"Un"? What is an "un"?

Have you ever had an "un" day?  A day when you felt unappreciated, unwanted, unknown, unloved?  It could be that you are too busy and have gotten too tired.  It's easy to do.  Our lives can easily become overwhelming if we let the outside world take over.  We have constant demands to "do this", "go here", "buy this", "watch this",.  It can make us crazy. 

When our lives are too busy it is easy to neglect the one person who should be upheld and supported - ourselves.  We become unable to cope. If we don't take care of ourselves, we can't take care of anyone else properly.  We've seen the ads about how to put the oxygen mask on yourself first before trying to help anyone else and in the Bible Jesus said "love your neighbour as yourself".  If you don't love and care for yourself, how can you truly love and take care of your neighbour?

If we spend too much time in an "un" stage, we may end up with a feeling of depression that is difficult to get out of.  We may need to consult a professional to help us.  If you are feeling a little "un" today, take a look at what you have been doing lately.  Have you been "doing" instead of "being"?  We are "human beings" not "human doings".  It is important to take some time to relax and "unwind", to move from "unconscious" to conscious as we understand what it is we are doing to ourselves when we allow ourselves to become too busy.

When this happens, when you feel unappreciated, it's time to appreciate yourself for who you are and what you do, but you can't do this if you are constantly rushing around.  You need to give yourself a break.  Take some time to yourself.  Sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and think about all the things you have done.  Think about the times that people have said thank you for things you have done or said.  Think about the things you have done for others and be grateful that you were able to do what you have done. 

If you can, give yourself some time to find out what you like to do.  Spend a morning thinking about the things that you "don't have time for" and figure out ways to make that time.  Be unavailable for a little while. 

We speak about "carving out" time for ourselves, and sometimes that is what it feels like, that we have to see our busyness as a block of marble that needs to be reshaped to reveal its true nature.  We need to carve away the unneccessary and keep only what brings us joy and peace and love.

 

BANABU

 

Fran Watson

Motivation

ABCs of  MOTIVATION, THE HEART OF SELF IMPROVEMENT

A - Action.  Take action to create the life you want.  Avoid negative people, things and places. Achieve your dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

B - Believe in yourself, and in what you can do.

C – Consider every angle and aspect of a situation. Motivation comes from determination. Once you have conceived the solution, take action.

D – Determination.  Don’t give up and don’t give in. Thomas Edison failed over and over again before he came up with his invention and perfected the incandescent light bulb.

E – Enjoy life. Work as if you don’t need money. Dance as if nobody’s watching. Love as if you never cried. Learn as if you’ll live forever. Motivation is easier when you are happy.

F – Family and Friends – are life’s greatest ‘F’ treasures. Don’t lose sight of them.

G – Give more than what is expected.  

H – Hang on to your dreams. These little stars will be your driving force.

I – Ignore those who try to destroy you. Don’t let other people to get the best of you. Stay away from toxic people – the kind of friends who hates to hear about your success and only wants to talk about their failures..

J – Joy. Experience joy in some form everyday. 

K – keep trying no matter how hard life may seem. Take one step at a time, putting one foot in front of the other, one day at a time.

L – Learn to love yourself. Sometimes this may be difficult, but look at things you do well, ask people what they like about you and really listen to what they say.

M – Maintain your momentum. Make things happen. Motivation is putting your dreams into work clothes.

N – Never lie, cheat or steal. .

O – Optimism -look for the positive in every situation..

P – Positivism.  Practice makes perfect. Prepare for your future.

Q – Quitters never win. And winners never quit. Get started now.

R – Regrets - get rid of them.  Ready yourself to move forward.

S – Smile.  It is amazing how much a smile can change your day and also other people's days.  Share your smile with everyone you meet. 

T – Thoughts.  Take control of your thoughts and you take control of your life.

U – Understand others. Seek first to understand and then to be understood. 

V – Visualize what you want for your life.  Really visualize ALL of it - what you want, what you need.

W – Want it more than anything. If you want it enough, you will achieve it.

X – X-tra The "X Factor" is what will make you different from the others. When you are motivated, you tend to find time for “extras” in your life like extra time for family, extra help at work, extra care for friends, and so on.

Y – YOU are unique. No one in this world looks, acts, or talks like you. Value your life and existence.

Z – Zero in on your dreams and go for it!!!

To your personal success

Fran Watson

Happiness -- Who Needs It?? How Do I Get It??

Be As Happy as You Want to Be

Almost everyone have heard the hit single 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' by Bobby McFerrin. The song has a very catchy way of conveying its message of being happy to everyone. Bobby Mcferiin's simple message surely made a lot of people by telling them not to worry.

Living a happy, resilient and optimistic life is wonderful, and is also good for your health. Being happy actually protects you from the stresses of life. Stress is linked to top causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.

One of the better things ever said is - 'The only thing in life that will always remain the same is change'. We have the power to make the necessary changes if we want to. Even if we find ourselves in an unbearable situation we can always find solace in the knowledge that it too can change.

Social networks or relationships are essential to happiness. People are different, accept people for who or what they are, avoid clashes, constant arguments, and let go of all kinds of resentments. If arguments seem unavoidable still try and make an effort to understand the situation and you might just get along well with the person.

Happiness is actually found in everyone, increasing it is a way to make a life more wonderful and also more healthy.

To be happy is relatively easy, just decide to be a happy person. Abraham Lincoln observed that most people for most of the time can choose how happy or stressed, how relaxed or troubled, how bright or dull their outlook will be. The choice is simple really, choose to be happy.

There are several ways by which you can do this.

Being grateful is a great attitude. We have so much to be thankful for. Thank the taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank the cook for a wonderful dinner and thank the guy who cleans your windows. Also thank the mailman for bringing you your mail, thank the policeman for making your place safe and thank God for being alive.

News is stressful. Get less of it. Some people say they just can't start their day without their daily dose of news. Try and think about it, 99% of the news we hear or read is bad news. Starting the day with bad news does not seem to be a sensible thing to do.

A religious connection is also recommended. Being part of a religious group with its singing, sacraments, chanting, prayers and meditations foster inner peace.

Manage your time. Time is invaluable and too important to waste. Time management can be viewed as a list of rules that involves scheduling, setting goals, planning, creating lists of things to do and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the results you desire.

Laugh and laugh heartily everyday. Heard a good joke? Tell your friends or family about it. As they also say -'Laughter is the best medicine'.

Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to people around you. They will most likely reciprocate your actions. Try not to keep pent up anger or frustrations, this is bad for your health. Instead find ways of expressing them in a way that will not cause more injury or hurt to anyone.

Working hard brings tremendous personal satisfaction. It gives a feeling of being competent in finishing our tasks. Accomplishments are necessary for all of us, they give us a sense of value. Work on things that you feel worthy of your time.

Learning is a joyful exercise. Try and learn something new everyday. Learning also makes us expand and broaden our horizons. And could also give us more opportunities in the future.

Run, jog, walk and do other things that your body was made for. Feel alive.

Avoid exposure to negative elements like loud noises, toxins and hazardous places.

These are the few simple things you can do everyday to be happy.

As Abraham Lincoln, said, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

So, be happy

Enjoy your life and make other people happy too.

Remember, it takes fewer muscles to smile than it does to frown

To your happiness

Fran Watson

Who Is In Control?

I woke up late this morning, after a very peaceful night's sleep. I read and meditated for about half an hour and when I came downstairs I began my task of filing and then dong some cleaning and I realized that sometimes it is the simple tasks that can be the most important in clearing my mind to be able to take on more difficult tasks later. By clearing my "working space" I also clear the working space in my mind.  

I have been learning a lot recently about minimalism, appreciating simple things in life and I recognize that I have too much stuff.  I also realized that my "stuff", the things "living" in my house are the things that are often in control of what I do.  The things constantly need to be moved, looked after, and they take up space.  Now some of these things may be important, but I recently cleaned out my pantry and at the back I found cake mixes that were several years outdated.  If I hadn''t had so much "stuff" in my pantry, I would have noticed that sooner.

I also have too much food in my freezer.  I live alone, so I don't really need to have a big freezer anymore, but since I do I often will buy things to put in it.  The problem is, if I don't eat it soon enough it gets freezer burn and is then wasted.  So who is in control?.....my stuff.

I retired from my day job almost 5 years ago and brought home boxes of papers and books from my 25 years of career counseling.  My thought was that I would use this "stuff" as I continued to work in the field part-time from my home.  I have not yet opened some of the boxes.  They are sitting upstairs in one of the bedrooms just taking up space.  So who is in control?....again my stuff.

My kitchen table is a "catch-all" for all kinds of papers, pens,, pencils and more, and this is where I work.  Is it any wonder that sometimes I feel scattered?  I think it is time that I begin to control my life instead of being controlled.  I will begin today to spend a minimum of 15 minutes per day cleaning some aspect of my world.  This may involve giving away books (gasp, the horror, but am I really going to read them all?) or perhaps some of my material (but really, I am going to quilt some day........) or even some of my yarn?  I have a whole container of knitted scarfs and toques to give to someone or some group.  Yes, today is the day I take control.   How about you?

To your success
BANABU

Fran

What Innovation Can Do to Your Life

If you've ever marvelled at somebody's creative prowess, guess what, you can create and innovate too. It just takes time. Everyone is born creative. The box of crayons in kindergarten were not limited to those who possessed potential; because the truth is, everybody has potential.

You know how long it took to learn to ride a bike or drive or to learn a new habit? It's the same with innovation. It takes a  bit of practice and a lot of time before this mind function comes easily when called. This article will provide you with a few tips on how to bring innovation into your life.

First of all, follow the beat of your own drum. Allowing for the input of other people will only bring cacophony to the music you are trying to make. If you have an original idea, don't waste your time and effort trying to make people understand. They won't. And the "so-called help" you will get probably will come in the form of negative feedback. If all the geniuses listened to their peers, we would probably still be living in the middle ages.

Spend time on it. Exercise. Take a walk. Run a mile or two. Send all those endorphins coursing through your veins. Exercising certainly clears and relaxes your mind and allows for anything to pop up.

Record your dreams. Aren't some of them just the craziest things that your conscious mind would never have thought of? If you've had these dreams before, and I'm sure have, this only shows you the untapped innovative power you have lying within. So jot down those notes. Those dreams may just create an innovative spark in you.

Find your own style. You can always tell a Van Gogh from a Matisse. You'll know Hemingway wrote something by the choice of words on the paper. So it is the same with you. People will appreciate your innovation more because it is uniquely yours and that no one else would have thought of what you were thinking. That will let people see how valuable an asset you are.

Don't hide behind nifty gadgets or tools. You don't need the most expensive set of paints to produce a masterpiece. The same way with writing. You don't need some expensive fountain pen and really smooth paper for a bestseller. In fact, J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter Series on bits of tissue. So what if you've got an expensive SLR camera if you're a crappy photographer? Who cares if you've got a blinging laptop if you can't write at all? The artist actually reduces the number of tools he has as he gets better at his craft: he knows what works and what doesn't.

And remember, nothing will work without passion.

What wakes you up in the mornings?

What keeps the flame burning?

What is the one thing that you'll die if you don't do?

Sometimes people with talent are overtaken by the people who want it more. Think the hare and the tortoise. Ellen Degeneres once said that if you're not doing something that you want to do, then you don't really want to do it. And that's true. Sometimes you just want something so badly you become a virtual unstoppable. And that is passion. Passion will keep you going.

Don't worry about inspiration. You can't force it; inspiration hits when you least expect it to, for those unpredictable yet inevitable moments you should prepare. An idea could strike you on the subway, yet alas, you poor unfortunate soul; you have no sheet of paper to scribble down a thought that could change the world. Avoid these disasters. Have a pen and paper within your arm's reach at all times.

I hope this article has helped you bring more innovation into your life. Keep in mind that you're doing these things for your own satisfaction and not anybody else's. But soon enough they will notice, and everything should snowball from there.

Remember... you are unique.  There is no one in this world quite like you.  No one capable of doing or being like you.  Step forward along your unique path to your unique future.

BANABU

Fran Watson

Creating Your Reality

It’s really no secret that we create our own reality with out thoughts.  Everything that we are or have is with us because we’ve wanted it.  Whether it’s conscious or not, we bring things, people, and experiences to our lives with our way of thinking.  Like the verses in the bible that say “ask and ye shall receive”, our life follows the same message:  ask, believe and receive.

To begin we must clear our mind of all distracting thoughts, such as I need to clean the house, do the laundry, finish this project, etc..  We need to find a place where we can relax and really clear our mind.  This place is going to be the place where you can let your mind think and wander instead of JUST relaxing and letting go of your stress.  A place where you can think of your intentions in life or what you want and how you will get it.  It is important to make this place comfortable and inviting, so add a plant, a small water fountain, candles or whatever brings you peace.

Once you have found this place, you can begin to think about what you want or what gift you want to receive.  It is important to have no other thoughts when you begin to think about what you actually want.  It could be a million dollars, a doctorate, to be a famous musician or outstanding athlete, or any number of other things. 

We need to be clear with ourselves about what it is we want.  To excel, we must be specific.  If I say I want to lose weight, then just saying it is not specific enough.  I should say that I want to be healthy, live longer, eat less, and look better, and have a specific weight goal in mind, i.e. lose 10 pounds by a specific date. 

The next step is to believe that you will achieve your goal.  In order to achieve what you want, you’ll have a much better chance if you can visualize it.  Many times basketball coaches will tell young people to “visualize” the ball going into the basket in order to score.  It has been proven that imagining something is close to actually doing it.  If your thoughts and feelings are on the same level as what you want, you will raise your emotional bar and expand your imagination.  You have a great chance of being successful.  This is something that winning athletes do all the time.

Something else that is important to do is to express your gratitude.  Make a list of all the things you are grateful for; and that will open the door for more good things to come to you.  It will open your heart to give gratitude for the beautiful life that you have received.  Gratitude should be an enormous part of your life and should come as natural as breathing.

Once you’ve cleared your mind, decided what you wanted, visualized having it and expressed gratitude for what you have, your request is heard.  The details of how it will happen will then fall into place.  Make sure and stay positive by monitoring your feelings, but let go of trying to control things.

Whenever you start to feel down, sad or angry, quickly turn your feelings around so you will be surrounded by good, positive vibes.  Remember to stay positive and do something that helps you feel good.  Read a book, listen to music, walk in nature or anything else that will keep you inspired and feeling positive.

Continue to be patient if your dreams do not come true in hours, days or even months.  Just keep believing and sending out positive thoughts and feelings and continue to keep negative thoughts away.  Remember to be grateful and really enjoy your gift when you do receive it.  Surround yourself with the luxury of having the gift and enjoying it.  Make it part of your life, nurture it, and let it grow.  Look for the positive parts and always follow that path.  Enjoy your life and expect it to be good.

To your success

BANABU

Fran Watson

Gettting Started

So, for the past few days I took a break from everything and spent 3 days vegging in a chair and watching shows on PVR, now it is time to get back into gear and I am finding it difficult to do so.  I have neglected my blog, neglected my business, neglected my housekeeping, now it is very difficult to get back into the swing of things, so I started looking at ways to get moving again and Matthew Graves came up with a great idea - 3 Wins a day for 30 Days.  I signed up. 

How about you?  Are you finding it hard to get started on what you need to do?  Are you ready to begin?  I am joining Matthew Graves in a new project - 3 wins every day to move forward for the next 30 days.....  http://ow.ly/WiN3t  They can be business or personal.  Your choice.

It is important to have a plan if you want to succeed and Matthew's plan can help you succeed.

Fran Watson
https://www.facebook.com/banabu.ca/

Habits - good or bad?

Habits

UNCONSCIOUSLY we are forming habits every moment of our lives. Some are habits of a desirable nature; some are those of a most undesirable nature.

 

Some, though not so bad in themselves, are exceedingly bad in their cumulative effects, and cause us at times much loss, much pain and anguish, while their opposites would, on the contrary, bring as much peace and joy, as well as a continually increasing power.

 

Have we it within our power to determine at all times what types of habits shall take form in our lives? In other words, is habit-forming, character-building, a matter of mere chance, or have we it within our own control? We have, entirely and absolutely. "I will be what I will to be," can be said and should be said by every human soul.

There is nothing more true in connection with human life than that we grow into the likeness of those things we contemplate. Literally and scientifically and necessarily true is it that "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

 

The "is" part is his character. His character is the sum total of his habits. His habits have been formed by· his conscious acts; but every conscious act is, as we have found, preceded by a thought. And so we have it - thought on the one hand, character, life, and destiny on the other.

 

And simple it becomes when we bear in mind that it is simply the thought of the present moment, and the next moment when it is upon us, and then the next, and so on through all time.

 

One can in this way attain to whatever ideals he would attain to. Two steps are necessary: first, as the days pass, to form one's ideals; and second, to follow them continually, whatever may arise, wherever they may lead him.

 

Always remember that the great and strong character is the one who is ever ready to sacrifice the present pleasure for the future good

 

You decide what habits you will allow to control you and what habits you will control.  It takes time to make or break a habit.  Allow yourself 30 days of continual repetition before the habit becomes established.  You can change any aspect of your life if you work at it.

 

Good luck....

 

BANABU

Fran

Bridging The Gap

Bridging The Gap Between Knowledge and Action

Chances are, you already know what needs to be done.  You know you need to stop procrastinating.  You know you need to watch less TV. You know that you need to set smart goals and intelligent deadlines.  And hopefully, you know you need to track your work, track your results, and put more of your effort into the aspects of your business to give you the strongest results.

But there's a very big gap between knowledge into action.  Think of all the money that's spent on knowledge: whether it's a large companies trying to improve their efficiency, or housewives and stay at home dads trying to get into better shape. They know the adjustments they need to make, but they always fail to set habits and follow though.

Let's look together at some of the gaps that keep you from turning knowledge into profitable and useful habits.

The Fear Of Change
Failure can be comfortable.  It represents a continuation of a routine that, at least on some level, has brought us a lot of pleasure. Now where this breaks down is that pleasure and happiness are two very different things.  Pleasure can be bought with a cookie, it can be found in the bottom of a bottle, you can get a short rush of it with a few minutes on Facebook.

Happiness is harder, and the road towards it is longer, winding, and littered with distractions. The constant pursuit of pleasure, ironically enough, keeps more people away from becoming happy.

You Won't Learn By Doing
There are too many people who tried to do by learning instead of learning by doing.  Talking about problems to death rarely solves them. People talk too much already.  It's natural to want to go into a scary situation with knowledge at your back. But once you've learned the basics of a skill, start acting on it.  Then look for new information once you've run into a serious roadblock, or have a smaller aspect of the skill that demands your attention.

You Rely On Motivation Instead Of Habit
It's okay to "feel unmotivated" sometimes, to hit a roadblock and need something positive to dig you out. But you're always needing to be motivated for any kind of positive action in your life, it's a sign that you haven't really put the energy you should into setting habits.

Habits aren't subjects that need motivation.  Habits are things that we just do, whether it's a good time or a bad time.  If you can devote one month to establishing a positive habit, chances are much better that you do it for a long time to come.

Accepting "Life Excuses"
Too many people take "life happens" as an excuse not to do the things that they should.  It's almost like there's no effort to leap the obstacles that life puts in front of them.  It's important to set uninterrupted times and uninterrupted places for the most important priorities cannot be violated. 

When you give yourself a choice between any two things, there's a chance you will take the less beneficial choice.

Set up at daily routine that eliminates those choices.

Going From Zero To A Hundred
When it sinks in how far behind we are on our goals, it's easy to try to do too much at once and destroy our desire to improve altogether. While there are people who can handle this sort of drastic shift, for most people it'll be best to start small, focus on repetitive action, and scale up from there!

No More Excuses
The time for learning and not doing it over. Step up and start making a serious change in the way you approach problems... right now!

BANABU

Fran Watson

Making A Difference

I am currently reading a great little book called "The Fred Factor" by Mark Sanborn.  The book is thought provoking and motivational.

This morning I read about making a difference.  Mark said "To make a difference means to affect another person, group, or situation."  He points out that we make a difference by the way we treat people, be it a positive difference or a negative one.  We have the choice in how we behave and how we treat others.

I remember watching a video a few years ago.  I think it was called "If Looks Could Kill".  It was about the cumulative effects of someone having a bad day.   How the first person's bad mood influenced the people he came in contact with and how those people then became miserable and snarly with the next person, etc.  As Mark said "...neglecting, criticizing, and belittling others, whether intentionally or not, produces a negative difference."

Reading this this morning reminded me that I have a choice in how I behave towards others, regardless of how I feel, and that often by treating others with respect and politeness it can lift my mood.

So the most important question you can ask yourself at the end of the day is "What kind of a difference did I make?"

To making a positive difference in the world - BANABU!

Fran Watson

Develop Your Intuition

The Road to Intuition

Have you had that experience when all of a sudden you just had this
huge hunch that something is about to happen, and to your surprise,
that "hunch" was eventually translated to reality?

When you feel strongly about something without a logical basis to
that thought, that's called intuition. It comes in three impressions:
clairvoyance or "the third eye", sensing clearly and feeling through
listening.

Clairvoyance is when your eye goes beyond what it can see. This is
when you know what is happening somewhere else.
Sensing clearly is basically what we refer to as "hunch" or "gut
feeling." This is the time when you are overwhelmed with a feeling
and you can't explain it and all you can say is "I just know."

On the other hand, feeling through listening is being able to
"listen" between the lines. Intuition also happens at times when a
certain sound, whatever it is - be it a car's honk or a bird's
twitting - ushers in an intense feeling.

It is claimed that only a number of people are gifted with intuition.
Astrologers even insist that people born under the Scorpio or Pisces
signs are naturally intuitive it almost borders on E.S.P. But studies
have been developing left and right that proclaim that anyone can
develop intuition.

Why the need to develop intuition, you ask? Why not let your
emotional and psychological state remain as it is?

First and foremost, intuition promotes good communication. It makes
you more sensitive to the people around you; it often keeps you from
hurting those you love because you are intuitive enough to understand
them. Intuition also makes you far more creative. Intuition means
releasing more creative juices for any means of expression. Lastly,
intuition has a healing power. This healing power is not in the
physical sense, but in delving deep into your soul to eradicate some
negative energy buried in it.

With that being said, are you ready to develop your intuition? Here
are some ways to unlock this gift:

1. Hypnosis
Hypnosis is not limited to watching a pendulum move back and forth.
You can perform self-hypnosis or you can obtain hypnotic programs
that can strengthen your intuition.

2. Meditation
Meditating means finding peace in yourself. If your mind and heart
are cluttered with too much baggage and hurt, you wouldn't be able to
quiet down that part of you that could eventually initiate intuition.
There are many ways to meditate: take a yoga class, or just simply
practice some breathing that could bring you straight to Zen.

3. Think positive!
A worry-free, fear-free state can do much to improve your intuitive
ability. By staying positive, you attract good energy that would be
able to recognize imminent feelings and events.

4.  Just let go.
What does this mean? If you are on the brink of making a huge
decision, let go of all the inhibitions and head to a quiet place
where you could find out where the letting go has brought you.
Sometimes you just have to listen to the voice within you, and that
voice wouldn't come out unless you let go.

5. Never expect.
After letting go of the inhibitions and all those things that stop
you from thinking and feeling clearly, don't expect an answer right
away. Never expect that the "hunch" would fall on your lap
immediately. Give it a little time - then you just get surprised that
-- wham! -- now you have your answer.

6. Believe in your first impressions.
When you see someone for the first time and think that he is a bit
too arrogant for your taste, chances are that impression actually
holds true. Most of the time, first impressions are brought by
intuition.

7. Stay happy!
All you need to be intuitive is to stay happy! Happiness attracts
immense power and such power includes intuition. In tapping your
intuition, your motivation must be happiness and contentment. Given
that premise, intuition will fall to you more easily.

Intuition is helpful, because sometimes it leads you to something
that cannot be achieved otherwise. A lot of lives have been saved by
intuition alone. Decisions are easier when armed with this gift.

BANABU

Fran Watson

Develop intuition now and reap benefits you have never imagined.

Impossible Dream?

"It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today
and the reality of tomorrow."

.

~ Dr. Robert H. Goddard   

 

Many of the things we take for granted today were once thought to be impossible.

 

Travel to the moon???  Impossible

 

Travel by air???  Impossible

 

Travel by horseless carriage???  Impossible

 

Speak to someone on the other side of the world???  Impossible

 

Connect with people using wireless technology???  Impossible

 

What do you want to see happen that people are telling you is "Impossible"?  Don't listen!  Anything is possible.  Start asking yourself the right questions... "How can I?"

 

If people are shooting down your dream, stop telling them about it.  Get rid of the negativity - it's your dream, not theirs.  People want to keep the status quo, so they are worried when you try to change it.........change it anyway.

 

To achieving your impossible dream!!

 

Fran Watson

Promise Yourself

 

Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Christian Daa Larson
1874-1954, New Thought Leader, Teacher, and Author

Procrastination

Procrastination:   to be slow or late about doing something that should be done : to delay doing something until a later time because you do not want to do it, because you are lazy, etc.

An old English proverb says:  "One of these days is none of these days."  If you don't have a plan it doesn't get done.

Unfortunately as you can see by the dates of my blog, I fell into the procrastination trap, getting up too late to spend the necessary time to accomplish everything I wanted to do.  Also, the main thing is, I did not have a written plan to spend the time updating my blogs.  When I had it written in my daytimer, it happened, when it wasn't there............nothing happened.

Have you found this happening to you?  Have you  been procrastinating on a task or tasks that you know you should be doing and want to be doing?  Time to write it down.  An unknown author wrote:  "The past cannot be changed; the future is still in your power."  This means that you can begin again TODAY. 

Start by writing down what you want to accomplish.  Then write down when you want to accomplish it by.  Then break it down into little steps - something you can do each day.  Write your goal in the comments section below.  Once you put it in print, you will have a much greater chance of accomplishing it. 

To your success
BANABU

Fran Watson

Missing....

I MISS THESE THINGS

 

Go back now...........

Close your eyes.....And go back....
Before the Internet or the MAC,
Before semi automatics and crack
Before SEGA or Super Nintendo
 

Way back........

 
I'm talking bout hide and go seek at dusk.
Sitting on the porch, Hot bread and butter.
The Good Humour man,
Red light, Green light.

Chocolate milk,

Lunch tickets,
Penny candy in a brown paper bag.

Playing Pinball in the corner store.

Hopscotch, butterscotch, doubledutch

Jacks, kickball, dodgeball, y'all!

Mother May I?

Red Rover and Roly Poly

Hula Hoops and Sunflower Seeds,

Jolly Ranchers, Banana Splits
Wax Lips and Mustaches

Running through the sprinkler

The smell of the sun and lickin' salty lips....

Wait......

Watchin' Saturday Morning cartoons, Fat Albert,

Road Runner, He-Man, The Three Stooges, and Bugs,

Or back further, listening to Superman on the radio

Catchin' lightening bugs in a jar,
Playin sling shot.

When around the corner seemed far away,

And going downtown seemed like going somewhere.

Bedtime, Climbing trees,

An ice cream cone on a warm summer night
Chocolate or vanilla or strawberry or maybe butter pecan
A lemon coke from the fountain at the corner drug store

A million mosquito bites and sticky fingers,

Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians,
Sittin on the curb,

Jumpin down the steps,

Jumpin on the bed.
Pillow fights

Runnin till you were out of breath

Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt

Being tired from playin'.... Remember that?

I ain't finished just yet...

Eating Kool-aid powder with sugar

........Remember when...

When there were two types of sneakers for girls and boys (Keds & PF Flyers) and the only time you wore

them at school, was for "gym."

When it took five minutes for the TV to warm up, if you even had one.
When nearly everyone's Mom was at home when the kids got there.
When nobody owned a purebred dog

When a quarter was a decent allowance, and another quarter a miracle.

When milk went up one cent and everyone talked about it for weeks?

When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny.

When girls neither dated nor kissed until late high school, if then.

When your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces.
When all of your male teachers wore neckties and female teachers had their hair done, everyday.

When you got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, for free, every time. And, you didn't pay for air. And, you got trading stamps to boot!

When laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box.

When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use him to carry groceries, and nobody, not

even the kid, thought a thing of it.

When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your

parents.

When they threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed ... and did!

When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home.  Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of drive by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc.

Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! And some of us are still afraid of em!!!

Didn't that feel good.. Just to go back and say, Yeah, I remember that!

There's nothing like the good old days! They were good then, and they're good now when we think about

them.

Share some of these thoughts with a friend who can relate, then share it with someone that missed out on them.

 

Sometimes I think our life would be so much better if we could go back to these days.  There is so much anger and killing in our world.  People have not learned good ways to deal with their unhappiness other than lashing out at others.  Many people don't have the words to recognize and/or express how they feel so they react in anger.

 

To simpler and happier times in your life

All the best

 

Fran Watson

Being Mindful

1. Do one thing at a time. Single-task, don’t multi-task. When you’re pouring water, just pour water. When you’re eating, just eat. When you’re bathing, just bathe. Don’t try to knock off a few tasks while eating or bathing or driving. Zen proverb: “When walking, walk. When eating, eat.”

2. Do it slowly and deliberately. You can do one task at a time, but also rush that task. Instead, take your time, and move slowly. Make your actions deliberate, not rushed and random. It takes practice, but it helps you focus on the task.

3. Do less. If you do less, you can do those things more slowly, more completely and with more concentration. If you fill your day with tasks, you will be rushing from one thing to the next without stopping to think about what you do. But you’re busy and you can’t possibly do less, right? You can. I’ve done it, and so have many busy people. It’s a matter of figuring out what’s important, and letting go of what’s not. Read more: TheLazy Manifesto: Do Less.

4. Put space between things. Related to the “Do less” rule, but it’s a way of managing your schedule so that you always have time to complete each task. Don’t schedule things close together — instead, leave room between things on your schedule. That gives you a more relaxed schedule, and leaves space in case one task takes longer than you planned.

5. Spend at least 5 minutes each day doing nothing. Just sit in silence. Become aware of your thoughts. Focus on your breathing. Notice the world around you. Become comfortable with the silence and stillness. It’ll do you a world of good — and just takes 5 minutes!

6. Stop worrying about the future – focus on the present. Become more aware of your thinking — are you constantly worrying about the future? Learn to recognize when you’re doing this, and then practice bringing yourself back to the present. Just focus on what you’re doing, right now. Enjoy the present moment.

7. When you’re talking to someone, be present. How many of us have spent time with someone but have been thinking about what we need to do in the future? Or thinking about what we want to say next, instead of really listening to that person? Instead, focus on being present, on really listening, on really enjoying your time with that person.

8. Eat slowly and savor your food. Food can be crammed down our throats in a rush, but where’s the joy in that? Savor each bite, slowly, and really get the most out of your food. Interestingly, you’ll eat less this way, and digest your food better as well.

9. Live slowly and savor your life. Just as you would savor your food by eating it more slowly, do everything this way — slow down and savor each and every moment.

10. Make cleaning and cooking become meditation. Cooking and cleaning are often seen as drudgery, but actually they are both great ways to practice mindfulness, and can be great rituals performed each day. If cooking and cleaning seem like boring chores to you, try doing them as a form of meditation. Put your entire mind into those tasks, concentrate, and do them slowly and completely. It could change your entire day (as well as leave you with a cleaner house).

11. Keep practicing. When you get frustrated, just take a deep breath. When you ask yourself, “What should I do now, Self?”, the answer is “keep practicing”.

“When you drive around the city and come to a red light or a stop sign, you can just sit back and make use of these twenty or thirty seconds to relax — to breathe in, breathe out, and enjoy arriving in the present moment. There are many things like that we can do.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

 

BANABU!

 

Fran Watson

Resilience

"To become resilient, it is important to take care of yourself.  Simplify your life.  create balance by streamlining and prioritizing activities.  Make sure there is enough time for faith, fun, and family.  Eliminate unnecessary tasks and give permission to yourself to rest.  Don't be afraid to ask for help.  Pace yourself.  Learn as much as possible.  Keep a sense of humour.  And remember:  the key to resilience is the acceptance that the only certainty in life is change itself." - Diana M. Amadeo

 

Simplify your life - what are some of the things you can do without?

Streamline and prioritize activities - do you really need to do everything? 

Time for faith, fun and family - do you have a "family night", a time to sit down together to get to know each other better, to play some games or watch tv together?

Eliminate tasks - what can someone else do for you?

Permission to rest - yes, it's ok to take some time to just sit down and relax - not only is it ok, it is necessary for life and health and balance.  Read a book, watch a movie, sit out in the sun.

Ask for help - we are not "superman" or "superwoman", people like to be asked for help, it makes them feel needed.

Pace yourself - don't try to do everything at once.  If you have a large project to do, do one step at a time,  break it into small bites.  As they question goes, "How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time."  It is how you accomplish anything - one small step at a time.

Learn as much as possible - try to learn one new thing each day.  At the end of the year you will have learned 365 new things.  Read a chapter of a book each day.  You will be amazed at how many books you will have completed in a year.  15 minutes per day = 91 hours in a year.

Keep a sense of humour - learn to laugh at yourself when you make a mistake.

Accept that change is inevitable and go with the flow!

 

BANABU - Building A New and Better Universe / Building A New And Better "U"

Fran Watson

 

 

What Makes You Tick?

"What Really Makes You Tick?"

Some questions you should ask to yourself. 

Are you stuck?  Or are you somewhat contented with life the way things are, but think, "what if?" Then maybe it's time to ask yourself some hard questions.

1. What do I really want? - this is the toughest question. 
What would I do if I only had a little time left to live?  What would I do if I had all the money I wanted/needed and could do anything at all?

2. Should I really change?  If so, what should I change?  What parts of me do I like and what parts do I want to get rid of or minimize?

3. What's the bright side in all of this?  Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? 

4. Am I comfortable with what I'm doing?  Truthfully?

5. Have I done enough for myself?  Do you really look after yourself or are you looking after everyone else?  Do you take the time to eat properly, to exercise, to grow mentally, to spend time with friends who make you happy?

6. Am I happy at where I am today?  If not, then how can I change what is happening?

7. How much could I have?  How much do I want?  How much am I willing to work for it?

9. What motivates me?  What makes me so happy that time flies by, that hours seem like minutes?  What makes my heart race, my face smile and my insides fill with joy?  People, places, things??

So, What Really Makes You Tick?  This is not an easy question to answer, but when you get to the point where you can answer it, everything will begin to fall into place and you will know where it is you are going and how to get there.

Why not leave a comment below once you discover what makes you tick?  Let's see all the different answers that come up.

To ticking!!

Fran Watson

P.S.  What makes me tick is sharing what I learn with others.  One of the things I have done for the past 11 years is public speaking with Toastmasters.  Click here to find out more.

Your 7 Day Program to Self-Development

"A Better You" Your 7 day program to self-development

I seem to lost count on how many times I've read and heard of celebrity marriages failing almost left and right. Not that I care (and personally I don't), it seems strange that we often see movie and TV stars as flawless people, living the fairytale life of riches and glamour. I suppose we all have to stop sticking our heads in the clouds and face reality.

There are many ways to lose your sense of self-esteem despite of how trivial it could get. But whatever happens, we should all try not to lose our own sense of self.

So what does it take to be a cut above the rest? Here are some of the things you can think and improve on that should be enough for a week.

1. Know your purpose:  Are you wandering through life with little direction -hoping that you'll find happiness, health and prosperity?

Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your truth north every time.  This may seem tricky at first when you see yourself to be in a tight or even dead end. But there's always that little loophole to turn things around and you can make a big difference to yourself.

2. Know your values:  What do you value most? Make a list of your top 5 values.

Some examples are security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. As you set your goals for 2012 - check your goals against your values. If the goal doesn't align with any of your top five values - you may want to reconsider it or revise it.  The number shouldn't discourage you, instead it should motivate you to do more than you can ever dream of.

3. Know your needs:  Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically.

Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be right, to be in control, to be loved? There are so many people who lived their lives without realizing their dreams and most of them end up being stressed or even depressed for that matter. List your top four needs and get them met before it's too late!

4. Know your passions:  You know who you are and what you truly enjoy in life.

Obstacles like doubt and lack of enthusiasm will only hinder you, but will not derail your chance to become the person you ought to be. Express yourself and honor the people who have inspired you to become the very person you wanted to be.

5. Live from the inside out:  Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence.

Commune with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind. For most of us city slickers it's hard to even find the peace and quiet we want even in our own home. In my case I often just sit in a dimly lit room and play some classical music. There's sound, yes, but music does soothe the savage beast.

6. Honor your strengths:  What are your positive traits? What special talents do you have? List three - if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help identify these. Are you imaginative, witty, good with your hands? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths. You can increase your self-confidence when you can share what you know to others.

7. Serve others:  When you live authentically, you may find that you develop an interconnected sense of being.

When you are true to who you are, living your purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others -your spirit - your essence. The rewards for sharing your gift with those close to you is indeed rewarding, much more if it were to be the eyes of a stranger who can appreciate what you have done to them. 

Self-development is indeed one type of work that is worth it. It shouldn't always be within the confines of an office building, or maybe in the four corners of your own room. The difference lies within ourselves and how much we want to change for the better.

To your success

Fran
P.S.  Check out  this Ultimate Success Program

Good Habits

Good habits are hard to come by. They take WORK – a four letter word that many people fear (another four letter word).

If you want success, you must develop good habits. This takes discipline. It is easy to slide into bad habits – sleeping in just a little bit longer, putting off a task until the end of this tv show, eating just one more helping of dessert. It takes discipline to get up when the alarm goes off, to get started on your daily tasks, to tackle the difficult chores before the easy ones – but it is worth it in the long run.

Do you know someone who is very busy but always seems to be able to get things done? Ask them how they do it. They probably have excellent time management skills and you may be able to learn from them.

Do you know someone who is highly successful in their business? Observe them, see what they do, how they treat people. Talk to them, ask them their secret to success. They will probably tell you about some good habits they developed.

In order to develop good habits it is necessary to have a goal, something you can focus on to give you a reason to achieve. For instance, if you want to lose weight, you may put up a picture on the fridge of what you want to look like, so that when you are tempted by that dessert, you can say no. When you think about eating lasagne instead of stir fry, you can say no. You begin to develop healthy eating habits and the habit of exercise in order to have a healthy body. In the beginning you have to work hard to stick to the habits, but eventually they become part of your daily life and you do them without thinking. Think about it – do you think about your morning routine – get up, brush teeth, go to the bathroom, shower, get dressed – or is it a habit?

It takes approximately 3-4 weeks to make or break a habit. This means that you do the task repeatedly every day for that entire time so that your brain develops the necessary pattern.

So, do you want to be successful in life? Develop good habits. It’s worth it.

To your success

Fran Watson
www.franwatson.ca

P.S. If you want some help in developing your successful habits, click here