7 Simple Ways To Burst Out of Bed Each Morning
Way before the sun peeks over the horizon, a few chosen people awaken from their slumber and dive head first into their day. These chosen few accomplish a ton before the rest of us would ever consider rising from our nice warm beds.
Who are these juggernauts that have command over the morning hours?
In theory, your productivity level shouldn't differ if you rise at 4am or 11am. What matters is the quality of sleep that's giving your mind and body sufficient time to recover.
These early rising juggernauts, these unstoppable agents of productivity, they see things differently. They see these early hours as their chance to lay claim to their share of the day. They rise with purpose, act with determination, and achieve ruthlessly.
The sun has not caught me in bed in fifty years. - Thomas Jefferson
The world is in awe of these special people, so let's take a look at what pops them out of bed like a toaster strudel and what gets them up, sometimes before the alarm!
1. Appointment With Waking
The harsh truth about the human body is that we're creatures of habit. In some ways this can be extremely inconvenient when trying to take on new things. However, if we allow ourselves to live within the rules of our body's natural cycle, which is a 24-hour circadian rhythm, we will be pleased with the body's functionality.
This means that when you find a waking hour that will work best for you each day of the week, you should stick to it. This will allow your body to want to support you in your endeavor of waking up, and rise you out of bed feeling fresh as a daisy.
2. The King and The Pauper Way Of Eating
The way our bodies function optimally is if we eat like a king in the morning and a pauper in the evening. This means that it's best to eat heavier, bigger portions in the morning because these meals will give us high energy throughout the day and then burn off.
Eating like a pauper, meaning small light meals, in the evening allows us to go to sleep on an empty stomach. If your body is functioning normally, and you don't have stomach ulcers, going to sleep on a mostly empty stomach will allow you to sleep better. This nightly fast allows your body to take it's focus away from digestion and put it towards repair and rejuvenation of the body's cells.
3. Living With Purpose
Young children will do anything to avoid going to sleep at night. These same children are also the ones that can't wait to get out of bed first thing in the world. The simple reason for this non-lazy behavior is that they don't want to miss a thing.
As adults we may need more persuasion than 'not wanting to miss a thing'. This is why we take extra steps in creating fun, life changing goals, and scheduling specific ways of how we'll get a step closer to these goals during this coming day. What we all need is not necessary a cause we're willing to die for, but at least a cause we're willing to LIVE for.
4. Plan Your Day
We can say we're going to live with purpose, but unless we plan, we can tell ourselves that we'll start living with purpose next week, or the week after that. Planning is one of the fundamental ways to maximize your mind to achieve your goals, and as such it plays a critical role in allowing us to have an awesome day, everyday. We need not do more than take 15 minutes the night before to succinctly organize the next days schedule.
A schedule complete with waking time, most important things of the day, eating and recreational allowances. Having a tight schedule allows me to live out my day with definitive purpose, while getting more done, having more fun, and not wasting precious moments of my life.
“Happy people plan actions, they don't plan results” - Dennis Wholey
5. The Water Hack
A bit of water before bed and half a liter as soon as you get up. The water before bed will serve in the rejuvenation process we mentioned above. While you sleep all your cells will fill up with this fresh water and create an over all well being within your body.
The water in the morning does two things. One is it provides your first dose of water to get your mind and body going. Another function, as told to me by my endocrinology teacher (a very qualified person to say this), is that a dose of water in the morning triggers a cascade of physiological functions that engages your digestive system and causes you to excrete feces. You'll feel nice and light first thing in the morning!
6. Work That Body
In number 1 above I mentioned that our bodies adapt around a 24-hour circadian rhythm. This works for sleep, eating, exercise, and many other bodily functions. We're a pretty efficient physiological machine when you think about it. This is why getting a dose of exercise is optimal in the morning. It gets the blood flowing and stimulates you to function on a higher level.
"Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness." - Edward Stanley
• Once you're used to this routine, your body will prepare by providing you with high energy before you start to work out. As you can see, if you wake up with this high energy, you're going to just pop out of bed.
*) Have 'Me' Time
No morning is completely satisfying unless you've scheduled in some 'Me' time. Whether you enjoy meditating to clear you mind and give you laser sharp focus, or reading to gain some new knowledge about the world, make sure you schedule in this time.
There may very a variety of things you enjoy doing, so this will be custom tailored to the individual. The point is that when you have something you REALLY enjoy doing right when you get up, you won't be able to wait until that alarm goes off till you jump out of bed and get to it!
Jul 19, 2011
Powerful Ideas That Will Bring Greater Clarity into Your Life
Powerful Ideas That Will Bring Greater Clarity into Your Life
In today’s busy world we very rarely have time to focus on what can truly bring us greater clarity and therefore greater meaning to our lives. We most often get caught up living our lives on automatic pilot and end up working extremely hard on just existing rather than consciously living. This seems to be accepted as the norm in today’s society and unfortunately we spend more time working on external things instead of our own internal well being.
Thankfully there are some fantastic resources out there to inspire positive thinking. It’s websites like DLM that help to inspire the change that I myself have been in search of for all these years.
Below I would like to share with you some (hopefully) insightful life lessons that if consciously practiced can also help to inspire positive change.
Here goes…
• Happiness
The secret to happiness is to accept everything in your life completely and to let go of the baggage. It only seems difficult, but it's not. Happiness is a choice we make regardless of the imperfections in our lives. Happiness cannot be ours until we wake up to the truth that we are perfect beings living in a world that presents imperfections.
You are not your problems...problems are a fact of life, we all face them, we will always endure hard times, and this is never going to change. If you cannot be happy, it is simply because you have identified with your problems on an intimate level and made a home for them inside your mind. Wake up...change your thoughts...change your life...the only way to live your life is to accept that troubles are a part of it...only then can you let go and move on when they arise. I have never met a happy person that claimed to have zero problems.
• Acceptance
I don’t like to hear people use the phrases “this too will pass” or “time is a great healer.” I honestly believe that if we’re waiting for better times to come in the future or are waiting for sorrow to pass, then quite simply we are not doing anything to help ourselves move on. The only way to conquer sorrow or hard times is to accept they are here, to accept that we are hurting and once we completely accept it, only then can we let go and move on.
• Limitless Mind
I spend most of my waking moments, studying, analyzing, contemplating and questioning everything that I experience through my limited senses. I don’t rely on intellectual knowledge for the answers to reality. Reality is not what we think it is. Reality is what happens when we wake up to the fact that there is no truth, there is only perception, and our reality is a complete and utter fabricated lie if we don’t accept that our limitations are created in our mind.
• Reaction Control
We create our outside reality by the thoughts and beliefs we maintain about life in general. What we believe in our inner world will be duplicated in our outer world, not the other way around. We all have problems and often we are tested by circumstances and situations outside of our control, but when this happens, try to remember that even though you may not be in control of what’s going on outside of you all the time, you most definitely can control your reaction to whatever situation you are faced with…the power will always be in your control whether you realize it or not.
We have the power because our inner world (cause) affects the influence we allow the outer world (effect) to have on us. So next time you hear somebody mention that you have great personal power, they are 100% correct, because you are always in control of your reality...always.
• Perspective
When you always expect your life to unfold in accordance to what is best for you at the time, then you will ultimately accept that every obstacle you face is a chance to grow and learn. Sometimes even the seemingly worst circumstances can turn out to be a blessing in disguise...life is a matter of perception - perception is a matter of mind.
• Doubtful Mind
We judge ourselves, doubt ourselves, criticize ourselves and pretty much tell ourselves why we aren’t good enough to go out and accomplish what we truly want in life. We wouldn’t allow anybody else to talk to us in that way so why do we allow our doubtful mind to. Monitor your self-talk and take the necessary steps to weed out this self-defeating behavior. You are NOT your mind, you are the controller of your mind
• Journey Well
Try not to put too much of your focus on arriving at your destination. We know life is about the journey and not the arrival. We don’t need to arrive if we accept that we are already here. Be happy and content where you are today and don’t make the mistake of putting off being happy because you are waiting for the right moment to shine. Travel well today and consciously make the effort to enjoy the journey. It is better to travel well than it is to arrive. Not everyone woke up this morning and not everyone will go to bed tonight. Life has no guarantees, every minute you are living is a blessing that has to be experienced in the moment…in the now…it’s not always easy, but it’s always an option…a choice…your choice.
• Detachment...
We attach emotion and therefore meaning to the situations and circumstances in our lives, thus, we reinforce our beliefs about those things. I know this is obvious, but maybe it is not as clear-cut as we may think. If we step back and detach our emotions from situations and look at them purely from a logical standpoint, we will see that there is good and bad in everything we perceive. There is always two sides to the coin and each side is presented to us at different times. One person will perceive a situation as bad where another will perceive it as good. The situation itself is neutral but our beliefs, judgments and prejudices are the defining characteristics for the outcomes.
Take a look at the troublesome circumstances you find yourself in on a regular basis and ask yourself if it is time to take a different approach. Sometimes we automatically react in the same way out of habit and never get past these problems. Ask yourself if it is really worth it to continue seeing these problems in the same way. Is it time to shift from the side of the coin you so often focus on to the other side.
Remember…the situation will not change as a fact, but when your perspective changes then the situation will ultimately change in your mind’s eye, and we know that our mind creates reality. Even if it seems like an impossible task you must consciously make the effort. It will seem very difficult at times but always remember that it is just your perceptions you have to overcome and not the external task we face. This may not seem a plausible solution to every situation but any effort no matter how small is a step in the right direction. Retrain your mind to see your habitual reactions to troubles in your life from a new viewpoint. Have a wonderful and productive day.
• Don't Exist...Live...
It is very important for us to break free from the control of external things. We cannot fall victim to outside circumstances. It benefits our lives in no way when we willingly give up our own personal power to things outside of ourselves that we have little or no control over. We all have personal powerful, just make sure you don’t give up yours by not accepting you have power to begin with.
Nobody on this entire planet has more rights to live their lives on their own terms than you do. Accept the world for what it IS and not for what you want it to be. You control the world by taking control of yourself…that’s how it’s done. Being who YOU are is all you have to be. I truly believe that it is a rare thing for people to “live”, simply because we are influenced more by the external than the internal. To be a victim to outside circumstances is to EXIST, but to be influenced by the internal is to LIVE . If you haven’t consciously done so yet, start today by making goddamn sure you give yourself the LOVE and RESPECT that you undoubtedly deserve. Give it to yourself FIRST, then accept it from the outside.
• Own your Mind Business...
Remember...'YOU' and not the events that happen today will determine how good or bad your day will be. Make it your goal to not let anyone or anything affect your day in a negative way...your mind is the government of the 50 trillion cells in your body and your thoughts will determine whether these cells live in a healthy community or a community of unease. Remember…You are NOT your mind, YOU are the controller of your mind.
These 10 tips have helped me dramatically and have had a huge impact in my life over the years. I sincerely hope they have been in some way helpful to you on your journey too.
In today’s busy world we very rarely have time to focus on what can truly bring us greater clarity and therefore greater meaning to our lives. We most often get caught up living our lives on automatic pilot and end up working extremely hard on just existing rather than consciously living. This seems to be accepted as the norm in today’s society and unfortunately we spend more time working on external things instead of our own internal well being.
Thankfully there are some fantastic resources out there to inspire positive thinking. It’s websites like DLM that help to inspire the change that I myself have been in search of for all these years.
Below I would like to share with you some (hopefully) insightful life lessons that if consciously practiced can also help to inspire positive change.
Here goes…
• Happiness
The secret to happiness is to accept everything in your life completely and to let go of the baggage. It only seems difficult, but it's not. Happiness is a choice we make regardless of the imperfections in our lives. Happiness cannot be ours until we wake up to the truth that we are perfect beings living in a world that presents imperfections.
You are not your problems...problems are a fact of life, we all face them, we will always endure hard times, and this is never going to change. If you cannot be happy, it is simply because you have identified with your problems on an intimate level and made a home for them inside your mind. Wake up...change your thoughts...change your life...the only way to live your life is to accept that troubles are a part of it...only then can you let go and move on when they arise. I have never met a happy person that claimed to have zero problems.
• Acceptance
I don’t like to hear people use the phrases “this too will pass” or “time is a great healer.” I honestly believe that if we’re waiting for better times to come in the future or are waiting for sorrow to pass, then quite simply we are not doing anything to help ourselves move on. The only way to conquer sorrow or hard times is to accept they are here, to accept that we are hurting and once we completely accept it, only then can we let go and move on.
• Limitless Mind
I spend most of my waking moments, studying, analyzing, contemplating and questioning everything that I experience through my limited senses. I don’t rely on intellectual knowledge for the answers to reality. Reality is not what we think it is. Reality is what happens when we wake up to the fact that there is no truth, there is only perception, and our reality is a complete and utter fabricated lie if we don’t accept that our limitations are created in our mind.
• Reaction Control
We create our outside reality by the thoughts and beliefs we maintain about life in general. What we believe in our inner world will be duplicated in our outer world, not the other way around. We all have problems and often we are tested by circumstances and situations outside of our control, but when this happens, try to remember that even though you may not be in control of what’s going on outside of you all the time, you most definitely can control your reaction to whatever situation you are faced with…the power will always be in your control whether you realize it or not.
We have the power because our inner world (cause) affects the influence we allow the outer world (effect) to have on us. So next time you hear somebody mention that you have great personal power, they are 100% correct, because you are always in control of your reality...always.
• Perspective
When you always expect your life to unfold in accordance to what is best for you at the time, then you will ultimately accept that every obstacle you face is a chance to grow and learn. Sometimes even the seemingly worst circumstances can turn out to be a blessing in disguise...life is a matter of perception - perception is a matter of mind.
• Doubtful Mind
We judge ourselves, doubt ourselves, criticize ourselves and pretty much tell ourselves why we aren’t good enough to go out and accomplish what we truly want in life. We wouldn’t allow anybody else to talk to us in that way so why do we allow our doubtful mind to. Monitor your self-talk and take the necessary steps to weed out this self-defeating behavior. You are NOT your mind, you are the controller of your mind
• Journey Well
Try not to put too much of your focus on arriving at your destination. We know life is about the journey and not the arrival. We don’t need to arrive if we accept that we are already here. Be happy and content where you are today and don’t make the mistake of putting off being happy because you are waiting for the right moment to shine. Travel well today and consciously make the effort to enjoy the journey. It is better to travel well than it is to arrive. Not everyone woke up this morning and not everyone will go to bed tonight. Life has no guarantees, every minute you are living is a blessing that has to be experienced in the moment…in the now…it’s not always easy, but it’s always an option…a choice…your choice.
• Detachment...
We attach emotion and therefore meaning to the situations and circumstances in our lives, thus, we reinforce our beliefs about those things. I know this is obvious, but maybe it is not as clear-cut as we may think. If we step back and detach our emotions from situations and look at them purely from a logical standpoint, we will see that there is good and bad in everything we perceive. There is always two sides to the coin and each side is presented to us at different times. One person will perceive a situation as bad where another will perceive it as good. The situation itself is neutral but our beliefs, judgments and prejudices are the defining characteristics for the outcomes.
Take a look at the troublesome circumstances you find yourself in on a regular basis and ask yourself if it is time to take a different approach. Sometimes we automatically react in the same way out of habit and never get past these problems. Ask yourself if it is really worth it to continue seeing these problems in the same way. Is it time to shift from the side of the coin you so often focus on to the other side.
Remember…the situation will not change as a fact, but when your perspective changes then the situation will ultimately change in your mind’s eye, and we know that our mind creates reality. Even if it seems like an impossible task you must consciously make the effort. It will seem very difficult at times but always remember that it is just your perceptions you have to overcome and not the external task we face. This may not seem a plausible solution to every situation but any effort no matter how small is a step in the right direction. Retrain your mind to see your habitual reactions to troubles in your life from a new viewpoint. Have a wonderful and productive day.
• Don't Exist...Live...
It is very important for us to break free from the control of external things. We cannot fall victim to outside circumstances. It benefits our lives in no way when we willingly give up our own personal power to things outside of ourselves that we have little or no control over. We all have personal powerful, just make sure you don’t give up yours by not accepting you have power to begin with.
Nobody on this entire planet has more rights to live their lives on their own terms than you do. Accept the world for what it IS and not for what you want it to be. You control the world by taking control of yourself…that’s how it’s done. Being who YOU are is all you have to be. I truly believe that it is a rare thing for people to “live”, simply because we are influenced more by the external than the internal. To be a victim to outside circumstances is to EXIST, but to be influenced by the internal is to LIVE . If you haven’t consciously done so yet, start today by making goddamn sure you give yourself the LOVE and RESPECT that you undoubtedly deserve. Give it to yourself FIRST, then accept it from the outside.
• Own your Mind Business...
Remember...'YOU' and not the events that happen today will determine how good or bad your day will be. Make it your goal to not let anyone or anything affect your day in a negative way...your mind is the government of the 50 trillion cells in your body and your thoughts will determine whether these cells live in a healthy community or a community of unease. Remember…You are NOT your mind, YOU are the controller of your mind.
These 10 tips have helped me dramatically and have had a huge impact in my life over the years. I sincerely hope they have been in some way helpful to you on your journey too.
Jul 17, 2011
Changeweavers - Getting UNSTUCK
Self-Potraits that are formed early in life, then carried and implemented into adulthood without examination, create patterns of low self-esteem and poor image. but while you may have been stuck for decades, you can get unstuck.
Getting unstuck is a process of looking at previously formed belief patters that motivate adult behavior. growing to the next step, becoming a changeweaver, is a three-step process:
1. Acknowledge the areas in which you are stuck.
2. believe that you can change.
3. Honor the power of your own spirituality.
Achieving success in each stage of your life requires growth steps that are sequential and progressive.
It is easy to see that walking preceeds running. It is more difficult to understand that a healthy relationship with yourself precedes a rewarding relationship with another person.
But if beliefs formed inearlier years remain unexamined and fixed, they affect adult behavior, self-image and self worth. a misstep occurs, keeping you in disharmony with your own expectations and those of your significant others. the result can be low self-esteem, destructive behaviors and dysfunctional relationships.
Let's look at the following statements that may help to determine the level of stuckness that is blocking your growth.
If you believe...
Adults in authoritative positions must know what is roght in their area of expertise (the doctor always prescribes the best treatment)...
You need your parents' approval in order to feel you're doing the right thing...
Relationships with family members are always the most important, no matter what...
then you may be holding some basic assumptions that were formed in your childhood and never re- examined.
If you believe...
You must be pretty--or atleast attractive--to be well-liked...
You must excel at some sport in order to be friends with the right group of people...
Teachers, supervisors and bosses must be listened to and not challlenged...
Its is important to be good & not get in trouble...
You need the approval of your parents, spouse and/or friends in order to feel good about yourself ...
then you may be holding some basic assumptions that were formed in your preteen years and never re-examined.
If you believe...
Having a steady boyfriend or girlfirned shows that you have some value...
No one has problems o the degree that you have, and, consequently, no one understands you...
Your parents know nothing- they certainly do not know what is right for you...
You know you doi not want to be anything like your mother or your father, but you donot know what you want...
then you may be holding some basic assumptions that were formed in your adolescent years and never re-examined.
These statements were presented in a survey to 500 adults and we foound that many adults are holding beliefs formed in earlier years.
Will share you soon the five beliefs selected most frequently by the adults.. :) HAPPY READING.. :)
Getting unstuck is a process of looking at previously formed belief patters that motivate adult behavior. growing to the next step, becoming a changeweaver, is a three-step process:
1. Acknowledge the areas in which you are stuck.
2. believe that you can change.
3. Honor the power of your own spirituality.
Achieving success in each stage of your life requires growth steps that are sequential and progressive.
It is easy to see that walking preceeds running. It is more difficult to understand that a healthy relationship with yourself precedes a rewarding relationship with another person.
But if beliefs formed inearlier years remain unexamined and fixed, they affect adult behavior, self-image and self worth. a misstep occurs, keeping you in disharmony with your own expectations and those of your significant others. the result can be low self-esteem, destructive behaviors and dysfunctional relationships.
Let's look at the following statements that may help to determine the level of stuckness that is blocking your growth.
If you believe...
Adults in authoritative positions must know what is roght in their area of expertise (the doctor always prescribes the best treatment)...
You need your parents' approval in order to feel you're doing the right thing...
Relationships with family members are always the most important, no matter what...
then you may be holding some basic assumptions that were formed in your childhood and never re- examined.
If you believe...
You must be pretty--or atleast attractive--to be well-liked...
You must excel at some sport in order to be friends with the right group of people...
Teachers, supervisors and bosses must be listened to and not challlenged...
Its is important to be good & not get in trouble...
You need the approval of your parents, spouse and/or friends in order to feel good about yourself ...
then you may be holding some basic assumptions that were formed in your preteen years and never re-examined.
If you believe...
Having a steady boyfriend or girlfirned shows that you have some value...
No one has problems o the degree that you have, and, consequently, no one understands you...
Your parents know nothing- they certainly do not know what is right for you...
You know you doi not want to be anything like your mother or your father, but you donot know what you want...
then you may be holding some basic assumptions that were formed in your adolescent years and never re-examined.
These statements were presented in a survey to 500 adults and we foound that many adults are holding beliefs formed in earlier years.
Will share you soon the five beliefs selected most frequently by the adults.. :) HAPPY READING.. :)
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