Are you Appreciative?

June 10, 2013 by Scott "Q" Marcus Leave a Comment

Appreciation runs in two directions.

It almost goes without saying that we all love to be appreciated.

What would the remainder of your day be like if:

You did a “little something” around the house and your spouse said how much he appreciated it?
One of your children called just to say he loves you and he’s glad you’re his mom?
You were weeding your yard and noticed some weeds growing in your neighbor’s yard so you decided to pull a few of them. A short while later, there’s a knock on your door. It’s your neighbor, just saying “thank you”?
You notice the person behind you in the grocery store line has only a couple things. You let him go before you. He sincerely wishes you a wonderful day?

Obviously, you’d feel great. It’s because you were appreciated.

We cannot make anyone else appreciate us. Yet, we sure can take the time to appreciate someone else.

Take a moment each day to appreciate a simple act.

You’ll appreciate how great it makes YOU feel.

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Unleashing Your Positive Side

May 30, 2013 by Featured Author Leave a Comment

Your attitude can make all the difference. The actual act of thinking positively or negatively requires the same amount of energy. Of course the end results are very different. A negative attitude will lead you into negative situations. Most of the time you’ll suppress your full potential and follow down a path of failure. Finding the positive in any situation can lift your spirits and set you on a better pathway to achieving what you want out of life.

It takes a lot of work to maintain a positive attitude. Proper planning and preparation will set you on the path to achieving the goal of living positively. Follow these tips to learn how to unleash your positive side so that you improve relationships with friends and family, and impact coworkers and others around you.

Personal Assessment

The very first step is to take a self assessment. Before you can proceed with any changes you should review your own disposition and current situation. Take a long hard look and be honest with yourself. This will not be easy, but it can be done. You can’t change anything until you identify the areas that need the most emphasis. Make a list and note down the negative aspects of your life. Think about your attitude, how you live and your relationships.

Setting Goals

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Is it Really That Bad?

May 22, 2013 by Scott "Q" Marcus

Spoiler alert: This seemingly negative rant has an upbeat ending. Don’t think I’ve driven off the grumpy cliff until you reach the conclusion.

Having stated that, I am so very sick of fog, grey skies, cold wind, and dampness.

Last week, I was speaking in Eastern Washington. One evening, my lovely wife and I walked to a restaurant. You know what? We didn’t have to wear a jacket, and no, we weren’t shivering, not a twitch! Nope, just a nice leisurely stroll; holding hands, wearing shorts and donned in short sleeves no less. The temperature was 75, the sky was postcard blue, a light breeze caressed our skin and in the distance, the setting sun was beginning to cast the most beautiful blood-orange red pattern behind marshmallow clouds.

Where I live, even in the spring, so much of the time you cannot go outside at night (let alone during the day) unless you’re wearing a parka, gloves, wool cap, and scarf. (Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration – but not much.) It would be so wonderfully enjoyable to relax on our deck during the evening and not shiver.

Like I said, I grow weary of dreary.

And now that I’ve got my cranky pants yanked snug, I’ve also grown tired of people throwing garbage on my property during the wee hours. Many mornings I come outside for the first time (wearing parka, glove, and wool cap) and find discarded on my lawn is someone else’s trash. It could be a fast-food bag or a soda bottle. Once I found soiled diapers. Are you kidding me? I don’t get such self-centered mentality. Are there herds of self-absorbed oblivious garbage automatons who amble the dark hours randomly tossing crap on other people’s property? I mean, how hard is it to walk the extra five feet and put it in our garbage can? I give you my permission. I want my yard to look nice; this isn’t helping – and I get grumpy about it.

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Learning to Love Instead of Judge

April 4, 2013 by Featured Author Leave a Comment

Looking for the road to happiness can seem like a non-stop trek through the jungle.

As I learned on my journey through life, seeking happiness can take time and the short time before problems or unexpected events occur can seem as fleeting as a wave on the beach. The emotion that is often associated with happiness can wash up and then slide away into negative judgments, harsh beliefs and a jaded point of view.

Facing the Past

Learning to avoid judgment was a problem I faced from the time I was very young. Although I did have moments of contentment during my teen years, my early childhood was a time of constant stress, fear and worry. As a result of a traumatic childhood, I am still unable to recall anything that happened before my teen years.

Although the memories were lost, I often felt anxious when I was talking to adults and I was very aware of differences between people. I found myself judging people based on the most insignificant details, often wondering if that time spent laughing with my friend meant that I would lose that connection. I worried constantly and I was always nervous around those I didn’t know.

As I grew older and realized that I couldn’t remember much, I began withdrawing into myself and judging people more freely. I assumed that others had negative intentions and treated them with a frigid courtesy that barely passed for polite.

It was only after I met a friend at work who was openly friendly and constantly smiling that I learned what I was missing. That feeling of happiness I longed for was within reach and I ultimately asked her for advice on how I could obtain the same cheer and joy.

Her advice helped me reach real happiness, though it took me time to learn how to stop judging others.

Let Go of the Past and Future

Learning to love everyone and give a whole heart is challenging when holding onto a future goal or a past hurt. In my experience, holding onto past prejudice and the hurts caused by others is a fruitless endeavor that ultimately leads to a path of sorrow and anger. The best advice I was given to reach for happiness is to forgive the past and move into the present.

It’s the same for those living for a future goal. While it’s important to set goals, it’s also important to focus on the current situation. The future isn’t here yet, so it’s not possible to enjoy that moment. It’s called the present because it’s a gift, so it’s time to focus on that gift and live in the now.

Release Judgmental Thoughts

Letting go of judgmental thoughts is a hard lesson to learn, but it’s ultimately a key part of happiness. I learned to stop judging others when I began volunteering at the Chickasaw Nation Boys and Girls Club Teamwork Camp. It was there that I learned how similar every individual actually is because we are all imperfect creatures. The Chickasaw teamwork and spirit of togetherness inspired me to move past my own insecurities enough to love everyone around me. Trying to apply the spiritual lessons might seem hard, but it is ultimately about learning to love even the mistakes.

Everyone makes mistakes and judging others for their missteps, accidents or misunderstandings will only make the situation worse. Take a deep breath and let go of the negative thoughts that come from the actions of others. Forgive them for their mistakes and happiness will ultimately follow.

Life is too short to keep judging others.

By letting go of the judgment, focusing on the present and offering forgiveness for hurts, it’s possible to live a happy life.

A Better Life, Thanks To YOU!

March 26, 2013 by MikeTremba Leave a Comment

Our brains are tricky organs.

They control our every movement, conscious or not, and guide us through our lives; from stumbling into our first steps, to hobbling through our last days on Earth. And we only use a tiny percentage of their full capacity.

Your brain can be trained to respond with certain emotions in triggered situations. That’s how post-traumatic stress disorder works.

But it can also work in your favor. You can program your mind to feed positivity into your perception with just a few conscious triggers.

Gratitude is the most powerful of these triggers.

Call it what you will; Karma; paying it forward; what goes around comes around… the concept has an amalgam of names, but it principal is simple: doing good does good for you.

If you approach your life with the intention of improving it in every moment, you’ll begin to live the best possible version of it. Being constantly conscious of your emotional and physical well-being, and always aware of how you can improve on it, will create neural pathways in your brain which trigger positive feelings and motivation.

Experts know

While I wouldn’t pull the, “Trust me, I’m a doctor,” card, I do have a solid understanding of the human brain. But you don’t have to take it from me; there are countless expert diet, exercise, and positive living gurus out there who can attest to the validity of a positive attitude’s impact.

Diet Solution Program review testimonies are just some examples of gratitude’s impact on a positive life. Furthermore, every one of my friends in the industry of improving well-being will tell you without hesitation that one of the top ways to make your life better is to be more grateful.

Make every moment a meal.

Look, when you’re about to eat a delicious meal at a restaurant, what do you do? You imagine how wonderful it will taste. You say, “I can’t wait to eat this!” You salivate every time the waiter walks by, and you take a few moments to observe its perfection before diving in fork-first when the course finally arrives.

This primal reaction gears your brain up to receive something good. By mentally and verbally preparing, your brain is laying down a walkway for the pleasure receptors to tell you, “Yes, this IS delicious!”

Acknowledging good things makes them more tangible. Start approaching every day as if it were a tantalizing dish in your favorite restaurant.

It’s simply contagious

If you’ve ever stood near a yawning coworker, you know how contagious human actions can be. But yawning isn’t the only thing you can pick up from a coworker.

In fact, facial expressions in general are contagious. We tend to mirror the emotions of those around us, in an effort to assimilate into the environment, so if you’re always frowning or scowling, you’re likely to find yourself consistently surrounded by negative, unhappy people.

On the opposite side of that same coin, if you don a sincere smile (even a small one) and make an effort to acknowledge the people you see for positive facets—whether you’re complementing an outfit or an act of kindness—you’re infinitely more likely to find yourself in a world of grateful people.

The happier you are, the happier the people in your life are. And once the happiness is pumping, it’s hard to turn off that faucet.

Be constantly grateful

Thanksgiving day isn’t the only time you should acknowledge the things you’re grateful for. An average more conducive exercise in happiness would be the fourth hour of every day, or an even more frequent tip-of-the-hat than that.

It’s easy to get caught up in negativity. You missed the early train to work. You spilled coffee on a report for your boss. The kids decided the living room wall was their own personal Crayola palette. But finding the good things in your day is more difficult, and takes practice. Get yourself into the habit of taking a few deep breaths three or four times a day and consciously—even audibly—talking yourself through the things you’re grateful for in life.

Nothing is to large or small to include on this list, and whether you use the mantra of, “family, home, health,” or personalize it on a daily basis, you’ve found a very active way to incorporate gratitude.

What’s important is that you’re training your brain to be positive.

By doing so, you’re building the foundation for a better, healthier, more positive life.

About the author: Dr. Mike Tremba has personally seen how gratitude can change people’s lives (including his own). Much a product of his own experiences, he developed his website at , www.NaturalWeightLossTruth.com. Whether it’s helping others to lose weight, or simply to find more passion for life, Dr. Mike is passionate about sharing what he’s learned. In his free time, he’s blessed to spend time with his wife (and best friend) Shari near the beautiful beaches of southern Alabama.

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