inspiration

Developing A Success Mindset

Are there dreams and ambitions that you haven’t reached? Are you frustrated and overwhelmed? If so, relax, you’re not alone. Sometimes, it seems like there are a select few people who attain great heights – and then there’s the rest of us.

What differentiates the people who realize their aspirations from those who always appear to struggle? The difference is that successful people have taken control of their thoughts, beliefs, and their vision of the world.

They have mastered the important mindsets necessary for the achievement of success.

No one is born with this success-oriented attitude. You can acquire it by unpacking the way you think now and ridding yourself of old unworkable attitudes. Shift your mindset by mastering new skills and practices, and adopting a new stance.

 

What Is a “Mindset”, and does it help?

A mindset is an assemblage of related beliefs that shape how you see the world and function in it. For example, if you have a positive mindset, you are optimistic and focus on the good things, rather than dwelling on the negative.

Mindset is important because it influences how you behave. Your behaviors are based on what you think and believe. Everyone works from an acknowledged mindset, even if you’re not aware of it. Mastering these methods of thought is a matter of choice.

An important thing to remember about mindsets is that they’re learned. You’re not born thinking a particular way; you pick it up from others and your experiences in the world.

Hey, this is great news. It means that anyone can intentionally transform their mindset.

 

A shift in your mindset carries benefits.

The right mindset can have a major impact on your personal and professional life. Advantages are:

  • Greater overall happiness and well-being. By seeing the world in a positive light, you’ll be healthier and more satisfied.

  • Higher self-esteem. You’ll have more confidence. You’ll view the things you presently can’t do as skills you have yet to master.

  • A healthy attitude towards failure and setbacks. You’ll recover from bumps in the road and use each challenge as a valuable learning experience.

  • A successful career or a business owner. You’ll be able to identify opportunities and act on them.

  • Improvements in your relationships. With your focus on growth and development, you’ll be an inspiration to others and like-minded people will be attracted to you.

  • Stress reduction. You’ll be better able to handle stress and won’t feel overcome even when you’re busy or under pressure.

  • Increased creativity. You’ll combine creativity and innovative thinking in all areas of your life.

 

5 Key mindsets for success.

These are the mindsets that encourage success:

  1. Growth Mindset. This mindset is the foundation of all change. Without it, you’ll have trouble adopting other positive mindsets. If you have a growth mindset, you tend to believe that your talents, intelligence, and skills can be developed through a combination of hard work, effective training, and guidance from others.

  2. Abundance Mindset. The abundance mindset says that there’s plenty to go around for everybody. When we operate from a perspective of abundance, we make better decisions and radiate generosity.

  3. Creativity Mindset. The creativity mindset says that anyone can be creative, not only artists. It uses various tools to unlock imagination and innovation and apply it to a variety of issues.

  4. Problem-Solving Mindset. This mindset says no problem is too much to conquer. It uses brainstorming and other techniques to identify and solve problems.

  5. Entrepreneurial Mindset. CEOs and business owners with this mindset seek out opportunities and act on them. They innovate in the face of challenges and don’t let risk dissuade them from pursuing a new idea.

 

If you pursue skills and techniques to adopt and cultivate these 5 mindsets, you’ll experience benefits in every area of your personal and professional life. It takes time to begin seeing results, but there are actions you can do each day to get one step closer.

 

Observe your thinking.                              

A good place to start is to evaluate your current mindset. This is the way of thinking that’s been unconsciously shaped through your experiences and the influence of others over time.

Ask yourself these things:

  • How positive are you?

  • How do you see topics, difficulties, and challenges?

  • Do you celebrate the successes of others or feel envious?

  • Are you very bothered by how others see you?

  • Are you fixated on what you don’t have rather than what you do?

  • Do you see the world’s resources as limited and scarce, or abundant?

  • Are you an imaginative thinker?

  • Where do you use creativity in your daily life?

 

These questions will help you understand where you’re starting point is. Providing you with ideas for improvement that you can begin working on right away.

 

Allow yourself grace when you make a mistake.

A part of what most people need to work on is how to view their blunders and failures. And yes, mistakes will be made. The question is, do you beat yourself up when something goes wrong?

One thing that sets success-minded people apart from the rest is how they view obstacles. To them, every failure is a valuable learning experience. Begin by asking yourself, “what can I learn from this”?

When you make a mistake, extend the same kindness to yourself that you would offer to someone else. Try to fix it and then let it go. Look for the lesson. Note what went wrong and what you could have done to improve your chance of success.

 

Practice gratitude.

What do you focus on – the things you have or the things you want? People who practice gratitude are much happier and more successful than those who only see what they are lacking.

You can begin practicing gratitude immediately by brainstorming a list of things you’re grateful for. There’s no item either small or seemingly inconsequential to go on this list. Think about your family, friends, job, health, and hobbies.

A daily practice of giving thanks is even more effective. Buy a notebook and make it your gratitude journal. Each day, jot down a few things you’re grateful for. This reminds you of the abundance that’s present in your life. 

 

Discover what inspires you.

Inspiration helps when you’re trying to come up with ideas or solve problems. You may incorrectly believe that it comes as a flash out of the sky, but this is not how creativity works.

People who are in touch with their creativity make it a daily practice and can tap into it when they need it.

There are many sources of inspiration that you can use, including:

  • A walk in the park

  • Yoga or meditation

  • Music

  • Quotes

  • Painting, playing music, or some other creative activity

  • Blogs or books

  • Good conversation

  • Good memories

  • Your gratitude lists

  • Friends or family members

 

It can be anything that makes you feel inspired. Choose something that excites you that you can turn to whenever you need a boost.

 

Try something new.

All 5 of the success mindsets are concerned with growth and a love of learning. A great way to transform your mindset is to discover something new to learn. It doesn’t have to be something related to your career or something practical. And you don’t need to excel at it. The process of learning itself will help you transform.

Pick up a musical instrument or a new language. Take up a new sport or explore a topic like cosmology or philosophy. Learn about the history of your hometown.

Remember, the whole point is to get you learning and expanding your perspective. It shouldn’t be stressful. Choose something fun that captivates your imagination.

 

Study successful people.

It’s much easier to transform your mindset when you have an example. Therefore, it’s a good idea to learn from people who’ve mastered this process.

One way to do this is to read biographies and autobiographies of successful people. Choose business leaders, athletes, movers, and shakers and read about how they did it. If you’re not a big reader, you can listen to interviews and watch videos. Try to get insight into how they think and how they conduct themselves.

Even better, seek out people you consider successful and spend time with them. Pick their brain and feel their positive influence transform your mindset – and your life.

 

My final thoughts.

Everyone wants to be successful, if not always in the same way. So, you can take these ideas and mold them into something that reflects what success looks and feels like to you.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this post.

Want to learn more about how to get a successful mindset? Head over here.

What’s Most Important To Your Success - Mindset Or Strategy

9 Best Mindsets For Success

Motivate Your Mood With Music And Interactions

Motivation to feel good every day

Feeling a good mood every day isn't some daydream that's impossible to achieve. You get to dictate how your day will progress from the minute you wake up until you go to sleep.

Although you can't control everything that happens, you can control how you react to it. For example, if you oversleep and miss your alarm clock, are you going to allow that to spoil the mood of your day?

After the initial panic, you'll likely get yourself together and take care of your responsibilities. The difference between letting a mistake ruin your whole day and moving on is your mentality.

Each day, you can choose your reactions. The problems occur when you react negatively to a situation and allow it to ruin your entire day.

The best way to control your emotions and your moods are to effectively manage your negative triggers.

If being late makes you anxious, do what you can to avoid that. Handle everything you need to do the night before, so you feel relaxed in the morning.

 

Plan for the day you want

By planning, you're acting towards avoiding that negative stimulus. In turn, you'll find yourself having better days.

Waking a bit early so you feel calm and unrushed is a good start to a better day.

The next way to begin having better days is to get your day off on the right foot. We're all programmed to wake up and check the news. However, doing so is damaging to your mental health.

If you must, a quick check of the weather and the traffic report should be sufficient.

 

Begin your day feeling inspired

When you wake up in the morning, try not to check your phone as soon as you open your eyes. Instead, swap Instagram for some deep stretches. This will give you the energy you need to get up and get going.

Next, listen to some inspiring music or an educational podcast. This will help you get in the right frame of mind for your day.

 

Set your intentions

Another way to have amazing days is to set an intention. Ask yourself, what is my goal for today? Is it to arrive at work on time? Reconnect with an old friend? Or maybe make it to the gym for that spin class?

Whatever your unique intention is, you'll be more inclined to live up to that goal if you set a reminder.

Setting an intention is designed to keep you on track. This gives you the motivation and confidence you need to make it through your day.

 

Focus on solutions

During your day, you're going to run into challenges that stress you out. Instead of getting overwhelmed, adapt your mind to find a solution. This will help you take control of your destiny as opposed to focusing on the negative.

If you want to have good days, every day, you must be your cheerleader. Encourage yourself to keep going despite your challenges. By taking control of your attitude and focusing on the positive, you're bound to have good days throughout the year.

 

The healing effects of music on your mood

Music touches the heart and soul of audiences everywhere. So much so, music has been known to evoke healing effects on its listeners.

Some rehabilitation programs incorporate music into their self-development programs. Hospitals, nurseries, and even some institutions play music to elevate or calm the mood of those in it.

Most people know that music is a mood booster. However, do you completely understand how or why?

If you're an avid music listener and want to know how music impacts your mood, consider these interesting facts that may open your eyes to this little-known happiness tool.

 

Music can impact your mood

Have you ever had a bad day and decided to blast your favorite songs? Maybe you have a playlist dedicated to getting you through difficult times.

Whatever your genre, music has a way of redirecting your thoughts to something outside of yourself. Rather than focusing on that incident at work, you're now listening to the lyrics of the song; possibly trying to decode them and get into the artist's mind.

Music not only serves as a healthy distraction, but it also validates your feelings. If you're going through a breakup, you feel less alone knowing someone else has been through the same situation.

When lyrics touch you so personally, you're able to build a connection that doesn't require a lot of effort on your end.

Music can also improve your self-awareness. There are so many songs that are dedicated to making people feel good about themselves in the face of adversity. Listening to those tunes will automatically give you the confidence boost you need.

 

How does music affect your mood?

Music makes you feel good. When you hear a fun melody that resonates with your taste, you're automatically happier. You get excited when you hear certain songs.

This excitement spills over into your actions. That's why some are moved to dance when they hear their favorite songs. From the melody to the beat, all these factors contribute to improving your mood.

However, as mentioned, there are those songs that you just feel especially connecter to.

This connection helps you to feel less alone in a world full of people who may not understand you. This is especially true for the lyrics. Some songs are written with so much passion, you can't help but play them repeatedly.

 

Is music therapy real?

Yes! Music therapy has been used for years to help people overcome trauma and heal. As mentioned, some institutions use music to lift the mood of their patients when they're going through a difficult challenge.

If you want to include music in your personal development, try these helpful tips.

Begin your morning with an uplifting or motivational song. This will give you the confidence you need to begin your day.

Create different playlists that are designed to help you get through different situations. Perhaps a motivational playlist to help you get through your workout. Or maybe a playlist labeled dinner for two suitable for a romantic evening.

Outlining your playlists will help you understand which music fits your mood. Implementing this into your daily routine will help you feel better immediately.

If you're going through something, try putting on your favorite jams! You'll quickly notice a shift in your mood that'll make you want to conquer the day! Take advantage of this beautiful gift we have and keep music a part of your life.

 

5 Reasons a healthy social life expands your well being

If your social life is lacking, it may be time to breathe life into it. Sure, it's easy to think that you might be better off without having to deal with people or to exist in your bubble, but there is scientific evidence that indicates that regular, social interaction can positively affect your health.

A healthy social life does not happen by chance. It requires a bit of cultivating on your part. It demands that you maintain high-quality, social interactions. Not sure what classifies as being high-quality? Think of high-quality interactions as being those events you commonly witness between close friends and relatives.

Here are five reasons you should invest in a healthy social life:

 

1 | Improves your physical health

Who knew that spending a little time with others could have a positive effect on your physical health? It’s true! Social interaction can help to boost your immune system and protect you from chronic events such as pain and illnesses.

 

2 | Mental wellbeing

Never undervalue the importance of living in the shadow of good mental health. Your mental health is critical to your overall ability to navigate everyday life situations. According to one study, having healthy relationships go a long way to boost your mood. What’s better than having a supportive network of friends who can offer the needed support to see you through difficult times.

 

3 | Protects you from disability

A healthy social life protects you from disability. This aspect is particularly true for the aging population who may no longer have children or extended family nearby.

Studies show that the elderly who have frequent interaction with caring children and grandchildren have a positive involvement and improved health. Some benefit more from having relationships that exist outside of the family.

 

4 | Less stress

There’s nothing like having a good friend or group of friends to raise your spirits and combat stressful situations with you at your side. The social facet of having people in your life can also help to reduce your stress levels due to the release of various chemicals in the brain and throughout the body that naturally produces feelings of calm.

 

5 | Better sleep experiences

Social life can help you sleep a bit better through the night. According to a study from the University of Chicago, people who do not regularly engage with others are more likely to experience feelings of social isolation, agitation, and distractions.

 

How to increase your social connections 4 ways:

If you are an introvert, happy on your own, or currently a loner and not sure where to start with boosting your social group, there are a few basic ways to get out and begin meeting new people.



Volunteer your skills, time, or talents

Volunteering your time is a great way to meet new people. Volunteering can assist in helping you to find a real purpose, enhance your self-confidence, combat depression, and expose you to like-minded people or better yet, those who you might not have otherwise ever encountered in your everyday world.

 

Become the host with the most

Become the world’s most outstanding host and open your home or even invite your family and friends out to dinner. You can improve your social life by taking the lead in relationships and by coordinating events that bring you in contact with others. You could host quiz parties, movie nights, afternoon croquet on the lawn, or simply invite a friend over for tea.

 

Be active in your church

If you are a churchgoer, check out the various activities. From choir groups to community work to social bible groups, there are multiple ways to meet new people and boost your social contacts.

 

Online Communities

If you are not one to engage in the crowds, consider joining active online communities that center around your interests. You will find that there are thousands if not millions of people who have common interests that enjoy communicating and sharing their experiences with others and look forward to hearing from you.

 

My final thought

Creating a good mood can be as simple as trying any one or several of the ideas in this post. Combine it with negativity avoidance whenever and wherever you encounter it, and you can’t help but boost your mood significantly.

 

For more information, check out these posts.

Want To Feel Happier Today Try Talking To A Stranger

How Does Music Affect Your Mood

 

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Does Your Role Model Have A Positive Mindset?

Does your role model have a positive mindset and the reasons she should-min.png

Gram’s wisdom 31

For those of you who have been following along in my blog, you know how much I admired and depended on my Gram. She was my role model for more than fifty years. Even today the many things she taught me are a part of who I am. The lessons I learned from her were a gift to me. A gift that I am sharing with my grandson and you, my readers.


What is the role of a positive role model?

Having a role model who has a positive mindset makes a huge difference in your approach to life. It doesn’t matter who it is, or even if it’s more than one person. Multiple role models may be advantageous if you want to be well-rounded in life. The critical thing is they encourage and inspire you to do and be better.

The value of finding constructive role models is much more than having someone to look up to. You need someone who has been there and can show you a path that helps you live a more rewarding, fulfilling life.

In this article, I want to speak about the benefits of having positive role models. It’s also necessary that you know what makes good role models and how they can help you build a successful life.


The value of a good role model

There is an excellent quote by Corado I. Generoso who said, “No man is capable of self-improvement if he sees no other model but himself.”

You know you have a good role model when they have a strong set of core values. They don’t blame others for their mistakes but are willing to accept responsibility for them and learn from them. They will also apologize and find ways to make amends to the injured party.

Positive role models are resilient. Influencing your decisions for the better. When you’re going through a hard time, you look to them for support and encouragement. By emulating how they overcome obstacles, you can overcome them as well strengthening your resilience.

That guidance and sense of backing is an inspiration to work hard. Then, little by little, your true potential is revealed. You notice you’re doing things you once felt were impossibilities.

Below are some reasons why it’s important to find positive role models for your life.


Learn what you shouldn’t be doing

No one is ever right all the time or successful at everything they do. Not even the most fortunate or richest people.

The difference between them and others is they don’t stay down but know how to pick themselves up after a fall and continue moving forward. They understand that mistakes are just temporary bumps on the road to success. 

Positive role models see their mistakes as learning experiences. They make their mistakes work to their advantage. They become more aware of what to do next time and what not to do.

When you look at what others have done (or not done), it can be a huge motivator. It also gives you a sense of reassurance that you’re not alone that others have been through comparable situations. They’ve come out the other side in one piece, and a lot wiser and so can you.

A positive role model will show you how-min.png


Becoming a better version of you

Each one of us is here for a reason. Comparing yourself to others is a waste of time.

Why not focus on the things you’re good at? These strengths are unique to you. Then, if you come across something you’re not good at, you can do one of two things. You can either learn the skills to do it or just stop dwelling on it. (Gram called this fix it or forget it.) Either way, it’s more important to apply your energy to the things that matter more to you as an individual.

You must focus on becoming the best version of yourself. This is an everyday practice. Make a list of your set of core values. Another good idea is to list both your short-term and long-term goals. Then, as you achieve them, don’t forget to celebrate those accomplishments.

At the end of the day, you don’t need to prove anything to anyone except you. Show confidence in yourself. Even if you don’t feel it in the beginning. Confidence builds with each success.

Only then will you be able to let your inner light shine. I believe that’s one of the biggest lessons you can learn from a positive role model.


Strive to persevere

Your past accomplishments don’t guarantee future victories all the time. Some days will be perfect where everything goes your way. Other days, you’ll feel the anxiety and pressure that life can bring.

A positive role model can help you stay grounded during challenging times. They encourage you to keep moving along your chosen path. They help you keep your eyes on the prize as you strive to work harder to reach the goals you set.

When it comes to your pursuits in life, it’s better to be tenacious and steadfast. A good role model teaches you the importance of never giving up. They also show you the best ways to deal with any setbacks you come across in the future.

How do they do that? Simple! They have a sense of purpose and know where they want to go in life.

A great example of this is Thomas Edison. You may have heard of him; the man who’s known worldwide for his multiple inventions.

Even though his innovations have reshaped life as we know it, he wasn’t always the big success we now know him to be. His teachers said he wouldn’t amount to much. Then, as an adult, he was even fired a couple of times. The reasons? His bosses said he was a “non-productive” employee.

Not only that, but it took him 1,000 attempts to invent the light bulb. He was even asked how he felt about failing all those times. Edison answered with confidence, “I didn’t fail...The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.” That’s the power of perseverance and determination.


Look for inspiration

Experts recommend you imitate your role model’s confidence, positivity, and persistence.

The important thing to remember is that a role model is someone to admire and look up to. You should aspire to have a similar outlook on life to achieve success in your own life.

The next step is to brainstorm. Go crazy with your ideas. After all, every invention ever made began as someone’s vision of a better future.

Let your imagination run wild. Use your role models’ successes and failures to come up with new and better ways to do something.


My final thought

Finding positive role models is like finding an untapped resource. These are people who you may or may not know personally. Still, you feel they’re worthy of your attention. You look up to them and feel inspired by their compassion, self-assurance, and integrity.

Tapping into their experiences can help you manage life’s ups and downs. You can channel their confidence and determination anytime you need a little pick-me-up. Then, take everything you’ve learned from them and blaze your trail in this world.

 

For more information about role models look below.

10 Ways To Be A Positive Role Model

Happiness Begins Within You

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