C'mon be Happy

I believe that all life is a choice. Everything we do. Everything we are. Everything we believe and everything we feel is a choice we make. I choose to be happy every day. People may say I'm being Pollyanna or I'm living in a fantasy world. They may say it's impossible to be happy all the time because of all the "bad things" that happen. I am a behaviorist. That means I believe things are neutral. It is our thoughts about things and what we choose to focus on that gives meanings to things.

Ways to Overcome Procrastination

This past weekend I attended my local Public Speakers Association monthly event. The Speaker of the Month spoke about Procrastination. I really enjoyed his presentation because it made me think about procrastination in a different way and gave me strategies on breaking through this time thief.

How to Cultivate an Attitude of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is defined by Psychology Today as "a state of open, active attention on the present." For many people that definition is a bit "woo woo." It may conjure images of incense and candles while they sit crossed legged on the floor chanting "oom." Psychology Today goes on to explain, "when you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience."

Gaining Clarity

One of the questions I always hear from my clients and in my workshops is, "How do I get really clear what I want? How do I gain clarity on my goals?"

It's a good question. Most people have a general idea on what they want. They say, "I want more money" or "I want a new job" or "I want a boyfriend/girlfriend" but they don't have a specific and clear picture of what that means to them.

Pay it Forward

There is a new craze on Facebook. This one is more positive than the giraffe riddle (hint: open the door or your eyes) and does not penalize you for showing concern to a friend (the "LIKE" trap game).

This social media craze finds people "Paying it Forward." It works like this. A Facebook friend will post that they want to bring more love and kindness into the world so the first five people who comment on their post with "I'm in" will receive a little gift from them sometime during the year.

Benefits of Working From Home (and Why it Sucks Sometimes)

A few days ago I posted an article about the lessons I learned while working for someone else. I received really good feedback so I decided to follow that article with one about the lessons I learned from working for myself from home.

Whether you are a freelancer, telecommuter, or entrepreneur being able to work from home was probably one of the reasons you choose this path.

Lessons I Learned Working for Others

Today in the United States it is Labor Day. Labor Day is a day dedicated to celebrating the social and economic achievement and impact of American workers. For some it is a day of gratitude an quiet reflection. A chance to thank those who came before and fought for the rights and working conditions workers enjoy today. For others it's a day to spend with family and friends. A chance to hang out in the back yard or a park and grill up some hot dogs and hamburgers.