Optimistic outlooks are pretty rare these days. It’s easy to point to everything that’s going on in the world to back this up.
GenuLines takes a look at some optimism building blocks and how you can use them to build a new outlook.
(You can listen to this article by clicking on below or scroll down to read it)
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Can You Learn To Be More Optimistic?
We all know that one person who sees the positive in every situation. Some of us hate that person.
Some of us love that person. And some of us ARE that person.
If you’re not that person, you may be wondering if you can actually learn (or teach yourself) to be more optimistic. While some people are inherently positive, others lean toward the negative.
Are we capable of changing from one to the other?
There are many benefits to a positive mindset. Optimists tend to be healthier and they lead lives that are better in most ways.
Changing the Way you Think
It turns out that optimism is more than thinking things will be better and pessimism means they will not. Instead, we use these words to describe the way a person thinks about what causes adversity.
A pessimist tends to think about these things in a way that makes them feel powerless. For example, a pessimist might say their adversity is due to internal forces.
They’ll say it’s all their fault, and there’s no way they can change it.
It’s possible to change the way that you think about things. When adversity makes your first thought a negative one, take a step back.
Re-examine it from a different angle
Let’s say you’re studying for a test and you’re struggling to understand the material. It’s easy to fall into thinking that you’re going to fail.
Rather, think about ways you might better understand the material. Then work on learning and studying what’s needed to help you toward a good grade.
Re-route your pessimism away from making failure inevitable.
Change your thought process and study the material to boost your chances of success. Our attitudes toward things are somewhat inherent.
But it’s possible to change your thinking and be more optimistic in the process.
Don’t rely on clicking off positive quotations to yourself and nothing else.
Do teach yourself to look at every situation from different angles.
Do that and don’t be surprised when your attitude improves, too.
So patience is a virtue. Well, let’s get a definition of virtue.
Merriam Webster defines patience as “the ability to remain calm and not become annoyed when dealing with problems or with difficult people.” Simple but not always easy!
GenuLines drills down a bit deeper to help bring patience a little closer to you
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Patience is a Virtue And It Can Be Yours
Patience is one of those things that can make life go more smoothly. But, a lack of patience can cause serious problems, even health issues.
Some of life’s irritants move us to squeeze a little harder on the hair-trigger of impatience. But we can learn to overcome and enjoy life one day or even one minute at a time,
Circumstances
What triggers your impatience? For some, it’s certain situations or circumstances, such as a job or a family problem.
Others may lose their patience when they’re driving or cooking. Impatience with job or family situation can be especially tough to address – and even harder to fix.
A good start though is to acknowledge it. Then focus on anything that may help relieve tension.
Seek help
Work toward focusing on pleasant things in your life. If a certain task at your job is causing your impatience ask your supervisor or co-worker for help.
They may be able to offer help or suggestions.
Also, they may have a better way of dealing with it or be able to adjust your workload. The problem with many of us is that we don’t want to ask for help.
We want to be able to take on everything even though we aren’t able to do it.
If it’s a family situation the best way to handle it may be to talk about it, which can be difficult.
Again, many tend to shy away or avoid difficult situations.
But, getting it out in the open and talking about it is often the best solution. Seek outside help if a difficult challenge amps up the impatience.
The problem itself may not cause the impatience. But it may trigger something in you that causes you to be impatient.
Focus on other things
Impatience can affect your driving, housework, or other routine tasks. Be ready by conditioning yourself to relax and focus on your breath.
You could try relaxing before you start or listening to music while doing any of these tasks. This is where gratitude comes in.
Be grateful that you can do routine tasks.
Some only imagine cooking or driving but aren’t able to for any number of reasons. Keep this in mind during the tense moments.
It’ll help you to focus on the task at hand, but it may also make you more patient.
Your career takes up a big slice of your life. It informs many of the decisions you make along your path.
Today GenuLines helps you consider whether it’s time for a change of direction.
(you can listen to the article by clicking on the player below or scroll down to read it)
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Should You Take a Chance On Finding a New Career?
When I was a kid we looked for jobs right out of high school or college. And we usually stayed with that same job for as long as we could.
Finding work automatically meant we were doing the right work.
Those of us who questioned what we were doing got an earful. Criticism came from friends, neighbors, and especially family.
You might be in a similar situation and disillusioned with your career. It just doesn’t seem to be what you thought it would be.
Change gonna come
You’ve thought about changing careers, but that sounds a lot like starting over.
It’s scary, especially if you’ve been in a certain career for several years, or you’re older.
Hey, you’re earning a decent salary and you’re even climbing the “corporate ladder.” Leaving means you’ll have to work for less money and no seniority!
You think to yourself “what if this affects the people in my life?”
Breaking it down
Sometimes, getting out of a bad situation is enough to overcome a salary hit. You can make money online, either by selling or working for others.
Being at a physical location is no longer necessary if you’re looking to make extra money.
The second factor with a lack of experience is the newness of it all. This can be exciting as well as scary.
Think back to when you first started in your original career. Any new achievement put you on top of the world.
The third factor concerns the lack of seniority. Remind yourself that you’ve got job and life experience that you bring to the table.
Any management experience that you have can work in your favor, too. And your age brings wisdom you can draw on in adverse situations.
Staying in a career that you’ve grown tired of can make you bitter and take years off your life. If you’ve thought about taking a chance on starting a new career, remember that many others have done it.
After all, taking criticism can put you in a funk.
Today GenuLines unpacks this thing called criticism and gives you some ways to put it on your side.
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Find The Value In Criticism
The concept of value is kind of unusual when you think about it. Most every person on earth has a different system when it comes to determining what’s important.
In general, the three things that we tend to value the most include our lives, our families and our jobs. And within each of those aspects, everyone will, again, have a very different value system.
And what is that system based on? What gives value to something?
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Often it’s determined by your upbringing, your experiences, and your education. This sets you apart from others.
And it touches off more than a few debates.
But who says those debates and differences have to be bad things?
You may meet someone who has the same values as you do, but there are still plenty of possible areas of disagreement. We all have different experiences and we all bring a different point of view to a relationship.
Value and Respect
Now let’s say that you have great respect for someone. Each of you has the same values in life.
You know their past. You could even say that you respect their opinion.
Now ask yourself if you would respect their criticism? Would you keep an open mind when it came to their critique of your work?
Is it only because you know them?
Why is it that we’ll value the criticism of a friend, but we’re quick to shy away from the criticism of a stranger? Don’t they hold the same value?
Could be it’s the mere fact that they don’t know us, they don’t know our experiences. But in reality, you don’t know their experiences or level of expertise either.
All too often we seem to equate the word value with respect. In some way, this seems to justify ignoring the opinions of someone we don’t know.
Or it could be that for personal reasons, we don’t care what their opinion is.
Does not knowing someone well mean we have to find no value or worth in their opinion? I mean, in the final analysis, criticism is an opinion.
What if we could find value in every opinion, of every criticism we ever received? Imagine how enriched our lives would be if we could put value to everyone’s opinion.
(You can listen to this article by clicking on the player below)
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A Good Morning Routine Can Change Your Life
How would it feel to start your day motivated and organized? It would be great, wouldn’t it?
You’d know what you were doing, and that everything was sorted out. You’d feel brilliant.
It wouldn’t take much to get a great start to your day every day. The key is to create a morning routine that motivates and organizes you for success; every day.
One of the secrets of success for the very successful is a morning routine. It doesn’t need to be complex nor does it have to be time-consuming to create or follow.
First, you’ll need to commit to planning it. Then practice it daily until it becomes a habit.
Now let’s look at the morning routine of motivated and organized people:
Early Start
Forget about long lie-ins and putting the alarm on snooze every 5 minutes. Set your alarm for an hour (or even two) earlier than normal and see your productivity soar.
The early start may be tough at first. But if you go to bed earlier and get enough sleep you’ll soon notice a positive difference.
Positive Visualization and Affirmations
Set the tone of your day with a positive charge. Visualize your success from the get-go.
Use positive affirmations. To boost their efficacy display those affirmations where you can see them often.
Do this step within the first 20 minutes of waking. The affirmations will reach your subconscious before your conscious mind takes over.
Exercise
Do some form of exercise. It will get your blood flowing, send oxygen through your body, and generally wake up your entire system.
You don’t need to go for a 5-mile run every day. Your regimen could consist of morning stretching, yoga or Tai Chi.
These will help calm and ground you as well as provide time for inner contemplation.
Hydration
Make sure you keep your body hydrated. Many people start their day with a glass of water and lemon.
Herbal tea or green juice are also good choices for an early morning drink to get your day started the right way.
Planning
When you know what needs to be done you increase your chances of having a successful day. Have a to-do list ready and identify the order of priority.
Make sure the list isn’t too long, 10 items or fewer is an ideal length.
Nutrition
A healthy breakfast fuels your body for the day ahead. You’ll feel more alert.
And you’ll be better able to concentrate on what needs to get done.
Reading
Take some time to read. A few minutes of inspiring material will help you be positive and motivated.
Even 10 minutes can be enough to get your mind working and your motivation kick-started.
The list of possible reading material is endless. From biographies to self-help the writers can inspire you and even act as role models.
Money Tasks
Somewhere during your day, you want to do something that will either make you money or keep you from spending it. Pay your bills so that you don’t get overdue notices and charges.
Kitchen Patrol
Prep the day’s meals so that you don’t feel tempted to get take out when you’re feeling tired at the end of the day. Load the dishwasher.
Clear (and clean) the kitchen counters.
If you want to have a successful day, start it in a positive way. Having a morning routine will ensure that you’re organized for success.
Happiness has a reputation for being elusive. Some would say it’s not even possible.
GenuLines offers you some points to consider as you do your own evaluation.
Is True Happiness Possible?
When your struggles get to be too much it’s easy to think that happiness is not even possible. The truth is there are different levels of happiness that you can experience in your life.
The process doesn’t move in a straight line. Your attitude is the difference maker.
Look Around You
It’s one thing to say that people can’t be happy unless they have their basic needs met. But there are people all around you who don’t have their needs met yet are very happy.
Studies of affluent people tend to show find they’re not happier than poor people in general.
It’s Not About Stuff
If you look at a list of the happiest countries in the world, you tend to find that being happy isn’t about owning things. Often the happiest people live in the poorest countries.
It’s common to find that the USA ranks in the teens on these lists. Stuff doesn’t guarantee happiness.
It’s Not Even About Goals
You may insist that it’s all about about reaching your goals. If you often say things like “I’ll be happy when…” then happiness may elude you.
You can be happy now, before you reach your goals.
It’s Not About Your Circumstances
Now, of course, some things in life can really get you down. But a happy disposition can serve you well.
You’ll be better able to navigate the murky water.
*Dr. Gillian Mandich is a well known name in this area. She believes that our circumstances account for only 10 percent of our happiness.
Happiness is about accepting that you can experience it and understanding it’s meaning. A happy person isn’t going to be the same level of happy 24/7, 365 days a year.
Think about cancer sufferers who manage to have a happy attitude. Or children around the world who don’t get enough to eat.
Be in that state of mind and you can be happy, too.
Mark Twain once said, “facts are stubborn things.” And GenuLines knows that not checking the facts can kick you like a stubborn mule!
Learn the Facts Before Passing Judgment
Adversity often occurs when people react without having all the facts. Sometimes, they’ll think they have the facts but they’ve learned the wrong information.
Avoiding these situations is a matter of getting the facts and making sure they”re correct.
When you have the facts on your side, you can present your argument.
Further, you will be less likely to make a judgment about a situation because the facts back it up. This will prevent you from getting yourself and others into any trouble.
The internet offers us a vast pool of information. But people tend to be too willing to trust any information they find.
They get a false sense of security, believing that the first search engine results are the best. That’s not always the case.
Search engine results change with time. You can get different results from one search to the next on the same search engine.
Look for a variety of sources that you believe carry authority.
For instance, when you look for medical advice, don’t stop at a site such as WebMD.com and call it quits. While this website may have qualified advice, it’s not the only source.
Another could be the Journal of The American Medical Association (JAMA) website.
When you find other websites, look for sources that the articles cite.
Are they valid sources?
Check to make sure they’re from authoritative people.
Watch for red flags. Like blogs that make claims but don’t cite sources.
Anyone can create a blog, and have it published in minutes. They’re free to publish whatever they like.
That’s why readers must be critical of every source they treat as fact.
There’s nothing wrong with a blogger posting an obvious opinion piece. But, don’t accept the post as fact.
Treat it as a good starting point for your research.
You’ll hear people cite Wikipedia.org as a source for their facts. While that resource has gotten better at fact-checking, don’t lose sight that anyone can add and make changes to it.
Still, it does have some uses. At the end of most articles, there’s a wealth of resources and links that authors often include.
At certain times in your life, you find yourself weighed down by adversity. You wouldn’t mind having another “hand on the wheel.”
GenuLines looks at life coaches and whether one is right for you.
Adversity And Life Coaches: Should You Buy In?
Good life coaches work to help you with various aspects of your life. They can show you the parts that are holding you back.
They can also help you when you face adversity. And they can give you the guidance you need to help you pick up the pieces and get back on track.
They may start by teaching you to be positive. Techniques can include affirmations to retrain your brain to think positive thoughts.
That’s one of the biggest means to deal with adverse situations. Positivity won’t shield you from hard times, but it will help you focus on what’s important.
You need to practice these affirmations for them to be effective. It’s not a casual exercise that you do whenever the mood strikes.
Make it a daily habit. Your mentor will know if you’re not practicing them.
Prepare for the truth
The truth hurts, but it may be what you need to get through your situation. You’ll hear it when you get caught up in blaming others and not taking responsibility.
A good coach will present it in such a way that you’ll come to the conclusions yourself. And that makes it easier for you to accept and counter the action.
Don’t be quick to blame the life coach if things don’t work out (This assumes you chose a qualified coach)
It’s not difficult to find a good coach if you take the right steps. Check the internet.
Do a bit of digging to learn about each coach’s background. Coaches are going to encourage you to step outside your comfort zone.
Most coaches will use this to help clients break away from bad habits and form new ones.
It’s called a comfort zone for a reason. It will be awkward, and at times, you may get angry at their suggestions.
One thing to keep in mind. If your adversity was born out of trauma a life coach may not be a good idea.
If this is the case, seek out a qualified professional.
Your life coach is still an option for working with with other aspects of your development.
Does the thought of failure fill you with dread? You’re not alone.
Read on as GenuLines looks at some ideas to help you believe in yourself and to loosen failure’s grip.
How to Use Failure to Strengthen Belief in Yourself
One of the best tools for dealing with failure is failure itself. You can examine it to figure out what went wrong.
You can look back on the steps you took and try to find the exact point of failure. Then you’ll be able to choose alternative steps based on this information.
You do need to be honest in your assessment of why the failure happened.
If you blame others for your failures, you’ll mask the causes, and you’ll never move on. It’s easier to blame others rather than admit mistakes.
But you aren’t doing yourself any favors when you do this.
Recognizing your failure is important, but don’t be hypercritical. Putting yourself down because you failed won’t help your cause.
Know that failure happens and embrace it. Then, you can take a step back and figure out your next move.
Learning from others
You can get inspiration from the failure of others. People write about their trials and tribulations in books.
They record videos about their setbacks. Their experiences can help you by giving you tips on how to avoid the mistakes they made.
Using this approach can help you turn things around at a much faster rate. If you’re not doing this yet, give it some thought.
Drawing from the experiences of others also shows you that you aren’t alone. Many of the most successful people overcame obstacles.
Their stories can help you feel better about your own slip-ups.
In other words, if they did it, so can you. That too is a powerful benefit of using failure to your advantage.
If you’re repeating the same mistakes over and over, it’s time to take a hard look at what you’re doing. If you’re struggling to break that cycle, you may want to find a coach who can help you.
Sometimes, that extra push can be all that you need to get you to break out of the pattern.