​Most people have dealt with some sort of negativity their entire lives. Negative experiences start during childhood and continue throughout our adult lives. This is a normal part of life that we all deal with. Too often though, our thoughts become negative as well. Even more troubling is when we start talking to ourselves in a negative manner. This negative self-talk is one of the most limiting behaviors one can deal with. Use these tips to help overcome it.

Distinguish between negative thoughts and critical thinking.
We need to have a certain amount of self-critique, otherwise we will never believe that we are doing something wrong. However, you need to recognize when that critiquing becomes negative self-talk. When you can distinguish between these, it will lead to a better situation.

If you want to be your own person then you will need to learn how to follow your heart. We all have those tugs and feelings that pull at our hearts, telling us where we want to go. Having the strength to follow them is different case altogether.

In order to follow your heart you have to learn how to let go of certain things, and start acting upon your instincts and your desires.

​My word for this year is RELEASE. 

​So how do you start following your heart? First you have to learn how to trust yourself, this means learning to accept you for who you are. 

​Take a look at your life and see what circumstances have led you to where you are today. Is this the path that you want to be on? If not it is time to change course, and only you can give yourself permission to do this.
It will not always be easy to follow your heart. You may end up upsetting or disappointing your family. May be you really don’t want the career your parents had hoped for. Or you heart’s desires may lead you to moving away from your family and friends.

​These decisions may not always be easy and it will take a good amount of soul searching in order to make them. This is when you know whether or not you are being true to yourself or not.

​Life is not perfect for anyone, even if you are following your dreams. Life gets in the way and circumstances arise that are out of your control.
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​You have to learn how to deal with them one by one. While still staying on course.

Following your heart doesn’t mean that you have to live the life of a missionary or live in a remote cabin. Although that does sound delightful. It means just allowing yourself to be that person that deep down inside you know you are. This means not being worried about what others think. It means airing your views openly without hiding. Plus it means being happy and content with the person that you have evolved into because you are and will be forever evolving. 

Some people fear that if they start living the life they want to that they will be outcast from their friends and family. Would those friends really be friends? You can still live the life you feel that you want to be living without this happening to you. Let’s look at how you can manage this.
No one expects you to always have the exact same viewpoint as them. If they do, that is their problem. When you do find yourself in disagreement just be careful about how you show this. While expressing your views, don’t become headstrong and forceful. Instead learn to listen to both sides of the argument or discussion. There doesn’t always have to be a clear winner. Agree to disagree. 

An authentic person is someone that means what they say, says what they mean and walks the talk! You know the type of person who you are, and you are extremely comfortable living in your own skin.​
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When you are living the life you want to live you share honestly with others. You are not vulnerable and yet, you know who you can be vulnerable with. You have an inner strength that is often admired by others. You genuinely know how to love, trust and respect the people in your life. Plus you can leave that pesky ego in the background if and when necessary. At the same time you seize every opportunity to learn, grow and explore everything around you. ​

​Do you accept yourself for who you are, or do you struggle to feel comfortable in your own skin? Do you find yourself often trying to be someone else?

Feeling comfortable and accepting yourself is important to your mental health, self-esteem, and leading a fulfilling life. Let’s take a look at how you can achieve these feelings.

Your first step is to ask yourself a couple of questions:

1. Who is the person that you want to become? Describe this person in detail.
2. What are the things that you really care about? What are you values?
3. Is there anything or anyone who you may lose if you start to live the life you truly want?​

​Write your answers out in detail. This way you have a full description of the person you want to become and why.

During this journey you also need to understand and accept that nobody is perfect. Every person has faults, and you have to learn to live with them. You are now ready to begin living your life the way you want to, and the way you deserve to.

​No one likes to fail. It feels bad. You might feel like giving up or blaming someone else or beating yourself up. But you might be surprised to hear that many successful people are not just grateful for their past failures, but they ascribe their present success to having tried and failed in the past. 

​5 Smart, Effective Ways to Protect Yourself from Negativity

​Negativity affects your life on every level. It has the power to ruin relationships, decrease work performance, and increase stress levels. The good news is that you can fight it by changing your mindset.
 
Not sure where to start?
Check out these smart, effective ways to protect yourself from negativity:

​Some people find journaling appealing while others think it sounds like an incredibly boring activity.

If you don’t currently write in a journal regularly, you might want to reconsider. 

​There are numerous benefits to recording your thoughts, life, and aspirations on a daily basis.

Journaling can help your memory, problem-solving ability, achievement, emotional health, and even your physical health. ​

If you truly want to be your best you, to have a happy and healthy life, you need to learn how to set boundaries.
Boundaries are being clear about what your limits are, and they are necessary to ensure you don’t get overwhelmed by the demands of other people. Without boundaries, you are likely to be overburdened, stressed, and resentful, and it’s up to you to set and maintain your limits. 
​You are the only one responsible for your happiness and wellbeing. No one else can do it for you.
If you find it hard to say no, and it’s affecting your wellbeing, you need to stop and recalibrate.

Want to be happier? Most people do! The good news is there are some simple practices to make you happy, and they don’t cost a cent! And, you can get started as soon as you finish reading this article.

Appreciate Appreciating people for what they have done for you helps improve your level of happiness. It strengthens your relationships and draws more positive people to you. Studies have shown that people who show gratitude consistently live a healthier life. They don’t have constant ups and downs in emotions, they sleep well and have fewer health problems.

Mindfulness has been a hot topic for a bit and for a good reason. Mindfulness has been shown to have a range of benefits and can improve your physical, mental, and emotional health. Whether you want to practice mindfulness to help you deal better with stress and anxiety, or to help you live a more positive life, you’re likely to have lots of questions.

Here are some answers to the most common questions people have about mindfulness:
1. How do I do it?
2. How do I breathe properly?
3. How do I stop my mind wandering?
4. How do I find the time for mindfulness?​

If there’s one thing that keeps people stuck, it’s a lack of clarity.
You want to take a beach vacation, but you aren’t sure where to go—or how to make it happen.
You want to grow your business, but aren’t even sure what that means.
The truth is, with ambiguous “goals” such as these, in five or ten years, you’ll still be stuck right where you’re at today.
But with a little clarity, you can achieve any goal you can conceive—and even some you cannot yet dream of. And the first step is to simply visualize what you want.

Leave Comparison Behind: Seek Your Own Goals for Greater Fulfillment
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Succeeding in life can seem like an uphill battle. You're probably striving for the same things as everyone else.
Especially now with social media, there seems to be a certain standard as to what’s an acceptable measure of success. But think about it.

​Don’t you think it's time to take a step back from comparison, ignore what the world is saying, and pursue goals based on what’s important to you – not someone else?

​​HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 
I KNOW that 2019 is going to be your BEST year yet! 
​One of the best ways to guarantee goal-setting success is to ensure that each of your goals or New Year's resolutions fits the SMART formula. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. When your goals have these characteristics, you are much likelier to achieve them.

Goal Setting Success
Setting short term, medium term, and long term goals for yourself is a key to success in your life. If there are things that you want to achieve or ways that you want to grow, setting goals as stepping stones is an important part of getting there.