Lesson 30 – Wrap Up and Where to Go from Here In Your Journey

It’s hard to believe but today is Day 30 of our Positivity And Self-Growth Lessons For Girl Power Halo of Happiness. We’ve gone over a lot and we hope you’ve found this helpful. We’d appreciate a quick email to let us know if this is something you’ve enjoyed and if you’ve learned a thing or two. Of course, we also hope that you’ve been following along, working on increasing your positive mindset while working toward self-growth and implementing the tips we’ve shared over the past month.

We had a great time putting this together and getting in touch on a daily basis. In today’s lesson, we share a bit more, and we wrap things up. Keep this email with its links, so you can come back and review as needed.

Keep in mind that while the challenge may be coming to an end today, this is only the beginning. We have plenty of new things up our sleeve that we can’t wait to share with you and as for you, keep up the good work and you’ll see better and better results.

Lesson 30 - Wrap Up and Where to Go from Here In Your Journey

You did it! You’ve reached the end of your thirty-day journey toward positive mindset and self-growth. Chances are pretty good that, if you’ve read each article and taken their suggestions, you’re feeling much more hopeful than you did at the beginning of this endeavor. You’ve learned so much, and you should be proud of yourself! Let’s review all we’ve covered during this time and give you some practical ideas of where to go from here.

What You’ve Learned

You’ve covered so much material over the last month that you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed right now. Don’t be. Most of the concepts covered in these articles are related. They go together to form a cohesive set of skills that will improve your mind and attitude as you work toward self-development. We’ve explored the ways in which your thoughts and self-talk influence your entire life. This is a big one. You’ve also discovered ways to change your thinking so you can change your habits. An exploration of goal-setting and its impact on your success in life was an important part of this journey, as well. Finally, we covered some brain science and the fact that your mind’s function can be influenced through outside actions and input.

Tools You’ve Gained

Not only did you explore the concepts that make up a positive mindset and lead to self-growth, you’ve also gained some concrete tools for accomplishing the positive thinking and skills you need to become the person you want to be. Here are just some of the tools you now have at your disposal for making positive, lasting change:

• Morning ritual
• Gratitude journal
• Reading habit
• Personal Development Plan
• Visualization
• Reframing your thoughts
• Self-awareness
• Goal setting
• Positive thinking
• Tricking your brain
• Learning methods
• Self-confidence boosting

This is an impartial list of all the tools you’ve gained throughout this month of intentional living. However, you can make quick reference of it when you need to grab a strategy from your tool bag to help you turn your thinking around or refocus your goals.

Where to Go from Here

Where you go from here is truly up to you. The tools you now possess can be utilized in any way that makes sense for your life and your learning style. Self-growth is a constant process. It never ends. You may wish to start with your self-development plan as a guide for implementing your new knowledge. It’s possible you could even create an entirely new plan for how to approach each day with a positive mindset toward learning and development. This plan can include the tools that resonate most with you. Please do take care not to overwhelm yourself. Implementing all of the tools and skills you’ve learned at once is impossible and will be counterproductive to your success. Pick your favorites, make a short plan and get started. Know that you can tweak your plan or add to it as you go along. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Hopefully, you now feel empowered to pursue your journey of self-growth and a positive mindset with renewed excitement. You have the knowledge, the tools and the attitude to become the best version of yourself and live your fullest life. Enjoy!

Lesson 29 – Boost Your Self-Esteem with Positive Thinking and Self Growth

Today we want to talk to you about self-esteem. The way you feel about yourself is going to have a direct impact on your journey to positivity and self-growth. When you have confidence, making changes in yourself comes easier. Yes, even the most confident people can stand to work on their personal development. In fact, the concepts are actually closely related.

The way you feel about yourself influences your thoughts, and being hard on yourself can definitely limit your progress toward self-growth. That’s why we're going to show you in today’s lesson some easy and effective methods to boost your self-esteem.

Lesson 29 - Boost Your Self-Esteem with Positive Thinking and Self Growth

And don’t forget to stop by the Facebook group to chat. We’re creating a lot of interaction there as well and building our own little community that I hope will thrive and live on long after this 30 Day Positive Mindset and Self Growth Challenge comes to an end in a few days.

The process of self-growth involves several aspects of the self such as leisure, relationships, body, education, spirituality and career. You can work on one or more of these aspects as you strive for self-fulfillment. As you begin to make changes and pursue different realms of your consciousness, you’ll likely so discover that your thinking has become more positive and your confidence has grown. These are happy byproducts of pursuing self-betterment that go beyond the area you’re trying to improve. Take a look at some of the ways you boost your self-esteem with positive thinking and self-growth. You may be surprised at the connections.

Update Your Look

When you want to become a better version of yourself, it may be a good idea to start with your physical appearance. While looks aren’t everything, we all know that a new hairstyle or fashionable clothing item can put a little spring in our step. Take a look at your resources and decide which kinds of updates you can make to your appearance. Even if you’re cash-strapped, simply styling your hair a different way or adding an accessory like a scarf or new lipstick shade can be a good start.

Modify Your Social Media

Social media like Facebook and Twitter can be fantastic for catching up with old friends or encountering inspiring new people. It can also be a killer of self-esteem because it adds to the pressure to compete or to believe that everyone else’s life is better than your own. Modify your accounts by hiding those whose updates bring you down. Whether it’s the high school chum who is constantly bragging or the co-worker who’s always complaining, switching up the statuses you see can go a long way toward improving your attitude.

Get Moving

Exercising gets the feel-good hormones going in your body. You’ll feel more upbeat and less depressed if you move. You’ll also gain an increased sense of self-worth when you see yourself becoming fit and energetic. If you’re not in the best physical shape, start out small with walks around the block. Be sure to talk to your doctor first. Adding some sort of physical activity to your routine is a sure-fire way to pump up your confidence.

Recognize Small Accomplishments

Sure, you may not always complete your biggest goals. Resist the temptation to get down yourself because of this. Nothing kills self-esteem like feelings of failure. Instead, recognize the small accomplishments you made toward your goal. It can be so easy to overlook just what you manage to do in a day’s time. To prove this, sit down at the end of your day and make a concrete list of everything you’ve done. This exercise can show you just how many things you’ve finished. It can also help you to fine-tune your time management and see areas in which you may wish to make change.

Be Proactive

Sometimes life can seem overwhelming. You may feel there’s nothing you can do to change a situation. It’s easy to let worry overwhelm you, zapping your confidence. Things are rarely as dark as they appear, and there is usually something you can do to work toward a solution to your issues. Assess the situation that’s got you feeling down. See if you can’t identify one action you can take that will alleviate some of your worry or make the problem better. Being proactive gives you a sense of control and adds to your sense of self-worth and competence.

Give these things a try when you’re feeling low on self-esteem. In order to reach your self-growth goals, you need to feel confident that you are on the right path. Getting down is natural. Staying there is a sure path to failure. You can beat the blues with positive strategies.

Lesson 28 – From Positive Thinking to Positive Action

All this talk about positive thinking, but what about action? Don’t fret. Today is the day we’ll touch upon the ways you can take all you’ve learned about positive thinking and discover how to transform it into meaningful actions. Incorporating a few strategies into your daily routine can help to ensure you’re taking real steps toward positivity.

Read today’s lesson to find out how.

Lesson 28 - From Positive Thinking to Positive Action

Positive thinking is a wonderful thing. You’re starting to understand the ways in which your thoughts influence your feelings and behavior. You may wish to take more control over your situation by intentionally turning the thoughts into more actionable steps. This is actually something you can do by implementing some proactive strategies. Read on to discover how to go from positive thinking to positive action in your approach to life and goals.

Make It Known

The concept of manifestation is a powerful one. It relies on the idea that your desires will come to you if you make them known, that what you believe you receive. This philosophy may or may not resonate with you, but the premise does have merit. By stating your intentions to the Universe, you’re setting them into your subconscious and will be more likely to act on them.

Be Accountable

Don’t stop at telling the Universe of your plans. Tell the world. Let you friends, family and social media followers know of your intentions and goals. This will make you accountable for acting on them, rather than just wishing for them to become a reality. People are bound to ask you about your progress, and you’ll want to be able to give them a positive report. You can even ask some of your closest people to help hold you to your goals by checking in with you on a regular basis. If you’re a writer, keeping a blog of your progress might be a good way to maintain accountability, as well.

Document It

Along these lines, documenting your goal plan and progress is a fantastic way to implement positive thinking into positive action. If you decide to blog about your experience, your words offer written proof of your progress and push you toward completion. Taking photos is another awesome method for keeping track of your actions and pushing yourself further.

Check In With Yourself

Sustaining a goal is a difficult task. It’s easy to get excited during the planning stages when the idea is new. Once the novelty wears off and the hard work begins, it can be tempting to give up. Keep yourself on track by checking in during the hard times to remind yourself why it is you’re striving for this particular thing. Goals require motivation to come to fruition. Find your motivation, the thing that’s pushing you to keep going. Then remind yourself of it regularly. You might even want to make desire visible somehow. You can write it on your mirror in lipstick or place an inspiring photo next to your computer as a reminder.

Find a Model of Success

Choosing a successful person to model your behavior upon and to inspire you is a wonderful way to ramp up your efforts. It’s important to understand that you don’t have to be exactly like this person, but having a role model sure can help you to envision your goal. Choose a person in your life or one you’ve read about as your model. Study them to learn about their background, how they got to where they are, advice they offer and other such tidbits. This proof of success shows you it’s possible to accomplish your desires and gives you a sort of roadmap to make it happen.

These tips should get you moving from positive thinking to positive action. Once you start taking action toward your goals, you’re likely to gain momentum and find satisfaction in each step you complete.

Lesson 27 – Reach Your Goals by Visualizing What Kind Of Girl You Want to Be

Are you familiar with visualization? If not, you may be excited to learn about this concept and just how powerful it can be in reaching your goals. Visualization involves enlisting your subconscious to create new pathways in your brain to help you move toward making your dreams a reality.

Visualization is a powerful tool that works.

Read on to discover how in today's lesson...

Lesson 27 - Reach Your Goals by Visualizing What Kind Of Girl You Want to Be

Visualization is quite a powerful tool. There are a number of ways you can “trick” your brain into changing its course or functioning in a more positive manner. Visualizing is one of these tricks. When your brain is being used to picture an imagined scenario, it doesn’t recognize whether this is a fantasy or reality. Your subconscious is enlisted to help make your dreams come true. You truly can reach your goals by visualizing who you want to become. Read below for some suggestions.

Enlist the Use of Props

You may think that pretending is only for kids. However, grownups can utilize this type of thinking to their advantage also. When you’re visualizing your desires, go one step further by using props to fuel your fantasy. If you’re looking for love, try imaging the type of partner you’d like to have. Then write a letter to that person stating all the things you love about them and what you’re looking forward to doing together in life. Taking such actions will help to cement your vision into your subconscious, helping you to go through your days seeking your vision.

Lay Them Out

You’ve probably heard of a vision board. This collage is a tool that lets you actually picture the things you desire for your life. Get a poster board and cut out words and photos from magazines to attach. Create a collage that speaks to your senses and makes you feel excited. If you’re a more digitally-minded person, you can always make your vision board in a computer program like Adobe Illustrator or with a website such as Pinterest.

Be Repetitive

Once you create a vision in your mind, be sure to utilize it on a regular basis. Take time daily to reflect on your desire and let it become ingrained in your mind. Repetition is the key to visualization success. Simply seeing a dream in your mind’s eye once won’t make it a reality. It must come to reside in your subconscious in order to be effective.

Meditate on It

Meditation is a process of cleaning your mind and being in mindful silence. Set aside time to meditate before you visualize your goals. This step will prepare your brain to receive your visions. Meditation brings your mind into present focus, clearing away negative thoughts or nagging worries. Starting with a clear head is bound to improve your visualization process.

Incorporate Your Senses

Bring all five of your senses into your visualization technique if you want to make it stronger. Imagine the feel of your vision, how the scenario might smell or sound. Incorporating these aspects makes your dream more real, strengthening its impact and setting it even more deeply into your subconscious. It will help to make things seem more real for you.

Give these techniques a try when practicing visualization to reach your goals. Keep trying every day, and you’ll begin to notice small changes coming to fruition.

Lesson 26 – 7 Tips for Cultivating Positive Thinking Habits

Wow! We’ve really learned a lot together about self-growth and developing a positive mindset.  As we’re nearing the end of our 30-day journey, we’d like to give you some concrete, actionable tips you can add to the knowledge you’ve gained so far in order to hone your positive thinking practice.

You can refer to these tips on days when you’re feeling anything but positive to help you get back on track. Enjoy!

Lesson 26 - 7 Tips for Cultivating Positive Thinking Habits

The number of ways to turn your negative thinking around is practically limitless. There truly are tons of little tricks you can employ to turn self-criticism or negativity around. However, thinking of such tactics and using them when you’re feeling down can be a real challenge. Fortunately, you’re not on your own here. These seven tips for cultivating positive thinking habits can be your guide to begin a practice of productive vision to guide your life.

Say an Affirmation

Daily affirmations are a wonderful practice for cultivating positivity in your life. An affirmation is simply a positive statement. When you say affirming things to yourself, you eventually begin to believe them. These simple, concise sentences are incredibly powerful and can quickly turn your thinking around when you need a boost.

Engage in an Activity You Love

If you’re feeling stuck in a pool of negative thoughts, one sure way to push them aside is to engage in something you enjoy. By physically changing your location and activity, you can shift your mindset. It’s hard to be a Negative Nelly when you’re having fun. So grab that book you’ve wanted to read or head to the nearest ice cream shop for a sweet pick-me-up.

Surround Yourself with Good Vibes

Hanging out with upbeat people is a sure way to chase away the blues. Your friends are usually a good source of perspective. Sure, they’re likely to tell you good things. They’ll also tell you the truth. After all, they know various aspects of your personality, and they wouldn’t hang out with you if there weren’t good qualities in your personality. Spending time with happy people is also likely to spread that positivity to you. Happiness is contagious, you know?

Smile

Yes, seriously. Just smile. That’s all you have to do. Our brains are wired to recognize this universal symbol as a sign of happiness. If you are able to plaster a smile on your face as you go through your day, your mood may soon follow its lead. It may seem silly or simple, but it works.

Help Someone Out

Instead of focusing on your own difficult situation or problem, why not consider ways you could help someone else? Stepping out of yourself allows you to forget your troubles for a while, and doing something nice generates all kinds of feel-good chemicals in your brain. You’ll probably also gain perspective on life and strengthen a friendship. If you’re helping a charitable group or stranger, you can also benefit by creating new networks and bonds.

Walk Tall

Another way to trick your mind into being more positive is to change your posture. When we’re down, our body usually reflects that through slumping or slouching. If you stand tall with your chin up instead, you’ll instantly feel more confident. Stride through your day with a spring in your step and watch your foul mood disappear. It really works.

Take a Humor Break

As with other strategies, actually removing yourself from one situation and moving to another can be quite useful. When you’re indulging in pessimism and need to break out of the cycle, find some humor. Even just a half hour television comedy can be the best medicine. Better yet, finding funny friends to cheer you up is always a good idea.

Give any of these seven tips for cultivating positive thinking a try. You’ll never know what a difference they can make until you give them a shot.

Lesson 25 – Map Out Your Self Growth Goals for the Coming Year

Just like you stay on task for work or make it to your daily appointments on time by keeping a calendar, you can use that same tool for reaching your self-growth goals. Making a plan, writing it down and implementing check-in points is a powerful strategy for staying on track with your personal development routine. Today we’ll show you what this type of planning involves and the benefits it can offer.

Lesson 25 - Map Out Your Self Growth Goals for the Coming Year

It’s amazing how many of us go through life on autopilot. When you don’t know what you specifically want from your life or which direction to go, you are probably just spinning your wheels and remaining stationary. If you want to progress and move forward, making a plan is crucial. A map known as a personal development plan can help you to organize your thoughts, view your strengths, clarify your desires and set goals to achieve them. Putting your thoughts and wishes into a formal plan and writing them out is an amazingly effective way of getting what you want. Use the following strategies to map out your self-growth goals for the coming year and watch your life begin to move on track.

Reasons for a Personal Development Plan

Writing a personal development plan just works. It’s definitely worth a try, even if you’re skeptical. Mapping out your goals and desires for life puts things into perspective. It gives you clarity regarding where you want to go within the next year. Starting with a year at a time is a good way to practice this mapping concept. You can later make a five or ten-year plan. As you’re developing your plan, you will begin to focus on the “why” of your goals. Keeping your motivation regularly in mind will push you further when you think about quitting or settling in life. Your personal development plan provides some structure in an uncertain world. You have a map for approaching each day, and you can mark your progress as you go along.

About a Personal Development Plan

There are lots of different formats out there when it comes to setting up a personal development plan. Your plan should be unique to your lifestyle, needs and goals. You can include whatever you think is most important to focus on for the upcoming year. The goal is to develop a document that you can refer to for guidance as you traverse through your days. Your plan will serve to keep you on track and give you focus.

What to Include in Your Plan

You can begin by creating a vision or an overview of what you’d like to achieve. This is more like a general mission statement, rather than one that includes specifics. Next, you’ll hone in on the details by writing down your areas of focus. Which parts of your life are most in need of change or do you want to see the greatest change? Write them down, along with what you hope to gain in each segment. List goals in each section. These are the things you wish to attain by year’s end. You can then lay out a tentative schedule for reaching each goal. This may require modification or tweaking as you go along, and that’s okay. You just need a rough guide to start. Basically, your personal development plan should include what you want to gain, why you want to attain these goals and how you plan to make them a reality. The way you structure your plan is entirely up to you.

Now’s the time you get to be creative. Set up your plan in any form you wish. It can be in a digital document or you can grab a journal or notebook to use. The important thing is that your plan resonates with you and is easily accessible for review and progress monitoring. Have fun with it, and enjoy seeing your dreams unfold.

Lesson 24 – How to Turn Negative Self Talk Positive

Negative self-talk is your enemy. You understand this, but that doesn’t mean you know how to combat it. Well, never fear because today we’ll give you some practical tips for turning your negative self-talk into more positive words.

Just carry on reading...

Lesson 24 - How to Turn Negative Self Talk Positive

You may not be aware of this fact, but your life is actually shaped by your thoughts. The way you view the world and your place in it determines how you feel, act and live. While we can’t all be sunny and happy all the time, how you talk to yourself does set the tone for everything you do. If you are lost in negativity, that dark cloud will color your world It’s important to learn how to snap yourself out of the pattern of self-sabotage by discovering how to turn negative self-talk positive. Follow these suggestions to flip your thought process.

Recognize Your Triggers

Before you can end your poor thinking, you need to be able to recognize it. Take time throughout each day for a week to pay attention to the thoughts that cross your mind. When you note a self-critical one, write it down. You may also want to take notes regarding the kinds of behaviors that usually come from such thinking. Some people may reach for comfort food when feeling down on themselves, while others become irritable with those around them. Self-awareness is crucial to changing habits.

End All or Nothing Views

Hardly anything is ever one way or the other. Including concepts such as never and always are usually signs that you are having unrealistic thoughts. Watch out for telling yourself that you should do something or labeling yourself with critical terms. You don’t always mess up, and you aren’t a failure. Re-phrase these admonishments by telling yourself that you sometimes are forgetful or that you are having a tough time right now.

Brainstorm Awesome Words

One quick way to pull yourself out of a slump is to think of happy and lively words. You can just make a list in your mind or actually write them down. While it may seem like something that’s too simplistic to be effective, you may just be surprised at how quickly your mood shifts with this technique. Thinking of energetic words and phrases has a way of shifting your mood and acting as a catalyst for positive thinking.

Be Grateful

Another useful strategy is to employ gratitude to push away the nasty self-talk. You can’t be bashing yourself while you’re thinking of all the wonderful things you are fortunate to have in your life. List big items that transform your life, but don’t forget about the little things. An attitude of gratitude can really put life in perspective and set you on a path to positivity.

Consider the Worst

Yes, that’s right. Put your worries in perspective by thinking of the worst thing that could happen. Then take a moment to decide if even that situation is really all that terrible and the likelihood of it happening. Quite often, the worst-case scenario isn’t as bad as we’ve made it out to be in our heads, and it’s not even something that’s likely to occur. Gaining perspective makes it much easier to push fear and doubt aside in order to be proactive in our lives.

Be Your Own Friend

When you find yourself deep in self- criticism, take some time to think about what you’d say to your best friend or a loved one in the same situation. Chances are, you’d never talk to someone you care about in this manner. Better yet, consider the words you would use with a child. You likely couldn’t imagine crushing a child’s spirit with such scolding. You shouldn’t treat yourself this way, either. Instead, tell yourself what you’d tell that child or friend. Then act on the words.

These techniques are really quite simple, but they may take some time and practice to embrace on a regular basis. Keep practicing, and you’ll see a turnaround in your negative self-talk and in your life.

Lesson 23 – Journaling as a Tool for Self Growth and Positive Thinking

You now know about the impact reading can have on your mindset and personal development. Well, writing can be just as impactful. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a writer, you can benefit quite a bit simply by jotting down a few thoughts in a journal each day. We’ll show you how it works and what you can expect from developing this practice.

Lesson 23 - Journaling as a Tool for Self Growth and Positive Thinking

Negativity is a trap that can feel nearly impossible to escape. Even those who are usually inclined to see things in the affirmative can fall into the occasional rut of stinking thinking. That’s because once it takes hold, your brain adapts to the ideas it is being fed. In order to get away from the grip of such patterns, you must make an intentional effort to change. This means doing something tangible on a regular basis that can have an impact on replacing the bad habit with a better one. One incredibly powerful way to do this is through keeping a journal. Keep reading to discover how to use journaling as a tool for self-growth and personal thinking. You’ll be out of that rut in no time.

Decide on Your Focus

First of all, you’ll want to decide on the type of journal you wish to keep. Your focus can be on gratitude, personal reflection, learning, goal setting or a mix of subjects. Having an idea of the kinds of things you want to write will simply give you a bit of a structure in which to frame your daily scribbling. In fact, you can literally scribble in your journal if you’d like. Drawing can be incredibly therapeutic. Having a general idea of the contents of your journal will definitely make the next step easier.

Choose Your Journal

Next, you’ll want to choose a type of journal to keep. Many like to write in a paper notebook of some kind, as the practice of physically feeling the movement of their writing implement is soothing. Plus, it’s nice to have something tangible to pick up and read at your leisure. If you’re a modern thinker and prefer to see the words fly across the computer screen, go ahead and set up your journal in a word processing program. During this time, you may also want to consider adding additional sections to your paper or digital notebook to include areas for random notes, pictures or any other components you think will be helpful. Get creative with this part.

Create a Consistent Practice

Journaling only works if you do it regularly, and it can be a tricky habit to pick up if you’re not accustomed to writing often. So you’ll want to choose a time of day in which you’ll be most likely to write and set up a regular place for your journaling. Doing so creates a framework for your mind, telling it that it’s time to get down to writing; it helps to entrench your new habit. If you’re a morning person, journal first thing to start your day off on the right foot. As a reflective thinker, it may help you to write in the evening as a way to process your day, note the good things and make a plan for managing obstacles.

Even if you rarely write and don’t consider yourself to be a writer, you can gain a lot by keeping a journal. Writing regularly is a focused activity that is useful in any type of self-growth activity, as it will help you to process your actions. Journaling is especially great for shaping positivity thinking because you are able to see patterns in your thoughts, as you work to change them. Writing also works to stimulate the creation of neural pathways that contribute to even more positive thinking.

Lesson 22 – Positive Thinking and Self Growth Increase Your Overall Happiness

How are things going so far? Are you noticing improvements when it comes to your own positive mindset and self-growth? In today’s lesson, we want to share some information with you that may change the way you approach these topics. It has to do with the ways in which developing a positive mindset and focusing on self-growth actually alter your brain in order to contribute to your happiness.

Sounds powerful, right? It is! Go read more about this below...

Lesson 22 - Positive Thinking and Self Growth Increase Your Overall Happiness

We all want to be happy. That state of being means different things to different people. However, it turns out that possessing productive thoughts helps us to move toward that feeling of contentment. There are a number of contributing factors to this concept. Essentially, by now you’re aware that the way you think has a strong influence on the way you feel and behave. Therefore, it only makes sense that positive thinking and self-growth can increase your overall happiness. The information below details the ins and outs of the matter.

Happy Thoughts Reinforce Happiness

The brain is a magnificently complex organ, but you probably are aware that its “wiring” can be shaped through outside influences. One way this works is through the concept of pleasure. Our brains are configured in a way that reinforces pleasure. Therefore, your mind essentially rewards you when it is exposed to something good. It’s a chain reaction in which happiness begets happiness. The trick is to get the positivity ball rolling in the first place. Once you do, you’ll reap all kinds of rewards. Being positive increases your mental productivity, which leads to enhanced cognition, or thinking skills, and positive thoughts stimulate the growth of nerve connections.

It’s All About Chemistry

The ways you think actually alter the chemistry of your brain. Negativity slows your brain down and diminishes its functioning. Consistent negative thoughts can rewire your brain in a manner that contributes to sadness and depression. Positive and happy thinking stimulates the production of the feel-good chemical, serotonin, while decreasing the mind-slowing chemical, cortisol. If you want a productive and sharp brain, making a concerted effort to think good thoughts can definitely go far toward achieving that goal. Thoughts rooted in positivity support the growth and health of your brain, particularly in the prefrontal cortex portion that controls thinking and emotional response.

You Can Train Your Brain

So, as you can see, what you do has a significant on the way your brain works. In turn, the brain responds accordingly, essentially resulting in a cycle. This could be why individuals often seem either optimistic or pessimistic. While this is an overly simplified explanation, it is true that your mind reacts to the input it is provided and that you can set your path to one of positive or negative functioning that tends to become the norm. There’s no need to despair if you tend to be a negative thinker. By focusing your attention, thoughts and actions on a more helpful mindset, you can begin to break free of the negativity cycle. Training your brain to be more upbeat can reinforce the pathways that perpetuate that type of thinking. Begin this process by stopping yourself when you notice a poor reaction to a life event. Take proactive steps to reframe the thoughts in a better way.

The more you practice this process, the more natural it will become. You’ll find yourself reacting positively more often and your happiness increasing by the day. Focusing on this intention will help you achieve the happiness you seek.

Lesson 21 – Keep Your Mind Young by Never Stopping to Learn Something New

We’ve already talked about how reading is an essential part of self-growth. Discovering something new on a regular basis changes various aspects of ourselves over time and affects the ways in which we approach the world. But did you know that learning actually keeps your mind young?

It’s true. Engaging in active learning as a routine part of your life impacts your brain in positive ways, and we’ll be telling you more about those in today’s lesson.

Lesson 21 - Keep Your Mind Young by Never Stopping to Learn Something New

When you’re on a quest for personal development and want to become the very best version of yourself, it’s imperative that you understand the importance of learning. Striving to comprehend new things, gain additional information and become knowledgeable in a wide assortment of topics are all aspects of learning. The concept goes far beyond that of formal education, so there’s no need to enroll in a class or program in order to learn. Engaging in anything that keeps your mind active will do. If you want to keep your mind young, never stop learning. Read below for just a few of the benefits continual study and curiosity can bring.

Stay Healthy

From a practical viewpoint, taking time to learn new things can keep you physically healthy. Reading up on nutrition will teach you the best ways to nourish your body. Seeing a personal trainer gives you the information you need to keep your body healthy and fit. Keeping up with the latest blogs on the spiritual practice of your choice can lead to less stress. No matter what type of learning you pursue, keeping your mind active is a form of exercise that can ward off Alzheimer’s and dementia related illnesses in your later years, contributing to a longer, healthier lifespan.

Fight Boredom

Boredom puts you in a mindset in which life seems dull and devoid of interest. That’s a destructive place to be, and staying there for long will make it harder to pull yourself out of it. Being bored takes a toll on your mind, body and spirit. Mental stimulation is the opposite of boredom and can be achieved simply by engaging your mind. Pick up a hobby. Choose something new to learn that will enhance your current career or take some time to research a completely different career that interests you. Anything that uses your brain in novel ways will do.

Gain Critical Thinking

By constantly learning, you’ll be filling your brain’s toolbox with hordes of information that can be used in fresh ways. You’ll be surprised at the innovative solutions you gradually begin to notice yourself developing as you gradually become exposed to new ideas. This critical thinking and creativity can push you ahead in your career, as well as in other aspects of your life.

Grow Connections

As you take various steps to learn, you’ll likely find yourself in new situations and places. Even if that learning is online through virtual means, you’ll encounter others who pursuing similar knowledge. Putting yourself out there physically through classes, clubs or volunteer experiences will definitely grow your network. Meeting new people offers scores of benefits in its own right. These connections can challenge you, expose you to new ideas, assist you in obtaining goals and enhance your life through friendship.

Live Better

Developing new skills can lead you to your passion. When you find a hobby or pursuit you’re passionate about, your life is positively changed forever. Even if you never discover one great passion through your efforts to learn, you will improve yourself in some way, whether it’s through a job promotion, meeting new people, improving your thinking skills or increasing your health. Your life will become deeper and richer for taking the effort to learn.

By continuing to learn, you will keep your mind young and grow your spirit. There’s no better activity when it comes to self-improvement than striving to gain knowledge. Have fun with it.

Lesson 20 – The Health Benefits of Positive Thinking

We'll bet you didn’t know that positive thinking is actually good for your physical health. It’s true. Being a more optimistic person has been shown to offer a number of health benefits. In today’s lesson, we'll tell you about them and demonstrate the specific means by which they occur.

Read all about it in today's lesson...

Lesson 20 - The Health Benefits of Positive Thinking

Thinking positively does more for you than simply making more attractive to be around. Sure, no one likes to hang out with a Negative Nancy or a Debbie Downer. However, self-criticism and complaints harm more than your social life. Such cognitive habits can actually have a real impact on your health and wellbeing. Take, for instance, how your muscles get tense, your eating habits may change, your sex drive can take a nosedive and you fall into patterns of sadness or anxiety when you’re feeling blue or stressed out. Conversely, happy and more realistic views can ensure that you live a longer, more healthy life. There are a whole host of good things that come from being an optimistic thinker. Let’s go over the health benefits of positive thinking in order to help you understand its importance.

Better Heart Health

Negativity and stress impact the heart’s ability to function and contribute to cardiac issues. Making a routine habit of positive thinking actually has been shown to lower heart problems like stroke or heart attack. When you’re generally happier and more optimistic, you tend to engage in healthier habits that contribute to the strength of your heart such as daily exercise and eating well.

Improved Immunity

Stress takes a toll on how your body copes with disease and other threats. The wear and tear of constant worry leaves your immune system weakened and vulnerable. Positive thinking keeps stress at bay. Being happy can actually strengthen your immune system, helping you to fight off disease and live a healthier life.

Live Longer

Yep, science has shown that it’s possible to extend your life through the power of looking on the bright side. In one study, participants who viewed aging in a positive light lived on average 7.5 years longer than those who were negative about getting older. This proved to be a bigger increase than the average four years added life expectancy that come with lowering cholesterol and reducing blood pressure. That’s quite a significant finding with amazing implications regarding the importance of embracing promising thoughts.

Become More Resilient

Resiliency is the ability to bounce back from life stressors. Resilient people deal with events like tragedy and loss with effective coping strategies and in ways that help them to move on successfully with their lives. Those who don’t possess this trait are more likely to languish in a compromised state such as depression or addiction when faced with harsh circumstances. When you possess a positive mindset, you tend to be more resilient because your self-talk is helpful to your situation, pushing you to move past the current obstacle instead of immersing yourself in the emotional pain. The overall life benefits of resiliency can be transformative.

As you can see, the health benefits of positive thinking are quite dramatic. The studies and effort researchers have put into this topic demonstrate its importance and relevance to wellbeing. You can drastically improve your whole life just by making concerted efforts to turn your cognitions around. That definitely seems worth the effort.

Lesson 19 – Get in the Habit of Giving Yourself a Pep Talk

We're going to let you in on a secret. We have to work on stuff to get better at it. In short, practice makes perfect and developing a positive mindset is no different. Along with ending your negative self-talk, as we touched upon a couple of days ago, giving yourself a pep talk can increase your success in developing a positive mindset and working toward your own self-growth. We have some helpful tips that allow you to do just that.

We are not saying it’s going to be easy. What we are saying is that intentional practice will help. All it takes is persistence and a little bit of patience. Use your journal to record your progress. It can be very motivating to look back and see just how far you’ve come in a short amount of time.

Lesson 19 - Get in the Habit of Giving Yourself a Pep Talk

Because the way we think has such an effect on our feelings and behaviors, it would make sense to place a great deal of emphasis on improving those thoughts. Learning to recognize negative self-talk and transform those messages into more positive, realistic statements can be daunting. However, it’s definitely an activity worth pursuing for its returns on the investment. Another extremely powerful method for overriding the toxicity of intrusive thoughts is to use regular affirmations to remind yourself of what’s good and wonderful about you. When you get in the habit of giving yourself a pep talk every day, you’ll soon start to believe the words you are saying and internalize them as truth. The magnificent transformation this small change in behavior can bring is astounding. Check out some of the benefits of self-affirmations, how they work and how these positive recitations can change your life.

About Positive Affirmations

Affirmations are positive statements that are used to enhance and help solidify beliefs. They can be written down or recited verbally. What’s important about these sentences is that they are concise and personally meaningful. The goal in utilizing these short statements as tools is to affirm them to ourselves or to practice repeating them until we believe them. Repeated exposure to a message can be quite influential. Consider the impact the negative messages you repeatedly feed yourself has had on your psyche. Those toxic effects can be combatted through exposure to positive messages. You can simple affirmations such as, “I am worthy of love,” or “I am capable in my work,” can be used to help you impact a number of areas in your life. Use positive affirmations or pep talks to overcome unhealthy eating habits, move forward in your career or become more confident, along with countless other purposes.

How They Work

Learning anything well enough that it comes entrenched in your mind or habitual involves repetition. That is the premise behind affirmations. It is the repeating of these upbeat and affirming phrases that helps you to internalize them. Essentially, repetition of anything will reprogram your brain’s circuits in order to change the new into the familiar. By stating your daily mantras over and over again, you are hardwiring your brain to accept them as truth. Hence, you believe them and then you start to live them. Just as your old self-sabotaging thoughts held you back, these new energizing ones can propel you forward in a myriad of ways.

How to Use Them

First, brainstorm the areas in which you feel you could use the most positivity in order to break free of self-limiting beliefs. Make a list. Then choose two or three areas that are most important to you and write down a handful of phrases in each category. Keep the ones that most resonate with you and use them as your daily affirmations. Keep this list handy so you can pull it out whenever you need a quick pep talk, but also choose a time each day to sit with your words and recite them. You can do this silently to yourself or read them out loud for more effect. Many people embark on this practice first thing in the morning, as they find it’s a great way to start the day on a high note. Some prefer other times that are more in sync with their lifestyle. The choice is yours.

Getting in the habit of giving yourself a pep talk by reciting your affirmations is one of the most empowering acts you do when it comes to growing as a person. Be sure to stick with the habit for at least 30 days and be consistent. You’ll gradually begin to notice a transformation in your thoughts and behaviors like you never could have expected.

Lesson 18 – Use Meditation to Create Awareness

Becoming a more evolved person involves a wide array of skills, knowledge and insight. One of the most crucial is awareness. Becoming aware involves getting rid of the bias involved in our modes of processing. In other words, interpreting events or behaviors through a clear lens, rather than viewing them in accordance with our own preconceived notions and biases. Removing those things that hinder our view can be accomplished through meditation.

That’s what today’s lesson is all about...

Lesson 18 - Use Meditation to Create Awareness

There are many ways to interpret and define the concept of awareness. For our purposes, let’s look at this term as it relates to self-development and growth. Awareness refers to the unbiased power of observation, without self-influenced thoughts or perceptions getting in the way. As humans, we are inherently biased to view the world through our own lens. We make meaning of the world around us through our own filters, and sometimes those filters are heavily clouded by false notions, low self-worth or misunderstanding. To be aware is to grasp the meaning of an event, circumstance or experience through a clearer lens, absent of as much bias as is possible. It is to see things as they are. In order to reach this capability, you need to be present in the moment and to block out distractions such as your inner negative self-talk. One of the most effective methods for gaining unadulterated awareness is to employ a practice of meditation. You’ll discover how you can use meditation to create awareness by reading the benefits it brings listed below.

Brings the Present to Focus

In order to become more aware and to notice things in the present as they truly are, things that others might miss, you need to cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness is the art of experiencing the present moment, or the here and now. With so many worries and obligations, most of us are thinking of a million things throughout our day. When we have such distractions clouding our thoughts, it’s impossible to be fully aware. Our senses become dulled, and we miss what is occurring in the moment. Meditation helps to clear the mind and train your brain to eliminate the clutter.

Clears the Clutter

Meditation comes in various forms. It truly doesn’t matter which type you utilize, as long as you engage in some form on a regular basis. It takes practice to learn to filter out the useless noise of your mind and learn to focus on the present. An easy way to begin is to simply sit in a quiet space with your eyes closed and take deep breaths in and out. Focus on just your breathing. If a stray thought enters your mind, it’s okay to take note of it. Then push it aside to return to your breathing. This will require practice, but soon you’ll find yourself easily ignoring the clutter in your brain and focusing on your breath or other chosen object.

Gain Control

So many of us allow our thoughts and impulses to control us. We react to every emotion and are thrown into a state of chaos with the slightest bit of upheaval. You may recognize yourself in these statements. If so, know that meditation can help you to gain control over your thoughts, fears and emotions. With this control comes greater awareness without bias. Your mind and its contents are your tools. You are in charge of how you use them. As you practice meditation, you will note this transformation occur gradually. It is an incredibly empowering realization to know you are in control.

Meditation can increase and enhance your awareness. Becoming more aware of your world as it truly is, rather than viewing it through a clouded lens, is essential to any successful self-growth path.

Lesson 17 – Watch Out for Negative Self Talk

So far in our lessons, we’ve covered a number of topics related to cultivating a positive mindset and working toward self-growth. In today’s lesson, it’s important to address one of the most toxic deterrents to your progress, and that thing is negative self-talk.

There’s really nothing more damaging to your goal of developing a positive mindset than to engage in tearing yourself down. However, we all do it. It’s human nature to take note of the negative instead of the things that are going well in your life. Overcoming that instinct takes practice. Today, we’ll show you ways you can overcome that destructive habit and move closer toward becoming your higher self.

We hope you enjoy today's lesson and find it helpful.

Lesson 17 - Watch Out for Negative Self Talk

As humans, we are usually our own harshest critic. You’re probably familiar with that voice in the back of your mind telling you that you’re not worthy of accomplishing your goals. This voice is a liar, and it contributes to feelings of depression and anxiety. The sad thing about this voice is that it’s your own inner critic talking. If you want to move forward toward your self-development goals, you absolutely must watch out for negative self-talk. The tips you’ll read in this article will provide you with the tools you need to overcome this “stinking thinking” and turn it around to become a message to yourself that allows you to shine.

Take Note

In order to break the habit of putting yourself down, you must first be aware of when you’re doing it and why. Try to pay attention to the times throughout the day when you feel badly due to a message you’ve delivered to yourself. You will usually be alerted to these instances by the way in which your body reacts. For example, some people feel muscle tension in their shoulders when they begin to feel angry or stressed. When you notice a symptom such as this, make an attempt to determine what you’re feeling and what has led to the feeling. In some cases, it may be an outside source such as a comment made by a colleague, but often the emotion could be caused or exacerbated by your own internal negative messaging and reaction to an outside event. Write these things down for at least a week, and then look for patterns such as triggers or situations surrounding your negative self-talk.

Go Easy

Advising you to take it easy on yourself may seem like simplistic advice, but you absolutely must start to cut yourself some slack if you want to overcome the toxic habit of delivering self-limiting messages. It might help if you consider whether the things you’re saying to yourself are words you would share with someone you love. Chances are pretty good that you never would do such a thing. You probably strive to be kind and supportive of the people in your life. Why not try the same strategy when talking to yourself?

Check In

It’s easy to convince ourselves we’re not worthwhile or that we have some fatal flaw. During times when you’re feeling especially down on yourself, reach out to friends or family for a reality check. Checking in with the people who care about you can remind you of all your positive qualities and that you’re simply having a fragile moment, which is a very human thing. Listen to what others say to you during these times without argument or objection. These people are in your life for a reason. If they didn’t think highly of you, they wouldn’t stick around. Trust their judgment.

Note the Positive

Everyone has good things about them. Yes, even you. Though you may be resistant, force yourself to write down at least ten positive traits, skills or characteristics about yourself. It can be a physical feature, a talent or something unique about your personality. Just keep going until you’ve developed a list of ten items. Refer to this list any time you’re feeling bad about yourself for a little pick-me-up when you need it most. Challenge yourself to add to your list regularly. If you do, it won’t be long before you may actually believe yourself.

Overcoming negative self-talk requires patience and dedication. It’s not easy to move past a lifetime of toxic messaging. It is, however, a much-needed step on your road to self-fulfillment.

Lesson 16 – The Right Mentors Can Skyrocket Your Personal Growth

Let’s take yesterday’s concept of surrounding yourself with positive people just one step further. If hanging around folks who are optimistic is good for your mindset, it makes sense that learning from one individual whom you aspire to be like can be even more useful on your journey to self-growth. In fact, there are a number of ways in which you can benefit from forming a relationship with someone whom you want to emulate.

Take a look to learn about them...

Lesson 16 - The Right Mentors Can Skyrocket Your Personal Growth

A mentor is someone who possesses knowledge in a particular area and who wishes to share that information with someone else in order to help that person, or mentee, improve themselves. You can have a mentor in a career capacity or simply in your own self development. Having someone to learn from can be a tremendous help in reaching your potential. The right mentors can skyrocket your personal growth. Keep reading to discover the benefits of a mentoring relationship.

Get There Faster

While personal development isn’t a race and is best viewed as a lifelong pursuit, it can be truly beneficial to be able to learn from someone else’s journey. An adviser can give you a heads up and warn you when they see trouble ahead for you. The best kinds of mentoring relationships involve guidance from the mentor rather than instructions or commands; you’ll learn more effectively if you aren’t told exactly what to do and how to do it. Life’s lessons must be navigated on one’s own to be fully understood. However, with the help of a trusted guide, you can absorb these lessons in a more meaningful way and use them to your advantage.

See Your Blind Spots

Noting your own weaknesses is an incredibly tricky thing. Sometimes we’re aware of our flaws, but not willing to acknowledge them due to pride or some other self-serving reason. There are other instances in which we truly are blind to what others may perceive as a negative trait. Your mentor is someone you trust and look up to. Therefore, it is easier for this person to be truthful with you about the things that may be difficult for others to share. A trusted adviser can point you to areas in need of improvement in a way that is sensitive and kind in order to move you along your development.

Have a Cheerleader

We all could use someone to support and encourage us along our journey, no matter what that path may be. When trying to improve yourself for the better or to reach personal goals, having a cheerleader in your corner can make all the difference. A mentor can provide you with words of wisdom or motivation when you want to give up or when it seems impossible to overcome life’s obstacles. A mentor is different than a friend in that this trusted adviser can provide insight that is directly relevant to your goals and that comes from the perspective of someone who has already walked a similar path.

Receive Insight

A mentoring relationship can provide you with insight in a number of ways. Hearing your mentor’s stories of their own self growth is often inspiring and can point you in the direction of some valuable resources you may not have otherwise known about. Much of personal development involves reading and discovering new ways of viewing the world and your movement within it. Your mentor may be able to recommend websites, blogs or books that contain relevant information to your particular interests. You can also gain valuable insight just by observing your guide as they conduct themselves in life’s interactions. Having a model to learn from is a benefit in and of itself.

So if you want to achieve the most from your personal growth pursuits, finding a mentor is a good step to take. Your adviser can be a trusted friend whom you know has been through their own enlightenment or a relative from whom you can learn. The important thing is that you feel comfortable with the person and that they possess adequate life experience to guide you along your way.

Lesson 15 – Surround Yourself With Other Positive Girls

They say, “Birds of a feather flock together.” Such adages are usually built, at least in part, on truth. The people you spend the most time with really do have an effect on who you are in lots of ways. When you’re striving for a positive mindset, surrounding yourself with like-minded folks will surely help you to reach your goals.

Take a few minutes to read today’s blog post to discover just how your tribe influences your personality and the benefits surrounding yourself with positive minds can provide.

Lesson 15 - Surround Yourself With Other Positive Girls

Reaching for new goals takes a lot of dedication. You need to keep your desired end result in view if you want to stay motivated. When striving to develop a positive mindset, you can do this by choosing the people you allow into your circle carefully. By purposefully letting only happy, confident and enthusiastic individuals near you on a regular basis, you will have a constant model of the gains you hope to achieve. Surround yourself with other positive minds, and you’re bound to become more positive yourself. Here are just a few reminders of why being selective about the people around you is so important.

They Motivate You

Making changes in your life requires motivation. What better way to motivate yourself to look on the bright side of things than to hang out with positive thinking people? You’ll observe them in action, picking up clues as to what makes them such outgoing and upbeat folks. You may even discover that you begin modeling similar behavior without even realizing it. People who see the glass as half full are more likely to encourage you when you tell them about your dreams, and nothing is more motivating than genuine support and having cheerleaders in your corner.

They Lift You Up

Let’s face it. Being around negative people is a buzzkill. If you allow such joy suckers to enter your realm, it won’t be long before you find yourself in a pattern of whining and complaining as much as the company you keep. Make a concerted effort to spend your time with can-do thinkers, and you won’t want to complain or see the negative side of things nearly as frequently. The reason for this is because positive people don’t allow negativity to impose on their beings. They will likely confront any frequent nay-sayers who come around them or walk away from them to find more like-minded friends. Surrounding yourself with friends and loved ones who have a positive mindset is like an insurance policy for keeping your blue mood and trash talk at bay.

They Can Teach You

If you find that staying upbeat just doesn’t come naturally to you, it’s definitely a good idea to find some positive chums. Who better to learn from than the masters, right? Not only can you learn through observation, but your friends probably won’t mind if you ask a question or two now and then. Don’t be afraid to seek advice on ways to maintain gratitude when times get tough or how to let small annoyances go before they turn into big problems. These types of folks are usually willing to help when they can as long as you are respectful of their time and their boundaries.

These are just some of the many reasons you should surround yourself with positive people. Our friends are a reflection of ourselves, so it sure makes sense to choose ones that present an image to aspire to. Besides, positivity is contagious. By hanging with individuals who have a sunny disposition, you can’t help but be bright and shiny, too.

Lesson 14 – Pay Attention to the Lessons Life Teaches You

Let’s talk about life lessons and why it is that we so often seem to repeat them until we’ve learned what we were supposed to do. This seems to be a phenomenon that applies to everyone. Even really good people get stuck in patterns that are bad for them.

Turns out the key to overcoming these patterns lies in paying attention. We’ll give you a few hints on how to do just that. Take a few minutes to read today’s lesson to discover a secret to learning life’s lessons for good.

Lesson 14 - Pay Attention to the Lessons Life Teaches You

In a fast-paced modern world, it can be tempting to go with the flow and keep moving hurriedly forward without taking time to contemplate your experiences. You may think you hardly have time to breathe, let alone take a moment for reflection or slow down to notice the way your life is unfolding. The ramifications for going through the world on auto-pilot can be harsh, so it would benefit you greatly to pay attention to the lessons life teaches you every day. Otherwise, you’re likely to keep repeating the same mistakes until you’ve gotten the message that was meant for you. One way to grasp the meaning of what life throws your way is to explore the concept of mindfulness. Being present in the moment will help you to be more aware and gain insight from your daily adventures. Continue on for some tips on ways you can be mindful in order to master life’s tasks once and for all.

Slow Down

The first step you can take to being more mindful is to slow down in everything you do. While you don’t need to literally reduce the speed of your conversations and steps, you will find there are significant advantages to taking a pause before speaking and looking around as you walk. Begin by noticing the most basic of things. Take care to notice the presence of your body and its movements. Feel the sunshine on your face. Name your current mood. If it’s negative, try to make adjustments before reaching your destination. Reflect upon the encounter you just had at work to determine if it went smoothly and if there were any parts you could have improved about your contribution. Undertaking this intention will be difficult at first. Keep at it, even when you falter. You’ll soon begin to interpret a great deal of useful knowledge about yourself and your world.

Embrace Concentration

Developing concentration involves quieting your mind to all of the countless distractions we’ve become accustomed to throughout our daily lives. In fact, you’ve probably gotten so used to these distractions that you don’t even notice them. When you first begin your practice of mindfulness, it’s likely nagging worries, intrusive thoughts and outside stimuli will distract your focus. For example, if you’re trying to be a mindful listener while deep in conversation with your partner, you’re bound to notice your mind wander to persistent thoughts or noises in your surroundings like a telephone ringing. That’s okay. It’s to be expected. Just gently give yourself a nudge to return your concentration to the conversation at hand. With practice, you’ll be more adept at blocking such things from your attention.

Be Persistent

Learning to be mindful of the moment and to shut out the million other things fighting for your mind’s attention can be incredibly difficult for some people. This is especially true if you are a Type-A or on-the-go kind of person who feels fidgety and restless when slowing down. It’s likely that these types of people are the ones who are most in need of a mindfulness practice. When you feel like you want to give up because attempting to slow your thoughts and body is just too uncomfortable, press on. With consistent practice, you will eventually begin to notice that it’s much easier to focus on the things that are right in front of you. You’ll begin to feel at ease in the present moment like you’ve never felt before. This state of being is difficult to describe, and it’s must be felt to be understood. However, the rewards it brings are worth the effort.

Mindfulness is a necessary component of understanding your experiences and making meaning of them. If you want to learn life’s lessons without the agony of having to repeat the tough ones over and over, it’s crucial that you learn to pay attention to what is happening in your immediate surroundings and within your interpersonal interactions. Being mindful will help you to gain this ability.

Lesson 13 – Small, Positive Thoughts and Actions Lead to Big Changes

We’ve been discussing the impact of how re-framing your individual thoughts can have on your overall outlook and your life in general. Now it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty to check out some actual ways of developing positive thought patterns that stick.

There are lots of ways, but today we’ll focus on just three rules that can help you look on the bright side during the times when you may feel a bit down on yourself or life is stressful. Take a few minutes to read today’s blog post and then give these suggestions a try.

Lesson 13 - Small, Positive Thoughts and Actions Lead to Big Changes

Changing your life and yourself for the better can definitely seem like a monumental task. There are probably tons of things you’d like to accomplish and become. Overcoming all of the obstacles that stand in your way, including your own doubts, is something that just can’t be done, right? Wrong. Let’s look at achieving the goals you desire for yourself in another way. Instead of thinking of all the things you need to get past and all of the stuff you have to learn, break it down into much smaller steps. This shift in approach is the key to making your biggest dreams a reality. It’s true that small, positive thoughts and actions lead to big changes for good. The information in this article will give you some suggestions to get started.

Kill the Comparisons

Almost nothing can lead to feelings of self-doubt and unworthiness like comparing yourself to others. Social media makes these kinds of observations ridiculously abundant. It’s a losing battle that’s also incredibly unfair from the outset. Comparing yourself to someone else who may have more time, higher income or extra resources is setting yourself up for a competition that isn’t equitable and that offers no benefits. Instead, why not measure your success by your own bar? Try to improve upon your own progress, rather than setting the bar to others’ standards.

Try Something New

Set a goal to try at least one new thing each week. Shoot for daily, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous. By injecting new experiences into your life on a regular basis, you’re changing your energy and your mindset. Instead of slogging through each day stuck in a rut, you are taking time to plan or think about the new item you want to add to your to-do list or actually putting those thoughts into action by indulging in something unfamiliar. Feel free to tailor the experience to the amount of energy you have that week. When you’re feeling exhausted, just trying a new recipe for dinner is sufficient. During a time when you have more energy, plan for a weekend getaway or research a class to try something you’ve always wanted to learn. Any shakeup to your routine is a plus that will push you toward making change.

Learn From Others

Many of us are set in our ways or feel that our way of thinking is best. Sometimes we become unnecessarily upset or annoyed by the actions of another. When you catch yourself feeling that way, take a pause to reflect on why that person is doing things in this particular manner. You can even go a step further and ask them. You may find out that their way of working things out actually has quite a bit of merit, and you’ll probably gain a great deal of respect for your openness to new ideas in the process.

These three suggestions should be a great jumpstart to implementing small changes that can add up to big rewards when it comes to self-growth. Once you begin to adjust your habits, you’ll see that adding more modifications is easy. You truly can be the change you want to see by tweaking one small thing at a time.

Lesson 12 – The Importance of Setting Goals for Yourself

In yesterday’s lesson, we talked about how learning to love yourself can improve your relationships with others. Today we’re diving a little deeper by looking at why it’s important to set goals for yourself and how making such an investment in your self-growth can really pay off.

We’ll examine the benefits of goal setting and the types of results that can come from the process.

Please read on for today's lesson.

Lesson 12 - The Importance of Setting Goals for Yourself

Do you consider yourself a goal-setter? People who regularly set goals for themselves create a framework or a plan for their lives. Some folks live by this process and may even go a bit overboard sometimes, while others have never considered actually writing down their objectives. Finding a happy medium between these ends of the spectrum is wise for a number of reasons. By determining short, intermediate and long-term targets for your life, you are actually laying out your intentions. Doing so is a powerful step toward your self-growth. Read on to learn more about the importance of setting goals for yourself in your pursuit of becoming your best self.

Maximize Focus

If you’ve ever had one of those days that just flies by without seeming to have accomplished much of anything, you have an idea of what a life without goals can be like. Drifting through life without a plan will likely lead you to wondering why you didn’t manage to accomplish more. Fortunately, by setting aside some time to make a plan for what you want to achieve now and over the next several years, you can regain your focus and begin to account for more of your time expenditures. Having a target on which to focus will improve your likelihood of success.

Boost Results

It’s true that goal setting isn’t absolutely necessary for attaining achievements. You could have lots of successes without creating short and long-term goals and objectives. What you should know about setting goals is that it provides you with a target with which to measure your progress. The focus that comes from creating intentional life markers allows you to accomplish even bigger things because you’re able to measure your success based on your past placeholders. Your latest triumph will be like an ordinary goal on steroids.

Inspire Motivation

Motivation is a tricky thing. No matter how much you may logically understand the need to accomplish something or to finish a task; your mind will often play tricks on you that keep you from taking the actions necessary. The reasons for this is probably due to the fact that you are being motivated by factors outside yourself such as meeting your boss’s deadline or reaching a far-off desire. In order to give your motivation some much-needed oomph, you’ll want to make it more meaningful and internal to yourself. Internal motivations are the things that matter most to you and that will have a profound effect on your life. Thus, setting goals allows you to make the target something that is personally relevant, increasing the likelihood that you will follow through to see it come to fruition.

Stretch Yourself

Simply put, setting goals for yourself allows you to stretch the limits of your self-growth. Growing does not occur in a state of stagnation. Without goals to reach for, timely objectives to meet and targets to surpass, you’re just standing still or, at best, coasting along. If you truly wish to attain a positive mindset and personal development, creating a goal plan will give you the push you need to make those desires a reality.

Hopefully, you now feel motivated and excited to jump into the creation of your life’s plan. The benefits of goal setting are immense and can move you forward on your self-help journey faster than you might expect. By developing a plan for your future with measurable targets along the way, you’re essentially working to turn your thoughts into actions.

Lesson 11 – Learning to Love Yourself Helps Your Relationship With Others

By now, you understand that creating a positive mindset and dedicating yourself to growth take a lot of work. Time and dedication are crucial to this process. Because self-growth involves striving to become the best version of yourself, it makes sense that you should dedicate a large portion of your time on yourself, right?

This is something that can be easier said than done. In our hectic lives, caring for ourselves can often fall to the bottom of our priority list. It really shouldn’t, though.

In today's lesson, we'll suggest some things you can easily do to raise your level of self-love. The more you love yourself, the more energy you’ll have to give to others.

Read today's lesson and then start to pay attention and implement what you’ve learned. Make it a habit and you’ll quickly notice that loving yourself comes easier and your relationships are all the better for it.

Lesson 11 - Learning to Love Yourself Helps Your Relationship With Others

Self-growth is a process that requires regular dedication over time. Embarking on a path to develop a positive mindset and to become a more fulfilled person is an action to be commended. It takes honesty and dedication to keep moving forward to better yourself. One of the most significant things you can do to make your journey easier is to embrace self-love. You know that thoughts control feelings and behaviors.

If your self-thoughts are critical and negative, they will have a similar effect on the way you feel and the actions you take. Such negativity is pervasive, seeping into your personal and career interactions. Once you realize that learning to love yourself helps your relationships with others, you can move toward living in fulfillment. The suggestions below will guide you to discovering how to increase your self-love in order to bring you closer to the people who mean the most to you.

Stand Tall

The way you hold yourself communicates quite a bit. Someone with poor posture, who slouches and avoids eye contact, is likely to be viewed as a person who is lacking self-esteem. This kind of self-presentation has effects on one’s self, as well as the ways a person is seen by others. So avoid slouching, and stand tall instead. Look those you meet squarely in the eye and responding to them with clear communication. You’ll be surprised the impact just this small change can have on your confidence.

Dress the Part

Wearing clothing that makes you feel comfortable and attractive is something you can do to put a little spring in your step if you’ve been feeling a little blah lately. This doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot of money to buy a whole new wardrobe or fancy duds. Just start simple by pulling out some of your favorite outfits and pairing them with some flattering accessories, if you have them. Take a little extra time to fix your hair and do your makeup if cosmetics are something you enjoy. Putting a bit of extra effort into your overall look can go a long way toward boosting your self-esteem, a necessary component of self-love.

Pursue Your Passion

A fabulous way to pull yourself out of the doldrums and make yourself attractive to others is to invest time in your passions. When we’re feeling low, it can be easy to forget about the hobbies we once enjoyed. If you think you don’t have a passion, now is the perfect time to develop one. Sit quietly and reflect on the activities you enjoy or that you’ve been interested in trying. Once you’ve identified one or two, make a plan to get started. Wrapping yourself up in a much-loved activity is likely to renew your sense of purpose and accomplishment. Your excitement will show in the way you talk about it and is likely to be contagious. People enjoy being around others who exude passion and enthusiasm.

Take Care of Yourself

Investing in our health and self-care is difficult to do when we’re not feeling very lovable. Ironically, when you start to show yourself some attention, you’ll probably begin to feel more deserving of it. For example, eating healthy and exercising leads to increased energy, enhanced mood and better self-esteem. All of this is bound to produce a more positive and realistic outlook, allowing you to continue to invest in yourself and in those around you.

These suggestions are merely a handful of strategies to gaining the self-love required to improve the relationships in your life. As with most new habits, it can be difficult to begin. However, once you start to put these actions into practice, you’ll find it much easier to make them a routine part of your life. It won’t be long before your good feelings about yourself are abundant and begin spilling over into other areas

Lesson 10 – Use Positive Affirmations to Cultivate a Positive Mindset

So you know it’s important to monitor your thoughts if you want to stay positive, right? What you may not understand is how to stay positive during times when life sends obstacles your way. One of the most useful tools you can have at your disposal for this purpose is the affirmation.

In today's lesson, we’ll share with you what positive affirmations are, how to use them and why they work.

We’ll also give you examples of affirmations you can put into practice right away.  We hope you find them helpful.

Lesson 10 - Use Positive Affirmations to Cultivate a Positive Mindset

You now know just how important positive self-talk is to your happiness and success. The way you talk to yourself impacts your emotions and behaviors. Another tool to help you change your mindset is the affirmation. This is a short statement you can repeat throughout your day that begins to infiltrate your self-conscious and moves you to internalizing a more realistic belief. Read on if you’d like to discover how to use positive affirmations to cultivate a positive mindset.

About Affirmations

These concise positive sentences are ones that are meaningful to you and that describe something you’d like to achieve. Repetition of your affirmations can inspire you to act according to the words you are internalizing. The way it works is that the words you drill into your head act as a trigger to your subconscious to act in a way that makes the mantras ring true. Just as your negative self-talk is repeated throughout your days and influences your life in a detrimental fashion, proactively implementing helpful self-talk will accomplish just the opposite.

When to Put Affirmations to Use

The more you repeat your positive affirmations, the better. However, there are specific times when it will benefit you the most to put these words into action. When you feel worried or fearful before an important event, pull out a mantra to boost your confidence. Repeating it will allow you to get started on a positive note, which will likely continue throughout the event. You can also utilize this positive self-talk to push you along when finishing a certain project seems just too overwhelming. Remind yourself of your strength or of the reward that waits at the finish line, and you will feel more in control of your assignment rather than being overwhelmed or intimidated by it. When you’re experiencing negative feelings about yourself and your situation such as hopelessness, inadequacy or unworthiness, repeating a short pep talk can go far to allowing you to see your situation more realistically. You can use affirmations during any time of inner turmoil to turn your attitude around.

How to Use Affirmations

Your affirmations should be short, as long statements are too difficult and making something challenging decreases your chances of following through with its use. Make your mantra short, snappy and to the point. They should also be targeted to specific aspects you’d like to change. Developing targeted self-talk requires you to identify the areas you’d like to change. If you’re feeling less than competent lately, be sure to remind yourself of your worth by adding something like, “I am smart, competent and worthy. I add value to my world.” While there are two sentences in this mantra, they are easy to say and concise. Make a list of your most desired changes, and then add an affirmation for each. Make your phrases meaningful and realistic in order to increase their effectiveness. Be sure to repeat them with regularity.

Using affirmations to develop a positive mindset is a worthwhile strategy. With practice, you’ll begin to make a habit of using them. Soon, it will be easier to remember to pull them out when needed and to develop a routine that works for you. Remember that your statements should be customized to your needs and lifestyle. Good luck and enjoy!

Lesson 9 – The Importance of Self Growth

Continuing to examine the ways in which self-growth can improve your life, we’d like to focus on the topic of career with today’s lesson.

You probably spend the majority of your waking hours at work. Chances are, you want those hours to be as fulfilling and interesting as possible. And, in today’s unpredictable job market, you also want to do all you can to stay employed.

Taking time for self-improvement and growth is one way to tick off all of those boxes. Demonstrating a commitment to self-growth will show your commitment to your work and impress your boss. It can also help you to stay interested in your work or to discover new avenues for career pursuit.

Let's hop on to today's lesson...

Lesson 9 - The Importance of Self Growth

In a competitive job market in which there seem to be fewer positions available in many industries than there are qualified applicants, the ability to demonstrate a desire to grow and improve one’s self is paramount. Employers aren’t just looking to hire knowledgeable employees. They want workers who possess the soft skills such as critical thinking and strong leadership. When companies invest their time and resources into bringing an individual into their culture, they want to be sure they get the most bang for their investment. One of the best ways to show hiring personnel you’re worthy of their investment is to let them know you’re open to personal development. Not only will this enthusiasm for lifetime learning improve your chances of getting hired, continuing to demonstrate this attitude will likely increase your tenure with the company. Keep reading to learn about the importance of self-growth for job security and what you can do to show your new boss you’re committed to growing with the needs of the position.

Go Above and Beyond

Especially when you’re a newbie, it’s important to show that you’re willing to put in 110% effort. Complete the task that is asked of you, but also look at ways you can do the job better or add to it in some way. Your supervisors will appreciate your efforts and will see that you’ve put thought and creativity into it, as well. This thoughtfulness is a sign of someone who wants to grow.

Avoid Burnout

Be careful when going above and beyond not to neglect the other aspects of your life. There is more to being a whole-person than your vocation. Taking time to develop your outside interests such as hobbies, friendships and health will help to lower your stress levels and keep your mind sharp for addressing all the pressing needs of the job during your working hours. Work-life balance can be tricky to attain, but it is crucial to your personal fulfillment and your job performance.

Contribute to the Team

Demonstrate that you’re a team player who can compromise, collaborate and lead to contribute to a common company goal. Doing so will show the higher-ups your many interpersonal skills along with your interest in being part of the company-wide culture. Identifying with something bigger than you is a big indicator of someone who wants to mature as a person.

Always Be Learning

Lifelong learning is a key to self-actualization. Being open to educational opportunities can also be a boon to your job security. Not only does it show your interest in evolving, you’ll also gain concrete job skills you can bring to your position. When it comes to value, the employees who know the most and who are committed to staying up-to-date in their skillset are the ones who will shine. Not only do you want to focus on learning, though. Be sure to take steps to demonstrate that knowledge. Start a blog or write an industry white paper. Setting yourself up as an expert in your field will make you indispensable to your current employer, as well as put you in a position to negotiating a higher salary, better benefits or a more fulfilling position elsewhere if that’s what you want.

Demonstrating a commitment to self-growth is one way to better ensure job security for yourself no matter what your field. No one can foresee the future, but taking these steps will provide you with more leverage for calling the shots in your career.

Lesson 8 – 3 Simple Tricks to Change Your Attitude

A bad attitude goes far beyond simply being a little grumpy or a tad cranky. Anyone can get cantankerous or pouty due to a rotten day or difficult situation. The problem arises when you allow the negativity to build up so much that it becomes a pervasive part of your life. A poor view on life is like a cloud you can’t get out from under. It’s always there, and it affects everything you do. Like that cloud, a bad attitude sabotages your attempts at self-growth. The good news is that you have the power to change your thinking. Follow these three simple tricks to change your attitude.

Picture a Better Life

Sure, it’s nice to fantasize about what a wonderful existence you could have if you were rich or famous. However, dreaming alone won’t move you forward in this life. It is possible to use those fantasies to propel you toward the types of actions needed to overcome your poor attitude. Think of the areas in which your life could improve if your perspective were to change. Instead of focusing on all that’s wrong with your crummy job, envision how much better it could be if you were to concentrate on the positive aspects. If you can’t think of anything good about your job, perhaps you could look at some realistic alternatives to your current position or ways to make it at least more bearable. Visualizing an improved situation can provide the motivation to generate new ideas.

Avoid Becoming a Victim

The victim mentality is an easy trap to fall into, but it’s dangerous because it allows you to think there is nothing you can do about your current circumstances. This isn’t to say that some life situations can simply be overcome through positive thinking. However, even under incredibly stressful times, you can begin with at least one small portion of your life that you can control and then move on from there. By seeing yourself as in control, and then accomplishing even the smallest act toward change, you can begin to shift your mindset and make things incrementally better. Each small change adds up to create a significantly different experience.

Use Positive Words

Our words influence our feelings. We all know someone who constantly speaks negatively, complains often and refuses to ever look on the bright side. Hopefully, your attitude hasn’t fallen to such depths. Even if it has, you can turn things around by changing your vocabulary. Begin to practice substituting a phrase such as, “I’m able to do at least part of this chore now and can finish it at a more convenient time,” for a former go-to statement like, “I’ll never get this done.” Proactive language leads to forward action. You’ll feel more confident that change is possible when you begin to choose your words more wisely.

These are three simple tricks to change your attitude that require little more than some slight adjustments. While it will take time to make these adjustments stick, you’ll soon see the improvements that are possible with just a few tweaks.

Lesson 7 – Complacency Is the Enemy of Self Growth

Self growth is a never-ending process. We’ve talked in previous lessons about the importance of attitude awareness and why you should always be reading in order to further your growth.

Complacency is natural in our daily lives. It’s natural for us to fall into patterns. In this post, we'll show you how getting stuck in a rut can hold you back from your potential, and we’ll touch upon ways to fight complacency.

Lesson 7 - Complacency Is the Enemy of Self Growth

Complacency comes when things are going well, or at least relatively smoothly, in your life. That sounds like a fairly good thing. However, the word “complacent” actually has a rather negative connotation, and there’s a good reason for that. This word implies satisfaction with one’s self, but this self-satisfied comfort comes with a bit of smugness and being unaware that there could be danger lurking around the corner. Becoming complacent is a significant contributor to feeling stuck in a rut. It holds you back by keeping you in place and limiting your potential. Complacency is the enemy of self-growth. Read on to discover its hidden dangers and how to overcome them.

Signs of Complacency

First, let’s look at some of the signs you may be approaching life in a complacent manner. If you don’t see life as a learning experience and aren’t making efforts to learn something new for yourself or your career, you’ve likely fallen into an over-confident rut. When you aren’t learning, you aren’t growing. You could be putting yourself in a position to be passed over for a promotion by someone who has shown the initiative necessary to thrive. It’s also likely that your personal relationships could suffer because you’ve become lax in paying attention to signs of discontent. Another symptom of complacency is never feeling nervous or scared in your life. This is an indicator you’re avoiding risk, which is a key element of success. Significant life achievements require stepping out of your comfort zone. Fear of change is often seen in complacent individuals. This fear, as with most of forms, limits you and holds you back from greatness. Life has to change somewhat in order to get better, and things can always be better.

Dangers of Complacency

When you become comfortable in your situation and feel no need to take steps to improve yourself or move on toward better things, it’s easy for inertia to set in. This state of remaining unchanged becomes harder to overcome the longer it remains. Thus, taking initiative if life should throw you a curveball will require extensive effort once you’ve become entrenched in your static position. When you’re coasting along comfortably in life, it’s also easy for your judgment to become impaired. You may begin to become overconfident in your abilities to handle everything that’s on your plate and to underestimate any challenges that lie ahead. This is definitely a dangerous place to be, as it leaves you ill-prepared to effectively manage a challenge. When you’re constantly working to improve yourself and to learn, you are far more able to proactively generate solutions to surprises you may encounter.

Overcoming Complacency

It is possible to overcome a complacent nature. First, use the above listed suggestions to help you recognize whether you’ve become complacent. If you feel you fall into this category, take action by setting some new goals for yourself. You can start small by choosing to do one thing each day that takes you out of your comfort zone or you could brainstorm some bigger goals that could improve your life. For instance, sign up for that technology course that could put you in the running for a new position at work. When setting your goals, try to ensure that they’re challenging enough to help you move past any inertia you may need to overcome. In addition, be sure to keep a purpose in mind for each goal. Your “why” or reason behind the goal is what will motivate you to complete it. You’ll soon find that this forward motion will easily build upon itself, pushing you to reach for more challenging goals.

It’s easy to see how complacency can be the natural enemy to self-growth. You have the power to overcome it, though. Keep this information in mind when working toward becoming your best self.

Lesson 6 – Become Aware of Attitude

We are back today with another interesting concept. It’s the connection between attitude awareness and the ability to make adjustments to your outlook. You may think that we can’t really control our attitude. People often seem predisposed toward being an optimist or being a pessimist.

However, we are here to tell you that it truly is possible to take control of your attitude and that becoming more self-aware gives you more power over your life.

Read on for today's lesson...come back to this lesson as needed when you find yourself in a situation where you are wondering if it really is possible to control your attitude.

Lesson 6 - Become Aware of Attitude

Your attitude, or your thoughts and feelings toward the activities you pursue throughout your daily life, has a tremendous effect on who you are as a person. It guides your behavior and influences your mood. Your attitude impacts the way others view you, as well. It should come as no surprise that your perspective plays a direct role in your general happiness. Therefore, it’s crucial that you become aware of your attitude when embarking on a path to self-growth. Let’s consider some ways to focus on self-awareness and positive mindset.

Mind Your Emotional State

If you want to change your attitude, you first have to be mindful of it. Knowing how you’re feeling and being able to recognize certain emotions as you are experiencing them are imperative to regulating them. One of the best ways to name an emotion is to notice the way your body feels when you encounter it. Some self-assessments throughout your day can help you to associate the symptom within yourself to the emotion. For example, you may clench your teeth when you feel angry or get a slight stomach ache when nervous. Part of being mindful of your feelings is to also accept them. Both positive and negative emotions are part of the human experience, so don’t beat yourself up for your difficult moments.

Understand Your Power

Part of a poor attitude can often be attributed to the fact that we allow other people or even our feelings to control us. You give up your power when you react negatively to a situation, a person or your emotions. Angry or sad reactions happen. They’re a part of life. The problem is when these negative feelings invade your attitude and remain for too long. Bad feelings don’t usually go away easily. Changing your thoughts and beliefs about their cause is required in order to banish them in favor of a more positive outlook. This is where questioning your attitude and re-framing your thoughts comes in handy. You have the power to change the way you feel and act by altering the way in which you view events.

Turn Thoughts into Actions

Once you’ve been able to re-frame your thoughts, it’s time to turn them into positive actions. Instead of moping or pouting about unfair treatment at work, decide that sometimes misunderstandings happen. Then figure out whether there is anything you can do to improve the situation. Perhaps talking to your superior at a later time could help to sort things out and put them in your favor. If not, you may be able to develop a strategy to demonstrate your knowledge and positive contribution to the company. Taking some kind of proactive step will almost always lead you to feeling more in control and confident. When you feel more powerful over your life, you will have a more positive attitude.

As they say, attitude is everything. Taking steps to improve yours will have a great effect on your life in a multitude of ways. An attitude shift requires effort and isn’t as simple as flipping a switch. By putting these suggestions into practice, you’ll be well on your way to achieving a favorable mindset.

Lesson 5 – A Strong Reading Habit Promotes Self Growth

Yesterday we talked about building a morning practice of gratitude to take you through your day with a positive mindset. While that’s a great strategy, we want to emphasize that, when it comes to self-growth, nothing is more effective than making a commitment to expand your mind through regular reading.

Enriching your mind on topics like self-help, career development, personal health and other non-fiction topics can lead to your growth as a whole person.

Like most things in life, incorporating reading for self-growth purposes into your life requires a little shift in focus and a little practice to make it a habit. It takes time and energy, but it will serve you well going forward.

Let's start on Lesson 5!

Lesson 5 - A Strong Reading Habit Promotes Self Growth

If you want to grow as a person and live more positively, there are countless strategies that can lead to significant transformation. It can be overwhelming to consider all of the options you come across in the self-help genre. Some of these can also seem insurmountable in the amount of work involved. Growing as a person and making desired changes will take time and dedication, but the process doesn’t have to be a chore. In fact, one surprising technique for self-enhancement can actually be quite enjoyable for many. It has been shown that a strong reading habit promotes self-growth. If you’re an avid reader, this is probably good news. Those who don’t consider themselves to be book nerds can still find ways to benefit from the process. Take a moment to delve into this topic in order to see if this may be something to add to your personal development arsenal.

Stay Sharp

We’re all aware that our minds tend to become less sharp with advanced age. Cognitive decline is a part of the aging process, but it has been shown that those who are regular readers are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than folks who don’t read. This seems to follow a “use it or lose it” philosophy. A focused mind is of utmost importance when it comes to being your best self, so adding reading time to your schedule is advised.

Get Strong

Not only will reading help to ward off cognitive decline in later years, it will help strengthen your brain today. Reading can actually forge new pathways and connections in the brain. It’s kind of like exercising for the body. Your mind will become stronger as you use it. Who doesn’t want to have a strong mind?

Be Open and Empathic

Empathy is a personality trait that can benefit you in a multitude of ways. With a better understanding of others comes a better self. Reading fiction, particularly, can help you to become more empathetic because it encourages you to relate to the characters, to consider their motivations or feelings and to wonder about what they might do next. It opens you to the experiences of others and to the potential of making changes in yourself.

Improve Your Mood

Reading can make you feel better. Known as bibliotherapy, it has been shown that reading can actually be used in the treatment of depression. Lowered stress levels are a result of immersing yourself in a book. This makes sense because it’s true that we can lose ourselves in literature. While reading, you’re not worrying about the problems in your life. As long as it’s not used as a means of running away from your troubles, your literary habit can be quite good for your overall mood and health.

There are tons of other benefits that come from developing a reading habit. Hopefully, this list has given you some inspiration to dive into a good book as a means toward improving your own self growth process.

Lesson 4 – A Gratitude Exercise in the Morning Helps to Develop a Positive Mindset for the Rest of the Day

Because our thoughts have such an impact on our feelings, starting the day off with positive thoughts is a great way to increase your chances of maintaining those good vibes all day long.

Practicing gratitude, or feeling grateful for your life and all that’s important to you, is a focused strategy for increasing positivity.

Focusing on gratitude is one of the fastest ways to turn a negative outlook around.

Beginning your day with a practice of gratitude is a transformative habit that can affect your entire day.

That’s what today’s lesson is all about. Take a few minutes to read it and let us know what you think.

Lesson 4 - A Gratitude Exercise in the Morning Helps to Develop a Positive Mindset for the Rest of the Day

Changing your thinking really doesn’t have to be an overwhelming and complicated process. Sure, it’s not easy. Nor will it happen overnight. However, making a concerted effort to switch up a few things or add a couple new practices to your daily routine can lead to long-term results that last. One practice you can begin to instill that’s not terribly intimidating is to embrace gratitude as you start your day. A gratitude exercise in the morning helps to develop a positive mindset for the rest of your day by putting you on the right track before you even walk out the door. The following information will explain this simple process and the benefits it can offer.

A Common Gratitude Exercise

One of the easiest and most effective ways to practice gratitude each day is to write in a journal. The act of putting pen to paper can be therapeutic in itself, almost as if you are creating your intentions as you form the letters on the page. Some people prefer to type their journal into their computer, and that’s fine also. The important thing is to consistently take time each day to journal an expression of gratitude. You can simply write a list of five things you are grateful for each morning as a way to center your mind on positivity as your day begins or you may decide to write longer entries. By making this morning writing a habit, you will instill a routine that brings positive thinking to the forefront of every day. It’s difficult to slip into negative thought patterns when you’re reminded daily of all the good things you’re fortunate enough to possess, including good health, shelter, loving family, good friends and food to nourish you.

Benefits of a Morning Gratitude Exercise

The primary reason embracing gratitude works is because it intentionally shifts your focus to a positive mindset instead of one that concentrates on lack or negativity. In order for this shift to become internalized into your frame of reference, you’ll need to practice. That’s where daily writing comes in. Journaling makes it more real and is more proactive than attempting to change your thinking alone. As you begin to embrace gratitude daily, you may soon find that you become less fearful. Grateful people center their attention on abundance, which naturally tends to overcome fear. Being less afraid allows you a certain peace of mind that is comforting. When there is less fear, there can be more risk. You may discover increased success in your career and other areas of interest because gratitude gives you the freedom to pursue what’s meaningful to you. All of these benefits combined have the ability to give you a far happier life.

Practical Steps to Getting Started

The most difficult part of implementing a new routine is usually just getting started. To help you be more committed to your morning gratitude exercise, it’s important to put some concrete measures into place. First of all, be realistic. Your new habit won’t take root right away, so be easy on yourself if you find yourself skipping a day here and there. Just get back into the groove as soon as possible and move on. Discouragement is what leads us to quit. In the beginning, set your alarm to go off 20 minutes or so earlier than usual. This will give you adequate time to attend to your morning ritual so you don’t feel rushed. As you get used to journaling each day, you’ll find a quick five minutes is all you need. If you find you’re not able to maintain this practice on your own, get an accountability buddy. Tell someone about your new goal and ask them to check in with you on occasion. This will motivate you to stick with writing until it becomes a habit.

So there you have it. Beginning a practice of gratitude isn’t all that difficult, but its rewards are great. You may soon discover that you truly crave this peaceful alone time to set your daily intentions and to enjoy the quiet solitude.

Lesson 3 – Never Stop Learning and Never Stop Growing

In lesson 2, we took a closer look at the importance of having a positive mindset.

Today it’s time to look at self-growth and make sure we’re all on the same page about what it means and, most importantly, how it can benefit you in all areas of your life.

We’ll explore some tangible ways you can gain opportunities for self-growth, as well.

Let's proceed with today's lesson, shall we?

Lesson 3 - Never Stop Learning and Never Stop Growing

Making a commitment to personal development is definitely a worthwhile investment of your time and resources. Growing as a person doesn’t require a formal education or spending a lot of money on workshops by well-known experts. There are tons of ways to expand your mind and to become a more fulfilled person. The benefits of which are immense. Keep reading the information below if you want to know why you should never stop learning and never stop growing as a person.

Avoid Boredom

Boredom is one of the biggest contributors to the feeling of being stuck in a rut. Being bored is a symptom of a mind that is not fully engaged, and it can lead to complacency. The longer you remain unexcited about the life you’re living, the harder it can become to motivate yourself to look for ways to change. Instead, look for ways to stretch your comfort zone. Make a list of ways to do this. It can include new topics or skills you’d like to learn, types of people you’d be interested to meet, experiences that would delight you or something as simple as a different kind of food you want to try. Your list should include baby steps and large leaps. Start with the small stuff and work your way to bigger things or mix it up as the mood strikes.

Expand Your Life

By remaining stuck in a rut, you’re limiting yourself. You’re missing out on new experiences, satisfying relationships and career fulfillment. Taking time to learn something about a topic of interest or about yourself expands your life through knowledge and opportunity. Each item you place on the list of steps you take toward self-growth adds a little more to your world. Perhaps it’s a new skill that can open up exciting job prospects or maybe it’s an encounter with a person who may become a trusted friend. It could also be an idea or concept that was previously unknown to you, but which could transform your entire belief system. You never know what wonderful things are out there if you choose to remain where you are.

Increase Creativity

Your creativity can become stagnant, even if you’re a person who likes to create such as an artist, singer, crafter or writer. Sometimes we simply find our creative outlets take a back burner while we are focused on other aspects of life. That’s fine, but it can be incredibly difficult to find your way back to creativity again when it’s been absent for a while. Even if creating has never been at the top of your list, you can benefit from a adding a spark of imagination to your life. Setting aside specific time to read books or take classes on some form of artistry can inspire renewed interest in you. Simply deciding to add some new recipes to your usual menu choices can be enough to inspire a change in your outlook.

Make Priorities

As you begin to explore various topics of personal development, you may start to notice that your priorities shift. Something in your exploration is likely to strike a chord and excite you enough that you want to dedicate more of your time to learning about it. This means you will be forced to step out of your current routine in order to make time for your new interest. This simple action can be the catalyst for additional changes to come.

Gain Happiness

Through your exposure to novel ideas and information, you are bound to come across experiences, people and, hopefully, passions that may shift your worldview. You may begin to appreciate nonmaterial things more and begin to focus on the joy that comes from such riches. These are the things happiness is made of.

Continuous learning and growing can provide you with multitudes of benefits. These are just a handful. Hopefully, you now have the motivation to commit yourself to your own journey of self-discovery.

Lesson 2 – The Importance of a Positive Mindset

We want to make sure we are all on the same page about what it means to have a positive mindset and why it matters. The way you think greatly affects the manner in which you feel and the actions you take. That’s something we’ll explore more in today’s lesson.

Spend a few minutes reading today’s lesson and start to think about what having a positive mindset means and how it can impact you, your life and those around you.

Lesson 2 - The Importance of a Positive Mindset

Yes, the way you think has a number of direct effects on other areas in your life. If you know that you tend to look at the cup as half empty, changing your mindset is a worthwhile goal. Better stress management, improved health, stronger relationships and increased career success are just a few of the numerous ways your life can be better through a shift in thinking. Let’s take a look at the importance of a positive mindset, along with ways to cultivate positive thinking.

Positive Thinking and Self-Talk

Positive thinking involves looking at life’s setbacks in a more proactive manner. By focusing on possibilities and solutions instead of everything that’s wrong, you’re more likely to generate productive thoughts around the situation. Our self-talk is comprised of the automatic thoughts that run through our heads when presented with a problem or complex situation. These thoughts are usually skewed in either a positive or negative direction, and they have a powerful influence on the way you feel about yourself, a situation or life in general. Because these thoughts are so automatic, they often tend to arise from past experiences, preconceived notions or lack of information. More positive thoughts can be generated through research, inquiry or purposeful contemplation. Interrupting your automatic self-talk lets you discover information or consider more realistic views of a problem that can lead to affirmative beliefs needed to develop practical solutions. This process is known as re-framing negative self-talk, and it’s relevant to your outlook on life.

Benefits of a Positive Mindset

People enjoy being near people who are upbeat. You may be surprised how your social opportunities increase with a shift in your thinking. Your relationships are likely to improve as you start to frame issues in a positive light. It’s easier to work through misunderstandings when you approach them proactively. It’s this same principle in action when it comes to stress. Worrying and constantly thinking about the bad things is the root of stress. Simply by turning your thoughts in a different direction, you’ll be eliminating your primary sources of stress. And this can lead to improved physical and mental health. By feeling more in control of your stressors, your anxiety will likely lessen.  It can even have an impact on lowering depression. You’ll feel decreased muscle tension and enhanced concentration. Positive thinking can also affect cardiovascular health and overall lifespan.

Ways to Focus on Positive Thinking

Cultivating a more positive mindset requires active attention to your thought patterns and practicing the habit of re-framing negative ones. It may be helpful to make a list of the areas in which you’re more prone to have a pessimistic view. This will help you to be mindful of your most prone issues. Assess your progress throughout the day to note the times you were successful. Doing so can increase your motivation and encourage progress. Avoid dwelling on missteps. Instead, cut yourself some slack and concentrate on the ways in which you’re moving forward. Make an effort to surround yourself with happy people who usually look on the bright side, as this will provide you with models to follow. Be intentional in your practice of re-framing your self-talk and know that it is a process that requires practice over time.

The importance of a positive mindset and its effects on your life shouldn’t be minimized. Changing the way you think really does impact you in a lot of positive ways. You’ll begin to feel better about life’s difficulties, which can translate in so many wonderful outcomes.

Lesson 1 – Why What You Think and Learn Matter

Welcome to Day 1 of our "30 Positivity And Self-Growth Lessons For Girl Power Halo of Happiness" course.

You may consume as much of this 30-day course as you wish in 1 sitting or you could spread it over the course of 30 days for easy learning. Most importantly, don't stress over finishing this course all in one go. This is because this course is free and will be on AshleyYeo.com 24/7 for you. You just have to bookmark our site and visit our site on a daily basis for nugget sized learning and delightful self-growth.

Over the duration of this course, we challenge you to think about what it means to become more positive in your thinking and what the concept of self-growth means.

We’ll look at how learning about and investing in yourself can change your life for the better. This journal of exploration will be quite the eye opener if you take the time to follow along.

Of course, we'll also have plenty of tips and ideas for you to help you on your own journey toward self-actualization.

We explain a little more about how this will work, along with providing some strategies for the ways in which you can begin to become more positive and grow as an individual.

Are you ready for "Lesson 1 - Why What You Think and Learn Matter"?

If you are, please read on...

Lesson 1 - Why What You Think and Learn Matter

Most of us feel stuck in a rut at various times throughout our lives. Such periods can lead to feelings of helplessness, sadness, irritability and resignation. Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety may even be exacerbated during these times. While it can seem impossible to get past this place, making a few simple changes can actually prove to have significant benefit. Taking proactive steps to address your thought patterns and personal development make overcoming slumps seem more achievable. Read on to discover why what you think and learn matters.

About Positive Mindset

The way you think truly does influence the way you feel, as well as your behavior. With this in mind, it makes sense that changing your thinking from a negative to a positive mindset can cause a shift in your overall mood and lifestyle. People who focus on the good over the bad tend to be happier. Positivity can affect your life for the better in a number of areas. Your self-confidence, relationships with others and even your physical health can benefit from making a concerted effort to think more positively.

Benefits of Positive Thinking

When your thoughts are primarily affirmative, you’ll find your stress levels begin to lower. That’s because your focus has shifted from useless emotions such as worry and fear to more intentional efforts like planning and gratitude. By purposefully looking at the bright side, you’re more solution-focused and are more likely to move past roadblocks. So instead of being stressed, you’ll feel accomplished. These accomplishments will naturally provide you with greater feelings of confidence and empowerment. People who feel strong in their abilities have the emotional energy to achieve higher success rates in their personal and professional lives. It stands to reason that confident people will take more risks toward pursuing what they want than those who are primarily influenced by negativity. Plus, others will likely want to be around you since people tend to flock to positive individuals. Finally, you’ll just feel better physically when you no longer suffer from the muscle tension, headaches, depression and anxiety that often accompany poor mindset.

About Self Growth

Personal development is a big industry that encompasses topics like spirituality, fitness, learning, relationships and money. There’s a reason for the popularity of this genre. People have a natural desire for self-actualization, or fulfilling one’s potential. We want to feel fulfilled by our lives through conscious living in which we meet the needs we deem most important beyond those that are required to simply sustain life. Essentially, in order to be happy, humans must have the ability to pursue more than just the bare minimum physical needs such as food, shelter and physical safety. Failure to do so is what leads to feeling stuck or trapped, and it can be quite devastating to your spirit.

Benefits of Self Growth

There are lots of ways to go after self-growth. What will be most successful for you depends upon your preferred method of learning and your personal goals. Let’s take a look at some general benefits of self-growth that apply to everyone to give you an idea of the possibilities. Whether it’s through reading, taking a class or joining an organized group of some kind, you may be able to gain insight on your life’s purpose. Knowing what is most important to you can allow you to focus your energies on that goal, allowing you the freedom of letting a lot of unnecessary things go. This doesn’t mean there will be only one ultimate goal that should be important to you. Rather, better understanding of your life’s purpose lets you better prioritize your life, leading to feelings of fulfillment, motivation and empowerment. As with positive mindset, self-growth attainment will likely bring you better relationships and more happiness through prioritizing your energies on those interactions that your cherish.

Some people may think of mindset and self-help as a bunch of rubbish or woo. However, the gains that come with paying mindful attention to one’s thoughts and growth cannot be denied. It can seem overwhelming to dig yourself out of your current rut, but you now see that big change is possible through small, intentional steps.