they are paid by the owner of the pub to entertain the crowd and keep them eating and drinking. There may be a chance to sing a song but you had better be good.

What you are looking for is an Irish singing session, singers session, or singsong session. These are specifically set up for people to sing their favorite Irish song, provided they follow a few rules.

1. There will be someone in charge of the session, they normally ask for a song from people they know. They also will throw out invitations to add a song, they are subtly in charge.
2. Watch and get a feel for the group, it's important to be patient, sing along with a chorus or two and enjoy your fellow singers.
3. You do not have to be a great singer, I once heard a woman sing a song in Cork Ireland, she had the worst voice and the best performance at the same time.
4. Know the words. Nobody likes to put up with a new singer to their group that fumbles through the songs and has more apologies than choruses.
5. When your time to sing your Irish song comes, sing a song you love and commit.

Find yourself a singer's session and let that Irish song out, I can't think of a better way to spend the evening. If you are having trouble finding a singers session, find a few fellow Irish song lovers and start one at home.

A True Wake Up Call For Your Psyche!

It is 2013 and many of us truly need a wake up call! If the things we have been doing in previous years have not worked, what in the world would make us think that they would work now? The truth is many of us really need to revisit our present conditions and circumstances and decide what we are going to do about them! Yes... we need to decide!

You see the thing is, excepting responsibility for your own personal development and self improvement is the key. We must seek to improve your way of life, if you actually expect for it to improve.

Let's be real, we all come to a point in our lives where we realize that the things we are doing is just not working for us anymore! We come to that fork in the road and just do not know which way to go. That's when we really need someone to get in our face, to just "tell it like it is". Well, I am known for telling it like it is... so I might as well live up to my reputation. So here goes...

NOTHING IN YOUR LIFE IS EVER GOING TO CHANGE, UNTIL YOU CHANGE THE THINGS IN YOUR LIFE! GOT IT?

There is an old Navajo Proverb that says, "You can't wake a person who is pretending to be asleep". In other words, if you want to make your dreams come true in 2013, the first think you are going to have to do is wake up! Wake up to the things that are truly going on around you. Realize that the things you have been doing is not working for you. It never has and it never will. Get mad and make up your mind that you are going to do something about it! Don't just lie down like a sick dog and let your current circumstances drain you or defeat you. Dig deeper... and when you get tired keep right on digging!

You must believe in yourself because God sure does. He placed in you the ability to have dominion, power, and authority over everything concerning your life. Do not be afraid to reach out and go after what is rightfully yours. It's in You. You possess the personal power to have, do, or be whatever you desire! Do yourself a favor in 2013, try new things. Embrace the idea of change, do not fear it. Sometimes, change is exactly what we need to get the ball rolling in our lives, and rolling super fast at that.

So where do you begin? Here are a few suggestions:

1) Surround yourself with people who will inspire, motivate, and empower you. Negative people tend to bring a bunch of negativity and drama a long with them. Positive, motivated and empowered people do positive things and it will definitely rub off on you!

2) Dedicate some time every day to read something positive. Something that will motivate and challenge you to think outside of the box! You will be surprised what fifteen minutes a day of what I like to call "power reading" will do for you!

3) REAL success takes determination and dedication. NO GAMES! Get serious about making this year the best year of your life. If you want different, you've got to do things different. You are awesome beyond measure. YOU possess the personal power to have, do, or be whatever you desire! Get moving, get about it... It's In YOU!

Remember, Procrastination is the Assassination or your Manifestations!!! LETS GO!!!!

Know The Times

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Charles Dickens

Remember the tale of the shoe manufacturer who, having dispatched two salesmen to the jungles of a faraway land to investigate business potential, received the following reports: the first advising gloomily there is no potential here as nobody wears shoes, whereas the second reported enthusiastically there is massive potential here, nobody wears shoes.

Both witnessed identical circumstances, yet reported completely different views of the latent potential.

Likewise, biblical scholars attest to the account of the twelve spies sent in to assess the promised land; ten returning to report that they had indeed traversed the land of milk & honey, however the obstacles confronting them were such that they had no hope of ever taking the land; only two returned to advise that they also had witnessed a land of opportunity and they believed they could capture it.

All a matter of perspective, judgment and confidence.

No less today, people with different viewpoints and perspectives loudly promulgate their views, one way or another; the glass half full to some, half empty to others.

Yet it is the same glass, with the same contents.

Where do we stand in this paradigm; do we see opportunity all around us, or risks and difficulties at every turn? How do we view life?

Surely this principle is pivotal; one that ultimately separates winners from losers; that will either unlock potential or destine people to a life of hardship; a watershed even, where some go on to success, victory and good fortune while others seemingly commit to and endure lives of hardship, lack and inequity.

How people view the future and their potential clearly defines their very future.

This fundamental mindset, philosophy or perspective puts a dividing line between pessimists and optimists; negative and positive thinkers; those who are risk averse, fearful and worried and those who see potential in every opportunity.

The former will generally allow opportunity to cruise by without reaching out for it, lest they suffer harm, loss or even embarrassment; procrastination is, in their mind, a strength that protects them from making hasty and foolish mistakes.

Meanwhile the latter will confidently jump at every opportunity to rise up, to excel and make good; their mottos being there's no time like now, seize the moment!

Of course the wise will not forget the inherent strengths of both positions, and actively seek to balance caution with action, whilst those with understanding deficiency may swing too far either way and inevitably suffer.

In all of this we should not forget that our personal views, whichever way we lean, inevitably add to the critical mass of public opinion. Our own thoughts, words and actions will bring influence to bear on matters corporate.

It then behooves us to carefully avoid being party to, or contributing to mere herd instincts, whereby the uninformed or unwise blindly follow, not able to determine their own course of action, or life.

Let's never forget that what we think is what we become; and more importantly, what we think, say and do significantly influences what others become; to the point that our views can be contagious, effecting even a generation of people around us; a fact not lost on those with ulterior motives politically or otherwise.

Great leaders understand the principles associated with carefully developing and espousing profitable points of view, and are never in two minds. They take great care to consider the implications of their views and actions on their generation, not just themselves.

So should we.

3 Stages of Fat Loss - Part 1

I remember back when I was in college, one of my professors gave me some advice that I still use today. It was a presentations class, and he told me that, whenever possible, try to break down the subject that you're trying to explain to your audience into smaller, more manageable pieces. This makes it easier for them to understand what you are trying to say, and therefore should make it easier to remember and also put into practice.

On the topic of fat loss, which is one of my personal favorites (as you know), I would like to apply this same idea in order to help you when it comes to your own fat loss goals, and make them a reality.

So, here goes. My 3 stages of fat loss are:

1. Admission

2. Decision

3. Realization

This article will focus primarily on the first stage: Admission, however, I want to briefly explain all 3 stages of fat loss so you'll begin to see the whole picture and how this is going to work for you. Admission is the point when you know that there is a problem with your weight, and you can openly admit that something must be done about it. In the 2nd stage, a decision is made to change yourself for the better, and, in the final stage, the end result of that stage 2 decision is the actual realization (with a lot of hard work) of a change for the better.

Now, if you are at stage 1 in this process, I want to congratulate you, because over 90 percent of people who should be at stage 1 never actually get there. Yup, most of them are in complete denial about their physical condition, and, unfortunately it sometimes takes a traumatic event, such as a heart attack or acquiring type 2 diabetes to get them to actually admit that they have a problem.

To help you get through the first of my 3 stages of fat loss, I want to give you some honest reasons for stepping up and making your admission:

• to have more energy no matter what you're doing

• to be able to run up a flight of stairs (or 6) and not be out of breath

• to live a longer, healthier life

• to be there for your family (your kids)

• to stop feeling sick all the time

• to finally stop taking all those prescription drugs

• to look forward to doing activities you enjoy

• to make new friends who will help and support you

• to have a fresh, positive outlook on the rest of your life

• to ________________ (insert your own personal reason here)

Now that you know "why" you must make your stage 1 admission, let's look at the steps you have to take to get you there and be ready for stage 2. Please remember that by making this admission, you have made it farther that the majority of people in your situation, therefore, I don't want you to be too hard on yourself. Being overweight and admitting that you want to change is not an easy thing. The first person you are going to make your admission to is, of course, the most important person in your life, yourself. Yes, I want you to stand in front of a mirror, take a good long look at yourself, hold your head up high and admit that you have a problem with food, and you want to change. If it helps, take a piece of paper and a pen and write your admission down before you tell it to yourself. In fact, try writing it down repeatedly so that it becomes a fixture in your memory. As you progress through the next stages, you should never lose sight of what brought you there.

Next, I want you to go to the person that you love the most in your life (after yourself) and make that same admission to them as well. Don't write them a letter, or email them, or text them. Stand right in front of them, look them square in the eyes and make your admission. This person could be your spouse, your child, your best friend or even your cat. In order to make a successful transition to the second two of the 3 stages of fat loss, social support from the other people in your life is an absolute must-have. Without it, you will not make it-trust me, I've been there, and I know.

Once you have officially made your admission to yourself and to at least one other person, you are ready to move on to the second stage of fat loss, the decision. My next article will teach you how to go about making that decision, and why it is, in my opinion, the most difficult of the 3 stages of fat loss. In the meantime, grab that pen and paper and get started on your admission. It doesn't have to be long or fancy, it just has to make sense to you, that's all that really matters.

Good luck.