Tag Archive for genuine living

Is True Happiness Possible?

December 26, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

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.

JohnK 12-26-2019

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Overheard: “It’s a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy.”

~Lucille Ball

*Dr. Gillian Mandich

Learn the Facts Before Passing Judgment

November 26, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

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.

Use them for further research.

JohnK 11-26-2019

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Overheard: “There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.”

~Arthur Conan Doyle (The Boscombe Valley Mystery)

Post image by Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Possessions: Do They Have a Hold On Your Life?

October 29, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

Collecting possessions is a part of life. It’s hard to deny.

Or, avoid for that matter.

GenuLines invites you to read on and to gauge the importance of your possessions.

Possessions: Do They Have a Hold On Your Life?

You spend a good chunk of your time protecting your possessions. You worked hard for them, so you want to make sure no one takes them from you.

The problem is, you may be putting too much emphasis on them.

Consider that when you take your last breath those articles are no longer yours.

So you could say they never really belonged to you anyway.

You may be thinking of passing on your possessions to your offspring. But consider the cost of acquiring those material items.

And I’m not just talking about financial costs.

Ask yourself if you’re stepping on other peoples’ toes while chasing those things. Your relationships are much more important than your possessions.

Suppose you somehow lost some material item you valued.

Let’s say you misplaced it, or it was stolen. Most likely you can replace it.

Inconvenient? Yes. But it’s not the end of the world.

The death of a family member is something else again. Don’t take loved ones for granted.

The memories they give you are possessions of the priceless type.

There are other ways to lose those close to you. Your busy work schedule can alienate family members.

Your spouse may decide to move on. And your kids may grow to resent you.

Focusing on material possessions can affect your friendships, too. Many of these friendships took a long time to develop.

But, you can lose them in no time if you prioritize your possessions.

Your attitude about money calls for the same kind of mindfulness. But, you don’t want to make it your life’s purpose

You can always make money somehow.

Friendships? Not always the case.

If you find you’re too focused on obtaining money and possessions, take a step back. Think about what your family and friends mean to you.

You’ll find they’re priceless.

JohnK 10-29-2019

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Overheard: “An object in possession seldom retains the same charms which it had when it was longed for”

~Pliny The Younger

Image by C.M. Zijderveld from Pixabay

Adversity And Life Coaches: Should You Buy In?

October 22, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

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.

JohnK 10-22-2019

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Overheard: “There is no education like adversity”

~Benjamin Disraeli

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

disclaimer to help you through adversity

How to Use Failure to Strengthen Belief in Yourself

August 27, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

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.

JohnK 8-27-2019

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Overheard: “Failure is success if we learn from it”

~Malcolm Forbes

Photo #1 by David Kovalenko on Unsplash

Photo #2 by Woodsy on RGBstockcom

Can Vision Boards Help You Believe in Yourself?

July 23, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

It’s called a vision board. Its purpose is to reinforce some message about yourself or your goals.

But, does it really work?

Today GenuLines looks at the question from both sides.

Can Vision Boards Help You Believe in Yourself?

While “vision board” is not an official definition, it should serve to give you the concept in a nutshell. Are vision boards an effective tool towards helping your self-development?

First, we look at how they work. In general, you place information and pictures on your vision board.

Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

These represent various aspects of your life. They can be personal, professional, or both.

You could have separate vision boards for personal and professional purposes as well.

Vision board pros and cons

One of the most significant benefits of a vision board is you can refer to it whenever you need inspiration. Or if an aspect of your life changes in some way.

You can update the board to reflect those changes.

Another pro (but possibly also a con) is that you can put whatever you want on a vision board. That’s great, but if it doesn’t help you with your goals, it may not be as beneficial to have it on the board.

In fact, it could hinder your progress since it takes up prime real estate on your board.

Remember that nothing is set in stone on your board. If you find something on it that isn’t working, take it down.

Vision boards are not for everyone

Some people find them to be a waste of time. They spend lots of time finding items to place on the boards and then never refer to them again.

It’s time that could be better spent elsewhere.

One use of vision boards is to place accomplishments on them. It’s easy to forget about events that happened earlier in our lives.

Keeping spots on the vision board dedicated to them will serve as reminders.

Don’t believe that you’ve forgotten about your accomplishments? Think back to what you accomplished in high school and college.

Or when you started your first job.

Having a handy reminder of your accomplishments boosts your self-belief. Each accomplishment will help you remember what you went through to get it.

This can help move you toward future accomplishments.

There are no right or wrong answers when creating a vision board. It just needs to work for you.

If it doesn’t, you should figure out why and adjust as you see fit.

JohnK 7-23-2019

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Overheard: “Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements”

~Napoleon Hill

Appreciate the Small Things And Find Contentment

July 16, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

You’re intent on finding happiness, but what about contentment? You hear about appreciating the small stuff and feeling happy.

Today GenuLines asks you to turn your aim from happiness to contentment.

Appreciate the Small Things And Find Contentment

Most emotions are transitional, meaning you’re never in one state for long periods. People labeled upbeat actually do have moments of sadness or depression.

And even depressed people may not feel depressed all the time.

Think about a major event such as a war. When two countries are fighting, both sides lose lives.

It’s bloody, and it can last for several years. But, when the war is over, the countries are euphoric.

There will be no more bloodshed because of the war, and people can return to their lives.

But nothing that has changed in the world except that the war has ended. In other words, the sun still sets each day.

People still have to manage their lives.

The euphoria from the war ending doesn’t last long. Months later, the war is still over, but the euphoria has died down.

The same is true in a smaller way when you’re ill. For instance, suppose you have a stomach bug that leaves you uncomfortable and in pain.

When the bug passes you feel wonderful.

Yet, you don’t feel any better than you did when you weren’t experiencing the bug. It’s relative to the bad feelings.

That’s how emotional states work. They go from one to the other on a constant basis.

Appreciating the small things in life may lead to happiness. But, it’s likely you’re content more than you are happy.

Contentment can feel like a neutral state, leaning on the side of happy. There isn’t anything wrong when you’re content.

But, there’s also nothing ratcheting up your happiness.

Consider contentment before happiness

Striving for happiness can be stressful. The antidote? Gratitude. You’ll feel content without having to always push toward happiness.

Time spent in contentment means you’re doing something right.

Think about the people you love. And think about all you have, such as your health and a good job.

Imagine life without them and you’ll really appreciate contentment. That thought may even make you happy, if only for a short time.

JohnK 7-16-2019

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Overheard: “A harvest of peace is produced from a seed of contentment”

~Proverb

Learn How to Make Mistakes

April 16, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

So you’re afraid to make mistakes. And that’s cutting into your self-trust.

GenuLines realizes that this could be standing in the way of your success. When you learn how to make mistakes, you’ll be ready to start trusting yourself.

Learn How to Make Mistakes

I think you’ll agree that nobody is perfect. I make mistakes and you do, too..

When you make mistakes, you learn from them. That’s what makes them so valuable.

Of course, if you don’t learn from them, you can expect to make the same mistakes again and again. That’s why you have to do a post mortem of your actions and take stock of where you made your mistakes.

Mistakes will happen

If you try too hard to avoid mistakes, you end up making more of them. You can’t avoid mistakes and you shouldn’t try. Sometimes, your mistakes will make people angry with you.

It’s a part of life.

If this happens, you first have to determine if your mistakes truly affected those people. If it didn’t, they have no right to call you out on them.

If it turns out that your actions did affect them, do what you can to rectify the situation. A simple apology may be all that’s needed.

Be forgiving of people who make mistakes. You would want them to do the same if you slipped up.

It’s okay to get angry at someone in certain situations. But, open your heart and let them make amends.

Once you give in to making mistakes, you’ll find it a freeing experience. You will no longer need to put too much pressure on yourself to avoid them.

Sticky situations

Meanwhile, mistakes can lead to positive, unintended circumstances. Take Sticky Notes by 3M.

Researchers at the company set out to create a strong adhesive. Management was not impressed, but the idea was used to create a different product.

There have been many instances of mistakes that lead to alternative solutions. These wouldn’t have happened by way of mistake avoidance.

Let yourself make mistakes. They’ll help you trust yourself.

JohnK 4-16-2019

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Overheard: “You make mistakes. Mistakes don’t make you.”

~Maxwell Maltz

Complainers Can Learn to Appreciate Small Things

April 2, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

Complainers complain. It’s what they do. Are you dealing with such a person? If you are, consider the points in this GenuLines post and apply them to your situation.

Complainers Can Learn to Appreciate Small Things

Do you know a chronic complainer? Someone who never seems to be happy about anything.

They find everything wrong with what others do. If there’s a new idea, they’ll knock it down.

They’re also the type of person who will interrupt others to make their point. They’ll do that because they know best.

But at some point, people start to ignore them. And they’re high on the list if cutbacks should ever hit the company, too.

Complainers have forgotten how to appreciate the small things in life.

They don’t realize that it’s difficult to get a new job and it takes much more time than it used to.

They don’t appreciate that they have a job.

Sometimes, chronic complaining can be a result of complacency. Since no one is listening to what the person says, it’s just easier to complain.

No company or situation is perfect, and sometimes it’s best when problems are out in the open. But there is a time and place for complaints and a correct way to air them.

If you have to complain offer up several solutions to the problem. That’s a productive use of complaining energy.

Call it problem recognition with applicable solutions.

There’s a critical difference between you and a chronic complainer. You appreciate your job or your situation.

Help the complainer

If you want to help a chronic complainer, point out the problem using a subtle approach. Instead of telling the person they complain too much, show them how to be grateful for the little things in life.

Remind them that you feel appreciative of the fact you have a job, etc.

Relate a story- may be about how your last job search was difficult. It took you months, and it made you realize that jobs are not easy to find.

Also, talk about how you appreciate your home life and your family and what it means to you. That’s a subtle approach.

The person may start to understand there is much to appreciate in everyday life. You can show that complaining is ineffective and may lead to problems down the road.

Aim to get friends and colleagues to relate to the same gratitude for work and family.

The chronic complainer may start to see it pays to be appreciative.

JohnK 4-2-2019

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