The post don’t live in regret appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

It’s easy to get stuck.

Nestle yourself deeper and deeper into that warm, safe and comforting comfort zone.

But if you want to improve your life you’ll sooner or later need to step out of that zone. Because it’s there you’ll find all those new and exciting experiences. Where you’ll find freedom from boredom.

Here are 7 ideas that can help you get out of your comfort zone. Some are ways to make the process easier. Some are ways you may not have thought of (or forgotten).

1. Face your fears. But do it in small steps.

2. Try something weird.

3. Make a new acquaintance.

4. Take a friend with you.

5. Educate yourself.

6. Awash your mind with positive memories.

7. Use other methods to pump yourself up.

Credit: “The Positivity Blog“

The post 7 Ways to Break Out of Your Comfort Zone and Live a More Exciting Life appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

The post embrace who and what you are appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

“I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance; to live so that which comes to me as seed goes to the next as blossom and that which comes to me as blossom, goes on as fruit.”

- Dawna Markova

“I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”

- Jack London

“To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury; and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable; and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasion, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony.”

- William Ellery Channing

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.

- Mother Teresa

“This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind…let it be something good.”

-  Author Unknown

The post 5 Inspirational Quotes About Life appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

The post The Power of Your Thoughts appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

Whenever you decide to go against the grain and strive to reach some of your loftier goals, you can bet you’re going to come up against a considerable amount of criticism. For you to succeed in reaching these goals, you must learn to deal with this criticism in a healthy and positive way.

1. Defenselessness – Notice how you always feel the need to defend yourself against the criticism of others. The most important thing you must learn is how to relinquish this need to defend yourself all the time. As long as you defend yourself, criticism always wins the battle over your attempts to maintain a balanced state of mind. This is also the best way to ensure a life of isolation, anger, and broken relationships.

2. Understand the source of peoples’ criticism – Each person will have their own reasons for criticizing you. If you care about the person, it’s your responsibility to figure out the source of their criticism to make sure it doesn’t get in the way of your relationship. Understanding this source will help you lower your guard, because you’ll usually find the person has good intentions. For example, I’ve come to understand that my mother’s source of criticism is her perceived duty of letting me know when I’m making a mistake. She views my decision to drop out of school as a huge mistake, and she lets me know that whenever she gets a chance. I’m finding it harder and harder to get angry with her as I understand this truth more deeply. Seek to understand others, and you’ll find that the need to defend yourself against criticism will slowly dissolve.

3. Extract the value from others’ perspectives – Once you have come to understand the source of a person’s criticism, investigate whether or not his or her perspective has any applicability to your life. Many times you’ll find there is value in what others are trying to tell you, and you’ll be able to mesh their ideas with your own, creating a better approach to reaching your goals altogether. It takes a wise person to set his or her ego aside, and quietly listen to the harsh words of others. It takes an even wiser person to learn a valuable lesson from these harsh words.

4. Believe in yourself – One of the best ways to deal with criticism is to firmly believe in yourself.  Believe in your ideas, perspectives, the path you have chosen, and the decisions you have made. Peoples’ negative comments and criticisms will bounce off of you if you have a tremendous amount of self-confidence. Observe how you react to criticism, and many times you’ll find that whenever you defend your ideas, perspectives, or the decisions you have made, it’s because you don’t believe in them wholeheartedly in the first place. If you did, you would not feel the need to defend them from the attacks of others. Self-confidence is the path to defenselessness.

5. Stop seeking approval – This one has been huge for me. For the longest time I have wanted my father’s and mother’s approval, so I would do everything in my power to get it. When they criticized me I would argue persistently, trying to get them to see my point of view. I wanted them to say they believed in me. I wanted them to agree with me so I could feel like I was doing the right thing. I craved their validation. As I have progressively relinquished my need for their approval, I’ve noticed I’m not as reactive to their criticism as I was before. Whether or not they believe in me, I realize I have to believe in myself. This is the only way I’ll be able to create the life of my dreams. Who’s approval do you seek? In what way? Why?

Putting it in Perspective
The kind of criticism that hurts the most is from the people who matter most to you in your life. Understand that a majority of the time this stinging criticism originates from a place of love in the critic’s heart. Kindly listen to their words, extract any value these words may provide, and then go back to doing things the way you’ve been doing them.
There’s no need to argue.
There’s no need to defend your ideas, perspectives, and the decisions you’ve made.
There’s no need to prove anything to anyone.

Believe in who you are, the path you’ve chosen, and the decisions you’ve made, and you’ll soon find that criticism no longer stings like it once did.

Source

The post 5 Steps to Dealing with Negative Criticism appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

The post 21 Timeless Quotes about Success appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

The post Where do you stand? appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

We don’t focus on the things that can be seen but on the things that can’t be seen. The things that can be seen don’t last, but the things that can’t be seen are eternal.

2 Cor 4:18 CEB

The post Everything you see is temporary appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

The post Success is liking. . . appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.

Habakkuk 2:3

The post God’s Perfect Timing appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

The post Who defines your limitations? appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

The post our paths cross with purpose appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

The post the importance of letting go appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

1. Give the benefit of doubt. If you have a habit of taking things personally, it means that you’re apt to assume someone is directing some form of aggression towards you when they could be just joking around or having a bad day. It might be your instinct to react emotionally, but pause for a second. Maybe it’s not about you. Learn how to control your emotions. Don’t jump to conclusions.

2. Refocus your attention. When you take things personally, you shift your attention from what someone said or did to how you feel. Unless you move on from that point, it’s likely that you’ll ruminate on the negative feeling and amplify it. Instead, focus on the other person.

• Look at how the person treats others. They might tease or insult everyone they meet. Some people are just antagonistic like that.
• Consider the person’s insecurities. Could they feel threatened by you in some way? If so, don’t feel bad for being your awesome self. Think about how you can help this person feel better about themselves.
• Keep in mind that the other person may have poor communication and emotional management skills. Imagine that there’s an inner child acting out, because the person hasn’t learned how to deal with things in a mature way. It’s much easier to be patient and feel compassionate when you visualize a learning child at the helm of their behavior.

3. Remind yourself that you don’t need anyone’s approval. If you’re especially sensitive to how people treat you and you often overreact, you might have a strong radar for rejection. You worry that you’re doing something wrong if you pick up on any kind of displeasure, and you want to fix it. But just because someone isn’t happy with you doesn’t mean you’ve done something wrong. In many cases, it means that person isn’t happy with themselves and expects you to fill in the blanks (which is impossible).

4. Speak up. Let the person know how you are feeling. They might not realize how hurtful or aggressive they seem and how it is affecting you. Use “I” statements. If this is recurring,use nonviolent communication to try to end it and resolve any underlying issues.

5. Stop taking compliments personally, too. If you base your self-worth on how often people compliment and validate you, then you’re allowing others to decide how you feel about yourself. If someone compliments you, it’s no more personal than a direct insult.^[1]They’re simply calling it how they see it, and that may or may not be accurate–only you can be the judge of that. If someone compliments you, that doesn’t make you a better person, it makes them a better person because they’re taking the time to be supportive and encouraging. Your value remains unchanged, because it’s something that comes from within.

The post 5 steps to stop taking things personally appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

The post Real Love appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

The post Accept Your Flaws appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

The post Never give up on a dream appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

The post take time today to refresh someone appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.

The post Live Longer: Be Happy appeared first on A Lifetime of Wisdom.