The most dreaded combination of words

Hard work - Two words, that when combined cause countless number of people to panic.

But what exactly is it about Hard work that causes these people to tremble in fear inside themselves?

Well, it's exactly what you might guess. The mere fact is that these two words evoke another word and that is "challenge."

So why challenge yourself? why embark on this route in the first place? Why not just take the easiest route and avoid hard work all together. That's probably the mindset of millions of others right now. But here's the thing, do you want to be just one fraction of that million? or would you want to separate yourself from the crowd and stand out amongst your peers? I sincerely hope it's the latter.

The truth of the matter about hard work is that unless you are willing to drench yourself in your work beyond the capacity of the average person, then your simply not cut out to succeed. Sure, you may be able to get through certain parts of your life by taking the easier path, but will you be able to get lucky every time? are you guaranteed to maintain that success? My guess would be no. And that's exactly what hard work does for you. It gives you a guarantee that you will find success one way or another. And if in the unfortunate event, success does not come, hard work will give you the satisfaction of attempt.

Hard work is universal. You can endeavor in any field in life, and work hard at it. Once you discipline yourself to do what is the "hardest" or most "challenging," you will then exhibit the wonderful results that are denied to those who chose not to work hard. So, Believe me when I say this, Hard work pays off. It may not come right away, but persistence and patience are one of the key qualities of a hard working person.

So how do you become a "hard-working person"? Simple. You accept the fact that in anything you venture in life, you won't succumb to anything less than hard work. You will push yourself to the absolute end. You will give not only give a 100% effort but 200%. Determination, will-power and motivation should be the words you live off of. The same reason cars need fuel to operate, plants need water & sunlight to grow, applies to us as well. We need hard work to succeed and achieve our ambitious goals in life.

So, I encourage you to make an extra effort in your daily existence and realize that your life will reach a WHOLE new level when you begin to stop neglecting and fearing hard work and rather, make it one of your strengths. When you give yourself a purpose in life and live for something greater than yourself then hard work becomes easy, simple as that.

I'll end on a quote here that sums up this post perfectly. "I do not know anyone who has gotten to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but it will get you pretty darn near."

Self Improvement Ideas

On this post, I decided not to discuss and go in-depth on a single idea but rather just share with you a few ideas I've gathered on how each of us can improve our lives greatly. I feel as though many people have so much potential within themselves but lack that "push" needed to reach that potential. That's why I'm here to provide that "motivation." So without further ado, here is a list of my self-improvement ideas.

1. Count your blessings - Before we proceed on to ways of improving yourself, you must realize that no matter how many aspects of your life may be negative, there is always something to be grateful for. Realize this and it shall help you immensely.

2. Stop complaining - It may seem easier said then done but it's actually not so difficult. Even if you feel as if you need to complain, do it to yourself and don't verbalize it. If you become a complainer, you'll surround yourself with others who complain as well, which will only enhance this unnecessary habit.

3. Surround yourself with positive souls - this one's a no-brainer but you'd be surprised at how many people don't chose this path. Positive people will always find a way to make you feel better and that's something you should always seek for. If you want to improve your life, surround yourself with one's whom will help you get there. Simple as that.

4. Prioritize - Know and realize who and what is important in your life. Don't associate yourself with one's who won't benefit you in any way. Realize that family is important, friends as well, same applies to academics. Prioritize yourself and decide what to keep and remove from your life.

5. Smile - Please realize how significant this is. It's an invitation for optimism in your life. A simple smile makes such a difference, it will work wonders for you. Whatever situation your in, whatever point in your life you may be at, stop for a moment and just....SMILE.

Now for some other ideas of which I will simply list.

-Give a compliment
-Create value
-Become disciplined
-Deepen your knowledge
-Be happy for others
-Give to just give
-Read the first chapter of that book you bought and never opened.
-Tell yourself "something good will happen today"

And finally....BELIEVE.

I hope these ideas were able to help you in some way. If you have any other thoughts or ideas, please let me know as I would appreciate your input. Comments are welcome.

Doing the right things for the wrong reasons

Would I be wrong in saying the following statement? "People are always searching for ways of improving their lives." Many would point out that not ALL people are searching for this but more than likely, the majority are. Whether this improvement may be financially, relationship-wise or the enhancement of personal looks. People are always seeking out ways to improve themselves, and that in itself is a very good thing.

However, the problem with this is that people will attempt to improve themselves for all the wrong reasons. Case in point - You donate to charity in hopes that you will gain publicity within society that you give to the needy (a trait which is viewed in a positive light in society) or you see that everyone around you is suddenly apprehensive about the environment and you decide to "go green" and recycle and assist in taking care of the planet a little bit better but only in hopes of receiving some sort of accommodation from those around that your doing the correct thing. So what have you just done? You've done the right thing for the wrong reason.

This is not an uncommon trait within society. It's on the minds of us all, but we should fight that "negative intention" and improve ourselves for all the right reasons. Take time out and think before you proceed on with whatever it is that you are doing & fill your mind and heart with the cleanest and purest intention on performing that task. I promise you that once you are able to accomplish this, you'll feel like a whole new person.

A word with more than one meaning

Mature. An interesting word that seems to be misused most of the time. In this world that we live in, we have the free exchange of ideas & as I've come across the usage of this word, I am quite surprised as to how it is perceived (at least here in the western world). Lets start by looking at the dictionary definition. Mature - showing the mental, emotional, or physical characteristics associated with a fully developed adult person. Just by glancing at this definition, we can expect this to be the basic idea of what maturity is to the average person. However, there's more to it than we think.

Most would agree with me when I say that, us as a society sets a standard for everyone to follow. To be "this" you have to follow & perform "these" steps. As with a mature person - someone who is looked at in a respected manner, it's that IT factor. Most people who know when a person has matured would say, he gets "IT." Nowadays, we see this word being tossed around like it's lost its meaning. Lets clear some things up, an elder person should NOT automatically be considered mature. Maturity does come with age, but it's far from a sure thing. Someone who can support him or herself financially should NOT automatically be considered mature. Being financially stable is a great luxury to have but just because you are able to pay off your expenses does not mean your "mature." People who seem to have this sort of a perspective of what exactly is a mature person should reconsider their thoughts.

So to finally get to my point, you can be mature in more than just one way. There is no real blueprint but if you do some of these next few things, your in good shape. Being mature is taking responsibility for you actions, having common sense, having the ability to love, forgive and respect others, telling the truth, thinking about others prior to thinking about yourself, giving for the sake of giving and not expecting anything in return and last but not least, contributing to society in a positive way. So if you feel as if you need to be more "mature" person, performing some of these activities would be a good start.

The Almighty Mood

As the days pass by, it's interesting to see how a simple mood change can alter a person's entire though process. However, before we dive into the significance of a person's mood & just how much of an impact it can really have, lets examine what exactly is a mood? In the simplest of terms, a mood is a emotional state. It can vary in duration depending upon the situation and or the person's long term temperament. They can either be positive or negative & unlike emotional feelings such as fear & laughter, moods can last for hours or days. Although a mood is mainly an internal subjective state, it can be inferred from body posture & other behavior.

Knowing all this, lets dive right into it. Each day, many of us encounter countless situations which affect our mood one way or another. But did we ever stop to think how easily our mood is able to change? To put it into perspective, let's use children as an example. Children, even in the worst of moods can easily be persuaded to alter their mood through physical methods such as by being giving candy or ice cream. While these items may seem as petty motivations, some adults can be persuaded in the same physical manner and that is through money. As the quote says "money makes the world go around," well it can certainly also make many of us content. While there is no actual count of how many times an average person's mood changes, but if there was, I can tell you that it would surpass anyone's expectations.

Hopefully that gave you an idea of the fragility of a person's mood. It should also show you the power of someone's mood, which I believe is highly underrated in terms of discussing it's importance. The state of an individual's mood may be the difference between a right and wrong decision. With that in mind, I want you to realize that like most things in life, moods are not concrete . There is a way to be able to control them & keep them in check. You'll be shocked at how much of a difference you can make in your life and of those around you by keeping a stable mindset & mood. So the next time you feel an undesirable mood swing coming on, I want you realize that for a period of time, you won't be yourself, unless you yourself do something about it. So take a walk, close your eyes, find a way to laugh or re-frame your thoughts. Whatever it may be, do it & remember, mood is a state of mind, not a state of control.

To benefit or not to benefit?

As I navigate myself through my daily life, I perform many activities which cause me to ask myself the question: How is this going to benefit me? Now, while this question at first may seem subjective & typical...it's not. Believe it or not but a question as simple as this may have never really entered your thought process, at least until now. As I began to analyze this question thoroughly, I realized the clarity in its message. While we may not all be aware of it (or in some cases, be ignorant of it) numerous daily activities we perform such as watching television sitcoms, video-games, social networking and etc. really seem to have no benefit to us. Now, the average individual would say that all these activities do have a benefit & they are purely for entertainment purposes. To that individual I would say, your absolutely right, entertainment is one answer but it shouldn't be the only answer. There is a way to be able to enjoy doing what your doing while also benefiting yourself in some way, shape or form. So in whatever activities we execute daily, we must always want to reek the benefits of that particular activity. Always striving to enhance our vast knowledge & expand our infinite repertoire. Doing this will only make the activities much more worth-wile. And every time you choose not to take advantage, just remember...an opportunity is lost.