Myths and Superstitions

There are numerous myths and superstitions associated with this supposedly “unlucky” day.

If you’re interested in some FUN FACTS associated with Friday the 13th then you’re in luck (pun totally intended!)

If a month begins on a Sunday there will be a Friday the 13th 12 days later

The longest period that can occur without a Friday the 13th is fourteen months

The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia, which is derived from the greek words Paraskevi (meaning Friday) and dekatria (meaning thirteen)

Many buildings don’t count their 13th floors. You’ll see on elevators that the numbers skip from 12 to 14.

Butch Cassidy, the infamous American train and bank robber, was born on Friday, April 13, 1866

Fidel Castro was born on Friday, August 13, 1926

It’s an interesting legend but the truth of the matter is that “luck” has nothing to do with what day of the month it is…

Here is the why – You already have all the resources you need to create your own luck!

Just be there!

“Right now a moment of time is passing by…
we must become that moment.”
Paul Cezanne

Do you ever feel that you get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you don’t really get a chance to enjoy it?

Today I want you to focus on really being there; being truly present to what ever the moment is that you are experiencing.

If you are used to doing a million things at once, then this can be quite a challenge.

Whether you are at work, play or somewhere in between, make it your point to focus simply on what you are doing right now.

Don’t think about your to-do list, don’t check messages on your iPhone or Blackberry and don’t even consider multi-tasking.

Don’t think about coulds or shoulds, what-ifs or maybes.

Just keep your mind on the here and now and appreciate the moment for what it is.

Learning to be present to each and every moment of your life (and to the people you share it with) is incredibly life-enhancing.

After all if life is a gift, shouldn’t you be taking time to open it, be grateful and most of all enjoy it…

Take It Easy and Enjoy Life

Can you remember your childhood days? During those times, nothing yet seemed complicated – all we had to think about were crayons, cookies, or Santa Claus. We didn’t care about the things we didn’t know because we were just too oblivious of the things that might bother us.

But as we grow older, we get anxious with the things that surround us – life and death, loving and parting, success and failure, to name a few. We find that almost everyday, we are obliged to be concerned about people or events.

Nevertheless, always keep this in mind: Don’t take things as if they are responsible for the way you feel. Events or situations do not trouble you. How you look at them does.

If you miss those carefree days, you just have to look back at how you used to view things then, and you will know what to do now. Here’s a guide to make sure you won’t lose your way:

Cherish the simple things: Trust in the power of a smile or laughter, a kiss or a hug. Believe in kindness, honesty, dreams, and imagination. Living positively is the first step to becoming happy.

Loosen up. Laugh at your mistakes. You might remember the time when you were delivering your speech and your mind went completely blank right in the middle of delivering it. It’s embarrassing. But most likely, your audience will forget about it in a day or two. We all mess up occasionally. The good thing is that people tend to forget such situations.

Surround yourself with what you love. Get a pet. Retain film moments as keepsakes. Keep away from those that drag you down. If that high-paying job makes you sulk at the thought of having to go to work, find a job you like first before quitting. If some people force you to comply even if you think of doing otherwise, stay away from their company.

Don’t put off. Go on that trip. Take your Master’s. You’ll never know the extent of your life. Do something, while you can.

Don’t push yourself too hard trying to please everyone. You just can’t. And it never seems to be worth it anyway. When you want to make somebody’s day, start with your loved ones.

Keep fit. Be that attractive person you always picture yourself to be. Cherish your health. It’s the best way of showing you are putting your best face forward.

Do not assume. Don’t fret about forgetting your speech before you actually do it. Don’t worry about not getting the job you want because you might mess up at the interview. It’s good to expect the worst; but don’t end up expecting only the worst.

Alter your way of thinking. When you’re being ridiculed, criticized about your family background, or condemned for past mistakes, put on deaf ears. Don’t believe everything you hear. You know yourself better than everybody else does. Never wallow in self-pity.

Remember: Don’t get upset over things just because it’s how most people would react when faced with the same situation. When you find yourself being negative – angry, down, jealous, etc. – you also unknowingly drain your energy and enthusiasm. You just have to try keeping these negative feelings in the low, because giving in to these emotions would sometimes make you unreasonable, and you might end up making bad decisions.

Happiness is always in your grasp. You can attain it, as long as you know how.

Success is a journey not a destination

“Without deviation, progress is not possible.”
Frank Zappa

Do you want to change the way you live your life.

Do you sometimes find yourself chastising, critiquing or judging yourself for the things you haven’t done.

I’m not talking about the largely inconsequential things that fill up to our huge to-do lists, but the more serious stuff…

So often I hear people beating themselves up because they haven’t achieved this goal, that dream or some other life ambition.

The truth is, life and success, are a journey, not a destination – it’s not a cliché it’s a fact!

As long as your intention is to live your best possible life, this is the life you will be living… regardless of whether it is filled with all the things you thought you would have or have done, by 30, 40, 50 or whenever…

So now I want you to focus on appreciating the life you already have.

BE GRATEFUL

Forget about all the things you haven’t done and instead express your gratitude for all the experiences your life has been filled with so far.

And imagine the experiences yet to come

Finding Your True Passion

“Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.”
– Georg Hegel

Let me ask you this – how do you want to live your life? a life of mundane days where one day slips into the next or a full and passionate life where you are experiencing all those rich rewards that are at the end of the rainbow.

So you ask me how do you discover what you’re really passionate about?

How can you separate the dreams from what can actually be the accomplished?

You could be passionate about ruling the world.

Well you know that you’re not the first to dream of that and here’s the thing it can be done.

Alexander the Great ruled almost the entire known world in his time.

So let me ask you – what is your true passion?

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to discover those currents that travel deep inside you:-

• Read your own body language.

  How does your body behave at your present job?

  Does it tense up and ache all the time?

  Do you get panic attacks very often?

  Are you so bored that you snooze at your desk?

  Do you keep looking at the clock as break time comes near?

  Guess what if that’s you

  Then you are in the wrong job.

  You simply don’t have the passion for it.

  When you work on a job that you are passionate about, all your aches and cramps will dissolve.

  You will find yourself working extra hours, talking to your friends about your work and simply bubbling with life.

• What did you love doing as a child?

  Your childhood hobbies and obsessions can indicate a genuine passion.

  Education and family pressures often move us away from our true calling.

  Did you love bikes or gardening or trekking?

  Then maybe a career in the automobile or landscaping or travel industries is where you should be!

  So sit back and recall your childhood and write down your memories.

  What made you smile then may still make you grin today and in the future.

• What do you love doing now you are an adult?

  You might very well have passionate side pursuits even today.

  Do you love your moonlighting job more than your regular day job?

  Many corporate types work the night shift as chefs or night school teachers.

  Start spending a few hours every day on your pet hobby.

  It may just hold the key to the real you!

Finding Happiness

Well here’s the thing we all, that’s you, me, your neighbor, the cab driver and even you enemies all have in common, no matter the color of our skin, our age, or our gender, its this we all want to live a happy life.

To find a happy job, happy relationships, happy lifestyle and happy living.

So now what is happiness?

Happiness is an emotion that we describe for when something external is giving us a temporary relief from the unhappiness that we find inside.

Fullfilment, on the other hand, is our infinite natural state when we stop seeking for something externally to bring us happiness.

The only reason we seek to find happiness in our external world is because we aren’t fulfilled internally.

Many fear their infinite nature and believe themselves to be limited.

This fear misleads us to seek who we are in our external world.

Yet, in building our identities externally to find happiness, meaning and purpose will always be subject to the emotional ups and downs corresponding with external ups and downs, or gains and losses.

The “Truth,” however, is that if we were to stop seeking for happiness externally, we would realize that we are happiness itself.

This is what allows us to realize the purpose and meaning of what we call our “Life.”

That is what is it means to be truly fulfilled.

For as long as someone seeks to fix, improve, or change the external identity so that they may find “happiness” they will be met with both happiness and unhappiness.

They will be met with life’s grand illusionary game, a game that cannot be won, only played.

It’s only when you “let go” of trying to win this “game of life” that you shall free yourself to experience fulfilment and remember the meaning and the purpose of who you truly are.

How to be happier

“To be what we are,
and to become
what we are capable of becoming
is the only end of life.”
R.L. Stevenson

Today I would like to share a message of inspiration and encouragement, motivation and support.

This message should only take you a minute or so to read, but if you put it into action it could change the way you live your life.

Are you as happy as you could be?

Do you sometimes find that as hard as you work at being happier, you only seem to manage to be busier?

I’ve been asked what I think the secret to being happy is…

I believe that happiness is achieved when we live our life in alignment with our values – honouring the things that matter most in our life.

This week, when you find yourself with a decision to make or an option to consider, ask yourself ‘does this take me closer to or further from, a life that is aligned with my values?’

Real success is rarely about cars, houses or boats.

By continually checking in with your values and the things that matter most to you, not only will you find it easier to make decisions, you will begin to create a life where you are truly happy and fulfilled.

Take care and remember, you are worthy of real success.

Boosting Your Brainpower

Here’s a trick that an actor friend of mine swears boosts brainpower.

Next time you forget where you parked, here’s an idea that could get you back behind the wheel in no time at all.

Pinch your right nostril shut.

Yeah that right pinch your nostril closed.

Research shows that pinching the right one shut and breathing through the left boosts spatial memory – the part of your brain that helps with memory and navigation.

In general, you use the left side of your brain to balance your check book, carry on conversations and solve problems that require linear reasoning.

The right side helps you paint like Picasso and recognize faces; it controls spatial abilities.

The right side is also in charge of the left side of your body, but here’s the twist:

The left side controls the right side of your brain and vice versa.

So when you start breathing through the left nostril, it gives the right side of your brain a boost.

Try it

Ways to Show Your Teen You Care

Recently I read an article from a parent about the problems they were having with their teenage kids and it got me thinking.

Teens need to know their parent(s) care.

Teenagers go through a lot of physical and emotional changes.

I reckon if you are the parent of a teen, it is crucial that you make sure they know how much you care about them.

Often parents fear that they are pushing their teens away from them if they show interest in their lives.

The truth is, I believe that teenagers like everyone else need to know that someone, especially their parents), are interested and really care about them

Ways you can show your teen that you care:

• Pay her a compliment.

  Every child, no matter how young or old, needs to hear nice things about themselves.

  If they don’t get it from home, I can assure you they will search for it somewhere else.

  Let her know when she’s done a good job.

  Tell him that you’re proud when he brings home a 4.0 report card.

  Pay them the compliments they deserve.

• Give him choices.

  It is natural for parents to try to hold the reins tighter as your teen gets older.

  The only thing this leads to though, is making him want to pull away from you even more.

  Instead, give him choices.

  Letting him make certain decisions will do several things for him: learn how to make good choices, learn from his mistakes, and take pride in himself.

• Ask about her day.

  I know your life is busy we live in an 24 x 7 world.

  You have a career; you’re worried about making ends meet; you’re thinking about how you can better your family.

  Don’t forget to take the time to stop and ask your teen how her day was.

  She may not be willing to give you a run-down on all the details, but show your care.

When all is said and done we really do love them don’t we?

Keep Your Integrity

It’s more precious than diamonds or rubies.

The old miser said to his sons:

“Make money; get it honestly if you can, but get money:”

This advice was not only terribly evil, but it was the very heart and soul of stupidity:

It was like saying, “if you find it you can’t get money honestly, you can easily

get it dishonestly.

“Poor fool!”

Not realizing that one of the most difficult things in life is to make money dishonestly!

Prisons are full of people who tried to follow this advice; without realizing that you can’t be dishonest, without soon being

found out, and that when this happens as it will, nearly every road to success is closed.

Society blackballs those whose integrity is doubted.

It doesn’t matter how respectable and nice a person may seem to be, none of us want to hang with a person

we suspect deals with “false weights and measures.”

Honesty is the basis for all success in life (financially).

Uncompromising integrity is priceless.

With integrity comes a peace and joy which cannot be achieved without it–and this is something that money can’t buy.

A person who has a reputation for being honest, may appear to be poor, but they have the trust of their community –because everyone knows that if they promise to return something that they have borrowed — they will.

Remember that “honesty is the best policy.”