30 things to stop doing to yourself

A friend had this posted on her facebook feed earlier, and I feel that for a New Year there are a lot of people that can learn a lot from simple suggestions such as these posted below. Taken from Marc and Angel Hack Life: Practical Tips for Productive Living, check out the "30 things to stop doing to yourself."

As Maria Robinson once said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”  Nothing could be closer to the truth.  But before you can begin this process of transformation you have to stop doing the things that have been holding you back.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.  Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth.  And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.
2. Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on.  No, it won’t be easy.  There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them.  We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems.  That’s not how we’re made.  In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall.  Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time.  This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.
3. Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself.  Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves.  Read The Road Less Traveled.
4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.  Yes, help others; but help yourself too.  If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
5. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you likeeveryone else.  Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you.  Don’t change so people will like you.  Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.
6. Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.
7. Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.  Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success.  You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.
8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us.  We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past.  But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.  Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.
9. Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive.  But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.
10. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either.  You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else.  Read Stumbling on Happiness.
11. Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place.  Evaluate situations and take decisive action.  You cannot change what you refuse to confront.  Making progress involves risk.  Period!  You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.
12. Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises.  Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.
13. Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely.  It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company.  There’s no need to rush.  If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.
14. Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet.  Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you.  But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.
15. Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others doing better than you.  Concentrate on beating your own records every day.  Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.
16. Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.  Ask yourself this:  “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”
17. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you.  You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough.  But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past.  You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation.  So smile!  Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.
18. Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart.  You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate.  Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.”  It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.”  Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself!  And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too.  If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.
19. Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.
20. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway.  Just do what you know in your heart is right.
21. Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it.  If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.  Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
22. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things.  The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.
23. Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.  Read Getting Things Done.
24. Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile.  Don’t take the easy way out.  Do something extraordinary.
25. Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while.  You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well.  You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears.  The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.
26. Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life.  When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.
27. Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out.  But making one person smile CAN change the world.  Maybe not the whole world, but their world.  So narrow your focus.
28. Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy.  One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time?  Three years?  Five years?”  If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.
29. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen.  Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story.  If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
30. Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life.  Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs.  Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

Negativity, not me!

This is a re-post from an email I received earlier today, from a great website, the Lawofattraction123.com. I found this website, and I love the motivational emails I get sent every morning. It's so powerful, and constantly reminds you of the power of your own positive thinking and the control that YOU have over your own destiny. Below is a re-post of a particularly striking article. May you all have a wonderful day, it is yours for the taking :)

Orkut Papa

Do you have a negative vibe?

Have you ever wondered if you have a negative vibe and people just aren't telling you?

Well, here's a little test to see if you radiate negativity.

If you think you might have a negative vibe...you probably do.

You can understand that nobody wants to tell you. It's not like most people to walk up to someone and say, "Whoa, your vibe is negative. I'm getting away from you."

People will tell you in subtle ways. They'll leave a conversation that you're having. They won't want to spend time with you when you offer. They won't join you for lunch or take your phone call. Is most of your communication through email with the people you consider your closest friends? They might be trying to tell you something.

Have you ever had this experience?

Recently at the grocery store, I bumped into a woman that I know from the YMCA.  As we're speaking, I'm noting how tired I feel all of a sudden! How could I be tired so quickly in our conversation? Because she began our talk with all that wrong in her life. To put it boldly, this person was a drain. She was a very nice lady, just her negative mindset was draining. 

Why was it draining?

Because I had allowed my vibration to match hers! Unfortunately we can all see why her results are what they are. We can understand why she has so many things going wrong in her life...because that is what she focuses on! If she's telling me in the grocery store, you know that's she having this conversation multiple times throughout her day with others, not to mention the internal conversation she's having. When I asked if she'd be open to some feedback, she said, she would, but when I pointed out what I just pointed out here, she went into defense mode.

We all know what defense mode is...it's where we'll stick with our opinion and close down all other options. Hey, believe me, I've been there and continue to monitor my own defense mode.

Did this woman have a negative vibe?

Sure, she did.

As with all interactions, we are often reminded to take a closer look within.


What Is Vibration?


Vibration is the feeling you get around others. You've felt it lots of times. If you have a dog, you know that even before you open the door for a walk, the dog just "knows." If you've ever been over to your sister's house and her husband walks in and you can tell that they've had a fight, without your sister saying a word to you...that's vibration. It's that energy.

You're wanting your best life, yet it seems that whatever you desire never manifests in reality. You visualize, you meditate, you affirm...yet, nothing!

Well, if you're doing all the right things why are you not creating what you want?

Because your negative vibe diluted your positive vibration of desire.

What!

Yes, get this. Every time you fear, doubt or worry about achieving your desires, you've repelled them to you.

You understand that the Law of Attraction says that whatever you focus your energy and attention on, you'll attract more of the same whether it's wanted or unwanted.

So, just when you've identified what you want and are excited about creating it, you allow that little voice in your head to be heard. "You've never made that amount of money." "Our family history has too poor of health for that." "I'm too old, (too young, too poor, too heavy, etc...) to do that."

It's the fear and doubt that are pushing your desires away. You must learn to:

Talk about what you want

Let go of fear, doubt and worry

Live on purpose with passion


How Do We Raise Our Vibration


1. Fill Your Mind With the Good Stuff. Start ridding yourself of your junk. Watching CNN is not going to raise your vibrationally level. Watch TV and movies that make you feel good. Read empowering books. Don't know any? Go to the library and ask! There's so many great authors out there...Andy Andrews, Jerry and Esther Hicks, T. Harv Eker.  Right now, I'm re-reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

2. Know Where You're Going. Do you have vision for yourself? Do you know that if you don't know where you're going, it will be really tough to get there? Have a plan/goal in place for yourself. Not sure how to set a goal? You can find out more HERE.

3. Give Generously. It's truly a gift to give of yourself to others. Your financial assistance can benefit other charities, your time can give to your community, your smile can lift someones day, your thoughtful words can empower others. People are waiting on you. A few days ago, I went to the library and read, The Giving Tree to some of the young patrons. Did I have other things that I could have been doing? Absolutely. Was there anything more important to me in that moment. No. Because I understand that giving of myself is not only good for them, it's good for me!

4. Connect to Your Source. Quiet meditation is one of the greatest things you can participate in with aligning with your light and love source. Take some deep breaths. Take on the mantra, "All is well."

5. Exercise! We all know moving our bodies makes us feel vibrant and joyful. Get up and move your body. I love starting my day this way! For me, everything is aligned if I start my day with exercise. I eat better, I'm more relaxed, I'm more confident etc...

I know there's lots of other ways to raise your vibration. What works for you?

I'll look forward to hearing from you!