Wings of Change – Change Your Life Articles

When you equip your children with a positive outlook, you’re setting them up for a happy and successful life.

Don’t believe me?

Well, who do you think would be most successful?

a)      The person who believes he can achieve anything, become whomever he wants, and follows up with swift action, or:

b)      The person who complains about anything, is indifferent about everything, and gets nothing done out of feelings of hopelessness.

Obvious, huh?

You see, children have such an amazing ability to learn. They’re babies one day, and the next they’re learning language and life skills at a rate much faster than any adult can. This gives us, as parents, a very important and sometimes overwhelming duty: to teach our children every day.

There are many things you can do each day to foster a positive outlook in your kids, but having a positive outlook yourself is the most important thing you can do to help your children grow. Let them know they make a positive difference in your life and love them unconditionally.

Keep the following tips in mind to help your children develop a positive outlook:

1. Lead by example. From a young age, your children pick up on more than you know. While you may live by the notion that you should always put your kids first, you also have to concentrate on your own self-development. Because, when you think positively, so will your kids.
2. Watch your reactions. Just as with leading by example, you must watch your reactions, especially when things go awry. If someone gets hurt or you learn some bad news, fight the urge to have a negative reaction. If you yell or outwardly worry, you’ll affect your children.
   • Teach your children that sometimes things don’t go our way, but eventually the tides will turn.
3. Find the silver lining in challenges. As your children learn and develop, they’ll be faced with all sorts of challenges. Some of them will be easy, while others are more challenging. Be sure to point out the silver lining in any challenge your child may be facing. It’ll help them to see your point of view when they’re facing challenges alone.
4. Help them change their thinking. When you’re child is in the midst of a tough challenge, he may bring up the idea of giving up. Do your best to bring wisdom to the situation to know when your child simply needs to be pushed further. Perhaps there’s an angle to the problem that your child hasn’t tried yet.
   • Nudge them in the right direction until they find the success they seek.
5. Promote laughter. Laughter breeds happiness and positive feelings. Your children will each have a unique sense of humor. Play into your child’s humorous side by promoting situations that your child finds funny.
   • You can play games, go to shows, or simply have a good time together as a family.

A Happy Healthy Home

When you remember to treat your children in a calm and loving manner, they’ll be more likely to do the same. If your child tends to panic, don’t scold them for this behavior. Put them at ease as best as you can and show them that there’s a solution to their problem. If you panic, the situation may spiral into an unhealthy cycle.

In the end, there’s no right or wrong way to raise your kids. Do what’s best for your family in the way you know how. When you maintain a happy and healthy home, your children will learn to have hope and think positively!

Life can get pretty chaotic. No matter how much you accomplish, it always seems like there’s something else you should be doing or something more you should achieve. In these moments, you have to take a step back to find the peace.

If you don’t find peace within the chaos, you’ll soon be leading a stressful and unfulfilling life. While you may want to achieve as much as you can, you surely don’t want to lose yourself or your sanity in the process.

Tips For Finding The Peace

Follow these tips to reduce the stress in your life so you can find some peace:

1. Trim your schedule. If you find that you’re taking on too much, it’s time to go over your schedule and drop what needs to go. It’s hard to admit that you don’t have superpowers sometimes, so you must concentrate on giving yourself a manageable schedule.
2. Get organized. When your life feels chaotic, it’s probably disorganized. You’ll feel out of whack and as if you don’t even know which end is up. You can combat this feeling by staying organized, keeping lists, and valuing your time. You can still take on a lot, but only if you’ve got an organized plan in place!
3. Plan an escape. Whether you need to get away from an ongoing busy life, or one chaotic situation, you have to give yourself an escape from time to time.
   • Plan a mini vacation or give yourself an evening if you’re short of time. The point is that you need to make some time for yourself.
   • Read a book or play a video game, but do something that allows you to unwind.
4. Pace yourself. One way to manage chaos in a healthy way is to properly pace yourself. You need to preserve your energy so you can make it through the day. Doing so allows you to keep a clear head and rejuvenate your mind.
5. Practice a peaceful activity. One easy way to maintain some peace is to take up a peaceful and relaxing activity. Consider going to a yoga class or trying meditation. These acts are not only relaxing, but they also allow you to adapt your thinking so you can regularly achieve a peaceful mindset.
6. Accept your situation. A chaotic life can be overwhelming or even depressing at times. Instead of promising yourself a better life in the future once the chaos is gone, you can give yourself one right now. Accept that your life is in a chaotic state, but take the big step toward finding peace.

Find What Works For You

Most importantly, focus on slowing down, simplifying your life, and allowing yourself the chance to fix the imbalance you might be experiencing.

Even a small effort can help you in a big way. If you’re taking the time to find peace, you can also create your personal definition of that peace. That might be finding a person who can help you unload your problems, or perhaps you might enjoy journaling or reading inspirational books.

Whatever is peaceful for you, do it on a regular basis – for you and for those you love.

Wealth creation all starts with the mind. If you have an abundance attitude and wealth mindset, you’ll be able to attract the financial success you deserve!

While there are many paths to wealth, once you discover the abundance mindset, you’ve set yourself up for actually achieving your dreams. But how do you create this mindset in the first place?

Here are some techniques that will help you develop a wealth mindset:

1. Visualize your goal. It’s not enough to just say you want to “be rich.” You have to make the conscious decision to create a clear goal and visualize all the details. It’s best to focus all of your energy on one thing rather than spreading yourself too thin.
2. Be specific. Break down your goal into minute details and start thinking about the exact steps you need to take in order to get there.
3. Break up the plan. The goal seems huge at first, but once broken down into smaller, more manageable steps, it doesn’t seem so bad. Focus on each individual task that you need to complete, and then congratulate yourself once you achieve each step.
4. Take action. It’s easy to get caught up in the daydreaming and planning phases of your goals, but action is what it takes to get you there. Your dreams become realities with action; otherwise they’ll just remain dreams forever.
5. Seek a mentor. Sometimes people are tempted to go at it alone, but you’re not alone in this world! There are many out there that would like to see you succeed and it’s your responsibility to find these like-minded people. Perhaps a business mentor or life coach may be just what you need to give you that extra push.
6. Focus on your thoughts. If you’re experiencing confidence issues, it’s important to take time to focus on your thoughts. Do you really believe that you can achieve wealth? Are negative thoughts holding you back? If necessary, remind yourself that wealth is possible and that success is a very real possibility for you as well.
7. Believe you deserve it. Believe that you are worthy of achieving wealth. If you don’t think that you deserve it, you may unconsciously set yourself up for failure. In turn, you may actually become the roadblock that prevents you from the wealth you deserve.

Believe In Yourself

Do you truly want wealth? Then be willing to follow through on your action plan while maintaining a positive attitude.

In life there are plenty of snags in the road and your path to wealth won’t always be easy. If you maintain the perseverance to achieve, you’ll be more willing to seek solutions and find success.

Remember that you have to start somewhere. Take the time to truly appreciate your progress. So for example, if you’ve doubled your salary, that’s a huge feat to be celebrated! While you may not be rich yet, you’ve made progress on the way to wealth. Keep focused on your goal and you’ll continue to build an unstoppable momentum.

While it’s true that some people are born with a creative mind, it doesn’t mean that creative thinking can’t be learned and developed.

You may even believe that you don’t have a creative bone in your body, but this simply isn’t true. If you weren’t capable of some type of creative thinking, you’d be a robot!

Believing In Yourself

The first step toward creative thinking is the belief that you can acquire and develop the skill. The truth is that, if you continue to set up a mental roadblock and tell yourself that you can’t think creatively, you’ll never get past this first step.

When you truly believe in yourself, you also open up doors. The possibilities are endless just because you decided to give creative thinking a shot.

Developing Creativity

In order to foster creativity in your life, start thinking about where you want to apply your newfound creativity. It’ll help, at least at first, to have a specific goal instead of the broad goal of just “thinking” creatively overall.

You might start with discovering better solutions to common problems at the office, or you might want to broaden your horizons with an artistic goal in your free time.

No matter what your goal is, try applying some of these creativity boosting tips:

1. Spend time brainstorming. When looking for ideas for a project – or solutions to a challenge – write down everything that comes to mind without holding back. Don’t worry about logistics or staying organized; just let your mind go free.
   • Another form of brainstorming that might be worth a try is free writing: just pick up a pen and let your mind go wild on the topic of your choice. Tell yourself that you can’t pause or put the pen down; you must keep writing. You’ll be surprised at what you can unload from your brain during a free writing session!
2. Change your surroundings. You may have noticed that your patterns of thinking change when you’re in different places. If you find that your mind is stuck, try changing your environment. Go out for some fresh air or hang out in a coffee shop. It may be just what you need in order to discover a new and exciting idea.
3. Take notes. Always carry some kind of note taking device with you, whether it’s paper or a mobile device. Record your ideas as they come to you, no matter where you are at the time. Creative thoughts can come and go, but if you write them down you won’t forget them.
4. Research your topics. Even though it may seem boring, you can do some research online. When you do, you’ll learn that knowledge is power and it’ll enable your brain to get to a place it wouldn’t normally have gone.
   • Enjoy the journey and always follow your love of learning. Research will always provide you with new angles of thought.

Consider Other Perspectives

While everyone comes with their own unique set of abilities and opinions, when you develop your creativity, you learn how to come up with new ideas and solve problems from different points of view.

No matter what challenge you’re faced with, spend time considering the perspective of others. While you might not share the opinion of another, see if you can figure out how or why they have that view. Think about how they feel. Developing this empathy will keep your mind open, which will always foster creativity.

When you get into the habit of using these tips often, you’ll be pleased to see outbursts of creativity!

When you’re living in the moment, your focus is on that moment only. The past and the future can’t touch you.

It can be a difficult task to put your feelings about the past or future aside. It’s like when someone says, “Don’t think of a pink elephant!” Did you think of one, just now?

Well, your grief is sometimes that pink elephant and it seems like there’s nowhere to turn. In this situation, you can look for help from present moment thinking.

Remaining in the present takes practice. While you’re learning how to live in the moment, remember that it gets easier as time goes on.

Using Meditation

You can work on controlling your thoughts, but one practice that’s all about staying in the present moment is meditation. This simple exercise can also help you get over your grief.

Here are some meditation tips:

• Make a meditation schedule – 30 minutes per day every day.
• Go to a place where you can relax and be alone.
• Sit in a position with good posture.
• Take deep breaths in and out.
• You can use a “mantra” or positive affirmation to help you focus.
• When thoughts arise, acknowledge them, and then let them go.

The most difficult thing you might encounter when learning to meditate is calming your busy mind. Focusing on your breathing helps clear away extraneous thoughts and worries.

When you’re grief stricken, it’s an especially difficult time to keep a clear mind. Thoughts of the past will more than likely keep coming up in your practice. This is normal. As you continue practicing, it will get easier to focus on the now.

An important thing to remember is to avoid judging yourself. Don’t punish yourself for thinking of the past when you’re trying not to think about it. Realize that your mind is taking a turn you didn’t intend, and then lightly nudge it back in the right direction. Be grateful that you were able to catch yourself in the midst of a negative thought, and then move on.

Keeping Up Your Practice

Once you’ve adopted a philosophy of present moment thinking, concentrate on keeping up with your practice. Rather than a mechanism you turn to only when you’re in a pinch, consistent present moment thinking can bring you an exhilarating new lifestyle!

When you learn to live in the moment, you’ll find peace and happiness in life. You’ll be more calm and collected and enjoy every moment for what it is. How amazing is this!

Moment By Moment

As your practice deepens, you’ll fully realize that life is just a series of moments. It’s not a definable measure of time, but you’ll feel many moments in every minute. Little by little, you’ll learn to recognize them.

You may find it difficult to remain in the present just because you must refer to the past and plan for the future in order to live. This is true, of course, but once the reflection is over, and the planning is put away, your goal is to remain in the moment as much as possible.

• Refer to the past when you must, but avoid reliving grief or daydreaming.
• Plan for the future, but don’t obsess over it.
• Simply look at what you’re experiencing right now and immerse yourself in it.

When your mind is completely focused on the present moment, you’ll be surprised at how energizing life can be!

Trusting your inner instincts is an important skill to learn, although there are times when your mind can play tricks on you. When your body and mind are under stress, it may be difficult to see the difference between good thoughts and those that arise from fear.

Dealing With Fear

No one enjoys dealing with fear; however, it’s a necessary part of a fulfilled life. The best line of defense is to practice remaining calm and ask for help when you need it. After all, two minds striving for a rational solution is usually better than one.

When Not To Trust Your Thoughts

Even in difficult circumstances, you probably have an idea about what is truly right or wrong. However, it’s a good idea to try to recognize the situations where you tend to have trouble thinking clearly. That way, when these situations do come up, you can start working on solutions, instead of giving into the cloudy thoughts.

You probably shouldn’t trust your thoughts in the following situations:

1. When you’re under stress – People often don’t recognize how detrimental stress can be to the mind and body. Stress can cause you to make unwise decisions and think too quickly. Stress can take over your body and produce hormones that alter your thinking patterns.
2. When you’re feeling anxious – There are varying degrees of anxiety that can affect anyone at any time. When it takes over in a strong manner, such as when you’re dealing with crippling fear, it can lead to erratic, irrational thoughts or even panic.
3. When you’re having negative thoughts – Sometimes you’ll have a bad day or even a bad week. Having a tough time can cause a negative thinking pattern that can cause you to think unreasonable or even absurd thoughts. You may start to have angry or depressing thoughts that can’t be trusted.

When you’re having thoughts that seem real, but are rather unreasonable, remember that it’s not coming from you. Rather, it’s coming from the build up and repression of years of self-doubt, negativity, stress, anxiety, or even past circumstances. That’s precisely why you cannot trust those thoughts!

Dealing With Your Feelings

You now know that negative thought patterns can arise from stress, anxiety, fear or even the past. Crippling fear, unfortunately, hurls many strongly negative feelings your way. But it’s how you deal with them and proceed with your thought patterns that make all the difference. Strive to take time to cool down and relax your mind before making important decisions.

One way to know if something is your true feeling is to wait a few days before making a decision. For example, if after a week of thinking something over, you still think the same way, then it’s probably true. Of course, you first have to ensure that your mind isn’t under attack from stress, anxiety, negativity, or fear.

Healing From Fear

If you find that you’re frequently in fearful situations, you can concentrate on healing those feelings. When your mind begins to race, take in a large dose of oxygen. Believe it or not, deep breathing is a signal for your mind to relax and think clearly. So breathe deeply and breathe often!

Also remember that you’re not alone. You have people who can help you and you shouldn’t feel shy to ask for that help. If you feel uncomfortable talking with a family member or friend, consider the help of a coach or counselor.

Just remember to avoid taking drastic actions that arise from fear. Take your time when making decisions, breathe deeply, and seek the help you need to overcome the grips of fear.

Sometimes you feel like you’ve got all the time in the world to accomplish your dreams. Yet there are reminders every day that our time on Earth is short. Unfortunately, there’s no way to predict how much time you’ve got left, which is exactly why there’s no time like the present to make your dreams come true!

Concentrate On The Positive

It’s vital to start with positive thoughts. When you think positively about yourself and your dreams, you’ll begin to believe that you can achieve anything. These initial positive emotions can lead to a dedicated drive and enthusiasm that’ll help build lasting momentum.

Remember that nearly everyone feels overwhelmed when you’re about to embark on a long journey. That’s exactly why it’s so easy to fall into negative patterns of thinking, but you must fight these thoughts. It can be hard to imagine that so much can be achieved simply by having positive thoughts, but it’s true!

The truth is, when you think about something as scary as “I could die tomorrow,” it’s hard not to be drawn into a panic. But instead of worrying about how much time you and your loved ones have left, concentrate on making the present moment as productive as it can be towards your true calling.

Careful Planning

Once you’ve decided to take action, and you’ve battled your negative thoughts, it’s time to make some feasible plans to get you where you want to be.

Keep these tips in mind as you go through your planning phase:

1. Set realistic goals. If your goal is going to take years, give yourself years. You can’t expect everything to happen overnight.
2. Be specific. Include all the details in your plans. If you stumble along the way, you’ll be comforted in knowing that you have your detailed plans to help you stay the course.
3. Reward yourself. When you’ve made progress towards your goal, give yourself a reward. Even if your ultimate goal is far off, it’s fun and motivating to enjoy rewards as you complete steps toward your goal.

Action In Small Steps

One of the biggest tips when it comes to following your dream is to break down your actions into small, manageable steps.

For example, your goal could be to become an airline pilot or you might want to start your own business. Both of these goals are hefty and have the potential to take years of work and training.

When you first think about these goals, it’s easy to be scared of how daunting they seem. Instead of resorting to fear, try breaking down these goals into dozens or even hundreds of small steps. Chances are that each small step is not nearly as overwhelming as the big picture.

At the same time, always keep the big picture in mind. When you visualize yourself reaching your end goal, it can be an image that gives you the drive to keep going during tough times.

Inspiring Others

Once you’ve achieved your goal, consider inspiring others to reach their goals, too. Perhaps you have some friends or family members who say things like, “I’ve always wanted to do that,” but they remain working at their dead end job.

Help them take action!

You’ll know from experience that, while it may be a risk, the reward is more than worth it.

Yes, following your dreams is even a reward in itself! It brings you joy in the present and hope for the future. So carpe diem – seize the day!

Dr. Joe Vitale, motivational speaker and author, often says: “the fastest way to get where you want is to be happy with where you are.” Believe it or not, this mindset works! It may take some changes and soul searching on your part, but in the end, it’ll be more than worth it to adopt this positive mentality.

While you should strive to make your dreams come true, concentrate, also, on yourself and your journey. When you spend less time wishing things were different and more time accepting what you’ve got, you’ve already found a sense of peace and happiness right there.

Here are some tips that can help you become who you want to be right now:

1. Feel gratitude. When you concentrate on the big picture, it’s easier to exhibit feelings of gratitude. When you’re grateful, you remain positive and appreciative of every joyful moment in life.
   • Sometimes people get too caught up in a sense of entitlement, which leads to negative feelings. Concentrating on gratitude, instead, will get you where you desire.
     
2. Be optimistic. Some say that life is all about optimism. And it’s true! An optimistic attitude is one of the few things you need to succeed.
   • If you’re trying to achieve a concrete goal, optimism will help you accomplish it.
   • If you’re trying to change your mindset, optimism will make the task easier.
   • Optimism can be the driving force that keeps you going.
     
3. Exhibit the traits you desire. It was Gandhi who said that you should be the change you want to see in the world. With these wise words in mind, you can replace wanting with some bold action. With some persistence and perseverance, you can make it happen.
   
4. Adopt a prosperous mindset. Take a moment to determine what prosperity means to you. Are you hoping for money, a fulfilling career, or a relationship that lasts a lifetime? Know what you want, then adopt the right mindset. Once you do, you’ve then set yourself in the right direction toward your goals.
   
5. Find the silver lining. As you go through life, you will no doubt realize that things are not always going to go your way. But even in tough times you need to keep your chin up. Instead of allowing negativity to consume your life, seek out the silver lining. This fresh attitude can be the difference between being held hostage and achieving your goals.
   
6. Take small steps. When the place you’re going seems far away and unachievable, it’s important to break it down into small steps. Give yourself an achievable goal with a realistic time frame. Break that one down into smaller goals.
   • When you avoid getting overwhelmed, you’ll gain the confidence to persevere.

You’re Already There

It’s a good idea to practice one of these tips at a time until you’ve incorporated them into your life. Perhaps you can spend a week perfecting one strategy and, then the next week, add another one to your repertoire while continuing with the first one. Soon enough, you’ll be a natural at all of them!

Once you choose a powerful and positive mindset, you’ll find that you’ve already achieved much of what you want. Just remember: You already have the traits, mindset, and lifestyle you desire, and you know that success is inevitable, but only when you have the will to break through the obstacles in your mind!