Find Friends

You cannot just rely on others to make the world a better place -- everyone has to help. Or, like Gandhi once said:

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

Kindness is actually contagious, and you might want to consider carrying out random acts of kindness on a daily basis.

It is truly a win/win/win situation. The person you are being kind to benefits through your help. You feel good for having helped someone. And the world is a better place through your kindness.

You could:

1. Send someone a hand written note of thanks.
2. Make a card at home and send it to a friend for no reason.
3. Buy a lottery ticket for a stranger.
4. Put some coins in someone else’s parking meter.
5. Cut your neighbor’s hedge.
6. Walk your friend’s dog.
7. Give a compliment about your waiter/waitress to his/her manager.
8. Send someone a small gift anonymously.
9. Stop and help someone replace their flat tire.
10. Let someone jump the line at the bank.
11. Pay for the drinks on the next table at a café.
12. Treat a friend to the movies for no reason.
13. Give a huge tip to someone when they least expect it.
14. Hold the train door open for someone rushing to get in.
15. Give up your seat for someone, not just an elderly person.
16. Write notes of appreciation at least once a week.
17. Talk to a homeless person and have a “normal” conversation.
18. Pick up some rubbish in the road which would otherwise be lying around.
19. Compliment a work colleague for their excellence.
20. Recommend a competitor to a potential client.
21. Give another driver your parking spot.
22. Give a piece of fruit to a delivery person.
23. Help an elderly neighbor carry the rubbish out.
24. Tell all your family members how much your appreciate them.
25. Leave a copy of an interesting book on a train/bus.
26. Buy an inspirational book for a friend.
27. Send a thank you note to a person who has helped you in the past.
28. Smile a lot.

Once you get started, you may find it a habit hard to break!  

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/07/03/carry-out-random-acts-of-kindness-every-day.aspx?source=nl

Is there an area of your life that you would like to change? Perhaps you want to lose weight, improve your temper, control your web browsing addictions, become a better parent, or just wake up early and exercise regularly.

Real behavior changes are very difficult to bring about by effort of will alone. However, a solution that brings about profound change is to change your mental models, which will change the way you look at the world.

Be Aware of Your Mental Chatter

Your mental chatter is the internal dialog that is going on in your head at all times. You may think that you are given a set of things that is your reality, but that is not really the case. You construct it with your mental chatter.

Be aware of your mental chatter and recognize that the voice in your head is not you.

Learn to deal with the part that talks down to you, challenges your self-esteem and is the source that limits your infinite potential.

Change Your Mental Models

A mental model is your belief of how the world works. They can be very useful because they simplify your life and save you mental energy.

The problem is not that you have mental models, but that many people do not recognize them for what they are. They are not how the world works; they are your perception of how the world works.

Every time you find yourself unhappy with something in your life, you can always trace it back to one or more mental models which are not serving you very well.

Avoid Living in a Me-Centered Universe

Most of us have a habit of living in a Me Centered Universe. We interpret everything that happens in terms of, What impact does it have on me?

If you spend the majority of your time in a Me Centered Universe, you are guaranteed to find more than your share of frustrations, pain, and suffering.

The only way you can live a completely fulfilled life is to design your life in a way that brings greater good to a greater community. The good news is that once you recognize this, it is not that hard to make a shift.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/07/05/how-to-make-profound-and-lasting-change.aspx?source=nl

No one likes to hear the words, “I don’t like you.” Some people will do almost anything to be liked, even at the expense of their own happiness, values, beliefs and standards. Some people’s overwhelming need to be liked is the very thing that makes them hard to like. In fact, for many people, the need to be liked is actually a significant barrier to personal and professional growth. Not everyone is going to like you, and that’s OK. While it’s normal to want to be needed, liked, loved and important to others, it’s also crucial to get clear about who you are and what you stand for, and to live a life consistent with those values. When it comes to this issue, you might want to ask yourself: Do I speak the truth (while still exercising care, wisdom and understanding) even if it’s not popular to do so? Do I live a life which is consistent with my core values? Do I operate with integrity? Do I believe that my motives are good? Is it my goal to be a positive influence in the lives of others? Am I happy to disagree with people I like? Do I (really) like me? If you answered no more often than yes, you may want to make a few changes. If you really want to be liked, then stop trying to be liked and start being you. Sources: Lifehack.org May 27, 2008

Which job should you take? What car should you buy? Are you ready for another baby?

Life is full of tough choices, and the bigger they are, the harder they get.

Research shows that most people will not choose at all when presented with several good options. But practice, experience, and rules of thumbs can help you to make those decisions. Here’s how:

Analyze Outcomes

When making a choice, then, it pays to take some time to consider the outcome you expect. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the probable outcome of this choice?
• What outcomes are highly unlikely?
• What are the likely outcomes of not choosing this one?
• What would be the outcome of doing the exact opposite?

Thinking in terms of long-term outcomes can help you find clarity and direction.

Ask Why Five Times

For instance:

1. Why should I take this job? It pays well and offers me a chance to grow.
2. Why is that important? Because I want to build a career and not just have a string of meaningless jobs.
3. Why? Because I want my life to have meaning.
4. Why? So I can be happy.
5. Why? Because that’s what’s important in life.

Follow Your Instincts

People who make decisions quickly, even when lacking information, tend to be more satisfied with their decisions than people who research and carefully weigh their options. Your unconscious is very good at working through complex problems. People who “go with their gut” are actually trusting the work their unconscious mind has already done.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/07/29/how-to-make-the-right-decision-in-any-situation.aspx

Most people will try to weasel out of their mistakes. But actually admitting a fault puts you one step closer to dealing with it, and it can often be the first step towards turning the problem around. At the very least, it shows that you’re someone with integrity and courage.

Here are a few pointers about admitting your mistakes:

• See things from someone else’s perspective: If you’ve made a promise and failed to keep it, put yourself in the other party’s shoes and see how things look from there.
• Be sympathetic: Realize that your mistakes might affect many more people than just you.
• Take responsibility: Don’t try to weasel out of it, and don’t look around for someone else to blame.
• Accept the consequences: Be prepared to embrace whatever befalls you as a result of the mistakes you’ve made.
• Have a plan: You should have a clear idea of what went wrong and how you can fix it.
• Be sincere: Show honest emotion; it’s the first step to rebuilding the trust lost.
• Apologize: Sometimes just a simple “I’m sorry” will do the job.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/07/19/how-to-admit-your-mistakes.aspx?source=nl